Niniveh Paul Mary-magdalen others repenting Upon these experiences an afflicted remnant may conclude that God will be gracious unto them See Joâ—l 2. 12. 13 14. Therefore now thus saith the Lord turne yee even to mee with all your heart and with fasting weeping and mourning And rent your heart and not your garments and turne unto the Lord your God for hee is gracious and mâ—rcifull slow to anger and of great kindness and râ—pâ—nteth him of the evill Who knoweth if hee will returne and repent and leave a blessing behind him even a meat offering unto the Lord your God Wee read in Scripture of the afflictions of Joseph as a proverbial spech alluding to Joseph the Patriarch who met with evill intreaties from his brethren and from Potiphars wise hee was cast into a pit bought and sold slandred cast into prison and the house of Joseph his posterity and not only his proper natural posterity but all the children of God must through many tribulations enter into the Kingdâ—me of God Act. 14. 22. That the whole house of Joseph that all the generation of men is not utterly consumed is a great mercy wee have cause to acknowledge it with thankfulness that there is a remnant yet left Now a through reformation a turning from sinne to God a hating that which is evill a loving that which is good an establishment of Justice may much prevaile with God to bee gracious to an afflicted remnant Though the number of the Church be few though Jacob bee small and Joseph bee but a remnant yet many promises are made to a remnant Isai 10. 21. The remnant shall returne even the remnant of Jacob unto the mighty God Jeremiah 15. 11. The Lord said verily it shall bee well with thy remnant verily I will cause the enemie to intreat thee well in the time of evill and in the time of affliction Ezek 6. 8 Yet will I leave a remnant that yee may have some that shall escape the sword among the Nations when yee shall bee scattered through the countries Eph 3. 12 13. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poore people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel shall not doe iniquitie nor speak lies nâ—ither shall a deceitfull tongue bee found in thâ—ir mouth for they shall feed and lay downe and none shall make thâ—m afraid Rom. 9. 27. Though the number of the children of Israel bee as the sand of the sea a remnant shall be saved And for the remnant we must pray Isay 37. 4. It may be the Lord thy God will heare the words of Rabshakeh whom the King of Assyriah his master hath sent to reproach the living God and will râ—prove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left Jer. 31. 7. For thus saith the Lord sing with gladnesse for Jacob and shout among the chiefe of the Nations publish yee praise ye and say O Lord save thy people the remnant of Israel So then you may plainly discerne the summe and substance of these words That which they drive at is to ingage people to a through reformation as the only means to pacifie an incensed God Iudgments fall round about us thick and threefold many have been numbred out to the sword many to famine and pestilence Let the remnant lay these things to heart Let them humble themselves turne from the evill of their doings cease to doe evill learne to doe well execute judgment and Justice and it may be God may turne againe and repent and be gracious to the remnant of the house of Joseph The words thus divided and opened commend these principall Doctrine 1 Doctrines to your serious Practicall Observation That sinne alone ought to be the Object of our hatred and indignation So saith the Psalmist Ye that love the Lord hate evill Psal 97. 10. And the feare of God consists in hating of evill The feare of the Lord is to hate evill Prov. 8. 13. pride and arrogancie and the evill way and the froward mouth do I hate You have a short Catalogue of what things God hates in Prov. 6. 16. These six things doth the Lord hate yea seven things are an abomination to him a proud looke a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations feet that be swift in running to mischiefe a false witnesse that speaketh lies and him that soweth discord among brethren Nay further whatsoever is sinfull God hates and where God hates we should hate 2. That which is good ought only to be the object of our love It 's a Doctrine 2 character of the wicked Amos 3. 2. to hate the good and love the evill Holinesse hath Gods Image stamped upon it and we must love God's Image where ever we find it God requires publick establishment of Justice in a Kingdome It 's said in the gates where people went in and out There ministers of Iustice Doctrine 3 sate and the eyes of the whole land were upon them and in an especiall manner the eyes of God Iustice must not be dispensed in a scantling measure here and there a drop but judgmâ—nt must run down as waters and righteousnesse as a mighty streame Amos 5. 24. 