Jacobs trouble Lam. 1.17 The Lord hath commanded concerning Jacob that the Adversaries shall be round about c. therefore by Jacob here is meant only Judah that is the two Tribes that did not depart from God in the Revolt and Apostacy of the ten Tribes and that those of Israel that for conscience sake did leave their Habitations and went and dwelt in Judah and Jerusalem yet there 's a time of trouble for them also 2. What 's meant by the time of trouble It 's in the Original Hab. 3.16 tempus augustiae a time of straits which is called a day of straits when the Lord did come up upon them and invade them with his Troops for so the Army of the Babylonians is called when they should be led into Captivity by the will and command of others for their Persons and Estates to be made use of as a prey to serve the wills and ends of strangers and servants For strangers Jer. 30.8 Strangers shall no more serve themselves of them And for servants Lam. 5.8 Servants rule over us and there 's none to deliver us out of their hands Now when the walls of the City were broken down the Temple destroyed the Worship of God prophaned and all the Ordinances of God trampled under foot all Order Authority deposed and all things subjected unto the wil and lusts of a conquering Army now it was a time of straits great straits in point of conscience for they would now be working them about to their way and perswading them to worship their Gods Jer. 10.11 Now to be under the power of men and not to be subjected to their lusts and serve the lusts of men it 's a great strait and straits also in respect of the affliction having their lives alway hanging in doubt having their bread by weight and their water by measure and in respect of succour in a great strait also for there was no deliverer Lam. 1.3 All her Persecutors overtook her between the streights that there was no escaping no way to avoyd them and therefore 2 Tim. 3.5 These shall be difficult times in which men should meet with great and variety of straits that they should not know which way to turn themselves c. Thirdly it 's called a great day magnum pro formidabile Cal. Terribilis aut mire calamitosa à magnitudine supplicii magnus nominatur Theodor. And we doe read of five Great Dayes in the Scripture First the day of the Lord spoken of in Malach. 4.6 I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the great and terrible day â—f the Lord that is interpreted Luk. 1.17 of John Baptist who was to be the forerunner of Christs coming And this is called a great day for the great manifestations of God wherein life and immortality should be brought to light by the Gospel the great changes of Ordinances and the great destruction of the Enemies the terrible Judgements that should then be poured out for Mal. 4.1 The day cometh that shall burn as an Oven and all that do wickedly shall be stubble that is when the Sun of Righteousness doth arise with healing in his wings c. And for the terrible Judgements that under the Gospel the Lord would pour out upon the world and that is meant Acts 2.28 Joel 2.3 The Sun shall be turned into darkness the Moon into blood before that great day of the Lord come It 's spoken of the great Judgements that the Lord Christ would pour out upon the world and thereby make way for the receiving the Gospel publickly for he doth shake Heaven and Earth and thereby makes way for the coming of the desire of all Nations for out of the Throne when Christ is exalted comes thunderings and lightnings and voices Rev. 4.5 Secondly there 's the great day of Jezreel Hos 1. last That is when the Lord shall call home his antient people and gather together the outcasts of Israel Which shall be a day in which the Lord shall appear in his glory for when he doth build Zion he doth appear in his glory a day of the restitution of all things a day of enriching of the world a day when new Jerusalem shall come down from God out of heaven and a day in which the kingdoms of the earth shall be given to the Lord and his Christ and there shall not be any more any pricking bryer or any grieving thorn in all the land there shall be no more a Canaanite in the land forever all persecuting Powers shall be subdued Thirdly there 's a great day when the battel Armageddon shall be fought Rev. 16.14 When all the Powers of the earth shall rally and gather together their broken Troops against the Church of God they shall be the greatest combination that ever hath been and in which all the opposite Powers shall be utterly and finally broken and thereby way shall be made for the vial poured upon the air which brings in the binding of Satan chap. 20. Now this battel with the issue of it we have chap. 19.19,20,21 Now from the great preparations that the enemies do make and the great destruction which then they shall be sure to find and the great things which shall follow upon this and that in this day the Lord will make way for therefore it 's called the great day of God Almighty when the Lord shall fulfil all his promises and prophecies and Christ shall be cloathed with a garment dipt in blood and his name shall be called the Word of God Fourthly the day of Judgement is a great day also the Angels are said to be reserved in chains of darkness unto the Judgement of the great day for then shall the son of man sit upon the throne of his glory and all Nations shall be gathered together before him and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepheard divides his Sheep from the Goats c. and he shall then passe a finall sentence an eternall judgement upon the eternal estates of men and set a gulph between them for ever which they shall never pass when he hath so done he shall resign or give up his kingdom unto God the Father and then all the present wayes of administration shall cease Fifthly when the Lord brings any speciall judgement or affliction upon his people that also is called a great day Zeph. 1.14 the great day of the Lord is near it 's a day of darkness and gloominess a day of clouds and thick darkness that Trumpet and Alarum against the fenced Cities and against the high Towers it 's a threatning of the same Judgement there which here the Prophet speaks of the captivity of Babylon and it s called the great day of the Lord and so it 's here called also Fourthly it 's said that it 's such a day that there is none like to it that is First it is the greatest evil that ever befell that people they had been smitten with Pestilence with scarcity
when this Treasure is brought in so that the time in which men fill up the measures of sin and the treasure of wrath this is that which I call an appointed time of sinning Now as some men and some Nations measures and treasures are greater then others so God gives them an appointed time to fill it up and being considered in it self the greatest Iudgement that can befall a man is for the Lord to give unto a man or a Nation a long time of sinning as the time that man hath to sin is but small only during the time of the body for he shall only give an account of the things done in the body not those that are done in statu separato 2 Cor. 5.10 and to a man in the body there is an appointed time under heaven Iob. 7.1 a short time appointed for his being and therefore a short time for his sinning But the Devil hath a large time from the beginning of the world unto the end of it to the day of Iudgement which argues that there is much wrath reserved and prepared for him that must have so long time to enlarge the vessel and fit it to receive it for as gray hairs are a Crown if they be found in the way of righteousness Pro. 16.31 that is it is a special mercy to live long to add to a mans Crown so it is a special curse for a man to go on in evil and yet his daies to be prolonged Eccl. 8.12 Secondly a time of patience when the Lord holds his peace and reproves not Psal 50.21 indeed God is angry with the wicked every morning Psal 7.11 there is not a day that he riseth but a cloud of Gods displeasure riseth over him but yet he deferrs his Iudgement holds his hand there is a time when he is prest under their abominations as a Cart is prest under sheavs Amos 2.13 for to have men go on to sin against him and because Iudgement is not executed speedily therefore to have their hearts fully set in them to do evil and the patience of God to be made the ground and the encouragement of sinning cannot be but a great and a heavy burthen to the patience of God and yet there is a time when the Lord bears and doth not by and by ease himself of his adversaries as he saith in Iudgement he doth Isa 1.24 and it is an ease to him Ier. 32.31 the City of Ierusalem the Lord saith had been a provocation to him from the day that it was built which was many hundred years and yet the Lord had born it and had not removed it out of his sight according as he threatned for to do for there is a season for God to glorifie all his attributes he will make them all exceeding glorious in their time now after this life there shall be time to glorifie Iustice Mercy and Truth but the patience of God can have no place in heaven nothing that shall burthen Gods patience and in hell he will shew forth no patience nothing but wrath to the vessels of wrath it is the breath the fury of the Lord that is a River of Brimstone burning in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa 30. ult therefore there must be a time for the Lord to glorifie his patience and a time for Christ to rule in the midst of his enemies and a time for him to rule over them when they shall be made his foot-stool there must be a time for the decree to conceive and to bear before it bring forth Zeph. 2.1 The truth is we consider not what a precious time even the time of patience is to have a poor soul that expects to be executed at last but to have two or three years added to his life by way of a reprival how great a favour doth he esteem it So for a man or a people to have deserved death for the Lord to cut ten or twenty years out of eternity but to respit the Iudgement and give a man but so much time of ease it is a special and extraordinary favour It is not time of slackness but time of patience 2 Pet. 3.9 Thirdly there is a time of repentance when God doth defer and respit the Iudgement after sinning of purpose that man may return and come in Rev. 2.21 I gave her space to repent and she repented not the words are Emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he gave it and the principal and proper intent that God had in it was this that they might have time to repent come in and make their peace in a time wherein the Lord calls men to repentance by the ministery of the word stretching out his hands all the day long Ier. 32.33 when the Lord calls to weeping mourning baldness and sack-cloath Isa 22.7 a time when the Lord strives inwardly with the spirit of a man to bring him to a sight of sins and sorrow for them a time when if men seek him he will be found Isa 55.6 and when though the Lord do threaten never so severely it is but with condition of repentance and if then they will come forth and take hold of his strength and make peace with him they shall make peace according to his promise Isa 27 5. when though there be a cloud of blood hang over a people and grievously threaten danger but yet it is but conditional and if they return and repent they shall make their peace and God will be again reconciled and the judgement shall not come as we see in Nineveh for that only I call time of repentance when there is hope of mercy else repentance will not profit for it comes too late Fourthly the time of patience and repentance have their periods indeed these times are not of the same length to all to some God shew◠but a little patience and to others a great deal riches of patience and forbearance that though they do evil a hundred times yet their daies are prolonged so for repentance some have but a winters and others a summers day but when these are longest yet there is a time when they will expire and time shall be no more they have their fixed and set bounds that they cannot pass First time of repentance for though the spirit may strive and strive long yet he saith he shall not alwaies strive Gen. 6.3 and though if in the day of repentance men do come in he will turn from his fierce wrath Isa 55.6 Yet if this time be past there is a time when the Lord will not be found Ierusalem had the day of her visitation wherein she might have known the things belonging to her peace but a great while before the Iudgement came they were hid from her eyes Luke 19.42 Secondly it is true the time of patience may last longer then the time of repentance for God may with-hold his hand even when Judgement is determined against a people but yet the time of patience will not alwaies last the longest day
God that men cannot receive the heart makes up a stop a dam against them they pass not through the whole man to bring into subjection every thought 2 Cor. 10.6 but men imprison truth in unrighteonsness Rom. 1.18 and will not suffer it to pass through the whole man through the whole soul this is a marish place c. Secondly when the waters and the earth do mix together this makes the myre when the Truths of God do mix with the corruptions of men that either men can hold some Truths and yet keep their lusts they can stand for truths and yet they live in their sins and so shine as lights and have their lamps and yet be unclean all the while or else when men do make use of the Truths of God to justifie their sins and they do plead the word of God to maintain their lusts they can stand for the Truths of God yet will not leave their lusts but seek to cover them under it Clem. Alex. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. forâ—ing the Scriptures to their lusts Voluptatem sequi non quam audit sed quam attulit Aust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Austin 2 Pet. 3.16 They do wrest the Scriptures and make them to speak that which the Spirit of God never intended in them and all is to favor some lust or other following the hidden things of dishonesty they do handle the word of God deceitfully and make it speak peace when the Lord in the word doth speak terror c. Thirdly the longer men continue the more filthy they grow the longer the Truths of God lie upon the heart of a man and if they reform not they make him grow the more filthy and the more polluted it makes a mans lusts the more hatefull and the more defiling for Ordinances do ripen mens sins as well as their graces and in this respect they may the more fitly be called myrie places Nâ—w the judgment is They shall not be healed they shall be given unto salt First They shall not be healed they had the waters flowing in upon them and by them many were healed but they were not healed under them and now in judgement the Lord saith that they shall not be healed those healing Ordinances which work a very great change upon other men and restore their souls they shall take no place upon them that which was their sin shall be their plague they would not be healed they shall not be healed they would not be purged they shall not be purged they will not come when they are invited they shall not taste of my Supper A man cannot have a greater plague befall him then to be given up unto his own sin and that which is the natural fruit there of Men that have lived under the Truths of God and have not been healed by them the Lord gives them up as incorrigible in judgement they shall not be healed that makes the Anathema Maranatha reserved they are as incorrigible for the judgement of the Lord at his coming for this is that curse upon them which is denounced by God most properly its Gods ordinary way to deal with sinners that shall be their punishment which they chose to themselves as their way of sinning He that is ignorant shall be ignorant still and he that is filthy shall be filthy still he that will not be healed the Lord says he shall not be healed c. Secondly They shall be given to salt which hath a double interpretation given of it First they shall be given up unto a perpetual barrenness Deut. 29,23 The whole land is brimstone and salt it is not sowen and neither grass nor any thing grows therein So Abimelech dealt with Shechem he beat down the city and sowed it with salt Judg. 9.45 Psal 107.34 a fruitfull land he turned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into saltness that is barrenness and so Jerom given to salt Ut in perpetuum frugibus careant that they may not bear fruit for ever Secondly Given to salt ut alios condiant exemplorum sale that is he shall be given up unto some exemplary judgement that may teach all other men to beware For he that built his house and not upon a rock when the rain falls and the winds blow he will fall and the fall of that house will be great Doctrine Some men that live under the purest and the most powerful Ordinances are in judgement given up unto a perpetual barrenness For the explication of this there are these sour particulars First that God doth by the Gospel execute spiritual Judgements as well as confer spiritual blessings Secondly that of all judgements those that are spiritual are the most dreadfull Thirdly why the Lord doth in Judgment give men up to a barrenness under the Gospel Fourthly the manner how the Lord doth this and how these Judgements are executed in an ordinary way First the Lord doth by the Ordinances of the Gospel execute spiritual Judgements as well as confer spiritual blessings there are the greatest curses as well as the greatest mercies come out of Zion all Judgements both temporal and spiritual come out of Ordinances for as they have the promises of this life that now is and that which is to come so there belongs to them also the threatnings of the life that now is and that which is to come temporal Judgements come out of ordinances Ezek. 10.2 Take fire from off the Altar and scatter over the city they thought that the fire of the Altar had served for nothing else but ad expianda scelera Calvin To expiate their sins but the Lord doth let them see that it will burn their City also 1 Cor. 11.30 for this cause many are sick and many weak and many are fallen asleep and when the day of Revelation shall come that the Counsels of God and the hearts of men shall be made manisest we shall then see that many of the Judgements that now we complain of will be found to be fire taken off the Altar and to be inflicted for the neglect and abuse of the Gospel which now we do very commonly attribute unto other causes every man according as his own fancy or party leads him and also spiritual Judgments as Rev. 4.5 there are before the throne the seven spirits of God all spiritual gifts and graces are poured out in Ordinances and there are out of the throne thundrings and lightnings and voices which note the terrible ways that the Lord has of punishing wicked men for their contempt and neglect of the Gospel Fulgura tonitrua terribilia supplicia significant nec ullo modo vitanda Brâ—ghtman Judgements from Heaven shall be poured out immediatly upon the spirits of men and that from Heaven Isa 28.13 The word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept and line upon line here a little and there a little that is summacum industria indulgentia He did it daily and he did it with a great deal
branch in me that bears no fruit my father takes away that is he is cast out of the vine of which he did seem to be a branch and he withers and is thereby prepared for to be fuel for the fire its true if there were the least fruit or the least hope and expectation of it it would be reprieved for if there be but a cluster Isa 65 8. the Lord saith spare it for there is a blessing in it but when Christ comes to expect fruit and findeth nothing but leaves no fruits thereon then there is a curse neer Never fruit grow on thee henceforth for ever And by such a curse the man withers at the root immediatly Chrysost de poenit doth allude to the manner of men Chrysost Romanae leges poenam praegnanti deferunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the Laws of men spare for the fruits sake how much more will the goodness and the mercy of God do it if there be but a cluster but where there is no fruit there is nothing now between that and the fire there is nothing so much as to defer the judgement There is a double curse upon a barren tree not only the original curse which is the ground and cause of barrenness but there is a particular curse when the Lord pronounceth a sentence of perpetual barrenness to this very end that the soul being cut off may wither and may thereby be prepared for the fire and it is said they are withered and men gather them they are cast into the fire and they burn the fire of Hell burns so fiercely upon none as upon them that are cast out as withered branches in judgment for their unfruitfulness Fourthly why will the Lord give men over to a perpetual barrenness that they shall never more bear fruit but as it is said Iude 12. They are without fruit twice dead and pluckt up by the roots as there is no fruit for the present so there is no hope of fruit for the future for the Tree is pluckt up by the roots these are men given up to perpetual barrenness and the grounds of it are such as these First if any thing would make them fruitful the gospel would for we see that if the waters that issue out of the sanctuary run out into the dead sea the waters shall not be healed and that there is as little hope of fruit from such as there is of the dead Sea that it should be yet fruitful and therefore Zach 14.8 Living waters shall go out from Ierusalem towards the first sea this mare primum is nothing else but mare mortuum or the dead sea and why are they called living waters not only formaliter or as they are aquae perennes such as do always flow but effective because they do beget life where they come and all things where the waters come do live and there are trees for fruit on every side because the waters do come thither yea even when there was as little hope either of life or fruit as there it now in respect of the dead sea Secondly there is no other use to be made of them they must be either for fruit or else for fuel for men that live unprofitably under the Ordinances are good for nothing as it is with a vine if it be not fruitfull it is usefull for nothing else in the world for a man cannot take a pin from it Ezek. 15.3 those that are branches in the vine fruitfulness doth prepare it for pruning and soiling for every branch in me that bears fruit the father purgeth that it may bring forth more fruit so barrennes unfruitfulnes doth prepare it for lopping that it be cut down that it may be profitable one way for all the garden of Paradise the Lord hath reserved for one of these ends some of them because he would not have them all perish he hath reserved for fruit and some when he hath a long time expected fruit and indured with much long patience and suffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destructâ—on now he cuts them down and lays them up for fuel for Prov. 16.4 he made all things for himself and he will make some advantage of all the creatures to his own glory they shall be some way or other serviceable either as vessels of mercy or as vessels of wrath either to honor or to dishonor Thirdly the Lord doth this because therein are several provocations that they are unto him First he hath bestowed much labour upon them for the father is the husband-man and his eye is in reference unto fruit Isa 49 45. I have laboured in vain and spent my strength in vain When he hath dunged and digged about it not only the barrenness but the loss of his labour then is a provocation then the Lord lays a man out of his hand Ier. 6.29 Then reprobate silver shall men call them when the Lord hath rejected them I would have formed you I would have purged you but now you shall never be formed or purged Secondly the Lord expects fruit Isa 5. I looked for grapes for though nothing is hid from God yet he speaks after the manner of men through his patience and long suffering waiting upon them that never bring forth fruit now it is a dangerous provocation to deceive his expectation Isa 5.12 I looked for mourning but there was rejoycing with the harps c. This iniquity shall not be purged from you till you die Thirdly they dishonor the Lords vineyard that there should be found fruitless trees and therefore the Lord is provoked against them to take them away which he doth by giving them up to perpetual barrenness this Judgement is that which the Saints fear and bewail as Beza saith Beza Tanquam monstrum inter filios Dei sto inutile lignum to serve for nothing but to fill up a room to the dishonour of the vineyard and that is very dreadfull Culcate me salem insipidum good for nothing neither for the land nor for the dunghil and upon these grounds the Lord gives up men to live under the Ordinances of the Gospel unprofitably that they have no saving effect upon them he gives them up a perpetual barrenness they are given to salt Vse Use Ye that live under the Gospel and glory in it as the Jews did under the Law fear lest the Lord give you over to this Judgement for many are called but few are chosen A very dangerous thing it is to live under spiritual Ordinances and influences with carnal hearts and to this end let me exhort you to fear the several steps and degrees by which commonly God doth give men up to it and they are such as these First men miss of Christ who is the only fruitfull Root for it is in him only that you bring forth fruits Joh. 15.5 without him you can do nothing when men begin their Religion with duties and performances without a work of regeneration which tends unto Union
with Christ for the term of vocation is union they were never cut off from their old root and never had experience of an ingrafting work never knew what it was to be translated Col. 1.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verbum deductum ab iis qui colonias transferunt e natali solo Its a Metaphor taken from transplanting of Colonies They are in him by profession only without any real implantation for Christ as he is a vine upon earth has in him many unfruitfull branches though as he is a head in Heaven so he hath no dead members and this is the great ground of all barrenness and so all that a man doth is but building upon the sand when it flows not from Christ through the union of faith which is the ground of all fruitfulness Non semper ore non semper meditor sed vestio dormio bibo comedo c. Haec omnia si in fide fiant tanquam recte facta divino judicio approbantur As are my prayers so my eating drinking sleeping and clothing my self they are all Luther fruit abounding to my account in Christ Luther Gen. 33. Secondly he gives them up unto a heedless spirit in the things of God so much of Religion as shall uphold a form they take up but they regard not the keeping of their hearts and the approving of themselves unto God in secret there is a cultus conscientiae that is wholly neglected 2 Kin. 10.31 But Jehn took no heed to walk in the Law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart what shew so ever they make of Religion and how great so ever their pretences are yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 2.3 They neglect or they care not for the salvation that is offered therein Bernard Vita uniuscujusque non cognoscitur nisi in conscientia Bernard A mans life may seem as fair in a hypocrite and as fruitful as in a godly man but it is the inward frame of the heart and the constant care of that in which Religion doth consist and if a man do duties with a Spirit of inadvertency they are none of them fruits but leaves and make way for a judicial barrenness Thirdly he gives them up unto new opinions and these do ingross the heart and take up the strength of the man by contests of this nature whereas the kingdom of God consists not in meat and drink Rom. 14.17 and when men are given up to this then Hylar quas volumus doctrinas coaptamus Hylar That must go for true doctrine which is agreeable to their apprehensions and there is more pains taken in contending for and in maintaining of such opinions and things which we have made our own then there is about knowing or practising all the Truths of Christ and the duties of godliness besides and so the whole practice of godliness is neglected while the man is sinfully busied in novelties and unpractical curiosities and so urbem produnt dum castella defendunt when as in absoluto facili stat aternitas The things necessary to salvation are easie and as for lesser disputes be not much in them say Elias cum veniet Let us leave this unto the day of Resurrection which will declare of what sort every mans work is whither it be gold or silver hay or stubble and the truth is this is a grave in which Satan hath buried many a soul causing men to fall in love with their own births and apprehensions and thereby to take them off from the things which are of eternal concernment in the things of God which turn men commonly from Idolatry to Heresie Fourthly the Lord gives them up to have their thoughts set much upon other things as it was with the thorny ground the thorns sucking in the strength of the soil choaked the seed Matth. 13. One is taken up about getting an estate and another about raising a building of honor and another he is busied in the great affairs of a Commonwealth and he talks of making of Laws defeating of enemies saving of Kingdoms c. and in the mean while he himself is lost Matth. 7 22. There is a man busie preaching to others whilst he himself is a castaway and casting out devils out of other mens bodies when he himself is all the while in his inward man possessed of the devil and so while he is made a keeper of the vineyard he neglect to keep his own vine Cant. 1.6 And so many a great Statesman gives the same accompt at his death as Luther brings in Cicero complaining Luther Olim frustra me sapientem putatum vocem indignationis desperationis plenissâ—mam c. So that men never consider by their gifts and places and powers they bear fruit among men and be usefull to a Civil State they never think of being useful to the people of God and saving of their own souls but it s one thing to live fruitful towards God and another to be thought so by men as it s said of Jeroboams son There was found some good thing in him towards the Lord God of Israel Therefore consider that may be good among men which is not good towards the Lord God of Israel Fifthly After this the oath of God passes on the man there is a swearing in his wrath against men now as there was against Israel of old Hebrews 3. and therefore we also must take heed for this is the most dreadfull Judgement can come among men and this oath though it be secret yet it hath this effect that the Spirit of God in the common works and gifts is by degrees withdrawn for though there be a decree that passeth upon every mans eternal estate as an act of the Soveraignty of God Iacob have I loved and Esau have I hated and the foundation of God remains sure the Lord knows who are his yet there are many strivings of the spirit of God about a mans eternal estate before the Lord swear in his wrath he shall never enter into his rest for my spirit shall strive with that man no more Gen. 6.3 for as the Lord will not always suffer his Ministers to speak in vain therefore sometimes he saith they shall be a reprover unto such a people no more and therefore he will change the orb in which the stars sometimes shine he that hath them in his right hand so he will not always suffer his spirit to strive in vain and therefore he doth call home this Spirit as his extraordinary Embassador when he prepares open war against that man and all Treaties of peace are at an end the Lord will treat with him about the matter of reconciliation no more Sixthly after this there comes upon a man from the Lord as a fruit of this oath a spirit of slumber and a heart that cannot repent Isa 29.10 the word in the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same that 's used of Adam when the Lord took out his rib
