a fourefold speciall reference and relation 1. To himselfe permitting 2. To his seruants sinning 3. To his Saints that yet stand 4. To the wicked that stumble All which being considered first wee shall with more caution looke to our selues secondly with more charity censure our brethren thirdly with lesse carnality reioice in their infirmities fourthly with more deuotion glorifie God First I say the Lord in the sinnes of the elect hath a speciall reference to his owne glory that glory of his to which as to a center euery thing tends * Ioshuah 7.19 Psal 12.1 Mat. 6.9 Iohn 9.24 Acts 3.12 12.23 1 Cor. 6.20 10.31 Philip. 1.20 c. in heauen earth and hell shines as the bright starres in the darkest night yea as the Sunne through the clouds of the sinnes of his Saints he brings good out of euill light out of darknes and this as I said is the glory of his mercy in pardoning vpon their repentance oh this mercy of his which is his chiefe attribute in which he most delighteth * De hac diuina misericordia lege fusius apud Gregor Moral lib. 2. Bernard Ser. 88. that shines amongst the rest as the Sunne amongst the Planets that is eleuate aboue his truth as the heauens aboue the clouds (u) Psal 103.11 12. that triumpheth and reioyceth ouer Iustice Euen this Mercy that is ouer all the Lords workes is most resplendent in the sinnes of his Saints in pardoning vpon their humiliation sinnes great for quantity hainous for qualitie many for number crying for nature crimson and bloody in hue and colour x Esa 1.16 17 18. Ezek. 18.21 Mic. 7.18 Ioel 2.13 Exod. 34.6 Psal 86.111.112.145 as many of these formerly enumerated oh not onely the skill but the good will of our blest Physitian is wondrously magnified the vertue of his Balmes of Gilead the vigour of his mercies mithridate deseruedly extolled that is able and willing euen with application of his owne blood as the Pellican y Alciat in Emblem for her young to cure great gastly and vlcerous wounds to pacifie and settle distressed consciences yea euen to reuiue those that were seemingly dead in sinnes and trespasses And sure if there were no sinners on earth where should be the chiefe exercise of the Lords mercie Yea if his Saints should not sinne for we know the Reprobates neuer taste of his sealing assuring sauing sanctifying mercie vnlesse with the out-lip or the tip of a finger they neuer drinke of the fountaines of Shiloh those are onely open for Iudah z Zachar. 13.1 and Ierusalem if there were none wounded what need were there of any skilfull Surgeon and if there were none sicke and diseased what occasion were there either of the practice or praise of the most exquisite Physitian What should we regard either the knowledge or vse of the most excellent drugs and simples in nature What reckoning should we make of the most exquisite extractions the most vigorous quintessence of herbs plants mineralls c. And if there were no sinners no sinnes committed by the Saints the Lord should want the greatest power and praise of his mercy which is chiefly exercised where sinning misery is the obiect and therefore as the Lord hath daily exercise of his prouidence euen to this day and of his wisedome in the gubernation and gouernment of the world in disposing of all actions euents causes effects contraries contrarieties euils good creatures animate inanimate reasonable vnreasonable to excellent ends and vses as hee doth still inuisibly in the soules and consciences visibly vpon the bodies goods good names and families of Atheists swearers drunkards riotous and profane persons exercise his iustice so in pardoning couering concealing passing by the sinnes and culpabilities of his seruants vpon their confessing godly sorrowing returning conditions to which grace is annexed he doth daily exercise his mercy and will to the end of the world SECT 2. The Saints much bettered by their sinnes SEcondly euen the Saints themselues are bettered by their sinnes for if all things according to the Apostles consolation a Rom. 8.28 worke together for the good of those that loue God as all the Planets worke together by their influence euen the malignant as well as good and benigne for the benefit of these sublunaries b Couper in loc as all the simples in some compounded Physicke euen bitter Aloes as well as Honey worke together for the health of the Patient then why