4. In that there is such a connexion between these words hate Doct. 4 Deut. 5. 17 18 19. the evill and doe good and establish judgment hence observe In religious duties there is a sacred concatenation and harmonie It 's observed that all the commands of the Decalogue are copulative Thou shalt not kill neither shalt thou commit adulterie neither shalt thou stealâ— neither shalt thou beare false witnesse c. The same God that ingageth us to the obedience of one Command doth not dispense with us or give any exception for any other 5. The people of God his Josephs may be reduced to a very small remnant So they were in the Babilonish captivitie but 7000 that had Doct. 5 not bowed their knees to Baal and whether all these were upright hearted is doubtfull The primitive Christians in times of persecution were but a handfull a despised remnant in the eyes of the world And in the Arke which was a type of Christ there were but eight persons and Cham was one of them In Christ's own familie but twelve and one of them a Judas 6. Observe That the reformation of a people in hating evill and Doct. 6 loving good may prevaile with God to extend mercy and compassion towards them It shall suffice only to have named these unto you It concernes mee to fix upon the establishment of judgment which the Text specially points at and the aspect of a Venerable Iudicature in presence puts me in mind of that point of Doctrine which is genuine from the text and most seasonable to the Auditorie Thus I propound it to you Doctrine That the faithfull execution of Justice in a land is a probable
Carthw Catech. Church of a more narrow compasse is such a particular Church or Parrish that dwelling in one place may conveniently at one time be taught by the mouth of one Minister Now both for the Church in generall and for the particular Church especially wherein we live we ought to pray and make frequent supplications to the Throne of grace For the whole body of Christ i. e. the universall Church we must pray for the Nationall Church wherein we live under the visible Ministry and dispensation of visible Ordinances and where there are visible Professours We may not straighten our prayers nor confine the Church of Christ as the Donatists did of old only to a narrow compasse in Africa Although in a true Church where are true Ministers true Sacraments and God hath blest the Ministry with converting of Soules yet there may be many rotten professours many formalists many hypocrites yet we must labour to reforme what we can and pray incessantly for amendment of what is amisse but we may not seperate from a true Church We must separate from Heathens and from Antichrist We are to come out from amongst them but we may not gather Churches out of Churches that were to make a schisme between the members amongst themselves and to subdivide the body of Christ and make a separation where we ought to endeavour an union 4. What is meant by establishing Jerusalem a praise in the earth Q. 4 To make the Church a praise is all one as Calvin observes Ans as to make it glorious for that the Lords remembrancers must pray that Jerusalem may be the subject and matter of praise that Christ may rule and settle his Ordinances there fill it with knowledge make it eminent for graces that as vers 1. The righteousnesse thereof may go forth as brightnesse and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth Then may Jerusalem be said to be a praise in the earth But of this more largely in the application To summe up all Though principally this charge is given to Ministers yet in a larger sence I shall take it according to the judgment of good Expositors as taking in Ministers and people both injoyning to both the duty of remembring the Church of God before the Throne of grace And in an especiall manner though the Universall Church must be remembred the Particular Church or Nationall Church wherein we live must be remembred And this remembrance must be a fervent incessant and diligent remembrance till the Lord be pleased to settle it as a naile in a sure place and bring forth the top stone of Jerusalem with acclamations crying Grace grace unto it This concernes Zach. 3. 7. us all both Ministers and people We must all pray for the establishment of Jerusalem a praise in the earth Which words thus opened containe one Principall Doctrine which in it's latitude and compasse takes in the whole sence of the words That it is the obliged duty of all the Children of God to he earnest Doct. 1 and assiduous suitors at the Throne of grace in the behalfe of the Church of God More briefly We should all as one man continue praying to God that he would establish Jerusalem a praise in the earth 1. In unfolding of this point my method shall be Method 1. To illustrate the truth propounded by parallel examples 2. To prove it by variety of precepts inculcating so great a duty 3. To confirme it by strength of Reasons And 4. To conclude all with some usefull Application 1. For the resuming of what I first propounded time would 1. The Doctrine illustrated by Examples faile me to enlarge my selfe in so great a cloud of witnesses Some of the chiefe I 'le mention and leave the rest to be supplyed in your serious meditations How earnest was Moses for Israel the people where God was named above all the people of the earth When Amaleck was fighting against Israel Moses his hands were lifted up and Israel returned Conquerours when God threatned the utter ruine of that people and offered to make Moses a greater Nation than they O how zealous was Moses in their behalfe Moses besought the Lord his God and said Lord why doth thy Exod. 32. 