for him to leap out of his calling he may well mourne for it and as occasion serves and his calling will afford he may advise and pray to God to incline the hearts of those that have power to redresse these things let him not thinke he shall suffer for other mens defects for every man stands or falls to his owne master So much for that The next thing I note Say unto Aaron take thy rod c. Some may say What needs this when God with a word could have done this what need he stretch out his rod It is true there is none that doubts of the power of God what God could have done But the point is this Where God hath appointed meanes he will have them used and not have miracles expected He stretched out the rod. It was that that God had sanctified for this purpose God will have the meanes used All the world knowes God could have preserved Noah without an Arke He meant to drowne the world beside and he had fixed this way Noah must work in this meanes Every man will conceive that easily God could have preserved Lot in the middest of Sodome though all the City were burned about him but since he had appointed Zear for a refuge there he must flye and take the course that he had appointed There is no doubt but God could have recovered Hezechiah to health by a word but since God said a bunch of figs should be used that must be applied or else he could not amend Doe you thinke that God was impotent and unable to cure Naaman of his leprosie with a word he could have done it but having appointed Iordan the place to wash him and to wash seven times except he had gone and performed it whatsoever hee did thinke of Pharphar and the rivers of Damascus unlesse he had washed there he had not beene cleane God could have hid the Virgin Mary in Iudea maugre the malice of Herod but having appointed Egypt to be the place thither they must flye Musculus upon Iohn saith that Christ caused the stone to be taken away he that could raise his body why would he not raise the stone God will not worke miracles for ordinary things where the labour of man will serve For the Use of this I desire you to remember it for your spirituall and corporall condition For the bodily condition it is well knowne that God hath appointed labour to be the means of sustentation of these tabernacles of ours yet this meanes is not used There are a great number of men that looke to be fed as Eliah was by the ravens by miracle they thinke to lye and have the meat fall into their mouths no paines will they take These kinde of people that will be idle and like the doore on the hinges that will not use the meanes they will not put their soules a foot out as it is in the fable they sinne against the generall order of things The heavens stand not still but by miracle And they sinne against pure nature when man was in his innecency God provided him labour Thou shalt dresse the garden Surely that God that appointed a Sabbath intended not man to be idle They sinne against corrupted nature since the fall Man is borne to labour as the sparkes flye upward And man must eat his bread with sweat And the Heathen had this light to call them flow bellies Lastly they sinne against the store of nature It lyes on Christians mainly they are so farre from the using the meanes of labour to effect that that God hath appointed that they must withdraw themselves from men that live inordinatly He that will not labour must not eat Therefore let no man love his ease so well that hee refuse labour that his sides should ake as that man in Seneca because he sees another man take paines this is odious And let not men be carried away with a private spirit as a great number are that except their imployment bee generous they will rather doe nothing If the imployment be never so poore if it be honest it is better then to be idle ten thousand times The idle man dishonours God he transgresseth his commandements he wrongs many besides himselfe his Country the Church his family and the poore all challenge a part in him When a man shall aske his conscience what profit hath the Church or thy family or the poore or the State by thee If he say nothing it is a pitifull thing Againe when a man doth nothing he is exposed to all temptations The Devill entred when he found none at home The Iron rusts with lying The Field unplowed overgrowes with weeds Standing puddles stinke therefore it was Ieromes counsell to Rusticut Alway to be imployed Againe it is a reproach to the world there is never a generous man if he see another that labours not but he accounts him an unprofitable burthen to the earth Lastly it drawes upon a man the misery of another world Shall such a man live If he doe he hath but his soule to keep him out of hell and St. Paul saith such people are dead while they live How shall they live when they be dead that are dead while they live What saith God Binde him hand and foot and cast him into utter darknesse to the unprofitable servant Therefore hearken to God take paines in that course that God hath appointed in his word let us rather eat our owne bread then to live at another mans finding If this seeme a digression I desire you to pardon it for it may be of purpose I turned out of my way to turne some idle ones into it In the second place for our spirituall estate God will have meanes used there The Kingdome of Heaven comes not with observation as it is said in the Gospell Many prophane men say What! cannot God save us without all this preaching What! nothing without that rod that Scepter of God his Word the rod of Aaron It is dangerous to dispute what God can doe farre be it from us But when God hath appointed meanes ordinary he shewes that he will not save without them The Evnuch might have said to Philip and Paul to Ananias and Lidia to Paul God can doe this without you but God must be served that way that he hath appointed Therefore if a man thinke to be saved by a miracle he shall fall short of salvation The rich man in hell had a strange desire to save his brethren by one that rose from the dead but saith Abraham If they will not heare Moses and the Prophets they will not heare them So much for that Saith he Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod and cause the frogs to ascend What! must Aaron bring frogs out of the river What man hath power to make one haire of his head white or blacke Who can adde one cubite to his stature Must Aaron bring these frogs So in the originall it is an imparative Make or command them to ascend So the Septuagint is Fetch thou them forth We must acknowledge the power of God to be infinite Yet observe The workes that are his owne he attributes to men Aaron is said to bring them The bringing of Israel out of Egypt it was the worke of God with a mighty Arme none but God could doe it He assumes it oft-times I am the Lord that brought thee out of the land of Egypt So those holy people acknowledged Nehemiah
behold this blessed light that shines to us much more unworthy to enjoy these conveniences and opportunities of meeting in thy house to know the way and means to a better life But most worthy of all thy plagues to be powred down upon us both in this life and that which is to come For besides that originall corruption wherein wee were borne and conceived and which like a leprosie hath over spread all the powers faculties both of soul and body we have heaped up a numberles number of actuall transgressions There is not any of thy holy Commandements but in thought word and deed most grievously and frequently we have violated And which advanceth our iniquity and heightens our rebellion these evills have not only escaped us in the times of ignorance but even since it hath pleased thee to inlighten us with the knowledge of thy truth so that notwithstanding thy mercies thy judgements the motions of thy good Spirit the blessed light of thy Gospell afforded to us we have continued the course of our rebellion against thee yea that we may be yet more vile in thy presence even at this time when we come before thee we are clogged with so many imperfections that if thou shouldest be extreame to marke what is done amisse how mightest thou plague us in our bodies in our goods in our good names how mightest thou fill us with the fury of an unpacified conscience and write bitter things against us and a wounded spirit who can beare How mightest thou give us up to a reprobate sence to commit sinne with greedinesse and punish one evill with another and after all this cast us into that place of torment to sucke out the dregs of thy vialls O God in all this thou shouldest be justified and clear when thou are judged and we deservedly punished Our sinnes our sinnes O Lord call to heaven for vengeance the pit is ready to shut her mouth upon us if thou wert not the Lord of mercies But thou hast opened a way for poore distressed sinners to come to thee through thy Son We flye to the horns of the Altar and intreat thee for Jesus Christ sake to be mercifull to us And thou sweet Saviour of the world whose name imports mercy and whose worke brought salvation for the sons of men thou knowest that we are but flesh and remembrest that we are but dust Thou that art a High Priest touched with our infirmities that knowest the power strength of old Adam how it leads us captive to sin and wickednes stand between us the wrath of thy offended Father mediate our cause with thy Father that all our iniquities may be done away by thy sufferings that we may ever finde to our comfort that though we have done ill we have an advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous And doe thou dear Father every day more and more assure and perswade our souls that thou art reconciled to us in thy Son by sending his Spirit into our hearts to renue us to that glorious Image of thine from whence wee are fallen and which may enable us to performe every good duty that as heretofore we have given our bodies and soules to be weapons of unrighteousnesse so in every part and power of them we may glorifie thee our God and Saviour and as much time as remains in the flesh worke out our salvation with feare and trembling And be cause thou of thine infinite wisdome hast set apart the Ministery of thy Word for this purpose good Lord blesse it to us at all times and at this time Enable me that am to speake the most unworthy of all the sons of Levi Lord cover all my sins and manifold imperfections in that mercy of thine that hath no measure and be pleased so to assist me by thy more particular helpe that I may deliver thy word boldly truly