live and die in their sins Cain cries but why My punishment is greater then I can bear Pharaoh is troubled for what O take away this Plague of Thunder and Hail 1 Sam. 15.24 Saul mourns for what The losse of his Kingdome Ahab puts on sack-cloth for what For the evill threatned against his house O the deceitfulnesse of mans heart Here is the sorrow in wicked men let but the judgment be removed and Pharaoh hardens his heart again It is not sin as it is a breach of Gods Law neither is it the apprehension of Gods displeasure they so much care for or look after as the punishment of sin that thus affects them But now come to a child of God a gratious heart indeed that hath in it the work of grace his sorrow is principally for the evill of sin that God hath been offended and his righteous Law violate and if there were no danger at all in sin either of shame punishment here or hereafter yet this wounds their souls and grieves their hearts that they have dishonoured God and brought upon them Gods displeasure Beloved when we come once to see sin in this glasse in the glasse of the Law and in the wounds of Christ as it offends God and provokes his wrath then shall we mourn kindly for our sins and this sorrow will cause that repentance that is not to be repented of Secondly Use 2 seeing the anger of God is so terrible as no creature is able to bear it In thy wrath are we troubled this should stir us up to labour for reconciliation with God David that knew what it was to lie under the burthen of Gods displeasure exhorts us to kisse the Son lest he be angry Ps 2.12 If his wrath be kindled yea but a little saith he they only are blessed that trust in him And as this should make us affraid to provoke him to anger so when we perceive that he is offended as at this day the Lord hath shewed many tokens of his displeasure against the Land to look about us and to labour for reconciliation to come in unto him by Repentance and Humiliation for he is a strong God yea a consuming fire to all rebellious sinners When Jacob heard that Esau was angry with him he presently sends a present and speaks very mildly to his Brother Tell my Lord Esau c. And when Nabal had provoked David we see how Abâ—gal she came with her present to intreat for her life So when any great man is offended O what riding and running and labouring to win his favour again O where are our hearts that we labour no more for reconciliation with our God whose anger is provoked against the land this day But alas we are little moved with these signes of his wrath and tokens of his displeasure Verse 8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee and our secret sins in the light of thy countenance IN these words Moses sets down the more nearer and more proper cause of all those grievous judgments of God upon them viz. their sins Wherein they confesse that the Lord had not only called to a reckoning and account their great sins of infidelity and murmuring against Moses and Aaron but even their most secret sins which they committed closly and whereof none else could accuse them In the practice of this people here Doct. 1 we may note this speciall point in generall namely Sight of sin ground of humiliation for sin That it is impossible for any truly to be humbled and to seek unto God unlesse they come first to see their sins the greatnesse and hainousnesse of them For so long as this people lived in sin and rebelled against God so long they stood out and were no whit humbled to seek unto God But now that the Lord by these heavy afflictions and grievous judgments upon them having tamed them and brought them under now they begin to enter into their own hearts and to call their waies to accompt Thus the Prophet directing the Church to this necessary duty of repentance when Gods judgments lay so heavy upon them exhorts them thus Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our waies and turn unto the Lord implying thereby that there could be no true humiliation for sin nor turning to God by unfained repentance till they had first found out their sins It was a sad complaint that the Lord takes up of his people Ier. 8.6 No man repented him of his wickednesse saying What have I done And no marvell there was no repentance for sin because they never questioned their own waies to discover their sins And hence it is that the Lord commands his Prophet Ezek. 16.2 To cause Jerusalem to know her abhominations And to shew Israel her transgressions Es 58.1 and the house of Jacob her sins Conviction of sin is the Lords method that he useth to bring his people to repentance for sin Thus was David convinced of his sins by Nathan 2 Sam. 12.7 Acts. 2.23 Lam. 3.19 the Jewes by Peter And this is acknowledged by the lamenting Church Remember my affliction the wormwood and the gall my soul hath them in remembrance and is humbled In remembring I remembred an Hebraism that is by reason of thy afflicting hand upon me I came to search out the cause thereof which was my sins the happy fruit whereof was their repentance and their seeking of God So that the point is clear and plain that till we come to see sin with the odiousnesse thereof we cannot be humbled nor seek unto God Because none can repent him of that whereof he is ignorant Reas till the Lord be first pleased to open our eyes and let us see wherein we have offended and provoked his wrath against us we can never humble our souls as we ought before him It was David's sence of the heavy burthen of his sins that made him flie to God for pardon Make me to hear the voice of joy and of gladnesse Psal 32. that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Secondly Reas 2 the sight of sin is necessary to true humiliation for sin in regard it qualifies the soul for Christ for we shall never seek to Christ nor rest upon Christ till we feel the heavy burthen of sin The whole need not the Physician Lu. 5.31 but those that are sick And Christ calls such as travell and are heavy laden to come unto him Mat. 11.28 Neither will God ever bestow his saving benefits upon such that neither see their wants of them nor will not esteem them This serves first of all to direct the Ministers of the Word Use 1 that as they desire to see the fruits of their Ministry what foundation they ought to lay to do good to the souls of their people they are to take that course and to use those means that God hath chalked out unto them in his Word viz. To convince their hearers of their sins that so
a tale that is told 10 The dayes of our yeares are three-score yeares and ten and if by reason of strength they be foure-scere yeares yet is their strength labour and sorrow for it is soone cut off and we flee away 11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger even according to thy feare so is thy wrath 12 So teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisedome 13 Returne O Lord how long And let it repent thee concerning thy Servants 14 O Satisfie us early with thy mercy that we may rejoyce and be glad all our dayes 15 Make us glad according to the dayes wherein thou hast afflicted us and the yeares wherein we have seene evill 16 Let thy worke appeare unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children 17 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us and establish thou the worke of our hands upon us yea the worke of our hands establish thou it MOSES His PRAYER Or An Exposition of the Nintieth PSALM A Prayer of Moses the man of God A Word spoken in due time saith Solomon is like unto Apples of Gold Prov. 25.11 and pictures of Silver And hence it is that the Doctrine of Humiliation doth best sute with the times of Humiliation and the Doctrine of Mans Mortality those times wherein that of the Apostle of the Church of Corinth is true to us That many are sick and many are weak 1 Cor. 11.30 and many are taken away by death God having shaken the rod of his Anger and displeasure of late over this Land and Nation with unwonted diseases and suddain deaths of many that the learned Physitian cannot find out the Cause much lesse is able to prescribe a remedy The Consideration whereof hath set me upon this portion of Scripture at this time The Psalm you hear is a Prayer The Author and inditer of it is the Holy Ghost The Pen-man or Instrument that wrote it was Moses the man of God The Sum of it is nothing else but a pitifull complaint of Moses and the people of Israel The Argument of the Psalm of their wofull estate and condition in the which they now were in the wilderness by the heavie hand of God upon them for their sins whereby they were miserably wasted consumed And withall a humble sute petition that they make unto God that he would in mercy be intreated to spare them and be gratious unto them The Psalm hath in it 2. general parts 1. A Preface 2. The Psalm it self In the Preface we have 1. The person Moses 2. His praise The man of God 3. His practice he prayeth 4. The time when when the Church was in great affliction and distresse In the Psalm it selfe wee have three particulars 1. An acknowledgement of Gods goodnesse and mercy to their Forefathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob and to their posterity in protecting them from their Enemies and that in many dangers Even for his own names sake and his mercifull Covenant sake unto them v. 1 2. 2. From the third ver to the 12 there is a Narration in the which is set down the common frailty and mortality of mankind And this he doth 1. Generally from ver 3. to the 7. wherein Moses compares mans life to a watch in the Night to a Flood to Sleep to Grasse c. 2. In particular that their estate was far worse then the Common estate of the rest of mankind for whereas the life of man ordinarily is 70. years or 80. yeares their life was far shorter by reason of Gods Judgements upon them for their sins they were suddainly wasted and consumed 3. An humble Supplication of Moses and the people unto the Lord that he would in mercy turn away his Judgement and return again unto them in mercy and grant them gracious deliverance and his former favour Concerning the occasion of this Psalm The occasion of the Psalm It is like that it was penned by Moses when as the spyes returned from searching the Land of Canaan Numb 14. In the thirtieth of Numbers wee may see how the Lord commanded Moses to send twelve men of the heads of the tribes of Israel to search the Land of Canaan They return after forty daies and bring of the first fruits of the Land Now all of them Josuah and Caleb excepted discourage the people telling them that their Cities were strong and their walls high and that there were the Sons of Anak of the generation of Gyants and that these would devour them Onely Joshua and Caleb incourage the people to set upon that Land The people hearing this they murmured against Moses and Aaron exceedingly wishing that they had dyed in Aegypt Now the Lord hearing of the murmuring of the people was angry and told Moses that of all them that had seen his Miracles in Aegypt upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians and at the red Sea there should not one of them come into the Land of Canaan But that great multitude even six hundred thousand that came out of Aegypt that were above the age of twenty years Ioshua and Caleb excepted should perish in the Wildernesse as Numb 14.37 This being the occasion of this Psalm Wee may first note Doct. 1 what a grievous thing it is in the sight of God for those that have had experience of Gods mercy in former times to call his power into question and to despair of his mercy for future times This people had many times experience of Gods power his goodnesse and mercy in many great deliverances As in their deliverance from Pharaoh and the Aegyptians at the red Sea How did the Lord there fight for this people when Pharach and his Host pursued them when the Sea was before them the Egyptians behind the Mountains on each hand of them that they could see no means left them to escape Yet how did the Salvation of the Lord appear in their deliverance Besides hee had given them much experience of his mercy and goodnesse in the Wildernesse giving them Manna from Heaven and water out of a Rock c. And now after all this to doubt of his providence and to call his Covenant in question and to make God a lyer in that they would not believe that he would or was able to bring them into the promised land was such a sin as the Lord did punish most severely as we may read Numb 14. and 1 Cor. 10. Now this calling of Gods power and goodnesse into question by such as have had experience thereof must needs be a hainous sin Because God is so highly provoked by this sin See Psalm 78. Reas 1 Psal 78 the whole Psalm there the holy Ghost reckons up a large Catalogue of those mercies and deliverances he had bestowed upon this people Marvelous things did he in the fight of their Fathers in the Land of Egypt in the field of Zoan He divided the Sea and caused them to passe through He led them in
will not perish This honour the Spirit of God giveth to Moses here Josu 1.2 Moses the man of God and else where The servant of the Lord. Heb. 3.2 Moses my servant And he is called A faithfull servant in Gods house Heb. 11.24 Yea Moses himselfe preferrs this service before the pleasures in Pharaohs Court This was it that David so much gloried in Behold Lord I am thy servant Jude 1. This was it that Paul gloried in Paul a servant of Jesus Christ and Jude a servant of Jesus Christ And of those Primitive Fathers it is said Through faith they all received a good report Heb. 11. Thus Noahs commendation rests upon record That he was a Preacher of Righteousnesse and Lot is called a just man And thus good King Asa hath left a name behind him That his heart was upright with the Lord all his dayes 1 Reg. 15.14 Num. 25.8 And thus Phineas zeale in executing judgement upon Zimri and Cosbi remaines as a pretious oyntment to his name Yea this is in a speciall manner to be marked and observed That in what vertue or grace soever his servants have most of all honoured and glorified God withall in life for the same God vouchsafeth unto them titles of honour after death As we may see in those godly Kings of Judah and Israel that were zealous for the glory of God in plucking downe the high places and suppressing Idolaty and advanced Gods pure worship these have left behind them an honorable memory a name that shall not be forgotten or blotted out Whereas others that matched with the daughters of a strange God which drew them to Idolatry and were remisse and negligent in advancing of Religion and seâ— up and countenanced Idolatry the Lord hath left a brand upon their names that shall not bee wiped out As Jeroboam which mingled his owne devises with the worship of God he hath this brand set upon him to the perpetuall infamy of his name 〈◊〉 10. Jereboam the Son of Nebat that made Israel to sin So true is that of Solomon The memory of the Righteous is blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot And the reasons â—e That herein and hereby Reas 1 the world may see what an honorable esteeme God hath of his Servants Now what esteeme God hath of them may appeare by those honorable titles God vouchsafeth into them They are called sonnes 〈◊〉 hold what love the Father hath â—â—stowed upon us 1 Ioh. 3.1 that wee should be â—â—lled the sonnes of God They are called Friends Mat. 12.50 you I have called friends Brethren and Sisters c. Heires of God Rom. 8.17 Temples of the Holy Ghost Gods peculiar people Vessells of mercies Children of the marriage chamber c. And thus the Lord dignifies his servants with honorable titles to shew the high esteeme that hee hath of such though in the eyes of the world they are esteemed but the of scouring of the earth who only see the vessell but not the treasure in it Yet God honoreth them according to the graces given and his owne Image restored in them Secondly because grace and glory Reas 2 are inseparable companions 1 Sam. 2.30 I will honour them that honour me saith the Lord then those that dishonour him he will dishonour As the sinnes of wicked men testifie to their faces what they are so their names to posterity shal publish their shame Pro. 10.7 The memory of the righteous shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot What got the foolish Virgins by their Hypocrisie holding forth the Lamps of an outward profession when they wanted the oyle of grace in their hearts and wanted truth in their inward parts Mat. 23 but a blot that shall never bee wiped out foolish virgins Whereas the godly wise that laboured for grace and to be in truth that they made profession of their names stand upon record to posterity for wise virgins Let us apply this This sheweth the vanity of the men Use 1 of the world that seeke to perpetuate unto themselves a name but begin not at this Gods service such do but build a Babel unto themselves Esay 65.15 ye shall leave your name a curse unto my chosen And if we had no example in the booke of God experience proves it that if this testimony of Moses follow them not when they are dead gone The man of God and the servant of the Lord they doe and will leave their names a curse to their houses and families We have seen the sumptuous funeralls of many great men in their Haralds and Hearses decked and adorned with the Scutchions Armes and other Ensignes of honour much good may they doe them we envie them not I doubt not but that it may stand with Religion that such as have beene truly honorable in life should have all due honour done to them in death But if they have not this testimony pinn'd upon their Hearse The man of God or the servant of the Lord their Armes and Scutchions and other Ensignes of honour shall moulder to dust when this shall remaine as an indeleble testimony to their names houses and posterities that shall not perish with time Moses the man of God Secondly Use 2 seeing it is such a comfort in life and such a high honour in death to be a man of God wee are taught hence how to get a good name a name that shall not rot namely that we lay the foundation of it in Religion and in the service of God Godlinesse saith the Apostle hath the promise of this life and the life to come 1 Sam. 2.30 And he that honoreth me I will honour How preposterous then are the waies and courses of the greatest part of the men of the world Every man for the most part desires a good name and divers men have propounded divers waies to themselves to get themselves a name Some run to Court some to the Campe some to Schoole Absaelom will have his pillar and some have not stuck to lay the foundation of their names and houses in blood Alas what of all these when men begin not at this in their waies and services of God what is become of Nabuchadnezers Babell Achitophells wisedome and deepe policy Herods applause Jezabels craft to make Ahabs house great Hamans high favour with his Prince and Senacheribs vaine gloryings hath not God left their names a curse to his chosen for ever Whereas Phineas his zeale Maries box of oyntment and the widdowes mites are kept in record never to bee forgotten A holy life a sincere conversation raiseth a good name and a good report upon such a sure foundation that cannot be shaken And this serveth for the just reproofe of the greatest sort of men at this day Vse 3 who ordinarily esteeme of men not as they goe before others in Religion in grace and godlinesse but as they goe before others in Riches
and Honour and some outward priviledge wherein they excell others a common fault in the world Indeed I confesse that such as are in the place of Magistracy or in any other condition wherein they goe before others these are to be reverenced according to their severall conditions and places they are in for so much doth Religion it selfe require But in whomsoever Gods Image doth appeare when men excell in vertue abound in zeale in Religion and holinesse and other graces of the inward man these ought to have the highest place and the chiesest roome in a Chrians heart and we ought to honour them most that most honour God Fourthly and lastly Use 4 since God doth thus honour good men with a good name this may serve by the way of caveat to all the godly that they carefully heede their waies that they doe nothing that may bring a blott upon their good name that God hath honored them withall Which such doe who make profession of Religion yet walk inordinatly as those that are without when the world shall take just offence at the carriage of many shal justly open their mouthes against them to say A good man but proud a good man but covetous a good man but contentious with his Neighbours a man given too much to company-keeping O downe with his Bur. And you that professe godlinesse take heede of this offence ye give to others and know that hereby thou strikest into every side of Christ himselfe woundest Religion keepest others from the faith who happily had come on before this time hadst not thou laine a stumbling blocke in their way thou art a griefe to the godly and makest worke for thy selfe of deepe sorrow and humiliation of Soule for this sin at last and withall let such men know that are so ready to rake into the Dunghill of other mens faults and infirmities that the best gold is not without some drosse nor the best Christian without some imperfections It is the priviledge of the Saints in Heaven to be free from sin It cannot be expected whilst we are here till we come to be Cloathed upon and it is a signe that such men are little at home that are so busie abroad did men truly looke about them in respect of their own◠failings such men would be lesse censorious of others Hitherto of his praise The man of God A Prayer of Moses HEre we have his practise 3 His practise he prayeth A prayer of Moses the man of God And this Psalm is a prayer of his that he put up to God in the behalf of the people at this time in great affliction and distresse Whose practise and example may learne us this lesson That such as are Teachers of Gods people should pray for Gods people Doct. 3 Teachers of Gods people should pray for Gods people How frequent is Moses in this duty at all times when Gods wrathfull displeasure was kindled against this people Still he stands in the gap to turne away Gods wrathfull displeasure from them Thus Abraham prayed for the Sodomites that they might be spared Gen. 18.23 whose prayer was so prevalent with God that if there had been but ten righteous found in the five Cities God had spared those Cities for their sakes Gen. 20. And thus he prayed for Abimelech and he was healed by his prayer When the people desired Samuel to pray for them 1 Sam. 12.23 God forbid saith he that I should sin against God and cease praying for you It is the duty of faithfull Ministers not only to teach and instruct their people but also to pray earnestly to God for them A Preaching and a Praying Ministry must alwaies goe together And this was the high commendation of Moses Aaron Samuel and Daniel and other the Prophets and Servants of God that upon all occasions they still preferred their suites to God in the behalfe of the people And this was frequent with the Apostle Paul in the behalf of the Churches as for the Romans Rom. 2.9 10. God is my witness whom I serve in the spirit that without ceasing I make mention of you in my prayers So having exhorted the Ephesians not to faint at his troubles he prayes for them Ephes 3.14 15. For this cause saith he I bow my knee to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye may be strengthened by the Spirit in the inward man And this duty did he likewise performe in the behalfe of the Colossians We give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Col. 1.3 alwaies praying for you And this duty no doubt the Apostles learned of their Lord and Master◠whose custome was to teach the people in the day time and to go out at night and pray for them And this duty belongs to all that are Pastors of Christs flock Is any afflicted James 5. let him pray and let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray Because as they are by their calling and function to be Gods mouth unto the people Reas 1 Mal. You shall hear the Law at their mouth so again are they to be the mouth of the people to God As he speaks from God therein he performs his Propheticall Office as he speaks to God therein he performs his Priestly Office in offering up the Sacrifice of Prayer Secondly Teachers of the people Reas 2 must pray for the people Because all our Teaching and Preaching is but planting and watering 1 Cor. 3.7 which will come to nothing if God give not the increase Ministers may speak to the ears but it is Gods priviledge 〈…〉 to the heart and to 〈…〉 their Lydia may hear Paul preach but God must open her heart or else it cannot be effectuall Serves to let us see the great necessity of a praying Ministry Use 1 as of a preaching Ministry 'T is true a learned painfull and faithfull Ministry is Gods Ordinance to reveal unto the Church the minde and will of God in things appertaining to life and salvation Yea there is such a necessity of a powerful and zealous preacher of Gods truth that where Prophecying faileth the people perish Yet this is not all there is more required at their hands Gods house is a house of prayer as a house of preaching and as there we come to know the minde and will of God in things appertaining to life and salvation by preaching so there we come in a comfortable expectation to have the same bestow'd upon us from God by ear nest hearty prayer We have amongst us many that are frequent in the former duty to preach unto their people yet make little reckoning or account of the latter whereas a preaching and a praying Ministry must go together You shall finde Moses and Aaron and Samuel as frequent upon their knees earnestly striving and contending with God in prayer for the people as preaching and instructing them in the minde and will of God And for
