were escheated for this the Lord sent a sword upon Ammon and devoured him Thus was Israel Heyre to them that were his Heyres saith the Lord. The same befell them for their scoffing at Israel in her Calamity Ezek. 25.3 c. saying aha clapping their hands and stamping with their feet that the same Judgement should befall them The King of Moab would needes curse Israel by a sorcerer was cursed by him with his people Num. 22.23.24 cap. Jer. 48.26.27 and the cursing Prophet slain with the Sword of Israel but the Prophet Jeremiah gives Moab a Cup of drunkennes to wallow in his vomit and to become a derision what 's the reason because he had derided Israel loe a cup of trembling for Moab Haman got a Commission to put the Jewes to death and built a Gallows for Mordecai Hester got a Commission to put Haman to death with his Sonnes and he was hanged on his own Gallows Esther Cap. 6.7 8. Mat. 15.11 loe the exact severity of divine justice upon his peoples adversaries for with what measure they meate to us the Lord will measure to them again 2 King 18.19 Cap. Zenacherib trusting in Nisroch his God came up against Israel and slew the Children of God he was slain by his own Children in the house of Nisroch his God Thus the Lord comforteth Jacob Jer. 30.16 Behold all that devoure thee shall be devoured all that spoyle thee shall be a spoyle and all that prey upon thee I will give for a prey Prov. 22.17 Deut. 32.41.42 Psal 64.4.7 8 9. Thus he that seeketh evil and vengeance evil and vengeance shall come upon him and this the Lord will recompence on his Churches adversaries as he solemnly professeth He will shoot suddenly with an Arrow against those wicked Archers that shoot at his people and will wound them so shall they make their own tongues to fall upon them and all men shall feare and shall declare his doings This hath made me the more copious in this That God having executed the same acts of retaliating Justice upon your enemies we may both wisely consider his doings and declare those works of God this day Reason Which consideration may well put us upon a little search of the ground of this proceeding in God It s from that neare union and interest that the Lord and his people have in each other whereby the Lord cannot but engage himselfe to be tender of them 1 Cor. 3.17 They are as so many sacred Temples unto God Now If any man defile the Temple of God him will God destroy Ephes 5. His people are his Body and his Members and his Flesh and Blood Now no man ever hated his own flesh but nourished and cherished it Therefore if any hurt his body members or flesh he will require eye for eye tooth for tooth limb for limb and life for life They are the Lords sons and children he that wrongs them Exod. 4.22 23. the Lord will slay their sons their first born They are his Lambs how tender is he of them appeares in his three-fold charge to Peter to feed them and in bearing them in his Armes will hee see them worried and not avenge their blood They are his brethren mother and sister Mark 3.35 it were unnaturall not to defend the lives and avenge the deaths of these Nay observe this is one reason why he is called the Redeemer or God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Numb 35. Ruth 3 12 13. it is one of his Attributes and he was properly a kinsman and blood-friend and he was such a one which had jus vindiciarum and shall we think this an empty Title I tell you he will avenge his kinreds blood and that right speedily They are the Lords crown and glory Isai 62.9 Nay Isa 62.3 4. and his very Jewels will he suffer any to rifle his Cabinet or pluck off the Crown from his head who will not tremble at the thought of such an attempt They are the Lords Free-men can we thinke he will endure them to be made slaves How hath he then triumphed 1 Cor. 7.22 and led captivity captive if he hath not made a perfect conquest They are pure Virgins of the Lord 2 Cor. 11.2 who durst attempt the chastity of his Virgins or of his Spouse to kindle the fire of his jealousie They are all Kings and Priests to him through Jesus Christ Rev. 1.6 therefore all anointed therefore all sacred therefore he charges all the world not to touch them under that notion and reproves Kings for their sakes the height of which prophanesse and Sacriledge in his account is a daring and provoking sinne Let us not think these Titles and Relations empty they are the highest engagements in the world Hence the Lord hath cloathed himselfe with all titles of defence and safety Take notice of one place where David in the day the Lord delivered him from all his enemies calls God his Rocke Psal 18.2 his Fortresse his Deliverer his God his Strength his Buckler his high Tower and the Horn of his Salvation and severall attributes of defence which last also is a Horn of Salvation for his servants to push down their enemies So we have God both a defensive and an offensive weapon to his people against their enemies in that congratulation Deut. 33.29 Happy art thou O Israel saved by the Lord the shield of thy help and the sword of thine excellency i. e. the most excellent sword that his people can have and that by which they excell and conquer their foes Psa 44.6.7 Zach. 2.5 therefore said to be better then Bow or Sword and more to be trusted unto But that of our Prophet is a very high expression where the Lord saith He will be a wall of fire about Jerusalem he had said before Jerusalem shall be inhabited as Townes without Walls Then they might object How shall it be defended if it hath no Walls Very well saith God I will be instead of Walles my salvation shall be Walles and Bulwarks Isa 26. v. 1. this makes a strong City but this is not all they are no common Walles that I will be to Jerusalem Gladio ancipiti flammeo et versatili he will be a Wall of sire about Jerusalem Alluding saith Lactantius and others to Paradise which was guarded by Cherubims and a flaming Sword burning every way Or perhaps alluding to such as travell through Desarts where they have no fence in the night from savage Beasts but by making fires which affrights a far off the devouring creatures thus the Lord is to Jerusalem Oh but will not this damnifie or endanger the Church within that fire No I will be glory in the midst of her fire without and glory within At the same time as the furnace was in Daniel fire without burnt the enemies but glory within to the three Worthies Jer. 51.58 for the Lord was there with them Babylons
doe great things and shalt still prevaile or as was upon Balaam when hired to curse Israel he blessed them and said they were invincible and should still doe valiantly or as was upon Hamans wife Zeresh who said If Mordecai was of the seed of the Iewes those that began to fall before him should fall irrecoverably This mercy to them is a owning by heaven of your paesent power your late changes and transactions which the world so much disowned and were startled at This mercy doth eclipse and drown fore-going mercies whereby the Lord doth not only keep on his course of mercy to his people but in a higher and more signall way keeping the best wine till last the most excellent Arts and Sciences till the conclusion When the Trumpets sounded louder and louder then God came down Exod. 19.19 When Joshua compassed Jerico 7. daies the Rams hornes sounding the last found had a shoot with it and then Jericho walls fell down Me thinks the Lord speaking louder every day his stroakes being still greater his discoveries being more glorious continually then before what can it bode but Babylons walls falling the Lord coming down neerer unto us even among us See how the enemy yea the earth trembles at his presence Shout therefore brethren his praises aloud many a poor soul prayed and cryed aloud for this deliverance and is heard by this return Let our praises sound as high you know who got the victory by praysing God aloud at which time the Lord set ambushes for his enemies 2 Chro. 20.21 22. and who knoweth what he is doing for us at this instant Add hereunto the nearnes of this mercy many will look on this mercy as a thing afar off because done in another Land but do we not know that our safety and interest was even bound up in theirs Is it not our out-works which taken will soone straighten us It s the making up of a great banck which broken will let in the enemy like a floud upon us Have we not felt inundations from thence already He turned the Sea into dry land they went through the stoud on foot there did we rejoyce in him Psal 66.6 VVas not that deliverance far from David both in time and place yet he saith there did we rejoyce Much more let us rejoyce now as more nearly interessed and related Were not our hearts tuned to the notes of this Harp in the dolefull tunes of it Let it be so now in the joyfull tydings that it brings us Again learn to trust thy God O Jerusalem he will defend thee in a siege and streight against all the world Never distrust a Lord of Hosts more upon any seeming dis-advantages whatsoever