feelingly and sincerely Circumcise the hearts and eares of this thy people that they may heare attentively treasure it up in their hearts carefully and bring it forth in their lives and conversations conscionably to thy glory and assurance of their owne salvation in the day of Jesus Christ to whom with thee O Father and thy blessed Spirit be ascribed as is most due all honour and glory both now and for evermore Prayer after Sermon VVEE returne unto thy Majesty O Lord our God most humble and hearty thankes for all thy mercies most plentifully bestowed upon us as election creation redemption preservation vocation for the time and means thou hast given us of repentance whereas thou mightest have took us away in the middest of our sins O God what are we or what is our fathers house that thou shouldest bee thus mercifull to us to prevent and to follow us with thy kindnesse we are lesse then the least of thy mercies yet suffer us to take the cup of salvation and to praise thy Name accept of our poor acknowledgement adde one mercy more deare God to the common heap grant that we may expresse our thankfulnesse in a godly care of all holy obedience Blesse that part of thy word that we have heard delivered at this time Good Lord make it effectuall to our souls to salvation grant that it may bring forth fruit in some twenty in some thirty in some sixty in some a hundred fold though in some more and in some lesse yet in all some to the henour of thy Name Blesse with us thy whole Church wheresoever dispersed or howsoever distressed on the face of the earth and prosper O God the cause of the same where ever it is maintained in all the world as may be for the confounding of the Kingdom of Sin and antichrist and for the encouragement of all such as professe thy Gospel in sincerity Blesse us in these Kingdomes continue to us our liberty forgive our crying sinnes turne away thy judgements open our eyes at last to see the day of our visitation Blesse thy servant our Sovereigne Charles by thy Grace King of England Scotland France and Ireland in all causes and over all persons as well Ecclesiasticall as Civill next and immediately under thy Son supreme governour Blesse the Queens most excellent Majesty Prince Charles the Princesse Palatine and her issue The Lords of his Majesties most honourable Privy Councell The whole Nobility Blesse thine owne inheritance the Tribe of Levi by what names or titles soever they be called And for a supply of Davids Towers with Worthies blesse all Schooles of Learning the two Vniversities of this Land Cambridge and Oxford Blesse all Congregations this committed to my charge Remember all that are in affliction in mercy whether outwardly in body or inwardly in minde or for the testimony of a good conscience Lord draw neare to every of them according to their desires Receive us Deare God and all ours and all thine into thy love and favour and protection therest of this day and for ever Let thy holy hand protect us let thy blessed
the provision of the King such as was for the captive children it will not nourish without Gods blessing This hath beene the practice of holy people in all times Samuel blessed for the people they did not eat till he had blessed 1 Sam. 9.13 So it was with our Blessed Lord himselfe he never eat before he gave thankes and Paul in a great tempest at sea Act. 27. hee brings them together and defires them to take meat but they did not touch it before he gave thankes Plutarch saith that the Heathen did it And the Turkes now are observant of giving thanks Tertullian in his Apologie for the Christians shewing the course that Christians used in their feasts and â—â—ting of their meat they never sate downe to the table before prayer was made to God that he would sanctifie the creatures Secondly as it is meet that we should aske Gods blessing so when we have found that they nourish us and our spirits are refreshed and enlivened and quickned by them and we are made more nimble and agile for imployments then we have reason to give God thankes to returne thankes When thou hast eaten and art full remember saith Moses the Lord thy God thou shalt blesse him Deut. 8.12 And as it is said of Christ after they had eaten their supper they sang a Psalme before they went out of the roome Mat. 26. And Athanasius speakes of some people that were wont as soone as ever they had done supper or dinner to turne themselves upon their knees to give God thankes The Pharisees were so strict this way when a Pharisee had forgot to give God thanks at table though he were in the field he must returne to the place where he had eaten to doe it And he is no lesse then an Atheist that habitually omits the giving of thanks to God I will not say but a man may forget it and against his purpose but if it be habituall to sit downe and rise without giving thanks he is a brute beast and let him looke and he may expect the next time he eats to have a frog in his dish that is to have some judgement For the Lord will not indure such wretches Lastly since sinne lets the judgements of God loose especially in this particular of restraining a blessing upon the creatures Take heed of grosse sinnes those that the Father calls fearfull pressures such as waste conscience and so provoke God not only to cut us short in that which is superfluous but to maime us and lame us in necessaries in food that is the support of this tabernacle without which it cannot stand more then the lampe can continue without the supply of oyle And because it may be the wickednesse of this people in gluttony of meat caused this judgement upon them for they were given to that and because in experience God restraines men of their meat for that take heed of gluttony I confesse at this day intemperance in drunkennesse is now more then that of eating and the more generall sinne but intemperance of eating is of too great a breadth and as great a sin as the other And judge you now how many thousands there bee in the world that eat above their meanes and ability Though they pinch their backs their dainty tooth must be satisfied I read of old that they were wont to feast openly in the streets If it were so with us there would be many observed to spend that that they had reason to spare Againe how many thousands are there that though they eat not above their ability yet above their condition and calling for nothing will please them but rarities such as are congruous for Kings meane men must have All their pretence is they are able to doe it what of that I tell thee and I tell thee as a Minister of God that the rule of our apparrell and our meat it is not our ability but next to Gods word it must be thy calling and estate thou art in That is not lawfull for a meane man that is for a noble man this would bring attaxie and confusion into the world and blend those things that God hath digested so sweetly Againe for the manner how many thousands eat unjustly I meane are content to eat well and to lye soft and in the meane time never pay their debts They are so far from that that the Apostle speakes of eating their owne bread that other mens goods must furnish their tables How many eat unseasonably That is when the Church is under persecution and judgements are upon them and the places they are in they are most prone to feast a fearfull sinne God said it should not be purged from some till they dyed Isay 22. How many eat uncharitably without respect to the poore That stretch themselves upon their beds of Ivory and are not touched with the afflictions of Ioseph So the rich man in the Gospell he fared deliciously every day and did not respect the poor man at his gate though he asked but a crum How many eat immoderately I may say as Austen saith of them They eat not daily bread but as much at one time as is fit for them for three or foure meales what a fearfull thing is this Nay Beloved how many are there in the world that eat impiously that not only disable themselves from the workes of their ordinary calling but from the performance of any act of Religion towards God as if there were no God to serve but their bellies They are farre from the practice of the Primitive Christians as Tertullian saith in the former place that did alway eat so as that they remembred that God was to be worshipped They would not for all the world indispose themselves in regard of those holy performances Is there any of you that heare me that can deny this to be a truth I know you confesse it is a truth I know your righteous soules grieve that there is such just cause of complaint and I know you feare the harvest that this feed will bring out What was the sin of the old world was not this one among the rest Mat. 24. they ate and dranke as brute beasts and did not God bring a deluge upon them What was the sinne of Sodome was not one of them fulnesse of bread and did not God bring a fiery showre from heaven and burne them What was the sinne of Esau was it not gluttony when for a morsell of meat he sold his birthright and so after was deprived of the blessing he was prophane as it is Heb. 12. And what was the sinne of the Israelites among others this they lusted and were gluttons therefore when the meat was in their month wrath fell on them And doth not wise Solomon threaten men that are gluttons in their diet as well as those that are drunkards that they shall come to rags and poverty All this is true And what do we thinke to gather grapes from thorns or figs from