this was Eliah called the Chariot and Horseman of Israel because his prayers were so powerfull with God Secondly Use 2 this lets people know what a high esteem they ought to have of faithfull Ministers Let men so account of us saith Paul as the Ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God They are the Josephs that God hath sent into the land to open the Lords granaries to preserve the souls of Gods people from spirituall famine Had it not been that God had had these Moses Aaron Phineas Jeremie and Daniel amongst us and such faithfull ones that had stood in the gap Englands sin had brought Englands ruine before this day How forcible were the prayers of Abraham to spare the Sodomites What had God done at his request if there had been but ten righteous found in those Cities How did Moses bind the hands of God by his prayers when his wrathfull displeasure was ready to break out against the people Surely our daies of Humiliation Exod. 32.10 and our seeking of God have not returned in vain But God hath heard us And for the sake of some few in this Land God hath deferred his wrath that England hath not been a Boachim a Land of mourning and desolation And what may England now expect when these that have been the Chariots and Horsemen of our Israel and have hitherto stood in the gap and for whose sake the Lord hath spared the Land When these I say shall be judged the troublers of Israel as they that are the greatest Enemies of Englands peace Surely this high contempt of the Ministry of England this day is that which prognosticates no good to England this day This may serve to mind us of the Ministry of a necessary duty that belongs unto our calling Use 3 viz. that wee be frequent and oft in this duty of prayer not onely at Sermon time to begin and end the same with prayer which the most do But even in private to bee earnest Solicitors to the Throne of grace in the behalfe of our people What blessing can wee look for from God upon that Sermon that God is not sought unto by prayer I am sure it is not the least comfort that many a Faithfull Minister of Christ reapes to himself his conscionable discharge of this duty of private prayer for his Flock When he receives but little comfort in his publick Ministry And that Minister that minds onely preaching and neglects this duty of prayer may well question his owne heart that hee aims more at his own glory then Gods And last of all this may serve for Exhortation Use 4 That seing prayer is such an essentiall Duty of a faithfull Ministry and such as are teachers of the people should pray for the people And that by this meanes many mercies have beene obtained and many judgments have been removed this should move us all that are the Ministers of the word to be much in prayer Es 62.2 to give the Lord no rest untill he have mercy upon Sion Let us that be the Lords Remembrancers and the Watchmen of the Lords Flock never give the Lord rest nor let him bee still till we see that hee shall in mercy remove his Judgments which lie heavy upon us for our sins Let us that are the Watch-men of Israel take heed that the Lord put not up against us that wofull complaint Eze. 22.30 I sought for a man that should have made up the hedge and stood in the gap before me for the Land that I might not destroy them But I found none therefore have I poured out my indignation upon them and consumed them with the fire of my wrath What shall then become of those that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap to stay the wrath of God That shall be hedge-breakers and open a gap by their sinns their negligence and carelesnesse their scandalous lives How fearfull will Gods anger be against such one day as wee may see in that Chapter A Prayer of Moses the man of God THE last particular in the title is the time when Moses composed this prayer The time when Moses made this prayer viz. when the Church and people of God were in great affliction and distress now in the Wilderness being almost wasted and consumed with the plague and pestilence and other Judgements of God upon them for their sins Now in asmuch as they make this their onely refuge to fly unto God by prayer Doct. 4 The time of affliction is the time of prayer The Doctrine is That the time of affliction is the the time of prayer This Moses and the people of God at this time make their onely Refuge to fly unto God to humble themselves before him and intreat the pardon of their sinns and that the Lord would turn away his wrath and return again in favour and mercy towards them and indeed this is the Argument of this Psalm And this is such a remedy as the Lord himself prescribes Ps 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear thee and deliver thee Where the Lord prescribes this as the chiefest remedy and refuge in times of calamity and distress To seek unto God by prayer This doth Moses and the people of God at this time of great affliction and distresse when they were almost wasted and consumed with the Plague and Pestilence they fly unto God as their onely Refuge in this time of distresse And this hath been the practice of Gods Church and people in all ages The Jewes in Hesters time when Haman had laid his plot utterly to destroy them Hest 4. they make God their Refuge Thus when Senacherib sent a mighty Host against Hezechiah and his people 2 Reg. 19.17 2 Cron. 20. He spreads his blasphemous letters before the Lord and makes an earnest prayer unto God Thus was it with good King Jehosophat when the Ammonits Moabits came up against them that hee and his people were at that straight that they knew not what to do or which way to turne themselves yet flying unto God by prayer were delivered And this the Lord himselfe doth witnesse unto when he saith Hos 5.14 I will be unto Ephraim as a Lyon and as a young Lyon to the house of Judah c. till they acknowledge their offences and seek my face for in their affliction they will seek me early And so indeed they did for immediately they call on one another and provoke one another Come let us return unto the Lord Hos 6.1 for he hath wounded us and he will heale us And if wee look into particular Examples wee shall find that Gods servants in their greatest straights have still had recourse to God Jonas in the Whales belly Ion 2.1 2. Out of the belly of Hell cryed I and thou heardst my voice Manasses albeit in the time of his prosperity he forgat God 2 Chron. 33. yet in his
like time of the Churches misery and distresse or may we pray by a book Answ Answ There is no doubt but the Church of God and the particular members of it may use set forms of prayer Christ himselfe the great Doctor of his Church prescribes to his Disciples a form of prayer not only to be a pattern and sampler as some would have it Mat. 6.9 After this manner pray ye but also that they might pray in those very words Lnke 11.2 as When ye pray say Our Father c. The purest Churches have had their Lythurgies and set forms of prayer And for Heads of families where the spirit of prayer is wanting and such other qualifications as are necessary in prayer a set form may and ought to be used For every child of God though he have an honest heart yet hath he not ever a flowing tongue but is weak in invention frail in memory bashfull and fearfull Such may use the help of others in a forme prescribed before them with this condition That they take heed that they rest not in those beginnings It is requisite that the Nurse take the child by the hand at first to teach it to goe But she will not alwaies give it the hand The Lord lookes for a proficiency at our hands as in all gracee so in the gift of prayer Besides the daily occurrences that come in upon us in this life sometimes fresh temptations from Sathan troubles from the world and the workings of corruptions daily within us call for a powring out of our hearts to God and the inlargings of our requests which many times are not in our stinted prayers Besides God hath promised To him that hath shall be given By the conscionable use of thy small gift thou hast in thee thou shalt increase it and perform it daily with more comfort And that this prayer of Moses may be used in times of common Calamities It is the Churches constant practice to make use of severall Psalmes upon severall occasions to be sung in our Churches as Ps 92. Ps 22. Ps 39. Ps 102. c. Hitherto of the title of the Psalm Ver. 1. Lord thou hast been our dweling place in all generations MOses and the people of God begin this prayer of theirs with a Complaint of their great sufferings and grievous afflictions that they indâ—red not onely in Aegypt under Pharaoh and the Egyptians but now in the Wildernesse since the Lord delivered them and brought them out with his Almighty hand and stretched out arm And the first part of their prayer is a Complaint unto God that their estate was far worse then the estate and condition of their Forefathers And this is called A Prayer of Moses though indeed it bee but a Complaint Hence we learn That in times of misery and affliction Doct. 1 The very complaints of the godly are effectuall prayers with God the very Complaints and Sobs and Sighs of Gods people bee forcible prayers in the sight of God and loud cries in his eares This is a speciall point to be observed of us that our very complaints to God our sighs and groanes in times of misery and distresse are with God as powerfull and effectuall prayers Moses complaining and mourning now in their misery calls it a prayer A man may pray effectually when in his own feeling and apprehension his heart is utterly indisposed to prayer When a child of God is overwhelmed with grief and his thoughts perplexed and sore troubled that he is not able to conceive a prayer either for matter or method yet even then may this troubled and perplexed soul make an effectuall prayer unto God by his Complaints sighs and groanes unto God This was Moses case at another time when the people of Israel were in great distresse by Pharaoh and the Aegyptians who pursued after them with their Chariots and Horsemen and they were in that straight that they knew not how to escape Moses Exo. 14.15 wherefore cryest thou Saith God yet wee do not read that Moses spake a word But it is like that he groaned in spirit and yet this was a loud and effectuall prayer with the Lord. And such was the behaviour of Hannah in the Temple no voice of her at all was heard and yet then it is said 1 Sam. 1.13 that She poured out her soul before the Lord. Thus did Hezechiah Esay 38.14 Mourned like a Dove and Chatter like a Crane being much oppressed with grief And this was looked upon as an effectuall prayer with God Ps 77.3.4 How oft was David in such straights in his spirit That his spirit was overwhelmed within him and hee not able to make a distinct prayer unto God nor speak a word yet even then did David pray effectually to God This honour have all the Saints that their complaints their very sighs and groanes are accepted of him Ps 88. See the title of the 88. Ps A prayer containing a grievous complaint Whereas it is true of all wicked and ungodly men though they make many prayers Es 1.15 God will not hear them Albeit ye make many prayers I will not hear you for your hands are full of blood And again Will you steal Murther and commit Adultery and stand before me in my house Behold I see it saith the Lord And therefore cast you out of my sight O the misery of every wicked and ungodly man that whereas in times of affliction and distresse his onely refuge is to fly unto God by earnest and hearty prayer This man cannot pray if he pray he speaks in a language that God understands not Prov. 15.8 Psal 66.18 his prayers are abomination unto the Lord. If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not hear me Quest But what may bee the Reasons why the complaints and groanes of the godly are thus looked upon as powerfull and effectual prayers with God First Reas 1 Because the prayer that prevails most with God is not so much the labour of the lips as the labour of the heart And let a prayer be never so well composed for matter or Method and bee dressed with never so much Eloquence and variety of expressions Yet if the heart be not affected if the sighs and groans of the heart be wanting and faith within that makes the same effectuall they are not regarded at all with God Secondly Reas 2 because the godly in their greatest miseries and distresses that they can be brought into when they are not able to pray Yet they have the spirit within them that makes requests for them Rom. 8.26 with sighs and groans that cannot be expressed But he that searcheth the heart knoweth what the mind of the Spirit is And a complaint sigh and groan proceeding from the Spirit must needs bee heard and answered of God This may minister matter of singular comfort and consolation to maâ—y a poor distressed soul and wounded conscience Use 1 when as the
Lord withdrawes the comfort and feeling of his loving kindness and mercy from them and they apprehend the anger of God against them for their sins It is wonderfull to see how the servants of God at such times are cast down and humbled yea they are not then able to pray nor to call God Father but be for a time in a trance and as it were overwhelmed in the sence of Gods displeasure and for their lives cannot lift up their voice to God in prayer Now in such a case as this what is the comfort of a poor distressed soul thus humbled and amazed and cast down But to make their moane and complaint to God as Moses doth here Tell the Lord that thou canst not pray as thou desirest Complain unto the Lord and say O Lord what wilt thou have me to do wilt thou leave thy servant thus Say with Jehosophat I know not what to do Lord 2 Chron. 20.12 but my eyes are upon thee If we can but complain thus and mourn thus for our misery this is an earnest prayer in Gods sight as this of Moses and of David and Hezekiah Tell me you that are tender hearted Parents have not the sighs and moans and groans of your little Infants moved your bowells within you to pitty and compassion towards them as ever the requests that they have made unto you O the Lord doth as much yea more then you can do this way the very sighs and groans and tears of his children prevail with him much more than their words can The Lord is said to hear the groaning of the Prisoner Psal 102.20 Esay 38.5 Psal 39. And of Hezekiah I have seen thy tears And Hold not thy peace at my tears And I doubt not but Gods people have found as much comfort in their sighs and groanes and tears as in their requests in prayer Yet we must take heed that we abuse not this comfort to make us the more negligent and sloathfull in the duty of prayer in the times of health and prosperity No then we ought with all freedome of heart and tongue to exercise our selves in this duty But this comfort belongs unto such as in times of affliction are not able to perform the duty And this serves to discover unto us the misery of all wicked and ungodly men Use 2 what comfort can such have in times of affliction and distresse that cannot pray Prov. 28.9 He that turneth away his ears from hearing the Law even his prayers shall be abominable And as the Lord saith Ezek. 8.18 Therefore will I deal in fury my eye shall not spare neither will I have pitty and though they cry with a loud voice I will not hear them O the misery of a poor creature when God shall shut out his prayers and if they do pray that the Lord should make no more account of them then the howling of a dog Hos 9.4 for how can that prayer be effectuall when the person is not accepted 'T is true wicked men have sometimes good motions in them but they last not like that of Balaam O that my soul might dye the death of the righteous Thus in times of sicknesse and distresse the wicked may pray but these wishes and desires of theirs proceed only from some light in the understanding but not out of any affection in the heart and so quickly vanish away like the morning dew Hos 6.4 And hence is it that the Lord will laugh when the destruction of such a one commeth Whereas the complaints the sighs and groans of a broken heart proceeding from humiliation for sin and sence of Gods displeasure and a hope of Gods promises preserves the soule in life and sends it to God as a sure refuge in times of trouble So that the only hope to finde mercy and deliverance in time of trouble belongs to a godly and an humbled soul that formerly hath had acquaintance with God Iob 22.21 The prayers and sighs and groans of such onely are heard Lord thou hast been our habitation from generation to generation In this first verse we have the first part of their complaint And the words beare this sence q.d. O Lord thou hast been gracious to our forefathers to Abraham Isaak and Jacob and to other ages and generations after them thou wast a covert and defence unto them when they pitched their Tents from place to place and travelled from Country to Country Thou commandest saying Touch not my Annointed Ps 105.15 and do my Prophets no harm But thou dealest not so gratiously with us that are their posterity wee are in great affliction and distresse yea for our Rebellions and sins thou hast left us and goest not before us as thou didst with our Forefathers So that this was it that humbled Moses and the people of God at this time when they saw that their estate was far otherwise then their Forefathers and that God did not now deal so gratiously with them as hee did with their Forefathers Hence note That when a Nation Doct. 2 When a people decay in glory then it is time to seek to God Church or people decaies in beauty in riches in glory or strength then it is time high time and more then time to make their complaints to God to bee humbled for their sins and to meet the Lord by unfained repentance When a Nation or people upon whom his name hath been called where the Gospell hath been preached and his ordinances have been duly administred where God hath heretofore declared his presence When such a Nation or people shall decay in their former beauty and glory when the glory of Religion shall begin to be Eclipsed by Sects and Heresies that shall increase daily in the Church and when God by many apparent signes shall seem to depart from such a people in gard of his wonted presence then it is high time for such a people to humble themselves and to meet the Lord by repentance Thus did Moses and the people here when the judgements of God were upon them and they saw that it was far otherwise with them then with their Forefathers it was then high time to put up their complaints to God Lam. 1.12 35. Psal 107. Hereby the Lord wil make us know that hee is not tyed to any Nation Reas 1 Church or people no longer then they keep Covenant with him and walk in obedience before him as we may see of this Nation of the Jewes and those famous Churches of Corinth Ephesus Philippi Colosse c. once glorious and flourishing Churches but now have the Candlestick removed from them The Lord many times doth lay his hand upon a Nation and people to this very end Reas 2 to humble them and to make them looke home to humble them and to cause them to meet the the Lord by repentance for this end the Lord made the prodigall to tast of a Famine that was such a wanton in times of prosperity
And welfare those afflictions that send us home to God By this dealing of the Lord with a Nation and with a people Reas 3 by sharp and sore afflictions the Lord is pleased to humble them and thereby to fit them for mercy and deliverance And this is no other thing then what the Lord himself hath promised If a Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their wickednesse Ier. 18.5 I will repent of the plague that I thought to have brought upon them Thus Niniveh prevented her Judgement And this is the right way to stop the breach of Gods wrath and to call in his Judgements when they are gone out against us This serves to shew the monstrous impiety and prophanesse of this age Use 1 and time wherein we live that do not thus mark and observe the dealing of God with us We have seen the hand of God in a grievous manner upon the Land in generall The Lord hath rode Circuit amongst us and what Country nay what Family hath not suffered in these times the sword hath been in the bowells of this Nation and hath drunk much blood The Lord hath likewise sent forth other messengers of his anger against us as unseasonable years at one time making the fruits of the earth dung for the earth at another time making the Heavens as Brasse and the Earth as Iron that the Creature hath mourned to teach us to mourn and now again by an universall sicknesse and disease the like whereof no age can remember when so many are sick and weak and taken away by death Yet who makes this use of it as Moses and the people of God here who is humbled under Gods hand who mournes for sin the cause of all No no we can be content to passe over the Lords dealing thus with the Land as if these Judgements concerned us not we lay them not to heart Surely it is to be feared that the Lord wil come nearer unto us yet in the end Take we heed that it be not found true of us which the Lord speaketh I called for sackcloath and fasting Esa 22.13 14. but behold mirth eating and drinking c. when was there ever the like excesse of drinking then at this day but what saith the Lord This inquity shall not be purged untill ye die Secondly Use 2 this Doctrine serves to direct us what we ought to do and how wee ought to carry our selves in times of Common Calamitie Not to be gazers and lookers on of Gods Judgements But to search and try our waies to discover the sins of the Land and the evills of the times which should thus provoke the Lord to punish us in a different manner then our Forefathers in former ages as Moses here Surely it is a dangerous fin heedlesly to passe by Gods dealing with us at this time from former times How can we be humbled aright for our present miseries if we do not consider hiâ— former mercies This were to deprive God of his glory and our selves of confidence and comfort Lord thou hast been our dwelling place WE are farther to observe in this prayer of Moses Text. how they begin their prayer viz. with putting the Lord in mind of his former mercies shewed unto their Forefathers in times past and in former generations Thou hast been a Covert unto our Forefathers and good unto them guiding directing and protecting them Note hence That it is a speciall motive and reason to plead in prayer Doct. 3 To plead Gods former mercies a good Motive for futute to move the Lord to pitty and compassion to put him in mind of his former mercies and deliverances bestowed either upon us or our Forefathers The Prophet out of experience of former mercies prayeth for the continuance thereof Lord thou hast been favourable to the Land Ps 85.2 3 4. thou hast brought back the captivitie of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sinne Thou hast taken away all thy wrath thou hast turned thy self from the fiercenesse of thine anger c. And hence he grounds his request to God Turn us O God of our salvation Ver. 4 and cause thine anger towards us to cease And thus do Nehemiah and Daniel begin their prayers for the Church Nehc. 1. Dan. 9. they mind the Lord of his Covenant and mercifull promise to his people And thus David persecuted by Saul hee pleads his cause with God thus Ps 4.1 Hear me O God of my righteousnesse thou hast set me at liberty c. Hee minds God of his former mercies and deliverances and thereby is confimed in his faith and confidence that God would not now leave him at this time of distresse And so when he was to go out against Goliah 1 Sam. 17.34 hee calls to minde the Lords mercifull deliverance from the Lyon and the Bear and grounds his hope of successe at this time also upon it And this hath been the care of Gods people to keep a Catalogue of Gods mercies and deliverances to strengthen Ps 22.21 their prayers in the like time of danger yea so carefull have the people of God been to keep in memory former mercies and deliverances that they have raised up monuments and given name to prisons times and places for perpetuall records of mercies and deliverances as Jehosophat called the place wherein the Lord had given him the victory 2 Chron. 20.26 to be called the valley of Beracha and the Jewes it is thought have their Purim to this day This is to give the Lord the honour and glory of his works Reas 1 when they are kept in remembrance 1 Sam. 12.24 Consider how great things God hath done for you saith Samuel to the people that his glorious works might be kept in remembrance amongst them Yea this is such a duty that we are often to presse upon our hearts Ps 103.2 as David did Blesse the Lord O my soul and for get not his benefits We cannot honour God more then to mind him of his former mercies and deliverances This makes a believer bold with God as we are with a trusty friend that we have had experience of It serves to strengthen our faith to quel our doubts and fears and causeth us with much confidence to rely on him Besides Reas 2 it is one of the greatest comforts in times of extreamities and dangers the experience we have had of Gods goodnesse and mercy Experience saith the Apostle worketh hope God being the same ever to his people In him is no variablenesse Jam. 1.17 nor shadow of change And hence it is that the godly in times of adversity can hold up their heads with comfort when wicked men are at their witts end and many times overwhelmed with sorrow This serves for our Direction Use 1 how to begin our prayers unto God the better to move him to pitty and to have compassion upon us viz. to remember the former mercies of
