our Counsels or our Armies either erre or prosper not it is our duty to fall upon our faces and humble our souls and enquire of the Lord and if any that offer themselves willingly be more successefull our hearts may be towards them but Blesse ye the Lord Judge 5. 29. 3. I may adde a third caution to the two former viz. That all pomp and triumph be layd aside in the dayes of our rejoycing and thanksgiving not that I judge it utterly unlawfull but altogether unfit and unseasonable Ringing and Bonefires and such solemnities are for Tear-lesse and bloodlesse Victories over a forreigne enemy rather than in civill war where they that get the day must needs possesse the victory as the eleven Tribes did that over the Benjamites with cryes and tears the conquerors cannot behold the slaughter of the enemy but it must repent them for their brethren because the Lord hath made a breach in their own Nation perhaps their own families nor look upon the gain of the Conquest but as David did upon the water which the Worthies fetched from out of the Well of Bethlehem which was by the gate Is it not the bloud of the men that went in the jeopardie of their lives It would be poured out before the Lord Secondly When all this is done there is yet a further use to be made of this Doctrine for we shall finde that where the man after Gods own heart readeth upon the Law of thankfulnesse He interprets it thus He that offereth me praise glorifieth me and he that ordereth his conversation aright So that God is not glorified unlesse there be a care of composing or disposing our way as well as a sacrificing of Confessions and unto this also the Doctrine is an engagement For if an extraordinary peculiar providence be an extraordinary peculiar blessing then without controversie there is super-induced upon us at this season a very great obligation to walke worthy the Lord to have our conversation according to the way of God in compassion of us For whom much is done of them much is looked for Else we shall return evil for good and may be sure to hear of it as Israel also did Deut. 36. 6. Doe ye thus requite the Lord oh foolish people and unwise Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee hath he not made thee and established thee To say nothing of what we read to this purpose almost every where in the Books of Moses we may hear the Prophet preaching it very plainly both the Duty upon this very ground and the aggravation of the sin in the case of perversnesse and the recompence of the errour upon supposition of the provocation Isa. 63. 8. He said Surely they are my people children that will not lye So he was their Saviour q. d. He took them into Covenant he admitted them into the neerest relations in this case lesse could not be expected then that in all ingenuity they should have abhorred to degenerate into any false way or fail to be an holy people In all the reason of the world one would think they should have reckoned themselves bounden to answer the loving kindnesse and faithfulnesse of the Lord in all holinesse and righteousnesse of conversation before him all their dayes Upon these termes he took upon him their protection So hee was their Saviour That they might observe his Statutes and keep his Lawes for so the Psalmist expounds it and if ye read on to the eighth verse ye will finde the rest But they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemy and he fought against them The equity is so manifest as nothing more needs to be sayd in it Onely if you desire to know what it is that God requires and we ought to returne you may finde it if you looke in the glasse whereinto the species of the children of Israels face is shed I mean the story of their Rebellions We may read our duty in their perversnesse and see where to wash our selves by their spots Doubtlesse ye have heard of their provocations and the issues of them they are gathered together into very short summe Psalme 95. ye may finde them a little more enlarged and particularized in the 78 and the 106 Psalms Or if ye please that I may run over the History before you in a few words wee shall the more readily discerne what to amend 1. They did not abide in that good disposition wherein they received the first tydings and tokens of Gods good will to them When Aaron had spoken all the words which the Lord spake unto Moses and had done all the signs in the sight of the people The people beleeved and when they heard that the Lord had visited them and looked upon their afflictions then they bowed their heads worshipped But in the next chapter they lightly depart from that acknowledgement upon the first discouragement where they found themselves in an evil case because of their tasks they met Moses and Aaron and sayd The Lord looke upon you and judge because ye have made our savour to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh and his servants to put a sword in their hands to stay us And again at the Red-sea when they saw the great work which the Lord had done upon the Egyptians they feared the Lord and they beleeved the Lord and his servant Moses but they soon forgate his works and his wonders which he had shewed them and trusted no more in his salvation Secondly They bare all difficulties with great impatience and murmured upon every tryall at the increase of their burdens the approach of the enemy the bitternesse of the water the want of bread the want of water when they had not meat for their lust when the Spies brought an evil report upon the Land when the way was tedious and they must go about At every turn upon all occasions they complain and rebell and tempt the Lord Thirdly They quarrell their deliverers while they were yet in the Land and charge the injuries and oppressions done them by their enemies upon their best friends In the Wildernesse they are envious and mutinous even Aaron and Miriam are drawn into the conspiracy They misunderstand and misapply the judgments of God the executions done upon the factious and seditious they impute to Moses and Aaron as bloudshed and murther When the earth had opened and swallowed up Corah and his company the next morning all the Congregation murmure and tell them to their faces Ye have killed the people of the Lord Fourthly They repine at their deliverance even when it was far advanced and despise the salvation of God and made an attempt to return into their old servitude so base were their spirits as they had rather have abidden under nay returned into their cruell bondage so they might have had their fish and their onions then be saved by miracle if they must be
of the brest and the wombe which are the other part of the legacie of Joseph be all by the good will of God Yet it may well be denied to be the truth held forth in this Text doubtlesse something divers from all those some singular thing in the failing of them supplying their absence recompensing that want is intended by the Holy Ghost here viz deliverance in trouble and deliverance from trouble deliverance wonderfully and fearfully wrought out 1. Else there were nothing here to answer that of Gen. 49. 23 24. support and succour in times of danger and distresse The Archers sorely grieved him shot at him hated him but his bowe abode in strength and the armes of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob 2. The word rendred good will may also signifie any thing whereby God will manifest his grace and good pleasure and so the Septuagint takes it here 3. The other word also translated dwelling may import such a dwelling as when the cloud abode on the Tent of the Congregation and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle a residence in grace and power testified by some open manifestation worthy the majesty of God a neighbourhood or neernesse for protection and safeguard in a glorious way and is so interpreted by the Prophet Isa 4. 