tribulation hee knew God to be the Lord and humbled himselfe greatly before him Thus David in all times of his distresse had still recourse to God Ps 18.3 4. The Lord is my strength in whom I trust my shield my salvation and my refuge Thus Paul buffited by Sathan 1 Cor. 12 prayes three times So that the point is clear and plain that the only refuge of Gods Church and people in time of affliction and distresse hath ever been Gods bosome as a sure refuge And great Reason Because it is the Lord that hath the principal hand in all the tryalls afflictions of his people Reas 1 Now who can cure the wound better than he that gave it Deut. 32.39 Hos 6.1 It is he that killeth and maketh alive He woundeth and he healeth When we are judged we are chastned of the Lord. 1 Cor. 11.32 And he is said to be the God that heareth prayers and therefore to him shall all flesh come Secondly Reas 2 affliction bringeth men to a more clear certain and experimentall knowledge of God and of our selves 1. 2 Chron. 33.13 Of God as Manasses by his affliction knew that God was the Lord. 2. Of our selves for now the Lord awakens conscience and brings our former sins to remembrance that we had forgotten as Job hath it If they be bound with fetters Job 36.8 9. and holden with the cords of affliction then he sheweth them their works and their transgressions that they have exceeded When sicknesse comes and affliction seize upon us that we know not which way to turn our selves then if ever we begin to look up to God the thoughts of death and the thoughts of eternity will make the most desperate and hard-hearted sinner to look about him Object But do we not see Object that many that have been under Gods hand have had piercing sorrowes and sore afflictions and yet have not been humbled nor brought nearer to God but are as Ahaz that in time of his distresse 2 Chron. 28.22 he sinned yet more against the Lord. Answ 'T is true Answ this is not true of all neither doth affliction in its own nature drive us to God But this comes only from God who sanctifies affliction for the good of his chosen To wicked men they are the beginning of sorrowes and tend to their further ruine as they were to Pharaoh but they tend to the great benefit to such as love and fear God Rom. 8.28 to whom all things work for their best Is the time of affliction the time that God is to be sought unto by prayer Use 1 then let this minde us of our duty whether our afflictions be Nationall or personall to flye unto God as our only refuge There is a strange expression of the Prophet Hear the rod and who hath appointed it Mic. 6.9 Hear the rod What is that Why all Gods rods are speaking rods all Gods rods utter a voice or a cry and therefore must be hearkned unto Lam. 3.39 Man suffereth for his sin Our sufferings then do tell us of our sins and the Lord saith I will plead against them by the pestilence and by blood Afflictions are Gods messengers and alwaies come with a message from God that is that we finde out in our selves the cause of Gods displeasure and that we speedily meet the Lord by repentance And when Gods hand is upon us in what kind soever every soule should make this application to himself Jer. 2 1â— as to say Hast thou not procured this unto thy selfe in asmuch as thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God Surely it was a sad complaint that the Lord takes up I have corrected them but they have not been humbled The Lord help us to finde out the plague of our own hearts wherefore the hand of God is gone out this day against the Land so many waies And yet O the cursed Atheisme of our hearts that lay no more Gods judgments to heart the Pestilence hath spoken aloud to us the sword hath spoken aloud and this strange sicknesse and visitation that hath swept away so many hath spoken aloud all calling upon this Land and Nation for speedy repentance But we have not laid Gods judgments to heart we have not been humbled to this day Secondly Use 2 seeing the bosome of the Lord is the best refuge to flye unto in times of distresse we may see the happy estate and condition of Gods children above all the wicked in the world in their greatest miseries they are never left without comfort whereas wicked and ungodly ones God hears them not in the time of distresse 'T is true in time of misery wicked men wil cry call but God hears them not nor regards their cries They cried not to me when they howled upon their beds Hos 7.14 O when the Lord shall make no more account of our prayers then the very howlings of a Dogg who is able to put to silence the voice of desperation But now for the godly the Lord doth not only give them free liberty to come to the Throne of grace in times of misery but doth give them a comfortable assurance that they shall be heard Mat. 7. Ask and ye shall have And if earthly Fathers can give unto their children good things much more will our heavenly Father give not only what we ask but more abundantly Ephes 3.20 Above all that we are able to ask or think Enemies Tyrants Death Devills cannot make a true believer miserable that hath such a God to flye unto Thirdly Use 3 seeing the Lord hath recorded in his Word the prayers of his servants we may take notice of the great mercy of God towards us in this age of the world for whereas we are ignorant and know not how to pray the Lord hath provided for our weaknesse and ignorance and hath left us patterns of prayers that were made by the holy servants of God that so we might use them in the like case as Psalm 92. A Psalm for the Sabbath as most proper for that day So here A Prayer of Moses when the Church was in great affliction and distresse Dan. 9. So the Prayer of Daniel Nehemiah David c. which we may use in the like case as they did So that there is none in the Church that can plead ignorance but they may learn out of Gods Book how to pray The Lord deals with his people as a Father with his child bids him say after him Thus doth the Lord with his people Take unto you words Hos 14.3 and say thus Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously and so will we render the calves of our lips And the Lord foretells by his Prophet that he will powre upon every member of his Church this Spirit of supplication and of prayer Zach. 12.10 But may set forms of prayer be used Quest or may this Psalm of Moses be used in the
reason assigned was this Every man did that which was right in his own eyes Iudg. 17.6 What confusion is there at this day in Church and State and all under pretence of Liberty of Conscience Who doth not see that Sects and Heresies Blasphemies Contempt of Magistracy and Ministery in all places of the land is grown to such a head that if the Lord put not a stay to these spirits and licencious times what can be expected but Confusion The Apostle saith The Magistrate doth not bear the sword for nought Ro. 13.4 But as the Ministers of God are to take vengeance on them that do evil It is a sad condition that that Land and State is in when Magistrates that have the sword in their hands shall stand like a George on Horseback with his sword drawn yet never strikes How can such Magistrates approve their calling from God and look for protection from him that shew no more zeale for God Phinehas zeal in executing judgement upon Zimri and Cosbi Num. 25.11 12. brought a blessing upon the whole Congregation of Israel And the Lord shewed mercy to good Nehemiah Neh. 13.20 because he had shewed such zeal for God in punishing the profaners of the Lords Sabbaths The Lord knows this zeal for God is wanting in many Magistrates amongst us And indeed the want of the execution of Justice against the sins of these times is not the least cause wherefore things are at this passe in the Church and State as they are at this day and wherefore things prosper no better under our present Government O that all that are in Authority from the highest to the lowest would make it their care with David Ps 101.8 early to destroy the wicked of the land and to cut off wicked doers from the City of the Lord Can. 2.15 And take those foxes those little foxes that spoil the vines That Justice might run down like a stream and be duly administred without partiality that Sects and Heresies might be discountenanced and punished piety and godlinesse more incouraged that God at last may remove his anger from us and delight to dwell amongst us Thou hast set our iniquities before thee Text. c. THis Moses speaks for our capacities as if the Lord did keep a Register of our sins and set them before his sight The meaning of the words will appear by the contrary As when the Lord is said to cast our sins behinde his back as things he never means to call to minde but to put them out of his remembrance and to drown them in the sea as he did Pharaoh Now as the Lord is said to cast our sins behinde his back when he means not to punish them So he is said to set them before his eyes when he calls them to minde to punish them Whence we may note the happy fruit of affliction Doct. 3 Times of affliction discovers corruption when the Lord is pleased to send and sanctifie the same unto his people This makes them look home and to discover the evils of their own hearts and wayes which before this time they could not see In times of peace and prosperity many sins lie hid and undiscovered in Gods people but Gods judgements bring them to light Now that Gods hand is upon this people being miserably wasted and consumed with the Plague and Pestilence Now they can say Thou hast set our iniquities before thee c. In the times of Gods forbearance whilest they had their Manna and their Quails at full they were fat and wanton Jesurun waxed fat Deut. 32.15 and lightly esteemed the Rock of their salvation But now in their affliction and distresse they are taught to know themselves to look home and acknowledge that God called their sins to accompt and justly punished them for them This the Lord himself doth witness unto Hos 5.14 15. when he saith I will be unto Ephraim as a Lion and as a young Lion to the house of Judah I even I will tear and go away I will take away and none shall rescue I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face for in their affliction they will seek me early And so they did for in the next Chapter they say one to another Hos 6.1 Come let us return to the Lord for he hath wounded us and he will heal us c. Thus Esay Es 26.16 Lord in trouble have they visited thee they poured forth thei prayers when thy chastisements were upon them The Scriptures are ful of examples in this kinde how that in times of peace and prosperity many sins in Gods people have lyen hid and undiscovered which Gods judgements have discovered and brought to light Gen. 37.24.42.21 An excellent example wherewhereof we have in the Brethren of Joseph whose sin against their brother never came to Conscience for many years together untill they came into Egypt and were there stayed as spies Then their hearts smote them for their sin We have justly suffered these things for we sinned against our brother The like we may see in Manasses who did much evil in the fight of the Lord till he was carried captive into Babylon and there laid in cold irons Then Manasses knew that God was the Lord. 2 Chron. 33.13 And this we may see in the Prodigall whilest his purse was full he cared not for his father Luke 15. nor for his fathers house onely a famine makes him think of returning home Thus did Hagar grow proud and insolent in Abrahams house she then knew not her self but despised Sara her Mistris but being in the wildernesse in want was taught to know her self It is true the Philistines could not understand Sampsons Riddle Iudg. 14.14 how sweet should come out of sowre and meat out of the eater So worldlings cannot understand that tribvlation bringeth forth patience Ro. 5.3 2 Cor. 4.13 Heb. 12.11 and patience experience and experience hope and our light and momentany afslictions should cause us a far more excellent and eternal weight of glory But Gods children finde it true by comfortable experience that howsoever no visitation be sweet for the present yet afterwards it bringeth forth the quiet fruits of Righteousnesse unto them that are thereby exercised And it must be so in regard Because miseries and afflictions are excellent means to humble the heart of man Reas 1 and to abate its pride for such is our corrupt nature that in times of health peace and prosperity men are lifted up swell with pride and forget themselves Now there is no sin makes a man more odious to God then pride doth Iam. 4.6 God resisteth the proud Now the Lord many times layes sore afflictions upon his own children for this end and purpose to cure the evil And this is one end that God aimeth at in correcting man Iob 33.17 That he might hide the pride of man Miseries
thing that crosseth it But Gods anger and wrath is ever at sin which is so contrary to that holy and pure nature of his that he will not fail to correct even in his own children O how happy were we if we could bring our hearts to this to be angry Eph 4.26 and sin not to make sin the object of our anger and wrath in our selves and others As Moses though he were the meekest man living yet when the people had made the golden Calfe he caused the same to be grownd to powder and made the people in a holy anger and indignation to lick up the dust thereof Thus was the zeal of Phineas kindled against Zimri and Cosbi and executing judgment upon them Gods wrath was appeased Secondly Use 2 seeing the effects of Gods wrath for sin are so terrible what then is sin the cause of Gods displeasure In all diseases we say the cause is worse then the effect Now all the plagues and judgments that God executeth in the World are but the effects of sin We have seen in our times the great alterations that have been in Church and State the Crown it selfe is withered many Noble Families and Houses brought down and laid in the dust Inheritances translated to others the Sword hath begot a new tenure confusion in the Church Sects and Heresies abound in every corner the Ordinances of God contemned and despised the Ministry slighted and disesteemed as if it were uselesse and might be spared never more open prophanenesse nor aparent signes of Gods anger and wrath against a people then God hath manifested against us with his unwonted judgmeÌ„ts and strange visitations by unwonted sicknesses and diseases Surely in the midst of them all we are to justifie God since England's sin hath caused all our plagues upon us this day and we are to confesse with the lamenting Church that it is the Lords mercy we are not quite laid wast That it might be said of England that we were a people that kept not Covenant with God And when we shall see Religion advanced discipline and order in our Church Sects and Heresies discountenanced Piety encouraged and Prophanenesse suppressed then and not till then may we hope that God will remove his wrath and turn away his anger from us And last of all Vse 3 this may serve for Exhortation to admonish all to take heed of sin we shall never escape Gods anger nor displeasure whilst we are guilty of sin sin laies us naked and open to all judgments But especially this concerns Magistrates that as they desire to keep off Gods judgments from a Land and Nation that they see that sin be duly punished When Phineas executed judgment the Plague ceased And this care ought Parents and Heads of Families to have that as they desire protection from God and to see his blessing upon their Families that they suffer not an Achan under their roof Ps 101. Zach. 5.4 Pr. 3.33 but purge their house as David did his For certain it is the curse of God is up-the habitation of the wicked whereas the habitation of the righteous shall prosper There is one thing more to be observed that as the effects of Gods anger and wrath are terrible So it is the sight of sin Doct. 4 Sight of sin and sense of Gods displeasure for sin ground of repentance and â—â—â—ious consideration of Gods anger and displeasure against sin that is the ground-work and foundation of true repentance There are many excellent fruits of godly sorrow and true repentance manifested by this people from verse 12. to the end yet if we observe well these two verses 8 9. we shall see it was the sight of their sins and the apprehension of Gods anger and displeasure for sin that set them upon their repentance The fight of sin and the apprehension of Gods anger and displeasure for sin ever goes before true repentance This Church and people acknowledge that God had set their their iniquities before him c. And withall had a deep sense of Gods anger and displeasure before they addresse themselves for pardon And surely this is Gods order of working in the great work of Repentance and Salvation first to cast down through the sight of sin and apprehension of Gods displeasure for sin and then to raise up in the apprehension of mercy in Christ Never did any truly repent but first apprehended the curse and Gods indignation against sin before Let this be duly thought upon as a most certain ground of truth that those whom the Lord intends to save he will first discover unto them their sin and Gods wrath due unto them even the curse of the Law which is eternal death of Soul and Body for ever before he ever give them the sweet apprehension of his favour and love in Christ The Scriptures are clear and plain in this point Come let us return unto the Lord Hos 6.1 for he hath wounded us Where we see the Lords order first to wound and then to binde up Thus dealt he with those Jewes Act. 2.37 who had imbrued their hands in the blood of the Lord Jesus they were first brought to see their sins by the Ministry of Peter and apprehend Gods wrath due for the same and then they cry out to the Apostles Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved The Lord deals with a pure soul whom he intends to save as he said to Moses Deut. 28.66 Thy life shall hang in doubt before thee and thou shalt fear day and night Now it is with a soul in this plight as it was with Balshazar in his cups Dan. 5. when he saw the hand writing the joynts of his knees smote together thus doth the Lord strike the soul with amazement and fear whilest he shall see before him nothing but death hell and condemnation thus the Lord ordinarily breaks the heart and humbles the â—oul before he fills it with mercy Baloved let us not flatter our selves to think that repentance and reconciliation with God were a matter so easily got No no the Lord will have us into the furnace first and the Lord will make us to see our sins and to feel the waight and burthen of them Mat. 9.13 Es 55.1 Joh. 7.37 with the sence of his anger and wrath against sin before we can look for mercy The Scriptures are full in this particular And the Reasons are God hath so appointed it Reas 1 that all the Elect should thus be brought home to him Ioh. 16.8 I will send you the Comforter saith Christ and he shall rebuke the world of sin and of righteousnesse First of sin unto condemnation and then of righteousnesse viz. the righteousnesse of Christ unto salvation And thus the Prophet brings in Christ speaking thus Es 61.1 The spirit of the Lord is on me and the Lord hath annointed me and sent me to preach good tidings to the poor to binde up the broken
former destruction of so many thousands of the people that were so suddenly cut off and swept away Who knoweth the power of c. q. d. what man living is able sufficiently to confider of the greatnesse of thy wrath and fearfull Anger against sin And who doth fear thee according to thy exceeding and unspeakable Anger to tremble at it as thine indignation and displeasure ought to be feared As if he should say surely few or none For Interrogations in the Scripture are often strong Negations And those that doe fear thee yet fall short of the measure of their fear that thy anger and wrath doth require Who knoweth THat is doth well consider it and acknowledgeth the unsupportable waight and burthen of it The first Instruction observable is That albeit we tast of Gods anger Doct. 1 yet few take notice of it Few take notice of Gods anger And that is ordinarily the case of desperate sinners that contemn the rod of Gods chastisements and profit not by them Jer. 8.6 as the Prophet hath it No man said What have I done And again Ezek. 16.43 I have brought thy waies upon thy own head yet hast thoâ— not had consideration of thy abominations Thus did the Lord call to weeping and mourning Es 22.12 13 14. to baldnesse and sackcloath and behold joy and gladnesse eating of flesh and drinking of wine But what followed this damnable security Surely this iniquitie saith the Lord shall not be purged till ye die Gen. 6. This was that damnable securitie of the old World in the daies of Noah though Gods judgments were threatned and even at the doore Yet they gave themselves to eating and drinking marrying c. till the Flood came and swept them all away And hence it is that we are commanded to hear the rod and who hath appointed it Mic. 6.9 Every affliction and every judgment from God utters a voice which we are to give ear unto and labour to finde out the Lords minde in wherefore the Lord sends forth such tokens of his anger and displeasure and not to do this when Gods hand is upon us argueth much security It is a dangerous thing when Gods wrath is gone out against a Land and Nation or any particular person to harden our necks against the stroak of the Almightie It was a sad complaint that of the Prophet Strangers have devoured his strength Hos 7.9 and he knoweth not O when the Lord shall inflict upon his people and plead against them with the pestilence and with blood Ezck. 38.22 and men shall not take notice of it but remain sencelesse under Gods hand this is the way to double Gods strokes and to kindle a fire that shall devoure to destruction He hath poured upon him the fury of his anger and yet he knew it not Es 42.25 and it burned him and he laid it not to heart Such look not up to God that striketh them nor to their sins Reas 1 that justly drawes down Gods judgments upon them but they rather look upon secondary causes or instruments and over-look God How usuall a thing it is for men to ascribe all their miseries and calamities that men suffer to destiny fortune or chance and sometimes to their own want of providence as if they might have prevented them and thus men through the wretchednesse of their own evill hearts they over-look God looking after the stone but not the hand that cast it Secondly Reas 2 it is the only fruit of Faith to behold God chastising us as a loving father for our good Now when men either want Faith or Faith is not exercised under the crosse no marvell though men over-look God and make not the right use of their sufferings whereas David in his greatest trials could comfortably conclude I know that thy judgments are just Ps 119 75. and that thou of very faithfulnesse hast caused me to be troubled This serves to admonish us Vse 1 that when the hand of God is gone out against us either against the Land in generall or against us in particular in any kind whatsoever in our bodies names estates c. that we take heed that this be not our case that we are insensible under Gods correcting hand but take notice of his anger and displeasure gone out against us In all extraordinary and strange judgments of God upon us we should look home Deut. 31.17 and say Righteous art thou O Lord and true are thy judgments And all these things are come upon us for we have sinned against thee This was Jobs care under his sore afflictions he puts not off the matter lookes not upon the Caldeans and the Sabeans that had plundered him of his substance but he lookes up higher even unto God and desires to finde out the cause of all his misery Iob 10.2 Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me Thus doth the Church in great afflictions first they acknowledge that their sins had deserved all their miseries and they desire to finde them out and to turn unto the Lord Man suffereth for his sin Lam. 3.39 Let us search and try our waies and turn unto the Lord. This is one main end of all those tokens of his anger and displeasure to humble the proud heart of man to make him look home and then is God glorified when he attains the end of his corrections laid upon us The Lord knowes this Land and Nation of ours is too too faulty in this that notwithstanding his wrath hath gone out against us by many tokens of his displeasure by the sword by the pestilence and by our late visitation of common sicknesse and unwonted diseases whereby many in all parts and corners of the Land have been suddenly swept away as it was the case of this Church and People here Yet how few lay these judgments of God to heart to be humbled for sin the cause of all We have had our daies of Humiliation but where is that Reformation the Lord lookes for at our hands We still complain of our miseries we groan under but we complain not of our sins the cause of all How can we look that Gods hand should be removed and his wrath appeased whilest Englands sins cry for fresh judgments upon us I am no Prophet nor the Son of a Prophet yet I am given much to fear that Englands's miseries are not yet at an end but that God hath yet a farther controversy with us When Moses intreated the Lord for his sister Miriam Num 12.14 God returned him this answer If her Father had spit in her face should she not have been ashamed seven daies q. d. How much more ought she to be humbled and ashamed since I have shewed my displeasure against her God hath many waies shewed his anger and displeasure against this Land and yet wee have not laid his Iudgements to heart why then do we not fear that he will yet plead against us with
prayers and complaints to God lay open our miseries and plead our long continuance in them Secondly Use 2 seeing Moses and the people of God here do labour to move the Lord to pitty and compassion from the consideration of their long continuance in their miseries We may take notice how prone we are when God hides himself from us for a short time which he may justly do when wee sin against him albeit it be but for a short time yet it seems unto us long A gracious heart cannot be long without Communion with God Ps 143.6 My Soul thirsteth after thee saith David as the thirsty Land None know the worth of God but the gratious Soul What were all the World without the Sun and what were a believing Soul without God Such as have tasted and seen how sweet the Lord is hunger and thirst more and more to be filled with his presence As Moses the more familiar he grew with God the more he desired to see of God when the Lord is provoked to withdraw himself at any time from his people which somtimes the Lord doth being justly provoked by the sins of his people This brings horror and terrour to to the Soul Thou didst turn away thy thy face saith David and I was sore troubled And again Hide not thy face from me Ps 43.7 else I shal be like to themthat go down into the pit Ps 63.3 Thy loving kindness saith David is better then life it self He accompts himself a dead man if God be not reconciled to him in Christ What life what comfort what joy in a mans Soul unlesse God vouchsafe his gratious and comfortable presence there Return O Lord how long VVE are farther to observe That in respect of Gods comfortable presence Doct. 5 God may turn aside from his people for a time Io. 13.1 God may turn aside for a time from his own people It is true God doth never totally leave or forsake his For whom he loves to the end he loves them His gifts are without repentance in some gracious operation or other his spirit is alwaies present yet in respect of his comfortable presence he may seem to turn away from his people for a time It was Davids case when he had fallen into those dangerous sins of Adultery and Murther for the present he lost the comfort of Gods gracious presence that he had formerly felt and therefore prayes Ps 51.8 Restore me to the joy of thy Salvation and make me to hear the voice of joy and gladnesse that the bones that thou hast broken may rejoyce Ver. 11. And Cast me not away from thy presence And thus he complains at another time Ps 22.1 Why hast thou for saken me why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring Doubtlesse at that time David wanted the assistance of Gods gratious presence in as much as his Soul is thus perplexed And thus again he cries out in much anguish and perplexity of Spirit Ps 88.14 VVhy hast thou cast off my Soul why hidest thou thy face from me It seems Davids comfort and assurance was much eclipsed at these times This was the case of Job Iob 30.20 I cryed unto thee and thou dost not hear me I stand up and thou regardest not And this was the sad complaint of the Church Lam. 3.8 VVhen I cry and shout he shutteth out my prayer O this hath been that that hath wounded the Souls and troubled the Spirits of the godly that the Lord hath seemed to shut out the prayers and not to come in to their succour in times of distresse The woman of Canaan Mat. 5.26 what might she think but that Christ had cast her off seeing he would not answer her and when he did speak called her Dog an answer able to have broke her tender heart yet at last comes in and grants her request The Lord deales many times with his Children as Joseph with his Brethren deals roughly with them Gen. 42.9 You are spies and to prison they must go yet at last fill their Sacks Saith he Thus doth the Lord seem to take day with his people and puts them off to a fitter time when mercy will be more seasonable and deliverance will be more welcome Neither let this seem strange unto us for the Lord may do this That hereby he might take triall of the graces of his Reas 1 in the hearts of his servants as their faith hope patience c. All which are now set on work whilst the Lord is pleased to suspend deliverance for else what would become of the patience of the Saints if there were no more but ask and have Secondly Reas 2 that whilst the Lord is thus pleased to withdraw himself and defer deliverance we might take occasion to search more deeply into our own hearts thereby to discover the greatnesse and hainousness of our sins which have plunged us into such a gulf of misery and labour to find out those secret sins unrepented of that caused the Lord thus to frown upon us and to hide his favourable countenance from us whereas if our miseries were light and quickly removed we should harâ—ly think our sins so great as indeed they are And that when upon our Repentance we have obtained peace and reconciliation again with God Reas 3 wee may prize it ever after at a higher rate and be the more careful that we do nothing that may interrupt our peace again with God or turn away his loving countenance again from us Every good thing that is hardly come by is more carefully kept and more hardly lost Gods favour and love being got with long seeking and often praying is highly prized and not easily parted withall And last of all God many times deferts to help his Church and people in misery and distresse Reas 4 because that seasonable time of their deliverance is not yet come After three daies he will raise us up Hos 6.3 and we shall live in his sight The Lord hath made every thing saith Solomon beautifull in his time Eccl. 3.11 And there is a time for all things under the Sun No doubt but Zachary and Elizabeth prayed for a child whilst they were young Luke 1. and no doubt but God heard them only they must leave the time to him in whose hands are times and seasons Daniel mourned three weeks of daies and receives no answer Yet see the place Dan. 10.12 13. From the first day that thou didst set thy heart to understand c. thy words were heard God ever suspends deliverance for a fit time when it is most seasonable for his own glory and his peoples comfort Seeing the Lord deals thus with his own people thus to withdraw himself Use 1 and to withhold his comfortable presence from them for a time Wee are taught not to despair when we find that this is his dealing with us What though the Lord