gathered this from Gods judgement upon Pharaoh in sending the loathsome frogs I would not have it thought that every one that hath a loathsome disease is like Pharach that he must of necessity be prophane and wicked For in the examples before recited we may finde David had a loathsome disease yet he was a man after Gods owne heart Iob had a fearfull disease he was full of blaines and sores and boyles yet God gave him a great testimony for his piety and justice above all the men of the East I could adde Lazarus that was highly in the favour of God yet he was full of sores And certainly Solomen saith Eccl. 9 All these shall fall alike to good and badmen we cannot determine of affection or disaffection I meane of the speciall love or hatred of God by these outward things Though the Church of Rome and Bellarmine goe too farre for he makes the end and calamities that light upon opposers of the truth to be a necessary argument of the Church a true note of it To that purpose he reckons strange judgements to fall on Calvin and Luther fearfull loathsome diseases So upon Zuinglius and Oecolampadius that he hath from Balsicke and others that have not more lines then lies rayling Pharaoh like We could answer them in their own weapons if we were disposed and tell them of some Popes One saith of Boniface the seventh that he ended his life very filthily And Iohn Stella saith of Boniface the eight he entred as a Fox he reigned like a Lion and dyed as a Dog We could tell them of Iohn thirteenth and some say the fourteenth that was slaine in the act of adultery by the immediate hand of God And of Alexius that dyed by the same potion of poyson he had provided for another Of Dresentius Leotomus Nehotman and other persecuters that had fearfull ends We stand not upon this because there is no argument convincing to be drawne from the calamity of a man to shew his goodnesse or badnesse But that that I intend is that God oft-times sends not only troublesome but noysome judgements as we see here upon Pharaoh The use of it as David saith Psal 4. Standin awe and sinne not God is the same God His hand is not shortned He can inflict a judgement upon thee whosoever thou art that besides the paine of it shall make thee abhorre thy sustenance The very smell nay the sight of it nay the hearing and sound of it And not only so but he can make thee so loathsome that even people that should tender their attendance shall be afraid to come near thee How loathsome a disease is that even that is ordinary the small pox in the extremity And for that other disease that carries the name that a man should not mention without horror and loathing what a loathsome disease it is and how odious it makes people those that are of honest and faire condition are afraid to eat or drinke with them So I have knowne some that have been afflicted with sores and boyles and ruptures that they have been a griefe to others and a burthen to themselves Therefore I say Stand in awe and feare for the Lord can doe what he hath done he can set ravenous beasts on us to teare us he can make frogs and toads crawle on us hee can make fiery diseases possesse us he can bring it home to us in a fearfull way if we rebell Therefore let us labour to serve him and to doe him honour and evermore to praise him not only in word but in worke for feare of an uncomfortable blow For it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of God So much for that They shall come upon thee and upon thy servants and upon all thy people Now this judgement was denounced Pharaoh might have conceived a thought the frogs shall come upon me but I have somewhat to helpe my selfe by my people and my servants about me I hope will keepe my person free The Lord takes away that poore hold and disableth him in that he thought of they shall not only be upon himselfe but upon his servants that they should be so far from from helping him that they should not helpe themselves The observation is that When God smites to some purpose he can make a man helplesse that all succour in the world shall faile Let him cast upon what hope he will and nourish expectation of this and that help when adversity comes the judgement of God shall have a full blow We have read of some famines wherein one neighbour hath not beene able to helpe another all of them have beene so generally troubled by that fearfull calamity and vexed by it that a man could not give his neighbour bread without being unnaturall to himselfe and unmercifull to his family When the Sword hath forradged a place the party that should secure his wife and children hath beene wounded and not able to helpe them And so in regard of the plague when it hath entred into some families and allowed no quarter at all but hath stricken all downe that not one hath beene able to helpe another God hath stricken some men with such diseases that the whole Colledge of Physitians were never able to give them a minute of ease Nay it may be the Physitian himselfe hath beene so smitten that he needed as much helpe as his patient This is ordinary I will not stand further upon the proofe The Use concernes us a little that is that we never cast our selves upon any earthly helpes without God let them seeme as firme as they will and able to sustaine us let us never cast our selves on them without God they will prove as clouds without raine as wells without water they will prove miserable comforters They will be to us as the King of Israel was to the woman in the siege of Samaria when she complayned of the fearfulnesse of the famine O saith he if God doe not help how shall I help Let the Philistins trust in Goliah when the time comes he shall not be able to save himselfe Let them delight in Dagon he shall be so far from secuting them that he shall be broken in peeces by a fall before the Arke The high Priests tell the Souldiers if they will tell a lie for them and officiate in that kinde for them they will beare them harmlesse the day of affliction will come that they shall not be able to helpe themselves Nay David disableth the very trust in Princes Psal 146. Trust not in Princes or any son of man for vaine is their helpe Isay 20. the three last verses It seemes the people of Israel were confident when they had an adversay came and threatned them with the Babylonian forces they sent to the Ethiopians for helpe they did not greatly care what that great man could doe Saith the Lord Goe and tell them the King of Caldea shall take Egypt prisoner and the Ethiopian captive so they
shall be ashamed of Ethiopia their rejoycing and Egypt their glory And then they shall say Loe this was our expectation and how shall we escape As if they had said these people are not able to helpe themselves they are made a prey to the devourer and how shall they be able to secure us Therefore I say againe Take heed of trusting in the arme of flesh We are but too apt to doe it We think if such an adversary should come we would doe this and that this friend and that money and policie shall doe us good and when the time of calamity comes we are as men that put into a Bay in a tempest we think we are safe and before we are aware we are upon a rocke and they finde not a haven and a faire station but matter of woe and lamentation There be certaine helpes in the world saith a Father by which we are more weakned then confirmed that prove as the reed of Egypt And to presse it on then we must not cast our selves upon vaine hopes of another world If in judgements temporall God can disable a mans friends and acquaintance and his owne thoughts perhaps shall not relieve him but he shall have a disturbed conscience what shall he doe when he appeares before the tribunall of God Let him then call to father or mother or friends he shall stand naked before that judgement and whatsoever plea he hath before thought of to subterfuge the judgement they shall be as fig leaves they shall not cure or cover him Therefore get Gods protection by well-doing and get into his favour by a godly life and then though father and friends forsake thee he will take thee up and be a sure protection to his people in the time of adversity So much for that There is a further aggravation of this judgement that is from the newnesse and the strangenesse of it Though I finde in stories that this judgement of frogs was after inflicted upon the world As Pliny tells us of a Towne that was unpeopled in France formerly by frogs And Paulus Orosius saith that the people of the City Abdera were so molested by frogs that they were faine to intreat Cassander the King of Maceden to get them another place to inhabit And Athenius tells us a strange story like this he saith in Onia in Barbania there fell a raine of frogs and filled the high wayes so abundantly that people could not step besides them and for a time they shut their doores that they might be quiet but it would not doe the frogs came into their baking troughs into their meat and drinke and molested and infested every part And not only so but they crawled upon their bodies and were so noxious to them that they determined to leave their Countrie Now I say though afterward God sent his judgement yet for ought I know this judgement of frogs was the first that ever was laid upon the world in that kinde And this added to the terrour of it For to suffer new terrours is a great aggravation of any judgement Isay 64.4 When thou diddest terrible things that wee looked not for then thou camest downe They were terrible things indeed that they never looked for or dreamed of or heard of in former times those terrible things So in Micah 5.15 The Lord saith he will execute judgement upon the heathen in such a manner as was never heard of Dan. 12.1 He speaks of troubles and such as there never was since there was a Nation to that time These strange unheard of judgements uncouth punishments adde much to the terrour of the plague Doe you thinke it was not fearfull to those of the old world to see it raine forty dayes together and not to cease till the very Arke mounted And to those of Sodome to see it raine fire who had ever heard of it before And marke that in Num. 16. when Moses would aggravate the judgement that God meant to send upon Corah saith he If these men dye the common death or if they be visited with the common visitation of all men thinke as you will but if God make a new thing and cause the earth to open and swallow them quicke in the pit then say they have provoked God to some purpose A new strange and not a common visitation and death for that was never heard of before that the earth should cleave and swallow them into hell These judgements that were laid upon Egypt were made patternes for after times I will punish you after the way of Egypt So that it seems that the Egyptians were the first instances of those great calamities God begun with them in this way they were the first So in this case it falls out as in examples of good so in the punishment of evill We say the way to heaven is short by example though it be long by precept The reason is this because when a man is commanded to doe a thing and is told that another doth it before him he is comforted he perswades himselfe it is in his factivity because another hath done it so in the punishment of sinne if it be somewhat that another hath suffered before it is some comfort If it be such a thing that never any suffered that a man can say that truly that Iob spake passionately that God had made him a Butt for such remarkable judgements as never were before This is a great aggravation Now you must know that these strange extraordinary judgements are for foule and extraordinary sinnes for when men will exceed their scantling and transcend in iniquity the Lord will make his plagues wonderfull In Deut. 28. And there are strange punishments to the workers of iniquity Iob 31. Wondrous strange plagues to those that have new sins For the Use of it it may satisfie us to the full for those judgements that God brings upon the world in these last times Wee still say that there are diseases growne among us that we have not heard of before sure I am they put the Physitians past their bookes many times let us not wonder at this for Affrica is not more fertile of monsters then these our times are fruitfull in iniquity I and in new sinnes I dare appeale to your owne observation what new strange oaths have beene minted of later times that our forefathers never heard of the foulest blasphemies against heaven not to be mentioned What new strange wayes of epicurianisme and gluttony how wity is that sinne in this age as if the spirit of Sardanapalus were in men who when he was satiated with all that was in use gave encouragement to any man by a crier to invent new I dare be bold to say that god the belly was never served with such uncouth service as now What strange wayes of drinking that were never heard of in the time of our forefathers the dayes then were more modest and free from that foule abominable corruption What strange unknown fashions in apparrell how