11 12. wrath waxe hot against thy people which thou hast brought forth out of the Land of Egypt with great power and à mighty hand Wherefore should the Egyptians speak and say For mischiefe did he bring them out to slay them in the Mountaines and to consume them from the face of the earth Turne from thy fierce wrath and repent of this evill against thy people c. So Numb 14. 18 19. The Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy forgiving iniquity c. Pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people according unto the greatnesse of thy mercy and as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even untill now Psalm 106. vers 23. Therefore he said he would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach to turne away his wrath lest he should destroy them To Moses I 'le adde Samuel as he himselfe was a Son of prayer so he was a praying man 1 Sam. 7. vers 9. He cryed unto the Lord for Israel and the Lord heard him 1 Sam. 12. 23. Moreover as for me God forbid that I should sinne against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you but I will teach you the good and the right way Moses and Samuel have Characters of honour put upon them for praying persons Jer. 15. 1. Moses Aaron â—nd Samuel are alâ— three joyn'd together And Psal 99. vers 6. Moses and Aaron among his Priests and Samuel among them that call upon his Name These were noted for choice Intercessours with God So likewise David was a man made up of affections towards the Church of God Psal 14. 7. O that the Salvation of Israel were come out of Sion when the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people Jacob shall rejoyce and Israel shall be glad Psal 137. 5. If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my hand forget her cunning Psal 51. 18. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Sion build thou the walâ—s of Jerusalem Psal 25. 26. Redeem Israel O God out of all his troubles How doth Daniel urge the most prevailing arguments in the behalfe of Jerusalem Dan. 9. 18 19. O my God incline thine eare and heare open thine eyes and behold our desolations and the City which is called by thy name c. O Lord heare O God forgive O Lord hearken and do deferre not for thine owne sake O my God for thy City and thy people are called by thy name I might instance in Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Ezra and Nehemiah who all were much upon their knees for the publick and made the very burthen of their prayers as it were versus intercalaris frequently repeated the establishment of Jerusalem upon the sure basis of truth and peace If we passe from the old
have seen this duty tracked by the foot-steps of Gods people let us goe and doe likewise In the third place to give in the demonstration of the Point I shall 3. The Doctrine demonstrated draw a threefold Argument from the necessity equity and utility of the duty 1. From the necessity of the duty Ye have need of patience that Arg. 1. Drawn from the necessity of this duty after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the promise And that is necessary Necessitate praecepti medii For Precepts the Psalmist exhorts Râ—st in the Lord and wait patiently for him freâ— not thy self because of him who prospereth in his way because of the man who bringeth wicked dâ—vices to pass For evil deers shall be cut off but thâ—se that wait upon the Lord they shall inherit the earth And the Prophet Zephaniah exhorts Therefore wait ye upon me saith the Lord until Zeph. 3. 8. thâ— day that I rise up unto the prey for my determination is to gather the nations that I may assemble the Kingdoms to pâ—ur upon them mine indignatiâ—n even all my fierce anger for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousie Wait on the Lord be of good courage and Psal 27. 14. he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord. Solomon counsels Say not thou I will recompence evil but wait on the Lord and he Prov. 20. 22. shall save thee David layeth a strict charge upon himself My soul Psal 62. 5. wait thou only upon God for my expectation is from him David could have taken opportunity to have revenged himself on Saul he had him as we say at his mercy but he waited Gods time The Lord 1 Sam. 24. 