they are but lures and snares to catch a presumptuous dareing enemy Rev. 20.9.10 take an example yet to come after the thousand years Satan shall be loosed and shall go out to deceive all the Nations of the four Quarters of the Earth Gog and Magog to gather them together to battel whose number is as the sand of the Sea and they went up on the breadth of the earth and compassed the Camp of the Saints about and the beloved City never was there such a league before Jerusalem never did it sustain such a siege but mark the end fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them and then the Devil is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone never look for war or sieges more after that time therefore trust God for ever and know if you will believe you shall see the glory of God yet daily but I may not inlarge Again learn we hence to wait on God notwithstanding some delayes though he tarry wait for him the adversary must have his houre of the power of darknes the waves must beat the ship and fill it too while Jesus sleepes yet know he doth but seem to sleep his providence ever waketh he that watcheth and keepeth Israel doth not slumber what if Jerusalem be besieged yet is it not therefore taken and destroyed How hard were the Inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead put to it by Naash 1. Sam. 11. almost to the putting out of their right eyes and losse of liberty yet they waited a little and were delivered how greatly was Samaria distressed even to a great famine so that the King said why shall I wait any longer yet had they speedy deliverance and plenty 2 King 6. ult and cap. 7.1 2 King chap. 18.19 How formidable was Zenacheribs numerous Host before Jerusalem of well nigh two hundred thousand that had conquerred and wasted all Countries round about and by the blasphemies of that great Rhodomont Rabshakeh all successours seemed hopeles yet Hezekiah waited and Jerusalem was delivered and Zenacheribs Army destroyed wait you on the Lord wait I say on the Lord. There is another consectary which the Text holds out to us in the 5. verse that the Inhabitants of Jerusalem under God are the strength of the Governours of Judah the people of God in any place are the strongest Bul-wark to that place why because the Lord of Hosts is their God O ye Governours of Judah think on this how great have been your contests about the Militia of this Nation now you have it there is as great a care to mannage it with safety and to its proper ends but know this Worthies you have a better Militia then the former even Gods own people among you this is your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say you in your hearts the Inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of Hosts their God marke the Interest they have in God is the Magazine and cittadel of their strength and safety Israel was called a Camp of Host as they came up from Aegypt and aske but Balaam what he thought of them when with an evil eye he took a prospect of them How godly are thy truths O Jacob the Lord is among them he hath as it were the strength of an Vnicorn the people shall rise up as a great Lyon and stir as a young Lyon he shall not lye down till he eat of the Prey and drink the blood of the slain Numb 23.21 22 23. marke that the Lord is among them that 's their strength they are among you there 's your strength these are your artillery 2 King 13.14 Rev. 11.5 6 your great Ordinance these are your Chariots and your Horsemen as he said of the Prophet If any shall hurt these fire goes out of their mouth and consumes their enemies as was said of the witnesses those have power to shut Heaven that it rain not in the dayes of their Prophesie and have power over waters to turn them to blood and to smite the earth with all Plagues as often as they will it was said of the Romans nemo impune lacessivit populum Romanum it s more truly applyed to Gods people none goes unpunished that sets himself against them Know therefore where your strength lies in
was so familiar among the Prophets in the degenerate time of the Church that the obstinate Jews would come in scorn asking Ier. 23.33 14 c. what is the burden of the Lord but they found it a burden to them indeed Pharaoh made light of Gods threats and plagues on him by Moses and Aaron but at last they sunck him as a stone to the bottom of the Sea Ahab made light of Michaiahs word but it proved a heavy burden to Ahab as Iehu cals it 2 Kings 9.25 The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel i. e. This vengeance threatned on the besiegers is for Israels sake in favour of Israel All the havock that he makes of great persons of families of whole Cities Armies Nations is for Israel the whole current of Gods judgements is but a comment and confirmation of this pertinent to this and very pregnant is that of the Prophet Isa 43.1 2 3 4 5. when he tells Israel there as here that he was his maker redeemer and preserver from all evils he gives the reason of all verse 3 4. I am the Lord thy God the holy one of Israel thy Saviour I gave Egypt for thy ransome Ethiopia and Seba for thee since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee therefore will I give men for thee people for thy sake The Lord takes away multitudes of wicked men as drosse and counts them but as the dung of the Earth for Israel What a distinguishing love is here in a gracious God that puts so vaste a difference between men and men between party and party accounting his own honourable his enemies base his own precious his enemies vile The Lord like a Lion goes forth and tears what ever he meets with to feed his young be it men or beasts Thus the Lord makes bloody sacrifices and slaughters his adversaries bee they never so mighty or many Rev. 19.17 18 19. as we have it notably described by Iohn in the Revelations Having armed and mounted Iesus Christ with royall conquering power brings in the Angel inviting all to a great feast which he cals the supper of God the provision is flesh costly flesh to eat the flesh of Kings the flesh of Captains the flesh of mighty men of hosts and them that sit on them c. I do not take the words litterally of Birds feeding on the carkasses of the churches slaughtered enemies lying unburied though that may be too but of warriours mingling themselves with the Church for pay and prey or of militant Saints who being married to Iesus Christ as conquerours hee sups them upon the spoiles of their enemies Psal 74.14 the mighty Behemoths and Leviathans that prey on Sea and Land the insatiable Potentates of the Earth even they shall be meat for his people as Ioshua and Caleb said the mighty Anachs should be bread for Israel Num. 14.9 Thus out of the 〈◊〉 comes forth meat and out of the strong commeth sweetnesse the Lord will make the Lion that wars against Sampson to fall by his hands he shall tear him as a Kid and the carkasse of him shall yeeld Sampson honey Saith the Lord which stretcheth forth the Heavens c. Then the Lord comes forth armed as a God he puts on all his majesty and all his might when he engages for Ierusalem then he awakes as a great Lyon and as a Gyant refreshed with Wine Then the hils melt and the earth trembles at his presence when he commeth forth to ayde Jerusalem for then he commeth forth like a God that is like himself the Lord will put forth no lesse grandour and glory in delivering Ierusalem then when he made the world Let all saith God be reduced to a Chaos of confusion such seemed once our condition and now little better to those that cannot or will not see yet I will fetch order out of that saith the Lord Let all be covered over with darknesse and jumbled into rubbish nay let all be shut up again into the wombe of nothing at least that nothing of inhability improbability and impossibility too as to a created agent yet I will create deliverance fetch out a cosmos a beautifull pile and face of things praise the Lord in this great last restauration of the world which we trust is now beginning The Lord will make a new heaven and a new earth Revel 21.1 The Lord will make quite another world and all this for Israel Have you not heard hath it not been told you that it is I and onely I doe this that I make nothing of my peoples enemies be they many a whole world of them as vers 3. Yet I spread out the heavens while they besiege then Ierusalem I 'le overwing their multitudes I 'le front them and flanck them I will catch them all in a Net for I stretch out the heavens and for their power their mining their confidence let them look to their ground I lay the foundations of the earth let them dig as deep as hell to hide counsell and to shake thy wals and cast thee down O Ierusalem I will countermine them I 'le blow them quite up they shall be buried in their own rubbish saith the Lord what if they abound with courage and malice insomuch that my people are even afraid of them is it not I that form the spirit of man within him I take and give courage I will make thee