promise concerning Elizabeth his wife that she should bear him a son that the Lord struck him dumb till the day that the promise was fulfilled So that the point is clear and plain that our corrupt nature is such that we often call Gods power into question in times of straights that we fall into Because it was the first sin of our Father Adam Reas 1 by the which Sathan entered into mans heart Gen. 3.4 and so drew him from God to question Gods love and the same is derived to all his posterity And this is the root and mother of all other sins by it we depart from God when we call Gods power truth promises Heb. 3.12 and mercy into question what is this but to make God a lyar 1. Joh. 5.10 and so dishonour God in a high degree As we cannot honour God more than by sanctifying his name Numb 20.12 and acknowledging his power in times of affliction and distresse So is God highly dishonoured when we doubt of his power and goodnesse and call the same into question Secondly Reas 2 as it is the work of Faith to see God to be of power All-sufficient to help and succour us in times of straights And herein appeared the truth and power of Abraham's faith that he doubted not of the promise through unbeliefe Rom. 4.20 for he was perswaded that what he had promised he was able to perform Whereas the unbelieving heart blocks up the gate of mercy against it selfe and makes a man uncapable of mercy If we examine our selves by this Doctrine Use 1 we shall finde that we are guilty in some measure of this sin when our estate goes not so well with us as we desire how ready are we to thrust off the cause of it from our selves and to lay it upon others When we are in health peace and prosperity and set free from trouble O then we can acknowledge and say that God is all-sufficient mercifull and gracious But if the Lord send affliction sicknesse tryalls times of adversity then we are ready to call all into question and think that Gods power is shortned we dare not follow God in the dark we can hardly confesse God to be almighty powerfull just mercifull at such times Iudg. 6.13 but are ready to say with Gideon If God be with us why is this befallen us We shorten Gods arme and call his power into question as this people did Can God furnish a Table in the Wildernesse Psal 78. He gave us drink indeed out of a Rock but can he give bread also This is that sin which this cursed nature of ours is most prone unto and therefore are the more carefully to watch ouer our own hearts against it Seeing it is the sinne of our nature thus to question Gods power Use 2 his mercy and goodnesse towards us especially in times of trouble and adverfity and to lay the blame on him Let us learn to know that God is alwaies one the same most mighty most just true faithful in his Covenant towards his people Though our condition change yet God changeth not he is one and the same from all eternity and cannot change But if our condition be otherwise with us than we desire Lam 3.39 Es 59.2 let us ascribe all to our selves Man suffereth for his sin Your iniquities have separated betwixt you and your God Your iniquities have turned away these things and your sins have withholden good things from you Let us condemn our selves and accuse our selves that we are thus afflicted and know that God is just and the arme of his power is not shortned towards his people Quest Quest But how comes it to passe that the Lord seemes thus to leave his people so long a time in such fore affliction and distresse as his people here Answ Answ The Lord doth this in much wisdome and love to his people First to bring them to a clearer sight of their sins and to work in them a greater measure of humiliation for the same then yet they have attained unto We are apt to think that a little sorrow for sin is enough and every light and slight confession will serve the turn But the Lord sees it meet that the foundation of our repentance and conversion should be laid deeper Secondly herein and hereby the Lord will exercise our graces which in times of Gods delaies are exercised in us How was the faith of Abraham exercised whilst he took Isaac in his hand three daies together when he went up to the Mount to sacrifice him How was the faith of Paul tried when he received this answer from God My grace is sufficient for thee though the temptation was not removed The Lord will have it so to quicken the prayers of his people seeking him The Canaanitish woman had divers denyalls in her suit to Christ in the behalfe of her daughter yet at last had a gracious answer returned unto her And this is ordinarily the fruit of sore afflictions they produce fervency in prayer and have at last a welcome deliverance Before the Mountains Text. c. even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God MOSES being now to have recourse unto God by prayer for his people flies unto the Covenant of grace made unto the Church in Christ pleads that minds the Lord of that and that gives him boldnesse in prayer Before the Mountains c. thou art our God Hence we learn That the knowledge of Gods Covenant of grace in Christ Doct. 2 gives boldnesse in prayer The knowledge of Gods Covenant gives boldnesse in prayer It is the knowledge of our interest in the Covenant of grace that God is our God kindles prayer as a Sacrifice kindled with fire from heaven and is much accepted of God Upon this ground we are to pray Gods Covâ—nant made with his Church and faithfulnesse in all generations in keeping promise with his people is the staffe and strength of prayer And this Covenant of grace the godly have been ever carefull to lay hold upon in prayer Heb. 10.23 Rev. 19.11 He is faithfull that hath promised And he that fits upon the white Horse is called faithfull and true Thus the Lord minds Jacob with his Covenant made with Abraham and Isaac his father Gen. 28. ver 15. and then confirmes the same unto Jacob Behold I am with thee and will keep thee which way thou goest Rom. 10.14 This made Paul to ask that strange question How shall they call on him on whom they have not believed implying thus much That where there is not faith in Gods Covenant there is no calling upon God Iam. 1.5 If any man lack wisdome saith Saint James let him ask it of God But how Let him ask in faith nothing wavering And again Let us draw neer with a true hears in assurance of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an evill conscience So that the point is clear and plain Ephes
depend upon this short inch of time that is allotted us here Ver. 3. Thou turnest man to destraction and sayest Return again ye children of men FRom the beginning of this Verse to the eleventh we have the second generall part of this Psalm and that is his Naration in the which he sets down the common frailty and mortality of mankind from Verse 3. to the 11. and this he doth 1 In generall 1. By the efficient cause of mans frailty and mortality verse 3. Thou turnest man c. 2. By the instrumentall cause viz. The manifold miseries sicknesses and diseases these frail bodies of ours are subject unto As also from the composition of mans body which is made but of the dust of the earth and therefore must return to dust again 2. In particular by comparing it 1. To a Watch in the night that is the space of three houres ver 4. 2. To a Sleep or a Dream that is a vanishing thing and of no continuance verse 5. 3. To a Flower or Grasse that groweth up in the morning but cut down and withered ere night ver 6. Thus of the estate of mankind in generall Then verse 7 8 9. he applies this to themselves in particular now in great affliction and distresse in the Wildernesse and shewes that though the life of man be frail and short yet their estate at this time was far worse and more miserable and the Reason was 1. Because of Gods anger and terrible displeasure whereby they were pittifully wasted and con-consumed verse 7. 2. He sets down the speciall procuring cause why their estate was thus miserable viz. Their sins and rebellions which the Lord did now charge them with verse 8. Thou turnest man to destruction Text. THat is at thy will and pleasure and appointment is the life of man when it pleaseth thee thou turnest man to destruction that is to breaking and crushing even to dust and ashes Hence we learn Doct. 1 that the gretest stay and comfort of the godly under affliction is the consideration Greatest comfort to the godly in times of affliction that they come from God Hos 6.1 Am. 3.6 that their miseries and afflictions come from God He hath spoyled he hath wounded saith the Church They do not look so much upon the Assyrians that afflicted them but they look up higher and see Gods hand upon them and say The Lord hath spoyled and He hath wounded us Is there any evill in the City and the Lord hath not done it That is any judgment sicknesse afflictions or calamities but they come from the Lord it is he that sends them and laies them upon his people Thus when the Lord was minded to bring his Church from Idolatry he saith thus Behold I will stop thy waies with thorns and make a hedge that she shall not know her paths Thus the Lord threatned Senacherib 2 Reg. 19.6 Behold I will sond a blast upon him This is more clear by that of Moses Levâ—t 26.16 17. If ye will not obey me and do these commandments I will appoint over you fearfulnesse a Consumption and a burning Feaver the Sword Famine and Pestilence to destroy you And this truth is acknowledged by Job in his sharpest tryalls Iob 1.21 The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away even as it pleaseth the Lord so commeth things to passe 1 Cor. 11.32 And When we are judged we are chastned of the Lord. The Reasons will make the point yet more clear and plain unto us First in regard of his providence Reas 1 which ordereth and disposeth of all things in Heaven and Earth according to the purpose of his own will so that there is no room left for Fortune or Chance but as it pleaseth the Lord so commeth things to passe This doth our Saviour teach most clearly when he saith Are not two sparrowes sold for a farthing and not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father Yea the hairs of your head are numbred Now if the providence of God be in such small things as in the fall of a Sparrow and the numbring of the hairs of our head how much more in the tryalls and afflictions of his children Secondly Reas 2 the miseries and afflictions of Gods Church and children must needs come from God because he ordereth and disposeth of the tryalls and sufferings of his people in the nature and kinds of their sufferings what they shall be how long they shall continue and the happy issue and effect of them as the Apostle hath it No man should be moved with these afflictions 1 Thes 3.3 for your selves know that we are appointed thereto God will have the rod lie upon the back of his servants sometimes a long time as upon the Church in Aegypt 430 years together where the Lord exercised them with cruell bondage under Pharath Sometimes shorter as those seventy yeeres they were in captivity in Babylon somtimes shorter Rev. 2.10 Ye shall have tribulation for ten daies Sometimes but for a night Sorrow may endure for a night c. Yea sometimes not so long but for an hower there is an hower of temptation and the time that God hath purposed and decreed being expired they shall see the salvation of the Lord. Seeing that the only stay and comfort of the godly in times of affliction and distresse Use 1 is the consideration that their miseries and afflictions of what kinde soever they come from God This should teach us at all times of distresse still to have recourse unto him by earnest and hearty prayer either to remove the rod if it be his good pleasure or else to sanctifie the same unto us and to give us patience under it This duty the Lord requires and looks for at our hands especially in times of affliction and distresse and for this we have both precepts and examples Ps 50.15 Call upon me in the day of thy trouble and I will hear thee and deliver thee Yea to that end he hath prescribed unto us a form of seeking him at such times Hos 14.2 3. Take unto you words and turn to the Lord and say unto him Take away all our iniquity and receive us graciously Secondly he hath made a gracious promise of hearing our prayers especially at such times Ps 50.15 Mat. 7.7 1 Ioh. 5.14 and that whatsoever we ask the Father in his Sons Name he will give it us Thirdly there is none else can help us Lord whither shall we go saith Peter thou hast the words of eternall life He is known for a sure refuge Ps 48.3 he is the God that heareth prayers Besides we have the examples of Gods servants who in all times of extreamity have ever fled unto God Psal 18.3 4. 2 Chr. 20 2 Chr. 33 by earnest and hearty prayer as David Jehosophat Hezechiah Manasses c. who ever had recourse unto God in times of misery and God was intreated of them Secondly the consideration
not that it is he that turneth man to destruction Secondly Vse 2 seeing these breakings and crushings yea death it selfe when we are brought to the dust are all from God and come from him Thou turnest man to destruction this may serve to abate the pride of many in these daies who spend their time pretious time as if this destruction would never come in eating and drinking ranting and roaring as if they were immortall or should never die or be called to an account of their waies think their bodies are not made of the same common mould with other men Whereas the consideration of mans mortality would much abate the pride of many had they this thought in their minds that they must shortly die and go hence and be no more Note when they shall come to see that which they never saw which they shall ever see and hear that which they never heard which they shall for ever hear and feel that which they never felt which they shall for ever feel whilst God himselfe liveth O how would the thoughts of these things humble them It was a witty answer of that Cynick Diogenes that when Alexander mockt him for being so often amongst the Tombes and Sepulchers of the dead answered O Sir I am looking for the bones of thy Father Philip but see no difference between them and other mens Why then should men be so proud and exalt themselves when they know not how soon they may be laid full low The ignorance hereof makes many to carry their heads aloft outface heaven and swell with pride and disdain of others whereas the due consideration of their own end would make them walk more humbly towards God and more meekly towards their Brethren And lastly Vse 3 since the Lord at his pleasure thus turns man to destruction to breakings and crushings yea to death it selfe it shall be our wisdome to prepare for such a change that we be not taken unprepared What man will have his evidence to seek when his cause comes to be tryed What man will go to sow when others go to reap Our life should be a continuall meditation of death and preparation for death since our weal or wo for ever depends upon it In the matters of the world men are wise they must say they provide for a rainy day in Summer for Winter and whilst they are young to keep them when they are old O where are our hearts Christians that we provide no better for death before it come And howsoever all men know that one day die they must and that repâ—ntance and other graces are to be had to make them truly happy yet here is the misery that men defer this great work to the last when many times it proves too late Now to that end I may awaken you that hear me this day Conlide rations to prepare for death in this weighty duty I beseech you take these few considerations to heart First that you would seriously consider with your selves the uncertainty of your lives thou that makest so small account of death consider with thy selfe what thy life is a puffe of breath in thy nostrills suddenly stopt and thou art gone Go to now saith Saint James you that say to day and to morrow Iam. 4.13 14. we will go into such a City and continue there a yeer and buy and sell and get gain and yet ye cannot tell what shall be to morrow for what is your life is it not a vapour c. What man when he goes to bed can assure himselfe that he shall rise again in the morning Who knoweth saith Solomon what the day travelleth withall and may bring forth ere night Eccles 9.12 Man doth not know his time and as fishes are taken in an evill net and birds in a snare so are the children of men Secondly consider the danger of deferring of repentance and this preparation for death to the last hower when all the infirmities of our nature will then seize upon us when extremity pain griefe anguish will so perplexeus that the best counsell will have little tast and the best prayers little sweetnesse in them this will prove a time of spending and not a time of storing What wise man then will deferre all this time Consider how often these purposes of repentance and turning to God at last have miscarried many thousands that are now in hell without hope of mercy that in their life time purposed at last to repent and to return to God whereas such as have often abused grace and mercy offered unto them the Lord doth often at last give such up to the hardnesse of their hearts that when they would they cannot repent and those melting qualmes which sometimes now thou meetest withall under the Ministry of the Word though thou wouldest give a world thou canst not meet with them again O the sad spectacles that we that are Ministers of the Word doe oftentimes meet withall Some in Spyras case who being exhorted to say the Lords Prayer answered O I cannot call God Father And some again like Nabal whose heart dyed like a stone within him And last of all do but consider with your selves that albeit thou maist enjoy thy memory to the last and maist have with thee some godly Ministers to instruct thee and to pray for thee yet how knowest thou whether his prayers for thee or thy own prayers for thy selfe shall then be heard and accepted Doth not Christ say that many at last shall seek to enter but shall not be able Did not those foolish Virgins cry Lord Lord open unto us yet were for ever shut out of the Marriage Chamber And doth not the Lord threaten that though Noah Daniel and Samuel should pray for this people yet I will not hear them Nay thy case may be such that though all the Angells in heaven and Saints on earth should intreat for thee yet God will not be intreated This is clear Because I have called Prov. 1.24 25.26 and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and ye have not regarded But ye have set at naught my counsell c. I will also laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear commeth O the misery of a poor soul when God shall shut out his prayers and shall be so far from pittying him in this time of distresse as that he shall laugh at his destruction And sayest Text. Return ye sons of men ALbeit as we have heard there is an inevitable necessity laid upon all Adams posterity by reason of sin that they must once die Thou turnest man to destruction So sure and certain it is that all men shall one day rise again Thou sayest Return ye sons of men q. d. At thy will and at thy word they shall at last return from dust and corruption again Though the bodies of men by reason of sin Doct. 3 All men at last shall rise again do tast of death and turn to dust yet by a
meet with unexpected accidents in their way our life being like a lighted candle which wasts with the winde and is often blowen out before it be burned How many griefs and how many cares and feares are we daily pestered withall that help to waste the spirits of mer we are like unto him that stept upon the stage and presently went downe againe as if he came thither of purpose to shew himselfe and no more so many steps upon the stage of this worlde and act litle but downe againe And though men should be so happie as to be freed from outward Miseries which fewe are Yet we continually carry death in our Bosoms for look how many infirmities this frail Natures of ours are subiect unto so many secret Enemies we harbour within us to provide for Death yea every crum of bread that goes awrie is ready to make a breach for Death to enter in at In a word be we at sea or on land be we in Citty or Country at home or abroad waking or sleeping we are still in danger that Death like a violent Flood may break in upon us we are here never at one stay but in the midst of life we be in Death So oft then as this Corrupt nature of ours shall stir us up to pride because of Beauty Riches strength c. O let these thoughts humble us these flowers every day wither apace The root is dead already The body is dead because of Sin There is a worme at the roote as there was at the roote of Jonahs Gourd all our earthly felicities are feeding a pace we know not how soone Death like a violent Flood will breake in upon us and put an end to them all Thus for the first that Death is inevitable there is no resisting of it it breakes in upon us as a violent Flood Thou Carriest them away as with a Flood MOses in these wordes will likewise intimate unto us that as Death comes violently and unresistably as a Flood Doct. 2 So Death comes Suddainly unexpectedly as a Flood Death comes suddenly Many times when men are not aware nor thinke not of it then Death coms and takes them tardy And no doubt this was Christs intent and meaning when he saith Mat. 25.6 At midnight there was a cry made to shew unto the world that his coming by Death and judgment will be in an Houre when men will not think of it that so we might expect him every day and every hour You know not the day nor the hour Maâ— 24.42 when the Son of man cometh It is sufficient for us to know that come he will and that his coming shall be at such a time when men least of all expect it Mat. 24.26 and as he saith In the houre that ye think not will the Son of man come And upon this very ground the uncertaintie of the time when Christ shall call us is that watch-word given what J say unto you I say unto al watch Mat. 13. And Behold I come as a theefe in the Night Rev. 16.15 Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments I confesse these places of Scripture are principally meant of Christs second comming to judgment yet are they true also in this sence of his comming by death When a Thiefe hath a purpose to do mischiefe he makes choice of the night when men are asleep and so comes unawares when men are not prepared for resistance Such will the time of Death and the last judgment be And upon this ground Christ grounds that exhortation of his to have our loynes girded and our light burning that we may be alwaies ready And certainly when men are most secure then is death nearest at hand as it was with that rich man that promised to himselfe many years Luke 12. had that night his soul taken from him And when men shall say peace peace then shall suddain destruction shall come upon them And besides these clear examples and testimonies in the Word that shew the comming of death to be suddain and unexpected our own experience and observation daily before our eyes doth declare this truth How many have gone well to bed at night that have been dead ere the morning some at bed and some at board some at home and some abroad death hath met them and suddainly surprised them and when he comes he will have no nay The point then is clear and plain that as death comes as a Flood and there is no resistance so as a Flood death comes suddainly when men think least of it But why will the Lord have the time of death thus uncertain to us Quest Many may be the Reasons wherefore God will not have this day and time known unto us Ans That not knowing the set day and houre Reas 1 we might be prepared for every day and every houre Watch saith Christ for you know not what houre the Master of the house commeth whether at midnight c. Secondly Reas 2 that herein and hereby the Lord might exercise the faith patience hope and other graces in the hearts of his servants all which are now exercised and set on work whilst we know not the time when the Lord will call us hence And this serves for the just reproofe of the great security Use 1 wherein so many are so fast asleep that notwithstanding they hear clearly from the Word and see daily by experience before their eyes the sudden comming of death as a flood rushing in upon them yet put the thoughts of death far from them O the security and dead heartednesse that is in many that having so many caveats watchwords and warnings from God besides their own daily experience yet never minde their own latter end nor deaths sudden comming This was the sin of the old world in the daies of Noah that were so drowned in their own pleasures that they would not believe a drowning by a flood till the flood came and swept them clean away And this is the great sin of this world and times wherein we live upon whom the ends of the world are come The deadnesse of heart and carnall security the little laying of Gods judgments to heart the overflowings of sin in all sorts and conditions of men are certain precursors and forerunners that the Lord is at hand either with some sorer vengeance to awake us or by putting a speedy end to all things But the main use that we are to make of this Point Use 2 that death comes many times so suddainly rushing in upon us as a violent Flood It should teach us this wisdome at all times to be in a readinesse and prepared when death comes Upon this ground Christ admonisheth his Disciples and us all to watchfulnesse because the day and hour knoweth no man But I hope I shall have time to prepare for death Object 1 I am yet young and strong c. Herein men blesse themselves and flatter themselves that howsoever they
