gathered this from Gods judgement upon Pharaoh in sending the loathsome frogs I would not have it thought that every one that hath a loathsome disease is like Pharach that he must of necessity be prophane and wicked For in the examples before recited we may finde David had a loathsome disease yet he was a man after Gods owne heart Iob had a fearfull disease he was full of blaines and sores and boyles yet God gave him a great testimony for his piety and justice above all the men of the East I could adde Lazarus that was highly in the favour of God yet he was full of sores And certainly Solomen saith Eccl. 9 All these shall fall alike to good and badmen we cannot determine of affection or disaffection I meane of the speciall love or hatred of God by these outward things Though the Church of Rome and Bellarmine goe too farre for he makes the end and calamities that light upon opposers of the truth to be a necessary argument of the Church a true note of it To that purpose he reckons strange judgements to fall on Calvin and Luther fearfull loathsome diseases So upon Zuinglius and Oecolampadius that he hath from Balsicke and others that have not more lines then lies rayling Pharaoh like We could answer them in their own weapons if we were disposed and tell them of some Popes One saith of Boniface the seventh that he ended his life very filthily And Iohn Stella saith of Boniface the eight he entred as a Fox he reigned like a Lion and dyed as a Dog We could tell them of Iohn thirteenth and some say the fourteenth that was slaine in the act of adultery by the immediate hand of God And of Alexius that dyed by the same potion of poyson he had provided for another Of Dresentius Leotomus Nehotman and other persecuters that had fearfull ends We stand not upon this because there is no argument convincing to be drawne from the calamity of a man to shew his goodnesse or badnesse But that that I intend is that God oft-times sends not only troublesome but noysome judgements as we see here upon Pharaoh The use of it as David saith Psal 4. Standin awe and sinne not God is the same God His hand is not shortned He can inflict a judgement upon thee whosoever thou art that besides the paine of it shall make thee abhorre thy sustenance The very smell nay the sight of it nay the hearing and sound of it And not only so but he can make thee so loathsome that even people that should tender their attendance shall be afraid to come near thee How loathsome a disease is that even that is ordinary the small pox in the extremity And for that other disease that carries the name that a man should not mention without horror and loathing what a loathsome disease it is and how odious it makes people those that are of honest and faire condition are afraid to eat or drinke with them So I have knowne some that have been afflicted with sores and boyles and ruptures that they have been a griefe to others and a burthen to themselves Therefore I say Stand in awe and feare for the Lord can doe what he hath done he can set ravenous beasts on us to teare us he can make frogs and toads crawle on us hee can make fiery diseases possesse us he can bring it home to us in a fearfull way if we rebell Therefore let us labour to serve him and to doe him honour and evermore to praise him not only in word but in worke for feare of an uncomfortable blow For it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of God So much for that They shall come upon thee and upon thy servants and upon all thy people Now this judgement was denounced Pharaoh might have conceived a thought the frogs shall come upon me but I have somewhat to helpe my selfe by my people and my servants about me I hope will keepe my person free The Lord takes away that poore hold and disableth him in that he thought of they shall not only be upon himselfe but upon his servants that they should be so far from from helping him that they should not helpe themselves The observation is that When God smites to some purpose he can make a man helplesse that all succour in the world shall faile Let him cast upon what hope he will and nourish expectation of this and that help when adversity comes the judgement of God shall have a full blow We have read of some famines wherein one neighbour hath not beene able to helpe another all of them have beene so generally troubled by that fearfull calamity and vexed by it that a man could not give his neighbour bread without being unnaturall to himselfe and unmercifull to his family When the Sword hath forradged a place the party that should secure his wife and children hath beene wounded and not able to helpe them And so in regard of the plague when it hath entred into some families and allowed no quarter at all but hath stricken all downe that not one hath beene able to helpe another God hath stricken some men with such diseases that the whole Colledge of Physitians were never able to give them a minute of ease Nay it may be the Physitian himselfe hath beene so smitten that he needed as much helpe as his patient This is ordinary I will not stand further upon the proofe The Use concernes us a little that is that we never cast our selves upon any earthly helpes without God let them seeme as firme as they will and able to sustaine us let us never cast our selves on them without God they will prove as clouds without raine as wells without water they will prove miserable comforters They will be to us as the King of Israel was to the woman in the siege of Samaria when she complayned of the fearfulnesse of the famine O saith he if God doe not help how shall I help Let the Philistins trust in Goliah when the time comes he shall not be able to save himselfe Let them delight in Dagon he shall be so far from secuting them that he shall be broken in peeces by a fall before the Arke The high Priests tell the Souldiers if they will tell a lie for them and officiate in that kinde for them they will beare them harmlesse the day of affliction will come that they shall not be able to helpe themselves Nay David disableth the very trust in Princes Psal 146. Trust not in Princes or any son of man for vaine is their helpe Isay 20. the three last verses It seemes the people of Israel were confident when they had an adversay came and threatned them with the Babylonian forces they sent to the Ethiopians for helpe they did not greatly care what that great man could doe Saith the Lord Goe and tell them the King of Caldea shall take Egypt prisoner and the Ethiopian captive so they
Spirit direct us vouchsafe good God to goe in and out before us Keepe in us a purpose never to sin confirm it more and more and upon every suggestion to sin let us call to minde our vowes and promises of better obedience and though we have dealt falsely before now make them more powerfull to restraine us If we fall by infirmity let our hearts smite us speedily restore us by repentance immediately evermore keep us from impenitencie hardnesse of heart and presumption the power of Satan and a downfall into sin Grant us all other things that thou in thy wisdome knowest better that we want then we to aske not for any merits of ours we disclaime them nothing belongs to us but shame and confusion but even for thy Names sake for thy promise sake for Iesus Christs sake the Sonne of thy love and our Saviour in whose Name we further call upon thee as he hath taught us saying Our Father which art c. THE FIRST SERMON Vpon EXOD. CHAP. 8. VERS 1.2 And the Lord spake unto Moses Go unto Pharaoh and say unto him Thus saith the Lord Let my people goe that they may serve me And if thou refuse to let them goe behold I will smite all thy borders with frogs THis Chapter hath three parts according to the three judgements here remembred The first judgement was the frogs from verse 1. to verse 16. The second was of lice from verse 16. to verse 20. The third of flies noysome flyes to the end of the Chapter In this first judgement which is of frogs we are to observe these three things First the denunciation of it Secondly the execution of it Thirdly the event of it The denunciation of it in the first 4 verses The execution in verse 5.6 The event of it is threefold First the Magicians doe the like verse 7. Secondly thence there is a remoovall of this judgement and the meanes of the same from the beginning of verse 8. to the end of verse 15. The third event is the obduration and further hardning of the heart of Pharaoh verse 16. Come again to the denunciation there are two things in it First Moses from God makes a motion to Pharaoh to dismisse his people verse 1. Secondly hee tells him upon his refusall of a judgement and there is First laid down what the judgement should be frogs Then the amplification of it from the generality in all his borders in his bedchamber in their troughs their baking-troughs and their ovens they shall be a vexation to them night and day And then for the noysomenesse of them that they should crawle about in all these places Now for the motion which is laid downe in verse 1. that I may not reciprocari serram as Tertullian speakes I will not draw my saw the same way againe I willingly omit many thinges that might bee observed in this verse First Gods manner of speaking to Moses Secondly Moses going in to Pharaoh Thirdly his manner of speaking to Pharaoh Thus saith the Lord Whereby hee would perswade him that hee was sent by God therefore he that sent him would not brooke a refusall Likewise in the fourth place how equall the motion of God was Let my people goe he requires his owne of Pharaoh And how they were said to be Gods people above all other people in the world To the end that they may goe and serve me The relation that is between God and his people it ties the people of God to serve him to observe him Againe how God would have them goe out of Egypt to serve him that is to offer sacrifice For hee would not have them serve him there where the Egyptians instead of joyning with them would deride them nay not only so but mischiefe them for such was the zeale of the Egyptians against sacrifice All these I willingly and purposely omit Now my beloved in this verse as it is a transition to that that followes I will onely remember you of three things The first is the obstinacie of Pharaoh The second is the longanimity and longsuffering of God The third is the piety and obedience of Moses all which are implied in this first verse First the obstinacie of Pharaoh hee had seene signes already the Rod turned into a Serpent and the rod of Moses devouring the Serpents of the Egyptians He had likewise seene that fearfull judgement the water turned into blood In which judgement both he and the prime of the land it may bee might escape more easily It is likely they might quench their thirst by wine or by some juyce or liquors but we must needs conceive that it went hard with the generality of the people that either must dye for thirst or drinke blood if they forbeare they dye if they drinke in probability they perish blood being so incongruous drinke for the body of man Besides this though he had seene the Magicians doe the like yet they could not remove the judgement the Lord in his meere mercy without any suit of Pharaoh or of his people put an end after seven dayes to that great affliction yet notwithstanding this see the obduration of the wicked mans heart he had need of a new judgement to rouze him My observation is this How many blowes a hard heart will indure before it breake or be mollified See it in Balaam he was not warned by the Asses turning out of the way nor yet by the Asses rushing against the wall to the bruising of his foot nor yet by the Asses lying downe under him and opening his mouth against him his heart was set he loved the wages of unrighteousnesse on he goes So with Balack the King of Moab whom he served The first time he builds seven Altars and sacrificeth on them and the second time seven and the third time seven with more opportunity and though he saw that every time it was like a piece charged against another that recoyled upon himselfe though hee saw how frustranious and empty all his intendments and purposes were yet for all that he goes on in the hardnes of his heart God sought meanes to reclaime him hee defeated his purposes but he would not yeeld as if hee had held it an honour to be tenacious of his resolution against God Thus it was with Saul what a number of blowes did God give that hard heart of his before it would melt Every time he disappointed him in his pursuit of David it was a blow given to molifie his heart if it might have beene yet he goes on to a greater degree of iniquity and impiety and he reinforceth and reneweth his cursed endeavours against an innocent man If the heart of man be but of a mettall that is hard enough God knowes yet it may be melted though it be iron as Gregory Nazianzen saith it will melt in the fire but if the heart of man be that heart of stone Ezek. 11.19 well may it be broken but melt it will not And it is not easily
prodigious is this last age growne in that A man can as soone make the Moone a coat as finde people a moneth in one dressing It is fearfull to consider the abominable luxury And for fraud and cheating and tricks of legerdemaine they are fresh and new and frequent every day that the vigilancie of all authority and the warinesse of all lawes are not able to prevent them He is accounted but a foole and a sot that hath not a trick more then ever yet was practised O Beloved hath not God then a just controversie with his people If the Lord draw out judgements that were never heard of before and make us signes and wonders to the world and an astonishment to all adjacent Nations may we not justifie his proceedings If wee exceed our forefathers sinnes what wonder is it if wee feele judgements that they were never sensible of If we be inventers of the evill of sinne Rom. 1. what wonder is it if the Lord deale with us as he did with the Gentiles to give us up to a reprobate sense to desperate hardnesse that after we have committed sinne with greedinesse we may be made a by word to all Nations But before I leave this denunciation of the judgement I cannot but acquaint you with the mysticall signification that divers of the Fathers have of this judgement of frogs Origen saith The frogs here signifie lascivious vaine Poets saith he a frog is of no profit he gives offence with his croaking and with his filth so saith he It is with the Poets they are as frogs they have no goodnesse the lascivious Poets in their libidinous discourses and their fables that tend to nothing but to corrupt unstable men Yet to see how many people are taken with them saith he how they sucke this poyson and drinke these puddles with the neglect of those living waters And Rupertus goes further They be frogs that croke dishonour to God when they attribute a deity and divinity to Iupiter and Venus and those that were mortall men and make as many as their owne fancie thinks fit using the fecundity of their understandings this way Yet these people saith he as frogs creep into the favour of great persons as appeares in the story they are made much of by the great Emperours of the world but saith he though they delight in them for the present they infuse a great deale of poyson more then ever they could be cured of St. Austen