stout-hearted as women but I will make them that are feeble among my people as David for I form the spirit of man within him And for the Savage disposition of the enemy I tame that saith God Daniel and the Lyons shall lodge quietly together my Lambs shall feed safely among the Bears and Wolves my Children shall play with Aspes and Cockatrices for I form the spirit of man within Right honourable and beloved Here 's matter of courage and confidence for us here 's ground not of prayer onely but of praise this day Was not the enemy sweld with that height of arrogance and presumption upon his numbers and advantages had he not so neer compassed and carried Dublin as to say it could not be delivered out of his hands without a miracle Loe our Creator hath wrought this miracle when he that stretcheth out the heavens c. undertakes it he can doe it and hath done it and did he ever appear like a God for us yet more then in this engagement so few and feeble against so many and mighty 1200 Horse and not the third part of 4000 Foot in the act on conquering 19000 and beyond their own purposes and thoughts to charge the whole Army yet carried on Thus if the spirit of the Lord come on Sampson he shall break his cords and slay heapes upon heapes with an Asses jaw-bone but let us not anticipate Here have yee seen the Lord of Hosts armed like himself now hear the Herauld sounding the trumpet before him in the next
verse Behold I will make Ierusalem a cup of trembling c. I thus armed thus resolved will now shew my glory at this great undertaking come and see a famous spectacle your God engaging for Ierusalem when the Lord once engageth eminently for Ierusalem to defend and deliver it Note he summons all to be spectatour and observers of it Before he shewed his power what he could doe here he declares his will what he is resolved to doe Behold I will make c. a solemne summons This is worth noting God looks to be observed and admired in his great workings for a distressed people he cals for it aloud Revel 6. When the Lamb opened the first seale John saith he heard a noise as of thunder one of the foure beasts saying Come and see and when he had opened the second seale I heard the second beast say Come and see And when he had opened the third seale I heard the voyce of the third beast say Come and see And when he had opened the fourth seale I heard the fourth beast Come and see Alloquitur Ioannem sustinentem personam fidelis populi qui similiter per vocem ministrorum excitarentur ad observandos hos mirabiles eventus Exod. 14.13 Moses told trembling Israel Feare not stand still and see the salvation of God which he will shew you this day The Lord shall fight for you and yee shall hold your peace yea that 's a glorious sight to see indeed to see God taking a Pharaoh in hand of whom wee said For this cause have I raised thee up to shew in thee my power and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth This is one main end why the Lord fats and heightens an adversary that he may try misteries with him and spend his arrows on him and all this to be observed and admired the more Psal 111 2. The works of the Lord are great sought out of all that have pleasure therein his work is honourable and glorious he hath made his wonderfull works to be remembred that 's their end the Lord would never appear upon the stage if he had not some strange act to present he would never call inspectatours if he would not provide somwhat worth seeing This hath made the Saints in all ages curious in observing Gods works Abraham rejoyced in seeing Christs day Iacob waited for Gods salvation Moses said I beseech thee shew me thy glory he had seen much of God before all that did but whet his appetite he was still greedy after more Daniel was a man of desires in this sense as you heard it glossed but now and had a large prospect yet would fain have crowded to see more Right honourable You set us to display God in his grandour this day you stand upon advantageous ground and you see farre and quick into Gods works for you have declared your sense of this and former mercies yet you will yeeld you have not seen all and that its worth reading and turning over and over this marvellous discovery and dispensation of God Say then with Moses when the bush burned and was not consumed when the Church was in a flame and yet flourished in the fire I will now turn about and see what this great sight meaneth Exod. 3.3 The Lord wonders and is very angry at the senlesnesse and blindenesse of men that will not see his hand lifted up men that are quick witted and sharp sighted in other things they can discern the face of the skyes but will not know the signes of the times when they are visible but let the wicked doe wickedly for none of them shall understand but the wise shall understand the scripture makes tother a matter of folly and brutishnesse but these providentiall acts upon wicked men in their ruffe and when they flourish and are presumptuous then to pull them down this is too deep for wicked men yet are wee solemnly called to observe it See Dan. 12.10 Hos 14. ult Psal 92 5 6 7. Psal 107.40 41 42 43. Behold I will make Ierusalem a cup of trembling to all the people round about when they shall be in the siege both against Iudah and Ierusalem Note Ierusalem may be besieged by her enemies the place and people of God may be encompassed and distressed by their Adversaries a truth so clear both of litterall and mysticall Ierusalem that it is but time waste to prove it It s observable that our three grand enemies are encompassing enemies and grow dangerous For an enemy to encompasse argues a fourfold danger First It argues neernesse Secondly Superiority in power else he neither could or durst advance so close Thirdly Superiority in numbers else he could not surround and encompasse for he that is without hath the largest Line Fourthly A distresse and straitning from escape all this is implyed in a siege 1. The Devill Iob 1.7 Iob 2.2 He compasseth the earth 1 Pet. 5.8 He is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to walk about and to devour There 's not a soul of a righteous man but he layes siege making assaults and battery to that soule as for the hearts of wicked men he is possessed of them already and they are fortified by him against God his Word and judgements 2. Sin is an encreasing evill it s called sin that doth easily beset 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebr. 12. Psal 49.5 David speaks of the iniquity of his heels compassing him about 3. The world none will doubt but that 's an encompassing enemy Therefore the poor Church is not only called a lilly among thorns a speckled Bird amongst the Birds Lambs among Wolves but expresly a besieged City the Daughter of Sion is left as a Cottage in a Vineyard as a Lodge in a Garden of Cucumbers as a besieged City Isaiah 1.8 Solitary and surrounded and not only invested at large but closely streightned and distressed so as with Jehosaphat they know not what to do only their eyes are upward towards God restat iter coelo tantum The ground of this from God is partly to give check restraint to the extravagancies of his people and we know sometimes it is but need the best and most retired soul hath his wanton flings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it s very hard to keep it from leering and hankering after some vanity to cure this the Lord will hedge us in with thornes Chrysost Hos 2. that we shall not find our lovers We are apt to turn our liberty into licenciousnes and the grace of God into wantonnes and to surfit upon mercy to growe fat and ranck to begin to gone and kick and break fence the Lord sees good to pinch us for this to reduce us to our measure and compasse by driving us into corners Sic deus cohibet fraenat suos ne diffluant Calvin thus the Lord will hamper his own he will banck and bound them into their right Channels least they overflow their bancks but
