spring-tyde of deliverance is nearest When Dioclesian raged and things seem'd desperate soon after was the golden time of Constantius * Calvisius in Chronol 'T is usually darkest a little before morning 5. 5. Antidote Though the Church of God may seem sometimes to be in the wain yet when she loseth ground in one place she gains in another as when the fire is quenched at one end of the house it breaks out at the other Or as the Sun when it leaves our Hemisphere goes to the Antipodes At Rome there were two Lawrel Trees when one withered the other flourished An emblem of the Church Militant when it seems to wither in one place it shall revive and flourish in another All this may comfort us concerning the Church of God and may be as Physick to kill the worm of Unbelief and Fear in our hearts God is in the midst of her Therefore will not we fear though the earth be removed If God be in the midst of his Church let 3 Branch us do two things 1. Let us take heed of driving God from us There are wayes whereby we may drive God from the Nation As when Bees are in the Hive and bring their honey you may drive them out with smoak So sin is a smoak that will drive God out from a people Isa. 65. 3 5. A people that provoketh me to anger these are a smoak in my nose In particular there are Nine sins which drive God out of a Land and when he marcheth out judgement marcheth in 1. Idolatry 2 King 17. 12 18. For they served Idols whereof the Lord had said unto them Ye shall not do this thing therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight Idolatry is a sin which breaks the Marriage-knot and makes the Lord disclaim his interest in a people Exod. 32. 7. Thy people have corrupted themselves Before God called Israel HIS PEOPLE but when once they had defil'd themselves with Idolatry then God disclaims them he doth not say to Moses MY people but THY people as if he had quite discarded them and cut off the entail of mercy Take heed of Idolatry yea and of Superstition too which is a Bridge leading over to it Superstition is an intermixing our fancies and inventions with divine institutions 't is an affront offered to God as if he were not wise enough to appoint the manner of his own worship 2. Rapine and Oppression Jer. 12. 7 8. I have forsaken my house my heritage is to me as a speckled bird Or as a bird of prey * Uncis unguibus tanquam digitis in praedam involans Jun. When Gods Dove becomes a Vulture and is given to ravening and cruelty staining her feathers with blood God will then break up House and be gone 3. Uncleanness Hos. 7. 4. They are all Adulterers as an Oven heated by the Baker They who should have been Temples of the Holy Ghost are hot Ovens burning in lust * Urbs est jam tatae Iupanar Vers. 12. I will spread my net upon them That is I will spread the net of my judgements over them and they shall be taken in the Net 4. Covetousness Jer 6. 12. I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the Land for from the least of them even to the greatest every one is given to Covetousness When men smell rank of the earth when they love the Exchange better than the Temple and are more for the earthly Mammon than the heavenly Manna God will take his leave and be gone God is a Spirit he can no more converse with an earthly people than a Prince can converse with a Swine 5. Apostacy Jer. 6. 28. They are all grievous revolters Reprobate silver shall one call them because the Lord hath rejected them This made God remove his golden Candlestick from the Church of Ephesus because she had left her first Love Rev. 2. 4. And if apostacy will make God depart from a people then how can we expect he should stay long with us Where is that zeal for God and love to truth as formerly We live in the fall of the leaf There are many who courted the Queen of Religion when she had a Jewel hung at her ear but when she is in her night-dress and her Jewels of preferment are pull'd off now they desert her Lots wife was turned into a pillar of salt for looking back If all who look back should have this judgement inflicted on them we should hardly go in the streets for meeting pillars of salt Merchants tell us of divers Ships cast away at Sea I believe there have been of late more shipwracks at Land than at Sea I mean such as have made shipwrack of faith and a good conscience The golden head is degenerated into Iron a more faeculent and impure mettal Desinit in piscem mulier formosa supernè 6. Weariness of Gods Ordinances Amos 8. 5. When will the New Moon be gone and the Sabbath Vers. 11. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will send a famine in the Land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the Word of the Lord. God hath fed this Nation with the finest of the wheat even the bread of life we have had the Cream of Ordinances God hath come down to us in a golden shower of blessings the Vintage of other Nations hath not been so good as the gleanings of England but have not we said What a weariness is it Mal. 1. 