staues end though happily his malice might hereby bee encreased yet seeing his sinne is by this meanes ripened when the Haruest is ripe the sickle shal be put in his practises shal be so 〈◊〉 from preuailing against vs as that the pit which hee hath digged hee shall fall into himselfe his owne sâ—ord shall enter into his owne heart and his bowe shall bee broken and in the sâ—are which hee priuily layes for vs shall his owne foote bee taken It followeth And they haue accoÌ„plished that which they sâ—ught for c. The meaning is that they are perswaded secretly in their soules that what they haue deuised shall surely take effect Noting vnto vs their presumptâ—ous confidence and building vpon these their plots pâ—lices A thing verie vsuall in the practices of the wicked to proâ—ise theÌ„ selues vndoubtedly good successe therein not onely in regard of their naturall corruption whereby they are apt to conceaue highly of their owne deuises especially caried in such stroâ—g and yet secret manner but principally the iustice of God is seen herein who giuing them vp to this resolute coÌ„fidence doth thereby prepare the way to their more fearefull confusion So did the enemie secure themselus against the Lords Annoynted that they had already deuoured him as hauing so hemd him in with their secret and manifold snares that he could not possible escape yea for the further confirming themselues in this confidence because his onely protection was from God therefore so farre did they proceed in this presumption that measuring the fauour of God by outward prosperity they concluded herevpon falsely vpon some light affliction that did befall him A mischeife is light vpon him he that lieth shall no more rise and their reason is God hath forsaken him wherevpon they encouradge themselues in most confident manner come let vs pursue and take him for their is none to deliuer him Yea so blasphemously confident grow they herein as building vpon the strength and effectuallnes of their snares that they euen make a mocke at the counsell of the poore because the Lord is his refuge and as if so be god were not able to deliuer out of their hands they deryde his confidence in the Lord his God saying he trusted in God let him deliuer him let him saue him seeing hee loueth him Implying thereby most impiously that they had him so sure that his confidence in God should not deliuer him out of their hands Thus did Senacharib open his mouth against heauen when he sent his messenger vnto Hezechiah saying Let not thy God deceaue thee in whime thou trustest c. Imploying that the Lord could not deliuer him out of his hands Thus did the mother of Sisera flatter her selfe when shee looked out of the window and sayd why is his chariot so long a coÌ„ming why tarie the wheeles of his chariot expecting indoubtedly her sons returne with victorie and thus did her wise Ladyes answeare her with owne wordes haue they not gotten and they diuide the spoyle c. shewing also their confidence in the good successe of the battaile And surely if we shall consider the hopes of our enemies concerning the good successe of their desperate attempts as their micheifes haue not been short of any so their confidence also hath been with the best For was not the Nauie which was sent against vs in 88. entitled the Inuincible Armadoe as if no force were able to scatter it And did not their Friars tauntingly and most blasphemously preach that they had Pope and Diuell and all to fight for them but the Hugnenots and Lutherans had none but God to stand on their fide as if hee were no bodie to withstand them had they not diuided the spoyle in conceit before they sawe the shoare which should haue been gayned had they not brought whips and other instruments of torture to execute their crueltie vpon vs as if they made account to be maisters of the field And surely consider wee the practises at this time and we shall see their confidence to haue been encreased with their malice and their mouths euen desparately opened against heauen for the confirming them more assuredly in their bloody expectation If we shall remeÌ„ber the exceeding insolency and pride of these enemyes for some few moneths before the entended execution of their practices a thing not neglected by carefull heads what did it speake vnto vs but their confidence in the successe thereof Was it not written to that honorable Lord that it was decreed by God men to punish the iniquitie of the time therein both making the Lord a party in this their damnable enterprice also thereby building so certainly vpon the accomplishment theirof as if it were the decree of God himselfe What preparacions they had made for the aduancement of themselues execution of the faithfull after the terrible blowe should be giueÌ„ their sumptuous apparell store of bloody weapons proclamations and such like all in a readynes as if the thing were done did it not most liuely dâ—scouer their confidence that they had accomplisht that which they sought for If we would know