5 6. And the Lord shall create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion and upon her assemblies a cloud and smoake by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory shall be a defence 4. It is a plain allusion to the miracle recorded Exod. 3. A Bramble for such was the bush God made choice of for the more apt expression of the mysterie and manifestation of the miracle A Briar a most contemptible and combustible shrub all on a light flame yet neither withering nor perishing but green and flourishing in the very fire A just embleme both of their low estate in miserable oppressions nigh unto ruine utterly unworthy to be beloved and of the wonderfull worke of God by his great wisedome and power saving them from the mischief of the Aegyptians craft and cruelty and redeeming them from under their hand by great judgements Ye know the vision Exod. 3. 2. and the interpretation thereof vers. 6 7 8 9 10. and the story that we read in the Chapters following what was then shewed what was spoken and what was afterwards done in pursuance and performance thereof Unto that gracious providence figured and promised in that apparition Moses hath an eye in this Text praying the like for Josephs posterity in like case of hazard and danger and bequeathing it to them as the best part of their portion for to strain it to the preservation of the virginity of Mary in the conception and birth of Christ the triumph of our Saviour crowned with thornes or the incorruption of his body in the grave under the dominion of death as the Popish Commentators do or to restrain it to the Prophecie of Ahijah to Jeroboam as some other expositors because he had rule over the charge of the house of Joseph is altogether unwarrantable if not absurd Having thus found the meaning of the Text I beleeve your thoughts out-runne me and take up the doctrine before me A peculiar extraordinary providence in favour of a wretched people in whom is neither might nor worth is an extraordinary peculiar blessing both the whole series and webb of such a providence and every remarkable passage of it Every overture of mercie and grace in a time of trouble every assay of deliverance though the salvation be not presently perfected nay though many crosse providences intervene that raise many difficulties and make the present state more grievous more perplexed yet if God revive his work and there be such things done by his hand as carry in them a testimony of his compassion a pledge of his faithfullnesse an evidence of his neernesse to relieve and rescue it is to be acknowledged a very great happinesse When a nation is not worthy to be beloved and the rod of Gods displeasure is put into the hands of bloudthirsty and deceitfull men and they help forward the affliction and there be little or no probability of better condition by men or means if then the Lord will make offer and tender of his good will and one may discerne in his workes in his waies a gracious propensitie and purpose to redeem though in the prosecution thereof there be such various and uneven dispensations of providence as may give occasion to the enemy to be hardned and insolent and the other side to be discouraged and dejected yet if God so temper his judgements as his own people shall feel the benigne and comfortable and the Adversary the hurtfull and destructive effects thereof he will step in to restrain or inhibit or prevent the fraud or fury of the enemy and take the advantage of their animositie and attempts to glorifie himselfe in shewing forth his wrath and making his power known upon them and the mean-while continue to protect and repeate and multiply wonders in favour of his people to the confusion of the adversary it must be confessed a very great mercy transcending the good of peace and plenty Though that may be doubted which some have affirmed that the brightnesse of the flame of the fire in the bush did darken the brightnesse of the Sunne at noon-day yet this must be believed that the blessing of adversity is better then the blessing of prosperity What ever the opinions of vain men may be concerning this thing yet all those who have stood on the same side with the Spirit and word of God have ever been of this judgement Let us hear two or three speak for all the rest 1. What else can we make of that expression of Ezra words that come from the very heart root and speak affection to admiration And hath given us such deliverance as this Why what was this deliverance that he could not finde words to expresse it 'T was but a deliverance in the shell barely disclosed deliverance in the blade not the ear in the spring not the harvest they could not then eat of the fruit of it as the light in the twilight not the noon neither light nor darke or rather both in a mixture and vicissitude The books of Ezra and Nehemiah will informe you or if it be too much to read the story the Psalme will tell us Their captivity was turned yet so as they needed to pray still turne again our captivity O Lord they were not restored to that from which they were fallen either for number of people abundance of wealth or liberty or beauty of order in the Civil or Ecclesiasticall state more persons had fallen in some one battell before the captivity then were inrolled at their returne from Babylon David alone of his own proper good had contributed more
and Titles that are relative to such a providence and the blessings of it then by any other in another way It s very observeable the Lord delighteth to be known and godly men to acknowledge him He frequently glorieth and they glorifie him in the notion and under the names of Saviour deliverer redeemer and the like Thirdly Many provisions were made by God and good men for preserving and publishing the knowledge and remembrance of such providences and mercies Anniversary festivals were instituted and solemnized divers monuments erected names given to persons and places proverbiall speeches taken up records kept Journals Annals Chronicles written of them the History of the Bible and a great part of the Bible is history what is it but a webb of such wonders like a rich piece of imbroyderie most pleasing to the eye a light worke upon a sad ground of other matters it may be said as of the story of those who gave themselves to mechanick and secular imployments 1 Chron. 4. 22. These are ancient or obsolete things things held unworthy of memory there were no memorials of them but there was a law for the recording of these and all means used to contribute an infinitie an eternity to their fame and the glory of God in them Lastly If the affections of men and their expressions may speak any thing in the praise of this blessing we finde that also in the Scripture for they otherwaies blessed the God of their mercies for these then for other blessings they celebrated the praise of God in these Psalmes and songs of thanksgiving with all largenesse of heart and elegancie of speech It s strange what apprehensions the very Heathens seemed to have of the excellencie and preeminence of this blessednesse and by what fictions they represented their fancies But when the holy men of God made recognition of the wonders and advantages of an extraordinary providence they spake in such straines not of fancie but affection as never men spake no not themselves but at such times and on such occasions Beside the light we have by the testimony of Scripture we may evince and perswade the truth of the doctrine by evidence of reason and experience and truly we need all manner light and proof for it is a Paradox like Sampsons riddle meat out of the eater and sweet out of the strong but we may easily finde it out if we will consider the wayes of God in such a season either in their reference to himselfe or unto his people These two things seriously pondered and without prejudice will clear the truth and perswade an acknowledgement The workes of God in the way of extraordinary providence do make most visible most clearly visible the invisible things of God even his eternall power and God head His workes are wonders wondrous workes mighty acts terrible deeds such as declare his greatnesse as shew the glorious honour of his majesty the glorious majesty of his Kingdome He gives abundant evidences of his presence in dreadfull manifestations so that all eyes are made to behold him and every tongue to confesse to him We may read his Name in Capitall flourishing letters written as with a Sunne beame glorious in holinesse fearfull in praises doing wonders We may behold him as a man of warre in his compleat bright armour as a King in his royall robes glorious in