did they know nothing Had not Noah that preacher of righteousnesse told them by word of mouth Had he not preached in making the Arke For saith Basile of Selucia it was a preaching and every knock was an urging of that point did they not know without doubt they did How is it said They knew not Chrysostome saith he sheweth their insensiblenesse and security when hee saith They knew not and he saith They were taken with a kinde of drunkennesse in their sinnes As a man that sleeps upon a Mast knows not that he is in danger So it was with them judgement was at the doore yet they knew nothing till Noah entred into the Arke So those of Sodome were in the same predicament Lot told them and bid them feare It would not be and as judgement drew nearer he was more fervent in his exhortation all would not doe he seemed to his owne sons as if he had mocked Gen. 19. for they thought with themselves what newes is this Fire from heaven Why shall not to morrow be as to day Who ever saw it raine fire or if it doe must this valley burne alone and none else What ground is there for this Thus God layes out the humour of wicked men Deut. 29.19 He that heares the curses of this booke and saith I shall have peace though I continue stiffenecked c. This is the very conceit that a wicked man hath he may goe on in his sinnes he needs not feare the judgement to come he shall have peace though he continue stiffenecked Was not this the humour of Achab did not Micaiah tell him of the dissipation of his Army Nay did he not plainly say If he returned in peace the Lord had not spoken by him yet he pursued his resolution and went on in his way he would not feare till he felt 1 King 22. Marke in Isay 5.19 The Lord brings wicked men saying Make haste let him hasten his worke that we may see it A wicked prophane speech as ever came from the mouth of man They mocked the judgement that God had told them of Doth God say he will bring judgements let him make haste we would faine see it these are but words we would faine see deeds Thus wicked men hasten to their ruine So in Ieremy they tell the Prophet flatly hee lies when hee said The King of Chalde shall come and take Ierusalem they would not be perswaded till they felt it So in Ezek. 12.22 There was a Proverb growne in Israel Every vision faileth As if they had said Shall we give heed to the dreams of the Prophets They say they have had visions but all fail there are none come to passe they would not believe them And what better were those mockers in Peter they mocked and said Where is the promise of his comming As if they should say We will not give over our pleasures and the prosecuting of our sinfull lusts we will take time while we may and crowne our heads with rose buds and make as much of our selves as wee can for for ought we see all things are in a stay there is nothing to come For the Use of this I desire from my soule that all of us you and I and every one would take heed above all of security of fearlessenesse of God Our Blessed Saviour said long agoe that it should be the sinne of the last times As it was in the dayes of Noah and of Lot so shall it be in the day of the sonne of man And they shall nourish their hearts as in the day of slaughter And they shall have a conceit that judgement is far off and that it shall not come at all and so be given up to voluptuousnesse to commit sin with greedinesse I dare appeale and let your consciences answer and eccho the truth have not we a thousand times told you of plague and famine and judgement great and small Have we not rung in the eares of the blasphemer that the flying booke with curses would come into his house Have we not rung in the eares of the bloody man that he should not live out halfe his dayes and that he should not dye a drie death Have we not spoken loud enough over and over to the licentious person that that sinne would eat out his posterity and consume his increase Have wee not told you that the oppressour should have his goods invaded by violence and taken out of the mouthes of his children Have we not told the curser that it should come into his bowels as water Have we not told him that is excessive that he should reap nothing but shame and dishonour and beggery the judgement of God and untimely death Have we not said all this But with what successe People persist in the same wayes in the same impieties every day Witnesse the renewing and the improving of these sinnes Some are as deafe Adders or if they heare they give us the hearing and that is all they are still in the same course of impiety What is the ground of all Security fearlessenesse of judgements they thinke these things are bug-beares to fray children those things that shall never take effect These are the things that the Devill puts into the hearts of people to cousen them of their salvation O let us take heed Let me tell you and out of the truth of Gods Word that men are never nearer judgement then when they are most secure 1 Thess 5.4 When they shall say peace peace sudden destruction shall come Chrysostomes observation is when they shall say peace peace he saith not that there is peace to them For what peace as long as the whoredomes of Iezebel remaine As Iehu said But when they shall say peace and all is in tranquility Those of Sodome they had a faire morning that day they were consumed but how soone were the heavens clouded with fire and brimstone So likewise Belteshazer was in all his jollity and his ruffe with his concubines and Princes quaffing in the vessels of the Temple in the height of that security the hand-writing on the wall makes his knees knock together and the joynts of his body loosed So Nebuchadnezar his grandfather when he was strouting upon his Babell and bragged of his power then God turnes him among the beasts The people of Laish when they were buried in security the children of Dan fall upon them to destroy them Amnon when his heart was merry with wine little thought hee of any mischiefe all on the sudden he was slaine So Agag O saith he the bitternesse of death is past now there was no feare then of judgement as he thought the next newes that he heard the sword of Samuel was thrust into his bowels 1 Sam. 7. I might shew many instances that when men are most secure God comes with his judgements and hath taken them away Therefore take heed of being fearlesse of the judgements of God Beleeve what God hath said to us and as we beleeve
and Daniel O God that broughtest us out of Egypt Yet this act is attributed to Moses and Aaron So God saith to Gedeon Iud. 6. Goe and deliver Israel yet it was God that must doe it So it is said of Samson and Shamger and Othoneele and Samuel that they delivered Israel And God saith to Moses Sanctifie to me the people against the third day yet God must sanctifie them So we see in the New Testament that conversion is attributed to Ministers and remission of sinnes Whose sinnes ye remit are remitted Nay and the saving of men 1 Tim. 4.11 This is the honour of Gods Saints God not only useth them but attributes to them what is done To arm them against discouragements though many things obstaculous to them lye in the way and confront them and be impediments to them yet let them be comforted in this the issue and effect that is wrought God will please to honour them with it he will part with some of his owne to give them he will put a splendour on Moses and make him glorious in the eyes of all the people God is content to give Iehu honour The sword of the Lord and of Gedeon Though indeed we must take heed if we be sensible of the honour that God puts upon men when he imployes them that we doe nothing to diminish the glory of God The Devill is so subtle and the corruption of mans heart is so great that he desires praise to himselfe So that oft-times the chiefe Lord suffers by the unfaithfulnesse of his Steward Let us take heed if God honour us for doing good things by him assume not so much to our selves whereby Gods glory may be diminished Let me apply it to those of the Church God hath honoured them exceedingly that he hath made them fellow workers with himselfe to dispense the great mysteries of the Kingdome And it is the observation of Chrysostome when the Prodigall returned the father doth not bid him goe to the wardrobe and take the best robe but he said to the servants Goe and fetch it He would have the servants imployed for the benefit of the sonne that the meanes might be brought in credit That shewes how much the world is beholding to the Ministers of the Word We are co-workers with God which as it may comfort us for the present so it shall adde to our crowne afterward But let us take heed that we give the glory to God and not take to our selves any thing that may diminish Gods honour Let us be of the spirit of Paul I laboured more then all yet not I but the grace of God in me Saith Austen Nos mandamus c. we do not give the increase we doe but helpe and this that we can helpe is not of our selves but the grace of God Paul may plant and Apollo may water but it is God that must give the increase Not unto us not unto us