what might bee the reason of such presumption and desperate confidence let vs consider the resolution of their conscience which though erronious yet hereby the stroÌ„glier conâ—eited the more obstinatly presumptuous in the successe of it owne apprehension Let vs remember their apprehension of the cause for which they take the quarrell in hand which being in their deceiued iudgments so iust yea meritorious must needs puffe theÌ„ vp with confident hope of good successe therein Adde we herevnto the approbation of this fact not onely by the conscience at home but by the Lord of their conscience abroad whose oracles they esteme as the oracles of God yea whome they worshipe aboue all that is called God therefore no maruaile if they match his decrees with the decrees of the most high and say it is decreed by God and men And hauing so sure a warrant as they thinke for the attempting of their mischiefs is it any wonder if they promise exceeding good successe vnto themselues therein Were it onely the policy which they haue vsed in the managing of their practices their encouragmeÌ„ts to strengthen their secrery to entrapp their manifold snares to wearie out surely these so notable policyes concurring thus together must needs giue spirit to their hopes and confidence to their practices That seing they are so strong that none is able to match them how can it bee but they should preuaile seeing so secret that none can see them how can it be that any should auoyd them seing they are neuer wearie in deuising of mischiefes how should any at length not be ouer wearied by them But aboue all the wisedome and power of God is here in most euident who meaning to giue his enemies a terrible blow not only
fearfull hand of God vpon them shal be roused hereby out of his former security and seeing his owne sinne in the glasse of their vengeance shall feare the rod which lights so heauily vpon them and fly for his life to auoid the same So do the iudgments of God scatter the deuises of the wicked So do they also awake and terrifie others that are subiect to like notorious sinnes Thus when the Captain of the host of Israell had executed the wrath of God vpon some part of those accursed Canaanites the holy Ghost witnesseth that the feare of him fell vpon all the nations round about who being guilty of the same sins did therefore expect the like iudgments and so in a desperate manner exposed them selues therevnto So when the Champion of the Philistines was cut of by the Lords warriour the holy Ghost witnesseth that the Philistines fled and were dispersed And this to haue been the effect of great iudgments vpon the enemies of God the holy Ghost witnesseth in their seuerall coÌ„fusions Yea thus haue the iudgments of God from time inflicted vpon malefactors been the meanes to awake others and so to terrifie them that haue been guilty of the same sinnes that by some token or other either by flying or blushing by complaining or pytying by iustifying or such like they haue verie wonderfully betrayd them selues and so haue exposed them selues to the like iudgments So were the companies of these rebells scattered when once the head of their treason was broken so did they further each other to their iust confusion A most wise righteous course of Gods proceeding against the wicked that they which wil not be ioined with God but say let vs breake his bandes and cast away his cords from vs should not haue any durable socyety among theÌ„selues that they which abuse society to fight against God and his church might want the comfort of society when they haue most neede thereof and be scattered from each other for their more speedy apprehension confusion who haue labored to dissolue the coÌ„munion of the saints Euen so oh Lord let all the enemies be scattered that such as belong to thee being thus disapoynted in their carnall fellowship may seeke to be members of that body of thy sonne which no malice of Satan shall euer be able to seperate Obserue wee here first the wonderfull power of God by confounding the strength of the wicked in this banding and combining of them selues against the godly and learne we that their is no councell nor confederacy against the Lord Nay though the wicked shall make a league with death and be at an agreemont with hell it selfe though Satan and all his legions should conspire with them against his little flocke yet when the Lord shall lay iudgment to the rule righteousnes to the ballance their conuenient with death shal be dissolued and their agreement with hell shall not stand Let vs not therefore be seduced to cast in our lot with the wicked let it not encouradge vs to sinne because many go the broade way seeing as multitude of offenders doth increase the sin so doth it further the punishment due thervnto as prouoking so many instruments to the executioÌ„ of vengeaÌ„ce as there are miserable partakers in the greeuousnes of the sinne If we desire to haue comfort in societie let vs haue fellowshipp with our God by the obedience