and with him Prosper they understand mystically by these frogs Philosophers that were wedded only to naturall knowledge These are they saith Austen that have a sound of words but not true wisdome saith he sometimes they croke out filthy blasphemy against God He is not utterly against Philosopy nor no wise man ever would for as it may be as Hagar against Sara if it grow petulent and sawcie as she did out goes the handmaid So this Heathen having her nailes pared and her haire cut she may be a wife for an Israelite He is against vaine Philosophy as Paul speaks those things that are contrary to truth when they would make it impossible for any thing to be made of nothing against the creation of the world when they deny that severall species can be united in one subject against the incarnation of Christ when they deny that there can be any returne from a privation to a habit against the resurrection These are crokings and distastefull to Christian eares The same Father saith further These croking frogs set forth Hereticks and in Rev. 16.13 the Spirit of God calls them frogs that creep out of the mouth of the Beast the false Prophet and the Dragon And these runne up and downe and crawle upon people and doe a great deale of prejudice And he might well put them after Philosophers for Tertullian saith Philosophers are the Patriarchs of Hereticks And he saith elsewhere when they cannot flye of themselves then they take shelter among the bushes of Aristotle These Hereticks are as frogs filthy creeping up and downe and creeping over places even into the chambers of Princes as may appear to you in the Arrians that made themselves so firme in the Emperour Constantius That is the tricke of them to make themselves great with great persons It is said of Constantius sister Constantine she commended one of them to him They get into the chambers of Princes We need not have these croking frogs in these dayes with their Jesuiticall spirits If Princes would be more cautelous of them it would be more for their peace Gregory Nycene in the life of Moses saith That the frogs are voluptuous persons that are given up to all wanton luxury that is carnall For saith he thinke of a libidinous licentious life and then thinke of the frogs of Egypt for that same licentiousnesse growes from a filthy heart so these frogs from the slime of Egypt And as it was with those frogs so it is with these they possesse all places In the street take a voluptuous man and you shall discover him by his publicke carriage Follow him to his house he is voluptuous in his meat as these frogs came into the baking-troughs Follow him into his bed-chamber he is wicked there Follow him to his closet the greatest privacie still there are signes of voluptuousnesse And he begins to complaine how full that time was of these frogs His complaint fits our times It is a fearfull thing the filthy frogs of covetousnesse base sordid covetousnesse of excesse and of distemper of lust and licentiousnesse that may be followed by their slime from the places they passe These are fearfull and those that expose the land to the curse of God Take heed of these separate your selves from this uncleannesse in such impure hearts God will not dwell They may taste of his vengeance but shall never taste of his favour till they have purged out this filthy corruption So I have done wholly with the denunciation of the judgement Now I come to the execution of it and in the transition to it because I cannot enter on it at this time It will be demanded what effect the denunciation of this judgement had with Pharaoh There is nothing said the judgement is denounced and is presently executed what effect had it The speedy execution of it tells us what effect it had For surely Pharaoh was not a whit wounded his wicked heart continued obdurate and impenitent It is like enough he conceived that this was but a scar-crow and he thought it a poore spirit and a base disposition to yeeld to words he would not appeare to be pusillanimous to be frighted with words therefore he stands it out Observe The wicked disposition of prophane persons they will never feare till they feele Pharaoh all the words would doe no good he was fearlesse till he feels Thus it was with the old world Mat. 24. Christ saith They did eat and drinke and were merry and knew nothing till the flood came Blessed Lord
behold this blessed light that shines to us much more unworthy to enjoy these conveniences and opportunities of meeting in thy house to know the way and means to a better life But most worthy of all thy plagues to be powred down upon us both in this life and that which is to come For besides that originall corruption wherein wee were borne and conceived and which like a leprosie hath over spread all the powers faculties both of soul and body we have heaped up a numberles number of actuall transgressions There is not any of thy holy Commandements but in thought word and deed most grievously and frequently we have violated And which advanceth our iniquity and heightens our rebellion these evills have not only escaped us in the times of ignorance but even since it hath pleased thee to inlighten us with the knowledge of thy truth so that notwithstanding thy mercies thy judgements the motions of thy good Spirit the blessed light of thy Gospell afforded to us we have continued the course of our rebellion against thee yea that we may be yet more vile in thy presence even at this time when we come before thee we are clogged with so many imperfections that if thou shouldest be extreame to marke what is done amisse how mightest thou plague us in our bodies in our goods in our good names how mightest thou fill us with the fury of an unpacified conscience and write bitter things against us and a wounded spirit who can beare How mightest thou give us up to a reprobate sence to commit sinne with greedinesse and punish one evill with another and after all this cast us into that place of torment to sucke out the dregs of thy vialls O God in all this thou shouldest be justified and clear when thou are judged and we deservedly punished Our sinnes our sinnes O Lord call to heaven for vengeance the pit is ready to shut her mouth upon us if thou wert not the Lord of mercies But thou hast opened a way for poore distressed sinners to come to thee through thy Son We flye to the horns of the Altar and intreat thee for Jesus Christ sake to be mercifull to us And thou sweet Saviour of the world whose name imports mercy and whose worke brought salvation for the sons of men thou knowest that we are but flesh and remembrest that we are but dust Thou that art a High Priest touched with our infirmities that knowest the power strength of old Adam how it leads us captive to sin and wickednes stand between us the wrath of thy offended Father mediate our cause with thy Father that all our iniquities may be done away by thy sufferings that we may ever finde to our comfort that though we have done ill we have an advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous And doe thou dear Father every day more and more assure and perswade our souls that thou art reconciled to us in thy Son by sending his Spirit into our hearts to renue us to that glorious Image of thine from whence wee are fallen and which may enable us to performe every good duty that as heretofore we have given our bodies and soules to be weapons of unrighteousnesse so in every part and power of them we may glorifie thee our God and Saviour and as much time as remains in the flesh worke out our salvation with feare and trembling And be cause thou of thine infinite wisdome hast set apart the Ministery of thy Word for this purpose good Lord blesse it to us at all times and at this time Enable me that am to speake the most unworthy of all the sons of Levi Lord cover all my sins and manifold imperfections in that mercy of thine that hath no measure and be pleased so to assist me by thy more particular helpe that I may deliver thy word boldly truly feelingly and sincerely Circumcise the hearts and eares of this thy people that they may heare attentively treasure it up in their hearts carefully and bring it forth in their lives and conversations conscionably to thy glory and assurance of their owne salvation in the day of Jesus Christ to whom with thee O Father and thy blessed Spirit be ascribed as is most due all honour and glory both now and for evermore Prayer after Sermon VVEE returne unto thy Majesty O Lord our God most humble and hearty thankes for all thy mercies most plentifully bestowed upon us as election creation redemption preservation vocation for the time and means thou hast given us of repentance whereas thou mightest have took us away in the middest of our sins O God what are we or what is our fathers house that thou shouldest bee thus mercifull to us to prevent and to follow us with thy kindnesse we are lesse then the least of thy mercies yet suffer us to take the cup of salvation and to praise thy Name accept of our poor acknowledgement adde one mercy more deare God to the common heap grant that we may expresse our thankfulnesse in a godly care of all holy obedience Blesse that part of thy word that we have heard delivered at this time Good Lord make it effectuall to our souls to salvation grant that it may bring forth fruit in some twenty in some thirty in some sixty in some a hundred fold though in some more and in some lesse yet in all some to the henour of thy Name Blesse with us thy whole Church wheresoever dispersed or howsoever distressed on the face of the earth and prosper O God the cause of the same where ever it is maintained in all the world as may be for the confounding of the Kingdom of Sin and antichrist and for the encouragement of all such as professe thy Gospel in sincerity Blesse us in these Kingdomes continue to us our liberty forgive our crying sinnes turne away thy judgements open our eyes at last to see the day of our visitation Blesse thy servant our Sovereigne Charles by thy Grace King of England Scotland France and Ireland in all causes and over all persons as well Ecclesiasticall as Civill next and immediately under thy Son supreme governour Blesse the Queens most excellent Majesty Prince Charles the Princesse Palatine and her issue The Lords of his Majesties most honourable Privy Councell The whole Nobility Blesse thine owne inheritance the Tribe of Levi by what names or titles soever they be called And for a supply of Davids Towers with Worthies blesse all Schooles of Learning the two Vniversities of this Land Cambridge and Oxford Blesse all Congregations this committed to my charge Remember all that are in affliction in mercy whether outwardly in body or inwardly in minde or for the testimony of a good conscience Lord draw neare to every of them according to their desires Receive us Deare God and all ours and all thine into thy love and favour and protection therest of this day and for ever Let thy holy hand protect us let thy blessed
doe so Psal 143.9 I flye to thee O God to hide me Flye to God not from God make him thy protection under his wings thou shalt be safe live in the feare and obedience of his holy Name and then the field and the house and the chamber and the desart shall be all one thou shalt not feare though thou walke in the shadow of death But if thou live in a contemptuous course against God it will bee just with God that thou shouldest feare where no feare is And if the Lord suspend the execution of judgement for a time at last all thy feares shall be put together when thou shalt be summoned to judgement and then it will be in vaine to say O let the hills and mountaines fall upon me Saith the Father It is impossible to hide and intollerable to appeare For every man must be brought forth to give an account for what he hath done in the flesh whether it be good or evill THE THIRD SERMON Vpon EXOD. CHAP. 8. VERS 3. And they shall come up into thine house and into thy bed-chamber and upon thy bed and into the house of thy servants and upon thy people and into thine ovens and into thy kneading-troughs WEE go on now in the further amplification of the judgement It is said here They shall come into thy bed-chamber and upon thy bed They shall not only come out of the river and come into a strange soile but they shall come to annoy thee not only into thy house the lower parts of it but into thy bed-chamber and they shall not content themselves with the floore but they shall climbe up to thy bed that even then when thou shouldest rest thou shalt bee annoyed with these base creatures How ever some translate the word here bed for such beds as they used to eat their meat upon yet this word signifies such beds as men rest on and being joyned here with bed chamber bed and bed chamber I make no question but it was such a bed as Pharaoh used take his rest on in the night And this aggravates the judgement extreamly If he might have beene quiet in the night which is the time that nature hath allotted to rest and the time where in a man hopes by rest and sleep to forget the cares and sorrowes of the day and to be refreshed and comforted yet God tells him that these creatures shall come in this place where he meanes to repose himselfe and shall disturbe him where he would take rest Doe you but judge what a kinde of judgement this was if the chamber you lye in should be full of toads and frogs that you were scarce able to step besides them that they should continually leap upon your bodies and upon your beds as if they would enter into your bodies for so the Jewes thinke that the frogs entred into the mouthes of many of them as they slept but I stand not upon that I note and observe that God threatneth this disturbance in the night to Pharaoh when he should rest It may be observed not only that Ged is able to punish in the night as well as in the day But that God makes his judgements so much the more terrible by bringing them in the night For this circumstance of time addes wondrously to the weight of this judgement When God would bring that fearfull judgement upon Egypt the last and greatest that decimus fluctus the tenth wave that was the mightiest of all other The slaughter of the first bourne God did it in the night in the dead of the night The text saith Exod. 12.31 Pharaoh and all his servants arost and there was acry through the land of Egypt for there was not a house where there was not one slaine O fearfull a man to bee awaked out of his dead sleep with such a crie and such a generall crie and such a crie for which there was such a cause a generall lamentation of the land of Egypt and Pharaoh himselfe was not free this made the wound deep In 2 King 7. the Assyrians were slaine in the night for by breake of the day they were all gone they heard noyses in the night You know if a man be awaked out of his sleepe with a noyse of fire and heare a generall crie in the street it amazeth him and sends his bloud backe to his heart to nourish that it makes his haire stand an end So it was with them to heare a noyse of chariots So when God would aggravate his judgement against Sennacherib though all his people went well to their rest yet before morning there was so many slaine They were all dead corpses in the morning David in Psal 91.5 speaks of the terrours of the night I will not tell you what they are they are different and various as one reckons up a great many of them Terrours of the night there be and fearfull affrightings and therefore the greater because they are in the night It hath beene the opinion of no meane men of the Church that Christ shall come at the last judgement in the night Lactantius saith so more then once that hee shall come in the darke night and he cites a verse of the Sibills to that purpose Amids the darke night Ierome inclines to this opinion And Casidor upon the 118. Psa saith That it was commonly received among the Christans that it should be so They build upon the time because the first-borne in Egypt were slaine in the night And it may be because our Blessed Saviour was apprehended in the night to be brought to judgement therefore his last judgement shall seize upon men in the night and they build it upon the Parable in the Gospell Christ shall come as a thiefe in the night And two being in a bed one shall be taken and the other left And so of the Bridegroomes comming There shall be a crie at midnight Mat. 25. But this is no firme ground and therefore I dare not stand upon it Certainly Christ hath made that uncertaine whether it shall be at evening or at midnight or at Cock crowing or at the dawning of the day as himself saith Againe it is against the principles of Nature for it is not midnight to all the world at one time for when it is midnight to us the Sunne to other people is in the verticle point at noone day Therfore except the judgement shall be at severall times this will not hold And if we goe by probability as Scotus saith why should we not thinke it shall be at that time when Christ rose that is in the morning or when he ascended or when hee expired and gave out his last breath on the crosse But it may well be that Christ would shew us the uncertainty of his comming And I may adde withall to come to the point I observed to shew the terror of his comming to judgement in the night it is more terrible I appeale to any of you that have had an accute