not sinne Sure as an exquisite Physitian or Apothecary that out of venomous Toads Aspes Nutes Cicutaes c. * He that reads Gesner de quadrupedibus de Serpentibus c. Dioscorides and Dodonius Herbals shall see there is some medicinable extractions from the worst of Animals or Vegitables extracts an Antidote against poyson and out of stinking despicable foot-trodden weedes drawes some excellent and soueraigne waters from their leaues and roots for very vsefull cures in inward and outward diseases so the wise God euen out of the worst the vilest the most scandalous transgessions of his seruants can effect his owne gracious ends can both heale them of all their present sores preuent their future diseases and make them more healthfull and stronger then euer yea as experience shewes in some and as the Apostle plainly delineates in the renewed repentance of the Corinthians c 2 Cor. 7.11 the Saints come out of the bed of their sinnes as Ezekiah out of his sicke bed d 2 King 20. Esay 38. more humble more holy more pious more penitent as the Eagle that is wearied comes out of the water into which she dips her wings e Plin. with a stronger flight with a more surging ascent towards heauen then euer with greater care to please God to walke before him as a wrong wandring Traueller with a more heedfull attention stronger desires to runne the right the strait the straight way to Sion once returning right from his bemoned wandring with a greater hatred and indignation against sinne as a man against an impostor or deceiuer that hath deceiued him as Sampson against Dalilah or any other penitent person against a harlot that hath betrayed him with greater feare to offend for hereafter like the burnt child that dreads the fire or feares the water out of which it hath beene extract and saued from drowning Yea more zealous then euer for God desirous to restore that glory againe to God by all meanes by priuate or publike confessing f Iosh 7.19 as the nature of the offence shall require that was taken away by scandalous sinning and thus are the Saints bettered by their sinnes God perhaps suffering them once foully to fall that they may rise for euer * Periissemus nisi periissemus O amici inquit olim Themostocles post exilium As those that are Bell-founders deale with their old iarring Bels the Lord breakes them in pieces by contrition and godly sorrow melts them anew in
Oh how Ezekiahs owne particular vereties that scripture so oft inculcate by our Sauiour Christ himselfe f Luke 14.11 by Salomon g Prou. 3.34 by the Apostles h Iam. 4.6 1 Pet. 5.5 that the Lord resists the proud and giues grace to the humble resists the proud indeed as his speciall enemies casts down their vaine imaginations i Luke 1.51 pulls downe their Babels buildings brings low their lofty lookes makes their high and haughty hearts stoope k ver 52. will they â—â—ll they takes them downe many pegges lower when they are exalted brings them downe with a witnesse yea some with a vengeance when they perke aloft and soare too high makes them to know themselues that they are men not Gods yea dust and ashes base miserable men when Lucifer like they haue made themselues like the most high l Esa 14.12 13. and haue foolishly affected a Deity amongst the sonnes of men thus hath the Lord humbled the proud in the imaginations of their hearts and cast downe the mighty from their seats hath blowne downe the strong Oakes and cut downe the lofty Cedars whilst the lower shrubs the humbled soules haue stood in safety the cloud topping aduanced hills and sky threatning mountaines haue beene exposed to stormes and tempests of wrath and vengeance whilst the lower daies the humble hearts haue beene fruitfull in grasse abundant in Grace thus God resists proud Nebuchadnezzar and by the strength of his owne imagination m To this force of imagination D. Willet in his Hexapla in Danielem Agrippa in occulta Philosophia l. 1. c. 64 Wicâ—us lib. 3. de Lamijs cap. 10. Ficnus de viribus imaginationis in tribus libris Et Malleus malific fol 77. attribute witchcrafts diseases transformations turnes him into a beast resists proud Herod in his vsurped praise and as the canker the Rose eates his pride with wormes n Act. 12.23 resists proud Rabsakah prouder Senacharib his master and puts his hooke in both their nostrils o 2 king 19.28 resists proud Valens the