his apparell He saw and there was no man and he wondered that there was no intercessour therefore his own arme brought salvation to him He put on righteousnesse as a brest-plate and an helmet of salvation upon his head He put on garments of vengeance for a cloathing and was clad with zeal as with a cloak We may see that which Moses sings The Lord triumphing gloriously in the greatnes of his excellencie overthrowing those that rise up against him We may see him working all in all a blessed sight and which makes them blessed that have the happinesse to behold it as holding some proportion with that beatificall vision in Heaven where God shall be all in all And this fairly leads up to the other Secondly Then he communicates his goodnesse with his people most eminently then he rides upon the Heavens for the helpe of his beloved and in his excellencie on the skie he discovereth himself openly and seasonably in a way befitting his unsearchable greatnesse for their relief and help He walks amongst them in paths of mercy and truth both his hands full of blessing First In such times he deals out the blessings of the right hand the most sure mercies the light the support the supplies and the comfort of his word and Spirit the triall of grace the increase of grace the fruit of grace blessings much more precious then gold that perisheth though it be tried in the fire then he chuseth his people avoucheth challengeth redeemeth ransometh them and avengeth himselfe upon their enemies Then he lifteth up his hand and maketh himselfe known to them He wakeneth their ear prepareth their heart and fealeth their instruction Then he convinceth and humbleth them purgeth away their drosse takes away their sinne washeth their filth their bloud and refineth them by the spirit of judgement and by the spirit of burning Then he gives a spirit of prayer and supplication and is nigh unto them in all things they call upon him for They shall call on my Name and I will hear them I will say It is my people and they shall say The Lord is my God Then he openeth the book of his remembrance written before him for them that fear the Lord and thinke upon his Name and he maketh them up as his jewels or speciall treasure and spareth them as a father his own sonne that serveth him Never doth the Church and people of God enjoy more of God and more eminently then in the times of their trouble when he comes down to redeem them with great judgements Secondly In that time also the Lord dealeth out the best blessings of the left hand the most beneficiall mercies deliverances indeed all providence in such a season is deliverance so Ezra looks upon it And hast given us such deliverance as this So God himselfe interprets that to which my text alludes I have surely seen their affliction and I am come down to deliver them All the blessings received or possessed in such a season are but the appurtenances and additaments to deliverance and so the Psalmist confesseth in Psal. 136. a Psalme that hath none like it in all the Psalter while he summes up all the story of Gods extraordinary gracious providence in this acknowledgement And hath redeemed us from our enemies for his mercy endureth for ever 1. Now redemption is a most manifold blessing from much evil to much good ye cannot look upon deliverances as single kindnesses they are pregnant mercies full of good have many mercies in the wombe and bring forth abundantly 2. They are the
most acceptable refreshing reviving mercies like a bright shining after rain hot gleams in uneven weather between showres the brightest beams and of strongest influence like the honey Jonathan tasted in the wood he put his hands to his mouth and his eyes were enlightned like the water Sampson dranke in his faintnesse when he had drunke his spirit came again even as life from the dead Grace hath been shewed from the Lord our God to leave us a remnant to escape that our God may lighten our eyes and give us a reviving in our bondage 3 The blessings of such a providence are mercies of the best relish as the fruits in Paradise of Gods own creating farre exceeding any at any time since produced by art or nature as the water out of the rock pleasant as honey and oyl He made them suck honey out of the rock and oyl out of the flinty rock as the wine by miracle at Cana the best wine better then the purest bloud of the grape the master of the feast being witnesse who if any was sober and able to discerne they are more immediately of Gods working and more immediately reached out of his hand and therefore the good that is in them is more pure and heavenly savouring more of his all sufficiencie and more universally answering and satisfying the desires of the soul like the Manna which fell in the wildernesse bread from Heaven Angels food The Jewish tradition saith it was able to content every mans delight and agreed to every mans taste serving the appetite of the eater and was tempered to every mans liking according to the desire of them that had need And the Canonicall Scripture seems to favour it Numb. 11. 8. The taste of it was as the taste of oyl now they that love oyl tell us that pure oyl is to the taste as clear glasse to the eye it receiveth much of its favour from that wherewith it s mingled as glasse doth its colour from that by which it s laid 4. They are the most present convincing testimonies of Gods grace such as bring along with them the clearest and fullest revelation of divine favour for they are wrought out not only in great patience and longsuffering but in tender compassion abundance of goodnesse and therefore more sweetned then other mercies The Lords portion is his people he kept them as the apple of his eye as an Eagle fluttereth over her young spreadeth abroad her wings taketh them beareth them so the Lord alone did lead them in a kinde of sympathy and fellow feeling of their miseries in all their affliction he was afflicted in his love in his pity he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the daies of old 5. They are blessings given in in returne of their prayers in answer of their longing desires and earnest expectations the harvest of their hepes and therefore reaped in with great joy and gladnes 6. They are sent as messengers and witnesses of Gods truth and faithfullnesse in remembrance of his ingagements by relations covenant or promise and therefore speaks comfortably to the heart of those that hope in him I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters for I know their sorrows and am come down to deliver them 7. They are intended for pledges in earnest of others to follow them good Osses or Omens of more to come as we finde in the end of the Chapter Happy art thou O Israel saved by the Lord thine enemies shall be found lyars unto thee and thou shalt tread upon their high places like the signes which Moses and Aaron wrought before the Elders of Israel Exod. 4 30. they are dispensed to beget a confident expectation and to keep life in the faith and hope of the poor of his people that wait upon him and therefore make them rejoyce in hope incouraging to look forward with confidence and chearfullnesse He hath delivered he doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us 8. They are set off with such a foyle as render them far the more amiable and acceptable viz. the sense of misery the fear of ruine the unquietnes and perplexity of a misgiving minde held in continuall doubt and suspence a very manifold uncomfortable darkenesse which prepares the heart as the rubbing of a bladder to receive good of God with more enlarged affections and dispose the spirit to drinke in the contentment more abundantly and increase and multiply the joy and thankefullnesse in the acceptation 9. Of all blessings these come the lest look'd for and therefore the more welcome for though nothing is more desired yet nothing is more despaired then preservation or deliverance in the needfull time of trouble 10. And lastly which makes the measure heaped and running over in such a season there are multitudes of these mercies of both kindes as we say of stormy weather when the Sunne breakes out between clouds there are many fair daies in one there is a repetition and multiplication of mercies the father