thistles or are we conceited as some that Austen speaks of in his time that God punished the murthers of Troy but loved those of Rome That God punished the distempers of former times but will not now That there shall be no fregs in our dishes though Pharaoh had them Is not he the same God and our sinnes as foule as theirs and doe they not provoke God to wrath Wee have found it by some experience if we goe backe a little way What spued out those Abbey-lubbers but gluttony What hath beene the ruine of many great families but this What was the cause that God punished us the last yeare with famine Many sins we have but I cannot ascribe it to any more properly then to gluttony God punisheth such licentiousnesse with penury and scarcity And if we goe on and provoke God as we have hitherto God will plague us in our basket and in our store and that that before was but a rod he can whip us with scorpions God be thanked though we had it deare we had it for money but God will cause the earth to denie her strength that it shall not be to be had then we may eat our flesh for bread and our bowells shall sound as a shalme And this may be the cause of the plague for famine and the plague goe together Thus the Lord can curse us in our basket and in our store and send frogs into our kneading troughs and into our chambers Therefore in the fear of God let us be ashamed of our former intemperance and let us now labour to honour God I bridle not men up to necessity only Religion gives a faire way as any reasonable man in the world can desire but take heed that we dishonour not God abuse them not if we doe penury will be the reward of abused plenty THE FOVRTH SERMON Vpon EXOD. CHAP. 8. VERS 4. And the frogs shall come up both on thee and upon thy people and upon all thy servants And the Lord spake unto Moses say unto Aaron stretch forth thine hand c. IN this fourth Verse there is yet a further amplification of the judgement These frogs should not onely bee in the high waies but in the houses not only in the common roomes but in the bedchambers And they should not stay here neither but should crawle upon the bodies of men they should get up upon them and there should be no possibility to brush them off Galerius upon this place observes That the Egyptians were punished in this plague upon all the five senses The sight was punished that was offended with the multitude with the greatnesse with the hideous forme and colour of these frogs Their hearing was offended with the croaking of them for it was but harsh musicke to dainty eares Their smell was offended with the stench of them Their taste was offended that they came into their troughs the places of their dough and so hindred them of the food that was provided for their nourishment And for their feeling that certainly was exercised for not only he but Tostatus upon the place saith That many of these frogs were poysonfull such as we call toads and they afflicted and oppressed the Egyptians when they lighted on them But I stand not upon this but content my selfe with the words of the Text They shall come up and crawle upon thee and upon thy servants So that thou shalt not rid thy selfe of this annoyance What! in their meat and drinke and upon their bodies Then observe with me Beloved God can lay judgements upon people that shall not be more painfull and troublesome then odious loathsome and noysome This you shall see in sundry respects That of Iob Iob 7.5 he complaines that his skin was broken and he was become loathsome I will not follow Pineds the Jesuit that reckons up scores of diseases that this poore man was afflicted with and all of them as the Physitian speakes of the worst kinde and quality The Scripture saith enough and tells us that he was stricken with boyles from the top of the head to the sole of the foot and was faine to retire himselfe from the company of men and to sit upon a heap of ashes that they might receive the corruption from his wounds and to get a piece of a potsheard to scrape himselfe with Iob 2.7.8 Such a noysome disease had David whatsoever it was as hee complaines Psal 38.7 Thou hast filled my loynes with a loathsome disease The Septuagint and the Latine translation read it Thou hast filled my loynes with delusion and mocking but the Chalde paraphrase renders it better Thou hast filled me with burning paine and noysome So the Hebrew word there used will beare it out which comes from a word to roast a thing and it signifies to be made vile So that it seems it was a burning furious disease and that also that made him odious and loathsome to the people and to himselfe a burthen What a loathsome judgement did the Lord send upon Iehoram 2 Chron. 21. ult by which he rotted as it were piece-meale he was wondrously afflicted and troubled and tormented and the Text saith there Ragelat bele Kemdar he departed without being desired Some understand it he was so wicked that every body desired his death he went away and was not missed every one was glad But it may be understood also he was so loathsome by his disease that people were-glad he was gone he was so troublesome and he tooke no pleasure in himselfe by the noysomenesse of his disease In 2 Macab 9.9 we read of Antiochus a great persecuter of Gods people God smote him with a loathsome noysome judgement having received a bruise by a fall from his chariot for very torment and paine saith the Text his flesh fell piece meale from him and the stench of him was grievous to the whole Army every one wished him gone he was such a trouble to them And was it not a noysome loathsome judgement that was sent upon Herod to be eaten up of wormes Act. 12.23 Iosephus saith That the Great Herod the Askalonite was eaten up of wormes also But after him it is certaine that Maximinus as Eusebius tells us had a fearfull loathsome disease upon him and he sent out a filthy smell he saith he was a fearfull spectacle to looke upon Nay the very Physitians saith the Story that came neare him were killed with the stench of his infirmity So we read of Scilla that he had a loathsome fearfull judgement sent upon him And Pliny in his Naturall history saith that he died a more grievous death then ever he inflicted upon any other And was it not an odious loathsome judgement that was sent upon Arrius that scoured out his bowells upon the stoole So Evagrius speakes of Montanus that he had his tongue rotted in his mouth and he dyed miserably I could reckon more examples but these are sufficient in the proofe of this I would not be mistaken because I
