them If Dauid were brought to such a strait that he was euen at his wits ende and in exceeding great anguish for doing one thing which in mans reason might seeme very lawfull Oh what horrible terrors shall seaze on their soules who doe continuallie rush vpon a multitude of hainous offences which all the world crieth out against especially when they shall be called to answere not before Gad as Dauid was but before the Maiestie of the great Lord of heauen and earth not for one sinne but for all their sinnes not to endure three dayes punishment in mercie but euerlasting woe and miserie and that in iudgement and heauie displeasure Dauid had great sorrow indeed for the offences which he committed yet no more then hee should haue how then doe they thinke to escape that are not wrought vpon at all with any remorse for their grieuous transgressions but are euen as a lumpe of dead flesh altogether insensible of any stroke of God that is threatned or inflicted vpon themselues or others Verse 10. Doct. 3 I haue sinned exceedingly Now followeth the second step vnto sound repentance Confession of sinne must folowe griefe for sinne namely a true full particular and hearty confession of his sinne that so wounded his heart which all that would obtaine remission of their sinnes must be carefull to bring before the Lord as Dauid did But this point hath hene more largely handled elsewhere in M. Dods Serm. on Prou. 28. Doct. 2. I beseech thee take away the trespasse of thy seruant c. This is the third worke of repentance viz that he craueth pardon for his fault and that is the next point that with confession of our sinnes Doct. 4 we must alwaies ioyne requests vnto God for the pardoning of the same so doth Dauid in this place as also Psal Asking pardō must be ioyned with confession Luk. 18.13 Daniel 9.19 Nehem. 9. 51 so doth the Publican Lord be mercifull vnto me a sinner and in a word so doth Daniel Nehemia and the rest of Gods seruants as may be seene in their seuerall confessions And for incouragement vnto the performance of this dutie we haue 1 First the name of God which is to pardon iniquitie Exod. 34. transgression and sinne euen all without exception great or small if we repent for them they shall be pardoned if we acknowledge our miserie we shall assuredly finde Gods mercy 2 Secondly we haue the couenant of God Ezeck 36. that he will wash vs from all our filthinesse by powring the bloud of his sonne vpon our sinfull soules 3 Thirdly Mat. 1. we haue the name of Christ to incite and moue vs to become suters for a pardon for he is called Iesus because it is his office to saue his people from their sinnes This Doctrine serueth First for the confutation of the Papists Vse 1 who clog mens consciences and lay on them heauie and yet vnnecessarie burdens enioyning them if they would get remission of their sinnes to goe in pilgrimage to this or that place to pray to this or that Saint to make some satisfaction to God c as if they should finde mercie any where rather then by seeking it at Gods hands and they speed accordingly for whereas Dauid went vnto the Lord for fauour and obtained it they haue still vnsetled hearts and restles consciences or hard hearts and benummed consciences neuer getting any true peace or sound comfort in the assurance of their reconciliation with the Lord. 2 Secondly Vse 2 for reproofe of those whose offences are very many and very grieuous and they see and acknowledge so much and yet will they not be so presumptuous as they tearme it to expect pardon for the same indeed they thinke it fit for such holy men as Dauid was to aske and looke for mercy from the Lord but for themselues they are such hainous offenders that they dare not doe so neither can they conceiue any hope to speed well if they should doe so But why should we put in conditions where God doth not and as it were interline Gods couenant doth not he promise without any exception 1. Ioh. 1.9 that if we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse It is therefore a great fault to thinke that any hath more abundance of sinne then God hath of mercy to forgiue it Thirdly Vse 3 heere is an vse of instruction that we should be very importunate for the obtaining of Gods fauour in the pardoning of our sinnes which earnestnes that we may attaine vnto let vs vse these two helpes following How we may attaine to earnestnesse in asking pardon which Dauids example directeth vs vnto First let vs labour that our hearts may thorowly smite vs and that our consciences may euermore checke vs when we doe offend for wheresoeuer there is the checke of conscience it will make the party grow not onely to hartie confession but also to earnest petitions for grace and fauour The greater therefore is their follie who when the Lord doth strike their drowsie consciences for any wickednesse committed by them will presently betake themselues to merry company so by iesting and laughing and drinking