of mercies openeth his hands wide and filleth plenteously with good redeeming the lives of his people from destruction He crowneth them with loving kindenesse and tender mercies the God of their salvation daily loadeth them with benefits he dealeth out his blessings as Masons lay their tiles covering and binding down one with another for he sees all their afflictions and proportioneth out consolation though not according to their fond or froward wishes yet according to their infirmity and necessity which by reason of manifold tentations require frequent repeated and multiplied tokens of his dwelling amongst them in good will All these things may be seen by the light of the flame in the bush they may be all read in the story whereof the vision to which the Text refers was the praelude They fall with in the observation of those who are so wise as to consider the works and ways of the Lord and are found in the experience of them who have the happinesse to acquaint themselves with God and to wait for him in the wayes of his judgements And by all these laid together it s very evident that if the good things of prosperity may be wishedâ— yet the excellent things of adversity are and ought to be admited and if there be any thing worth the name of a blessing to be found here below in the valley of change it is then when we are in the valley of straits under a cloud and God covereth us with his hand and sheweth his glory making his goodnesse to passe before us even in troublesome times when the providence of God worketh extraordinarily in favour of us Now what remaineth but that we make improvement of this doctrine for Gods glory and our own edification A doctrine most seasonable for this time and this day a time wherein the Lord of glory
dwels amongst us as when in good will he dwelt in the bush a day of publike rejoycing and thanksgiving for another pledge of his residence amongst us in grace and power That bright shining in the West Let us first bring our peace-offering a sacrifice of praise the fruit of our lips giving thankes to the Name of the Lord It cannot be denied but the blessing of the Text is our priviledge that this promise is our story for as the state of the Church and people of God some years since was not unlike to that which was figured in the smoaking furnace which was shewed to Abraham when horrour and darkenesse had fallen upon him at the going down of the Sunne so the late and present providences of God are not unanswerable to that which was shadowed in the vision which Moses saw when God appeared to him in a flame of fire in the bramble The good will of him that dwelt in the bush hath come abundantly come seasonably come admirably upon the head of his people in this Island The fury of the battel hath been poured upon us and it hath set us on fire round about and behold by the goodnesse of our God glorious in holinesse dreadfull in praises doing wonders we are not destroyed we are miraculously saved for God worketh miracles in our preservation though men do none though not from all harme yet from present utter destruction and though it cannot be said of us as of the three children when they were in the furnace where the fire had no power upon them that the hair of our head is not singed nor the colour of our coats changed or the smell of fire hath passed upon us yet blessed be God it may be said as of the Bush when it was all on a flame we are not burnt God is nigh unto us and stands between us and our harms to rescue us from ruine troubles are moderated mercies are mingled with judgements we have more then our lives left us for a prey and though we walke still in the fire and are not yet called out of the furnace yet verily God is amongst us and there hath been a loosing of our bond an enlargement of our liberties and we have received great deliverance in our trouble ond though the heart of the King be not effectually moved either towards God or his servants to make such an observation acknowledgement and decree as that heathen Monarch yet be it known our God is able to turne his heart as the streams of waters and we are incouraged to wait the returne of our prayers and doubt not but the wrath of man shall praise the Lord and the remainder of wrath will he restrain God hath done great things for us already in preventing disappointing and disposing of counsels and force besides and beyond the intendment and expectation of men and we are alive to praise God for it as this day Let us I beseech you turne aside to see this great sight this burning yet unburnt bush possibly while we draw near to behold it God may speak to us out of the bush we may receive an interpretation of the vision and come to understand the good will of God in the open manifestations thereof amongst us I may not now give you a Map of all the providences of God of late and the things remarkable in them therein I have been prevented this morning and blessed be God I have been prevented because the worke by that hand hath been better done only in allusion to the story pointed at in my text give me leave not to strain to parallel every thing but to observe before you some few considerable testimonies of the good will of God dwelling with us as when he dwelt in the bush that our hearts may thereby be the better prepared for his praises It is now more then manifest that Rome and Hell had long since taken crafty counsell by working wisely to extirpate all protestant Religion to strangle all the male children of the Church at the very birth to drown all masculine profession and to leave alive nothing but a loose effeminate forme of godlinesse without the power that the Papal Monarchy might be absolute that Babylon the great the mother of fornications and abominations of the earth that great mistresse of superstitions and wicked arts to besot the spirits of people with her love might again sit upon the waters have dominion over the multitudes and Nations that the man of sinne who opposeth and exalteth himselfe above all that is called God and is worshipped might as God sit in the temple of God might lord it in the Church over the consciences of men the people of God enslaved to do his drudgery for his advantage This was Romes master-piece For as for that other whereof we have more sense the dissolving of our Laws the introducing of an Arbitrary governement the divesting us of our liberties and priviledges and the attempts to disable us from ever getting the yokes from off our necks it was but a designe on the by a device a bribe wherewith to caiole and hire the Court to their party Now while all these things were in the darke to us and both the inward thought of every one of them and the heart was deep by the piety of what mid wives were we saved alive in those times what secret friends had we that either counter-wrought their designes or failed them in the trust or service was it any other then the unsearchable wisdome of God who disappointeth the devices of the crafty so that their hands cannot performe their enterprise Surely it was the Lords doing and it ought to be marvellous in our eyes Who remembers not the flattery of Prerogative by the Prelaticall faction and all to humour the Royall power into an opinion of necessity of advancing the Miter for the support of the Crown the artifices of the Prelates for the adulterating of the doctrine of the Gospel by Arminianisme and Popery the introducing of Innovations for the blending and polluting of the publike worship and ordinances of God the corrupting of the manners of the people by the Law of liberty on the Lords day the discountenancing of all vigorous profession by branding it with the term of Puritanisme and though they commonly coupled a Papist and a Puritane together in all their declamations yet they did but as the Butchers that drive up a lean beast among the fat ones to get them into the slaughter-house and then lets him go back again to pasture We have not forgotten what snares they laid for tender consciences by pressing the reading the book of Sports by urging subscriptions to their new injunctions by framing the Oath c. How rigorously our Taske-masters exacted the burdens which they had imposed the service they had increased how insolently and with scorne they drave away those which came to complain and how violently they pursued those