are convinced that repentance is necessary and grace must be had to make them die happily and their purpose is to leave sin and to cry God mercy yet they conceit they have time enough before them they may do this when they are old or when they lie upon their fick-beds then they will set to this work as time enough O that such men would consider this Doctrine 1. That many times death comes suddainly like a Flood when men think least of all on death Alas do we not see that on the Stage of this world some therebe that indeed do act a longer part and many there be that act a shorter some die in their youth passing as it were from one grave to another from their Mothers womb to another womb the earth How few live to the age of fiftie How many do we hear of daily that go well to bed at night and are found dead in the morning And why may not this be thy case Secondly consider that this is but one of the old Serpents wiles to put off our repentance and preparation for death to the last for Sathan knowes that if he can but prevail in that it is all one as if men resolved never to repent at all for we see by experience that not one of a thousand which take this course ever attain unto it for they adjourn from year to year and time to time so long that they come at last to be hardened in their sins that there is little hope of recovery In youth we appoint the time of age in age we appoint the time of sicknesse and when sicknesse comes the Lord knowes we are then most unfit for this great work Then comes the cares of disposing of our estates then comes pain and grief loath we are to die and in hope we are to live these things take off our thoughts of another life and so death feizeth upon us and away we must Thirdly do but consider that albeit thou livest to be old and hast thy understanding about thee and thy godly friends and acquaintance about thee that can exhort thee and pray for thee Alas how knowest thou whether God will hear thee at this time of thy death that wouldst not hear him in the time of thy life Nay is it not distributive justice now in God to refuse to hear thee then that refusest to hear him now It is not usuall with God to give grace in death who have despised grace in life See that place and tremble at it Prov. 1.24 25. c. Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and ye have not regarded I will laugh at your destruction c. Besides thou dost but offer up unto God the Halt Mal. 1.8 the Blind and the Lame which is abhomination to him It is a most base and unworthy thing to offer that to God which a man would disdain and scorn to accept of But I hope God is mercifull Ob. 2 and though I am sinfull he is mercifull and I will rest upon that It is true Ans God is mercifull and thou maist say it for it is his mercy that thou hast not been long ago consumed that God hath not cut thee off and cast thee into Hell many years agoe 't is true it is his mercy But alas what is this to thee that hast so long and so often abused his mercy Is God mercifull the more unthankfull wretch thou to sin against so mercifull a God Ro. 2.4 Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth to repentance Shall God be contemned for his mercy Ps 145.9 that ought the more to be loved and respected There is mercy with thee that thou maist be feared If God be so mercifull the greater the sin to sin against it And let such men know that presume thus of Gods mercy that as he is mercifull so is he just as he hath his Armes of mercy spread open to receive poor penitents so is Hells mouth wide open to receive the impenitent And how knowest thou that hast despised grace and mercy so often and so long a time but thou maist at last die in a Spira's case who in the time of his sicknesse being exhorted to say the Lords Prayer answered O I dare not call God Father And this hath been an observation I have made these forty years that such as have lived under a godly zealous and faithfull Ministry and have not been wrought upon it is often found true of such as was said of Nabal their hearts die like stones within them What little cause then have any to harden their hearts and continue in their sins in hope of mercy But did not the Thiefe upon the Crosse at last confessing his sin Ob. 3 and desiring Christ to remember him when he came into his Kingdome finde mercy at the last houre and so was saved Though men have much ingorance in them of the Scripture Ans yet this example they can remember and often alledge and all to this end to sooth up themselves in sin and to flatter themselves that they may repent at last Whereas this example as one saith is to keep us from desperation and is no cloak to sin Why should not the desperate condition of his fellow Thiefe that dyed with him asmuch affright us and terrifie us as his example comfort us And for this example of this penitent Thief we are to know that it was an immediate act of the divine power of Christ and it was not ordinary neither doth it prove that God will deal thus with thee It was not ordinary because he was saved without means but what was that to thee that enjoyest the means Besides one particular act of Gods power goodnesse and mercy can be no rule to go by The Sun once stood still at noon-day in Joshuah's time we must not look to see it so again Balaam's Asse once spake we must not look for the like any more Besides for ought we know this was the time that he was first called Now what is that to thee that hast been often called God hath often knocked at the dore of thy heart and to this day thou hast not opened unto him Besides this penitent Thiefe at this time shewed many excellent fruits of his repentance 1 Rebuking his fellow railing at Christ 2. Confessing his sin 3. And by making an excellent Prayer to Christ Now who can promise these things to himselfe when he comes to die O then to conclude seeing this is so that death comes as a flood suddenly and unexpectedly when men are not aware let it be our wisdome to be in a continuall readinesse that death finde us not unprepared There is nothing more certain then death nor more uncertain then where when and how we shall die They are as a sleep Text. IN these words lest Moses should seem to undermine and weaken the
abates it suddenly and brings it downe that it is turned to weaknesse And therefore sayth the Lord Ier. 9.23 let not the strong man reioyce in his strength As Elihu said unto Job Iob 36.19 The Lord regardeth not them that excell in strength The strength of the strongest by sicknesse is weakened assoone many times as it comes it takes its leave and is gone this flower fadeth And lastly pleasures Pleasures these are one of the goodly flowers of mans life He that gave way to his owne heart and drunk his fill of all earthly Contentments and delights gives in his verdict that all was vanity and vexation of Spirit they vanish in the use The injoying of one pleasure is but a lusting after another and he that enjoyeth most hath no satietie in them How suddenly doth the pleasure of Eating and Drinking vanish away The pleasures of sports pastimes they end in a moment Musique is past and gone in the very hearing the most delectable playes and shewes that most affect us are gone in a moment So that of all earthly Comforts and Contentments this may be said and concluded of them all they are but as grasse or at the best but as the flower of the field that quickly fadeth and falleth away And the Reasons are In Regard of the uncertaintie of our lives that now possesse them Reas 1 we cannot long continue with them though they might somtime Continue with us we have bodies that have in them the Seeds of sicknesse Diseases and Death it selfe we are but as grasse and all our earthly comforts but as the flower of the field which quickly vanish and fade away As we our selves art but as grasse Reas 2 So all our glory and pompe and earthly felicities which men doe so much doat upon are but as the flower of the field of a withering and fading Nature There is nothing here belowe that is not subiect to mutabilitie and change Yea the very Heavens themselves are not freed from Alterations the Sun and the Moon have their eclipses kingdoms and states have their wanes The Crowne lasts not from generation to generation no man is to day that he was yesterday Our Bodies and our estates do daily shewe that we are but as grasse And all our glory and excellencies but as the flower of the field Seing then that the life of man is so fraile as no example can expresse it Use 1 O let us then see what a momentany interest we have both in our selves and in what we possesse All flesh is grasse that is our condition And the glory of man that is all his outward excellencies But as the flower of the field that is their condition why then should we set our affections on the earth or on any thing that is here belowe since our life is so momentany and the things of this life so transitory We should rather take out the lesson of the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.31 to use the world as though we used it not to buy as though we possessed not because the fashion of the World passeth away It was the great Comendation of those primitive Christians that they lived here Heb. 11. but as pilgrims and strangers and sought a Citty having a foundation whose maker and builder was God It shall be our wisdom to looke out for a more sure 1 Pet. 1.3 and certaine estate and such as shall never decay nor change even that kingdom that is immortall fadeth not away God never gave us these earthly Cottages to that end our harts should be so taken up with them So as to neglect our seeking after a more durable inheritance What wise traveller will loyter and sit still in his way because he is in a faire Inn or take any great Contentment while he staies Since his stay is but short for a night and the next day he must leave all and come to a reckoning for that short time Here is our case we are in ourjourny the world is our Inn we have but a short time to stay in it away we must we know not how soone and we must be called to a reckoning for the time of our being here Secondly seeing our life is so short Use 2 so vain and so transitory as examples will scarce shew it compared to a day that is past to a Flood to Sleep to Grasse which suddainly growes up and as suddenly is cut down to a Flower of the field to a Tale that is told yea to vanity it selfe O then how doth it concern every one of us as we tender the everlasting welfare of our souls to provide for eternity and that life that shall never give place to death Let us consider that as our life is short so it is uncertain What assurance have we when we arise in the morning that we shall live till night or when we go to bed that we shall rise again Stewards we are here on earth and we do not know how soon our great Master will call us to an account we should lay up to provide for a certain estate that shall not fade nor decay We know what hapened to that rich man Luk. 12.19 20. that said to his soul Soul eat drink c. even the same night God said unto him Thou fool this night shall they take thy soul from thee This day is ours wherein the Lord calls upon us to convert repent and turn unto him Now he knocks and cries and calls how do we know whether he will ever knock more cry or call any more But that it may be our case Heb. 12. that was the case of Esau who found no place for repentance though he sought it with tears And lastly seeing Beauty Use 3 Honour Strength Pleasures and all other endowments of Nature are but as Grasse and as the Flower of the field we should esteem of them as they are but as Nosegaies for the present use as we do our flowers A Nosegay cannot long continue it will quickly fade and then we cast them away And so far as they may fit us for Gods service so to use them and not to make too high account of them Ver. 7. For we are consumed by thy anger and by thy wrath are we troubled MOSES the man of God having before shewed the common frailty of mankinde in generall that the Lord can and many times doth take them away suddenly as a Flood that they are as a Sleep and as Grasse that is suddenly cut down and withered This being the estate and condition of mankinde in generall In this verse he comes to applie this unto themselves and shewes that by reason of their sins they were in a far worse case and condition then other Men and other Nations and People for their life was not only short but they were hastily consumed by the Plague and Pestilence and other judgments of God upon them for their sins And in the next verse Moses proceeds to
render the cause of this their wofull misery and distresse 1. The more remote cause and that was the anger of God which they had justly procured by their sins verse 7. 2. Secondly by the more neer and speciall cause viz. their sins and rebellions whereby they had drawn down the anger and wrath of God upon them verse 8. For we are consumed in thy anger Text. c. WHence we may first of all observe how they compare their present estate now in the Wildernesse with the estate of other Nations and people and shew that their estate was far worse then theirs for others dyed now one and then one and so they were diminished but for them they were hastily consumed and suddenly swept away by the Plague and Pestilence now amongst them Hence we may observe first of all That it is a ground of humiliation to Gods people Doct. 1 Gods people should be humbled when it fares worse with them then with the wicked when their estate is worse then Gods enemies Moses gathers this as an argument to humble them and to move them to repentance and to seek unto God viz. That because of their sins they were in a far worse case and condition then the very enemies of God were For though their lives were short yet they confesse that theirs was far worse then the very Heathen themfelves for they were suddenly consumed by his anger When God is worse to his own Church and people then he is to his enemies when the Lord shall send Warrs in a Nation called by his Name and peace in other Kingdomes that are Antichristian sends famine in his Church and plenty to the wicked sends the Plague and Pestilence in his Church and health and prosperity to the wicked O here is matter of mourning and humiliation and it is that which hath touched Gods people to the quick and wounded them to the heart to see the enemies of the Church in better condition than the Church it selfe What a griefe was it for Godly Jacob to gravail into Aegypt Gen. to buy corn of the Egyptians that were the enemies of the Church What a griefe was it to the Church and people of God Lam. 5.6 when they say We have given the hand to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians to be satisfied with bread They that are our greatest enemies we have sought unto them for reliefe This was it that was such a trouble to David Psal 73. to see the wicked prosper and himself to suffer in distresse David had almost lost himselfe to behold and to take notice of this This must needs be a ground of humiliation to the godly Reas 1 when their estate is worse then the wicked Because this is a token of Gods displeasure against his people for their sins as it appears when the Lord threatneth them thus Deut. 28.43 The stranger that is within thee shall get above thee and thou shalt come down very low And again He shall lend to thee and thou shalt not lend to him ver 44. he shall be the Head and thou shalt be the Tail This will sin do make Gods people servants to their very enemies and the Lord will set his own people below them It is that which makes the enemies of the Church to insult Reas 2 and pride themselves yea and to censure the godly when they shall see themselves thus to prosper and the Godly cast down This lets us see how great Gods anger and indignation is against sin Use 1 that God should punish it so severely in his own people Israel was Gods Church Israel was Gods chosen one yet by reason of their sins their murmurings their infidelity that would not believe in his word that God would subdue those cursed Canaanites and give them their land to inherit but feared their strength their sons of Anack and their walled Cities therefore was the hand of God thus gone out against them and they perished thus miserably in the Wildernesse And how severely the Lord hath thus punished sin in his own people we may likewise see in Moses himselfe that because he honoured not God at the waters of strife the Lord would not suffer him to come into the land of Canaan And the like in David Yea the Lord Jesus Christ himselfe that had in himselfe no sin yet taking our sins upon him Gods hand lay most sore upon him And this should humble us at this time to consider how the Lord hath dealt with this Land and Nation and sent into every corner of the Land in every City and Country yea almost every Family the tokens of his anger and displeasure this strange and unwented kinde of disease amongst us that hath swept so many away Besides how heavy hath the hand of God layen upon the Land by the Sword Pestilence unseasonable times when other Nations and Countries have been free and yet Gods hand is not removed but his wrath is stretched out still Secondly Use 2 seeing the estate and condition of Gods Church and People is many times worse then their very enemies this may teach us not to measure the favour and displeasure of God towards us or others by the outward blessings or adversities of this life seeing the wicked do often flourish and prosper when the godly themselves do suffer great adversity David speaking of the wicked Ps 73.5 saith They are not in trouble like other men neither are they plagued like other folks Many times God punisheth most when he spareth most It is spoken as an argument of Gods wrath and indignation against desperate sinners Es 1.5 Wherefore should ye be smitten any more And again Hos 4.14 I will not visit your Daughters when they play the Harlots nor your Spouses when they play the Whores Was not this a token of Gods wrath and heavy displeasure that God should thus suffer them to go on in sin So on the contrary great afflictions are not alwaies arguments of a people cast off of God How heavy did the hand of God lie upon Job Hezekiah David c. yet dear and precious in Gods fight so true is that of Solomon that no man can judge of Love or haired Eccl. 9.1 by all that is before them For we are consumed in thy anger THere is one thing more yet to be observed hence Doct. 2 Though mans life be short yet sin shortens it viz. That though the life of man be short of it selfe yet it is made farre shorter than in Nature it is like to be by mans sin procuring some suddain and heavy judgment of God upon themselves This is that which Moses and the Church confesse here that the life of man is short of it selfe but yet by reason of their sins their life became more short for here they confesse that they were consumed by Gods anger Num. 14.26 28. and so it appears insomuch as of all that great number that came out of Aegypt being six