Arrian p Theatrum Historicum in 3. Praeceptum fol. 255. and burnes his pride to ashes in a shepheards cottage resists proud Alexander vrbis orbis domitor the worlds Monarch yea the conqueror of moe worlds then one q Vnus peleo iuueni non sufficit orbis in his ambitious desires the sonne of Iupiter r Curtius lib. 5. Strâ—gellius in ethic l. 1. pag. 39. Melancton Cren l. 2. in eius vita Plutarch as his pride tearmes himselfe cut off in the midst of his yeares Å¿ Anno ante natum Christum 323. anno aetatis suae 32 die Iunij 28. Gorlic p. 378 axiom polit by the hand of the iust God was learned to know that a few feet in the earth could containe that body which was the cell and receptacle of that mind which many worlds could no more satisfie then the ayre doth the Cammell resists proud Anastasius the Arrian Emperour t Melancton lib. 3. Cron. and strikes him as Iupiter in the fable the Centaures with a thunderbolt from heauen resists proud Arrius himselfe and extracts out his bowels with his excrements where he was vncouering his feet u vt supra resists proud and ambitious Caesar and stabs him in the Senate house by the hands of his imagined friends * Ex Plutarcho Bucholcherus in Cron. p. 137. resists proud Pompey his swelling riuall and layes his honour in the dust x De quo praeter Liuium Cicero l. 7. epist Amb. lib. 5. epist 31. with his head on the Aegyptian shore resists proud Tarquin and by disgracefull banishment y Bodimos lib. 4. cap. 5. p. 180. both puls downe his pride and cooles and schooles his lust resists proud and peremptory Pharaoh and layes his loftie head and haughty heart together with all his force and fame as low as the hollowest bottom of the deuouring Ocean nec in caeteris contrarium est videre all other proud persons in Church and common wealth in all ages and times haue tasted the like sauce as subiects of Gods wrath the Lord hath contested and contended with them as with his most intestine resolued and professed enemies hee hath crusht their deuices as Cockatrice egges opposed their enterprizes and pulled downe the Babylonian buildings of their inuentions and made them meere Babels confusions dealt with them as the Eagle with the shell-fish carried them vp aloft vt moleruant grauiori that hee might crush them downe with the greater fall z Superbiâ—m semper comitem fâ—isse ruinam in multis exemplis instant Tolos de repub lib. 3. pag. 1388. 1389 139â— Strigellius lib. 1. ethic pag. 309. 419. lib. 7. pag. 528 cum Philippo in locis Manlij pag. 177. 178. et in lib. 2. Cron. pag. 101. et in Cordiali Bucholc pag. 21. et pag. 170. But on the contrary he hath giuen grace to the humble they as was said of Christ their master a Luke 2.52 that humble Lambe doe grow in Grace and fauour with God man in grace with man b Gen. 41.41 was humble Ioseph despised of his brethren c Gen. 37.19 disgraced by his Mistresse d chap. 39.14 despited by his Master e vers 20. at last aduanced the greatest saue Pharaoh in the Aegyptian Court so the Lord exalted humble honest-hearted penitent Mardocheus f Esther 6.11 as the greatest fauourite in the eyes of Assuerus humble Daniel to be esteemed delicias Domini c. the very Darling and Iewell of King Darius g Dan. 6 3. humble Dauid the sonne of a Countriman to be sonne in law to a King h 1 Sam. 18.23 yea to be the King of Israel brought him from a Sheep-hook to a Scepter i â— Sam. 12.7 the humble Virgin Mary k Luke 1.48 a withered branch of the root of Iesse to be the mother of the promised exhibited Messias restored humbled Manasses after his eiection out of his Kingdome to his Regall place and adorned his deiected soule with sauing grace l 2 Chr. 33 11 12. healed the seruant of the humbled Centurion m Mat. 8.8 9. cleansed the humbled Lepers n Luke 17.13 pardoned the humbled Thiefe on the Crosse o Luk. 23.42 43 and promised him paradise heard and accepted the prayers of the humbled brest-smiting p Luke 18.13 Publican cast not onely the crums but the bread of his bounty and mercy to that Canaanitish dogge q Mat. 15.28 that humbled Syrophinessean was intreated for sinning Israel r Exod. 32.32 yea for plagued Pharaoh Å¿ Exod. 9.29 at the intercessions of humbled Moses was contented to haue spared euen Sodom her selfe and to haue pardoned her pollutions if any conditions could haue beene performed t Gen 18.24 ad vers 32. at the mediation of humbled Abraham cast out seuen Deuils remitted many euils * In his