which fled from under their jurisdiction and how nigh we were brought to Rome ere we were aware of it When these things were thus were we able to have rescued our selves from under the hands of those who dealt cunningly with us and evil intreated us and laid those sore burdens upon us Were we worthy that the Lord should look upon our afflictions and send to deliver us Did we so much as understand the drift and depth of those designes then on foot the methods the arts and wiles of those powers and spirituall wickednesses in high places with whom we then wrestled Were we duly sensible of the dangers wherein we were of the hazards which we ranne I beseech you let it not be forgotten how unexpctedly how seasonably how marvellously how graciously the God of our mercies prevented us and visited us to redeem us And as he whose Name is Wonderfull did wonderfully in the first turning of the wheel in like manner he hath wrought gloriously for his Names sake in the whole carriage and advancing of his great worke of preservation and deliverance When God began to worke his signes among us did we understand that he meant to give us such deliverance as this did we imagine those things possible which our eyes have been made to see When the woman took up the stool to cast at the head of the Dean when the Service-book was read at Edenborough did we dream that by that means as was hinted in the morning all the Bishops in the three Kingdomes should be set besides the cushion When our Brethren the Scots began to gather together to consult about and petition against the invading of their priviledges when they were necessitated to take up armes for their just defence did those Incendiaries who blew that coal intend to gather the people of these Kingdomes to the battell of the Lord against Antichrist and his Popish Priests and when there was an appearance of warre was it probable that that little cloud in the North should have risen against the winde and spread so farre and the storme fallen so heavily upon that party who first provoked them to it In the beginning of this Parliament when the manifold oppressions and grievances of the Church and Kingdome began to be represented by petitions who did imagine there had been such a blessing in that cluster that that despised day of small things should have been prolonged and prospered into such a probability of reformation In the beginning of this summer at the time when Kings go forth to battel what likelihood was there of so many daies of rejoycing in so short a space that the daies of publike thanksgiving should strive in number with the daies of solemne humiliation Let us draw yet a little neerer to behold this great sight and see if names and places and such like circumstances being changed the late and present waies of our God amongst us be not like to those which Moses looks at in this Prophecie Or if I may not take the liberty because the time is short to compare particulars yet give me leave to offer these remarkable things to your observation In the generall it must be acknowledged that the Lord hath his way in the storme and his fury is poured out like fire but withall this cannot be denied nay it ought to be confessed to the praise of God that even all that cloud hath been light to us-ward and darkenesse to our enemies we have found by the good hand of God upon us a very great moderation of judgements a marvellous mixture of mercies and therein wide difference put between us and them Hath he smitten us as he smote those that smote us or are we slaine according to the slaughter of them that are slain by us They have been many times lift up for their greater fall but we have been alwaies remembred in our low estate and redeemed from the hand of our enemies we have been at our wits end by the difficulty and perplexity of affairs the Lord hath made the storme a calme and brought us out into unexpected enlargement when we have stood on the brinke and precipice of ruin he hath sundry times snatched us off and set us in more safe estate what we have managed weakly and what they have attempted confidently and watchfully God hath over-ruled for great good and advantage to us and while they are left to themselves to abuse the providences of God to the exciting and inflaming of their own animosity the enraging of their spirits and the hardening of their hearts our God whose dwelling is amongst us in good will offers more grace to us because he hath compassion on his people he hath caused the trumpet to be blown to the solemne assembly and he sendeth his messengers to preach submission and conversion to God repentance and amendment of life and we hope that the names are more then a few that learn righteousnesse and mourn in Sion and wait upon God in the way of his judgements True it is there is no such Prophet amongst us to whom God speaks face to face as he did to Moses that can reveal the secrets of Gods counsel concerning the circumstances of the manner and end of this unnaturall warre but great is the company of Preachers that interpret the revealed will of God concerning our duty and the waies of our salvation which is more necessary and more profitable for us to know neither is there any one singular person that is such an eminent mediatour as Moses was that can fall down before the Lord 40 daies and 40 nights together and neither eat bread or drinke water because of all the sins we sin in doing wickedly in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger yet doubtlesse there be many that are afraid of the anger and hot displeasure of the Lord and the spirit of grace and supplication hath been poured upon many and there be many that steppe daily into the gappe and wrestle with God and prevaile The power and the wisedome of God who is wonderfull in counsell and excellent in working hath been very glorious in a world of providences in favour of us every where we may behold with open face the glory of the Lord in a world of wonders oh Lord how manifold are thy works in good will thou hast done them all we may say with amazement what hath God wrought and what Nation is there who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for or at any time since the Bible was written hath God assayed to preserve and prepare a people for himselfe by temptations by signes and by wonders and by war and by a mighty hand and by an stretched-out arme and by great terrours as the Lord our God hath done for us in our own land before our eyes The compassions of God fail not they are new every morning great is his
and shall declare thy mighty acts And herein my Lords ye have the advantage of all that hear me this day Ye may command these things to be written even a book of the warres of the Lord for the generations to come that the people which shall be created may praise the Lord Ye may appoint dayes of Thanksgiving when remarkeable passages of providence minister occasion thereto and if the God of our mercies should make the warres to cease and this miserable distration to end in an happy reconciliation and reformation ye may ordain an anniversary remembrance thereof as the Jews did their dayes of Purim that the memoriall of the good will of God in this wonderfull deliverance may not perish from the land and peradventure another age may finde cause to make a Secular commemoration of the multitude of mercies which are forming in the womb of this extraordinary providence and shall in time be brought forth for the advantage of posterity for we hope the foundations are now laying for many generations and the dayes come when it shall no more be said the Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt no nor the Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the North at the least as to that which is already past for we wait yet a further accomplishment of that Prophecie But the Lord liveth that separated his people and brought them up from under the papal bondage and servitude which spiritually is Sodome and Egypt and Babylon and delivered their souls from the fierce anger of the Lord The Lord liveth which hath judged the great whore that corrupted the earth with her fornications