give us is this Doctrine Holiness is the only way to happiness there is no seeing of God in glory without it none shall see God but the holy man And here for the right understanding of it we are to consider holiness three waies First quoad principium according unto the principle of it and that is Regeneration when the seeds of holyness that is holy principles are sown a new image is begun Secondly quoad incrementum according to the increase of it which is sanctification by which he that is new born to God grows up to the perfection of those habits received in the fear of God Thirdly quoad exercitium for the putting forth of those inward improved principles in a way of holy walking and this is in Scripture called obedience without holiness in all these suitable to the time and means that God doth vouchsafe man in a measure of truth and sincerity there is no hope to see the Lord. First Holiness quoad principium which is commonly called regeneration and without this there is no salvation John 3.3 Jesus said verily verily c. except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God we have first the manner of the assertion first nota dignitatis there is no truth but is a beam from the father of light but there are some truths more precious and of greater worth then others Secondly not a certitudinis all his words are true yet he doth set a special impress of truth for to be observed upon some words more then upon others Secondly the thing asserted except a man be born from above non unius partis correctionem sed totius naturae renovationem designat Calvin Calv. T is not the understanding is blind Labour to get it illightned the morals are ill Labour to reform them it is not the change of a mans way or his leaving some sins and taking up the practise of some duties but it must be A new nature as if he were new born into the world 2 Cor. 5.17 thou must have a divine nature a new creature there is nothing of the old building will serve all things must become new t is called therefore the new creation of God Thirdly the universality of the assertion aequivalet universali what age or calling or condition soever though this man were one that lived in the Church a Pharisee civil in his Conversation a Saint in his generation he was a man that had attained a more then ordinary pitch of knowledge a teacher and of a good disposition a man not bitter against Christ as the rest of his sect were and yet Christ saith to him he must be born again a man may be a member of a Church of a loving and ingenuous disposition a fair and unblamable conversation and a man of that eminency in knowledge that he may be a teacher of others and yet this man must be born again or he cannot see the Kingdom of God Fourthly the necessity he puts upon it also the Kingdom of God is both the Kingdom of grace here and hereafter of glory and to see it is frui to enjoy it participem fieri as ver 5. he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God so that to see it is to enter into or to have a mans own part and portion in it with the rest of the Saints so that let a man be never so great in the world never so eminent for profession let his outward carriage be never so upright nay Angelical yet if he hath no birth but his first birth he is not in Gods account a member of this Kingdom of grace nor hath any right to the priviledges of it here or of the Kingdom of glory hereafter he hath no part or portion therein There are two parables by which Christ doth hold this forth to us clearly first that of the marriage of the Kings son Matth. 22. there is a guest that comes without a wedding garment it is not a sleight thing to come to the ordinances in the Gospel in an unregenerate state if there be but one the King will come in to see the guests this wedding garment is Christ put on by faith in a work of vocation and the image of Christ begins in a man in the work of regeneration and he shall be cast out from the wedding that is so in the day when the Lord shall come and visit the guests so that parable of the foolish Virgins Math. 25. First Virgins they were and kept their garments from gross pollutions Secondly they were Professors and they joyned in society wih the wise Thirdly in high esteem they were for they had oyl in their Lamps they did shine as Lights in the world Fourthly they held out with great expectation unto the coming of the Lord for they went out to meet the Bride and yet they were shut out when the Bridegroom came because they had oyl in their Lamps but none in their Vessels the gifts of the Spirit of God are of two sorts some qualifying as the Spirit is forma assistens and works upon them in acts and this is oyl enough to cause them to make a profession and to shine as Lights in the world but some are renewing as the Spirit is forma informans A spirit dwelling in the Saints as a fountain of living Waters springing up to Everlasting life Now they that had the one without the other were shut out with I know you not c. And we have one famous instance in the Scripture and that is of Timothy he was born in the Church of godly Parents there was faith unfeigned in his grandmother Lois c. he was one Religiously educated for he knew the Scripture from a child and he was a child of a great deal of forwardness in so much that the People of God had great hopes of him there were many Prophesies that forespake him that he would be an eminent and a blessed instrument in the Church of God Paul saith according to the Prophesie forespoken that went of thee and yet for all this there had been no Salvation for Timothy but that he was begotten by Paul through the Gospel He is my own son in the faith 1 Tim. 1.2 And the reasons of it are two First it is in Regeneration that a man receives a new and another spirit 1 Cor. 2.12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God My servant Caleb hath another spirit saith God Numb 14.24 There is a double spirit that acts all Mankind all unregenerate men are under the power of the devil who is the spirit of the world the world lies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Ioh. 5.19 In aliquo posicum esse est sub ejus esse potestate Camer And this spirit acts and effects works in all the children of disobedience yea even in the elect before their conversion before their regeneration the strong man armed keeps the house till a
measure that Christ hath appointed unto them and with which he will fill and enrich them that are the body of Christ of which every member is a part and which he by the increase of his grace doth fill up which is in this respect as it were imperfect till the measure of his Saints be filled not only in suffering Col. 1.24 but in graces also Now the Lord having appointed them a measure which they are all in this life to fulfill as he will not destroy wicked men till they have fulfilled their measure fill up saith Christ to the Pharisees the measure of your fathers iniquities so neither will he translate the Saints till they have fulfilled their measure which is done by some sooner and some later and when the measure is full as then Rev. 19. He doth tread the wine-press of his Fathers vengeance upon the wicked So when the Corn is ripe he doth put in his Sicle and reap and gathers it into his barn c. therefore Job 5.26 Thou shalt come to thy grave in a good full age as a shock of Corn in his season God will not reap till his harvest be ripe therefore the Lord hath appointed a measure and what it is we know not we should set no bounds to our selves but strive unto the uttermost adding one degree of grace unto another so be sure of this till thou attain thy measure thou shalt never be received unto glory and therefore unto the actual possession of grace growth in grace is as necessary in some respects as truth of grace is What is the reason that a wicked man doth commit iniquity an hundred times and his dayes are prolonged it is because he hath not filled up his measure Joel 3.13,14 So what is the reason that some of the Saints are taken up betimes into Heaven and others of the People of God are a long time in the world Why it is because they have not fulfilled their measure for the Lord would not stay a day beyond his time in the one as well as in the other the one is ripe for wrath and the other is made meet for glory Thirdly look upon Holiness quoad exercitium and so it s called Obedience and this also is necessary to salvation that unto men grown strong Christians without the exercise of Holiness in wayes of Obedience they can never see the Lord A man must run before he can receive the prize 1 Cor. 9.24 And he must fight the good fight of faith and finish his course before he shall receive the Crown of righteousness 2 Tim. 4.8 To him that overcometh I will grant to sit upon my Throne as I overcame and am sat down with my Father upon his Throne c. Rev. 3.21 It s called The Labourers are worthy of their hire the hire is for the Labourers and for none else Opera non sunt minus necessaria quam sides ipsa Luther Obedience and good works are in some sense as necessary to Salvation as Faith I say as necessary though not in the same kind as the Instrument of Justification And there is also a double ground for it First because there is a measure of Obedience which the Lord hath appointed unto all the Saints before they shall be translated it shall not be till their Obedience is fulfilled 2 Cor. 10.6 as men shall not take them away The Witnesses shall not be slain till they have finished their testimony Rev. 11. So God will not take them away till they have finished their course Joh. 17.2 saith Christ Father I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do and a Saint shall not be taken from hence till he be perfected I work to day and to morrow and the third day I shall be perfected that is in respect of the work that was given him to do and the perfection of the service is the perfection of the man the same is true of all the Saints when they have brought forth their uttermost fruit unto God and their work is ended they shall never till then be translated Secondly all men that are received into glory they are received unto the degrees of glory unto which they are appointed and though its true that by Conversion they are put into a right of glory but degrees of glory are answerable unto degrees of service which men are in this life drawn forth for though God will not reward men for their works as if they were the meritorious cause yet he will for degrees reward them according unto their works and so good works are a good foundation by which men lay hold of eternal life 1 Tim. 6.19 As Christ hath upon his head many Crowns sutable to the multitude of his Victories Rev. 19.7 Amongst the Romans there was a common Crown and some Crowns that were more special and peculiar Corona Civica and Navalis c. So there is a common Crown too belongs to the Saints as they are in Christ and so enter into their Masters joy but there are some peculiar Crowns which belong unto some more then to others answerable to the special services that they have performed upon Earth As the Apostles shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel There are stars primae magnitudinis though all the righteous shall shine as the stars yet it is observed by our Divines in the Angels themselves that though there be no difference betwixt them in natura Angelica the Angelical nature is alike in all Yet in of ficio in office there is a great deal of difference in the glory of the Angels as the Lord doth employ them some in more high and excellent services then others and answerable to that shall their reward be the essential glory shal be all alike but there is an additional glory that shall be made out unto them answerable unto the services that they have performed therefore it s true of holiness in this large extent of it That without it no man shall see the Lord. There is but one Use I will make of it which is of marvellous concernment unto every one of you Vse The Use shall be of Examination prove your selves for without holiness there is no salvation it is that in which men are apt to deceive their own souls Job 34.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an hypocrite that the hypocrite reign not least the people be ensnared the word signifies nubilus a man in a cloud or velatus pallio Aven Avâ—… a man that covers himself with a cloaâ— men find out often-times artificial coverings for themselves and thereby deceive their own souls it is not holding some opinions in matters of Religion or going zealously with some one partie it s not barely appearing for truth for thou maist do all this and be unholy a worker of iniquity and if so there is no vision of God for thee But how shall a man know whether or no he be holy according to the
it by this if you hate your own iniquity if that be your great care Psal 18.23 Ezech. 7.19 they shall not satisfie their souls because it is the slumbling block of their iniquity c. 13. neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life that is the whole comfort and delight of their lives doth come in by it it is all the pleasure and the joy they have men looking upon the vanity of the world every man hath his Treasure something that he doth chuse to himself either in his age Psal 119.9 or in his calling or in his acquaintance in his custom and if ever a man do meet with an opportunity of temptation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is then he is to take heed to himself as the exhortation is in Luke 8.13 you have been Conquerers take heed now you be not overcome with the Devil and you have fought for liberty take heed you be not the worst of slaves as that man is that is a servant to his lust You have asserted the liberty of others maintain your own liberty also and be not the servants to sin Fifthly if you be holy you will have respect unto all the commandments Psal 119.6 he that doth despise any one Commandment makes conscience of none it is universality that is the great note of sincerity now to live in the willing neglect of any known duty and the Law of God comes in against a man and the man is afraid to hear of such a duty because his guilt arises and his trouble is renewed thereby and therefore the man would shift it off would disburden himself of the sens of it surely then that soul has cause to fear holiness is not his aim but now when the commandment comes and the man is a co-worker with God as it were and is willing it should be set on upon his soul and is not willing to give himself a dispensation from it but he saith I must walk up to the extremity of the rule and observe it to the uttermost extent of it for I must be Judged by it God will lay Judgement to the line c. this is the sense of a holy heart Sixthly if you are holy your holiness will answer the Law of God for it is the Law written in the heart that you must come up to you have obeyed from the heart that forme of Doctrine which was delivered to you we are cast into it as into a mold and therefore it must be a perfect form there are the great things of the Law Rom. 11.17 Heb. 13.8,9 and it was the sin of the Pharisees that they only regarded lesser things and left the great things of the Law undone and it s the great sin of hypocrites whether it be in point of sin or in point of duty to be only zealous against lesser things therefore trie your selves by these rules for it is a matter of the greatest concernment of your lives c. By these may you know if you are in the way to the Beatifical vision by these may you judge of your holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Babylons utter ruine THE SAINTS Triumph At a Thanksgiving for the victory of Ireland against the Irish Aug. 29. 1649. REVEL 18.2 Babylon the great is fallen is fallen c. THE great works of the Saints in this life are to believe Gods promises and to serve his providence and reflect his praises and it is the great thing that God doth expect as the fruit of all his marvellous works that when his works do praise him that is give matter of praise his Saints should bless him Psal 145.10 and for this cause there are three titles given unto the Saints in the Scripture First they are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that take delight in the works of the Lord they being all of them wonderful and glorious and only to be admired whereas other men only study the works of men and be taken with them but they only take pleasure in studying the works of God Secondly they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taking pleasure in them they study them and search into them that they may find out all the excellency and glory that is in them which at first sight no man is able to find out Psalm 111.2 Thirdly they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords Recorders Isa 62.6 they received the promises of God and their accomplishment of these things the hearts of the Saints are a faithful Register his mercies are written in their hearts as well as his Laws the one that they may serve him and the other that they may rejoyce in him Now you that have pleasure in the works of God ye are come before the Lord this day to enter an eminent National mercy upon publike record and if ye search into it after a diligent scrutiny ye will find there are these six things specially to be observed therein First it is a return not only of late but of antient prayers It is one of the great Questions that the Saints of God have as matter to dispute in all the mercies that they receive whether they have them as effects of providence or as the heirs of the promise whether they have of them only a jus Politicum or Evangelicum the one indeed non fundatur in Gratiâ but the other is now if it be given in answer to prayers it is a birth of the promise which the prayers of the Saints help to deliver Isa 37.3 but specially when mercies have been long delayed and the answers of prayers have been long deserr'd wheâ— Abraham had prayed for a child twenty years then to have the promise speak and when thechildren of Israel had prayed 70. year then when they were even out of hopes and gave their prayers for lost now to be answered in them made them to be like them that dream to recover an old debt and to receive a ship safe home and richly laden that hath been long at Sea and we know not what was become of it it comes home with the greater joy Why doth the Lord delay the answers of the prayers of his people not that he doth not intend to grant them for Bernard Bernard Priusquam engrâ—ssa est oratto ex ore tuo ipse scribi jubet in libro suo But he doth wait to be gracious Now delaying of the mercy doth raise the price of it now ye come to reap of the harvest of many of your prayers that are past and gone that you even now gave for lost there is a twofold joy that the Scripture speaks of as transcendent the joy of harvest and the joy of souldiers when they divide the spoil and truly there is matter of both these joyes in this mercy administred to you for you divide the spoil of the enemie and with all you reap to your selves the harvest of all your former prayers and petitions Oh how did
the mercy and this brought a Judgement upon him and upon the whole land 2 Chron. for let me tell you of all things God can least bear the despising and contempt of his mercies there are two things that are very terrible to the Saints and that they are afraid of and would be preserved from First that they reap not curses from the Ordinances of God which are usually the great means of blessing Secondly that they have not Judgements grow out of mercies because of their unanswerable walking under their present enjoyments Thirdly the praises of the Saints are as terrible unto the Churches enemies as their prayers you think it is your duty to pray often truly it is your duty to praise God also for Psal 8.2 out of the mouth of Babes and sucklings he hath ordained strength to still the enemy and the avenger it is spoken of Satan and of all spiritual enemies So the children of Israel 2 Chron. when they praised God in the beauty of Holiness God set ambushments they destroyed their enemies with the sword that proceeded out of their mouths Orabilibus telis and that is as much by their praises as by their praiers therefore if you would not have the present mercy prove a future judgement and if you would have the work go on let me exhort you as you did give in your assistance in prayer for this beginning of mercy so let not your praises be wanting with-hold not them for the perfection of it So let all thy enemies perish oh Lord but let them that love thy name be as the Sun going forth in its strength And now I address my self unto the words out of which I would speak something as matter of your thankfulness and meditation suitable unto this present occasion Babylon the great is fallen is fallen there are in the words four things to be opened First who it is that speaks Secondly who this Babylon is of whom it is spoken Thirdly why called Babylon the great Fourthly why its put in praeterito pro futuro is fallen and why it s set down by way of ingemination is fallen is fallen c. First who it is that speaks it ver 1. it is an Angel that came down from Heaven having great power c. By Angels some do expound the heavenly hosts those ministring spirits that are sent forth for the good of the Elect which are therefore called principalities and powers because of that great and that glorious government that the Lord hath committed unto them during the Mediator Kingdom of Christ Ezech. 1. the spirit of the living creatures is in the wheels so that they have a great hand in the government and the administration of all things below and in this doth their degrees of glory consist in officio in the office in which the Lord Jesus doth imploy them they differ not in their nature at all but only in their office as Zanch. observes answerable unto what the Lord Jesus will employ them in for they are the great instruments and officers in the ordering of all things and when Christ shall give up his Kingdom then shall they lay down theirs for Cor. 1.15,28 he shall put down all rule authority and power Calvin de principatu Angelico etiam intelligitur all power and authority that was set up by the oeconomical Kingdom of Christ shall at the giving up of that Kingdom be laid down and therefore according unto the particular services in which God doth imploy the Angels such a great work is committed unto one Angel and another great work is committed unto another 2 Dan. 10,21 Zach. 6.8 the Instrument of Vengeance went forth into the North So Rev. 7. there are four Angels that held the four winds that they must not blow upon the earth that is motus bellicos Impetus hostiles and some there are that sound the Trumpet unto war and then if the Angel go out before them he stirs up all the Instruments amongst men and all things shall succeed accordingly to that saying of Opera divinae providentiae Angelico administerio geruntur answerable unto the work so there is an Angel to whom the great care of it is by Christ committed for they are ministring spirits sent forth for the good of the Elect. Some by Angels understand messengers and Instruments raised up amongst men whether Magistrates or Ministers and so Brightman Brightman vir aliquis praestans egregius qui subito nec expectatus adveniet quemadmodum res quae coelitus delabuntur Suddenly and unexpectedly as if he had discended from heaven some great instrument that the Lord would unexpectedly raise up which I should not understand of any individual persons and bring it down to this man and the other as the seven Angels full of vials unto Rome not to seven individual persons but for seven sorts of Instruments â—nd officers that God would successively raise up for to finish that work which should though they be many all concurr as one person to effect that about which they are employed Now I shall chuse to put both these together and to understand it of heavenly Angels which the Lord Christ imploys in these administrations which have the first hand in the work and also all men all sorts of instruments and officers that those Angels do stir up and imploy for the Spirit of the living creatures is in the wheels and when I am gone forth the Prince of grace shall come therefore the Angels and the Instruments stirrd up and acted by the Angels the Lord looks upon as but one person c. So that first the ruine of Rome and all the Roman power is committed unto an Angel and therefore if all the power of the earth were engaged for it to support Rome yet this Angel is a mighty Angel and he will surely destroy it and if an Angel hath undertaken it he will not want instruments those that he will surely in all ages stir up to effect it Secondly Romes ruine as it is the work and office of the Angel so it is unto the Angels matter of joy and triumph for as the conversion of the Saints is joy to the Angels so is the destruction of the enemies also but especially unto those Angels that are employed as officers therein as Ezech. 9.1 there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto the Angels the ordering of that great work was committed and therefore they are said to have the charge of it the Babylonish Armie did the work but the Angel that had the charge of it ordered it Secondly of whom is this spoken it is spoken of Babylon Rev. 17.12.3 there is a woman seen riding upon a scarlet-coloured Beast full of names of blasphemy having seven heads and ten horns and this woman hath written upon her forchead mysterie Babylon the great the mother of Harlots who is it ver last it s that great City that reigneth over the Kings of the Earth Now this could not be litterally