and sporting seeke to driue away their melancholie fit as they call it but God meeteth with them accordingly for when they will not take benefit by that mercifull warning which he giueth them they commonly fall to maruellous hardnes of heart and after breake foorth into some horrible sinne which ouerwhelmeth them with shame and confusion Let vs therefore obserue when the Lord smiteth our hearts and with Peter get out of company speedily and lament bitterly that so we may turne the rebukes of our soules into holy requests that the Lord would for giue vs and not enter into iudgement with vs for our grieuous prouocations against his Maiestie Secondly when sinne is so odious vnto vs that our hearts doe condemne vs for it then let vs striue to be perswaded that it is pardonable yea and that it shall be pardoned vnto vs that though we deserue to be throwne out of seruice because we haue dealt so foolishly yet seeing we are Gods seruants he will not goe to extremities with vs but deale as a father with his owne children this ancor of hope we had need still to hold fast by for if we be not in some good measure resolued that we shall finde the Lord gratious and that we our selues are not hypocrites but such as to whom mercy belongeth we shall presently giue ouer prayer for who would seeke vnto a Chirurgion to cure him of whom he is afraid lest he should wound him in that be hath cause and abilitie so to doe Therefore hold this for a firme ground once Gods childe and euer once his seruant and neuer his enemie in which regard we may come with confidence vnto him and say Lord I am vnworthy to be called thy sonne yet
had been driuen to confesse Psal 106. yet did they wish to returne to their former bondage rather then to be brought to such straits but notwithstanding the grieuousnesse of this their sin many now adaies come nothing behind them for their eyes are so vpon their wants that the want of one thing which they doe desire though it be but small doth more disquiet them then manifold blessings do comfort them to make them thankfull But this discontentment we must bee armed against which wee shall bee if wee can receiue the fauour of God for it selfe though it come alone yea though trouble doe come therewith for hauing it wee haue all things and wanting it wee haue nothing Againe if wee haue it no misery can make vs miserable and if wee haue it not in greatest prosperity we are most miserable But the Israelites here dealt after a cleane contrary manner for the want of bread in the wildernes being but for their bodies did make them to despise their great and wonderfull deliuerance out of Egypt which was vnto them a signe of their spirituall deliuerance And this is the nature of all worldlings they had rather forgoe many spirituall benefits then one corporall commodity they grieue more at the losing and reioyce more at the hauing of wealth then of godlinesse But to returne to the point in hand sith murmuring is so great a sinne it shall be profitable to consider of some remedies against it Now for as much as impatiencie proceedeth from infidelity Remedies against murmuring the remedie therof must be fetched from faith in Gods mercies in the merits of Christ in the hope of the resurrection and in Gods fatherly prouidence First I say Gods rich mercy and fauourable dealing with vs being duly considered cannot but worke in vs patience foâ—seeing that the Lord forbeareth vs and that when for the ripenesse of our sinnes he might confound vs hee doth rather heape blessings vpon vs this cannot but bridle vs from murmuring though all things fall not out according to our hearts desire Especially seeing that the Lord will deale with vs still as he did with the Israelites that when ordinarie meanes failed had extraordinary prouision made for them the clouds giuing them bread and the rocke water to teach vs that man liueth not by bread only as Moses applieth it Deut. 8. but by the word of God A second remedy is to haue a liuely faith in the worke of our redemption to wit the remission of our sins the imputation of Christ his righteousnesse and inherent sanctification First then if we can stedfastly beleeue that God for Christ his sake hath freely forgiuen vs all our sinnes and giuen his sonne that in him we might be blessed we cannot but be assured Rom. 8. that with him he will giue vs all things For seeing sin which is the cause of all miserie is taken from vs wee may bee sure that no crosse shall euer hurt vs. Againe if wee could beleeue that as God doth lay our sinnes vpon Christ so he doth impute his righteousnes to vs how should we doubt of food or raiment c For by this meanes hee is made our mercifull and louing father who is for power able and for will readie to helpe vs in all extremities And thus doth he abide for euer and is neuer changed To these two former must be added the second part of our redemption namely the sanctification of the spirit