their harps to their pipes and to their pots and to merry company c. of whom it may be said Es 55.2 They lay out their labour for that which satisfieth not A poor comfort to give a Malefactor a cup of sack when he is going to execution The case of such miserable creatures is well desuibed by the Prophet Es 29.8 A man dreameth and lo he drinketh but when he awaketh behold he is faint and his soul longeth This Doctrine shall hold when all the seeming joyes of the wicked shall vanish away that the fountain of all true comfort is our peace with God when we come to be reconciled to him in Christ Because sin breeds enmity Reas 1 and sets God and men at odds and whilst this enmity continueth this mans person and actions are hatefull to God minde conscience and all is defiled Now what true comfort can such a one have whilst he abides in such a condition all the curses that are written in the book of the Law do wait upon him hardnesse of heart blindnesse of minde searednesse of conscience a continuall fear of hell Gods wrath and damnation to come all these doth the guilt of sin contract and draw upon us the misery whereof we shall never be set free from but by our reconciliation to God in Jesus Christ The Lord crowns all the sorrowes of his servants all their tears Reas 2 and pangs of their new birth whilst Christ is a forming in them with joy and comfort and all to provoke them to come in to God and to encourage them in prayer and seeking of him I love the Lord Ps 116.1 because he hath heard the voice of my weeping If the husbandman should alwaies think on his seed-time and of his labour and pains and never think of the harvest who would be a husbandman And what would become of the Christian in the midst of all his watchings fastings and temptations which here he undergoes were it not for this harvest of comfort at last Seeing then that all sound comfort flowes from our peace and reconciliation with God Use 1 this shewes that the doctrine of the Church of Rome is most vile hellish and uncomfortable who affirme that no man in this life can know or be assured whether God loves him or no and that no man can know whether his sins be pardoned and whether he be reconciled to God yea or no I will say to them as Job somtimes said to his friends Miserable comforters are ye Alas what comfort can a poor sinner have or what joy if it arise not from Gods mercy in the pardon of sin What is this but to set up a gibbet to torture distressed souls How can a poor creature have any comfort in the service of God in prayer hearing receiving c. whilst he cannot tell whether the Lord loves him or hates him We utterly renounce that cursed Doctrine and believe this to be the truth of God that all sound comfort stands in the feeling of Gods love towards us in Christ and in the pardon of our sins and we should never rest till we be able in some measure to say with Paul Rom. 8.38 I am perswaded c. This will make us cheerfull in prayer and in all other duties of his worship and service Seeing all sound and solid comfort ariseth from our reconciliation with God and untill then Use 2 there can be no sound or lasting comfort What mad men are they then that take a preposterous course to raise their comfort that have the Creator blessed for ever and flie to the Creature run to cards dice and merry company c. as if a man to escape a burning feavour should leap into the fire whereas there is no sound comfort to be looked for but only from God in Christ Poor soul go thou to him confesse thy sins to him beg for pardon as for life and death intreat the Lord that he would according to the multitude of his mercies do away thy offences that he would be a reconciled God again unto thee that he would lay aside his displeasure and give thee the feeling of his favour and love again there is no other way to procure sound comfort to thy soul Comfort us THe Lord before had exercised this people with pressing sorrowes and sore afflictions both in Aegypt a long time and after that in the wildernesse and now they beg for comfort Doct. 2 Hence we may observe what is the outward estate of Gods children in this life The outward estate of Gods children subject to alterations and changes it is subject to such alterations and changes that they are sometimes up and sometimes down sometimes full of sorrow at another time filled with comfort Here Moses and the people of God pray for comfort being for the present comfortlesse perplexed and much distressed the Lord trieth humbleth and proveth this people here in the Wildernesse That he might do them good at their latter end Deut. 8.16 look we upon the estate of the Church in generall and upon the particular members of the same and we shall finde that our condition here is like the daies of the year sometimes winter sometimes summer sometimes fair sometimes foul What a long night of affliction did this Church and people of God endure in Aegypt for the space of four hundred and thirty years yet at the last the Lord raised them up saviours Moses and Aaron by whom he brought deliverance unto his people What a condition was the Church in in Hesters time when all the Jewes were appointed as sheep to the slaughter yet God laughed the counsell of Haman to scorn delivered his people and brought ruine and destruction to their enemies What a condition was the Church in in Jezebels time that slew the prophets of the Lord insomuch that Elias thought himselfe alone yet what a suddain alteration was there when Eliah slew the Prophets of Baal and restored religion again How was the Church of God in Christs time pestered by the High Priests who had given commission unto Saul to binde and to deliver bound at Jerusalem all that made profession of Christ yet at another time had the Churches peace and multiplyed So changable hath the estate and condition of the Church of God been in all ages and times of it And if we look into particular examples we shall also finde it true that the estate and condition of the best of Gods children hath been subject to diversities of alterations and changes Joseph one while hated of his brethren at another time advanced under Pharaoh at one time cast into Prison at another time made ruler over the Princes Jacob one while wrestling with the Angell at another time going away with the blessing David one while persecuted by Saul at another time swaying the Scepter Job Job 42. at one time plundered out of all at another time as wealthy as before Thus God is pleased in his wise
when he injoyed his Rachel they seemed unto him but a few dayes Which should serve for our instruction Vse that if the Lord lay many and great afflictions upon us and that a long time together to consider that the Lord might have laid a thousand times more for our sins and the joyes of their life to come will quickly swallow up the remembrance of them all so as we are with one eye to looke unto Gods mercy that our afflictions are no sorer and that our comforts at last will surmount them all as with the other eye to looke upon our present sufferings how bitter soever And the yeares wherein we have seene evill No doubt herein Moses had respect to the time of their affliction in Egypt Exod. 1. wherein passed many yeares even foure hundred and thirtie and now againe for the space of fourty yeares in the wildernesse q.d. O Lord we have been a long time in misery and sore affliction we beseech thee now at last let us receive comfort proportionable and answerable thereto Doct. 5 Whence we may further observe We may pray for mercy answerable to our misery that we may and ought to pray that God would bestow mercy answerable to our misery As we see a man that hath a great wound in his body the plaster must be made as large as the wound or rather broader so must we crave at Gods hand that our comforts may be not onely as great as our miseries but if the will of God be more plentifull A man that hath beene many yeares in misery and affliction had need of a great measure of comfort as a man that hath beene made weake by long sicknesse so as his strength is much decayed he must have a time answerable to recover his strength againe So here a child of God that hath beene long humbled and afflicted by Gods hand such stand in need of a great measure of comfort to recover the health of their Souls againe ver 16. Let thy worke appeare unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children IN this verse we have the fourth petition which Moses and the people of God do make unto God And the thing they here beg and crave at Gods hand is protection which they acknowledge to be the proper work of God And this protection of his they crave not onely for themselves but also for their posterity after them Let thy work HEre by the work of God we are to understand some speciall and singular work of God towards them in their protection safety and deliverance And for this they use a double Reason 1. Drawne from the end of their protection viz. the glory of God because this glory of God would appeare in protecting them from their enemies the cursed Canaanites whose country they were now going to inhabite 2. That so it might fare well with the Church of God after them And that the promise of God made unto their forefathers Abraham Izaac and Jacob might not be frustrate but the Lord would give them and their posterity after them the land of Canaan to inherit Let thy work appeare SEing Moses and the people of God crave protection at Gods hand and this they acknowledge to be a work of God We learne Doct. 1 from whom to seeke for protection in times of danger God the protector of his people and in times of distresse viz of the Lord. Because all our help comfort and protection comes from him He is the Lord high Protector of his Church and people Thou art the God of my salvation saith David Ps 15.5 on thee do I wait all the day He lookes not to men or Angels but unto God alone to be his Saviour and Protector Salvation saith he belongeth unto the Lord. Psal 3.8 Whatsoever the Instrument be that God useth in the deliverance of his Church and people it is not in their Horses and Chariots but God onely that saves Thus Jehosaphat and the men of Judah 2 Chron. 20. when they were at that great straight that they knew not what to do Our eyes say they are toward thee And hence is it that David was so confident and held himselfe so safe in danger that he rested upon Gods protection Psa 23.4 Though I walke throughout the valley of the shadow of Death I wil feaâ—e no evill for thou art with me And againe The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I feare The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid what became of Pharaohs plots from time to time against the Church did not God disappoint them and still delivered his people what became of Hamans plot Achitophels counsell And those that vowed they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul Acts 23.10 Was not the Lord their Protector And hence is it that he is calld the God of patience the God of Consolation and the God of comfort By whose power assisting us and Spirit inabling us we who can neither do nor suffer any thing as of our selves 2 Cor. 1.4 Rom. 15.5 are able to do al things thorough Christ Now the Reasons why we must only seek for protection comfort and deliverance in times of distresse only from God are Reas 1 It is his commandment that in the time of misery and distresse we should still have recourse unto him Ps 50.15 Jam. 5.13 Call upon me in the time of trouble c. Is any be aflicted let him pray And thus when the Lord hath foretold the great afflictions that should betide the Church the Lord directs them to this way of their deliverance take unto you words Hos 14.23 and turne unto the Lord. Yea hee prescribes unto them the very forme of words how they are to seeke him Take away our iniquities and receive vs gratiously Secondly this is our maine end Reas 2 wherefore the Lord many times doth humble his people and bring them low that we might fly unto him for help and succour this honour God gaineth by our afflictions to drive us home to him as it is said in their afflictions they will seeke me diligently Esa 26.16 Thirdly God only is to be sought unto for protection in times of danger because the power of all creatures is but finite and they are but servants to his hand of providence but it is he that is the great Lord Protector of heaven and earth And without him neither Satan nor his instruments have power so much as over one haire of our heads and therefore the Apostle exhorts us To goe boldly to the throne of grace Heb. 4.16 that we may receive mercy and finde grace to help in time of need Seeing all protection and safegard is from God Vse 1 it is his worke How may this condemne the preposterous course of many in these dayes that in times of misery and distresse seeke any where even every where rather then unto God for help and
some to merit some to be seene of men pharisaical like c. And do not thefe things for Gods sake to honour God with their substance can have no comfort at all in it And thy glory unto their Children Here we have the second end of their petition and request made unto God for protection viz that it might not only fare well with them but also with their posteritie and the Church of God that should live after them From whence we learne Doct. 5 that it is the duty of all Godly Christians We ought to take care of the Church after our dayes to have a speciall care of the Church of God after their departure that when we are dead and gone yet our seed and posterity after us may likewise flourish and be in a good estate How earnest is David for the Church that it might prosper and flourish O be favorable to Sion Psa 51.18 build thou the wals of Jerusalem Where David prayes for all heavenly blessings and graces for the Church That God would repaire the decayed estate of it and fence it about with the wals of his protection against the Churches enemies And this hath been the speciall care of Gods people in all their prayers to pray for the good of Gods Church and people Even after their dayes that it might prosper and flourish As for such as are the enemies of the Church he prophecyeth vengeance against them They that hate Sion shal be ashamed Psal 12.9 By all which he sheweth his exceeding care he had of the Church And such was that tender affection that good Nehemiah bare towards the Church of God That when he heard by those poore Jewes Nehem. 1 that came to the Pallace at Shusan for reliefe by whom he understood the miseries of the Church that was at Jerusalem He sat downe and wept and mourned and fasted and besought God for his Church We are all members of one and the same mysticall body the Church Reas 1 and if a man be a true member of this body he cannot but desire the welfare of the whole Secondly the welfare of a State and Kingdome is lapped up in the happie and florishing estate of the Church Reas 2 It cannot be well with the right side when there is a plurifie in the left miserable is the estate of those Princes and common weales that labour not for the prosperitie of the Church and Gospell Religion hath beene a friend to Princes when Princes have not beene friends to Religion in the Churches peace they have peace When there is no order but confusion in the Church Princes can never looke to be truly setled on their thrones This condemnes them as no true members of the Church of God Vse 1 that respect not the walls of Jerusalem but their owne walls that so they may build up their owne houses leave the house of God desolate that mind themselves in their prayers but seldom mind the Church that it may flourish when they are gone Moses Josuah and David Deut. 33. los 24. their greatest care was for the Churches welfare after their dayes that the generations to come might serve the Lord. And surely there is no religion where the coutinuance of religion for our posteritie is not thought upon The Lord knows this duty is little thought upon at this day now that Religion is ready to take her wings and fly away though we see the enemies busie to sow tares and sects and Heresies increase upon us all threatning ruine as if the Lord had a purpose to lay his vineyard waste Yet how few lay the Churches miseries to heart Doubtlesse the great securitie that is amongst all even amongst professors themselves this day ' are sad Omens and presages that God is not far off with some further judgment then yet we have tasted of It shall be our wisdome then to make more conscience of this duty Vse 2 to beg hard at the throne of grace that the Lord would not remove his candlestick from amongst us but continue his Gospell still amongst us and to our posterities after us even to the comming of Christ that we may never see nor our posteritie after us Popery or Heresie set up and countenanced but that God would still dwell amongst us owne us for his Church and people that his glorious Gospell Englands glory may not depart from us And thy glory to their children THere is one thing more observable in these words that they which in the former part of this Psalme lay as it were in the gulfe of despaire as not worthy to open their lips to God for themselves Yet now are bold not only to pray for themselves but for the Church of God and their children and posteritie afer them Hence we are taught that poore sinners Doct. 9 Sinners cannot pray for themselves noâ— others Pro. 28.9 whilst they live in their sins and are not reconciled to God can neither pray for themselves nor for others But upon their Repentance and reconciliation to God can pray for themselves and others The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord but the prayers of the righteous are his delight Iob. 9.31 God heareth not sinners And ye as living stones Heb. 13.16 are made a spirituall house c. To offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God thorough Jesus Christ Till we become living stones in Gods Temple there is no accepting of our sacrifices we offer up to God The Lord had first respect unto Abel and then to his Sacrifices where the person is not accepted the sacrifice is rejected And the reasons are First every unregenerate man is called a stranger and an enemy to God Reas 1 Ye that were strangers and enemies to God c. Eph. 2.19 Now things done by strangers are not much looked upon but by Enemies are no whit regarded Secondly whilest a man lies in an impenitent estate and in his sin Reas 2 not being reconciled to God such can ask nothing at Gods hand by vertue of any promise for God hath not made any promise to the wicked unlesse it be of Hell and of wrath but all the promises are made over to the faithfull in Christ In whom all the promises are Yea and amen But now when a wicked man shall turne from his wickednesse and by repentance come to be reconciled to God he may goe boldly to the Throne of grace and beg mercy not only for himselfe but for others There is no way to be heard of God in prayer but first to be at peace with God and reconciled unto him How may this stir up every Soul speedily to returne unto God Vse 1 by repentance and to seeke reconciliation againe with him that so they may come boldly to the Throne of grace to beg mercy in time of need for our selves and the Church for without this we cannot looke to obtaine any thing at Gods had For wanting faith whereby we lay
so much as a star in comparison of the Sun in respect of him And in those spirituall indowments of the soul and sanctified graces of his spirit humility meekness faith patience love feare of God c. If thou wantest this inward and spirituall beauty though thou wert as faire as Absalom or the fairest woman in the world alas thou art but a deformed and filthy creature in the sight of God It is the white rayment of Jesus Christ that thou must be cloathed withall that thy filthy nakednesse do not appeare Revel 3.18 That must make thee truly beautifull in his sight Seeing the Church is thus deformed Vse 3 till the Lord set his owne beauty The beauty of the Lord upon it Then when the beauty of the Church is observed as at this day by sects and heresies and for want of order and discipline which is the greatest blemish to a Church Then it is time high time and more then time to beg hard at the Throne of grace that the beauty of the Lord may be upon his Church that the Lord would take from us that shame and reproach that at this day we lie under Eze. 36.26 amongst other reformed Churches That the Lord would be pleased to adorne Sion and deck his Church with her perfect beauty That the Lord would take away his Churches mourning-weed and put upon her her beautifull attire fit for the Spouse of Christ that all Heresies at last may be abandoned the Gospâ—ll truly preached the Sacraments duly administred and Discipline executed herein stands the beauty of a Church which beauty of the Lord Lord let it be upon us Stablish thou the work of our hands upon us HEre we have the second thing they crave at Gods hand That as before they desired his glory in the first place so now they pray that the Lord would so order direct guide and prosper them in their worke and enterperize that they had in hand that all might be for his glory Hence we learne that nothing that men take in hand can prosper Doct. 2 Nothing can prosper without Gods blessing Ps 127. and come to good effect unlesse the Lord give a blessing to it and prosper the same Except the Lord build the House they labour but in vaine that build it Except the Lord keepe the Citty the watchman waketh but in vaine It is vaine to rise up early to sit up late to eate the Bread of sorrowes for so he giveth his beloved sleepe wherein the Prophet sheweth that whatsoever is attempted or taken in hand either in family or Citty either for the good of one or another cannot be succeâ—sfull without the blessing of God When Nehemiah and the Jewes were about to reedifie the wals of Jerusalem how were the people disheartned discouraged by Sanbâ—â—â—â—d and Tâ—bâ—ah Neh. 6.16 yet because the worke was of God the Text saith Pro. 10.22 That the enemies of Gods people were afraid and their courage failed them for they knew that the work was wrought by God The blessing of the Lord saith Solomon maketh us rich And where this blessing of God is wanting men put their money in a broken bag as the Prophet hath it Ye have sowen much and bring in little ye eate and have not enough ye drink and are not filled you cloath you and are not warme and he that earneth wages putteth it into a broken bag Meaning indeed that there can be no successe in any of our labours or indevours that we take in hand without Gods blessing And hence it is that the servants of God in all their enterprises that they have taken in hand especially such as have been of weight and importance have ever first had recourse to God for a blessing Abrahams servants being sent to provide a wife for his Masters Son Gen. 24.12 begins first with prayer to God O Lord God say he of my Master Abraham I pray thee send me good speed this day and shew kindnesse unto my Master Abraham Thus good Nehemiah when he heard of the desolation of Jerusalem and intending to beg help of the king his master Neh. 1.11 he betakes himself to prayer and desires the Lord to prosper him therein and to give him favour in his sight Thus Paul before he went to Sea and undertooke his voyage he kneeles down upon the shore and calls upon God so that if we desire to have the worke of our hands to prosper and to see a blessing upon our labours trades and occupations O then begin with prayer to God without whose blessing we cannot prosper See the reasons First in regard of that propriety that God hath in all his creatures Reas 1 The Gold is mine c. sayth God Hag. 1.9 Psal 50. And the Beasts upon a thousand Hills are mine He is the soveraigne Lord of all things and it is he that gives them to the children of men to some more to some less And to him they must one day be accomptable for their receipts and expences He onely is wise Reas 2 with him is wisedome and strength Iob 12.13 Counsell and understanding He knowes best when where and how to bestow his help and blessing and therefore our dependency must be upon him And lastly Reas 3 because without his blessing even that which we have and enjoy can doe us no good Psal 78. 2 Reg. 7. VVhilest the meate was in their mouthes the wrath of God fell upon them And the prince of Samaria saw the plenty that was prophecied of but did not taste of it For men to eate and drink and rejoyce in their labours sayth Solomon I find that this is the gife of God So that in the getting and inioying of all earthly comforts God is to be sought unto for his blessing without whom no creature can doe us good This shewes the wickednesse madnesse and folly Vse 1 of many wicked and ungodly men that seeke so earnestly to increase their Substance by unlawfull meanes as by lying Stealing oppression usury by deceite false measure c. Here is their misery they cannot seek to God by prayer for a blessing upon such gettings but may rather looke for a curse upon their substance and many times God doth visit the sins of the Father upon their children that such goods doth seldome prosper but carry the curse of God along with them Bâ—sides here is the misery of such wicked men they cannot thank God for their riches What thank God for thy substance thou hast gotten wickedly and deceifully what is this but to make God a partner in thy sin Now God is not the author of sin nor partner with any in sin but his curse rather shall pursue such to destruction Seeing that nothing we take in hand can prosper Vse 2 without Gods blessing this may mind us of our duty continually to seeke unto him for his blessing that he would direct us and blesse our labours and indevours or else be our
