God that the flying roll and book of vengeance twentie cubits long and ten cubits broad shall enter into such a mans house and remain in the midst thereof and shall consume it both timber stones Zac. 5. 4. When God declareth himself angry mountains and hils do tremble Psal. 114. 3. The sea saw it and fled Jordan was driven back 4. The mountaines skipped like Rammes and the little hils like Lambs 5. What ailed thee O thou Sea that thou fleddest thou Jordan that thou wast driven back ver. 7. Tremble thou earth at tho presence of the Lord Hab. 3. 10. The mountains saw thee and they trembled That God is now angry it may appeare 1. Because your adversaries never prospered in any warres before and now the Lord hath girded them with strength 2. The godly man is taken away it is cleare then there is evill comming Esay 57. 1. Mich. 7 1. When an old sheep fleeth into an hedge it is like a storme is comming 3. There be more bloud shed then would have recovered the Palatinate 6. We are to tremble when the Lord is like to depart and that Christ and the Gospel shall depart from this Kingdome is intended by Papists and Prelates for the extirpation of Protestants and Protestant Religion is the designe of Babylon and of those in whom is any of her spirit and consider what this is Hos. 9. 12. Though Ephraim bring np children yet wil I bereave her of them that not a man shall be left that is a sad condition but this is a sadder case comming also wo be to them when I depart from them Zach. 11. 9. Then said I I wil feed you no more Nay but say some we are not to tremble at that if the Gospel be removed and Popery come in we shall have the good old world and plenty of all things Take heed of that good old world in these same words I will feed you no more that which perisheth let it perish and that which is cut off let it be cut off and let the rest eate the flesh one of another woe woe to the Land if the Lord depart from us and remove his Kingdome this is worse then the Sword therefore let Christ have welcome in the land and his Throne be exalted and his Temple builded that hee may delight to come and fill the Temple with the Cloud of his Glory That they tremble and feare Darius requireth outward subjection to the God of Daniel even trembling and inward subjection feare and both being put together he then would teach that the true God should have the highest bensill and outmost pitch of the strength of the affections of feare desire joy love c. Hence it may bee questioned whether or no affections in their highest pitch are conducible in Gods Service I answer in these Assertions 1. Assertion Those affections which goe before the deliberate acts of understanding doe overcloud and mist reason and marre the acts of beleeving in God and serving and obeying God Luke 24. 41. The disciples beleeved not for joy and wondered So hungring for Christs presence doth sometime hinder faith and this is seene here tam misere cupio ut vix credam I so eagerly long for Christ that I beleeve never to enjoy him 2. Assertion The more grace the lesse passion I meane the lesse inordinate affection this is cleare in Christ Jesus in whom was the fulnesse of grace and therefore affections in him were rather actions then passions Iohn 11. 3. Jesus groaned in spirit and was troubled {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} he troubled himselfe Christ did call upon sorrow to rise and sorrow in him did not arise uncalled affections in Christ were servants in us they are masters There is mud in our bottome even when our affections are liquid and cleare in the brimme especially the sensitive part is clayie and drimmely water 2. Grace is a good stirseman and overmastereth passion and reason in the renewed man is made a masse of Grace and the most mortified have most reason and strongest light Romans 8. 7. The carnall minde that is the unmortified minde is enmitie with God Philippians 3. 8. Yea doubtlesse and I count all things losse for the super-excellent knowledge of God in Christ Iesus my Lord Then he was dead to all his priviledges that hee might excell in the knowledge of Christ and where there is little or no mortification there is little or no heavenly light therefore 2 Pet. 3. 5. walkers after their lusts and mockers and scoffers at the day of Christs second comming are willingly ignorant and brutish in that which they should know and so there is as much Clay in the Fountaine as Water 3. Assertion The more faith the lesse passion for as some say of the Sunne that light is not an accident of the Sun but the essence thereof so as the Sunne is but a masse and body of pure light so is faith a Globe of heavenly light of reason The beleever is the most reasonable man in the world hee who doth all by faith doth all by the light of sound reason and Paul 2 Thess. 3. prayeth to be delivered from unreasonable men but how unreasonable because verse 2. they have no faith faith is a beame of Heavens light Idolaters are farre from faith and so they are cruell and superlative in passions of anger hatred envie for this cause Babylon is fat with drinking much blood When mortification is commanded Rom. 12. 1. it hath the name to be called reasonable service to God 4. Assertion If the action bee done in faith the more affection in the action the better But if it bee not done in the light of faith the action is the worse Jehu casteth downe Altars from anger and fury not from faith Hezekiah casteth Altars from the light of faith and zeale If a strong ship bee faire before the winde if all other things bee right the more winde the better so two principles of grace in Hezekiah are better then one carnall principle in Iehu In reformers of the Lords house and in those who purge the Temple and cast out the buyers and the sellers there should bee strong affections of love anger zeale but all these are bad principles if there bee not much light of sound faith in reformers yet a caution is here needfull In actions of the second table where our selfe or our neighbour and not God or Religion hath place the higher bent the affection bee the action is the worse duties to Prince parents husband wife children Parliament require not all the love all the feare all the joy halfe love is best here and it is good that love feare joy desire anger goe by ounce weights but Reformation God Religion calleth for all the heart all the soule all the strength Psalme 42. 2. Davids soule and his flesh are allowed in seeking after the living God to long to faint to cry out with a shout for the living God so