them from judgement Psal 76.12 Saith David there God will be terrible to the Princes of the earth And Psal 82. Te shall dye as men and fall as one of the Princes We have instances enow of this in Scripture Abimelech sinned and was punished a great Prince So Adonnibezeck So likewise another Abimelech was slaine by a piece of a milstone Iudg. 9. So we read of Ahab and Saul and Iezebel great Princes mighty in their times We finde it in Sennacherib that came against Ierusalem with such as hoast a great Commander And Nebuchadnezzar that walked upon his Babel he had a great and large command a great latitude of dominions So in the third Herod and all those persecuters of the Church that as wilde Bores of the Wood laboured to roote out the Vineyard of God Beloved if there were no more that we did meet with of God making them the objects of his judgements then that they sicken and dye it were no great thing For surely they consist of the same principles that other inferiour persons doe When Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar Live for ever he meant another life for in regard of his temporall life he knew he was like his Image though the head were of gold the feet were of clay Surely as they consist of soule and body as well as others they have no stronger tyes and ligaments to keepe soule and body together then meaner men they have no more power over their breath then other men they are subject to sicknesse and casualties But wee speake of them as they are the objects of Gods displeasure What may be the ground of this that those who are so great in the world that the Lord should get the conquest over them and make them instances of his wrath There may be divers reasons given of it First their sinne and not simply their sinne but as their persons are advanced so usually their sinnes are of the first magnitude Those that are great sinne with a high hand they thinke they may sinne with priviledge And they are apt to heare parasiticall flatterers as Alexander had that what likes them they may doe As Iulia told Bashiana It was for them to give lawes and not to take them Therefore the Lord meets with them to humble the proud to pull downe these arrogant ones as in Iob 40. He pulls downe the mighty from their seat As it was with Pharaoh here that was in his ruffe before Who is the Lord But now hee findes a God higher then hee Secondly Princes and great persons are usually exempted from the reproofe of men As for the Lawes oft-times they are as cobwebs the great flyes breake through them who dares say to a Prince Thou art wicked Nay one saith concerning the Pope it is not lawfull to say Why doth he so Now when they are not within the compasse of humane reproofe God strikes them In Levit. 20. when the people winke at such offences Then will I set my face against him and cut him off saith the Lord he will take the matter into his owne hands Thirdly the punishment of great persons makes more for the glory of God for the greater the instances of Gods judgements be the more remarkable is his justice the more legible characters are read in the world of his impartiality Therefore in Rom. 9.17 it is said concerning Pharaoh I have set thee up that I might magnifie my power and that my name might be knowne to the ends of the earth He set him up as he would sinne so he made him an instance remarkable of his displeasure that all the world might feare and tremble And indeed it went farre and neare for the Priests of the Philistines when they consulted about the Arke saith 1 Samuel 6. Harden not your hearts as Pharaoh and the Egyptians did For the Use of it it should teach all great ones in the world to be wise to kisse the Sonne last he be angry and so they perish from the right way I know they are apt to know their eminency Herod can easily entertaine the voyce of the people The voyce of a God and not of a man And the stomach of the Pope is not so squemish but he can digest that speech Thou art another God on earth But they shall know that if they use their power to injustice and doe that that is dishonourable to the Prince of Princes the Lord of Lords the hand of God will be upon them as well as upon the meanest subject Nay the more mighty they are the more grievously they shall be afflicted and though they be Gods before men yet they are but men before God Let the Lord put them in the ballance and sinde them too light He will blow them away with the breath of his displeasure Certainly he will get him honour by the confusion of those that stand up in contumacy against him To the greatest of them all it may be said as it is Hest 4.13 Thinkest thou to escape though thou be in the Kings house more then the rest of the Iewes So may I say If thou be a Monarch of the whole earth if thou irritate Gods displeasure thinkest thou to escape I will build my nest in the mountaines saith the Edomite who shall pull me downe He that sits in heaven shall laugh thee to scorne He bindeth Kings in chaines and Robles in fetters of Iron He that threw downe Lucifer from being a Prince of light so he shall serve thee In the second place it should teach men of inferiour condition and yet have something to beare themselves out with in the world Be not proud though thou have wealth it may be honour above thy brethren and art as Saul higher by the head then thy fellowes presume not too much thinke not to be free from judgements if thou offend For if thou wouldest give ten thousand rams and a thousand rivers of oyle the fruit of thy body for the sinne of thy soule it will not doe Riches availe not in the day of wrath but righteousnesse delivereth from death Prov. 11.14 Here an under officer or Sheriffe may bee feed to forbeare the execution of his office but it is not so with the arrest of God If God say to the rich foole This night shall they take away thy soule the Subpaena will not be answered but with his appearance if hee would give all his full barnes to be released Thirdly it is an item to all to admire Gods justice and impartiality and equity that sinites the tall Cedars as well as the low shrubs and thistles Should God avenge himself upon the common people that are called Cursed and connive at the sinnes of Princes there might bee some cause of wonder but when God shall punish one as well as another who shall dare to say but his wayes are equall Fourthly stand in awe to please him if hee punish Princes he will pesants if he smite the high Towers he will the inferiour Zeph. 1.8
the provision of the King such as was for the captive children it will not nourish without Gods blessing This hath beene the practice of holy people in all times Samuel blessed for the people they did not eat till he had blessed 1 Sam. 9.13 So it was with our Blessed Lord himselfe he never eat before he gave thankes and Paul in a great tempest at sea Act. 27. hee brings them together and defires them to take meat but they did not touch it before he gave thankes Plutarch saith that the Heathen did it And the Turkes now are observant of giving thanks Tertullian in his Apologie for the Christians shewing the course that Christians used in their feasts and â—â—ting of their meat they never sate downe to the table before prayer was made to God that he would sanctifie the creatures Secondly as it is meet that we should aske Gods blessing so when we have found that they nourish us and our spirits are refreshed and enlivened and quickned by them and we are made more nimble and agile for imployments then we have reason to give God thankes to returne thankes When thou hast eaten and art full remember saith Moses the Lord thy God thou shalt blesse him Deut. 8.12 And as it is said of Christ after they had eaten their supper they sang a Psalme before they went out of the roome Mat. 26. And Athanasius speakes of some people that were wont as soone as ever they had done supper or dinner to turne themselves upon their knees to give God thankes The Pharisees were so strict this way when a Pharisee had forgot to give God thanks at table though he were in the field he must returne to the place where he had eaten to doe it And he is no lesse then an Atheist that habitually omits the giving of thanks to God I will not say but a man may forget it and against his purpose but if it be habituall to sit downe and rise without giving thanks he is a brute beast and let him looke and he may expect the next time he eats to have a frog in his dish that is to have some judgement For the Lord will not indure such wretches Lastly since sinne lets the judgements of God loose especially in this particular of restraining a blessing upon the creatures Take heed of grosse sinnes those that the Father calls fearfull pressures such as waste conscience and so provoke God not only to cut us short in that which is superfluous but to maime us and lame us in necessaries in food that is the support of this tabernacle without which it cannot stand more then the lampe can continue without the supply of oyle And because it may be the wickednesse of this people in gluttony of meat caused this judgement upon them for they were given to that and because in experience God restraines men of their meat for that take heed of gluttony I confesse at this day intemperance in drunkennesse is now more then that of eating and the more generall sinne but intemperance of eating is of too great a breadth and as great a sin as the other And judge you now how many thousands there bee in the world that eat above their meanes and ability Though they pinch their backs their dainty tooth must be satisfied I read of old that they were wont to feast openly in the streets If it were so with us there would be many observed to spend that that they had reason to spare Againe how many thousands are there that though they eat not above their ability yet above their condition and calling for nothing will please them but rarities such as are congruous for Kings meane men must have All their pretence is they are able to doe it what of that I tell thee and I tell thee as a Minister of God that the rule of our apparrell and our meat it is not our ability but next to Gods word it must be thy calling and estate thou art in That is not lawfull for a meane man that is for a noble man this would bring attaxie and confusion into the world and blend those things that God hath digested so sweetly Againe for the manner how many thousands eat unjustly I meane are content to eat well and to lye soft and in the meane time never pay their debts They are so far from that that the Apostle speakes of eating their owne bread that other mens goods must furnish their tables How many eat unseasonably That is when the Church is under persecution and judgements are upon them and the places they are in they are most prone to feast a fearfull sinne God said it should not be purged from some till they dyed Isay 22. How many eat uncharitably without respect to the poore That stretch themselves upon their beds of Ivory and are not touched with the afflictions of Ioseph So the rich man in the Gospell he fared deliciously every day and did not respect the poor man at his gate though he asked but a crum How many eat immoderately I may say as Austen saith of them They eat not daily bread but as much at one time as is fit for them for three or foure meales what a fearfull thing is this Nay Beloved how many are there in the world that eat impiously that not only disable themselves from the workes of their ordinary calling but from the performance of any act of Religion towards God as if there were no God to serve but their bellies They are farre from the practice of the Primitive Christians as Tertullian saith in the former place that did alway eat so as that they remembred that God was to be worshipped They would not for all the world indispose themselves in regard of those holy performances Is there any of you that heare me that can deny this to be a truth I know you confesse it is a truth I know your righteous soules grieve that there is such just cause of complaint and I know you feare the harvest that this feed will bring out What was the sin of the old world was not this one among the rest Mat. 24. they ate and dranke as brute beasts and did not God bring a deluge upon them What was the sinne of Sodome was not one of them fulnesse of bread and did not God bring a fiery showre from heaven and burne them What was the sinne of Esau was it not gluttony when for a morsell of meat he sold his birthright and so after was deprived of the blessing he was prophane as it is Heb. 12. And what was the sinne of the Israelites among others this they lusted and were gluttons therefore when the meat was in their month wrath fell on them And doth not wise Solomon threaten men that are gluttons in their diet as well as those that are drunkards that they shall come to rags and poverty All this is true And what do we thinke to gather grapes from thorns or figs from