liue so they dye like very bruit beasts this is all the shew of the repentance of the reprobates of those which God hath giuen ouer to a reprobate sense Oh what madnesse is it then to sinne vpon hope of immunity vpon presumption of repentance or of Gods mercifull acceptance of thy lame and halting humiliation when thou offers it For alas who can repent of himselfe till God giue him grace he can as well see without eyes and speake easilier as some Ventriloquists m And Pythonists recorded Lorinus comment in Actis Apostol cap. 16 Congeries Similium without a tongue Nay nay a wicked man can sinne of himselfe but hee cannot godlily sorrow of himselfe a man may wound himselfe without any other agent but he cannot so easily heale himselfe without a Surgeon one may of himselfe leape into a pit but he cannot come forth againe when he will without a roape or a ladder or some such externall meanes a man of himselfe and from his sinfull corrupt nature may sinne it is as naturall for him to sin as for the fire to burne the sea to flow the Sun to shine it is as the running downe the hill as the swimming or sailing with the streame facilis descensus Auerni oh the passage to Hell is easie easily trauelling in the broad way n Mat. 7.13 but to repent of sinne to turne from sin vnto God the soueraigne good from the creature to the Creator this is more difficult this is to swim against the streame to sayle against the tyde to contend against the hill as Ionathan and his Armour-bearer to get vp to the Rock o 1 Sam. 14.13 with hands and knees hoc opus hic â—â—bor this is a worke supernaturall this is from the inspiration of the Almighty not from the spirit of man which can make no sound this way no more then the Organ-pipe without winde from the bellowes Non cuivis contigit c. This is not common to all but to such whose hearts are renewed and changed from their natiue and naturall condition and moulded aright by the spirit of grace What a madnes is this then to sin or continue in sinne presumptuously onely vpon this conceit indeed deuillish deceit that repentance is in their power and God will giue it at their pleasure as a free man his almes euen for asking or as some debtor his debts for calling for whereas euery man sinning much more the wicked are in their sinnes as the clay in the hand of the Potter p Ier. 18.6 Rom. 9.21 as the wood in the hand of the Carpenter as the iron in the hand of the Smith as the fellon in the power of the Iudge as the traytor in the power of the King â—s Pharaohs Buttler and Baker offending were in the power of Pharaoh q Gen. 40.20 21 to pardon or punish them to forgiue or to execute them as it was in the power of Christs mercie to giue repentance and Paradise to one of the Thieues vpon the Crosse r Luke 23.39 40 41 42. in the power of his iustice to obdurate and harden the other Thiefe And besides to sinne presumptuously because God is mercifull to his children vpon their humiliation as here hee was to Ezakiah is as though a slaue should wilfully abuse and offend his Master vpon hope of impunity because a sonne is pardoned vpon his petitioning offending his father of weaknesse as though a man should make ropes of sand because others make cables of sutable matter as though a man should presume to commit wilfull murder because another man is pardoned his chance-medley nay to try and experiment by wilfull sinning and presumptuous continuance in sin whether God will be mercifull or no is as if a man should wilfully surfet and make himselfe sicke to see whether the Physitian will or can make him well or no or for a man willingly to cut and launce himselfe in some parts of his body to try whether his Surgeon will or can cure him or no As I saw once an Italian wound his owne sides with a Rapier to try the conclusions of his healing Baulmes r Once in the Schooles in Cambridge yet Histories shew some Mountebanks haue kild themselues by â—uch trickes Or it is as if a man should wilfully leape into a coale-pit to try the charity of his neighbours whether they will drag and draw him out or no such a presumptuous murtherer in all probability may come to be hanged such a selfe wounder may bleed to death and such a pit-diuer may haps as il speed as that Iew in Teucksbury who according to our Chronicles