till returning to the Arke of Gods mercie Comfort thy selfe then in Gods mercie which will not suffer thee to bee over-yoaked with thy sinnes plead with him in the receiving of Adam Manasses and the whole troupe of reconciled sinners and though thine adversarie Sathan write a booke against thee answere cursed Cain disabling Gods mercy Gen. 4. 13. with Augustine Thou lyest Cain for greater is Gods mercie than mans iniquitie and say to thy disconsolate spirit Why art thou so sad my soule Psalm 11. And as we ought and in dutie are enjoyned to give thankes for all things so are we chiefely to sing our Haâ—â—elu-jahs unto God for the performance of the promised Messiah and that in the practise and phrase of the Priest Zacharie Lu. 1. 68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for hee hath visited and redeemed his people c. And with old Simeon in his Cygnean dying Hymne Blessed be thou O Lord for our eyes have seene thy salvation Lâ—ke 2. 30. That fountaine of living waters Iere. 2. 12. In regard of whom all other things are but the broken Cysternes of vaine and disconsolate hope The refreshing waters of Gods free mercies the purchase whereof is without money or prize Esa 55. 2. least you thinke it too deare and because water if you thinke it not worth the labour it 's wine and milke whose worth and necessitie you well know that true Aqua vitae which whoso drinketh shall never thirst but it shall be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life Iohn 4. 14. He is our Bethlehem and house of bread the living bread that came downe from heaven Ioh. 6. 35. He is a ship of safety which beares us by the comfortable goale of his love and the gentle Zephirus of his mercie from the shelves and rocks of blacke dispaire so that though immodest Modest as Generall to the Emperour Valens the Arrian burne the ship wherein the Christian Legats were imbarked seeking to destroy the Confessors and professors of Christianity which though they perished in their wooden barke were sure enough in the heavenly Arke by CHRIST He is that unspeakeable gift of God for which we must give thankes 2 Cor. 9. vlt. And if thou knowest the gift of God Iohn 4. 10. Which is the gift of all gifts which is given to us Esa 9. 6. In comparison of whom all other are but as the drop of a Bucket to the whole Ocean in whom appeare the bowels of Gods love and the inscrutable depths of his mercy in him through him and by him while we were sinners and enemies to bring to passe that wonderfull worke of our Redemption Ioh. 3. 16. Rom. 5. 8. In him by this wee see the fulnesse of it 1 Iohn 4. 9. And as Bethlem to Iurie and Scicilia to Italie were accounted their granary for their fruitfulnesse the Poets faining Ceres to keepe residence there so may our Saviour CHRIST be accounted as the store-house and Cornu-copia of all good things to his Church Col. 2. 3. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily ver 9. In him we are compleate ver 10. Knowledge and wisedome are in men by revelation in Angels by vision but in him by union of whose fulnesse wee all receive Iohn 1. 16. Thy being well-being and eternall being have their dependance on him this consolation of Israel this expectation of the Gentiles this Noah to comfort thee Gen. 5. 29. This crucified Lord shewed to Constantine to comfort him in his expedition against the Tyrant Maxentius with a promise of victory is opposed against all thy feares and discontents if finne presse and oppresse thee he is thy righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1. 30. If the curse vexe thee he is thy blessing Gen. 12. 2. Galath 3. 8. If weakenesse pinch thee he is thy strenght Phil. 4. 13. 2 Cor. 12. 9. If the great debt of thy sinnes lay hold on thee charging to pay that thou owest he is thy paiment Matth. 17. 27. If damnation make thee afraid he is thy salvation Acts 4. 10. If death he is thy life Iohn 14. 6. If Sathan he hathover come him Heb. 2. 14. If hell shall open her mouth upon thee he hath victoriously Sampson-like borne away the gates quelled and quashed the power of it Hos 13. 14. So that in and through him onely thou art more then a Conquerour Be not like the Horse or Mule that have no understanding nor like the sonnes of the earth the cockered Darlings of unstable Fortune who gaping after the transitory things of the world can onely now and then in a carnall humour send forth a short ejaculatory Thanksgiving for their temporals which they possesse but seldome or never for CHRIST IESVS which they possesse not without whom they must be content to perish for ever This is that rich pearle bestowed upon the Merchant resolving above all things to seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse setting saile for the Cape De bona Speransa fraught and bound for the New Ierusaleâ— than let thy mouth from thy heart the fountaine of all true praise be as this silver Trumpet filled with Hallalu-jahs for this heavenly and unspeakable gift Thirdly this Doctrine just in the phrase of another Baptist preaching in the wildernesse of Iudea cryes unto us in a more then necessary exhortation especially in these last and worst dayes Repent for the Kingdome of God is at hand Matth. 3. 2. The selfe-same holy use which the Spirit of holinesse drawes from the Doctrine Rom. 2. 4. Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance 2 Peter Chapter 3. verse 9. The Lord is not slacke concerning his promises as some men count slacknesse but he is long suffering toward us not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance Turne yee then unto the Lord your God for hee is gracious and mercifull slow to anger of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the evill Ioel 2. 13. and that you may rightly turne find ease and refreshing for your soules Consider that as in Iacobs ladder which reached from earth to heaven there were certaine steppes for ascending and descending so are there certaine degrees in descending to this all-curing Bethesda of repentance First is an inward perplexitie sitting like Hagar Gen. 21. 15. when her bottle was emptied or like the Prodigall Luke 15. which by his want is forced to a consideration of his estate retorting his thoughts into himselfe is deepely affected with the solid apprehension of his owne misery verse 17. and in this perplexed case concludes against himselfe that if he remaines as hee was his case was desperately hopelesse and hee must perish for ever upon which hee resolves with himselfe to goe home to his fathers house by repentance seeing the gate of Mercie opened to
HALLELV-JAH OR KING DAVID'S SHRILL TRVMPET sounding a loude Summons to the whole World to Praise GOD. Delivered by way of Commentarie and plaine Exposâ—tion vpon the CXVII PSALME By RICHARD CHAPMAN Minister of the Word of God at Hunmanbie in Yorkshire Laus in nobis referatur ad ipsum laudabilium vniversorum authorem largitorem Bern. sup Cant. PSAL. 92. 1. It it a good thing to give Thankes vnto the Lord and to sing Praises vnto thy Name O most High LONDON Printed by B. Alsop and T. Fawcet for ROBERT ALLOT dwelling at the signe of the blacke Beare in St. Pauls Church-yard 1635. TO THE RIGHT VVOR pfull and his much honoured Friend RICHARD OSBALDESTON Esq all Happinesse c. Worthy Sir THE many and manifold kindnesses which I have received from you as reall additaments to my welfare like the officious Servant in the Comedy or like another Cynthius aurum vellet stand vp as so many Monitors bidding mee take heed of that detestable monster Ingratitude which so venemously hath stupified the sences of most so generally lessoned and taught in the Academie of the vnthankfull World Therefore to shun those detested shelves I have made bold out of a truly though not sufficiently thankfull heart to Dedicate this weake Embryo of my newly teeming braine vnto your selfe I might indeed take notice that there are Scyllean Criâ—tickes but Scylleos Canes obturata aure transibo Ierom. That there are left-handed Benjamites casting stones at an haire-bredth Iudg. 20. 