so let it urge us to prepare and if we be prepared either we shall be hid in the evill day or the affliction shall be so sanctified that we shall finde honey in that Lion Another thing I would commend to your consideration something of kin to this point in hand Pharaoh holds out God sends a message it will not be God now executes Where words will not serve blows must I shall not need to give instances of this there are enow in Scripture And there is great reason that God should doe it For if he should only content himselfe with words his truth would be called in question as if he had said that that he meant not to performe if that word that he hath spoken shall not take effect Secondly his Justice would be questioned that hee hates not sinne with that hatred that the world is perswaded of Thirdly his Power would be questioned that though he hate sin and threaten it yet he were not able to punish it Lastly his Wisdome and Providence would be questioned for it is not the part of a wise man where there is desert for blowes to content himselfe only with words for this makes reproofe contemptible and all speeches ridiculous and turne againe upon him with disgrace For the Use of it it should teach us to justifie God in all his proceedings ever give glory to God whatsoever falls for certainly God for the contempt of ordinary proceedings is faine to goe to a more severe reckoning with men they justly deserve it therefore God is to be justified Secondly since God is so leasurely and treatable in his pace to vengeance Let us all make use of the deliberate proceedings of God feare Gods word and wee shall never feare his blowes that is true It is a speech of Chrysostome to good purpose Let a man feare Gods word and he shall never need to feare those acts of vengeance Let them feare in Egypt and Rome let him feare and stand in awe that offends If a man be carefull to lead a holy life he need not be afraid though the hills tumble into the sea and the foundations of the earth be rased he shall stand unappaled in the middest of all dangers So that speech of Gregory and it is good counsell that he gives Let us feare when we heare lest we come to feare when we feele which is worst of all For beloved it is hard to be put to the tutorage of that School-mistris experience If a man feare not till hee feele then wrath will fall the heavier The Wise man takes another course Solomon saith A wise man seeth the plague and hideth himselfe but a foole goeth on and is punished he will not be warned and admonished God comes to many men nay to all by the dispensation of his word he tells us what is due to sinne what he will inflict he sometimes by lesse chastisements as his lesser ordnance playes upon us doth not God expect profit by this If we doe not he will inlarge punishments upon people and so much more the blows shal be because of the contempt of his gracious proceedings and then men shall have no body to complaine of but themselves and curse the time a thousand fold that they did not obey the word of God but would needs stand it out till it came to blowes now the fearfull hand of God is fallen upon them It was the complaint of Daniel Dan. 9. We hearkned not to the voyce of thy Prophets now therefore thy wrath is stretched upon us to the full As he saith there Therefore my counsell shall be to feare the word of God and we shall not need to feare his judgements tremble at his threatnings Get the heart of Iosiah to melt when he read the Law of God he had respect to the Word that he trembled at his word and was contrite in that manner that he was deeply cast downe with the consideration of his menacies and threatnings God will be mercifull to such a one and he shall escape in the day of vengeance whereas those that are refractory and contumacious that care not for words till it come to blowes they shall be sure to sucke the dregs of Gods vialls THE FIFTH SERMON Vpon EXOD. CHAP. 8. VERS 5. And the Lord spake unto Moses say unto Aaron Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streames over the rivers over the ponds and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt c. HAving spoken of the denunciation of this judgement I come now to the second thing The execution of it which is laid downe in vers 5.6 where there is First the injunction And then the performance of that injunction The injunction verse 5. God said to Moses say to Aaron stretch forth thine hand with thy rod c. The performance of this verse 6. Aaron did so In the former of these the injunction God spake to Moses say unto Aaron A man might say Why did not Moses take the rod as well as Aaron There are divers reasons given why Moses did not doe it but Aaron rather The Hebrewes they according to their fabulous manner say it was not fit for Moses to smite the river because he was preserved in the water when time was as we read in the story Exod. 2. when he floated in an arke of bulrushes Pharaohs daughter tooke him up Hee should have beene ungratefull to those streames to have smitten them with a plague that were the meanes of his preservation It is true beloved that gratitude works not only towards men but toward the brute creatures even to the place where and instruments by which a man is benefited but this is no solid reason Suppose Moses received never so much good there thankfulnesse to the creature would not beare him out in disobedience to the Creator Another saith that Moses was not to doe it because the Egyptians then would have beene perswaded that he had done it by sorcery and so they would have beene lesse moved and perswaded by it They were so unjust that they conceived of Moses that he was a sorcerer The truth is that he had all the learning of the Egyptians and it is likely that many of them used that Art yet we know nothing of Moses but that he was exercised in those sciences that were justifiable Againe if this were the reason Aaron might have beene suspected for he lived among them a great age and without doubt Pharaoh would have brought it out Calvin gives a third reason God would not have Moses strike the streames and bring the frogs but Aaron that Pharaoh in regard of his pride and insolencie might be handled more contemptibly As if Moses would let him see that be would not trouble himselfe but his servant that was to officiate for him he should doe it There is a fourth reason God hath set downe an order he gives Moses direction what to doe and from him Moses directs Aaron and he executes it
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
Spirit direct us vouchsafe good God to goe in and out before us Keepe in us a purpose never to sin confirm it more and more and upon every suggestion to sin let us call to minde our vowes and promises of better obedience and though we have dealt falsely before now make them more powerfull to restraine us If we fall by infirmity let our hearts smite us speedily restore us by repentance immediately evermore keep us from impenitencie hardnesse of heart and presumption the power of Satan and a downfall into sin Grant us all other things that thou in thy wisdome knowest better that we want then we to aske not for any merits of ours we disclaime them nothing belongs to us but shame and confusion but even for thy Names sake for thy promise sake for Iesus Christs sake the Sonne of thy love and our Saviour in whose Name we further call upon thee as he hath taught us saying Our Father which art c. THE FIRST SERMON Vpon EXOD. CHAP. 8. VERS 1.2 And the Lord spake unto Moses Go unto Pharaoh and say unto him Thus saith the Lord Let my people goe that they may serve me And if thou refuse to let them goe behold I will smite all thy borders with frogs THis Chapter hath three parts according to the three judgements here remembred The first judgement was the frogs from verse 1. to verse 16. The second was of lice from verse 16. to verse 20. The third of flies noysome flyes to the end of the Chapter In this first judgement which is of frogs we are to observe these three things First the denunciation of it Secondly the execution of it Thirdly the event of it The denunciation of it in the first 4 verses The