thistles or are we conceited as some that Austen speaks of in his time that God punished the murthers of Troy but loved those of Rome That God punished the distempers of former times but will not now That there shall be no fregs in our dishes though Pharaoh had them Is not he the same God and our sinnes as foule as theirs and doe they not provoke God to wrath Wee have found it by some experience if we goe backe a little way What spued out those Abbey-lubbers but gluttony What hath beene the ruine of many great families but this What was the cause that God punished us the last yeare with famine Many sins we have but I cannot ascribe it to any more properly then to gluttony God punisheth such licentiousnesse with penury and scarcity And if we goe on and provoke God as we have hitherto God will plague us in our basket and in our store and that that before was but a rod he can whip us with scorpions God be thanked though we had it deare we had it for money but God will cause the earth to denie her strength that it shall not be to be had then we may eat our flesh for bread and our bowells shall sound as a shalme And this may be the cause of the plague for famine and the plague goe together Thus the Lord can curse us in our basket and in our store and send frogs into our kneading troughs and into our chambers Therefore in the fear of God let us be ashamed of our former intemperance and let us now labour to honour God I bridle not men up to necessity only Religion gives a faire way as any reasonable man in the world can desire but take heed that we dishonour not God abuse them not if we doe penury will be the reward of abused plenty THE FOVRTH SERMON Vpon EXOD. CHAP. 8. VERS 4. And the frogs shall come up both on thee and upon thy people and upon all thy servants And the Lord spake unto Moses say unto Aaron stretch forth thine hand c. IN this fourth Verse there is yet a further amplification of the judgement These frogs should not onely bee in the high waies but in the houses not only in the common roomes but in the bedchambers And they should not stay here neither but should crawle upon the bodies of men they should get up upon them and there should be no possibility to brush them off Galerius upon this place observes That the Egyptians were punished in this plague upon all the five senses The sight was punished that was offended with the multitude with the greatnesse with the hideous forme and colour of these frogs Their hearing was offended with the croaking of them for it was but harsh musicke to dainty eares Their smell was offended with the stench of them Their taste was offended that they came into their troughs the places of their dough and so hindred them of the food that was provided for their nourishment And for their feeling that certainly was exercised for not only he but Tostatus upon the place saith That many of these frogs were poysonfull such as we call toads and they afflicted and oppressed the Egyptians when they lighted on them But I stand not upon this but content my selfe with the words of the Text They shall come up and crawle upon thee and upon thy servants So that thou shalt not rid thy selfe of this annoyance What! in their meat and drinke and upon their bodies Then observe with me Beloved God can lay judgements upon people that shall not be more painfull and troublesome then odious loathsome and noysome This you shall see in sundry respects That of Iob Iob 7.5 he complaines that his skin was broken and he was become loathsome I will not follow Pineds the Jesuit that reckons up scores of diseases that this poore man was afflicted with and all of them as the Physitian speakes of the worst kinde and quality The Scripture saith enough and tells us that he was stricken with boyles from the top of the head to the sole of the foot and was faine to retire himselfe from the company of men and to sit upon a heap of ashes that they might receive the corruption from his wounds and to get a piece of a potsheard to scrape himselfe with Iob 2.7.8 Such a noysome disease had David whatsoever it was as hee complaines Psal 38.7 Thou hast filled my loynes with a loathsome disease The Septuagint and the Latine translation read it Thou hast filled my loynes with delusion and mocking but the Chalde paraphrase renders it better Thou hast filled me with burning paine and noysome So the Hebrew word there used will beare it out which comes from a word to roast a thing and it signifies to be made vile So that it seems it was a burning furious disease and that also that made him odious and loathsome to the people and to himselfe a burthen What a loathsome judgement did the Lord send upon Iehoram 2 Chron. 21. ult by which he rotted as it were piece-meale he was wondrously afflicted and troubled and tormented and the Text saith there Ragelat bele Kemdar he departed without being desired Some understand it he was so wicked that every body desired his death he went away and was not missed every one was glad But it may be understood also he was so loathsome by his disease that people were-glad he was gone he was so troublesome and he tooke no pleasure in himselfe by the noysomenesse of his disease In 2 Macab 9.9 we read of Antiochus a great persecuter of Gods people God smote him with a loathsome noysome judgement having received a bruise by a fall from his chariot for very torment and paine saith the Text his flesh fell piece meale from him and the stench of him was grievous to the whole Army every one wished him gone he was such a trouble to them And was it not a noysome loathsome judgement that was sent upon Herod to be eaten up of wormes Act. 12.23 Iosephus saith That the Great Herod the Askalonite was eaten up of wormes also But after him it is certaine that Maximinus as Eusebius tells us had a fearfull loathsome disease upon him and he sent out a filthy smell he saith he was a fearfull spectacle to looke upon Nay the very Physitians saith the Story that came neare him were killed with the stench of his infirmity So we read of Scilla that he had a loathsome fearfull judgement sent upon him And Pliny in his Naturall history saith that he died a more grievous death then ever he inflicted upon any other And was it not an odious loathsome judgement that was sent upon Arrius that scoured out his bowells upon the stoole So Evagrius speakes of Montanus that he had his tongue rotted in his mouth and he dyed miserably I could reckon more examples but these are sufficient in the proofe of this I would not be mistaken because I
did they know nothing Had not Noah that preacher of righteousnesse told them by word of mouth Had he not preached in making the Arke For saith Basile of Selucia it was a preaching and every knock was an urging of that point did they not know without doubt they did How is it said They knew not Chrysostome saith he sheweth their insensiblenesse and security when hee saith They knew not and he saith They were taken with a kinde of drunkennesse in their sinnes As a man that sleeps upon a Mast knows not that he is in danger So it was with them judgement was at the doore yet they knew nothing till Noah entred into the Arke So those of Sodome were in the same predicament Lot told them and bid them feare It would not be and as judgement drew nearer he was more fervent in his exhortation all would not doe he seemed to his owne sons as if he had mocked Gen. 19. for they thought with themselves what newes is this Fire from heaven Why shall not to morrow be as to day Who ever saw it raine fire or if it doe must this valley burne alone and none else What ground is there for this Thus God layes out the humour of wicked men Deut. 29.19 He that heares the curses of this booke and saith I shall have peace though I continue stiffenecked c. This is the very conceit that a wicked man hath he may goe on in his sinnes he needs not feare the judgement to come he shall have peace though he continue stiffenecked Was not this the humour of Achab did not Micaiah tell him of the dissipation of his Army Nay did he not plainly say If he returned in peace the Lord had not spoken by him yet he pursued his resolution and went on in his way he would not feare till he felt 1 King 22. Marke in Isay 5.19 The Lord brings wicked men saying Make haste let him hasten his worke that we may see it A wicked prophane speech as ever came from the mouth of man They mocked the judgement that God had told them of Doth God say he will bring judgements let him make haste we would faine see it these are but words we would faine see deeds Thus wicked men hasten to their ruine So in Ieremy they tell the Prophet flatly hee lies when hee said The King of Chalde shall come and take Ierusalem they would not be perswaded till they felt it So in Ezek. 12.22 There was a Proverb growne in Israel Every vision faileth As if they had said Shall we give heed to the dreams of the Prophets They say they have had visions but all fail there are none come to passe they would not believe them And what better were those mockers in Peter they mocked and said Where is the promise of his comming As if they should say We will not give over our pleasures and the prosecuting of our sinfull lusts we will take time while we may and crowne our heads with rose buds and make as much of our selves as wee can for for ought we see all things are in a stay there is nothing to come For the Use of this I desire from my soule that all of us you and I and every one would take heed above all of security of fearlessenesse of God Our Blessed Saviour said long agoe that it should be the sinne of the last times As it was in the dayes of Noah and of Lot so shall it be in the day of the sonne of man And they shall nourish their hearts as in the day of slaughter And they shall have a conceit that judgement is far off and that it shall not come at all and so be given up to voluptuousnesse to commit sin with greedinesse I dare appeale and let your consciences answer and eccho the truth have not we a thousand times told you of plague and famine and judgement great and small Have we not rung in the eares of the blasphemer that the flying booke with curses would come into his house Have we not rung in the eares of the bloody man that he should not live out halfe his dayes and that he should not dye a drie death Have we not spoken loud enough over and over to the licentious person that that sinne would eat out his posterity and consume his increase Have wee not told you that the oppressour should have his goods invaded by violence and taken out of the mouthes of his children Have we not told the curser that it should come into his bowels as water Have we not told him that is excessive that he should reap nothing but shame and dishonour and beggery the judgement of God and untimely death Have we not said all this But with what successe People persist in the same wayes in the same impieties every day Witnesse the renewing and the improving of these sinnes Some are as deafe Adders or if they heare they give us the hearing and that is all they are still in the same course of impiety What is the ground of all Security fearlessenesse of judgements they thinke these things are bug-beares to fray children those things that shall never take effect These are the things that the Devill puts into the hearts of people to cousen them of their salvation O let us take heed Let me tell you and out of the truth of Gods Word that men are never nearer judgement then when they are most secure 1 Thess 5.4 When they shall say peace peace sudden destruction shall come Chrysostomes observation is when they shall say peace peace he saith not that there is peace to them For what peace as long as the whoredomes of Iezebel remaine As Iehu said But when they shall say peace and all is in tranquility Those of Sodome they had a faire morning that day they were consumed but how soone were the heavens clouded with fire and brimstone So likewise Belteshazer was in all his jollity and his ruffe with his concubines and Princes quaffing in the vessels of the Temple in the height of that security the hand-writing on the wall makes his knees knock together and the joynts of his body loosed So Nebuchadnezar his grandfather when he was strouting upon his Babell and bragged of his power then God turnes him among the beasts The people of Laish when they were buried in security the children of Dan fall upon them to destroy them Amnon when his heart was merry with wine little thought hee of any mischiefe all on the sudden he was slaine So Agag O saith he the bitternesse of death is past now there was no feare then of judgement as he thought the next newes that he heard the sword of Samuel was thrust into his bowels 1 Sam. 7. I might shew many instances that when men are most secure God comes with his judgements and hath taken them away Therefore take heed of being fearlesse of the judgements of God Beleeve what God hath said to us and as we beleeve
command them to ascend So the Septuagint is Fetch thou them forth We must acknowledge the power of God to be infinite Yet observe The workes that are his owne he attributes to men Aaron is said to bring them The bringing of Israel out of Egypt it was the worke of God with a mighty Arme none but God could doe it He assumes it oft-times I am the Lord that brought thee out of the land of Egypt So those holy people acknowledged Nehemiah and Daniel O God that broughtest us out of Egypt Yet this act is attributed to Moses and Aaron So God saith to Gedeon Iud. 6. Goe and deliver Israel yet it was God that must doe it So it is said of Samson and Shamger and Othoneele and Samuel that they delivered Israel And God saith to Moses Sanctifie to me the people against the third day yet God must sanctifie them So we see in the New Testament that conversion is attributed to Ministers and remission of sinnes Whose sinnes ye remit are remitted Nay and the saving of men 1 Tim. 4.11 This is the honour of Gods Saints God not only useth them but attributes to them what is done To arm them against discouragements though many things obstaculous to them lye in the way and confront them and be impediments to them yet let them be comforted in this the issue and effect that is wrought God will please to honour them with it he will part with some of his owne to give them he will put a splendour on Moses and make him glorious in the eyes of all the people God is content to give Iehu honour The sword of the Lord and of Gedeon Though indeed we must take heed if we be sensible of the honour that God puts upon men when he imployes them that we doe nothing to diminish the glory of God The Devill is so subtle and the corruption of mans heart is so great that he desires praise to himselfe So that oft-times the chiefe Lord suffers by the unfaithfulnesse of his Steward Let us take heed if God honour us for doing good things by him assume not so much to our selves whereby Gods glory may be diminished Let me apply it to those of the Church God hath honoured them exceedingly that he hath made them fellow workers with himselfe to dispense the great mysteries of the Kingdome And it is the observation of Chrysostome when the Prodigall returned the father doth not bid him goe to the wardrobe and take the best robe but he said to the servants Goe and fetch it He would have the servants imployed for the benefit of the sonne that the meanes might be brought in credit That shewes how much the world is beholding to the Ministers of the Word We are co-workers with God which as it may comfort us for the present so it shall adde to our crowne afterward But let us take heed that we give the glory to God and not take to our selves