His end The King of Assyria had it in his heart to destroy and cut off Nations not a few But God had another end in raising him up to be a scourge and therefore suffered him not to do all he would Esai 10 6 7 12. Upon this ground it is that he debateth with his people in measure when he sendeth forth his rod and stayeth his rough winde in the day of his east winde Esai 27. 8. 5. The Season and time of the affliction and trial is likewise determined of the Lord which is another Circumstance sometime very considerable and weighty He hath determined the minute of time when it shall beginne and with what occasion it shall be trysted He determined the precise time when the Messiah should be cut off after threescore and two weeks Dan. 9 vers 26. 6. The Duration of the Trial is also determined by the unchangable decree of God to a day yea to an houre and a minute He decreed the length and duration of the affliction that was to come upon the posterity of Abraham four hundereth and thirtie Years Gen. 15 13. Exod. 12. vers 13. And at the end of these Years even the self same day it came to passe that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the Land of Egypt where these Years of servitude were to end So he determined seventy Years for the captivity of Iudah in Babylon Ier. 25 12. and 29 10. Dan. 9. vers 2. 7. He hath also determined who shall be the Instruments of the trouble He said he would hisse for the flie that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt and for the bee that is in the Land of Assyria Esai 7 18. He appointed the ruine of Iudah to be by the Babylonians or Caldeans He determined to raise evil against David out of his own house 2 Sam. 12 11. These particulars might have been further enlairged and confirmed but because I suppose the truth herein will not be denied or questioned by the Lords people it will be much more useful to speak a few things concerning the right use making of this Truth That there is a Decree past in heaven from all Eternity touching our Sufferings and all the Ingredients and Circumstances thereof concerning the manner and way of our troubles the time when and how long the Instruments by whom and all the other particulars considerable in the same all are fixed by a peremptour and unalterable Determination Now the faith and beleeving Consideration of this would still and calme the risings of our proud spirits and the insolent stirrings of our corruptions when the Affliction that is bitter and unpleasant to the flesh is lying on and make us patiently endure all and sweetly submit to all saying the will of the Lord be done Let him do what seemeth him good as good old Eli said when he heard the determination of the Lord concerning him and his family wherein were many sad and bitter ingredients as may beseen 1 Sam. 2. and 3. Chapters and goâ—…d is the â—…rd of the Lord as good Hezekiah said when he heard by Esaias that the Lord had determined that all that was in his house and all which his fathers had laid up in store untill that day should be carried to Babilon nothing should be left and of his sones that should issue from him which he should beget should they take away and should be Eunuchs in the palace of the King of Babylon Esai 39. vers 6 7 8. Whether 1. Our thoughts be troubled at the kind of the Cross or Affliction which is upon us so as we are ready to say had the Lord sent any other rod or affliction upon us than this wherewith we are exercised we could better have born it Had he visited me will one say with Poverty and not with Disgrace I could have born it and another had my affliction been any other than just what it is I could have comported with it but the consideration of this that God hath decreed that that even that same crosse should be thy cross and no other will make the Soul sit down and say seing the Lord hath from all eternity appointed and shapen-out this even this and none else for me I must bear it and submit to his will who is wiser than I am and seeth further than I do and knoweth what is good and best for me better than I my self do His holy will be done This is a grief and I must bear it saith Ieremiah Ch. 10 19. 2. If our heart be troubled and vexed at the Consideration and thoughts of the particular Ingredients in and Parts of our mixed and compounded cup of affliction whereof every one seemeth more bitter than another and we be saying we are compassed with evils on all hands trouble of Body is upon us and trouble of Mind also we are wrestling with paines inward and outward with poverty with disgrace with perils and hardships and all at once This will compose our spirits if we call to mind that God hath willed and decreed all this He thought good to have it so He hath ordered as a wise Physician all the Ingredients of our bitter cup and what have we to say against him Iob we know had many a bitter ingredient in his cup and this compesceth the tumultuatings of his spirit Iob 23 13 14. But he is in one mind who can turn him And what his soul desireth even that he doth For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me and many such things are with him As if he had said what He will do He will do none can turne him or make him change his mind He performeth what He hath appointed and decreed for me and He can do much more yet and what know I but he shall do much more against me than he hath done This did so far put him from quarrelling at what was done that he was troubled and afraid at the thoughts of the Majesty and Soveraignity of this great King who doth what he will and so might adde yet moe ingredients in his cup as long as he was left breathing and thereby make his case worse 3. If the thoughts of the exceeding great weight and measure of the Trouble vex us this may counter-work that and calme us if we should suppose that God doth not measure-out our calamitie by drachmes and unces but by pounds and ston weights and thereupon cry out that our Trouble is greater than we can bear and give way to sinful murmurings and complainings we should do well in that case to call this to mind That all the doses are weighed and appointed for us from eternity He hath measured every scruple or graine weight thereof and what he hath appointed for us we must have He knoweth best what dose or measure of such or such a simple and what weight or quantity of all together will worke best on our humors and this will helpe to calme our spirits knowing
that is meek and lowlie Even when he rideth in Majestie it is upon truth and meekness as the words may be rendered Psal. 45 4. When He rideth in state it is upon Meekness He is a King that cometh having Salvation lowlie and rideing upon an Asse and upon a colt tho fole of an asse Zech. 9 9. Mat. 21 vers 5. Though He be the terriblest King that ever was unto Enemies and Rebels yet He is all meekness unto his own 11. This King who sitteth and ruleth upon His throne is a Priest upon His throne Zech. 6 12 13. Behold the man whose name is the Branch and He shall grow up out of His place and He shall build the Temple of the Lord even He shall build the Temple of the Lord and He shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule upon his throne and He shall be a Priest upon his Thron and the Counsel of peace shall be betwixt them both Such a King is He that will not destroy His followers notwithstanding of their sins and rebellions but will rather make an attonement for them lay down His life for them and become an Intercessour on their behalfe 12. He is an ancient King His throne is established of old and He is from everlasting Psal. 93 2. The goings forth of this Ruler of Israel have been of old from everlasting Micah 5 2. And thus His throne is from everlasting to everlasting 13. This King of Zion hath Dominion over all the earth over hell over death Angels and Authorities and Powers are made subject unto him 1 Pet. 3 vers 22. He hath them all under his command and Authority that He may dispose and make use of them as He seeth fit By Him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth Visible and Invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by Him and for Him Col. 1 16. God hath put all things under His feet and hath given Him to be Head over all things to the Church Ephes. 1 22. He is King of all the earth and He reigneth over the Heathen Psal. 47 7 8. All Power in Heathen and in Earth is given unto Him Mat. 28 18. 14. He is a King that rideth prosperously Psal. 45 4. The work He undertaketh doth not misgive in His hand nothing miscarrieth or can miscarry which He undertaketh He is the happiest sweyer of a scepter that ever was His purposes fail not He is not disappointed of his Projects or Designes all of them succeed well in His hand The pleasure of the Lord shall Prosper in His hand Esai 53 10. Secondly From these Comfortable Propositions let us draw some comfortable Conclusions 1. The Church and People of God are not an headless helpless Company as many take them to be They have an Head and a living head though Strangers and On-lookers do not observe it nor beleeve it The world and the men of the world look upon them as a contemptible Company yet they have a King reigneing over them and a King that shall reigne for ever and ever They themselves are oft times perplexed and distressed in minde when they see not one great Person owning them and their Interest and offering himself to be an head unto them but if they knew what anone they had for their Head Husband and King they would not be much troubled though not one great Person in all the earth should owne them and theirCause So that when all earthly Powers forsake them and withdraw their helping hand this may comfort them That there is a standing relation betwixt Christ and them as is betwixt a King and his Subjects and this relation neither is nor can be broken off 2. Let devils men do what they can they shall not be able to destroy and root out the People of God They may intend to destroy to cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more made mention of and may make a strong combination for this end as Psal. 84 vers 4. But this their Interprise is vaine they will never be able to effectuate what they designe Seing He is a King that reigneth on his Throne He must have a Kingdom and a People whom He must governe and over whom He must swey His scepter So that whoever would resolve to destroy His Kingdom must first think of making Him no King take away His Kingdom and take away His Scepter too Himself must be dethroned ere He have no Kingdome Enemies then may attempt great things and promise to themselves great success but in end they will prove themselves to be fooles for He must reigne for ever and ever and His Kingdom must be to all Generations He shall reigne for ever and of His Kingdom there shall be no end Luk. 1 vers 33. His people then may be at peace though they know what great things their Enemies designe against them and that their cruelty and rage is such as nothing but their utter overthrow and destruction will satisfie seing it is all one as if they should presume to pull God from His throne Let the Devil and his trustee Livetenant Antichrist conspire and use what Machinations and bloody Devices they will to destroy the whole Interest of Christ He must not want Subjects He shall not want a Kingdom so long as Sun and Moon endure Howbeit the people of God may be several times brought very low yea and almost out of sight as a Woman fled to the wilderness yet this exalted King who is set upon His throne by an everlasting Decree must have a Kingdom shall have a Kingdom over which to swey His Scepter 3. Yea Christ's Kingdom must be a coming and a growing Kingdom Luk. 1 vers 32. He must be great and have the throne of His Father David Many excellent promises have we of this Micah 4 1 2 3. But in the last daies it shall come to passe that the mountaine of the house of the Lord shall be established on the tope of the mountains and it shall be exalted above the hils and people shall flow unto it and many Nations shall come and He shall judge among the people So Esai 2 2 3 4. Rev. 11. vers 15. And the seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in heaven saying the Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of His Christ and He shall reigne for ever ever We are taught to pray daily Let thy Kingdom come Our Lord shall be great to the ends of the earth Micah 5 4. 4. Wherefore Let Enemies do what they can His Church shall not get much hurt For so long as He is in the midst of her she cannot be moved though the earth be removed and though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the sea though the waters thereof roar and be troubled though Mountains shake with the swellings thereof Psal.
46 5. It is promised Mic. 4 7. That the Lord shall reigne over them in mount Zion and what followeth And thou ô Toure of the Flock vers 8. the strong hold of the Daughter of Zion unto thee shall it come even the first Dominion the Kingdome shall come to the Daughter of Ierusalem 5. Though it frequently come to passe that God's people are brought low and Enemies get the upper hand yet Zion's King liveth and therefore He will Assemble her that halteth and will gather her that is driven out and her that have been afflicted and make her that halteth a remnant her that was cast off a strong Nation Mica 4 6 7. Because He liveth His members must live also Seing the Churches Head is above the water she cannot drown Wherefore upon this very ground that Zions King liveth and reigneth His Church and People even while low and under the feet of Enemies may lift up their head in hop and be sure that their day of redemption draweth neer and they may conclude with the Church Esai 33 22. The Lord is our judge the Lord is our King He will save us Seing He is King He can command deliverance Psal. 44. 4. and work Salvation Psal. 74 12. Upon this ground David inferreth a Delivery and a Victory Psal. 10 v. 16. The Lord is King for ever and ever the heathen are perished out of his land Enemies will not be able to stand long in Immanuel's Land It is His work as King to deliver and defend His Subjects and they may be sure He will not deny Himself He will answere â—…is Title and Relation 6. When His people see that all their Strength is gone and that there is none shut up or left they are ready to conclude that all is gone But what cannot this King in Zion soon leavy an Army How easie is it for Him to speak to dry bones and make them armed men Ezek. 37. When mention was made of this Ruler in Israel whose goings forth were from of old and who should stand and feed in the strength of the Lord in the Majesty of the Name of the Lord His God Micah 5 4. It is added This man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our Land and when he shall trade in our Palaces then shall we raise against him Seven shepherds and eight Principal men and they shall waste the Land of Assyria with the sword and the Land of Nimrod in the entrance thereof Thus shall He deliver us from the Assyrian when he cometh into our Land and treadeth within our borders And the remnant of Iacob shall be among the Gentils in the midst of many people as a Lion among the beasts of the forest as the young Lion among the Flocks of sheep Thine hand shall be lift up upon thine Adversaries and all thine enemies shall be cut off vers 5 6 7 8 9. When His people are brought very low so that in all probability they shall not be able to raise up themselves then this King can help the business He can raise up an invincible army out of lame sick souldiers He can make Ierusalem a cup of trembling and a burdensome stone for all people Zech. 12 2 3. He can make the Governours of Iudah like on hearth of fire among the wood and like a toarch of fire in a sheaf and they shall devoure all the people round about on the right hand on the left ver 5. He can make Him that is feeble among them like David and the house of David as God as an Angel of the Lord before them v. 8. Out of Him cometh the corner out of Him cometh the nail out of him the battel bow and He can make them to be as mighty men which tread down as the mire of the street in the battel and He can strengthen the house of Iudah Zech 10 4 5 6. He can bend Iudah for himself and fill the bow with Ephraim raise up Zions sones against their Enemies Zech. 9 13 He can make poor worm Iacob a new sharp threshing Instrument having teeth and say to them thou shalt thresh the mountains and beat them small and shall make the hils as chaff c. Esai 41 14 15. 7. This Consideration speaketh dread and terrour unto Enemies for He is a King that is terrible to the Kings of the earth He maketh the Earth and the heavens to tremble the hils melt and quake before him what then can weak man do What will they be in the hands of the Almighty who shaketh Nations The Lord reigneth Let the earth tremble He sitteth between the Cherubims Let the earth be moved Psal. 99 1. At the wrath of this everlasting King the earth shall tremble and the Nations shall not be able to abide his Indignation Ier. 10 10. Where then shall His Enemies stand in the day of His Indignation We are oft afraid of the terrour of Enemies but saw we Him who is our King we would see that our Enemies had more cause to be afraid of Him who is clothed with Majestie there goeth a smoak out of his nostrils and fire out of His mouth devoureth and coals are kindled by it Psal. 18 vers 8. Read what followeth 8. When we are thinking on the Wit Skil and Activity of the Adversaries let us call to mind that our King is infinitly beyond them He searcheth the heart and tryeth the reines He knoweth the thoughts afar off He is privie to all the motions of Adversaries He knoweth when they march and when and where they halt Esai 10 28 29. See what is said of our King Esai 11 2 3. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the Spirit of Wisdom Understanding the Spirit of Counsel and Might the Spirit of Knowledge and of the Fear of the Lord and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. Though the Adversaries should soon out-wit us yet they will not be able to out-wit Him who is our King for the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge are in Him So that it is an easie business for Him to countermine all their Plots and Machinations He hath formed all their hearts and so He knoweth what is in their hearts Nothing can be hid from Him His very eye-lids try the Children of Men Psal. 11 4. Wherefore when we are at a non-plus and know not what to do this may comfort us and compose our Spirits our King knoweth very well how to carry on his own Contrivances glorious Projects So that when we are blinde we are to look to Him who knoweth what to do when we know not what to do and let Him alone with His own work 9. It is sad when the Children of God are wronged and cannot get faire Justice wickedness is to be seen in the place of judgment and iniquity in the place of righteousness Eccles. 3 v. 16. judgment is turned away backward and Justice standeth afar off for truth
Power thereunto but that in his active providence He hath such a soveraigne and supream hand and all these wicked agents do so depend upon Him as they cannot stirr or move till he give as it were the signe and a Providential call and commission as souldiers can not set upon a Citie or the Enemie or give an assault or charge untill the General give the word of command Thus the Lord behoved to say to Satan ere he could trouble Iob Behold all that he hath is in thy power and againe Behold he is in thy hand Iob 1. vers 12. and 2. vers 6. This is it which David's words concerning Shimei import when he said The Lord hath said unto him curse David The lying Spirit in the mouth of Ahab's false Prophets could not go forth to deceive Ahab that he might fall at Ramoth Gilead till the Lord had said Thou shalt perswade him and prevail also go forth and do so 1 King 22 22. 3. There is the Lord 's fitting as it were and qualifying them for the work by so ordering things in his Holy and Soveraigne Providence that they are enabled to carry on their purposes and to do what they are imployed in and to performe the work they are set about Absalom could not have been such a crosse and plague to his father David as to chase him from his Throne and Kingdom unless he had gote the power of the Countrey upon his side and such a numerous army to back him and whence was this but from the Lord in his holy Justice and Soveraignity Nebuchadnezar could not have been the hammer of the earth if the Lord in his holy Providence had not given him great power and might for that end Hence Christ said to Pilat Ioh. 19. vers 11. Thou couldest have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above Pilat was boasting of his power and place and supposed that he could do what he pleased and that he had full power over Christ to crucifie him or to set him at liberty as he pleased but he boasted of that which he was not Master of for Christ â—…els him whence his power came and that he had no more than the Supream Lord and Governour the absolute Disposer of all things was pleased to grant 4. There is the Lord 's ordering and fixing the Beginning of the Trouble which neceâ—…sarily followeth upon the foregoing Acts so as the Enemies for all their heat and rage cannot touch one hair of God's Children nor work them the least trouble before the time come that the Lord hath appointed and that He as it were appoint them to beginne and give the signe The wicked are as so many rampant and devouring lions longing earnestly for their prey but God hath them so chained and muzzled that they can neither bark nor bite till He give way Early did Herod beginne to seek the life of our Lord Jesus while He was but a childe in the swedling clothes and oft did his Enemies attempt his hurt and seek advantage against Him but all in vaine for his houre was not yet come Hence it was that when the Pharisees told him that Herod was seeking his life He answered Luk. 13. vers 32 33. Go tell that fox behold I cast out Devils and do cures to day and to morrow and the third day I shall â—…e perfected Nevertheless I must walk to day and to morrow and the day following for it cannot be that a Prophet perish out of Ierusalem Jesus Christ the angel that ascended in vision to Iohn Revel 7. vers 2 3. from the East having the sâ—…al of the livâ—…ng God cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the Earth and the Sea sâ—…ying hurt not the earth neither the sea nor the trees till wâ—… have sealed the servants of our God So that there is a restraining power keeping up from hurting untill the set time come 5. There is the Lord 's determining and specifying the nature and kinde of the Trouble with which His people must be exercised and herein His determining and ordering Providence appeareth The Enemie would be at death and no less will satisfie them but He will order it so that they shall not get their will therefore will suffer them to do no more than to cast the man in prison or confine him or fine him and spoile him of his goods The Devil would have been at no less than Iob's life when he said Iob 2. vers 4. Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will â—…e give for his life But the Lord would not grant this but said save his life Vers. 6. And suffered him only to smite him with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown 6. There is the Lord 's careful Providential measuring-out the quantity of the Trouble like a faithful and painful Physician who will himself measure the quantity of the physick he is to prescribe unto his dear Son or Daughter and will not commit it unto the Apothecary who possibly may more consult his own advantage than the good of the patient Our Lord weigheth the affliction in his own just ballances Enemies may think to ruine and undo all but our God who setteth bounds to the sea limiteth their rage and will suffer them to do no more than He thinketh good The plowers plow and make long their furrowes upon the back of God's People and many a time they afflict them yet they prevail not against them why the Lord cuts asunder the cords of the wicked Psal. 129 1 2 3 4. 7. The Lord's hand of Providence appeareth in mixing together the several ingredients that make up their cup of affliction Mâ—…ny a time the Lords people have a complicated crosse as we see in Ioâ—… David Heman and others and it is the Lord who weaveth and warpeth these crosses together Satan and his Instruments are but His drudges blowing at the furnace and therefore tâ—…e Godly fixe their eye mainly upon God as knowing that He ordereth all to his own mind and no one ingredient more can be put into their cup than He will 8. The hand of the Lord appeareth in his suiting the Trouble or Calamity unto their case and necessity As a wise Physician considereth the Temper and Constitution of the patient and taketh special notice of the nature of the disease and accordingly frameth the Medicine So the Lord considereth the caâ—…e of his people and what humores and corruptions are most predominant in their souls and accordingly ordereth and prepareth such medicinal afflictions as are fittest to purge-out these peccant humores and hence there is a necessity for such sharpe Medicines as the Lord maketh use of 1 Pet. 1. vers 6 Wherein â—…egreatly rejoice though now for a season if need be ye are in â—…eaviness through manifold temptations Heaviness or Sadness through temptations and manifold temptations was necessary to their condition The Lord saw
upon the Earth yet He will come and perfect what He hath intended We come now to speak a little to the 3 particular to wit To shew how this Consideration may and ought to be improven to advantage in a time of affliction And 1. The faith and right thoughts of this Truth That the Lord ruleth and over-ruleth all that the wicked are devising and executing according to their own lust and rage to afflict persecute and destroy His people according to His own mind would yeeld comfort and encouragment unto His people be their trouble what it would In a time of Trouble there are several thoughts that come in the minde of His people which occasion Discouragment and Sorrow all which this Consideration of God's over-ruling hand if rightly improven would either prevent or keep them from the hurt of so that notwithstanding of these they were in case to rejoice and to sing as 1. When they think upon the Instruments of their calamitie they are ready to pore too much on them and to look upon them as if there were none above them to marshal and order them to command and over-rule them as people are terrified by souldiers that are under no Command or Discipline and expect no pity or favour from them But the faith of God's being above their heads to over-see and over-awe them would free the Child of God from this discouragment He would not be so cast down and affrighted if he beleeved that God hath all these wicked Instruments more under his command than the best disciplin'd souldiers are under the Command of the most strick and awfull General that ever was These Instruments cannot move a finger without God Souldiers when out of the sight of their Commanders may do much mischiefe and their Commanders cannot hinder it because they know not of it But neither Devils nor the most wicked of his Instruments can move one haire of God's people till the Lord give way and permit it to be done He must first loose the raignes or they cannot move a foot because they are chained hand foot in the chaines of his Providence yea their very tongue is chained that they cannot so much as curse or reproach any of His people untill the Lord loose their tongues and say as it were go curse and raile upon such an one 2. When they observe the Confusion Irregularity Brutishness and Unreasonableness of these Enemies in their way and actions they are ready to think that God hath forsaken the earth and is unconcerned with what these wretches were doing and upon this they cannot but be much fainted and discouraged But the faith of this that God is working hitherto Ioh. 5. vers 17. and that these wicked Instruments of their calamity were under his eye would free them of this misapprehension Nay they would beleeve and by faith see a divine Order and Regularity in the midst of the greatest Confusions brutish Maâ—…sacres that ever were if they beleeved that God had a principal hand in all these Actions Moving Ruling Ordering and Over-ruling all according to His own mind 3. The consideration of the Activity Diligence Malice Restlesness and Malicious wickedness of the Enemies troubleth them and maketh them fear that ere ever they be aware they shall be swallowed up But this discouragment would evanish if they remembered and beleeved that the timing of their affliction is not in the hand of their Enemies They cannot stirre till their commission be as it were subscribed and the houre and minute appointed come when they must beginne He who is Supreame determineth the season and the time and over-ruleth all so that were the hunger and desire of these ravenous wolves never so great they cannot attempt any distruction till the minute appointed come 4. When they consider the exceeding great Rage and Cruelty of their Enemies they are ready to think that sure they will make havock of all they will destroy utterly and make an end of all But how terrible so ever this thought be yet its terrour is weakened when the beleever calleth this to minde That it will not be as these enraged and merciless Beasts intend but as God will who is the Soveraigne Disposer of all and Supream Master of work they are but under-Agents and the Instrument in His hand They are no Master of themselves in this matter but as the ax and saw in the hand of the workman that cannot cut but as he ordereth it The child will not be afraid of a sword or of an ax when he seeth it is in the hand of his father Their threatnings are not much to be regairded They have said come and let us out them off from being a nation that the Name of Israel may be no more in remembrance as it is Psal. 83. vers 4. But they have not yet gotten it done They intend Destruction and therefore breath-forth nothing but cruelty but God who is above them intendeth but Correction and some Chastisement and will suffer them to do no more than may contribute to that end 5. The thoughts of the strength and liveliness of the Enemies create also terrour and fear they see their power decayeth not but groweth rather and their number increaseth and thence they art ready to inferre There shall be no outgate But a sight of God as neer as David prayeth when he took such a look of his Enemies Psal. â—…8 vers 19 21. saying But miâ—…e Enemies are lively they are strong and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied Forsake me not O Lord O my God be not far from me would help in this case the Beleever would not be much cast down for all this for he would be in case to say They must be keeped up so long as God hath work for them as a man will keep his ax and his saw sharpe and clear so long as he mindeth to make use of them but all their strength saith not that there shall be no outâ—…ate when the Lord hath finished his work in Zim he will punish the fruite of the stout hâ—…art of the King of Assyria and the glory of his high looks And the Lord of hosts will send among his fat ones leanness and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire Esai 10. vers 12 16. And for as strong as they are the Lord can raise up a scourge against them as Esai 10 26. yea and make the light of Israel for a fire and his holy one for a flame and it shall burne and devoure their thornes and their briers in one day and shall consume the glory of their forest and fruitful field c. as Esai 10. vers 17 18 6. But even this proveth sometimes fainting and discouraging unto his people That it is not man that they have to do with but with God principally whoever be the Instruments and that upon several accounts as because He is a God of Might of Power and of Terrour and it