execution in verse 5.6 The event of it is threefold First the Magicians doe the like verse 7. Secondly thence there is a remoovall of this judgement and the meanes of the same from the beginning of verse 8. to the end of verse 15. The third event is the obduration and further hardning of the heart of Pharaoh verse 16. Come again to the denunciation there are two things in it First Moses from God makes a motion to Pharaoh to dismisse his people verse 1. Secondly hee tells him upon his refusall of a judgement and there is First laid down what the judgement should be frogs Then the amplification of it from the generality in all his borders in his bedchamber in their troughs their baking-troughs and their ovens they shall be a vexation to them night and day And then for the noysomenesse of them that they should crawle about in all these places Now for the motion which is laid downe in verse 1. that I may not reciprocari serram as Tertullian speakes I will not draw my saw the same way againe I willingly omit many thinges that might bee observed in this verse First Gods manner of speaking to Moses Secondly Moses going in to Pharaoh Thirdly his manner of speaking to Pharaoh Thus saith the Lord Whereby hee would perswade him that hee was sent by God therefore he that sent him would not brooke a refusall Likewise in the fourth place how equall the motion of God was Let my people goe he requires his owne of Pharaoh And how they were said to be Gods people above all other people in the world To the end that they may goe and serve me The relation that is between God and his people it ties the people of God to serve him to observe him Againe how God would have them goe out of Egypt to serve him that is to offer sacrifice For hee would not have them serve him there where the Egyptians instead of joyning with them would deride them nay not only so but mischiefe them for such was the zeale of the Egyptians against sacrifice All these I willingly and purposely omit Now my beloved in this verse as it is a transition to that that followes I will onely remember you of three things The first is the obstinacie of Pharaoh The second is the longanimity and longsuffering of God The third is the piety and obedience of Moses all which are implied in this first verse First the obstinacie of Pharaoh hee had seene signes already the Rod turned into a Serpent and the rod of Moses devouring the Serpents of the Egyptians He had likewise seene that fearfull judgement the water turned into blood In which judgement both he and the prime of the land it may bee might escape more easily It is likely they might quench their thirst by wine or by some juyce or liquors but we must needs conceive that it went hard with the generality of the people that either must dye for thirst or drinke blood if they forbeare they dye if they drinke in probability they perish blood being so incongruous drinke for the body of man Besides this though he had seene the Magicians doe the like yet they could not remove the judgement the Lord in his meere mercy without any suit of Pharaoh or of his people put an end after seven dayes to that great affliction yet notwithstanding this see the obduration of the wicked mans heart he had need of a new judgement to rouze him My observation is this How many blowes a hard heart will indure before it breake or be mollified See it in Balaam he was not warned by the Asses turning out of the way nor yet by the Asses rushing against the wall to the bruising of his foot nor yet by the Asses lying downe under him and opening his mouth against him his heart was set he loved the wages of unrighteousnesse on he goes So with Balack the King of Moab whom he served The first time he builds seven Altars and sacrificeth on them and the second time seven and the third time seven with more opportunity and though he saw that every time it was like a piece charged against another that recoyled upon himselfe though hee saw how frustranious and empty all his intendments and purposes were yet for all that he goes on in the hardnes of his heart God sought meanes to reclaime him hee defeated his purposes but he would not yeeld as if hee had held it an honour to be tenacious of his resolution against God Thus it was with Saul what a number of blowes did God give that hard heart of his before it would melt Every time he disappointed him in his pursuit of David it was a blow given to molifie his heart if it might have beene yet he goes on to a greater degree of iniquity and impiety and he reinforceth and reneweth his cursed endeavours against an innocent man If the heart of man be but of a mettall that is hard enough God knowes yet it may be melted though it be iron as Gregory Nazianzen saith it will melt in the fire but if the heart of man be that heart of stone Ezek. 11.19 well may it be broken but melt it will not And it is not easily
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
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
Judgement and Mercy OR The Plague of Frogges inflicted removed Delivered in Nine SERMONS By that late Reverend and Learned Divine Mr. IOSIAS SHUTE Arch-deacon of Colchester and Preacher at St. Mary Woolnoth in London With his usuall Prayers before and after Sermon Whereunto is added A Sermon Preached at his Funerall By Mr. EPHRAIM VDALL Eccles 12. 10. The Preacher sought to finde out acceptable words and that which was written was upright even words of truth Imprimatur Ja. Cranford Octob. 29. 1644. London Printed for Charles Greene and are to be sold at his Shop in Ivie Lane at the signe of the Gun 1645. To the Christian Reader TO commend persons or things of worth in a perfunctory slight manner is little better then to dispraise them therefore I shall forbeare Encomiums of this worthy Author or his Labours lest I run that hazard Let his own Workes praise him in the gates Prov. 31.31 only lengthen thy patience to the thorow perusall of these ensuing Sermons and thou shalt finde that that may heighten thy esteeme both of him and them I am confident that those who were his usuall Auditors will herein finde his owne vestigia both for matter and phrase And my hope is that by the blessing of God many honest hearts may reape benefit by these his Labours Heb. 11.4 whereby he being dead yet speaketh that had not opportunity in his life time to partake of his indefatigable Ministery As for others as this worthy man once said of the chiefe in Magistracy upon occasion of the death of King Iames that when the body turnes traytor it is just with God to behead it so may I say for the Ministery when God in Mercy shall set up such burning and shining lights and men in stead of walking by them spit at them God is justly provoked to extinguish those lights Jer. 13.6 and leave men to stumble upon the darke mountaines But I shall no longer detaine thee from the worke it selfe but commit it and thee to the blessing of God H. W. Morning Prayer before the SERMON MOst glorious Lord God and mercifull Father in Jesus Christ we poore wretched and miserable sinners doe here prostrate our selves before thee humbly acknowledging that to thee belongs all honour and glory whose pure eyes can behold no iniquity and to us nothing but shame and confusion of face for our manifold transgressions committted against thee If we looke upon our selves