any thing that may diminish Gods honour Let us be of the spirit of Paul I laboured more then all yet not I but the grace of God in me Saith Austen Nos mandamus c. we do not give the increase we doe but helpe and this that we can helpe is not of our selves but the grace of God Paul may plant and Apollo may water but it is God that must give the increase Not unto us not unto us but to thy Name be the praise given So should be the speech of every one We are Stars but we are Stars in the right hand of our Blessed Lord and he is the Sun of righteousnesse So we have it by derivation from him we shine in a borrowed light Secondly for people since God hath advanced Ministers know the necessity of their calling though God made you without them he will not save you without them Know that you must reverence them for their workes sake Shew your respect by doing that which is commanded for therein lyes the especiall respect to a Minister when that is practised that he teacheth In the last place since God reckons things done by his servants as theirs when he doth it Let all people that doe any thing for God take heed of stroaking their owne heads It is the errour of Rome in doctrine and in practise they make mens good works meritorious and make themselves saviours When we have done all we can we are unprofitable and God workes all good things in us and all our works for us That as Austen saith It is certaine O God he that reckons up his owne merits what doth he reckon but thy gifts We may have comfort and contentment in our consciences and may glory in those things that God hath given us in the temptations of Satan but let us not ascribe that to our selves that belongs to God for God begins the worke and perfects it to his owne praise So much for that Now we come to the execution Aaron did so and upon the doing of it there came an innumerable company of frogs that covered Egypt here observe The wonderfull power of God how speedily and easily and at what a distance he can worke Aaron no sooner stretcheth forth his rod but this was done he doth it speedily And hee doth but stretch out the rod and all these creatures come abundantly And he doth but put forth the rod toward the river Saith Tostatus he was now in the Court of Pharaoh yet all this was done therefore he workes at a great distance Thus is the power of God remarkable in working quickly and easily and at a great distance I will not stand long on these things because in many passages we meet with it God at the first made the world and with a word He spake the word and all was made Therefore those Epicures and Atheists that aske what ladder and engine he had to raise this goodly frame they may be answered by that in the Psalme He made them by his word For as he speakes in his workes The heavens declare the glory of God so he works in his speeches Nay the very will of God not only his word but his will I will be thou cleane not only speake the word and my servant shall be whole but I will How soone and how easily and at what a distance did the Lord destroy the Army of Pharaoh in the red Sea Exod. 14. So I might tell you of Sodome Saith Tully the heathen God can doe all things without labour and defatigation Saith the old Poet All things are easie to God he knowes how to worke when he sits still Therefore for the Use of it in a word Let us stand in awe of God if the Lord can so easily and quickly and speedily and at such a distance worke it is in vaine to contend and strive against his power God doth not need to fetch an Army of men to overthrow poore sinners he can doe it by frogs by the least creatures by his word he can drowne the
Nay we finde this true by experience let Gods hand be upon a man by a disease that is of an ill kinde and threatneth the life what doth he doe In the first place saith Austen the Physitian is called for and many great rewards are promised if hee be restored to his former latitude of health againe In the last place God is sought unto and it may be the Minister sent for and it may be that meanes would not be used if the other were not despaired of Nay it falls out so in regard of the terrours on mens soules Men that are troubled this way what do they Not seeke to make their peace with God they seeke for humane comforts worldly meanes It may bee they will puzzle themselves in a great number of businesse In ancient time when their children passed through the fire to Moloch they would drownd their crie with loud instruments so they thinke to silence the disturbance of conscience by businesse Others give themselves up to all recreations when they have disturbance of soule to reading of stories that are pleasant and to riding abroad and whyling away the time with telling of tales and by putting themselves into company and going to houses of gaming All these are thought to be excellent receits against spirituall qualmes Some would faine lay these cares asleep by drinking and drowne them there Thus there is no care had of peace-making with God Men are not so sensible of the curing of the wound only they desire to helpe the aking of it As a man that is in debt he takes not care for the discharging of his ingagements but all his study is how he may keep out of the hands of the officers For these let them know that this is a very preposterous course that only becomes such as Pharaoh For there is no evill in the City but the Lord hath done is therefore he must be sought unto and in the first place it is well knowne without him all other outward comforts are unavailable Let Pharaoh send for his Wise-men and do what he can all shall not helpe him till God be intreated If we have all the comforts in the world they will prove insufficient if God put not warmth and life into them therefore let us seeke him Looke in all the examples before and see how unsuccessefull all those comforts were to wicked men Did Cain finde rest when he had built his City he could not rest he was a vagabond for all that Did Saul finde comfort in his musique The evill spirit had the insulting upon him now and then and was fiercer Had hee comfort by the witch of Endor No he made his wound deeper And Ahaziah never came from his bed So we see what poore comfort Iudas had he was turned off with a Looke thou to it So those that neglect to seek God in their sicknesse they trust to the Physitians like Asa and they never recover of their disease And those horrours of conscience when men seeke to silence their cares with delights and pleasures and recreations it falls out as with a man in a hot feaver that hath taken a draught of cold water when he hath dranke it he thinks he hath abated the inward fire but the cup is scarce from his mouth but he complaines of the improvement of the burning disease As money that is taken up for the satisfying of an arrest it satisfies for that time but it bites deeper after A man that is neare drowning will catch at any reed or straw that floats upon the water and thinks to helpe himselfe by it but they prove matter of entanglement Therefore the way for a men to escape this is to goe to the Lord get some of the bloud of Christ that hee may speed better one drop of that is enough to satisfie the soule and to cover all the heat and fervour of it Now let us take it into consideration and ever seek God in the first place but wave all comforts and contentments in the world till God be pacified It is an Ironie that God bestowes upon those Deut. 32.37 Where are their gods the rocke of their strength Let them rise up and helpe them and be their protection So the Prophet saith Call upon your gods now those that ye worshipped and see if they will helpe you in the time of distresse None but God is a sure refuge and all the things of the world shall say to a man then as the King of Israel said to the woman in the famine in Samaria If God doe not helpe how shall I helpe thee So much for that Now we come to the third thing the worke it selfe They did so with the inchantments they wrought Here some questions must be resolved every one of which will yeeld some observations as we passe along The first is this made by Austen in his questions upon Exodus Can they fetch frogs when fetcht they them for all Egypt before was spread over with frogs and by the touching of the waters and the waters crawled abundantly whence had they these frogs Certainly saith Hugo de sancto the Magicians must do it in other waters or else it had beene no glory for that abounded with frogs already Austen for the resolution of it refers us to that he had said before It is said they were furnished with water out of Goshen that was not touched and thence they raised those frogs by smiting of Goshen water But some may say would God suffer Goshen to hee troubled and the Magicians to have their will upon that place I answer not that it was any disturbance to the people of Israel for without doubt their waters were kept sweet though they were touched by the Magicians If frogs crawled out of them it was to Pharaoh to molest them but in Goshen it was done We may observe this that God sometimes suffers the Devill to play his prizes upon his ground for his further confusion As we see here The Church the assembly of Saints are holy we know what reaks the Devill playes among them oft-times The Altar of God was a holy place yet Melitius brought his Idoll and set it upon the very Altar it self As holy as our Lord himself was yet he was carried by the evill Spirit from the pinacle to the mountaine But God suffered it so to be for the further confusion of that adversary God gives the Devill liberty not only to invade the goods but the person of Iob a holy man that was high in Gods affection yet God gave him power against him only preserve his life So we see he suffers sometimes his dearest Saints to bee a kinde of Theatre for the Devill to play his prises upon As wee may observe sometimes in blasphemous thoughts cast into the hearts of Gods deare children not those that are ascending cogitations from the corruption of mans heart but injected cast in by the Devill darted into the soule like lightning and come as thicke as
possest some in the time of Christ he made them cut themselves with sharp stones be made them rent their flesh and teare and foame in a fearfull manner he cast them into the fite and water that if you have seene them distracted creatures in Bedlam the case of those that were possessed in Christs time was farre worse This is the power of the Devill There is no tush to be made of it Let us make better use of it to blesse God for our preservation by his power that he hath kept his good hand over us that he could not have his will against us For know if the Devill might doe as much hurt as he would it would be wofull for many of us nay for all of us This is our comfort saith Chrysostome upon Mat. 12. he that tells us he is the strong man tells us that he is bound God hath him in a chaine he cannot doe more then he permits him shall I say against Iob nay not to the swine he cannot enter into them without our Lords leave Mat. 8. Therefore let us blesse God that hath kept his blessed hand of protection over us and kept us from the violence of this roaring Lion And Beloved as God hath graciously kept us from the power of the Devill at least from feeling the effects of his power let us take heed of betraying our selves to him This is an ordinary fault in regard of the soules of men There is no sinne in the world that the Devill can ever fasten upon a man if a man doe not give him entertainment It is a certaine truth that the Fathers deliver unanimously Saith Issidore Peluciota the Devill may deceive but he can never compell us So Austen The Devill hurts not by compelling but by perswading and he makes a resemblance of him there to a fell dog or a filthy creature that is tyed up in a chaine he may barke but he cannot bite without a man come within his reach If a mad dog be bound up if a man be bitten he may thanke himselfe why did he come so neare Saith the same Father he cannot extort consent from thee but request and intreat it So Bernard to the same purpose hee doth not overthrow us he only moves us and we give way and so are authours of our owne woe Therefore God having so graciously restrained him we should not cast our selves into his clutches to exercise his power and malice against us and against the hope of a better Kingdome But I tell you in the next place the more common opinion is that these frogs were but such in appearance Thus the Father say many of them Iustin Martyr speaking of these things that the Magicians did saith directly they were only the worke the tricks of the Devill that abused the sight of men and deluded them So Gregory Nycene in his booke of the life of Moses he saith as their serpents were nothing but very shewes so these other things that were done by the Magicians were done by legordemaine by cousenage Austen speaking of Iannes and Iambres he saith that all that these Magicians did was a fained emulation of that that was done by Aaron and not in truth So Ierome saith they imitated those workes that Moses and Aaron did but they were not in truth Now if we pitch on this we shall have a good observation and that is this you see the great Mountebanke of the world The Devill for the more easie conveyance of wickednesse into the mindes of men you see how be imitates God in all his wayes God makes a covenant with his people so the Devill he makes a covenant with Witches and Sorcerers and Magicians there is either an open or a secret contract ever God hath his Sacraments so the Devill hath his he furnisheth them with spells and incantations and other ceremonies at the use whereof he bindes himselfe to appeare Thirdly God spake to his servants by dreames so doth the Devill and instructs people in strange visions and apparitions Fourthly God hath his Temples and Oracles so had the Devill one at Delphos and in other places to abuse people by doubtfull answers Againe God had service and sacrifice so the Devill hath sacrifices what were all those sacrifices that were tendered to an imaginary god-head by the heathens there was no solemnity spared Nay the Devill knowing that God had commanded Abraham to sacrifice his sonne he caused some to make their children to passe through the fire Still he continues to imitate In the primitive times he made the hereticks to imitate the orthodox in their teaching and conversation and so under a shew of holinesse soured the world with their leven Nazianzen saith of Iulian that he was an Ape for as an Ape imitates the man so did he the Christians in a humour He would build Schooles and Hospitalls places for the receit of the poore and places for Nuns and Virgins and all for the imitation of Christians whereas he was a Camelion one that had no truth nor sincerity in him And still the Devill hath done the like The authour of that imperfect worke of Chrysostomes saith that there is never a childe of God that hath that in truth but there be hypocrites in the world that have it in the counterfeit If a man had seen Absolom pay his vowes in Hebron If he had seen Iezebel proclaime a fast and Herod talke with the Wise-men that as soone as they heard where Christ was they should come and bring him word to goe and worship him who would have thought but that these had beene themselves It was the Devill that painted these mud walls So now there is somewhat that goes for prayer in the world that is lip-labour There is somewhat that goes for repentance that is not worthy the name of it but is a sorrow that is to be repented of There is somewhat goes for zeale that is not a holy earnestnesse but a fiery fury There is somewhat that goes for fasting that will not passe current in Gods Chequer Is this the fast that I have chosen There is somewhat that goes for faith that is presumption that is counterfeit Yea there is somewhat goes for charity and is nothing lesse for Paul saith a man may give all his goods to the poore and yet have no charity Then for the Use of this Beloved what reason is there to get knowledge to be able to discerne of spirits to discerne of things that differ to separate between the pretious and the vile We must not receive every spirit all the spirits that come out are not of God How shall this be done but by a good measure of knowledge For the Devill can write upon the boxes medicine that have poyson indeed in them The Devill can set a faire glosse upon false wares no question of that Againe secondly in regard of our selves how ought we to labour for sincerity for if the Devill set men to counterfeit the best things as he