abominable things but the Lord pleads with him for none of these onely for Israel Exod. 3.7 I have seen the affliction of my people and have heard their cry by reason of their Task-masters this above all made God come down and this proved fatall unto Pharaoh Come let us deale wisely said he i. e. let us deal cruelly and inslave Israel but was not this Prince of Zoan a foole in this for that slavery was their increase and their liberty he would kill Israels males they were saved he lost his own their punishments are called plagues i. e. strokes answering those strokes which the Task-masters laid upon the poor Israelites Tertull. Who would not even pitty any person or parts in the world engaged against Gods Isralites they are as forlorn and such as are a lost Generation so fatall is Israel to her enemies this was observed even by the enemies of the Jewes and it must arise from observing how the Lord continually owned and avenged them when Hammons plot did not take and he came home melancholy Est 6.13 his wise men and Zeresh his wife told him If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jewes before whom thou hast begun to fall thou shalt not prevaile against him but shalt surely fall An uncomfortable Omen What an unfortunate seed was this of the Jewes It was so to all their enemies they knew it and could tell that Jerusalem had been hurtfull unto Kings and Princes a very bad City Chald. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ezra 4.12.15 His meaning was it had been very fatall mischievous and unlucky unto Kings in their quarrels with it it was seditious and apt to insurrections i. e. it would not willingly endure the yoak of Tyrants for that to them was sedition There was none of the Nations round about but had their markes and maimes by medling with Jerusalem So fares it with all the Churches adversaries in all ages Lib. 1. ad Scap. c. 3. God forbid saith Tertullian that we should wish or work you any mischiefe yet we cannot but grieve that no City which hath shed our blood should go unpunished nor unrevenged The example of Ahab is not lightly to be passed by Ahab had committed many sinnes in marrying Jezabel a foule Idolatresse and by her a practizer and setter up of Idolatry All this while Ahab lives but mark where he dasheth and falleth irrecoverably upon Naboth a righteousman he coveted first and then killed got possession By this unpolitick sin he brings upon himself quick destruction 1 Kings 21.19 20 21. and a recompence in his kind Marke the Text Thus saith the LORD In the place where Dogges licked the blood of Naboth shall Dogges licke thy blood even thine Which last words are added for the greater certainty also to shew the law of retaliation which God observed in the punishment and thirdly that he would not spare him 21 though a King Thy blood Ahab even thine shall goe for Naboths But this is not all But behold I will bring evill upon thee and will take away thy posterity and I will take away thy House like the House of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and like the House of Baasha the son of Ahijah for the provocations whereby thou hast provoked me to anger and made Israel to sinne By which sinne is meant Ahabs Idolatry but what is that to Naboth This injury against Naboth makes Ahabs Idolatry to be remembred the murdring of Naboth and the track of his blood led God along to all Ahabs other sinnes against God which before seemed forgotten but his falling upon a righteous man made a sleepy Lion to awake and teare him with his family in pieces at least 70. of them Mark when Ahabs 70. sons were killed they put their heads in Baskets and brought them to Jezreel Behold here the recompence of the punishment answers to the sin here also In Jezreel Naboth was killed the Baskets of grapes which he lusted after are repayed with Baskets of heads even of his own childrtn in the same place Surely thou art righteous O Lord and just are thy judgements It is the note of Chrysostome on this Iudgement Luke 7.37 See another instance Our Saviour Christ comming to dine at the house of one Simon a Pharisee did not receive from him those civilities which were usually bestowed in those times and Countries at entertainments Simon should have washed Christs feet ere he sate down he should have received him with a kisse at his first comming in he should have anointed his head with oyle all these things were wont to be observed at Feasts and entertainments and were due to our Saviour in course as his invited guest but were denied him by the proud Pharisee yet the Lord seemes to passe them over in silence But loe this Pharisee doth not rest there but proceeds to finde fault with a poore penitent soule that came in love to Christ to afford him what Simon had denied him but he not being able to beare it falls out with her calls her sinner and taxes her for old miscarriages Mark Mat 26.6 John 12. ubi vides Judae in Christū ejus res familiares delicta rapacitatem furta non antea objurgata infamiae supplicio affecta quam ipse sanctae illi mulieri infensus fuerit c. Velasq in Ep. ad Phil. c. 1. Dan. 3 2a Dan. 6.24 the Lord Jesus that was silent till now can hold no longer Now thou abusest this poor creature that loves me is beloved by me I cannot spare thee take therefore a gentle rebuke for thy omissions of duty to me which else I should have buried in silence thank thy self Simon for this check for thou hast shewed me the way by thy quarrelling her that is my servant The like befalls Judas Iscariot for the same crime who by his finding fault with the pious act of a devout woman brought his own sinnes to light which till that time had been hid and covered and might have long so continued had he not awakened Divine justice by grudging at Gods servant When Abimelech took Abrahams wife was not his owne wife struck with barrennesse and was not his house plagued with great plagues for this cause Gen. 12.17 Mark how God threatned him Gen. 20. When the Sodomites that vexed the righteous soule of Lot from day to day burned in the flames of unnaturall lust at his dore they were consumed by the fire of hell out of heaven Gen. 18.19 See how the punishment answers this sinne The same befell the enemies of Shadrach and his two companions their enemies that kindled a fire to burn them were burnt by the same flames Daniels enemies were eaten by the Lions which they had cast him amongst to be devoured Thus was Ammon recompenced by keeping Israel in bondage Jer. 49.1.2 by becomming bondmen unto Israel they dwelt in Israel as if Israel had no Sonnes or Heyres as if Israel
wall is called a broad wall it being 50. foot others say 50. cubits thick and of an incredible height yet taken we have a wall of water about us Deut. 1.28 and wooden walls yet all this is nothing to a wall of fire It was said of the Canaanits Cities that they were walled up to heaven they fel down before Israel but a wall of fire is more impregnable Isa 10.17 This the Lord threatned against that grand Tyrant Nebucadnezzar The light of Israel shall be for a fire and his holy One for a flame and it shall burn and devoure his thornes and his briers in one day Thus you see the enemy is combustible stuff as elsewhere tow chaff stubble and straw Thus shall they be to Jerusalem in their attempts and she shall be fire unto them ver v. 6. after my text Surely the Lord will make it a hot day to Jerusalems assailants This shews Gods people to be invincible because all these titles of defence as Walls Tower c. declare the Saints to be in God that they dwell in or within him So the Psalmist clearly Psal 91.2 c. 1 Ioh. 4.16 He that dwelleth in the secret of the most high shall abide under the shaddow of the Almighty Now hence it followes that those who will attach Jerusalem must first fight with God and batter storme and break thorough him ere they come at Gods people think then that Jerusalems assailants have the hardest pull of it of all others in the world For who will set the bryars and thorns against him in battell he will go through them and consume them together Go Isa 27.2 3 4. sing unto Jerusalem a Vineyard of red wine I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day c. Marke Jerusalem is red wine i. e. generous and delectable to God but poysonous and dreadfull unto her enemies and you hear the reason of it I the Lord do keep it Let us speak a word to this reason of the point according to the metaphor in the third verse viz. of a Stone How comes the Church to be such a burthensome and breaking Stone to her adversaries Answ Because the Lord Jesus is incorporated into their Walls both in the foundation and corners and they as living Stones are cemented to him and built upon him by his blood This is that Rock against which neither the stormes 1 Pet. 2.4.5 6 7.8 windes and waters no nor the gates of hell can prevaile This is that precious corner Stone of God unto beleevers but a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offence unto the wicked Math. 21.44 This is that Stone on which whosoever falls shall be broken but on whomsoever it shall fall it shall grind them to powder This is that little stone cut out of the Mountaine without hands Dan. 2.34.35 45. which brake in peeces the iron brasse clay silver and gold and when it had smote the Image it filled the whole earth This little Stone is Jesus Christ in his word and members little and despised in the eye of the world as Davids pebble was to Goliah and his Armes but yet that which fell'd that Gyant to the ground Psal 2. so this little Stone shall breake Crowns Swords and Scepters even as Potsheards shall fill the earth and prevaile It is the Lord that makes Jerusalem a burthensome Stone to her enemies Vse 1 Is it so That its fatall to Jerusalems enemies to attach her and doth the Lord punish such machinations in their kind Then let not Jerusalem feat her enemies in their highest ruff and threatenings There be 4 things that render an enemy formidable Policy For they are in their generation more subtile