midst of all persecutions that they meet with they are animated unto the like stedfastness and to resolution in adhering fixedly to the truth such examples will make even a timorous man wax bold and the exemplary carriage of sufferers is very encouraging and comfortable wherefore the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1 6. whether we be afflicted it is for your Consolation Therefore these Sufferings are much for the advantage of the Church 6. Hereby is the Church awakened from security and made to look out for a suffering lot when thus it is done to the green tree they are made to take Warning Such a dispensation is as the sounding of the trumpet for an alarme and this is no small advantage when she is raised to her feet and put in a postour and made ready for the battel then she needeth not fear a surprisal but hath time to prepare and make ready for the storme In order to the Improvement of this Consideration we would 1. Beware to conclude that all is gone when we hear or see Christs eminent Servants put to sad sufferings We are ready to wonder why the Lord should suffer such and such things to be done why He should suffer such sad things to befall His eminent and useful Servants who cannot well be missed one whereof is worth an hundered so that the Death or Imprisonment of one such threatneth more destruction to the Church than the loss of many But we know not the thoughts of the Lord we know not what He is designing and what He mindeth to effectuat thereby And if we beleeved that even such a dispensation as this could do no harme to the Church how little would we be troubled at it If we saw what an effectual way this were in the steady unerring Hand of God to bring about the spiritual advantage of the Church how would we lay our hands upon our mouth and be silent And though we can not see in particular what advantage the Church is like to get by the taking away of such as were as Pillars of the Church Yet we should by faith rest assured that the Head and Husband of the Church would not suffer such a Dispensation to come if He knew not how to bring good and advantage out of it and that thereby good seed was sowen which though accompanied with teares and bloud yet should yeeld full sheaves at length which should be brought home with Joy 2. We would do well to search ourselves at such a time to see if we as particular members of the Church be reaping any advantage by what we hear and see of the Sufferings of Christs eminent Servants as for example see if thereby the truth of the Gospel become more riveted in our souls we becometh more rooted in the faith and assurance thereof and more fixed in our Resolution to adhere thereunto See if Truth becometh lovely desireable to us upon this account See if grace be growing more within and if our hearts and affections be loosed more and more from the things of a world and we be prepared more to quite all for Christ and His Cause See if by the example of others we be more animated and encouraged to avow and abide by the truth cost what it will See if these newes be raising us out of our bed and making us prepare for the battel and make ready for the approaching storme if we finde any such advantage thereby let us blesse Him who is giving us meat out of the eater and doing us good by the dear cost and charges of others 3. This should comfort such as are called forth to suffer for the Name of Jesus they need not trouble themselves with thoughts what shall become of the Church and Interest of Christ but leave that upon the Lord and beleeve that He shall make it contribute to the furtherance of the Gospel and to the enlairgment of His Kingdom Ministers called to suffer may possibly think Oh what shall become of the poor people we cannot get preached unto them as formerly but what if God make their stedfastness in suffering more advantagious than their preachings would have been What if that edifie more than many preachings did or would do Ought not they upon this Consideration rejoice in their Lot and suffer cheerfully that Christs Interest may prosper more thereby What know they what influence their Christian carriage may have on all On-lookers yea and on Enemies and Persecuters themselves beside what confirmation friends may have thereby CONSIDERATION XVII The Lord Reigneth in Zion BEleevers are not like unto the Subjects of Kings here on earth who may be dethroned and their Crowns may fall from their Heads and the Scepters be taken out of their hands and they may lose all the Ensignes of Royalty and when it falleth out so as is done many a time Subjects have but cold Comfort in looking to the Throne when it hath forsaken him that sat thereon But Beleevers have a King who liveth and reigneth for ever and ever and whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom It cannot then but be strange that when Men who have all their temporal happiness hanging upon the standing of Kings of Clay can rejoyce in adversity when they have any hope of their King 's recovering of his lost Throne and Kingdome though the grounds of their Hop be most disputable and uncertaine that the Children of God in the day of their Adversity can draw so little Comfort from the sure and certaine Grounds of Hope which they have to look to If Christs Crown and Throne were not surer than the fading and perishing Regalia of Men what would beleevers do Whither could they go for consolation in the day of their Distress and Anguish But now seing their King is not like the Kings of the Earth why are they so heartless in the day of their extremity Sure the Reason must be because they beleeve not that He is such a King as He is indeed or they know not how to improve to any spiritual Advantage such a noble Ground of Consolation as this is Wherefore it may be useful to speak a little unto this And so we shall first lay down some Propositions clearing up this Truth and next some Conclusions pointing out the improvement that may be made thereof First As for the Propositions take these following 1. The Lord standeth under the Relation of a King to His Church and People He hath taken to himself that Name and Title and accordingly we finde them eyeing this in the day of their Distress So David Psal. 5 vers 2. and 84 v. 2. embraceth Him crying My King and my God and he comforteth himself with this Ps. 10. v. 16. The Lord is King for ever and ever And the Church crieth out Psal. 74 v. 2. God is my King of old and comforteth herself with this Esai 33 v. 22. The Lord is our judge the Lord is our Lawgiver the Lord is our King He will save us So
doth the Lord make a sweet promise of this for the Comfort of His people Hos. 13 v. 10. I will be thy King Whereby we see that there is such a relation betwixt God and His People that will yeeld Comfort in an evil day 2. He is not a King that is far off but is neer at hand in the midst of His Kingdome and People And this is also comfortable Kingdomes may have a King and yet be little the better of Him he may be far away and unable to help them in the day of their greatest necessity But it is not so with Zions King He is alwayes at hand in the middest of His People He is established King in Zion Psal. 2 v. 6. Yet I have set my King saith the Father of His Son the Mediator upon my holy hill Zion His whole Kingdome is as it were his Throne and there He sitteth as King on his Throne and He is placed and fixed there by a sure and unchangable Decree That question of Ieremiah Chap. 8 v. 19. putteth the matter out of question Is not the Lord in Zion Is not her King in her So Ps. 99 2. The Lord is great in Zion Zions King then is a great King in the midst of her 3. Zions King is a King actually reigning upon His Throne and exercising His Kingly Office not like a King imprisoned or put out of a capacity of helping or releiving his distressed Subjects for He reigneth Psal. 93 v. 1. and 97 1. and 99 v. 1. It is the bringing of good tidings the publishing of Peace the bringing of good tidings of good the publishing of Salvation to say unto Zion Thy God reigneth Esai 52 v. 7. Zions King is not a King outted and dethroned but actually reigning and sweying His Scepter exerceing His Kingly Office and Government 4. Zions King is an everlasting King He shall reigne for ever and ever He cannot be dethroned He must reigne until all His Enemies be made His footstool 1 Cor. 15 v. 25. for He is settled on His throne by an everlasting and unchangable decree Ps. 2 v. 6 7. And therefore He is called the King eternal 1 Tim. 1 17. That is a sweet and comfortable Word of Promise Ps. 146 v. 10. The Lord shall reigne for ever even thy God O Zion unto all generations Micah 4 7. And the Lord shall reigne over them in mount Zion from hence forth even for ever Psal. 10 v. 6. The Lord is King for ever and ever And Psal. 45 6. Thy Throne ô God is for ever ever Ier. 10 10. The Lord is an everlasting King and so His Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdom for it is said Luk. 1 33. He shall reigne over the House of Iacob for ever and of His Kingdome there shall be no end So Revel 11 15. And the Seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in Heaven saying the Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ and He shall reigne for ever and ever 5. Not onely doth this King reigne in the midst of Zion His Kingdome and Throne but He ruleth in the midst of His Enemies Psal. 110 2. This is advantagious and comfortable For He can reach them a blow when He will And all their Consultations and Cabinet Counsels are well known to Him He ruleth in the midst of them and over-ruleth all their Plots and Actions as He seeth good is working out His own holy ends and designes by what they are doing Hence it followeth ver 5 6. That He shall strike thorow Kings in the day of His wrath He shall judge among the Heathen He shall fill the places with the dead bodies He shall wound the heads over many Countries Other Kings must make use of Spies and Intelligencers to know the purposes and motions of their Enemies and after all their paines remaine ignorant or if they come to some knowledge thereof be unable to prevent the mischiefe designed But this King ruleth as Commander in chiefe among the very Enemies though they know it not 6. This King of Zion is a mighty and great King He is excellent in Power Majesty and therefore is stiled King of Kings Revel 17 14. He is the blessed and only Potentat the King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6 15. He hath on His thigh and on his Vesture a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords Revel 19 16. And therefore by Him Princes rule and all the Iudges of the earth vers 16. He is a King therefore endued with Supream Power and Authority higher than the Kings of the earth whose petty Soveraignity is as nothing compared with His. 7. As He is a Mighty and Powerful King so is He a Righteous and just King He shall reigne in righteousness Esai 32 1. The scepter of His Kingdome is a right scepter Psal. 45 6. He loveth righteousness and hateth wickedness vers 7. just and true are all His wayes who is King of Saints Revel 15 3. Righteousness and judgment are the habitation of His throne Psal. 97 2. Yea the King's strength loveth judgment He establisheth equity He executeth judgment and equity in Iacob Psal. 99 4. His strength and Power needeth not be terrible unto his Subjects for His throne is a throne of judgement and His scepter is a scepter of Righteousness All His Regalia have this engraven on them to the great comfort of His Subjects 8. He is a King that is clothed with Majestie and Terrour and so is able to affright and strike terrour in the heart of the greatest proudest Adversaries The Lord reigneth and He is clothed with Majesty Psal 93 1. This mighty one girdeth His sword on His thigh marcheth with Glory and Majesty and in Majesty he rideth prosperously Psal 45 3 4 5. The Lord is great in Zion and He is high above all people and His name is great and terrible Psal. 99 2 3. Clouds and darkness are round about Him a fire goeth before Him His lightnings enlightned the world the earth saw and trembled the hils melted like wax at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth Psal. 97 vers 2 3 4 5. What Enemie then is able to withstand or resist this Potentat 9. He is a King thorowly fournished with all Enduements and necessarie Qualifications for the Exercise of this His Government Grace is poured into his lips and He is anoynted with the oile of gladness above His fellowes Psal. 45 2 7. In Him are hid all the treasurers of wisdom and knowledge yea in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily Col. 2 3 9. He is then a Compleet King fully able to administrate this Kingly Office and to performe all Acts belonging thereunto in truth and faithfulness and in due season 10. As he is a King terrible unto the Kings of the earth Psal. 76 12. and is clothed with Majestie and Power so is He a King
and put his posterity according to His faithful word in possession of that promised land he should incontinent after He had brought them thorow the red sea and brought them to the very border of Canaan have entered them into Canaan Yet we see He caused them to wander in a waste houling Wilderness Fourtie Years Againe when He brought them over Jordan we would think He should in all haste with great expedition have destroyed the Canaanites that in a short time Israel might have had peacable possession of the whole Land Yet we see the Lord thought good to do other wayes And how many a time doth He think good to exercise the Patience and Faith of His People and for this end delay the carrying on and perfecting of the work He intendeth And this He doth not for want of strength to go over all Opposition nor for want of Wisdom as if he were put to new Resolutions and to a stand in carrying-on his old Purposes But that he may give proof of His Majestick Soveraignity and shew how Stately and Glorious He is in His Operations performing all according to the Counsel of His own will cutting short His Work when we might think it could not be finished in haste and againe drawing it forth to a longer period of time when we would think that all things cry for His hastning of it 10. The Lord hideth Himself in His workings when He suffereth Enemies at once to destroy and overthrow a work that hath been long in building and hath been carried-on with much trouble toile work and care by prayers fastings and blood We understand not what that meaneth which the Lord saith by Ieremiah unto Baruch Ier. 45 4. Behold that which I have built will I break down and that which I have planted I will pluck up even this whole land But this is a piece of His working who loveth sometimes to be a God that hideth himself It is a sad complaint which the Church hath Psal. 74 vers 4 5 6 7 8. Thine Enemies roar in the midst of thy Congregations they set up their ensignes for signes A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers They have cast fire into thy sanctuary They said in their hearts let us destroy them together They have burnt up all the Synagogues of God in the Land Thus was there more destroyed in one Year than was built-up in many Is not our Lord in such a case a God that hideth Himself Who can see thorow such a Dispensation as this 11. There is a time also in which we may say the Lord is a God that hideth himself and that is when his Dispensations are so mixed and composed to speak so of mercy and judgment that People shall not know which to regaird most or what to judge of the complex Business As it was when the Ark came to the Bethshemites there was great joy and offering of brunt Offerings and Sacrificeing of Sacrifices 1 Sam. 6 vers 13 15. But behold ere the day was ended their mourning was as great as their joy for the Lord slew Fifty Thousand and Threescore and Ten Men because they had looked into the Ark of the Lord v. 19 Whereupon the people lamented because the Lord had smitten them with a great slaughter and they said vers 20. Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God and to whom shall he go up from us A wonderful dispensation wherein the Lord shewed himself to be a God that hideth Himself 12. We may adde to these another case in which the Lord may be looked upon as one that hideth himself and that is when He is unwilling to make use of holy and useful Instruments of whom much might be expected and who would willingly spend themselves and be spent in the service of the Lord. As the Lord thinketh good to make use of Instruments in his work so it is an hopeful business when the Lord raiseth up fitteth and animateth Instruments for carrying on of his work and the Lord is then appearing in His power on the head of His work But when He saith by His dispensations that He will not make use of hopful and steadable Instruments for beginning or carrying on of His work then He is as it were hid and his footsteps cannot be seen Whether 1. He expresly declareth that he will not make use of such or such a worthy Instrument that would gladly be Imployed in the work as when David did so earnestly desire to be imployed in building of Gods House yet the Lord said he should not build Him an House He would not have that service from him 2 Sam. 7. but would employ one out of his loines for that end and David must be content to prepare money and materials for the work Or 2. When the Lord taketh away Instruments before their work be ended as He did Moses who would faine have passed over Iordan to have seen that good Land and have perfected his work of leading the people thereinto Or 3. When He suffereth worthy and eminent Instruments to be snatcht away basely and unworthily as we see in Iohn Baptist a man that had not a marrow that day upon the face of the earth the only forerunner of Christ greater then any Prophet that was before him and a man that had done much good yet see how unworthily he is taken away he is cast in prison and at the desire of a light dancing damesel prompted thereto by a base and unworthy harlot and taken away in a most unworthy manner murthered in his prison and his head given as a propine and satisfying gift to that girle What a wonderful dispensation was this that the Lord should suffer them to do to this non-such and eminent man even what they would and listed But in these and the like workings of the Lord He is a God that hideth himself We have thus declared how the Lord is a God that hideth himself even when He is about to do good to and to deliver his People and have for further clearing and explaining of the mater given some instances of cases wherein the Lord may be said to be a God hiding himself If we should now enquire Why and for what Reasons doth the Lord choose to work so and bring about deliverance to His people in such an hid and unobservable manner It should satisfie us for an answere That thus it pleaseth Him to do for his own glorious ends which we may not too curiously prye into Yet seing all that God doth is done in great wisdom both for matter and method and for holy ends which His word mentioneth we may so far with soberness and humility enquire into these to the end we may be able to observe something of the wise holy workings of God and so be in better case with knowledge understanding to carry
print of the nails and thrust his hand in his side Ioh. 20 25. And what unbeleefe these Disciples vented who were going to Emmaus unto the Lord himself whom they knew not we may see Luk. 24 21. and may gather from Christ's sharpe rebuke vers 25 26. O fools and slow of heart to beleeve all that the Prophets have spoken Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to have entered into his Glory 2. Fainting of heart So long as the shipe saileth faire before the winde a raw sea-man will have courage enough Men at Christ's back who have not yet had a storme blowing in their face will be as stout as Peter who nothing doubted but he would lay down his life for his Master who yet when the Lord is out of sight and his cause seemeth to be upon the declineing hand will shrink and turn back at a very small temptation As Peter did deny his Master and that with cursing and swearing at the very word of a Damsel 3 Self love is another evil that such a day as this will discover Many will appear very self denied and willing to hazard all for Christ and His Cause in a faire day who when a storme cometh will be unwilling enough to cast their goods over board to save the shipe In a day when the Lord is hiding himself many will seek to save skin and life by such indirect courses as sometime they would have been ashamed of 4. Impatience How doth the heart of many too often say little less than that graceless King said This evil is of the Lord why should I waite any longer for the Lord 2 King 6 vers 33. Such expressions as that good man had in that dark day do evince this sufficiently Psal. 77 v. 7 8 9. Will the Lord cast off for ever And will He be favourable no more Is His mercy clean gone for ever Doth His promise fail for evermore Hath God forgotten to be gracious Hath He in anger shut up His tender mercies 2. The Lord followeth this way and methode that he may put his people to the trial and exercise of the graces of His Spirit such as these 1. Their Faith in Him and in His Word and Promise It is no great art or difficulty to beleeve that God will make good His promise when he is in the sight of all beholders most manifestly accomplishing whatever he said and promised But for Abraham to beleeve that in his seed all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed and that his Seed should be multiplied as the Stars of the Heaven for multitude when he had not one Child and himself was stricken in years his body now as good as dead he being about an hundered Yeers old and when Sarahs Womb was also dead that was faith then his faith appeared while he against hope beleeved in hope when he staggered not at the promise of God through unbeleefe but was strong in the faith giving Glory to God for he was fully perswaded that what God had promised He was able also to perform Rom 4 vers 18 19 20 21. Againe It was no great matter for Abraham to beleeve that it would be as the Lord had said when Sarah was with Childe had brought forth her Son and he was healthy and thriving but to beleeve the accomplishment of the promise when God said unto Him Go offer up thy Son thy only Son Isaac there was faith accounting that God was able to raise him up from the dead Heb. 11 vers 19. Thus faith is both tried and exercised 2. Patience is also tried and exercised when the Lord is out of sight seemeth to say He will not yet come the time is not yet come We oft cry out How long will the Lord hide his face not so much out of an earnest love and desire to see his face againe as out of impatience Psal 6 vers 2. and 13 v. 1. and 35 17. and 90 13. Iob. 7 v. 19. Hab. 1. v. 2. The Lord will thus teach his people to stand upon their watch and upon the watch towr till the Vision that is yet for an appointed time and tarrieth shall speak Hab. 2 vers 1 3. 3. To try and exercise their hope for that is the fit time for the exercise of this grace when humane appearance and probability faileth and when the Lord hideth himself and delayeth his coming Rom. 8 v. 24 25. for usually then people are ready to say there is no hope Esa. 57 10. our hope is lost Ezek. 37 11. What is my strength said holy Iob Ch. 6 11. that I should hope It is good in such a case to say with the Church Lam. 3 24. The Lord is my portion therefore will I hope in Him 4. To try and exercise their Submission to and Dependance upon Him That they may learne to carry as humble Children that they may say with David Psal. 131. Lord my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lofâ—…y neither do I exercise my self in great matters or in things too high for me Surely I have behaved and quieted myself as a Childe that is weaned of his Mother my soul is as a weaned Childe And so hope in the Lord not arrogantly set limites unto the holy One of Israel nor prescribe a way that he must follow but leave him to follow His own way and method with due Submission and Dependance laying the hand upon the mouth when He is pleased to hide himself and to take another way then we would possibly wish or desire 5. To try exercise their Diligence and Constancy in Prayer and Watchfulness As when the Master delayeth his coming so when he hideth himself as if he were not coming or would not come many are ready to fall from duty and fall a beating their fellow servants and to eating and drinking c. Mat. 24 48 94. Therefore the Lord will have all His People set a watching as not knowing what houre or after what manner He will come and to exercise them in this duty of Watchfulness and Diligence he will come and not let them know of His coming nor tell them when or after what manner He will come The Consideration of this should in general teach all His people as upon the one hand to guard against and bewar of these evils mentioned which Satan and Corruption upon occasion of the Lords hiding of His Way and keeping Himself under clouds after the manner mentioned doth provoke stirre up the soul unto so upon the other hand to minde faithfully set about the Duties mentioned which are especially called for at such a time But more particularly we may mentione some duties and recommend them to the practice of His People in such a day as this As 1. This Dispensation calleth upon all Gods People to be observing the Lord in all His wayes and actions and to mark His footsteps even when they can not be seen to observe His stately goings in Majestie