which if we feele in our selues may be a great helpe vnto vs against impatiency for it is a greater thing to sanctifie a sinner then to worke wonders in nature Therfore if we can beleeue in our hearts that God is able to make of sinfull and wicked men iust righteous of whoremongers chast persons c. and that he is able and willing to deliuer vs from all our corruptions be they neuer so strong by nature or custome if I say wee can giue credit vnto this why should wee euer doubt that hee will faile vs in outward things Further if we can beleeue that God hath prepared a kingdome for vs and that he will raise vs vp at the last day in body soule to enioy the same how can wee but bee assured that hee will giue vs lesser matters euen the things of this life Another thing to stay our hearts vpon when murmuring doth assaile vs is faith in Gods prouidence which is either generall or particular The generall prouidence of God must be considered first in the creation of all things secondly in the preseruation of them Doe wee then beleeue that the Lord made all things of nothing and shall we doubt of his ability to prouide for vs When God created light before the Sun Gen. 1.3 the Moone or the Stars and caused grasse to grow vpon the earth before there was either raine or dew to water it he did thereby teach vs first that we should not put too much trust in them whilest we haue them and againe that rather then wee should suffer hurt by the want of light grasse or other such things the Lord both could and would prouide for vs without them Yet now if wee should not haue the Sunne wee would thinke that light were taken from vs and if wee wanted raine wee would soone thinke wee should neither haue grasse nor corne but the Lord hath ordained these meanes to serue his prouidence not for himselfe for without them hee can easily helpe vs but for our weakenesse who otherwise could not easily be assured of his goodnesse Secondly we must beleeue that God preserueth all Matth. 10. so that a sparrow doth not fall to the ground without his prouidence and hee hath a great care of beasts and fowles Matth. 6. doth the Lord prouide for these and will he not prouide for man for whom these were made and are are preserued Hereunto we must ioyne the particular prouidence of God Hath he made our bodies and will he not cloathe vs hath he giuen vs life and will hee not minister vnto vs food for the sustaining thereof He could prouide for the Israelites in the barren wildernsse fortie yeeres together yea he could preserue Moses and Elias fortie daies without any meate at all which euidently proueth that Gods blessing is all in all whether there be meanes or no meanes Dauid obserued by experience that the righteous seed of the righteous was neuer forsaken Psal 37. nor begged their bread and if wee could bee righteous as then many were wee should find the same true in our owne experience as he did These things well considered will worke in vs a patient minde the properties whereof are First Properties of a patient mind Philip 4.11 to be contented with whatsoeuer the Lord sendeth alwaies acknowledging godlinesse to be great riches for we ought not to seeke great matters nor suffer our desires to bee carried after high things Ier. 45.4 for this did the Prophet Ieremie rebuke in
and crushed in peeces with the vnsupportable weight of Gods vengeance heereafter Thirdly Vse 3 sith this inward touch for sinne is a thing so necessarie let vs hence learne to labour for it and to keepe tendernes of heart when we baue obtained it for that sorrow which breaketh the heart doth withall breake the necke of sinne and therefore when the Lord doth checke controle our consciences let vs esteeme it as a great mercie and not let such stroakes passe without their right vse but let vs goe to God and to his children for helpe and direction and then that little sparke of the fire of God in our soules being fed nourished will grow in the end to a great flame Now that our harts may be kept alwaies tender sensible of those checks which Gods spirit giueth vs let vs vse these meanes that follow First let vs in our hearts the weapon of God Meanes to get tendernes of heart euen the sword of the spirit whereby our hearts may be wounded as often as need requireth for vnregenerate persons wanting that weapon will rather defend then smite themselues when they haue offended and euery childe of God hath somewhat of old Adam in him in which regard he must be more carefull to vse the sword of the spirit for the piercing of his heart when any sinne is committed by him Iohn 16.8 withall praying for the spirit of grace which will conuince the conscience when it is guiltie so that it shall haue nothing to say in defense of it selfe but very much for the condemnation of it selfe as is euident Ezec. Ezeck 36. 36.27 whereby we may obserue that when God hath giuen his spirit vnto his elect and as it is in Ieremy Ier. 31. 