refusing to bee pulled out of a pit in his superstition on our Saturday his Sabbath day when helpe was offered the next day which was our Sabbath and as his Munday could haue no helpe offered or afforded but was found dead on the third day helpt forward by hunger or stinke So let thy enemies perish O Lord for whom thou dost not conuert thou wilt confound SECT 5. God in all his dealings with his children doth inflict crosses but neuer curses LAstly here from Ezekiahs humiliation we may see the nature and quality of that wrath which the Context saith came vpon Ezekiah for the pride of his heart for what euer it was in the particulars it was not a curse but onely a crosse because it was sent though vpon a meriting cause yet for a good end and wrought a good end an excellent fruit grew vpon this bitter tree euen his repentance neuer to be repented of Å¿ 2 Cor. 7.10 this his Physitian as his vse is to all his sicke sinning patients sent this bitter potion to a good vse and it wrought a good effect it purged his ingratefull humour and phlebotomized his pride This his father as he doth to all his sinning sonnes correct him in mercy not in wrath t Ier. 10.24 visits his sinnes with rods and his offences with scourges but depriues him not of his mercies and louing kindnesse according to his promise to his father Dauid u 2 Sam 7.14 and indeed all things working together for the good of the elect * Rom. 8.28 Vide Couper in locum what euer comes to them comes as a loue-token from a Loner x Reuel 3.19 Heb. 12.7 an admonition or redargution at most a correction from a Father as a prescription from a Physitian not as a condemnatory sentence of execution from a seuere Iudge this wrath was onely a rod of whips gently to correct a sonne not a whip of wires and yron seuerely and rigorously to afflict a slaue and indeed as what euer comes to the wicked and reprobate comes to them in Iustice and vengeance their very tables their wiues their children their prosperity their friends c. being as traps snares vnto them God giuing them these things as hee gaue desired quailes z Num. 11.31 32. a King to Israel a 1 Sam. 8.11
12 13. life to murtherous Cain b Gen. 4.15 euen in wrath and anger so the bitterest and worst things euen the corrections for sins come to his own children as mercies Wee read indeed of the plagues of Aegypt c Exod 7. Exod. 8. Chap 9 10. of Sodom d Hos 11.8 Amos 4.11 of Moab e Amos 1. Chap. 2. per totum of Edom of Damascus and of the burthens of other sinfull nations and people but neuer of the plagues of Dauid Ezekiah Iosiah c. the botches of Aegypt f Exod. 9 10. the Emerods g 1 Sam. 5. of the Philistines the death of Pharaohs first borne h Exod 12.29 the murren of his cattell i Exod. 9.19 the frogges in his chamber k Exod 8 6. were indeed reall Plagues prologues and proems were these externalls to plagues eternall but the gout l 2 Châ— 16.12 in Asaes seet Iacobs touch in the hollow of his 〈◊〉 m Gen 32.25 Ezekiahs sicknesse n 2 Kings 20. and here the occasion of his 〈◊〉 â—on was onely a paternall castigation Oh that we with patience and contentation could drinke the bitterest cup which the Lord brewes for vs and sends to vs for our soules safety in our haughty hearts humiliation SECT 6. Mercy mixt with Iustice BEsides in searching the point narrower we see further in this castigation that the Lord euen in Iustice remembers Mercy yea his mercy triumphes ouer iustice as the oyle swimmes aboue the water as we see here that this wrath vpon Ezekiah was the iust desert of his ingratefull pride or proud ingratitude here was Iustice inflicting yet this correction as it tended so it ended in his humiliation which was physicall to his indangered soule here was Mercy So to adde moe instances Manasses the sonne of this Ezekiah for his many and manifold prouocations of the Almightie by his idolatries witchcrafts charmings sorceries murthers massacres of the Saints was iustly depriued of his Crowne imprisoned by the King of Ashur yron fetters put vpon his feet manacles on his hands here was Iustice yet this sharpe physicke so bitter to the flesh was wholesome and medicionable to his soule for in his tribulation he prayed to the Lord and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers and the Lord was intreated of him here was Mercy So in the first sin that euer was committed