like time of the Churches misery and distresse or may we pray by a book Answ Answ There is no doubt but the Church of God and the particular members of it may use set forms of prayer Christ himselfe the great Doctor of his Church prescribes to his Disciples a form of prayer not only to be a pattern and sampler as some would have it Mat. 6.9 After this manner pray ye but also that they might pray in those very words Lnke 11.2 as When ye pray say Our Father c. The purest Churches have had their Lythurgies and set forms of prayer And for Heads of families where the spirit of prayer is wanting and such other qualifications as are necessary in prayer a set form may and ought to be used For every child of God though he have an honest heart yet hath he not ever a flowing tongue but is weak in invention frail in memory bashfull and fearfull Such may use the help of others in a forme prescribed before them with this condition That they take heed that they rest not in those beginnings It is requisite that the Nurse take the child by the hand at first to teach it to goe But she will not alwaies give it the hand The Lord lookes for a proficiency at our hands as in all gracee so in the gift of prayer Besides the daily occurrences that come in upon us in this life sometimes fresh temptations from Sathan troubles from the world and the workings of corruptions daily within us call for a powring out of our hearts to God and the inlargings of our requests which many times are not in our stinted prayers Besides God hath promised To him that hath shall be given By the conscionable use of thy small gift thou hast in thee thou shalt increase it and perform it daily with more comfort And that this prayer of Moses may be used in times of common Calamities It is the Churches constant practice to make use of severall Psalmes upon severall occasions to be sung in our Churches as Ps 92. Ps 22. Ps 39. Ps 102. c. Hitherto of the title of the Psalm Ver. 1. Lord thou hast been our dweling place in all generations MOses and the people of God begin this prayer of theirs with a Complaint of their great sufferings and grievous afflictions that they indâ—red not onely in Aegypt under Pharaoh and the Egyptians but now in the Wildernesse since the Lord delivered them and brought them out with his Almighty hand and stretched out arm And the first part of their prayer is a Complaint unto God that their estate was far worse then the estate and condition of their Forefathers And this is called A Prayer of Moses though indeed it bee but a Complaint Hence we learn That in times of misery and affliction Doct. 1 The very complaints of the godly are effectuall prayers with God the very Complaints and Sobs and Sighs of Gods people bee forcible prayers in the sight of God and loud cries in his eares This is a speciall point to be observed of us that our very complaints to God our sighs and groanes in times of misery and distresse are with God as powerfull and effectuall prayers Moses complaining and mourning now in their misery calls it a prayer A man may pray effectually when in his own feeling and apprehension his heart is utterly indisposed to prayer When a child of God is overwhelmed with grief and his thoughts perplexed and sore troubled that he is not able to conceive a prayer either for matter or method yet even then may this troubled and perplexed soul make an effectuall prayer unto God by his Complaints sighs and groanes unto God This was Moses case at another time when the people of Israel were in great distresse by Pharaoh and the Aegyptians who pursued after them with their Chariots and Horsemen and they were in that straight that they knew not how to escape Moses Exo. 14.15 wherefore cryest thou Saith God yet wee do not read that Moses spake a word But it is like that he groaned in spirit and yet this was a loud and effectuall prayer with the Lord. And such was the behaviour of Hannah in the Temple no voice of her at all was heard and yet then it is said 1 Sam. 1.13 that She poured out her soul before the Lord. Thus did Hezechiah Esay 38.14 Mourned like a Dove and Chatter like a Crane being much oppressed with grief And this was looked upon as an effectuall prayer with God Ps 77.3.4 How oft was David in such straights in his spirit That his spirit was overwhelmed within him and hee not able to make a distinct prayer unto God nor speak a word yet even then did David pray effectually to God This honour have all the Saints that their complaints their very sighs and groanes are accepted of him Ps 88. See the title of the 88. Ps A prayer containing a grievous complaint Whereas it is true of all wicked and ungodly men though they make many prayers Es 1.15 God will not hear them Albeit ye make many prayers I will not hear you for your hands are full of blood And again Will you steal Murther and commit Adultery and stand before me in my house Behold I see it saith the Lord And therefore cast you out of my sight O the misery of every wicked and ungodly man that whereas in times of affliction and distresse his onely refuge is to fly unto God by earnest and hearty prayer This man cannot pray if he pray he speaks in a language that God understands not Prov. 15.8 Psal 66.18 his prayers are abomination unto the Lord. If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not hear me Quest But what may bee the Reasons why the complaints and groanes of the godly are thus looked upon as powerfull and effectual prayers with God First Reas 1 Because the prayer that prevails most with God is not so much the labour of the lips as the labour of the heart And let a prayer be never so well composed for matter or Method and bee dressed with never so much Eloquence and variety of expressions Yet if the heart be not affected if the sighs and groans of the heart be wanting and faith within that makes the same effectuall they are not regarded at all with God Secondly Reas 2 because the godly in their greatest miseries and distresses that they can be brought into when they are not able to pray Yet they have the spirit within them that makes requests for them Rom. 8.26 with sighs and groans that cannot be expressed But he that searcheth the heart knoweth what the mind of the Spirit is And a complaint sigh and groan proceeding from the Spirit must needs bee heard and answered of God This may minister matter of singular comfort and consolation to maâ—y a poor distressed soul and wounded conscience Use 1 when as the
Lord withdrawes the comfort and feeling of his loving kindness and mercy from them and they apprehend the anger of God against them for their sins It is wonderfull to see how the servants of God at such times are cast down and humbled yea they are not then able to pray nor to call God Father but be for a time in a trance and as it were overwhelmed in the sence of Gods displeasure and for their lives cannot lift up their voice to God in prayer Now in such a case as this what is the comfort of a poor distressed soul thus humbled and amazed and cast down But to make their moane and complaint to God as Moses doth here Tell the Lord that thou canst not pray as thou desirest Complain unto the Lord and say O Lord what wilt thou have me to do wilt thou leave thy servant thus Say with Jehosophat I know not what to do Lord 2 Chron. 20.12 but my eyes are upon thee If we can but complain thus and mourn thus for our misery this is an earnest prayer in Gods sight as this of Moses and of David and Hezekiah Tell me you that are tender hearted Parents have not the sighs and moans and groans of your little Infants moved your bowells within you to pitty and compassion towards them as ever the requests that they have made unto you O the Lord doth as much yea more then you can do this way the very sighs and groans and tears of his children prevail with him much more than their words can The Lord is said to hear the groaning of the Prisoner Psal 102.20 Esay 38.5 Psal 39. And of Hezekiah I have seen thy tears And Hold not thy peace at my tears And I doubt not but Gods people have found as much comfort in their sighs and groanes and tears as in their requests in prayer Yet we must take heed that we abuse not this comfort to make us the more negligent and sloathfull in the duty of prayer in the times of health and prosperity No then we ought with all freedome of heart and tongue to exercise our selves in this duty But this comfort belongs unto such as in times of affliction are not able to perform the duty And this serves to discover unto us the misery of all wicked and ungodly men Use 2 what comfort can such have in times of affliction and distresse that cannot pray Prov. 28.9 He that turneth away his ears from hearing the Law even his prayers shall be abominable And as the Lord saith Ezek. 8.18 Therefore will I deal in fury my eye shall not spare neither will I have pitty and though they cry with a loud voice I will not hear them O the misery of a poor creature when God shall shut out his prayers and if they do pray that the Lord should make no more account of them then the howling of a dog Hos 9.4 for how can that prayer be effectuall when the person is not accepted 'T is true wicked men have sometimes good motions in them but they last not like that of Balaam O that my soul might dye the death of the righteous Thus in times of sicknesse and distresse the wicked may pray but these wishes and desires of theirs proceed only from some light in the understanding but not out of any affection in the heart and so quickly vanish away like the morning dew Hos 6.4 And hence is it that the Lord will laugh when the destruction of such a one commeth Whereas the complaints the sighs and groans of a broken heart proceeding from humiliation for sin and sence of Gods displeasure and a hope of Gods promises preserves the soule in life and sends it to God as a sure refuge in times of trouble So that the only hope to finde mercy and deliverance in time of trouble belongs to a godly and an humbled soul that formerly hath had acquaintance with God Iob 22.21 The prayers and sighs and groans of such onely are heard Lord thou hast been our habitation from generation to generation In this first verse we have the first part of their complaint And the words beare this sence q.d. O Lord thou hast been gracious to our forefathers to Abraham Isaak and Jacob and to other ages and generations after them thou wast a covert and defence unto them when they pitched their Tents from place to place and travelled from Country to Country Thou commandest saying Touch not my Annointed Ps 105.15 and do my Prophets no harm But thou dealest not so gratiously with us that are their posterity wee are in great affliction and distresse yea for our Rebellions and sins thou hast left us and goest not before us as thou didst with our Forefathers So that this was it that humbled Moses and the people of God at this time when they saw that their estate was far otherwise then their Forefathers and that God did not now deal so gratiously with them as hee did with their Forefathers Hence note That when a Nation Doct. 2 When a people decay in glory then it is time to seek to God Church or people decaies in beauty in riches in glory or strength then it is time high time and more then time to make their complaints to God to bee humbled for their sins and to meet the Lord by unfained repentance When a Nation or people upon whom his name hath been called where the Gospell hath been preached and his ordinances have been duly administred where God hath heretofore declared his presence When such a Nation or people shall decay in their former beauty and glory when the glory of Religion shall begin to be Eclipsed by Sects and Heresies that shall increase daily in the Church and when God by many apparent signes shall seem to depart from such a people in gard of his wonted presence then it is high time for such a people to humble themselves and to meet the Lord by repentance Thus did Moses and the people here when the judgements of God were upon them and they saw that it was far otherwise with them then with their Forefathers it was then high time to put up their complaints to God Lam. 1.12 35. Psal 107. Hereby the Lord wil make us know that hee is not tyed to any Nation Reas 1 Church or people no longer then they keep Covenant with him and walk in obedience before him as we may see of this Nation of the Jewes and those famous Churches of Corinth Ephesus Philippi Colosse c. once glorious and flourishing Churches but now have the Candlestick removed from them The Lord many times doth lay his hand upon a Nation and people to this very end Reas 2 to humble them and to make them looke home to humble them and to cause them to meet the the Lord by repentance for this end the Lord made the prodigall to tast of a Famine that was such a wanton in times of prosperity
And welfare those afflictions that send us home to God By this dealing of the Lord with a Nation and with a people Reas 3 by sharp and sore afflictions the Lord is pleased to humble them and thereby to fit them for mercy and deliverance And this is no other thing then what the Lord himself hath promised If a Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their wickednesse Ier. 18.5 I will repent of the plague that I thought to have brought upon them Thus Niniveh prevented her Judgement And this is the right way to stop the breach of Gods wrath and to call in his Judgements when they are gone out against us This serves to shew the monstrous impiety and prophanesse of this age Use 1 and time wherein we live that do not thus mark and observe the dealing of God with us We have seen the hand of God in a grievous manner upon the Land in generall The Lord hath rode Circuit amongst us and what Country nay what Family hath not suffered in these times the sword hath been in the bowells of this Nation and hath drunk much blood The Lord hath likewise sent forth other messengers of his anger against us as unseasonable years at one time making the fruits of the earth dung for the earth at another time making the Heavens as Brasse and the Earth as Iron that the Creature hath mourned to teach us to mourn and now again by an universall sicknesse and disease the like whereof no age can remember when so many are sick and weak and taken away by death Yet who makes this use of it as Moses and the people of God here who is humbled under Gods hand who mournes for sin the cause of all No no we can be content to passe over the Lords dealing thus with the Land as if these Judgements concerned us not we lay them not to heart Surely it is to be feared that the Lord wil come nearer unto us yet in the end Take we heed that it be not found true of us which the Lord speaketh I called for sackcloath and fasting Esa 22.13 14. but behold mirth eating and drinking c. when was there ever the like excesse of drinking then at this day but what saith the Lord This inquity shall not be purged untill ye die Secondly Use 2 this Doctrine serves to direct us what we ought to do and how wee ought to carry our selves in times of Common Calamitie Not to be gazers and lookers on of Gods Judgements But to search and try our waies to discover the sins of the Land and the evills of the times which should thus provoke the Lord to punish us in a different manner then our Forefathers in former ages as Moses here Surely it is a dangerous fin heedlesly to passe by Gods dealing with us at this time from former times How can we be humbled aright for our present miseries if we do not consider hiâ— former mercies This were to deprive God of his glory and our selves of confidence and comfort Lord thou hast been our dwelling place WE are farther to observe in this prayer of Moses Text. how they begin their prayer viz. with putting the Lord in mind of his former mercies shewed unto their Forefathers in times past and in former generations Thou hast been a Covert unto our Forefathers and good unto them guiding directing and protecting them Note hence That it is a speciall motive and reason to plead in prayer Doct. 3 To plead Gods former mercies a good Motive for futute to move the Lord to pitty and compassion to put him in mind of his former mercies and deliverances bestowed either upon us or our Forefathers The Prophet out of experience of former mercies prayeth for the continuance thereof Lord thou hast been favourable to the Land Ps 85.2 3 4. thou hast brought back the captivitie of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sinne Thou hast taken away all thy wrath thou hast turned thy self from the fiercenesse of thine anger c. And hence he grounds his request to God Turn us O God of our salvation Ver. 4 and cause thine anger towards us to cease And thus do Nehemiah and Daniel begin their prayers for the Church Nehc. 1. Dan. 9. they mind the Lord of his Covenant and mercifull promise to his people And thus David persecuted by Saul hee pleads his cause with God thus Ps 4.1 Hear me O God of my righteousnesse thou hast set me at liberty c. Hee minds God of his former mercies and deliverances and thereby is confimed in his faith and confidence that God would not now leave him at this time of distresse And so when he was to go out against Goliah 1 Sam. 17.34 hee calls to minde the Lords mercifull deliverance from the Lyon and the Bear and grounds his hope of successe at this time also upon it And this hath been the care of Gods people to keep a Catalogue of Gods mercies and deliverances to strengthen Ps 22.21 their prayers in the like time of danger yea so carefull have the people of God been to keep in memory former mercies and deliverances that they have raised up monuments and given name to prisons times and places for perpetuall records of mercies and deliverances as Jehosophat called the place wherein the Lord had given him the victory 2 Chron. 20.26 to be called the valley of Beracha and the Jewes it is thought have their Purim to this day This is to give the Lord the honour and glory of his works Reas 1 when they are kept in remembrance 1 Sam. 12.24 Consider how great things God hath done for you saith Samuel to the people that his glorious works might be kept in remembrance amongst them Yea this is such a duty that we are often to presse upon our hearts Ps 103.2 as David did Blesse the Lord O my soul and for get not his benefits We cannot honour God more then to mind him of his former mercies and deliverances This makes a believer bold with God as we are with a trusty friend that we have had experience of It serves to strengthen our faith to quel our doubts and fears and causeth us with much confidence to rely on him Besides Reas 2 it is one of the greatest comforts in times of extreamities and dangers the experience we have had of Gods goodnesse and mercy Experience saith the Apostle worketh hope God being the same ever to his people In him is no variablenesse Jam. 1.17 nor shadow of change And hence it is that the godly in times of adversity can hold up their heads with comfort when wicked men are at their witts end and many times overwhelmed with sorrow This serves for our Direction Use 1 how to begin our prayers unto God the better to move him to pitty and to have compassion upon us viz. to remember the former mercies of
God unto us and to our fore-fathers to put the Lord in minde how he hath heretofore been our God that he hath been seen upon the Mount when our fears were great and our dangers many and that therefore he would now in mercy be good unto us Thus O Lord thou hast been our God our refuge and our Dwelling place thou hast kept us a long time by thy power thou hast many and many a time commanded salvation to thy Church and people in times of their greatest dangers Therefore Lord defend us still leave us not nor forsake us O God of our salvation We should thus wrestle and strive with God Psal 85. as David did and as Moses and the people of God here did and say In time of famine thou hast fed us in times of persecution and dangers thou hast kept us when the bloudy sword was shaken against us thou didst preserve us in these times of ficknesse our habitations have been safe Ah Lord do not forsake us now leave us not at this time of trouble and danger but turn our hearts unto thee by unfained repentance and turn away thy heavy displeasure from us Secondly Vse 2 this serves to inform us how to get affiance and sure confidence in God in prayer viz. by recounting the antient mercies of God and experiments we have had of his love from time to time we ought to keep a catalogue of them and to repeat them oft to our own souls to that end we may grow up in experience of his power and providence and goodnesse towards us A Christians memory should be a Chronicle of antiquity And besides our own experience we have had of Gods mercifull dealing towards us we should remember what our fathers have told us and we should shew the same to our children Ps 102.18 that the children yet unborn may praise the Lord. This observation of Gods goodnesse to us will be a speciall prop to hold up our hearts and hands in prayer Ps 27.10 Put not thy servant away in anger thou hast been my help There is nothing can strengthen us more under our present sufferings then a fresh memory of Gods former mercies Lord thou hast been our dwelling place Text. THat is Lord thou hast been to our fore-fathers what a dwelling house is to men viz. a covert and a safe defence and a Castle to defend them and protect them from all hurts and dangers that though they had no dwelling place but travelled from Country to Country yet they had a sure defence for thou didst protect them and wast unto them their Dwelling place Doct. 4 The note is That Gods Church people have ever had a Dwelling place Gods people have ever had a dwelling place Deut. 33 27-29 Lord thou hast bin our dwelling place from generation to generation The Lord himself under his wings protects and defends his people and they are safe whom he keepeth The eternall God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting armes Happie art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O people saved of the Lord. Ps 127.1 2. Ps 91.1 If the Lord keep the City it is in safety The godly are said to dwell in the secret of the most High and to say unto God thou art my rock my refuge and my strong tower He shall hide me saith David in the secret of his Tabernacle Ps 27.5 The godly must not look to be freed from dangers it is enough that they are preserved in dangers How was the woman pursued in the Wildernesse by the red Dragon Rev. 12.14 yet God provided for her a habitation there for her selfe and her child which she brought forth So when the Church shall be persecuted by Tyrants she must not think that any earthly hold can keep her safe only here is her priviledge she hath the shadow of the Almighty Ps 91.1 Ps 18.2 1 Sam. 22.1 5. and the secret of the most High to fly unto How oft was David pursued by Saul sometimes by Absalom his own son yet still God provided for him a hiding place Object But hath not the Church Object and the particular members of it suffered Martyrdome slaughters c. Ans It is true Answ God suffers many times his children to fall by the cruelty of the enemies of the Church yet even therein they are more then Conquerors The primitive Martyrs in all their sufferings the Text saith They would not be delivered Heb. 11. because they looked for a better resurrection And God is pleased thus many times to suffer the wicked to prevail against their bodies for these Reasons 1. That herein and hereby the wicked might fill up the measure of their sins and so hasten their own destruction 2. Hereby God will have his truth witnessed yea sometimes with the very blood of the Saints 3. God will have it so for the utility and profit of his Church for the blood of Martyrs is the seed of the Church Yet still the promise is most sure God will be a hiding place unto his and the worst that Tyrants can do is but to kill the body and so hasten their happinesse and glory they can never prevail against the inward man nor overthrow their faith nor disappoint them of salvation But hereby our faith is exercised our patience tried and the bitternesse that we have tasted in our sufferings makes our deliverance but so much the more sweet and comfortable unto us And the Reason is Reason that neer relation that is between God and his people shewes that God must be their habitation they are his Sons they are his Spouse members of his body his friends his servants and shall not God be a house and habitation unto them Nay more they are so neer and dear unto God that he that toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eye Zach. 2.8 Such cannot want protection Seeing there is no protection and safeguard unlesse our God become our habitation and dwelling place Vse 1 This discovers unto us the folly of such who foolishly run from protection some one way and some another and never seek for Gods protection Some put their trust in strong holds in great and fortified Castles some in their wit some in their riches c. But unlesse the Lord be thy dwelling place and unlesse the Lord be thy protection thou canst have no safety though thou dwellest in an house of Ivory and in the strongest Castle made of stone yet unlesse the Lord keep thee every Sergeant of Gods judgment and every messenger of Gods vengeance will seize upon thee Seeing they only be in safety whom Use 2 the Lord covers and whom he protects with his armes and with his power we see then it is our wisdome to seek unto God for safetie and to creep under his wings for if he keep us all shall be well with us A prudent man foreseeth the evill Prov. 22.3 and hideth himselfe that is he flies to
promise concerning Elizabeth his wife that she should bear him a son that the Lord struck him dumb till the day that the promise was fulfilled So that the point is clear and plain that our corrupt nature is such that we often call Gods power into question in times of straights that we fall into Because it was the first sin of our Father Adam Reas 1 by the which Sathan entered into mans heart Gen. 3.4 and so drew him from God to question Gods love and the same is derived to all his posterity And this is the root and mother of all other sins by it we depart from God when we call Gods power truth promises Heb. 3.12 and mercy into question what is this but to make God a lyar 1. Joh. 5.10 and so dishonour God in a high degree As we cannot honour God more than by sanctifying his name Numb 20.12 and acknowledging his power in times of affliction and distresse So is God highly dishonoured when we doubt of his power and goodnesse and call the same into question Secondly Reas 2 as it is the work of Faith to see God to be of power All-sufficient to help and succour us in times of straights And herein appeared the truth and power of Abraham's faith that he doubted not of the promise through unbeliefe Rom. 4.20 for he was perswaded that what he had promised he was able to perform Whereas the unbelieving heart blocks up the gate of mercy against it selfe and makes a man uncapable of mercy If we examine our selves by this Doctrine Use 1 we shall finde that we are guilty in some measure of this sin when our estate goes not so well with us as we desire how ready are we to thrust off the cause of it from our selves and to lay it upon others When we are in health peace and prosperity and set free from trouble O then we can acknowledge and say that God is all-sufficient mercifull and gracious But if the Lord send affliction sicknesse tryalls times of adversity then we are ready to call all into question and think that Gods power is shortned we dare not follow God in the dark we can hardly confesse God to be almighty powerfull just mercifull at such times Iudg. 6.13 but are ready to say with Gideon If God be with us why is this befallen us We shorten Gods arme and call his power into question as this people did Can God furnish a Table in the Wildernesse Psal 78. He gave us drink indeed out of a Rock but can he give bread also This is that sin which this cursed nature of ours is most prone unto and therefore are the more carefully to watch ouer our own hearts against it Seeing it is the sinne of our nature thus to question Gods power Use 2 his mercy and goodnesse towards us especially in times of trouble and adverfity and to lay the blame on him Let us learn to know that God is alwaies one the same most mighty most just true faithful in his Covenant towards his people Though our condition change yet God changeth not he is one and the same from all eternity and cannot change But if our condition be otherwise with us than we desire Lam 3.39 Es 59.2 let us ascribe all to our selves Man suffereth for his sin Your iniquities have separated betwixt you and your God Your iniquities have turned away these things and your sins have withholden good things from you Let us condemn our selves and accuse our selves that we are thus afflicted and know that God is just and the arme of his power is not shortned towards his people Quest Quest But how comes it to passe that the Lord seemes thus to leave his people so long a time in such fore affliction and distresse as his people here Answ Answ The Lord doth this in much wisdome and love to his people First to bring them to a clearer sight of their sins and to work in them a greater measure of humiliation for the same then yet they have attained unto We are apt to think that a little sorrow for sin is enough and every light and slight confession will serve the turn But the Lord sees it meet that the foundation of our repentance and conversion should be laid deeper Secondly herein and hereby the Lord will exercise our graces which in times of Gods delaies are exercised in us How was the faith of Abraham exercised whilst he took Isaac in his hand three daies together when he went up to the Mount to sacrifice him How was the faith of Paul tried when he received this answer from God My grace is sufficient for thee though the temptation was not removed The Lord will have it so to quicken the prayers of his people seeking him The Canaanitish woman had divers denyalls in her suit to Christ in the behalfe of her daughter yet at last had a gracious answer returned unto her And this is ordinarily the fruit of sore afflictions they produce fervency in prayer and have at last a welcome deliverance Before the Mountains Text. c. even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God MOSES being now to have recourse unto God by prayer for his people flies unto the Covenant of grace made unto the Church in Christ pleads that minds the Lord of that and that gives him boldnesse in prayer Before the Mountains c. thou art our God Hence we learn That the knowledge of Gods Covenant of grace in Christ Doct. 2 gives boldnesse in prayer The knowledge of Gods Covenant gives boldnesse in prayer It is the knowledge of our interest in the Covenant of grace that God is our God kindles prayer as a Sacrifice kindled with fire from heaven and is much accepted of God Upon this ground we are to pray Gods Covâ—nant made with his Church and faithfulnesse in all generations in keeping promise with his people is the staffe and strength of prayer And this Covenant of grace the godly have been ever carefull to lay hold upon in prayer Heb. 10.23 Rev. 19.11 He is faithfull that hath promised And he that fits upon the white Horse is called faithfull and true Thus the Lord minds Jacob with his Covenant made with Abraham and Isaac his father Gen. 28. ver 15. and then confirmes the same unto Jacob Behold I am with thee and will keep thee which way thou goest Rom. 10.14 This made Paul to ask that strange question How shall they call on him on whom they have not believed implying thus much That where there is not faith in Gods Covenant there is no calling upon God Iam. 1.5 If any man lack wisdome saith Saint James let him ask it of God But how Let him ask in faith nothing wavering And again Let us draw neer with a true hears in assurance of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an evill conscience So that the point is clear and plain Ephes