of faith let our delight be in the saints that are on earth So when the wicked fly are scattered fearefully we shall see the vengeance that hath iustly ouertaken theÌ„ yea this righteous hand of God in dispersing the wicked shall be the meanes to confirme knitt vs comfortably together that we may go vp into the house of the Lord to sing prayses vnto his name Thus when the Lord shal be beneficiall vnto me then saith the prophet the righteous shall resort vnto my company who before stood a farre of for feare of my plague Yea when the Lord shall returne the captiuitie of Sion this shall further be a means of the encrease of the church Then saith the spirit shall ten men take hold out of all languages euen take hold of the skirt of him that is a Iew and say we will go with you for wee haue heard that God is with you Thus as the confounding of the practices of the wicked shal be a meanes to scatter and disolue their confideracies so the deliuerance of the church shal be a furtherance to the gathering againe of the dispersed of Israell that they may behold and conferre of what the Lord hath done for them and so be prouoked to ioyne together in due thankfullnes vnto his Maiesty for the same For so it followeth The third part of the Treatise conteining the vse of these workes 9 All men shall see it and declare the worke of God and they shall vnderstand what he hath wrought 10 But the righteous shall be glad in the Lord and trust in him and all that are vpright of heart shall reioyce WHich two verses being the conclusion of the Psalme doe lead vs to diuers vses which are to be made of such wonderfull Deliuerances which the Lord performeth vnto his seruants all tending to expresse true thankfulnesse vnto God for the same The first whereof is All men shall see it That is first whereas the eyes of men were blinded in the knowledge of God now this wonderfull deliuerance shall open the eies of all not onlie the carnall eyes of the wicked to see God in these workes but further also the spirituall eye of his Saints and deerest seruants which being much dimned and dâ—rkened with such clouds of afflictions as haue lien heauily vpon them and growne hereby euen to doubt of the eye of God prouidence ouer them as if he had forsaken and vtterly reiected them Now being deliuered and pluckt out of the snare the eye of their faith is hereby cleared the eye of their iudgement more setled in the assurance of Gods protectioÌ„ And as men rauished with the strangnesse of the deliuerance their eyes are set and fastned thervpon that so their faith may be more strongely rooted in God yea they doe euen feed their eyes with the contemplation thereof that so their faith may be nourished thereby yea they can neuer satisfie themselues in beholding so wonderfull a mercy that so the minde being thoroughly possessed therewith they may neuer satisfie themselues in thankefulnesse for the same which as it is the end and vse of all Gods mercies euen to take vp the cup of saluation and to giue thanks unto the name of the Lord for the same So shal we find this beholding of Gods wonderfull mercies to be a most effectuall meanes to further the same whether we consider those temptations that doe hinder thankefulnesse vnto God or such meanes as doe vsually further the accomplishment thereof The temptations that doe hinder
they would remember how Ieroboam was smitten euen when he stretched out his hand to smite that they would remeÌ„ber the suddaine hand-writing with sauced Belshazzers sacriligious banquet Surely though sudden vengeance did not meet with vs in this life yet did we remember that for all theise things we must come to iudgment and that our iudgmeÌ„t shall come suddenly in the hower that we know not It would make vs be watchfull euen euery hower that so though it be sudden yet it may not be sudden vnto vs as being ready prepared in some measure therevnto And seeing the suddenes of a iudgment breedes great distractioÌ„ takes away time of councell or resolution as this should teach vs not to be afraid of sudden death If so be that we haue been by an holy life prepared therevnto neither to censure others for dying suddenly seeing wee haue sufficient testimony of their former liues so it should be a very fayre warning vnto vs not to put of our repentance vnto the time of our deathes least the horrour and suddenes of that messenger distract vs in our reckoning and so we be surprised before we haue made euen with our God And seing the suddeÌ„nes of a iudgment is herein onely a note of Gods wrath in that it findes the wicked vnprepared thervnto as we are therefore not to pray further against suddaine iudgments then that they may not finde vs vnprepared so are we not to distrust of Gods mercie though we be suddenly met with all if so be that our soules haue formely been prepared to temptations Onely we may rather wish if it so please the Lord to see the plague before it cometh that so fearing therod we may depart from euill and therby either remooue or