Babylon for that was destroyed many hundred years before Johns time but this is Babylon in a mysterie the City that now rules over the Kings of the earth and that was only Rome a woman that did sit upon many waters that is reigned over Kingdoms and Nations and people c and this woman is brought in riding which is an Emblem and expression of power and authority throughout this whole book Now what is the Beast that the woman rides upon it is regnum sive imperium Romanum which because of its blood and its cruelty hath been alwaies expressed by a Beast with a scarlet colour c. and this hath three names given to it throughout this book for all the old enemies that were ever any of the antient persecutors of the Church is to be found in her the blood of all the Saints therefore is said to be found in her because in her was the cruelty of all former persecutors to be found Rev. 11.8 spiritually Egypt Sodom not litterally Sodom for their filthiness called Sodom and for their Idolatry Egypt and Babylon for there is all Idolatry Sorcery Cruelty so that the evils that have been in all former persecutors is to be found in them and therefore it is called Babylon by way of allusion as the Churches of Christ are called Zion and Jerusalem and the Israel of God Rev. 7. the Lord keeping to the old names so the enemies also are called Egypt and Babylon the Lord keeping unto the old names and antient resemblances So then Rome and the power thereof is here meant by Babylon for it is to be understood in a mysterie or in a spiritual sense Thirdly why is it called Babylon the great I answer it is called so upon a double ground First because of the greatness of its strength and glory it was the strongest and the most fortified place in the world in so much that when the Lord did employ Cyrus in the work it was thirteen years siege that they were fain to cut the River Euphrates into chanels and draw it dry and enter the Citie by the chanels of the River in that pit where Beltshazer the King and the inhabitants of the City were found to be all of them buried and she was the original of the Nations unto which they did all bring their glory and so it is with this Citie the merchants and the great men of the earth trade with her as Rev. 18.3 so that to see Romam in slore is one of the gloriousest sights that this lower world could afford which Fulgentius admiring raised up his heart higher by this consideration Fulgentius Quantum splendeat coelestis Hierusalem cum adeo fulgeat terrestis Roma c. Secondly it is also Babylon the great because of the greatness of their power and dominion She did set upon many waters and did rule all the Kings of the earth as Babylon did say of old Are not my Princes altogether Kings and therefore because of their dominion they are called the great City and the great City that rules over the Kings of the Earth and yet this great Lucifer son of the morning must fall from Heaven and be brought down unto the dust Fourthly how is it said is fallen put in praeterito First it is put in the Preterperfect and that is ordinary with the Hebrews Secondly by way of Ingemination and they do imply First certainly for it is a speech of faith speaking of things to come as if they were already past Secondly it notes the suddenness of it it was at hand as Christ said it is finished that is it was now neer to be ended and so it is fallen that is subito ruitura Thirdly it notes an utter ruine and destruction in the fall for it is fallen it is fallen that is it is greatly eminently utterly fallen Fourthly it is a destruction generally published over all the world and with a great deal of joy spoken of by the Saints as appears afterward when they give God the glory of taking vengeance of the great whore c. for the repetitions in Scripture do really note great affection Psal 22.1 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Psal 137.7 Down with it down with it to the ground as Sam. 18.23 Absolom my Son my Son and Isa 28.10 precept upon precept line upon line c. the expression is taken from Isa 21.9 Babylon is fallen is fallen c. it s spoken of antient and litteral Babylon and it is applyed unto mystical Babylon Rev. 14.8 there we have a threefold discovery of Antichrist First there is an Angel flies with the everlasting Gospel and they do publish the Doctrine of the grace of God in Christ openly against all the inventions of men and denounce Judgements against all Idolatry c. Secondly Rome not repenting thereof now the Lord declares it to be Babylon and a Church of God no more and now it is fallen Jam Ruinae Babylonis jaciuntur fundamenta and now the Lord having declared it to be Babylon doth begin to prepare war against it Thirdly then the people of God rise higher and declare no communion with her and that whoever doth receive her mark and Image he shall drink of the pure wine of the wrath of God without mixture Luther efficiam brevi ut Anathema sit esse Papistam Luther But now the work is at hand there is none of the enemies of Christ so great as mysterie Babylon and there is none of his enemies towards whom he hath used so much patience and long suffering bringing them to destruction but by degrees several vials have been pouring out upon her degrees of wrath poured out upon them and yet every one of these degrees is a fall of Babylon but yet the last and utter ruine of it is to come but it hast ens for the word is gone forth of the mouth of the Lord that he will have war with this Romish Amaleck and never have peace with it till it be destroyed He hath said Great Babylon is fallen c. Hence the Observations are Three First Rome mysterie Babylon shall certainly fall Secondly It shall utterly fall and be broken with breach upon breach and destroyed with a double destruction Thirdly The fall of it the Saints of God look upon as matter of the greatesl joy and Triumph Babylon is fallen is fallen it is a joyful voice to be heard in Sion by the inhabitants thereof and they that stand with the Lamb thereupon Doctrine The Doctrine from hence is Rome that is mystical Babylon shall certainly fall which will appear if you consider these particulars First consider the enemie that hath set himself against Rome is one that is able to effect it and that is the great and the Almighty God and if he lift up his hand to reap if he whet his glittering sword he will surely make a slaughter Rev. 18.8 strong is the Lord God who judgeth her it is true
bosom to mourn with them and have compassion over them and this he is to do not only for some of the great ones but he is to do it impartially over all the flock For God makes no difference in respect of any mans title or place but he that hath the best heart is the best man in Gods account and in Church members those should be esteemed by us that have the greatest graces not the greatest places Fourthly it is the Pastors duty if any man in the Church walk disorderly or inordinately he is to mourn for them Jer. 13.17 My soul shall weep in secret for your pride and Phil. 3.18 Now I tell you weeping c. Their miscarriage should be to him as the errors of a child unto a tender Father he should bewail them with bitterness to consider how they thereby go about to destroy themselves should exceedingly affect the Pastor as Christ when he beheld Ierusalems sins he wept over it and many times there is nothing left for a minister to do for a person but to shed tears Secondly he is to admonish them and that authoritatively â— Thes 5.12 Know them which labour amongst you and are over you and admonish you in the Lord that is by vertue of the authority that is commited unto me by Christ I do admonish you in the Lord and this is to do a thing in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 5.4 Yea reprove them sharply and so Paul doth propose it unto the Corinthians Whither he should come to them with the rod or in the spirit of meckness Thirdly if nothing else will do they must together with the Church in which they are have the main hand they are to stir them up to cast out such a person and to represent it to the Church according to the power that is committed unto them by Christ for the Churches edification Rev. 2.3 they must not bear them that be evil they must be cast out they should look upon it as their Burthen that any amongst them should deserve to be cast out from the Church yet they must do their duty this is the rule that they have over you in the Lord Heb. 13.17 Fifthly they must walk as examples to the flock 1 Pet. 5.3 Go before them in a holy life 2 John 10. it is said Christ is the Shepherd and he goes before the sheep and his sheep do follow him the meaning is he went before them in a holy conversation for he hath in all things given us an example a Copy to write after that we should walk as he hath walked Pastors should be a living Scripture and walking Bibles more then any other men and yet ye are to take this as a rule be you followers of us as we are of Christ and mark them who so walketh as they have us for an example Philip. 3.17 Secondly for the dispositions with which all these duties are to be done which I will lay down in six particulars First from a tender love and care God doth put this care of the flock unto those whom he calls to be their Over-seers in mercy and he doth give them graces sutable Pastors graces 2 Cor. 8.16 God did put the same care into the heart of Titus Phil. 2.26 Epaphroditus that was their Pastor he doth long for them exceedingly and his love was so great that he would not have them so much as grieved and therefore he was sorry that they had heard that he had been sick there was in the heart of our Lord Christ a Law of love written thy Law is in the middle of my bowels as there should be a love amongst the members so in a special manner in those that are Pastors and Fathers to a people their bowels should yern over them Secondly all this is to be done with the spirit of meekness in a way of Ministry and not in a way of Majesty For we are but your servants for Christs sake and we are not to rule as Lords over Gods heritage 1 Pet. 5.3 and therefore pride and imperiousness must be avoided for all that we have to do is by the word and we can rule no other way Thirdly all things must be done without self-respects and to make a gain of the people we must feed the flock not for filthy lucres sake that though the Pastor is to eat of the milk of the flocks and though it be the peoples duty 1 Cor. 9.14 God hath ordained that they should yet this is not to be the end propounded by the Minister or Pastor unto themselves for them to have such a low end as this put me into the Priests office that I may eat a piece of bread no we are to seek you and not yours and to expect our crown of glory at the appearing of the great Shepherd of the sheep 1 Pet. 5.9 Fourthly it must be with faith and an expectation that God will in a special manner bless their endeavours and labours unto that people over which God hath put them over which the holy Ghost hath made them overseers for with the call of God there doth go the blessing of God and if God do put a man into any office he may expect a blessing upon him in that imployment he doth call Christ and he doth promise him the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand and Christ sends forth the Apostles and he promises to be with them to the end of the world Math. 28.19 the people are to expect a greater blessing by them because God hath put them over them Heb. 13.17 they watch for your souls So the Ministers also that go forth with faith to preach the Gospel the Lord will make them a blessing to the people where he sends them Fifthly it must be done as those that give an account for your souls that are the people committed to his care Heb. 13.17 there are great accounts that men have to give for talents and opportunities of doing good and of Riches that God hath entrusted them with and Honours and the day of grace but the greatest account is that of souls which are precious unto all those to whom their own souls are precious and as the Lord Jesus himself comes in at the last day before the Father Here am I and the children that thou hast given me Heb. 2.13 So also this will be the work of the Ministry at the last day they will give an account of your souls O what a great thing is it for a Minister to be able to say I prayed for such a soul I instructed such a soul he was blind before and God used me as an Instrument to convey light to him I watched over such a soul for it is your souls only that we have to do with all and its only with reference to your souls that we watch over you Sixthly the Pastors of a people do their duty as those whose crown of glory it will be at the last day
success Some more and some less according as the Lord is pleased to use them or bless them and as suitable to the Churches necessities so he doth give gifts so heâ— doth give Officers also for no men are to minister in the things of God without a call from God therefore such Ordinances and Officers as the Church doth stand in need of he hath appointed and with these they ought to rest satisfied and to fancy or create no more to themselves which was the error of the first Churches when they began to degenerate and corrupt themselves when they brought in new Ordinances then did they begin to set up new officers immediately and they that will lay aside the Ordinances of God will bring in multitudes of their own as we see it in Israel they multiplyed their Idols and also they that wil lay aside the Officers of Christ wilmultiply Officers of their own Ambrose saith of the Church of God at first Ambâ—ose It did nothing without the approbation of certain Elders thereunto appointed but that being neglected doctorum desidia vel potius superbia dum soli voluerunt aliquid videri now they brought in all manner of new Officers to the great burden of the Church that under Popery they are as much burthened with officers as they are with Ordinances therefore it must be our care to have an eye to the pattern in the one as well as the other for what ever is not of the Lords appointment that he will neither own nor bless it is of such that Christ speaks of in Ioh Every plant that my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up it is those that did place themselves in Offices in the Church never planted by the Father Here are in the words two things First the Officers duty and that is first to rule and then to watch Secondly the object or subject of this authority it is not over the bodies and estates of men but their souls only Thirdly the great engagement and obligation that lies upon them so to do because they must give an account Fourthly here are the different accounts that Church Officers will give to God and that is some with joy and some with grief Secondly here is the duty of the people that are under their power First they are to obey Secondly to submit themselves Thirdly upon this ground because they are such as watch for their souls and must give an account Fourthly as knowing if it be with grief it will be unprofitable unto them And hence there are several propositions very useful to our present occasion which I will set down in their order First that the Lord Christ as head of the Church hath appointed that there shall be Officers in all the Churches there is as well an Institution of Officers and offices as there is of Ordinances and it is in a mans power to constitute the one no more then he may the other and the neglect of one is a neglect of the Institution and so of the authority of Christ as well as the other it will appear that there hath gone some great hands unto this and to manifest this appointment First Christ Eph. 4.11 it is counted there as one of his gifts which Christ gave upon his Ascension for he doth not only say that he gave the gifts that qualified men for that work and that is a mercy when the Church is enriched with gifts and the Lord doth pour out his spirit upon many of them that they be fitted for office if they be called to it 1 Cor. 1.7 2. in a Common-wealth though there be but a few Magistrates yet there be many that are fitted to be Magistrates as in an Army when the souldiers are valiant yet it s not expedient that every one is able to command a party or be an Officer c. But it is not the gifts only but the Officers also that Christ hath given his Church and they are to be looked upon as a special gift of Christ as a special fruit of his taking possession of the Kingdom when he sat down at his Fathers right hand and though they were all given for the gathering and the perfecting of the Saints yet some were but temporary others were to abide to the end of the world till all the Saints were gathered and perfected and therefore it is said that he hath set them in his Church 1 Cor. 12.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word notes a constitution a firm stablishment that cannot be changed Act. 17. the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his own power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a firm appointment and decree c. 1 Thes 5.9 God hath not appointed us to wrath but to attain salvation it s the same word So that the word signifies to appoint by a firm and a sure decree which cannot be changed he hath set them there and therefore none shall or can remove them Secondly the Holy-Ghost he also hath a hand in this Constitution Acts 20.28 Over whom the Holy-Ghost hath made you over-seers it is spoken unto Officers when they meet with the Apostles c. and for the understanding of it we must consider That the Spirit is the Mediatory Kingdom hath undertaken to be as it were a Prorex to rule for Christ therefore before the Throne there are seven Lamps of fire that is the seven spirits of God Rev. 4.5 for in the gifts and graces the Spirit is given the Gospel it s Preached by the Holy-Ghost sent down from heaven c. Now there are two things mainly that the Holy-Ghost doth in this constitution First the Spirit doth gift the men and qualifie them for the work for though there be diversity of gifts yet it is the same spirit that works in every man even as he will to one man the gifts of wisdom to another the word of knowledge but by the same spirit 1 Cor. 12.7,8,9,11 that as before Bezaleel and Aholiab did set upon the work of the Tabernacle he was filled with all wisdom by the spirit of God understanding and knowledge in all manner of work-man-ship and when Saul was called unto the Kingdom the spirit of the Lord came upon him and he was turned into another man 1 Sam. 10. Whether we do look unto the providential or spiritual Kingdom it is now in the hands of the Spirit and he knowing what works he hath to accomplish in both he doth gift men for the work in which he will employ them for though the gifts be common yet they proceed from the spirit as well as graces Secondly when a man is gifted and by the furniture of the man there is a ground to conceive God hath done it that he may employ him yet it is not enough by and by for any man to say I am gifted and therefore I will employ my self but there is another work of the spirit and that is he doth stir up the hearts of men to chuse
men to call them forth unto the works whom he hath gifted and qualified for it and this drawing out of the spirits of men in that way that the Lord would have them is a special work of the spirit of God 1 Sam. 10.26 God having gifted Saul he doth draw out the spirits of men to call him to the office of a King and to joyn with him in it whose heart God had touched and the finger of God is the spirit of God by whom the hearts of men are touched and therefore Zach. 4.6,7 Not by power and might but by my Spirit that is his spirit that is working upon the spirits of men both in instruments and opposites raising and elevating the one and subduing the other so that the spirit inclining and ordering and over-ruling of the hearts of men in such a work it is an evident testimony of a call from the spirit for their hearts God had touched c. Thirdly there is yet something more and that is persons being thus chosen there is a sanction and a stablishment from the Holy-Ghost that doth come upon them that as all the duties of the office lie upon their consciences by the command of God that whatsoever is required in that office the Lord expects it of them so all the honour and dignity of the office is due to them and that by a command from the Holy Ghost and men are to be subject for conscience sake as an act of obedience unto God as a wowan before she hath chose a husband is at liberty to marry whom she will only in the Lord but having once chosen a husband all the duties that belong to a husband she is to perform unto him by vertue of the Covenant of God and in obedience unto God and as it is with a people in the point of the Magistracy its true that civil government is appointed by God but that it shall be in this or in that form he hath not appointed and therefore though there be several forms of government yet all are lawful and may according to the rules of prudence be made use of in any state as shall be most for the publike good therefore all forms of civil government are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2.13 but having made choice of Magistracy in what form so ever the authority of God then comes upon it and ye are to obey as unto God and to be subject for conscience sake Rom. 13.5 and so it is here also and upon these three grounds it is that the Holy-Ghost is brought in for the Constitution and establishment of Church-Officers and therefore it is that he hath set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 20.28 He did constitute them in that particular place where they should be Thirdly for this cause the Apostles they took special care to set up all the Institutions of Christ as well offices as ordinances as the state and condition of the Church did require and therefore they did not only gather them into bodies but they did also set Officers over them Acts 2.14,23 They ordained Elders in every Church and the same charge and employment they gave to the Evangelists who were appointed to this purpose to confirm the Churches and to ordain Officers in every Church Fourthly and we see that all the Churches of Christ accepted of Officers and acknowledged them as such as there were Elders in the Church of Ephesus Acts 20.28 and the Church of Jerusalem had not only Apostles but Elders also Acts 15.2,22 and therefore the whole Church is brought under these two heads them that rule over you and all the Saints Heb. 13.24 They are not all Rulers all are not men in office there be Rulers that are distinguished from Saints To what end are officers appointed in the Church what need is there of them they are appointed by Christ for these ends First for the Churches perfection in the Constitution thereof for though a Church without officers be a true Church in respect of the Essence of it when there is a society of visible Saints united into one body by mutual consent in the profession of the faith of the Gospel as appears Acts 6. there was a Church at Ierusalem before there were Deacons and a Church at Antioch before there were Elders Acts 14.23 but yet it is nor a compleat Church in all the parts of it as an Organical body therefore it hath officers superadded and therefore as soon as the Apostle had converted a people to the faith first they did embody them and then for their perfection they set officers over them they did not look upon them as compleat whilest they were as sheep without a Shepherd till there be some to rule and to order them in the waies of a Church and according to the Institutions of Christ and therefore in all ages the officers have been in a special manner the glory of the Churches as the Apostles were Rev. 12.1 Upon their heads is a Crown of twelve stars and therefore Cant. 8.8 We have a little Sister and she hath no breasts that is a stablished ministery and settled officers from whom the sincere milk of the word might be sucked breasts of consolation whereby they might be supported Now this tends to the perfection of a Church as we see it described Ezek. 16.7,8 Thy breasts were fashioned and thy hair was grown it notes coming unto maturity and ripeness of age whereas a Church wanting officers is but a little sister yet in her infancy or minority c. Secondly Officers are appointed in the Church to avoid confusion therefore the Lord saw officers to be necessary 1 Cor. 14.33 God is not the author of Confusion but of Peace in all the Churches of the Saints and Col. 1.2.5 rejoycing and beholding your order according unto Gods order when every man keeps his place and rank that is they that rule keep their place and they that are to be subject keep their place for the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a military term and if either of these be wanting there will be confusion in the Church therefore he will have some to rule and others to obey that there may be no disorder and by this means no differences for its disorder that is the ground of all differences as it is order that is the ground of peace break order in a Church and you break the peace of it immediately Thirdly the Lord doth it for the Churches edification that as he doth give diversity of gifts and all of them to profit withal 1 Cor. 12.7 It is not that any of them should lie idle and be used barely for a mans self and his own advantage as an ornament to himself but for the good of the Church so the Lord doth also appoint diversities of administrations to officers in the Church that according unto mens gifts so they may have suitable employments in the Church in which they may encrease their gifts and thereby
set before other men and exalted above them for in Church societies it is not outward honours or wealth that exalts men men may be great men yet have but mean gifts and of little honour and esteem in the Church of God but also they are called by terms of authority they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place and v. 7. they are your Guides Leaders and Commanders and therefore it is taken from the Master or Pilot in a Ship that turns it about to steer it in its right course and therefore they were of old called The Masters of Assemblies Eccl. 12. and this appears so much the greater if you do consider also that they speak to you in the name of Christ for 1 Thes 5.12 They are over you in the Lord and what they do require by vertue of their office they can do it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as an Embassador hath great power because he speaks in the name of the King and they can enjoyn you as you owe obedience to Christ in whose name we speak and whose work we do therfore he that rejecteth you rejecteth me 1 Cor. 5.4 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ deliver such a man to Satan if they did it in their own name there were little power in it indeed but in the name of Christ there is great authority and there is this the more to be added because as it is a power given them by Christ and Christ is despised in them so it is a power given them by your own consent now for a man to give consent to put power into a mans hand and afterwards he denyes him the exercise of that power which he hath given him it is for a man to Judge and condemn himself in the thing which he himself allows therefore it layes a necessity upon you of subjection to this power both for conscience sake and as a thing that was done by your own free election and consent and so there is not only an authority that commands it but a Law of love also as a woman subjects her self to her husband not only as God hath commanded it and given him authority over her but also from a principle of love because this is the man that I did chuse to my self to obey and to be subject unto all my dayes therefore a double Law is broken in this respect and this still argues the greatness of an Officers power in the Church It s called the power of the keyes which doth note a very great authority and office Isa 22.22 power in the house the ordering of governing of all the affairs in a family shall go through their hands as it is said of Joseph what ever was done in all the land of Egypt he was the doer of it so it is true of them what ever is done in the Church of God it must go through their hands they must also be the doers of it and Math. 16.19 it is the keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven which is meant both of grace and glory a power to bind and loose in the Church by vertue of the Institution of Christ and what they do bind and loose or they remit or retain shall be so done in the world to come in the Kingdom of Heaven so that they shall open Heaven to the Church and if they shut them out heaven shall be shut out if they binde upon their consciences so will the Lord also in the world to come in Heaven and in this respect it is a far greater power then if a man had the keyes of the authority and Government of all the Kingdoms of the Earth Thirdly the subjects of this authority it is not the bodies lives of men or their estates but the authority is spiritual and it relates unto the soul only and this will appear First because it is managed only by spiritual means as the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world the management of things in the Church of Christ are not to be done in the way of the world it is not by any outward power and greatness or by authority and force of arms c. but all is ordered by the word 2 Cor. 10.5 The weapons of our warfare are mighty through God for it is this that is the Scepter of the power of Christ and all the authority that he doth exercise by his Ministers and Officers under him it is by the word only and if they wil not hear the word let such a man be unto thee a Heathen man let him be Anathema Maranatha to the coming of the Lord we must leave him as a man incurable we can do no more to him 1 Cor. 16.22 if the word will not reclaim him we have no way to deal with him but to set before him the Judgement that is written which if he despise then Church-Officers have no more to do but as they when they refused the Gospel did shake off the dust of their feet it will be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgement they have no power either to imprison or afflict their bodies or seise upon their estates if they obey not they can only leave men to the Judgement of the Lord. Secondly answerable unto the power such are the censures and they are all spiritual they relate unto the soul they can inflict no corporal punishment upon men but the Punishment in Scripture and first a binding of their sins Joh. 20.21 as they pardon sin in the conscience and in regard of their Church-state by receiving them after sinning upon their repentance So there is a binding of sin upon the conscience convincing a man of the guilt of sin and also the putting him out of the society so that the mans sin is bound in his own conscience and before the Church and the Lord saith It shall be bound in heaven and shall not be pardoned to him or if he be godly he shall not have the sense of pardon till by this ordinance of Christ he be again received Secondly they withdraw communion with him 2 Thes 3.14 If any man obey not our word note that man and have no fellowship with him that he may be ashamed all this is in reference to the soul that the man may be reclaimed it is only Mingle not with him that when he shall see all godly men to avoid him as a Pest and his communion as some filthyness he may thereby take shame to himself Thirdly deliver him to Satan 1 Cor. 5.4,5 Ordinances are means to inflict spiritual Judgements as well as to convey spiritual Blessings cast him out by a Judicial act from the Assemblies of the Saints and so being cast out he is in the world where Satan rules he shall have nothing to do with Ordinances more and yet all this is with special respect unto his soul it is for the destruction of the flesh that the soul may be saved in the day of the Lord therefore all power