this Lord Angels and glorified soules are not able to look off his Face for all eternity Mat. 18. 10. Revel. 22. 3. Esai 24. 23. The Moone shall be confounded and the Sun ashamed when the Lord of Hosts shall reigne in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem before his ancients gloriously He must be a fair Lord when the fair Sun blusheth and is ashamed to appeare and shine before him Nothing David desired in this side of time but to dwell all the dayes of his life in the house of the Lord and behold the beauty the heavenly increated beauty of the Lord Psal. 27. 3. Put all the imaginable colours of the Firmament Of the morning skie Of all the Lillies and Roses of the Earth which surpasse Salomons royalty in one Imagine a Rose to bee of the quantity of the Earth all these should be but created shadowes to him Zach. 9. 17. How great is his goodnesse how great is his beauty he is both good and fair 6. Who can speak of omnipotence and boundlesse power in God Esai 40. 12. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and meted out Heaven with a span and comprehended the dust of the Earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in Scales and the hils in Ballance there is but one in all the World and from eternity to eternity never was there any save one who can do all this What fingers be those which at one time are in the furthest borders of the Eastern Heaven and of the Western Heaven ver. 15. Behold the Nations are as a drop of a bucket and are compted as the small dust of the ballance behold he takes up the Iles as a very little thing And he can take up the whole I le of Brittain in his hand can hang the weight of the massie body of Heaven and Earth on the top of his finger who is he who hangeth the Earth yea the whole world upon nothing what hindreth seeing there be such Broyles Tumults Motions in Heaven Earth and Hell but this great huge vessel of the great All this whole world should fall to the one side and break but omnipotence holdeth it up who hath Arms to spread a web of black darknesse from the East to the West Esai 50. 3. I cloath the Heavens with blacknesse and I make sackcloth their covering and alas all that I say here is nothing it must be true here praestat tacere quam pauca discere better be silent in so great a matter as speak little Vse is To teach us not to be in love with the creature or with men What is man but a weeping groning dying nothing Esai 40. 17. All Nations are before God as nothing and lesse then nothing and vanity VVhat is nothing it is the least thing that can be but I pray you what is lesse then nothing nothing can be lesse then nothing but all Nations being compared with God evanish infinite miles out of the world of some things and if one man be nothing nations of men and nations of nations are nothing multiply Cyphers to millions of millions they cannot make a number because every Cypher is nothing and therefore the product must be nothing so multiply infinitely Nations let Spaine France Italy Ireland Denmark and what the power of men can make the product shall be nothing Millions and Hosts of men are millions and Hosts of vanities God is all and in infinite all and what can we do to make him lovely and desirable We may preach this admirable Lord but we shall never out-preach him and praise him but shall never outpraise him his favour is more to be sought then favour of Kings he is more to be feared then Kings Esai 5 12. I even I am the Lord the Lord that comforteth you Who art thou that shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die and of the Son of man that shall be made as grasse Hence are you to see to the prerogative royall of the King but more to the prerogative royal of the Prince of the Kings of the Earth And therefore O Judges be wise O all you who carry on your heads Diadems and royall Crowns of yellow dust and glistering clay I meane of gold and precious stones stoope stoope before this Monarch cast down your Crownes and Scepters at the feet of the King of Kings Know your Superiour the highest Land-lord of dying Monarchies Zach. 2. 12. It is said The Lord shall inherit Judah and shall chuse Jerusalem O but Kings and Dominions who keep Judah captive cry out with a shout Judah shall serve us and our King and Jesus Christ shall not raigne over us but there is a royal Proclamation given with an ô yes from his palace of glory who inhabiteth Eternity v. 13. Be silent O all flesh before the Lord So Psal. 2. 2. Jew and Gentile are upon foot raging and consulting with all Let us break his bands and cast his cords from us nay v. 6. one who is not on foot but sitteth in Heaven laughing not troubling himselfe with the Tumults of clay-nothings sent out a princely mandate I have set my King upon my holy Hill of Zion I have put the Crown on Christs head what men of dust and ashes shall pull it off his head Psal. 46. 9. He breaketh the Bow and cutteth the Spear he burneth the Chariots in the fire The heathen cannot endure this they flie on armies and cry with a shout He shal not break our Bowes He shal not burne our Chariots with fire therefore a royal Commandment and Decree cometh out v. 10. Be still and know that I am God I will be exalted above the heathen I will be exalted on Earth He is crying O Rome O Spaine O Ireland O Kings and powers of the world O Babylon Lady of Nations O Pope and Cardinals hold your peace speak no more Esai 46. 13. I bring near my Righteousnesse it shall not be far off and my salvation shall not tarry and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel for Brittain my glory 2. Vse is To bring hearts in a fervour and sicknes of love with God and make us mould higher and more Majestick thoughts and conceptions of this most high Lord then ordinarily we do and therefore consider how inconsiderable incomprehensible he is 2. Summon all created glory before him by way of comparison 3. Look at him as the last end First then consider two words that Paul hath Eph. 3. 18 19. That you may be able it is his prayer with all the Saints to comprehend what is the breadth and length and depth and height 19. And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Now from the love of Christ you may take the measure in some proportion of this great Lord himself Then conceive a love higher then the Heaven of Heavens deeper then the Earth broader then the Sea yea broader and longer then the circumference of the outmost shel or orbe of the
ordinances of the Moon and Stars for a light by night which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roare the Lord of hosts is his name vers. 36. If these ordinances depart from before mee saith the Lord then the seed of Israel shall cease from being a Nation before me for ever I might alledge other Scriptures also as Jer. 32. 39 40. Ezech. 36. 26 27 28 29. Esai 54. 10 11 12. Esai 59. 21. Heb. 8. 7 8 9 10 11. Now then because God hath bottomed the eternity of his Church upon his own unchangeable counsell they must raze the acts of Heaven who can take away the Church of God I leave it to the thoughts of the judicious if the rooting out of the Protestant Religion bee a rationall purpose of intelligent men What if we should imagine a society of transported men should convene in Parliament and make Statutes thus We ordain as a Law and Statute that from the 22. of January the Sunne shall shine no more by day and the Moone and Starres shall give no more light by night also we inhibite and discharge under the highest pain of treason from this time forth the Sea shall never ebbe or flow again These or the like should be but the notions of sick imiginations acts of night counsels have been these first fire the City of London secondly cut off the Parliament thirdly leave not alive in Ireland a Protestant or their seed fourthly roote them all out of France and Germany fifthly destroy Scotland and their Covenant sixthly undoe all reformation of Religion in Brittain Secondly Consider the strength of the Church of God Numb. 24. 