but to thy Name be the praise given So should be the speech of every one We are Stars but we are Stars in the right hand of our Blessed Lord and he is the Sun of righteousnesse So we have it by derivation from him we shine in a borrowed light Secondly for people since God hath advanced Ministers know the necessity of their calling though God made you without them he will not save you without them Know that you must reverence them for their workes sake Shew your respect by doing that which is commanded for therein lyes the especiall respect to a Minister when that is practised that he teacheth In the last place since God reckons things done by his servants as theirs when he doth it Let all people that doe any thing for God take heed of stroaking their owne heads It is the errour of Rome in doctrine and in practise they make mens good works meritorious and make themselves saviours When we have done all we can we are unprofitable and God workes all good things in us and all our works for us That as Austen saith It is certaine O God he that reckons up his owne merits what doth he reckon but thy gifts We may have comfort and contentment in our consciences and may glory in those things that God hath given us in the temptations of Satan but let us not ascribe that to our selves that belongs to God for God begins the worke and perfects it to his owne praise So much for that Now we come to the execution Aaron did so and upon the doing of it there came an innumerable company of frogs that covered Egypt here observe The wonderfull power of God how speedily and easily and at what a distance he can worke Aaron no sooner stretcheth forth his rod but this was done he doth it speedily And hee doth but stretch out the rod and all these creatures come abundantly And he doth but put forth the rod toward the river Saith Tostatus he was now in the Court of Pharaoh yet all this was done therefore he workes at a great distance Thus is the power of God remarkable in working quickly and easily and at a great distance I will not stand long on these things because in many passages we meet with it God at the first made the world and with a word He spake the word and all was made Therefore those Epicures and Atheists that aske what ladder and engine he had to raise this goodly frame they may be answered by that in the Psalme He made them by his word For as he speakes in his workes The heavens declare the glory of God so he works in his speeches Nay the very will of God not only his word but his will I will be thou cleane not only speake the word and my servant shall be whole but I will How soone and how easily and at what a distance did the Lord destroy the Army of Pharaoh in the red Sea Exod. 14. So I might tell you of Sodome Saith Tully the heathen God can doe all things without labour and defatigation Saith the old Poet All things are easie to God he knowes how to worke when he sits still Therefore for the Use of it in a word Let us stand in awe of God if the Lord can so easily and quickly and speedily and at such a distance worke it is in vaine to contend and strive against his power God doth not need to fetch an Army of men to overthrow poore sinners he can doe it by frogs by the least creatures by his word he can drowne the
with their inchantments and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said Intreat the Lord that he may take away the frogs from me c. WEE come now to the event of this judgement The event is threefold First here is the like done by the Magicians verse 7. Secondly the removall of this judgement to the end of verse 14. Thirdly the further obduration of Pharaohs heart verse 15. that determines this judgement In the first of these the practice of the Magicians we may observe here The work men the Magicians And their instrument as I may so call it their incantations and inchantments And then the effect of their worke and operation They did so they brought frogs But concerning these Magicians and their inchantments I spake somewhat formerly therefore I shall say the lesse now I shewed then how the Devill hath made use of Magicians and inchanters in all times of the world and that for his owne mischievous respects For first hereby he hath perverted many noble and worthy Sciences such as Naturall Philosophy Astronomy Astrology Arithmaticke and Musique and turned the edge of them against God that founded and ordered them for his glory Secondly the Devill hath wronged hereby that that is the Queene of Sciences Theology while he hath diverted mens mindes from necesary truths and lead them captive to foule errours Thirdly the Devill by meanes of magicke and inchantments hath fomented heresies in the world Therefore it is no vaine observation that the great heretiques of the primitive times they were most of them Magicians upon search it will prove so Simon of Samaria called Niger he was held to bee the great power of God he made the people believe he could flye in the aire and that no army of men could apprehend him and hee could make trees grow on the sudden After him came one Menander that Iustin Martyr speakes of he profest great matters When he came to Antioch he gave out that he and his disciples should never dye he had power to preserve himselfe from mortality Ireneus speakes of a foule hereticke that was a Magician that would shew tricks that would turne the wine in the Eucharist when it was white he would make it red and fill a greater vessell with a lesser divers of those pranks he played So the History saith concerning Basilidas and Martion he was a Magician Eusebius speakes the like of Montanus in whose heresie Tertullian though else a good man was tardie The people when they saw such great works as these they thought the doctrine must needs be of God Fourthly the Devill hath gained much by this practise in the world for he not only got admiration but adoration When such kinde of workes as these have been admired in a wondrous and unlimited manner adoration hath followed to the person The Devill would give all the world to Christ to fall down and worship him Mat. 4. And he prevailed so farre with people as to sacrifice their children to Devils Psal 106.37 And it is well knowne by stories of the Indian parts that most of those people sacrifice to the Devill and worship him Lastly the Devill by magicke and sorcery and witchcraft hath not only begotten but nourished and perfected many foule sinnes in the world in practise As lust hath beene perfected through magicke spells inchantments have beene used for the abusing of poore people Revenge hath been perfected through magick I thinke you will say by your owne experience that most of the witches that ever have beene discovered have beene so by malice So sometime it hath served as a bawd to covetousnesse to bring wealth All that I will say because I will not draw my Saw the same way againe is to advise you in all things to keepe moderation for it is easie for a man to goe too farre Even in naturall Philosophie some people have so pored on the creature that they have turned Atheists And in Astrologie men have so oversotted themselves that judiciously and conclusively they have turned the courses of men calculated their nativity and they will tell what death a man shall dye as if they were of Gods privie Councell Nay Beloved in Divinity it is possible for a man to transgresse his bounds if he be not wise to sobriety Therefore it is good advice let there be humility and sobriety A man may easily in the great deepe of Divinity passe beyond his depth his feet being carried away by the streame It is easie for the flye that flutters about the candle to burne her wings Saith Nazianzen in his sixteenth Oration It were better for a man to bee sluggish a little then too curious to seeke into those retired secrets that God hath kept secret So much for that I will say no more of the persons and of their inchantments but only one thing It seemes that Pharaoh soon sent for these people when the judgement was on him These were the men that he trusted in and he thinks to have ease by them he will see what can be done A man would have thought he should goe to God and make his peace with him to take off the edge of the judgement that way But will you have it Carnall mindes in distresse when the judgements of God are upon them their first course is to seek carnall meanes and comforts That is the first thing God is sought in the last place When Cain received his judgement from God to be a runnagate over the face of the earth to finde consistence in no corner he will see if he can disappoint the judgement by building of Cities as if he could lenifie his inward torment by his outward imployment So we see it was with Saul when he was troubled with an evill spirit those that were about him suggested that it was fit for him to seeke a man that was excellent in musique that he by his skill that way might helpe to condole his disturbed thoughts There was no looking up to God to make his peace with him that sent that judgement on him So in 1 Sam. 28. when he was in distresse he runs to the witch at Endor and she must tell him the successe of the battell Thus it was with Ahaziah he sends to Baalzebub the god of Ekron to consult if he should recover of his sicknesse Thus it was with those people in Ieremiah when they were told that the Caldeans should invade them they cast themselves upon the hope of Ethiopia and Egypt and made account that they should sustaine them in their adversity and raise the siege of the other Army So we see in the New Testament when Iudas was stricken with horrour of soule he comes back to the high Priests thinking to finde some comfort there Like to Belteshazer when he saw the hand-writing upon the wall he sends for his Astrologians and other people that he put confidence in and thinkes that they could helpe him out of the brakes