come to Application First I desire to shew you what it is for a man to draw neer to God by sin every man he is departed from God the first design of sin is to draw a man away 1 Iam. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the further a man goes in a way of sinning the further he doth depart from God Inde 18. and all the lustings of their heart are ungodly lusts In this respect it is said the Prodigal went into a far Country Eph. 2.17 Now there is by reason of sin a double distance of enmity and estrangement The Apostle in Col. 1.21 puts them both together VVe are strangers and enemies in our minds through evil works now answerable to this double distance so must our returning to God be there must be a returning by reconciliation to take away your enmity and by Communion to take away your estrangement for Christs business is to bring us back unto God again 1 Pet. 3.18 First for Reconciliation that is not in Scripture called drawing neer so much as being made neer Eph. 2.17 You are made neer that were a far off by the blood of Christ so that by Reconciliation a man is put into a state of neerness and proquinquity That is the first thing whereby the creature returns to God but now being made neer being put into a state of union then Secondly The soul comes to draw neer that is the estrangement must be removed which is done by communion to exercise acts of communion observe it I pray I say a man must first be put into a state of neerness and made neer before ever he can exercise acts of communion and then draw neer Now this drawing neer is for a soul to come to God from day to day to improve his interest in him grow into more and more acquaintance and familiarity with him and you shall find that when a man is once brought into a state of union then the Lord calls him alwaies unto fellowship Open unto me my Love my Sister and my Spouse there are continual knocking 's of the Lord as for a further entrance there is a principle in us alwaies drawing back to perdition and you shall find that there is a Spirit within alwaies calling to draw neer unto God the Bride saith come and the Spirit saith come the Spirit in the Bride There is a great deal of distance between God and the best of the Saints for 2 Cor. 5. while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. So Ignatius of old he saith Aqua viva in me intrinsecus dicit veni ad Patrem that there was a living voice within him that alwaies called upon him And I beseech you consider a soul that is once put into a state of communion and hath tasted what it is to draw neer to God he desires a daily communion he is never neer enough he doth continually set it as a seal upon the heart When a man is once by reconciliation put into a state of neerness then in all Ordinances in all waies of obedience in his exercise of all graces the soul is said to draw neer that is to act and increase his fellowship and communion with God This I conceive to be the meaning of that expression Ioh 22.21 Acquaint thy self with God and be at peace so goodness shall come unto thee acquaint thy self with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assuesce te cum illo it is in the Hebrew and is rendred by some accustom thy self to be with him a daily commerce with God and an accustoming of a mans self with fellowship and communion with him this is properly to draw neer So that as Reconciliation taketh away your enmity so communion takes away your estrangement But you will say to me Can a creature draw neer to God if you look upon man in his natural distance God is in heaven you are upon earth can there be a drawing neer between finite and infinite cna finite and infinite have fellowship nay look upon man in his moral distance as a sinner and so can there be agreement between light and darkness can righteousness and unrighteousness have fellowship Surely God is a consuming fire and who can dwell who can engage his heart to draw neer to him Now give me leave I beseech you to clear this to you by proposing to you this consideration There is a two-fold state of a sinner There are some sinners that are in a state of estrangement unto God and whosoever you be that are here present the enmity of whose nature is not yet taken away and destroyed by a work of Reconciliation I say to you whatsoever you be you cannot draw neer to God you may have communion with duties you may pray you may hear but you can never have fellowship with God in those duties and that upon a double ground First because the enmity of your nature remains and two cannot walk together unless they be agreed and surely the neerer such a soul comes to God in any duty wherein Gods people approach to him the more God is provoked against him and the more he is estranged from him a strange expression that of the Prophet I saw him in Gilgal there I held my peace Gilgal was the place of worship the neerer any man comes the more a mans heart riseth against him and the more enmity doth encrease I saw him in Gilgal and there I held my peace you cannot draw neer to God the enmity of your natures still remains You cannot draw neer to God also Secondly because you have another society your fellowship is with unfruitful works of darkness and the fellowship the amity and love of the world is enmity unto God I remember Augustine complains concerning himself in the daies of his unregenerate condition speaking of the pride of the lusts of his Spirit Ecce hi sunt amici quibus consului quibus credidi these were the companions that I conversed with these were my friends and these were my Counsellors Now my Beloved whosoever he be that hath Communion with the unfruitful works of darkness it is no wonder if that man cannot draw neer to God I have told you already and I desire you would lay it to heart you must be made neer or else you can never draw neer you must be in a state of communion or else you can never have fellowship with God That is the first thing But there are a second sort of sinners that are made neer by the blood of Christ and these though God be in heaven and they are upon earth though they be sinners and the Lord be holiness it self nay though they in their own apprehensions shall say as Hooper once did Lord thou art Heaven I am Hell yet they may draw neer to him and that upon these six grounds I beseech you observe them A sinner put into a state of communion may upon these grounds draw neer to God The first is Gods
electing love the Lord hath separated unto himself the man that is Godly Psal 4.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is in the Hebrew he hath gloriously and miraculously wonderfully separated to himself into fellowship not only to himself for service but to himself for communion and what is the ground because you are predestinated unto followship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My Beloved when you all fell from God as well as the Apostate Angels might not the Lord have left you in the same condition with them and your doom should have been cursed and therefore cursed because you must depart but if the Lord had been pleased to have been reconciled if he had said to you as David did concerning Absolom bring the young man home but let him returne to his own house and let him never see my face if the Lord should have said I will not remember their evil against them to destroy them but they shall never see my face more they shall be estranged to me for ever you would have said this had been a mercie even your preservation but this doth not satisfie Electing love there is a double end that electing-love aims at 2 Luke 14. it is peace and good will not only Reconciliation but Communion that God may take the creature into fellowship with himself and empty himself as I may so speak with reverence into the bosom of the creature Be pleased now to consider you may then draw neer to God upon this ground of Gods electing love Secondly you may draw neer to God grounded upon the nature of the Covenant of grace under which you stand My Beloved God deals with all mankind in a Covenant-way and according unto the Covenant under which he standeth so are all Gods dispensations towards him and to that end the Lord hath made a double Covenant with a double head The first Covenant was made with the first Adam the second Covenant with the second Adam and therefore God looks upon all mankind as if there were but two men in the world 1 Cor. 15.47 The first man was of the earth earthly the second man is the Lord from Heaven Heavenly God looks upon all mankind as coming under these two heads the first Adam and the second Adam Now the Covenant of grace which the Lord hath established it hath a double propertie First it is faedus amicitiae a Covenant of friendship the Lord doth take Abram as his friend Abram my friend James 2.23 Now the School-men tell us of two sorts of relations relatio disquiparantiae connotat dominium that notes subjection and dominion as between a King and a subject a master and a servant there is not so properly communion and relatio aequiparantiae quae denotat Communionem now the proper end of friendship is fellowship for a mans friend is as his own soul and the Covenant of grace is a Covenant of fellowship therefore they may draw neer unto him being taken by God into a Covenant of friendship 2ly the Covenant of grace is a matrimonial Covenant faedus Conjugale I betrothed her in Hos 2.9 you knowin this is the neerest Communion the surest oneness in this relation beyond al other in the world the greatest friendship by vertue of an Ordinance two made one One that was heretofore a stranger shall be dearer then Father or Mother and this voluntary relation by consent shall by vertue of the Ordinance of God be more powerful then a natural relation and a man shall leave Father and Mother and cleave to his wife and if there be this power in an Ordinance of God that is but civil what efficacy shall divine Ordinances and this spiritual Covenant have Surely thou shall lie in his bosom and have the more intimate and full communion with him for ever Now when the Lord will set forth the neer Communion that his people may have with him by this Covenant this he calls a Matrimonial Covenant Thirdly you may draw neer to God grounded upon your union with the Lord Jesus Christ The Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 6.17 that he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit and by that Spriit we have access to the Father Eph. 3.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle tells that our way to God is through him we have by Jesus Christ our manuduction he is the great Favourite that leads us in by the hand into the presence of the Father Eph. 2.18 through him we have an entrance to the Father by one Spirit Christ is not only medium reconciliationis but he is medium communionis also by his satisfaction the one by his intercession the other Jesus Christ my Beloved hath a double reference to us in the work of satisfaction he is the means of Reconciliation but in all our approaches unto God being reconciled Christ is the medium he it is by whom we have Communion with the Lord. Besides In the fourth place you may draw neer to God because of your conformity to him for we are made partakers of the divine nature 1 Pet. 1.4 and we live the life of God Eph. 4.18 and we have his Image restored 1 Cor. 15.49 Conformity is the ground of communion wheresoever it is Joh. 3.6 and the more Conformity the more Communion we have and when your Conformity shall be perfected so shall your communion be Take that place and it is a choice Scripture in that Zach. 3.7 If thou wilt obey my words keep my charge I will give thee places to walk in among those that stand by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inter stantes illos who are these Those interpreters conceive to be Angels So Drusius Post mortem anima tua in chorum recipietur c. the Angels and the Saints they are taken into neerest communion So Calvin so that the more Conformity there is the more a man obeyeth God and the more he keepeth Gods charges the more the Lord will delight to give him places to walk in amongst those that stand by Nay In the fifth place you may draw neer to God for though God be in Heaven you may ascend and the soul may be above in Heaven when the body is walking here below there is a double way of the souls assent either in contemplation or affection In contemplation the soul may ascend John in Rev. 4. said I saw a door opened in Heaven and a voice said Come up hither John in his body ascended not but John in contemplation of his heart was above Col. 3 4. A man is worth as much as his love is worth Ezekiel when he was in Babylon by the River Chebar yet he saith the Spirit of God carried him in the visions of God to Ierusalem Ezek. 8.3 in his contemplation at Ierusalem and yet notwithstanding in his body in Babylon by the River Chebar And the soul may ascend in its affection Mat. 6.21 Where a mans treasure is there will his heart be and surely where a mans heart is there is his happiness
first Rule for your drawing neer Be much in the use of all Ordinances But yet observe the spiritual presence or absence of God in them Secondly if you will draw neer to God Walk in a continual fear that God should withdraw himself from you That is another Rule of Communion Truly all people that know what belongeth to walking with God and drawing neer to him know they must be acquainted with such spiritual truths walk in a continual fear of Gods withdrawing of himself from you It was the Churches misery in Cant. 5. I opened and my Beloved had withdrawn himself my Beloved had withdrawn himself August Augustine I remember speaks of a chast and of whorish fear a sinful fear and he expresseth it by the disposition of a Wife and a Harlot both stand in awe of the Husband of the man but saith he Haec virum timet ne veniat illa ne descedat one fears least the Hushand will come the other fears least the Husband will depart these are the dispositions certainly of a soul that knows what belongs to Communion with God a man that hath once obtained Communion with God to approach but afterwards the Lord departs it is uncertain whether ever he shall obtain that approach of Communion again or no. Bernard I remember it was Bernards observation and truly it is a sad one speaking of those that did fall from their Communion saith he Perpaucos invenimus qui unquam redeunt ad gradum pristinum we shall find very few of those that ever obtained their former approach of fellowship again make this your business walk in continual fears least the Lord withdraw himself In the third place If you would grow in Communion and draw neer to God you must grow in conformity unto him for I have told you already that according as our Conformity is so shall our Communion be so I beseech you observe it in Iohn 15.10 Christ saith to his Disciples Keep my Commandments saith he and abide in my love as I have kept my Fathers Commandments and abide in his love abide in his love doth our abiding in the love of Christ stand upon our keeping his Commandments it is spoken here of abiding in the sense and the apprehension of his love walking in the light of his countenance there is a double love of Christ unto the Saints there is amor benevolentiae amor complacentiae there is a love of benovelence and that is the ground indeed it is free grace is the ground of all grace whatsoever this is not grounded upon our conformity to Christ for he loved us when we were enemies But there is a love of delight and that is grounded upon the image of God in us and our conformity unto his and the Lord so much the more delighteth in the creature as he sees the more of his image in it So then if you would draw neer to God grow into conformity and your communion shall grow In the fourth place Observe the times of fellowship I beseech you remember this There are peculiar times when God draws neer to you mollissima tempora sandi do you then draw neer to God call upon him while he is neer that is the expression the Spirit of God Tertullian observes Tertullian res delicata spiritus Christi is a delicate thing a delicate Spirit easily provoked to depart when the Lord knocketh and offers love and men will not entertain it Courtiers have their peculiar times of speaking when they may have Communion in all their requests with grace Observe these times the Lord thus draws neer you cherish as your life these seasons of times and these sweet warblings of the Spirit of grace observe when God draws neer to you That is a fourth Direction And in the last place Take heed of all those sins that may interrupt your fellowship it is true indeed every sin separateth between us and God and the smallest sin the smallest body hath its shaddow but yet notwithstanding there are some sins that in a more peculiar manner break a mans Communion and hinder a mans comfort And here let me give you to understand there is a sin that the Scripture calls a mans iniquity the sweet morsel that a man hides under his tongue and will not forsake a mans darling his minion lust for as in the new man though there be all grace wrought in a mans heart yet there be some graces that are a mans peculiar excellency that art more then others Abrams peculiar excellency was his faith in Ioseph his chastity in Iob his patience in David his spirituality Now so it is in the old man though there be all sins yet notwithstanding some lusts act more then others and the uprightness of a mans heart as David observes lies in this in Psal 18.23 I was upright before thee and I kept my self from mine iniquity Now there is no sin that ingrosseth the heart like to this therefore there is no sin keeps the heart so much from Communion with God as this therefore above all evils as you do desire to draw neer to God so take heed above all sins keep down the darling corruption for there is no sin I say that ingrosseth the heart so much there is no sin that casteth so much shame in the face and takes off the Spirit in all his approaches to God as this Then these be the Rules that I commend to your consideration if you would keep close Communion with God Be much in the use of all Ordinances walk in a continual fear least God should withdraw himself from them Grow in your conformity and you shall grow in your Communion Observe especially those times when God draweth neer to you And in a special manner take care to keep your selves from your own iniquity To enforce this exhortation take these few considerations First you may draw neer to God by reason of the neer Relations in which you stand to him the great promises of the Gospel be personal promises I will be thy God and give thee my Son and my Spirit Now when God makes over himself by Covenant unto the creature it s a great ground of our coming to him had he said I will be to thee a Father or a Husband c. it would have but carried with it all the comforts that could have been in such a relation but when he saith I will be thy God that is tant us quantus est what ever there is in God shall be as truly thine for thy good as it is his for his own glory my mercy to pardon thee my power to perfect thee my wisdom to direct thee my grace to heal thee my glory to crown thee and therefore David called him the God of my mercy and the God of my life and your interest in him may be a great encouragement to you to draw neer to him Secondly the more a man draws neer to God the more communion he hath with him
the more he shall be acquainted with the secrets of God for communion lies much in imparting of secrets Abraham is called the friend of God and he had gotten such an interest in him that God can do nothing that he will hide from Abraham Gen. 18. And Moses God will speak to him as a man with his friend sace to face 1 Sam. 9.15 The Lord told Samuel in his ear In this respect it may be truly said the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and his Urim and Thumim with his holy ones these lean upon the Lords bosom from day to day and that is the seat of secrets as well as of love Thirdly the more a man draws neer to God the more acceptable will all his services be and therefore the more Moses appeared before God and stood in the gap the more God delighted in him and he turned away the wrath of God from his people Job must pray for his friends and the Lord will hear him though they were godly men yet they were not contented that it should be only well with them but they wrestled with God for others and God will honour them with the answer of prayers for they that draw most neer to God and God draws neer to them are the men of his good will God will say unto them Concerning my sons and the works of my hands command ye me c. and therefore Bernard speaking of such times of Communion Bernard Dulce commercium sed Breve momentum saith he when it is so with a man then pray for me cum talis fueris memento mei for then his prayers will surely prevail Moses prays Exod. 32. Lord pardon them c. and God repented of the evil he thought to have done to his people c. My presence shall go before thee and I will give thee rest Lord shew me thy glory Thou canst not see my face and live but I will cause my goodness to pass before thee God can in such approaches unto the soul deny them nothing Fourthly the more a man shall prosper in whatever he doth undertake Joseph was a successful man in all his undertakings and the ground of it was because the Lord was with him Gen. 39. last he kept constant Communion with God and so David in all things that he did he prospered for the Lord was with him 1 Chron. 11.9 Josh 5. the ground of all Joshua's success in war was because the Lord was with him I know a godly man doth prize his services above his comforts his work above his wages as one of the Martyrs said when he came to dye Nothing did grieve him more then that he was now going to a place where he should be for ever receiving wages and never do any more work Now if you would be employed by God and would have the Lord to delight to use you and prosper you in your undertakings keep close to him Fifthly the more fellowship you have with God the more friendship you shall find among men Indeed the people of God are commonly the persons that are most evil spoken of in the world the evil eyes of vain men are set against them and they will do what they can to render them unsavoury and they learn from their father the Devil to cast aspersions on them But yet notwithstanding they are the Lords darlings and are precious in his sight the world may throw dirt on them but it shall not stick or fasten there and if it be good for them they shall be delivered from the strife of evil tongues and in evil times when dangers come when the enemy encamps the City God will give them favour in the sight of their enemies God gave Ioseph favour in the sight of the Keeper of the prison Gen. 39.21 and Ier. 3.9,11 Nebuchadnezar gave charge concerning Ieremiah a poor man in a danger when the rest of the great Princes were not considered and among the godly they have the highest place in their hearts All my delight is in the Saints saith David Zach. 8. ten men shall lay hold of the skirt of a Iew because God is with him Communion with God here is the highest pitch of happiness next to the beatifical Vision in glory Sixthly Lastly it is the highest pitch of happiness for any people to have God for their God the People of God make this their great Boast Who is a God like unto our God and the neerer they come to God the more they have of him the fuller is their happiness and they are thereby encouraged because they know that God delights in Communion with them he calls upon them for it he proclaims it to let the world see that he that is God blessed for ever will have his Tabernacle among men he will walk amongst them Rev. 21.4 he calls them Hephzibah my delight is in them Communion is the first fruit of fruition therefore the people of God should labour for it every act of fellowship is the morning-star Rev. 2.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and doth assuredly tell that the day is approaching if it be so great a matter to have the first fruits of glory what must the possession be Consider what hath been said and the Lord give you understanding in all things THE SAINTS INHERITANCE At Mr Carryl's Church at London-bridge 1 COR. 3.22 Or things to come OMitting the Context The words contain in them the Inheritance of a Christian with the Tenure thereof The Inheritance is all things the Tenure is ye are Christs and Christ is Gods First the Saints have an Inheritance Christ is by the Father appointed heir of all things Heb. 1.13 As he is the Son he is haeres natus as he is the Mediator he is haeres constitutus The one by Generation which was an act of his Nature and the other Designation which was an act of his Will Now the Saints being made Sons by the Sonship of Christ they are also made co-heirs with him in his Inheritance Rom. 8.17 And his Inheritance being all things so must theirs be There are two things in Christ to be distinguished First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a price payd and thereby a satisfaction given unto provoked Justice and so Christ did fulfil the righteousness of the Law and payd the curse thereof Secondly there is Meritum which is a purchase made as it was perform'd by a person that was not bound unto the Law The Law indeed required it of Men but not of him that was God and Man and so the excellency of the person is the ground of the Merit and of the Purchase and the Inheritance for though it be true Meritum Christi habet in se gratiam invisceratam there is the free grace of God in all the merit of Christ Yet there is nothing that is so pure grace but that there is a purchase also therein That the Father may be truly said to give it and Christ truly said to purchase it also
c. Fifthly God hath subjected things to come unto the prayers of his people and thereby joyn'd them as it were in the same commission with his Son the Lord Christ in the government of the world Isa 45.11 Ask me concerning things to come concerning my sons and concerning the workes of my hands command you me c. There are two things that the providence of God is extended to and they are either matters of common providence and they are concerning the works of his hands And also matters Ecclesiastical which concern his Church and all things to come concerning both he hath subjected unto the prayers of his people and therefore ye that are the Lords remembrancers keep not silence And therefore Revel 4.5 it 's said out of the Throne proceeded thunder and lightning and voices Out of the prayers of his people are the great Mercies and Judgements the great turnes of the world are brought about and accomplished by this the Saints working together with God and therefore at the last day when the causes of all things shall be layd open it will appear all these great things that are dispenst either in a way of Mercy or in a way of Judgement were attain'd by Prayer Vse of exhortation Exercise Faith about things to come for this promise that things to come are the Saints as it is a ground of Faith so also it should be a ground of Hope and a rule of Prayer Therefore let me exhort you in the name of the Lord be not sinfully dejected about things to come I would not have you ignorant of the signs of the times nor secure I would have you know the Judgement of your God for he that is wise shall know times and judgement but yet I would not have you distrust and walk dejectedly for what if the Witnesses be not yet slain that ultima clades ad huc metuenda What if the Enemyes of God prevaile once more to ripen them for their greatest and final ruin What if such a temptation should befall a poor soul that he thinks he should not be able to withstand What if I be left by God unto such a sin What if such a miscry and calamity should befall mee that GOD should take away my Friend which is as my own soul and such a Relation that I took comfort in c. What will become of the Church of GOD What will become of the Ordinances of GOD What will become of my Posterity when I am gone now the Enemy is sowing Tares amongst the Wheat I have Friends few where can a man find a faithfull man Let these be the Queries of ungodly men whose enjoyments are onely present and have no ground of hope for time to come I should have given you a few directions I can now only name two or three First Rowle thy self upon the promise Psalm 10.14 Jerem. 49.11 Leave thy fatherless children with me Secondly the same Fountain of Love and Goodnes that was extended to the Saints of old is extended also to thee There 's Mercy for the future as well as at present As Faith will purifie the heart so also it will pacifie it that it shall not be afraid of evill tidings But the consideration of the great Goodness of God will support the spirit of a man in any calamity whatsoever THE GREAT DAY At a private Fast JER 30.7 Alass for that day is great c. GOD hath subjected all the works of his Providence unto the Prayers of the Saints â—sa 45.11 and therefore though we are met hereupon a particular occasion and that private yet I hope it is with general intentions to seek God for the Publick also Which perswasion put me upon the choice of this Scripture at this time I shall not detain you in the Context though there may be many weighty observations drawn from thence The words are the words of the Lord Verse 5. we have heard a voyce of trembling and not of peace and is there a voyce of trembling unto Jehovah at whose presence the earth trembles and before whom the everlasting hills do bow There is a double apprehension of the speech First that the Lord speaks it in the person of his people as taking part with them being affected after the manner of men as it 's said Isaiah In all their afslictions he was afflicted So in their trembling he may be said to travel also to shew that he was like affected towards them 2. The Lord speaks in the Person of his People reproving them and instructing them reproving them that though the Lord saith we heard a voice of trembling socordiam exprobrat It was in it self a voice of trembling but the people trembled not I and the people that foresaw the calamity yet they were so unwise as not to tremble A wise man foresees the evil and he trembles all that were wise hearted did tremble but the generality of the people did not tremble and to instruct them the Lord directs them what they should say and how they should be affected with the calamities that were coming upon them We have heard a voice of trembling and the Lord would at the last extort that acknowledgment and confession from them how secure and senceless so ever they were under his present hand and when they were brought into the sence of it they should cry out Alass for the day is great c. Here is first Jacobs Affliction It 's the time of Jacobs trouble Secondly His Consolation But he shall be saved out of it Here first we are to consider what is meant by Jacob Jacob is commonly put for all the Tribes they being all called by their Fathers Name sometimes Jacob and sometimes Israel We see it put so Mich. 1.5 For the Transgression of Jacob is all this and for the sin of Israel Deut. 32.9 What is the Transgression of Jacob Is it not Samaria c The Lords portion is his People Jacob is the Lot of his Inheritance But Israel was before these times carryed into Captivity and God had by Salmanasar removed them out of his sight only Judah did yet rule with God and was faithful with the Saints There was a Remnant of the faithful of Israel that rather then they would joyn in worship with Jeroboam some of the Levites and the people 2 Chron 11.14,16 they left their possessions and in the desolation of the ten Tribes they were preserved but when they had peace what the Lord had done they were neither moved by his Mercy unto themselves nor by his Judgments upon their brethren But They provoked the Lord they justified their Sister by their evil doings Therefore those that were preserved in the former calamity there 's a Judgment also remains for them there 's a rime of tryal that yet is reserved for Jacob and these were the people amongst whom the Prophet lived For he was in the Court of the Prison when Jerusalem was taken and this is called