3.12 That it is faith in the Covenant that God hath made unto us in Christ that gives boldnesse and confidence when we go to God in prayer And one Reason may be taken from that unchangeable nature that is in God Reas 1 and his covenant made with his people Gen. 17. I will be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee by an everlasting Covenant And he will not suffer his truth to fail This doth Moses minde the Lord of in the entrance into his prayer Lord thou hast been our habitation in all generations in the daies of our fore-fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob and as it is in this Text from generation to generation this they plead and that he will be the same to generations to come they rest upon Thus all his promises in Christ are Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 Besides his Word is unchangable as himselfe is Reas 2 yea Heaven and earth hall passe away and perish yet not one jot or tittle of the Word shall faile All the promises of God are yea and amen in Christ firme and faithfull and God will be sure at last to speak peace to his people May not a man rest upon that for the which he hath a word for Thy testimonies saith David are sure Ps 93.5 Ro. 10.8 And the Word is called the Word of Faith which cannot faile This serves to direct the Church of God in generall Vse 1 and every particular member of the same to wait for the Lords salvation in times of danger when they shall be brought into straights as the Church of God at this time then is the time to live by faith and to live upon promises and in prayer to plead his Covenant say Lord thou hast been our habitation in all generations leave us not nor forsake us for thy Name-sake though we have finned and provoked thee to wrath againstus yet own us for thy people and forsake us not O God of our salvation The Lord delights to hear his people wrestle with him in prayer and to get arguments to move the Lord withall It is a signe that we then pray in faith when the soul is lifted up to behold this faithfulnesse that is in God This lets us see upon what ground we must lay all our suits and requests that we put up unto God Use 2 the Covenant he hath made with his people gives boldnesse and confidence in prayer It is true our unfaithfulnesse in keeping Covenant with God is enough to stop our months and make us ashamed when we come unto him But when we come unto him thus Deliver me O Lord Ps 31.1 according to thy righteousnesse and disclaim our own and rest upon his faithfulnesse we may hope to prevail with him And therefore seeing Gods Church and children have such a Rock to flye unto and such a ground to build their suits upon with what boldnesse may they goe unto God and be assured of deliverance Before the Mountains were brought forth Text. c. MOSES here speaking of God and to God mentions his eternity saying That before the Mountains or the Earth or the World were made thou art God Wherein he affirms two things of God 1. That he was the Creator of the earth and the world 2. That he was from eternity long before Or ever thou hadst formed the earth or the world HEnce we learn Doct. 3 Thre was a time when there was no earth or world That there was a time when there was no Mountain Earth or World but God created them all The glorious Heavens and all the host of them the Earth and all the creatures therein the Sun the Moon and the Starrs had all God for their Creator Yet this point is warily to be understood of us for howsoever this work of creation is attributed to the first Person in Trinity we are not to exclude the Son nor the Holy Ghost for the whole Trinity did create the world Let us make man Gen. 1.26 This being a rule in Divinity That the works of God that are without are undivided for that which one doth all do Yet there is this difference in their order of working 1. The Father wills it 2. The Son works it 3. The Holy Ghost finisheth it Now that God Created all things at first it is clear In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth Gen. 1.1 And I am the Lord and there is none other How proves he that but by this work of Creation Es 45.7 I form the light and create darknesse I make peace and create evill I the Lord do all these things And thus again doth he prove his Godhead Ier. 10.12 He hath made the earth and established the world by his wisdome And He spake the word saith the Psalmist and it was done Ps 33.9 He commanded and it stood fast And the Lord did without faintnesse and wearinesse Es 40.28 The everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not nor is weary The visible creatures from the most glorious Angells to the most contemptible worm of the earth do all declare that there is a God and that this God is the Creator of them The visible creatures have in them all the print of an invisible God His power and his wisdome is engraven in them all yea in the smallest creatures doth Gods wisdome and power most of all appear Quest Quest 1 But when was this creation of all things Moses tells us when he saith Ans In the beginning the meaning is Gen. 1.1 In the beginning of Time For before the Creation Time was not but Eternity instead of Time And indeed the thoughts of man are here drowned here is the Ocean that we are not able to fathom what was before the world was And it is not meet that we should search into that for what are we to judge of eternity what hath plants to judge of sense or what have beasts to judge of reason or man to judge of Eternity that is himselfe finite But how did God create all things Quest 2 Not as man bringeth his works to passe by labour and pains no Ans for it is said Ps 33.9 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them He did but speak the Word and it was done the commanded and it was created God did but say Let there be light and there was light and all other creatures had their being at his command Seeing there was a time when there was no Mountain Earth or World Use 1 but that God was the Creator of them all then the heavens that are above us and the earth that is below us and all the creatures that are in the world they may serve to teach us this lesson that there is a God though these teach us not this lesson as the Scriptures teach us yet they are as a Christians Primer to teach us to
depend upon this short inch of time that is allotted us here Ver. 3. Thou turnest man to destraction and sayest Return again ye children of men FRom the beginning of this Verse to the eleventh we have the second generall part of this Psalm and that is his Naration in the which he sets down the common frailty and mortality of mankind from Verse 3. to the 11. and this he doth 1 In generall 1. By the efficient cause of mans frailty and mortality verse 3. Thou turnest man c. 2. By the instrumentall cause viz. The manifold miseries sicknesses and diseases these frail bodies of ours are subject unto As also from the composition of mans body which is made but of the dust of the earth and therefore must return to dust again 2. In particular by comparing it 1. To a Watch in the night that is the space of three houres ver 4. 2. To a Sleep or a Dream that is a vanishing thing and of no continuance verse 5. 3. To a Flower or Grasse that groweth up in the morning but cut down and withered ere night ver 6. Thus of the estate of mankind in generall Then verse 7 8 9. he applies this to themselves in particular now in great affliction and distresse in the Wildernesse and shewes that though the life of man be frail and short yet their estate at this time was far worse and more miserable and the Reason was 1. Because of Gods anger and terrible displeasure whereby they were pittifully wasted and con-consumed verse 7. 2. He sets down the speciall procuring cause why their estate was thus miserable viz. Their sins and rebellions which the Lord did now charge them with verse 8. Thou turnest man to destruction Text. THat is at thy will and pleasure and appointment is the life of man when it pleaseth thee thou turnest man to destruction that is to breaking and crushing even to dust and ashes Hence we learn Doct. 1 that the gretest stay and comfort of the godly under affliction is the consideration Greatest comfort to the godly in times of affliction that they come from God Hos 6.1 Am. 3.6 that their miseries and afflictions come from God He hath spoyled he hath wounded saith the Church They do not look so much upon the Assyrians that afflicted them but they look up higher and see Gods hand upon them and say The Lord hath spoyled and He hath wounded us Is there any evill in the City and the Lord hath not done it That is any judgment sicknesse afflictions or calamities but they come from the Lord it is he that sends them and laies them upon his people Thus when the Lord was minded to bring his Church from Idolatry he saith thus Behold I will stop thy waies with thorns and make a hedge that she shall not know her paths Thus the Lord threatned Senacherib 2 Reg. 19.6 Behold I will sond a blast upon him This is more clear by that of Moses Levâ—t 26.16 17. If ye will not obey me and do these commandments I will appoint over you fearfulnesse a Consumption and a burning Feaver the Sword Famine and Pestilence to destroy you And this truth is acknowledged by Job in his sharpest tryalls Iob 1.21 The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away even as it pleaseth the Lord so commeth things to passe 1 Cor. 11.32 And When we are judged we are chastned of the Lord. The Reasons will make the point yet more clear and plain unto us First in regard of his providence Reas 1 which ordereth and disposeth of all things in Heaven and Earth according to the purpose of his own will so that there is no room left for Fortune or Chance but as it pleaseth the Lord so commeth things to passe This doth our Saviour teach most clearly when he saith Are not two sparrowes sold for a farthing and not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father Yea the hairs of your head are numbred Now if the providence of God be in such small things as in the fall of a Sparrow and the numbring of the hairs of our head how much more in the tryalls and afflictions of his children Secondly Reas 2 the miseries and afflictions of Gods Church and children must needs come from God because he ordereth and disposeth of the tryalls and sufferings of his people in the nature and kinds of their sufferings what they shall be how long they shall continue and the happy issue and effect of them as the Apostle hath it No man should be moved with these afflictions 1 Thes 3.3 for your selves know that we are appointed thereto God will have the rod lie upon the back of his servants sometimes a long time as upon the Church in Aegypt 430 years together where the Lord exercised them with cruell bondage under Pharath Sometimes shorter as those seventy yeeres they were in captivity in Babylon somtimes shorter Rev. 2.10 Ye shall have tribulation for ten daies Sometimes but for a night Sorrow may endure for a night c. Yea sometimes not so long but for an hower there is an hower of temptation and the time that God hath purposed and decreed being expired they shall see the salvation of the Lord. Seeing that the only stay and comfort of the godly in times of affliction and distresse Use 1 is the consideration that their miseries and afflictions of what kinde soever they come from God This should teach us at all times of distresse still to have recourse unto him by earnest and hearty prayer either to remove the rod if it be his good pleasure or else to sanctifie the same unto us and to give us patience under it This duty the Lord requires and looks for at our hands especially in times of affliction and distresse and for this we have both precepts and examples Ps 50.15 Call upon me in the day of thy trouble and I will hear thee and deliver thee Yea to that end he hath prescribed unto us a form of seeking him at such times Hos 14.2 3. Take unto you words and turn to the Lord and say unto him Take away all our iniquity and receive us graciously Secondly he hath made a gracious promise of hearing our prayers especially at such times Ps 50.15 Mat. 7.7 1 Ioh. 5.14 and that whatsoever we ask the Father in his Sons Name he will give it us Thirdly there is none else can help us Lord whither shall we go saith Peter thou hast the words of eternall life He is known for a sure refuge Ps 48.3 he is the God that heareth prayers Besides we have the examples of Gods servants who in all times of extreamity have ever fled unto God Psal 18.3 4. 2 Chr. 20 2 Chr. 33 by earnest and hearty prayer as David Jehosophat Hezechiah Manasses c. who ever had recourse unto God in times of misery and God was intreated of them Secondly the consideration
hereof Vse 2 that God hath a speciall hand in all our sufferings and still ordereth and disposeth of the same Ro. 8.28 that they shall work for the best to them that love and fear him what a ground of patience may this be unto us under the crosse whensoever the Lord shall be pleased to humble us by any affliction whatsoever that with patience and meeknesse we submit thereunto I was dumb Ps 39.9 and opened not my mouth because it was thy doing saith David And Eli 1 Sam. 3.18 â— Sam. 15.26 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth good to him And Here I am let him do to me as seemeth good to him And this may serve for the just reproofe of those Vse 3 who in times of misery and distresse never look to the hand of God they look upon secondary causes and instruments but over-look God Such do seldome seek to God for delivery Job was of another mind he looks not so much upon the Caldeans and Sabeans that plundered him of his goods and cattle but he looks up unto God and acknowledgeth his hand in all So David when Shimei cursed him It may be the Lord bad him to curse me Vse 4 And last of all this lets us see that when the Lord hath been pleased to come in with any Nationall or personall deliverance where to returne thanks even to him that first smoâ—e us and who it is that hath healed us Thus the Church in all ages when the Lord was pleased to come in with any singular deliverance Exod. 15. 2 Chron. 20. Jud. 5. kept their solemn daies of praise and thanksgiving unto God Thou turnest man to destruction THat is at thy pleasure are our lives and being here we live at thy allowance and appointment when thou wilt thou turnest them to breaking and crushing even to dust Hence observe Doct. 2 That our life and being here is uncertain Our lives are in Gods hand it is in Gods hand and power we live at his appointment at his pleasure he can and doth turn man to destruction to breaking and crushing Thou hast bruised my bones Esay 38. saith Hezechiah Thou hast set me as a mark to shoot at saith Job Thy arrowes stick fast in me saith David If the Lord do but say Return ye sons of Adam we shall return again to the dust and away we must The voice of the Lord is a powerfull voice he did create all things by his voice and by his word and at the same voice and word of his he can turn all things to powder No man though never so great or mighty wise or politique can resist or withstand the commanding and powerfull voice of God but when death is sent and God gives his call they must return again to dust Death knocks with authority at the dore of the rich man and Palace of Princes as at the poor and all must obey and return to the dust from whence they came Moses this Man of God that was a man so familiar with his Maker a man so holy so meek so mercifull who was indeed a compound of vertues who had fed many thousands when they were ready to die with hunger who had refreshed many thousands when they were ready to perish with thirst yet must himselfe at last yeeld to the stroke of death and say to corruption thou art my Father and to the worm thou art my Mother Psal 89.48 What man is there living that shall not see death and shall deliver his soul from the pit One dyeth in his full strength saith Job whose breasts are full of milk Iob 21.23 and bones are full of marrow Another dyeth in the bitternesse of his soul they shall lie down alike in the dust and the wormes shall cover them We stand not at a stay but in the midst of life we are in death the very meat we put into our bellies and the cloaths we put upon our backs all declare unto us that dye we must and return again to the dust And the Reasons are First Reas 1 if we do but consider the matter whereof these bodies of ours are composed which is of the dust of the earth this shewes a necessity of their returning again to dust they are made of a frail brittle and corruptible matter and long they cannot stand Dust thou art Gen. 3.19 and into dust shalt thou return again And as the Prophet saith All flesh is grasse and the glory of man as the flower of grasse As the point of the Marriners needle doth never stand till it attain the North Pole Such an instinct there is in these bodies of ours they still bend themselves downward towards the earth from whence they came And as the nearer the Center the swifter the motion so is man towards his end every day winds off something of the threed of our life and return we must There is a necessity of our returning again to dust Reas 2 if we do but consider the nature of sin the wages whereof is death and indeed there can be no divorce sued out betwixt sin and death Gen. 20. As the Lord said to Abimelech Thou art but a dead man because of his sin And this was Gods own decree at first Gen. 2.17 The day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death Now Alam eating of the forbidden fruit brought in death to all his posterity for so saith the Apostle By one man sin entred into the world Ro. 5.12 and death by sin And inasmuch as all have sinned all must die the death Besides Reas 3 there is a necessity that all should die because by death we must enter into life death is the gate of life ordinarily none entred into life but by death death is a guide to bring us into Heaven though a churlish guide yet a sure guide to bring us into blisse Seeing the Lord at his pleasure turns man to destruction Use 1 to breaking and crushing sends long and tedious sicknesse and griefe of body whereby men are much deformed and weakned in their bodies and turned to dust This should teach us patience in times of misery and distresse when the Lord shall seem thus to crush us and break us to powder we should with patience bear his correcting hand be it never so sharp and grievous even to crush us to pieces and to grinde us to powder in regard it is the Lord that doth it Thus David I was dumb and opened not my lips Ps 39.5 because it was thy doing There is no sicknesse or disease lamenesse or blindnesse or any other affliction whereby we come to have our bones crushed and we brought to destruction but all is of the Lord He turneth man to breakings and destruction and it is the want of the knowledge of this that is the cause that men do sometimes murmur against Gods dealings and are not humbled for their sins as they ought to be we consider
render the cause of this their wofull misery and distresse 1. The more remote cause and that was the anger of God which they had justly procured by their sins verse 7. 2. Secondly by the more neer and speciall cause viz. their sins and rebellions whereby they had drawn down the anger and wrath of God upon them verse 8. For we are consumed in thy anger Text. c. WHence we may first of all observe how they compare their present estate now in the Wildernesse with the estate of other Nations and people and shew that their estate was far worse then theirs for others dyed now one and then one and so they were diminished but for them they were hastily consumed and suddenly swept away by the Plague and Pestilence now amongst them Hence we may observe first of all That it is a ground of humiliation to Gods people Doct. 1 Gods people should be humbled when it fares worse with them then with the wicked when their estate is worse then Gods enemies Moses gathers this as an argument to humble them and to move them to repentance and to seek unto God viz. That because of their sins they were in a far worse case and condition then the very enemies of God were For though their lives were short yet they confesse that theirs was far worse then the very Heathen themfelves for they were suddenly consumed by his anger When God is worse to his own Church and people then he is to his enemies when the Lord shall send Warrs in a Nation called by his Name and peace in other Kingdomes that are Antichristian sends famine in his Church and plenty to the wicked sends the Plague and Pestilence in his Church and health and prosperity to the wicked O here is matter of mourning and humiliation and it is that which hath touched Gods people to the quick and wounded them to the heart to see the enemies of the Church in better condition than the Church it selfe What a griefe was it for Godly Jacob to gravail into Aegypt Gen. to buy corn of the Egyptians that were the enemies of the Church What a griefe was it to the Church and people of God Lam. 5.6 when they say We have given the hand to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians to be satisfied with bread They that are our greatest enemies we have sought unto them for reliefe This was it that was such a trouble to David Psal 73. to see the wicked prosper and himself to suffer in distresse David had almost lost himselfe to behold and to take notice of this This must needs be a ground of humiliation to the godly Reas 1 when their estate is worse then the wicked Because this is a token of Gods displeasure against his people for their sins as it appears when the Lord threatneth them thus Deut. 28.43 The stranger that is within thee shall get above thee and thou shalt come down very low And again He shall lend to thee and thou shalt not lend to him ver 44. he shall be the Head and thou shalt be the Tail This will sin do make Gods people servants to their very enemies and the Lord will set his own people below them It is that which makes the enemies of the Church to insult Reas 2 and pride themselves yea and to censure the godly when they shall see themselves thus to prosper and the Godly cast down This lets us see how great Gods anger and indignation is against sin Use 1 that God should punish it so severely in his own people Israel was Gods Church Israel was Gods chosen one yet by reason of their sins their murmurings their infidelity that would not believe in his word that God would subdue those cursed Canaanites and give them their land to inherit but feared their strength their sons of Anack and their walled Cities therefore was the hand of God thus gone out against them and they perished thus miserably in the Wildernesse And how severely the Lord hath thus punished sin in his own people we may likewise see in Moses himselfe that because he honoured not God at the waters of strife the Lord would not suffer him to come into the land of Canaan And the like in David Yea the Lord Jesus Christ himselfe that had in himselfe no sin yet taking our sins upon him Gods hand lay most sore upon him And this should humble us at this time to consider how the Lord hath dealt with this Land and Nation and sent into every corner of the Land in every City and Country yea almost every Family the tokens of his anger and displeasure this strange and unwented kinde of disease amongst us that hath swept so many away Besides how heavy hath the hand of God layen upon the Land by the Sword Pestilence unseasonable times when other Nations and Countries have been free and yet Gods hand is not removed but his wrath is stretched out still Secondly Use 2 seeing the estate and condition of Gods Church and People is many times worse then their very enemies this may teach us not to measure the favour and displeasure of God towards us or others by the outward blessings or adversities of this life seeing the wicked do often flourish and prosper when the godly themselves do suffer great adversity David speaking of the wicked Ps 73.5 saith They are not in trouble like other men neither are they plagued like other folks Many times God punisheth most when he spareth most It is spoken as an argument of Gods wrath and indignation against desperate sinners Es 1.5 Wherefore should ye be smitten any more And again Hos 4.14 I will not visit your Daughters when they play the Harlots nor your Spouses when they play the Whores Was not this a token of Gods wrath and heavy displeasure that God should thus suffer them to go on in sin So on the contrary great afflictions are not alwaies arguments of a people cast off of God How heavy did the hand of God lie upon Job Hezekiah David c. yet dear and precious in Gods fight so true is that of Solomon that no man can judge of Love or haired Eccl. 9.1 by all that is before them For we are consumed in thy anger THere is one thing more yet to be observed hence Doct. 2 Though mans life be short yet sin shortens it viz. That though the life of man be short of it selfe yet it is made farre shorter than in Nature it is like to be by mans sin procuring some suddain and heavy judgment of God upon themselves This is that which Moses and the Church confesse here that the life of man is short of it selfe but yet by reason of their sins their life became more short for here they confesse that they were consumed by Gods anger Num. 14.26 28. and so it appears insomuch as of all that great number that came out of Aegypt being six