then the Saints they are Serpents and foxes the Saints are Lambes and Doves Yet fear not this this cup here shall astonish and infatuate them What a foole did that grand Oracle Achitophel become as soone as ever he ingaged against David Courage yec fear not that this cup shall be a cup of trembling to them and shall make them shake as the leaves of a tree shaken with the wind Number Fear not that neither What saith the text though all the people of the earth shall be gathered together against you yet they shall be cut in pieces And have you not had tryall hereof in all your conflicts being still over numbred by your adversaries yet your Barley Cake tumbled downe the Tents of Midian Power Be they a huge hoast of Cavalry and Infantry as the text hath it do they glory in their strength and therefore approach with contempt to your strength as Tobiah the Horonite and Sanballat the Ammonite What do these feble Jewes if a Fox go up he shall break down their stone wall Yet up it went and it became so strong that all the strength they had could not demolish nor dismantle it Your adversaries had all these foure advantages against you Policy Courage Numbers Power yet your God frustrated all before Jerusalem which became a cup of trembling and a stone of stumbling to all these Vse 2 For Instruction to behold as in a mirrhor this great truth verified to us this day as by innumerable former proofs so by that signall instance the cause of this solemnity Let your raysed meditations read over what God hath done for you and behold this great Truth riding triumph in all ages of the Church of God that wicked men may heare and feare and that the righteous may beleeve and rejoyce If we should walk through the histories of the Church Euseb l. 2. c. 7. we should not onely finde Pilate for condemning Jesus Christ to kill himself Herod and Herodias that slew John Baptist ending their dayes in misery and banishment Besides the example of another Herod who killed Iames and imprisoned Peter Acts 12 and persecuted the Church he was smitten of God and eaten of wormes in that very chapter But also among persecuting Emperours Domitius Nero the first persecutor of Christians that was an Emperour Iustin proclaimed and condemned by the Senate to be whipped to death and drag'd through the Citie for feare of which he slue himselfe Flavius Domitian the second Persecutor was slain Suet. in Domit Speed Chron. and his body disgracefully used by the Senate his Scutcheons and Images thrown down and they forbad any remembrance of him Thus was he recompensed in his Body and members that mangled the Image Body and Members of Jesus Christ The like befell Septimius Severus slain at York Cassianus Macrinus Antonius Heliogabolus Murderers and Monsters all slaine Alexander Severus and Maximinus likewise came to the same fatall ends Behold the justice of God against those murderers of Christs innocent servants punishing blood with blood according to the Law of retaliation What shall I tell you of Decius who raised the seventh persecution for which God suffered him to be assaulted for
חגיון סלה IERUSALEM Fatall to her Assailants DISCOVERED In a Sermon before the Honorable House of COMMONS August 29. 1649. At MARGARETS Westminster Vpon their solemne day of thanksgiving for that signall Victory over the Lord ORMOND In routing his whole Army and raising the Siege of Dublin in Ireland By the Garrison thereof under the Command of Lieutenant Generall IONES By WILLIAM COOPER M. A. Minister of the Gospel at OLAVES Southwark PSAL. 9.16 The Lord is known by the judgement that he executeth The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Higgaion Selah Claud. lib. 1. in Eutrop. Sic opifex tauri tormentorumque repertor Primus inexpertum Siculo cogente tyranno Sensit opus docetque suum mugire juvencum London Printed by J. C. for the Author and are to be sold at the Crown in Popes-head Alley 1649. Die Iovis 30 Augusti 1649. ORDERED by the Commons assembled in Parliament that the thanks of this House be given to M. Cooper for his great pains taken in his Sermon preached before this House yesterday at Margarets Westminster being a day set a part for a publick Thanksgiving And that he be desired to print his Sermon and have the like priviledge in printing as others usually have had in the like case And it is ordered that Sir Henry Mildmay doe give him the thanks of this House accordingly Henry Scobel Cler. Parliamenti To the Honourable House of Commons assembled in Parliament at Westminster Honorable Worthies THE Romans what out of policie or superstition Pluc Macrob. Vide Casp Bart. ad Rutil l. 2. v. 42. made it heinous and capitall to make known the name of their Cities tutelar God by whose favour Rome had attained to that height of grandor and glory it was religion to them to be silent and secret in this But our silence would be so far from being sacred that it were a sin and high prophaning the name of our tutelar God the great God and Lord of Hosts not to publish and blaze his Name unto the world especially when himselfe declares that he doth his wondrous works that they may be had in everlasting remembrance But when I consider the sullen silence and ingratitude of many notwithstanding so vast a confluence of mercies upon us with measure pressed down and running over me thinkes it calls to mind what an Hebrew Writer complaines of in his time that the Fathers had plowed R. Hag. sowen reaped fanned and set bread upon the Table but the children had not a mouth to eat it Surely that 's a foolish and a froward child that sees not how his heavenly Father hath provided for him and yet wants a heart to value and a mouth to proclaim his goodnesse The sense of which alone prevailed upon my spirit to attend the call of Divine Providence by you Honourable Worthies both first to speake and now to publish this ensuing homely discourse I believe therefore have I spoken It was a noble acknowledgement in David when he said Thine O Lord is the greatnesse and the power and the glory and the victory and the Majesty All things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee How then can we grudge to give God his homage and tribute who hold all at the will of the Lord Our thankefulnesse what is it but the reflection of his own beames and the eccho of his strokes strokes laid on so home and heavy upon your adversaries as makes some of them with the Magicians to confesse the finger of God You right honorable have declared your high sense of so transcendent a deliverance and I hope it will not soon die with you being so rich a present and earnest of future happinesse Yet know this doth not pay all your debt Crescentibus donis donorum crescunt rationes much is given you and therefore much shall be required of you So then it is proper for your soules now to ask this question What shall I render and how shall I stand under this weight of glory and mercy A question so much the more proper and seasonable as our frailties are apt to expose us in prosperous successes unto the power of temptations insomuch as a sage Heathen tels us this observation of his Cicero lib. 4. Epist 3. ad Lam. that although warre be full of calamities yet nothing is more dangerous than victory which albeit it happen to the best men yet it commonly renders them fierce and impotent in their excesses yea notwithstanding they are otherwise by nature inclined yet by a kind of fatality they are made such The consideration of this I hope will over-aw your hearts by a holy feare and watchfulnesse not onely to shun these rockes of extremity to which you see men in such a case obnoxious but also to study an improvement of your mercies sutable to the greatnesse of them There is a memorable story of that grave Emperour Charles the fifth a man cut out for greatnesse and happinesse had he not dashed upon that rock which commonly splits Royal Families an endevour to smother the Gospel by force and fraud this man upon some successes was flattered by Antonius Leva and some other of his officers to make use of his victories for the advantage and interest of his Imperiall Majesty their meaning was that he should thereby make himself great after the example of Caesar Alexander not sparing any that stood in his way To whom he thus reply'd The sole mark of Alexander and J. Caesars aim Besold Dissert Philolog c. was worldly glory but it becomes me and other Christian Princes so to look at honour as to take heed lest while we hunt after that we lose our soules and to use victory so as we may be able to give God an account of our actions This answer from such a man at such a time I confesse made some impression upon me when I read it my prayers are it may doe more upon you whom for your present capacity and transactions it more fitly suits Shew thou your selves to God as he hath declared himselfe to you Wot you how In righteousnes and holines by these two the Lord makes himself glorious and these two will be as the two pillars Jachin and Boaz both to your own honour and the happines of this people For Religion Bodin val in Res Hac velnti thyrso percutiuntur mentes humanae Lib. 2. cap. 18. de prin I know a name only of it is sufficient to some to maintain their own name and to preserve an interest This hath been esteemed by Princes sufficient to charme and restrain the multitudes forasmuch as Religion hath the strongest reason in it and for it of all things But if there be but a name if there be but a shew and singlenesse in this the Lord will not be mocked Yet if any should tell me that England hath the same ground to complaine of what France did long agoe That too many