13. Is not our sin Sermon-surfeiting though we have liked the dressing we have loathed the food we have said Who is this Moses and what is this Manna and may not we fear God is now coming to punish us for this sin When we have lost our stomacks God may cause the cloth to be taken away and would not that be dismal How sad is it for any Nation when their Seers are blind In what a condition is that people who have husks given them instead of Manna and Musick instead of food Weariness of the Gospel forfeits the Gospel If God sees that Sanctuary-blessings bear but a low price he will remove the Market 7. Perjury Jer. 11. 10. The house of Israel and the house of Iudah have broken my Covenant therefore thus saith the Lord Behold I will bring evil upon them which they shall not be able to escape and though they shall cry unto me I will not hearken unto them * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys ost When a people play fast and loose with God breaking their Solemn Vows and Obligations whether Sacramental or other this is a God-provoking sin it will make the Lord go away from a Nation and though they cry after him he will turn a deaf ear God will pass by infirmity but he will punish Treachery 8. Hatred of Reformation When God calls to a people by his Word Spirit Judgements but they regard him not he will pack up
and be gone Jer. 7. 13. I spake unto you rising up early but you heard not therefore will I do to this house which is called by my Name as I did to Shilo Why what did God to Shilo There the Priests were slain the Ark was carried away captive all the signs of Gods presence were removed the Vision ceased and we never read that the Ark returned to Shilo any more Hath not God called to us to be an holy reformed people but are there not those found among us who hate Holiness and cry down Reformation Oh take heed that God doth not do to us as he did to Shilo unpeople us unchurch us and send a flying roll of curses against us 9. Incivilities offered to them who labour in the Word and Doctrine God will avenge the wrongs done to his Embassadors 2 Chron. 36. 16 17. The Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his Messengers rising up betimes and sending because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place but they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy Let us take heed of these sins which will cause God to depart from the Nation 2. If God be in the midst of his Church let us do what we can to keep God among us Israel endeavoured to keep the Ark among them which was the sign of Gods presence Hos. 9. 12. Wo to them when I depart from them If God be gone then all other blessings go too peace and trading will be gone Oh let us strive to keep God among us What is the glory of a Nation but the presence of God in his Word and Ordinances Zach 2 5. I will be the glory in the midst of thee If God be once gone the glory is departed If God be gone England will be like an house that hath the furniture taken down and is falling to ruine Isa. 13. 31. Owles shall dwell there and Satyrs shall dance there If God be gone Satan will be the next Tenant Quest. Quest. How shall we do to keep God amongst us Answ. 1. Answ. 1. By Prayer Jer. 14. 9. We are called by thy Name leave us not Exercise eyes of Faith and knees of Prayer let us hang upon God by holy importunity and not let him go * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom Luke 24. 29. They constrained him saying Abide with us for it is towards evening Is not God upon the threshold of his Temple ready to fly Are not the shadows of the evening stretch'd out And may we not fear the Sun-setting of the Gospel Oh let us by humble prayer lie at Christs feet and constrain him to stay with us Prayer makes a sweet sound in Gods ears and he will not go away where there is that musick 2. By setting upon the work of Reformation Ier. 7. 3. Amend your wayes and your doings There is a prophane party in the Land who drink and roar and declare their sin as Sodom These Sampsons are like to pull down the house upon our head instead of bringing the water of tears to quench Gods anger they adde oile to the flame The men of Lystra seeing the miracle wrought by Paul and Barnabas cry'd out The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men Act. 14. 11. But we may now say The Devils are come up to us in the likeness of men Never was there such a spirit of wickedness in the Land never were there such heaven-daring abominations committed but though Israel play the Harlot yet let not Iudah offend Hos. 4. 15. Though others are licentious and exorbitant being carried to hell with wind and tyde yet let us keep our garments pure and preserve the Virginity of our Consciences let us labour to reform our selves and mourn for what we cannot reform in others Let us walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acurately and circumspectly Eph. 5. 