8. He hath as it were the strength of an Vnicorn he shall eat up the nations his enemies he shall break his bones and pierce them thorow with his arrowes Why and the Church is but a feeble worme let it be so yet he saith Esay 41. 14. Feare not worm Jacob and yee men of Israel I will helpe thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer the holy One of Israel in the midst of thee vers. 15. Behold I will make thee worme as thou art a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth thou shalt thresh the mountains and beat them small and shalt make the hils as chaffe vers. 16. Thou shalt fanne them and the winde shall carry them away and the whirle winde shall scatter them You have not seen such a miracle that a worme shall destroy a great mountain and blow it away as chaffe But it is Gods way that Omnipotence rides on a straw on a worme and triumph And how can it be but thus The Church is the weakest thing in the earth but in God incomparably the strongest Psalme 46. 1. God is our refuge and strength Gods strength is the absolute greatest strength and so overcome God and overcome the Church for a greater strength must overcome the lesse Where dwelleth hee in earth in Hell or in Heaven who hath strength above the strength of God they doe not flie to the strongest side who desert the Parliament and flie to Oxford they run but downe to Egypt but Esay 30. 7. Their strength is to sit still Thirdly the destroying of the Church is not a worke of reason or deep policie as men suppose they will but swallow downe and drinke the Protestants let them be doing and goe on Put the Church of Christ in a cup and drink her but you will be sick when shee is in your belly and had better drinke many quarts of lead or brasse melted and coming hot out of the furnace for Zach 12. 2 There is poison and death in the cup I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about The gall the wormwood the poyson of the vengeance of the Lord and the vengeance of his Temple is in the cup Drink who will they shall be sick and drunken and vomit and fall and die in their vomit and never rise again Pharaoh dranke of this cup but he was killed with it and made fishes meat Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazar dranke but they swelled hand and foot and died Herod Acts 12. had the cup at his head and tooke a draught of this wine but he was stricken with wormes Papists Prelates the Irish good Catholique subjects the Emperour Spaine Rome the Antichrist the powers of the earth are now drinking one to another and the cup of trembling goeth in a round to them all but consider how sick they shall be Zach. 14. 12. And this shall bee the plague wherewith the Lord shall smite all the people that have fought against Ierusalem their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet and their eyes shall consume away in their eye-holes and their tongue shall consume away in their mouths Babylons cup-bearers and Atheists and Malignants to whom the morning of a sound reformation is as the shadow of death would then know how deadly a cup is now at their head Fourthly consider Gods promises to his Church There is a true Diurnall written from Heaven that God is to make a glorious Church in the end of the world Esa. 30. 26. Moreover the light of the Moone shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun sevenfold as the light of seven dayes And when the new resurrection shall bee I mean the in-coming of that elder sister the Church of the Jewes Rom. 11. 15. and when all Israel shall be saved What a glorious house shall he build for the Lord when that shall be fulfilled Esay 60. 13. And the glory of Lebanon shall come unto theee the fir-tree the pine-tree and the boxe together to beautifie the place of my sanctuary and I will make the place of my feet glorious v. 14. The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending to thee and all they that despised thee shal bow themselves down at the soals of thy feet and they shal cal thee The City of the Lord The Zion of the holy One of Israel v. 19. The sunne shal no more be thy light by day neither for brightnesse shal the moon give light unto thee but the Lord shal be thine everlasting light and the dayes of thy mourning shal be ended All which with many other places do make God say That the Church shall stand and never be prevailed against by the very gates of hell Fifthly Christ cannot leave off to be a King therefore his Kingdome must stand there is a seed and a reward promised to Christ for his labours Esay 53. 10. There bee Articles of grace concluded betwixt the Father and his Sonne which cannot be broken Sixthly there are in all the sufferings of the Church two things most considerable first a turn secondly a contexture a turne or returne Gen. 39. 21 22. Joseph was cast in prison But the Lord was with Joseph Gen. 49. 23. The archers have sorely grieved Joseph and shot at him and hated him but consider the returne vers. 24. But his
A SERMON PREACHED To the Honourable HOVSE OF COMMONS At their late Solemne Fast Wednesday Jan. 31. 1644. BY SAMUEL RUTHERFURD Professor of Divinitie in the University of S. Andrews EXOD. 3. 2. And hee looked and behold the Bush burned with fire and the Bush was not consumed Published by Order of the House of Commons EDINBURGH Printed by Evan Tyler Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majestie 1644. Die Mercurii 31. Ianuar. 1644. IT is this day ordered by the Commons assembled in Parliament That Mr. Rous do from this House give thanks unto Mr. Rutherfurd for the great paines he took in the Sermon he preached this day at the intreaty of the said Commons at S. Margarets Westminster it being the day of publike Humiliation and to desire him to print his Sermon And it is ordered that none presume to print his Sermon without authority under the hand-writing of the said Mr. Rutherfurd H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. I appoint Richard Whittaker and Andrew Crooke to print my Sermon Samuel Rutherfurd To the Christian Reader WHether time or the fashion hath obtained of me worthy Reader that this Sermon should come under the providence of your favourable judgement and Candor I can hardly determine But you have it as it is onely I shall heartily desire in reviewing of it your serious thoughts in these insuing considerations 1. What I speak here of God and his excellency is but a shadow to the expressions of others and what others can say men or Angels is but a short and rude shadow of that infinite All the High Jehovah Creator of Heaven and Earth so my thoughts come forth as shadows of shadows for there behoved to be much honey in the Inke much of Heaven in the breast much of God in the Pen of any who speaketh of such a transcendent subject yet if these do affect you it is possible I say more if not I shall desire not to spill the Lords highest praises with my low-creeping under-expressions 2. Concerning Gods dispensation now in Brittaine and his Churches condition I shall be your debter in all humble modesty to beg these thoughts to go along with God As 1. Let the Lord have a charitable sense and good construction of his most wise dispensation and beleeve that he who hath his fire in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem seeth good that Christs Crosse should be the Church of Christs birth-right and that a life-rent of afflictions is a surer