for all this they sinned still and believed not his wondrous works But what followed verse 33. Therefore their daies did he consume in vanity and their years in trouble To this agreeth that of the Prophet Behold Es 59.1 the Lords hand is not shortned that he cannot save nor his ears heavy c. But your sins have separated between you and your God Eph 5.6 and your sins have hid his face from you But what are those sins Quest that in a speciall manner provoke God to anger against a Land and People All sin Ans even the least sin moves the Lord to anger Speciall sins that provoke Gods anger yet there are I confesse some speciall sins which do inflame the anger of God and these be capitall and hainous sins and such are First Idolatry Idolatry to worship a salfe God instead of thetrue God or the true God in a false manner this the Lord can no more endure then a Husband can endure the wanton behaviour of his Wife but is exceedingly provoked by it This appears by that golden Calfe that the Israeâ—ites made to worship for this sin three thousand were slain Exod. 32.4 28. There fell of the people that day about three thousand men O it is a dangerous provoking sin in a Land and Nation that have enjoyed the glorious liberty of the Gospell to Apostatize and fall from their first love either to Babylonish Idolatry or to Sects and Heresies this is a provoking sin and causeth God to remove the Candlestick from such a people The Lord lay not this sin to our charge The second provoking sin Infidelity that stirres up the Lord to anger against a People is Infidelity or a distrusting of Gods power or calling into question his promises in times of tryall that either the Lord cannot or will not help This was the great sin of this people for the which the Lord was so wrathfully displeased with them Ps 78.33 and for the which their daies did he consume in vanity and their years in trouble The third provoking sin Blasphemy is the blaspheming of the Name of God Because of Oaths the land shall mourn The shedding of innocent Blood is a provoking sin Blood as a loving Father cannot endure to see his Child slain before his face and the blood of his Child to be shed no more can the Lord endure the wicked to shed the blood of his Children Again the sin of Adultery Uncleannesse Fornication and uncleannesse these are provoking sins as appears in the firing of Sodome and Gomorrah It is true every sin provokes the Lord to anger but these sins especially encrease his anger against a Nation or People Hos 4.2 by swearing and lying and killing and whoring they break out therefore the Land shall mourn The point then is clear and plain that the principall cause of Gods anger and displeasure against a Land and people is their sins Gods justice calls for vengeance upon the sinner Reas Now God is most righteous and just and he will not fail to punish sin in whomsoever the same is committed The Angels saith Saint Jude that kept not their first estate he hath reserved in chaines c. The sinfull World drowned Sodom and Gomorrah burned Pharach and the Aegyptians plagued yea the Nation and the People of the Jewes fearfully consumed all clearing this truth that sin is the principal cause of Gods anger and is that which drawes down his judgments upon a people Seeing then it is sin that stirs up God to anger Use 1 and draws down his judgements upon a people by the effect we may judge of the cause Hath not the Lords hand of late years gone out against us the people of this Nation what by the Sword the Plague and Pestilence these late yeares of Drought and our present visitation by an unwonted Disease and sicknesse generally over the land whereof so many have been taken away by death What do all these but declare that God thah a Controversie with us this day Do not those forementioned sins that pull down Gods Judgements upon a land and people abound amongst us and make head at this day Idolatry and Popery in open and secret manner seems to take root again Sects and Heresies in former ages cried down and for many years dead and buried we have seen their resurrection again from that Bottomlesse Pit What age did ever produce the like outrages and abominations that this day are rife amongst us Swearing and Blasphemy Drunkennesse and Uncleannesse Contempt of Christ and his Gospel Thefts Murthers and all other abominations the like never age produced And unlesse the Lord put it into the hearts of those in present Authority to root out these sins it is not to be expected that England shall long escape more heavy Judgements then yet we have tasted of And yet alas how few are the number of those that lay these things to heart We hear and talk of our miseries but we are not affected with the cause of them which are our sins no man layes Gods judgements to heart as to say Alas what have I done Secondly Use 2 seeing sin is the cause of all Gods judgements upon a Nation or People this may inform us who are the great enemies of our state this day Surely the greatest sinners These are they that obstruct all our hoped for deliverance from our Parliaments and from our Councels We have a long time looked for peace for freedome for settlement in Church and State But when will it once be or indeed what hope can we have it will be so long as Tobias and Sanballats are amongst us so long as our Chams continue their scoffing our Esaus their profaning our Nabals their coveting our Achans their thieving our Jezabeâ—s their whoring and all of us our sinnings and rebellions against God Our Parliaments and Councels will be rendred weak they will not they cannot help us How can England look to prosper when the most high God is against us and doth forsake us What hath been the ruine and overthrow of Nations and Kingdomes but sin What hath tumbled down Cities ruined stately Houses and overthrown so many Noble Families but sin And when we shall see Religion countenanced a faithful Ministery set up and maintained Discipline in the Church established Justice duly administred and wholesom Laws duly executed Piety incouraged Sin duly punished and the Kingdome of the Lord Jesus set up in the hearts and Consciences of men Then there will be hope of better times that God will delight to dwell amongst us Seeing sin is the principal cause of all Gods Judgements upon a land and people Use 3 How then doth it concern all Superiours that are in the place of Magistracy to look well to their places and Callings since the weal or woe of the Church and State depends upon them How many foul and enormous sins were committed in Israel and the
reason assigned was this Every man did that which was right in his own eyes Iudg. 17.6 What confusion is there at this day in Church and State and all under pretence of Liberty of Conscience Who doth not see that Sects and Heresies Blasphemies Contempt of Magistracy and Ministery in all places of the land is grown to such a head that if the Lord put not a stay to these spirits and licencious times what can be expected but Confusion The Apostle saith The Magistrate doth not bear the sword for nought Ro. 13.4 But as the Ministers of God are to take vengeance on them that do evil It is a sad condition that that Land and State is in when Magistrates that have the sword in their hands shall stand like a George on Horseback with his sword drawn yet never strikes How can such Magistrates approve their calling from God and look for protection from him that shew no more zeale for God Phinehas zeal in executing judgement upon Zimri and Cosbi Num. 25.11 12. brought a blessing upon the whole Congregation of Israel And the Lord shewed mercy to good Nehemiah Neh. 13.20 because he had shewed such zeal for God in punishing the profaners of the Lords Sabbaths The Lord knows this zeal for God is wanting in many Magistrates amongst us And indeed the want of the execution of Justice against the sins of these times is not the least cause wherefore things are at this passe in the Church and State as they are at this day and wherefore things prosper no better under our present Government O that all that are in Authority from the highest to the lowest would make it their care with David Ps 101.8 early to destroy the wicked of the land and to cut off wicked doers from the City of the Lord Can. 2.15 And take those foxes those little foxes that spoil the vines That Justice might run down like a stream and be duly administred without partiality that Sects and Heresies might be discountenanced and punished piety and godlinesse more incouraged that God at last may remove his anger from us and delight to dwell amongst us Thou hast set our iniquities before thee Text. c. THis Moses speaks for our capacities as if the Lord did keep a Register of our sins and set them before his sight The meaning of the words will appear by the contrary As when the Lord is said to cast our sins behinde his back as things he never means to call to minde but to put them out of his remembrance and to drown them in the sea as he did Pharaoh Now as the Lord is said to cast our sins behinde his back when he means not to punish them So he is said to set them before his eyes when he calls them to minde to punish them Whence we may note the happy fruit of affliction Doct. 3 Times of affliction discovers corruption when the Lord is pleased to send and sanctifie the same unto his people This makes them look home and to discover the evils of their own hearts and wayes which before this time they could not see In times of peace and prosperity many sins lie hid and undiscovered in Gods people but Gods judgements bring them to light Now that Gods hand is upon this people being miserably wasted and consumed with the Plague and Pestilence Now they can say Thou hast set our iniquities before thee c. In the times of Gods forbearance whilest they had their Manna and their Quails at full they were fat and wanton Jesurun waxed fat Deut. 32.15 and lightly esteemed the Rock of their salvation But now in their affliction and distresse they are taught to know themselves to look home and acknowledge that God called their sins to accompt and justly punished them for them This the Lord himself doth witness unto Hos 5.14 15. when he saith I will be unto Ephraim as a Lion and as a young Lion to the house of Judah I even I will tear and go away I will take away and none shall rescue I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face for in their affliction they will seek me early And so they did for in the next Chapter they say one to another Hos 6.1 Come let us return to the Lord for he hath wounded us and he will heal us c. Thus Esay Es 26.16 Lord in trouble have they visited thee they poured forth thei prayers when thy chastisements were upon them The Scriptures are ful of examples in this kinde how that in times of peace and prosperity many sins in Gods people have lyen hid and undiscovered which Gods judgements have discovered and brought to light Gen. 37.24.42.21 An excellent example wherewhereof we have in the Brethren of Joseph whose sin against their brother never came to Conscience for many years together untill they came into Egypt and were there stayed as spies Then their hearts smote them for their sin We have justly suffered these things for we sinned against our brother The like we may see in Manasses who did much evil in the fight of the Lord till he was carried captive into Babylon and there laid in cold irons Then Manasses knew that God was the Lord. 2 Chron. 33.13 And this we may see in the Prodigall whilest his purse was full he cared not for his father Luke 15. nor for his fathers house onely a famine makes him think of returning home Thus did Hagar grow proud and insolent in Abrahams house she then knew not her self but despised Sara her Mistris but being in the wildernesse in want was taught to know her self It is true the Philistines could not understand Sampsons Riddle Iudg. 14.14 how sweet should come out of sowre and meat out of the eater So worldlings cannot understand that tribvlation bringeth forth patience Ro. 5.3 2 Cor. 4.13 Heb. 12.11 and patience experience and experience hope and our light and momentany afslictions should cause us a far more excellent and eternal weight of glory But Gods children finde it true by comfortable experience that howsoever no visitation be sweet for the present yet afterwards it bringeth forth the quiet fruits of Righteousnesse unto them that are thereby exercised And it must be so in regard Because miseries and afflictions are excellent means to humble the heart of man Reas 1 and to abate its pride for such is our corrupt nature that in times of health peace and prosperity men are lifted up swell with pride and forget themselves Now there is no sin makes a man more odious to God then pride doth Iam. 4.6 God resisteth the proud Now the Lord many times layes sore afflictions upon his own children for this end and purpose to cure the evil And this is one end that God aimeth at in correcting man Iob 33.17 That he might hide the pride of man Miseries
and afflictions awaken Conscience and bring those sins to remembrance that were long ago forgotten Secondly Reas 2 miseries and afflictions bring a man to a more clear and experimental knowledge of God and of himself then otherwise he could attain unto As of Manasses it is said Then Manasses knew that God was the Lord he that in his prosperity forgat God And as they bring a man to know God so likewise to know himself as the Prodigall of whom it is said Luke 15. He came to himself when he was thoroughly pinched with poverty and his companions had cast him off now home home welfare home I will home again I will go to my father And as Job hath it Iob 36.8 9. If they be bound in fetters and holden with the cords of afsliction then he sheweth them their works and their transgressions that they have exceeded And thus at one time or other by one affliction or another we shall be brought to know God and our selves if we belong to him Seeing that Gods judgements bring Use 1 thus sin to light that in times of peace and prosperity lay undiscovered This may serve for matter of tryal whether we have made the right use of our sufferings yea or no which may be known by this If we have discovered those corruptions in us that before were undiscovered Many are at that pass to bear off crosses and afflictions with head and shoulders as they say Many have been sick say they and have been well again Many have this Ague amongst them and done well enough and so I hope shall I. Thus men flatter themselves as they did Ier. 10.19 It is my sorrow and I will bear it Why the best have their afflictions and whom God loves them he chasteneth and with these and the like conceits men put off Gods strokes and dealings with them But alas where is that searching into our own hearts and wayes to finde out our sins that have not yet been discovered the cause of Gods anger and displeasure few make this use of Gods judgements to say What have I done what are those sins I am guilty of that have provoked the Lord to be thus angry with me But it may be truly said of many of us in our afflictions and miseries Es 42.25 He hath poured upon him the fury of his anger and he knew it not and it burned him yet he laid it not to heart And this is the reason the Lord many times brings long and lasting sorrows and afflictions upon us till we be brought to know our selves and finde out those sins for the which the Lord is so displeased with us O that men were wise in this particular to finde out the cause of Gods anger and displeasure and to desire the Lord to help them in this search as holy Job did Shew me sayes he wherefore thou contendest with me and again Iob 10.2 13.23 Shew me my rebellion and my sin Till we do this we do nothing neither can we have any comfort in our sufferings that the Lord intends our good therein or that the same are sanctified unto us Secondly Use 2 seeing the Lord by his judgements many times brings sin to light which in times of peace and prosperity lies hid undiscovered This may teach us to admire the wonderful wisdome power and goodnesse of God who hath so many wayes to do us good to humble sinners and to bring them home unto himself Indeed the preaching of the Word is the ordinary means whereby God doth break the stony heart of man this is Gods Hammer Ier. 23. appointed by him to that end It will make the hardest heart to quake and tremble as Felix did and the most desperate sinners to be humbled as those wicked Jews that had imbrued their hands in the blood of the Lord Jesus Act. 2.37 It is a two-edged sword cutting both wayes But when that will not serve the Lord can clap such irons upon the soul and conscience as can make the stoutest heart to buckle As the Lord dealt with Manasses laid him in cold irons and then he knew that God was the Lord. Thus dealt he with the Prodigall Acts 16. the Jaylor and with this people here by sharp and sore afflictions he makes way many times for repentance So that we may cry out with Paul Rom. 11.33 O the deepness of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes past finding out Surely the greatnesse of his wisdome and power is wonderful that by so many means can work good to his people And last of all this may serve for matter of terror unto such that have been in the furnace of affliction Use 3 and have had the hand of God lien heavy upon them yet have not been bettered by them to finde out their sins and to be humbled for them there is few families amongst us but have felt Gods hand in our late visitation To have affliction is no certain signe of Gods favour but to profit by affliction as to finde out our sins to be humbled for them and bettered by them thus are the afflictions of the godly sanctified unto them But alas the Lords hand hath been upon many of us upon some in one kinde and upon others in another and yet they are not bettered It was a sad complaint that the Lord takes up of his people I have corrected them but they have not been humbled there cannot be a greater signe of Gods anger then to set light by afflictions In that day did the Lord call for weeping Es 22.12.13 14 and mourning c. and behold joy and gladnesse c. But what saith the Lord This iniquity shall not be purged till ye die Am. 6.9 Shall a Trumpet be blown in a City and the people not be afraid Shall Gods judgements be upon a land and Nation or upon any particular person and they not lay them to heart There can be no more certain sign of a hard heart and desperate sinner then not to profit by the rod. I have brought thy way upon thy own head Eze. 16.43 yet hast thou no consideration of thy abominations And as it is said Reprobate silver shall men call them Ier. 6.30 because the Lord hath rejected them And our secret sins in the light of thy countenance Text. NOte we farther how Moses confesseth here that the Lord did punish them for their secret sins as for their open iniquities And these God did set before his eyes to take vengeance and to punish them for as for their open rebellions teaching us That it is the nature of godly sorrow and true repentance Doct. 4 A true pentient will be humbled for his most secret sins to be humbled and repent for lesser sins as for great offences yea for our most secret sins such as the world could never take notice of yet a true penitent
former destruction of so many thousands of the people that were so suddenly cut off and swept away Who knoweth the power of c. q. d. what man living is able sufficiently to confider of the greatnesse of thy wrath and fearfull Anger against sin And who doth fear thee according to thy exceeding and unspeakable Anger to tremble at it as thine indignation and displeasure ought to be feared As if he should say surely few or none For Interrogations in the Scripture are often strong Negations And those that doe fear thee yet fall short of the measure of their fear that thy anger and wrath doth require Who knoweth THat is doth well consider it and acknowledgeth the unsupportable waight and burthen of it The first Instruction observable is That albeit we tast of Gods anger Doct. 1 yet few take notice of it Few take notice of Gods anger And that is ordinarily the case of desperate sinners that contemn the rod of Gods chastisements and profit not by them Jer. 8.6 as the Prophet hath it No man said What have I done And again Ezek. 16.43 I have brought thy waies upon thy own head yet hast thoâ— not had consideration of thy abominations Thus did the Lord call to weeping and mourning Es 22.12 13 14. to baldnesse and sackcloath and behold joy and gladnesse eating of flesh and drinking of wine But what followed this damnable security Surely this iniquitie saith the Lord shall not be purged till ye die Gen. 6. This was that damnable securitie of the old World in the daies of Noah though Gods judgments were threatned and even at the doore Yet they gave themselves to eating and drinking marrying c. till the Flood came and swept them all away And hence it is that we are commanded to hear the rod and who hath appointed it Mic. 6.9 Every affliction and every judgment from God utters a voice which we are to give ear unto and labour to finde out the Lords minde in wherefore the Lord sends forth such tokens of his anger and displeasure and not to do this when Gods hand is upon us argueth much security It is a dangerous thing when Gods wrath is gone out against a Land and Nation or any particular person to harden our necks against the stroak of the Almightie It was a sad complaint that of the Prophet Strangers have devoured his strength Hos 7.9 and he knoweth not O when the Lord shall inflict upon his people and plead against them with the pestilence and with blood Ezck. 38.22 and men shall not take notice of it but remain sencelesse under Gods hand this is the way to double Gods strokes and to kindle a fire that shall devoure to destruction He hath poured upon him the fury of his anger and yet he knew it not Es 42.25 and it burned him and he laid it not to heart Such look not up to God that striketh them nor to their sins Reas 1 that justly drawes down Gods judgments upon them but they rather look upon secondary causes or instruments and over-look God How usuall a thing it is for men to ascribe all their miseries and calamities that men suffer to destiny fortune or chance and sometimes to their own want of providence as if they might have prevented them and thus men through the wretchednesse of their own evill hearts they over-look God looking after the stone but not the hand that cast it Secondly Reas 2 it is the only fruit of Faith to behold God chastising us as a loving father for our good Now when men either want Faith or Faith is not exercised under the crosse no marvell though men over-look God and make not the right use of their sufferings whereas David in his greatest trials could comfortably conclude I know that thy judgments are just Ps 119 75. and that thou of very faithfulnesse hast caused me to be troubled This serves to admonish us Vse 1 that when the hand of God is gone out against us either against the Land in generall or against us in particular in any kind whatsoever in our bodies names estates c. that we take heed that this be not our case that we are insensible under Gods correcting hand but take notice of his anger and displeasure gone out against us In all extraordinary and strange judgments of God upon us we should look home Deut. 31.17 and say Righteous art thou O Lord and true are thy judgments And all these things are come upon us for we have sinned against thee This was Jobs care under his sore afflictions he puts not off the matter lookes not upon the Caldeans and the Sabeans that had plundered him of his substance but he lookes up higher even unto God and desires to finde out the cause of all his misery Iob 10.2 Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me Thus doth the Church in great afflictions first they acknowledge that their sins had deserved all their miseries and they desire to finde them out and to turn unto the Lord Man suffereth for his sin Lam. 3.39 Let us search and try our waies and turn unto the Lord. This is one main end of all those tokens of his anger and displeasure to humble the proud heart of man to make him look home and then is God glorified when he attains the end of his corrections laid upon us The Lord knowes this Land and Nation of ours is too too faulty in this that notwithstanding his wrath hath gone out against us by many tokens of his displeasure by the sword by the pestilence and by our late visitation of common sicknesse and unwonted diseases whereby many in all parts and corners of the Land have been suddenly swept away as it was the case of this Church and People here Yet how few lay these judgments of God to heart to be humbled for sin the cause of all We have had our daies of Humiliation but where is that Reformation the Lord lookes for at our hands We still complain of our miseries we groan under but we complain not of our sins the cause of all How can we look that Gods hand should be removed and his wrath appeased whilest Englands sins cry for fresh judgments upon us I am no Prophet nor the Son of a Prophet yet I am given much to fear that Englands's miseries are not yet at an end but that God hath yet a farther controversy with us When Moses intreated the Lord for his sister Miriam Num 12.14 God returned him this answer If her Father had spit in her face should she not have been ashamed seven daies q. d. How much more ought she to be humbled and ashamed since I have shewed my displeasure against her God hath many waies shewed his anger and displeasure against this Land and yet wee have not laid his Iudgements to heart why then do we not fear that he will yet plead against us with