15. Let us shine forth in a kind of Angelical brightness that we may not only profess the Gospel but beautifie it Were we such a Reformed People we might keep God still in the midst of us and as a pledge of his favourable presence he would entail his Gospel that Crowning Blessing both upon us and our Posterity Quest. Quest. But is not the Decree past Are there any hopes that God will be still in the midst of England Answ. Answ. There is hope in Israel concerning this I would encourage Gods people and speak something that might be as the Cork to the Net to keep their hearts from sinking I confess when I look upon the dark side of the cloud it fills me with trembling and astonishment the sins and divisions of the Nation are gray hairs upon us it is ominous when the joints of the same body begin to smite But though we have many Symptomes of a dying Patient yet there are six seeds of hope left that God will still abide in the midst of England 1. That there is a generation of righteous persons in the Nation God would have spared Sodom if there had been ten righteous persons in it it is to be hoped there are many tens in England Isa 65. 8. As new wine is found in the cluster and one saith Destroy it not for a blessing is in it Though the Vine in England is so blasted that the Lord might cut it down yet there are some good Clusters and for these God may spare the Vine and say Is there not a blessing in it Were the godly who are the Charets and Horsemen in Israel removed the Lord would make quick work with the Nation he would destroy the weeds were it not for the Corn. The Ship of Church and State would soon be drowned if the Elect were not in it The Saints stay Gods hand when he is going to strike Gen. 19. 22. Haste thee to Zoar for I cannot do anything till thou become thither The Saints are the excellent of the earth Psal. 16. 3. Precious and honourable Isa. 43. 4. and for their sakes God may yet be entreated to be propitious to us 2. Another seed of hope is that the lord keeps up a spirit of prayer among his people The Spartans Walls were their Spears The Wall and Bulwark of a Nation is Prayer as there are crying sins in the Land so there are crying prayers Whole Vollies of sighs and groans are daily sent up to heaven * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Menand When the Lord intends to pour out the Vial of his indignation he stops all the sluces of prayer Ier. 7. 16. Pray not for this people God hath not said so yet Prayer is a powerful Orator for mercy it comes as it were with Letters of mandamus to heaven Isa. 45. 11. Concerning the works of my hands command ye me Et Dominum mundi flectere vota solent * Martial Prayer staves off wrath from a
Land Exod. 32. 10. Let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them Why what did Moses he only pray'd Prayer overcomes the Almighty * Vincit invincibilem Luth. it finds God free but leaves him bound This gives some crevis of hope that God will not wholly leave us there are those that cry day and night Spare thy people O Lord and give not thy heritage to reproach When Prayer leads the Van Deliverance brings up the Rear Psal. 10. 17. Thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear 3. Another seed of hope is the tender respect God hath to his own glory This was Joshua's Argument Josh. 7. 9. What wilt thou do unto thy great Name If the People of God should be extinct and the cause of Religion trampled under foot this would reflect upon the glory of God and his Name would suffer The wicked seldom prevail but they blaspheme they say Where is your God Psalm 42. 10. Now Gods glory is dear to him it is the most orient Pearl of his Crown he will stand upon his honour while he consults his peoples safety he promotes his own glory Psal. 106. 8. Nevertheless he saved them for his Name sake 4. Another seed of hope is the blessed intercession of Christ The Lord Jesus hears the names of his people upon his breast and sets them as a golden Signet upon his heart his prayers go up to heaven as sweet odors Revel 8. 4. The smoak of incense ascended up before God out of the Angels hand Though out sins go up to heaven as the smoak of a furnace yet Christs prayers go up as the smoak of incense Christs intercession is meritorious his blood will never leave crying till the blood of his enemies be shed 5. A fifth seed of hope is the mercy of God Isa. 63. 9. In his love and in his pity he redeemed them God is the Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1. 3. Mercy doth naturally issue from him He is rich in mercy Ephes. 2. 4. He delighteth in mercy Mic. 7. 18. Justice is Gods strange work Isa 28. 21. Mercy is his proper work Why may not Mercy give the casting-voice And that which may make us hope in this mercy is 1 o. The mercy of God is free Hos. 14. 4. I will love them freely * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost. Mercy sends out its pardons to whom it will Mercy doth not go by desert but by Prerogative I will love them freely 2 o. The mercy of God is healing Hos. 14. 4. I will heal their back-slidings Mercy can heal the impurity and stubbornness of a people Mercy can as well give repentance as deliverance Mercy can destroy the sins of a Nation and save the Nation It can burn up the Chaff and save the Corn. I will heal their back-slidings Mercy can stop the bloody issue of sin and so make way for the issues from death Psal. 68. 20. Pliny saith the water-courses of Rome are the worlds wonder but behold here a Sacred Water-course of Gods mercy this is a sweet wonder Mercy can overcome a sinful people it can save a Nation in its Climacterical year We read that the fire of the Lord fell and licked up the water 1 Kings 18. 