23. 1 Sam. 26. 23. saith he render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulnesse for the Lord delivered thee into my hand to day but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the Lords anointed David though he had an opportunity yet considered Saul was Gods anointed therefore he would not embrue his hands in his blood 2. Necessitate mâ—dii For waiting is an instrumental means Gods way of obtaining a grant of the thing desired Simeon waited for the consolation of Israel And behold there was a man in Jerusalem Luke 2. 25. whose name was Simeon and the same man was just and devout waiting for the consolation of Israel and the holy Ghâ—st was upon him The sons of God waited for their adoption And not onely they but our selves Rom. 8. 23. also which have the first-fruits of the spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our body And they wait for the coming of Christ So that ye come behinde I Cor. 1. 7. in no gift waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Waiting prepareth us for the receiving of a mercy whereas murmuring querulous speeches do indispose us for a mercy Whineing strugling and quarrelling provoke God to lash us more but a quiet composed behaviour an humble submission to the will of God is a ready way to obtain the thing desired even a comfortable fruition of our expectation God is most ready to help his people when their hearts most long after him for so runs the Promise I will pour Isa 44. 3. water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground I will pour my spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine off-sppring After the Church was in pain and travel and endured many throws and hard labor in expectation of deliverance read the gracious answer Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise awake and sing ye that awell in dust for thy dew is as the dew of hearbs Isa 26. 19. and the earth shall cast out the dead So that waiting works two things 1. It prepares us for a mercy it seasoneth our hearts and disposeth them for the entertainment thereof so that we are as Vessels throughly season'd 2. It sets a higher price and estimate on the mercy when it comes A mercy beg'd by Prayer waited for with Patience will of all others be the sweetest to us in the fruition Hannah had more children after Samuel but none so valued as Samuel the childe of her Prayers Now if deliverance and settlement to the Kingdom come as an answer of our Prayers O how welcome will the deliverance be It 's a comfortable experience recorded of the Church And it shall Isa 25. 9. be said in that day lo this is our God we have waited for him and he shall save us This is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation 2. The second Argument shall be drawn from the equity of the Argu. 2 Drawn from the equity of the duty duty It 's all the equity and reason of the World that we should wait upon God we are Creatures and is it not equal that the Creature should wait upon the Creator we are Servants and should not Servants wait upon their Masters Behold as the eyes of servants Psalm 123. 2 look unto the hands of their masters and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God until that he have mercy upon us We are children and should not children wait upon their Father These relations intimate the equity of the duty we say that Relations though they be of least entity yet they are of greatest efficacy Doth not the Husband-man wait for the Harvest Doth not the Mother wait for the time of her deliverance Doth not the Patient wait upon the working of the Physick Now God is giving the Kingdom strong Physick a Purge to some a Vomit to others nay have we not just cause to fear that by reason of our Laodicean luke-warmness God will vomit us out of his mouth Let 's wait and see what God will do though we know not yet he knows the reason of his own proceedings God made Nebuchadnezzar a scourage to the Jews and God calls him his servant but because Nebuchadnezzar acted his own malice and revenge God will turn the wheel upon him Jehu was made an Instrument to root out Ahabs Family but because his heart was naught he aimed at the Kingdom for himself God threatens to avenge the blood of Jezreâ—l upon the house Hos 1. 4. of Jehu God may raise up one to punish another and when they have done God may find out a scourge to punish the punishers themselves These are Gods Acts his strange Acts for so are his judgements Isaiah 7. 20. God will have a razor for that purpose In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razour that is hired namely by them beyond the river by the king of Assyria the head and the hair of the feet and it shall also consume the beard And notwithstanding greatness of