and hath avenged the bloud of his servants at her hand Amen Hallelujah Surely the time approacheth when the memory of those wonderfull works shall be swallowed up in the celebration of this and this deliverance and the course of Gods speciall extraordinary providence at this season in favour of his Church shall be esteemed more miraculous then those of old and the glory of this shall dimme the lustre of those The mean while when God appears to us by such signals of his presence as of late and there is occasion either to contemplate or to celebrate such wonderfull manifestations of his good will as this for which we assemble to blesse his name this day let us not forget the admonition which God gave Moses when he turned aside to see this great sight Put off thy shoes from off thy feet a double caveat One to deny our selves not only in curiosity and vanity of minde but in all low earthly sensuall reasonings and passions such as are incident to brutish men who know not and to fools who understand not the deep thoughts and mysterious wayes of God in his judgements so some allegorize the phrase because the shoes go next the earth and gather dirt and to elevate the minde and heart above all that 's common and which a naturall carnall and politick wisedome which is from below would suggest and as if we were in the mount of transfiguration to have high and spirituall and heavenly apprehensions and stirrings of heart in all humble and holy reverence adoring the majesty of God both in that which we behold and that which we cannot yet comprehend waiting till he further interpret himselfe Verily God is with us nigh unto us else how is all this befallen us and whence are all these miracles the miraculous victories beyond all expectation so lately so often given in unto us The marvellous works done before us are apparently wrought out not by the heads or the hands of men but by the finger of God or rather his mighty hand and out-stretched arm and are none other then evident pledges of his nearnesse to us in good will as when he dwelt in the Bush The other is to lay aside all emulation contention vain jangling about the merits of men the praise or dispraise of the men of Gods hand and in all humility to resign up all pretences of claim or interest into the hands of God for in this way of resignation of right we sometimes find this Ceremony used so some understand that expression in Exodus and it may be applied to this purpose viz. 1. That the parties themselves whom God honoureth in the service would give him all the praise and let none of the fat of the peace-offering cleave to their own fingers but cause it to bee burnt on the Altar to the Lord Not unto us not unto us but unto thy name be the praise And to speak plainly for God there is none other cause for what is or hath bin praise worthy besides the successe and who knowes not who sees not that the event is of God When Gideon and his servant heard the Midianite and his fellow tell one another the Dream and the interpretation thereof how a Barley-cake tumbled into the Host of Midian and fell upon a Tent and smote it and over-turned it that the Tent lay along and they saw the carriage of the businesse the next day in the battell to answer it what could they do lesse than wonder and worship well might their hands be strengthned to the war but it had been extream madnesse and impudence to have gloried in themselves and would have been revenged as on Herod The spoyles of a victory may be divided amongst men but the honour of a victory especially such as ours have been of late belong to God alone It is his glory he is a jealous God and will not give it to another It is his Crown he that will set it upon his owne head or will not lay it down before the Throne of God and the Lamb the Lord will loose his shoe from off his foot and spit in his face And secondly That standers by and lookers on doe look off look up above the instruments of Providence to God who giveth victory in the day of Battel neither quarrelling nor idolizing men or means both which are equally sacrilegious and abomination before the Lord Do ye think the Israelites had done well or would it have been accepted of God if they had made odious comparisons between Moses and Ioshua if they had decryed as indeed they murmured at Moses because by his hand they were led about many years in the wildernesse and met with many difficulties and disasters and their carcases fell and they consumed daily and came short of their hopes and on the other hand had lift up Joshua because under his conduct the enemies were over-thrown and their walled Towns and strong holds were gained and they prospered in every undertaking Had this been to acknowledge the hand of God either in judgment or mercy Doubtlesse God is not honoured where there is strife and variance and emulation in such a way as this If there be a miscarriage at any time and
enstranged from their lusts We remember say they the fish which we did eate in Egypt freely the Cucumbers and the Melons and the Leeks and the Onyons and the Garlicks Numb. 11. 5. were it not better for us to return into Egypt and they said one to another Let us make us a Captain and return into Egypt Numb. 14. 3 4. Fifthly They did not understand the works of the Lord nor trust on their God nor depend upon his Word or rely upon his Providence nor waited for his Counsell but hardned their hearts through unbeliefe yea they spake against God tempting and limiting the holy one of Israel for all the signes and wondrous works which he shewed amongst them Sixthly They were a faithles and stubborn generation a generation that did not set their heart aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God They had engaged themselves by solemn Covenant to Reformation to depart from the customs of Egypt and to keep themselves unspotted from the manners of the Nations to receive a forme of worship from God a Law of Ordinances and to keepe his Commandements and be obedient But they made a Calfe in Horeb they worshipped the molten image they committed whoredome with the daughters of Moab and joyned themselves to Baal Peor and are the sacrifices of the dead they kept not the Covenant of God and refused to walke in his Law Seventhly They dissembled with God in their humiliations and professions of repentance which they were frequently put upon When his wrath was kindled against them and he slew them then they sought him they returned and enquired after God and they remembred that the most High was their Redeemer neverthelesse they did but flatter him with their mouths they lyed unto him with their tongue for their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant Wherefore God was not pleased with them for their carcases fell in the Wildernesse of all them that were numbred in the Desert of Sinai on the second moneth of the second year after their comming out of Egypt all the Males from twenty years old and upward Six hundred thousand three thousand five hundred and fifty not a man of them was found alive upon the Muster in the plain of Moab a little before they entred into Canaan save Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Ioshua the son of Nun they were all consumed Now these things are our examples lively representations for instruction to the intent we should not walk unworthily unanswerably to the good will of God in his peculiar extraordinary providence over us as they did by levity and slightnesse of spirit frowardnesse discontentednesse malignancy confederacy and compliance with naughty men unthankfulnesse backsliding regardlesnesse of Gods works unbeleife breach of Covenant impenitency hypocrisie or formality in our Fasting and Praying and pretence of Reformation and amendment and such like but have another spirit with us and follow the Lord our God fully lest we be destroyed of the Destroyer as they all were for all these things happened to them for ensamples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come The sins and the punishments of those Israelites are set before us as in a glasse or image that we may see in them what to expect if we also provoke the Lord as they did Let us behold our faces in this glasse but not go away and straight-way