lives Is there any so vile or so wretched that if they were perswaded that they should dye this night before to morrow would they deck and trim paint and pounce and pamper those bodyes of theirs that so suddenly must feed the worms no no if men made this accompt of their life as at an howers warning they would provide better for that life that shall last for ever This was the reason why that evill servant fell to eating and drinking and beating his fellow servant Mat. 24.48 he thought his master would be long a coming A contrary example we have in Moses this man of God that albeit he might have inioyed the pleasures of Pharaohs Court with honour wealth and what not yet refused them all upon this accompt that they were but for a season All the pleasures comforts contentments and outward felicities that the world can afford us are but for a season short and momentany and must have an end And the end of a wicked mans pleasures ends in paine Son remember that thou in thy lif time Luk. 16. c. when one howers torment in hell will make the wicked forget all their pleasures on earth And therefore this should serve in the last place for Exhortation That we alwayes have death before our eyes and to think upon it to accompt of the present time and day as our last and so to live as if every day we should dye that we may be in a continuall readinesse for our dissolution and change when we shall goe hence and be no more There can be no worse deceipt then when a man deceives himselfe in this reckoning Vse 2 Luk. 12.37 He was worthily called a foole that said Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years eat drink and be merry And since it is the Lord that must teach us this wisdome we must pray unto him to teach us this lesson to number our dayes aright for till God teach us this wisdom we shall never repent forsake the world and seek for a better life And therfore I earnestly commend this duty to you and it is my desire to presse it upon my self that we all reckon this with our selves as though this day should be our last day and this nigh our last night that when the Lord shal call us hence he might find us so doing hitherto of the petition Lord teach us to c. That we may apply our hearts to wisdom HEre we have the second part at first propounded Part. 2 And that is the end of this petition or the use of this request viz. that we may apply our hearts c. These words may be taken in a double sence That we may apply our hearts to wisdom That is that seeing our life is so short here and so uncertaine we may no longer live in sin as we have done but may truly repent Doct. 3 live more wisely and circumspectly feare thy anger Men are never truly wise till they accompt of every day as their last day and be afraid to provoke thee by our sins as we have done this Moses accompts true wisdom And the words being taken in this sence the doctrine is That men are never truly wise till they accompt of every day as their last day Herein lyes true wisdom O that men were wise Deut. 32 29. then would they remember their latter end As if men were never truly wise till then There is nothing more naturall unto us then to perswade our selves of long life And that we shall still continue in a happie and flourishing estate It was Davids case to be thus lifted up in times of prosperitie I said saith he I shall neve be removed Psal 30.6 thou Lord of thy goodnesse hast made my hill so strong When God had setled David in his Kingdom had made him to prosper and given him the upper hand of his enemies He was ready to fall asleep and to make his reckoning that he should ever continue thus happie That his good dayes should last for ever and his prosperitie should never faile And this was the case of Iob that holy man In the time of his prosperitie he had such thoughts as these I said I shall dye in my nest Iob 19.18 and I shall multiply my dayes as the sand And againe my glory shal be renewed ver 28 and my bowe shall be strengthned in my hand What is this but to reckon without our host when we shall thus flatter our selves that we shall continue in our state whereas our very lives and being here with whatsoever we have and enjoy is only at his pleasure we have nothing soe intayl'd upon us here that we injoy in life and death but the Lord when it pleaseth him can either take us from it or it from us It is wisdom then to provide for our change before the evill day come upon us this is Solomons advice Eccle. 12.1 Remember thy creator in the dayes of thy youth while the evill dayes come not nor the yeares of affliction wherein thou shalt say I have noe pleasure in them q. d. certainly the time of sicknes and death will come when all these earthly comforts will fly away A man never comes to be truly wise till he thus comes to esteeme of his life and to provide for his change And indeed what man will have his evidence then to seek when his cause comes to be tryed In the matters of this world men are so wise in summer to provide for winter in health to provide forsickness We will count but such a one a foole that will then goe to sowe when other men goe to reape O where are our hearts that we are noe more spiritually wise for our souls Pro. 10.14 Wise men sayth Solomon lay up knowledg before hand And such prove themselves fooles at last With those foolish virgins that have not the oyle of grace in readiness when death comes Seeing that herein lyes true wisdom Vse 1 to be in a continuall readiness for our change this shewes that the wisdom of the world is but foolishness to God 1 Cor. 1. for whom doe men commonly judge to be wise men but such as have reaching heades to buy and to sell that can tell how to purchase lands and livings and grow rich in the world and grow great and mighty here All this wisdom comes from nature and may have nothing in it but nature If this be not guided by the word you shall see what reckoning and accompt the Lord makes of it When he saith they have rejected the word of the Lord Ier. 8.9 and what wisdom is in them what greater folly can there be in the world then for these vaine and foolish trifles the pleasures of sin that are but for a season to lose for ever a mans most pretions soul to passe away for earthly things with Esau the birth-right of our inheritance which such do that are not wise
Reas 2 the Lords anger and displeasure against us is subdued When God sent his prophet to Niniveth to cry Ion. 3. Yet forty dayes and Niniveh shal be destroyed the Ninivits humbling their souls in sackcloath fasting and praying God turned away from his wrath he intended against that City 1 Reg. 21 yea when wicked Ahab himselfe shall but humble himselfe the Lord suspended the judgment against him and his house And this is no other thing then what the Lord himselfe hath promised Ier. 18.8 If a nation against whom I have pronounced turne from their wickednesse I will repent of the plague that I thought to bring upon them so that this is the only way to stop the breach of Gods anger and displeafure and to call back his judgments when they are gone out against us Seeing this is our wretched nature Use 1 never to seek unto God for reconc liation till the Lord do even by strong hand humble us and breake our hard and stony hearts and cause them to tast of his anger and sore displeasure against us this bewrayes the monstrous securitie and sinfullness of our hearts that will never seeke to God till wee see our selves left and forsaken of him and till he break our hearts by the hammer of his judgments that will not seeke for heaven till he first send us to hell O the cursed securitie that is in these hearts of ours that can by no other meanes be humbled and brought home but by the rod and frownes of so gratious a God Surely it were our wisdom not to be so stubborn and rebellious to stand it out till the Lord do thus bruise us and breake us by his judgments and so compell us to seeke unto him Secondly seeing we shall never seeke unto God for reconciliation Use 2 till such time as the Lord hath truly and thoroughly humbled us and caused us to feel his anger and displeasure O what a terrour may this strike in the hearts of those upon whom the Lords hand hath beene often and yet have not been humbled to turn unto him when the Lord shall not only give us his Word the ordinary means of conversion and bringing us home but shall also send his rod even sharp and sore afflictions and yet men shall stand out against all will not be convinced of their misery nor seek unto God for mercy Here is a signe of an obdurate heart indeed Surely the case of such seems desperate such have cause to fear that they are in a hopelesse condition Ezek. 22.18 19 20. Let such consider that place and tremble at it Because you are become drosse behold I will gather you in the midst of Jerusalem as they gather silver and brasse and iron and lead and tin into the midst of the furnace to melt it So will I gather you in my anger and in my fury and I will leave you there and melt you yea I will blow upon you in the fury of my wrath And what account the Lord makes of such we may see Jer. 6.29 30. The bellowes are burnt the lead is consumed of the fire the Founder melteth in vain for the wicked are not plucked away Reprobate silver shall men call them because the Lord hath rejected them O it is a fearfull signe of Gods wrath upon that soul that when the Lord hath travelled upon us to do us good by the Word and by the Rod and nothing will work upon us but still we persist in our sinfull courses Reprobate silver shall men call such and such may fear they are cast off of God And last of all Use 3 seeing that untill we feel our sins and Gods heavie displeasure against us for sin we shall never seek for reconciliation This may serve likewise to be a stay unto us in the middest of our sharpest afflictions and sorest trialls that may betide us here whether inward or outward to consider the end whereunto God hath appointed them viz. to humble us Mic. 6.9 to discover our sins and to make us look home this is the erand they come with from God There is no visitation sicknesse misery or affliction but comes with a message from God What have we then to do but to search and finde out our sins the cause wherefore the Lord is thus displeased with us and to be humbled for them that so his wrath may be appeased Surely this is the Lords aim and end in his sharpest afflictions laid upon his children to make us look home and to say to our own hearts Hast thou not procured this to thy selfe Ier. 2.17 inasmuch as thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God And with the Church Deut. 31.17 Are not these evils come upon us because our God is not amongst us Not to do this in times of affliction and distresse argues a high contempt of God and his works It ought to be the care of every one of us Ezek. 16.41 to know the plague of his own heart and to finde out that speciall sin that hath made the difference betwixt God and him Return O Lord. THe next thing that we may observe is the person they pray unto viz. the Lord himselfe They run to no Saint nor Angell for help and succour in this time of their great distresse but they flie to God because that he alone was offended and of him they seek for reconciliation Return O Lord. Doct. 2 Hence we Iearn that in times of misery and distresse God alone is to be sought unto In times of misery God is to be sought unto Ps 50.15 And for this we have both precept and example Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear thee and deliver thee And Ask Mat. 7.7 and ye shall have seek and ye shall finde c. O what gratious and mercifull promises hath God made unto his Church and people and all to make them flie unto him and rest upon him in time of trouble yea such is the Lords inclination to pitie and compassion towards his people in times of misery and distresse that he hath said Es 65.24 Before they call I will answer and whilst they speak I will hear And as for Example the Scriptures afford us divers in this kinde of the faithfull that in times of misery and distresse have made the Lord their only refuge to flie unto and have found comfort and deliverance as that of Jehosophat and the men of Judah when the Amorits 2 Chr. 20 the Moabits and they of Mount Seir came up against them that both Prince and people were at a great straight and knew not what to do only say they Our eyes are upon thee They seeking help from God were delivered Thus David in all his troubles Ps 109.4 Ps 4.12 Ps 86 5 6. Ps 86 7 Ps 65.2 had still recourse to God for my love they are become my Adversaries But I give my self to prayer Yea God is pleased to
prayers and complaints to God lay open our miseries and plead our long continuance in them Secondly Use 2 seeing Moses and the people of God here do labour to move the Lord to pitty and compassion from the consideration of their long continuance in their miseries We may take notice how prone we are when God hides himself from us for a short time which he may justly do when wee sin against him albeit it be but for a short time yet it seems unto us long A gracious heart cannot be long without Communion with God Ps 143.6 My Soul thirsteth after thee saith David as the thirsty Land None know the worth of God but the gratious Soul What were all the World without the Sun and what were a believing Soul without God Such as have tasted and seen how sweet the Lord is hunger and thirst more and more to be filled with his presence As Moses the more familiar he grew with God the more he desired to see of God when the Lord is provoked to withdraw himself at any time from his people which somtimes the Lord doth being justly provoked by the sins of his people This brings horror and terrour to to the Soul Thou didst turn away thy thy face saith David and I was sore troubled And again Hide not thy face from me Ps 43.7 else I shal be like to themthat go down into the pit Ps 63.3 Thy loving kindness saith David is better then life it self He accompts himself a dead man if God be not reconciled to him in Christ What life what comfort what joy in a mans Soul unlesse God vouchsafe his gratious and comfortable presence there Return O Lord how long VVE are farther to observe That in respect of Gods comfortable presence Doct. 5 God may turn aside from his people for a time Io. 13.1 God may turn aside for a time from his own people It is true God doth never totally leave or forsake his For whom he loves to the end he loves them His gifts are without repentance in some gracious operation or other his spirit is alwaies present yet in respect of his comfortable presence he may seem to turn away from his people for a time It was Davids case when he had fallen into those dangerous sins of Adultery and Murther for the present he lost the comfort of Gods gracious presence that he had formerly felt and therefore prayes Ps 51.8 Restore me to the joy of thy Salvation and make me to hear the voice of joy and gladnesse that the bones that thou hast broken may rejoyce Ver. 11. And Cast me not away from thy presence And thus he complains at another time Ps 22.1 Why hast thou for saken me why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring Doubtlesse at that time David wanted the assistance of Gods gratious presence in as much as his Soul is thus perplexed And thus again he cries out in much anguish and perplexity of Spirit Ps 88.14 VVhy hast thou cast off my Soul why hidest thou thy face from me It seems Davids comfort and assurance was much eclipsed at these times This was the case of Job Iob 30.20 I cryed unto thee and thou dost not hear me I stand up and thou regardest not And this was the sad complaint of the Church Lam. 3.8 VVhen I cry and shout he shutteth out my prayer O this hath been that that hath wounded the Souls and troubled the Spirits of the godly that the Lord hath seemed to shut out the prayers and not to come in to their succour in times of distresse The woman of Canaan Mat. 5.26 what might she think but that Christ had cast her off seeing he would not answer her and when he did speak called her Dog an answer able to have broke her tender heart yet at last comes in and grants her request The Lord deales many times with his Children as Joseph with his Brethren deals roughly with them Gen. 42.9 You are spies and to prison they must go yet at last fill their Sacks Saith he Thus doth the Lord seem to take day with his people and puts them off to a fitter time when mercy will be more seasonable and deliverance will be more welcome Neither let this seem strange unto us for the Lord may do this That hereby he might take triall of the graces of his Reas 1 in the hearts of his servants as their faith hope patience c. All which are now set on work whilst the Lord is pleased to suspend deliverance for else what would become of the patience of the Saints if there were no more but ask and have Secondly Reas 2 that whilst the Lord is thus pleased to withdraw himself and defer deliverance we might take occasion to search more deeply into our own hearts thereby to discover the greatnesse and hainousness of our sins which have plunged us into such a gulf of misery and labour to find out those secret sins unrepented of that caused the Lord thus to frown upon us and to hide his favourable countenance from us whereas if our miseries were light and quickly removed we should harâ—ly think our sins so great as indeed they are And that when upon our Repentance we have obtained peace and reconciliation again with God Reas 3 wee may prize it ever after at a higher rate and be the more careful that we do nothing that may interrupt our peace again with God or turn away his loving countenance again from us Every good thing that is hardly come by is more carefully kept and more hardly lost Gods favour and love being got with long seeking and often praying is highly prized and not easily parted withall And last of all God many times deferts to help his Church and people in misery and distresse Reas 4 because that seasonable time of their deliverance is not yet come After three daies he will raise us up Hos 6.3 and we shall live in his sight The Lord hath made every thing saith Solomon beautifull in his time Eccl. 3.11 And there is a time for all things under the Sun No doubt but Zachary and Elizabeth prayed for a child whilst they were young Luke 1. and no doubt but God heard them only they must leave the time to him in whose hands are times and seasons Daniel mourned three weeks of daies and receives no answer Yet see the place Dan. 10.12 13. From the first day that thou didst set thy heart to understand c. thy words were heard God ever suspends deliverance for a fit time when it is most seasonable for his own glory and his peoples comfort Seeing the Lord deals thus with his own people thus to withdraw himself Use 1 and to withhold his comfortable presence from them for a time Wee are taught not to despair when we find that this is his dealing with us What though the Lord
should bring us low and deny his comfortable presence to us that we meet not with him in that comfortable way of his providence and mercy in the return of our prayers and seeking of him as heretofore we have done But that he seems to write bitter things against us and to call our sins to accompt and seems to withdraw the comfortable aspects of his favour and love from us for a time yet in an acceptable time deliverance will come Every vision is for an appoinâ—ed time Every vision that is every promise or every word of prophecy God makes good in his appointed time Es 28.10 Hab. 2 4. and the just shall live by Faith What though things stand at a stay in Church and State what though Parliament upon Parliament are rendred unfruitful what though Sects and Heresies increase and get head threatning all confusion And all this while God seâ—ms to stand a far off as one that will not be spoke withall Yet let us rest assured that God is the God of the abject his promise is that such as mourn in Sion shall be delivered and they shall have beauty for ashes Es 61.3 and the spirit of joy for the spirit of heavinesse Secondly Use 2 this may serve for matter of comfort and consolation unto all the faithfull that though by their sins they may rob themselves of the comfortable feeling of Gods favour and love for the present yet Jer. 31.3 Rom. 11.29 Joh. 10.28 with everlasting love he loveth them His gifâ—s are without repentance And no man shall pluck them out of his hand Sin may take away the feeling of his grace but not the possession thereof Though we often meet with repulses at Gods hand yet a believer hath no denyall but at one time or other in one kinde or other God answereth the prayers of his people It is our dutie then with Moses and the people of God here to ply the Lord with prayers and complaints and herein to presse the Lord with arguments as they do to move the Lord to take pitty upon us But Quest what arguments have we to use to God to strengthen our faith and to support our prayers These and the like arguments may we use in prayer Reas 1. As Moses here that we are his people even the sheep of his pasture a people upon whom his Name is called And will God forsake his people 2. Plead the Lords Nature that he is ready to hear that it is one of his glorious Attributes to be the God that heareth prayers Ps 65.2 3. Plead his promise that he will be with his in six troubles and in seven Iob 5.19 and that he will never leave them nor forsake them 4. Plead we the experience we have had of his mercy and goodnesse in former times Thou hast set me at liberty saith David when I was in trouble And let the consideration thereof strengthen our prayer and support our faith 5. Plead that we come in Christs Name and he hath said that whatâ—ever we ask in his Sons Name he â—ill hear us 6. And last of all we may plead the praises that wait for him in Sion that if the Lord will be so graciously pleased to hear and answer us we will ever give him thanks and praise These and the like arguments will be excellent props to stay our faith and to strengthen our hands in prayer What means our Saviour in propounding the example of the unrighteous Judge Luke 18. but to encourage us in our suites to God and to shew the blessed fruits and effects of importunate prayers Hitherto of the first argument that they use to move the Lord to take pitty on them viz. that they had been so long time in misery How long Lord The second argument that they use to move the Lord to pitty and compassion Arg. 2 is taken from their present estate and condition Let it repent thee concerning thy servants And is taken from the Covenant of grace made unto them in Christ viz. that I will be thy God and thou shalt be my people So then the force of their reason is this q. d. O Lord we confesse that we have grievously sinned and provoked thy anger and thou mightest justly have cast us off But Lord remember thy old Covenant towards us that we are thy Servants and thou art our Lord we are thy people and thou art our God we are thy children and thou art our Father O then be pacified and reconciled unto us thy poor and unworthy Servants for thou hast not plagued the very heathen that know thee not but even us thy Servants and thy own people And therefore we humbly intreat thee to be reconciled to us And as Moses useth this as a reason to move the Lord to take pitty upon them Doct. 6 To plead Gods covenant an excellent motive to move the Lord to pittie Neh. 1.10 11. because they were his Servants a people in Covenant with him We learn That it is a very forcible reason and good motive to move the Lord to pitty when we can prove that we are his Servants and so minde the Lord of his Covenant that he hath made with us in Christ Thus Nehemiah when he came to intreat the Lord in the behalf of the people pleads this as an argument to move the Lord to pitty and compassion Now these are thy servants and thy people whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power and thy strong hand O Lord I beseech thee let now thy ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant and to the prayer of thy servants who desire to fear thy name And thus doth the lamenting Church plead their case with God Lam. 2.20 Behold Lord and consider to whom thou hast done this q. d. O Lord thou hast not done this to the heathen people that have not known thee nor call not upon thy Name but to thy own people that know and fear thy Name Upon this very ground Ps 119.94 David grounds his request to God I am thine O save me And thus Jacob when he desired to be delivered from his Brother Esau pleads this Covenant that God had made with him Lord thou hast said I will do thee good And often doth David put the Lord in minde of his promise Quicken me O Lord according to thy word And Ps 119. Let thy mercifull kindnesse be my comfort according to thy word Whereas such as are not his servants neither are in Covenant with God cannot look to speed in prayer But of them the Lord speaketh thus What hast thou to do Ps 50.21 since thou hast cast my Covenant behinde thy back and hatest to be reformed There is no hope that ever such should obtain any thing at Gods hand that are not in Covenant with God Let a wicked wretch come to God in prayer to ask for any mercy or blessing at Gods hand either for himselfe or for the Church he doth but