but God will send it again to avenge the Jer. 6. 8. quarrel of a broken Covenant My advice from God to you is Be thou instructed O Jerusalem lest my soul depart from thee lest I make thâ—e Amos 4. 12. desolate and a land not inhabited Therefore thus will I do unto thee O Israel and because I will do thus unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel Gather your selves together yea gather together O nation not Zeph. 2. 1 2. 3. desired before the Decree bring forth before the day pass as the chaff before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon yoú before the day of the Lords anger come upon you Seek ye the Lord all the meek of the earth which have wrought his judgement seek righteousness seek meekness it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger And for a close of all The last Use is a Word of comfort to a waiting use 4. For Consolation people Mercy will be the portion of a waiting believing people And when it comes it will be good measure full press'd and running over It will abundantly make amends for all thy waiting for it Oh then confirm the weak hands and strengthen the feeble knees Learn to live by Faith in dying times Whatever thou loosest whether voluntarily or compulsorily let not go thy Faith Wait patiently and silently under dark Visions at the end the Vision shall speak and not lie God is a God of Infallibility and Eternall truth and will not falsifie his promises Though it tarry and thou hast waited long yet wait a little longer it shall come and will not tarry And it will be an exceeding comfort to the Saints when after long waiting for a mercy they can say by happy experience Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us This is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation Isa 25. 9. Establishment of Justice Vnfolded in an Assise Sermon Preacht at St. Mary's OXON Upon Amos 5. 15. Hate the evil and love the good and establish Judgement in the gate It may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph AS in Water face answereth face So the Text suits Serm. 7. At St. Mary's Oxon. March 1. 1649. with the solemnity of the day It is a word in due season which I am resolved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without fear or flattery to apply particularly to your consciences as a word both seasonably to be Preacht and profitably to be learnt The Lord make it as profitable to you as it is seasonable for you My Prophet Amos was one of those Prophets which we call the lesser Prophets not of less esteem for his person or matter which he Prophesied then the others but less in quantity and bulk having reduced a great deal of choice matter into a narrower compass He Prophesied before Israels transportation into Babylâ—n He was an Herdsman of Tekoah chap. 1. ver 1. furnished with a Prophetical Spirit and commissionated by God for so high an employment v. 3. He Prophesied in a time of monstrous Impieties and severe Judgements He lived in the days of Vzziah and you may read of his horrid attempt in invading the Priests Office and the Judgement written in legible Characters in his Leprous â—orehead And they withstood Vzziah the King and said unto him It pâ—rtaineth not unto 2 Chro. 26. 18 19. thee Vzziah to burn incense unto the Lord but unto the Priests the sons of Aaron that are consecrated to burn incense Goe our of the sancluary for thou hast trespassed neither shall it be for thine honor from the Lord God Then Vzziah was wroth and had a Conser in his hand to burn incense and while he was wrath with the Priests the leprosie even rose up in his forehead before the Priests in the house of the Lord from besides the incense altar Some particular impieties and reigning abominacions were 1. Idolatry 1. Idolatry Idolatry was so continually practiced as by way of Irony the Lord seems to invite them to heap up the full measure of their sins Come to Bethel and transgress at Gilgal multiply transgressions Amos 4. 4. Hoc est cumulare sâ—elera sceleribus Calv. in Loc 2. Vnmercifulness Amos 1. 9. and bring your sacrifices every morning and your tithes after three years A second sin was unmercisulness want of bowels of compassion Thus saith the Lord For three transgressions of Tyrus and for fâ—ur I will not turn away the punishment thereof because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom and remembred not the brothâ—rly Covenant A third sin was Oppression Hear this word ye kine of Bashan that 3. Oppression Amos. 4. 1. are in the mountain of Samaria which oppress the poor which crush the needy which say to their masters Bring and let us drink And violence is another sin of the same litter Ye that put far the Amos 6. 3. evil day and cause the seat of violence to come near A fourth sin is Injustice and Bribery I couple them together like 4. Iujustice and Bribery Amos 5. 