as we lye in the loynes of our first parents we are a part of that tainted seed that might justly inherit thy wrath our understandings are darkened and our wills instead of conformity to thine are growne rebellious in as much as that by nature there is not one good thought in us but a pronenesse to all evill whatsoever And if we consider our selves in our actuall transgressions by our sinnes of ignorance our sinnes of infirmity and of doubting our sinnes against our owne knowledge and against our vowes and purposes and promises of better obedience Wee have greatly dishonoured thy glorious name and grieved thy good Spirit and weakened thy graces more and more within us and have justly exposed our selves to thy eternall curse Even at this time Holy Father in the middest of thy Temple we come before thee clogged with so many imperfections that if thou shouldest be extreame to marke what is done amisse the best of us were never able to abide it It is thine infinite mercie that we are not consumed and therefore doe we live to put up this poore imperfect prayer to thee because thy compassions fail not But O God though in our selves we be miserable and weak and forlorne suffer us to cast up our eyes to the hills from whence commeth our helpe to importune thee by the Gracious Name of Father and to intreat thee for the merits of the Sonne of thy love to be mercifull to us Remember thine owne promise that if we confesse our sinnes and leave them and come to thee in the Sonne of thy love we shall finde mercy Lord we renounce our former sinnes it grieves us that we can be no more sorry for the same By the blessed assistance of thy holy Spirit we intend to live more conscionably for the time to come And we come to thee for Christs sake desiring thee to speake peace to our soules through his bloud bury all our sinnes in his grave that they may never rise up in this world to shame us and to be a reproach unto us to terrifie our consciences to desperation to intercept thy blessings or our prayers or in the world to come everlastingly to condemne us And because the foundation of all our comfort stands in the assurance of this Lord multiply to every one of our soules the blessed evidences of this thy reconciliation Send the holy Spirit of thy Son into every of our hearts to renue us to that glorious Image of thine from whence we are fallen and that may worke every saving grace in us True faith in thy promises that though thou kill us we may trust in thee resolution in all good causes feare and reverence of thy glorious Majesty a groaning and daily mourning under our owne imperfections that ever we offended so good a God and so gracious a Father a good use making of all the afflictions and chastisements upon others And teach every one of us upon whom these dayes of our peace and prosperity and health are renewed who know not how soone we may be drawn to a reckoning to prepare our selves that whensoever thou shalt come neare us either by that generall or more particular judgements wee may be able to stand in the day of our visitation And because thou of thine infinite wisdome hast set apart the Ministery of thy Word to fit us for that time Lord blesse it at all times and at this time enable me that am to speake it the most unworthy of all the sonnes of Levi Lord cover all my sinnes 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 people that they may heare attentively treasure it up in their hearts carefully and bring forth the fruit in their lives and conversations conscionably to thy glory and the assurance of their owne salvation in the day of Jesus Christ To whom with thee O Father and thy Blessed Spirit be ascribed as due is all honour and glory both now and for evermore Amen Evening Prayer before the Sermon O Lord our God great in Majesty and infinite in Power and in Jesus Christ our most mercifull and loving Father we poore and wretched sinners are here again by thy providence assembled in thy Sanctuary to be made partakers of the good of thy house But Lord what are we that we should tender any petition to thee unworthy we are to
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
men as if the Devill were entred into a company of swine we have observed these and other sinnes that provoke Gods wrath And these and the like we have seene impenitently committed and we have spit in the face of these abominations not only seven times but seventy times seven times And now we see no reformation we are bold in the name of our God to denounce judgements and we have told you that plague and famine would come for the sinnes of the land and hath the Lord suffered one jot of the words of his servants to fall I and yet we must tell you that continuing in your iniquities will provoke God to further wrath and we may boldly say If we be deceived God hath deceived us and though heaven and earth perish there is not one word of God shall perish If thou refuse to let them goe Saith Tostatus upon this place The common way of men that are suppliants to others is to intreat a thing but never to seeme to distrust them that they aske of and to question it for though they bee perswaded that they shall be denied yet they will not intimate so much for feare they should be thought to distrust the goodnesse of the giver And indeed if a man finde himselfe distrusted though he had a prompt minde to satisfie the request he is ready to fall backe againe But if a man goe so farre as to manifest his distrust of the performance yet it is not the fashion of suiters to threaten therefore saith my Author See in what manner Moses comes not in his owne name but in the name of God and though he spake to one that was above him yet he saith Let them goe for God will not brooke a refusall Thus we that are Ministers as we call to men for obedience and threaten them for their disobedience and we speake it out of the dominion and authority and power that God hath invested us with we speake it home For the businesse doth not lye between God and his people as between man and man that are reciprocall that may be equall but it is betweene God and his People as between a King and his Subjects where there is a wondrous disproportion Therefore Moses might speake and speak imparatively and with a commination If thou refuse c. But I will not stand upon that If thou refuse to let them goe Hee doth wisely premise this before hee speake of the judgement that Pharaoh and all the world may take knowledge that God never punisheth without a cause If thou refuse to let them goe I will smite thy Country with frogs God forbid that the judge of all the world should deale unjustly saith Abraham Gen. 18. Ezek. 14. ult And saith the Lord When these things are done you shall know that I have done justly that what I have done was not without a cause Never did God punish any man without a cause Was there not cause for our first parents punishment even that we have heard they refused to heare the command of God and to obey it Was there not cause of the punishing of Cain Yes he refused to heare God when he spake to him fairly to prevent a wickednes Was there not cause of punishing the old World Yes they were full of lusts and of cruelty and refused to heare the Preacher of righteousnesse so Noah is called Was there not cause of punishing Gods people and of the destruction of Ierusalem