sanctifie the iudgment vnto vs. Certainly as confindence in sinne makes euery iudgment suddaine so feare in the sence of our iniquities preparing vs to the end doth thereby effect that no scourge shal be sudden vnto vs As for the the wicked it is not so with them their confidence in sinne makes them secure and their security breedes a sudden iudgment And thus doth the Lord confound their wisedome in consulting and deliberating aduisedly of their mischiefs against the saints by comming vpon theÌ„ with his sudden iudgments But this is not all For though the iudgment be sudden and so take them vnprepared yet it may be slow and moderate and so giue theÌ„ time of preparation euen while the scourge is vpon them To preuent this the holy Ghost addeth that their stroake shall be at once That is their Iudgment shal be as speedie in executing as it was sudden in surprising that so not taking time before to prepare themselues now the swiftnesse and greeuousnesse of the Plague may take away time of preparation afterward and so conuincing iustly their former abuse of the time past doth thereby exclude them from all hope of mercie for the time to come yea this speedinesse of the iudgement implying also the sharpenesse and terrour of it doth hereby make to their greater confusion as being not able to vndergoe so extreame a scourge Their stroakes shall be at once Behold heere a second point of Gods wisedome and power in the punishments of the wicked hee will bee a swife witnesse against them to take them in their sinne and take away from them oportunitie of repentance that so his wrath may be powred out in full measure vpon them Surely a most holy and righteous course not onely hereby to confound their policie in deuising many snares as seeing them now all broken as it were with one stroake but further also to consume such fearefully who thought all plagues too little against the Annointed of the Lord. So doth the Lord threateÌ„ the wicked as with sudden so with speedie Iudgements vpon the wicked saith the holy Ghost he shall raine snares fire and brimstone and stormie tempest this is the portion of their cuppe all which are both sudden and speedie plagues making quicke riddance where once they take hold So hath the Lord executed from time to time when once the date of his patience hath been expired towards them So was hee long before hee reckoned with the oldworld an hundred and twentie yeares time gaue hee them to make vp their account but when he came to Iudgement in lesse than halfe a yeare did hee accomplish his fierce wrath and swallowed vp in that short time excepting onely righteous Noah and his children together with the other vnreasonable creatures that were reserued for future generation euen all the Nations and creatures of the earth So did the Lord deale with Sodâ—me and Gomorrha he rayned vpon them fire and brimstone and so with one stroake made a full end of them so that affliction did not arise the second time And howsoeuer he deales not generally thus with all sorts of sinners yet because the sinne of Treason is a monstrous and capitall offence neerely touching his Maiestie as challenging his power and spurning at his gouernement therefore hath he vsed to meet with this sin aboue all others in this fearefull and speedie manner So did hee iustifie his seruant Moses in that propheticall challenge which hee made against these desperate Rebels Corah Dathan and Abiram putting it to this tryall for the approbation of his calling that if these men died the common death of all men then the Lord had not spoken by him the Lord I say iustified herein the authoritie of his seruant and confounded their vnnaturall Rebellion by a strange and woonderfull iudgement answerable thereunto For as they were vnnaturall and would not endure a superiour ouer them so the earth became vnnaturall and would no longer endure their burthen but euen left her soliditie to swallow vp such monsters and so conueyed them iustly to the Dominion of hell who would not endure that power which was from heauen So did the Lord meete with that rebellious Absolon by as strange and speedie a iudgement answerable to his sinne making the crowne of his pride his long beautifull haire to be the halter to hang him vp betwixt heauen earth suddenly was he caught vp and speedily was he dispatcht by another who in that murther happily made way for his owne ambition and also for the like fault dranke after of the cup of vengeance Oh that the enemies of gouernement would consider this that in the depth of their consultations to lay many snares for others they would remember that one stroake of Gods vengeance would be too heauie for them Surely the consideration of this that they are not able to endure the wrath of God would bridle and qualifie their malice against the Lords Annointed and mooue them contrarywise to heartie and cheerefull obedience vnto man that so therby they might regaine the fauor of God Certainely if they say in their hearts there is no God and therefore