any humane Intercession He will hear no Intreaty That was an unalterable and inevitable sentence against the house of honest Eli. 1 Sam. 3 14. And therefore I have sworne unto the house of Eli that the iniquity of Elies house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever When the Lord would beginne He would also make an end as it is said v. 12. So Esai 22 v. 14. And it was revealed in mine eares by the Lord of hostes surely this iniquitie shall not be purged from you till ye die There is a time when the end is come and the Lord will judge a people according to their wayes and recompense upon them all their abominations and His eye shall not spare neither will He have pity As Ezek. 7 2. to 10. And the Lord will not againe passe by them any more Amos 7 vers 8. and 8. vers 2. Such a time and dispensation as this cannot but be afflicting and grievous to all that are concerned in such matters And the Consideration of these particulars may manifest how sad it is when the Lord is so provoked against a People as no Intercessions of His most highly honoured Favourites upon whose Intreaties sometime He hath manifested wonderful condescensions of grace will prevail to keep off the stroke no not Moses and Samuel both together 1. That the Lord hath done much at the Prayer and Intercession of these two in particular here mentioned Moses and Samuel For Moses see Exod. 32. where the Lord was so wroth and displeased at the Peoples turning aside so quickly out of the way and making the golden Calf that He said unto Moses vers 9 10. I have seen this people and behold it is a stiff-necked People Now therefore let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them and that I may consume them And yet upon the Intercession of Moses saying Vers 11 12 13. Lord why doth thy wrath wax hote against thy People which thou hast brought forth out of the Land of Aegypt with great power and with mighty hand c. It is said Vers 14. That the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his People So againe Numb 14 v. 19 20. See Psal. 99 vers 5. and 106 v. 23. In like manner as to Samuel we see 1 Sam. 7. that when the Children of Israel were in great fear of the Philistines they said to Samuel Vers 8. Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us that He will save us out of the hand of the Philistines And upon this Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel and the Lord heard him See also Psalm 99 v. 6. Is it not sad that the Lord who sometime did so much upon the Intreaty of these Persons is now so offended that He would not regard their Intercessions nor spare upon their request 2. That the Lord hath frequently spared and keeped a stroke off His People upon the interposing of others as of Amos. Chap. 7 v. 2 3 5 6. When he had prayed for the People and had said O Lord God forgive I beseech thee by whom shall Iacob arise for he is small The Lord repented and said It should not be And againe the second time he prayed and had the same return So Nehemiah 9. and Daniel Ch. 9. and Asa 2 Chron. 14 v. 11. and Iehosaphat 2 Chron. 20. and others 3. That the Lord hath sometimes forborne to strick when even graceless Persons and such as had no interest in the special favour of God have prayed and humbled themselves as when He spared Ninivee after that natural People had humbled themselves And when that wicked man Ahab that did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him 1 Kings 16 vers 30 33. rent his cloths and put sack-cloth upon his flesh and fasted and lay in sack-cloth and went softly the Lord delayed the stroke and would not bring the evil upon his house in his dayes 1 Kings 21 v. 27 29. How sad must it then be that He who sometime hath turned from the fierceness of His anger and held off the evil threatned upon the crying of graceless Persons will not hear the earnest Intreaties of His greateâ—…st Favourites 4. This dispensation will also appear more sad and afflicting if we confider what an high esteem the Lord hath for the Prayers and Intercessions of His worthies Such an account hath He of them that the expressions thereof are indeed rare and very remarkable Let me alone saith He unto Moses Exod. 32 v. 11. as if Moses had been stronger than He and had bound up His hands or as if God could do nothing without Moses's consent or permission So said He to Iacob Gen. 32 v. 26. when He was wrestling with Him by prayer and supplication Hos. 12 v. 4. Let me go as if He could not have gone without Iacobs good leave and permission And Iacob is said to have prevailed with God as a Prince and hath therefore his name changed into Israel 5. Adde to this end the frequent promises made of the Lords hearing of such in the behalf of others Gen. 20 7. the Lord said to Abimelech Restore the man his wife for he is a Prophet and be shall pray for thee and thou shalt live So Iob. 42 v. 8. The Lord directed Iobs Friends to set him a work to pray for them with a promise of success Go to my servant Iob and offer up for yourselves a Burnt-offering and my servant Iob shall pray for you for him will I accept How sad then must it be when the Lord will not hear such See also Iam. 5 v. 14 15 16. 6. Yea sometimes we read that the Lord hath delivered when there was no Intercessour Esai 59 vers 16 17. And He saw that there was no Intercessour Therefore his arme brought salvation unto Him and His righteousness it sustained Him Must not His anger then be great when He will not pity nor spare even though His worthies whom He highly honoureth were standing before Him and putting up Supplications in the behalfe of a sinful People 7. He hath said Psal. 50 vers 15. Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee Is it not then sad when iniquity is come to such an height that the Lord will not onely not hear the People themselves when they cry but also He will not hear the beseechings and intreaties of such as have most prevailed with Him at other times 8. As also if we consider how unanswerable this appeareth to be unto the Title and Stile which He hath gote and the Consideration of which hath encouraged His servants to call upon Him As Psal. 65 vers 2. O thou that hearest Prayer unto thee shall all Flesh come such a Dispensation as this cannot but be sad and grievous If it be enquired when we may apprehend the time to be such as wherein the Lord will hear no Intercessions no Prayers nor Intreaties of
His greatest Favourites in the behalf of a sinfâ—…l People against whom the Lord is coming in judgment I answere Though we may not be peremptour herein knowing that the Lord sometimes taketh pleasure to Act according to a Soveraignity of mercy for the glory of His rich Grace and Compassion and therefore must leave a latitude unto the Soveraignity of free Grace Yet if we consider the condition of this People of whom this is said and see what iniquities they were guilty of at this time we apprehend such a thing may be feared where the Lord is in the same or in the like manner provoked and when He is coming in judgment against a people chargable with the same evils it may be feared that no prayer no intercession of one or other shall availe to hold off the judgment Of these sins whereof this People for whom the Lord would hear no intercession we shall mention some few to the end we may be helped to understand better the language of Gods present Dispensations and to search and see whether there be cause or no to fear that judgment inevitable is to be the lo of this generation 1. When sins and rebellion against the Lord come to an exceeding great height and gross and palpable defection is begun and carried on by Court and Countrey then the Lord is engaged to vindicat His Name and Justice before the World that all may see He is no Patronizer of Wickedness even in a People called by His Name Thus it was in the dayes of Manasseh who with his Court committed such hainous wickedness as was never there before perpetrated as may be seen 2 Kings 21 v. 1 to 10. 2 Chron. 33 1 to 11. and wherein the whole land was involved Wherefore the Lord threatned 2 Kings 21 v. 12 13 14 c. to stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria and the plummet of the House of Ahab that is that He would do with Jerusalem as He hath done with Samaria and the House of Ahab and no more spare those than He did these And which is very remarkable this iniquity the Lord would not Pardon notwithstanding that Manasseh himself gote mercy reformed several things before his death and notwithstanding of a more universal and general Reformation that was in the dayes of his Grand-child Josiah that none-such King For it is said 2. Kings 23 v. 25 26 27. And like unto him i. e. Josiah was there no King before him that turned to the Lord withall his heart and with all his soul and withall his might according to the Law of Moses neither after him arose there any like him Notwithstanding as it is added the Lord turned not from the fierceness of His great wrath wherewith His anger was kindled against Judah because of all the Provocations that Manasseh had provoked Him with all And the Lord said I will remove Judah also out of my sight c. And in this same place Jer. 15. after the Lord had said Vers 1. that though Moses and Samuel stood before Him his mind could not be towards them but that He would cast them out of His sight to the death to the sword to the Famine and to the Captivity Vers 2. to the Sword to Dogs to Fowls and to Beasts Vers 3. He saith Vers 4. And I will cause them to be removed into all Kingdomes of the Earth because of Manasseh the Son of Hezekiâ—…h King of Judah for that which he did in Jerusalem 2. When hainous iniquities and sins become common and epidemick in a land infecting all ranks of Persons young and old rich and poor Magistrat Minister and common People then an inevitable blow is to be feared for so was it with this people as we see Jer. 5 vers 1. c. hardly could there a man be found in Jerusalem to execute judgment and to seek the truth Neither was this scarcety to befound only among the poor and foolish people but even among the great men for they had altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds Vers 5. therefore followeth Vers 7. How shall I pardon thee for this And againe Vers 9. Shall I not visite for these things saith the Lord and shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this So in the two last Verses of that Chapt. it is said A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the Land The Prophets prophesie falsely and the Priests bear rule by their meanes and my People love to have it so and what will ye do iâ—… the end thereof Such Priest such People were here and what else but ruine could be expected So Ierem. 6 vers 13. and 8 v. 10. it is said that from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness and from the Prophet even unto the Priest every one dealeth falsly Therefore is wrath threatned both upon old and young and upon all the inhabitants of the land Vers 11 12. See also Vers 28. They were all grievous revolters brasse and iron they were all corrupters So is this plainly charged upon them Chap. 7 v. 18. The Children gather wood and the Fathers kindle the fire and the women knead their dough to make â—…kes to the Queen of Heaven So that Man Wife and Children young and old were conspiring in one and with one shoulder carrying on this Defection and Apostasie from God So Jerem. 11 v. 13 14. For according to the number of thy cities were thy Gods O Judah and according to the number of the Streets of Jerusalem have they set up Altâ—…rs to that shamful thing Altars to burn inâ—…ense unto Baal Thus was this sin become universal through the whole City Jerusalem and through the whole Land of Judah And what followeth hereupon Therefore pray not thou for this People c. The like we finde Micah 3 vers 11. The Heads did judge for reward and the Priests did teach for hire and the Prophets did divine for Money And what followeth upon this Therefore Vers 12 shall Zion for your sakes be plowed as a field and Jerusalem become heaps and the mountaine of the house as â—…he high places of the forest that is Citie and Sanctuary shall be laid desolate This same was laid to the charge of this People by Zephaniah Ch. 3 ver 3 4. Her Princes within her are roaring lions her judges evening Wolves her Prophets light and treacherous Persons her Priests have polluted the Sanctuary So that both Church and State was corrupted therefore was woe denounced against her Vers 1. See also Micah 7 2 to 6. 3. When Corruption in the Worship and Ordinances of God is admitted fostered and continued in and Superstition or Idolatrie is brought-in then an inevitable stroke is to be feared for God is a jealous God and will not hold them guiltless that take His Name in vaine but will visite the iniquities of the Fathers unto the third and fourth Generation of those that
thus hate Him and corrupt His Ordinances This was also given as a cause of the destruction that came on this People 2 Chron. 36 v. 14. They polluted the House of the Lord which He had hallowed in Jerusalem So Ezek. 5 vers 11. it was threatned Wherefore as I live saith the Lord God surely because thou hast defiled my Sanctuary with all thy detestable things and with all thine abominations therefore will I also diminish thee neither shall mine eye sparer neither will I have pity See also the following Verses where the dreadfulness of the blow is laid forth yea saith he Vers 13. thus shall mine anger be accomplished and I will cause my fury to rest upon them and I will be comforted And all is sealed in end Vers 17. with this I the Lord have spoken it So Ezek. 7 vers 20. As for the beauty of his Ornament he set it in Majesty But they made the Images of their Abominations and of their detestable things therein This was their sin and what followeth Therefore have I set it far from them or made it unto them an unclean thing And further in the following Verses He threatneth to give it into the hands of strangers for a prey and to robbers who shall defile it c. See likewise Chapt. 8. throughout and Chap. 23 vers 38 39 So Jerem. 9 vers 12 13 c. The Land was perishing and was burnt up like a Wilderness that none passeth thorow And wherefore was this Because saith the Lord they have forsaken my law which I set before them and have not obeyed my voice neither walked therein but have walked after the imagination of their own heart and after Baalim which their Fathers taught them c. 4. When a land or Church maketh defection from God apostatizeth breaketh wedlock renounceth their Covenant relation then a sword is to be expected wherewith the Lord shall avenge the quarrel of His Covenant Levit 26 25. there is ground to fear that judgment shall inevitably overtake such sinners For thus was it with this people of Judah Ier. 2 9 10. 11 12 13. So Ier. 4 16 17 18. They had forsaken God and rebelled against Him and therefore came destruction upon destruction v. 28. and Ier. 11 10. Because they brake God's Covenant which He had made with their Fathers Therefore v. 11. He threatned to bring evil upon them which they should not be able to escape and that He would not Hearken though they should cry unto Him And then followeth vers 14. Therefore pray not thou for this people c. So Ier. 22 6 7. The Lord threatned to make them a wilderness and Cities not inhabited in so much that Nations shall be astonished and enquire what can be the cause of this And the answere they shall receive is this v. 9. Because they â—…ave forsaken the Covenant of the Lord their God and wâ—…rshipped other Gods srved them And in this same place Ier. 15 6. it is said Thou hast forsaken me saith the Lord thou art gone backward therefore will I stretch out mine hand against thee destroy thee I am weary with repenting See what was threatned for breach of Covenant Ier. 34 v. 17 18 19 20. The Lord said He would proclame a liberty to the sword to the pestilence and to the famine and would make them to be removed into all the Kingdomes of the earth and give all ranks among them into the hands of their Enemies and give their dead bodies to be meat unto the fowls of heaven and to the beasts of the earth We see Ezek. 16. how the Lord deduceth along process against them and proveth them to have plaid the harlot and that in a most impudent manner And how therefore he saith that He will judge her as a woman that breaketh wedlock v. 38. make his fury towards them to rest and his jealousie shall depart and He will be quiet vers 42. and againe v. 59. He saith I will even deal with thee as thou hast done which hast despised the oath in breaking the Covenant See the like charged upon Israel as the ground of their desolation Hos. 4 12 13 14. 5 4 5 6 7. 8 1 2 9 1 2 3. 13 16. 5. When this Defection and Apostasie from God in the matter of Religion is accompanied with gross immoralities fearful sins against the Second table of the Law which the very light of Nature condemneth then may the guilty fear an unavoidable stroke a blow of justice that shall not be evited for the Lord will not have it said or supposed by strangers that He will bear with gross impieties in His own professed people and suffer them to exceed the heathen in wickedness without control or punishment We see this people of Judah upon whom inevitable ruine was coming were charged likewise with many gross and hainous impieties Ier. 5 26 27 28 29. There vvere among them wicked men they did lay waite as such as laid snares they set a trap they watched men their houses were full of deceit yea they did overpasse the deeds of the wicked thereupon it followeth v. 29 Shall I not visite for these things saith the Lord Shall not my soul be avenged of such a Nation as this So Ier. 9 1. They were all adulterers an assembly of treacherous men they bend their tongues for lies like bowes they did proceed from evil to evil they taught their tongues to speak lies and deceived their Neighbours they spoke peacably but in heart they did lay wait Therefore it is added v. 9. Shall I not visite them for these things c. So Jer. 21 12. O house of David thus saiâ—…h the Lord execute judgement in the morning and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressour lâ—…st my fury go out like fire and burn that none can quench it because of the evil of your doings These things were neglected by them and therefore wrath came upon them at length and there was no remedie Jer. 22 3 4 5 6. And the Prophet Ezekiel hath the same charge against this people Chap. 5 5 6. They changed Gods judgments into wickedness more than the Nations and his statutes more than the Countreys And therefore the Lord threatned v. 8 9 10. to execute judgment in the midst of them and to do that unto them which He had not done before and the like whereof He would not do any more He would bring on them an unexemplified stroke and a stroke that should not have a parallel And againe Chap. 9 9 10. The iniquity of the house of Israel and of Judah is exceeding great and the Land is full of blood and the city full of perversness And therefore it is added mine eye shall not spare neither will I have pity but I will recompense their way upon their head Therefore was it that commission was given to the Lord's executioners to go thorow and slay Old and young
of Christ as it is the aim of the Writer of this treatise who after all his sufferings and sorrowes in which and under which he behaved as a good souldier of Jesus râ—…ist and was observed to have acquired a special dexteritie in making use of the shield of Faith is now got above them and eternally comforted over them in the sight and fruition of that God in whose service he lived as devoted to his fear and died in that noble posture So it is for you the earnest desire of his soul who is Your poor Welwisher and Companion in tribulation THE LIFE of FAITH in times of PERSECUTION PART II. THE INTRODUCTION A Word spoken fitly saith the Wise man Prov. 25. ver 11. or in its season or as it is in the Original upon his wheels is like apples of gold in pictures of silver that is is both pleasant and profitable We began in the foregoing Treatise of this Subject to explaine the nature of this Life which is to be had by faith in a very sad and trying time how and what way faith interesteth a Soul in this Life and how they should Act faith who would partake hereof in a day of Difficulty and Temptation wherein because of adhereing to Christ and his Truth the life of his people is made bitter unto them and they are exposed to many Troubles and sharpe Exercises And for a further Encouragment unto a faithful and stedfast adhereing to the Truth in a day of stormy Tempests and fierie Trials we mentioned some of those many Considerations which the Lord had left on record in his word that we through patience and comfort of these Scriptures might have hope and so might be perfect and of good comfort such as 1. Gods promised Presence with them in all their Trials how sharpe and fierie so ever the faith of which would make the weak and fainting soul become couragious and valiant as David 2. Christ's Sympathie with them in all their Distresses Troubles Necessities Dangers Paines Losses Crosses and Sufferings for Him and His Cause which if firmly beleeved according to the sâ—…re and undoubted grounds thereof could not but make them sing all their Sorrow out of countenance 3. The Lord's Stile of being a Redeemer which if fled unto by faith in an evil day would prove a strong Tour to which they might â—…un and be saife 4. The promises which are Many Great Glorious Sutable Pertinent Precious Sure and Covenanted and as these are made and registred of purpose that His People might have strong Consolation so the Christian faith Improvement of them in a day when Dispensations would seem to cross them is both the special duty of His people in that day and also the only mean to keep them in life and hold their head above water when called to swime against both tide and stream and the fixed faith of these would both stablish strengthen the tossed and wearie soul. 5. Former Experiences of God's Care Faithfulness Tenderness Readiness to deliver and supply wants to carry thorow Troubles and at length in due time to deliver out of them These when rightly improven according to Gods warrand and Gospel grounds will fournish a feast whereupon faith may feed and the soul become strong in the Lord and in the power of his might and with Courage Hop and Confidence wade thorow a Sea of Affliction 6. The quarrel and controversie is the Lords A noble ground of courage comfort and confidence when beleeved and rightly Improven 7. Their Sufferings are the Sufferings of Christ when they are for His sake and upon His account And this cannot but be a wel full of Consolation unto the poor afflicted and persecuted Childe of God when it is beleeved and fed upon by faith These I have as the Lord was pleased to assist spoken a little unto in the foregoing Piece onely in order to this End That the faithful and honest hearted Beleever who either hath already met with or layeth his account to meet with Sufferings of one kind or of another in following his Lord and Master in the way of Truth and Righteousness according to the Commands of God and Institutions of Christ may in part be helped to know his own strength where the stock thereof is and how he may improve the same to his own rich advantage in every Case and Condition that the Lord in his wise and holy Providence bringeth him into and that so as notwithstanding of all the fiery Trials sharpe Afflictions sore Temptations sad Exercises cruel Persecutions continual Tossings and Harassings and pinching Straits and Difficulties that he may meet with in his way he may be helped unto a Christian Deportment a Rejoicing evermore and a bearing of the cross with Joy Valour Christian Courage undaunted Resolution and a fixed Stedfastness and Unmovablness in the way of the Lord and so win to a life of faith and through faith in the midst of all the deathes that he is to rancountre with in his way to the everlasting possession of that Crown of life and of the Inheritance that is Incorruptible and Undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for them who are kept by the power of God through faith unto Salvation I shall now in the prosecution of this Matter for the end mentioned mentione and speak a little unto some other Considerations such as CONSIDERATION VIII It is the decreed will of God IF the afflicted soul that is tossed with Tempests and not comforted and is like to sinck under the heavy burden of Affliction Temptation and Tribulation were considering aright how that affliction cometh not forth of the dust nor troubâ—…e springeth not out of the ground Iob 5 6. that is That afflictions come not by meer Chance neither have they all their Original from Inferiour agents carnal and worldly Instruments but there is an higher hand to be observed and espied in all that the men of this world the Instruments of Satan devise and execute and that there is an higher Resolution Decree and Determination to be heeded than what is taken by man If the afflicted soul I say were considering this he would finde himself called to far other Thoughts and Meditations than he hath or can have when his mind is onely poreing upon the secondary and far inferiour rise of his trouble to wit as from men We see what course Peter took Act. 4 27 28. When thinking upon the rage of Enemies against our Lord and against them his Servants for his sake for of a truth saith he against thy holy Child Iesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilat with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever thy hand and thâ—… Counsel determined before to be done So Act. 2 23. He tels them who had been Instrumental in killing of the Lord of life that he was delivered by the determinat Counsel and fore knowledg of God otherwise they had had no
power over him It is good and necessary for Beleevers to be alwayes and then in particular fixed in the faith of this That nothing cometh to passe by chance or fortune as we sâ—…y but that all events that fall out or come to passe are from Eternity freely and unchangably Ordained and Appointed by the unalterable Determination and Decree of the holy and wise Counsel of God for He worketh all things after the Counsel of his own will Ephes 1 11. There is an unalterable Decree past in the grand Court of Parliament in heaven concerning all Events that fall out in the world even such as we would think to be most uncertaine and contingent as events determined by lot Prov. 16 33. The lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. What more uncertain than that the souldiers should not handle Christ after the same manner that they handled the other two who were crucified with him and yet they broke not his bones as they did the bones of the rest and they pierced him which they did not to the rest and that because it was determined of God that not a bone of Christ should be broken and also that he should be pierced and that the Scriptures might be fulfilled where mention was made of these determinations as we see in the Evangelists besides many other meer to us accidental things that befell him I know what difficulties some move about this matter in sinful events as all the Trouble Affliction and Persecution are which the people of God meet with at the hands of wicked Instruments upon the account of their adhereing unto Truth and following duty But I shall purposely wave all disputs at this occasion and onely hold forth the Truth and thereafter shew how it ought to be improved unto advantage in such exercising times 1. Whatever Affliction Cross Trouble Suffering Triaâ—… or Tribulation any of his are put to endure in following of duty it is not to be looked on as an accidental fortuitous event or chance but as determined of the Lord who hath in his Soveraigne wisdom and Counsel thought fit to have it so and ordered it that it should be so that his people in all ages should meet with Opposition Contradiction Affliction Crosses or Persecution at the hands of one or other so that the Substance of the Trial and Exercise is to be looked upon as ordained and determined of Jehovah Such a determination as this must be the ground of that Act. 14 22. And that we must through much tribulaâ—…ion enter into the Kingdom of God And of that wich Paul saith Act 20 23. though he knew not in particular what evils should befall him at Ierusalem whither he was now going yet he knew that bonds and affliction did abide him saying Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every City saying that bonds and affliction abide me It was determined then that these as pages of honour should attend him and should wait for his landing in every place he came unto And yet more clearly he tels the Thessalonians 1 Epist. 3 3. That they knew that he and the rest were appointed hereunto that is to afflictions adding Vers. 4. For verily when we were with you we told you before that we should suffer tribulation even as iâ—… came to passe and ye know Peter also in his first Epistle mindeth those he writteth unto of this several times and pointeth them unto this will of God that they might eye it that is His determining decreeing and appointing will 1 Pet. 3 17. For it is better if the will of God be so that yâ—… suffer for welldoing c. And againe Chap. 4 19. Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God c. From all which Testimonies we see that there is a Will Determination Resolution and Decree of the Ancient of dayes past anent the Afflictions Trials Tribulations and Sufferings of his people 2. Not only is there a Decree and Determination past in the Court of heaven about the Sufferings of the people of God in the grosse as it were and in general but also the special Kind of the Crosse or Affliction that they meet with or the special manner or quality thereof God hath not only decreed that this or that man this or that follower of Christ shall meet with some Crosse and some Affliction or other but he hath determined the species and kind thereof to wit whether it shall be a cross as to his Body or as to his Estate or as to his Spirit or as to several or all of these together whether he shall be put to suffer Fineings or Confinments or Imprisonments or Exile or Death whether Scourgings Paines and Torments or Harassings Feares Perils or what ever it be Paul knew that bonds did abide him The Lord determined that Abraham's Posteritie should be strangers in a Land that was not theirs be made to serve Gen. 15. vers 13. He determined that Satan should cast some of the Church of Smirna in prison and that they should have tribulation Revel 2 10. We know also what was particularly threatned against David 2 Sam. 12 11. 3. As the Lord decreeth the Kind and Species of the Trial so likewise he passeth a Determination concerning all the Ingredients and Parts of the same The trial possiblie is not one single Exercise but one complicated and compounded of many a cup not of one pure liquor but mixed of many ingredients but of how many Ingredients so ever it be compounded and of how many parts so ever it consist yet all of them are particularly and determinatly decreed and appointed of the Lord. Many bitter ingredients were in the cup which Christ gote to drink but all and every one of them fell under a plaine and peremptour determination of heaven They were gathered together saith Peter in the fore cited place to do whatsoever thy hand and thy Counsel determined to be done there was a whatsoever here Nothing was or could be done but what this Counsel of God had Determined to be done and all that was done was Determined by this Counsel 4. The Degree and Measure of the affliction that His people are to meet with is as particularly determined as any circumstance thereof else we know what Ioseph's Brethren had intended against him when thy said come let us slay him and cast him into some pit Gen. 37 20. But God had not intended so much and therefore they were made to change their minde and to sell him to the Midianites Vers. 28. And though thereby they thought they were quite of him for ever and that he should remaine a slave to his dying day yet we know it came otherwise to passe they thought evil but God meant it unto good Gen. 50. vers 20. As the Lord had another end before his eyes than they had so he had determined that they should not reach their end nor do any more than should contribute unto
