the Angell of Gods presence and that went before the people in the wildernesse Such were those of the blood-royall and that succeeded David in the government but especially such were the Apostles Christs Mighties who should be endued with so many graces in majesty Authority Strength and truth that men should receive them Cornelius like as so many Angels of God yea even as Christ Jesus Gal. 4.14 Verse 9. I will seek to destroy I will make inquisition and diligent scrutiny I will draw them out of their lurking-places to execution as Saâ—l went to seek David upon the rocks of the wild-goats those high steep and craggy rocks 1 Sam. 24.2 which could not but be very tedious both to himself and to his souldiers to march in But he was set upon 't and would leave no place unsearched See his charge to the Ziphites to take knowledge of all the lurking-holes where he hid himself and to bring him word that he might seek him thorough all the thousands of Judah 1 Sam. 23.23 The Lord need not do so to find out his enemies for in him they live move and subsist Col. 1.17 they are everunder his view and within his reach He sitteth upon the circle of the earth Is 40.22 and can easily shake them out of it as by a canvasse Yea he sits in the height of heaven and wherein they deale proudly he is above them Exod. 18.11 disclosing their cabinet-counsels as he did Benhadads and blasting their designes to destroy all nations God stands not upon multitudes he takes not the tenth man but destroyes all nations be they never so many of them that come against Ierusalem that oppose or affront his people either with their virulent tongues or violent hands When a rabble of rebels shall set themselves against the Lord and against his Christ his mysticall Christ the Church he will utterly destroy them Mercer the word signifieth he will destroy them ut nihil reliquum maneat that there shall be no remainder of them Woe therefore to the Churches enemies for their destruction ever goes with the saints salvation Philip. 1.28 29. Esay 8 9. Prov. 11.8 Gods jealousie Zach. 1.14 and justice 2 Thess 1.6 will effect it surely severely suddely Verse 10. And I will pour upon the house of David Pour as by whole paile-fuls God is no penny-father no small gifts sall from so great a hand he gives liberally Iam. 1.15 and is rich to all that call upon his name Rom. 10.12 abundant in kindnesse Exod. 34.6 plenteous in mercy Psal 103.8 the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ hath over-abounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath overflowed all the banks 1 Tim. 1.14 indeed it hath neither bank nor bottom Oh pray for that blisse-full sight Eph. 1.18 and 3.18 19. that Spirit of wisdome and revelation of grace and of supplications Or deprecations of that utter destruction that shall befall other nations God will save his people but so as by prayer Psal 32.6 2 Chron. 7.14 Zach. 13.9 he will grace his own ordinance draw many suitours and derive many prayses to himself See Ezek. 36.37 Psal 50.15 and 116.2 Some render it a spirit of grace and of lamentations sc before the Lord when they felt the nailes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where with they had pierced Christ pricking their own hearts Act. 2.37 punctually pricking and piercing them and they shall look upon the whom they haue pierced Dacaru whom they have dâ—ggered or digged as Psal 22.16 him they shall look upon and lament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 1.7 Lam. 3. their eye shall affect their heart for the eye is the instrument both of sight and of sorrow and what the eye never sees the heart never rues The Sun looketh upon the earth draweth up vapours thence and distilleth them down again so doth the Sun of the understanding which till it be convinced the heart cannot be compuncted Sight of sin must precede sorrow for sin The The prodigall came to himself ere he repented of his loose practises men must bethink themselves or bring back to their hearts as the Hebrew hath it 1 King 8.47 ere they will say We have sinned and dealt perversely we have committed wickednesse See Ier. 8.6 Psal 38.18 An infant in the womb cryes not because he sees not but as soon as it comes into the light he sets up his note Get therefore your eyes anointed with eye-salve with this spirit of grace and supplications so shall you soon see saith Mr. Bradford martyr your face foull arrayed and so shamefull saucy mangy pocky and scabbed that you cannot but be sorry at the contemplation thereof It is the spirit that convinceth the world of sin neither can the waters till his wind bloweth Psal 147.18 A sigh is not breathed out for sin till the spirit imbreach the same into us and they shall mourn for him Or for it viz. for their crucifying the Lord of glory in their forefathers and having a great hand in it themselves sith their and our sins were thorns and nails that pierced him the lance that let out his heart-blood c. We bound him with cords we beat him with rods buffetted him with fists reviled him with our mouths nodded at him with our heads c. We were the chief actours and principal causes that set awork Judas Pilat c. Oh stand a while with the devout women and see him bleeding groaning dying by the wounds that we gave him and mourn affectionatly over him as here they shall mourn with such outward pomp and rites as are used at fune ralls as wringing the hands beating the breasts shaking the head and the like externall gestures and expressions of heavinesse and shall be in bitternesse by inwardnesse of extream grief as when Davids heart was leavened with it Psal 73.21 it was sowred with goodly sorrow and