way for Zion then Summer-dayes 2. You are not to stumble that God will not fit his times to mens apprehensions when to raine and when to shine fair neither is clay to usurp the chair and dispute the matter to make the All-wise providence a School-Probleme nor asks Why is our Zion builded with carcasses of men in two kingdomes fallen as dung in the open field and as the handfull after the harvest man Why is the wall of the daughter of Zion sprinkled with blood One thing I know It is better to beleeve then to dispute and to adore then to plead with him who giveth not account of his matters 3. Innocencie in these times is better then court with princes and the condition of the heirs of Heaven yea their tears better then the joy of the hypocrite 4. Christs Church can neither shift nor adjourne such a share of affliction as is written in Gods book It is a standing and a current court which hath decreed what graines of Gall and Wormewood England must drink what a cup is prepared for Scotland and the Ballance of wisedome hath weighed by ounce weights how much wrath shall be mixed in the cup of wasted Ireland 5. You know it is generally the condition of the Church if she have any Summer that it is but a good day betwixt two Feavers Heaven heaven is the home and the desired day of the Bride the Lambs wife 6. It is much better to be afflicted then to be guilty and that the Church may have pardon and want peace 7. That the faith which is more precious then gold can bid the devil do his worst and that the patience of the Saints can out-weary the malice of Babylon or Babel on whose skirts is found the blood of the Saints 8 That it is now and ever true as when a hungry man dreameth and behold he eateth but he awaketh and his soul is empty or as when a thirsty man drinketh but he awaketh and behold he is faint so shall the multitude of all nations be that fight against mount Zion 9. Vengeance is gone out from the Lord against those who feast upon Zions teares and they must die the death of the uncircumcised who clapped their hands and stamped with the feet and rejoyced in heart with all their despight against the land of Israel 10. They are in no better condition who refuse to help the Lord against the mighty and whose heart is as a stone and a piece of dead flesh at all the revolutions and tossings of Christs Kingdome who daunce eat and laugh within their own orbe and if their desires bee concentrick to the world and themselves care not whether Joseph die in the stocks or not or whether Zion sink or swim because whatever they had of Religion it was never their minde both to summer and winter Jesus Christ 11. The rise of the Gospel-sun is like the prodigious appearance of a new Comet to the woman that sitteth on many waters to that mother Rome-planted as a Vine in blood the Lionesse whose Whelps Papists and Prelates in Ireland and England have learned to catch the prey and this Comet prophesieth Wo to the Pope King of the bottemlesse pit and his bloody Lady Babel if Christ shall arise and shine in the power of his Gospel 12. God hath now as great a work on the wheels as concerneth the race of the Chariots of Jesus Christ through the habitable world pray O let his Kingdome come and farewell Yours in the Lord Jesus S. R. A SERMON PREACHED Before the Honourable House of COMMONS At their last solemne Fast Wednesday January 31. 1644. DANIEL 6. 26. I make a Decree that in every Dominion of my Kingdome men tremble and feare before the face of the God of Daniel for he is the living God and indureth for ever and his Kingdome that which shall not bee destroyed and his dominion shall bee to the end MEthod requireth that first the words bee expounded secondly that they bee taken up in a right order thirdly that such observations bee hence deduced as serve most for the present condition of the times The words are plaine here first is a Statute of a great King Sim that the seventie interpreters render {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a decretall letter for sometimes though seldome the Lords cause findeth the grace of faire justice with men The matter of the Decree is that men tremble and feare Lehevon zognin vedachalin The Seventie render
it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is that they be such as feare and tremble before the God of Daniel feare is indeed put for the worship of the true God so is God called Gen. 31. 42. The feare of Isaac but it is not the word used here a devout man as Simeon is called one taken up with a religious feare {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Luke 2. 25. Act. 8. 2. nor are the words used here those which doe expresse Jobs fearing of God Job 1. 1. though I know the words doe expresse trembling and feare and also horrour and dread such as was given to creatures and false Gods and therefore from this none can inferre the conversion of this King to the true knowledge of Jehovah God also is called kajam an induring and standing God from Kum surrexit and well rendered to the sense by the Seventy {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the Eternall GOD in opposition to all falling and fading time-gods and Kings of clay and so hee is a God to whom Daniel did with a great deale of reason rather tender the honour of prayer then to King Darius or the supposed deities of Persia or Chaldea who are not standing gods induring for ever but come out of times wombe and decay and fall as creatures also doe Lastly his Kingdome that is his People and Servants such as Daniel and his Church and his dominion shall endure to the end Gnadsopha which is not so to bee taken as if Gnad did signifie a date or tearme-day at which time the dominion of God should have an end for 2. Samuel 6. last verse it is said Michol had no childe Gnad jom mothach even till the day of her death that is shee never had any Childe for the sence cannot bee that shee had any Childe after the day of her death so Psalme 48. 14. For this God is our God for ever and ever hee will bee our guide Gnadmuth even till death it is not intended that the Lord shall cease to bee their God and guide after death which is contrary to expresse Scripture Matth. 22. 32. Rev. 7. 16 17. and Matthew 28. 20. I am with you {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to the end of the world the sense is I am with you for ever for at the end of the world Christ doth not leave his owne servants I know Gnad otherwise doth often signifie a certaine definite time as Psal. 132. I will not sleep untill I finde a place for Jehovah Gnad emptsa makom and 1 Sam. 14. 9. Psal. 73. 17. Psal. 105. 19. 2. The words containe this generall a Proclamation royall of a great King and for particulars 1. Who giveth out the Proclamation From my face a Decree goeth I Darius make a Decree 2. The parties to whom to every dominion of my Kingdome 3. The matter that they feare and tremble 4. The object before the face of the God of Daniel 5. The reasons of the Decree for Law without reason is will not Law men goe to heaven or hell with reason 1. He is the living God and this is form his nature 2. He is eternall then from his government his kingdome such as 1. time 2. violence 3. wisedome cannot destroy but such a Church and Kingdome as shall endure for ever and his dominion endureth to the end I make a Decree This Darius the Mede called Nabonithus succeeded to Belshazzar the sonne of Evil-Merodach about the yeare of the world 3393. others 3442. and did reigne 17. or 19. yeares And having advanced Daniel to great honour by force of a wicked law cast Daniel to the Lions and God having miraculously delivered Daniel from the Lions this King giveth out a Law that all his Subjects fear and serve the God of Daniel Whence observe 1. All Princes are obliged to governe and rule for the Lord and his honour 1. So Scripture speaketh it shall be in the last dayes Esay 49. 