eye hath cost the world deare The touching of it hath cost the blood of the greatest Monarchs of many Kings and Princes of the earth It hath cost whole Monarchies Kingdomes and States the greatest the richest the strongest that ever the world saw their whole Estates Riches Glory and Peace True we reade often of the jealousie of God over his great name in respect of any pollutions and prophanation of it by other sins but we do not reade of his great jealousie but only for and over Jerusalem his Church but as concerning the case of Jerusalem wee reade of it twice in the same Prophet Zach. 1.14.8.2 As if God had a jealousie and a jealousie a two-fold jealousie a double and a single a greater and a lesse and the lesser jealousie he puts on and armes himselfe with when he went forth to execute vengeance for other sins but whē he sets forth against the enemies of his Church when he comes to plead Jerusalems cause with her adversaries his double jealousie now went on his great jealousie was reserved for causes of this nature as of highest and greatest importance for his glory Yea I shall say yet more that when men have put forth their hands to this worke I meane to afflict the Church of God upon the fairest termes upon greatest advantage or likelihood that can be conceived of doing any good upon it and making earnings of it I meane when they have seemed in doing it even to give the right hand of fellowship to God himselfe when he hath begun to punish them yet did never any man come off fairely from the worke God still found something or other against those that were his workmen and executioners which made a breach between him and them they never eate of their labours nor ever rejoyced in any of these works of their hand seldome any of their heads went downe in peace to their Graves An instance hereof we may see in the Aegyptians according to the Lords owne prediction long before how it would fall out Know for a surety saith the Lord to Abraham Gen. 15.13 14. that thy seed shall be a stranger in a Land that is not theirs and shall serve them and they shall afflict them foure hundred yeares notwithstanding the Nation whom they shall ferve will I judge c. And that God did not only foresee and foretell this that the Israelites should serve the Aegyptians and be in bondage but that himselfe had a speciall hand in it in bringing it to passe it is evident from Psal 105.25 where it is said that God turned their heart i. e. the heart of the Aegyptians to hate his people and to deale craftily with his servants because they began now to be corrupted in Aegypt and to displease him God tooke off the good will and the affections of the Aegyptians from them and yet we know how deare the Aegyptians paid for that worke and service the Israelites did them they had better have given double treble wages to other men to have made their Bricks then to have the people of God make them for nothing Other instances of like nature you may finde in Scripture Esa 36.20 if you reade Psal 78.61.2 with Psal 65.8 you shall finde a passage of like importance Rabsheka it is like lyed or at least spake upon a groundlesse presumption viz. because till then he had prospered when he told Hezekia's messengers that he was not come against Jerusalem without the Lord God had said to him destroy it But in Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel the case is plaine 2 Chron. 36.17 it is said expresly that God brought upon them the King of the Caldeans yet if you reade Ier. 50.17 18. besides many other places you shall finde he had his wages paid him in sorrow and desolation Israel is scattered as Sheep the Lions have driven him away First the King of Assyria hath devoured him and last this Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon hath broken his bones Therefore saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel Behold I will punish the King of Babylon and his Land as I have punished the King of Assyria c. So Iudges 3.12 you may reade the like of Eglon King of Moab it is expresly said that God strengthened his hand against Israel c. yet we know this medling with Israel was his ruine As for example of the just vengeance and fiery indignation of the Lord breaking out upon those who without any warrant or commission from him have evill intreated despitefully used oppressed and persecuted the Church of God these both in sacred Records and other Histories of the Church are without end or number There is not only a Cloud of such witnesses but the whole heaven is spread over with them and divers of them known unto all men So that it would be but time lost to produce them Therefore now I beseech you consider you that are enemies of the truth that have imbittered spirits against the holy City and Church of God consider and ponder with your selves the truth and weight of this motive There was no man ever spread a snare to take the People of God with but first or last if he continued his malice his owne foot was taken with it No man ever digged a Pit for such but fell himselfe into it no man ever attempted mischief against it and continued in it but it still returned upon him and fell on his own pate as David speaketh It was the argument the Lord Jesus Christ himselfe used to Paul when he tooke him hard at this worke busie in persecuting the Saints and meant to take him off from it Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Act. 9.5 It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against sharpe pointed Irons as Goads or Nailes have teaching that a man cannot lift up his hand or heele against the meanest of the servants of God but with as much folly and madnesse and with as little hope of doing themselves good as he that shall stand chopping and dashing his naked hands or feete against the sharpest points of weapons or instruments made of Steele or Iron Pilates wives argument that she used to take of her husband from having any thing further to doe against Christ was that she had suffered many things that day in a dreame by reason of him Mat. 27.19 But the argument wherewith the Holy Ghost now presseth upon you to have no more to doe against these men is of greater efficacy not only one womā hath suffered many things in a dreame but a thousand thousands both men and women whole Nations and Kingdomes and States as was said Kings and Princes and mighty ones of the earth have suffered really full waking in deed and in truth the soarest and most grievous destructions the most fierce fiery and horrid judgements that the world hath seen To let all other instances passe only to mention that fiery storme and tempest which was the