sowced in the teares of true repentance So Peter went forth and wept bitterly Mat. 26.15 waters of Marah flowed from Mary Magdalens eyes which were as a fountain for Christs feet here sorrow was deep and down-right producing repentance never to be repented of The sorrow we conceive for an unkindnesse offered to Christ must not be slight and sudden but sad and soaking like that of the Israelites met at Mizpeh when they drew water before the Lord 1 Sam. 7.6 whereunto the Prophet Jeremy seemeth to allude when he seriously wisheth that his head were waters c. Ier. 9.1 and David with his rivers of teares Psa 119.136 His heart was soft and soluble now softnesse of heart discovers sin as the blots run abroad and seem biggest in wet paper and as when the Cockatrice egge is crushed it breakes forth into a viper Isa 59.5 Now to make and keep the heart soft and tender the consideration of Christs dolorous passion must needs be of singular use and efficacy as the sight of Câ—sars bloody robes brought forth greatly affected the people of Rome and edged them to revenge The
kind of people Before they pray men should see whether they are persons fit to pray for God accepts not of a good motion from an ill mouth Jer. 11.10 11. Joh. 9.31 1 Joh. 3.22 Psal 66.16 A wicked man wants contrition humility faith hope feeling fervency he hath not a spirit of grace and supplication to endite his prayers he hath not an Intercessour in heaven to present and perfume his prayers The breath wherein our prayers ascend should be like pillars of smoke perfumed with Christs myrrhe and incense Otherwise our words will be like the Egyptian pots recking out the strong smelling onions and garlick of our own corruption such as God can take no pleasure in neither will he accept such an offering at our hands Verse 11. For from the rising of the sun c. where as they might object If you will not have service from us you can have none at all for other people walk every one in the name of his God Mic. 4.5 and the Gentiles have their vanities and doctrines of vanities Ier. 14.22 and 10.8 wherewith they are wholy taken up Take you no care for that saith God here for from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles I will provide for mine own great Name that is for my glory for so Gods Name is used in that sense Exod. 9.16 Psal 8.1 I will be no loser by your rejection for I have other people that will more reverence me and do me better service so that I need not be beholding to you I have from East to West those that will make hard shift but I shall have service done me I can set a signe and send to Tarshish Pul and Lud c. that have not heard my fame neither have seen my glory Isa 66.19 20. and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all nations upon horses and in charrets and in litters c. that though sick weakly and unfft for travell yet they shall come on end and rather in litters then not at all they shall be content to suffer any hardship for heaven as the stone will fall down to come to it 's own center though it break it self in an hundred peeces The Gentiles once converted shall fly as a cloud Isa 60.8 that is with greatest pernicity and swistnesse yea they shall in such flocks come to the Church as if a whole flight of doves driven by some hawk or tempest should scour into the columbary and rush into the windowes There are that have observed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus Dieu Gott c. that the name of God in all the maternall languages confisteth of foure letters to intimate that he hath his people in all the foure quarters of the earth out of all countries nations and languages Deut. 6.4 Heare O Israeh The Lord our God is one Lord. In the Original the last letter of the word Heare is greater then the rest as calling for all possible heed and attention So likewise is the last letter in the word One which being Daleth and standing usually for Four as a numerall letter signifieth say the Hebrew-Doctours that this One God shall be worshipped in all the four corners of the earth This Cyprian hath also gathered from the Greek letters of the name Adam A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 M 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which do severally signifie the four quarters of the world East West North and South to teach that Christ the second Adam will fetch his people from all parts and hath therefore built his Church his new Ierusalem four-squar Rev. 21.16 and placed on the East three gates on the North three gates on the South three gates and on the West three gates ver 13. that all from all parts may have free and open accesse unto him Babylon was in like manner built four square as Heredotus testifieth Lib. 1. and Constantinople is so scituate betwixt Europe and Asia as if it were fatally founded to command both This is much more true of Vranople the city of the great King Turk hist. 1153. open to all commers as the Aedilis or Chamberlains house in Rome was O thou that hearest prayers to thee shall all flesh come saith the Psalmist come with a courage Psal 65.2 sith they are sure as of accesse so of successe in all their suites thorough Christ the Mediatour who hath made both one Eph. 2.14 and hath broken down the middle-wall of partition between Iews and Gentiles This the perverse Jews could never abide to heare of nor can they to this day And therehence is it that they have in their expositions basely depraved this text and corrupted the true sense of it as is to be seen in the Chaldee Paraphrast and David Kimchi calling us still Goi Mamzer bastard Gentiles and cursing us in their daily prayers which are not sure