refused and therein have walked consonant unto both his former Doctrine Practice and Writtings by all which before this time he had declared that the Ceremonial Law was not obliging Christ the special end and substance of all these shadowes being now come and having established the Gospel way of worship and others though they will not blame Paul nor think he dissembled in what he did yet they think Iames and the rest should have forborne to have pressed him to do what they urged him to do Yet we see that notwithstanding of this which gave the rise and occasion to these his last sufferings this not being the ground or cause for which he was persecuted but his maintainance of the Gospel and opposing of the necessary observation of the Law of Moses which was now abrogate he is in all his sufferings which followed hereupon owned of God and approven of him If it be said Though I dar not deny the Truth upon which I am challenged and staged nor dar I say but I am suffering for Truth and that I could not have shunned this affliction but by sinning yet I am made to doubt of God's call and warrand because He hideth his face from me yea He hideth himself from me more than ever This causeth me suspect that all is wong and that I have run in this matter without his warrand and allowance I Ans. This is no certaine ground whereupon to draw such a conclusion These out-lettings of his free grace and sensible significations of his favour are dispensed according to the Soveraignity of his will and pleasure A person therefore may have an unquestionable call and warrand to hazard on suffering when he cannot otherwayes do unless he would sinne though he misse these soul-comforting and heart-establishing blainks of His face How oft do we finde the Saints of God in Scripture cry out of the hiding of God's face when outward trouble was lying heavy upon them As in Iob and David and why may not the Lord dispense thus with others I grant the Trial and the Exercise is upon this account the greater but what do we know but the Lord be ordering matters so in his holy wisdom for our further trial and for the exercise of faith It is easie to swime we say when the head is born up above the water And if the Lord thinketh good to double our Trials ought we not sweetly to submit His word should satisfie us and He hath promised enough to him that overcometh We ought to remember our duty that is hold fast what we have till he come and He will come quickly Revel 2. vers 25. and 3. vers 11. If He will have us venturing upon faith why should we not glorifie him thereby He knoweth when the fittest season is of intimating his favour and acceptance That holy martyr that complained of this want all the time he was in prison yet while going to the staik was made to cry out He is come He is câ—…me Let us now speak a word unto the improving of this Consideration to the end we may see how it can contribute unto life in an evil time 1. This Consideration may calme and quiet the Sufferer and may make him enjoy peace within what ever trouble he meet with from without because hereby he understandeth that he is about his Master's work he is following dutie and walking in a commanded path whatever trouble he meet with therein So whatever other thing occurre to cause disquietment this may bear him thorow all that he is in the way of duty and obeying the command of the great Lord and Law-giver Christians use to pacifie their own spirits with this when they meet with unexpected crosses and disappointments That they were following their duty So this may quiet them under all their Tossings Troubles Persecutions and Vexations that they have sinfully occasioned none of these things nor by their sin and foolly brought them on themselves 2. When on-lookers are ready to condemne them of Foolly Rashness Inconsideratness Pertinaciousness and the like this Consideration That they are about a commanded duty may counterballance all for then they may know that whoever condemne them their Lord and Master will approve of them and how ever men construe of their doings He will account their Sufferings loyal and faithful service to Him 3. The consideration of this will helpe the Beleever to a life of Patience and Submission without fretting at their lot for sure the honest beleever hath engaged himself unto God and hath promised absolute obedience unto him in all things and to take up his cross and yoke whatever it be that God shall think good to appointe for him and without all doubt he is to have respect to all the commands of God and is obliged to carry as a Son and as a Servant and therefore must willingly and with sweet submission do any piece of service that is laid upon him go about any commanded duty with cheerfulness because it is commanded how unpleasant so ever it be to the flesh The honest beleever will say I have given up my self to His service and count it my glory to be called the Servant of God and why should I not go willingly and cheerfully and with heart and hand without all repineing or murmuring about any piece of service He is pleased to put in my hand I made no reserves nor exceptions when I resigned and gave up my self unto Him and why should I not now submit to all He commandeth Sure it is He who is Lord and Master and so must command and give-out orders I am but a servant a sworn-servant and am highly advanced when I am called and accounted a servant to him and therefore must not carve-out my own work and service but be under Authority and go and abide or do this or that or bear this or that burden as commanded It is not seemly for a childe or for a servant or for a souldier to quarrel with his Father Master or Commander for putting him to any piece of service but rather sweetly to acquiesce and run cheerfully about what is commanded And should the beleever say it is more unseemly for me to quarrel with God who is my Father Master and Commander upon a more noble and substantial an account for any piece of service He putteth in my hands I never covenanted with Him upon condition He should not call me to suffering or put any piece of service in my hand that was not easie and sweet to the flesh So that the Consideration of this would certainly move to submission and shoot-out all contrary thoughts which distract and disquiet the soul and make his spirit bitter and his life less lively and comfortable 4. Hereby would the beleever be helped to a life of Patience and Long suffering under the Trial and Tribulation when continueing long and like yet to continue longer without fainting or wearying for the honest soul would think with it self I
and through Him expect to be accepted of the Father in the discharge of the duty CONSIDERATION X. Afflictions are all ruled and over-ruled by a good hand of Providence which is alwayes in and about them MAny a time the Beleever when swiming thorow a sea of trouble and afflic tion and finding no sensible in-come of reliefe or mitigation of the calamity cryeth out with the Church Esai 49. vers 14. The Lord hath forsaken me and my God bath forgotten me And as it is Esai 40. v 27. My way is hid from the Lord. He hath left me alone in this sea of trouble as forgetting that I am into this wrestling and fighting postoure He hath turned his back upon me and seemeth unconcerned with all that is come upon me and yet is lying heavy on me He considereth neither my weakness nor the strength and violence of the Temptation under which I am and which is like to overwhelme me Hence he crieth out with David Psal. 31. vers 12. I am forgotten as a dead man out of minde And againe Psal. 42. vers 9. Why hast thou forgotten me It is certaine such sad complaints are not altogether justifiable as they proceed from men in whom is so much corruption and unbeleef though in our blessed Lord while on the cross such a sentence as My God my God why hast thou forsaken me was free of all mud or unbelief for though they express the ardencie of their desires to have the Lord smiling upon them yet there is some admixture of dross in them and they hint at least that they apprehend God is at a distance taking little notice of them or of their present condition but withdrawing his helping hand or delaying to send reliefe as not careing how great their Affliction be or how their Enemies trade them under foot Hence we see what corruptions are ready to stirre and work in the beleever at such a time And the faith of God's being alwayes present with them while under the trial and ordering all things in the dispensation with a fatherly care and tenderness would comfort them and ease their mind in the saddest of their distress It may therefore be of use to speak a little unto this Consideration In order therefore to the clearing-up of this Consideration for the end intended we shall 1. Show that the Lord indeed hath an high and holy hand in all such dispensations as prove sad and grievous afflictions unto the godly 2. We shall endeavoure to explaine and clear how and what way the hand of the Lord is in and about these afflictions only with an eye to our present designe 3. We shall briefly pointe-out the way how this Consideration should be improven in the time of Affliction and Tribulation As to the first That God hath an holy and high over ruling hand in and over the afflictions and crosses that his people meet with This is past all doubt and disput as to some of them such as poverty through God's immediat hand blasting mens labours and endeavours or taking away their goods by sea or by fire or destroying their cattel by death and sickness upon their bodies or death of friends and relations and the like In such every one will grant that God hath an hand and every wise Christian will look upon them as the Centurion that great Beleever did Mat. 8. vers 8 9. as God's Servants and Souldiers under his command and Authority to go and return as He enjoineth But as to other afflictions brought about by the Instruments and Under-agents of Satan maliciously set to persecute the Godly in their Name Liberty Goods Life or Conscience though none of Gods Children when they are in their right mindes at themselves will deny the Soveraigne over ruling hand of Providence yet while under Temptation wrestling with the calamity they will be found too ready to think and speak that which is not very consistent with the lively faith and perswasion of this Soveraigne Truth we shall therefore in a few words confirme it from the Scriptures 1. We finde that the Godly have looked on these sad afflictions brought about by wicked hands out of wicked purposes and designes as coming from God principally and have eyed God as having a principal holy hand in the same The affliction that Ioseph met with was sad when he was sold by his own Brethren though it was they that had sold him that out of wickedness and maice yet he saith Gen. 45 8. to them It was not you that sent me hither but God He saw the Lord to be the principal disposer of all therefore saith Gen. 45 5. God sent me before you to preserve life And againe Gen. 50. vers 26. But as for you ye thought evil against me God meant it unto God to bring to passe as it is this day to save much people alive It was likewise a great affliction to David to be scourged with the tratorous tongue of Shimei railing upon him when he was flying from the face of his Son Absalom and calling him a Man of blood a Man of Belial and saying to him the Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul in whose stead thou hast reigned And behold thou art taken to thy mischiefe because thou art a bloody man 2. Sam. 16 5 6 7 8. Yet holy David observed an higher hand in all this and therefore said Vers. 10. Solet him curse because the Lord hath said unto him curse David Who shall then say wherefore hast thou done so And Vers. 11. againe Let him alone and let him curse for the Lord hath bidden him He taketh up God's hand in the business as principally ordering the matter So Iob when the Sabeans and Caldeans had robbed him of his goods said nevertheless Iob 1. vers 21. Naked came I out of my Mothers womb and naked shall I return thither the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord He looketh over Instruments and seeth above them an higher hand over-ruling all and ordering all according to His soveraigne will and pleasure See also Ps. 44. v. 11 12. and 89 39. 2. The Lord himself by his Prophets signifieth so much and as it were looketh upon the deed of these wicked Instruments as His own because of His principal holy hand therein ordering all to His own holy ends Thus he saith by Amos 3 6. Shall there be evil in the city and the Lord hath not done it So Esai 45. vers 7. I forme light and creat darkness I make peace and creat evil I the Lord do all these things Darkness then and evil and sad dispensations are from the Lord Creator He formeth and maketh these things according to his own mind Likwise Ier. 18 11. Thus saith the Lord behold I frame evil against you and devise a devise against you A remarkable passage we have 2. Sam. 12 vers 11 12. Thus saith the Lord behold
that their case called â—…or it otherwayes he had not exercised them thus 9. So the hand of the Lord is manifest in making the affliction answerable to their strength A potion may be fit for and suitable to the disease yet may be too strong for the weak patient and more readily kill than cure therefore a wise and tender Physician will take good notice of the patients present strength So the Lord who is tender of His peoples welfare will proportion the Physick of affliction unto their strength Hence we hear it said 1 Cor. 10. vers 13. But God is faithfal who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able Accordingly Ieremiah prayeth Chap. 10. v. 24. O Lord correct me but with judgement not in thine anger lest thou bring me to nothing The Lord s way is to correct his people in measure Iâ—…r 30. vers 1â—… and 46. vers 28. And as a father pitieth them that fear him for he knoweth our frame he remembereth we are dust Psaâ—… 103. vers 13 14. He knoweth that their strength iâ—… not the strength of stones nor are their bones of brass and so he knoweth they are not able to bear many blowes Thus we see the Lord measures the affliction to their strength It is true Paul saith 2 Cor. 1. vers 8. That he and his companions were pressed out of measure and above strength which would seem to contradict what is said But this seeming contradiction will be taken away by what we shall next adde 10. When the affliction and distress is such as would undo and presse the poor Beleever out of measure if he gote not some new supply of strength to stand under that burden the Lord's hand appeareth in fitting the Beleever for the stroke and in enabling him to bear it so that he is not killed thereby nor overwhelmed therewith by giving cordials he fortifieth the man against the violence of Temptations which otherwise would prevail against him Paul and his Company 2 Cor. 1. vers 8 9. were pressed with trouble in Asia out of measure above strength so much that they despaired even of life yea and had the sentence of death in themselves such a storme was it that they could not ride it out if fresh supplies of strength and courage had not been granted by God who raiseth the dead unto them and if the Lord had not thus delivered them from so great a death they had perished but how was this done See Vers. 4 5. The God of all comfort comforted them in all their tribulations and as the sufferings of Christ abounded in them so their consolation also abounded by Christ And thus the Lord fitted them for the stroke when the stroke was too sore for them So this same Apostle when assaulted with a messenger of Satan that buffeted him 2 Cor. 12. vers 7. Was strengthened by the grace of God Vers. 9. to stand out against that temptation which otherwise had overcome him as his praying thrice that it might depart from him Vers. 8. would import Thus the Lord keepeth the head of his poor people above water by making his power to rest upon them and by making perfect his strength in their weakness Vers. 9. Thus also are they strong when weak Vers. 10. 11. The Lord 's good hand of Providence appeareth in this matter in disappointing the Enemies of their malicious designes They are busie plotting and contriving the ruine and destruction of His people but the more they seek to destroy them the more they grow and thrive the more they multiply and the stronger they become It is almost incredible what multitudes of Christians through the whole Empire the bloody persecuting Emperours destroyed and put to death in the primitive times but the more they were massacred the more they grew the bloud of the saints and martyres was the seed of the Church Daniel's adversaries thought to have gote him destroyed but their enmity and rage against him tended to his further exaltation and establishment So was it with David the more that Saul did persecute him the more his bow abode in strength 12. The Lord's hand mightily appeareth in the afflictions of his people in that He powerfully and Infallibly carrieth on and bringeth to passe His own Purposes and Designes countermining and counter working the designes and wicked projects of the Enemies yea in effectuating His own ends even by what the Enemies are doing purposely to carry on their Ends. When the Enemies are blowing with all their might to make the furnace burn hot that the mettal as they suppose and intend may be wholly consumed the Lord by that same meanes is infallibly bringing about His Ends and accomplishing His designes to wit to purge the mettal and take away the drosse By what the Assyrian was doing in prosecution of his Ends to wit to destroy and cut off nations not a few Esai 10. vers 7. The Lord was performing his whole work upon mount Zion and Ierusalem Vers. 12. and what was this but to purge away iniquity and to take away sin Esai 27. vers 9 to chasten and punish for correction and amendement Ier. 30 11. and 46 28. 13. Herein also appeareth the Lord's over-ruling hand that while possibly the trouble is in its greatest strength and Enemies are swelling in their pride and thinking their contrivances cannot fail their plots and designes are laid so deep and so sure that they cannot misgive even then the Lord will make a door of outgate appear unto his people and give some foreruning tokens of the dawning of a fair day even then He will make a way for an escape that they may be able to bear it 1 Cor. 10. vers 13. 14. Lastly His hand appeareth herein that in due time He putteth a period to the trial and trouble by delivering his people out of them all Psal. 34. vers 7 17 19. He will not suffer the rod of the wicked to rest alwayes on the back of the righteous Psal. 125. vers 3. He will not contend for ever lest the spirits should fail before him and the souls which he hath made Esai 57. vers 16. He will keep His people no longer under Physick than He seeth necessary and therefore it is but for a season that his people are in heaviness 1 Pet. 1. vers 6. Enemies think to keep the people of God at under for ever but the Lord 's supream over-ruling hand appeareth here that He hath limited the duration of the trial and trouble to Ten dayes Revel 2. vers 10. He hath limited the rage of Enemies to an hour a day a moneth and a year Revel 9. vers 15. And the treading of the holy city under foot to 42 moneths Revel 11 2. And when the Lord's time cometh all the power and malice of the Enemies will not be able to hinder the delivery and how little so ever His own people look for it yet He will work it so that though there be scarce faith
not He came to save them from all their Enemies and they dealt with Him as with the Worst of Enemies and were never at peace until they had gotten Him crucified and buried 9. Consider what a Death He was put to It was not a simple Death but a multiplied one For being Crucified He had 1 a Painful Tormenting Death a long lingering and painful Death yea five Deaths at once every nail bringing Death with it 2. He had a shameful Death while thus Crucified as a chiefe Malefactor and hung-up betwixt two Theeves 3. He had a cursed Death for the Law said cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Gal. 3 vers 13. Deut. 21 23. 10. Consider for whose sakes all this suffering of His was It was for the unjust 1 Pet. 3 vers 18. He bare our griefs and carried our sorrowes He was wounded for our Transgressions the chastisement of our Peace was upon Him The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all for the transgression of his People was He smitten Esai 53 vers 4 5 6 8. It was for Enemies that Christ died for sinners and for the ungodly Rom. 5 6 8 10. 21. Consider likewise how patiently He endured all this When He was reviled He reviled not againe 1 Pet. 2 vers 23. He was brought as a Lamb to the slaughter and as a Sheep before the Shearers is dumb so He opened not His mouth Yea though He was oppressed and afflicted yet He opened not His mouth Esai 53 7. When He was accused of the chiefe Priest and Elders he answered nothing Matth. 27 vers 12. Yea when Pilat said unto Him hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee He answered him to never a word in so much that the Governour marvelled greatly vers 13. When one of the Officers stroke Him with the Palme of His Hand He only answered thus If I have spoken evil bear witness of the evil but if well why smitest thou Me Ioh. 18 22 23. We have heard of the Patience of Iob but withall also of much of his Impatience But never was such Patience seen in any as in Christ never was there an Impatient Word heard out of His Mouth even when the base Souldiers were reviling Him spitting in His face putting a Crown of Thornes on His Head and a fools coat upon Him and when scourging Him buffetting Him Hoodwinking Him and Mocking Him Yea when they were doing the worst they could devise against Him He said Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing 12. Consider how willingly and chearfully He did undergo all When He knew that the Priests Emissaries were coming with the Traitour to apprehend Him He would not go out of the way nor suffer His Disciples to rescue Him yea He would not pray to His Father for Angels help Thinkest thou said he to Peter Matth. 26 53. that I cannot now pray to My Father and he shall presently give me more than Twelve Legions of Angels Vers. 54. But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be Nay all the Roman Souldiery could not have taken His Life if He had not been willing Ioh. 10 vers 17 18. Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my Life that I might take it againe No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it againe This Commandement have I received of my-Father He had a Baptisme to be Baptized with and how was He straitned or pained till it was accomplished Luk. 12 v. 50. How offended was He at Peter when he would have disswaded Him from suffering saying to Him Get thee behinde me Satan Matth. 16 v. 23. When He knew the time was approaching it is said He steadfastly set His face to go toward Ierusalem Luk. 9 51. As to the Second thing here to be spoken to the Advantagious Improvment of these Particulars We shall only mentione some Conclusions which the right thoughts of these things will helpe the Beleever to draw in order to his possessing a life in time of Afflictions and Persecutions As 1. The Afflicted Beleever may say I need not think it strange that I am exercised with Afflictions Temptations and Tribulations It is no new or uncouth thing that is befallen me the Captaine of my Salvation was thus and worse handled and who am I that I should think to be exeemed from such a lot Is it not enough that the common Souldier be as his Captaine Nay will not the common Souldier be glade to share of the Captains lot of Hardship And should not I rejoice that I am honoured to weare my Captains Livery His Life was a Life of lasting and growing trouble and should not I be glade to follow Him and drink of that Cup whereof He drank Affliction was no strange or uncouth thing to Him and why should it be strange to me Have I Him even Him set before me for a Copie and why should I not be most willing to write after this Copie 2. Hence the Afflicted Beleever may Inferre I have so little cause to Complaine of all that is befallen me that when I consider what Glorious Christ did meet with I have great cause to Wonder and Praise that I am so gentlie dealt with He hath been very tender towards me when He might have made my lot much more sad behold how He hath pitied me and considered my weakness He hath not dealt with me as He dealt with His own only begotten Son Jesus Christ His own dearly beloved Son was otherwayes exercised than I have been He had more sharpe Trials and Temptations and sadder Exercises to rancountre with beside the Wrath and fierie Indignation of God that He had to wreastle with How mercifully then hath God dealt with me that He hath not made my Torments and Grief inward much more insupportable O! When I read how the Holy and Just One the Innocent Lamb of God was handled by sinners through the Holy Permission and Providence of God and lay my petty troubles in the Ballance with these how am I made to wonder that the ‑ Lord hath not dealt otherwise with me a sinner and to cry out who am I that I should have been stroaked with such a gentle Hand Who am I that God should have put so much sugger in my Cup when the Prince of Life the Prince of the Kings of the Earth who was Holy Harmless Undefiled and separate from Sinners was otherwise handled So that right thoughts of this would make them ashamed to Quarrel with the most High or to repine at his Dispensations with them When they consider how others are spared and they so sharply exercised their hearts are ready to say why doth the Lord deal so with me Why doth He single me out from others deal worse with me than with them But if they would presente before their eyes what Christ the Son of