day of slaughter because of successe Poore deluded soule that art conscious to thy self that thy wayes are naught and yet justifieth it because of successe God is a patient and long-suffering God and suffers people to goe on as he did Pharaoh into the middle of the sea and there cut off his chariots He suffers them to goe a while not that they shall alway prosper but to make the cup more bitter after long prosperity See it in all the examples before see if they did not repent themselves of that peace that they enjoyed Iosephs brethren carried it away smoothly but God comes to a sharpe reckoning in the conclusion they were in a great agony they knew not how to extricate themselves So David he went smoothly for a time but after it cost him many a teare he made his bed to swim So Ahab he wished a thousand times he had not meddled with the vineyard the sawce was so sharpe with the meat So Daniels accusers they reaped the judgement they intended against him the Lions had power over them they repented that ever they stirred that stone So many covetous men in the world that have gathered goods by oppression his line holds for a time it may be for his owne life but who hath not seen the judgement of God on his posterity that a man may read the fathers sin in the childes punishment So the revengefull the lustfull the ambitious man God comes home to them and so he will to others Men may laugh and rejoyce because of successe take heed when the reckoning is paid God will rise in judgement and then woe to those that thrive in wicked wayes It is the observation of a Father all things are said of the rich man Luke 16. in the time past There was a rich man and he fared deliciously every day and he was cloathed in purple and thou hast received all thy good So these people the time will come when they shall be forced to say they had their profit and their pleasure here according to their desire and so they have had all that good that ever they shall have they must be content with it there is no more now but an expectation of wrath and mischiefe the cup of the Lord is full it is mingled the wicked of the earth shall sucke the dregs of it In the second place censure not Gods providence nor justifie the wicked because they thrive and prosper in their wayes and courses and designes Fret not thy selfe for the wicked Psal 37. David was much taken with it Psal 73. he saith That his foot had nigh slipped when he saw the prosperity of the wicked Ieremiah desired to dispute with God upon this theame The broad spreading bay-tree of the wicked moves emulation in the children of God they thinke they have cleansed their hands in vaine But goe into the Sanctuary and there you shall see that God hath set them in slippery places Though their line hold here yet those lines tye them to judgement they shall be tyed as the vulture to the heart of Titius Pity them their woe is to come Where is the children of God having had hardship in this world shall have a blessed compensation in the world to come I should come to the second event the removall of this judgement I will only touch one thing in the front and so commit you to God It is like enough that Pharaoh sent to the Magicians to know if they could remove the judgement he found them unable or else he would not intreat Moses and Aaron to do it Here is that that will make Pharaoh unexcusable for it hath beene questioned whether Pharaoh were not excusable in holding out against the command of God and the commission of Moses because he was thus deluded by his Inchanters For say they how could he be perswaded that Moses came from God with a speciall command when his owne Inchanters did the like so they extenuate his sinne But suppose they did it by as great power and divine vertue as Moses and Aaron and he had no reason to think that Moses and Aaron were any better yet this is unexcusable that they could not remove the judgement So let men have never so many pretences there is somewhat that will hold conscience still that it will never give out of the hands of it The conscience will be hampered with something let the wicked man have ten thousand Apologies there is somewhat that will hold conscience whereby it will be snared to judgement Iosephs brethren can say much for themselves for the slaughter of the Sychemites that they did it in a way to vindicate the honour of their family Should he use our sister as a where but there is one thing that makes it hold sinne the abuse of the ordinance of God to make it a midwife to deliver them of their sinne So Saul may make a fair glosse that he had spared the goods of the Amalekites for sacrifice but there is one thing that holds him what is that that he had gone expressely against the command of God for he bad him spare none So Ahab had much to say for himselfe he came upon faire tearmes to Naboth for his vineyard he offered him money besides he knew what Ahab was But there is one thing that will have power over him what is that that his wife should have power over his seale to frame a letter to undoe the man So the Scribes and Pharisees they put it off Did we persecute this man Wilt thou bring this mans blood upon us we did it in zeale hee seemed to oppose the law of Moses but one thing will hold them to judgement because it was malice in them against Christ because he reproved them so plainly that they could never claw it off For the Use of it Never thinke when you come to Judgement of Apologies and fig-leaves that will be too narrow for your nakednesse away with these subterfuges and starting holes God never brings a man to judgement but he hath enough to judge him for by the testimony of his owne conscience as Pharaoh here that when he knew it must be of God yet he was hardened The conscience as it is a register in man at the day of Judgement it will be an accuser of man and justifie Gods most severe proceedings against him So much for this time THE SEVENTH SERMON Vpon EXOD. CHAP. 8. VERS 8. Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said Intreat the Lord that he may take a way the frogs from me and from my people and I will let the people goe that they may doe sacrifice to the Lord. NOw we come to the second event that is the removall of the judgement Wee must consider First how it is motioned and intreated for in verse 8. Then how Moses engageth himselfe to performe it verse 9 10 11. Thirdly how he acts and performes it in deed and puts it in execution in verse 12 13 14. The first
mans body till God please It was hee that stayed the waters and abated them on the face of the earth when the deluge ceased It was this God that opened the wombs of Abimelechs family Gen. 20. It was this God that said to the Angel when hee forraged the Campe of Israel It is sufficient 2 Sam. 24. It is this God that stayes the famine and causeth the Sword to returne into the sheath that would still eate flesh if it were not for his command That God that hath said to the Sea Hither shalt thou come and here thou shalt stay thy proud waves Job 30.11 it is that God that remits and restraines and abates and takes away and removes all judgements whatsoever The roaring Lion he takes off and puts an end even to spirituall temptations The Use shall be double First To teach us to whom to have recourse in the time of trouble not to run with Saul to the witch of Endor or with Ahaziah to Baalzebub the God of Ekron from the living to the dead This will not help he that wounded must heale and he that smites must bind up and that is the Lord himselfe it is he onely that must take away the judgement Rachel may bee froward and chide her husband and be discontented it is all one God must remember her and open her wombe The woman in the Gospel may spend all upon Physitians but God must stint her infirmity she must touch the hem of Christs garment If God do not help saith the King of Israel to the woman in the Siege of Samaria how shall I help Secondly It should teach us to whom to give thanks for deliverance from trouble even to the Lord. To this God Noah built an Altar for the ceasing of the deluge To this God Jacob built an Altar for his preservation from the fury of his brother To this God David built an Altar in the threshing floore of Araunah for the cessation of the plague To this God let us give thanks and ever glorifie his name that hath ceased the famine and hath put a period to the plague that formerly did break out in this City To thee O God the praise is due give us leave to take the cup of Salvation and glorifie thy name Even the heathen have done thus much they had their gifts that they offered to these and these deities that they imagined were the means of their preservation and their pillars have this inscription upon them Freelier must this be acknowledged therfore by Christians if not it is the next way to make the judgement the same or greater to forrage them with greater fiercenesse and bitternesse If Gods favour be not acknowledged no wonder if judgements afflict us If Isaac be spared it is reason a Ram should be offered Secondly he supposed that God must be intreated The Religion of Pharaoh taught him that those deities that he served must be supplicated And you shall find in prophane writers that the Pagans thought there was nothing to be had of their Gods without supplication and sacrifice Therefore it must ever be acknowledged by Christians that God having sanctified prayer and ordained it to be the bucket of grace to let downe to the over-flowing fountaine of Gods favour to bee the key of the treasure that opens to those precious things to be the dove that fetcheth the Olive leafe of peace surely spare to speake spare to speed What though God know our necessities before we utter them wee are not informers of God but petitioners Thou dost not speake to God and tell him thy wants to teach him saith Chrysostome but that thou mayst incline him to heare thee Our blessed Lord hath said aske and it shall be given you Saint Paul hath said though he knew Gods propensitie to give Let your requests be made knowne with supplication and giving of thanks Phil. 4.16 Therefore though God know our wants yet in obedience to Gods ordinance let us tender our prayers What though God determine before wee aske to give it this keeps not us from praying as God hath ordained the end so hee hath ordained the meanes Jer. 29.11.12 God saith I know the purposes and the thoughts I have for you the thoughts not of trouble but of peace But what follows yet saith hee they shall pray and cry to me As if he had said though I have determined I will have you to testifie your dutifulnesse in prayer so in Ezek. 37.36 God saith how hee will determine the Captivitie of his people but for this I will be intreated of the house of Israel Hee will be called on See an example in Daniel that though hee knew somewhat out of Jeremiahs prophesie that the captivitie should bee determined at 70. yeares yet hee prayes to God and solicites that he would please to remember it Thirldly whereas some people say if wee must pray for the removing of judgments how shall wee make good our patience under the crosse I answer patience and prayer are compatible enough See in the example of David who though he were a man full of patience and said Here I am let God do with me what he will yet for all that he desired God to take away his stroak And that great example and patterne of all patience our blessed Lord yet he cryed out Let this cup passe from me For the use of it if God must bee intreated for favours be sure to take that course be ever willing to put into that way that God hath chalked out for the obtaining of his favour Prayer is an admirable thing and Luther doth not stick in one place to call it omnipotent it is very acceptable to God Let mee heare thy voyce for thy voyce is sweet saith the Husband to the Spouse Cant. 2. And the prayers of the Saints are Odours Rev. 5.8 And to sum up all it is that that God hath appointed to bee the meanes to convey blessings therefore he that waves Gods direction undoubtedly may well fall short of his expectation Thirdly he understood that God must bee intreated by his servants he desires them to pray for him God saith to Abimelech Abraham is a Prophet and he shall pray for thee So Iob prayed for his friends so the man of God for Jeroboam and Samuel for the people and Moses must intreat for those that had offended against God and had been contumacious God loves the prayers of his own God heareth not sinners that is those that wallow in wickednesse and lie prophanely in the same with resolution God indures not such that they should take his word into their mouths because they hate to be reformed their very sacrifice is abominable But how far forth the children of God have interest in him and sway with their petitions wee shall further shew when wee come to that passage where Moses ingageth himself that the judgment shall bee removed upon his prayer And so I come to another observation Intreat for me that the judgment may