God saith he sent his Prophets early and late and they refused to heare them We have not hearkned to the voice of thy servants the Prophets acknowlodging the sins of the people Dan. 10. And Christ himselfe when he gives the reason of the destruction of Ierusalem He would have gathered them as the hen gathereth her chickens under her wing but they would not Certainly as St. Austen saith Judgement never knew the way into the world without Sin Sin ushered it in therefore God must be justified in all things For the very childe that is new borne that never committed actuall iniquity nay that was prevented in the birth must justifie God if it be sent to hell for in the rigour of Gods justice it is condemned before it be borne Therefore let no man say when he is afflicted as Rebecah said Why am I thus upon the strugling of the twins in her womb reflect on thy self and thou shalt find cause enough of the judgement of God and greater then thou canst conceive It cannot possibly be but thou shalt finde a cause yet this is a certaine rule Gods judgements may be secret but they cannot be unjust I will smite thy land and all thy borders with frogs Much might be said concerning that party smiting that all the world might know that none but he hath done it Much might be said concerning that word I will smite as if he should say It shall not be a signe it shall now be a plague a stroake on thee thou shalt be sensible of it I will not now deale with signes but will come nearer then before but these I passe and come to speake of the judgement I will smite thy land with frogs Though it be true that God hath all creatures to serve him He being the Lord of Hoasts they are at his beck The fire comes downe to burne Sodome The water drownes the Egyptians The earth swallowes Corah Dathan and Abyram The Lion consumes the disobedient Prophet The Beares destroy 42 children that mocked Elisha The Serpents sting the disobedient in the wildernesse Which by the way will be a shame to man at the last day that all creatures are dutifull to God and man only rebels As one said That beasts shall give evidence at the last day against man that they serve him but he doth not serve God to shew that they are dutifull to their maker but man is refractory and a rebell But now though God have all creatures at his beck to command them and that he can send one disease and one judgement as well as another yet here hee sends frogs And why frogs Reverend Calvin gives two reasons why frogs rather then any other judgement First saith he Ignominio causa c. He would shame Pharaoh that proud monster that cried out Who is the Lord that I should obey him The Lord takes downe the pride of him by base contemptible creatures Certainly you must needs thinke that it troubled Pharaoh much and he would say with himselfe when he saw the abundance of frogs that after God willing we shall speak of What! if we had been overcome by power If a for raine Prince had invaded my land and thrust me out it had been some honour but to have my land overrun with frogs that I cannot eat my meat or lye in my bed with comfort for these contemptible creatures what a vexation is it It must needs vex the heart of that proud King God would take him downe in his insolencie by this poore base
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
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
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 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
whole world Well may we incline his mercy by our repentance but certainly we can never doe our selves good by resisting Secondly never measure the worke of God by any distance It was a fault in Naaman the Assyrian when he was to be cured of his leprosie Elisha said Goe wash in Iordan saith he I thought he would have come out and have laid his hand upon the sore as if it could not be wrought without touching So it was some infirmity in the Ruler Goe downe before my sonne dye As if Christ could doe nothing without he were present So Ioh. 11. saith Martha Lord if thou hadst beene here my brother had not dyed As if God could not have prevented it at a great distance The Lord is able to shew mercy from heaven and to execute wrath as farre Why doe we speake of distance when the Lord is every where and fills all places No man is able to get out of the circumference where God is not The Lord is present in all places and doth what he will in heaven and earth where and how he will there is no flying from his presence if a man goe to heaven or to hell or to the utmost parts of the sea there shall the hand of God finde him out We come to another thing And the frogs came up and covered all the land of Egypt Mark how God inlargeth the judgement not one part of the land but all the land was covered with these vermin God sometimes smites a whole family as we see in the family of Abimelech Gen. 12. And God threatneth to smite whole families head and foot Deut. 28. God smites sometimes whole Cities as we see Samaria had a famine a fearfull one and Ierusalem was vexed by famine that as Iosephus saith The children were taught a new way into their mothers wombe againe they were faine to eat them for hunger I God smites divers Cities together as the sisters of Sodome Nay God sometimes proceeds to smite a whole Country The sinne of Saul was punished in the dayes of Ahab for three years the heavens were shut up till the bridle of heaven Eliah unloosed them So God visited the whole world I will not speake of that great plague that Evagrius saith in his time there was a plague that continued in the world fifty yeares together though it possessed not all the world at one time yet successively it went over all We have examples in Scripture God overthrew the whole world by water and will he not when he shall bring a deluge of fire at the last The reason why God makes his judgements so generall is the generality of sinne Looke in all the instances I mentioned Pharaoh and Abimelech So in the City of Samaria that was punished it was full of sinne the greatest sinnes of all Israel were in that Metropolis The sinne of Israel is Samaria The Prophet makes a sad complaint against Ierusalem being the worst So that City of Sodome you may easily see how ill they were that solicited God for vengeance that there were not ten righteous men found there if there had they had secured all It was an epidemicall complaint a generall disease So we may say of the dayes of Saul when there was such a generall famine it was for a foule sinne Nay all the whole land was tainted So in the dayes of Ahab they were full of Idolatry and wickednesse Eliah complained that there was such a generall defection that he saw none besides himselfe to serve God though God told him of seven thousand that bowed not their knees to Baal yet what were these to all Israel And in the dayes of the Prophets and in the old world the bloud and stain of sinne was so bad that God knew not else how to wash out that staine So at the last day Iniquity shall abound therefore God will bring fire to consume them For the Use of this Solomon saith He went by the field of the sluggard and received instruction Let us see how Gods judgements have spread The destroying Angell hath been in all places he hath not stricken all places at once but he goeth further and extends himselfe