day of slaughter because of successe Poore deluded soule that art conscious to thy self that thy wayes are naught and yet justifieth it because of successe God is a patient and long-suffering God and suffers people to goe on as he did Pharaoh into the middle of the sea and there cut off his chariots He suffers them to goe a while not that they shall alway prosper but to make the cup more bitter after long prosperity See it in all the examples before see if they did not repent themselves of that peace that they enjoyed Iosephs brethren carried it away smoothly but God comes to a sharpe reckoning in the conclusion they were in a great agony they knew not how to extricate themselves So David he went smoothly for a time but after it cost him many a teare he made his bed to swim So Ahab he wished a thousand times he had not meddled with the vineyard the sawce was so sharpe with the meat So Daniels accusers they reaped the judgement they intended against him the Lions had power over them they repented that ever they stirred that stone So many covetous men in the world that have gathered goods by oppression his line holds for a time it may be for his owne life but who hath not seen the judgement of God on his posterity that a man may read the fathers sin in the childes punishment So the revengefull the lustfull the ambitious man God comes home to them and so he will to others Men may laugh and rejoyce because of successe take heed when the reckoning is paid God will rise in judgement and then woe to those that thrive in wicked wayes It is the observation of a Father all things are said of the rich man Luke 16. in the time past There was a rich man and he fared deliciously every day and he was cloathed in purple and thou hast received all thy good So these people the time will come when they shall be forced to say they had their profit and their pleasure here according to their desire and so they have had all that good that ever they shall have they must be content with it there is no more now but an expectation of wrath and mischiefe the cup of the Lord is full it is mingled the wicked of the earth shall sucke the dregs of it In the second place censure not Gods providence nor justifie the wicked because they thrive and prosper in their wayes and courses and designes Fret not thy selfe for the wicked Psal 37. David was much taken with it Psal 73. he saith That his foot had nigh slipped when he saw the prosperity of the wicked Ieremiah desired to dispute with God upon this theame The broad spreading bay-tree of the wicked moves emulation in the children of God they thinke they have cleansed their hands in vaine But goe into the Sanctuary and there you shall see that God hath set them in slippery places Though their line hold here yet those lines tye them to judgement they shall be tyed as the vulture to the heart of Titius Pity them their woe is to come Where is the children of God having had hardship in this world shall have a blessed compensation in the world to come I should come to the second event the removall of this judgement I will only touch one thing in the front and so commit you to God It is like enough that Pharaoh sent to the Magicians to know if they could remove the judgement he found them unable or else he would not intreat Moses and Aaron to do it Here is that that will make Pharaoh unexcusable for it hath beene questioned whether Pharaoh were not excusable in holding out against the command of God and the commission of Moses because he was thus deluded by his Inchanters For say they how could he be perswaded that Moses came from God with a speciall command when his owne Inchanters did the like so they extenuate his sinne But suppose they did it by as great power and divine vertue as Moses and Aaron and he had no reason to think that Moses and Aaron were any better yet this is unexcusable that they could not remove the judgement So let men have never so many pretences there is somewhat that will hold conscience still that it will never give out of the hands of it The conscience will be hampered with something let the wicked man have ten thousand Apologies there is somewhat that will hold conscience whereby it will be snared to judgement Iosephs brethren can say much for themselves for the slaughter of the Sychemites that they did it in a way to vindicate the honour of their family Should he use our sister as a where but there is one thing that makes it hold sinne the abuse of the ordinance of God to make it a midwife to deliver them of their sinne So Saul may make a fair glosse that he had spared the goods of the Amalekites for sacrifice but there is one thing that holds him what is that that he had gone expressely against the command of God for he bad him spare none So Ahab had much to say for himselfe he came upon faire tearmes to Naboth for his vineyard he offered him money besides he knew what Ahab was But there is one thing that will have power over him what is that that his wife should have power over his seale to frame a letter to undoe the man So the Scribes and Pharisees they put it off Did we persecute this man Wilt thou bring this mans blood upon us we did it in zeale hee seemed to oppose the law of Moses but one thing will hold them to judgement because it was malice in them against Christ because he reproved them so plainly that they could never claw it off For the Use of it Never thinke when you come to Judgement of Apologies and fig-leaves that will be too narrow for your nakednesse away with these subterfuges and starting holes God never brings a man to judgement but he hath enough to judge him for by the testimony of his owne conscience as Pharaoh here that when he knew it must be of God yet he was hardened The conscience as it is a register in man at the day of Judgement it will be an accuser of man and justifie Gods most severe proceedings against him So much for this time THE SEVENTH SERMON Vpon EXOD. CHAP. 8. VERS 8. Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said Intreat the Lord that he may take a way the frogs from me and from my people and I will let the people goe that they may doe sacrifice to the Lord. NOw we come to the second event that is the removall of the judgement Wee must consider First how it is motioned and intreated for in verse 8. Then how Moses engageth himselfe to performe it verse 9 10 11. Thirdly how he acts and performes it in deed and puts it in execution in verse 12 13 14. The first
of them is in verse 8. And there are two things in it briefly A petition and A promise Pharaohs request is That they would intreat God that he might be freed from these noysome fearfull frogs His promise is That he will let the people goe and sacrifice to the Lord. But first I will speake of that that leads them in that is Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron It is like enough that when the Inchanters had to his apprehension brought forth frogs that he sleighted Moses and Aaron and dismissed them as if they were not the servants of a greater God then he worshipped for sure he thought that these people that brought frogs to his appearance could also remove them But now he begins to feele the smart of the judgement it is likely having consulted with these Sorcerers they cannot fit him this way Now he cannot get from under the wrath of God he calls for them Our observation shall be this that The time will come that godly men shall be in request with those that despised them God will bring it about that good and godly people shall be in request with those that formerly despised and sleighted them Thus it was with Abimelech and his Philistines Gen. 20.29 they vilified Isaac they hated him and maligned him and the wrath of them was so fierce that they drave him out of their Country yet he was no sooner gone but the King and his Courtiers they come after him and desire to make a league with him and that he would be pleased to sweare to them that he would doe them no harme for they saw that he feared God and that the hand of God was with him The like we see in Iosephs brethren how did they contemne and despise Ioseph and called him in scorne The dreamer as if he had befooled himselfe in those presages of his advancement yet God brings it about that this man that they had so scorned they were faine to sue to him forgive the trespasse of the servants of thy fathers God in that we have done foolishly Gen. 50.17 The like we see in Moses Exod. 32. how he was sleighted and contemned by the Israelites As for this Moses we know not what is become of him But they spake of him in a low stile yet after a while when the judgement of God was upon them they were faine to flye to him as their best refuge on earth and desire him to mediate a peace So in Exo. 12. Aaron joynes with Miriam in emulation against Moses and speake of their brother in diminution but after Aaron intreats him not to lay that sinne to their charge that they had committed foolishly and suffered his sister to be a reproach to the world The like we see in Iephtah he was put out of his fathers house and contemned because he was the sonne of an harlot Iudg. 11. yet when they were infested by their enemies they were faine to seeke to him and intreat him to be their Captaine So we see in Saul you see how he scorned David he would not so much as call him by his right name Where is the sonne of Isha that he doth not come to meat And will none of you tell me that my sonne and the sonne of Isha have conspired against me Yet he that he contemned he bowed to when he had him in the cave and gave pregnant proof of his loyalty he desired him that he would be good to his posterity and not cut them off So it was with Ieroboam 1 King 13. he stretched forth his hand in contempt and hatred I joyne them together against the Prophet and that hand that he stretched out he could not draw in againe and then he was faine to intreat the Prophet that he would intreat the face of God that his arme might be restored So we see in Hester Haman put her in the same Barke with all the Jewes and it is like enough in that respect and name because she was a Jew he disesteemed her after he was faine to sue to her for his life that she would mediate with the King that the edge of his wrath might be taken off Hest 7. And Ieremiah that was so much despised by Zedechiah and his Princes that Zedechiah was faine to sue to him that he would pray for him Ier. 37.3 And not to multiply more you know how much the rich man scorned the poore beggar yet the time came that being in hell in torments he begged a boone of him that is that he might be sent with a little water to coole his tongue Luke 16.24 And this is that Solomon hath Prov. 14.19 The bad shall how before the good and the wicked at the doore of the righteous There is a bowing that wicked men make sometimes to the good that David speakes off Psal 10. they crouch and creep and humble themselves and all to impose upon the credulity of the righteous and the sooner to insnare them But Solomon his sonne speakes of another bowing when the wicked are forced by Gods overruling providence to supplicate and sue to the children of God to desire their friendship