forget what manner of persons we are but repent and be zealous and amend so God shall be glorified and we shall be blessed in our deed This in generall and for all Now give me leave I beseech you Right Honourable in all humility to offer a word or two more specially to your Honours who are the great part of this Assembly My Lords ye are the chiefe of all the people of the Land Rulers and Nobles Princes of the chiefe Houses among the families of our Nation it is expected both by God and men that ye should do more for God in the advancement of his glory and in a more publike way than others that are of inferiour ranke and stand at farther distance from him Ye have the advantage by the eminency of your place to contribute more and ye are more obliged ye have a larger portion in the blessing and ye are the first in the Covenant Wee Noble-men Barons c. It will bee greatly to your Honour if as God hath honoured you above others ye shall honour him more than they If ye shall offer first first offer your owne selves to the Lord a living sacrifice holy and acceptable and then in your sphear and according to your power do honourably for God who hath done gloriously for us all My Lords The matters of God are before you as well as the affairs of the Common-wealth It is humbly prayed that they may have the precedency and passe before at least in a line parallel and in even equipage with the concernments of men The time was and it was not long since when all the heat and zeal of men burnt out on their own hearth and the coals thereof were as the coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame their rage and their jealousie was cruell as the grave A man was made an offender for a word and drawn into judgment presently heavy fines imposed and executions done with cruelty True it it is we cryed out of the oppression and the wisdome and the justice of this Honourable Parliament saw cause to remove those Arbitrary Judicatures of Honour Star-chamber and High-commission and we rejoyced in the breaking of those yokes But yet we see there may sometimes happen occasions that may awaken Authority to do something exemplary for the vindicating of the names and reputations of men even there where something may be pleaded if not in excuse or extenuation of the words or actions yet in favour of the persons My Lords The name of God is blasphemed daily He hath been charged to be the Author of sin of the anomie of the wickednesse of sin Blessed be God ye have shewed your detestation of the blasphemy He is denied to be that which himselfe saith he is the mystery of the Holy Trinity that other great Gospel-mystery of godlinesse or God manifest in the flesh is openly decried derided I tremble at the most execrable blasphemies which have bin belched out of the mouth of that Beast and dare not mention them in the Pulpit they would not be once named amongst Christians The authority of the holy Scriptures given by inspiration of God is not only questioned and disputed but peremptorily denied and gainsayd The most sacred and fixed Articles and Principles of Faith are shaken and lose their reverence The Gospel is blended with errours of vain men deceiving and deceived not the seamlesse Coat only of our Saviour but his very Body is divided and torn by Schisme and Factions There
spring up daily many roots of bitternesse and many are thereby defiled There be scoffers and prophane persons and Atheists and many are daily made such and great occasion is given to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme and to speak evil of the way of Truth by those who privily bring in damnable Heresies and by those who follow their pernicious wayes using liberty for an occasion to the flesh These things and the like are done daily to the great dishonour of God and scandall of Religion I beseech you my Lords stirre up your jealousie and take hold upon your power for the punishing the avenging and the redressing of these things Be very jealous for God who is jealous for his people with a great jealousie that there may be no colour of cause given for the renewing of the old complaint All men seeks their own not the things which are Jesus Christs Secondly It is humbly desired that the worke of Reformation may be speeded and order in the Church established by Law even now while the Lord is thus advancing the worke of our deliverance although there be many difficulties and an appearance of some discouragements Your Lordships may please to remember how while the fire was yet on the Bush two or three dayes before they were to passe out of Egypt when the people must needs bee in an hurry and confusion in no fit disposition scarce a capacity of receiving such a Law and there was no time to teach them the interpretation of it and one would have thought a fitter season was nigh at hand and might well have been waited for the introducing of the use and regulating of the manner of communicating in such a mystery yet even in that juncture of time and before God offered to shew the whole patern in the Mount the Sacrament of the Passeover was instituted and the rule thereof made publike by an Ordinance and the people commanded to observe it and they went and were obedient thereunto It seems to me and I beleeve your Honours cannot think other but that this was done and written with speciall reference to this very season and the great affaire now in your hands for instruction and direction to this present Parliament to take into most serious consideration and affection the humble advice and Petitions that have so often and with so great desire and expectation been presented to both Houses in the matter of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and to give a Law for the Administration thereof and the regulating of the admission of Communicants according to the Word of God and the rules of discipline in all the reformed Churches That the Church of Christ may have the liberty of this Ordinance in the purity of it Then which nothing can make more for the unity and peace of the Church and Nation and the defeating of the crafty designes of those cunning men who lye in wait to delude and divide and to do this speedily notwithstanding all objections and obstructions which polititians or prophane worldlings or any Sectaries may with faire pretence raise to the retarding hereof being all cleâ—â—ly and fully anticipated and answered by the light and encouragement of this very story And when this is once setled you shall with the more ease provide and we shall with the more patience and consolation expect the setting up of the rest of the frame of Government though the times should continue unquiet and hazardous and we should still be put to depend upon an extraordinary Providence for subsistence For your Lordships may also please to call to minde how when the people wandered in the Wildernesse neer fourty years before they possessed the Land The Lord caused the Tabernacle of the Tâ—stimony to be wrought and reared and ordered the pitching of it and marshalled the Tents of the Tribes about it and gave the Lawes for his publike worship and in that unsetled time and when they were newly entred into Canaan while they were yet in warre set on foot all that belonged to the administration of it And afterwards how it was the care of Ezra and Nehemiah in the most troublesome times when they had many enemies and there were many conspiracies and confederacies against them and the distraction was great and they were forced to hold a sword in one hand while a Trowell was in the other yet made it their great care to re-edifie the holy Citie and the Temple and reforme and restore the publike service of God and when they entred into a curse and an oath Reformation in matters of Religion was the first and principall charge And when they waxed cold or forgetfull the Prophets put them in remembrance they received the exhortation and the Lord blessed the labour of their love Then the Prophets prophesied unto the Jewes which were in Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel and the Elders of the Jewes builded and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the Prophet and Zechariah the sonne of Iddo and they builded and finished it according