being an use of Reproofe are handled Fol. 171 CAP. VIII Wherein the third and last branch of the Use of Reproofe is handled Fol. 215 CAP. IX Wherein the Doctrine is applyed to the enemies of the Church by way of Exhortation Fol. 257 June 23. 1640. IMPRIMATUR THO WYKES THE SAINTS Interest in GOD. PSAL. 68.20 He that is our God is the God of salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues of death CAP. I. Wherein the Coherence together with the sense and meaning of the words are cleared and Doctrines raised WE are met in the presence of this God of ours as the Text speaketh to our hearts very gratiously who is the God of saluation to pay the yearely tribute of praise and thanksgiving which a mercy so transcendently glorious as that Deliverance was which this day calls to remembrance hath imposed upon us with the rest of our Brethren of this Nation That which our Prophet spake of the great workes of God in generall Psal 111.4 though some restraine the words to the deliverance from Aegypt may in speciall manner be applyed to that great Deliverance wrought for this Land which wee now celebrate Some of our English translations reade the words thus The marcifull and gracious Lord hath So done his marvellous workes that they ought to be had in remembrance Our late Translation without any variation of the sense thus He hath made his marvellous workes to beremembred that is upon such workes of his by which hee intends in any more especiall manner to magnifie himselfe on earth he sets as it were such faire and large Characters of his glorious Greatness Power Wisdom and Mercy that all the world cannot but see and know the superscription whose it is He hath so done his marvollous workes that is in such a manner hath put so much as it were of himselfe into them that they ought to bee had or must needs or cannot but bee had in remembrance which is the same with the other Translation he hath made his marvellous works to be remembred that is he hath as it were compelled the world against the naturall inclination and disposition of it which stands to neglect to passe by to forget any thing that God doth to preserve the remembrance of them Men cannot but doe what they doe therein That great Deliverance which that great God of ours wrought for this Nation now 29. years since is of this sort or kinde of his workes among many excellent and goodly workes of his which shine like the Stars in the Firmament it is one of the first magnitude it doth not require it rather comes with power and authority upon us and commands this solemne remembrance of it selfe by this Nation As our Saviour answered the Jewes speaking against the people who so much magnified him If these should hold their peace Luk. 19.4 the Stones would cry So if wee the people of this Land the Men and Women to whom the duty of praising God for such a mercy doth belong if wee I say should have that Miracle or rather indeed Monster of sin found amōgst us not to exalt the name of God under such a provocation we might have cause to expect that God would provoke us and confound us by them that are neither Men nor Women The very beasts of the field or trees or stones of the earth would rise up and take this glory from us They would cry out if we should hold our peace that great is that God that could and would deliver after such a manner David tooke notice by way of thankfulnesse of that speciall love God bare to Sion above all other places in that Land in that he would have his praises heard there Psal 87.2 The Lord loveth the gates of Sion more then all the dwellings of Iacob So have wee just cause to conceive and judge by that great mercy of his to this Land that the same Lord loveth more to be praised by us then any other Nation under heaven that the English Incense is in heaven as the Gold of Ophir sometimes was upon earth preferred before that of other Lands it makes the sweetest perfume and savour in the Nostrils of God And therefore because he would have it plentifully offered and sent up unto him he hath unbared his holy arme to doe those great things for us which our soules know right well When he made this compact with David I will deliver thee and thou shalt praise me Psal 50.15 it was a signe that he had a minde to Davids praises more then other mens so having delivered this our Nation once and again and the third time also with so high a hand What other construction can all the world make of such his dealings with us but that he delights to have his praises sung and his name magnified by the English Nation more then all Lands besides Since therefore wee have so great a testimony of the Lords good pleasule in this kinde that he esteemes our praises lovely and desires to heare our voice let us addresse our selves to this great and honourable service let us fill the golden Vialls of our hearts with these sweet odors and make a perfume before the Lord. To furnish both you and my selfe herewith I have made choice of this rich Veine in one of the Psalmes of David as you have heard wherein wee shall finde the praise and glory of God bearing very strongly The Psalme it selfe is in genere laudativo that is of that kinde of Psalme which is in purpose framed for the exaltation of the name and praise of God For the scope of the words no more but this The scope The Prophet a few verses before having set forth severall deliverances and victories which God had given him and his people Israel his heart being full with a Commemoration and mention of so many mercies of the love of the Lord and admiration of his goodnesse in these two verses this and the former not able to hold any longer hee easeth himselfe and breakes forth into the praises of his God in this manner Blessed be the God that daily ladeth us with his benefits c. For the meaning of the words and meaning of the words a little will suffice because here is nothing scarce either word or phrase but is every mans language He that is our God that is that God with whom we are in Covenant whom wee serve and worship That God whether true or false which any Nation or People or any private person chuseth for a god and bestowes that feare and love other points of worship which belongs to God indeed is usually termed and well may be their or his God because such a People or such a person may seem to have a right and interest in the power of that God whatsoever he is for helpe and succour in times of need Out of some such principle as this he spake that said Iure venit cultos ad sibi