Adam eating of the Tree prohibited was questioned strictly examined conuicted sentenced to eate his bread in the sweat of his browes till hee returned to his dust n Gen. 3.19 including all miseries in life and mortalitie in death o Pezelius Rimgius in locum here waâ— Iustice but yet euen then though his flesh was corrected the instrument of sin yeâ— his soule was secured of saluation in the promised Messias the seed of the woman should breake and bruise the head of the Serpent p vers 15. here was Mercy So the woman being first in the transgression was deepest in affliction for her sorrows were threatned to bee great q v. 16. in the production of Children and now by al the propagating daughters of Eue are tryed so great that Imagination can no more but expresse them here was Iustice for her fact yet saith our Sauiour himselfe the eternall Truth as soone as euer a man-childe is borne into the world shee forgets in a manner her former griefes their delights swallow vp their dolors here was Mercy Oh wondrous mixture of Mercy and Iustice none knowes the paines of a childbearing woman but she that is perturient here is Iustice to that sinning sexe yet withall none knowes the loue of a mother as she that is a mother here is Mercy This course the Lord holds still God crosses vs in our sinfull and for our sinfull courses as the Angel withstands Balaam Å¿ Numb 22.26 in his poasting for preferment yet these crosses like that scabbe in the brest which the Romane receiued by his fighting enemy in stead of killing t Apud Plutarchum as that Surgeon who breaking a Gentlemans head cured him of the headachs D. Cotta against Emperickes curing his Impostume curbing crossing yea curing our corruptions demoÌ„strate as plainly a Mercy in the vse and end as Iustice in inflicting our deserued crosses Oh that we could with our hearts and tongues from our words and workes blesse and praise the Lord as in all the rest of his glorious attributes so especially that wee could glorifie him in his Mercy and Iustice his two attributes in which he most delighteth most exerciseth amongst the sonnes of men and to which all things in heauen and earth doe tend as to their Center Oh that with Dauids heart and spirit we could resolue to sing of Mercy and Iustice not politicall oeconomicall as he in that Psalme u Psal 101.1 but as they are Attributes in God essentiall in which he is most glorified of Angels and men Oh that wee could see with spirituall eyes how not onely in the redemption of the world by Christ but euen in the gubernation and gouernment of the world yea euen in proceeding with seuerall indiuiduall men which philosophy calls so many Microcosmes * See the allusions twixt man this Microcosme the world this Megacosme apud Alliedium in Theol. natural or little worlds but chiefly in his dealings with his elected ones Iustice and Mercie meet together righteousnesse and truth imbrace and kisse each other CHAP. XI NOw from sailing thus long in Ezekiahs sorrowes launcing into that Ocean of matter his deepe and serious humiliation we now at last bring the Penitent to his port and hauen to inioy his calme and reape the fruit of his renewed repentance neuer to bee repented of in comming you see by degrees as we at first laid them downe to this fourth and last maine and materiall point which the Text affords omitting all the circumstantiall and that is the remouall of wrath or the repriuall of Ezekiah and the inhabitants of Iudah and Ierusalem from the wrath that in some measure begunne to be exercised vpon them but vpon their humiliations stinted and ceased so that it came not fully vpon them in the dayes of Ezekiah for so indeed may as I thinke the Text and Context be reconciled the one saying that wrath was vpon Ezekiah and vpon Iudah and Ierusalem the other that the wrath of the Lord came not vpon them in the dayes of Ezekiah humiliation being interuenient betwixt wrath denounced and in part kindled and the full flaming or execution of wrath that was threatned Num. 16. humiliation like Moses and Aaron in the behalfe of Israel standing in the way or stopping in the gap betwixt wrath in part begunne that it should not be wholly and fully executed In which memorable and worthy act and effect of sound and sauing humiliation so worthily performed by Ezekiah and his subiects we may as men on the quiet