and mediation and intercession that they despised and maligned before What may be the ground of this First God hath planted an awfulnesse and majesty in his children that makes them venerable to the wicked sometimes I speak not of such a splendor as Moses had that the Jews could not look on for the glory of his countenance I speak not of such a glory as Christ had that Hierome saith was starre-like that drew the people to see him Nor such as hee speaks of Julian that had such a splendor that Maximianus was afraid to look on him lest hee should make him turn Christian Nor such as Steven had God made that Diamond so sparkle in the dark that they beheld his face as the face of an Angel But I meane there is an awfull authority that God hath put upon his children that makes the wickeds eyes dazzle Solomon saith Eccles 8.1 Wisedome makes the face of a man to shine Cajetan understands it of that authority that God hath planted in his Children that makes them awfull to those that are wicked All the people feared Samuel exceedingly 1 Sam. 12.18 and it is said that wicked Herod feared John because he was a holy and a just man Mark 6.14 Againe secondly God doth this to make his word true for hee hath said Hee that humbleth himselfe shall bee exalted and hee that exalteth himselfe shall bee humbled Now the children of God oft put their mouthes in the dust they are low and humble therefore God will take a time to exalt them As David hee carryed himself humbly and how ever some detracters dis-figured him to his Prince he never spake of him without reverence therefore God exalted him and so exalted him that hee did bring the proud spirit of Saul to sue to him So Mordecat hee was a humble man he sate in the gate he
was content with his condition God exalted him and how did hee make that proud spirited Haman to stoope so low as to advance him Thirdly God thinks fit to make his Children a compensation in the sight of men They are brought to that straite sometimes that they are faine to sue to the wicked Jacob was so perplexed for want of bread that hee was faine to send to Aegypt for corn and was faine to pacifie his brother and to send present before him to humble himself and to fall to the ground so many times before hee came at him And in Lam. 5.6 they gave their hands to Assyria and Egypt for bread those that were their mortall enemies they were fain to comply with them for bread As I said of Hester before shee sued for her life Now then the good God that they serve to make them cōpensation brings the wicked to sue to them As they are forced to sue to the wicked sometimes for reliefe in their necessities so the wicked shall sue to them It may be shewed in all the examples before alledged And likewise in Jobs kinsmen though they insulted over the miserable poore man and censured him at their pleasure yet after they were faine to sue to Job and God would not bee reconciled to them till hee had sued for them For the use of this First me thinks it might take off the edge of wicked men in regard of the persecution of those that feare God For a man hath so much understanding that hee will not irritate and provoke such as hee thinks hee shall bee beholden to after for feare the suite of his need bee repelled with the errour of his prosperity yet such is the madnesse of the wicked to bee discourteous and injurious most to those that they are like most to bee beholden to I know their proud spirits scorne the thought of ever being beholden to the children of God Yet so God brings it about though it may bee they will not sue to them yet though their blindnesse will not let them see or their unthankfulnesse to acknowledge it yet they bee beholden to them For Lot bayled Sodome while hee was with them If Moses stand not in the gap fierce judgements come among the proud people If these pillars beare not up the house it will fall about their eares If these stakes doe not hold the hedg they are laid open to all misery Augustin in lib. de Civ Dei Hee wonders that a company of people that escaped in the sacking of a City by professing themselves to bee Christians that they should persecute Christians afterward when they had been beholden to the name of Christ for their escape And who would not wonder at the madnesse of the world that persecute those that they may bee and are beholden to daily and those bee the people of God by whose intercession they escape judgements Secondly it should teach the people of God First Direction and Then Comfort First Direction let them make much of goodnesse and love it with the inside of their hearts for this is that that will not only commend them to God but make them awfull to the wicked This is that that will make one of the Children of God weigh down a thousand of the sons of Beliall This is that that will make them gold when the wicked shall bee accounted drosse It will make them good Come when the wicked of the earth shall bee chaffe it will make them herbes and flowers when the wicked shall be weeds fit for nothing but to be burned Secondly for their comfort though they be contemned by a great number of prophane ones the time will come that God will exalt them hee will make the wicked to blesse their condition and it may bee seeke to them For if ever God bring a wicked man to terrours of soule he magnifies the estate of a good man and thinks he is the happiest man in the world he wisheth a thousand times that he were in his estate and when the Angel of God meets him as he did Balaam betweene two walls that hee can goe no way from him I meane when death comes hee desires to die the death of the righteous and that his last end may be like his And then he sues to the righteous man to pray for him and intercede at the throne of grace If this be not enough for comfort know that you shall judge these wicked ones 1 Cor. 6.2 Doe yee not know that the Saints shall judge the world If that bee not enough the wicked shall see the Children of God exalted and shall gnash their teeth and consume away and shall speak as they in Wisdome We tho ught his life madnesse and his end horrour and loe he is preferred before us Lastly to spread it further let it be a comfort to all ministers that are to the people as Moses and Aaron here were messengers to Pharaoh It is likely they may receive disgrace and disparagement as if the worke were but an unjust worke Who is so forward to persecute the sonnes of God as the sonnes of Belial Let this comfort them for if they continue in their course and preach sound doctrine and live an unblameable life God will make these stoope one day The people for all their contempt of Samuel they were faine to intreate him to pray for them 1 Sam. 12. And those that flouted them in Act. 2. they were faine to come for direction Men and Brethren what shall wee doe And the Gaoler that clapt the Apostles in Irons when there was an earthquake and the doores of the prison flew open and every mans bonds did flie from him he comes trembling and will doe any thing And as Theodoret reports of Ambrose his passage to Theodotius though the Courtiers bad him slight that hee did hee could not put it off hee was faine to send he was faine to submit to the penance So the world let them slight the Ministers of God as they will the houre will come they will be caught in their moneth and then it may be they will desire direction and their prayers At the last Pharaoh must call for Moses and Aaron So much for that Now I come to his Petition Intreat the Lord that he may take away the Frogs from me and from my people It seemeth then that Pharaoh was enlightned to know these three things First that God must remove the judgement Secondly that he must be intreated for the removing of it Thirdly that he must be intreated by his servants these are but ordinary points therefore I will passe them over the more briefly First he understood that God must remove this plague the Lord Jehovah must doe it indeed it is his worke For as no judgement can seize on men without a commission from him Thou couldest have no power saith Christ to Pilate unlesse it were given thee from above So it is not in the power of flesh to move the least Flie from a
him when he cried in the anguish of his soule You may gather so much from the speech of the widow of Sarepta when her child was dead she comes to Eliah and saith Art thou come to call my sinnes to remembrance and to kill my child Affliction is that that will call a mans sinnes to remembrance And out of all doubt next to the Law of God there is no glasse wherein a mans sinnes are more impartially represented to him then the glasse of afflictions Therefore Elihu saith Job 36.8 When the Lord hath a man in the cords of affliction hee shewes him his sinnes and transressions then he can talke with him and tell him from point to point what he hath done and set his sinnes in order before him Hence it is that the ancients compare afflictions to the smiting of the Flint that fetcheth out a sparke of fire that gives the good man light They compare them to the wood that Elisha cast into the water by which hee raised the head of the hatchet that was sunke Those sinnes that are sunke to the bottome that lie buried in the mud and there is no notice taken of them afflictions will raise them up and discover them They have compared it likewise to the clay and spittle that Christ anointed the eyes of the blind man with that hee restored to sight Joh. 9. This is that that Gregory hath oculis culpa c. that eye that was shut with sinne is opened by punishment and hee hath it from David Afflictions give understanding The trouble that was upon the hoast of God urged them to scrutiny Achan that was the cause of that discomfiture And the tempest that the mariners were in caused them to find out Jonah that was the author of the tempest of whom the ship must be discharged Secondly afflictions as they are necessary to bring us to the sight of sinne so to humiliation for it and the wicked of the world if the hand of God bee on them will confesse their sinnes So you see in Saul so in Achab so in Judas when terrour of soule was on him hee cries out I have sinned in betraying innocent blood The spirit of a man will be tooke downe by afflictions be hee never so great for in the time of prosperitie we are apt to be proud In regard of God In regard of Our brethren In regard of The things in our selves Wee are apt to be proud in regard of God as wee see in Nebuchadnezzar in Psal 10. God is not in a wicked mans thoughts men thinke not of God