but only see it and die in the Land of Moah surely Moses his sin shut him out And of all that great number that came out of the Land of Aegypt even six hundred thousand that all above twenty years should perish in the Wildernesse was an undoubted argument they were guilty of some great sin that caused the Lord to be thus angry with them Object If this be so that extraordinary judgments are arguments of Gods anger how was it said of the blind man that lay under such an extraordinary judgment as to be born blind that neither this man sinned nor his Parents The meaning is not Answ that neither He nor his Parents were without sin no not such sins as might have justly brought that punishment upon them But neither the Mans sins nor his Parents were the cause why the Lord smote him with blindnesse John 9. but that the work of God might be made manifest in him Job though he were a a godly man indeed yet Job's sins might justly deserve all his miseries but God did not so much look upon his sins but that he might be a pattern and example of Faith Patience and of other Graces to his Church for ever Besides there be many grounds and causes wherefore the Lord is pleased many times to lay his hand and that heavy too upon his own Children and such as are both neer and dear unto him 1. As the exercise of their graces of Faith Patience Hope c. 2. To wean them them from the world whereunto our hearts are too much addicted 3. To quicken Prayer 4. To chasten us for our sins past and to make us more watchfull for the time to come c. But since the Lord in his Word hath denounced these judgments against us for our sins and doth not reveal unto us when he is pleased thus to try us his secret will and pleasure therein We are not to pry into his hidden counsells but into his will revealed which is that Man suffereth for his sin And howsoever we may erre in respect of Gods secret purpose in sending afflictions yet we shall profit thereby to humble our selves to justifie God as righteous to renew our repentance and hereby become fit for mercy and deliverance Whereas in times of affliction and distresse to look upon any other cause then sin may hinder our repentance and cause us to continue in our wickednesse Now that great and extraordinary ludgments and afflictions do argue Gods high displeasure these Reasons shew Reas 1 Because he is most just and righteous in his judgments as Abraham said to God Gen. 18.25 It is far from the Judge of all the World to deal unrighteously The Lord is ever most clear in himselfe from the least stain or mixture of iniustice in any of his judgments inflicted upon men Ps 119.137 Righteous art thou O Lord and true are thy judgments Reas 2 The second may be taken from that neer union and inseparable affinity that is betwixt Gods anger and sin Man suffereth for his sin Lam. 3.39 Miseries and afflictions yea all kind of iudgments spirituall and temporall are but the sinners harvest that he must look to reap by sowing the seeds of sin Pro 22.8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap affliction and the rod of his anger shall fail Let us apply this to our selves Use 1 Did Moses well to gather and conclude the exceeding anger displeasure of God against them by the greatnesse and grievousnesse of their punishment that they were thus hastily and fearfully wasted and consumed Alas then what may we think of our selves how hath the hand of God laine heavie upon us in this Nation In these later daies the sword hath been in the Bowels of the land and hath drunk much blood in every corner of it we have had the pestilence amongst us what Country hath been free we have had cleannesse of teeth when many have perished in the open fields and by the way side for want of bread The Lord hath made the Heavens as Brasse and the Earth as Iron that the like yeares have not been known Besides this strange sicknesse that hath been amongst us whereof fewe Families have escaped but some have been either sick or weake or suddainly taken away by Death that fewe that are living have knowne the like time of sicknesse and mortalitie Now what can we think by all these messengers of his Anger and wrath but that God is exceedingly angry and displeasedwith us Certainely the sins of this Nation the innocent blood that hath been shed the high contempt of the Gospel and Miâ—listers therof the great securitie unfruitfullnesse and unthankfullnesse of all sorts may mind us of some farther judgments yet at hand And yet alas who laies the Lords dealings to heart to take notice of Gods Anger and make but light account of judgments None consider in heart that the greatnesse of Gods judgments is an argument of the greatnesse of our sins It shall be our wisdom to lay Gods judgments to heart and to meet the Lord by unfained Repentance lest worser judgments overtake us at last Use 2 Secondly this serves to admonish us that according to the greatnesse of Gods judgments to increase our sorrow and Repentance for great anger argues great sins and great sins must have great Sorrow and great Repentance Quest 1 But is it an Argument that God is Angry when he takes men away by Death No it is not alwayes so Ans that the Lord is Angry when he takes men away by Death But when he takes them away by such a manner of Death as this people here with some strange kinde of Death horrible and fearefull for some sin as these people for their infidelitie murmuring Rebellion and despising of his mercy this is a token of Gods Anger 1 Cor. 10.10 Neither murmur ye as some of them murmured and were destroyed with the Destroyer Quest 2 But is it a token of Gods Anger for men to dy suddainly or by some strange kind of Death of the plague pestilence c No. Ans It is not alwaies a token of Gods Anger for men to dy suddainly or by some strange kinde of Death Pilate to make the Jewes odious and their religion hatefull mingled the blood of certaine Galileans with their Sacrifices here was an unwonted kind of Death And so those eighteene upon whom the tower of Silo fell these dyed not an ordinary kind of Death And yet Christ saith that they were not greater sinners then other men And many of Gods dear children and faithfull servants have dyed strange kinds of death and none more then the Son of God himselfe And therefore we may not judge a man out of Gods favour by the suddennesse or strangenesse of his death if his life hath been good his death cannot be bad Eccles 9.11 for as Solomon saith All things happen alike to all But now when we shall see a Man or Woman whose
it may be said of every grosse and presumptuous sin in the godly it provokes God to anger But yet there is a great difference betwixt Gods anger towards his children Difference betwixt Gods anger towards his children and the wicked and that wrath of his that commeth upon the children of disobedience First his anger towards his Children endures but for a moment In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment Es 54.8 but with everlasting kindnesse wil I have compassion on thee And of the godly it is said Ps 103.9 He will not alwaies chide neither keepeth he his anger for ever But as for the wicked it is not so with them but those tokens of his anger and wrath are but the beginnings of their sorrowes and a fire kindled that shall devoure to destruction It differs betwixt the godly and the wicked in measure God ever proportioneth the sufferings of his Children according to their strength He will not suffer them to be tempted above that they are able 1 Cor. 10.13 But now the Lord never takes notice what strength a wicked man hath to bear his punishments but oftentimes they sink under the burthen of them as Cain Saul Judas c. They bring forth the quiet fruits of righteousnesse in the one they make the wicked more desperate in sinning they tend to the instruction of the one they tend to the destruction of the other Thirdly Gods judgments are medicines to cure his children of the maladies of sin and to fit them for mercy and deliverance But as for the wicked that are vessells of wrath they tend to fit them for destruction so as the Prophet saith Es 21.24 Hath he smitten him meaning indeed his own Children as he smot them that smot him meaning indeed the wicked The Lord is not angry with them both alike nor smites them both alike And lastly Use 3 seeing the anger of God is so terrible and insupportable even a consuming fire and lies so heavy many times upon his own Children the malignity whereof is taken off by Christ It is our duty that as we sin daily Use 4 and provoke him daily by our sins so to be earnest solicitors to the Throne of grace daily that the Lord would not rebuke us in his anger Ps 38.1 2. neither chastise us in his wrath That the Lord would not deal with us according to our sins nor reward us according to our iniquities for if the Lord should we were never able to answer him for one of a thousand our provocations are so many and great that we may say with the Church Lam. 3.22 It is the Lords mercy that we are not consumed There is no way to escape Gods anger but as we sin daily to repent daily since we forfeit his mercies daily by our sins And in thy wrath are we troubled Text. MOSES and the people of God here confesse that they were exceedingly amazed and troubled by Gods anger and wrath gone out against them for their sin Whence we may observe Doct. 6 what it is that doth most affect the godly Sin most of all affects the godly wounds their souls and makes their hearts to bleed viz. The sense and feeling of Gods anger and frowning countenance against them for their sins that by their sins they have so far provoked God thus to frown upon them and to be displeased with them For as the loving kindnesse of God is better than life it selfe Ps 63.3 so the sense and feeling of his wrath and displeasure is that which wounds their souls to the quick so as there can be no comfort no joy no rest nor peace but sorrow griefe vexation and trouble of heart No doubt there were many things that troubled the heart of David in the matter of his sins of Adultery and Murther as the murther of his faithfull servant and subject Uriah the drawing of Bathsheba to the sin of Adultery and his drawing of Joab and others into the guilt of his sin besides the seandall that he had given to Religion But this was it that wounded him to the heart his sin against God and therefore he cries out Against thee against thee have I sinned nothing went so neer his heart as his offence against God and the sense of his displeasure Many times the wicked mourn for sin with worldly sorrow 2 Cor. 7. when by their sins they bring shame punishment or some detriment to their estate and the like Thus Pharaoh was troubled and took on Exod. 9.27 because of the Thunder and Hail and when that was over his trouble was over Gen. 27.38 Thus Esau wept when he had parted with his Birth-right for his own losse not for his offence against God And thus was Saul troubled when Samuel told him 1 Sam. 15.14 1 Reg. 11.21 that God had rent his Kingdome from him and Ahab when the judgment was denounced against his house Whereas in the godly the apprehension of Gods displeasure and the sin against him works the greatest sorrow though their sins were never so secret and should never come to light A gracious soul lookes more upon God offended then upon what he hath deserved This the Apostle calls a sorow according to God 2 Cor. 7 10. when it proceeds not from selfe love but because of God And this is that Zach. 12.12 which the Lord in some measure works in the hearts of all his And the Reasons are The first is taken from the nature of sin Reas 1 which is a Transgression of the Law By sin the most holy and righteous Law of God is violate and broken and hereby God is provoked A small offence against a Prince is made Treason so are sins committed against him being an infinite God Is given by the Apostle Reas 2 Ye have not received the Spirit of bondage to fear again but ye have received the Spirit of adoption Now such as have received this Spirit the Spirit of Adoption to be made the Sons of God these cannot but love God are affraid to offend God and much grieved if at any time by their sins they provoke God Is for tryall Use 1 whether our griefe and sorrow for sin be a godly sorrow and a fruit of true repentance yea or no. The vildest wretch its possible may some times have compunction and sorrow of heart for sin and they may wish that they had never committed such evills Ahab mourns and Judas repents himselfe and yet all was but worldly sorrow that brought death A wicked man and a very Hypocrite may go wonderfull far this way but upon tryall it will be found that their sorrow is conversant about the evill of punishment and not for the evill of sin It is the losse of credit detriment in estate shame punishment or the like that affects them selfe love works it in them and were it not for shame punishment hell or torment for sin they would
live and die in their sins Cain cries but why My punishment is greater then I can bear Pharaoh is troubled for what O take away this Plague of Thunder and Hail 1 Sam. 15.24 Saul mourns for what The losse of his Kingdome Ahab puts on sack-cloth for what For the evill threatned against his house O the deceitfulnesse of mans heart Here is the sorrow in wicked men let but the judgment be removed and Pharaoh hardens his heart again It is not sin as it is a breach of Gods Law neither is it the apprehension of Gods displeasure they so much care for or look after as the punishment of sin that thus affects them But now come to a child of God a gratious heart indeed that hath in it the work of grace his sorrow is principally for the evill of sin that God hath been offended and his righteous Law violate and if there were no danger at all in sin either of shame punishment here or hereafter yet this wounds their souls and grieves their hearts that they have dishonoured God and brought upon them Gods displeasure Beloved when we come once to see sin in this glasse in the glasse of the Law and in the wounds of Christ as it offends God and provokes his wrath then shall we mourn kindly for our sins and this sorrow will cause that repentance that is not to be repented of Secondly Use 2 seeing the anger of God is so terrible as no creature is able to bear it In thy wrath are we troubled this should stir us up to labour for reconciliation with God David that knew what it was to lie under the burthen of Gods displeasure exhorts us to kisse the Son lest he be angry Ps 2.12 If his wrath be kindled yea but a little saith he they only are blessed that trust in him And as this should make us affraid to provoke him to anger so when we perceive that he is offended as at this day the Lord hath shewed many tokens of his displeasure against the Land to look about us and to labour for reconciliation to come in unto him by Repentance and Humiliation for he is a strong God yea a consuming fire to all rebellious sinners When Jacob heard that Esau was angry with him he presently sends a present and speaks very mildly to his Brother Tell my Lord Esau c. And when Nabal had provoked David we see how Abâ—gal she came with her present to intreat for her life So when any great man is offended O what riding and running and labouring to win his favour again O where are our hearts that we labour no more for reconciliation with our God whose anger is provoked against the land this day But alas we are little moved with these signes of his wrath and tokens of his displeasure Verse 8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee and our secret sins in the light of thy countenance IN these words Moses sets down the more nearer and more proper cause of all those grievous judgments of God upon them viz. their sins Wherein they confesse that the Lord had not only called to a reckoning and account their great sins of infidelity and murmuring against Moses and Aaron but even their most secret sins which they committed closly and whereof none else could accuse them In the practice of this people here Doct. 1 we may note this speciall point in generall namely Sight of sin ground of humiliation for sin That it is impossible for any truly to be humbled and to seek unto God unlesse they come first to see their sins the greatnesse and hainousnesse of them For so long as this people lived in sin and rebelled against God so long they stood out and were no whit humbled to seek unto God But now that the Lord by these heavy afflictions and grievous judgments upon them having tamed them and brought them under now they begin to enter into their own hearts and to call their waies to accompt Thus the Prophet directing the Church to this necessary duty of repentance when Gods judgments lay so heavy upon them exhorts them thus Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our waies and turn unto the Lord implying thereby that there could be no true humiliation for sin nor turning to God by unfained repentance till they had first found out their sins It was a sad complaint that the Lord takes up of his people Ier. 8.6 No man repented him of his wickednesse saying What have I done And no marvell there was no repentance for sin because they never questioned their own waies to discover their sins And hence it is that the Lord commands his Prophet Ezek. 16.2 To cause Jerusalem to know her abhominations And to shew Israel her transgressions Es 58.1 and the house of Jacob her sins Conviction of sin is the Lords method that he useth to bring his people to repentance for sin Thus was David convinced of his sins by Nathan 2 Sam. 12.7 Acts. 2.23 Lam. 3.19 the Jewes by Peter And this is acknowledged by the lamenting Church Remember my affliction the wormwood and the gall my soul hath them in remembrance and is humbled In remembring I remembred an Hebraism that is by reason of thy afflicting hand upon me I came to search out the cause thereof which was my sins the happy fruit whereof was their repentance and their seeking of God So that the point is clear and plain that till we come to see sin with the odiousnesse thereof we cannot be humbled nor seek unto God Because none can repent him of that whereof he is ignorant Reas till the Lord be first pleased to open our eyes and let us see wherein we have offended and provoked his wrath against us we can never humble our souls as we ought before him It was David's sence of the heavy burthen of his sins that made him flie to God for pardon Make me to hear the voice of joy and of gladnesse Psal 32. that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Secondly Reas 2 the sight of sin is necessary to true humiliation for sin in regard it qualifies the soul for Christ for we shall never seek to Christ nor rest upon Christ till we feel the heavy burthen of sin The whole need not the Physician Lu. 5.31 but those that are sick And Christ calls such as travell and are heavy laden to come unto him Mat. 11.28 Neither will God ever bestow his saving benefits upon such that neither see their wants of them nor will not esteem them This serves first of all to direct the Ministers of the Word Use 1 that as they desire to see the fruits of their Ministry what foundation they ought to lay to do good to the souls of their people they are to take that course and to use those means that God hath chalked out unto them in his Word viz. To convince their hearers of their sins that so
for all this they sinned still and believed not his wondrous works But what followed verse 33. Therefore their daies did he consume in vanity and their years in trouble To this agreeth that of the Prophet Behold Es 59.1 the Lords hand is not shortned that he cannot save nor his ears heavy c. But your sins have separated between you and your God Eph 5.6 and your sins have hid his face from you But what are those sins Quest that in a speciall manner provoke God to anger against a Land and People All sin Ans even the least sin moves the Lord to anger Speciall sins that provoke Gods anger yet there are I confesse some speciall sins which do inflame the anger of God and these be capitall and hainous sins and such are First Idolatry Idolatry to worship a salfe God instead of thetrue God or the true God in a false manner this the Lord can no more endure then a Husband can endure the wanton behaviour of his Wife but is exceedingly provoked by it This appears by that golden Calfe that the Israeâ—ites made to worship for this sin three thousand were slain Exod. 32.4 28. There fell of the people that day about three thousand men O it is a dangerous provoking sin in a Land and Nation that have enjoyed the glorious liberty of the Gospell to Apostatize and fall from their first love either to Babylonish Idolatry or to Sects and Heresies this is a provoking sin and causeth God to remove the Candlestick from such a people The Lord lay not this sin to our charge The second provoking sin Infidelity that stirres up the Lord to anger against a People is Infidelity or a distrusting of Gods power or calling into question his promises in times of tryall that either the Lord cannot or will not help This was the great sin of this people for the which the Lord was so wrathfully displeased with them Ps 78.33 and for the which their daies did he consume in vanity and their years in trouble The third provoking sin Blasphemy is the blaspheming of the Name of God Because of Oaths the land shall mourn The shedding of innocent Blood is a provoking sin Blood as a loving Father cannot endure to see his Child slain before his face and the blood of his Child to be shed no more can the Lord endure the wicked to shed the blood of his Children Again the sin of Adultery Uncleannesse Fornication and uncleannesse these are provoking sins as appears in the firing of Sodome and Gomorrah It is true every sin provokes the Lord to anger but these sins especially encrease his anger against a Nation or People Hos 4.2 by swearing and lying and killing and whoring they break out therefore the Land shall mourn The point then is clear and plain that the principall cause of Gods anger and displeasure against a Land and people is their sins Gods justice calls for vengeance upon the sinner Reas Now God is most righteous and just and he will not fail to punish sin in whomsoever the same is committed The Angels saith Saint Jude that kept not their first estate he hath reserved in chaines c. The sinfull World drowned Sodom and Gomorrah burned Pharach and the Aegyptians plagued yea the Nation and the People of the Jewes fearfully consumed all clearing this truth that sin is the principal cause of Gods anger and is that which drawes down his judgments upon a people Seeing then it is sin that stirs up God to anger Use 1 and draws down his judgements upon a people by the effect we may judge of the cause Hath not the Lords hand of late years gone out against us the people of this Nation what by the Sword the Plague and Pestilence these late yeares of Drought and our present visitation by an unwonted Disease and sicknesse generally over the land whereof so many have been taken away by death What do all these but declare that God thah a Controversie with us this day Do not those forementioned sins that pull down Gods Judgements upon a land and people abound amongst us and make head at this day Idolatry and Popery in open and secret manner seems to take root again Sects and Heresies in former ages cried down and for many years dead and buried we have seen their resurrection again from that Bottomlesse Pit What age did ever produce the like outrages and abominations that this day are rife amongst us Swearing and Blasphemy Drunkennesse and Uncleannesse Contempt of Christ and his Gospel Thefts Murthers and all other abominations the like never age produced And unlesse the Lord put it into the hearts of those in present Authority to root out these sins it is not to be expected that England shall long escape more heavy Judgements then yet we have tasted of And yet alas how few are the number of those that lay these things to heart We hear and talk of our miseries but we are not affected with the cause of them which are our sins no man layes Gods judgements to heart as to say Alas what have I done Secondly Use 2 seeing sin is the cause of all Gods judgements upon a Nation or People this may inform us who are the great enemies of our state this day Surely the greatest sinners These are they that obstruct all our hoped for deliverance from our Parliaments and from our Councels We have a long time looked for peace for freedome for settlement in Church and State But when will it once be or indeed what hope can we have it will be so long as Tobias and Sanballats are amongst us so long as our Chams continue their scoffing our Esaus their profaning our Nabals their coveting our Achans their thieving our Jezabeâ—s their whoring and all of us our sinnings and rebellions against God Our Parliaments and Councels will be rendred weak they will not they cannot help us How can England look to prosper when the most high God is against us and doth forsake us What hath been the ruine and overthrow of Nations and Kingdomes but sin What hath tumbled down Cities ruined stately Houses and overthrown so many Noble Families but sin And when we shall see Religion countenanced a faithful Ministery set up and maintained Discipline in the Church established Justice duly administred and wholesom Laws duly executed Piety incouraged Sin duly punished and the Kingdome of the Lord Jesus set up in the hearts and Consciences of men Then there will be hope of better times that God will delight to dwell amongst us Seeing sin is the principal cause of all Gods Judgements upon a land and people Use 3 How then doth it concern all Superiours that are in the place of Magistracy to look well to their places and Callings since the weal or woe of the Church and State depends upon them How many foul and enormous sins were committed in Israel and the
weight of vengeance he will at last lay upon them Inasmuch as their sin went not alone but had joyned with it that cursed Atheisme of the heart that God saw them not and that there was not knowledge with the Most High Whereas God ever takes them in the manner and will bring in evidence against them at last These things hast â—hou done Ps 50.21 and I kept silence and thou thoughtest that I was such an one as â—hy self But I will reprove thee and set them in order before thee Secondly Use 2 seeing our most secret sins are in the light of his countenance why then should we labour so much to avoid grosse sins in our lives such as bring a blot upon our Names and shame before men And in the mean time make no reckoning at all of lesser sins but foster and cherish in our bosomes noisome lusts and sinful affections as Envy Wrath Malice Pride Uncleannesse c. which makes us odious and abominable in the sight of God who sees and knows the heart and takes notice not onely of the grosse evils of our lives but of the most hidden corruptions of our hearts Yea more consider with thy self that the Lord knows thy heart better then thy self doest Ro. 8.27 for he is the fearcher of the heart when thou hast been most careful to search into thy thy heart he knows more by thee then thou by thy self And this made David pray so earnestly Ps 19.12 Cleanse thou me from my secret faults O then how careful should we be to avoid not onely the grosser evils of our lives but to purge our hearts from evill thoughts unclean thoughts malicious thoughts and those most secret sins that lie lurking in our souls There is no deceit of Satan like unto this to sin under hope of secrecy Iob 24.15 The Eye of the Adulterer saith Job waiteth for the twylight and saith No eye shall see me Ier. 29.23 But what saith the Lord I have seen the lewdnesse of thy whoredomes even I know and am a witnesse saith the Lord. The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding good and evil Adams bushes could not hide him from God nor the keele of the ship secure Jonas but God could finde them out And last of all seeing our most secret sins are in the light of his countenance what a care then ought Christians to have in all those holy duties they perform to God that they labour to approve their hearts to him in doing them that they be performed with all sincerity and singlenesse of heart as in his Presence The Lord knows with what minde you come to the Word with what minde you come to the Sacrament with what hearts you come to prayer or any duty you perform to him Why should we halt and dissemble with him who is the searcher of the heart Wicked men and the prophanest hypocrite may in outward shew match the best Christian he will frequent the Assemblies of Gods people hear the Word receive the Sacrament pray c. and carry himself very fairly in outward appearance as the best You shall have Cain sacrificing as well as Abel Esau begging a blessing as earnestly as Jacob Saul confessing his sin as well as David Ahab humbling himself as well as Hezekiah and the Pharisee praying as well as the Publican But here is the difference a godly Christian in all these duties seeks to approve himself to God doing all things with a single heart with a sincere heart as in Gods presence as Nathaniel Behold a true Israelite in whom there is no guile He doth all things as to the Lord Christ knowing that the All-seeing eye of God is upon him V. 9. For all our dayes are passed away in thy wrath we spend our years as a tale that is told IN this Verse Moses proceeds to set forth their miserable condition now in the wildernesse and how far unlike their estate and condition was unto other Nations and people in the world in that their life was not onely short but they were suddenly swept away in Gods wrath so as the very Heathen themselves that knew not God seemed not to lie under the like misery as they did We learn hence Doct. 1 Godly suffers many times when the wicked flourish that there is ground of sorrow and humiliation to Gods people when their estate and condition is worse then Gods enemies when the Lord shall be so far provoked by the sins of his people to lay his hand more heavy upon them then upon the wicked this wounds the godly at the heart and fends them with complaints to God See more of this ver 7. the first Doctrine All our dayes MOses and the people of God do here acknowledge that their miseries and afflictions lasted not for a few dayes or a few years but All their dayes Forty years together whilest they were in the wildernesse after their coming out of Aegypt they were miserably wasted and consumed in Gods wrath Hence observe That the afflictions of the Church and people of God Doct. 2 Gods hand somtimes long upon his people may and do sometimes last long even All their dayes for say they All our dayes are past away in thy wrath Their miseries and afflictions were not onely great and sharp but long and lasting It was Jacobs case that godly Patriarch that wrestled with the Angel and would not let him go till he had a blessing yet he loosed his thigh that Jacob went halting all his dayes It was a daughter of Abraham that was possessed of a Devil eighteen yeares the poor woman in the Gospel had an issue of blood many yeares together And this was the case and condition of the Church and people of God they served as bondslaves in Aegypt four hundred yeares together and their Captivity afterwards in Babylon was for the space of seventy yeares And that place in Zachary is clear Then the Angel of the Lord answered and said O Lord of Hosts Zach. 1.12 how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the Cities of Judah against whom thou hast had indignation these threescore years and ten Thus did those ten general Persecutions last upon the Church three hundred yeares untill the Reign of Constantine And if we look unto particular Examples we shall finde that such as have been near and dear unto God have laine under piercing sorrows and sore afflictions a long time together As we may see in Job of whom the Lord himself gives this testimony That he was the justest man upon the eâ—â—rth yet exercised with such sore afflictions as that he complaineth in the bitternesse of his soul that the arrows of the Almighty are in me Iob 6.4 the venome whereof drinks up my spirit And again 13.26 Thou writest bitter things against me 19.11 and makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth And He hath kindled his wrath against me and counted me