submit to the government of the Shepherd That as Justinian the Emperour saith there may be a sweet harmonie between Prince and people that no string may be too high or too low that is the best musique in the eares of God If Pharaoh desire for his people how should they beg of God in the behalfe of their Soverain Paul when he wisheth that Prayers should be made for all men in the first place he puts Kings And it was the practise of holy people of God in former time Cyprian when they were charged with some rebellion We are far from that we wish well to the King saith he And his Master before him for so he calls Tertullian he professeth concerning the Christians that they begged of God in the behalfe of the Emperour they desired long life a secure regiment and reigne a safe house worthy Counsellors strong and valiant Souldiers c. Let not this be forgotten by us we are too defective in this many of us pray in private for our selves but when doe we remember our Governours O the light of our eyes and the breath of ournostrills is deprived of our prayers If it be a sin to forget a naturall father certainly it is no lesse to forget our politicall father The next thing to be observed which is the second generall is the promise that he makes I will let the people goe I will but touch one thing and so conclude you see here that now he cannot get from under the judgement what evapourates from him he will let the people goe that they may sacrifice If god reserve us God willing we shall observe that he did flie off from this But in the meane time somewhat he saith and promiseth and It is no strange thing that the worst of men have good motions sometimes This Pharaoh saith another time I have sinned And the sorcerers say after It is the finger of God And Balaam saith Let me die the death of the righteous Num. 23. And Saul may say he hath sinned and Ahab may humble himselfe and Felix may sometimes tremble and Agrippa will cry out he is almost made a Christian by Paul And it was never known of the most desperate adulterers the most bloudy men or oppressors or excessive persons but some time or other they did thinke ill of their own courses and did think that another way was better and it may be have had motions and resolutions tending to reformation The ground is the light that God puts into the consciences and the power that he hath indued it with that will sometimes put a man in minde of his abberations from the right way that this is not the course hee should take Again there is a generall illumination in the world that enlightens every man by this they come to have some notions But as Bernard saith in another case they come in frequently and passe away as speedily They are like the morning dew or the morning cloud soon dissipated not so good as Ephraims cake that was halfe baked they are soon gone as Tertullian saith of the flower it is a thing to look on and breath on and smell to and it is gone So it is with these motions of the wicked they passe away as smoke Therefore for the use of it Let us not be confident of the motions and flashes of the wicked unlesse they persist and continue in them there is little hope Nay let us not please our selves for motions that are like flashings of lightning in the soule they are not worth the talking of When motions come that are good cherish them keep them on foot that they may be actuated and perfected Thus God would have us to doe it is a sparke of the divine fire therefore the Lord would have it blown till it come to a flame If at any time we finde it dying as like enough the dear Saints of God may doe we must stir it up and excite the grace of God by the use of the Ordinances of God as the Apostle speaks And likewife by reflecting upon our many omissions and neglects and it may be suppression of motions by the consâ—â—â—â—â—tion of the fearfull account we must give one day for these neglects stir it up and keep it fresh and by the blessing of God there may come great matters That that is now a sparke may be a flame that that is like a cloud no bigger then a hand it may after mask the whole heavens That that is now as a grain of mustard seed it may be a great tree wherein the fowles of the air may make their nests Of all take heed of quenching and suppressing this Spirit of puting it out and that is done by wilfull grosse sins When God gives good motions if men would cherish them and keep them alive there might be much good in them but when they run into foul sins that waste conscience the graces of God die and all good motions are as far to seek as if they never had been This will add to a mans judgment when God shall put these things in his heart and he by untimely frosts nipps them in the bud whereas if he would cherish them they would come to great perfection and improvement THE EIGHTH SERMON Vpon EXOD. CHAP. 8. VERS 8.9 And I will let the people goe that they may doe sacrifice unto the Lord. And Moses said unto Pharaoh Glory over me when shall I intreat for thee and for thy servants and for thy people c. THere is one thing that remaines of the eighth Verse remaining that I will speedily dispatch and so go on Pharaoh saith here I will let them goe that they may sacrifice to the Lord. Ubi potentiae Ubi superbiae saith one upon my Text. How now Pharaoh what is become of thy power what is become of thy pride not long since thou wast in thy ruffe and said Who is the Lord that I should seare him or let Israel goe Thou wert so farre from dismissing them that thou eldst more intensively hate them and multiply their sorrowes Thou didst contemne Moses and Aaron that came with a Commission from God and now behold thou art under a judgement and knowest not how to extricate thy selfe from this perplexitie now thou wilt let the people goe now thou acknowledgest God now thou suest to Moses and Aaron now thou art glad to dismisse the people Even thus it was and in that it was thus my observation must bee concerning The necessitie of afflictions All faire meanes would do no good with this man God was faine to take the rod in his hand and then wee see the issue so great is the necessitie of afflictions And it drives at divers things First afflictions make a man see his sinnes as wee see in the brethren of Joseph Gen. 41.21 In their trouble in Egypt they reflect upon their unnaturalnesse to their brother they confesse that the cause of this trouble and distresse was because they did not hearken to
used fairely and kindly and not irritated and provoked contrary to the dignitie they maintaine Therefore whatsoever men except against the persons of men give the place the honour that is due So did Moses with Pharaoh he would not goe back from that hee had said lest he should impaire the honour of so great a Magistrate So much for that Be it according to thy Word A second thing I observe that is the cheerfulnesse of Moses undertaking this businesse for marke in common speech when we yeeld to a mans motion what say we Be it so I am content your word shall stand I will do as you have said this argueth a cheerfull and willing performance And Moses being about a worke of mercy to remove a judgement this cheerfulnesse sets out the worke Paul saith if a man shew mercy he should doe it cheerfully with hilaritie with a kind of pleasantnesse The same Apostle he forbids the contrary for he would not have men doe it out of sorrow or grudgingly inforcedly 2 Cor. 9.2 and he gives a very good reason for God loves a cheerfull giver If it be in that service that God requires for himself if it be an office of love to our brethren cheerfulnesse hath ever a speciall commendation 1 Tim. 6. rich men are wished to be ready to distribute That is the cheerfull affection that is spoken of And works of mercy are compared to sowing in the Scriptures Every man desires a faire seed-time so every man should give chearefully for the more cheerfull the seed-time the more expectation there is of the harvest It is said in Psal 112. The good man is mercifull the old translation reads it the pleasant the merry man is mercifull And Austin reads it the sweet man And why he gives a very good reason for it for saith he it maks a man sweet in the nostrills of God when hee is cheerfull in doing that that is good Whereas on the other side if it be necessitated and extorted from him saith Austin God will poure him out of his mouth as a man doth that that is unsavory and unsweet that troubles his tongue that is fit for nothing but ejection Now this cheerfulnesse when a man is to doe good should appeare three wayes First a man should find in his heart Deut. 15.10 saith the Lord thou shalt give him in his need and thou shalt not find thine heart grieved when thou givest Thou shalt not find thy bowels locked up so the word signifieth in the Epistle of John the locking up of a mans bowels A man must not find his heart straitned but be so cheerfull in his disposition for this purpose as if he rejoyced in the opportunities that God offers for the exercise of his charitie Secondly there must be cheerfulnesse in a mans countenance for if a man do a work of mercy with an austere look and a clouded brow he puts gravell into that bread he gives and soures the favour hee would bestow so as it is unacceptable Therefore Solomon speaks of a man with an evill eye and bids eate not his bread that when he sees a man eate his meat wisheth him choak't that when he gives a penny he casts an eye after it as if he wished it in his purse againe such a mans charitie would not be had if a man could be without it Thirdly there must be cheerfulnesse in a mans words Thus it is said that Joseph spake comfortably to his brethren And so Boaz to Ruth and David to the poore Egyptian servant And so our blessed Lord to the woman that came trembling before him and was afraid of being checked he did not onely comfort her but perfect the worke of mercy on her For the use of it it meets with many in these dayes there be those that their hearts are dead in them as Naballs like a stone there is no cheerfulnesse in their inward man they will doe but so much as the Law compells them and there is an end Or it may be when it is racked out with importunity and extreame solicitation that is done and nothing else which as Ambrose saith is to give not out of judgement but out of a desire to be free from importunity there are a number of these sponges in the world that suck a great deale but you must squeeze them before you can get any thing from them How do these ever think to have thanks of God he loves a cheerfull giver or of men when Seneca saith a man that receives a benefit from him he doth not receive it but it is wrung from him therefore he thinks not himself so obliged to requitall or to be responsary for such a favour Secondly you have those that if they enlarge themselves to any matter of bountie and charitie they brow-beate the poore those that need them they look so austerely and sullenly and superciliously as if they would eate them as if as the Baziliske they would kill them with their looks Thirdly you have those that if they do any thing they do it with such language and so rate the poore man as if he were a dog rather then a man and bore Gods Image as well as he The sonne of Syrack gives better counsell Blemish not thy good deeds with evill words for sometimes a good word is better then the gift and so it is Therefore in the second place it is a use of instruction to us all to find our hearts cheerfull upon the occasions that God ministreth for the exercise of our charitie We are about to commemorate the greatest favour that God ever did in sending his Sonne to take our nature and to die If our hearts be open it is well O let us blesse God for the opportunities he ministreth to us for the abilitie he hath given to us to refresh the bowels of those that are necessitated And let us thank God that wee are not in a condition of want but that God hath given us some abilitie to give Secondly let us be cheerfull in our countenance And thirdly in our words let us speake Gnaleb to the hearts of those that are in necessitie as the Hebrew is give them the comfort that is fit for them for with such sacrifice God is pleased So much for the yeelding of Moses Now he comes to the reason That thou mayst know that there is none like the Lord our God And now beloved while Moses assigneth this reason let all men be satisfied that thought Moses indiscreet in yeelding to the motion Now you see his ayme he intends the glory of God he intends to teach Pharaoh such a lesson as he never learned before If he had done it in his owne time he had not promoted the glory of God so much therefore now it makes him justifiable and makes him an example to us which shall be the observation In all our actions to ayme at the glory of God It is the Queene of all causes the end of all things the glory of
Saviours So Gods glory is made the last man sets his owne ends first Take heed if God have not his first end in his glory our glory shall be our shame Therefoae let us take heed ever that first our intentions be the glory of God whether we eate or drink do all to his praise and honour and whatsoever wee can doe by any meanes promote it Art thou a Magistrate respect Gods glory in that Art thou a Minister preach not thy selfe but have a care to advance the glory of God and build up the body of his Sonne Art thou a father of children and a master in the nurturing of them look to the glory of God Dost thou desire issue look not so much to have some to perpetuate thy memory but set ke it as a holy seed whereby God may be glorified Art thou a rich man honour God with thy substance Art thou honorable improve thy honour to the glory God What estate soever thou art in looke principally to promote the glory of God It is the end of all things God hath made all things for his owne glory and should it not bee the end of our actions Secondly In him we live move and have our being should not wee live to his glory He is our Alpha from him we came should hee not bee our Omega to whom wee should tend Therefore as all the Rivers come from the Sea and pay all their tribute to that great Lord so let all our actions tend to him Thirdly while wee glorifie God wee honour our selves as Austin observes upon that in the Lords Prayer hallowed be thy name saith he understand it well and thou prayest for thy selfe for when thou prayest that Gods name may be hallowed thou prayest that thy selfe may be sanctified when thou honorest-God thou honorest thy self and those that honour him he will honour Let us look to it and seriously intend it and be farre from doing any thing whereby we may dishonour God It was the fault of David he did that whereby the enemies of God blasphemed It was the fault of those in the time of Christ they dishonored him It is that that Paul layes to the charge of the Jewes they caused Gods name to be evill spoken of among the heathen It is that that I feare many of us are guiltie of that by our lewd carriage we cause Religion and the name of God to be evill spoken of in Gath and in the streets of Askalon Every ingenuous nature is sensible of the house hee springs of and would by no meanes blemish it Shall he abuse our sister as a whore say the sons of Jacob to their father Every good child is sensible of the honour of his father and every subject of the honour of his country and shall not we be of the honour of God He is jealous of his honour and if we suffer it to fall in our hands we shall smart for God can glorifie himselfe in our confusion So much of that Now for the words themselves There is none like the Lord our God A most true saying you have it every where in Scripture Deut. 33.26 There is none like the God of Jeshurun 2 Sam. 22. O Lord thou art great and there is none like to thee 1 King 8.23 saith Solomon There is none like thee O Lord either in heaven above or in the earth beneath Psal 86.8 There is none like thee O God neither are the workes of others like thine Esay 46.9 I am God and there is none like to me Jer. 10.6 7. twise over There is none like the Lord there is none like the Lord Micah 7.18 Who is like to thee So every where the Scripture saith there is none like to God The Maccabees were called so from Judas Maccabeus and he was called so from the letters he carried in his Ensigne and they were Mem Caph Aleph and Jod The meaning of it is this who is like