contemned and slighted is not much but to see Princes hanged-up by their hand and the faces of Elders not honoured that is sad and lamentable Lam. 5. vers 12. So it is not much to see us base unworthy sinful and nothing creatures suffering and put to hardships disgrace paine shame miserie and wants But to see the Prince of the Kings of the earth in disgrace to see the Lord of life killed the Son of God despised the King of Kings spit upon and put to paine to see the Heire of all things suffering want that is an uncouth sight This maketh Christ's sufferings incomparably great and all our Sufferings nothing in comparison with these even when ours are at the greatest What are the sufferings of a beast of a worme or the like unto the sufferings of the greatest Prince that ever was or unto the sufferings of an Angel And yet the worme being a creature as well as the Prince or Angel the difference is not so very great but the difference is Infinitly more great betwixt the sufferings of Christ who is God equal with the Father in power and the sufferings of the greatest King or Emperour or Angel that ever was because there is no comparison betwixt Finite and Infinite betwixt God and the Creature 2. We know it is much more for one to suffer Death while in the flowr of his age and in the prime of his Strength and who in all probability according to his natural Constitution might live many years than for one who is half Dead already and is carrying about with him the Sentence of Death his Body being decayed and his clay-cottage ruinous and almost fallen to the ground So in this respect Christs Sufferings are far beyond ours for our Clay-bodies are so rotten with Corruption so broken with sicknesses and diseases that a few years should put an end to our dayes and we should quickly return unto dust though no hand were streatched out against us yea though all imaginable meanes were used to keep us in vigour and life But Christs Body though a true Body yet was naturally free of these Corruptions that come because of sin which our Bodies are obnoxious unto We never read of his sickness And though his death was not wholly miraculous yet we may not say that He would have died naturally as other men do though no violent hands had been laid upon Him 3. We use to think much more of his sufferings who suffereth wrongously and without Cause than of his who suffereth deservedly We will not be much moved to see a bloody Murderer put to Death but it will move us much to see a man put to death against whom nothing worthie of Death can be alleiged So in this respect our Sufferings are nothing in comparison of Christs for however as to men we should suffer innocently yet there is ground for God to plead His controversie against us and to use these as Instruments of His Justice to execute His righteous Sentence against us But it was otherwayes as to Christ who though as standing in the room of the Elect and made their Cautioner and so made sin for them or had their sin imputed to Him He was smitten of Justice yet as to His own Person He was the Innocent Lamb of God and without sin Holy Harmless Undefiled And as to men He suffered most wrongously as was seen above 4. The difference is great in this respect That Mercy is Master of work standing at the side of the fournace and ordering the same while His people are lying into it But the Law-wrath and Justice of God was blowing at the coal of Christs Sufferings We have to do but with men whose Actions are over-ruled by the Omnipotent hand of a Merciful God But He had to do with God executing Law-Justice because He stood in the room of the Elect. The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all He was wounded for our transgressions He was bruised for our Iniquities the Chastisement of our Peace was upon Him He bear the iniquity and sin of many Esai 53. v. 5 6 11 12. His own self bear our sins in his own Body on the tree 1 Pet. 2 v. 24. It is not so with the Lords People He dealeth not with them in pure Wrath or in Justice but in Mercy and in Moderation The Cup that Christ had to drink was full of the purest Law-wrath and so bitter that His Holy Sinless Soul did scunner at it But in the Cup of his Children there is not one drop of the revenging Justice of God or of Law-wrath but much of His Fatherly Mercy and it smelleth strongly of Love for He is bringing about their good hereby Therefore the disproportion betwixt Christ's Sufferings and ours is Infinite upon this account 5. Put the case which yet will not be that God should deal with any of His owne according to strick Severity and Law-Justice yet could not their Sufferings be comparable unto Christs Though they were pursued by pure Justice and by Law-vengeance and sent away to everlasting flames they should not for all that endure what He endured for they should but suffer in that case for their own particular and personal faults But Christ bear the sins of many even of all the Elect And this would make the difference great How much greater then must the difference now be when their Sufferings are of a far other Nature 6. This will be further clear if we Consider how Christ did not only undergo the Debt of the Elect and wrestled with strickest Law-Justice but by His Sufferings He made full Satisfaction to Justice which they all for whom Christ died had never been able in hell to have done there had they lyen for ever and had never come out of prison for they had never been able to have satisfied Justice But what Christ Suffered was full Satisfaction to Iustice that it could crave no more the Bond and Obligation was cancelled on the Crosse and Christ cried out It is finished intimating that the last penny was payed Thus Christ suffered more than all of them could have done for all Eternity and so certainly His sufferings were transcendently and surpassing great and the hardest of our Sufferings ought not to be named in one day with His. In Order to the Improving of this which is the Second Particular we shall mentione these few things 1. Were this Consideration rightly thought on and improven His people would not be so much troubled and affrighted in a time of Sufferings as usually they are We see how Christ went up to Ierusalem and set His face to go thitherward resolving to go thither notwithstanding of all Impediments in the way and albeit His Disciples were averse from that journay and would have disswaded Him from it He went thither with a full Resolution though He knew He was to grapple not only with the King of Terrours there but with pure Law-Curse and Wrath because of the Sinnes
By what Law was he and Silas beaten openly and uncondemned at Philippi Act. 16. vers 22 23 37 By what colour of law was he drawn out of the Temple and almost killed by the Jewes Act 21 9. If it adde to the griefe of any when they consider that such as persecute and oppose them are not openly profane and wicked Persons but such as are accounted good and sober persons and such as may be judged to have the grace of God in them It would be remembered that howbeit this indeed be a sad Ingredient in the cup of affliction may make the trouble heavier than otherwise it would be yet it is no uncouth thing Iob's friends were good sober understanding Persons though in a great mistake as to the application of their discourse unto Iob's state Paul did meet with some thing like this Act. 13. vers 30. at Antioch when the jewes stirred up devout and honourable women against him The false Teachers that on all oc casions opposed Paul were not profane wicked Persons for they had transformed themselves into the Apostles of Christ 2 Cor. 11 vâ—…rs 13. We read also of some that preached Christ of envy and contention supposing thereby to adde affliction unto Paul's bonds Phil. 1. vers 15 16. 10. Some may possibly think much to be put to open shame and made a gazing stock and to be exposed to open contempt and ludibrie and indeed that may be a sad affliction to some noble and generous spirit and heavier than death it self But yet it is no strange thing for we read of some Hebr. 10. vers 33. who were theatrized brought to open scaffolds and put on pillories and made publick spectacles and exposed to open mockery So Hebr. 11. vers 36. some had trial of cruel mockings Was not Iob made a by-word of the people and their song Iob 17 6. and 30. vers 9. Several other things of this nature might be named but I shall haste unto the third particular and shew how little ground there would be for such complaints and outcryes if all were known and rightly considered and to this end I shall mentione these particulars 1. When Peter is writting to a scattered company living as strangers in a strange land he saith unto them 1 Pet. 4. vers 12. Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing hapned unto you Though they were scattered thorow many Countreyes ' and were to meet with trials yea and fierie trials yet he would not have them troubled thereat or look upon it as any uncouth accident befalling them teaching us thereby to look otherwayes upon the sharpest of trials and exercises that we meet with than we readily do and not to think that we are worse dealt with than others or that God taketh some uncouth un-heard-of course with us 2. What if it be found after impartial trial that there have been many who have drunk deeper by many degrees of the cup than they have done and that their affliction under which they groan and cry-out so much is nothing comparable to what others of the Lord's worthies have been exercised with Will not this appear by an impartial view of the Instances adduced And seing their crosse is light in comparison of what some dear to the Lord have had is there or can there be any ground for their so complaining 3. Will it not be found that such as complaine thus dar not compare themselves with others who have been as sore afflicted if not sorer than they as to Grace Sanctification Communion with God c Will they arrogat to themselves that honourable Epithet which the Lord gave David a Man according to God's own heart or Iob a perfect man and upright and one that feared God and eshewed evil And if not is there ground for their complaint when God is dealing no worse with them than He did with those yea is dealing with them in a far more gentle manner 4. What if it be found that such as have been visited with the same affliction with which they are visited and under which they groan so much have not provoked the Lord so much as they have done And will not their complainings then be found most unreasonable and groundless 5. What if it be found also true undeniable that those who have met with the same calamities have been more usefull in their generation than they are or ever were If God spare not the green tree shall the drye tree that is sapless and barren doing little more than cumbering the ground complaine that it is cut down We should be content with the same lot that both the Prophets and Apostles had It needed not grieve the Philippians that they had the same conflict which they saw in Paul and heard to be in him Phil. 1. last The last particular is to shew a better way of improving the example of others who have been afflicted before us than to take occasion therefrom to complaine of God's dealing as if it were worse with us than with them to wit to be considering their Christian carriage under their afflictions that we may be ashamed of our deportment and may be stirred up to follow their example in what is truely commendable and is for that end held forth to us in Scripture many particulars of this kind might be mentioned we shall name only a few 1. We finde them patient under the crosse and their instance proposed to us for imitation in this respect So saith the Apostle Iames Cap. 5. vers 10 11. Take my Brethren the Prophets who have spoken in the Name of the Lord for an example of suffering affliction and of patience Behold we account them happy which endure yee have heard of the patience of Iob and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy If the carriage of the Prophets under the crosse and particularly of Iob were narrowly searched it would be found that there was sometime too much Impatience but the Spirit of the Lord would not have us poreing upon that but to take special notice of their patience and in this to look upon them as a copie set before us for albeit there was much Impatience to be observed in Iob's carriage yet his Patience is taken notice of by the Spirit of God and we are bidden look to that as if we had never heard of one of his impatient expressions 2. We finde them looking especially to God's hand in the matter and overlooking all Instruments adoring and reverencing the holy Providence and Disposal of God laying their hand upon their mouth and giving God the glory and in this we should study to be followers of them David said Psal. 39. vers 9. I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it And when Shimei railed upon him and cursed he said let him curse for the Lord hath said unto him curse David and
Iob said the Lord hath given and taken blessed be His name 3. We finde them following their duty notwithstanding of all the trouble and calamity which they did meet with Paul notwithstanding of all that befel him went on and minded his work when he was persecuted in one place he went to another and there preached the Gospel And in this we should follow them for for this end are these things left on record 4. We finde them so far from fretting and repineing at the Lord's Dispensations with them in suffering wicked instruments to afflict them and persecute them for righteousness that they therein rejoice as the Apostles did Act. 5. vers 41. And Paul glorified in these his infirmities 2 Cor. 12. And it is commendable to follow them here 5. We finde them likewise notwithstanding of all their Sufferings standing fast in the faith adhereing to their principles refusing deliverance upon any sinful or base termes Heb. 11. vers 35. Others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtean a better resurrection And it were good if we were considering them to this end that in this we might follow their footsteps 6. We finde them acting faith on God in the mean time Heman Psal. 88. was in a very sad case yet for all that was come upon him he would not quite his interest in God but beginneth that sad Psalm thus O Lord God of my salvation So did Iob likewise act faith on God Chap. 19. 7. We finde them exercising Hop for as desperat-like as their case would seem to be as David Psal. 38. the beginning whereof sheweth that his case was then very sad yet V. 15 he crieth out In the Lord do I hope 8. We finde them taking with their iniquity whereby they provoked God to deal so with them or desireous to understand what is the ground of God's controversie so the Church Mica 7. vers 9. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him See likewise Lam. 3. vers 39 42. And Iob said Chap. 10. ver 2. I will say unto God do not condemne me shew me wherefore thou contendest with me If we were thus taking notice of the commendable deportment of other worthies when they were in Afflictions to the provoking of our selves unto the like carriage we would finde it a more profitable exercise than to be in our mindes aggravating our lot beyond the lot of those before us and imagining that God dealeth worse with us than He hath done with others before us CONSIDERATION XV. Suffering Christianly is a special gift of God MAny look upon Suffering for the Name of Christ with an evil eye and with prejudice and because of the misapprehensions they have of it they cannot complye with it whereas a right view of it would make it less terrible yea more lovely and desireable The Apostle writting to the Philippians Chap. 1. vers 29. giveth them ground to think well of the cross of Christ when he said for unto you it is given in the behalfe of Christ not only to beleeve on Him but also to suffer for His sake He had been exhorting them in the foregoing Verses that they would stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel and in nothing be terrified by their adversaries and after he had told them that the opposition of the adversaries was an evident token to them of Perdition that their own standing withstanding was an evident token to themselves of Salvation and that of God He subjoineth this ground of encouragment that it was granted unto them as a special favour and that in the behalfe of Christ not only to beleeve on Him but also to suffer for His sake In which words these Three Particulars are chiefly considerable in order to our present designe 1. That suffering for the sake of Christ is a special gift of God and not a thing that meer natural Strength and Courage can reach 2. That it is a gift purchased by Christ and given on His behalfe or for His sake and not for any thing in us 3. That it is a gift in some respect beyond that excellent gift of faith But before I speak particularly to these points I shall premit these three things considerable 1. Though to bear any crosse or crossing dispensation outward or inward in a christian acceptable manner be beyond the power of nature and natures strength and is the pure gift of God yet here we are mainely to speak of that Trouble Afflictions and Crosses which the followers of Christ are put to suffer by wicked Men and for avowing of His truth and Interest of what measure or degree so ever it be for this is that which is here understood and whereof the Apostle is speaking as the forgoing and following Verses cleare 2. Nor do we hereby understand every Trouble that wicked persons create unto the Godly though unto a Christian deportment in such a case the special grace and gift of God be required but of that which is properly for the Name of Christ for adhereing to His truth and cause for of this doth the Apostle speak when he mentioneth suffering for Christs sake 3. Nor do we speak of Suffering here simply considered but of suffering accompained with its Christian Concomitants or of Suffering in a Christian humble self denied handsome and cleanly manner this being the Suffering which is to be called the gift of God and not that which may be undergone upon a carnal account and may flow from a carnal Principle and be intended foâ—… some carnal end Having premised these things we come to speak to the first point and shew That suffering in a Christian manner for the Name of Christ is the meer gift of God and beyond the reach of all natural Strength and Courage Which will be sufficiently clear if we but take a view of such particulars as are requisite unto a Christian way of suffering for Christs sake some only of which we shall content ourselves here to name as 1. To the end that one suffer as a Christian for the sake of Christ it is requisite that he be a Christian indeed a beleever in Christ indeed for a man in nature can act nothing as a Christian as wanting the divine principle of all Christian Actions This is imported in the Text now before us where the gift of faith in Christ is supposed as existent before the gift of suffering Now it is beyond all debate with the orthodox that to beleeve in Christ and to become a Christian indeed is beyond the reach of nature and the same Text here evinceth faith to be given of God so also is it expresly said to be the gift of God and not of ourselves Ephes. 2. 8. And therefore this Christian suffering for the sake of Christ must be the special gift of God 2. Unto suffering Christianly it is requisite not only that the sufferer be aBeleever but also that
is fallen in the streat and equity cannot enter yea truth faileth and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey Esai 59 v. 14 15. But here is comfort against this that Zions King reigneth who is just and a King that reigneth in righteousness He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes neither reprove after the hearing of his eares but with righteousness shall He judge the poor and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth and righteousness shall be the girdle of His loines and faithfulness the girdle of His reines Esai 11 3 4 5. His people then need not fear seing there is Justice to be had at His bar 10. The Children of God are much fainted and discouraged when second meanes are out of sight they see not horses nor horsmen to appear in the fields for them but a right sight of this Truth would prove helpful and encouraging in this case Did they but by faith see that Zions King were reigning on His Throne and actually sweying His Scepter they would easily conclude that all would be well for this King would either work without meanes as sometime He doth or creat meanes for His own use A wight man we say never wanted weapons and shall our King be straitned for want of meanes Could Sampson without either Sword or Spear only with what came next to his hand the Jaw-bone of an asse slay so many And need we fear that our King shall want Instruments when He mindeth to work by Instruments Omnipotency cannot want hands Any of all the Creatures is sufficient in His hand with vermine He made an end of proud Herod If He but speak the word He will therewith command deliverance So that we need not fear though the fig tree should not blossome and though we should see nothing but dry bones and dry bones scattered about the graves mouth so long as this King liveth and reigneth unto whom belong the shields of the Earth Ps. 47 v. last 11. The Lords reigning in Zion may assure us that there are great and rich off-fallings to be had Courtiers fear not want so long as the King possesseth His Throne yea they dar adventure to take on Luck's head as we say and why may not the Lords people also rejoice on Lucks head seing their King shall never be dethroned It is said Esai 32 vers 1. that a King shall reigne in righteousness And what is to follow thereupon See vers 2 3. And a man shall be as an hiding place from the winde and a covert from the Tempest as Rivers of water in a dry place as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land and the eyes of them that see shall not be dim and the eares of them that hear shall hearken 12. This Consideration may fill the souls of his People with Joy and Consolation however matters go with them were they never so low were Enemies never so high were the case of the people of God never so desperat like That Zions King liveth and reigneth is the most encouraging newes that can be The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoice and let the multitude of the Isles be glade thereat Psal. 97 1. There is Joy and gladness here sowen for all the upright in heart Is not the Lord in Zion Is not her King in her Said Ieremie Chap. 8 19. It is a shame that Beleevers should any way carry themselves so as On-lookers might have ground to think that Zions King were not in her or that they themselves did not beleeve that Zions King indeed were reigning CONSIDERATION XVIII The time of Affliction is but short IT is an ordinary thing for people under Affliction to be putting moe hours in their day than twentie foure to be multiplying their yeers and accounting their moneths Yeers their weeks Moneths and their houres Dayes and to be crying out Oh will this life never have an end How long how long will this Cup be holden to my head When shall the day dawn when God shall loose this Yoke from off my neck The Harvest is past and the Summer is ended and we are not saved Ier. 8 vers 20. Will not this year put an end to our trouble How long shall the rod of the wicked rest upon the lot of the righteous How long will God lengthen-out this sad trial These speaches and the like are but too frequent in their mouth and their thoughts are too oft upon this Subject and thus eternizing their sad lot in their mindes or foolishly imagining it will not have an end in hast they multiply their own Sorrow whereas did they calculat by the Scripture-account they would see the time shorter than they now imagine it to be Now to help them as to his We shall 1. Shew what is the Scripture account of the time of Affliction 2. Answere what can be objected to the contrary 3. Show how this Consideration may and should be improven to advantage As to the First The Scriptures give us this account of the matter 1. That it will not be for ever 1 King 11. v. 39. And I will for this afflict the Seed of David but not for ever Though for their iniquities He resolved to punish and afflict the Seed of David yet it will not be for ever And what is here spoken of David's Seed will in some respect agree to the Church and People of God in all ages Ay and there may be here a Meiosis a Figure whereby much more is imported than the words signifie and this not for ever is as much as for a short time It must then be the language of unbeleef to say that God will cast off for ever and that He will be favourable no more for His strokes upon the Godly are not of that nature He may afflict for a time but not for ever 2. The Scripture telleth us that these dayes will be shortened Matth. 20 22. And except those dayes should be shortened no flesh should be saved but for the Elects sake those dayes shall be shortened Christ is speaking there of sore and sharp Tribulation that was to come upon the Land and for the comfort of the Elect He saith that those dayes of Affliction and Tribulation should not long continue but should be shortened for their sake And this will hold good in all Ages the Lord being as careful of His Elect now as then and His Elect being as ready to fainte through long Affliction now as formerly Therefore the ground of this promise continueing we must not say that the promise it self is out of date To say then that Affliction shall never have an end is upon the matter to annul this Promise 3. We finde the Scripture saying That Affliction or the rod of the wicked should not rest upon the Lot of the righteous lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity Psal. 125 v. 3. This promise containeth likewise in the bosome of it a ground of assurance that it is not
expired for as long as the righteous are in hazard of putting forth their hands unto iniquity because of the continuance of the trouble we may eye this promise that the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon their lot this ground will alwayes endure and so the promise bearing this Ground and Reason in its bosome will continue likewise in force We must not then say that Afflictions on the Godly shall never have an end unless we would withall destroy this promise Therefore we may conclude that the People of the Lord shall not be the rest of the burden of the Word of the Lord as it is said of Damascus Zech. 9 1. 4. We are also told in Scripture That the Heaviness of Affliction is but for a Season 1 Pet. 1 6. wherein ye greatly rejoice though now for a Season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations The word rendered for a Season in the original signifieth a little present now to show that this Season is but short a present now without any considerable duration If this were beleeved we could not be crying-out as we are too ready to do Oh will those dayes never be at an end we would see that the little inconsiderable present now or point of time would quickly be over See Revel 6 11. 5. The Scripture tels us of a little while Heb. 10 37. for yet a little while and He that shall come will come c. The expression is mostemphatick in the Original cannot well be rendered to the full as if he had said yet a little how little how little As if it could not be expressed how little the time was to be This little while or appointed time as it is called Habb 2 .3 will soon be over 6. The Scripture pointeth it out to be a very little while Esai 10 25. for yet a very little while and the Indignation shall cease c. In the Original there are two words both of them signifying a little time or a very little time and so it is as much as if he had said a very little little time Sure that time cannot be long which is so short that the shortness of it cannot be expressed Is it not then strange that when the Spirit of the Lord cannot to speak so get words to express the shortness of the duration of their trouble they on the contrary cannot get words sufficiently to express their sense of the length of the time 7. We finde it called by a definite number Ten dayes Revel 2 10. And ye shall have tribulation ten dayes Whereby the shortness of the duration of that tribulation is expressed not that the trouble was to continue just ten dayes but to signifie that it was not to continue long but a short inconsiderable time which the Lord had determined and limited punctually to a day Tribulation will not last alwayes Ten dayes will put a period to it 8. If this be too long we have it expressed as yet much shorter even a night which is no long time Psal. 30 5. Weeping may endure for a night c. The dark disconsolat weeping time will not endure long the few houres of a night will put an end to it It is but a night and a night that hath the dawning of a day following it We should be ashamed then to think or say that our Trouble and Affliction will alwayes last we never saw a night yet but it had a morning of a new day following it 9. If this should yet seem too long we have it denominated from a shorter time as an hour Revel 3 10. there is mention made of an hour of temptation that was to come on all the earth Our Lord sure would hereby confute our errour of construeing the time to be too long when He doth of purpose mention such short measures of time An hour will soon be at an end the few minuts thereof will swiftly post away 10. Nay if this should seem too long we have it expressed by a shorter duration viz. of a moment Ps. 30 5. for his anger endureth but a moment And what can be shorter than a moment Is there any measure of time shorter than a moment And yet by this is the duration of the Anger of God against His Children in afflicting of them expressed Why then should we account that an age which the Lord calleth but a moment So Esai 54 8. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment The word rendered moment signifieth cutting or dividing and so importeth the shortest cutting or division of time The Apostle speaketh thus of it also 2 Cor. 4 17. Our light Affliction which is bâ—…t for a moment The Apostles expression is singular there is a lightness of Affliction and that lightness is but a momentany lightness Now weightiness or lightness is not measured by time yet the Apostle in a most emphatick manner doth so here to shew us that all the weight of the Affliction in comparison of the glory that is coming is meer lightness or is so light that it cannot be measured with the least of weights and therefore he saith it is but a momentany thing like a feather falling on a mans hand and immediatly blown away againe It can be nothing then but shameless unbeleef that saith the time is long 11. Nay which is yet more as if this duration were yet too long it is expressed by a little moment Esai 26 vers 20. As if it were a little part of the least division of time if there be any moment less then another that is the right name of the duration of the Troubles and Afflictions of His People So Esai 54 vers 7. It is called a small moment And can we imagine how it can be less If the People of God had the measuring of the time of their trouble in their own hand could they give it any shorter duration than this Could they imagine a shorter When the Spirit of the Lord expresseth it thus We should be ashamed to think it too long But it will be objected and this is the Second thing I am to speak to That the Lords ordinary dispensation with His people in all ages seemeth to contradict this for ordinarily if not alwayes we see that the Afflictions of His People are of long continuance did not Israel wander Fourty Yeers in the Wilderness After they came into Canaan did they not serve the King of Mesopotamia Eight yeers Iudg. 3 8. and the King of Moab Eighteen vers 14. and the King of Canaan Twenty Yeers Iudg. 4 3. the King of Midian Seven Yeers Iudg. 6 vers 1 Were they not captives in Babylon Seventy Yeers not to mention their being now Non-churched above sixteen hundreth Yeers How then can this time be called and accounted so short For clearing of this we shall propose these few things following to Consideration 1. The time of the Affliction of His people may be accounted