of bread cleaness of teeth invasions of Enemies but never any like unto this and therefore does the Prophet call it an onely evil Ezek. 7.5,6,7 it 's come and it is not a high sound the eccho of the mountains but it shall be so in truth and in reality in which the fury of the Lord shall be poured out upon them he would give the dearly beloved of his soul into the hand of his enemies Secondly there 's none like it if we also compare Gods dealing with them and with other people The Lord hath not dealt so with any Nation as he hath done with Jerusalem and therefore they are afflicted and in captivity with the heathen Nations who are at ease and sit stil Zach. 1.13.14 For judgement must begin at the House of God and there is at the last a worse end remaining for them that obey not the Gospel c. Secondly here 's a consolation also Jacob shall have his time of trouble but it is yet but a time the people of God never enter into affliction without a promise and therefore they are prisoners of hope when they are in a pit in which there 's no water Zach. 9.11,12 There are three great promises that the Saints have under all their afflictions First they are promised support in the affliction I will be with you and there 's a River the streames whereof do make glad the City of God Gen. 15. there 's a light that goes between the peeces in the middle of the darkness the bush in the fire is not burnt a peculiar providence watches over them to keep them from fainting under the affliction Secondly they are promised Sanctification This is the fruit of the affliction to take away their sins by this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged they shall be made partakers of his holynesse and of his glory for these light afflictions that are but for a moment shall work for us a more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Thirdly there 's a promise of deliverance out of affliction Israel shall not dye in Aâ—gypt though it be four hundred years before they come forth though the Temple be trodden down of the Gentiles and the woman be in the wilderness 1260. dayes yet she shall not alwaies be in a wilderness estate and though they be in Babylon yet the Lord by the blood of the Covenant will send them forth out of the pit and he will break the yoke from off the neck of the anointing c. And some think as Calvin that to be the meaning of Is 9.1 Her dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation when he first lightly afflicted the land of Zabulon c. that was in the inroads formerly made upon them by Tiglah Pileser and was that greater then the captivity when the City should be destroyed and the Temple burnt with fire and there was no comparison in the affliction but yet the darkness should not be such and the reason is this huic certa permissionem esse additam cum in prioribus nulla esset better be as low as Hel with a promise then in Paradise without it the darkness of the bottomless pit would not be utter darkness if there were but the light of a promise for the soul to look upon for there is a time of the pro nise Acts 7.17 when it will truly speak and not lye But what are the grounds why God will not spare his own people Hence the grounds are these two First God will not spare his own people there 's a time of Jacoh's trouble when even Gods own people shall be reduced to extremity and there shall come upon them a time of straits Secondly Jacobs trouble is but for a time there 's a day of deliverance for them they shall be saved out of it The Doctrine is this Doctrin There is a time of Jacobs trouble Gods own dearest people are many times brought into a time of straits It 's true that through a mans whole life Christianus must be crucianus he must take up his cross that will follow the Lord There 's no son that he receives but he chvstises Affliction is a Childs portion in the ways of holyness their correction is as truly from the hand of their father as their provision is But my purpose at present is to speak of some special times of Jacobs trouble a great day a day of straits And God doth many times bring his own people unto this It will appear to be true from all the dealings of God with the Saints the children of Israel were in bondage in Aegypt long and their affliction was great but there was a time when the bricks were doubled and the opposition heightned so that they were as dead carrion cast out to the Ravens Gen. 15. And though Israel were hated of all the Nations which God called their evil neighbours yet there were some special straits that befell them as in the dayes of Asa 2 Chron. 14.9,10 When there came an Army of the Ethiopians an host of a thousand thousand men and in the dayes of Hezckiah when Senacherib besieged Jerusalem it s a day of trouble of rebuke and of blasphemy Isa 37.3 But yet there was a time of greater straits when they must be carried into captivity and the glory of the Lord removed from his own habitation And the Gospel was no sooner placed in the world but the great Red Dragon raised a persecution the Heathen Emperours and all the Powers of their Empire Rev. 12.1,3 And that Power was no sooner broken and the Church obtained of God a Man-child but immediately there was a flood cast out after the woman the Arrian Heresie and they persecuted the Church more then the Pagans had done before and then the Earth helped the Woman c. Then doth Anti-christ arise and the people of God do prophecie in sackcloth and ashes Witnesses they are and two Witnesses for their paucity and for their sufficiencyâ— and yet there is a time of greater straights that remains for them there is the time of their fulfilling and of their killing so that God doth reserve a time of straits for his own people there 's a time of Jacobs trouble c. First because the Lord will give unto them some eminent experiences of his providence under which they walk it 's true that he is the Saviour of all men but especially of them that beleeve and upon all the glory there is a covering at all times Isa 4.5 but the greater the straits are the more eminent shall the protection be if Daniel be in the Lyons den and the three children in the fiery furnace the wonder had not been so great if the bnsh had not been in the fire but to see it in the fire and yet not to consume that was the greatest sight that ever Moses saw before When the Earth is removed and the Mountains cast into the midst of the sea then there is need of a Song upon
claim a power over the ten Kings to depose them and release their subjects from obedience unto them and this was a power that the ten Kings did give unto him and this did arise out of the Sea from the wars and trouble and commotions that were in the world But there is another description of the Pope as he is the false Prophet which relates unto the Ecclesiastical power that he takes to himself and so he hath two horns one as a Lamb an embleme of Meeknesse and Innocency and he ariseth out of the earth that is stirpium more as things doe grow out of the earth in a secret and unobserved way Secondly the thing that they trade in is the Truths of God and the souls of men therefore contend earnestly for the Faith for when false Teachers come it is the Faith that they do mainly aim at and Satan is the grand deceiver in them And the Apostle comes also to a description of the persons with whom your contention was to be First they are described by the act of God upon them what they are in Gods Predetermination Secondly by the act of sin within them and what they are by their own corruptions First by the act of God upon them they were of old ordained to destruction The Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praescripti they are prescrib'd fore-written because there is an act of God in revealing of them that is passed upon them from all eternity It is unto this damnation that they are appointed And some read the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad hoc judicium for to be given over into such a way of sinning it 's the greatest spiritual judgement that can befall a man in this life and doth flow from a sentence and a decree passed upon him by God for he that hath ordain'd men unto damnation hath by a permissive though not an effective will appointed also the means by which he shall come unto that end that so he is ordain'd to be damn'd Secondly by the power of sin within them All ungodly men pretend what they will they have no fear of God in them nor any respect unto God they are men that are strangers unto God and live without him in the world that 's their generall description they are ungodly men that have no feare of God in their hearts and that do whatsoever they do without any respect unto God though they are many times great pretenders yet of them all it 's said that their God is their beily and all that they doe is for some low end it 's with no respect unto God Secondly they are more particularly describ'd First by their desperate opinions they turn the grace of God into wantonness Secondly by their devillish conversations They deny the Lord God and the Lord Jesus Christ it 's spoken in respect of their lives and wayes 2 Tit. 1.16 They profess they know God but in works they deny him c. And we shall ever find that monstrous opinions are ever accompanied with monstrous corruptions It 's the description of these men according unto their wicked opinions that I am to speak of at present and there are in the words three things to be explain'd First what is meant by the Grace of God Secondly what is meant by Wantonness Thirdly what it is to turn this Grace into Wantonness c. First what is meant by the Grace of God As given unto us Grace is taken two waies in Scripture either for the Gospel the Word of his Grace as it is called Acts 20.32 and so it is taken 2 Cor. 6.1 We as workers together with him doe beseech you not to receive the grace of God in vain It 's spoken of the Doctrine of the Gospel which the Lord had sent amongst them and Tit. 2.11 The Grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appear'd to all men c. It 's spoken of the Doctrin of the Gospel the Word of his grace Secondly it 's put for the impress of this Word upon the heart for it 's the word writ in the heart they are the habits of Grace in us it is into this mould we are cast Rom 6.17 and it is by looking into this Glass that we are transformed c. 2 Cor. 3. last v. It 's the Word ingrafted that doth change the man Jam. 1.21 And so we are said to receive from Christ Grace for Grace Joh. 1.16 The unction in us being answerable to that of those that are in Christ and that gratia habitualis in us answering that which was in Christs humane nature for he had the same spiritâ— dwelling in him and working habits in his humane nature that we also have but it 's not this latter that is meant here for the Devil himself cannot turn Grace into Wantonness though corruption will endeavour to mâ—ke advantage of Grace but Faith it self is the new creature the devine nature it 's that which is born of God which cannot sin Joh. 1â— And therefore it must here be meant of the Word of his Grace the Doctrin of the Gospel Secondly what is mâ—ant by Wantonness the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a wanton vam licentious and unruly disposiâ—ion of heart It is by Zanch. described to be effraenis quaeâ—am peccandi libido â—eing past feeling they gave themselves over unto lasciviousnâ—ss 1 Pet. 4.3 it 's said Whilst they were Gentiles they did walk in lasciviousness excess of wine c. It notes all manner of lust and filthiness c. Eph. 4.19 For all men doe not sin with the same lewdness nor with the same resolution of spirit that other men do Ezek. 29.13 〈◊〉 cogitaâ—…o consilium machinatio c. The more thought rulness that there is in sinning and upon the greater grounds mens lusts are bottom'd with the more confidence and fearlesness and resolution of spirit they do commit them and this loosness of spirit and resolution in any way of sinning without any check or reluctancy of spirit this is called Wantonness Thirdly what is it to turn the Grace of God into Wantonness The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies to transpose a thing and put it out of its place to turn away a thing or a person and puts it out of its forformer condition as Heb. 11.5 it 's said of Enoch that the Lord tran slated him put him out of his present earthly condition in which he was and removed him out of his place to heaven Gal. 1.6 Why are you so sâ—on carried away by another Gospel The false Teachers had translated them and put them from their station in which beleefe they stood before they removed them from it and so when the doctrine of the Grace of God that did teach men to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and was given to make the man of perfect unto every good work when this grace is by the lusts of men perverted to a quite contrary end this is to translate the
power Rev. 9. that though they had faces like men and the teeth of Lyons a great shew of meekness and yet abundance of stoutness and courage joyned with success in all their undertakings for they were crowned Locusts yet they had a sting in their tails diabolicam pseudo-Propheticam propaginem denotat all the power of their Conquest was used to no other end but to leaven and poyson all places where they came and conquered with their corrupt opinions whoever they be that use their power in this manner be their success what it will be they are in judgement and for the Torment of all where they come and such Locusts proceed out of the smoke of the bottomless pit Secondly They forsake God that forsake his worship ye are they that forsake the Lord that forget his holy Mountain to prepare a Table for that host c. Isa 65.11 Some expound it of the host of heaven and there is a great number of them for they that forsake the way of the Lord they do find out many inventions in Gods worship There is a double worship of God natural and instituted the one following upon the nature of God and the other flowing from the will of God and the latter the Lord did see necessary in all ages as medium cultus naturalis it was necessary unto Adam when he was in Paradise the Sabboth and the tree of life and the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil were then instituted it was so for the honor of God that the Lord Jesus himself observed it in the days of the flesh and did thereby fulfil all righteousness and worshipped God according unto the institution of the Jewish Church and he hath left such Institutions to be observed in his Church to the end of the world the Saints continued in the Apostles Dectrine and fellowship in breaking of bread and prayer and now men are grown so Religious as they cry down instituted worship and say that they are but forms it is true that rested in they are no more as the Ceremonies of the Jews were not but as they are Forms so they are Duties therefore to say men may use them or not use them and that Christians are sometimes for seeking under Formes but there is yet a higher way some that are unwedded unto any Forme that reserve themselves single for the immediâ—te embraces of their love What is this but to forsake the Lord because it is to forget his holy Mountain to worship God in any other way then he hath appoynted that is Idolatry and to neglect that way of Worship that he hath appoynted his people to walk with Him in that is prophaneness We complain of the prophaneness of the people throughout the Nation they are such Principles as these that are the great Grounds of prophaneness and from hence it goes forth into all the Land for how ready will all they that were weary of Ordinances and lookt upon them as a burden long agoe how greedily will they imbrace such a Doctrine as this is that may be a bribe unto their Consciences in their prophaneness and utter neglect of God surely it is a good rule qui non est Religiosus Christianus non est that man doth very much forfeit his Christianity that doth either in Doctrine or Practice in this manner decry the instituted Worship of Christ I am not willing to speak much of Officers now which is an Institution as well as that of Ordinances for the Lord hath set them in the Church 1 Cor. 12.28 and he hath appointed their term of continuance till we all come unto the unity of the Faith unto a perfect man till the whole body of Christ be gathered and perfected and the end Ephes 12.14 why he hath appoynted them is that we may not be carryed away with every wind of Doctrine that was the end why God appoynted them and this is the main reason why men oppose them because they cannot carry men away as they would by this means and theresore it is a true observation that never any man did begin to overthrow and corrupt Religion but he began with the Ministery first It is that which Adam Contzen directs to the Ministers and those that give their Testimony to the Truths of God specially suppress them error cui patrocinium deerit sine pugna concidet so calls he Truth and there is a promise made to them that God will be present with them to the end of the world and a provision is made for them to the end of the world for the Lord hath ordered that they that serve of the Altar should live at the Altar Cor. 1.9,14 though now a great part of the Religion of the times is to cry down a Ministery and so as Luther hath observed Satan hath had two ways to put out the light of the Gospel mendaciis Inopia And he saith men do profess Ministris nihil opus est they were things not much to be regarded though there is a justice to be exercised unto them as men how much soever they are despised as Ministers but it were not much to be regarded though you look upon them as men of all others the least considerable if God were not forsaken in it but to forsake Gods Worship is in the Scriptures account to forsake God Thirdly we forsake God by carnal confidence The Lord saies Jer. 2.13 they have forsaken me and they have digged to themselves broken Cisterns Jer. 17.5 Cursed is he that trusts in man and makes flesh his arm and his heart departeth from the Lord if the Lord be not exalted alone in the soul either sub ratione boni aut auxilii the heart of man forsakes him and leans on something else that is not God Now if it be Counsels of men the power of Armies the Assistances of Confederates so far a man forsakes the Lord therefore the Lord doth way lay all humane succours that they shall prove vain and unsuccessful and men shall be ashamed of their Confederacies thou shalt be ashamed of Assyria as thou hast been ashamed of Egypt thy considence yea destruction comes out of it they that sit down under the shadow of a creature it is but under the shelter of a bramble fire will surely come out of it to consume the Câ—dars of Lebanen when men turn to God they are taken off from carnal confidence they shall then say Ashur shall not save us therefore men turn to the creature when they do forsake and depart from God Fourthly men forsake God in their conversation when they neither walk with God or worthy of God the waies of sin are departing from God going into a far Countrey it is communion with Belial and walking in waies of pride oppression and uncleanness it is living without God and therefore surely it is a forsaking of him a departing from him and forsaking of his Truth and Worship is the only and special means thereunto our Saviour says
Church was a Jewish Church Blindness is therefore but in part Secondly non omnino it is not a blindness in all things but in respect of this one particular to see Jesus Christ to be the Messiah and the Saviour of the world the consolation of I srael which they expected and waited for in this respect they were under a judicial blindness they that were otherwise Ieshuron the seeing people and they that had lived in the valley of Vision and knew more of the mind of God then all the Nations of the earth besides for in Iudah is God known and his name is great in Israel c. so that there is a particular blindness in Judgement that as God may and doth hide some objects from a people as he did Lots door from the Sodomites and so the Disciples that conferr'd with Christ their eyes were held that they might not know him so the Lord doth in Judgement hide some Truths some Doctrines from men that they shal not see them 2 Cor. 3.15 to this day when Moses is read there is a vail upon their hearts that is in reference unto Christ and the things of Christ which are foretold and spoken of in the Old Testament but when they shall turn to the Lord the vail shall be taken away c. and so though they know much of the Law and the mind of God in respect of moral duties and the worship of the Lord required of them yet the intent of these either as Christ was hid in the one or as the other was a Schoolmaster to bring unto Christ so they had a blindness upon their hearts a blindness so in part was come upon them in respect of the object thus we may often note men may be knowing in some things and yet have on them particular blindness in others Thirdly in respect of the time it shall be but in part not a continual or everlasting blindness though it hath been a long and dreadful desertion as ever came upon any people never was any the like therefore the Apostle saith wrath is come upon them â—wordE the uttermost 1 Thes 2. â—6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may be either understood of those particular persons as Beza saies who did oppose the present ministerie and so wraâ— might come upon them for ever to eternity an everlasting destruction refer'd unto the particular persons who did maliciously oppose the preaching of the Gospel or else it may be understood de atrocitate paenae and so the word is used 1 Pet. 1.13 Hope to the end or hope perfectly but the end is commonly put for the finishing of any particular dispensation so the end of judgement upon the Jews Dan. 9.24,26 and Luke 21.9 the end is not by and by and so the end of any Judgement or dispensation the end of the administration of the Kingdom of Christ 1 Cor. 15.24 then cometh the end Dan 12.9 Seal the Book till the time of the end till the time that God hath appointed for the calling of the Jews and the fulfilling of this mysterie 1 Pet. 4.7 the end of all things is at hand the total desolation of the Jewish state and worship not of the end of the world is it spoken So 1 Iohn 2.18 This is the last time we read This is the last hour of what of the world no but of this dispensation to the Jewish state before their utter ruine So wrath is come upon them to the end till the time that the Lord hath appointed when they shall be called and then the Lord will cause his fury to depart from them and that shall be when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in then the wrath upon the Jews shall end and continue no longer but when the fulness of the Gentiles is come in then shall the blindness of the Iews be taken off and they shall be again ingrafted into their own Olive-Tree that is they that were called Loammi and were not a Church unto God but were cast off and termed desolate and forsaken they shall become a Church unto God again and so all Israel shall be saved By all Israel there is a double sense of it First some refer it only to the Iews and so all Israel is as much as tota gens Israelitica that whereas before even in the time they were broken off and the Gentiles grafted in and surrogated in their place there were many particular persons converted of the Jews and they were brought home unto Christ and added unto the true Church of Christ but yet the Nation still remained under blindness as rejected by Christ still but now that mercy which was before shewed unto particular persons shall now become National and it shall take in the body of the Iewish Nation which is yet preserved in their dispersions in great multitudes unto this great day of Jesreel So Beza Par. c. and they say Else the Apostle had revealed no such great mysterie to say that when as blindness was removed from the Iews then the fulness of the Gentiles that come in to the faith shall be saved and a great number of the Iews for it was plain that the Gentiles were converted and brought home daylie but the subject the Apostle had in the words is to speak of the coming in of the Jews which should be as a new resurrection and therefore they understood it not of spiritual Israel but of Israel according to the flesh others do understand it of the whole Israel of God that is of the whole Church of God which shall be made up of Jewes and Gentiles when it shall be presented by Christ unto the Father without spot or wrincle c. And it is a speech like unto that John 10. Other sheep I have which are not of this fold them I must bring in and these shall be one fold and have one shepherd What is there spoken of the conversion of the Gentiles is here spoken of the conversion of the Jewes c. and yet there is a mystery revealed in it also not to say that the Gentiles converted shall be saved that was a thing commonly known but that at the comming in of the Jewes there shall be a greater fullnesse of the Gentiles brought in and that the Gentile Church shall be great gaines by the Jewish convertion that as their casting off was the inriching of the worâ—d so their comming in should be life from the dead and that there should be a great addition to the comming in of the Gentiles and a second fulness of them brought in at the conversion of the Iewes and so all Israel shall be saved not onely natural Israel and those that were surrogated and ingraffed into their Room but also those that are supperaded unto both these For as is said Esa 60 3. the Gentiles shal come unto thy light and Kings to the brightnesse of thy rising I will send those that scape of them unto the Nations unto Taâ—shish Pull