in prosperitie Nebuchadnezzar thought not of heaven but when the Lords hand was upon him hee saw whom he had provoked and how vaine it was to lift up himself against God Secondly a man in time of prosperitie is apt to bee proud in regard of his brethren David while he was in prosperitie he greatly cared not for that wrong that hee did to his servant faithfull Uriah but when the hand of God was upon him hee was afraid to doe the least harme to his mortall enemy as appears in that instance betweene him and Saul in the Cave And he would not suffer the railing dog Shimei to bee punished when he came barking fearfully 2 Sam. 16.11 affliction upon him mortified his spirit and killed his pride Thirdly when wee are in prosperitie we are proud of those things that are in us people sometimes are proud of beautie sometimes of strength sometimes of apparell sometimes of wealth Now all these things are layd low therefore it is very necessary the woman that was proud of her beautie if the hand of God seize on her by a sharpe acute feaver when her feather is brought to a Kercheife there is no more talke of the pride of her beautie that is taken off So the strong man that bragged of his strength when a feaver hath grappled with him and laid him all along and tooke him off from his feet then hee acknowledgeth the vanitie of this house of clay this body of humiliation as the Apostle calls it Phil. 3.21 So for apparell when Gods hand is upon people they more desire an easie pillow then gay cloths And for wealth it doth but little comfort in a sharp sicknesse a man would give all for one nights rest for one dayes ease Thirdly beloved affliction is necessary to work a man to good resolutions and purposes So Nebuchadnezzar being in affliction and trouble hee will have none acknowledged but the God of heaven So likewise the prodigall sonne being in trouble hee resolves to goe to his father and say Father I have sinned against thee To go no further when the hand of God was upon Pharaoh and his people hee cries out I will let the people goe And I will bee so charitable that for the present hee might speake uprightly For the use of this It should teach us First to justifie God when hee inflicts judgements for how should God make good his justice to the world if he should not punish sometimes if offenders should goe alwayes free How should God make good his power to the world if hee should not shew himselfe able to subdue the contumacious how should hee make good his wisedome to the world if having used many faire invitations and plausible meanes and those contemned hee should not draw out the sword against rebellious ones Solomon makes it a part of wisedome to use severity in the right place Secondly wee should justifie God in inflicting of judgements because they are so necessary for us for wee have proud hearts of our owne and God knows they are not easily subdued before they bee brought downe the flesh must smart to some purpose And this smoake is not onely found dwelling in the wicked but in the habitations of the righteous Looke on Hezekiah after God had added a lease to his life of 15. yeares more the Text saith his heart was lifted up 2 Chron. 32. And this sinne of pride is so naturall to us that when all other sinnes decrease this is improved Nay the Devill will watch us such a turne to continue the sinne of pride that rather then wee shall not bee proud hee will make us proud because wee are humble Therefore the Lord laies his hand on us by spirituall and temporall and corporall visitations that hee may bring us to be humble I beseech you observe that place Jer. 9.7 the Lord saith there that he will melt and trie the people for saith he what else should I doe to the daughter of my people As if he had said I know no better way to cure them then to put them into the melting pot of affliction there I must purge them from their drosse certainly they must have some sharpe medicine for the purging out of the malignant humour Secondly since afflictions are so necessary labour in the feare of God that they may be profitable And then afflictions are profitable when they bring us to a sight of our sinnes
God Joshua perswades Achan to a full and free confession from this way to give glory 〈◊〉 God though he knew that he should expose his life to danger yet let him give glory to God Jos 7. It is the counsell of David Psal 22.23 O ye of the seed of Israel glorifie the Lord. And it is the practise of David if you marke it Sam. 6. when he brought the Arke and danced before it and was reproached by his wife that relished not those good things saith he I have done it before the Lord which Tostatus interpreting saith I have done it to the honour of God thou sayst I am vile I care not if I were more base so God may be glorified I will be more vile It is that that God himself indents with man for Psal 50. Call upon me in the day of trouble I will heare thee and thou shalt glorifie me There is a supposition of a day of trouble and an imposition of a dutie we must call upon God and Gods composition Man must glorifie him and God will heare So you shall find it is the counsell of our blessed Saviour Let your light so shine before men that others may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven Matth. 5.16 It is that that our blessed Saviour sets downe in the first petition of the Lords prayer hallowed be thy name It is that that our blessed Lord in his practise had respect to Joh. 17.4 Father saith he I have glorified thee on earth It is that that Paul would have to be remembred in all our actions whether you eate or drinke or whatsoever you doe doe all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10. The children of God have been so sensible of Gods honour that they have not dared to doe the least thing whereby they might impaire ir The sense of Gods honour made Abraham compose that jarre betweene Lot and him This is that that kept Joseph from satisfying the lascivious desire of his mistris This kept Mordecai from bowing to Haman he would not have stood to give that proud Persian reverence but for this First it was more then civill that he required Secondly he was an Agagite that God had cursed in both which respects he should have diminished the glory of God It was respect to this that kept Daniel from eating his portion of meate and the three children from bowing to the Image This made Paul and Barnabas so zealous that they flew in among the people when they would have sacrificed to them because it intrenched upon the honour of God Act. 14. This made Peter refuse the honour that Cornelius would have done and the Angel refuse it from the hands of John because they knew they should wrong God in his glory And this was the reason that the fathers of the Church when there was a motion made for the composing of differences betweene them and some Arian heretiques that stood up a little would have done it the least letter in the Alphabet Iota in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they would not lend a word not a syllable not a letter why because they were jealous of giving away the honour of God and that that belonged to his glory And what is the reason that we joyne not with those in the Church of Rome in giving such unlimited honour to the Virgin Mary and to other Saints but that we are afraid to take from God and give to the creature we must be jealous of his glory Why do we not pray to Saints as they doe because it is due to God and it is an impeachment of his honour since invocation is proper to him The children of God are so zealous of his glory that they regard not their goods no not their lives to set it forward Paul saith Phil 1.20 I rejoyce whether by life or death God shall be glorified hee cared not for his life So wee see in our blessed Lord himselfe Joh. 12.27 Father what shall I say free me from this houre but yet I came into the world for this houre glorifie thy name As man he desired the cup might passe from him but when he considered that God intended his glory in his suffiering Father saith he glorifie thy name what ever come Nay the Children of God have been so zealous to promote Gods glory that they have not regarded their owne salvation It is a notable instance of Moses who was conceited that if God should destroy the people now part of his glory would bee impaired saith he Lord if thou wilt doe this rase me out of the book of life Rather then Gods honour should be impaired among the heathen that were apt to take occasion to blaspheme God Moses was willing to forfeit his owne salvation So Paul for the same Israel hee was content to be Anathema for them The glory of God in their salvation was so deare to him Thus respective the children of God have ever been to bring glory to God in all their actions But one thing will bee questioned what man can give glory to God As Iohn Baptist said of Christ I have need to be baptized of thee and comest thou to me God had need to give us glory and honour and he must give it us if we have any true honour Are wee like to bring glory to him to set forth his glory Was not God glorious and happy before ever there were Angels or men to praise him Saith Ambrose God is not the better if wee praise him or the worse if we dispraise him what can this worthlesse filme of flesh that tumbles up and downe our mouthes adde to the glory of God The schoolemen answer God accepts it to increase his glory ad extra though ad intra there bee no increase or diminution Therefore for the use of it it meets with a number in the world of whom the Apostles speech will bee verified they seek their owne but not the glory of God men build but as the builders of Babel to get themselves a name Marke saith Chrysostome to get themselves a name not God the glory So Calvin observes concerning that passage out of the mouth of Nebuchadnezzar Is not this great Babel that I have built for my honour c. Marke all is for himself not for the glory of God or the good of the State So there are a number that do almes they performe the worke but as the Pharisees not for the glory of God but for their owne prayse they do their works that they may be seen of men So there are a number that make profession of Religion what for the glory of God No to build up themselves in the opinion of the world that men may conceite of them to be religious So there are those that doe good works sometimes Is it for the glory of God No for their owne temporall ends or it may be as the Papists to merit by them that they may be said to be their own