of Death we have within us lest we turn secure and careless 4. To be thankful to God if we be keeped stedfast at any time for that is not of ourselves the Grace and Power of God have done it Therefore let God have the Glory and not we ourselves 12. When once a Beleever in a day of temptation beginneth to fall and loseth a foot he may fall very foulely ere he recover himself Peter lost his foot and spoke an untruth at first simply denying his Master but it came to fearful Oaths Cursings and Execrations ere all was done For 1. The way down-ward is very easie 2. Satan is at hand to drive forward and who can stand when the Devil driveth down ward 3. Conscience being once wounded will be easily made worse If once a little hole be made in the Conscience it is easily made wider for tenderness and watchfulness go away Which should serve as a loud warning to beware of the very beginning of a defection and to guard against the very first breaking-in of waters It is not saife to say such a length I will go and so far I will yeeld to save a staik and to keep my peace but I will go no further It were more wisdom to hold further off the brinke and precipice lest if our foot slip we recover not ourselves so easily againe And we know not what a providential Commission the Lord may give Satan to drive us by his temptations forward to that which we never dreamed of because of our rash and sinful ventureing and bold hazarding upon sin and known dangers It is Wisdom to resist the beginnings of evil then are we strongest and best able to withstand whileas the more we cede and yeeld the weaker we become and the weaker we are we are the more easily driven downward and carried away of the winde of temptation CONSIDERATION XX. Gods Way of delivering his People is hid and mysterious ESAI XLV VERS 15. Verily thou art a God that hidest thy self O God of Israel the Saviour BEcause right thoughts of Gods Mysterious wayes of Working and bringing about Salvation and Deliverance are useful in a dark day we shall speak alittle to this We finde in Scripture frequent mention made of God's hiding himself 1. His Saints are oft complaining of it Iob. 13 v. 24. Wherefore hidest thou thy face So Psal. 10 1. 44 24. 88 14. and they are making it the matter of their lamentation and laying it forth as the ground of their sorrow and griefe 2. We finde this dispensation threatned because of sin Deut. 31 18. And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought 3. We finde it also accordingly executed because of sin Ezek. 39 24. According to their uncleanness according to their transgressions have I done unto them and hid my face from them So Esai 57 17. For the iniquity of his Covetousness was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth See also Esai 59 vers 2. 64 vers 7. 54 7 8. 4. We finde this dispensation accompanied with sad Effects Such as 1. A not hearing of the praiers of his people Esai 1 15. And when ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you Hence these petitions are put up together to God by the Psalmist Psal. 27 7 9. Hear O Lord when I cry with my voice and hide not thy face far from me As upon the other hand when He heareth the cry of His people it is an evidence that His face is not hid Yea these are looked on as one thing so firmly are they knit together Psal. 22 v. 24. Neither hath He did his face from him but when he cried unto Him He heard 2. Sad and grievous Afflictions as Esai 64. 7. Thou hast hid thy face from us and hast consumed us 3. Sad and grievous Afflictions continued together with a not-regairding or owning of them in their Afflictions For so doth the Church complaine Psal. 44 24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our affliction and oppression 4. Trouble and griefe inward Psal 30 ver 7. Thou didest hide thy face and I was troubled So Psal. 88 v. 14. Lord why castest thou off my soul Why hidest thou thy face from me But this is not the hiding whereof the Prophet in this place Esai 45 15. is speaking For the hiding here mentioned is of a far other nature giving us properly to understand That the Lord hath an Unseen Unusual Hid Mysterious Sublime Excellent transcendently and incomprehensibly Glorious way of carrying on His Work of bringing about His holy Purposes and of making good His faithful Promises The circumstances of the Text do fully make out this to be the true and genuine meaning of the words for the whole contexture of what preceedeth and of what followeth is a masse of gracious Promises of great things which the Lord was about to do in the behalfe of His Church and interest and the very particular Instrument King Cyrus by whom the Lord would begin the recovery of the Estate of his Church is designed and his prosperous success in all his attempts against what stood in his way foretold Objections that might arise in his peoples mindes removed and they shamed from their Unbeleeving Querrelling proud and arrogant Contending humore Together with remarkable adjuncts and concomitants of this great change of the Church to the better in their Neighbours Aegyptians Ethiopians and Saâ—…eans as also ruine and destruction foretold to come upon all the Enemies Now in the midst of these thoughts the holy Prophet breaketh out into a rapture of Admiration having in these words an holy Ejaculation and Apostrophe as ravished with the thoughts of these great incredible-like and wonderful matters and the rare and wonderful manner of bringing about this Change Outgate which humane understanding could not comprehend For as one transported with joy wondering he cryeth out in the midest of these Prophecies Verily thou art a God that hidest thy self O God of Israel the Saviour Wherein we may take notice of these foure things 1. The frame of the Prophet and the holy disposition of his soul held forth by this abrupt Ejaculation 2. The matter or occasion of this Rapture and Transport which is twofold for 1. He seeth God hiding himself and 2. in that dark and unseen way he saw him the God of Israel and the Saviour 3. The Manner of Expressing this his admiration with a Verily 4. His venting himself thus in the bosome of God Verily thou art a God c. As to the first the frame of soul which was in the Prophet at this time we may take notice of these Particulars which may withal point-out our duty in a sad day 1. We see the Prophet fixed in the faith and perswasion of the truth of what the Lord was here promiseing concerning his Church and People He was confident and fully perswaded that
the deliverance of the people of God out of the Babylonish Captivity in which they were to be full Seventy yeers would come though at this present while he is getting this discovery and manifestation there was no appearance of their being brought in bondage led away captive out of their own land by the Babylonians far less of their delivery out of that Captivity the people being now dwelling in their owne Land living in peace and quiet far from any molestation from the Caldeans His faith and perswasion of the truth of what the Lord said to Him and by Him was the ground of this his Admiration and Ravishment For what we do not beleeve to be true how rare and uncouth so ever it be it will not ravish us nor cause in us a rapture of Admiration Hence we see all the sayings of God how improbable and unlikely so ever they may be should be embraced with fulness of faith we should with Abraham Rom. 4 18. Against hope beleeve in hope He did not consider his own body now dead nor the deadness of Sarahs womb nor did he stagger at the promise of God through unbeleef but was strong in the faith giving glory to God and was fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able also to performe vers 19 20 21. So no more should we take any notice of the humane improbability and of the many unlikelyhoods and of such things as might to humane reason walking upon humane grounds make the thing promised seem altogether improbable if not impossible But having the firme Word of God who cannot lie nor change there to rest as anchored upon that immovable Rock and ride-out all stormes of carnal Reasonings and corrupt Suggestions and Temptations of Satan 2. We see in the Prophet that all the consideration that he might have had at this time of the Improbabilities small Appearances Difficulties yea and Incredibilities to humane judgment standing as mountaines in the way of the charriot of God's Faithfulness Truth coming With Salvation to his people did but contribute to his more firme and fixed gripping of and cleaving to the Promises and Predictions and raise in his soul an holy Ravishment and Rapture of wondering at this rare and wonderful Work of God which he saw by faith And this should teach us to take notice of the Difficulties and Improbabilities that seem to us to lye in the way of the accomplishment of the great Promises for no other end than this that we may become more fixed in the faith thereby and be raised up to see more of the Glorious Power Truth Goodness and Faithfulness of God and helped to get a fuller look of God as Incomprehensible in all His wayes 3. We may observe here in the frame of the Prophet That he discovered in God something Rare Admirable Excellent and Glorious that ravished him and transported his soul He saw a Divine Holy Mysterie in God's way When the way of the Lord was to humane eyes Unclear Dark and Cloudy he saw the Glory of God shining forth with greater brightness and splendour He saw the Lord while covered as to his way of working with a thick cloud by the eye of faith he pierced the clouds and saw the Invisible Thou art a God Nay he saw that such a way whatever the shallow dim-sighted Reason of Man might apprehend concerning it was God's way and had the manifest lineaments of God engraven upon it he saw that that hid way was God-like and these thick clouds that to humane reason would darken the beauty and lustre of God's Glory did the more set off to him the Divine Glory and Majesty of God O what an excellent frame is this and how useful and necessary for his people in a day of clouds and darkness And what a sharp eagles-eye must faith have that can discover Glory in obscurity and see a rare and singular sight of God even when He is hiding himself and can observe a greater Glory and splendour of Excellency in the clouds and darkness that are about His throne How great must the difference be betwixt that sight of God which a Natural eye measuring things according to the rule of Carnal Reason can get of the most refulgent and self-manifesting Operations of God and that discovery of God which faith getteth in those dispensations of God which have no Glory or Majesty in them unto a Carnal eye How averse and unwilling should the consideration of this make us to judge of God and of his Wayes and Doings by Carnal Reason And how blinde a judge must that be of Gods Wayes and Dispensations 4. We may here take notice in the Prophets frame That he discovereth in the wayes of God about which now his thoughts are occupied an unsearchable Depth a Mystery and Incomprehensibleness For he is like a man walking into the sea and findeth it the longer the deeper and at length is like to drown and there standeth and cryeth out this ocean hath no bottom I shall lose my selfe if I go further He hath been as it were wading in his contemplations of the Mystery of God's wayes with and about his Church and People and as one loseing ground he cryeth out Verily thou art a God that hidest thy self Thy wayes are Incomprehensible Unfathomable and Unsearchable As the Apostle Paul in a case not unlike Rom. 11 33. how unsearchable are his judgments and his wayes past finding out David hath an expression not unlike in his contemplations of God Psal. 145 3. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his greatness is unsearchable 5. It is observable in the Prophets frame That as he discovereth in the wayes of God which were now the matter of his Spiritual Meditation a singular rare Beauty and Divine Excellency a transcendent Glory so he saw this while all these wayes of God were covered with clouds and darkness Even when He was hiding himself and clouds and darkness were round about Him he saw that Righteousness and Judgment were the habitation of his throne as it is Psal. 97 2. Faith can see God in the dark and discover a God hiding himself Faith can go-in thorow clouds and coverings and dark dispensations and see the Glorious God acting in Majesty and carrying on His work in Faithfulness and Truth according to His everlasting Purposes and Faithful Promises This should be our study in the day of God's hiding of Himself as to His visible dispensations and oùtward work in the world 6. We may here also mark in the holy Prophets frame a sutable Submission of spirit holy Acquiescence of soul in this singular and rare way of the Lords bringing-about His Intended Designes There is no footstep here of the holy mans Murmuring Repining Grudging or Quarrelling at this dark and unseen way of the Lord 's ordering His matters but on the contrary we may observe the Prophet stouping putting his mouth in the dust sweetly acquescing in and
submitting to the way howbeit dark unusual and compassed with dark clouds that infinite wisdom thinketh good to take and follow in carrying on His Purposes and Designes of love and mercy to His people Verily thou art a God that hidest thy self c. I see that now would he say that I did not observe before and I am satisfied I have nothing to say against it I close with it and am fully content it be so Such a frame would suite us well let the Lord take what way He will follow what method He thinketh good How uncouth and dark so ever it seemeth to us yet so far should we be from complaining or from a quarrelling discontentedness of minde that we should heartily cheerfully and with full satisfaction of soul comply therewith in heart mind and affection 7. It is observable also in the holy Prophets frame that notwithstanding of all these interveening clouds of Improbabilities Unlikelihoods and dark Dispensations that would seem to cover and hide the comfortable relation that God standeth in unto his Church and People as their Covenanted God and Saviour yet against hope as to humane appearances and carnal reasoning he beleeveth in hope and holdeth this fast that be His dispensations what they will and be the outward and visible appearances of His owning of and appearing for His people never so small and inconsiderable yet He was would be the God of Israel and the Saviour Howbeit the reasonings of flesh and bloud would say God hath forgotten to be gracious and his Promises fail and he will be favourable no more as Psal. 77 v. 7 8 9. Yet he saw that His way was in the Sanctuary and in the sea and His path in the great waters and that though His footsteps could not be seen yet He was leading his people like a flock v. 13 19 20. Such actings of faith in a dark day would be of great use would contribute much to our Establishment keep us from staggering in the day of temptation 8. We may take notice here in this manner of expression of the burning of the holy mans Affections towards God These thoughts of the Lord's Dispensations whereby He appeared a God like himself did not alienate his heart from God nor drive him further from Him but on the contrary they did warm his Affections more and draw him nigher unto God for he is uttering these his Apprehensions of God and of His way even unto God himself saying Verily thou art a God c. It is good when our Meditations of God of His wayes how uncouth strange unusual so ever they be indeed or seem to be work thus upon us are accompanied with a powerful attractive vertue drawing powerfully inclineing the heart soul to approach nigher unto God And when the Lord is rightly seen in any of his wayes how dark soever this will follow upon it the heart will be more engadged unto God the soul will improve these meditations to a noble advantage and have thereby many sweet occasions of heavenly Ejaculations and of Postings of soul toward God 9. It is considerable also in the Prophets carriage while he thus uttereth the whole matter of his thoughts even in the Presence of God and poureth forth his soul into the very bosome of God that he was real and single hearted in all this Exercise it was not a meer rational discursive Contemplation but a real exercise of soul his heart was really in very deed affected with the mater Verily saith he thou art a God that hidest thy self His declaring of the thoughts of his heart unto God saith that he was not formal superficial or for a fashion exercised in this case but was really exercised therewith at the heart his soul was in the meditation and he looked upon it as momentous and weighty and as a matter of high concernment A Formal Superficial Indifferent and Cursory Contemplation of the works and wayes of the Lord should be hateful to us and Uprightness Sincerity and Reality should appear in all our wayes and especially while musing meditating upon the rare Passages of God's Providence Our heart and soul should be in every thought for the subject is grave and weighty and of great concernment 10. Lastly It is obvious enough that the Prophet here is in a transport of Admiration he getteth so broad a sight of this Majestick and God-like way of carrying on His work that he is astonished thereat and ravished with wondering and therefore breaketh out in this holy Apostrophe and Ejaculation verily thou art a God that hidest thy self c. Never do we get a right look of God and of his wayes but when the sight thereof raiseth in us an high admiration and wondering for it is no common and ordinary thing that is to be seen in them when they are seen in the right colours Our not wondering declareth our sight here to be but common and superficial It was no ordinary thing in the eyes of the Jewes when they saw the man leaping and standing walking who had been lame from his Mothers womb Act. 3 8 9. and therefore they were filled with wonder amazement v. 10. When David was musing upon the Lords alseeing knowledge he cryeth out Psal. 139 v. 6. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me it is high I cannot attain unto it Next Let us consider the matter and occasion of this Transport of the holy Prophet what is the thing which he seeth and what are his thoughts busied about causing this Ejaculation First He seeth God hideing Himself Next He seeth Him hiding Himself even while He is the God of Israel and the Saviour or he seeth Him abiding the God Israel and Saviour even while His way is hid and He will not be seen As to the first of these to wit the Lord 's hiding himself that is bringing about the promised deliverance and salvation to his people in a way not discernable obvious to the eyes and observation of every one in a way removed from the sight of ordinary beholders and as to them hid dark under ground and out of the reach of their perception in which is a Soveraigne Majestick Kingly and Stately procedour to be seen by Spiritual eyes and only by such as can see God while covered with clouds and thick darkness And this saith That howbeit in all the wayes and works of the Lord there is a singular rare and divine piece of State Majesty and Glory to be seen by Spiritual observers yet there is sometimes in the Lords bringing about the deliverance and outgate of his People so much hid Mysteriousness and Majestick Imperceptibility that saith to a gracious observer that the Lord is hiding Himself and carrying on his Purposes and perfecting his Work according to such grounds and rules of Divine Policy that every one cannot penetrate thereinto nor discover his Footstpes nor see distinctly the hand of God at work As
hereof 3. When the Lord surprizeth His People with a Mercy and a Deliverance and cometh upon them with an unexpected Out-gate whether 1. As to their present Frame and Fitness for the mercy and delivery Or 2. As to their Present Hopes and Expectation When First I say the Lord cometh with a sweet and merciful delivery unto a People that seem to be in no present capacity for it as being out of all good Frame or Fitness for receiving such a mercy with advantage because lying in their sin and impenitency When the Lord cometh with Salvation unto such a people sure his way must be covered with darkness and hid from the eyes of Beholders with a clothing of Soveraignity for who could think that deliverance were upon its march towards such a people who are not seeking it nor turning from their sinful wayes that the Lord may have mercy upon them according to his usual Method and Order Such steps of Soveraignity are hid steps of Majesty and full of Glory and therein the Lord is hiding Himself and His way coming with Salvation in an unusual path As when he saith Esai 57 17 18. For the iniquity of his Covetousness I was wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart I have seen his wayes and will heal him I will lead him also and restore Comforts unto him and to his mourners Next When the Lord surprizeth a people with a mercy that they are not in Expectation of nor Waiting for then he acteth like a stately King and His Way is Glorious and hid as it was when the Captivity was brought back from Babylon concerning which they say Psal. 126 vers 2. When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion we were like them that dream It is true they had good ground to be now looking for their delivery because of the Prophecy of Ieremiah foretelling that after Seventy Years they should return back to their owne land and Daniel understood so much and thereupon when the time was approaching set himself to pray Dan. 9. But as to the generality they were in all appearance little looking for this outgate but rather fearing more trouble and vexation by Babylons warrs with the Medes and the Persians who were coming against them though the name of Cyrus because of what was foretold by Esai Ch. 44. and 45. might have caused them lift up their heads in hope But notwithstanding of all this we see they were at least as to the generality and bulk of the people little looking for an outgate at this time therefore at the first report of freedom granted to them to returne they were like men that dream scarce beleeving their owne eyes and eares At which time while they were in this dreaming posture how were they surprized with this mercy And how was the way of the Lord in His stately Marchings hid from their eyes In reference to this same Dispensation of deliverance to his People by Crus is the Prophet here crying out thus Verily thou art a God that hidest thy self as the former part of the Chapter from the beginning cleareth 4. When Dispensations upon the one hand and the other say that in humane probability there is no appearance or ground of hope of an outgate or deliverance yet delivery cometh in an unexpected way how hid must the way of the Lord then be Thus He loveth to hide Himself in His advancing with Salvation when there is no appearance to humane Consideration whether mens eye be upon the Enemies or upon the People of God themselves As to Enemies they may 1. Be Strong Mighty and Invincible the Consideration of which might alone be sufficient to dash all hopes as who could have thought that the People of Israel being so under the feet of that mighty Monarch Pharaoh could get out of his Territories and be freed of his mighty Yoke 2. They may not only be strong but prevalent and prospering in their evil way all things succeding according to their mind the Lord as it were shining upon their Counsels and granting to them their hearts desire crossing them in none of their wicked interprizes and designes but even suffering them to devise mischiefe upon their bed and to put it the next day in execution Was it not so with Saul in his wicked persecution of David oftentimes Had he him not sometimes in a net and compassed him about on all hands that there was no apparent escaping and yet deliverance came 3. They may be also Crafty and Politick and lay their traines so sure that they may think they cannot misgive and have all things prepared to their minde that in a moment they may blow up His People that there should not so much as a memorial of them be left and yet be disappointed The Lord in an unseen way may bring about His Peoples deliverance so was it with the people of the Iewes in the dayes of Mordecay when Haman had gote a Commission sealed by the Kings ring and a Decree passed that might not be ranversed or recalled the day appointed and designed and that by a lot as having something like a divine approbation Orders dispatched to put all in execution and thus the mine was ready for the springing what hop could the poor Iewes then have of a delivery And yet behold the Lord was then a God that hid himself He was counter-working this myne and laying a back traine that might cause it spring back upon the Authors and so it did as the Storie cleareth When the Enemies thought themselves sure of their designes and thought it impossible that their purposes could fail behold the God of Israel the Saviour was hiding himself and laying an unseen ambush that cutt them off who thought to have destroyed the Iewes So upon the other hand this God will bring about deliverance to his People When upon their part there is not one toaken for good not one thing apparent that can be a probable ground of hope As 1. When their strength is gone and there are none shut up or left not a man that might be an hopful Instrument to the fore all their valiant Men and Men of Courage and such of whom any thing could be expected destroyed and taken away Yet He who is a God that hideth Himself can come in an unseen way and loveth to come so according to that gracious Word Deut. 32 vers 36. For the Lord shall judge his People and repent Himself for His Servants when he seeth that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left Was it not thus also in the dayes of Deborah when there was not a spear or sheild seen among Fourty Thousand in Israel Iudg. 5 vers 8. 2. When their heart and courage is gone they are desponding and desparing and looking on their own case as hopless and helpless as it is said of the People of Iudah while in Babylon who said Ezek.