were but two Tribes returned from Babylon we never read of the return of the ten Tribes They went into Captivity with weeping and with weeping shall they return But if so it shall be sorrow under suffering in the one and under the sight and apprehension of their sin in the other Fifthly the Scripture seems to speak as if the great meanes of their Conversion should not be by the preaching of the Gospel as the Gentile Churches are brought home unto the Lord but that it shall be by sight and by a visible appearance of the Lord Jesus unto them I shall assert nothing possitively in it onely give me leave to set before you some Scriptures that seem fully to speak so much Zach. 12.10 They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn And that it is not barely a spiritual looking upon him with an eye of faith such as the holy Ghost calls Joh. 6.40 Seeing the Son and believing on him but that it is a bodily vision and to see him with bodily eyes for Dan. 7.13 there is the Son of man comming in the clouds of heaven brought to the ancient of days to receive a Kingdome What Kingdom sure his Davidical Kingdom when he shall sit on the throne of his Father David When Christ receives this Kingdom it is not as he receives the spiritual Kingdom and entred upon the administration of the providential Kingdom that was by his sitting down at the right hand of his Father and so enter as man actually upon the administration of all things for its plain that to receive this Kingdom which shall be after the four beasts are destroyed He shall come in the Clouds of Heaven and they shall bring him unto the ancient of dayes he comes attended with the Angels and they bring him unto the ancient of days its true that Gods comming in the Clouds his riding upon the Clouds it s that which notes out the eminent visible glorious appearance of his Majesty but it s the appearance here of Christ as he is the Son of man which I conceive is never found to be so used in the Scripture but at the last day the Lord Jesus shall appear in the clouds when he comes to judgement As spoken of a visible appearance so this also shall be and so much haply is meant Mat. 4.30.31 Then shall appear the sigh of the Son of man in Heaven and then shall ye see the Son of man comming in the clouds of Heaven I know its a perplexing Scripture yet haply is meant this appearance of the Son of man not to judgement but as a signe that the judgement is neer that which they may be as truly assured of as the husband-man can be that the summer is neer when he sees the fig-tree put forth leaves c. and therefore I should rather conceive there is meant the appearance of Christ in the clouds for the conversion of the Iewes and to receive a Kingdom rather then his appearance at the day of judgement when he must shortly give up the Kingdom and I am induced rather to think so because it follows and he will send the Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather together the elect from the four windes Which is I do not conceive to be restreined unto the day of judgement though the Apostle doth so speak also of the general Resurrection 1 Cor. 15.52 The Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised the Lord shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and the trumpet of God 1 Thes 4.16 But when this Trumpet shall sound all the Nations shall be raised bad as well as good Elect as well as Reprobate and they shall all awake unto judgement but this is a Trumpet that gathers onely the Elect from the four winds therefore it seemes that none shall hear this trumpet but the Elect and that it shall sound unto them as such and shall never reach unto the Reprobate and that instruments of mercy or judgement are called Angels is ordinary and that what the Lord doth eminently and publickly and dreadfully make known his glory to them with the sound of a Trumpet is clear Rev. 1.10 4.1 and therefore it may be spoken of the Lords gathering in the Elect of the Iewes having not cast off whom he knew before who are now scattered even into the four windes of Heaven and therefore there is that which seems to incline unto this of the conversion of the Iewes at first shall be by sight and by appearance of the Lord Iesus Christ visibly in the clouds of Heaven and so Pauls conversion should be as the first fruits the Lord setting forth him as a pattern to the whole Nation his conversion was by a sight of Christ from Heaven and a glorious light that shone round about him and so its probable there shall also be but yet not all of them so converted but the Lord will take some of them and make them to be as Priests unto the Lord and they shall declare his glory amongst the Gentiles and shall be instrumental in gathering of them and they shall also bring in their brethren that is say some the unconverted Gentiles which shall be as brethren then all the differences between them being taken away Others more properly refer it unto the Iewes the remainder of them not brought in the first grand conversion of the Nation for it is said They shall bring all their brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all Nations upon Horses and Charriots and upon wild beasts unto my holy mountain So that it may be some of them shall be converted by the appearance of Christ and others of them by the preaching of the Gospel by those that are amongst them converted that their brethren going forth to them and declaring to them the returning of God in wayes of grace unto their Nation and the great things that he hath done for them and so they having a spirit of grace poured out upon them shall also be brought as an offering to the Lord. Sixthly The manner of their calling shall be exceeding eminent and glorious unto the admiration of all Nations that they shall all see how the Lord hath honoured them Esa 60.1 The glory of the Lord is risen upon them Hos 1.11 Great shall be the day of Jisreel it shall be a glorious day that which shall make them honorable in the eyes of all the Nations of the Earth that ten men out of every Nation under Heaven shall lay hold of the scirt of a Jew and shall say we will go with you for we have heard that God is with you Ps 10.2.16 When the Lord shall build up Sion he will appear in Glory they shall have glorious appearances of him such as no people ever had and this shall make them to be the desire of all people as they have had a great day of misery so a great and glorious
hath well digested there is in the best men much precipitancy many oversights much inadvertency there is folly and madness in the heart of a man whilest he liveth Eccl. 9.3 and both are hasty therefore a man had need take heed to himself Lastly there is much loosness and vanity in a mans thoughts Ier. 4.14 how long shall thy vain empty thoughts that have nothing in them lodge within thee that when a man sets about any duty his thoughts will not keep to the thing in hand he likes not to retain God in his knowledge Rom. 1.28 the mind of man will never leave tossing from one thing to another till it shift out thoughts of God and of the spiritual part of duty also mans mind in a duty conversing with God is like one that looks through an Optick-glass upon a star with a palsey hand it is long before he can ken and discern it and as soon as he hath found it so unsteady is his hand that he looseth it again and such is the unsteadiness of our thoughts in the most serious services Now seeing it is so if ever a man will serve God acceptably he had need serve him heedfully take heed how you hear watch unto prayer Mar. 13.33 Secondly here is also a sin reproved and that is heedlesness but Iehu took no heed or did not diligently observe to walk c. hence Heedlesness in a mans converse with God is a provoking evil First It is so by the Lords own sentence and censure Isa 29.13 This people draw nigh to me with their lips but their hearts are removed far from me Ezek. 33.31 Secondly it is so by the Saints own confession Isa 64.67 Our righteousnesses are as filthy rags there is none to call upon thy name and that stirs up himself to take hold of thee Thirdly It is so by Gods just Judgement as in 2 Sam. 6.7 where Uzzah without due consideration did touch the Ark not being thereunto called it is said the Lord smote him for his errour or as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his rashness and forgetfulness and he dyed before the Lord Now to press this upon you also I desire that these particulars may be well considered First ordinarily according to your care and heed in the duty so will God measure to you grace and profit by the duty Mar. 4.24 Look with what measure you meet shall be measured to you again that is look what measure of care and preparation you bring to the ordinance such a measure of fruit and profit shall you carry from it Secondly when either Judgement shall come or God thus open thy conscience in sickness or death all these services that thou hast heedlesly performed thy spirit in them will fade away as leaves nipped with the wind and a man shall have no comfort in them at all Isa 64.6 we fade away as a leafe in our iniquity that is the iniquity of our righteousness the iniquity of our holy things whereas the duties of godly men that have life and care and substance in them their leaves shall not fade and their fruit shall not be consumed Ezek. 47.12 Thirdly Consider the oftner a man doth perform duties in a heedless manner the worse he will daily grow and what good soever he had in him before will surely decay Luk. 8.18 Take heed how you hear for to him that hath shall be given and from him that hath not shall be taken away he that stirs not up the measure of grace that he hath in the duty he will surely grow worse after his performance for in the Scripture sense idem est non habere non uti Fourthly there is no service that thou performest heedlessly but thou art in danger of some temporal Judgement we see Nadab and Abihu were consumed with fire from heaven Lev. 16.2 And Uzzah 2 Sam. 6.7 and who can promise himself security from the same punishment that doth go on in the same sin Fifthly hereby thou sinnest against a cloud of witnesses the blessed example of all the Saints and it is in some respect a greater Aggravation of sin to sin against Example then against Precept because the one hath a stronger hand upon a man then the other praecepta ducunt exempla trahunt look to Abraham the Father of the faithful see how heedfully he walks with God Gen. 18.27,30 Seeing I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord that am but dust and ashes and then by and by Oh let not my Lord be angry and I will speak c. Iacob is humbled that he was not so aware of the presence of God as he ought to have been Gen. 28.16 and David was afraid when the Lord had made a breach upon them and cryes Oh shall the Ark of the Lord come to me and durst not remove the Ark till he had enquired of the mind of the Lord 2 Sam. 6.8,9 Lastly it is a sin against great mercy thou shouldest be a vessel of honour fitted for the masters use and in this respect godly men prize their services above their comforts And amongst the glorious promises Psal 10 17. Consider this he prepares the heart to pray and causeth his ear to hear he will accept the heedful service and will give much grace to them that hear shall more be given Mark 4.24 else Mar. 1.14 Cursed be that deceiver that hath in his flock a male and offers to the Lord a corrupt thing c. Thirdly this is not only an evil thing but an evil sign also and so here made by the Holy-Ghost a sign of hypocrisie and unsoundness of the heart of Iehu hence this Doctrine A constant heedlesness in a mans converse with God is a dangerous sign of an unsound heart Isa 29.13 they draw neer to me with their lips but even while they did so they took no care to bring their hearts with them but they were removed from the Lord and this heedless performance was a sign of their hollowness and unsoundness So Christ saith of the Pharisees their care was wholly about the out-side of the duty making clean the out-side of the cup Christ made this a sign of their hypocrisie for hypocrisie is but an out-side like cloth of Arras fair and beautiful without but look to the inside nothing but raggs and ends now when a mans constant care is only for the outward performance and never looks whether the heart answer within that is an unsound heart but yet I say constant heedlesness for the best of Gods people are many times too rash and hastie and inconsiderate in their approaches unto the Lord but it is not constantly so neither do they rest therein but that man with whom it is so surely he hath nothing but a form 2 Tim. 3.5 Now to apply this briefly there are in it three Directions First Be humbled for the hypocrisie past so doth the Church Isa 6.4,6 they were ashamed of their righteousness Hypocrisie is so exceeding hateful to
advancement of that people above all other Nations under Heaven but where the Ordinances were corrupted the place is polluted Ier 32.34 and when they were removed the Land was defiled Ezek. 7.22 And if it were so amongst the Jews who had onely Typical Prefigurations of Evangelical Ordinances we may safely conclude it with the Apostle with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How much more must these needs exceed in glory 2 Cor. 3 9. Rom. 1.8 Their faith was spoken of throughout the world there seems to be as one hath observed tacita antithesis fidei imperii and the Apostle seems to intimate that they were never so honoured by their Nation as they were by their faith throughout the world as this is the wisdom so this also is the glory and honour of a people in the sight of the Nations Deut. 4.7,8 If you ask me wherein doth this advancement consist that a people have by Ordinances I answer it doth consist in these six particulars all of them matters of great honour to a people First it is a great honour to any people for the Lord to avouch them publikely to be his people this is the honour of the S t s at the last day when the Lord breaks up the House keeping of this great world he will leave the lumber of it take it who will but the Lord will himself own his Iewels and he will take them and avouch them for his own before the world Mal. 3.17 and this is the advancement of a people by the Ordinances I entred into Covenant with thee and thou becamest mine Ezek. 16.8 upon this ground the Lord is pleased to speak of them as a people that he did specially own and of them as a people that had special interest in him therefore he is pleased to stile himself the God of Israel the Rock of Israel the hope of Israel and all by reason of the Covenant that he had made with them and the Ordinances that he had stablished amongst them But when once by sin the Ordinances are either corrupted or removed the Lord owns that people no longer Call them Loammi for they are not my people I will not be their God Hos 1.9 In a common calamity it is said Isa 4 1. that seven women shall lay hold upon one man and say we will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach if it were a reproach amongst men not to be called by the name of a Husband what is it when the Lord shall as it were give a people a bill of divorce and say call them Loammi they are not my people I will be stiled their God no more Secondly it is a great honour and advancement unto a people to have God present with them and as it were to reside amongst them this was the advancement of the Jews What Nation is there so great who have God so nigh them as the Lord our God is in all that we call upon him for Deut. 4.7 there the Lord doth promise his presence and his divine blessing In the place where I record my name I will come unto you and there I will bless you Exod. 20.34 And the Lord did never manifest his presence so gloriously as he hath done in the Ordinances of the Gospel 2 Cor. 6.16 Therein we behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord. 2 Cor. 3.18 What is this glass but the spiritual administration of the Gospel and the Ordinances thereof the vail of carnal stupidity being taken from the heart and we know Quod videtur in speculo imago non est they are the reverberated species of the thing it self and therefore seeing in a glass is the clearest way of vision next to face to face yet thus God vouchsafes his presence to a people in Gospel Ordinances And in these we have the presence of Christ also he walks in the middle of the Golden Candlesticks Rev. 2. whensoever you seek him be sure he is gone down to the Gardens of the beds of spices to feed in the Gardens and to gather Lillies Cant. 6.2 insomuch that the Gospel and the Gospel Ordinances thereof are called the face of Christ 2 Cor 4 6. that is that which doth as lively represent his presence unto us as if he were present with us in the flesh so that when a man shall come to behold him in glory and to see him as he is he shall be able truly to say this is the face that long since hath in the Gospel been exhibited unto my faith What shall be the advancement of all the Christians in glory it shall be only the beatifical Vision when they awake to be satisfied with his likeness to see him as he is now if this be begun here in the Ordinances that may be well counted the advancement of a people that is unto them as it were the beginning of eternal glory Thirdly fruitfulness also is unto a people great advancement and on the contrary barrenness is a reproach Gen. 30.23 The Lord hath taken away my reproach but they were never so much honoured by the fruit of their bodies though in that God made good his promise to encrease them as the stars of heaven and as the sand upon the Sea shore yet I say they were never so much honoured by the fruit of their bodies as they were by the fruitfulness of their Ordinances They are therefore called the Bed wherein Christ doth embrace his Church and wherein souls are begotten to the Lord Cant. 2.16 Our bed is green glorious things are spoken of Zion the City of God what be they I will make mention of Rahab Babylon Philistin Tyre with Ethiopia it shall be said this and that man was born in her c. that is though they were strangers unto Zion in their first birth and so children of other Contries but yet for their second birth their new birth they shall know it to be in Zion by means of the Ordinances and she shall be called the mother of them all and this is made the glory of a Church under the Gospel the dew of thy birth is of the womb of the morning Psal 110.3 that is multitudes shall be born unto it as the drops of the dew that are begotten in the womb of the morning But when the Ordinances are either corrupted or removed Christ meets his Spouse in this bed no more when the son of righteousnes with-holds his beams this dew is not exhaled and a man shall not find a drop falling from the womb of the morning this is a great reproach unto a people Cant. 4.2 Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep coming up from the washing they bear twins and not one is barren amongst them by the teeth of the Church some understand the Ministers quos aliis erudiendis Christus praefecit for the office of the teeth is to chew and to prepare the meat that it may be
fit nourishment for the rest of the members so do these Brightman Brightman Dividendo distinguendo nodos solvendo obscura illustrando dentium funguntur munere c. These for their purity are like a flock of sheep newly washed and for their fruitfulness they bear twins and not one is barren amongst them but by their labours they bring forth much fruit and they bring home many a soul to the Lord but if once God withdraw his Ordinances his people become barren as it is in the Church of the Jews and it is true of the seven Asian Churches and many other forsaken Churches of the Gentiles the barren hath born seven and she that had many children is waxen feeble Isa 5.4 Fourthly its a glory to a people to have store of all things in it so that they may be able to communicate to others in their necessities but need not borrow of any this was the advancement that the Lord promised unto his people Deut. 28.12 you shall lend unto other Nations and shall not borrow this is that wherewith God hath exceedingly honoured this Nation of ours and when that we many times vainly boast that we need not for outward things be beholding to any people but much greater is this glory in things spiritual and all this is by the Ordinances if the embryos in the womb of the Church want nourishment her Navil is like a round Goblet that wants not liquor and by it the children in the womb are nourished unto life Cant 7.2 if babes want milk they may suck and be satisfied with these breasts of Consolation Isa 66.11 if the children want bread the belly of the Church the Sacrament of the Lords supper the belly which receives the sustenance for the rest of the body is like a heap of wheat set about with Lillies Cant. 7.2 if strong men want meat it is to be had in them Heb. 5.12 and if they need water for their spiritual refreshment here are the wells of salvation Isa 12.3 and that you may not think that in the daies of drowth these will be drye the Lord tells you that there are springs to feed them all my springs are in thee Psal 87. ult But when the Lord takes away the Ordinances then the tongue of the sucking child cleaves to the mouth for thirst then the children cry for bread and there is none to break it to them then they that fed delicately upon the purest Ordinances they are desolate in the streets and they that were brought up in scarlet imbrace dunghills it is spoken by the Prophet of a bodily famine Lam. 4.5,6 it is much more true of a spiritual famine when men shall run from Sea to Sea to seek the word of the Lord and shall not find it Amos 8.12 this is not only a misery but also a dishonour unto any people Fifthly it s a great advancement when the Lord makes a people flourish in outward things making them the head and not the tail as the Lord promised Deut. 28.13 and how comes it to pass that a people do not flourish all the outward prosperity that we have in which we so much glory it is only by the Ordinances 2 Chron. 7.19,20 the Lord threatens that if they did forsake his Ordinances and serve other Gods then he would remove his Ordinances from them and the House that I have sanctified for my name I will cast out of my sight c. And what follows then saith the Lord I will pluck them up by the roots out of the land that I have given them when the Ordinances were removed and the Lord called them Loammi all their outward prosperity did quickly vanish Hos 2.9 I will take away my corn in the time thereof and my wine in the season thereof and I will recover my wool and my flax given to cover thy nakedness c. Ezek. 16.39 I will break down thine eminent place that is the Temple where they did play the Harlot and set up the Image of jealousie before the Lord Cap. 8. therefore the Lord will remove the Ordinances and what then then they shall strip thee of all thy cloathes and leave thee naked and bare we therefore that count our outward prosperity our glory consider we hold it by the Ordinances Sixthly it s a great advancement to a people to be well fortified so as to be able in danger both for defence and offence to secure themselves not to fear their enemies this was the glory that God did vouchsafe the Jewish Nation and was sometime the glory of the English also the fear of thee shall fall upon all Nations round about Deut. 2.25 These are spiritually the Towers of Zion Psa 48.12,13 that we are bid to tell and the bulwarks that we are wished to mark it is because of this that the Church is described to be terrible as an Army with banners Cant. 6.10 that is because the weapons of our warfare in them are not carnal but mighty through God therefore they are as great a dread unto the enemies as an Army set in battle-array But as they are either corrupted by a people or removed from them so doth their defence depart as the Lord threatens Isa 5.5 I will take away the hedge thereof and it shall be eaten up I will break down the wall thereof and it shall be trodden down Now what was this hedge and this wall nothing else Musculus as Musculus interprets it but the Ordinances the Word and Sacraments c. which did serve for two ends as a hedge and a wall ad separationem ad munitionem therefore when the Lord took away the Ordinances their defence departed from them and as men corrupt them so they break the Hedge and pluck down the wall of our protection it is true it may not fal at once but one picks out one thing and another another till at last they make a plain way for the Beasts of the field to break in upon the Vineyard of the Lord In all these respects and in many more the Ordinances of the Gospel in their purity and power are a great advancement to a people Surely then they are in an errour that esteem the Ordinances in their power to be a matter of disgrace a note of indignity upon any place or person First make it your glory Secondly walk toward it as your glory for that which is so great an advancement to a people must needs be an honour to a person also yet such is the enmity and the folly of our nature that we are apt to glory in any thing yea many times in those things that are our shame the wise man in his wisdom the strong man in his strength and the rich man in his riches c. Jer. 9. and pass by that as an aspersion which indeed would make us truly honourable and in comparison of others advance us up to heaven for any thing else to be pointed at men count an honour
men is an abomination in the sight of the Lord Luk. 16.15 and there is many a mans person and actions when they are weighed by the world are conceived to be great weight and yet when the Lord comes to weigh them are found too light and it is his Sentence must stand he is praise-worthy and that man is honourable not whom himself nor whom the world but whom the Lord commends 2 Cor. 10.18 Secondly for the world we know it is unacquainted with and therefore unable to esteem either the comforts or the honours of the Ordinances for they are men of another Generation Luk. 16.8 In estimation a great deal of wisdom and art is seen and that cannot be expected in those whom the Scripture doth every where brand for folly every man may see a precious stone but he must be a Lapidary that knows how to value it every man sees the Sun but he must be an Astronomer that shall be able to measure it and take the quantity thereof they that know no honour but the praise of men it s no wonder if they be not able to judge of the praise of God Act. 17.11 whatever the world counts of honour and descent the Lord saith they of Berea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were better descended then the rest of Thessalonica in that they received the word with readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily c. Thirdly though they should count it a disgrace yet look upon the Ordinances alwaies as thy honour and value not the Judgement of such men say it s a small thing to me to be judged of you or of mans day let it appear that you as much undervalue their Judgement as they do your waies this was Luthers resolution Luther Non ego opprobrium Bohemi cinominis metuo quae gloria est coram Deo Ita concurrimus utrinque illi extremo furore ego summo contemptu vincit mea audacia in Christo for that thing and that person is honourable and none else who is precious in Gods eyes since thou wast precious in my eyes thou hast been honourable but never till then Vse 2. Strive so to walk towards the Gospel and all the Ordinances thereof that you may make it appear to the world you count it your honour glory and highest advancement in the world This concerns First those that have it not Secondly those that have it First you that have it not strive to get it at any rate for your self for the place in which you live for it is a pearl of great price and therefore you may do well to sell all that thou hast to buy it in other things men will spare no cost to satisfie their ambition give any thing for their honour but in this men have no ambition Infelix prorsus ambitio quae ambire magna non novit Bernard Bernard You that live in the dark places of the earth and are like to Jerico where it may be the Land is pleasant but the waters bitter count it now not only the matter of your misery but also of your dishonour stir up your ambition in this respect to have the Ordinances of the Gospel that may exalt you up to heaven and what difficulty so ever may seem to stand in the way let them not deterr you anime magno nihil est magnum What God will bless your riches honour and advancement in outward things do not you live without this it was the complaint of Bernard of some Bernard purpura induunturcum conscientia pannosa fulgent monilibus moribus sordent it is the very condition of many places in this Kingdom a special ground of it is want of the Ordinances in their power Nay if you have good hearts all these outward things will do you no good if this be wanting the poor woman 1 Sam. 4. ult though they told her Be of good comfort thou hast born a Son yet she answered not neither did she set her mind upon it but called his name Ichabod the glory is departed from Israel the Ark of God a type of Evangelical Ordinances Evangelium sub velo the Ark of God is taken And not only for the places you your selves live in but strive to propagate the Gospel unto others also Not only your duty to God and to the Gospel your love to the souls of your brethren but your reference to the Land it self calls for it it is every Christians duty to raise the Age and as much as in him lies to ennoble and honour the Land and Nation where he lives this is the only way to make this Land to become the glorious Land and to name it Iehovah Shammah the Lord is there Ezek. 48. ult You will say herein what shall we do◠First Consider and strive to be seriously affected with the misery and dishonour of those that want these Ordinances Cant. 8.8 we have a little sister and she hath no breasts Secondly Enquire study set your thoughts on work about it whether you may relieve her What shall we do for our sister in the day that she shall be spoken for Can we do nothing by our pains by our purses by our friends c. Thirdly resolve thou wilt do thy utmost as they do if she be a wall we will build upon her a Pallace of silver if a door inclose her c. Fourthly when you have done all pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth Labourers Mat. 9.37 pray that the Gospel may run and be glorified as it will that it may go forth with speed and strength prevailing over difficulties and conquering all opposition that it may go forth as the Sun when it goes forth in its strength Secondly you that enjoy the Ordinances of the Gospel and by them are exalted up to heaven First prize it as highly as you do your highest honour it is worthy of all acceptation to be received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1.15 Acts 17.11 Say as St Chrysostoms hearers Satius esse ut sol non luceat quem ut non doceat Chrysostomus c. Secondly preserve it and defend it as you will do your honour if men seek to take it away or to hinder the Gospel in any kind contend earnestly for the faith that was once given to the Saints Jude 3. for the Gospel is committed to the custody of the Pastors of the Church to preach it but to the Princes and people of the earth to defend it to be a guard about it against al the opposition and malice of the enemies little do they consider what the cost of our poor fore-Fathers was to transmit the Gospel and the Ordinances thereof unto us the blood of Martyrs spilt the blood of Ministers spent and all was to transmit it to your hands Rom. 3.2 Rev. 13.16,17 take heed through carelesness and cowardliness we betray not the trust committed unto us but that we also by a publike profession and an earnest