of their Chiefes had learned that Maxime of the Florentine Atheist That as it was necessary for a Governour so enough to seem religious outwardly though inwardly hee were not so I would not give credit to him upon this ground because it is impossible that those visible and signall discoveries of God to us in all the wayes of his dispensations should suffer us to impose upon his omniscience Besides me-thinks you often signifie that religion is a tender Virgin that must be as watchfully kept as warily approached The first of these will mind you that men be not suffered to run wild in the things of God The other that conscience be not imposed on by one or t'other hand The first is a Gallionisme the other is Antichristianisme I know none shall ever have just cause to fasten either of these upon your counsels or actions for the one who durst presume but that the name of God shall be as tender to you as your own for the other that of Tertullian is observable Hoc ad irreligiositatis elogium concurrit adimere libertatem religionis interdicere opinionem divinitatis ut non liceat mihi colere quem velim sed cogar colere quem nolim In a word therefore endevour by steering aright betwixt these two rocks to preserve our vessell from ship-wrack and let peace between brethren be so endevoured y you which doth as it were pitch the ship within and without that no leaks or chinks shal sink it Great Constantine did think it his duty and interest to perswade and urge this by his personal presence authority O you Fathers of your Country consider your children some are stronger some younger some more heavy and sullen others more sprightly and wanton there are not onely diversities but divisions among them Put forth your authority with wisdom and tendernesse effectually that we may not alwayes bite and devoure one another I shall adde this Let interest of State sway nothing to the calculation of religion to any point Notable is that example of Scipio Ammiratus upon Tacitus Sith there is no proportion between temporall things and spirituall when thou seest Religion to oppose thy reason of State presently betake thy selfe to religion and accommodate thy reason of State to that and not the contrary for if you think to lay a yoak upon the consciences of men and thereby as a strong man endevour to keep the House in peace they will answer you with that stout Pretor O ye Romans we reverence you and if you will have more we feare you too yet know we beare a greater reverence and feare to the immortall Gods Look therefore to this The other Pillar of your name and of your safety is Righteousnesse Read over those innumerable Petitions written and unwritten of a long time and yet daily presented lay your eares to the sighes and teares of the oppressed that have no comforter take heed that none justly appeale to the day of judgement from you or against you remember that your duty is by a Geometrical proportion to give to every one his right according to his capacity and merit and to doe as you would be done by sometime to part with your plenty by contribution and to abate of your height by condescention according to exigence Salvian perswading to this very thing brings in the Fabii Fabricii and Cincinnati who refused the advantage of growing rich Lib. 1. de Pro. that if it were possible by their impoverishment they might raise the ruines of a shattered Common-wealth But that of Philo is notable who saith Jupiter had two Twins to one of them he gave immortality the other he made mortall the brother that was immortall considering his own life to be endlesse and that his brother should die and so his griefe for his brothers death would consequently be eternal devised this marvellous exchange he communicated immortality with his mortall brother by which both had a mixture of both This he calls the fountain and ground of all Justice Some will be ready to apply this against the immortallity of your present Session me thinks it clearly tells all whom God hath for a turn lifted up above their brethren that they declare a communicablenesse with their brethren My aim Worthies was but this that by the flourishing of Religion and Righteousnesse among you and us I may congratulate my Countrey with this acclamation The Lord blesse thee O habitation of justice and mountain of holinesse Jer. 31.23 This mean Sermon here again presented together with the occasion serves for a comfortable encouragement in the premises by shewing the self-destroying enterprizes of your enemies how fatall Jerusalem is to her assailants how faithfull the Lord is in his engagements for his people That emergency which gave occasion to our solemnity and this discourse beares testimony to so weighty a truth Now that our hearts may come up to it in our respective places and duties is the prayer of Your Honours daily Orator at the Throne of Grace William Cooper A Sermon Preached before the House of PARLIAMENT Zach. 12.2 3 4 5. Behold I will make Ierusalem a cup of poyson unto all the people round about also with Iudah will he be in the siege against Ierusalem And in that day will I make Ierusalem an heavy stone for all people all that lift it up shall be torn though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it In that day saith the Lord I will smite every horse with astonishment and his rider with madnesse and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Iudah and will smite every horse of the people with blindenesse And the Princes of Iudah shall say in their hearts The inhabitants of Ierusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God Right honourable and beloved TO day is this word fulfilled to us this prophesie is but a narrative or representative of mercy if our hearts doe but answer unto both and if our thankfulnes come but up to these words and to these works of God it will be a pleasing harmony in Gods ears Which that it may bee I am now here by your Call to contribute a little out of my penury to what you had but now so largely and so lively set before your eyes God hath this day turned our Fast into a Feast and this as solemne for praise and mirth as that was solemne for prayer and mourning thus he alone can change the seasons and the occasions and calls to us answerably to change the key of our devotions there is a time to weep and a time to laugh we have had both and the first preparing for and changed into the latter through the precious mercyes of our God who is yet good to our Israel and hath not left himself without witnes to us as at this day That I might further hold out God in his glory to you and hold up your hearts to take a full survey of it I
this is chiefly to role on a proud enemy to presumption that while he thinks to try experiments and do exploits upon Jerusalem the Lord will lay snares and ambushes for him the Lord will lead him on and make his work seem facile and feisable to him he will give him some advantages he shall begin to grow fat with some successes hee 'l present him faire hopes of carrying the day and glutting himself with spoyles hee 'l suffer the Lyon to get his prey into his Chambers and between his teeth playing with it securely and gaping to devoure now all this is but to get Pharaoh beyond retreat and when I have him but in my net then saith God I l'e draw now is my time to stir and work now I l'e look thorough the Cloud and pillar of fire upon the Aegyptians and trouble them and there Pharaoh flies but 't is too late stretch out thy hand Moses and let the waters cover Pharaoh and all his Host let him sink and be buried in the mighty waves the Lord will reduce his people beyond humane hopes of relief and then he will be glorified let Lazarus be sick and let him die and let him be buried and let him stinck now saith Christ my houre is come I l'e go to Bethany and rayse Lazarus the Lord delivers a people out of the mouth of danger 1 Sam. 17.34 c. 2 Sam. 21.16.17 as David rescued the Lamb and Kid out of the mouth of the Lyon and Beare or as Abishai succoured David when IshbiBenob a son of the Gyant lift up his sword to have slain David then Abishai flew him or as when Saul had compassed David round that there was but a stop between him death and a Messenger came and diverted Saul thus will the Lord judge his people when he seeth their strength is gone Deut. 32.36 when there is none shut up or left