Surely there is a generality of sinne I would God I had nothing to accuse mine owne Nation of as Paul saith But why should I hold my peace when the sinnes of the land proclaime themselves as the sinnes of Sodome Who shall censure me or any Minister for laying downe the cause of the plague Looke on some sinnes how generall is the sinne of pride A common sinne that fills the land from Dan to Beersheba in every corner even to her that grindes at the mill Nothing will keepe people from vanity this way How common is the sinne of excesse The sinne of the Court of the City of the Country and among the base Gadarens this Devill is entred into a herd of swine It is come into the Country and every roome smells of it Nay how doth this sinne reigne in this City that the Lords day is divided betweene the Tavernes and the Church Nay will you not say that the Devill goes with the better part So for swearing for oaths the land mournes A common generall sinne that unnecessary vaine sinne The oaths of men are like Ioabs sword ever drawne out men can scarcely speake but they must sweare A man can come into no company or place but his righteous soule will be vexed with this blasphemy against God Nay I would to God we could say that perjurie were not growne to a great height men have no care of oaths though it were held sacred among the heathen What shall I say of uncharitablenesse It is a crying grosse common sinne and a great number that seem to professe Religion that are most forward and zealous this way The truth is they are brinish salt lights that spit and burne and scald they care not what dead flyes they cast into this oyntment It is far from the power of Religion and the holy fire of charity I could instance in a great number but what should I trouble you By these you may gather that God hath a just controversie with this Nation of ours and the sin being so generall these frogs creeping in every corner and croaking in every nooke when God sends his judgements in every coast we must not but say He his righteous The last thing which I will conclude with is this This judgement as it was the second so it seemes to be much greater then the former for in the former judgement there was but the turning of the nature of a thing the turning the water into bloud but here there is a creating of an innumerable company of frogs Againe there some might escape there is no other likelihood but the Noble-men and the King himselfe and many of ability might have wine and other juices and waters to satisfie their thirst but here there was not a man in the Kingdome but had frogs leaping upon him and
submit to the government of the Shepherd That as Justinian the Emperour saith there may be a sweet harmonie between Prince and people that no string may be too high or too low that is the best musique in the eares of God If Pharaoh desire for his people how should they beg of God in the behalfe of their Soverain Paul when he wisheth that Prayers should be made for all men in the first place he puts Kings And it was the practise of holy people of God in former time Cyprian when they were charged with some rebellion We are far from that we wish well to the King saith he And his Master before him for so he calls Tertullian he professeth concerning the Christians that they begged of God in the behalfe of the Emperour they desired long life a secure regiment and reigne a safe house worthy Counsellors strong and valiant Souldiers c. Let not this be forgotten by us we are too defective in this many of us pray in private for our selves but when doe we remember our Governours O the light of our eyes and the breath of ournostrills is deprived of our prayers If it be a sin to forget a naturall father certainly it is no lesse to forget our politicall father The next thing to be observed which is the second generall is the promise that he makes I will let the people goe I will but touch one thing and so conclude you see here that now he cannot get from under the judgement what evapourates from him he will let the people goe that they may sacrifice If god reserve us God willing we shall observe that he did flie off from this But in the meane time somewhat he saith and promiseth and It is no strange thing that the worst of men have good motions sometimes This Pharaoh saith another time I have sinned And the sorcerers say after It is the finger of God And Balaam saith Let me die the death of the righteous Num. 23. And Saul may say he hath sinned and Ahab may humble himselfe and Felix may sometimes tremble and Agrippa will cry out he is almost made a Christian by Paul And it was never known of the most desperate adulterers the most bloudy men or oppressors or excessive persons but some time or other they did thinke ill of their own courses and did think that another way was better and it may be have had motions and resolutions tending to reformation The ground is the light that God puts into the consciences and the power that he hath indued it with that will sometimes put a man in minde of his abberations from the right way that this is not the course hee should take Again there is a generall illumination in the world that enlightens every man by this they come to have some notions But as Bernard saith in another case they come in frequently and passe away as speedily They are like the morning dew or the morning cloud soon dissipated not so good as Ephraims cake that was halfe baked they are soon gone as Tertullian saith of the flower it is a thing to look on and breath on and smell to and it is gone So it is with these motions of the wicked they passe away as smoke Therefore for the use of it Let us not be confident of the motions and flashes of the wicked unlesse they persist and continue in them there is little hope Nay let us not please our selves for motions that are like flashings of lightning in the soule they are not worth the talking of When motions come that are good cherish them keep them on foot that they may be actuated and perfected Thus God would have us to doe it is a sparke of the divine fire therefore the Lord would have it blown till it come to a flame If at any time we finde it dying as like enough the dear Saints of God may doe we must stir it up and excite the grace of God by the use of the Ordinances of God as the Apostle speaks And likewife by reflecting upon our many omissions and neglects and it may be suppression of motions by the consâ—â—â—â—â—tion of the fearfull account we must give one day for these neglects stir it up and keep it fresh and by the blessing of God there may come great matters That that is now a sparke may be a flame that that is like a cloud no bigger then a hand it may after mask the whole heavens That that is now as a grain of mustard seed it may be a great tree wherein the fowles of the air may make their nests Of all take heed of quenching and suppressing this Spirit of puting it out and that is done by wilfull grosse sins When God gives good motions if men would cherish them and keep them alive there might be much good in them but when they run into foul sins that waste conscience the graces of God die and all good motions are as far to seek as if they never had been This will add to a mans judgment when God shall put these things in his heart and he by untimely frosts nipps them in the bud whereas if