Covenant of grace and therefore the Apostle saith whereto serves the Law if it were not set forth as a Covenant by which man should attain life Gal. 3.19 he answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was added or put to not set up by it self alone as a distinct Covenant but added as a hand-maid to advance the glory and to further the ends of the second Covenant yet even this Law unregenerate men in the Church make unto themselves to be nothing else but a Covenant of works and so though it were not given for bondage yet in them it genders unto bondage Seventhly no man can stand under both Covenants no more then he can be born of two mothers he that is born of Hagar cannot be naturally the Son of Sarah and therefore if a man be under the first Covenant there must be a translation and that supernatural or else a man can never be a son of the free-woman can never be under the second Covenant Doctrine All unregenerate men men in a state of nature wherein they were born are all under the first Covenant the Covenant of works they be all the sons of Hagar the bond-woman Ismael is a Type of all unregenerate men A Covenant is a mutual agreement between two voluntarily binding themselves upon certain conditions each to other Man is bound unto God by a double bond First by the bond of Creation Secondly by the bond of stipulation the one natural and the other voluntary that so the Lord may bind the creature to him by all imaginable ingagements to prevent future apostacy for the Lord knows our frame and whereof we were made by the former we are only bound unto God but by the latter God also is bound unto us and as before I said he did it to engage the creature so he doth this to encourage the creature to obedience The Lord hath as Creator absolute and unlimited authority and therefore might have commanded duty without reward for when we have done all that is commanded we are but unprofitable servants or if he had intended a reward he might have reserved that unto himself and have told the creature you shall trust unto me if I think fit I will reward you but however I will be free But the Lord doth not but that man might not think much to be bound unto obedience God himself is pleased to be bound to recompence Hast thou served God for nought Now this agreement between God and man is twofold answerable unto the two-fold state of man First in the state of integrity God made with man a Covenant expressing mans duty and promising a reward unto his obedience and this was faedus amicitiae because God and man were not at variance like that between David and Jonathan for the confirmation of their mutual loves Secondly in a state of corruption after the fall God entred into a new Covenant to take man into friendship again after God and man had by sin been set at variance and this was faedus misericordiae a Covenant of reconciliation Thirdly these two Covenants were made with two several heads with the first and with the second Adam for under these all mankind are included and in them the Lord looks upon the whole nature of man therefore the Apostle speaks as if there were but two men in the world 1 Cor. 15.47 the first man and the second man because they are as the two common heads of all mankind The first Covenant was made with the first Adam Gen. 2.9 God gave Adam all the Trees of the Garden for meat but one was given as pabulum animae called therefore non ab effectu the tree of life not because of any natural power in it either to beget or continue life but à significatione quâ erat Sacramentum Symbolum vitae as a sign signifying as a seal ratifying and confirming to him the assurance of that life which God had promised unto his obedience Now this was not a seal set to a blank therefore it must needs be given upon supposition and for confirmation of a fore-going Covenant The second Covenant was made with the second Adam he saith not unto seeds as speaking of many but unto one which is Christ Gal 3.16,19 he is called the seed unto whom the promise and with whom the Covenant was made for as Adam was Caput cum faedere so is Christ also therefore the Lord promiseth that he will give him as a Covenant to the Nations Isa 4.2,6 for in this Adam was a Type of him that was to come Rom. 5.14 Thirdly the first Covenant was a Covenant of works so called from the condition of the Covenant which did require personal and perfect obedience this do and thou shalt live Ezek. 20.13 and that under a penalty of a curse for the least deviation cursed is every one that continues not in all things written in the book of the Law to do them Gal. 3.10 Fourthly this Covenant was made not only with Adam but with the whole nature of man in him for Adam was a publike person a representative head and the tree of life was not a personal Sacrament but a natural which did belong unto the nature and therefore the Covenant was made with the nature and not with any particular person only which doth appear plainly because the Covenant being broken the curse of the Covenant doth seise upon the nature Gal. 3.10 for the duty of the Covenant must needs be as large as the curse of the Covenant therefore upon whomsoever the curse doth come unto them the duty did belong and none were bound unto the obedience of the Covenant but they that were foederati persons with whom the Covenant was made Fifthly this Covenant is not abolished by the fall but remains and stands in force Not to give life and salvation that indeed it cannot do because it is become weak through the flesh Rom. 8.3 but it commands duty now as perfectly as it did of Adam and that must be personal and perfect obedience And if a man fail in the least degree it threatens the curse also God speaks unto Cain according to the tenure of this Covenant after the fall Gen. 4.7 if thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted c. It is by vertue of this Covenant that the curse comes upon men here in a degree and in perfection hereafter there is no reason that because we have lost power to obey therefore God should lose his power to command Sixthly Lastly all unregenerate men since the fall do stand under this Covenant with the Lord it must needs follow from the principles already laid for if this Covenant were made with Adam with the whole nature of man and if it stand in force since the fall then wheresoever the nature of man is because every man is a Son of the first Adam he must needs become bound unto the terms and condition of this Covenant for it was made with the nature of man and
these did labour to their utmost to retard the settlement of this people newly returned into their own Land again laboured to keep the City and Temple in their ruines and to that end by their interest and power in forraign Nations they had engaged against them even the whole authority of the Persian Monarchie Now when the hopes of the enemy grew high and when the hearts of the Saints fell low what is the way God takes to remove them now why now a Prophet must go to them he sendeth Zachariah the Prophet and bids them Return to your strong holds ye prisoners of hope your strong holds why their City was laid wast their Temple burnt with fire strong holds they had none satis praesidii in un Deo Calvin Calvin There is enough strength in one God even then when walls and fortifications fall Why now that the Lord might bear up their Spirits in this condition he reveals his mind as the manner of the Lord was in those times unto his Prophet by several Visions in an especial manner in this Chap. and the latter end of the former Chap. he doth it in a double vision In one the Lord tels him that be the powers of the enemy what they would be though they saw no help none to oppose them yet the Lord would raise up an adverse power that should break them though they knew not whence it should come And he tels them in the 21. ver of the former Chap. there were four horns that did push Ierusalem and the Lord saith I will raise up four Carpenters and they shall beat them in pieces equal to the horns so shall the Carpenters be In the next place in this Chapter the Lord shews him another vision a man with a line in his hand taking me asure of the City Ierusalem and of the Temple as the manner of Builders and Artificers is to do Jesus Christ doth usually appear to his people according to those great things that he is about to effect for them when the people were to be carried into Captivity Jesus Christ then appears cloathed in linnon with a writers Inkhorn by his side Ezek. 9.1,2 and when the instruments of vengeance come Iesus Christ comes in the midst of them the man with a writers Inkhorn was in the midst of them what to do to mark those that were written to life in Ierusalem First before the instruments of vengeance can stretch out their hands against any the man with a writers Inkhorn will set his mark upon those that are written for life But when the people returned out of captivity now Jesus Christ appears with a line in his hand for he it is that must build the Church so you have it in the 6. Chap. 12. ver Behold the man whose name is the Branch he shall build thee he shall build the Temple of the Lord no wonder then that when the Temple and City is to be built Jesus Christ appears with a line in his hand This is the Vision Now observe in this Chapter three things that I may bring you home to the words read to you First you have the Vision it self the man with a line in his hand Secondly you have the interpretation of the Vision Ierusalem shall be built and the City shall be inhabited Thirdly you have a threefold Apostrophe that the Lord infers from this First directed unto the Jews that yet continued in Babylon the Lord calls them deliver thy self Oh Sion that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon It is barrenness and lowness of spirit not to accept deliverance it is pitty but those men that say they love their Task-masters they should have their ears bored as a token of perpetual service The Lord calls upon them Oh Sion that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon deliver thy self Secondly the next is to the enemies that were their neighbours the truth is my Brethren it was a good observation that of Tertullian unto the Church Tertul. there are tot hostes quot extranei all that be strangers be enemies now the Lord speaks unto these and tells them I will shake my hand against you and they that spoyl you they shall be a spoyl to their servants their own servants shall spoil them The third and last branch of this Apostrophe is in the words that I have read unto you the words of the Text and it referrs partly to the enemies and partly to the people of God that were returned out of captivity be silent Oh all flesh for the Lord is raised up out of his holy habitation Let the enemies silence their murmurings silence their slanders Be silent Oh all people Let the Saints silence their frettings silence their doubtings for the Lord is raised up out of his boly habitation You have then in the words two things First a Proposition The Lord is raised up out of his holy habitation Secondly an inference by way of Exhortation or Command thereupon Be silent before the Lord Oh all flesh The Proposition is first in nature though it be last in place and therefore I must first speak of that and then afterwards of the Application First then the Proposition is this the Lord is raised up out of the habitation of his holiness Here are two things to be explained before I can come unto those points that I purposed to commend to you First I must shew you what is meant by the habitation of his holiness And Secondly I must shew you how the Lord is said to be raised up The habitation of his holiness is used two waies in the Scripture It is sometimes put for heaven in 2 Chron. 30. ult it is said their prayer came up to his holy habitation even unto heaven So in Isa 63 15. look down from the habitation of thy holiness and thy glory why then the habitation of the holiness of God is Heaven Secondly it is many times put for the Temple the place of Gods presence amongst his people manifested in Ordinances so the Tabernacle is called Gods habitation in 1 Sam. 2.29 And the Lord is said to be at Ierusalem Brusius Brusius interpreteth it of the former Calvin Mr. Calvin of the latter we may very well by way of subordination take in both for I conceive the sense will be made up with both all the Churches deliverances as well as all the enemies destructions they come out of heaven the sword is bathed in heaven before it comes down upon the people of Gods curse in Iudgement in Isa 34.3 and yet all these whether deliverances or destructions are obtained by the prayers of the Saints in the Temple so that you may well ascribe it to both Observe I beseech you and it is a mighty truth the Saints have as glorious a hand in the Government of the world as they shall have an eminent hand in the Judgement of the world There is a threefold Authority that was erected by Christ when the government was taken into
thee Is it so my Brethren then all men must conclude surely the Lord is raised up out of his holy habitation And this is the first point The second I shall speak a little to but very briefly that I may come to the second general in the Text I am loth to trespass or to straighten him that succeeds in the service The second Doctrine that I propounded to you was this Dostrine That the experiments that the Saints have of the rising of God for them in some Providential actings are a sure pledge to their faith that he will go on the will not leave the work till he hath brought it to perfection so observe I will give you but one Scripture Psal 74.14 he smote the head of Leviathan in the water and he gave him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness the Lord here doth encourage them against those great difficulties that they were to meet withal in the wilderness after they came out of Egypt why now what is the use that they must make of the affliction of Pharoah and his Army called the head of Leviathan there his power his policy his strength the Lord brake the enemy Why the text saith he gave it to be meat to the people Why did the people of Israel in the wilderness feed upon the dead bodies of the Egyptians No that is not the meaning of it but this he gave it to be food to their faith not to their bodies for their faith to feed upon in all those ensuing difficulties that they were to meet withal in a howling wilderness in decretis sapientium nulla est Litura Wise men make no blots when the Lord hath begun he useth to go on if he open the first seal against Rome Pagan he never leaves till he comes to the seventh seal If he sounds the first Trumpet against Rome Christian he goes on to the seventh So having begun to pour out some of the Vials against Antichristian Rome surely the Lord will never leave till the last vial be poured out So it is a great encouragement to the Saints the great experiments they have had of the Lords rising for them in his providential actings that the Lord certainly will go on Oh but will you say to me If we could be assured of that but what if the times should turn there are changes in the right hand of the most high what if we should see a new face upon things I know these are the suppositions of every heart here Now I intreate you consider I confess there is an ultima clades adhuc metuenda there is a great cloud that yet hangs over all the European Churches pray observe what I say the killing of the witnesses I cannot look upon as past because I cannot find the time of the prophecying in sackcloth and ashes to be expired and Rome Antichristian as well as Rome Pagan under Iulian shall have its three years and a half but yet for your comfort let me tell you the experiments that you have had of Gods providential actings may secure your hearts that they shall never prevail so as to put out that lâ—ght of the glorious Gospel that God hath set up among you they shall never prevail so far Rome hath a time of seduction and a time of persecution the time of Romes seduction is over though it is true the grand persecution is to come Angustine I remember tells us that there is a threefold persecution that the Church of God should undergo August The first is violenta by force The second is fraudulenta that is in a way of heresie A third should be violenta fraudulenta there should be a deceit mixt with force Now I intreate you be pleased to consider there be these three arguments that I have looked upon as a great stay to my own thoughts in this respect I shall crave leave to propose them to you In the first place the Apostle Heb. 12.27 tels us that the Lord doth shake the things that are made that the things that cannot be shaken may remain he shaketh the things that are made that they may be removed that the things that cannot be shaken may remain then the end why the Lord hath shaken in Church and State whatsoever is of man what the Lord will not have to continue it is that he may remove it Why now this is the great end then that the Lord hath that things that cannot be shaken should remain Whatsoever Jesus Christ hath removed all the power of men shall never exalt for he did shake it to that very end that he might remove it I say what the Lord hath removed as a thing made moveable all the powers of men shall never be able to establish again Jesus Christ will maintain the ground he hath won That is the first Argument Yea In the second place when Christ rides forth for to Conquer he conquers not at once but he will go on to conquer that is another argument you may see him going forth Rev. 6.1,2 he rideth forth conquering and to conquer he did not conquer all at once but he carries on the victory Luther I remember said when he began Luther brevi efficiam ut Anathema sit esse Papistam it shall not be long saith he but by the grace of Christ I shall bring it about that it shall be looked upon as a cursed thing to be a Papist God hath carried on the work still and I remember it was the speech of Latimer one of our Martyrs when he came to be burnt I hope I shall kindle a fire this day in England shall never be put out Romanum nomen de terra tolletur Certainly the Lord Christ will carry on his work for he conquers not all at once he goes on conquering and to conquer In the third place Consider I beseech you the ten Kingdoms shall destroy the whore that is my third argument the ten Kingdoms are the Instruments God will use Antichrist riseth in a double beast Rev. 13. in his civil power so he makes up one beast with the ten Kingdoms In his Ecclesiastical he makes up his ten Kingdoms in the Clergy that is the Beast that hath two horns like a Lamb he speaks like a Dragon Now observe I beseech you these ten Kingdoms the Lord will make use of to destroy the Whore therefore he must reserve a considerable party Nay a major party that shall hate the Whore who shall become chosen and faithful the Lord hath been pleased to make this one of the ten Kingdoms certainly the Lord will uphold a major party here those that shall keep themselves that be Virgins not defile themselves with the fornications of Antichrist and the Lord will raise them up for this great service and they shall stand with the Lamb upon Mount Sion Consider I beseech you this and then when you look about upon those glorious providential acts of God for you truly you may
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and doth arise meerly from the compacts and agreements betwixt men Rex debet esse sub Deo sub lege quia Rex Regem facit Bracton Bracton 4ly It is a Judgement God threatens on Magistrates Zach. 11.16 that their right arm shall wither they may lose their ruling power amongst men and that justly both in reference to God and men Fifthly in all difficult cases it is best to go the safest way that a whole Nation perish not through their own wilfulness I shall add no more When the Lord riseth when the Lord is raised out of his holy habitation then as all unregenerate men let them silence their murmurings silence their slanderings and censurings So all you that fear God for you are but flesh silence your doubtings silence your srettings before the Lord. And so much now shall serve for this Text The Lord give you understanding in all things THE Duty and Dignity OF Magistrates A Sermon Preached at Laurence Iury Sep. 29. 1651. at the Election of the Lord Maior ZACH. 10. ver 4. Out of him shall come forth the Corner Out of him the Nail Out of him the Battle bow Out of him every Oppressor together LAws are in Scripture called the foundations of the Common-wealth Psal 11.3 Magistrates also they are the Pillars when the Lord intendeth to go fotth in Judgement against any people he goes forth against them in both these he gives them Laws that are not good and â—udgements by which they shall not live Ezek. 20.25 And he doth send them Magistrates also that shall establish iniquity by these Laws Psal 94.20 But when the Lord returns unto a people in mercy he doth give them righteous Laws and gracious Rulers In this Chapter you have the Lord returning unto his own people in mercy There is a double visitation of God One of his enemies in wrath the other of his people in mercy His enemies in wrath in the former verse before the Text. I was angry with the Shepherds and I did punish the Goats it is spoken of those former tyrannical Governors that ruled over them sometimes called Shepherds in the 11. Chap. ver 5. their possessors slay them and hold not themselves guilty and their own Shepherds pitty them not Sometimes stiled Goats oppressing Governors are commonly so called in the Scripture Isa 14.9 All the Rulers of the earth it is the same word in the Original all the Goats of the earth for Goats feed high they are of all creatures most lustful and yet amongst the creatures very unuseful nec ad bellum prosunt nec ad aratrum a fit resemblance of Oppressors This was the Lords visitation now of his enemies in wrath Secondly he visiteth his people in mercy and though the appearances of God in this visitation were glorious for he was mightily seen in their deliverance yet he makes themselves to be the instruments to effect it God doth it but he doth it by themselves I will make Iudah as a goodly horse in the battle the excellency of the horse is in the battle Iob 39.21 he meets he goes forth to meet the armed man he doth mock at fear and he turneth not back from the sword for thou hast clothed his neck with thunder such a goodly horse now doth the Lord make his own people to be in the battle it is ordinary in Scripture for God to resemble his people to all sorts of war-like instruments Zach. 9.13 I will bend Judah for me and fill the bow with Ephraim Iudah is the bow Ephraim the arrows as there they are resembled to a bow in the battle so here they are Gods charging horses they are my goodly horses It is true indeed the Lord is the rider the motions of these horses are ordered by him and when the victory is now it is not the horse wins it is not the horse conquers but the rider yet notwithstanding they are my goodly horses for the battle Thus you see the Visitation of God First of his enemies in displeasure Secondly of his people in mercy Now the words that I have read to you set forth a glorious promise that God makes unto his people when they were delivered Out of Iudah shall come forth the corner for I should not read it as it is in your books out of Iudah came forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the original is in futuro out of Judah shall come forth this is the promise when God hath delivered them Out of Judah shall come forth the Corner Out of him the Nail Let us look into the meaning and the difference of these words a little surely all Scripture was written for our learning First then the promise is Out of him shall come forth the Corner what is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the original is and is commonly a Metaphor used for Magistrates and Governors I shall give you several places Look into Iudg. 20 2. and all the chief of the peeople came together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All the corners of the people came together 1 Sam. 14.38 draw neer hither all the Corners of the people all the chief of the people that is all the corners of the people Isa 19.13 the Princes of Zoan are become fools they have seduced Egypt even they that are the stay of their tribes you read it is in the original they that are the corners of the Tribes Then by the Corner is here meant Magistrates And there are three great Reasons thereof or three things wherein the Analogy doth lie why the Magistrates should be called the corners of the people First the corner-stone laid in the foundation aedificium sustinet it upholds the building the main weight of the building lies in the corner-stone so you shall find it used Isa 28.16 behold I will lay in Sion a precious Corner-stone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a foundation the Lord Jesus Christ is made the foundation upon which the building of the Church stands and there is the main stress in the corner-stone 1 Pet. 2.6 Secondly the corner-stone doth not uphold the building only but parietes conjungit the corner-stone joyns and coupleth the wall it is a uniting stone so you shall see the Metaphor used Eph. 2.20,21 Christ is said to be the Corner-stone in which all the building is fitly framed together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fitly framed together Thirdly and lastly the corner-stone aedificium ornat it adorneth the building so you shall find the Metaphor used Psal 144.12 Your daughters shall be as corner-stones polished after the similitude of a Palace because there is more labour spent in polishing the corner-stone then in the ordinary stones of the building Anguli prae aliis aedificiorum partibus exornari solent Meller Meller Now in all these respects see how fitly Magistrates are called the corner the weight of the building they uphold The several parts of the building they unite And the whole building in both