25. Kings shall be thy nursing fathers and Queens thy nursing mothers Psal. 72. 10. The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents I would the King of this Island were in this Text ver. 11. The Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts yea all Kings shall fall downe before him 2. Princes are Gods Standard-bearers they beare his sword by office Rom. 13. 4. and they hold Crowne and Scepter of him as great Landlord of all powers 3. In a speciall manner they are second Gods Psal. 81. 6. Nor do rulers judge for men the judgment is the Lords 2 Chro. 19. 12. All rulers in the act of judging are Gods deputies even though their second calling be to be sent by a King and therefore see what judgment God himselfe would pronounce if he were on the bench that same must they decree except they would make the deputed mouth to belie the minde of the great Lord who sent them 4. The Lord hath entrusted Christian Rulers with the most precious thing he hath on earth he hath given his Bride and Spouse to their tutory and faith 5. What sweeter comfort can the Ruler have either when his soule lodgeth in an house of groaning and sicke bones and the image of death sitteth on his eye-lids or in the day of his greatest calamity then to looke backe and smile upon such an old friend as a good conscience and to say as Job doth ch. 29. 13. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me and I caused the widowes heart to sing for joy c. Vse 1. You are entrusted by God with an honourable Virgin a Kings daughter Psal. 45. 9. Now then for her Fathers sake and for her Fathers blessing deale kindely with her As you love the Bridegroome take care of the Bride You have now amongst your hands Christ his Crowne his Israel his glory Esay 46. 13. his Prerogative Royall be faithfull Tuterers and active Factors for the Priviledges Lawes and Liberties of the high Court of heaven Vse 2. If this be the place and relation that Princes have to Christ and his Church then can the Lord have given no power to any Ruler to waste and destroy the mountaine of the Lord For 1. All royall power given of God Deut. 17. 18 19 20. in the first moulding of royall highnesse was a power to rule according to that which is written in the Booke of the Law and so there can be no royall power to the contrary truly royall 2. That power cannot be from God as a lawfull power the exercise and acts whereof are sinfull I speake of a lawfull morall power 3. If such an uncontrollable power as cannot be resisted be of God then are Princes given to the Churches and people of God as judgements of God then are all Christian States actu primo made slaves by God in the very intention of God the giver and of the gift at what time hee giveth them a Nurse-father to feed and
governe them and so shall Gods gifts be snares plagues and no gifts If God give a fatherly power to a father to kill all his children and if a State give to their Generall a military power to fell and destroy all his Souldiers so as neither Sonnes nor Souldiers may defend themselves then the fatherly power should be of its owne nature a plague to the Sonnes If any say the Prince the Father because they feare God will not put forth in acts such a power I answer thankes to the Princes goodnesse for that but no thankes to his office and power God gave him the Sword as a Prince if he doe not draw that royall Sword to drink bloud we cannot impute the cause to the nature of the royall gift or intention of God the giver but to the goodnesse of a man which must be bad divinite Doct. 2. So much as Darius hath of God or any good Ruler so far is his spirit for the publick He heareth something of the God of Daniel now then he hath a publick spirit to send something of God to all nations people and languages v. 25. Though there bee nothing to prove that the man had saving grace yet the generall holdeth so much of God as any hath in so farre is he for the publick 1. Because grace is a publicke beame of God and a branch of Gods goodnesse and so of a spreading nature and the better things be the more publicke they are the Sunne is better then a Candle God best of all because every thing that hath beeing hath something of God and Christ best of all because he is the Saviour of many and Col. 1. 20. hath reconciled all things in heaven and earth to himselfe 2. Graces end is the most publick end of the world even Gods glory for all things are for God Rom. 11. 36. Prov. 16. 4. mens private ends are sinfull ends 3. The more gracious men be the more publick they are David will not be David alone in praising God but Psal. 148. he wil have a world in with him even Angels Sun Moone Stars Heaven of Heavens Dragons deeps fire hail snow vapour stormy winde mountains trees beasts creeping things fowles Kings Judges old and young to hold up the song Moses Paul would lay out in ransome their part of heaven to redeeme Gods glory and salvation to the Lords Church the Martyrs desired that their pain torment might praise and exalt God How broad how catholicke and publicke was his spirit who said 1 Cor. 9 19. Though I be free from all men yet have I made my selfe servant unto all that I might gaine the more 20. And unto the Iews I became as a Iew that I might gain the Iewes to them that are under the Law as under the Law that I might gaine them that are under the Law 21. To them that are without the Law as without Law being not without Law to God but under the Law to Christ that I might gain them that are without Law 22. To the weake became I as weake I am made all things to all men that I might by all meanes save some A publike spirit is not himselfe he is made a Jew a Gentile a weake man not a weak man he is made Law and Gospel he is made a bridge over a River that the Church may goe over him drie he complyeth with all who but lend out halfe a looke to Christ and he is in a complement of grace a servant to all 2 Corinth 4. 5. We preach not our selves except wee preach our owne sinnes our owne condemnation by nature and that wee under-preach all eminencie in our selves but our selves your servants for Christs sake yea your servants servants for Christ See the Complement of a publicke heart of one who is willing to stoope and put his head and haire under the feet of the Church and of the poorest and most despised passenger who maketh out for heaven Vse Then Grace maketh men rich Parliament men and there is a wide difference betwixt a publicke man and a publicke spirit all Parliament men are publicke men but they are not all publike spirits else so many of them would not have deserted the publicke and runne away from Christs Colours to seeke their owne private Idols Men void of grace make an Idol of themselves every wicked man is wholly himselfe and wholly his owne Phil. 2. 