he would cherish them they would come to great perfection and improvement THE EIGHTH SERMON Vpon EXOD. CHAP. 8. VERS 8.9 And I will let the people goe that they may doe sacrifice unto the Lord. And Moses said unto Pharaoh Glory over me when shall I intreat for thee and for thy servants and for thy people c. THere is one thing that remaines of the eighth Verse remaining that I will speedily dispatch and so go on Pharaoh saith here I will let them goe that they may sacrifice to the Lord. Ubi potentiae Ubi superbiae saith one upon my Text. How now Pharaoh what is become of thy power what is become of thy pride not long since thou wast in thy ruffe and said Who is the Lord that I should seare him or let Israel goe Thou wert so farre from dismissing them that thou eldst more intensively hate them and multiply their sorrowes Thou didst contemne Moses and Aaron that came with a Commission from God and now behold thou art under a judgement and knowest not how to extricate thy selfe from this perplexitie now thou wilt let the people goe now thou acknowledgest God now thou suest to Moses and Aaron now thou art glad to dismisse the people Even thus it was and in that it was thus my observation must bee concerning The necessitie of afflictions All faire meanes would do no good with this man God was faine to take the rod in his hand and then wee see the issue so great is the necessitie of afflictions And it drives at divers things First afflictions make a man see his sinnes as wee see in the brethren of Joseph Gen. 41.21 In their trouble in Egypt they reflect upon their unnaturalnesse to their brother they confesse that the cause of this trouble and distresse was because they did not hearken to
end of all our doings wee confirme the seale of our ministery Thirdly we are instruments of doing the greatest good in the world of converting of soules Lastly we procure to our selves the hope of eternall glory for those that turne others shall shine Therefore give us leave to say as John saith We have no greater joy then to see our Children walke in the truth And to say as Paul saith Yee are our crowne and our glory and our joy Therefore in the name of God even for his sake and for your owne soules sake and for the comfort of those that are imployed among you and that take paines in the word and doctrine doe not make the hearts of Gods messengers sad Give them not cause with Jeremiah to desire to lodg in a garden of Cowcumbers to wish that they had never seene your faces because of your improfitablenesse But commend their labours to God by your fruitfulnesse and carry your selves so that they may give account with joy and not with sorrow so much for that Now for the words Glory over me when shall I pray The words in the originall Behoth pergnali glorifie thy selfe upon me expositors are very various in laying out the meaning of these words Glory over me Shall wee take it in this sense as if it were an ejaculation of Moses or a kind of exclamation of this man O the glory that God hath put upon me here is glory upon mee indeed that this great King this proud Tyrant should sue to me and intreat hee that poured contempt upon mee before and for my sake vexed the people of God the more that now hee should intreat O what an honour and glory is over me Surely beloved Peter speaks of a spirit of glory resting on Gods Children and it shines in this that the very wicked sometimes petition to the godly Remember the instances I gave the last day What an honour was it to Isaac to bee sought unto by the Philistins that hated him before What an honour was it to Joseph that all his brethrens sheafes should bow to his according to the presage of his dreame and that he must nourish them that maliced him What an honour was it to David that Saul should desire his favour when he had him in the cave and gave a pregnant instance of his loyaltie What an honour was it to the Prophet that Jeroboam should sue to him to restore his arme And to Job that his friends that were so deeply uncharitable in censuring him must be beholding to him for his intercession Surely whensoever Gods people take knowledg in it they are bound to magnifie God for this great favour But the words will not indure this sense for both the Conjugation and the Mood wherein they are used will not admit it Therefore wee must seeke another sense Glory over me Reverend Calvin takes them by way of Antithesis in this manner as if he should say Thou hast little reason to glory in the Magitians they abuse thee with showes but now it comes to the removall of the plague they cannot helpe thee I make no question but thou hast found how waine they are Glory over me that is in my help for I am able if thou wilt heare the motion that I make I will remove this from thee The Wicked are no securitie to a man the godly must help Well may they be fuell to the fire but never able to quench the flame Hee were a mad man that to secure himselfe from the Fire would pile a many Billets betweene him and the flame such are the wicked No in the day of trouble and vexation one Moses to stand in the gap is worth a thousand of others Ten men in Sodome would have saved those Cities from that conflagration Nay Lot bayled them all the time hee was in it One man should save a Citie One Micaiah is worth foure hundred false prophets There is a third sense that is commonly hearkned unto and I listen to it Glory over me That is take thou the glory of appointing the time when I shall pray Though it be true that I that thou suest to to remove the plague should have my owne time yet take thou the glory to appoint the time and I will doe it That I take to be the full sense and meaning of the phrase Now it will be demanded why Moses did gratifie Pharaoh thus farre that he should appoint the time when the judgement of God should be removed why he was so favourable in this particular divers reasons may be given of it and each of them will yeeld an observation First Moses well weighed that Pharaoh might have a conceite having heard that Moses was learned in all the learning of the Egyptians that he might work by constellations and other Astrologicall practises hee might take advantage of the position and aspects of the planets and presently doe it and so gull Pharaoh with naturall causes and make him beleeve it was a supernaturall miracle Because Moses conceived this might be in Pharaohs imagination hee gives him leave to prescribe his owne time This hath ever been the care of Gods people and instruments for the greater glory of God ever to doe their works after that manner that they might bee free from exception That it might not be imputed to naturall causes but that the vertue and power of God supernaturally might ever be acknowledged Marke it in some instances When Eliah was to confound the Priests of Baal hee caused the sacrifice to bee put upon the Altar hee caused the wood to be layed and when he had done he caused foure barrells of water to be cast upon the wood and the sacrifice the first second and third time and when he had done hee caused a great trench or ditch about to bee filled with water All these things served to make it improbable that ever fire should come to consume it unlesse it were brought by the hand of man hee did it on purpose that they might see the worke of God and so they acknowledged when the fire came to consume the wood and the sacrifice and to lick up all the water in the trench in so much that the people being absolutely satisfied cried out The Lord he is God the Lord he is God The like we see in the proceeding of Elisha with Naaman the Assyrian when Naaman came to be cured of his Leprosie Hee did not speak with him hee did not come out and lay his hand on the sore as Naaman expected why This might have lessened the glory of the Miracle hee would have imputed it to connaturall causes to some vertue or skill in him but when he sends him word Go and wash in such a place and never saw him nor spake to him he must needs acknowledg it to be a miracle The like wee see in the works of Christ in the Gospel how he freed them from all exception and just question in the world When he was to turne the