put the Lord in minde to plague him for his sins Albeit there are many excellent and precious promises made unto the Godly in the word there not one of them belongs to a wicked man that is not in covenant with God And the Reasons are First Reas 1 It is the Covenant of promise made unto us in Christ that is the ground of our faith and it is faith by the which we are reconciled to God and without faith and reconciliation God lookes upon us as enemies to him and so is God an enemy to us and so long are excluded and shut out from all mercy and pitty from God God will not be moved towards those that are not in Covenant with him these are Loammi not his people Hos 1. nor God their God none of his house and family but may be called Loruami Hos 2.4 such as on whom the Lord will have no mercy Secondly Reas 2 such as are not in Covenant with God are notregarded of God The Gentiles were not in Covenant with God Eph. 2.12 and were therefore called Strangers from the Covenant of promise And all this while Christ esteemed of them but as Dogs as Christ said to the Canaanitish woman It is not meet to take the Childrens bread and to cast it to Dogs Mat. 15. Mal. 3. The Lord will be a swift witnesse against such Now what a grievous thing is it to have the Creator blessed for ever against his poor creature When Saul was an enemy to David yet David could fly to Gath and there secure himselfe from the rage of Saul But if God become our enemy whither shall we fly from him This shewes in the first place the miserable estate and condition of all unregenerate men Use 1 that be not in Covenant with God are none of his houshold servants All unbelievers all impenitent sinners they are none of Gods servants What account did the Lord make of Cain when he was cast off of God but as a vagabond and one that travelled without a passe lived from under Gods roofe and from under his protection Let such a one come unto God in prayer he can use no argument or reason to move the Lord to shew him any pitty or compassion Why God is not thy God What though thou be baptized and so a member of the visible Church so was Simon Magus thy Baptisme will no more prove thee his servant and one in Covenant with God then his Baptisme did him thy name may be called Loammi thou art none of his people neither is God thy God Let a wicked man that is none of Gods servants and in Covenant with God come and cry as Israel did My God I know thee Hos 8.2 God will say upon what acquaintance comest thou to me Dost thou call God Father so did Ephraim But God said Hos 11. ult that Ephraim did compasse God about with a lie If God should own a drunkard a swearer an unclean person or one that is prophane to be one of his servants and one in Covenant with him God might go to Hell and have such servants there Many great and pretious promises are made to Gods servants and such as are in Covenant with God as Saint Peter hath it 2 Pet. 1.4 promises concerning Justification pretious promises concerning Sanctification pretious promises concerning redemption remission of sins Adoption c. pretious promises concerning this life and concerning the life to come Now not one of them all belongs to thee if thou be not of Gods Family a Servant and one in Covenant with God 1. For pardon of sin the promise is God passeth by the iniquity of his people But what is that to thee that art none of his people God will not passe by thy sins 2. I will give you a new heart Eze. 21. saith God a promise made to such as he enters into Covenant withall but what is that to thee that hast thy old heart still So for the outward things of this life they are all promised in Christ All things are yours and ye are Christs But what are these promises to thee that art out of Christ Hath a wicked man riches honour prosperity c He holds themnot by Vertuâ— of any promise and hence it is that that which they think a blessing is a curse unto them Nay that which is most lamentable if thou be not in Covenant with God thou art most cruel to thy very posterity after thee for thus runs the promise will be thy God and the God of thy seed and I will Circumcise thy hear and the heart of thy seed after thee So that if thou that art a Parent art not in Covenant with God and on of his servants how injurious art thou to thy posterity I deny noâ—â— but God to shew the freenesse of hiâ— grace many times doth call home such unto himself that were the seed of wicked Parents yet if the Lord be not the more mercifull unto them thou inthralst them under the curse and many times it falls out that gracelesse Parents leave behind them a gracelesse posterity And let every one of us think what shall become of us when datch comes if we are not servants but out of Covenant with God nothing is ours but Hell This may serve in the second place to stir us up to labour toget into Gods service to become his servants to enter into Covenant with him so may we be bold to come to our Master to request any thing at his hand Use 2 and plead his Covenant made unto us in Christ And to take heed that wee think it not enough to professe our selves to be his Servants as many do in word and shew that get the Livery of Gods Servants upon them to hear the Word to receive the Sacrament c. as if to wear the Coat of Christ were enough to prove us to be Servants of Christ like those foolish Virns that had the Lamps of an outward profession and the names of Virgins when they wanted the oyl of grace in their hearts Mal. 1.6 This will not serve the turn If I be a Father where is my honour If I be a Master where is my fear saith the Lord If we fear to offend God fear to sin against him fear to break his Commandments fear to offend him If we enter into a straight Covenant with him to take him for our onely God to love him above all to trust in him and to make our portion and accept of the righteousnesse and obedience of Iesus Christ for Justification to life Then his promise is to give us all good things for this life and the life to come Then may we come with boldnesse unto him and claim the priviledge of Servants and the performance of his promise But if we rest upon the bare name of Servants it will not serve our turn We see in great mens houses all are not covenant-servants that retain thereto that now
his loving countenance again towards them Hence we learn that only God favour and loving countenance gives satisfaction to a distressed Soul or a poor soul will count it self most happy in the enjoyment of Gods favour And thus did Aaron and his sonns usually blesse the people Num. 6.6 The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and grant you his peace Deu. 28. Thus Moses makes the favour and loving countenance of God the foundation of all happinesse having this they should be blessed with all the blessings of Heaven and of the Earth in Soul and Body Herein David placeth true Blessednesse Ps 32.12 Blessed is the man whose iniquitie is forgiven anâ— whose sin is covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin Pardon of sin and reconciliation to God causeth a man to be truly blessed The favour and comfortable presence of God to a poor distressed Soul is as the Sun to the Creature in Summer it quickens all Creatures Man and Beast Trees Plants Herbes and Flower All Creatures are revived and quickned by the Suns presence which in winter time seem to mourn for its absence So whilst we enjoy Gods favour the Soul is filled with joy and comfort whereas if God hide his face and frown upon us the Soul is then cast down Thou turnest thy face from me and I was sore troubled And it must needs be so that the poor Soul will count it most happy in the enjoyment of Gods favour For all the time the Conscience apprehends his displeasure Reas 1 and looks upon God as angry and displeased the Conscience will never cease to vex accuse Esay 57. and torment a man There is no peace to the wicked saith my God and as Job hath it Iob. 15. A dreadfull sound is in his ears Such a Soul sees as it were the Heavens on fire over him and Helâ— mouth ready open to receive him Men Angells and Devills Enemies unto him whilst God remains his Enemie Secondly Reas 2 when the wrath of God is once appeased and God reveals himself a reconciled God to the soul then come wee to have bold and free accesse unto him and the Throne of grace then we come boldly to the Throne of grace then we come boldly into his presence and ask any thing at his hands with much assurance to be heard Which whilst we lie in our sins and in an impenitent estate God looks on us his enemies neither can we look to obtain any thing at his hands Seeing that Gods favour Use 1 and loving countenance brings such refreshments unto a distressed soul What condition then are all gracelesse sinners in that abide under his wrath and displeasure for sin 2 Reg. 9.2 As Jehu sometimes said to Jehoram What hast thou to do with peace so what peace what joy what comfort can such have to whom God is not a reconciled God but an angry Judge who is a consuming fire and all wicked and ungodly men are but as stubbble before him Surely all the peace all the joy and rejoycing of such is but as the crackling of Thorns under a pot soon in and soon out they want that which is the ground and cause of true joy and that is Gods countenance Ps 63.3 which is better then life it self the spirit of bondage and fear must needs torment them And howsoever soever they may outface conscience for a time yet God at last will open the Mouth of conscience and when conscience shall speak out Horror and Dread will be ready to overwhelm that soul If a poor condemned Creature were now going to execution what were the thing now to be desired that would yield him comfort and render him happy not gold or silver land or livings would not now to be looked upon but the Princes pardon would be the most welcomest thing in the World This the gracelesse World shall find true one day That howsoever Satan the God of this World hath blinded their eies and their consciences are fast asleep that they neither see their misery nor what it is to lie under Gods displeasure yet the time will come when this poor wretched Creature would give all the world for one smile from this angry God And this lets us see the happy priviledge of the faithful above all the men in the world Use 2 let their outward estatâ— be what it will let them endure hunger thirst cold nakednesse imprisonment banishment such cannot be miserable that are at peace with God have their sins pardoned and they reconciled unto him Enemies Tyrants Death Devils cannot make such miserable what though thou wantest health peace libertie and those comforts that others enjoy if thou hast that which thousands in the World do want the favourable countenance of God in Christ is that which wil make amends for all That wee may be glad and rejoice all our daies HItherto we have spoke to the first part of this verse and that is their Petition Now follows the second part of the verse and that is their Reason taken from the end Doct. 5 for the which they crave the feeling of Gods love Gods mercies should provoke to cheerfulnesse in his service and favour again towards them viz. That we may be glad and rejoice all our daies Hence we may observe what is the true use that is to bee made of Gods mercy of his favour and love viz. to make us more joyfull and cheerfull in his service to honour God and to set forth his praise If the Lord would bee so gratious unto them as to Return again and to fill them with his mercy they will not hide such a mercy as that unfaithfull servant that hid his Masters Talent in a Napkin but they will put it out to the most advantage of their Master It should make them more cheerfull in his service and to serve the Lord with gladnesse all their daies As a covetous man puts out his money for his own advantage So will every godly Christian put forth the Lords gifts for his advantage And indeed this is that that God promiseth unto his people as the wages of their service and as a fruit of their seeking of him Esay 65.13 My servants shall rejoice and yee shall be ashamed My servants shall sing for joy of heart and yee shall howl for vexation of spirit as if the Lord had only intailed this joy to his chosen ones it is limited unto them Ps 40.16 Pro. 29.6 Let them that seek the Lord rejoice The righteous shall sing and rejoice And of the Churches returning out of Captivity it is said Ps 126.6 They went weeping and bearing good seed but they return with joy and bring their sheaves with them And this did the Lord make good to his Church and people here in the Wildernesse How soever he chastised them for their sins their infidelity and murmuring against Moses and Aaron for the which his wrath brake out against them and
the consideration of this point That howsoever the Church as the Disciples boat may bee tossed and tumbled up and down with the waves and billows of furious spirits for a time let us not despair for the day of her Deliverance wil come when the Sun of righteousness shall arise and healing shall be under his wings and that at such a time when deliverance will prove most seasonable and comfortable Hitherto of what they pray for Comfort According to the daies wherein thou hast afflicted us AS they crave this at Gods hands that the Lord would comfort them in their misery So they intreat the Lord to keep some proportion and according to the time of their great affliction to give them comfort that as the Lord had a long time kept them under the rod so hee would now upon their true repentance be reconciled unto them and vouchsafe a plentiful measure of comfort and joy unto them Hence wee learn that the Lord doth never cast his people so low by affliction Doct. 3 The godly as they are cast down God will raise them up but he will in time raise them up as high with comfort They that sow in tears shall reap in joy It is spoken of the Churches return out of Captivity they went out weeping and carrying prâ—tous seed but they shall return with joy and bring their sheaves with them And this doth the Lord make clear by his Prophet Ps 126.5 6. when he saith For a little time have I for sâ—ken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee Our light afflictions saith Paul which last but for a moment Esay 54.7 8. bring unto us a far more excellent even an eternall weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 If the Lord should alwaies dandle us as an indulgent Father his child it were the way to make us wantons And if he should alwaies be beating us as our sins deserve wee could not serve him so cheerfully But now he mixeth his frowns favours together that he might shew his hatred to our sins yet so as to love our persons Thus the Lord in his wise dispensation is pleased to carry us through the wildernesse of this world as this people through the wildernesse they travailed through yet at last they came to Elim where they had fountains of water to refresh them And if we looke for Examples of Gods dealing in this kind we may see it in Job who was brought low even to the Dunghil Iob 42. yet the Lord did restore him that the latter end of Job was better then the beginning Thus Davâ—d Daniel yea Christ himselfe were thus humbled and layd full low and then raised up againe with Comfort According to that of David Psal 34.19 Many are the troubles of the Righteous but the Lord delivereth them out of all The Lord is thus pleased to cast his people many times full low Reas 1 and so againe to raise them up on high Because he is privy to our sins and to our wickednesse as that he will not wink at our sins but will visit our iniquities with the rod and our sins with scourges So he hath alwaies compassion upon the weaknesse of his servants for he knoweth whereof we are made he considereth that we are but dust What Father will suffer his Childs Rebellion and disobedience but will correct him and yet in his misery will not pittie him 1 Cor. 10.13 the Lord is much more good to his children who will not suffer us to bee tempted aboue that we are are able In all the miseries of Gods children Reas 2 Gods ears are alwayes open to their cryes and is he even a spectator of their sorrows I have seen I have seen sayth the Lord the troubles of my people I also have heard their cry and I will deliver them So long then as the children of God have a tongue to call upon God and a heart to sigh and groane unto him why should they doubt of deliverance Seeing the Lord deals thus with his people Vse 1 and keepes some proportion in their afflictions and comforts that their comforts shall be answerable to their sorrowes yea much greater this may teach us this profitable lesson to possess our souls with patience in bearing afflictions and corrections and not to grâ—dg and repine at the Lords dealings though he seem to load us with great and long calamities as this people here not to pine and murmur at his hand but patiently to bear them because here is comfort unto us that if the Lord lay long piercing sorrows afflictions upon us yea for many years together yet he will make us amends at last by giving us such a measure of comfort as shall be proportionable and answerable unto them if not in this world which the Lord often doth yet most certainly in the world to come As Christ sayth Mar. 16.28 If any man forsake all for me I will give him in this world a hundred fold and in the world to come life everlasting That is comfort for ever Seeing that God doth thus often cast downe his people low Vse 2 and then raises them up on high As this may be a ground of patienceunto us in all our trials and miseries So we are hence instructed not to judge of our condition according to our present comforts But to have an eye to the end Marke the upright man and behold the just the latter end of that man is blessed The end we say proves all things Should the painfull and laborious Husbandman hope onely upon his seed-time which is so full of labour and toyle wet and cold and not to looke withall upon the Harvest it were able to make him heartlesse to undergo his labour But when he considers of that beautifull increase that he may reape this makes him indure all weathers The godly in all their greatest miseries and sufferings want not the grounds of joy and when the Lord hath sufficiently humbled them and fitted them for comfort and deliverance the Lord will not faile to come in to their succour According to the days where in thou hast afflictedius WHen once the days of sorrowes and times of afflictions are over gone and past Doct. 4 Afflictions past seeme but a few dayes 2 Cor. 4 19. Ps 30.6 they seeme but a few dayes According to the dayes c. The Apostle calls our afflictions light and momentary And God indureth but a while in Anger Heavinesse may indure for a night but joy commeth in the morning And the reasons why they esteemed their affliction short and but for a few dayes are Was because they had deserved great and more tedious Calamities Reas 1 in regard of the greatnesse of their sins and the Hainousnesse of their rebellions Though afflictions seem to be long whilest we are under them Reas 2 it is the nature of present comfort to swallow up the thoughts of them as Jacob when he served Laban sâ—aven years
when he injoyed his Rachel they seemed unto him but a few dayes Which should serve for our instruction Vse that if the Lord lay many and great afflictions upon us and that a long time together to consider that the Lord might have laid a thousand times more for our sins and the joyes of their life to come will quickly swallow up the remembrance of them all so as we are with one eye to looke unto Gods mercy that our afflictions are no sorer and that our comforts at last will surmount them all as with the other eye to looke upon our present sufferings how bitter soever And the yeares wherein we have seene evill No doubt herein Moses had respect to the time of their affliction in Egypt Exod. 1. wherein passed many yeares even foure hundred and thirtie and now againe for the space of fourty yeares in the wildernesse q.d. O Lord we have been a long time in misery and sore affliction we beseech thee now at last let us receive comfort proportionable and answerable thereto Doct. 5 Whence we may further observe We may pray for mercy answerable to our misery that we may and ought to pray that God would bestow mercy answerable to our misery As we see a man that hath a great wound in his body the plaster must be made as large as the wound or rather broader so must we crave at Gods hand that our comforts may be not onely as great as our miseries but if the will of God be more plentifull A man that hath beene many yeares in misery and affliction had need of a great measure of comfort as a man that hath beene made weake by long sicknesse so as his strength is much decayed he must have a time answerable to recover his strength againe So here a child of God that hath beene long humbled and afflicted by Gods hand such stand in need of a great measure of comfort to recover the health of their Souls againe ver 16. Let thy worke appeare unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children IN this verse we have the fourth petition which Moses and the people of God do make unto God And the thing they here beg and crave at Gods hand is protection which they acknowledge to be the proper work of God And this protection of his they crave not onely for themselves but also for their posterity after them Let thy work HEre by the work of God we are to understand some speciall and singular work of God towards them in their protection safety and deliverance And for this they use a double Reason 1. Drawne from the end of their protection viz. the glory of God because this glory of God would appeare in protecting them from their enemies the cursed Canaanites whose country they were now going to inhabite 2. That so it might fare well with the Church of God after them And that the promise of God made unto their forefathers Abraham Izaac and Jacob might not be frustrate but the Lord would give them and their posterity after them the land of Canaan to inherit Let thy work appeare SEing Moses and the people of God crave protection at Gods hand and this they acknowledge to be a work of God We learne Doct. 1 from whom to seeke for protection in times of danger God the protector of his people and in times of distresse viz of the Lord. Because all our help comfort and protection comes from him He is the Lord high Protector of his Church and people Thou art the God of my salvation saith David Ps 15.5 on thee do I wait all the day He lookes not to men or Angels but unto God alone to be his Saviour and Protector Salvation saith he belongeth unto the Lord. Psal 3.8 Whatsoever the Instrument be that God useth in the deliverance of his Church and people it is not in their Horses and Chariots but God onely that saves Thus Jehosaphat and the men of Judah 2 Chron. 20. when they were at that great straight that they knew not what to do Our eyes say they are toward thee And hence is it that David was so confident and held himselfe so safe in danger that he rested upon Gods protection Psa 23.4 Though I walke throughout the valley of the shadow of Death I wil feaâ—e no evill for thou art with me And againe The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I feare The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid what became of Pharaohs plots from time to time against the Church did not God disappoint them and still delivered his people what became of Hamans plot Achitophels counsell And those that vowed they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul Acts 23.10 Was not the Lord their Protector And hence is it that he is calld the God of patience the God of Consolation and the God of comfort By whose power assisting us and Spirit inabling us we who can neither do nor suffer any thing as of our selves 2 Cor. 1.4 Rom. 15.5 are able to do al things thorough Christ Now the Reasons why we must only seek for protection comfort and deliverance in times of distresse only from God are Reas 1 It is his commandment that in the time of misery and distresse we should still have recourse unto him Ps 50.15 Jam. 5.13 Call upon me in the time of trouble c. Is any be aflicted let him pray And thus when the Lord hath foretold the great afflictions that should betide the Church the Lord directs them to this way of their deliverance take unto you words Hos 14.23 and turne unto the Lord. Yea hee prescribes unto them the very forme of words how they are to seeke him Take away our iniquities and receive vs gratiously Secondly this is our maine end Reas 2 wherefore the Lord many times doth humble his people and bring them low that we might fly unto him for help and succour this honour God gaineth by our afflictions to drive us home to him as it is said in their afflictions they will seeke me diligently Esa 26.16 Thirdly God only is to be sought unto for protection in times of danger because the power of all creatures is but finite and they are but servants to his hand of providence but it is he that is the great Lord Protector of heaven and earth And without him neither Satan nor his instruments have power so much as over one haire of our heads and therefore the Apostle exhorts us To goe boldly to the throne of grace Heb. 4.16 that we may receive mercy and finde grace to help in time of need Seeing all protection and safegard is from God Vse 1 it is his worke How may this condemne the preposterous course of many in these dayes that in times of misery and distresse seeke any where even every where rather then unto God for help and