31 33. withall written his lawes in their hearts then they shall remember their owne wicked waies and their deedes that were not good and shall iudge themselues worthy to haue beene destroyed for their iniquities for their abhominations What is the reason they should passe such a heauie sentence vpon themselues one would thinke they should rather reioyce now allow of themselues and of their workes so they doe reioyce at and approue of themselues and their workes so farre as they are spirituall but they proclaime war against themselues and their workes so far as either they are or haue beene carnall and sinfull and that because the word of God and the spirit of God doe beare sway in their hearts they are at vtter defiance with their pride and hypocrisie and all wretched lusts that fight against their soules being neuer so much tormented with those sinnes as when they haue attained to a great measure of humilitie and of sinceritie He that is most lowly is euer most vexed with his pride and he that is most vpright and true hearted is most of all troubled with the guilefulnes and deceitfulnes of his owne heart because the word and the spirit working together doe cause him both more clerely to see and more throughly to hate those corruptions than euer hee did before he had attained to that measure of grace Secondly we must not content our selues when once we haue gotten the word and spirit of God within vs but we must still striue to keepe our hearts humble and lowly for otherwise we shall not feele the strokes of the word and spirit of God therefore it is said Isay 30.20.21 Isa 30. that when the Lord had dieted his people a while giuing them the bread of aduersitie and the water of affliction and thereby taken downe the pride and stubbornenesse of their hearts that then their eares should heare a word behind them saying this is the way walke in it c. that is when they were thus humbled as soone as euer they had committed any offence they should presently haue a blow vpon their hearts for it and be full of feare and anguish though no man in the world tell them of it yet the word in their hearts will be like a good guide that is still following a little child and telling him this is not the right way leaue it there is the right way walke in it but many haue hearts pestered with pride and lust and couetousnesse and yet goe a whole moneth nay many monethes and yeares together and neuer feele any rebuke in their consciences How comes this to passe that others are full of griefe and full of teares for their sinnes and they are neuer troubled for them is it beause there is greater vprightnes in them then there is in others No surely it is because they haue a more blind minde and a more proud and senselesse hart then others haue for the more humble any one is the more often shall he heare the voyce of the spirit checking him when hee goeth out of the way moouing him to turne again into the right way Thirdly we must especially beware of presūptuous sins for if we liue therein our hearts will cease to smite vs or at least we shall be senselesse of these strokes as may be seene in the case of Dauid when he had cut off the lap of Sauls garment and numbred the people which were but infirmities forthwith his conscience rebuked him and he was humbled before the Lord but when he had committed adulterie and murder either the checkes of his conscience were none at all or else they were so weake 2. Sam. 12. that hee had no sense nor feeling thereof so that Nathan was driuen to fetch about as it were and to vse all the art that might be to make him see his offences and passe sentence against himselfe for the same Let vs therefore by his example learne to beware how we presumptuously sinne against our consciences especially in palpable and grosse offences least our mindes being by degrees blinded and our affections by little and little corrupted we become in the end very blocks and stones and haue our consciences so darkened that they will not accuse vs or our hearts so benummed that they will not be mooued with the stroakes of God and with the checks of his holy spirit After that he had numbred the people Heere is his speciall sinne that he numbred his subiects which may seeme to be no such great matter for which God should so plague the land and if there had bene that measure of hypocrisie in Dauid as there is in many of vs he would haue pleaded thus for himselfe What need I to be so troubled for this and what reason is there why God should proceede so seuerely against me for the same did not Moses and Ioshua holy men of God number the people in their daies and that warrantably and why then may not I doe the like hauing more absolute authoritie ouer them then they had but his heart staied him from all such reasoning of the matter and told him that though hee did the same action which they did yet the manner of doing thereof was