mayst know that there is none like the Lord. It shall appeare in the removall of this judgement thou shalt see all the Frogs confined to their proper element of water For the first the yeelding Be it according to thy word Some man may think it would have been more fit for Moses to expostulate then to yeeld to Pharaoh he might thus have said Dost thou request a courtesie at my hands and limit me my time surely if I doe the favour I will observe my own season Beggers must be no choosers if a man give freely all circumstances are left in his discretion to his owne libertie But to answer these people surely Moses had much disparaged himself if having once yeelded to Pharaoh the power of prescribing the time he should have eaten his word First it had been unworthy of Moses to have gone back Pharaoh might have replyed and said what inconstancy is this to give with one hand and to take away with the other thou either distrustest the cause or art diffident of the power of thy God that thou wouldest feare me with Secondly it would have appeared a great neglect in Moses of Pharaoh he had given libertie to Pharaoh to prescribe the time Princes are not to bee dallied with if he should have fallen off now and not have observed the time when Pharaoh had set it certainly he had provoked Pharaoh he had done wrong to the cause the usage of Pharaoh had been course and unworthy of so great a Majestie But to come to the observation it is this It hath ever been the manner of Gods people in all times fairely to intreat and easily to deale with and respectively to use and not to irritate others that have been of place and qualitie though they have been strangers to them both in judgment and affections In Gen. 4.7 saith God to Cain in the behalf of Abel his desire shall be to thee and thou shalt rule over him As if he should say if thou think that my acceptation of his sacrifice will puffe him up feare not that it shall not swell him so as that he shall forget that respect that is due to thee as the elder brother and the first borne God will provide that his desire shall be subject to his brother in all things that are lawfull and he shall rule over him as the Elder In Gen. 33.3 when Esau met Jacob he bowed seven times to the ground and in the course of his speech calls himself his servant which was not a vaine light complement but seriously spoken yet farre was it from betraying of his birthright as some have thought by giving that away but he did it shewing respect to him as hee was a great Prince for so was Esau at this time For the promise he knew should be performed to his posteritie the Idumeans served Israel from David to Joash 120. yeares but the Israelites served not the Idumeans he respected him though as a great Prince The like we see in the carriage of Moses towards Edom in Num. 20. when the Israelites passed through their country Moses sent a faire ambassage and desired a peaceable and free way and urgeth him by many arguments and moves it the second time when he found him so stiffe that he would not encline to the motion they turned another way so respective was he to that great man though he were averse in his affections So in David towards Saul when he hath him at a great advantage as may be there is not one unrespective word comes from him if hee have occasion to speake to him himselfe or to speak of him to others his words and carriage were ever loyall and faithfull and full of reverence How ever some people disfigured him to him certainly there was no passage of his life that had the least touch of disloyaltie to him He knew he was the Lords anointed and it was not a private injury that could wash off his dutie that he ought him as his Prince The like we see in our blessed Lord how respective he was in all his carriage towards those in authoritie how fairely he speaks in regard of Caesar as unwilling to infringe any right or priviledg of that Prince nay paying tribute that he need not because he would not give offence And how soon did Paul retract that word that he sent out hastily and sharply against Ananias God shall smite thee thou whited wall Act. 23. he ingenuously professed that he did not know him to bee the ruler of the people And Cyprian taking occasion to speak of that place saith he they were Sacerdotes c. men unworthy of the place that they held yet Paul was of that mind that the very shadow of that honour he would not neglect he would doe that that was due to the place they maintained As our blessed Saviour himself for all the priesthood was so depraved in his time he diminished none of the right and due of it but when he had healed the man he bid him goe away and shew himselfe to the Priest The use of it meets with such in these times that spie imperfections in the practises of men to dispense with themselves in the duties due to their places Moses could have so reasoned here Pharaoh was a wicked man and a persecutor of Gods people and Moses had a great commission himself but he loved not to irritate and provoke him and use him unbefitting a Magistrate no more should other men Let me tell you Religion and pietie eate not out good manners and Civilitie It is not the greatest zeale of a man against sinne that will beare him out in rude unmannerlinesse Even men that are wicked are to be used according to their place they maintaine if they be never so prophane if they have dignitie it must bee reverenced and their persons respected Moses kindly condescends to Pharaoh But some may say Did not Elisha the prophet forbid his man to salute any Therefore there is a time when men may let downe these actions of common courtesie Let not that be pretended The meaning is hee should make such expedition that he should not delay as men in complements for that would hinder the worke And although Saint John say that there are some men that we should not bid God speed It intimates onely an intimate familiaritie that is forbidden Or else secondly such salutations as carry approbation of the evill wayes that a man is found in But for common offices of humanitie and kindnesse they are not forbidden Christ would have his Apostles when they came to any place to salute the house If a man bee never so flagiciously wicked nay if he bee excommunicated which is the highest curse that can light on him for all that civill courtesies must not be denied Ambrose used Theodosius with all respect though he were excommunicated And he that is excommunicated is not more then a heathen but as a heathen and if so the heathen must be