to the Commandement of the Lord There is my warrant for this motion and there is your Honours paterne for the worke and there is great encouragement to us all I move you my Lords to no more than what ye your selves have obliged your selves by solemn Covenant to do and what you have engaged us all to endeavour and procure by all good and lawfull means to be done and this brings to minde A third thing The keeping of the Covenant in the whole and in every part especially that which concerns the Reformation of the Church according to the Word of God and the example of the best reformed Churches I suppose I may be bold and that without offence to transfer hither the speech of Peter to Ananias and Sapphira in another case or at the least to allude to it When the super-inducing of such a sacred ingagement was first in motion it was free to the high and Honourable Court of Parliament to have forborne the framing of such a Covenant And while it remained under debate and deliberation was it not in your power to have abstained from the bringing of your selves and the Kingdomes into such an oath and a curse but now yee have sworne before the Lord how so great a part as the intended Reformation can be kept back or be rigidly pressed for the advantage of the civill State and neglected or be proceeded in remifly in the case of Religion and the Church without tempting or provoking the Lord that I may not say without Sacriledge or a lye unto God judge ye Or how safe it may be after vowes to make inquiry How sad a thing and destructive would it be if the Land should after all this be made to mourne for breach of Covenant and perjury I beseech you my Lords prevent it with all your zeale and the Lord enable you to do worthily for God to do something extraordinary for him who
hath done mervailously for the Kingdom exceeding abundantly above all that we have asked or thought Vnto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus world without end Amen There remaineth yet another Use to be made of this priviledge and advantage of an extraordinary Providence I will briefly dispatch it in a few words of exhortation 1. To contentednesse with cheerfulnesse under the mighty hand of God that ye may possesse your souls in your patience and be able to cleave to the Lord without distraction We may be happy in adversity why should we make our selves miserable by false fears and false apprehensions we cannot run from the fire if we would why do we disquiet our selves in vain were it not better to walk with God in it and follow the Lord fully It is an extraordinary priviledge to live under an extraordinary Providence there cannot be such an extraordinary Providence if all things move in the ordinary way there must bee change and trouble and how shall we hope to receive the good of it at the hands of God if we be unwilling to receive the evil also The worke which the Lord hath begun to do both in Mercie and Judgement is very great and manifold upon what ground or to what end can we thinke or wish it may be finished in a day He that beleeveth maketh not haste God will certainly glorifie himselfe and make his power knowne and get him a great Name why should not we desire to see the glory of God though we therefore must be set in straits and under a cloud and the hand of God be upon us The Lord hath prepared his Throne and hath begun to pull down Babylon and to avenge the bloud of his Saints and of all that are slain on the earth How shall their sin swell up to its fulnesse and they be ripe for the Judgement so as all the World shall confesse True and righteous are thy Judgements oh Lord if the meane while the people of God and the Kingdomes of the World suffer nothing grievous by them who would not be glad to live when God doth this The Lord is refining of his Church as Gold is refined it must be done in the Furnace of affliction He is purging them from their filth and he will do it by the Spirit of Judgement and by the Spirit of burning Now we know that chronicall diseases must have long and tedious cures where they have long been setled upon the lees they must be often rolled from vessell to vessell and when they hang upon the old haunt they must be whipe off and if this may be the fruit of it to take away our sins that we perish not in them wherefore should we make it our feare and not rather count it a mercy to suffer the tryall God is come down to redeem his Church there must be time and occasion for him tobring forth all his great Judgements multiply his wonders that his people may have many testimonies of his neernes to them many pledges of his faithfulnesse for the support of their confidence and hope that they may be convinced of and humbled under their weaknesse unworthinesse wretchednesse and learne to depend on God alone and give him all the glory that they may have the proofe of the grace of God working effectually in them and their patience may have its perfect worke that they may be entire and made fit for deliverance their hearts prepared and established to receive and weare it with all thankfulnesse to the praise of the glory of the grace of God And if this be the good of tribulation why should we not be willing to chuse with Moses to suffer affliction with the people of God or to say with Peter in admiration of the happinesse It is good being here Or at the least to resolve with Micah to bear the indignation of the Lord If we will needs so looke upon it and with Hâ—bakkuk rejoyce in the God of our salvation although we shall be brought into extream desolation and never so great affliction be prepared if haply he will plead our cause and we may be brought forth to the light and shall behold his righteousnesse and walk upon our high-places rather than pray with Pharaoh Let there be no more thundering and haile We have made many prayers and supplications it becomes us now to wait as the Husband-man for the harvest of our hopes and have long patience for the raine as well as the Sun-shine that all things may be the more kindly ripened and the more seasonably gathered in and threshed out and sed upon to the more advantage of our blessednesse and in due time we shall reape if we faint not Be patient therefore and stablish your heares for the comming of the Lord draweth nigh Secondly That we may attain to these things suffer me to adde another word of exhortation and then I shall have done it is to prayer First that the Lord would give us an heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to heare while God dwells amongst us in good will that we may have the happinesse to finde the honey in the carcase the wisdome not to suck the poyson of Malignity and male-contentednesse to our ruine but to extract the sweet the good the righteousnesse that may be learned by judgements for our Reformation and edification unto salvation This would make us count that blessednesse that we now call misery for not affliction but the folly of him that suffers it is evil But we cannot finde out the Riddle unlesse we plough with Gods heifers Wherefore if any man want the Wisdome let him aske is of God who gives to all men liberally and upbraideth not Secondly That while the fire taketh hold upon the Kingdoms The good will of him that dwelt in the Bush may come abundantly upon us who are many wayes separated from other people A motion for prayer is seasonable in a day of thanksgiving This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it Save now I beseech thee oh Lord oh Lord I beseech thee send now prosperity And truly we shall not pray before we have need I know no reason we have to flatter our selves with a golden dreame of sudden or setled peace I am sure our sins do multiply and increase and so do our dangers too If the sword of Warre were sheathed again we are in hazard to be ruined by that drunkennesse wherewith the Lord hath filled the Land to perish by division schisme and faction in this distemper if we had no warre yet there would be no peace and if he dash us one against another and not pity nor spare nor have mercy but destroy us who can plead against him The Lord knowes how todeliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iudgement to be punished The Lord knowes how to fulfill all his works