7 12. to like Ye that turn Judgement to wormwood and leave off righteousness in the earth For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins They afflict the just they take a bribe and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right A fifth sin is Luxury and Jovialty That chaunt to the sound of the Violl and invent to themselves Instruments of Musick like David 5. Luxury Amos 6. 5 6. That drinke Wine in Bowlls and anoint themselves with the chief Oyntments But they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph A sixth is Pride Now Judgements are the unhappy issue which 6. Pride sin brings forth Each word is a Thunder-bolt Amos 9. 8 9. Behold the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinfull kingdom and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob saith the Lord For lo I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among the nations like as corn is fifted in a sieve yâ—t shall not the least grain fall upon the earth And particular Judgements are threatned suitable to their sinnes As 1. Famine I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your 1. Amos 4. 6. cities and want of bread in all your places yet have you not returned unto me saith the Lord. There 's the punishment of Luxury 2. Mildew and Blasting I have smitten you with blasting and mildew 2. Amos 4. 9. when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig-trees and your olive-trees increased the palmer-worm devoured them yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord There 's another punishment of Luxury and Intemperance A third punishment is Pestilence I have sent among you the
after a manner enquire yet not in truth and faith his enquiring was after a slight manner after an hypocriticall formall way like that of Balaam Numb 23. 10. Let me dye the death of the righteous and let my last end be like unto his and like unto Israels howling Hos 7. 14. And they have not cryed to me with their hearts when they howled upon their beds they assembled themselves for corne and wine c. Wherefore then should we give God a slight service He requireth the Male the best of the flocks and there 's a dreadfull Curse Mal. 1. 14. Cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a Male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing But in the second place here is a word of exhortation that we Vse 2. For Exhortation would all unite our forces for the Church in generall even the whole body of Christ however dispersed and distressed throughout the world How many of Christs body suffer hard things Some are imprisoned we must pray for the prisoners enlargement Some are under Antichristian Tyranny and Christ hath a Church even where Satan dwells we must pray that they may hold fast their profession without wavering Great things God hath granted to a praying people and he is the same God still as good and as gracious as ever The Army called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prayed and raine was poured down in abundance to refresh the Pagan Army of the Emperour Insomuch ex ore adversariorum it was confest great was the God of the Christians Constantine that excellent Eccl. Hist Euseb Prince and Patron of Christians would not after the example of his Predecessours suffer his picture to be drawn standing in a stately posture but kneeling for he ascribed his victories to the answer of prayers Let us remember likewise all the distressed Churches beyond the Seas such as are in misery where their enemies are the chiefe we should give them the Charity of our prayers counsells compassions purses our Bowells should be opened wide towards their release Polonia other places cry out in the language of Job to his friends Have pity upon me have pity upon me O ye my friends for the hand of God hath touched me To such as are afflicted pitty Job 19. 21. should be shewed We should all imitate the Apostle being alike affected with our Brethren rejoycing with them that rejoyce c. We should make their cases our own of this excellent temper was the Apostle Who is weake and I am not weake who is offended and I 2 Cor. 11. 29 burn not as if all the burthens of the Saints were laid upon his shoulders he was willing to beare them all Jerome writing a commentary upon Ezekiel and hearing of the sacking of Rome a place where he formerly lived was so affected that a long time he could think of nothing else He laid to heart so much the suffering of Gods people there as he imagined himselfe to be in their stead Furthermore in a more particular manner let us remember in our prayers the Land of our Nativity the Church of England Scotland and Ireland We expect shortly a Parliament and we hope in the multitude of Councellours there may be safety Formerly we have been frustrated of our expectations High-raised hopes have been disappointed That of the Prophet may truely be applyed to this purpose Hast thou utterly rejected Judah hath thy Jer. 14. 