God saith he we thank thee and praise thy glorious name But who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer willingly after this sort c. O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Israel our fathers keepe this for euer in the purpose and thoughts of the hearts of thy people and prepare their hearts vnto thee From which words it is apparant that it is an admirable and supernaturall worke to haue a well disposed minde and a well affected heart vnto any thing that concernes the worship of God and his glory to bee franke and free-hearted in bestowing ones substance vpon sumptuous buildings costly apparell great house-keeping setting vp Lords of misrule and the like is a thing not worth the speaking of because a meere carnall man in arrogancie and vaine-glory may bee very lauish and prodigall to such ends and purposes But to haue a liberal heart for good vses either for the furtherance of Gods seruice or for the reliefe of the distressed Saints is a matter that we should take speciall notice of and be carefull to magnifie the name of the Lord for it and earnestly to entreate the continuance of it as Dauid doth in this place And though we be not alwaies alike but now and then dull and heauie and lumpish and drowsie when it pleaseth the Lord for our humbling to let the flesh play it part yet if wee sometimes and for the most part finde spirituall motions and affections and from thence proceed to holy speeches and actions as occasion and ability is offered wee haue great cause to blesse the name of God for his singular fauour and goodnesse towards vs in that behalfe THE SEAVENTH SERMON ISAIAH 30. Vers 19. Vers 19 Thou shalt weepe no more hee will certainely haue mercy vpon thee at the voice of thy cry when he heareth thee he will answere thee THe purpose of these words is to comfort the elect Iewes against those sorrowes and miseries that should fall vpon the Church and Common-wealth Wherein is declared 1. First what fauour the Lord would shew them viz. 1. That albeit they should tast of the common distresses which befell the rest and so be in heauinesse for a time yet at length they should be comforted and refreshed Thou shalt weepe no more 2. More generally the Prophet affirmeth that hee will haue mercy vpon them not naming the particulars because he intended to inrich them with euery good blessing needfull for their soules or bodies 2. Secondly what duty they were to performe namely to craue this fauour at the Lords hands and that not coldly and sleightly but vehemently and earnestly and then at the voice of their cry God promiseth to heare them yea so to heare them as to answere them in granting that which they should desire of him hee could no sooner heare their crying voice but they should feele his helping hand Vers 19. Thou shalt weepe no more Whence obserue this doctrine that All the sorrowes and teares of Gods Children shall end in ioy Doct. 5 All the afflictions of the Saints shall end in consolations Isa 30.20.29 Psal 30.5 As they haue their times of feeding vpon the bread of aduersity and the water of affliction so haue they also seasons of reioycing and of singing Psalmes of praise for their happie deliuerance out of troubles and miseries Heauinesse may abide at euening but ioy commeth in the morning They may sow in teares for a time but they shall reape in ioy Eccles 2. vlt. This is the very patrimonie and inheritance of the Saints as the Wise man saith Surely to a man that is good in his sight to wit through Christ God giueth wisdome and knowledge and ioy this he may build on and make full account of euen in the middest of all his sorrow and anguish And there is good reason why it must needs be thus First Reasons 1 because the afflictions of the Saints do exceedingly humble them for they looke vpward in their distresses and behold Gods righteous hand smiting them and thereupon descend vnto themselues and diue deepe into their hearts to search what corruptions doe lurke there whereby the Lord is incensed against them that so those being remoued by sound repentance his heauie displeasure may bee turned away from them and his louing countenance may shine vpon them This is it that Gods children will sooner or later come vnto albeit for a fit they bee passionate and discontented they will at length turne their eies from looking vpon their crosses to see the true cause thereof and so be grieued for their offences against God Ier. 31.19 and smite vpon their thighs in a holy indignation against themselues in regard of their pride and vnbeleefe and vnthankfulnesse and other the like corruptions They then leaue off musing on other mens iniuries and begin to bethinke themselues of their owne transgressions that so casting downe themselues by godly sorrow 1 Pet. 5.6 the Lord may raise them vp to pure and holy ioy which he will certainly doe in due season neither shall all their sinnes and sorrowes bee able to keepe them downe when once they are thoroughly