6. Demea solus sapit that a Paper vessell may easily miscarry as the Travailer betwixt Ierusalem and Iericho Yet will I venture vnder your Worships patronage as little Teucer vnder the Buckler of Ajax to passe into the glassie Sea of the world having still more incouragement from Plinius secundus beati quibus Deorum munere datum est aut facere scribenda aut scribere facienda And it is given to Adamantius Origen Ne erubescas primum recte facere quae non potes bene melius erubescas male facere quae potes bene Euseb eccles Hist lib. 6. And though the manner of the handling of the Divine matter be weake and imperfect the very Image of the Author as you know yet the Subject of it is the Psalmodicall Hallelu-jah of Princely DAVID rowzing vp and goading the vnthankfull masse of Mankind to Praise-giving teaching them the Hosanna of Obedience here and their Hallelu-jah here and hereafter that they are ABRAHAMS sonnes who doe Abrahams workes Etiam fertus fecit mihi Iesum fratrem Abrahamum patrem Orig. hom 8. super Ezech. in Rom. câ—â— 4. And that there is Spuria pietas as well as Spuria febris a piety which goes with Iucobs voyce but Esaus hands masked in the colours and shewing forth the Symptomes of true holinesse which I desire to passe thus vnder your tutelarie Name and leave you and yours your actions and occasions to the All-guiding hand of Heavens protection and providence and rest Yours ever devoted to doe you service RICHARD CHAPMAN Ad Lectorem SI mihi viri Anglicani in presentia concedatis vitam hac conditione vt ne posthac in sapientiae inquisitione verseâ— diligo quidem vos sed Deo certum est parere potuis quam vobis ac quamdiu vivam valebo Philosophari atque vnumquemque vestruâ—â— exhortari ad virtutem non desistam SOCRATES oratio quae est apud Platonem in ejus Apologia HALLELV-IAH OR King DAVIDS shrill Trumpet founding a loude Summons to the whole World to Praise GOD. PSAL. 117. 1. O Praise the Lord all yee Nations praise him all yee People THis booke of Psalmes contayning the Sacred songs in the Scriptures was penned by the direction and inspiration of that all-guiding Spirit of Truth as a briefe Compendium of the holy Historie as Augustine saith Matchlesse DAVID in composing of them sometimes speakes as a King Psal 101. 2. I will walke in my house with a perfect heart noting his Princely and Religious government both of his Kingdome and Family Sometime as a Prophet speaking of the Messiah his Incarnation Sufferings Resurrection Exaltation c. himselfe the type CHRIST the antitype Some of them further comprehend matter of Inseruction concerning Faith and Manners as Psal 1. 15. 37. Other some contayne matter of Prayer and Confession of sinnes as Psal 25. 51 c. Some prayers against the Enemies of the Church as Psal 79. 83. c. Some Historicall as Psal 78. 105. 106 c. Some commâ—nding Gods lawes as Psal 19. 119. Some describing Gods wonderfull Power as Psal 18. Some Thankesgivings for severall deliverances as Psal 144. Some are for the stirring up of men to praise God for his Mercies as here Wherein the Prophet summons all Gods people comprised in these great Seedes of Iaphet and Sem to praise God to acknowledge the Scepter and Kingdome of CHRIST IESVS the true Messiah Not onely his generall regiment in which even the Devils are his vassals to exercise unregenerate Men and Women in theyr lusts till hee bring them to destruction from the poysonous soporiferous cup of sinne to the scalding cup of Gods eternall Wrath but obediently to submit themselves to that mighty Scepter by which in particular hee guides and governes his Church And so this Epaineticall or Praise-giving Psalme brancheth it selfe into two parts First a Proposition or generall exhortation verse 1. O praise the Lord all yee Nations praise him all yee People Secondly a double reason 1. In regard of his Mercy in making Promises 2. His Truth in the performing of them verse 2. To leave this for a while come wee to the first which is the Exhortation In which consider 1. The Duty enjoyned in the Exhortation Praise which is urged by the interjection O which is not supernumerall but necessary 2. The Object the Lord 3. The parties enjoyned 1. Nations 2. People which are taken of some generally for all the people of God but others and the more generall current of Interpreters doe by these note the two great Seedes The Gentiles which are accounted before theyr calling Hos 1. 6. Not beloved and vers 9. Not my People but heere Prophetically called to praise God And the Iewes which by a certaine speciall prerogative are called Gods people his darlings and dearely Beloved ones which hee carried upon his winges as an Eagle her young ones and led them in the Wildernesse like a flocke of Sheepe which had his speciall protection and favour the kisses of his mouth Hee gave his Lawes unto Iacob his Statutes and Ordinances to Israel Hee hath not dealt so with any Nation Psal 147. 19. As it were confining his Graces within the skirts and straite borders of Palestina at Salem is his Tabernacle Psal 76. 2. The duty is called here Hallelu-jah which is doubled in this Verse and repeated in the next To shew how necessary the sacrifice of Praise and Thankesgiving is and also
how backward wee are in the performance thereof that must so often be called upon Now to gather all these into an handfull as a well composed Posie pleasant to the smell Consider that this which stands in the porch of this Psalme is not superfluous but notes the fervent ardency which is required in this Duty which must be performed not superficially orally but zealously heartily which must or ought to be the salt and season of all our Duties and Devotions Our prayers and our praises must not freeze betwixt our teeth but even with Eliah must be transported to Heaven in a fierie Chariot winged with the heate of our zeale and there is no Sacrifice so incomparably pleasing to Almighty God Next the thing enjoyned is to Praise which is nothing else as Aristotle sayth but to elucidare make manifest and knowne as it were a cunning Herald the greatnesse of vertue as to praise Alexander for his Liberality Iulius Caesar for his Patience c. To praise Mercy Power Iustice Wisedome what is it but to magnifie those eminent backe-parts and attributes of Iâ—HOVA the mighty GOD in and by which hee hath revealed himselfe unto his Creatures Men and Angels Exod. 34. 6 And so this leades us to the true object of our Duty The Lord as hee is called God in respect of his goodnesse so is hee Lord in regard of his Majesticke greatnesse This title is given to a great man upon earth and more is Sycophantically given to the Pope to be called besides Lord a God which are but onely so in title How great then is hee which makes and unmakes these Lords at his pleasure There be many Gods and many Lords 1 Cor. 8. 5. but this is he which controls and commands them all Others by Authority of usurpation Psal 82. 1. But he is judge among the Gods able to do more by his absolute power than he will by his actuall able in potent not impotent workes He is called Omnipotent saith Augustine in doing what he pleaseth not in suffering what he pleaseth not Which makes him and none but him the true object of our praise and service not the World Flesh or Devill but the Lord not the Saints in heaven Iob. 5. 1. To which of the Saints wilt thou turne not to Baal-zebub the God of Ekron nor Belzâ—bub the Prince of Devils but with David Psal 73. 28. It is good for mee to drawe neare unto the Lord. Our prayers and praises confidence and hope doe here levell at him as the surest marke Make him the beginning and end the first and last of all thy labours and endeavours saith Gregory Nazianzen the very Heathen could both acknowledge and practise this So then this stands as one of the Priests upon a turret of the Temple or as a monitor to tell us what praise belongs not to our selves Prov. 27. 2. Let another man praise thee and not thine owne mouth a stranger and not thine owne lips This is Pharisee-like Luke 18. Because he had slow neighbours he becomes his owne trumpet and sounds an Alarum to his owne follie this is but a cold praise to blow the coales with thine owne breath This fault was sometimes in the Church of Câ—â—inth 1 Cor. 4. 