thee O Lord among the Gods there is none So he that strove with the Dragon Rev. 12. Michael the signification of his name is who is like as God There is none like God I could instance in a number of particulars take these foure There is none like him in veritie and truth for he is the onely true God So you have it 1 Thess 1. The Idols of the heathens were but Idols and an Idoll is nothing 1 Cor. 8. that is nothing to that a man conceits him to bee The Hebrewes call them Elilim some say quasi al elohim because they are not Gods but it is better from another word Elili that signifies nothing God is the onely true God Secondly none is like him in unitie The Gods of the heathens were infinite every Citie every Towne every Hamlet had their Gods Ambrose cals them The broode of Gods and that Polytheisme brought Atheisme into the world It is not so with God Heare Israel the Lord thy God is one Thirdly there is none like him in puritie The Gods of the heathens were good followes Who can indure to heare of a God that sometimes would thunder and sometimes commmit adultery The Idols are called sometimes in Scriptures dunghill Gods So the Idolls of the heathen were so obscene and filthy and abominable that they might well be so called It is not so with God he is the holy one of Israel Holy and reverend is his name And the Angels themselves call him Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabaoth and his pure eyes can indure no iniquitie So he is a holy God Lastly none is like him in power The Gods of the heathen and those that worshipped those imaginary deities that men set up they could not defend those that trusted in them nor defend themselves How oft were they carried captive as we read in stories Jacob when he was gone from Laban was pursued with a great deale of hostilitie and his first cry is why hast thou stollen my Gods Proper Gods that might be stollen So it is a good speech Judg. 6. Let Baal plead for himselfe What! is his Image demolished is he not able to revenge his owne quarrell Let him plead for himselfe So Dagon though the great God of the Philistims yet hee could not keep himselfe from being broken by a fall Senacherib found a difference betweene the Gods of those countries that he had subdued and the God of Israel he found hee was such a one as could not be stood against Not to multiply more see the power of God acknowledged in that place 1 King 18. where the contestation was between Elias and the Priests of Baal whose sacrifice should be accepted first The Priests of Baal leaped upon the Altar and as a company of mad-men and bedlams cut themselves with knives till the blood gushed out they cryed and roared till their throats were dry and all would not bring a sparke of fire Eliah prayes to God and it was done and the fire comes and consumes not the sacrifice onely but licks up all
about it so the people cry out The Lord he is God not Baal but Jehovah for he exceeds all But this is not a thing that we need stand on we must come nearer For surely Moses intended that Pharaoh must know God to be the onely Lord. How could this be Moses no doubt understood that by this judgement on him and by the removing of it his eyes would be so in lightned that he should see there is none like God God is known in afflicting of judgments And that especially first when it is a strange judgement when it is a fearefull judgment As that judgment of Sodome when there came fire from heaven Saith Salvianus when God sent hell out of heaven fire and brimstone So when the earth swallowed Corah and his company it was a strange and fearefull judgement Secondly sometime a judgment is remarkable when it is unseasonable in regard of the time as the eclipse and darknesse at Christs suffering for it was not a naturall Eclipse God shewed his power he made the Sun withdraw his light and left the earth wrapped in obscuritie Thirdly Gods power is more remarkable when it is sudden such as that that Samuel brought upon the people that in the middest of harvest at his word there came thunder and lightning and abundance of raine that spoyled their indeavours For as Tostatus saith upon the place he looked not Astronomically he stayed not till there was a meete time of bringing things about but presently and that made it more fearfull to the people And as in the inflicting of judgments Gods hand may easily be seen and is remarkable so in the removing of it and that I thinke Moses intends For when a judgment hath been long upon a people and they have smarted soundly and have used all meanes they can devise and yet it is not removed in the end turning themselves to God and he removing it this makes them know the Lord to be God This was Pharaohs case to which Moses had respect when he said this That thou mayst know that there is none like the Lord. For you know the hand of God was heavy upon him by the Frogs they were such annoyance to him and his servants that they could have no meat dressed or be quiet in their beds it was a terrible incumbrance no question he consulted with the Magicians to remove them They could not do it God gave them leave to bring them but they had neither leave nor power to take them away God useth the devill sometimes in the execution of justice but never to doe a worke of mercy The bringing of the Frogs was a judgment the taking of them away was a mercy It was not for the devill to do that It is like enough that Pharaoh supplicated God all will not doe till Pharaoh desire Moses So that now when all is gone by the prayer of Moses he must needs know the Lord to be the God that there is none like him When Eliah told Ahab that there should be no raine in Israel but according to his word and that the drought should continue three years and six moneths you may thinke this that Ahab sought meanes for the preservation of the Cattell and consulted with his great God that he worshipped to remove this judgement it would not doe it must be the God of Elias that must doe it and that Elias that was the bridle of heaven as Basill calls him he must unlock heaven and poure out raine abundantly So the obduracie of the Philistims was so great that having took the Arke of God among them they indured seven moneths vexation of hemeroids and many people died yet they held out till at last they saw no time could cure it They consulted with their Priest and hee said go and make such an offering and saith he give glory to the God of Israel as if he had said it is not your Dagon nor all the means you can use that can free you from this judgement but acknowledg that it is Gods judgment that there is none like him Ionas râ—ns away from his commission and a whirlwind followes him and seizeth upon the whole ship they were all in danger through him They were not wanting to use all meanes to secure themselves every man called upon his God they unladed the ship and cast away whatsoever might be an incumbrance and hurt to them they left nothing unattempted they rowed with all sedulitie to bring it to land All would not doe it must be the God of Jonas that must doe it all their Gods could not do it There is none like the God of Israel So it was with Paul Act. 27. hee was in a great storme for three dayes they never saw Sun nor Star at the last Paul having revealed from God that they should all be safe he bids them take a good heart to themselves for none of them should perish but it was the God that Paul served that must do it and must help them in this extremitie and so he did Eusebius in the fifth book of his history Chap. 5. tells that under Marcus Aurelius the Emperour there was a Legion of Christian Souldiers The army was in great distresse for the enemy came close to them and they were exceedingly pinched for water The company of Christians betooke themselves to prayer thereupon the Lord sent such a thunder and lightning as discomfited the enemy and such abundance of raine that satisfied their thirst so that Army was after called the thundering Legion All that the Pagan Gods cannot doe the God of the Christians must do it there is none like him Therefore for the use of it Let this teach us when it pleaseth the Lord to send us deliverance to acknowledge his power to see Gods hand in it Though there may bee some subordinate meanes used give God the praise let him have all the glory I will but turne any of you back to some extremitie you have beene in by sicknesse of body some desperate case you have been drawn to was it thy wealth that would abate thy paine was it thy friends that could keep off thy fit was it thy former pleasures could give thee comfort Nay did it not increase thy vexation thy guiltinesse in the misusing of them and in the distempered abuse of them did it not increase thy dollour could the Physitians helpe thee did not they give thee for lost thy case was to be deplored till it pleased this God to whom none is like to rescue thee from the jawes of death Hast thou been left to tempests of mind to terrours of soule then tell mee and speake true from thy heart did all those carnall receipts of gaming drinking and businesse and whatsoever did all help were they not miserable comforters Physitians of no value till God spake to thy conscience peace and said to thy soule I am thy salvation thou hadst no comfort nor joy It is impossible it should be otherwise There is no
God like our God he alone will do it all things else are as reeds of Egypt nothing can help there is none like him As that woman was answered by the King O woman if God do not help thee how shall I help thee There is no help from man unlesse God strike in Therefore see God in thy deliverance acknowledge his power share it not between the creator and the creature for it is the Lords doing that it might be mervailous in our eyes That thou mayest know that there is none like the Lord. Marke here The works of God so enlighten the wicked that though they convert them not yet they convince them Thou shalt know that the Lord is God and confesse that there is none like him if it doe thee not good it shall further thy condemnation So the works of God convince the judgments of wicked men though they convert them not And that is enough to make them inexcusable Rom. 1. Jeroboam when his hand was restored he could not but say there was no God like the God of Israel and that the Prophet was a true Prophet So Manasseh when he was humbled by affliction hee knew the Lord 2 Chron. 33. So Nebuchadnezzar when God gives abilitie to Daniel to interpret his dreame and to tell him what it was without being informed of it he saith there is no God like thine So afterward when he saw the deliverance of the three children out of the furnace he saith there is no God like him I say not that he became a good man afterward yet so farre the light beat upon his eyes that though it enlightned him not it dazeled him So Darius acknowledged the God of Daniel to be the great God when he preserved him in the middest of the ravenous Lions So Antiochus 2 Maccab. 9. though he stood out a great while in the obstinacie of his heart at the last he submitted and acknowledged the great God that no flesh could stand against him For the use of it it is this to labour for more then this for fince this befals wicked men to be convinced in their judgements we should make further use of it then so It is pitie but wee should go further then the sonnes of Belial Nay Belzebub himselfe goes thus farre the devills beleeve and tremble And there was a time when the devill confessed our Lord and it is good for us to goe further then they therefore when the hand of God is against thee acknowledge not onely Gods power but go forward humble thy self before God finde out that Achan find out thy finne protest against it and when this is done take thy leave of thy finne divorce thy selfe from thine iniquitie and never more renew thy acquaintance with it This is the fruit that ought to be of Gods deliverances not onely to see that God delivereth but to what end that thou mightest be more holy afterward O it grieves my soule to thinke that many people though they be not so atheisticall but they will acknowledge Gods hand in smiting and in delivering of them yet God knowes they make no good use of it I will goe back but to the great plague when our waters were turned into blood did not the destroying Angel that marched furiously as Jehu make the stoutest heart to tremble No question And the retreate was as sudden as the increase Every man can say God was to be magnified for that and it was a very great mercy but what use do we make of it God looks for fruit If wee acknowledge it to be Gods worke we are convinced of Gods power but what fruit is there The devill is convinced of Gods power but have we brought forth fruit Oh some fruits we supererogate with God in If it be blasphemy or lust or oppression and uncharitablenesse God shall have more then he desires but these are not the fruits that God looks for Are not we as ambitious as proud as excessive as fraudulent as ever we were What one finne in this Citie shall I say is removed nay I would it were abated Nay beloved I feare and I feare to speak it we are againe ready and white to another Sicle O it is a fearefull thing when the comming of Gods judgements shall make us humble and the removing of it shall make us unthankfull for this shewes that that humiliation was inforced and not ingenuous Therefore let us look that the next cup be more bitter look to it there will worse things befall us because we acknowledg the power of God and have not brought forth fruit worthy of so great a blessing Lastly to shut up all there is one thing more and that is this Our God There is no God like our God In what a neare relation God stands to his people I shewed before All that I will do is by way of application to worke upon us to a holy recognition of Gods favour that he hath drawne us nearer to him then many thousands in the world There is a great deale of divinitie in Pronouns saith Luther I am sure there is a great deale of comfort For God to be the God of all the world in a generall latitude it is not so much but to be our God to inclose and impropriate this God to us that we should say he is our God and we are his people this is a wondrous comfort Now then what is required of us As wee draw this God neare our selves and say as Thomas did my God and my Lord Joh. 20. As we draw neare to him So let our conversation be worthy of so neare a relation For God will be honored in all that come so neare him He can better indure the wickednesse of those that are out of the Church and the pales of it then the prophanenesse of those that are in it He will have those that he hath taken so especiall a charge of it that they be holy plous that their conversations be as becometh the Gospel Therefore as oft as we reflect upon our relation let it be ever a motive to a holy conversation For to say our God and to be full of grosse sine as we are it is a foule soloecisme It is that that God most abhorres for he is a pure God and his pure eyes cannot indure iniquity We must live to his glory and honour him that hath drawn us so near him and then we are sure that he will not leave us till he have perfected us in glory Christ shall be ours and God through Christ shall be ours and God through Christ being ours all things shall be ours FINIS