humbled vnder the holy hand of God It is his promise then to lift them vp and Christ his office to comfort them that mourne Isa 61. and therfore as those that in their miseries are passionate and desperate full of murmuring against God and of fretting against men cannot expect any ioyfull issue out of their troubles so on the other side they that are lowly and broken harted much deiected and abased in the presence of the Lord and milde and peaceable in their carriage before men they may be assured that all their sighs shall end in songs that all teares shall bee wiped away from their eyes and that in stead of the spirit of heauinesse they shall in due time be clad with the garments of gladnesse Secondly Gods seruants doe pray in their afflictions which is the very high way vnto sound comfort Psal 50. Call vpon me in the time of trouble saith God and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me This Asa and Iehoshaphat had good experience of for when they being in a great straite 2. Chron. 14. 20. had humbled themselues by fasting and prayer their hearts were full of ioy and their mouthes full of the praises of the Lord for their wonderfull deliuerance from their enemies And the like may be said of Hester and Mordecai Hestor and the rest of the Iewes in his time Iohn 16.20 And our Sauiour telleth his Disciples Verily verily I say vnto you that yee shall weepe and lament but your sorrow shal bee turned into ioy But by what meanes should they attaine vnto this the words following doe make it manifest Ask saith he and ye shall receiue Vers 24. that your ioy may bee full When Christians doe enioy wealth and credit and ease they are oftentimes made so dull and
wisedome that will not submit themselues to be admonished and ordered by the Lord so are they also which are vnwilling to come vnder Gods correcting hand which is indeed of al other most desireable And because the present occasion requireth it it will not be amisse to shew that the pestilence wherewith the Lord hath now visited this Nation is a fauourable and gentle correction and that this sword of the Lord is nothing so terrible as the sword of man would be if he should cause that to be drawne out against vs and that for these reasons First Reasons why the pestilence is a more fauorable stroke then the sword because heerein we may more immediately and cleerely behold Gods hand which is a meanes to draw vs to more speedy and earnest humiliation whereas if we were pursued by the sword of men we should be more distracted sometimes with feares of and greefe for the enemies violence sometimes with hopes either of mercy-from them or of aid from others all which do either vtterly withdraw vs from or much hinder vs in the worke of humiliation Secondly in the time of the pestilence the aduersaries of Religion haue not such matter of insultation as when warres are hote in the Land for then they would triumph in this or the like manner Now these forward men shall pay for it downe they shall all the sorte of them they were wont to brag that God would be their buckler and their shield their refuge and their strong tower of defence but what will become of them now thus would they insult ouer Gods chosen in the time of warre but in the time of this sicknes they themselues are exceedingly afraid euen at their wits ende knowing that hell and destruction gape for them whensoeuer death taketh hold of them whereas Christians are quiet and full of peace ioy in the holy Ghost knowing that if they die they shall go from earth to heauen from a place of miserie to a palace of glorie Thirdly this is a maruellous great mercie that there doth still remaine the face of a Church that the Gospell is preached the Sacraments administred the profession of the truth openly maintained whereas if there were a forraine inuasion or a ciuill mutinie insurrection the vsuall course of the minsterie and of the exercises of religion would be stopped which now is not onely tollerated but commanded Besides now there is a continuance of the state of the common-wealth Lamen 5. whereas when the sword rageth in a land the face of the honourable is not respected the Magistrates authoritie is reckoned a matter of nothing and all lawes must giue place to the wills of violent men Againe in the times of warre there is an vtter subuersion of all meanes of maintenance and comfort we cannot enioy our possessions nor dwell in our houses nor reape the fruits of our labours which now through Gods mercie is farre otherwise And as for our estate so euen for our liues and for our soules the case is better with vs in the time of pestilence then in the time of warres for then all our families wiues children seruants and all may bee barbarously slaine or worse vsed before our eyes or we before theirs and if not so yet they must be left to Idolaters and in danger to be vassalls of sinne and Sathan but now if death come it is nothing so