our time hath cut down so many some with one disease some with another confus'dly quickly and hastily this sin hath not been the least provoking sin of this land this day Our distrusting of Gods power and providence and murmuring against the Lord as though we should never see peaceable daies again or Religion established and the Gospell to flourish and that we shall never see those golden daies we have so long defired Even this sin of murmuring and distrusting of Gods power and providence is no small let and hindrance to our desired peace This this was the sin of this Church and people though they had had much experience of Gods power and goodnesse towards them in delivering them from their cruell bondage in Aegypt and that the Lord had now brought them to the sight of Canaan yet for their sin of unbeliefe and murmuring against Moses and Aanon the Lord would not suffer them to possesse that good Land but cut them off and swept them away by hundreds and thousands that they dyed in the Wildernesse And how severely God hath punished this sin in his own servants Numb 20 8.12 Luke 1.20 For the Reasons and Uses see the first Doctrine And we fly away MOSES speaks not here of the people alone that they were wasted and consumed But joynes himself with them The Lord hath cut us off and we fly away He joynes himselfe in the sin and also in the punishment They all had sinned even Moses himself and for his sin the Lord would not suffer him to come into the land of Canaan Num. 20.8.12 His sin he here confesseth with the sins of the people and Gods righteous Judgement upon them for the same Hence wee may observe Doct. 5 That the usuall manner of the servants of God Gods servants confesse their own sins as the sins of others in their prayers hath been to confesse themselves sinners And by their sins to have drawn down Gods Judgements as well as the sinns of others This doth Moses here links himselfe with the rest of the people of Israel in the case of Gods Anger Thus Daniel in that solemn prayer of his for the Church Dan. 9.5 that the Lord would make good his promise to deliver them from their Captivity and Bondage confesseth his own sins and the sins of the people We have sinned saith he and committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and from thy Judgements And again Ver. 7. O Lord righteousnesse belongs to thâ—e but unto us confusion of face as at this day Thus godly Nehemiah when hee makes his prayer in the behalf of the Church Neh. 1.6 We have sinned against thee both I and my Fathers house have sinned If any man sin saith Saint John we have an Advocate c. He joynes himself with others that stood in need of Jesus Christ for their Advocate And who could have said more against Paul then he against himselfe when he confesseth that he was the Chiefest of sinners Luk. 16.13 Luk. 15.18 And thus doth the poor Publican the Prodigall c. And it must be so For First Reas 1 the godly have learned to give glory to God when his Judgements are gone out into the World which they do when they acknowledge God to be just and themselves to have sinned This Reason doth Joshua presse upon Achan Jos 7.19 My Son I pray thee give â—lory to God and confesse thy fault Hereby we clear his Justice when wee take shame to our selves And this was Davids Reason Ps 51.4 why he was so long and ample in the Confession of his sins That thou mightest be justified c. Secondly Reas 2 a child of God and true believer cannot but know that hee lies under the guilt of many sins which must be taken off by true Repentance and godly sorrow And hence it is that in hearty prayer when they confesse the sins of the Church they cannot they dare not exclude themselves Thirdly in a true and hearty Confession of our sins Reas 3 is grounded our hope and confidence that God will hear and answer our prayers And hence it is that we shall find Gods people when in the most solemn manner they have sought the pardon of their fins they have grounded their hopes of Mercy from their hearty confession of their sins Thus David Ps 51.3 Wash me throughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin for saith he I acknowledge mine iniquity Ps 32.5 And again David presseth the Lord with this I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid And in times of publick Humiliation much of the work hath been spent in Confession of sins This serves for the just reproof of those Use 1 who seeing others plagued and afflicted condemn them as justly punished and yet they themselves as great sinners no whit affected As we see it common in the World O say some no marvel though the Lord plague them they are such and such a people Did Moses say thus of this people did he so unmercifully single out himselfe and say that it is but just that these Rebells be plagued they murmured against me and would not belive me No no Moses joynes himself with them and saith We are Cut off and we fly away What Spirit then are those led by that condemn others without pitty and compassion and justifie themselves as if they were Righteous This may serve also for our instruction Use 2 That we learn by Moses his Example who though he was an excellent man of God highly in Gods favour yet he humbly joynes himselfe with the Church in the Confession of his sins as well as theirs Acknowledging that his sins were the cause of Gods Judgements as the sins of the people though hee escaped and they were punished Thus should we do now that so many places and Families and persons are visited with sicknesse whilst we escape let us not think onr condition better then theirs or that they were greater sinners then our selves But let us know that our sins have been the cause to pull down Gods Judgements upon others as well as their own As Moses here acknowledgeth himself in the number of them that had sinned and had compassion on them and prayed for them Even so though others die and thou escape others are in misery when thou art free O know that thou maist have a hand in their plagues Thy sins may be deep in the cause of Gods Judgements on the Land And therefore to have compassion on others miseries to pitty them and to pray for them and to acknowledge that it is not thy goodnesse above others but the Lords goodnesse towards thee that thou escapest and art not wrapt up in the same misery Ver. 11. Who knoweth the power of thy Anger even according to thy fear So is thy wrath IN this verse Moses seems to apply and to make use of the
Reas 2 the Lords anger and displeasure against us is subdued When God sent his prophet to Niniveth to cry Ion. 3. Yet forty dayes and Niniveh shal be destroyed the Ninivits humbling their souls in sackcloath fasting and praying God turned away from his wrath he intended against that City 1 Reg. 21 yea when wicked Ahab himselfe shall but humble himselfe the Lord suspended the judgment against him and his house And this is no other thing then what the Lord himselfe hath promised Ier. 18.8 If a nation against whom I have pronounced turne from their wickednesse I will repent of the plague that I thought to bring upon them so that this is the only way to stop the breach of Gods anger and displeafure and to call back his judgments when they are gone out against us Seeing this is our wretched nature Use 1 never to seek unto God for reconc liation till the Lord do even by strong hand humble us and breake our hard and stony hearts and cause them to tast of his anger and sore displeasure against us this bewrayes the monstrous securitie and sinfullness of our hearts that will never seeke to God till wee see our selves left and forsaken of him and till he break our hearts by the hammer of his judgments that will not seeke for heaven till he first send us to hell O the cursed securitie that is in these hearts of ours that can by no other meanes be humbled and brought home but by the rod and frownes of so gratious a God Surely it were our wisdom not to be so stubborn and rebellious to stand it out till the Lord do thus bruise us and breake us by his judgments and so compell us to seeke unto him Secondly seeing we shall never seeke unto God for reconciliation Use 2 till such time as the Lord hath truly and thoroughly humbled us and caused us to feel his anger and displeasure O what a terrour may this strike in the hearts of those upon whom the Lords hand hath beene often and yet have not been humbled to turn unto him when the Lord shall not only give us his Word the ordinary means of conversion and bringing us home but shall also send his rod even sharp and sore afflictions and yet men shall stand out against all will not be convinced of their misery nor seek unto God for mercy Here is a signe of an obdurate heart indeed Surely the case of such seems desperate such have cause to fear that they are in a hopelesse condition Ezek. 22.18 19 20. Let such consider that place and tremble at it Because you are become drosse behold I will gather you in the midst of Jerusalem as they gather silver and brasse and iron and lead and tin into the midst of the furnace to melt it So will I gather you in my anger and in my fury and I will leave you there and melt you yea I will blow upon you in the fury of my wrath And what account the Lord makes of such we may see Jer. 6.29 30. The bellowes are burnt the lead is consumed of the fire the Founder melteth in vain for the wicked are not plucked away Reprobate silver shall men call them because the Lord hath rejected them O it is a fearfull signe of Gods wrath upon that soul that when the Lord hath travelled upon us to do us good by the Word and by the Rod and nothing will work upon us but still we persist in our sinfull courses Reprobate silver shall men call such and such may fear they are cast off of God And last of all Use 3 seeing that untill we feel our sins and Gods heavie displeasure against us for sin we shall never seek for reconciliation This may serve likewise to be a stay unto us in the middest of our sharpest afflictions and sorest trialls that may betide us here whether inward or outward to consider the end whereunto God hath appointed them viz. to humble us Mic. 6.9 to discover our sins and to make us look home this is the erand they come with from God There is no visitation sicknesse misery or affliction but comes with a message from God What have we then to do but to search and finde out our sins the cause wherefore the Lord is thus displeased with us and to be humbled for them that so his wrath may be appeased Surely this is the Lords aim and end in his sharpest afflictions laid upon his children to make us look home and to say to our own hearts Hast thou not procured this to thy selfe Ier. 2.17 inasmuch as thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God And with the Church Deut. 31.17 Are not these evils come upon us because our God is not amongst us Not to do this in times of affliction and distresse argues a high contempt of God and his works It ought to be the care of every one of us Ezek. 16.41 to know the plague of his own heart and to finde out that speciall sin that hath made the difference betwixt God and him Return O Lord. THe next thing that we may observe is the person they pray unto viz. the Lord himselfe They run to no Saint nor Angell for help and succour in this time of their great distresse but they flie to God because that he alone was offended and of him they seek for reconciliation Return O Lord. Doct. 2 Hence we Iearn that in times of misery and distresse God alone is to be sought unto In times of misery God is to be sought unto Ps 50.15 And for this we have both precept and example Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear thee and deliver thee And Ask Mat. 7.7 and ye shall have seek and ye shall finde c. O what gratious and mercifull promises hath God made unto his Church and people and all to make them flie unto him and rest upon him in time of trouble yea such is the Lords inclination to pitie and compassion towards his people in times of misery and distresse that he hath said Es 65.24 Before they call I will answer and whilst they speak I will hear And as for Example the Scriptures afford us divers in this kinde of the faithfull that in times of misery and distresse have made the Lord their only refuge to flie unto and have found comfort and deliverance as that of Jehosophat and the men of Judah when the Amorits 2 Chr. 20 the Moabits and they of Mount Seir came up against them that both Prince and people were at a great straight and knew not what to do only say they Our eyes are upon thee They seeking help from God were delivered Thus David in all his troubles Ps 109.4 Ps 4.12 Ps 86 5 6. Ps 86 7 Ps 65.2 had still recourse to God for my love they are become my Adversaries But I give my self to prayer Yea God is pleased to
his favour again And because wee cannot come unto him without Christ who alone must stand betwixt the wrath of his Father and us We must come in his name and through his Mediation and intercession who will accept our prayers not for any worthinesse in us or them but for his sake alone It is he alone that must perfume our prayers with the sweet incense of his merits Rev. 8.3 Io. 16.23 and mediation without which our persons and prayers can finde no acceptation with him Seeing it is God alone that in all misery and distresse is sought unto Vse 2 as this example shewes This overthrows that erroneous Doctrine and practise of the Church of Rome who teach men to pray to Saints and Angels to Peter and Paul the Virgin Mary to this He-Saint and to that Shee-Saint c. we utterly renounce this Doctrine and abhor this practise as that which hath neither precept nor promise nor Example in all the Book of God to leave the Creator for ever blessed and fly to the Creature What greater dishonour can be done to God and Christ 1 Ioh. 2.1 since we have one Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins What is this but to leave the Kings son and to go to a servant to speak to the Father Nay what is this but to rob God of his honour and Christ of his office both to be an advocate and to make reconciliation are proper to the person of Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 2.5 There is one Mediatour even the man Christ Jesus Besides the Angels are but fellow-servantâ— Rev. 22.9 See thou do it not I am thy fellow servant As for the Saints in heaven they know not our wants Es 63.16 Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel know us not And no lesse folly and madnesse is it to pray to stocks and stones reliques and bones as the Papists do And the last is Use 3 we are taught hence where to go and speed in times of affliction and distresse Lord saith Peter whither shall we go thou haft the words of eternall life It is our duty then to repair and resort to God the Father through the merits of his son Jesus Christ What Parent can be more compassionate of the child in time of misery and distresse then the Lord is to his children in their afflictions yea such is his love and compassion towards them that though by reason of their affliction they are not able to put up a distinct prayer to him yet their very sighes and grones shall passe for powerfull and effectuall prayers Hezekiah mourning like a Dove and chattering like a Crane is heard and answered of God yea the Spirit helps our infirmities when we cannot pray as we ought Rom. 8. With sighes and grones that cannot be expressed We may rest assured the Lord is neer to them that draw neer to him Is our faith weaks he will strengthen us are weignorant he will instruct us do we want grace he will supply us is our love cold he will quicken it is our repentance imperfect he will perfect it are judgments amongst us he will remove them are we in distresse he will have mercy upon us do our sins trouble us he will discharge us are we in sicknesse he will restore us are we in misery he will deliver us So that every true believer may comfortably conclude that his wea kest prayers sighes and grones proceeding from a broken heart a hungring and thirsting desire after grace and mercy shall not return in vain but God in his due time will answer the desire of their souls We shall not want that grace that we unfainedly desire neither shall we be hurt with that corruption we unfainedly lament Return O Lord. THe words are not so to be under stood as if God at any time did totally leave and forsake his people for so God never departeth from his whom he once loved in Christ Howbeit in times of affliction and distresse the Lord seemeth to them thus to do as the Sun may be sometimes under a cloud yet will appear again so though the cloud of our fins may hide the face of God from us for a time yet he will pierce through them and shinâ— upon us at last But now whilst the Lord thus withdrawes himselfe from his people it is a most bitter time unto them they can have no rest nor peace till the Lord returne again and be appeased towards them Hence we may farther observe Doct. 3 that so long as the Lord is departed from us and turneth his angry countenance towards us there can be no peace Whilst God seemes to be angry there can be no peace no comfort to a poor sinner but extream sorrow griefe and perplexity of spirit We may see this in those sad complaints of Gods people that have felt his frowns angry countenance upon them for their sins how heavy intol lerable the sense of his displeasure hath bin we may see it in that sad complaint of David Ps 6.1 2. O Lord rebuke me not in thy anger neither chasten me in thy sore displeasure my Soul is sore vexed but Lord how long David could have no rest nor peace in his soul so long as he lay under Gods displeasure And thus prayes the Church O Lord correct me but with Judgment Ier. 10.24 not in thy anger lest thou bring me to nothing Yea the Lord Jesus Christ himselfe in the sense of Gods anger and displeasure cries out Mat. 27. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me What are a mans wife children gold silver lands livings or all the world when the soul shall combat with Gods wrath A wounded spirit who can bear Es 57. The poor soul scorched with the heat of Gods anger and displeasure for sin nothing can comfort it but the Lords returning again in love and favour Ps 4.6 Lord saith David lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us thou hast put gladnesse in my heart more then in the time that their corn and their wine encreased the whole world is not to be compared to it David having sinned and by his sins having eclipsed this favourable countenance of God towards him O how earnest is he in begging his gracious presence again towards him Ps 51.10 11.12 1. He prayes that God would turn away his angry countenance from him 2. That he would restore him again to the joy of his salvation 3. That he would not take away his Spirit from him But Quest why doth the Lord deal thus with his own children Reas No doubt the Lord doth it in much love towards them that hereby they might feel the bitternesse of sin and his anger and displeasure for the same that they might learn to prize his favour and loving countenance towards them at a higher rate then before they had done
should bring us low and deny his comfortable presence to us that we meet not with him in that comfortable way of his providence and mercy in the return of our prayers and seeking of him as heretofore we have done But that he seems to write bitter things against us and to call our sins to accompt and seems to withdraw the comfortable aspects of his favour and love from us for a time yet in an acceptable time deliverance will come Every vision is for an appoinâ—ed time Every vision that is every promise or every word of prophecy God makes good in his appointed time Es 28.10 Hab. 2 4. and the just shall live by Faith What though things stand at a stay in Church and State what though Parliament upon Parliament are rendred unfruitful what though Sects and Heresies increase and get head threatning all confusion And all this while God seâ—ms to stand a far off as one that will not be spoke withall Yet let us rest assured that God is the God of the abject his promise is that such as mourn in Sion shall be delivered and they shall have beauty for ashes Es 61.3 and the spirit of joy for the spirit of heavinesse Secondly Use 2 this may serve for matter of comfort and consolation unto all the faithfull that though by their sins they may rob themselves of the comfortable feeling of Gods favour and love for the present yet Jer. 31.3 Rom. 11.29 Joh. 10.28 with everlasting love he loveth them His gifâ—s are without repentance And no man shall pluck them out of his hand Sin may take away the feeling of his grace but not the possession thereof Though we often meet with repulses at Gods hand yet a believer hath no denyall but at one time or other in one kinde or other God answereth the prayers of his people It is our dutie then with Moses and the people of God here to ply the Lord with prayers and complaints and herein to presse the Lord with arguments as they do to move the Lord to take pitty upon us But Quest what arguments have we to use to God to strengthen our faith and to support our prayers These and the like arguments may we use in prayer Reas 1. As Moses here that we are his people even the sheep of his pasture a people upon whom his Name is called And will God forsake his people 2. Plead the Lords Nature that he is ready to hear that it is one of his glorious Attributes to be the God that heareth prayers Ps 65.2 3. Plead his promise that he will be with his in six troubles and in seven Iob 5.19 and that he will never leave them nor forsake them 4. Plead we the experience we have had of his mercy and goodnesse in former times Thou hast set me at liberty saith David when I was in trouble And let the consideration thereof strengthen our prayer and support our faith 5. Plead that we come in Christs Name and he hath said that whatâ—ever we ask in his Sons Name he â—ill hear us 6. And last of all we may plead the praises that wait for him in Sion that if the Lord will be so graciously pleased to hear and answer us we will ever give him thanks and praise These and the like arguments will be excellent props to stay our faith and to strengthen our hands in prayer What means our Saviour in propounding the example of the unrighteous Judge Luke 18. but to encourage us in our suites to God and to shew the blessed fruits and effects of importunate prayers Hitherto of the first argument that they use to move the Lord to take pitty on them viz. that they had been so long time in misery How long Lord The second argument that they use to move the Lord to pitty and compassion Arg. 2 is taken from their present estate and condition Let it repent thee concerning thy servants And is taken from the Covenant of grace made unto them in Christ viz. that I will be thy God and thou shalt be my people So then the force of their reason is this q. d. O Lord we confesse that we have grievously sinned and provoked thy anger and thou mightest justly have cast us off But Lord remember thy old Covenant towards us that we are thy Servants and thou art our Lord we are thy people and thou art our God we are thy children and thou art our Father O then be pacified and reconciled unto us thy poor and unworthy Servants for thou hast not plagued the very heathen that know thee not but even us thy Servants and thy own people And therefore we humbly intreat thee to be reconciled to us And as Moses useth this as a reason to move the Lord to take pitty upon them Doct. 6 To plead Gods covenant an excellent motive to move the Lord to pittie Neh. 1.10 11. because they were his Servants a people in Covenant with him We learn That it is a very forcible reason and good motive to move the Lord to pitty when we can prove that we are his Servants and so minde the Lord of his Covenant that he hath made with us in Christ Thus Nehemiah when he came to intreat the Lord in the behalf of the people pleads this as an argument to move the Lord to pitty and compassion Now these are thy servants and thy people whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power and thy strong hand O Lord I beseech thee let now thy ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant and to the prayer of thy servants who desire to fear thy name And thus doth the lamenting Church plead their case with God Lam. 2.20 Behold Lord and consider to whom thou hast done this q. d. O Lord thou hast not done this to the heathen people that have not known thee nor call not upon thy Name but to thy own people that know and fear thy Name Upon this very ground Ps 119.94 David grounds his request to God I am thine O save me And thus Jacob when he desired to be delivered from his Brother Esau pleads this Covenant that God had made with him Lord thou hast said I will do thee good And often doth David put the Lord in minde of his promise Quicken me O Lord according to thy word And Ps 119. Let thy mercifull kindnesse be my comfort according to thy word Whereas such as are not his servants neither are in Covenant with God cannot look to speed in prayer But of them the Lord speaketh thus What hast thou to do Ps 50.21 since thou hast cast my Covenant behinde thy back and hatest to be reformed There is no hope that ever such should obtain any thing at Gods hand that are not in Covenant with God Let a wicked wretch come to God in prayer to ask for any mercy or blessing at Gods hand either for himselfe or for the Church he doth but
no desire of mercy and these the Lord sends away emptie O fill us with thy mercy THey crave not here a small pittance or a light tast of Gods mercy but even to have their hungry souls filled and satisfied with mercy Hence we see Doct. 3 We should labour for a plentiful sense of Gods mercy that it is not enough for us to have some light tast of Gods mercy in Christ for the pardon of our sins but we must labour to have it in a plentifull measure To be filled with the fulnesse of God and the feeling of his love The Lord is a bottomlesse Sea of mercy able to fill every soule that comes unto him but we are like a vessell that hath a narrow neck which if it be cast into the Sea yet is not quickly filled but by degrees Even so the mercy of God is as the bottomlesse Sea able to fill every soul that hungers and thirsts after mercy Whence then is the cause that we are not filled with mercy Surely in our selves our Faith which is the mouth of the soul is so narrow that though the Lord be able and willing to powre his graces and mercies into our souls yet we cannot receive but drop after drop one drop after another And hence it is that in a long time we receive but a small measure of grace and mercy because the Lord must distill it into our hearts as we are capable to receive it now a little and then a little Es 28.9 10. precept upon precept and line upon line here a little and there a little It was only true of Christ Ps 45.7 that he received not the spirit by measure He was annoynted with the oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes But as for us we receive grace by measure Whilst we are here We know but in part 1 Cor. 13.9 And according to our knowledge so are our other graces proportionable Gods children in this life have not fulnesse or perfection of any grace but only so much as the Lord in his wisdome sees meet for them and we are still to be adding grace to grace Grow in grace saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby And the Apostle exhorts us to joyne to our vertue faith and to faith knowledge c. So that it is not enough for us to have some light tast of Gods love or of the graces of his Spirit but we must labour to have them in a plentifull measure to be filled therewith The best of Gods Saints in this life Reas 1 have no grace in perfection we are not capable of fulnesse of grace in this life but must pray still Lord increase our faith and with the Church here Lord fill us with thy mercy And Christ teacheth us daily to pray Thy Kingdome come The Lord is pleased thus to exercise his people with many wants and imperfections in his graces given them here Reas 2 to humble them and to keepe down the pride that so naturally is ready to rise in our hearts especially in spirituall gifts Paul lest he should be lifted up with the abundance of Revelations had that prick in the flesh that he should not be exalted above measure 2 Cor. 12.8 Thus many times are the godly kept low in their own eyes that they might walk the more humbly with God Seeing then Use 1 that it is not enough for us to have some light tast of Gods love in Christ for the pardon of sin but we must labour to be filled with the feeling of his love This serves to condemn the greatest part of the world even Professors themselves that when they have got a little tast and feeling of Gods love and of the work of grace in theirsouls have a little measure of knowledge of faith and other graces content themselves and think they have enough But this ought not to be If ever thou hadst any true tast of Gods mercy in Christ it will make thee hunger and thirst after more and therefore the Apostle Exhorts 2 Pet. 1.2 that As new born babes we should desire the sincere milk of the Word that we might grow thereby He adds If you have tasted how sweet the Lord is intimating thus much that untill such time as we truly tast how sweet the Lord is we shall never truly desire the sincere milk of the Word Seeing the cause why we are not filled with the mercy of God Use 2 even at our first conversion is not in God but in our selves even in the want of Faith which is the inlet of all grace into the soul It is our duty to encrease in Faith in knowledge repentance and obedience for as these graces grow and encrease in us so will the feeling of Gods mercy and love towards us in Christ encrease in us Such as have a great measure of Faith there will be a great measure of the feeling of Gods love Fill their Sacks saith Joseph Scanty sacks could not carry away any plentifull store of provision where Faith is weak the neck of the soul narrow and streight there will be but a little measure of the feeling of Gods mercy which should stir us up to grow in Faith because as our Faith grows so our feeling of Gods mercy grows Satisfie us early or in the Morning THat is with speed they that lust for a thing cannot indure to be delaied It is death to a thirsty man to belongwithout drink So they that have their Soules scorched with the sense of Gods anger O it is mercy they long for And such a Soul thinks every hour ten and every day a year till they be refreshed with Gods mercy All delaies to such distressed soules is death it self Hear me speedily O Lord saith David My Spirit faileth hide not thy face from me lest I be like unto them that go down into the â—it Satisfie us early or in the Morning q. d. Lord let us not lye any longer soaking in extream miseries lest we be even swallowed up in desperation but make speed to take pitty upon us The like we have by that of David Ps 5.3 Hear my prayer in the Morning where David intreats the Lord not to defer his mercy but to to make speed to his help So Moses here intreats the Lord to hear them in the Morning That is with speed that hee would not deferre to hear them but with speed to take pitty on their miseries and troubles Now when Moses and the people of God pray thus that God would not defer to help them they do not this with impatient minds but partly in regard of their own frailty lest if the Lord should suffer them to lie longer in misery their faith should fail them in their expectation of Deliverance Doct. 4 And partly to shew their hearty Only Gods favour refresheth a distressed Soul and longing desire and comfort and feeling of