21. They all seeke their owne not the things of Jesus Christ Hee who is for the Bridegroome cannot bee against the Bride nor against the Common-wealth he who is a Statesman of heaven and knoweth savingly the fundamentall Lawes of Jesus Christ the power and prerogative roall of the King of Kings he who is acquainted with the frame and constitution of the Kingdome of sinne in his owne heart he who feareth God who feareth his owne light and is awed with the Decrees and Lawes of an inlightened conscience shall be fast for the publicke and the man who selleth his Religion and his soule for his private ends will soone sell his countrey his Parlament the Lawes and Liberties of the Kingdome Will hee put the Law of God and the Crowne and Scepter of that Princely Lord Jesus to the market and will hee sticke for his Court and Honour to sell the Lawes of England and will hee forfeit Heaven and will hee not forfeit you all and your Parliament and Liberties O then bee intreated now to bee for Heaven and Christ as his publicke State-wits to convey Decrees for Christs honour for Reformation against Babylon and her sonnes through this whole Kingdome You have now power and opportunitie to send the Glory of Christ over Sea to all Europe the eyes of Nations are upon you exalt the Sonne of God thinke it not sweet policie to have peace with Babylon and warre with God consider if Church and State did ever prosper since the Queenes Idol of the Masse was set up amongst you and what is your part when many Masses are now in the Kings Court at Oxford I make a Decree There was a wicked Law and a cursed Decree made by Darius that for thirtie dayes neither Daniel nor any of Gods people should pray to God or to any god save to Darius Daniels enemies prevaile thus farre that Daniel the Churches right eye now in the Court should be decourted and cast out to bee meate to beasts Behold the artifice and fathomlesse depth of Gods wisedome who bringeth a contrary Decree out of this wicked Decree even a Decree for adoring that God of Daniel whom they had dishonoured Doct. It is the art of the deepe wisedome of divine providence to bring good out of the sinnes of his enemies and the sufferings of his owne Iosephs brethren moved with envie sell their brother Potiphar casteth him in prison the wisedome of God commeth in in the game and hee exalteth Joseph and keepeth alive people in famine Herod Pilate Jewes and Gentiles crucifie the Lord of glory the Art
of free grace deepe wisedome in God must bee more then halfe play-maker here and in this redeeme the lost world The Chaldeans spoyle Job and plunder him Satan maketh him an empty house and a childelesse father mercy commeth up in the Theater and free Grace maketh Job an illustrious and faire copy of patience and faith to all ages Achitophel did as many now with our King doth hee gave wicked counsell against the Lords servant and a just cause divine justice cometh in in the game and Achitophel hangeth himselfe The use of this shall answer two questions 1. Why doth God suffer sinne to be and so much sinne in England and Ireland 2. Why doth hee suffer his people in Covenant with him to bee a land of bloud The former question is a generall a wicked Marcion asketh why the Lord who foresaw the event did suffer Evah and the Devill to conferre and if he was able why did hee not hinder sinne to bee except he had been either envious and would not or weake and could not hinder the enters of sinne in the world Tertullian answereth Because the Lord is free in his gifts Augustine answereth Epist. 59. ad Paulinum Quia voluit because it was his will Prosper and Hilarius both with Augustine say The cause may be unknown it cannot be unjust Though it were in the Potters hand to turne clay into brasse yet his power should not destroy his liberty to cause him to make a lame vessell such as if it had reason and will to fall it should not bee broken Why should Daniels enemies prevaile so as to cast him to Lions that these knees that bowed often to God and these hands which was lifted up to him should be eaten with Lions O lame vessell beleeve beleeve but dispute not And the answer is cleare sinne is the worst thing that is but the existence of sinne is not ill otherwayes saith Augustine God should never permit it to be Yea sinnes being in the world is silva justiciae divinae officina gratiae Christi A field for the glory of revenging justice and sinne is the work house of the pardoning grace of God And therefore there bee good reasons why the Lord should permit sinne and such sinnes 1. That there may be roome in the play for pardoning grace the colour and beauty of free grace had never beene made obvious in such a way to the eye of Angels and Men if sinne had not beene 2. There had beene no employment for the mercy of a soule-redeeming Jesus 3. Wee should not have had occasion in the eares of Angels to hold up for ever and ever the new Psalme of the Praises of a Redeemer 4. By this nature clay and fraile nature and selfe-dependence is cried downe and God exalted 5. By this the humble love of the contrite and broken in heart is necessitated to kisse the bowels of him who bindeth up the broken hearted mourners in Sion and furrowes of blood put to reall acknowledgement of everlasting compassion 6. Hence also are minors and poore pupils put to improve their faith and dependence upon so Kingly a Tutor as never enough loved and admired Jesus Christ 7. Hence to the praise of grace Satan hath faire justice and that in foro contradictorio in open patent Court when clay triumpheth over Angels and Hell through the strength of Jesus Christ The other question is also soone answered Why should the cause of God be so oppressed and his Churches garments rolled in blood But 1. God must bee knowne to bee God in his owne chaire of estate and hee must be The Saviour of Israel in the time of trouble 2. Satan Prelates Papists Malignants shall be vnder-workmen and kitchin-servants to him who hath his fire in Sion and his furnace in Jerusalem to purifie and refine the vessels of mercy in the Lords house 3. Christs Bride must know that this is their Inne not their home their Pilgrimage not their Countrey otherwise our Lord knoweth how to lead his passengers to Heaven not by Sea but by dry land 4. All must see that the losse of men is not the Lords losse but the Gospels gaine 5. His glorious grace must be commended who suiteth in marriage a spouse to himselfe in no place rather then in the Furnace Esay 48. 10. 6. Prayers and praises must bee the rent paid to him to whom belongeth the issues from death The Lord hath a great worke now on the wheeles in Britain Be very charitable of our Lords dispensation though the slaine of the Lord bee many in England and Ireland looke not on the darke side of Gods providence or on the blacke and weeping side of his dispensation widdowes are multiplied almost as the sand of the Sea children weepe and cry Alas my father mothers in Ireland die twice when they see their children slaine before their eyes and then are killed themselves Oh! say men why doth the Lord this Behold the faire and smiling side of Gods providence contrary windes from Rome from hell by the art of omnipotency promove the sailing and course of Christs ship 1. God is now drawing an excellent portract of a refined Church but with the inke of the innocent blood of his people say not What is the Lord doing or Is there knowledge in the Almightie who hath given the Lord counsell better wee be his courtiers then his counsellors 2. If we love the dust and the stones of Sion Psalme 102. 