19. soule loathed Zion why hast thou smitten us and there is no healing for us We looked for peace and there is no good and for the time of healing and behold trouble We have been justly crost in our hopes because we have Idolized men and relyed too much upon an arme of flesh We are to call upon the great counsell as the man of Macedonia did Come and help us and they likewise call upon us help us with your prayers We may hope to speed the better if we pray the more Let us pray as one man that the Lord would instruct the Counselllours after his own will and teach the Senators wisdome What farther I shall speak in this use shall come under these two heads 1. What speciall things we must pray for that our Jerusalem our Church of England may be established a praise in the earth 2. What moving inducements may be assign'd to incourage us in the duty of prayer For the first Above all we must pray for the advancement of Religion for the establishing the power of Godlinesse It is Religion that beautifies and adorns a Nation the Kings daughter Gods Church and People are glorious within their decking is of pure gold Grace ennobles and puts a glorious lustre upon a people To name a few particulars 1. Let us in an especiall manner pray for the encrease of Godly 1. Pray for Magistâ—ates Magistrates Reprovers in the gate such as will do judgment and justice There is a great promise made in those Gospell daies Isaiah 49. 23. Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers and their Qâ—eens thy nursing Mothers they shall bow down to thee with their face towards the earth and lick the dust of thy feet c. Our duty is to pray for them so runs the Apostles command 1 Tim. 2. 1. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made For all men for Kings c. Godly Rulers are a blessing to a Nation Jer. 5. 1. Run ye to and fro thorough the streets of Jerusalem and see now and know and seek in the broad places thereof if yee can find a man if there be any that executeth judgment that seeketh the truth and I will pardon it So Amos 5. 15. Hate the evill and love the good and establish judgment in the gate it may be that the Lord God of hoasts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph Where such Magistrates are we must pray for their continuance and for a supply of their mortality that the Lord would send continually such as may dispence justice impartially and may be a terror unto evill doers and a praise to them that do well 2. Pray for faithfull soul-saving Ministers Many such in mercy 2. Pray for Ministers the Lord hath given us We must pray that the Lord would increase the number of them But the Prophets live not for ever wherefore we must pray for a Godly succession of Ministers that such may be incouraged who are workmen that needeth not to be ashamed and such may be removed as unsavory salt who make the sacrifice of God to be abhorred There are yet left a faithfull remnant sound in the faith and holy in life who are as farre from Antichristianisme as their false accusers are from Charity who labour in season and out of season and are willing to spend and be spent for the salvation of soules These in an especiall manner must be incouraged by our prayers that the Lord would give them The
Conscience worketh by love and labour for more accession of it and God will accept the quality for the quantity pence for pounds the will for the deed We read Heb. 11. 17. By faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaac The faithfull intentions of Abraham was accepted in the accompt of God as a reall performance Let 's all labour to be sincere and upright hearted and this perfection of parts i. e. sincerity will be accepted instead of perfection of degrees which is an absolute perfection without spot or wrinkle which cannot be attained on earth by Militant Saints who are Viatores but only by such who are Comprehensores glorified Saints in Heaven JOY IN THE LORD AS A STRONG GROUND OF COMFORT AGAINST ALL DISCOMFORTS Unfolded from Hab. 3. 18. Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation MY Text is an apposite close of a devout Prophets Sermon 9. Preached at St. Marye's Oxon. Jan 8. 1659 60. Prayer composed of two excellent ingredients faith and fervency for in the time of Jacobs troubles when sad tidings were renewed every moment and each relation like Jobs disconsolate messengers aggravated the miseries and made them exceeding miserable then my Prophet Habakkuk could discerne a Sun of righteousnesse with healing wings dissipating all Mal. 4. 