a loving Husband his Wife So if thou be a true servant of God thou maist assure thy selfe that God will let his worke appear to protect and defend thee And this lets us see the happy priviledge of the faithfull above all wicked and ungodly men Vse 2 whereas the wicked lye open to all miseries and dangers have no rock of defence to fly unto for shelter the faithfull have a sure rock of defence to flye unto in time of need Hath God made this known to thy Soul that thou art one that God hath taken into covenant with himselfe O happy and blessed for ever is thy condition Psal 144 15. Happy be the people that be in such a case Blessed be those folke that have the Lord for their God others may bee more rich in regard of these outward things but none more happy The prophet concludes the happiness of such when he sayth Ps 84.11 The Lord is a Sun and a shield the Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that are upright 1. He will be a Sun to them that is as the Sun gives light and comfort so will God be all in all unto them 2. He will be a shield unto them nothing shall hurt them that are in covenant with him 3. He will give grace more to them then to all the world besides which is more worth then kingdomes 4. Glory I am thine sayth David O save me When Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall we appeare with him in glory 5. And lastly No good thing will he with-hold if he give the greater he will not deny the lesser If riches be good they shall have it If credit be good they shall have it if health peace prosperity c. if the Lord see them good for them they shall not want them But if afflictions povertie sicknesse c. be best they shall have them too See there what a portion they shall have that have the Lord for their God that are his servants and are in covenant with him All those gratious promises that God hath made in his word belong to thee And I tell thee that one promise is more worth then all thou hast in the world besides and will last longer and do thee more good yea more thou hast now to leave to thy posterity a promise that God will be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee which is more worth then all the portion thou canst leave them Let thy works be seene q. d. O Lord let all the world see and know that thou art a mercifull deliverer of thy people that thou art their mighty Protector so that it seemes they speake of some singular work and protection of God of his Church and people Hence we learne That of all the workes of God Doct. 3 there is none more excellent then this No work more excellent then Gods protecting his Church viz. the protection of his church people for this in a way of excellency is called the peculiar worke of God It is true indeed when the Lord doth punish the stubbornnesse and rebellion of his people their infidelity murmurings and unthank fullnesse c. then appears the power of God the truth Justice of God But in nothing more doth the Lord shew his power then in protecting of his Church and people against the face of their cruell and bloody enemies And this Moses here shews when he calls this in a way of excellency The worke of God Let thy worke in protecting and delivering us thy Church and people Appeare wherein Moses doth prefer this worke of God in taking care of his Church in protecting defending and delivering of it to all other the works of God whereby he makes his power knowne then by any other token of his besides As we may see in Pharaoh when did the Lord ever get himselfe a greater name then in delivering his people out of Egypt and over his armies at the red Sea Exod. 1. Come let us work wisely saith Pharaoh but the Lord let him see that there is neither wisdome nor counsell against him but the more he sought to suppresse the Church the more it multiplyed and increased Hamans plot against the Church was very dangerous and damnable Hest 3.7.9 but the plot that he contrived the Lord disappointed and himselfe fell into that pit that he had digged for others Zac. 12.3 The Church of God is such a heavy stone that never any lifted at it but was crushed in peeces So that of the Church the Lord speaketh thus Esa 59.16 I wondred that there was no intercessor therefore his arme brought Salvation unto him and his righteousnesse it sustained him What though the Church of God be but as a garden in comparison of the rest of the world yet it is a well fenced garden and though the godly in themselves are but few weake simple and so more shiftlesse then others yet they are strangely kept 2 Reg. 6.10 and strongly preserved and have more with them then those that are against them Not that the Church and people of God are free from perils and dangers It is enough that they are preserved in them and at last shal be delivered from them as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4.8 We are afflicted on every side yet are we not in distresse in poverty but not overcome persecuted but not forsaken c. Now that of all the workes of God there is none more excellent then the protection of his Church these Reasons further shew First Reas 1 because this shewes that God is still present with his Church and is ready to succour them in time of danger Gather together on heapes ye people and ye shall be broken in peeces Zeph. 3.14 The reason is there given for God is with us and againe rejoyce O Daughter of Sion be joyfull O Israel for the Lord thy God is in the middest of thee The Lord indeed is present every where but in a speciall manner he is present in his Church He walketh in the middest of the seaven golden Candlesticks that is the Churches Secondly Reas 2 in regard his Church and people are most deare unto him He loveth the gates of Sion more then all the dwellings of Jacob. Ps 87.2 Es 43.4 And Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honorable aod I have loved thee And hence is it that the Church is called Esay 49 22. The beautie of the whole earth The fairest amongst women c. Cant. 14.13 All shewing the high esteeme that God hath of his Church and people Thirdly Rea. 3 the Lord is pleased thus to work for his Churches safety protection and deliverance for his owne glory that his power might and stretched out arme might appeare As the Lord said to Gideon Iudg. 7.2 the people that are with thee are too many for me to give the
prayers as the principall end of our requests It is the greatest argument and motive to move the Lord to hear and grant our requests Because Gods glory is the chiefest good mans life yea Reas 1 mans salvation is not to be preferred before it which made Moses to wish rather to have his name blotted out of the booke of life then that God should be dishonoured by the Egyptians which would be ready to say that God brought them out of Egypt into the wildernesse but was not able to bring them into the land of Canaan Secondly Reas 2 such as our esteeme is of God himselfe such is our respect unto his glory If we esteeme of God as wee ought as our chiefest good his glory will be our chiefest end in all our actions Whatsoever yee do 1 Cor. 10.30 doe all to the glory of God It is true this glory is eternall with God and admits of no addition or diminution As the Sunne would still retaine his brightnesse though no creature had an eye to see it But hereby wee set forth our high esteeme of it not that God reaps any good by it but the fruit redounds to us God loves his glory as he loves himselfe And as we love him so we love his glory It is the end that God purposeth to himselfe in all his workes Reas 3 his own glory God made all things for his own glory Psal 19. the Heavens declare the glory of God It is the end of our Redemption Yee are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6.20 therefore glorifie God c. It is the end of our Adoption to the praise of his glory Eph. 1.6 And therefore this being the end of all his workes to set forth his glory we are not to prefer any thing before it And such as prefer any thing before his glory as too many do in these dayes the Lord at last will powre contempt upon them Let us apply this Vse 1 This may serve for a prop and stay unto the godly in the land at this time wherein God hath shewed so many tokens of anger and displeasure against our land and Nation by those wofull Changes our eyes have seen and our dayly feares of farther miseries that the gospell it selfe is departing from us by the daily increase of Sects Heresyes with all manner of sin and profanesse which increasing in a nation and kingdome where the Gospell hath been sincerely professed and maintayned have ever proved a fore-runner of desolation if not the departure of the gospell from such a people Surely now is the time if ever that the Spirit of the faithfull should be kindled in prayer And in prayer that we set before our eyes Moses example here that the Lord will take the cause of his Church into his owne hand and root out these Sects and Heresies that are crept in amongst us and every plant that is not of his own planting And this must be the Reason and motive that we must presse the Lord withall His owne glory that doth now suffer And this will be a powerfull motive to move the Lord to heare and help Because he is most most jealous of his own glory And if the Lord would be pleased to save this Land and Nation deliver his people purge his Church this will redound to his own glory Say O Lord what will become of thy glory should the enemies of thy truth Gospell still prevaile shall thy vineyard be trodden down shall this Land and Nation in the which thou hast taken delight to dwell and where thy Gospell hath been preached and thy name called upon for so many yeares now at last become an Habitation of Ohims and Zijmes that the Lord would be pleased rather to humble us if it be his good pleasure by any other judgement then this spirituall Judgment of the Gospels departure from us If Master Herbert some yeares before our troubles began could say that Religion doth on Tiptoe Stand Ready to passe into America Land What would he have said if he had lived at this day to behold those abominable Sects that now have gotten head amongst us O pray pray that the Lord would take his own cause and his Churches cause into his own hand and plead his glory that doth now suffer Secondly Vse 2 by this we may try the soundnesse of our hearts and the sincerity of our prayers we put up unto God viz By our seeking of Gods glory above all our carnall Interests many men in time of sicknesse misery and distresse can pray to God for help and succour but their prayers are but the fruits of selfe-love whilest they mind their own Benefit and comfort more then Gods glory they can be content that God should serve their turns and supply their wants if poor to releeve them if sick to recover them or in any misery to help them But all this while they have no eye at all to his glory neither do they plead that at all in their prayers Whereas a gracious heart and a prayer formed according to Gods will that shall prevaile with God hath ever Gods glory the principal end of it and Argument in it to move God David in extreame sicknesse flyes to God to be his Physitian Psal 6.5 And what Argument doth he use to move the Lord to pitty him In death there is no remembrance of thee and who will give thee thanks in the pit q. d. Thou maist let me live if thou wilt which if thou wilt I shall praise thee and glorifie thy name If I die Who will give thee thanks in the pit Thus he Challengeth his life at Gods hand from this very ground the glory and praise that God should receive by his recovery The like we have else where What profit is there in my blood Ps 30.9 when I goe down to the pit Shall the dust praise thee shall it declare thy truth Shall the Dead arise and praise thee Ps 88.10 Selah It is a signe our hearts are sound and our prayers sincere when Gods glory doth principally affect us The Idolatry of the people whereby God was Dishonoured did most of all afflict Moses And the reproach done against God Dan. 32.19 by the blasphemous letter of Senacherib did more trouble the heart of good Hezekiah then all his threats against him and his people Esa 39.3.4 O well fare a gratious heart that can thus render Gods glory above all And lastly Vse 3 this serves for the just reproofe of many amongst us that albeit doe good things such as in themselves are lawfull commendable yet because they propound not Gods glory as the principall end of their actions can have no comfort in them If a minister of the word shall teach never so well and doe not propound the glory of God to himselfe therein but preach for gaine preferment vain glory c. Alas what comfort can he have in it So to give much to the poore as
some to merit some to be seene of men pharisaical like c. And do not thefe things for Gods sake to honour God with their substance can have no comfort at all in it And thy glory unto their Children Here we have the second end of their petition and request made unto God for protection viz that it might not only fare well with them but also with their posteritie and the Church of God that should live after them From whence we learne Doct. 5 that it is the duty of all Godly Christians We ought to take care of the Church after our dayes to have a speciall care of the Church of God after their departure that when we are dead and gone yet our seed and posterity after us may likewise flourish and be in a good estate How earnest is David for the Church that it might prosper and flourish O be favorable to Sion Psa 51.18 build thou the wals of Jerusalem Where David prayes for all heavenly blessings and graces for the Church That God would repaire the decayed estate of it and fence it about with the wals of his protection against the Churches enemies And this hath been the speciall care of Gods people in all their prayers to pray for the good of Gods Church and people Even after their dayes that it might prosper and flourish As for such as are the enemies of the Church he prophecyeth vengeance against them They that hate Sion shal be ashamed Psal 12.9 By all which he sheweth his exceeding care he had of the Church And such was that tender affection that good Nehemiah bare towards the Church of God That when he heard by those poore Jewes Nehem. 1 that came to the Pallace at Shusan for reliefe by whom he understood the miseries of the Church that was at Jerusalem He sat downe and wept and mourned and fasted and besought God for his Church We are all members of one and the same mysticall body the Church Reas 1 and if a man be a true member of this body he cannot but desire the welfare of the whole Secondly the welfare of a State and Kingdome is lapped up in the happie and florishing estate of the Church Reas 2 It cannot be well with the right side when there is a plurifie in the left miserable is the estate of those Princes and common weales that labour not for the prosperitie of the Church and Gospell Religion hath beene a friend to Princes when Princes have not beene friends to Religion in the Churches peace they have peace When there is no order but confusion in the Church Princes can never looke to be truly setled on their thrones This condemnes them as no true members of the Church of God Vse 1 that respect not the walls of Jerusalem but their owne walls that so they may build up their owne houses leave the house of God desolate that mind themselves in their prayers but seldom mind the Church that it may flourish when they are gone Moses Josuah and David Deut. 33. los 24. their greatest care was for the Churches welfare after their dayes that the generations to come might serve the Lord. And surely there is no religion where the coutinuance of religion for our posteritie is not thought upon The Lord knows this duty is little thought upon at this day now that Religion is ready to take her wings and fly away though we see the enemies busie to sow tares and sects and Heresies increase upon us all threatning ruine as if the Lord had a purpose to lay his vineyard waste Yet how few lay the Churches miseries to heart Doubtlesse the great securitie that is amongst all even amongst professors themselves this day ' are sad Omens and presages that God is not far off with some further judgment then yet we have tasted of It shall be our wisdome then to make more conscience of this duty Vse 2 to beg hard at the throne of grace that the Lord would not remove his candlestick from amongst us but continue his Gospell still amongst us and to our posterities after us even to the comming of Christ that we may never see nor our posteritie after us Popery or Heresie set up and countenanced but that God would still dwell amongst us owne us for his Church and people that his glorious Gospell Englands glory may not depart from us And thy glory to their children THere is one thing more observable in these words that they which in the former part of this Psalme lay as it were in the gulfe of despaire as not worthy to open their lips to God for themselves Yet now are bold not only to pray for themselves but for the Church of God and their children and posteritie afer them Hence we are taught that poore sinners Doct. 9 Sinners cannot pray for themselves noâ— others Pro. 28.9 whilst they live in their sins and are not reconciled to God can neither pray for themselves nor for others But upon their Repentance and reconciliation to God can pray for themselves and others The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord but the prayers of the righteous are his delight Iob. 9.31 God heareth not sinners And ye as living stones Heb. 13.16 are made a spirituall house c. To offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God thorough Jesus Christ Till we become living stones in Gods Temple there is no accepting of our sacrifices we offer up to God The Lord had first respect unto Abel and then to his Sacrifices where the person is not accepted the sacrifice is rejected And the reasons are First every unregenerate man is called a stranger and an enemy to God Reas 1 Ye that were strangers and enemies to God c. Eph. 2.19 Now things done by strangers are not much looked upon but by Enemies are no whit regarded Secondly whilest a man lies in an impenitent estate and in his sin Reas 2 not being reconciled to God such can ask nothing at Gods hand by vertue of any promise for God hath not made any promise to the wicked unlesse it be of Hell and of wrath but all the promises are made over to the faithfull in Christ In whom all the promises are Yea and amen But now when a wicked man shall turne from his wickednesse and by repentance come to be reconciled to God he may goe boldly to the Throne of grace and beg mercy not only for himselfe but for others There is no way to be heard of God in prayer but first to be at peace with God and reconciled unto him How may this stir up every Soul speedily to returne unto God Vse 1 by repentance and to seeke reconciliation againe with him that so they may come boldly to the Throne of grace to beg mercy in time of need for our selves and the Church for without this we cannot looke to obtaine any thing at Gods had For wanting faith whereby we lay
so much as a star in comparison of the Sun in respect of him And in those spirituall indowments of the soul and sanctified graces of his spirit humility meekness faith patience love feare of God c. If thou wantest this inward and spirituall beauty though thou wert as faire as Absalom or the fairest woman in the world alas thou art but a deformed and filthy creature in the sight of God It is the white rayment of Jesus Christ that thou must be cloathed withall that thy filthy nakednesse do not appeare Revel 3.18 That must make thee truly beautifull in his sight Seeing the Church is thus deformed Vse 3 till the Lord set his owne beauty The beauty of the Lord upon it Then when the beauty of the Church is observed as at this day by sects and heresies and for want of order and discipline which is the greatest blemish to a Church Then it is time high time and more then time to beg hard at the Throne of grace that the beauty of the Lord may be upon his Church that the Lord would take from us that shame and reproach that at this day we lie under Eze. 36.26 amongst other reformed Churches That the Lord would be pleased to adorne Sion and deck his Church with her perfect beauty That the Lord would take away his Churches mourning-weed and put upon her her beautifull attire fit for the Spouse of Christ that all Heresies at last may be abandoned the Gospâ—ll truly preached the Sacraments duly administred and Discipline executed herein stands the beauty of a Church which beauty of the Lord Lord let it be upon us Stablish thou the work of our hands upon us HEre we have the second thing they crave at Gods hand That as before they desired his glory in the first place so now they pray that the Lord would so order direct guide and prosper them in their worke and enterperize that they had in hand that all might be for his glory Hence we learne that nothing that men take in hand can prosper Doct. 2 Nothing can prosper without Gods blessing Ps 127. and come to good effect unlesse the Lord give a blessing to it and prosper the same Except the Lord build the House they labour but in vaine that build it Except the Lord keepe the Citty the watchman waketh but in vaine It is vaine to rise up early to sit up late to eate the Bread of sorrowes for so he giveth his beloved sleepe wherein the Prophet sheweth that whatsoever is attempted or taken in hand either in family or Citty either for the good of one or another cannot be succeâ—sfull without the blessing of God When Nehemiah and the Jewes were about to reedifie the wals of Jerusalem how were the people disheartned discouraged by Sanbâ—â—â—â—d and Tâ—bâ—ah Neh. 6.16 yet because the worke was of God the Text saith Pro. 10.22 That the enemies of Gods people were afraid and their courage failed them for they knew that the work was wrought by God The blessing of the Lord saith Solomon maketh us rich And where this blessing of God is wanting men put their money in a broken bag as the Prophet hath it Ye have sowen much and bring in little ye eate and have not enough ye drink and are not filled you cloath you and are not warme and he that earneth wages putteth it into a broken bag Meaning indeed that there can be no successe in any of our labours or indevours that we take in hand without Gods blessing And hence it is that the servants of God in all their enterprises that they have taken in hand especially such as have been of weight and importance have ever first had recourse to God for a blessing Abrahams servants being sent to provide a wife for his Masters Son Gen. 24.12 begins first with prayer to God O Lord God say he of my Master Abraham I pray thee send me good speed this day and shew kindnesse unto my Master Abraham Thus good Nehemiah when he heard of the desolation of Jerusalem and intending to beg help of the king his master Neh. 1.11 he betakes himself to prayer and desires the Lord to prosper him therein and to give him favour in his sight Thus Paul before he went to Sea and undertooke his voyage he kneeles down upon the shore and calls upon God so that if we desire to have the worke of our hands to prosper and to see a blessing upon our labours trades and occupations O then begin with prayer to God without whose blessing we cannot prosper See the reasons First in regard of that propriety that God hath in all his creatures Reas 1 The Gold is mine c. sayth God Hag. 1.9 Psal 50. And the Beasts upon a thousand Hills are mine He is the soveraigne Lord of all things and it is he that gives them to the children of men to some more to some less And to him they must one day be accomptable for their receipts and expences He onely is wise Reas 2 with him is wisedome and strength Iob 12.13 Counsell and understanding He knowes best when where and how to bestow his help and blessing and therefore our dependency must be upon him And lastly Reas 3 because without his blessing even that which we have and enjoy can doe us no good Psal 78. 2 Reg. 7. VVhilest the meate was in their mouthes the wrath of God fell upon them And the prince of Samaria saw the plenty that was prophecied of but did not taste of it For men to eate and drink and rejoyce in their labours sayth Solomon I find that this is the gife of God So that in the getting and inioying of all earthly comforts God is to be sought unto for his blessing without whom no creature can doe us good This shewes the wickednesse madnesse and folly Vse 1 of many wicked and ungodly men that seeke so earnestly to increase their Substance by unlawfull meanes as by lying Stealing oppression usury by deceite false measure c. Here is their misery they cannot seek to God by prayer for a blessing upon such gettings but may rather looke for a curse upon their substance and many times God doth visit the sins of the Father upon their children that such goods doth seldome prosper but carry the curse of God along with them Bâ—sides here is the misery of such wicked men they cannot thank God for their riches What thank God for thy substance thou hast gotten wickedly and deceifully what is this but to make God a partner in thy sin Now God is not the author of sin nor partner with any in sin but his curse rather shall pursue such to destruction Seeing that nothing we take in hand can prosper Vse 2 without Gods blessing this may mind us of our duty continually to seeke unto him for his blessing that he would direct us and blesse our labours and indevours or else be our