his loving countenance again towards them Hence we learn that only God favour and loving countenance gives satisfaction to a distressed Soul or a poor soul will count it self most happy in the enjoyment of Gods favour And thus did Aaron and his sonns usually blesse the people Num. 6.6 The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and grant you his peace Deu. 28. Thus Moses makes the favour and loving countenance of God the foundation of all happinesse having this they should be blessed with all the blessings of Heaven and of the Earth in Soul and Body Herein David placeth true Blessednesse Ps 32.12 Blessed is the man whose iniquitie is forgiven anâ— whose sin is covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin Pardon of sin and reconciliation to God causeth a man to be truly blessed The favour and comfortable presence of God to a poor distressed Soul is as the Sun to the Creature in Summer it quickens all Creatures Man and Beast Trees Plants Herbes and Flower All Creatures are revived and quickned by the Suns presence which in winter time seem to mourn for its absence So whilst we enjoy Gods favour the Soul is filled with joy and comfort whereas if God hide his face and frown upon us the Soul is then cast down Thou turnest thy face from me and I was sore troubled And it must needs be so that the poor Soul will count it most happy in the enjoyment of Gods favour For all the time the Conscience apprehends his displeasure Reas 1 and looks upon God as angry and displeased the Conscience will never cease to vex accuse Esay 57. and torment a man There is no peace to the wicked saith my God and as Job hath it Iob. 15. A dreadfull sound is in his ears Such a Soul sees as it were the Heavens on fire over him and Helâ— mouth ready open to receive him Men Angells and Devills Enemies unto him whilst God remains his Enemie Secondly Reas 2 when the wrath of God is once appeased and God reveals himself a reconciled God to the soul then come wee to have bold and free accesse unto him and the Throne of grace then we come boldly to the Throne of grace then we come boldly into his presence and ask any thing at his hands with much assurance to be heard Which whilst we lie in our sins and in an impenitent estate God looks on us his enemies neither can we look to obtain any thing at his hands Seeing that Gods favour Use 1 and loving countenance brings such refreshments unto a distressed soul What condition then are all gracelesse sinners in that abide under his wrath and displeasure for sin 2 Reg. 9.2 As Jehu sometimes said to Jehoram What hast thou to do with peace so what peace what joy what comfort can such have to whom God is not a reconciled God but an angry Judge who is a consuming fire and all wicked and ungodly men are but as stubbble before him Surely all the peace all the joy and rejoycing of such is but as the crackling of Thorns under a pot soon in and soon out they want that which is the ground and cause of true joy and that is Gods countenance Ps 63.3 which is better then life it self the spirit of bondage and fear must needs torment them And howsoever soever they may outface conscience for a time yet God at last will open the Mouth of conscience and when conscience shall speak out Horror and Dread will be ready to overwhelm that soul If a poor condemned Creature were now going to execution what were the thing now to be desired that would yield him comfort and render him happy not gold or silver land or livings would not now to be looked upon but the Princes pardon would be the most welcomest thing in the World This the gracelesse World shall find true one day That howsoever Satan the God of this World hath blinded their eies and their consciences are fast asleep that they neither see their misery nor what it is to lie under Gods displeasure yet the time will come when this poor wretched Creature would give all the world for one smile from this angry God And this lets us see the happy priviledge of the faithful above all the men in the world Use 2 let their outward estatâ— be what it will let them endure hunger thirst cold nakednesse imprisonment banishment such cannot be miserable that are at peace with God have their sins pardoned and they reconciled unto him Enemies Tyrants Death Devils cannot make such miserable what though thou wantest health peace libertie and those comforts that others enjoy if thou hast that which thousands in the World do want the favourable countenance of God in Christ is that which wil make amends for all That wee may be glad and rejoice all our daies HItherto we have spoke to the first part of this verse and that is their Petition Now follows the second part of the verse and that is their Reason taken from the end Doct. 5 for the which they crave the feeling of Gods love Gods mercies should provoke to cheerfulnesse in his service and favour again towards them viz. That we may be glad and rejoice all our daies Hence we may observe what is the true use that is to bee made of Gods mercy of his favour and love viz. to make us more joyfull and cheerfull in his service to honour God and to set forth his praise If the Lord would bee so gratious unto them as to Return again and to fill them with his mercy they will not hide such a mercy as that unfaithfull servant that hid his Masters Talent in a Napkin but they will put it out to the most advantage of their Master It should make them more cheerfull in his service and to serve the Lord with gladnesse all their daies As a covetous man puts out his money for his own advantage So will every godly Christian put forth the Lords gifts for his advantage And indeed this is that that God promiseth unto his people as the wages of their service and as a fruit of their seeking of him Esay 65.13 My servants shall rejoice and yee shall be ashamed My servants shall sing for joy of heart and yee shall howl for vexation of spirit as if the Lord had only intailed this joy to his chosen ones it is limited unto them Ps 40.16 Pro. 29.6 Let them that seek the Lord rejoice The righteous shall sing and rejoice And of the Churches returning out of Captivity it is said Ps 126.6 They went weeping and bearing good seed but they return with joy and bring their sheaves with them And this did the Lord make good to his Church and people here in the Wildernesse How soever he chastised them for their sins their infidelity and murmuring against Moses and Aaron for the which his wrath brake out against them and
the consideration of this point That howsoever the Church as the Disciples boat may bee tossed and tumbled up and down with the waves and billows of furious spirits for a time let us not despair for the day of her Deliverance wil come when the Sun of righteousness shall arise and healing shall be under his wings and that at such a time when deliverance will prove most seasonable and comfortable Hitherto of what they pray for Comfort According to the daies wherein thou hast afflicted us AS they crave this at Gods hands that the Lord would comfort them in their misery So they intreat the Lord to keep some proportion and according to the time of their great affliction to give them comfort that as the Lord had a long time kept them under the rod so hee would now upon their true repentance be reconciled unto them and vouchsafe a plentiful measure of comfort and joy unto them Hence wee learn that the Lord doth never cast his people so low by affliction Doct. 3 The godly as they are cast down God will raise them up but he will in time raise them up as high with comfort They that sow in tears shall reap in joy It is spoken of the Churches return out of Captivity they went out weeping and carrying prâ—tous seed but they shall return with joy and bring their sheaves with them And this doth the Lord make clear by his Prophet Ps 126.5 6. when he saith For a little time have I for sâ—ken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee Our light afflictions saith Paul which last but for a moment Esay 54.7 8. bring unto us a far more excellent even an eternall weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 If the Lord should alwaies dandle us as an indulgent Father his child it were the way to make us wantons And if he should alwaies be beating us as our sins deserve wee could not serve him so cheerfully But now he mixeth his frowns favours together that he might shew his hatred to our sins yet so as to love our persons Thus the Lord in his wise dispensation is pleased to carry us through the wildernesse of this world as this people through the wildernesse they travailed through yet at last they came to Elim where they had fountains of water to refresh them And if we looke for Examples of Gods dealing in this kind we may see it in Job who was brought low even to the Dunghil Iob 42. yet the Lord did restore him that the latter end of Job was better then the beginning Thus Davâ—d Daniel yea Christ himselfe were thus humbled and layd full low and then raised up againe with Comfort According to that of David Psal 34.19 Many are the troubles of the Righteous but the Lord delivereth them out of all The Lord is thus pleased to cast his people many times full low Reas 1 and so againe to raise them up on high Because he is privy to our sins and to our wickednesse as that he will not wink at our sins but will visit our iniquities with the rod and our sins with scourges So he hath alwaies compassion upon the weaknesse of his servants for he knoweth whereof we are made he considereth that we are but dust What Father will suffer his Childs Rebellion and disobedience but will correct him and yet in his misery will not pittie him 1 Cor. 10.13 the Lord is much more good to his children who will not suffer us to bee tempted aboue that we are are able In all the miseries of Gods children Reas 2 Gods ears are alwayes open to their cryes and is he even a spectator of their sorrows I have seen I have seen sayth the Lord the troubles of my people I also have heard their cry and I will deliver them So long then as the children of God have a tongue to call upon God and a heart to sigh and groane unto him why should they doubt of deliverance Seeing the Lord deals thus with his people Vse 1 and keepes some proportion in their afflictions and comforts that their comforts shall be answerable to their sorrowes yea much greater this may teach us this profitable lesson to possess our souls with patience in bearing afflictions and corrections and not to grâ—dg and repine at the Lords dealings though he seem to load us with great and long calamities as this people here not to pine and murmur at his hand but patiently to bear them because here is comfort unto us that if the Lord lay long piercing sorrows afflictions upon us yea for many years together yet he will make us amends at last by giving us such a measure of comfort as shall be proportionable and answerable unto them if not in this world which the Lord often doth yet most certainly in the world to come As Christ sayth Mar. 16.28 If any man forsake all for me I will give him in this world a hundred fold and in the world to come life everlasting That is comfort for ever Seeing that God doth thus often cast downe his people low Vse 2 and then raises them up on high As this may be a ground of patienceunto us in all our trials and miseries So we are hence instructed not to judge of our condition according to our present comforts But to have an eye to the end Marke the upright man and behold the just the latter end of that man is blessed The end we say proves all things Should the painfull and laborious Husbandman hope onely upon his seed-time which is so full of labour and toyle wet and cold and not to looke withall upon the Harvest it were able to make him heartlesse to undergo his labour But when he considers of that beautifull increase that he may reape this makes him indure all weathers The godly in all their greatest miseries and sufferings want not the grounds of joy and when the Lord hath sufficiently humbled them and fitted them for comfort and deliverance the Lord will not faile to come in to their succour According to the days where in thou hast afflictedius WHen once the days of sorrowes and times of afflictions are over gone and past Doct. 4 Afflictions past seeme but a few dayes 2 Cor. 4 19. Ps 30.6 they seeme but a few dayes According to the dayes c. The Apostle calls our afflictions light and momentary And God indureth but a while in Anger Heavinesse may indure for a night but joy commeth in the morning And the reasons why they esteemed their affliction short and but for a few dayes are Was because they had deserved great and more tedious Calamities Reas 1 in regard of the greatnesse of their sins and the Hainousnesse of their rebellions Though afflictions seem to be long whilest we are under them Reas 2 it is the nature of present comfort to swallow up the thoughts of them as Jacob when he served Laban sâ—aven years
protection yea fall upon unlawfull shifts and use unlawfull meanes to help themselves If they can but get under the protection of some Noble man or great man they think themselves secure from danger But if thou have not the Lord for thy Protector vaine is the help of man Men may see and heare and pitty our miseries but they are not able many times to help and succour us But this honour have all the Saints That they have a powersull and omnipotent God that is able and ready to help us Seeing all protection is from God Vse 2 it is his worke to save this may serve to stay us at this day now that the Church and house of God hath many ruines and breaches on it rent and torne in peeces by many unnaturall brethren that have of late endevoured to divide the seamlesse coat of Christ by Sects Schismes factions and fractions the like whereof was never seene in the daies of our forefathers Since the times of reformation sad presages of fearfull times if the Lord speedily put not to his hand and worke sure reformation Yet here is our hope and here is our stay that we have a God to fly unto and it is he that must purge his house and protect his Church O this is a singular work of God We must pray to him to work all our works for us and to be humbled for our sins that have looked so much to an arme of flesh our Councells and Parliaments which hitherto have not stead us whilest in the meane time we have overlooked God the rock of our Salvation O let us at last returne unto him and seeke for protection safety and deliverance reformation and Salvation at his hands and intreat the Lord and say Let thy work appeare to thy servants And that he would take the cause of his poore Church Religion and Gospell into his owne hand and become our Mightie Protector Seeing all Safety and protection come from God Vse 3 this shewes to whom we are bound for safety and protection from all our troubles and dangers both of Soul and body viz. to this Lord Protector of his people who ought to have the praise and glory of his owne Worke. Thus when the Lord hath been pleased to come in with some speedy mercy or deliverance to his Church they have had their solemn dayes of praise and thanksgiving unto God as Israels Deliverance from Pharaoh the Jewes deliverance from that damnable plot of Haman Exod. 15. And Jehosophat and the men of Judah their deliverance from their iniquities Hest 9.2 Chr. 26 And David never partakes of any great mercy or deliverance but still he returnes ptaise and thanksgiving unto God Let thy workes appeare unto thy Servants Hitherto of their request that God would be their protector and deliverer Now for this they use a Double Reason 1. Taken from their condition they were his servants 2. Taken from the end of their protection and deliverance and that is his owne glory Unto thy â—â—ervants that is to those that be in Covenant with thee love and fear thee and serve and obey thee as their Lord and master whence note Who they are that may looke for protection at the hands of God Doct. 2 Gods servants only may looke for protection from God viz. those and onely those that are in covenant with God that honour him as a Father feare him as a master and are ready to do his commands These being the Lords servants and under his roofe they may assure themselves of protection at his hands Whereas such as are not his servants neither in Covenant with him these can looke for no protection from God the framing of the Mercy-seate was a type of the Church In the Arke was the Commandements of God to shew 1 That those that are in the Arke and so members of the Church these keepe his commandements and 2. That they that keepe the commandements of God may looke for protection from God For the mercy-seate was made just as big as the Arke and no bigger to shew that none be shadowed and protected by Gods mercifull providence and protection but onely the servants of God and no more So that of those and none else it may be said Deut. 33.29 Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O people saved of the Lord the shield of thy helpe and the sword of thy excellency Now wherein stood the happinesse of this people but in that they were in Govenant with God that God was their God and they his people And hence is it that it is usual with the faithfull when they have come unto God in prayer to plead Gods covenant with them as Jacob did when he prayed to be delivered from his Brother Esau Lord sayth he thou hast sayd I will do thee good And thus David oftentimes minds the Lord of his promise Psal 119 ver 74. Quicken me O Lord according to thy word and Let thy mercifull kindenesse be my comfort according to thy word Whereas the estate and condition of all wicked and ungodly ones is most miâ—erable for such can have no hope at all to be heard in prayer for they are out of Covenant with God Nay let such pray in time of misery and distresse and God will say unto them Psal 50. What hast thou to do since thou hast cast my Covenant behind thee Now that such as are in Covenant with God may looke for protection at Gods hands these Reasons shew First Reas 1 in regard of the high esteeme the Lord hath of such they are precious in his sight Esa 43.4 Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast beene Honourable and I have loved thee They are Gods Jewels Mal. 3.17 And they shall be mine sayth the Lord in that day that I make up my Jewels And will not a man looke to his Jewels They are his Friends his Sons and Daughters yea as the Apple of his eye God makes more account of them then of all the world besides and therefore his speciall providence must be over them to protect and defend them Secondly Reas 2 in regard of his promise made to such I will dwell in them and walke in them 2 Cor. 6 16. and will be their God and they shall be my people And how can such want protection from God for as it is a just thing with God to depart from them that depart from him so to stand by them that stand by him and keepe covenant with him This may yield matter of Singular comfort and consolation for every poor child of God Vse 1 If thou be one of the Servants of God a true beleever one that art in covenant with God thou maist both claim protection at Gods hand in time of distresse and assure thy self of it for can a father be unmindfull of his child or will not a loving Master take care of his Servants Will not a King protect his Subjects or
a loving Husband his Wife So if thou be a true servant of God thou maist assure thy selfe that God will let his worke appear to protect and defend thee And this lets us see the happy priviledge of the faithfull above all wicked and ungodly men Vse 2 whereas the wicked lye open to all miseries and dangers have no rock of defence to fly unto for shelter the faithfull have a sure rock of defence to flye unto in time of need Hath God made this known to thy Soul that thou art one that God hath taken into covenant with himselfe O happy and blessed for ever is thy condition Psal 144 15. Happy be the people that be in such a case Blessed be those folke that have the Lord for their God others may bee more rich in regard of these outward things but none more happy The prophet concludes the happiness of such when he sayth Ps 84.11 The Lord is a Sun and a shield the Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that are upright 1. He will be a Sun to them that is as the Sun gives light and comfort so will God be all in all unto them 2. He will be a shield unto them nothing shall hurt them that are in covenant with him 3. He will give grace more to them then to all the world besides which is more worth then kingdomes 4. Glory I am thine sayth David O save me When Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall we appeare with him in glory 5. And lastly No good thing will he with-hold if he give the greater he will not deny the lesser If riches be good they shall have it If credit be good they shall have it if health peace prosperity c. if the Lord see them good for them they shall not want them But if afflictions povertie sicknesse c. be best they shall have them too See there what a portion they shall have that have the Lord for their God that are his servants and are in covenant with him All those gratious promises that God hath made in his word belong to thee And I tell thee that one promise is more worth then all thou hast in the world besides and will last longer and do thee more good yea more thou hast now to leave to thy posterity a promise that God will be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee which is more worth then all the portion thou canst leave them Let thy works be seene q. d. O Lord let all the world see and know that thou art a mercifull deliverer of thy people that thou art their mighty Protector so that it seemes they speake of some singular work and protection of God of his Church and people Hence we learne That of all the workes of God Doct. 3 there is none more excellent then this No work more excellent then Gods protecting his Church viz. the protection of his church people for this in a way of excellency is called the peculiar worke of God It is true indeed when the Lord doth punish the stubbornnesse and rebellion of his people their infidelity murmurings and unthank fullnesse c. then appears the power of God the truth Justice of God But in nothing more doth the Lord shew his power then in protecting of his Church and people against the face of their cruell and bloody enemies And this Moses here shews when he calls this in a way of excellency The worke of God Let thy worke in protecting and delivering us thy Church and people Appeare wherein Moses doth prefer this worke of God in taking care of his Church in protecting defending and delivering of it to all other the works of God whereby he makes his power knowne then by any other token of his besides As we may see in Pharaoh when did the Lord ever get himselfe a greater name then in delivering his people out of Egypt and over his armies at the red Sea Exod. 1. Come let us work wisely saith Pharaoh but the Lord let him see that there is neither wisdome nor counsell against him but the more he sought to suppresse the Church the more it multiplyed and increased Hamans plot against the Church was very dangerous and damnable Hest 3.7.9 but the plot that he contrived the Lord disappointed and himselfe fell into that pit that he had digged for others Zac. 12.3 The Church of God is such a heavy stone that never any lifted at it but was crushed in peeces So that of the Church the Lord speaketh thus Esa 59.16 I wondred that there was no intercessor therefore his arme brought Salvation unto him and his righteousnesse it sustained him What though the Church of God be but as a garden in comparison of the rest of the world yet it is a well fenced garden and though the godly in themselves are but few weake simple and so more shiftlesse then others yet they are strangely kept 2 Reg. 6.10 and strongly preserved and have more with them then those that are against them Not that the Church and people of God are free from perils and dangers It is enough that they are preserved in them and at last shal be delivered from them as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4.8 We are afflicted on every side yet are we not in distresse in poverty but not overcome persecuted but not forsaken c. Now that of all the workes of God there is none more excellent then the protection of his Church these Reasons further shew First Reas 1 because this shewes that God is still present with his Church and is ready to succour them in time of danger Gather together on heapes ye people and ye shall be broken in peeces Zeph. 3.14 The reason is there given for God is with us and againe rejoyce O Daughter of Sion be joyfull O Israel for the Lord thy God is in the middest of thee The Lord indeed is present every where but in a speciall manner he is present in his Church He walketh in the middest of the seaven golden Candlesticks that is the Churches Secondly Reas 2 in regard his Church and people are most deare unto him He loveth the gates of Sion more then all the dwellings of Jacob. Ps 87.2 Es 43.4 And Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honorable aod I have loved thee And hence is it that the Church is called Esay 49 22. The beautie of the whole earth The fairest amongst women c. Cant. 14.13 All shewing the high esteeme that God hath of his Church and people Thirdly Rea. 3 the Lord is pleased thus to work for his Churches safety protection and deliverance for his owne glory that his power might and stretched out arme might appeare As the Lord said to Gideon Iudg. 7.2 the people that are with thee are too many for me to give the