7. which the Apostle reproveth Who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou hast not received gifts of mind as learning wisedome gifts of body strength agility beautie if thou hast received them why boastest thou as if thou hadst not received them Which is a Metaphor taken from swolne vessels which have in them nothing but ayre Or from some member in the body sweld with rotten putrifaction and corrupt humors Know then that every good and perfect gift comes downe from the Father of lights Iam. 1. 17. This is the ground-worke of all Christian modesty Hast thou Faith It is from thy calling hast thou Remission of sinnes and Iustification It is from Christ The gift of Prayer Prophecy Preaching or of the Tongues it is from the Spirit all which or whatsoever else thou hast doe offer thee occasions of humility and modesty more than of pride or haughtines because thou hast received them Yet consider this that a man may speake in his owne praise in the case of necessity when a mans person or cause is calumniated or whereby the glory of God may be advanced to the credit of his calling and the profit of the Church as Paul the most modest of the Apostles as appeareth 1 Cor. 15. 9 I am the least of the Apostles which am not worthy to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God ashamed and yet not ashamed to confesse 1 Tim. 1. 15. A blasphemer a persecuter and iniurious the chiefe of all sinners Yet when the credit of his calling came into question and the wonderous worke of God in him seemed to bee disparaged by false Apostles he was then a chiefe Apostle one that spake more languages than they all had more revelations and was more extraordinarily called and if any one may boast this holy elect vessell of salvation the learned Doctor of the Gentiles may boast and will praise himselfe and so may you Neyther must wee hunt after others to praise us where there is good Wine there needs no Ivie-bush and where there is true worth there needs no flatterer It is but a poore reputation that is pinned upon another mans Tongue and hangs upon the sound of his clapper This man must bee left as a prey for his Parmeno and carry with him the badge of Pride as Augustine sayth Hee that desires to bee praised needes no other witnesse of his ambitious heart and the apparent danger of a swelling Impostume Neyther must wee settle our admiration and praise upon any particular Person or Sect to pinne our salvation onely upon them as if they were the onely Oracles of GOD to account of them as the people voyced of Herod Act. 12. 22. The voyce of God and not of Man And thus to despise others as not sufficiently guifted for their calling and embassage what is this but to have mens persons in admiration The Apostle accounts such to be but Carnall 1. Corinth 3. 3. For yee are yet Carnall there being among you envying strife and divisions are yee not carnall and walke as men While one sayth I am of Paul and another I am of Apollos are yee not carnall For what is Paul or Apollos but the Ministers by whom yee beleeve Nihil aliud molitur Apostolus nisi quòd personarum ratio non habeatur in Ecclesia In this the Apostle aymes at nothing else but that there should be no Prosopolepsie or acception of persons in the Church Hee reproves their judgement in this because they gave to their Ministers more than was requisite and expedient as if the Spirit of God were too
to see their charmers because one of them laughed not to see another in their antique and apish Idolatries which are more fit to please babes than any way to satisfie the conscience of man all in the shadowe nothing in the substance If these then or any such have forestalled the market of our affections and have taken a lodging in our hearts let us deale with them as Iacob did with his false Gods or as Ephraim with his Idols cast them out And let the current of our affections run in the right streame and be fixed on the right obiect Praise ye the Lord. Whence and from what hath bin spoken and the naturall genuine sence of the words themselves let us erect for our supportance in this duty the doctrine following viz. It is a chiefe duty necessarily enioyned to all creatures and especially to man to become instruments of the glorious praise of their omnipotent Creator This was the gracious practise of old Zacharie Luke 1. 68. for receiving his gracefull sonne Iohn supposed to be the Messiah Ioh. 1. 21. a blessing from God no sooner given but a blessing from man returned Blessed be the Lord God of Israel c. rightly called in the language of Canaan a blessing ingratitude being the devils text wicked men the Glossers and Expositors both which must end in a cursed destruction Blessed Marie in her song cals it a magnifying Luke 1. 46. My soule doth magnifie the Lord. To magnifie is to make great Now God is the best the greatest and cannot in himselfe be made lesser or greater by us all that we can doe either in the magnifying or vilifying of him is in regard of others when we sweare falsely protest rashly blaspheame like an Atheist or Turke we do to our power lessen his greatnes when we unthankefully returne not his due praise for his mercies we vilipend debase as much as we can his gracious goodnes and when we magnifie him wee make him great wee proclaime him good To make this more plaine and to drive this dutie deeper into our soules it is in regard of vs the end of our election foreseene in the mercy and love of God before the foundation of the World as over-looking our estate in Adam as changeably good to that in Christ immutably glorious Ephes 1. 6 To the praise of his glorious Grace It is the end of our creation even enjoyned to insensible animals the visible and legible booke of our instruction and lessoning in this duty the sunne moone day night Psal 19. 1. and every thing that hath breath are summoned by Davids Trumpet to become the well uned Cymball of their Creators praise But Man the rare Epitome of all these hath an instrument of speech to tune it to a higher key Rev. 4. 11. Thou art worthy O Lord to receive honour and praise for thou hast created all things for thy wils sake and for thy pleasures sake were they created It is the end of our redemption Rev. 5. 9. Thou art worthy to take the booke and open the seales thereof for thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us to God by thy bloud And thus I must instance in the rest even to the lowest particular deliverance from the hellish and the highest to the least and lowest danger as Exod. 15. Iudg. 5. c. no sooner a deliverance but a song of thanks giving to the deliverer And it is the summe of what thy God for this requires of thee Psal 50. 15. Call upon me in the time of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt praise mee Reas 1. Because as all rivers come from the sea and returne thither againe returning as it were a thankefull tribute to their Lord Even so all things come from the Father of lights Iam. 1 17. which are for our good as from the fountaine of goodnesse and must or at least ought in thankefulnesse to returne to him againe All the gifts of fortune falsely so called as riches and possessions the gracefull endowments of the body as agility beauty strength all the goods of the minde as wit learning No silver in Benjamins sacke till Ioseph put it in and no good in man except God bestowe it Even that noble skill in physicke standing upon two legs Reason and Experience is an excellent meanes to preserve our health and yet for all this it is the great Doctor which hath Heaven for his chaire that keepeth us alive for so soone as he is angry wee are gone wee bring our yeares to an end as a tale that is told Psal 90. 