38. Thus the fire of Gods mercy can lick up and devour the water of our sins 6. The last seed of hope for England is That there have been many sins committed in the Nation which are not the sins of the Nation some have perjured themselves but all have not A sober and considerable party in the Land however traduced have entred their dissent and openly protested against the scandalous actings of others so that it is to be hoped the Lord will not impute the sin of some to the whole There are a certain number that said as David 1 Sam. 26. 11. God forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lords anointed They looked upon it as impious and irrational to go to cut off the HEAD to preserve the body Thus I have showed you a Rain-bow in the cloud and given you some probable grounds of hope That the Lord will still be in the midst of England Which I intend as a preservative against despondency not as fuel for security Quest. Quest. But how is it possible there should be any good towards us That the sins in which the Nation hath been so steeped and parboil'd should be forgiven that our divisions and animosities should be healed Gods Ordinances refined and the Lord continue his gracious presence in the midst of us Answ. Answ. I say with our blessed Saviour Luke 18. 27. The things which are unpossible with men are possible with God What cannot that God do that can create God can bring about those things which in the eye of sence are not feasible That Iron should swim that the Rock should be a Spring is in nature impossible but God hath brought this to pass Cannot God untye those knots which do amuse and puzzle us Zach. 8. 6. If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people should it also be marvellous in mine eyes saith the Lord of hosts Can difficulties pose the Almighty Jer. 32 27. Is there any thing too hard for me Did not he make the dry bones live Ezek. 37. 7 8. God can bring light out of darkness * 2 Cor. 4 6. harmony out of confusion he can do more than we can think * Eph. 3. 20. else he should not be God How apt are Gods own people to be discouraged with seeming impossibilities Moses who was one of the brighest Stars that ever shined in the Churches Orb yet ready to hesitate and sink at seeming impossibilities Numb 11. â—1 The people amongst whom I am are six hundred thousand footmen and thou hast said I will give them flesh that they may eat a whole month shall the flocks and the heards be slain for them to suffice them or shall all the fish of the Sea be gathered together for them to suffice them As if Moses had said in plain English he did not see how such a numerous people could be fed for a month God gives him a kind of check for his infidelity vers 23. Is the Lords hand waxed short Do I find mouths and not meat Cannot I make provision for my houshold Is the Lords hand waxed short That God who brought Isaac out of a dead womb and the Messiah out of a Virgins womb what cannot he do * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom When things act never so irregularly God can put them in joint again When his Church is so low that she seems to be in the Grave and have a Tombstone laid upon her he can in an instant cause a glorious resurrection Therefore let us not be out of heart but still rest on the arm of Gods power and Soveraignty remembring there are no desperate Cases with God To conclude all the Lord may let his Church be a while under hatches to punish her security and awaken her out of her slumbering fits yet surely the storm will not continue long The Church shall not dye in travel but God will manifest that he is in the midst of Zion and after his Church hath suffered a while as her head Christ hath done he will cause the morning star of her Salvation to appear and she shall come out of all her troubles as the wings of a Dove covered with silver and her feathers with yellow gold FINIS
Isaac on the Altar going to be sacrificed to the rage and fury of men then hath the Providence of God step'd in as the Angel and said Lay not thy hand upon the child God may let the Enemy nibble at the heel of his Church but still he defends the head when malice is boil'd up to revenge and the designs of men carry destruction in the Front now appears the Churches morning star of deliverance This shews God is in the midst of Lion because when things have seemed to be in the forlorn hope and all given for lost now God hath come riding in the Chariots of salvation Vse 1. Here is good news for the Church of God Use 1. Inform. 1. Branch Gods people are apt to despond when they see things move excentrick and go cross to their expectation God is in the midst of Zion He hath a special super-intendency over the Affairs of his Church God hath more care of his Church than we can We read in Ezekiels Vision of a wheel within a wheel Ezek. 1. 16. Gods Decree is the inner wheel that turns al the outward wheels of Providence the Church never wants Enemies to assault and make inrodes upon her but God is in the midst of her Here is a River of consolation whose chrystal streams may refresh the City of God Gods eye is upon his people for good The eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him * Psal. 33. 