Midianits into thy hand lest Israel say my hand hath saved me Thus David when he was to encounter with Goliah The Lord saith he Saveth not with sword nor speare 1 Sam. 17.4.7 but the battle is the Lords That no flesh should rejoice in his presence 1 Cor. 1.19.31 But that he that rejoyceth should rejoyce in the Lord. And lastly Reas 4 because all power and might is with him to save and deliver the Churches cause is ever the Lords cause and the people are the Lords And to bring downe the wicked God can arme frogs and lice catterpillers and the smalest of his creatures and these being sent of him shall prevaile As Moses incourageth the people Exo. 14.14 the Lord shall fight for you therefore hold your peace Seeing that herein viz Vse 1 in the proction of Gods Church and people the work of God his power wisdome justice and providence doth appeare How may this stir up all Gods people to beg and intreat the Lord that his work may appeare to us at this time wherein so many are dayly plotting to undermine Religion the Gospell and ministery and all That God would now take care of his Church and people that we may at last see Sion in her beautie and that at last we may see the Church thoroughly purged all things which make for the beautie of the Church established Let all the Lords remembrancers give him no rest till he thus shew his work upon us and make Jerusalem the praise of the whole earth O that England might now see this worke of God when so many are wrastling against this worke Esa 62.6 7. Now Lord let thy worke appear and let thy power thy providence and mercy be seene in the defence and protection of thy Gospell and Church that all the world may see that thou art mind full of thy Church And let shame fall on them that be enmies to the work of the Lord amongst us That the Lord would regard the prayers of the destitute that it may be written for the generations to come Psal 102.18 that the people that shall be created may praise the Lord. Secondly Vse 2 this lets us see the happie priviledges of Gods Church and people above all the wicked in the world that have such a watchman and keeper that never slumbreth nor sleepeth Deut. 32.11 12. It is he that keeps them as the Apple of his eye that spreadeth abroad his wings and beareth them up as the Eagle her young ones And the ground of all is his people are his portion and Jacob is the lot of his inheritance O who would not bea member of his Church to whom these excellent priviledges belong and appertaine why should we not thus trust in him in the worst of times and in the sorest danger Nothing can stave off his mercy but sin let us be humbled for sin and meete him by unfeigned repentance let us awake him by our prayers as the Disciples did Christ and say Master save us lest we perish And last of all Vse 3 when the Lord shall declare his work and shall be pleased to send deliverance to his Church and people Zac. 3.2 that they are as a brand taken out of the fire It becometh the just to be thankfull and to looke up to the hils from whence our deliverance comes and to say with Mary He that is mighty hath done great things for me Lu. 1.49 and holy is his Name Many of us partake of many mercies and deliverances from God with those Nine Lepers but few returne thankes to God but hereby we may know whether any mercy or deliverance we receive from God bebest owed upon us in mercy or judgment by considering how our hearts stand affected in thankfulnesse to God after the same And thy glory unto their children HItherto we have heard their petition and that was for protection Now for their reasons to inforce their petition and they are two 1. If the Lord would be thus pleased graciously to heare them and protect them in their journey towards Canaan it would redound much to his glory For then should those Canaanites see and all the wicked of the world that there is a God that takes care of his Church and people and might be afraid to offend him 2. If the Lord would be thus pleased to prosper them and protect them then it should fare well with the Church and people of God for Ages to come His mercifull dealing towards them would be made knowne to their Children And thy glory to their Children The Lord had promised to give the land of Canaan to this people the seed and posteritie of Abraham The Lord had now begun to bring them onward of their journey thither and if the Lord should now have cast them off in the wildernesse then the glory of the Lord should have beene obscured and the ungodly Heathen would have blasphemed God and said that it was because he was not able to do it And therefore that the glory of God might not be thus obscured or dimmed or evill spoken of by their enemies they intreat the Lord to go before them to direct and protect them so as their enemies might have no cause to insult or they once to doubt of Gods promise From hence we learne Doct. 4 To plead Gods glory a good argument to move the Lord to pitty his Church That there is no greater argument to move the Lord to protect his Church and people in times of misery and distresse then this that it shall turne much to his owne glory Our Saviour teacheth us in this prayer left unto his Church as a pattern and platforme of all our prayers First to pray that his name may be hallowed and to conclude our pravers with for thine is the Kingdome power and glory To shew that we can use no better argument to move the Lord to grant us any thing we stand in need of Then when it shall tend to his owne honour and glory for of all things the glory of God is most dear to him so as he is most tender of it and will part with it to no other Esa 42.8 I am the Lord that is my name and my glory will I not give another It was our Saviours prayer and practise to seek his Fathers glory Jo. 12.28 Father glorifie thy name Joh. 8.49 50. and againe I seek not my owne glory but his that sent me Thus Moses was so set upon Gods glory Exod. 32.32 as that he preferr'd it before his own part in the book of life And thus those Seraphims cry one to another Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts Esa 6.3 the whole earth is full of his glory And those foure and twenty Elders say Rev. 4.11 thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and Honour and power c. And when this glory of God is set before our eyes and pleaded in our
prayers as the principall end of our requests It is the greatest argument and motive to move the Lord to hear and grant our requests Because Gods glory is the chiefest good mans life yea Reas 1 mans salvation is not to be preferred before it which made Moses to wish rather to have his name blotted out of the booke of life then that God should be dishonoured by the Egyptians which would be ready to say that God brought them out of Egypt into the wildernesse but was not able to bring them into the land of Canaan Secondly Reas 2 such as our esteeme is of God himselfe such is our respect unto his glory If we esteeme of God as wee ought as our chiefest good his glory will be our chiefest end in all our actions Whatsoever yee do 1 Cor. 10.30 doe all to the glory of God It is true this glory is eternall with God and admits of no addition or diminution As the Sunne would still retaine his brightnesse though no creature had an eye to see it But hereby wee set forth our high esteeme of it not that God reaps any good by it but the fruit redounds to us God loves his glory as he loves himselfe And as we love him so we love his glory It is the end that God purposeth to himselfe in all his workes Reas 3 his own glory God made all things for his own glory Psal 19. the Heavens declare the glory of God It is the end of our Redemption Yee are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6.20 therefore glorifie God c. It is the end of our Adoption to the praise of his glory Eph. 1.6 And therefore this being the end of all his workes to set forth his glory we are not to prefer any thing before it And such as prefer any thing before his glory as too many do in these dayes the Lord at last will powre contempt upon them Let us apply this Vse 1 This may serve for a prop and stay unto the godly in the land at this time wherein God hath shewed so many tokens of anger and displeasure against our land and Nation by those wofull Changes our eyes have seen and our dayly feares of farther miseries that the gospell it selfe is departing from us by the daily increase of Sects Heresyes with all manner of sin and profanesse which increasing in a nation and kingdome where the Gospell hath been sincerely professed and maintayned have ever proved a fore-runner of desolation if not the departure of the gospell from such a people Surely now is the time if ever that the Spirit of the faithfull should be kindled in prayer And in prayer that we set before our eyes Moses example here that the Lord will take the cause of his Church into his owne hand and root out these Sects and Heresies that are crept in amongst us and every plant that is not of his own planting And this must be the Reason and motive that we must presse the Lord withall His owne glory that doth now suffer And this will be a powerfull motive to move the Lord to heare and help Because he is most most jealous of his own glory And if the Lord would be pleased to save this Land and Nation deliver his people purge his Church this will redound to his own glory Say O Lord what will become of thy glory should the enemies of thy truth Gospell still prevaile shall thy vineyard be trodden down shall this Land and Nation in the which thou hast taken delight to dwell and where thy Gospell hath been preached and thy name called upon for so many yeares now at last become an Habitation of Ohims and Zijmes that the Lord would be pleased rather to humble us if it be his good pleasure by any other judgement then this spirituall Judgment of the Gospels departure from us If Master Herbert some yeares before our troubles began could say that Religion doth on Tiptoe Stand Ready to passe into America Land What would he have said if he had lived at this day to behold those abominable Sects that now have gotten head amongst us O pray pray that the Lord would take his own cause and his Churches cause into his own hand and plead his glory that doth now suffer Secondly Vse 2 by this we may try the soundnesse of our hearts and the sincerity of our prayers we put up unto God viz By our seeking of Gods glory above all our carnall Interests many men in time of sicknesse misery and distresse can pray to God for help and succour but their prayers are but the fruits of selfe-love whilest they mind their own Benefit and comfort more then Gods glory they can be content that God should serve their turns and supply their wants if poor to releeve them if sick to recover them or in any misery to help them But all this while they have no eye at all to his glory neither do they plead that at all in their prayers Whereas a gracious heart and a prayer formed according to Gods will that shall prevaile with God hath ever Gods glory the principal end of it and Argument in it to move God David in extreame sicknesse flyes to God to be his Physitian Psal 6.5 And what Argument doth he use to move the Lord to pitty him In death there is no remembrance of thee and who will give thee thanks in the pit q. d. Thou maist let me live if thou wilt which if thou wilt I shall praise thee and glorifie thy name If I die Who will give thee thanks in the pit Thus he Challengeth his life at Gods hand from this very ground the glory and praise that God should receive by his recovery The like we have else where What profit is there in my blood Ps 30.9 when I goe down to the pit Shall the dust praise thee shall it declare thy truth Shall the Dead arise and praise thee Ps 88.10 Selah It is a signe our hearts are sound and our prayers sincere when Gods glory doth principally affect us The Idolatry of the people whereby God was Dishonoured did most of all afflict Moses And the reproach done against God Dan. 32.19 by the blasphemous letter of Senacherib did more trouble the heart of good Hezekiah then all his threats against him and his people Esa 39.3.4 O well fare a gratious heart that can thus render Gods glory above all And lastly Vse 3 this serves for the just reproofe of many amongst us that albeit doe good things such as in themselves are lawfull commendable yet because they propound not Gods glory as the principall end of their actions can have no comfort in them If a minister of the word shall teach never so well and doe not propound the glory of God to himselfe therein but preach for gaine preferment vain glory c. Alas what comfort can he have in it So to give much to the poore as
hould on Christ and wanting repentance whereby we come to be reconciled to God How dare we approach his presence who is a consuming fire Let us then labour above all things for reconciliation and for the comfortable feeling of Gods love in Christ without which we cannot pray with faith or comfort for our selves much lesse for others And this may serve for matter of singular comfort and consolation to the Godly that are reconciled to God in Christ Vse 2 and are at peace with him these are the great favoriâ—s in the court of Heaven and may come boldly to the Throne of grace both for themselves and others and obtaine help in time of need Their Sacrifices God is well pleased withall their worship service they do unto him howsoever accompanied with manyfailings imperfections Yet because they proceed from a person accepted in Christ they please God and are accepted of him A little thing done of a child in love is more acceptable to a loving and indulgent father then much done by a slave in feare ver 17. And let the beautie of the Lord our God be upon us and stablish thou the work of our hands upon us Yea the work of our hands establish thou it THis verse containes the conclusion of the whole Psalme and the end at which Moses and the people of God aymed in all their former petitions viz. The glory of God that he would make himselfe glorious and take honour to himselfe in protecting and defending them and in causing his favour love and kindnesse towards them appeare unto all nations under Heaven In the verse they pray for two things 1. That the Beautie of the Lord might be upon theÌ„ by beautie they understand the speciall favour grace and protection of God towards them for when the Lord withdrawes his favour love and protection from his people they seeme to be forlorne as a woman forsaken of her Husband Nehe. 1.3 Even so when the Lord is pleased to manisest his love favour protection towards his people he seemes then to beautifie and adorne them 2. They pray for the Lords gratious blessing to the work of their hands that he would direct them blesse and prosper them but specially as I take it they meane their journey towards the land of Canaan that the Lord would goe along with them and guide them in their journey that they might in the end enjoy that good land promised unto Abraham Isaac and Jacob that he would give it Let the beautie of the Lord. q. d. O Lord we have laine a long time in cruel bondage in Egypt and now againe in the wildernesse soaking in much miserie and affliction without any beautie or Honour So as all Nations have contemned and despised us But now let thy Beautie shine upon us let thy favour and loving kindnesse be so plentifully shewed towards us that we may not only have comfort in our selves but may also recover againe that antient Honour and glory and reputation that formerly we had amongst the Nations Whence note first of all How Moses and the people of God crave that the Lords Beautie might be upon them herein then they confesse that they had none of their owne but were indeed deformed and full of shame in regard of their Sins That no man by nature is decked with this Beauty Doct. 1 We are deformed till the beauty of Christ be put upon us Eze. 16. till the Lord put it upon us but we are rather deformed with our sins and have no joy of spirituall Beauty till the Lord put it upon us and untill his Beauty even the pure Beauty of Christs Righteousnesse the Lamb without spot be put upon us Our naturall misery is most lively set forth by the Prophet by the misery of a poore distressed Orphan destitute and forsaken and lying in its blood c. And that which Christ spake of the Church of Laodicea Rev. 3.17 thou art miserable poore and blind and naked is true of every one of us by nature Miserable deformed creatures are we till the Lord beauty be put upon us What Beauty is in a poore naked Infant polluted in its blood We are all by nature under this misery of spirituall Nakednesse naked of originall righteousnesse and we have nothing to cover our nakednesse untill the Lord put upon us the righteousnesse of Christ to cover our deformitie Now it is only Christ that must take away this deformitie from us it is he that must cover it with his owne white rayment I counsell thee to buy of mee white rayment That thy shamefull deformitie may not appeare If a man have but this garment upon him Cant. 6.1 though he be black of himselfe as the Church confesseth yet he will be comly Yea if a man have this garment upon him if he were in Hell Hell fire could not touch him It gets the blessing as Jacob did that was covered with Esaus garment This serves for matter of Humiliation Vse 1 that seeing that by nature we have no beauty at all in us but are deformed miserable poore blind and Naked have no beauty at all in our Souls but are full of blemishes and deformities and more filthy uncleanness though thou art never so faire or beautifull in body clothed in silke and purple yet unlesse thou have Christs righteousnesse put upon thee thou hast no beauty at all but art a most vile loathsom and wretched creature O how may this humble us in our owne eyes seeing we have no beauty of our owne to be proud of nor spark of true beauty And the more we see our owne naturall deformity and spirituall nakednesse the foule spots and blemishes of our Soules the better it is for us to humble us and to make us loath our selves and to repent in dust and ashes O then let us take the glasse of Gods law and behold these foul and deformed faces of our souls and be ashamed to behold them be humbled for it God lookes not after the beautie of the body whilest thy Soul is thus deformed if thou liest in thy sins in an impenitent and unregenerate estate know that thou art a most vile and loathsom creature in his sight Secondly Vse 2 seeing we are thus voide of all Heavenly and spirituall beauty by nature let us labour to have the beauty of the Lord our God upon us to make us truly beautifull Now wherein stands this beauty of the Lord Not in a painted face which is not bâ—autie of the Lords making but rather of the devils like a rotten signe post gilded over to make a shew no nor in the beauty of nature it selfe which is but as a flower which will quickly wither and decay there is no such excellency in that which is not only unprofitable but often times pernitious but in God who is beauty it selfe and infinite in all perfections And all the beautie that is in the heavens in the earth or in any other creature is not
Eagle they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint They shall be like the tree planted by the Rivers of waters whose leaves shall not fall And this may yield matter of singular Comfort and consolation unto all the faithfull Hath the Lord begun in any of us the good worke of grace and put it into our hearts to walke in the right way of his commandements and to travaile towards the celestiall Canaan let us blesse God for this mercy And withall all intreat the Lord that he would still direct and guide us and never leâ—ve us but even bring us to the end of our Journey And never forsake us till he hath put us into the possession of that glorious inheritance prepared for us in that heavenly Canaan for if he direct us not by his grace and by his spirit it cannot be that we shall hold out but must needs turne aside in the broad way to destruction A Table of the principall Doctrines contained in this Book In the Title Doct. 1. TO doubt of Gods providence and to question his power a great sin page 5 Doct. 2. The greatest Honour is truly to be called a Servant of God page 14 Doct. 3. Teachers of the people should pray for the people Doct. 4. Times of affliction are times of prayer page 31 VERSE I. Doct. 1. The very complaints of the godly are effectuall prayers page 42 Doct. 2. When a Nation or people decay in beauty and glory it is high time to be humbled page 51 Doct. 3. To plead Gods former mercies a speciall motive to move him to pitty page 56 Doct. 4. Gods Church and people have ever had a Dwelling place page 62 Doct. 5. The Church of God is ever one and the same page 72 VERSE II. Doct. 1. In times of distresse we are ready to question Gods power page 77 Doct. 2. The knowledge of Gods covenant gives boldnesse in prayer page 84 Doct. 3. There was a time when there was no earth or world page 89 Doct. 4. God was from all eternitie page 95 VERSE III. Doct. 1. The greatest comfort to the godly in suffering times is to consider that their afflictions come from God page 101 Doct. 2. Our life and being here uncertaine page 107 Doct. 3. All men at last shall rise againe page 118 Doct. 4. Man a peece of living Clay page 131 VERSE IV. Doct. 1. Our life short being compared to eternitie page 138 Doct. 2. Man hardly convinc'd that his life is short page 142 VERSES V VI. Doct. 1. Death is unresistable page 147 Doct. 2. Death many times comes suddenly as a flood page 153 Doct. 3. Death is as a sleepe page 165 Doct. 4. Life of a man so fraile as no example can expresse page 173 VERSE VII Doct. 1. Gods people should be humbled when it fares worse with them then with the wicked page 185 Doct. 2. Though mans life be short yet sin makes it shorter page 190 Doct. 3. Extraordinary Iudgments signes of extraordinary sins page 196 Doct. 4. Mans ignorance of God great page 207 Doct. 5. Gods Anger once kindled Consumes to destruction page 110 Doct. 6. Sin most of all affects the heart of the godly page 120 VERSE VIII Doct. 1. Sight of sin Ground of Humiliation for sin page 227 Doct. 2. Sin the cause of all judgment upon a people 136 Doct. 3. Times of affliction discover Corruption page 247 Doct. 4. A true penitent will be Humbled for his most secret sins page 257 Doct. 5. Our most secret sins are done God looking on page 265 VERSE IX Doct. 1. The sufferings of the godly sometimes exceed the wicked page 274 Doct. 2. Gods hand somtimes long upon his own people Ibid. Doct. 3. The effect of Gods anger terrible page 285 Doct. 4. It is the sight of sin and the sence of Gods displeasure for sin that is the ground of true Repentance page 293 VERSE X. Doct. 1. Mans life but short page 305 Doct. 2. Misery of man since the fall wondrous great page 313 Doct. 3. There is no age of mans life but is full of labour and sorrow page 316 Doct. 4. Sin many times causeth suddain death page 323 Doct. 5. Godly confesse their own sins as the sins of others page 325 VERSE XI Doct. 1. Few take notice of Gods Anger as they ought to doe page 331 Doct. 2. Gods anger most terrible page 337 Doct. 3. Men feare God no more because they know not the power of his wrath page 340 Doct. 4. The best faile in the measure of the feare of God page 346 VERSE XII Doct. 1. No man can number his dayes aright unlesse God teach him page 355 Doct. 2. We ought to esteeme of every day as our last day page 361 Doct. 3. Men are never truly wise till then page 371 Doct. 4. True wisedome consists in true obedience page 377 VERSE XIII Doct. 1. Men never seeke to God for Reconciliation till they feele his displeasure page 385 Doct. 2. In times of misery and distresse God only is to be sought unto page 393 Doct. 3. Whilest God seems to be angry there is no peace page 405 Doct. 4. To mind the Lord of the Continuance of our affection a good motive to move him to pitty page 411 Doct. 5. In regard of Gods gratious presence God may turne aside from his people for a time page 415 Doct. 6. To plead Gods covenant an excellent motive to move him to pitty page 424 VERSE XIV Doct. 1. There can be no comfort to a distressed Soul ' till it be reconciled to God page 436 Doct. 2. Before we can be filled with mercy we must seeke our misery page 442 Doct. 3. We must labour for a plentifull sence of mercy page 446 Doct. 4. Onely Gods favour refresheth a distressed Soul page 452 Doct. 5. Gods mercyes should provoke to cheerfulnesse in his service page 457 Doct. 1. Reconciliation to God the fountaine of all true comfort page 463 Doct. 2. Our condition here wonderous Changable page 470 Doct. 3. God will never cast down his people so low bur he will raise them up at last page 480 Doct. 4. Afflictions past though long seeme short page 485 Doct. 5. We may pray for mercy answerable to our misery page 486 VERSE XVI Doct. 1. God is the protector of his people page 489 Doct. 2. Gods servants may looke for protection from him page 495 Doct. 3. No worke more excellent then Gods protecting his Church page 501 Doct. 4. To plead Gods glory a good motive to move the Lord to helpe page 509 Doct. 5. We ought to take care of the Church after our dayes page 518 Doct. 6. Wicked cannot pray for themselves or others but repenting of their sins can both page 527 VERSE XVII Doct. 1. We are deformed till the beauty of Christs Rigteousnesse be put upon us page 427 Doct. 2. Nothing we doe can prosper without Gods blessing page 532 Doct. 3. Before War is to be taken in hand God is to be Sought unto page 539 Doct. 4 Perseverance in any good Gods gift page 543 FINIS
put the Lord in minde to plague him for his sins Albeit there are many excellent and precious promises made unto the Godly in the word there not one of them belongs to a wicked man that is not in covenant with God And the Reasons are First Reas 1 It is the Covenant of promise made unto us in Christ that is the ground of our faith and it is faith by the which we are reconciled to God and without faith and reconciliation God lookes upon us as enemies to him and so is God an enemy to us and so long are excluded and shut out from all mercy and pitty from God God will not be moved towards those that are not in Covenant with him these are Loammi not his people Hos 1. nor God their God none of his house and family but may be called Loruami Hos 2.4 such as on whom the Lord will have no mercy Secondly Reas 2 such as are not in Covenant with God are notregarded of God The Gentiles were not in Covenant with God Eph. 2.12 and were therefore called Strangers from the Covenant of promise And all this while Christ esteemed of them but as Dogs as Christ said to the Canaanitish woman It is not meet to take the Childrens bread and to cast it to Dogs Mat. 15. Mal. 3. The Lord will be a swift witnesse against such Now what a grievous thing is it to have the Creator blessed for ever against his poor creature When Saul was an enemy to David yet David could fly to Gath and there secure himselfe from the rage of Saul But if God become our enemy whither shall we fly from him This shewes in the first place the miserable estate and condition of all unregenerate men Use 1 that be not in Covenant with God are none of his houshold servants All unbelievers all impenitent sinners they are none of Gods servants What account did the Lord make of Cain when he was cast off of God but as a vagabond and one that travelled without a passe lived from under Gods roofe and from under his protection Let such a one come unto God in prayer he can use no argument or reason to move the Lord to shew him any pitty or compassion Why God is not thy God What though thou be baptized and so a member of the visible Church so was Simon Magus thy Baptisme will no more prove thee his servant and one in Covenant with God then his Baptisme did him thy name may be called Loammi thou art none of his people neither is God thy God Let a wicked man that is none of Gods servants and in Covenant with God come and cry as Israel did My God I know thee Hos 8.2 God will say upon what acquaintance comest thou to me Dost thou call God Father so did Ephraim But God said Hos 11. ult that Ephraim did compasse God about with a lie If God should own a drunkard a swearer an unclean person or one that is prophane to be one of his servants and one in Covenant with him God might go to Hell and have such servants there Many great and pretious promises are made to Gods servants and such as are in Covenant with God as Saint Peter hath it 2 Pet. 1.4 promises concerning Justification pretious promises concerning Sanctification pretious promises concerning redemption remission of sins Adoption c. pretious promises concerning this life and concerning the life to come Now not one of them all belongs to thee if thou be not of Gods Family a Servant and one in Covenant with God 1. For pardon of sin the promise is God passeth by the iniquity of his people But what is that to thee that art none of his people God will not passe by thy sins 2. I will give you a new heart Eze. 21. saith God a promise made to such as he enters into Covenant withall but what is that to thee that hast thy old heart still So for the outward things of this life they are all promised in Christ All things are yours and ye are Christs But what are these promises to thee that art out of Christ Hath a wicked man riches honour prosperity c He holds themnot by Vertuâ— of any promise and hence it is that that which they think a blessing is a curse unto them Nay that which is most lamentable if thou be not in Covenant with God thou art most cruel to thy very posterity after thee for thus runs the promise will be thy God and the God of thy seed and I will Circumcise thy hear and the heart of thy seed after thee So that if thou that art a Parent art not in Covenant with God and on of his servants how injurious art thou to thy posterity I deny noâ—â— but God to shew the freenesse of hiâ— grace many times doth call home such unto himself that were the seed of wicked Parents yet if the Lord be not the more mercifull unto them thou inthralst them under the curse and many times it falls out that gracelesse Parents leave behind them a gracelesse posterity And let every one of us think what shall become of us when datch comes if we are not servants but out of Covenant with God nothing is ours but Hell This may serve in the second place to stir us up to labour toget into Gods service to become his servants to enter into Covenant with him so may we be bold to come to our Master to request any thing at his hand Use 2 and plead his Covenant made unto us in Christ And to take heed that wee think it not enough to professe our selves to be his Servants as many do in word and shew that get the Livery of Gods Servants upon them to hear the Word to receive the Sacrament c. as if to wear the Coat of Christ were enough to prove us to be Servants of Christ like those foolish Virns that had the Lamps of an outward profession and the names of Virgins when they wanted the oyl of grace in their hearts Mal. 1.6 This will not serve the turn If I be a Father where is my honour If I be a Master where is my fear saith the Lord If we fear to offend God fear to sin against him fear to break his Commandments fear to offend him If we enter into a straight Covenant with him to take him for our onely God to love him above all to trust in him and to make our portion and accept of the righteousnesse and obedience of Iesus Christ for Justification to life Then his promise is to give us all good things for this life and the life to come Then may we come with boldnesse unto him and claim the priviledge of Servants and the performance of his promise But if we rest upon the bare name of Servants it will not serve our turn We see in great mens houses all are not covenant-servants that retain thereto that now