9. If the keepers of our house doe not tremble and the grinders cease not and the golden ewer be not broken and our eyes the windowes of our bodies be not darke it is from the Father of lights Hence renowned Salomon and all the learned Clearkes have their wisedome and the same it was which tooke away that great knowledge from the learned Trapezuntius who was not onely infatuated in his learning but forgot his owne name Hence are all students counselled by Sarisburiensis in Policratico to knocke at heaven gate to God for their good speede that the key of knowledge may open a doore of utterance So there are diversities of gifts diversities of administrations and diversities of operations but all from the same Spirit from the same Lord who worketh all in all 1 Cor. 12. Among the Apostles Paul was good at planting Apollos at watering Among the Fathers some construed the Scriptures all egorically as Origen who excelled others either in effect or defect Augustine dogmatically Hierome more literally Gregory the great Morrally and Chrysostome pathetically And also among our moderne writers Erasmus was full of matter and words Luther had store of matter without many words Carolostadius neither c. as Luther himselfe wrote upon the wals of his Chamber So also among our ordinary Preachers some have good utterance but a bad conceite some an excellent utterance but a meane wit some both some neither As for the gifts appertaining to the will 2 Cor. 3. 5. All our sufficiencie is of God For faith which as some thinke belongeth both to the will and understanding it is also the gift of God 10. 6. 29. This is the gift of God that ye beleeve on him whom he hath sent God worketh in man the first desire to beleeve ipsumvelle credere saith Augustine The staying of the bloudy fluxe of thy corruption comes from some vertue in Christ Mar. 5. 30 The purging of thy lippes from lying swearing blaspheaming c. is by a coale from the Altar Esay 6. 6. The gift of Prayer powerfully solliciting the throne of mercy and filling heaven and earth with Abba father proceedes from none but the Spirit which makes intercession for us with groanes which cannot be expressed Rom. 8. 26. The tongue of the learned it is from the Lord Esay 50. 4. If thou hadst
Leopards c. swearers lyers drunkards forsaking their wicked loathed slavish drudgery to the world flesh and divell and submit their sinewy neckes uncircumcised hearts and prophane lives in obedience to the scepter of Christ and out of a syncere profession and unfaigned confession cry with the Souldiers under Iovinian We are Christians and will be true to the colours of the Crosse according to our Sacramentall Oath under the banner of our Michaël we will wage warre with the red Dragon and all the spirituall enemies of our salvation God by his Word hath perswaded us called and called us out of our inchanted fooles Paradise wherein we lay in the prison and dungeon of spirituall darkensse into his marvailous light hath opened our eyes freed our feete and as a bird we are escaped out of the cordes and manacles of our hellish sinnes And whereas we lived to our owne corruptions emancipated to our lusts even the devill the Prince of the ayre Eph. 2. 3. tutoring our disobedience now wee live to God the life of God the life of Grace our scorching lusts and rebellious natures which heavenly influence should have wasted the scalding cup of Gods wrath are washed cleansed in the bloud of the immaculate lambe made ours in our justification and sealed to us in the laver of our new baptizing renovation He that is the ministerial instrument of this wondrous work which causeth admiration and ioy in men and Angels Luke 15. 7. Though his tongue were the pen of a ready writer Psal 45. 2. and spake as the Oracle of God had the mouth of golden Chrysostome the gravity of Tertullian the spirit of heavenly Augustine could make Felix tremble with Paul conjure the cursed workes of darkenesse Yet if he sacrificed to his owne nets and yarne he robbes God of his praise and glorie It is not thy word nor thy eloquence or learning but Gods power that brings these mighty things to passe and so all other things If the mercy of God be not in our sustenance we may dye with meate in our mouthes as did the Israelites if his providentiall goodnesse restraine her influence and withold her vertue were our garments as rich as Aarons Ephod there were no heate or benefit in them Nature declines her ordinary working when Gods revocation hath chidden it Though thou labourest and sweatest with diligence till the taper of thy life were burnt out if the Lord prosper not thy handy worke thou makest but roapes of sand to bind Sampson Then sing with the Psalmist Not unto vs O Lord not unto us but unto thy name give the glorie The principall end of Gods actions must be the end of ours and his is his praise Prove 16. 4. The Lord made all things for himselfe viz for his owne praise even the wicked for the day of evill Even out of the unhallowed heape of sinne will he mould the silver trumpet of his owne praise To teach us That God is praised magnified and made great by us when his Image is repaired in us Gen. 1. 26. Let vs make Man after our owne Image Now this image which is his righteousnesse and holinesse the new man Ephes 4. 24. newly comming out of the mint of Regeneration as furnace-smoaked Israel out of Egypt is a glorifying of God and this as a curious worke graces the artificer magnifies the maker Man the little Epitome or Compendium of the world hath bin admired for his wonderfull structure and frame called by that almost miracle of Antiquity a great Miracle Nothing more admirable than Man Man a certaine divine thing Memento quòd homo sit quoddam Omne what shines not in him Our Saviour CHRIST honours him with a large tytle Mark 16. 15. Goe Preach the Gospell to every creature and who but Man must have the benefit of this Gospell But if wee looke upon him as the image of God repaired a new creature nay a new creation 2. Cor. 5. 17 As Ioseph comming from Prison as Mordecai whom the King of honour will honour as Queene Hester perfumed with the aromaticall graces of the Spirit having the royall robe of Christs righteousnesse Cant. 4. 7. Thou art all faire my Love and there is no spot in thee comely as the Curtaines and pompe of Salomon having cast off the blacke scorchings of Kedar Cant. 1. 5. and the Gibeonitish ragges of sinne now remember old things no more Esay 7. he is now a glorious creature and here is God magnified the greater measure of grace affords a greater measure of praise Strive then beloved to have thy unhallowed soule sanctified thy life reformed thy crooked pathes of vanity straighted every thought brought into subiection that God may be made greater in thee and thou the trumpet of his praise And the further to stirre us up to holinesse consider that the magnifying of God is the magnifying of our selves Luke 1. 46. Mary sings My soule doth magnifie the Lord and verse 49. He that is mighty hath magnified me He that blesseth the Lord is encreased he that blaspheameth decreased Our exultation is the first staire of our exaltation Wouldest thou be exalted made great and honoured of God of men and Angels then season thy soule with grace honor God For they that Honour him he will honour and they that despise him shall be dispised 1 Sam 2. 30. He that goes to the Court of Honour must passe by the temple of vertue from the Pallace of Grace to the Place of Glory Learne then to have the praise of God in thy mouth Let Hallelu-jah be the Cadence in all our Musicke and our Musicke in all our actions that being our practice on earth we may one day be Angelicall Choristers in Heaven Praise the Lord O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy name for Omne bonum nostrum velipse vel ab ipso All our good is either God or from God Parties Gentile Iewe enjoyned to this duty 1. The Gentile the stocke of Iapheth one of the sonnes of Noah Gen. 9. 18. the eldest by birth but reckoned by way of Anticipation in the last place And though a long time they stoode as it were excommunicate and cut off from the Covenant of grace yet in Gods appoynted time this rejected seede is perswaded to dwell in the tents of their brother Sem the Iewe as Noah prophecyed And the neuer erring Spirit makes this place a propheticall prediction of Gods never failing purpose of their calling Rom. 15. 11. with many other scriptures pregnant to prove it the word Nations in the old testament in Hebers tongue being rendred by Paul Gentiles a most fit prophecy for this purpose sayth Marlorat and others upon the place Thus though a great while the forlorne Prodigall sate in darkenesse and in the shadowe of death and God vouchsafed his loves and favours to the Iewes