lamentable if life bee graunted it is nothing so dangerous for though we be taken away yet our friends shall remaine with the Saints seruants of God and they that haue bene our Christian frieÌ„ds will be theirs at least there is very great hope of their happinesse both here and hereafter in regard of that liberty of the Gospell which through Gods goodnes is still maintained And therefore great cause haue wee to magnifie the name of God that when our late gracious Queene was taken away the Land must needs bee exercised with some heauie stroke or other that hee then miraculouslie deliuered vs from the violence of the sword of man and smote our Nation with his owne sword Now when this is said to bee a fauourable stroke we must vnderstand that it is so only vnto Gods children not to the wicked concerning whose departure out of this world it is saide that Hell followeth death If they bee not reconciled vnto God but liue and die in their sinnes Reuel 6.8 their case is fearefull And therefore is it a iust hand of God vpon impenitent sinners that they should bee horriblie afraid of that sicknes No sinne nor Sathan himselfe is so much feared of them as the pestilence nay nor Gods wrath it selfe and therefore they care not what foule sinne they commit whereby they are sure to incurre the Lords displeasure so their bodies may escape this plague of God But suppose they doe escape it if they be as full of impiety and iniustice and impurity as they were wont to be the Lord hath seuen times greater plagues behinde Leâ—it 26. and his reuenging hand will be stretched out against them still Therefore let them labour to make a good vse of this to humble themselues and turne from their euill wayes otherwise assuredly some greater punishment will light on their soules or bodies or both Verse 15. The time allotted being welneere speÌ„t the points following were but briefly touched So the Lord sent a pestilence in Israel c. and there died of the people from Dan to Beer-sheba seuenty thousand men Yee heard the cause of this before to wit because Dauid partly through pride and partly through vaine confidence had numbred the people whence this point may be gathered that Doct. 3 God maketh his iudgements sutable to our sinnes Dauid was lifted vp Gods punishments are auswerable to mens sinnes Ioel. 1.5 because hee had so many strong and valient men therefore doth God lessen the number of them So Ioel 1.5 it is said Weepe howle ye drinkers of wine for the new wine shal be pulled from your mouth This was a most iust correction that they should be punished with scarcitie of drinke seeing they had before time so wretchedly abused the same In like sort doth the Lord meete with proud men turning their glory into shame as wee may obserue in Tyrus Isa 23.8 where the question is made Isa 23. Who hath decreed this against Tyrus that crowneth men whose Merchants are Princes whose Chapmen are the Nobles of the world And the answere is made vers 9. The Lord of Hosts hath decreed this to staine the pride of all glorie and to bring to contempt all them that be glorious in the earth So for couetous men they are many times brought to beggarie according to that of the wise man Hee that maketh hast to be rich Prou. shall surely come to pouertie Albeit they vse wonderfull diligence and be exceeding painfull and haue an excellent capacitie and a deepe reach for worldly things
our case is not according to mens affections towards vs but according to Gods loue vnto vs. This is euident in the prophecy of Micha Micah 7.2 where it is shewed that friends failed neither did they faile one man alone but the whole Church good men were perished out of the earth and there was none righteous among men c but the best of them was a briar and the most righteous of them sharper than a throne hedge yet the Church is not quite dismaid but resolueth to fly vnto the Lord for succour Therefore will I looke vnto the Lord Verse 7. I will waite for God my Sauiour my God will heare me though good men were dead and gone and hypocrites did put on their shape and likenesse that they might mere freely practise mischiefe Yet the people of God determine with themselues not to cast off all hope but to relie vpon the Lord and though he delay to helpe them for a time yet they will waite vpon him knowing that at length he will deale graciously with them And for the further confirmation of this point we haue the example of Christ Iesus himselfe who being grieuously perplexed and troubled within and without and on euery side vseth this argument vnto his father Be not farre from me Psal 22.11 because trouble is neare for there is none to helpe me And this is vsuall with God to relieue his people in extremities and therefore when no man calleth for iustice no man contendeth for the truth c. then he himselfe wil take the matter into his hand Isa 59.4.16 he wil saue deliuer his seruants as the Prophet Isaiah witnesseth And the