Lord makes of a glorious estate unto his people after their deliverance But it is the first only that I am to speak to as being only proper for the present occasion Out of him shall come forth the corner Doct. The Observation that I shall deliver to you from thence is this When the Lord returns to his people in mercy he will give unto them Governors that shall support them that shall be for the supporting for the uniting and for the adorning of the Common wealth I say when the Lord returns to a people in mercy he will give unto them Governors that shall be for the support the uniting and adorning of the Common-wealth Here are but two things that the time will give me leave to speak to Therefore I shall omit the third I shall shew you that when the Lord returns to a people in mercy he gives them such Governors as support the Common-wealth they shall be as the Corner-stone upon which the weight of the building may lie Secondly he doth give them such Governors as shall be as the Corner stone that may unite the Common-wealth I shall begin with the first First good Magistrates are as the Corner-stone to support the Common-wealth it is true all the stones in the building do conduce to the upholding thereof for as it is in the spiritual building so it is in the Politick men are built as living stones but I say the main weight of it lies upon the Corner-stone because the weight of the building the burden of all lies upon the Magistrate therefore I say he is here resembled to a Corner-stone Now that a Magistrates business is to uphold the Common-wealth take notice of these four denominations in the Scripture First Magistrates are called the foundations of the earth Psal 82.5 and Mich. 6.2 where he speaks of the oppression of Magistrates he saith all the foundations of the earth are out of course I have said yee are Gods why you that are the foundations of the earth to pull up Magistracy is to pluck up all by the foundation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly they are called the breath of your Nostrils Lam. 4.20 the breath of our Nostrils it is spoken of Zedekiah who was an evil Prince yet he hath this honourable title given him by the Prophet it is as possible for a man to live without breath as it is for a Common-wealth to subsist without Magistracy Thirdly they are called the shoulders upon which all the weight is born Isa 22. I will give him the key of the house of David I will lay the key of the house of David upon his shoulders a key is Symbolum potestatis an emblem of Government Now saith the Lord I will not put the key in his hand but I will lay it upon his shoulders Isa 9.6 Unto us a child is born the Government is upon his shoulder Principes mundani onus gubernandi rejiâ—iunt in humeros servorum it is but to let you see the weight of Government therefore it must be laid upon the shoulder and men must lay their shoulders to it In the last place Magistrates are called the Arms of the people the Arms of Moab are broken Ier. 48.25 I am not able to bear this people alone saith Moses Moses had not Arms sufficient to bear such a weight My beloved the great burden of all I say lies upon the Governors they are the Arms by which the people are born up Unus tantum subditus in Civitate Magistratus est Luther saith Luther there was but one subject in a City and that is the Magistrate the weight of all yes upon him And it must needs be so if you take his reason for he saith Ante peccatum Politia nulla fuit politia est remedium necessarium naturae corruptae all civil Government was but a necessary remedy that was brought in for corrupt nature Now if it be a remedy against corrupt nature the burdens of corrupt nature are exceeding many in so much as the Lord himself complains in Amos 2.13 I am pressed under your abominations as a Cart that is full of Sheaves therefore I say the weight of all the supporting of all lies upon the Magistracy they are the corner-stone upon whom the weight of the building lies But the great enquiry will be how are Magistrates the corner-stone of the Common-wealth how do they or how must they support the Common-wealth that their duty may answer their dignity that they may indeed prove corner-stones I shall give you five directions as briefly as I may First that the Magistrate may be a corner-stone to support the building he must take care that he uphold Religion that must be his first that must be his great care that which should be mainly in our eye in praying for them should be chiefly in their eye in practising 1 Tim. 2.2 Pray for Kings and those that are in Authority that you may lead a peaceable and a quiet life in godliness and honesty peace without godliness is but a vain and a mock-peace but because now this is made a controversie I shal offer three considerations which truly are to me unanswerable that the Magistrate is to take care of Religion Nay his great care his first care is to be of that pray observe them well because you are every where told now Magistrates have nothing to do with matters of Religion In the first place every Magistrate ought to rule with God Hosea 11. ver ult Judah rules with God the throne of the Magistrate is therefore called the throne of God When Constantine was exalted to the seat of the Empire it is said he was taken up into the throne of God Rev. 12.5 then the great care of Magistrates must be that they do not rule alone but that they have God to rule with them it is true the most high rules in the Kingdoms of mortal men Dan. 4.17 but he rules but as he doth rule in the Kingdom of the Devils he rules but by a way of providence but you that fear God should endeavour that God should rule among you as he rules among his Saints in waies of grace in waies of grace I say Now I beseech you consider let Religion be neglected or corrupted presently God forsakes that people Look but into the 10. and 11. Chapters of the prophesie of Ezekiel it is true the Lord doth not remove all at once but the glory of the Lord goes up first from the Cherubims to the threshold of the house from the threshold of the house to the midst of the City and from â—he City to the Mountains my Brethren if the glory of God leave your Ordinances once be well assured he will leave your City next the next move is that therefore whatsover you do if you would rule with God take heed that by this means he be not provoked to depart for a Magistrate ruling alone and a Minister preaching alone
corner-stone to a Nation or to a Common wealth or to a Ciâ—y when you do thus uphold them And that is the first thing The Corner-stone aedificium sustinet it upholds the building I would speak something of the second the Corner-stone aedificium continet it unites it Magistrates are not only to sustain and to uphold but they are to unite Magistrates be called Healers Isa 3.7 they must bind up the wounds of the people The Lord Jesus Christ it is his glory and work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth unite them all under one Head things in Heaven and things in earth Eph. 2.20,21 in Adamo nos omnes uni sumus Prosp that as in the first Adam so it is true in the second Adam it is in him they are made one and united The Corner stone is to unite as well as to support Oh But you will say to me It is union that we all long for we are a divided people shall we alwaies eat the flesh of our own arms shall Ephraim be against Manasseh and Manasseh against Ephraim and both against Judah still The staff of bonds is broken amongst us shall it alwaies remain broken what way is there that there might be a healing in this that this breach might be made up Why truly the hand of the Ruler must be first in this thing that the mercy may be called by his name the hand of the Ruler must be first in it you that are the Corner stones must unite the building you talk of perswading the people to unite I say the hand of the Ruler must be first in the union I but you will say how can that be I beseech you let me give you a few directions and then I shall from all make a short Application and conclude The waies of union are these five and I desire you that are in Authority to lay them to heart In the first place Religion is the great bond of union therefore I say let it be your great care that there be a unity in Religion the greatest breach is in that Odia-religionum sunt accrbissima no breach like that You shall see what began a breach between Israel and Judah it was Religion upon a Politick respect when God rent the Kingdom from the house of Rehoboam but observe the Politick difference might have been made up and Jeroboam out of his Devilish subtilty foresaw it 1 King 12.17 he saith if the people go up to Jerusalem to worship their hearts will turn again to the house of David saith he The Politick difference would have been made up therefore saith he I will make them two Calves one in Dan and the other in Bethel and this shall set them at a perpetual distance the difference the Politick difference might have been made up the State difference but the difference in Religion would never therefore this was the way to divide them perpetually If ever you will unite the people there must be your foundation So the Lord begins when he will unite his people Zach. 14.9 Iehovah shall be one and his name one you shall have but one God and you shall worship him one way by one name Now you have many Gods and many names Ichovah shall be one and his name one Ier. 32.39 I will give them one heart and one way one way in what one way in Religion that is the main thing he speaks of or as the Prophet saith Zeph. 3.9 They shall serve the Lord with one shoulder I desire therefore that no man would take delight in keeping up differences in matters of Religion take heed of it either upon this ground because you look upon it as policy to uphold parties or else it may be because you dare not displease either party take heed of it I say be valiant for the truth upon earth in this contend earnestly for the faith once given to the Saints usually a girdle was an ornament belonging to the Magistrates in former times it is fit for those that are Rulers to wear it still have your loins girt about with truth Eph. 6.14 Beloved it is true I expect not that all men shall be of one mind one judgement I know men see with different light and I know that while the smoke of the Temple lasteth as it shall be during the pouring out of the Vials Rev 15. I know the Sea of glass will be mingled with fire but in this you should be of one mind you must be in the fundamentals that without which there can be no Religion no Christianity he that speaketh against these openeth his mouth wide against Heaven Neither say I that the Magistrates judgement in this should be the rule as some men suggest then you will have the Magistrates judgement to rule in matters of Religion No we have a sure word of prophecy and we know this sure word of prophecy is not dark in that in things necessary The Apostle tels us plainly there is a pattern of wholsom words to which we must keep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and though it is true the grossest errors in the world would shroud themselves under Scripture and flie thither for a refuge saith Iustine Martyr Justine Mâ—…r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a man expounds the Scripture secundum sensum non quem legit sed quem Attulit August August they would offer violence to the Scripture they would flie thither for refuge but upon examination it would appear that the Scripture gives no such shelter Well that is the first thing if you would unite the great body unite in Religion Let Ichovah be one and his name one Secondly if Magistrates would unite the people then take heed agree amongst your selves if you would have union amongst the people I say agree amongst your selves if the Corner-stones once fall asunder you may easily expect many cracks in the building differences amongst Governors must needs cause strange distractions among the people for they are generally led by parties and personal respects therefore if you would heal this breach now which you all seem to complain of begin with your selves Physitian heal thy self heal your own differences first all divisions amongst your selves this is the way the Lord takes in Hos 1. ult he saith they shall appoint to themselves one Head they should have many Governors united all under the Lord Jesus Christ they should be all under one head I beseech you consider it how comes it to pass then Governors in their Politick meetings meet with as great confusion as they did in their Church Ecclesiastical meetings 1 Cor. 14.26 how is it saith the Apostle that every one hath a Psalm and every one a Doctrine and every one hath a Revelation and every one hath an Interpretation let all be done to edifying every man did seek to shew his gifts and to lay out his own parts without all respect to the edification of the Church So many times it proveth in Politick meetings too It is good advice
which he is called I shall now in the Apostles words give you a charge before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall â—udge quick and dead at his appearing and in his Kingdom that you do this without partiality without respect of persons making choice of such a one of such persons as may be fit and best suitable in your consciences unto those great ends that have been named to support and unite the building I but you will say What manner of persons must they be what manner of men must they be now that will be fit for this great work Truly I shall but make choice barely of that direction laid clearly down Exod. 18.21 the common rule for Magistrates which I shall briefly offer to your consideration and conclude They were to choose Governors under Moses because he could not bear the people alone now saith he chuse you able men fearing God men of truth hating covetousness mark ye First I say make choice of men fearing God have not respect to riches so much or to seniority so much where there is not piety Let that be the great thing you have in your eye For I beseech you consider they that have not given themselves unto God they will never govern for God they will never give up themselves to the publick good who have not in that great work of Regeneration denyed themselves they can never do it and therefore I say it is the greatest wrong you could do such a man to chuse him to an eminent place for what do you do You do but put into his hands a far greater occasion an opportunity of sinning Besides I beseech you consider if they have not the fear of of God in their hearts they will not have the presence of God in their Government I say if they have not the fear of God in their hearts they will not have the presence of God in their Government and surely they will never rule well that rule without God in stead of being a Corner to support the Common-wealth truly they will be a means to destroy it Therefore that is the first thing have respect unto godliness let them be men fearing God those that have first given themselves to God and then when they have given themselves to Gods service they will give themselves to yours but never else Secondly The second direction that is there given is they must be men of courage able men you read it it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Original it signifies strength either of body or mind they must be men of stout and resolute Spirits Magistrates meet many times with matters of great difficulty sometimes they be ill looked upon by them that are above them sometimes they are ill spoken of by them that are below them Now I say this will require a stoutness and resolution of spirit that a man shall not flatter the one nor he shall not strive to please the other but go on in his duty and not turn aside neither to the right nor to the left hand I told you Magistrates are called the Shields of the earth a Shield is a venterous weapon receiveth all the Darts and I say he had need be a stout-spirited man that must undertake such an employment he must be a man of courage that he may not for fear of them above him nor that he may please them below him he may not step by or beyond his duty He may dispise the murmurs of the multitude and he maâ— say Bene facere male audire regium est Seneca Seneca It is the property indeed of a noble Spirit for if you should chuse now a weak-hearted man one that is not able to encounter with difficulties but is afraid of the appearance of every danger when any opposition presents it self his heart faileth and he will be ready to turn with every wind you have seen woful experience thereof therefore I say the next thing as to be a man fearing God so in the next place let him be a man of courage a man of strength and resolution of Spirit In the third place let him be a man of truth chuse men of truth that is not only men that love the truthes of God and are valiant for the truth upon earth in that respect but men that love truth in judgement men that love to execute true judgement as the expression is My Beloved a false Judgement is a lye to Authority and therefore the greater transgression I say a wrong Judgement is a lye to Authority and therefore the greater transgression there is a great deal of Art not only in sinning but in concealing Micah 7.3 So they wrap it up sometimes the forgery of a witness sometimes the subtilty of a pleader there is a mist cast before the eye of the Magistrate and truly by this means many times wrong judgement proceedeth from him which now if he be not a man that loves truth he will never be diligent to search out the cause and therefore that is the third thing Chuse men of Truth And then in the last place Let them be men hating covetousness hating covetousness not only he must not be a covetous man but must be a man that hateth covetousness Certainly my Beloved that man that is greedy of gain will transgress for a morsel of bread the poorest circumstances will turn this man out of the way of Judgement a gift blindeth the eyes Deut. 16.19 truly the man cannot see with his own eyes he cannot see with the eyes of the Law nor he cannot pronounce the Sentence of the Law surely men will never take care for the publike profit so long as their eyes are set upon their own private gain it was an old observation of Salvian Salvian Dives potestas pauperem facit Rempublicam a rich Magistrate commonly makes a poor Common-wealth who make it their business to serve themselves upon it Therefore in an especial manner these are the directions I give you and I lay it upon your consciences in the name of the Lord that you make choice of such a one and that will serve for those high and glorious ends that hath been mentioned to us to support and to unite the building by this means my Beloved the Lord shall be with them and with you in their Government and by this means your City shall be called a City of righteousness a faithful City And so much now shall serve for the opening to you this first branch of the Text how to support and unite Let us look up to God for a blessing Perfect CLEANSING 2 COR. 7.1 Having therefore these Promises dearly Beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthyness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God THE Apostle having in the former Chapter exhorted the believing Corinthians to abstain from all Communion and fellowship with Idolaters and having pressed the Exhortation with divers Arguments he comes at last to mention those
beset us Isa 6.6 and 7.8 when the Lord saith Whom shall I send the Prophet saith send me non tardat uncta rota but see the contrary in Moses and Ionah and this makes men in all the duties God cals them unto no longer then corruption is bribed to drive heavily Fourthly This makes all our services the more sweet unto God the more clean the heart is in them Mal. 3.4 Then shall the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord c. Psal 66.18 But if I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear me the duty would be more valuable in Gods account Luke 21.3 The poor widdow cast in more then they all because her mite came from a purer spirit then their great gifts therefore such services of the Saints Christ cals them the honey and the honey-combe wine and milk to shew how acceptable they are Cant. 5.1 Lastly consider the glorious motives and encouragements we have therein as First the promises Ezek 47.8 and Zach. 13.2 Secondly the Spirit of Christ to be a spirit of burning Isa 4.4 and when the Church is in the purest condition yet alwaies this spirit is leading her on to perfection still the spirit and the Bride saith come Rev. 22.17 and Christ and the Father love the purity as well as the prosperity of his people and if we would set faith on work he hath promised to manifest it Iohn 14.20,21 In that day ye all know that I am in my Father in his counsel in his â—osom one with him in Majestie and in power and we have the same purposes and intentions towards sinners and you in me your nature and your infirmities you are in my bosom and in my heart cloathed with me and living with me and while I live you shall live I dyed your death and you rose my resurrection I bear your in firmities and you are filled with my fulness I pray your prayers and you weare my righteousness and I in you not only by my righteousness to justifie you but by my Spirit to purifie you by my wisdom to guide you and by my power to keep you and by my glory to Crown you You unto whom I will say Enter into the joy of your Lord these are the better promises of the Gospel and it is the lowness of mens spirits want of Christian greatness of mind grounded upon the consideration of this that is the true cause why Christians lie fettered with their old failings and out-grow their infirmities no more then they do A Set Time FOR Iudgement JER 8.7 The Stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their coming but my people know not the Iudgement of the Lord. EVery faithful Minister of God hath a double reference First unto the particular Flock over which God hath made him an Over-seer Acts 20.28 Secondly unto the Land in general where he lives unto whom God hath made him a watch-man to foresee danger Ezek. 3.17 and a Trumpeter to discover it Numb 10.8 For first every private Officer in the Church is to have a publike spirit and so to perform his particular duty as to have respect unto the general good a Minister is so limited to a particular Flock as he must also remember that he is the servant of the whole Church and as every particular Church hath an interest in the gifts of all 1 Cor. 3.21 so every particular Minister is to have a care of the good of all though in a more peculiar manner of the Flock committed unto his own charge Secondly there are not only Congregational and Personal sins and mercies but there are National also and there are times when God cals a people to be humbled for the one and to be thankful for the other and in both these the Ministers of the Gospel must be employed as Trumpeters to sound forth the praise of God and as watch-men to give warning of Gods displeasure and of the time and approach of Judgement Being thus debters unto both we must pay both debts in their season and be so far careful of our particular charge that also we forget not to be faithful to the Nation and Church wherein we are for this is the common Ship in which we are all embarked and if this in Judgement be cast away whether dashed against the Rock of any forraign power or swallowed up in the quick-sands of domestick divisions it must needs hazard all the passengers Or if you were sure that for your parts you might be safe would it not be a bitter thing to you to stand upon the shore and to see so glorious a Vessel as this Nation is to be cast away to see this glorions Land defaced the blessed Gospel polluted the golden Candlestick removed it cannot but affect men that have any bowels Or if this move you not yet to see a stranger to Lord it in thy habitation and thy dwelling to cast thee out for your delightsom dwellings your pleasant and well-tilled fields to be made a prey and for you to sow and another to reap Impius has segetes c. for the delicate woman upon whom the wind must not blow and that scarce dares venter to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for tenderness Deut. 28.26 to be exposed to the lusts and cruelty of an enemy and to be glad to flie away naked to prolong a miserable life which they would be glad to part with for death were it not for fear of the exchange for the tender mother to look upon the child of her womb and consider Must this child in whom I have placed the hope of my age for omnis in Ascanioâ—stat chari cura parentis he that hath been so tenderly bred up must he fall into the rough hands of a bloody souldier skilful to destroy it had been well for me if God had given me a miscarrying womb and dry breasts rather then to bring forth children unto murderers if you might be safe how could you endure thus to see the evil that should come upon your people and the destruction of your kindred as it was her expression Hest 8 6. I do not Rhetorize and fawn to draw your affections your Brethren are a sad Comment upon what I have spoken and Ireland the stage upon which you may see this Tragedy acted before your eyes And is this nothing unto all you that pass by are you nothing concerned in the misery of your Brethren is not the Lord come neer un to you and may not you be consumed by the same fire tunc tua res agitur c. is not Iudah neerly concerned in the desolation of Israel can we see the dealing of the Lord with our Brethren say I shall sit down as a Ladyfor ever I shall see no forrow shal we say when the over-flowing scourge shall pass over it shall not come at us Isa 28.15 shall we
hath its evening there is indeed a long time sometimes of whetting the sword and bending the bow and making it ready Psal 7.12,3 But there will be a time of smiting also no souldier doth alwaies whet his sword but because he hath a purpose to cut at last though the decree bear long in its womb yet it will not bear alwaies there is a time when it will bring forth Zeph. 2.1 so that the time of patience hath its period Fifthly when the time of patience is expired there is then a time for Iudgement a day of recompence a year of vengeance a time for the expending of those Treasures of wrath that have been so long laying in because there was by sinning a time of treasuring and so there shall also come a time of spending Rom. 2.4,5 a time for the wall that is swelled out to hang but there will come a time also when it will fall Isa 30.13 husbandmen expect with much patience the ripening of the grapes there is a time of ripening and there is a time of pressing and treading the winepress Rev. 14.10 The Butcher stayes till the cattle be fat there is a fatting-time and there is a killing time and then they shall be plucked out as sheep for the slaughter Ier. 12.3 Lastly when this time doth come the Lord will forbear a people no longer this determinating of Iudgement in the time of it is exceedingly set before us in the word and that under divers expressions First the Lord doth express it by a full and a peremptory resolution that he will do it Ezek. 21.27 I will over-turn over-turn over-turn and it shall be no more I the Lord have spoken it Chap. 24.14 It shall come to pass I will do it I will not go back neither will I spare neither will I repent but according to thy waies and according to thy doings shall they judge thee saith the Lord God they are the expressions of a great and a full and peremptory resolution that will not be turned Secondly it is called a decree or the bringing forth the decree Zeph. 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies decretum or statutum scriptum from the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scripsit and so it is commonly used in the Scripture and so I conceive it to be understood non de occulto consilio sed de decreto promulgato It s true in that the word of God by the ministery of the Prophets there were many threatnings and judgements denounced but faetus adhuc in utero latet there is a time when all these threatnings will take place for they shall not be in vain there is not a word that goes forth but it shall accomplish the thing that I speak Isa 55.11 Now it is called a decree in a double respect First decrees are acts of authority Secondly they are established and firm they shall not be altered or disannulled therefore every judgement is a decree and though it may be long hid that a man doth not know what is in the womb of it yet there will come a time for the Decree of God to be delivered and then there is no hope men shall be as chaff and pass away in that day Thirdly it is called swearing in his wrath Psal 9.11 It is true that the word of God is as firm and sure as his oath for Heaven and Earth shall pass away rather then one jot of it shall pass away but yet in the word there may be and commonly is an implicit and a tacit condition as we see Ier. 18.18 If I speak concerning a a Nation or a Kingdom to pluck it up and destroy it if that Nation turn from their evil I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them but the oath of God shuts out all secret and tacit conditions whatsoever that nothing shall arise de novo that shall hinder the accomplishment thereof which must not be conceived as if it were peculiar unto that time or unto this people but that the Lord doth constantly the same against other people and in other times also as the Apostle plainly manifests to us Heb. 3.11,12 Fourthly those means that do usually prevail with God and turn away Iudgement when it is threatned In the time of Iudgement they prevail nothing with the Lord and they are these First repentance comes too late so much the Prophet doth intimate Zeph. 2.1,2 gather your selves that is by repentance and publike humiliation but what is the season it must be before the decree come forth implying otherwise it would not avail many there were no doubt in Iudah that were the Basket of good figs that did repent and humble themselves but yet it came too late to keep off the Iudgement they must be carried into captivity as well as the bad indeed repentance never comes too late if it be true to prevent the curse but many times it may come too late to keep off the cross Secondly but if that to their repentance they add prayers will not the Lord hear them Prov. 1.28 they shall call but I will not answer for there is a time when that the Lord will not be found Isa 55.6 Thirdly but what if to their prayers they add fasting will not the Lord hear them then No Ier. 14.12 When they fast I will not hear their cry but I will consume them by the sword by the famine and by the pestilence Fourthly but if God will not do it for their own sakes yet it may be he may for some other godly mans sake if the godly pray for them they may stand in the gap as we know Moses did and did hinder the breaking in of Iudgement upon the people No then the Lord will not hear them Jer. 7.16 Pray not for this people neither lift up a cry or a prayer for them for I will not hear thee Fifthly but yet if he will not hear one of the Saints apart yet the united prayers of the godly may prevail far with him and that may overcome but the Lord names the most powerful men with God that ever were Ezek. 14.14 Noah Daniel Job and Moses and Samuel Jer. 15.1 and yet the Lord saith if they did stand before him an expression of prayer and intercession yet his mind could not be towards that people There is therefore a set and appointed time for judgement and if that be once come the Lord will forbear a people no longer it will be easier to weigh the fire to measure the winds to recall the day that is past to change the Ordinances of heaven and to restore the verdure of the withered grass then to reverse the Sentence and Decree gone forth against a sinful Nation for as Samuel said to Saul he is not a man that he should repent Doctrine This time of Judgement may and must be known for why are they blamed if they might not and how justly could they be blamed if they ought not to have known it