portion of those wretches to drink whose workes and wages together occasioned the solemnity of this day Is not the Lord knowne by executing judgement were not these wicked ones snared in the workes of their own hands as David speaketh Psal 9.16 Are they not perished as dung from the face of the earth Was not that stone they heaved and listed at to have removed out of its place too heavy for them did it not recoile upon them and crush them to pieces There wanted nothing that can be imagined that might cause the devise to prosper in their hands It was a designe and project in all the parts and members of it so framed and fashioned with that exquisitenesse of cunning and circumspection that for a designe it was in the eyes of those that beheld it as beautifull as Absolon is said to have been 2 Sam. 14.25 From the sole of his foote to the top of his head saith the Text there was no blemish in him There was nothing to be found about it that feare or jealousie it selfe could take hold of but that it would bring forth it would doe the deed Surely the Authors of it were as much taken with the beauty and comelinesse of it as Nebuchadnezzar was with that golden Image he set up in the plain of Dura they fell downe before it and even worshipped it What is the matter then how came it to passe or what strange thing was there in it that it proved like Corne upon the house top that it did not fill the bosome of the Actors and Authors of it Why did it not make the Popes triple Crowne to flourish Why did it not raise the glory and name of the Popish Religion up to the heavens Mee thinkes I may speake to it after such a manner as David spake to and expostulates the matter with the red Sea and the River Iordan and the Mountaines and the Hils What ailest thee thou Sea Psal 114.5 6. that thou fleddest Thou Iordan that thou wastdriven back Yee Mountaines that ye leaped like Raws and ye little Hills as young Sheep q.d. Surely there was some strange thing in all this that creatures should so far forget their natures as that the Waters in the Sea should forsake their Channell the Waters in Rivers should run backwards the Mountaines and the Hills that are so fast rooted in the earth that these should skip and leap like Sheep So must I expostulate the matter with this deep project I cannot be satisfied without it we must know the mystery of the thing What ayledst thou thou profound desperate powder-project that thou broughtest nothing to passe What so many Barrels of Gunpowder so many Barres of Iron so many Loades of Billets so many roodes of Faggots such a Vault so many politique Heads in thee so many hands about thee night and day so many prayers made over thee and nothing of moment no great or terrible thing done no Kingdomen brought to ruine no Nation troubled the peace of no people disturbed What the Gospell of Jesus Christ still alive in the world and professors of it rejoycing What ayledst thee thou Vault thou Gunpowder you Barres of Iron you Billets of wood you Heads you Hands that you shooke not the world round about you that you turned not three Kingdomes at least upside down Have you forgottē to be mischievous to teare to kill to ruine to destroy to work desolation upon the earth Certainly it was as contrary to the nature and spirit that wrought in this project not to have brought all this to passe as it was either for the Sea to flee or for Jordan to run back or for the mountaines to leape or for the Hills to skip But David by putting this question upon these poor creatures to make them assoile their owne riddles did but only by a sweete Metaphoricall straine prepare the way to set off his owne answer with the more grace and advantage He did not expect they should answer him to his question but he answers himselfe and tells us what the Sea and what the Rivers what the Mountaines and what the Hils ayled ver 7. The earth trembled at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the God of Iacob that was all the ailment they had The Sea would have done as other Seas doe and Jordan would have kept on his course as other Rivers doe and the Mountaines would have stood as fast and the Hills been as quiet as other Mountaines and Hills use to be but that the dreadfull presence of God was amongst them they would not have denied themselves in such a manner nor gone out of their way for all the world besides So if you would know what this project of hell ayled what was the disease and infirmity of it that according to the nature of it it did not shake the foundations of our Land that it did not astonish all hearts and make all hands hang downe and knees feeble that it did not bring a day of darknesse upon the Church and people of God and the Gospell amongst us in a word it was only this it was a devise against the Lord and against his Church and People And we know the Scripture saith that there is no wisdome nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord nor any inchantment against Iacob nor soothsaying against Israel Prov. 21.31 Nam 23.23 i. e. Both wisdome and counsell and inchantments projects from the earth and projects from hell they are not themselves they lose their proper vertue and operation when they are bent against the Lord and against his people They will deale in this case with the Authors of them as Balaam served Balak Balak sent for him and hired him to curse the people of God but he blessed them altogether So the policy and wisdome that were in this plot the Vault the Powder the Barres the Billets the Faggots these were all hired to curse the Church and People of God amongst us and behold they have blessed us altogether They have filled our mouthes with laughter this day and are a song of praise and thanksgiving in our mouthes to the Name of our God If such a project had been managed against Babylon or the enemies of God there it is like every creature every instrument about it would have done its part Wisdome would have beene wisdome and Policy have been policy the Powder would have been ready to have fired alone and Barres of Iron would have torne all in pieces There is no presence of God for these creatures to feare and tremble at and for the presence of any other they would not regard it As we see by that one creature the Powder that when there was none in presence but of those bloody wretches though it was not managed against them by any hand or understanding of man nay on the contrary it was as it were charged to doe them no harme there was their owne eye and care upon it that it should not