reasons hereof are these First Reasons 1 though all men doe forsake vs yet Gods power is no whit diminished thereby and therefore that is a worthy speech of faith in Ionathan that it is not hard to the Lord to saue with many or with few and in Asa who saith 1. Sam. 14.6 2. Chro. 14.11 it is nothing to thee to helpe with many or with no power They knew that though they had few or none at all on their side they were in as good case as if they had many millions if God were on their side for all power is his and that which men haue Psal 62.11 Math. 6. is but borrowed from him and though he sometimes vse them it is not because he needs them for who did helpe him in making of the heauens and of the earth and of al the creatures in them both and what assistance hath he now in sustaining and vpholding of the same now if he neuer needed the aid of any creature in these greatest workes of creation and preseruation surely he wanteth not the helpe of men in matters of smaller importance Secondly Gods mercy is no more lessened then his power is by mens withdrawing of themselues from vs he loues his people when they haue no friends as well as when they haue many friends nay he manifesteth his loue more at such times for in him the fatherlesse findeth mercy Hos 14. And then doth he exercise the bowels of his coÌ„passion wheÌ„ men shew little or no coÌ„passion at all When we see children to haue rich and mercifull parents to prouide for them we doe not much pitie them but as for those that are fatherlesse and friendlesse that are hungry naked and altogether destitute of reliefe we tender their case and are ready to releeue them Can we carrie such an affection towards other mens children that are distressed and helplesse and will not the Lord our God haue a greater care of his owne children in the like case Will he leaue them because men haue forsaken them No surely But when they are in distresses and straits and that through their owne foolishnesse and disobedience if they humble themselues Psal 107. and cry vnto him he will deliuer them though men dare not or will not speake or deale for them Thirdly when Gods seruants are left destitute their faith is much exercised and increased and then we alwaies speed best when we beleeue best So long as we haue helpe about vs we doe not so much set our faith a worke as our carnall reason and sense and so pray not at all or very coldly but when we are desolate and forsaken and those that should be most for vs are against vs then we begin to lift vp our hearts to heauen and to cast our selues vpon Gods prouidence and goodnesse and to vse the weapons of the spirit and not of the flesh this is plaine in Dauids example who being in great danger in the caue did at first looke about him for helpe on this side and on that but seeing that all refuge failed him what did he I cried vnto thee ô Lord saith he saying thou art mine hope and my portion in the Land of the liuing Psal 141.4.5 Fourthly in such times of difficultie Gods glorious hand is more apparantly seene and so all the honour is ascribed vnto him If Moses had brought the Israelites out of Aegipt by force of armes being aided with two or three millions of souldiers much of the praise would haue bene giuen vnto them but when Moses was naked and altogether destitute of any power of man the Lords mightie Arme was more cleerely seene in the deliuerance of his people and the subuersion of their enemies And that worke of his hath bene is and shall be memorable in all ages So also if Hezekiahs sicknesse had beene such as anie Physitian could haue cured his recouerie should neuer â—aue beene recorded in Gods booke as not making so much for his glorie but when the prolonging of his â—ife was as much as the giuing of a second life then notice of it was taken and giuen by the holie Ghost to the euerlasting honour of Gods name And as it was then so is it yet still and euer shall be to the end of the world the greater the extremities and necessities of the Saints bee wherein God doeth relieue them and out of which hee doth deliuer them the more will it be for the magnifying of his omnipotencie and of his tender mercie therein expressed This serueth 1. Vse 1 First for the confutation of their foolish conceit and expectation who seeing mighty aduersaries against the Church and fewe or no friends to interpose themselues presently conclude that their case is desperate downethey must they are vtterly vndone and so they begin to forecast in their mindes the manner of their ouerthrow the forme of their lameÌ„tation when they shall bee thus and thus handled But these men for all their deepe reach may bee deceiued for all their conclusions are grounded on men they doe not consider what God may doe as wee see in Dauids enemies who perceiuing that manie did band themselues together and rise vp against him concluded Psal 3.1.2.3 that there was no helpe for him in God But what sayes Dauid