14. Christ is ravished with one of his Churches eyes and with a chaine of her neck Cant. 4. 9. God loveth his owne glory more ardently then I can love it 3. The Church is dearer bought to Jesus then to me or you hee hath given too great a price for her to lose her 4. Rather when wee cannot see to the bottome of providence beleeve upon plain trust and say as Esay 8. 17. I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I will looke for him Part. 2. In every dominion of my kingdome This is the second part wherein the parties to whom this Law is given are expressed in their universalitie as they are v. 25. To all people nations and languages that dwell on all the earth peace Whence observe That Nations without the visible Church never wanted means either ordinary or extraordinary to know God though we cannot in reason say that the Decree or Law of a heathen King is the Arminian universall grace yet some means all have And God hath laid open foure bookes to all nations 1. That booke of creation of the Heavens and his workes Psalme 19. 1. The Heavens Mesappe-rajim cevodel doe booke and register the glory of God Romanes 1. 20. 2. The booke of ordinary providence is a Chronicle or Diurnall of a God-head and a Testimony that there is a God Acts 14. 17. Acts 17. 27. 3. There is a booke of the extraordinary workes of God and some report of the true God upon occasion
Gods duration best whereas our being taketh three verbs to expresse it this man was and continueth yet and to morrow shall be but may not bee 2 Pet. 3. 8. One day is with the Lord as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeeres as one day And therefore he is the King of ages 1 Tim. 1. 17. as if generations and centuries of yeares were his subjects and servants His Sonne Christ is Esay 9. 6. The Father of Eternitie And Esay 57. 15. He inhabiteth Eternitie Men do not inhabite Eternitie For in this we do but take by the curtains of time and looke into the borders of Eternitie and in the life to come we shall bee beside Eternity and not inhabite Eternity so as if non-existence and our glorified natures should involve a contradiction whereas existence is as essentiall to the glorious Majesty of God as his blessed essence and his blessed essence involveth a contradiction not to bee And all time-gods are no gods for if you say God you say an eternall necessity of an eternall and ever living God And this maketh God free from change and from ups and downes from falling and rising that are incident to all created natures even to men and Angels Vse 1. If God be eternall and Lord of time we must be carefull that wee say not as the people doth Jer. 8. 20. The harvest is past and the summer is ended and we are not saved Wee are inclined to weepe upon time as being too long especially when wee our selves and the Lords Church have sad and bloody dayes But the children of God have three advantages which are as many motives to cause us to submit to Gods dispensation of time 1. Wait on for Psal. 9. 18. The hope of the poore shall not perish for ever Psal. 40. 1. I waited patiently on the Lord and what was the issue and he inclined his eare and heard my cry 2. He brought me also out of the horrible pit out of the mirie clayes and set my feet on a rock and established my goings Hence as while the bellows blow the fire casteth heat and light so doth the heat and fervour of our long lodging under the crosse make broad aimes of praising and walking thankefully and when the breathing of the Bellowes ceaseth the fire goeth out again so when we are delivered and are cooled wee turn cold in performing reall thankfulnesse to God but let faith in long troubles wait on and sow seed in Heaven and on Christ and that is excellent soyle and wee shall reape in due time if we faint not 2. Gods delayes are the seeds of greater mercies we are to borrow that expression to pardon the long delayed salvation of God and to forgive times leaden wheeles which move slowly because God recompenseth want of present deliverance with a superplus of grace Was it not best that Jacob was not blessed at the first his faith was lengthned to continue with this I will not let thee goe while thou blesse me The woman of Canaans daughters body is not freed of the divell at the first or second cry but her owne soule is inriched with faith great faith and fervour of spirit to continue in praying and humble submission to bee willing to be a dogge to Christ and here the Lord often recompenseth the want of Brasse with the presence of Gold For faith here intrusteth a stocke in Gods hand and doth forbeare and suspend both principall and annuall till Gods time come Therefore wee are to take heed that while we fret and challenge our Lord that hee loseth time that we be not in the mean time losing time our selves if he hold his Church long in the furnace if his Church doe not joyn with God actively to melt her selfe and to humble her selfe under Gods mighty hand then the Church loseth her time but God doth not lose a moment The Gold-smith should hold his vessell in the fire till it be melted and refined Here also wee are to consider that to deliver out of some crosse as it is Gods mercy so it is my duetie I lose a father a childe a deare friend in warre I can never in this life be delivered from this crosse according to the reality of it for my father my childe my deare friend once being dead cannot returne to mee againe but though I cannot bee delivered from the reall losse yet may I by Gods grace deliver my selfe from the impatient fretting and distrustfull apprehension of that losse by doing that for conscience to the God of patience who commandeth mee to submit which for length of time I shall doe but here wee obey time rather then God 3. Gods time is better then ours for hee knoweth when wee are ripe for deliverance and when the drosse cometh away from the mettâ—ll and when we cast our scumme Here before we glorifie him we would binde him to deliver us and we desire here to be served before God that he should deliver before we be mortified and dead to our lusts But it is better that our paine continue praising and beleeving as both paine and faith be removed How excellent is that of the Church crying out of the deep Psal. 130. 5. I wait for the Lord But many lie stil under the load rather then wait because they cannot help the businesse therefore he addeth My soule doth wait 2. Many wait and they know not whereon it is a fooles nest they seeke therefore he addeth And in his Word doe I trust A soule is not bottomed on a dreame in his on-waiting when he hath the Word of God for his warrant 3. Many doe wait but it is deliverance that they wait for and not for God himselfe therefore saith he ver. 6. My soul waiteth for the Lord It is as much for God and a communion with him that faith waiteth for as for deliverance 4. But many wait but very lazily and with great deadnesse the Prophet expresseth more of himselfe My soule waiteth for the Lord more then they that watch for the morning I say more then they that watch for the morning Such a waiter with these foure qualifications can never be delivered out of time Here then are newes Awake O Sion sit no longer in ashes put on thy beautifull garments O people really in Covenant with God England Brittain be not weary the King is comming Christ is in his journey posting deliverance is at hand O beleever make no haste O prisoner of hope die not in the prison Oh! we want faith It is the art and cunning of faith to beleeve and not see and to have memory for eyes and sense but we would both sow and reap in one day and would have physicke and health both in one houre we would alwayes be at miracles Vse 2. If God be eternall his love and decrees must be necessary and irresistable nothing is so necessary as that which is eternall Then I could easily yeeld considering who are this day against us we should be