37 v. 11. Our bones are dried and our hope is lost we are cut off for our parts Then even then when People can see no hope He who hideth himself can say Prophesie upon these Bones and cause breath enter into them and bring flesh upon them and cover them with skin and put breath in them that they may live Vers. 3 4 5 6 7 c. and make them a strong Army This is among his hid Acts whereof he hath a rich treasure 5. When the meanes which He putteth His peoples upon in order to their deliverance and outgate are such as promise little â—…or nothing being considered abstractly and in themselves being very unlikely in humane probability to effectuate the end designed then and therein the Lord is a God that hideth himself as when he commanded Iosua and the People to compasse Iericho and to blow with Rams Horns who could have thought that that should have proven an adapted mean for bringing to the ground the strong Wals of the City And when Esther was imployed to effectuate the ranversing of the decree given out to destroy all the Iewes who could think that thereby Haman should have been destroyed and all the Enemies of the Iewes Who would have thought that the stirpling David should have killed the great Goliah thereby brought about the defeate of the mighty Army of the Philistines Thus oftentimes the Lord maketh use of most unlikely and improbable meanes that the excellency of the Power and the Glory may be His And He cometh thus in a dark cloud with Salvation without observation that His hand may more eminently appear and be observed and His Salvation be more conspicuous 6. When some very hopful beginning of a good Work of Reformation meeteth with an unexpected stop and impediment to retard it this is one of the wayes wherein the Lord chooseth to hide Himself and His work then is His way covered with a cloud and His footsteps cannot be seen Thus it was when contrary Orders came to stop the building of the Temple after the peoples return from captivity as we read in the Book of Ezra whereby that necessary work so much desired prayed for hoped for and with such earnestness begun was for a considerable time retarded Thus was it also when David was about the bringing up of the Ark out of Kirjath Iearim to set it in its place in the midst of the Tabernacle that was pitched for it and had for this end assembled the Body of the People of Israel and all the chosen Men of Israel Thirtie Thousand and was now rejoiceing before the Lord playing before Him on all manner of Instruments then even then is there an unexpected stop put to the work for when they were advanced to Nachons threshing floor Vzzah one of the Sones of Abinadab put forth in his simplicity his hand to the Ark of God and took hold of it for the Oxen shook it and upon this the Anger of the Lord was kindled against Vzzah and God smote him there for his errour and there he died by the Ark of God 2 Sam. 6 vers 5 6. And upon this the work is stayed for David was afrayed of the Lord that day and would not remove the Ark unto him unto the City of David but carried it aside unto the House of Obed Edom the Gittite where it stayed full three Moneths Vers. 8 9 10 11. See 1 Chron. 13. 7. When even the Godly are left of God to take such courses as do provoke God to anger prove stumbling blocks to the Godly and a strengthening of the wicked in their evil wayes and to bring wrath upon the Land then doth the Lord hide Himself and hath His way in the Sea for who can consider this Dispensation and not be astonied Are the Reasons hereof obvious to all Is there not something singular uncouth and rare in this Dispensation Thus was it when the Lord left Gideon to make that Ephod which proved a snare to him and to his House and an occasion of sin to the Land for it is said All Israel went thither a whoreing after it Iudg. 8 vers 27. And this was when the Lord had wrought a great deliverance by him and had subdued Midian so that they lifted up their heads no more Thus also was it when the Lord left Aaron to make that Calfe in the Wilderness that brought so much Sin and Wrath upon the People as we see Exod. 32 and 33. Deut. 9 vers 8 21. Thus was it also when the Lord suffered David to number the People moved him as it is said 2 Sam. 24 vers 1. or suffered Satan to stand up to provoke him thereunto as it is said 1 Chron. 21 vers 1. A deed that cost Israel dear for therefore the Lord sent a Pestilence that destroyed in three dayes Seventy Thousand Men 1 Chron. 21 v. 14. 2 Sam. 24. 15. 8. So we may conceive the Lord to be a God that hideth himself when we see wicked enemies imployed and actively bestirring themselves in carrying forward the Lords Work It is true when these Enemies are most active in carrying on their wicked Designes and malicious Purposes the Lord who overruleth all as the great Master of Work turneth their desperat wickedness to good and in his Holy Wisdom and by his Irresistible Power maketh that contribute to His ends and to the carrying-on of his Holy Designes for He hath a wheel in the midst of all their wheels and in this the Lords way is indeed in the deep waters so that Enemies cannot perceive this and his own People are oft in the mist and through unbeleefe and faithless fear have oftentimes unsutable thoughts of God and of His Way But the thing that we are now speaking of is a passage of the Lords Providence that is more rare and observable when to wit the Lord will force and necessitate Enemies to do that which is a manifest and plaine setting forward of His work contrare to their owne wills and inclinations as when the Philistines were constrained to send home the Ark to Israel againe 1 Sam. 6 This was a Majestick piece of Providence And that which made the way of the Lord more hid here was this that the Lord would rather bring home the Ark thus than employ the Israelites themselves and send them forth to recover the Ark by a glorious Victory over the Philistines We would readily think that He should rather have done this but He is a God that hideth himself and chooseth what way He thinketh meet 9. The Lord manifesteth himself to be a God that hideth himself in His workings when in His holy Providence He delayeth procrastinateth and suffereth His intended and promised work to meet with retarding hinderances and impediments we would think that when the Lord did so wonderfully and with such an outstretched arme bring the People of Israel out of the furnace of Aegypt to the end he might make good His promise to Abraham
and carrying it on to His glory to their good And this confirmeth their faith in His abiding the same whatever His dispensations be This should let us see as upon the one hand the great goodness and condescendency of God who will lout down and help his weak people who are desirous to fear him and to walk honestly before him in a dark day and will set a prospect to their eye whereby they may see as Moses did from the top of Pisgah the promised land and that great ground of Joy and rejoiceing that the Lord hath not forsaken His people so upon the other hand it should point-out our duty to wit to be living nigh God even while He is hiding Himself and pursuing after an hid God to the end He may lead us while we are in the dark and hold us by our right hand that we stagger not through unbeleef and fall but may be helped through his grace to a sight of Him as the God of His people even when He hideth himself whereby we should have many advantages As 1. This sight of God in such a day as it would set us with earnestness to pray so it would encourage us to continue instant in prayer knowing that the return would come in due time seing the Lords mind were not altered His affections remained the same His relation to Interest in His people was not changed therefore He would hear and helpe in due time 2. This sight would strengthen the child of God unto all Patience in waiting when he saw that the Lord would come and that the coming of the Lord drew nigh he would waite and stablish his heart in waiting as the husband man waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth Iam. 5 7 8. And by this patience as he would establish his heart as this place of Iames sheweth so he would possesse his soul Luk. 21 vers 19. 3. It would also strengthen fortifie confirme their hope for faith discovering this sight would make the soul stretch its hands thorow the dark cloud to grip the glorious promises lying hid in the other side and embrace them Those worthies mentioned Heb. 11. though they did not receive the promises yet having seen them a far off being perswaded of them they are said to have embraced them vers 13. 4. This would keep up their head and cause them sing in hope they would rejoice in the midst of their Affliction and notwithstanding of all the present and apparent impossibilities in the way of the Lords return of recovering his work they yet would rejoice with joy unspeakable full of Glory because they would see the Lord would come and subdue Nations and loose the loins of Kings and open the two leaved gates and break in pieces the gates of brasse and cut asunder the bars of yron Esai 45 1 2. But if it be said When the Lord is not pleased to lead poor beleevers into these secrets in a dark night nor grant them the use of such a lanterne whereby they may see their way nor such a discovery of the grounds of the immutability of this Relation what can poor beleevers do in that case The answere lyeth in that which we may Thirdly Observe from these words of the Prophet as pointing forth the duty of the people of God in such a case after the Prophets example seing for this end this is here set down to wit That in a day wherein the Lord is hiding Himself as to the way of bringing about the promised salvation and out-gate of His Church and People it is the duty of all beleevers to be asserting this Relation of the Lord 's to and interest in His Church and People as their God and Redeemer and to be closeing with Him and griping to Him as such let dispensations seem never so manifestly to speak out the contrary be never so discouraging to them in that adventure For we see the Prophet and doubtless this was left on record for our instruction in the like case and while under the same circumstances even while he is beholding and considering God as hiding Himself laying hold upon Him as Israels God and as the Saviour and asserting this as a Truth to which he would stand which he would owne let matters go as they would This doth include these things 1. That in such a day as this which was mentioned the People of the Lord should look upon it as their duty to Professe Declare and Avow that the Lord is Israels God keeping fast His Relation and Close with Him Grip to to Him Accept of Him and Adhere to Him as such 2. Thatin such a day specified they should certainly expect that he will answere that Relation and be indeed a Saviour And Salvation should be looked for from Him alone none else from no other airth Thou art the Saviour The first of these is manifest from these Particulars 1. That no dispensation we meet with will warrand His people to have mistaking thoughts of Him or to stand aback from laying hold on Him For they are not sent for that end but rather to drive them nigher to him and to urge them to a more firme and fixed adhering to Him Windy blasts will not cause us hold a more careless grip of our cloaks but rather cause us hold them faster 2. The darker the dispensation be our need of holding Him fast is the greater and so our call the more loud 3. This is the way to get the sanctified use of such Dispensations and to win to the right improvement of them And without this we cannot carry aright under these and the like dispensations 4. This is the proper season for Faith to bud and appear in and to bring forth Fruit And this is the native and kindly exercise of Faith in such a day 5. This is the only way to get a right frame of Spirit under such a dispensation and to carry as beleevers ought to do 6. This is the only way to be keeped stedfast faithful and unmovable in that day of darkness and without this the soul is exposed to all the tempestuous on sets blasts of the Enemie Hereby noly is the beleever keeped fast anchored on the rock that will not fail The second Note is likewise clear upon these grounds 1. Because in such a dark day Faith should be exercised and that is the proper season wherein faith should appear and should grow that is as it were the soil wherein faith should bring forth fruit When the knife was at the throat of Isaak the Son of the promise and the first and only sprout and appearance of that seed in whom all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed yet Abraham the father of the faithful beleeved that God was Faithful and True and would be his Salvation 2. Thus the Lord is glorified when blow stormes as they will and temptations to a despareing desponding of heart be never
so they determine the manner of the events â—…alling out that Natural Causes shall produce such an event naturally and necessarily and Free and Contingent Causes shall inâ—…vitably produce such an effect but freely and contingently according to their Nature as that the Iewes should kill Christ and do what they did against him but yet through no necessity of nature but freely and of their owne accord out of malice and enmity as also that the souldiers should pierce Christ's side and not break a bone of Him and all that most freely without any compulsion or constraint upon their wils Whereby we might â—…ee if we were compliant with the holy Will Workings of God that the decrees of God are so far from everting destroying the Liberty of the will of man that on the contrary they establish confirme the same But let men imagine it to be never so crooked we must hold by this That God did from all eternity freely unchangably ordaine whatsoever comes to passe even the most contingent things Act. 2 23. 4 27 28. Prov 16 23. 8. So to make the wayes of God straight and even which otherwise men imagine would be crooked Some as our Quakers with others imagine that People may be saved that never heard of Christ by yeelding Obedience to the law and light of Nature or by following the guide of the works of Creation and Providence or a Light within them as they speak But what their condition is who are without Christ the Scripture sufficiently sheweth Ephes. 2 12. they are strangers from the Covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world And that the light of Nature can only helpe to make Persons without excuse Rom. 1 20. But passing these and the like which are mater of controversie let us mentione some others of God's works which men suppose to be crooked As 1. When it is as Eccles. 8 14. There be just men to wâ—…om it happeneth according to the work of the wicked and againe there be wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the righteous that is when as to the outward things in the world It is just otherwise as we would think should be the wicked prosper and their eyes stand out with fatness they increase in riches and have more then they could wish they are not in trouble nor plagued as other men and there are no bands in their death as it is Psal. 37 3 4 5 12. And upon the other hand the Godly man he is oppressed with Poverty and Affliction plagued all the day chastened every morning This was such a rugged and uneven path that the honest Man of God Asaph could not hold his feet in it but was like to fall and break his neck concluding that it was in vaine to minde piety veriâ—…y said he vers 13 I have cleansed my heart in vaine and washed my hands in Innocency And such a crook was this that he could not get it set straight till he went into the sanctuary of God vers 17 This mistake made Iobs friends go so wilde in their reasonings against him and to conclude him an hypocrite because he met with such hard outward dispensations at the hands of the Lord for they could not see how God should deal with a Godly man as He dealt with Iob that was so crooked a piece of work that they thought God would never have made it But Iob understood the matter otherwise and told them Chap. 9 22. This is one thing therefore I said it He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked So Ch. 12 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. he enlaâ—…geth upon this theame 2. When it is as Eccles. 4 1. So I returned and considered all the oppressions that are done under the Sun anâ—…â—…ehold the tears of such as were oppressed and they had no comforter and on the side of their oppressours there was power but they had no comforter That is when the innocent are oppressed in their Name Goods Rights and Person and made to cry out bitterly because of their oppression and yet have none to take their part or helpe them or speak comfortably unto them noâ—… power to helpe and relieve themselves but on the contrary their oppressing enemies have power and might enough to bear them more downe oppress them This seemeth a crooked piece of work and yet the Lord hath so ordered matters that it is oft so with the innocent We see what Iob was made to say Chap. 6 14. To him that is Afflicted pity should â—…e sheâ—…ed from his friend but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty 1â—… my Brethren have deaâ—… decâ—…itfully as a brook as the streams of brooks they passe away And How Habbakuk looked upon this Chap. 1 13 14 15 16 17. Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he And makest men as the fishes of the sea as the creeping things that have no ruler over them c. This seemeth to many to be a very crooked passage of Providence and they think the judge of the whole earth should order matters otherwise and not a few are stumbled hereat and tempted to think that God hath forsaken the earth 3. When it is as Eccles. 7 15. there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness and there is a wicked mâ—…n that prolongeth his life in his wickedness This seemeth also a crooked passage in the Lord's way Work to many who look upon the Lord and his way and working with eyes of flesh How oft hath it thus fallen out Honest Naboth experienced this 1 King 21. So did Ioh Baptist when he was so basely and unworthily cut off and that in his righteousness So also the Martyres of the Lord in all ages Honest Ier miah thought this a secret that he could not be satisfied in and a ground whereupon he would go plead with God Chap. 12. 4. Yea when it is but as Eccles. 9 v 2 3. it seemeth crooked to many who would have a visible difference in external things alwayes put betwixt the Righteous and the Wicked And yet we see the Wise Mans Observation was that no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them All things saith he come alike to all there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked to the good and to the clean and to the unclean to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not As the good so the sinner he that sweareth as he that feareth an Oath This is an evil among all things that are done under the Sun that there is one event unto all Our carnal Reason would think that God should so rule and governe the world as that all might be in case to observe a palpable difference betwixt the Godly and the Wicked even in external
accuse Him of unrighteous dealing As those whom Paul bringeth-in reasoning against the truth of God and saying Rom 9 19. Why doth he yet finde fault For who hath resisted his will To whom he answereth Vers. 20 21. Nay but o man who art thouâ—… that answerest againe or disputest against God or repliest against God c. As if he had said Hath not the Lord Power and Soveraignity in that matter to do what he will as well as a Potter hath over a bit clay May not God dispose of His Clay which he made Himself as well as the Potter may do of the Clay which he made not and is not the Creator of but was created to his hand by the same God that created himself Why then dost thou quarrel with Him or disputest against Him Canst thou help the matter Canst thou make that straighter than it is 3. When we corrupt the truthes of God and abuse them perverting them to our corrupt and licentious Ends like that saying Rom. 6 vers 1. Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound And againe Vers. 15. Shall we sin because we are not under the Law but under grace And Chap. 7 v. 7. Is the Law sin So Chap. 3 v. 31. Do we then make void the Law through faith These and the like Objections which Paul in his Epistles preoccupieth shew what the corrupt heart and reasonings of men are set upon and how prone they are to turne the Grace of God into lasciviousness and to pervert the right Wayes of the Lord. Whereby they clearly demonstrate how displeased they are at the holy Truths and Wayes of God and how ready to thraw and pervert them that they may become more straight then they seem to them at present to be 4. When we Fret Repine Grumble and Grudge in our minde against any of the Lords Dispensations in and about us or our concernments This was the great sin of Israel they murmured against the Lord and against Moses Exod. 15 and 16 and 17. Numb 14 and 16 and 17. 1 Cor. 10 10. They were dissatisfied in their mindes and repined and murmured against the Lord and hereby they said they would have the wayes and dispensations of the Lord altered towards them they were crooked and they would have them made more straight 5. When our hearts do not sweetly comply with the Wayes and Dispensations of the Lord or we learne not nor study Christian Submission We should submit ourselves unto the Lord I am 4 vers 7. and humble ourselves under his mighty hand 1 Pet. 5 v. 6. We should be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits Heb. 12. vers 9. even when he Crosseth Chastneth and Afflicteth us But when we forget this Christian Duty we declare our displeasure at Gods wayes and dealings with us and say that we would have his work amended and that made straight which He hath made crooked 6. When we are Impatient and cannot waite God's leasure but take sinful courses to deliver ourselves or sit down discontented and sinfully longe for an outgate then we declare our dissatisfaction with God's way and would have his dispensations altered and matters running in another channel As when the labouring man would have the day of harvest the next week after the seed is cast into the ground he is displeased with Gods Order and Appointment of some Moneths interveening Whileas we should have Patience and waite Gods time with Patience I am 5 7 8. Luk. 8 15. 2 Pet. 1 v. 6. I am 1 4. Rom. 12 12. 7. When we are discontented with our own lot and grudge at others as having a better lot than we have an evil which Iames condemneth Iam. 5 vers 9. and which plainly sayeth we would amend Gods work and set straight what He hath made crooked As that wicked King was displeased when he heard the message of the Lord 1 Kings 20 42 43. 8. When we are excessively Anxious and Disquieted in our minde as to any passage of Providence that we meet with or as to any crosse that befalleth us David checketh his own soul as to this Ps. 42 vers 5 11. and 43 5. saying Why art thou disquieted within me We are discharged to be careful thus with a sinful anxiety for any thing Phil. 4 v. 6. 1 Cor. 7 32. But When we are thoughtful we clearly say that we would faine make straight what God hath made crooked though Christ hath told us Matth. 6 27. that by taking thought we cannot adde one cubite to our stature 9. When though we dar not speak against God in sending a crosse upon us yet we are not satisfied with the Manner or Measure or Season or Duration and Continuance or the Instrument of our crosse but say we would choose any other crosse but this we would be satisfied if it were not so Bitter and so Heavy and so Insupportable we would have taken it well had it come upon us at any other time than now we would most chearfully have borne it if it had been of shorter Continuance and had any other person been the Instrument thereof we would have laid our hand upon our mouth all which and the like though they seem to insinuate some sort of Submission yet are plaine Declarations that we think the way of the Lord crooked and that we would have matters better ordered and all things made more straight and even than they are 10. When in our prayers there is not that submission unto the holy and soveraigne Will of the Lord that ought to be but rather a limiteing of the holy One of Israel and a sinful unwarrantable Importunity as to things not necessary in themselves nor for us without submission of soul unto the holy Will of the Lord as to the Manner Time and Measure of the Lords granting of our suites When our Prayers are not commensurate unto the Promises as to their Substance nor put up with Submission to God's Will and Soveraignity as to the Manner Measure Season Way and the like circumstances which the great God hath keeped in His own hand By these and the like wayes we declare our dissatisfaction with the wayes and works of God and account them crooked and think and endeavoure though in vaine to make straight what God hath made crooked An evil at which God is highly displeased Wo unto him saith the Prophet Esai 45 vers 9 10. that striveth with his maker Let the Potsheards strive with the Potsheards of the Earth shall the Clay say to him that fashioneth it what makest thou Or thy work he hath no hands Wo unto him that saith to his Father what begettest thou Or to the woman what hast thou brought forth And the great sinfulness of this sin appeareth in these Particulars 1. It is a striveing against the Lord in the place now cited the word in the Original signifieth a Contending in judgment as Lam. 3 vers 58. Leading a processe against one Judging or Sentenceing in judgment so