2. Which may have the ordinary giftes of the Spirit they may prophecy with Saul and Cajaphas preach and doe miracles with Iudas speake like the Oracle of God with Achi tophel cry Lord Lord Math. 7. 22 challenge an interest in the free demesnes of heaven Math. 25. 11. Open to us and yet are sent packing to their hell home with a nescio vos I know ye not If ye aske the reason and cause of it Our Saviour CHRIST orally and oraculously returnes it Math. 11. 25. This mystery of Salvation is hid from some and revealed to others even So Father for so it seemed good in thy sight as in a Princes Proclamation It is our pleasure All the workes of these men failing in their end not done in faith to the glory of God and if God rewarded them it was temporally for temporall respects the good of mankind civill order and society not shewing any approbation thereof in respect of himselfe their mercy justice continency c. being without faith was sinne as Augustinâ— saith which indeed ariseth not from the act of compassion but from the privation of faith they may have these and many more honest civill moralities but they never have the inward calling the donation of faith the true knowledge of God I know my sheepe and am knowne of mine Iohn 10. 14. which knowledge is like the Sunne casting his beames upon us by whose reflection we looke upon and viewe the Sunne Gal. 4. 9. Seeing ye know God or rather are knowne of God If they have any it is a literall no saving or spirituall knowledge no true love of God for he never knew or loved them 1 Iohn 4. 19. We love God because he loved us first If these carnall Capernaites follow CHRIST doing his will in any thing it is more for his loaves than his love Ioh. 6. 26. all proceeding from some sâ—nister respect their praise or profit they never have the inward beautifying of the Church To be all glorious within Psal 45. 13. the rich habiliments and garments wherewith as Isaac decked his beloved Rebecca and the King of Persia religious Mordecai CHRIST Iâ—SVS bespangleth his spouse These be the foolish Virgins which a long time had their lives blossoming as if their soules had bin the maidenly bride of CHRIST when in the end they were unvailed and found the speckled adulteresses and uncleane concubines of Satan Math. 25. This is the man boldly intruding himselfe into the marriage supper not having on a wedding garment his faith but figge leaves notable to cover his nakednes Math. 22. These walke like friends in the Church of God together But many are called and fewe are chosen In the third ranke are they which out of the brazen mountaines of Gods election flowing out of the rivers of his endlesse mercy which are not onely within the skirts and territories of his regiment as the former but they are inwardly sanctified called and culled out of the whole heape and masse of Mankind by a lively Faith engraffed and planted into the mysticall body and have as neare an union and communion with their head CHRIST as the branch hath with the vine the members with the head or the husband with the wife Ephes 5. 30. We are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones these are built upon the sure foundation the rocke of safety and horne of salvation Luke 1 69. He is the corner stone upon which their whole building is coupled Eph. 2. 20 No other foundation can any man lay than that which is already laid which is IESVS CHRIST 1 Cor. 3. 11. and These are living stones built upon him 1 Per 2. 5. Othoniel delivered the Israelites from Chushan and is therefore called their Saviour Iudg. 3. 9. but they fell againe into the hand of Moab Ehud rescued them from the Moabites and they became servants to the Canaanites Iudg. 4. 2. A Physitian may cure a man of one disease and he may after fall into another or the same and dye of it But CHRIST hath them sure Iohn 10. 28. I give my sheepe eternall life and they shall never perish hee hath washed away theâ—r sinnes and made a passage to heaven a perfect and sure rocke of safety upon which these are placed Antiquam generis labem mortalibus agris Abluit obstructique viam patefecit Olympi Poore mortals sicke he washed hath from auncient staine Originall And opened wide Olympus path that barred was and shut to all So that here the gates of Hell and Luciferiall powers of darknesse may shoote their darts of poysoned malice as against CHRIST the head Math. 4. so against these the members to be retorted upon themselves as from a tower of brasse for â—hee that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleepe and though the two first parts be cut off and dye the third will the Lord fine as Silver and Gold Zach. 13. 9. And from this consideration ariseth a Cordiall a Caveat and a dolefull Madrigall First it affords a comfortable cordiall to the Christian that he is one of those secret ones inwardly called separated from the world and endued with power from above This is the summum bonum and chiefe dignitie and blessednesse of all other So that it may be said of him as a certaine heathen of a wise man of a wise man He is onely lesse then God And as another spake of the vertuous He that hath vertue hath with her as a dowrie all good things As the Lord of hoastes and of the whole earth and all that therein is Psal 24. 1. accounteth it his greatest dignity and title of honour to be stiled The Lord God of Israel of his Church Luk. 1. 67. as thence receiving his greatest honour So is it the chiefest honour of a man to be an Israelite a limme and member of that Society of the Communion of Saints It is indeed the worlds felicity to build pillars with Absalom towers with Nimrod to call our lands after our owne names to engrosse rich revenewes Parsonages and patrimonies for our posterity to build our nests on high and to covet an evill covetousnes to our houses while The stones cry out of the wall and the beame out of the timber answere it Hab. 2. 9. worse than the King of Sodome Gen. 14. 21. Give me the soules and take the goods to thy selfe But we say to the spirituall king of Sodome the divell give us the goods and take our soules to thy selfe This is our hope and our posterity praise our doing selling our Saviour for thirty pence our heaven for a messe of pottage and our soules laied in the banke for a quid dabitis What will ye give me Ps 4. 6. Who will shew us any good O miserable mucke-worme that sellest thy soule and thy solace thy heaven and thy happinesse for these faile-friends which in the time of neede cannot so much as cure the aking of
Bullocke was burnt without the Campe Levit. 6. 12. And further the remooving the Scepter from Iudah which came to passe at the Idumean Herod entring to the Kingdome by the favour and furtherance of Antonius and afterward more strongly seated and setled by Augustus when he cruelly slaughtered their Sanhedrim as Philo their owâ—â— Countreyman doth witnesse and their owâ—â— Rabbins in their Talmud cry out Wee unto us for the Scepter is now taken away from Iudah and the Lawgiver from betweene his feet This might also be shewed by the generall ceasing of the Iewish Sacrifices the multitudes of Hecatombes among the Gentiles which all gave place and died with the great Heathenish Pan when this immaculate Lambe was slaine Also by the ending of the yeare of Iubile with Christ himselfe upon the Crosse proclaimed to be ended Ioh. 19. 30. It is finished the ending of the Monarchies prophecied by Daniel which should have their full Period when the Stone should be cut out of the mountaine without hands which ended in that lascivious Egyptian Queene Cleopatra all being brought under the yoke and subjection of the Romane their owne Simeon in whom they say the spirit of the great Sinagogue did cease hee testifieth Luke 2. 26 27 c. Also their owne Prophetesse Anna of the tribe of Asher Luke 2. 