when his people are full of mis-giving dis-maying feares when their Anchor breaks and their Faith failes when every countenance is cast down and every corner is full of murmurings when Ziglag is burnt and all taken and David weeps till there be no more strength and his men talk of stoning of him too at that instant shall he march and God before him 1 Sam. 30.31 cap. to recover what 's lost and spoyle the spoyler and moreover then Saul his capital enemy is destroyed Who so is wise will ponder this c. And was it not thus with Ireland how near was that whole Land lost but two places and those ready to give up the Ghost left two little flocks of kids and those pent up too while the enemy filled the Countrey when all was bent to revolting and intended succours not ready when wagers were laid and books out that Dublin was lost and Ireland lost and at the same time the people striving and chiding with Moses Now will I come forth and work saith God now will I appear most gloriously had I begun before it had been too soone and should I delay longer it would be too late the adversary is presumptuous and secure my people are low and distressed enough And how doth God work It followes I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling c. The spirit of God makes often use of this Metaphor of the cup in the case of affliction Mat. 26.29 punishment or judgment our Saviour himself dranck his Cup a very bitter one wherein no creature could pledge him i. e. in his measure although every Child of God hath a portion of the cup of affliction in conformity to our head not to expiate sin or satisfie divine justice yet oftentimes to prevent and purge sin The Saints have also another cup a delicious one given them of God the cup of blessing in the Eucharist that soul-refreshing nectar which the Lord Jesus hath broached out of his own side They have another delicious cup which the Lord gives them into their mouthes upon any great mercy and deliverance from their enemies which is the cup of Salvation this was used in their sacrifices and feasts and they were wont to lift it up Illyric and to pray and prayse God with it for victory and mercy and it was a signe of freedom This cup hath the Lord given us to drink wherein we tast and see how gracious he is to us this he fils us to the brim and makes it over-flow in the presence of our enemies Psal 23.5 But as for the wicked 't is not so with them the Lord hath tempered another kind of cup for them of which our text speakes of this mention is made in Ezek. Ezek. 23.33 where the Lord tells Aholibah i. e. Judah that because she walked after the way of her Sister Aholah i. e. Samaria therefore saith he I will give her cup into thy hands thus saith the Lord thou shalt drink of thy Sisters cup deep and large thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in derision it containeth much thou shalt be filled with drunkennes and sorrow with the cup of astonishment and desolation with the cup of thy Sister Samaria thou shalt drink it and suck it out thou shalt even break the sheards thereof and pluck off thy breasts i. e. shalt carry thy self as one that is mad drunck who breaks pots and glasses abusing himself as one distracted this is the sore cup of judgment and devastation The like we have Psal 75.8 Jer. 25.15.16 where the Lord tempered a cup of fury and makes Jeremie the modeperator to give every one his share they shall drinck and be moved and be mad because of the sword which I will send among them v. 27.28 and if you search the causes why these Nations were punisht comparing this with other Scriptures we shall see the quarrel to be that in the Text they had plotted or laid hands against Jerusalem and 't is for Jerusalems sake this cup is given him But what ground is there of this Metaphor and usage of the cup thus applyed 1. Some will have meant by cup portion or measure every one at their seasts was to take his dimensum or proportion according to these the phrase signifies but this every sin shall have his degrees and share in punnishment for cup signifies portion or lot in Scripture But this is too scanty for the question 2. Others will have it derived from witches and sorcerers which were wont to mingle intoxicating cups and to sophisticate their wines and the word in the text will bear it for it signifies poyson 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hence the latine word venesica 3. Hierome and some others think it taken from a medicinal potion of strong Physick which is ill to look on and worse to swallow down being bitter loathsome and worse to some Patients then the disease causing them to feele heart-qualmes to stagger and even swound away 4. Besides all these there are who think it taken from condemned malefactors whose friends
righteous Psal 7.15 he doth it thus he travelled with iniquity conceived mischief and brought forth a lye he made a pit and is fallen into it Thus wicked mens conceptions are not like those of vvomen Chrysost Chrysologus Cum in coelis insanitis non modo sacrilegium facitis sed operam pâ—rditis but those of Vipers vvhich eat out their own bowels that bred them therefore our Saviour calls vvicked men Vipers of whom they write that the female in copulation bites off the males head for this the young dig out the mothers belly to revenge the sires death Thus the Iewiâ—h Synagogue which had persecuted and killed the Prophets their own Children destroy that Synagogue their cruel Mother I can but wonder that Heathen Seneca should ever have any sense of this for saith he under the person of Socâ—ates against whom some in his age inveighed vvhen you wax mad against Heaven you do not only commit sacrâ—ledge but loose all your labour and your selves also God tells the Prophet Ezekiel that the people he had to deal with were obstinate stiff necked and brazen fore-headed Ezek. 3.8 and they should come and fight against him but should not prevail against him why Behold I have made thy face strong against their faces and thy fore-head strong against their fore-heads as an Adamant harder then a flint have I made thy fore-head Prada in Ezek. thus in contending with thee they shall but break themselves indomabilis adamantis duricies c. An Adamant is of invincible hardnes it breaks the hammer it dents the anvill and overcomes the fire so all our strokes and cruel expositions of persecutors shall not hurt or break a true Saint of God but they shall break themselves upon them as Dagon did upon the Arke head and hands craft and powers a little before Ezekiels enemies are called Scorpions Serpents of poysonous crooked stings Cap. 2. but as they commonly loose their stings so by crushing and applying it to the wounds is the most effectual Antidote against its own poyson such are the Churches virulent persecutors upon whom they loose their malice and power and through the wise dispensation of God become medicins and preservations by their crushing to the people of God whom they afflicted Thus is that verifyed which Solomon speaks When sinners intice thee saying come let us lay wait for blood Prov. 1.11 let us lurck privily for the innocent without cause they do but lay wait for their own blood and lurk privily for their own lives this is the issue of such attempts saith he take heed of confederating with them Hereto accords that of the Prophet Woe to their soul Isai 3.9.10.11 for they have rewarded evill to themselves Woe to the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him the word elegantly implies that wicked men by their certain miscarriages in afflicting the righteous and therein afflicting themselves are therein their own pay-masters in their own kind and coyne Blind is that ignorance that sees not how it is armed against it selfe Athanasius much like one that takes a Serpent in his hand to throw at another wherein he cannot misse of being bitten with it himself or as one that taketh fire in his hands to burn another cannot avoid the scorching himself by it thus malice alwayes fights against it self wounding more the Subject where it breedes then the Object to which it would do mischief was not Goliah beheaded with his own Sword thus wicked men do but shew God a way in persecuting the righteous and as it were give him a president whereby his Justice shall proceed in their own execution This may be gathered out of that testimony of our Apostle 2 Thes 1.4.5 6. a manifest token of the righteous judgement of God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a pattern precedent or Copy as well as token and is as if God who by nature is meeknes and mercy it self and one who seemes scarce to understand with Honour to the sacred Majesty Velas. in Ep. ad Phil. c. 1. v. 28. and in conformity to Scripture phrase which way to go about the work of punishment seeming alwayes awke and averse thereunto he learnes the way of it from wicked mens actions against the righteous Zach. 2.8 Observe that phrase of the Prophet He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye there are two things observable by us in these words 1. the tender love of God to his Church how it is garded and regarded by him Corn. in locum the apple of the eye is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Daughter to shew the Lord is as chary and tender of his people as an indulgent Father or Mother is of a young beautifull Virgin against hurt or defloration in the apple of the eye appeares a little Image of a man which the Hebrews calle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little man or Son thus the Lord sees his own Image in his Children and they are ever in his eye now who dare strike Gods eye 2. But how comes the Lord to speak immediatly before and after in the first person why God did he not say thus here he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye so it should run and not his eye properly if we apply it to Gods eye as before what if it be interpreted of the wicked mans eye thus he that toucheth you Cyrill Vatab. toucheth the apple of his own eye you see it agrees with the phrase and its a truth clear for which I have named it though I do not urge that exposition howbeit some interpreters are for it sic semper Ecclesiae persecutoribus conatus ipsorum in caput reciderunt tangunt suammet pupillam even their nearest and dearest contentments wherein God will observe his own Law an Eye for an Eye and a Sonne for a Sonne We cannot have a better instance then Pharaoh so clear an illustration of this truth and every way so accomodate to our purpose Thou shalt say to Pharao Israel is my Son my first born Exod. 4.23.24 say to him let Israel my Son go to serve me if not I will slay thy Son thy first born lock to it Pharaoh the Lord toucheth the apple of thine eye indeed it was even so Exod. 12.29.30 the Lord destroyed Pharaohs first born and all the first born of Egypt upon this Pharaoh and the Egyptians rise in the night and there was a great cry God had put out all their lights can you blame their cry that night 1 King 15.4 for so a Son and successour is called 2 Chron. 21.7 c. thus we see what it cost Pharaoh for afflicting Israel yet were there many reasons why the Lord should punish him besides the foremencioned he was a great Idolater and Magician he worshipped the Cocrodile and other
his life for feare of which he threw himselfe into a pit and was never found Gallus and Valusian treading in his steps were both destroyed by Emilian a Captain In those dayes God plagued the Empire with an Epidemicall pestilence and many other heavy calamities which the Heathens laid to the Christians charge But Cyprian writeth a confutation of that and clearly proves it was their contempt of the Gospel and persecuting of the Saints caused those evils These judgements fell also upon Valerian who raised an eighth persecution against Gods people He was taken by Sapores King of Persia who made a captive of him and his body a foot-stoole treading on his neck when he went on horse-back A righteous judgement upon him who had trampled the truth and professors of it under his feet Aurelian the ninth persecuting Emperour was terrified by a Thunder-bolt from heaven and afterward slain though he seemed somewhat to relent of his cruelty Dioclesian and Maximilian raised the tenth persecution both which quitted their imperiall dignity and the latter of them slaine by the command of Constantine Maximinus was smitten of God with rottennesse and vermine as Herod was for wasting the body of Jesus Christ Famous is the death of Julian the Apostate who first subtilly then openly persecuted the Gospel he asked counsell of the heathen Oracle which was destroyed by fire from heaven to small powder he encouraged the Jewes to rebuild the Temple which was destroyed by an Earthquake fire and a mighty wind at last he was wounded and died crying out Thou Iesus of Galilee thou art too hard for me Many such instances may be added of the fatall ends of Arrian and Eutychean Persecutors But that of Phocas is very remarkable who was the first that set up Antichrist visibly by making the Bishop of Rome Universall Bishop and the Church of Rome head of all other Churches This Emperour was beheaded dismembred and his body given to the Souldiers to be burnt with fire Notable is the example of Minerius who being sent to destroy the poore Christians called Waldenses which he did by fire and sword felt the just vengeance of heaven by fire in his body was consumed with rottennesse and voided blood in stead of urine and died with great torments Charles the fifth a famous Emperour for wisdome and valour yet dashed against this rock of endevouring to destroy Protestants was himselfe driven out of his Empire that endevored to drive out the Gospel thence To step but on the other side we shall finde Henry the second and Francis the second of France taken away by death who began persecutions there Likewise the Duke of Guise a cruell persecutor dying gave breath to the poore afflicted Saints And Charles the ninth a most perfidious and bloody Prince dyed with great effusion of blood from sundry parts of his body Anno 1574. Thus will the Lord have blood for blood not sparing the effusion of Royall blood to avenge the blood Royall of his children whom he hath made Kings and Priests to himselfe through Christ Jesus Rev. 1.8 and which cost the bloud of his deare son I cannot passe by Henry the third of France who was killed by a Iacobine Munke in that very chamber where the King had been chiefe in concluding the massacre of Paris which massacre was so bloody and barbarous that the very Spaniards at the treaty of Munster told the States of the Low Countries that the Spanish Nation had never done such a Butchery against those of the Religion but abhorred such acts and that it was sufficient to declare the genius of the French I will not come down lower to instance in later times they are so infinite and so fresh your own memories I hope are stored with them as so many Courts of Records and your meditations often read them over If it be not so give me leave as your remembrancer to tell you that you ought never to forget the judgments of God written in blood legible to all the world that he will never let a wickednesse goe unpuished which is acted against his people Vse 3 Let us see the greatnesse of the mercy which we commemorate this day how God hath made Dublin a cup of trembling and a burdensome stone to her enemies in the siege The greatnesse of the mercy may be seen in these two particulars There was very much of God in it and little of man whether you regard numbers the enemy had that advantage whether his confidence whether his successes before In a word if you look on the besieged as the last that were left to be eaten that their adversaries had it in consultation to bind them back to back and throw them into the Sea that their succours were delayed and many disheartning emissaries to perswade the beleagred that no reliefe would come to them at all that therefore they should secure the Governour and deliver the Citie that then the Lord should deliver the Citie from the enemy arming a few beyond their own intentions to destroy a huge Host let the Governours of Judah say for this say the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of Hosts Consider the latitude and extent of this mercy look not upon it as within the circumference of one single Citie Nahum 3.12 divers other Forts and strong Holds followed and come on still dropping as ripe Figs into the mouth of the eater Many daughters attend the mother or Metropolis this great mercy is but the first fruits and the earnest of that which followes Look on this mercy as that which reacheth three Nations and all the true Israel of God and the Generations to come let us look on this mercy as one deadly wound to the Beast and the false Prophet a mercy though in comparison of many great ones not so great yet super-added to the quotient and catalogue addes very much to the bulk of them and to Gods glory yet let me tell you this victory and deliverance singly shines in its owne lustre without borrowing and is able to speak its own greatnesse abstracted from others Ask the broken enemy their frustrated hopes their slaughtered carcasses their great losse speakes it our great gain Ask the trembling Citizens that were even in the paws of danger and plunder and death and were delivered they will say 't is a great mercy Psalm 107.1 2. the redeemed of the Lord say so That his mercy endureth for ever What need I say more your selves that stand upon advantagious and higher ground that see further and clearer then us that know the times what Israel ought to doe that weigh circumstances and consequences in a right ballance you have declared your sense of it so high that not a greater mercy on this side Egypt hath been declared to Gods people This mercy hath made such an impression upon some of your enemies as was upon Saul when he told David Blessed be thou my son David for thou shalt