also a Chideing Contending withfighting as Gen. 26 vers 20 22. So that this sin is a calling of the most High to an account and a bringing of Him before our judgment-seat as Iob 33 13. Where the the same verbe is used Why dost thou strive against him Or why dost thou call Him before thy tribunal summond Him to compear before thee or contend with Him in judgment or plead against Him He answereth not he giveth no account of his matâ—…s to any 2. It is a rebelling against the Lord. When the People of Israel murmured against the Lord and against Moses and Aaron Numb 14 v. 1 2 3. Moses said unto them Vers. 9. Only rebel not ye against the Lord. So it is said Psal. 78 vers 40. How oft did they rebel against him in the wilderness in the margine See Vers. 8. 3. It is a manifest calling his Wisdom in question and a saying that He is not wise enough to order and dispose matters aright As if He were not mighty in wisdom Iob 36 vers 5. Our Wisdom were to cease from our own Wisdom Prov. 23 vers 4. and to beleeve though we should not see that in wisdom he hath made the heavens and all Psal. 104 vers 34. and 136 vers 5. and hath established the world in wisdom Ier. 10 vers 1â—… and 51 v. 15. And not think to give Him Counsel and Advice how He should rule the world for there are Depths of Wisdom and of Knowledge in Him Rom. 11. 33. that we should think upon with Admiration for if in our wisdom we think to correct His wayes and quarrel against them and not comply with them he will destroy the Wisdom of the wise 1 Cor. 1 19 20. O what a guilt must this be to proclame ourselves wiser than He is and better able to order all things aright at least what concerneth ourselves The very hauk will not flie by our wisdom Iob 39 26. and shall we think to prescribe Rules to God 4. It is a calling in question of His Absolute Power and Soveraignity As if He might not do what he pleased but were obnoxious to us and bound to give an account of his wayes to us or could do injustice or wrong to any As if he had not that Power over His Creatures to whom he hath given being and all they have that the Potter hath over the lump of Clay or we have over our beasts which are our fellow-creatures and hold not their being of us And must not this be a great sin 5. When we are sinfully anxious and disquieted with his Dispensations towards his Church We call into question His Faithfulness and Care of and also his Love to his Church as if he had forgotten to be gracious and would be merciful no more and cared not that she perished as Christs Disciples said Mark. 4 38. contrare to 1 Pet. 5 7. And this sure must be no small sin 6. We hereby proclame Him to be an imperfect Worker and say that He is not God for his works who is God cannot but be perfect and his Way also Deut. 32 4. 2 Sam. 22 31. 7. We profess ourselves hereby able to finde out the depths of His wayes and to search Him out unto Perfection as was said to Iob Chap. 11 v. 7. Why else will we think to reprove Him and amend what He hath done as if it were amisse 8. When we are dissatisfied with His Dispensations towards us we really accuse the Most Holy of Injustice as if indeed He had wronged us and we had deserved better at His hands though all His wayes are Judgment and though He be a God of Truth and without Iniquity and just and right Deut. 42 vers 4. Eliphaz said to Iob after he heard his complaints Chap. 3. Iob 4 vers 17. Shall mortal man be more just than God Shall a man be more pure than his Maker Elihu said well Iob 34 vers 17. Shall we condemne him that is most just What a sin must it be to lay such an Imputation on Him who hath justice and judgment for the habitation of his throne Ps. 89 vers 14 and who is excellent in power and in judgment and in plenty of Iustice Iob 37 vers 23 Next The Consideration of this should cause us watch against this evil and labour for another frame of heart that will be more complying with the Wayes and Works of the Lord. And for this cause we should take another look of the Works of the Lord and consider them in another manner than we usually do and this bringeth me to the Third thing in the Text which will also lead us to a further improvment of this impossibility of helping what we suppose is amisse in the Works and Dispensations of the Lord. Thirdly Therefore let us see what way we should consider the Works of the Lord to the end we may have a suteable frame of spirit complying sweetly with all the crooks that are or we suppose to be in Gods Way and Works for in reference to this only shall we speak of considering the Works of the Lord. We should then consider the Works of the Lord whether of Creation or of Providence 1. So as that thereby we may become rooted and more setled in the Faith of this that He alone is Iehovah above all Gods and this would do much to quiet and calme our spirits For our murmuring at or displeasure with what He doth floweth from the want of the clear sight and apprehension of the hand of the only Supream and Soveraigne God therein Hence to the end that people may set Him above all imagined false and supposed God's he readeth a lecture to them of His great works Esai 40. from vers 12. and forward and inferreth once and againe vers 18 25. to whom then will ye liken God Or what likeness will ye compare with him So he setteth forth several remarkable works that He would do for his Church that they may see and know and consider and understand together that the hand of the Lord hath done this and that the holy One of Israel hath created this Esai 41 vers 20. And when we consider His Works so as to see Him alone to be Jehovah the Absolute and Soveraigne King Creator Conservator and Disposer of all Things according to His own will and pleasure then our hearts will bow more and submit unto His holy Determination and we will learne to say with good old Eli 1 Sam. 3 18. It is the Lord Jehovah let him do what seemeth him good 2. We should consider the works of the Lord till we finde thereby that He alone is the wise Governour of the World and that there is a beauty of Divine Wisdom to be seen and observed on all even on that which we account most crooked in our blinde and byassed judgments Thus did holy Iob Chap. 12. contemplate the most crooked like works of the Lord such as His breaking down shutting up of
they fast I will not hear their cry but I will consume them by the Sword by the Famine and by the Pestilence So the Prophet Ezekiel Ch. 24. seeth Ierusalem in the likeness of a pot full of pieces and she is called Vers 6. the pot whose scum is therein and is not gone out of it she would cast away none of her abominations and therefore the Lord said Vers 9. Wo to the bloudy City I will even make the pile for fire great Vers 10. Heap on wood kindle the fire consume the flesh and spice it well and let the bones be burnt Vers 11. Then set it empty upon the coals thereof that the brasse of it may be hot and may burn and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it and that the soumme of it may be consumed She would not put away her scum in time and therefore the Lord will put an end to it in her destruction and He will not be hindered for it is added Vers 13 14. In thy filthiness is leudness because I have purged thee and thou mast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee I the Lord have spoken it it shall come to passe and I will do it I will not go back neither will I spare neither will I repent c. The same was the sin of Israel for saith Hosea Ch. 7 10. And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face and they do not return to the Lord their God nor seek Him for all this So Chap. 11 7. And my People are bent to back sliding from me though they called them to the most High none at all would exalt Him They hardened their necks that they might not hear God's Words Therefore the Lord said Ier. 19 15. that He would bring upon Ierusalem and upon the rest of the Towns all the evil that He had pronounced against it It was this same People of which Zephaniah spaketh Chap. 1 12. That were setled on their lees and said in their heart the Lord will not do good neither will He do evil Upon which dreadful and desolating strokes are denounced to the end of that Chapter 10. When a People under their sins turne brutish sensual and senseless regarding nothing that the Lord is either doing or saying by His Servants or Dispensations but following their pleasures then an alarming and destroying stroke that shall not be turned away may be feared according to that Esai 22 v. 12 13 14. And in that day did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping and to mourning and to baldness and to girding with sackcloth and behold joy and gladness slaying Oxen and killing Sheep eating Flesh and drinking Wine Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die And it was revealed in mine eares by the Lord of Hosts surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die saith the Lord God of Hosts The like we have pronounced by Amos Chap. 6 v. 1 c against such as are at ease in Zion put far away the evil day lye upon beds of yvory stretch themselves upon their couches and eat the Lambs out of the Flock and the Calves out of the midst of the Stall that chant to the sound of the viol invent to themselves Instruments of musick like David that drink wine in bowls anoynt themselves with the chiefe oyntments but they are not grieved for the Affliction of Ioseph Now see what the Lord threatneth upon this account Ver. 7. and forward confirming the same with an Oath Vers 8. to shew the immutability of this Counsel 11. When People are so far from taking conviction and making challenges welcome and from humbling themselves before the Lord in the sense of their iniquities that they will justifie their owne wayes and plead themselves innocent before God Then there being no more hop of their recovery their case seemeth desperat and they may expect a final blow For this was also the sin of this People of Iudah as we see Ier. 2 v. 23 How canst thou say I am not polluted I have not gone after Baalim Therefore Vers 24. their moneth must come wherein they shall be found and taken So Vers 35. Yet thou sayest because I am innocent surely his anger shall turn from me What followeth Behold I will plead with thee because thou sayest I have not sinned So that the Lord is engaged so much the more to plead His controversie against them and make them and the world both see by sad effects how guilty they have been Also we see how the Lord justifieth His procedour with this same People by Ezekiel Chap. 11. throughout they would say that all these calamities which they did meet with and were yet to meet with came not on them for their own sins but for their Fathers sins their Fathers said they had eaten sowre grapes and their teeth was set on edge and therefore they concluded that the way of the Lord was not equal but the Lord in that Chapter is vindicating Himself and evinceing that they were as guilty as their Fathers did tread in their Fathers footsteps approving all that their Fathers did and therefore could not plead innocent See likewise Ezek. 33 11 to 20. 12. When People will go on in their wickedness and shelter themselves under an outward Profession of Religion and Piety then it is to be feared that God shall vindicat His Name and His Glory in the sight of the Nations and make it appear that His outward worship and service shall be a scug to no profane Person For this was also the sin of this People Jer. 7 3 4. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel amend your wayes and your doings and I Will cause you to dwell in this place Trust ye not in lying words saying the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these Because they had the Temple among them they thought all should be well and they should never be ruined do what they pleased But the Lord in the following Verses manifesteth that all that should no more save them than it saved Shiloh and then addeth Vers 15 16. And I will cast you out of my sight as I have cast out all your Brethren the whole Seed os Ephraim Therefore pray not thou for this People c. So saith the Lord by Esaias Ch. 1 11 c. To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices c. The Lord cared for none of these things when their outward walk was not answerable to their profession He would not hear their Prayers Vers 15. So Esai 66 3 4. He thereupon threatened to choose their delusions as they had chosen their own wayes and that in which He delighted not See also Amos 5 21 to 23. Micah laith his to the charge of this same People Chap. 3 11. The heads thereof judge for reward
and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for money Yet will they lean upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us none evil can come upon us But what followeth upon this Vers 12. Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field and Jerusalem shall become heaps and the mountaine of the House as the high places of the forest 13. When iniquity aboundeth particucularly amongst Church-men who should both by their doctrine example have reclamed the people from their sinful courses then the matter seemeth desperat and God must be avenged on all together Hence we see this same people charged with this Jer. 2 8 9. The Priests said not where is the Lord And they that handle the Law knew me not The Pastors also transgressed against me and the Prophets Prophesied by Baal walked after things that do not profite Wherefore I will yet plead with you saith the Lord and with your Childrens Children will I plead See also Ch. 6 14 15. and 8 11 12 13. There was falshood among the Priests and the Prophets and they healed thehurt of the daughter of Gods People slightly saying Peace Peace when there is no Peace And therefore followeth Vers 13. I will surely consume them c. So Ezek. 22 25 26. There is a conspiracy of her Prophets in the midst thereof they have devoured souls her Priests have violated my Law and have profaned my Holy things c. Therefore as it followeth Vers 31. have I poured out mine indignation upon them I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath their own way have I recompensed upon their heads saith the Lord God See also Hos. 4 v. 6 7 8 9. and 9 vers 8. 14. When a People lay not God's controversie to heart when He is pleading the same against them by lesser judgments nor are taking warning thereby but notwithstanding thereof are going on in their sins then it is to be feared that God shall once for all send a consuming stroke that they shall not evite for this was also the sin of this People as we see Jer. 5 3. Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction So Chap 2 30. and 12 v. 11. Thus was it also with Israel Amos 4 v. 6. and forward to the end several particular judgments are there mentioned but they wrought them not up unto a returning to the Lord vers 6 8 10 12. And then a nameless Judgment or a Judgment without a parallel a judgment that could not be expressed is threatned and they are bidden prepare for it vers 12. Therefore thus will I do unto thee O Israel because I willd o thus unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel See Amos 7. where also several Judgments are mentioned but the Lord made not yet a full end But at length vers 8. He saith I will not againe passe by them any more And so againe Chap. 8 2. See likewise Zeph. 3 7. Esai 1 v 5 6 7 8. 15. When oppression injustice rageth among a people then is there just ground to fear such an overflowing blow Violence was one of the sins that brought on the floud on the old world Gen. 6 11 14. And for this sin was Ierusalem threatned with destruction Esai 1 21 23 24. How is the faithful city become an harlot they judg not the fatherless neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them Therefore thus saith the Lord the Lord of hosts ah I will ease me of mine adversaries and avenge me of mine enemies So Jer. 7 6. they were oppressing the stranger the fatherless and the widow and shedding innocent blood As also Jer. 22 17 18. And therefore are sore judgments threatned against their King Iohojakim vers 18 19. that he should be buried with the burial of an asse drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Ierusalem We see what was threatned against Israel Amos 2 6 7 8. For this sin of selling the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of â—…hoes for panting after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor turning aside the way of the meek and laying themselves down upon cloths laid in pledge drinking the wine of the condemned in the house of their God See also Amos 8 4 5 6. where this sin of unrighteousnese and oppression is charged upon them and then followeth vers 7. The Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob surely I will never forget any of their works 8. shall not the land â—…remble for this every one mourn that dwelleth therein c. So Mic. 2 1 2. the like sin is charged upon that people and then it followeth V. 3. Therefore thus saith the Lord behold against this family do I devise an evil from which ye shall not remove your necks And utter desolation is threatned v. 4 5. And v. 10. It is said Arise ye depairt for this is not your rest c. See likewise Ch. 3 1 2 3 4. and againe v. 9 10 11 12. Habbakuk also saw this sin in Judah Chap. 1 2 3 4. Violence Iniquity Grievance Spoiling Strife and Contention no Judgment but wrong Judgment Therefore v. 5 6. c. an incredible work of Judgment was to be wrought and the Caldeans were to be sent against them So was the like threatened by Zephaniah Ch. 1 3 7 9. for the same sin and 3 v. 3. See Es. 5 23. to the end 16. When people will not follow Gods way and turne at His reproof but go on in their sin and when evil cometh upon them use carnal shifts to save themselves and run to the arme of flesh then it is to be feared that God's anger shall break-out and burn without remedie For this was also the sin of Iudah they would not turn to God but trust in Egypt and Assyria in their strait Ier. 2 8 9 36 37. So Es. 8 6 7 8. For as much as this people râ—…fuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly and rejoice in Rezin and in Remaliah's Son Now therefore behold the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river â—…rong and many even the King of Assyria and he shall passe thorow Iudah and shall overflow and go over c. So Hos. 5 13 v. 14. When Ephraim saw his sickness Iudah his wound then went Ephraim to the Assâ—…rian I will be unto Ephraim as a lion and as an young Lion to the house of Iudah I I will tear and go away I will take away and none shall rescue And againe Chap. 7 11 12. Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart they call to Egypt they go to Assyria When they shall go I will spread my net upon them I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven I will chastise them as their congregation hath heard And againe Ch. 8 8 9 10 Israel is swallowed-up
now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure for they are gone up to Assyria 17. When people settling on their lees grow secure and carnally confident as afraid of nothing as if they were without the reach of God's hand and all hazard then it is to be feared that God shall make it appear that He is stronger than they For this likewise was the sin of Iudah Ier. 21 13 14. Behold I am against thee O Inhabitant of the valley and rock of the plaine saith the Lord which say who shall come down against us or who shall enter into our habitations But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof and it shall devoure all things round about This was also charged on Israel by Amos Chap. 6 13. Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought which say have we not taken to ourselves horns by our own strength For which cause see what followeth Vers 14. But behold I will raise up against you a nation O ouse of Israel saith the Lord the God of Hosts and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the Riâ—…er of the Wilderness The like we finde Amos 9 10 All the sinners of my People shall die by the Sword which say the evil shall not overtake nor prevent us See Ezek. 9 9 10. 18. When a People have followed these courses of sin notwithstanding of many reiterated warnings and admonitions given by the Lords Servants then it is to be feared that God shall wait upon them with warnings no longer but shall once for all send a devouring stroke that they shall not with all their cries get prevented nor taken off them according to that Prov. 29 1. He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddainly be destroyed and that without remedie And that Prov. 1 2â—… to 31. Because I have called and ye refuseâ—… c. I also will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear cometh when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a whirle winde Then shall ye call upon me but I will not answere c. Thus was it with this People of Iudah Jer. 7 13. And now because ye have done all these works saith the Lord and I spoke unto you riseing up early and speaking but ye heard not I called you but ye answered not Then it followeth Vers 14 15. Therefore will I do unto this House as I have done to Shiloh And I will cast you out of my sight as I have cast out of my sight all your Brethren The whole Seed of Ephraim And then He addeth Vers 16. Therefore pray not thou for this People The same sin is againe charged upon them Vers 25 26 27 28. And then it followeth Vers 29. Cut off thine Hair ô Jerusalem and cast it away and take up a lamentation for the Lord hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath So Jer. 25. vers 3. the Prophet tels them in the fourth Yeer of Jeâ—…ojakim that he had spoken unto them 23. Year viz. from the 13. Year of Jâ—…siah but in all vaine and Vers 4. that the Lord had sent unto them all his servants the Prophets but all was in vaine Vers 7. Therefore sad judgments are threatened Vers 8 9 10 11. even utter desolation and slavery under the King of Babylon full 70 Years Vers 12. See also Ch. 29 17 18 19. and 35 17. This was Israels sin also Hos. 5 2 and 6 5 6 7. and 9 17. My God will cast them away because they did not hearken unto Him And they shall be wanderers among the Nations 19. When People not only will not take warning but also tush at warnings then may they fear that God shall be avenged upon them for thus was it with this People of Judah Jer 5 11 12 13. For the House of Israel and the House of Jâ—…dah have dealt very trecherously against me They have belied the Lord and said It is not He neither shall evil come upon us neither shall we see sword nor famine And the Prophets shall become winde and the word is not in them Therefore is destruction by the Caldeans threatned in the following Verses 14 15 16 17. See also Ier. 6 10 11 12. So Jer. 18 v. 12 13. When the Lord threatned sad dayes to come upon them all the use they made of it was They said there is no hop but we will walk after our own devices and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart We know what that wicked King did with the roll of threatenings Ierem. 36. but see what followed thereupon Vers 30 31. andanother roll is written with additions Vers 32. 20. When People turn so impudent in their wayes and so fixed in their sinful courses that there is no moving of them by all the warnings that can be used nay they become enraged at and persecute such as do admonish them or exhort them to amend then the case seemeth to be desperat and their destruction must come for thus was it with Judah 2 Chron. 36 15 16 They mocked the Messengers of God and misused His Prophets until the Lord arose against his People till there was no remedy And what sufferings Jeremiah met with at their hands for his faithfulness his book telleth us Chapters 11 and 26 and 38. So was it with Israel Amos 5 10. They hate him that rebuketh in the gate they abhore him that speaketh uprightly See also Amos 7 10. to the end Upon which followed Chapter 8 v. 2. the end is come upon my People Israel I will not againe passe by them any more How much more may a People or a generation among whom not one or two or a few onely of those sins are to be found but all of them fear that such a stroke be coming that no prayer or humane intercession shall avert The Lord tels us by Ezekiel Ch. 14. that when He breaketh the staff of bread and sendeth famine on a land because of their trespassing grievously though these three Men Noah Daniel and Job were in it they should deliver but their own souls Vers 13 14. And againe if He spoile the land by noisome beasts though these three Men were in it they should deliver neither Sons nor Daughters c. Vers 15 16. So when He bringeth a Sword upon the Land v. 17 18. or a Pestilence v. 19 20. And then addeth v. 21. How much more when I send my foure sore judgments upon Ierusalem the Sword and Famine and the noisome Beasts and the Pestilâ—…ce to cuâ—…t off from it man and beast that is how much more shall I go on and devoure And how much less shall they think to escape upon the Petitions of Noah Daniel and Iob or upon the account of their relations to them So if upon one or two or a few of the forementioned sins we finde that