2. the clouds of sorrowes and miseries I say amidst all these diastrous occurrences this spirituall man by the eye of faith could see a Believer and apprehend his Jesus the God of his salvation this is an evidence of the strength of faith and where faith is it sets the affections a working it 's never idle but alwaies operative as soone as faith gives thee an insight into the beauty and excellency of thy God how sweet and amiable will he be unto thy soule thy affections will be transported with my Prophet I will rejoyce I will joy his expressions were too short they cannot reach his heart and therefore he iterates his resolution hee 's a true lover indeed who delights to discourse of his beloved odject and make frequent repetitions of his love this is an argument of his fervency So then you see as I before intimated that faith and fervency are the essentiall parts of this accurate prayer The words read are promissory and by way of covenant or you may call them a comfortable conclusion drawne from sad and dolefull premissesse Upon perusall of the precedent words you will find matter of terrour and astonishment enough to make you quake and tremble Before him went the Pestilence and burning coles went forth at his feet vers 5. The earth is measured and the Nations are drove a sunder and the everlasting mountaines were scattered and the perpetuall hills did bow vers 6. Unheard of miracles earthquakes against the course of nature the mountaines tremble there 's a great inundation of waters the Sun and the Moon cease from their motion vers 10. 11. And as before there went out pestilence and burning coles or burning diseases so now to adde a complement to the judgment here are arrowes by day which wound as much as the other in the night the speares glitters and the Lord marcheth on in his indignation the heathen feele the sore brunt of it vers 12. Thou didst thresh the heathen in anger Yet out of all these bitter hearbs Gods people can suck sweetnesse For God is good to his Israel Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people vers 13. It 's worthy of your notice that amidst greatest extremities God extends his speciall eye of care and providence unto his owne people he never failes to be their Protector It followeth Thou woundest the head of the house of the wicked by discovering the foundation unto the neck i. e. God will pluck these up by the roots that they shall never grow againe By this Meâ—aphor of a foundation according to * Intelligit quicquid erat stabilitatis in ipsis hostibus hoc fuisse evulsumusque ad collum Calv. in loc Calvins interpretation I understand Whatsoever strength and stability they seem'd to have was quite overthrowne from the top to the bottome The weapons God useth are described vers 4. Thou didst strike through with his staves i. e. God gives them over to themselves and they proove their own executioners and every mans hand was against his fellow Their particular sinnes are mentioned They came out as a whirlewind to scatter me their rejoycing was to devoure â—he poore secretly Behold their insolent rage and precipitant fury Their motions are too violent to hold their rage was against God like unto Senacherib but their tumult came up unto his eares and they fare alike I will saith the Lord put a bridle in thy lipps and a hook in thy nostrills Isa 37. 29. And thus God abaseth the sons of pride but yet their malice ceaseth not their doggish nature discovers it selfe they rejoyce and devoure the poore and that secretly one way or other they are a working if not by open hostility yet by secret plots and underminings so as they may contrive their ruine But view further Gods power and method which he useth for the preservation of his people Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses through the heapes of great waters this is an Allusion to that wonderfull passage over the red sea Hence learne that in the greatest dangers God makes away for his servants escape And now le ts see how all these wonders affect the Prophet you may guesse at his disease by these symptomes trembling in his belly quivering in his lipps rottennesse in his bones here 's a man of the right stamp you may discerne of what currant mettall he is by his sympathy and fellow feeling of the afflictions of others It 's the duty of a good man to be alike affected with others calamities and miseries as if they were his own To draw downe the Context unto the Text my Prophet is no idle Spectator but he with Mary keepes all these things and ponders them in his heart he makes a soveraingne Compound of bitter Ingredients and with the Laborious Bee he suckes sweetnesse out of the sowrest herbes and with Sampson findes a honey comb in a Lions mouth I meane he makes a dungeon a paradise an abounding misery a superabundant comfort by a wise and spirituall application for come what will come his resolution is inviolably fixt upon a principle of faith that although the figg tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the Vines the labour of the Olive shall faile and the fields shall yeeld no meate the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalles yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation Here is an enumeration of the choysest comforts such as are of highest estimation amongst men The Fig-tree hath much sweetnesse and brings forth good fruit the fruit of the Vine makes