38. Also the ancient Sibyls as that Erithraea which spake so excellently of CHRIST that she seemes to Saint Augustine to have beene a Citizen of the Citie of God which bookes were had in that reverend esteeme that when Augustus Caesar searching up their ancient Prophecies throughout Africa Sicilia and the Colonies of Italie to be brought to Rome to examine the true from the false He caused 2000. to be devoured by fire yet he preserved the Zibillian Oracles and caused them to be locked up into golden chests at the foot of the Image of Apollo in mount Pallatine in Rome but these are copiously handled by that Hammer of the Iewes and Mahumetanes Philip Morney Lord of Plesse and others Thus must we provoke the seed of holy Sem to embrace the Gospell by shewing them that it is in vaine to expect any other to come in great power but that great mystery is already made knowne which is God manifested in the flesh iustified in the Spirit seene of Angels preached unto the Gentiles c. according to the Scriptures 1 Tim. 2. 16. That they may acknowledge Davids sonne and Davids Lord whom they must kisse in obedience or perish everlastingly Heare then yee sonnes of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made unto our Fathers Acts 3. 25. Heare I say the kingly David sweet singer of Israel calling you forth of your blindnesse to joyne with the Gentile to praise God in this Hallelu-jah you must be one in the bond of the Spirit and the unity of peace be no more the deafe Adder that stoppeth their eares though the Charmer charme never so wisely Psal 58. 4. This is the CHRIST whose blood hath beene so long required at your hands Matth. 27. 25. Answere not with your elders Mar. 11. 33. Wee cannot tell you have had both your Patriarks and your Prophets pointing at him the Vale of the Temple is rent and now you have vs Gentiles to preach him unto you Luke 23. Heb. 9. The Lord therefore for his CHRISTS sake the sonne of his love and the ingraven Image of his Person remoove the vaile from your hearts that with us you may have your eyes opened to see the way into the holy or holies made open by the great High Priest of our Calling that you may come at the found of this silver Trumpet of your owne David that as your diminishing hath beene the riches of the world so your restoring may be life from the dead and that it may be in due time accomplished and performed we shall daily powre out our prayers in the name of IESVS CHRIST to the Father by the blessed Spirit to which three glorious Persons and but one onely wise God be all honour and glory for evermore Amen Here endeth the first part being verse 1. VERSE II. PSAL. 117. 2. For his mercifull kindnesse is great toward us and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever Praise yee the Lord. THe tres-noble branch of Iesse king David having by a propheticall spirit not onely summoned but enjoyned both Iewes and Gentiles to the joyntpraising of God declaring the boundlesse compasse and unlimited circuit of the kingdome of CHRIST not onely King of the Iewes as Pilate stiled him Iohn 19. 19. but even the heathen are his inheritance linked into the society of faithfull Abraham by the bond of faith and obedience elsewhere as Psal 19. 1. The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke c. Even insensible creatures as Sunne Moone Starres Meteors Thunder Haile Snow c Psal 148. are called upon for the performance of this dutie every creature be it never so base in the sight of Man bearing upon it the workemanship of his hands even by silence loudly proclaimes it's Maker but he is praised of Man in a more lively and louder straine a shriller and sweeter Diapason sounding from an heaven-sprung soule which in the internall externall superiour and inferior powers and faculties thereof doth manifestly beare the Image of God and the characteristicall badge and stampe of the Divinitie as Calvin saith is invested and inriched with such a measure and furnishment of Graces as it pleaseth the Olimpian love to distribute to every one as Homer in the twylight of nature could say the ditty of whose duty in this vers 2. is composed of Gods mercy and truth and so this brings us to the reason for his mercifull kindnesse c. In which are considerable 1. His Mercie 2. His Trueth in performing his promises 3. The certainty of both confirmed in the object toward us 4. The Epiphonema and conclusion of this Psalme which is accounted the last of the Iewes Hallelu-jahs which were appointed to be sung at their Passeover ending in the same cadence in which it begun Praise yee the Lord. Mercifull kindnesse the first motive injoyning the dutie is a common place in which as in a Maze or Labyrinth we may loose our selves and make an easie entrance but no end for all the wayes of God are mercie and truth Psal 25. 9. The Almighty hath stepped no where beneath or above the circle of the Moone but he hath left plaine prints and characters of his mercies that he that runnes may reade them and that we may take notice of the tendernesse of them sometime they are expressed in the love of Parents to Children Psal 103. 13. As a father pittieth his children so doth the Lord pitty them that fear him sometime in the love of Eagles to their young Is 49. even exceeding the love of a woman to her sucking child verse 15. hee hath
come when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth sometime for sincerity in our conversation Ioh. 3. 21. hee that doth truth commeth to the light an Israelite in whom is no guile Ioh. 1. 47. Sometime for the rule of Gods law Rom. 2. 8. Disobeying the truth and obeying vnrighteousnesse and 1. Pet. 1. 22. Your selves are purified by obeying the truth Sometime for the sincere doctrine of the Gospell Gal. 2. 5. that the truth of the Gospell might continue with you Sometime for Iustice Prov. 20. 28. Mercy and truth preserves the King Sometime for such a truth as depends not vpon Opinion which may erre but for that Metaphysicall truth which is affectio Entis and such I take it to be here and so in God it cannot faile so taken Rom. 3. 7. If the verity or truth of God hath more abounded through my lye and so vpon the premisses this doctrine builds it selfe There is nothing more certaine to come to passe in a due and true performance then the truth of all Gods promises Wee neede not stand to prop the truth of this truth vpon any weake foundation of mans building for his truth is himselfe Exod. 34. 6. aboundant in goodnesse and truth Man may be said to be true mercifull just but God is truth mercie and justice it selfe in the abstract so the Prophet here brings his truth in the second place as the sure performer of his mercifull kindnesse whatsoever saith Calvyn He doth promise by his mercy he doth faithfully performe because his mercy and truth are vndissolubly knit together they goe hand in hand and cannot be seperated and as he cannot lye nor deny himselfe Tit. 1. 2. No more can his truth faile Num. 23. 19. God is not as man that he should lye or the sonne of man to repent his truth is confirmed strengthened veryfied and so corroborated toward us for so the word translated great in the Originall signifieth that if we would we cannot put it from us but it will overcome us to acknowledge it if the Lord speake it even to the miraculous continuing of the Meale in the barrell and the Oyle in the Cruse 1. King 17. 14. Even in the preservation and maintenance of the Patriarch Iacob Gen. 32. 10. I am not worthy the least of thy mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy servant heere is finem non habitura fides his truth is even decked and clothed with constancy and firmnesse we cannot obiect against him as the Poet against Iason and in him against vnstable Man Mobilis AEsonide vernaque incertior aura Cur tua polliciti pondere verba earent Inconstant sonne of AEson fickle wight and more vnconstant then the wind in spring How is it that thy words are growne so light to want that weight should be in promising He deserves not with Antigonus to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who promised much and performed little neither with Thaeaginus to be called smoake who promised much being very poore neither with Hermodorus will he sell his words he doth not will not cannot equivocate with man in the truth of his promises as he that promised centum oves and performed centum ova he hath given us an hand-writing and obligation of promises made himselfe our debter not by owing but promising sayth the great Bishop of little Hippo the heavenly Augustine that we cannot say vnto him give that thou owest but we must pray vnto him for what he promiseth his promises are not like the golden shewes nor showers of the World who like Sathan Mat. 4. 