bowe abode in strength and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob Psal. 3. 2. Many say of my soul There is no help for him in God See so sweet a But vers. 3. But thou O Lord art a shield for me my glory and the lifter up of my head So is the childe of Gods condition made up of two haltes Psal. 18. 18. Hence the fall They prevented me in the day of my calamity Then the rise But the Lord was my stay Psal. 22. 7. All that see me laugh me to scorn c. Hence faiths rise vers. 9. But thou art he that took me out of the wombe c. Psal. 30. 5. Weeping may endure for a night then the returne But joy cometh in the morning Psal. 34. 19. Many are the troubles of the righteous this is their down but they lie not But the Lord delivereth them out of all Psal. 71. 7. I am a wonder to many that is dark night but the day dawneth againe But thou art my strong hold So doth the servant of God fall Psal. 109. 4. For my love they were mine adversaries but faith riseth again But I give my self to prayer Psal. 118. 13. Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall see the escape But the Lord helped me vers. 18. The Lord hath chastised me sore shall he lie in that condition No But he hath not delivered me to death Esay 54. 7. For a smal moment I have forsaken thee behold the returne But with great mercies wil I gather thee Esay 63. 6. For we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnes as filthy rags we all do fade as a leafe our iniquities like the winde have taken us away this is death and look to life again vers. 8. But thou O Lord art our Father c. Jer. 1. 19. They shall fight against thee there were but a whole Parliament all the estates of the Land Kings Princes Priests and People against Jeremiah but he must not lie on the dust But they shall not prevaile against thee for I am with thee to deliver thee Joh. 16. 22. Ye now therefore have sorrow that is a sad case yet it hath a turne But I will see you againe and ye shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from you so are these two at once in the Lords witnesses his Apostles 2. Cor. 4. 9. persecuted But not forsaken cast down But not destroyed 2. Tim. 4 16. At my first appearing no man stood with me but all men forsook me yet is he lifted up vers. 17. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me Secondly There is a contexture of contraries as black and white sweet and sowre woven through other as day-light and night in a morning twy-light as contraries in one subject 2. Cor. 6. 9. As dying and behold we live as chastened yet not killed verse 10. Or as sorrowfull yet alwayes rejoycing as poor yet making many rich as having nothing yet possessing all things How can these two be in one They kill us but we die not they bury us but we live againe in the grave we have nothing and we have all things we have we want not Rom. 8 36. Killed all the day long and counted as sleep for the slaughter 37. Neverthelesse in all these more than Conquerours c. Hence they are killed all the day long and they live all the day long I know not how it is but the Churches death is a living and a breathing death their poverty a rich poverty their shame glorious shame their sadnesse joyfull sadnesse their foyles victorious foyles their paine an health and an easie paine their weaknesse strong and mighty weaknesse I desire to make some use of this And 1. There be no worldly States and Monarchies of whom this can be said Their Kingdome such as cannot be destroyed Where is there a worldly Kingdome that cannot be shaken Moab was a Kingdome and yet Moab shall die in his own vomit Jer. 48. 26. Aegypt is a great Kingdome and yet it is broken like an old Clay-pot or a lame Vessell The foure great Monarchies are become like foure May-flowres withered and their rosie blossoms are fallen off them in their moneth Did they mean no truth who said of earthly Kingdomes Omnis faelicitas ad culmen perducta retrogreditur and Magna suo pondere ruunt VVorldly felicity when it is at the height of the Stairs sitteth downe and slippeth back againe And great things of this Earth are a burden to themselves summisque negatum stare diu It is denied to great things to stand long Alas how long did one of the Kings of Gods People raigne even Zachariah poore six moneths Shallum came not to this he raigned in Samaria one moneth And Zimri who came to the Crowne by blood had a shorter raigne He did walk with a Crowne seven dayes If Pope Victor the fifth had a longer time of a golden chaire it was but five years and Clemens the third ruled but three yeers and Alexander the eleventh only two yeers And though it be but a fiction that Kingdomes have their fatall yeers and Monarnarchies are under Planetary houres yet some truth must be in this Kingdomes have their infancy and come to a greater strength till they come to their flowre and then they begin to turn and it is congruous to their experienced truth That Kingdomes finde old age And gray hairs are here and there upon Ephraim and he knoweth not 7. 9. It is much better to bee a subject or one of the States of the Kingdome of grace for grace knoweth no old age nor hath grace an internall principle of corruption for it is the seed of eternall glory and though the Powers of the Earth may subvert the foundation and Fundamentall Laws of earthly Kingdoms yet cannot Christs Kingdome or the constitution of it be broken But that which doth loose the Pillars of a Kingdome is sinne Amos. 1. For three transgressions of Edom and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof So Ammon Moab Judah are under the same punishment There is no way to secure England from wrath but turning to the Lord And especially two sinnes in the State are to be seriously taken to heart 1. You suffered many worthy servants of God who pleaded the Lords cause for a Reformation against the Prelates to be silenced deprived imprisoned banished Both in the reigne of Queene Elizabeth and of King James Prelates oppressed the servants of Christ and did tyrannize over the conscience of the Lords people in this Land former Parliaments did not give Christ and his servants faire Justice and now hath the Lord stirred up these oppressors to oppresse your Parliament and to raise bloody wars against the Land 2. It is said Hos. 5. 11. Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgement because he willingly followed the Commandement It hath been the sinne of this Land that when