18. and it is a watchful eye for he neither slumbers nor sleeps Psal. 121. 4. But what priviledge is this that Gods eye is upon his people his eye is upon the wicked too I answer Gods eye which is upon Zion is not only an eye of inspection but an eye of benediction Zion hath not only his eye but his heart Psal. 5. 12. For thou Lord wilt bless the righteous with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield 2. If God be in the midst of Zion 2. Branch then see the Churches beauty and strength 1. The Churches beauty God is in the midst of her this is her glory and beauty O quam candi-rubra Ecclesia eximio praelucens fulgore Zac. 2. 5. I will be the glory in the midst of her This is the best Jewel of the Churches Crown as the Diamond to the Ring as the Sun to the World which doth bespangle it with its beams so is Gods presence to his Church The Ark which was the emblem and sign of Gods presence was stiled the glory of Israel Why is the Church called a Royal Diadem and a Crown of beauty Isa. 62. 3. but because God casts his resplendent lustre upon her I will be the glory in the midst of her 2. See here the Churches strength God is in the midst of her he is with his Church not only to behold her but uphold her * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyrill The Church of God is like a Castle walled in with rocks Isa. 33. 16. his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks But a man may starve upon a rock therefore it follows bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure If God be in the midst of Sihon he will be both defensive and offensive He is both a Shield and a Sword Deut 33. 29. Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O people saved by the Lord the shield of thy help and who is the sword of thy excellency God is a golden shield to his people and a flaming sword to his enemies Zach. 2. 5. For I saith the Lord will be unto her a wall of fire round about A wall That is defensive a wall of fire that is offensive Isa. 27. 2. In that day sing ye unto her a Vineyard of red wine I the Lord do keep it I will water it lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day They that go to overthrow the Church must do it in such a time when it is neither night nor day for God hath promised to keep it night and day 3. 3. Branch See hence how vain are all the attempts and combinations of wicked men against the Church of God God is in the midst of her When we look upon things with an humane eye we may wonder the Church of God is not over-topped that the Sea should be higher than the earth yet not drown it is strange So that the power and force which seemes to be so much above the Church should not overflow it is not a little to be wondred at but God is in the midst of her therefore she is impregnable men must first overcome God before they can overcome the Church * Nemo nos laedet nisi qui Deum vincit Luthar How simple is the wisdom of man when it sets it self against God! What do men do when they wage War against the Church they attempt impossibilities God is in the midst of her What an infinite disproportion is there between the Enemies and God as much as between finite and infinite Will weak man go to measure arms with God * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyrill How easily can God check the pride and break the power and infatuate the councels of the wicked He can destroy his enemies with the turning of an hand Psal. 81. 14. with a word Psal. 2. 5. with a breath Isa. 30. 28 with a look Exod. 14. 24. It needs cost God no more to destroy all his Adversaries than a cast of the eye For men to contend with the great God is as if a child should go to fight with a Giant or Archangel or as if the Thorns should set themselves in battel array against the fire * Ifa 27. 4. Oh how vain and silly are all attempts against the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is in the midst of her Zac. 12. 3. In that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensom stone to all people The Enemies are heaving at the Church to remove it but it is a burdensom stone that will fall upon them and grind them in pieces Zac. 12. 6. I will make the Governours of Iudah like a Torch of fire in a sheaf The grand opposers of Zion shall be as combustible matter and the Church as a Torch of fire to burn them up 4. 4. Branch If God be in the midst of Zion then it follows that all Providences towards the Church shall be for the best There is nothing stirs in the World but shall carry on Gods designs as the cross wheels in a Watch carry on the motion of it and serve to make the Alarum strike That which the wicked intend for the destruction shall turn to the deliverance of the Church As Luthar wrote to the Elector of Saxony Let Your Highness know that the Affairs of the Church are far otherwise orderedin heaven than by the Emperour and States at Norimberg While the Adversaries go about to ruine the Church they shall only repair it God is