9. promise what they cannot perform inverting the words of the wise Phocion who would have great matters performed not promised as Stobaeus witnesseth but they promise golden mountaines the opulency of Lidian Craesus which in performance prove but moale-hills Among the sonnes of the earth some indeed performe that which after ward they repent as Ioshua did to the Gibeonites Ios 9. 23. some promise what they can doe but meane it not as Iacobs sonnes to the Sichemits Gen 34. 26. Some promise willingly but give vnwillingly as Herod Iohn Baptists head to Herodias Mar. 6. 16. Some promise but after deny it as Laban dealt with Iacob Gen. 29. 23. as is complained Cap. 31. 41. Thou hast changed my wages tenne times but the promises of God are to the faithfull in hope without hope above hope and against hope the father of the faithfull proved all this to be true Rom. 4. 18. Who against hope beleeved in hope that he might be the Father of many Nations the ground of whose Faith was the promise according to that which was spoken so shall thy seede bee Gen. 15. 5. This was accompted vnto Abraham for righteousnesse saith Ambrese because he beleeved and required no reason so the truth of the Lord endureth for ever Because he hath made his truth as strong as the brazen pillers of eternitie to encourage his servants wholly to relye vpon him expecting the performance of his promises he made them before the foundation of the World inact them in the great Parliament of Heaven before all time Ephe. 1. 5. they were and are firme stable great and precious to make us partakers of the divine nature 2. Pet. 1 4. performed in time when the time of promise came which God had sworne to Abraham given a word of prmoise Rom. 9. 7 in Isaac shall thy seede be blessed purposed salvation for us before the world began 2. Tim. 1. 9. Purchased inheritance of promise Heb. 6. 12. be not sloathfull but followers of them which through Faith and patience inherit the promises adopted as children of promise Gal. 4. 28. Now we brethren as Isaac are the children of promise drawne Covenants of promise Ephes 2. 12. The spirit of truth the Scrivener of them Ephes 1. 13. And sealed with the spirit of promise having set not onely his hand but the signet of his right hand the character ingraven image of his own person Amen The truth of the father 2. Cor 10. 10. All the promises of God are yea Amen in CHRIST which is the truth it selfe Reu. 3. 14. These things saith the Amen the true and faithfull witnesse the new convenant drawne Ier. 31. 31. And the counterpane thereof Heb. 8. 8. Are of more force and vertue then all the bills bonds and obligations be they never so curiously and cunningly framed in the winding Mâ—ander of a Ploydons braine Heaven and Earth shall passe ereone jot or title of these can perish nay if there were neither booke record inke or paper in the world they are written more surely then with a pen of Iron ingraven more firmely then with the point of a Diamond by the spirit of Gods grace and adoption in the heart of every beleever and further we have not onely his bond
conformed to the lawes of God and thine obedience performed unto CHRIST that the word may work alteration to purifie thee mollifie and open thy heart convert thy soule season thee with grace dissolve the workes of darknesse heale thy wounds of sinne make thee fit for Heaven And here come justly to be taxed besides those convicted Recusants who have shaken off the yoke of obedience and given theyr names to the Beast all those that negligently frequent the congregation accompting more of losse and dung of ease pleasure and profit then of the Word which is able to turne Wolves into Lambes Sinners into Saints Isa 11. 6. A congregation gathered together in the Church sayth the father Are like an armie of fighting men armed by prayer and prayses against the spirituall enemies of their soules where the word offers it selfe to be thy loadstarre to CHRIST thy Iacobs staffe to scale Heaven thy lantherne to light and the heavenly Manna to feed thy soule in which place and upon which ordinance CHRIST promiseth a blessing My house shall be called the house of Prayer and where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them take a patterne of the servants of God the primitive Church Acts 2. 46. the Prophetesse Anna Luke 2. 37. and the Church in St. Augustins time which he compares to Ants because they were alway about the Church as the Ant is about her hole or home and let not God for this negligence deprive thee of his Grace and bring upon thee that fearefull curse which is due to those which doe his worke either negligently or not at all Iudg 5. 23. Curse yee Meroh said the Angell of the Lord Curse yee bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not to the helpe of the Lord against the mighty The second sort are not negligent commers but heedlesse hearers hearing line upon line but returning without profit the Scripture sayth Gregory the great is like a River in which the Lambe may wade and the Elephant swim or like an Apothecaries shop in which are Potions and Pils Corrasives and Cordials fit for every occasion for every disease but as Chrisostome sayth when the Minister prayeth or preacheth one walketh another talketh another sleepeth while the Divell rocketh him in his cradle like Ionah securely in the sides of the Ship in the middest of the tempest without profit or desire to be instructed returning as a doore upon the hinges at night in the morning station whereas the word should be as the laver of Brasse to Aarâ—n and his Sonnes to wash thee withall Exod. 30. 18. and thou shouldest bee with the servant in the law boared in thine eare Exod. 21. 6. Thy flesh circumcised thy heart instructed the fallow ground ploughed and broken up Ierem. 4. 4. The soule hammered Ier. 23. 29 and thou wholy framed as a signet fitted for a mans right hand Ier. 22. 24. When this axe is layd to the roote of the tree Math. 3. 10. take heed then to thy feete when thou enterest into the house of God Eccles 5. 1. least in the end thou be taken for an unprofitable servant and in the fearefull case of Ierusalems negligence and heedlesnesse How often would I have gathered thee as a hen her chickens and yee would not Math. 23. 37. A third sort are such as are displeased with what they heare like the Mule kicking the dam that feedes them or like undutifull children at every angry word casting dirt and myer in the face of their Parents or like these Apes which breake every looking glasse because it shewes their deformities whose galled backes or rather unsound consciences no sooner feele the Aqua-Fortis of reproofe but presently as Ahab with Elija they accompt their Minister their enemie 1 Kings 21. 20. or as the same Ahab spoke of Michajah He never Prophecies good unto mee 1 Kings 12. 8. And for all this what hath the righteous done How hath the Minister offended thee when he wounds thy selfe-love and the pride of thine heart and when with the axe of the word hee is hewing and fitting thee as a lively stone for Gods building wee see in the Law Deut. 19. 5. If a man hewing timber in the wood should by chance let his axe fall from the helue and hurt a man hee was to goe to a Citty of refuge for his safety Why should it not then pleade the pardon of thy Pastor when by chance by the sword of the Spirit hee rubbs thy galled sores touches thy Dalilah thy Herodias thy most beloved sinnes and tels thee plainely Thou must not have thy brothers wife thou must leave her or leave thy Heaven and happinesse Consider further that every man being as a brand taken forth of the fire all the Placentia pleasing words comforts and cordials cannot cure him till he be lashed with Moses and driven out of himselfe into CHRIST let not then the poysonous love of sin stop thine eares causing thee to say of it as Abraham of Ismael Gen. 17. 18. O that Ismael my carnall pride prophainnesse might live in thy sight or conceit of it as Lot of Zoar Gen. 19. 20. Is it not a little one Such a sinne is but a peccadillo a little one a small oath an officious lye a sleight excuse these are with thee but small matters whereas thou must give an accompt of every idle word the Divell like a cunning Nimrod and hunter spreads his nets of pleasure profit selfe-love c. To drive thee out of love with the word to esteeme it base or needlesse and so to banish it as the Gargasites did CHRIST or troublesome and contrary to thy peace as Amazia Amos 7 12. Goe thou Seer and flye into the Land of Iuda and there eate bread and prophecie but know beloved as in the Law of Moses Deut. 25. The elder brother dying the younger was to marry his widdow so to rayse up seede unto his deceased brother so by preaching and teaching reproving and exhorting must the Minister as a younger brother unto CHRIST he is the Embassadour in CHRISTS stead to wooe and winne men to be reconciled with God 2 Cor. 5. 18. Suffer then the words of exhortation and reproofe rejoyce with Zacheus Luke 19. 9. Because Salvation is come to thine house let the word win thee that thy Minister by thy profiting in the carefull discharge of his office may answer unto God having brought Beniamin backe Iohn 17. 12. Of all those whom thou hast given mee I have not lost one Secondly consider these repeated words as they containe and enjoyne a duty to be performed Hallelu jah wee saw it in the portall of the text and finde it againe in the end as it were reviving a duty which is and hath beene forgotten of so many in praising God for his manifold mercies and truth continued from him the Creator to the creature in creating preserving maintaining spirituall and
to bee the dittie of all our musicke because they are to him no more then parables or paradoxes but he joyeth rather in carnall things which though they content the flesh they crucifie CHRIST and grieve the Spirit like foole-drunken Nabal in his feasts 1 Sam. 25. 26. or Belshazzar Iâ—olatrously carrowsing Dan. 5. 2. making himselfe merry with Sacriledge or like effiminate Heliogabalus the helluo who in his feasts to make himselfe merry withall had eight bald-pated guests as many lame as many blinde as many bleer-eyed as many gouty as many deafe c. which he called his make-sports and mirth movers Or to rejoyce in Scurrilous jeasting baudy songs which are not urbane and civill but beastly and irreligious setting us in as great danger as Iobs children dishonouring both God and our festivall merrâ—ments or as the covetous money-monger who locks up his God his ioy in his chest and in the comfort of his heart worships it every morning with his orysons as the Persians the Sun or the inhabitants of Calecut the Divâ—ll or rejoycing with the Adulterer to see the darknesse Prov. 7. 7. Ier. 5. 8. These rejoyce and delight themselves as it were with the poysonous excrements of Sathan which is sinne as the Scarrabee in the filthy ordure of beasts feeding and fatting themselves for the time like leâ—â—e Witches with the Divels leaner banquet or as the Pselli and Marfi in Italâ—e feeding on poyson All these merry hearts shall be turned from their forbidden commons as leane as Pharaohs kine for with Ephraim Hos 7. They are as a Dove deceived without heart forced with Salomon to confesse their mirth is madde Eccles 2. 2. I sayd of laughter its mad and of myrth what doth it But aske the godly man who hath tasted the first fruits of the Spirit and how gracious the Lord is and hath drunke a full draught at the fountaine of mercy hee rejoyceth in nothing but CHRIST and him crucified ouerjoyed and as it were rapt in an extasie in the fight of heavenly things as Stephen Acts 7. 56. and Paul 2 Cor. 12. And David dances before the Arke rejoycing to see the peoples forwardnesse in Gods service Psal 122. 1. And the Martyrs have joyfully gone singing to be devoured of that furious Idoll of the Persians the godly mans delight is to exercise himselfe with David in the law of God Psal 1. 3. and with King Alphonsus reading over the Bible 14. times every yeare These and such are ioy to the Sainâ—s of God for even as wicked men do often feele in their conscienceâ— soules the very flâ—shings of hell fire out of which they often make a desperate leape as the Fish out of the pan into the fire so the Godlie man contrarily feeles the sparkes and reflections of Gods love towards him dropping from the fountaine of life The Sunne of righteousnesse which brings healings in his wings Mal. 4. 2. hee onely enjoying the comfortable presence of God which is the matter of all joy Psal 16. vlt. Zeph 3. 5. These and such fill our bellies with mirth and our mouthes with laughter more comfort in this fasting than others feasting in this weeping than others singing more comfort in Gods countenance than in all the corne and wine Psal 4. 6. the lusts and licentious liberties of wicked men which have madnesse a spirituall bedlam in their hearts while they live and in the end goe downe to the dead Eccles 9 Secondly seeing this Duety is re-urged and that not onely in particular but to be performed of all Nations of all People as ver 1. and Prayse the Lord in the great congregation and in the congation of Saints c. It stands to condemne the solitary and sequestred life of Anchorites Heremitâ—s and Monasticall votaries whose life hath beene so much admired and commended by lerome and others of the Fathers and is in such esteeme with the Papists at this day as accompted meritorious and a state of perfection like the dreame of the Esseni among the Iewes where wee see how they have forgotten that of God himselfe Gen. 2. 18. It is not good for man to be alone and as the God of Nature hath appoynted in the body naturall one member to be an helper unto another so wisely disposing their offices that one of them cannot say unto another I have no neede of thee 1 Cor. 12. 10. So in the body politick and Ecclesiastick one to be unto another As the healthfull blinde man to the weak lame man the one imploying his strength the other his sight in their journey Man is not made for himself in his kinde of life a man may in some sort be hindered froÌ„ doing evill but he is likewise kept from doing good He cannot reioyce with them that reioyce Rom. 12. nor praise the Lord among his Saints or be an instrument for a publique good or as a candle upon a candlesticke to shine to others his life is hid under a bushell and Cloystered in a desart sequestred from the society of men as if the law of Nature had enioyned us to have our conversation with Birds and Beasts damming in a preposterous stopage that light which should have done good to the world and which by it may be rightly challenged of thee as it was with Saint Francis Paulus Thebanus and Simeon Stiliotes those famous or rather infamous Anchorites which as the Papists are bold or rather impudent to say of some of them They transgressed no one jot of the Law some of them compared with CHRIST and in many things according to their blasphemie exceeding him What is this but flat impiety grosse superstition not warrantable by the word of God where one day it shall be sayed to these will-worshippers Who hath required this at your hands Isa 1. 12. The third shewes the lawfull and laudable use in praysing God by singing Psalmes which are certaine songs composed by holy men upon severall purposes out of the word of God commended unto us by precept Iames 5. 13. Is any merry let him sing Psalmes it is Gods ordinance binding all sorts of men to the practise thereof Make a toyfull noyse unto God all yee lands Psal 66. 1. and 92. 1. and 135. 3. God allowing us no other recreation to shoulder out this as most doe and this we ought to doe as our daily exercise in our families Psal 101 1. 2 I will walke in my house with a perfect heart in our Churches and congregations where and when Christians meet together 1 Cor. 14. 26. Ephes 5 19. Singing and making melodie in your hearts with Psalmes c. Now consider further that wee may tune up a pleasant harmony as a sacrifice of rest and acceptance to the God of Iacob Foure things are required in our spirituall singing First wee must not babble them over Parrot-like or as the ignorant Papist gallops over his Ave Maries and Pater Nosters but with understanding that we may teach and