that pure offering mentioned in this verse and interpreted by them of the prayers of the holy Jews every where disperst The rejection of the Jews and acception of the Gentiles into grace and favour is a hidden mystery such as maketh the Apostle of the Gentiles cry out O the depth 1 Rom. 11.23 yea it is a part of that great mystery of Godlinesse 1 Tim. 3.16 that God manifested in the flesh should be preached unto the Gentiles and beleeved on in the world Let us pitty the poor hardened Jews and pray the rending of the vail that is yet spread over them that the rebuke of Gods people may be taken away from off all the earth Isa 25.7 8. Let us also praise God who hath made us Gentiles meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1.12 And take heed that we sin not away our light and cause God to take his kingdome from us giving it to a nation that will bring him better fruit Mat. 21.43 we have a fair warning given us by the example of the Jews Rom. 11. Seest thou another shipwrack look to thy tackling from the rising of the sun from the East of Judaea the sun of Christs Gospel passed by the south of Greece to the West of the Latine Church and these Islands of ours that lye in the Sea Vide Scapul in Them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into which the Sun is said to go down or to lye down as in its tabernacle of rest which is an expression of the old Greek Poets and the Originall word here used agreeth to it All the danger is lest the Gospell in this it 's Solar motion be travelling for the West of that other world the American parts and quitting it's present places of residence and unworthy possessours And then sarewell England Oh let us pray that that dismall day may never arise wherein it shall be said that the glory is
rebels 5 He is thy God in covenant with thee and will accept of pence for pounds desires for deeds sincerity for perfection 6 Thou hast fallen by thine iniquity and yet wilt fall further and never rise again as Am. 8.14 if thou stop not step not back by repentance and stir up thy self to take hold of God Verse 2. Take with you words and turn to the Lord Confesse your sins beg pardon and promise amendment Sue to God to give you those words that he bids you Take go to him in his own words put his promises in suit crave the help of his holy Spirit without which what can we do Rom. 8.26 Say to God as Job 37.19 Teach us what we shall say unto thee for we cannot order our words by reason of darknesse David promiseth not onely to pray but to marshall up his prayers to put them in good array so the word signifieth Psal 5.3 In the morning will I direct my prayer order it in the best manner his words should be nec lecta nec neglecta neither curious nor carelesse but such as are humble earnest and direct to the point avoiding vain babblings Here 's a form prescribed in the Text forms of prayer therefore are not so unlawfull as some conceive them words put into their mouthes as the phrase is 2 Sam. 14.3 that they might not misse Men must as well look to their words as to their feet when they come before God and see that their affections in prayer be not without answerable expressions Take with you such words as may testifie that ye turn heartily to the Lord and not from the teeth outward as they in the Psalmist Psal 78.36 37. Turn before ye begin to pray for God heareth not sinners sith their incense smels of the hand that offereth it Esay 1. Say unto him Mentally and vocally with spirit and speech True it is that prayer is not the labour of the lips but the travell of the heart and God hath promised to answer his people before they call Esay 65.24 By calling upon his Name we neither inform him of what he knoweth not nor move him to shew us more mercy then he intendeth But yet prayers are necessary as means which God will have used that we may receive what he of free mercy giveth Besides it prepareth us holily to enjoy the things received and makes us ready either to wait for them or to want them and to be content that he may be glorified though we be not gratified And although God knoweth our thoughts and understands the mind of the spirit as being the searcher of hearts Rom. 8.27 yet he calls for the calves of our lips the service of our tongues Jam. 3.9 guiding them now and then in a wonderfull manner farre beyond all naturall apprehension and strangely enabling his praying servants who do also finde no small benefit by this practise of pouring out their hearts before him both for the preventing of distractions and kindling affections and discerning their profiting in holy disires for the more worthy effect followeth where more fervent affection went before Take away all iniquity Few words but full of matter O quam multa quam paucis What a short but pithy prayer is this Such was that of the Publican Gic. de Bruti epistola Luke 18.13 that of our Saviour in his agony when yet he is said to pray more fervently that also which he taught us to pray Mat. 6.7 8 c. set in flat opposition to Paganish battologies This in the Text is not much unlike that perfect pattern for here they are taught to beg Vt auferantur sua maleficia conferantur Dei beneficia Take away all evil and give good and then to restipulate thanks So will we render c. Take away from us as an unsupportable burden such as we cannot stand under All iniquity stain and sting crime and curse power and punishment that there be no after reckonings crosse out the black lines of our sinnes with the red lines of thy Sons blood that Lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world by this Merit and Spirit by his Value and Vertue that true scape-goat Joh. 1.29 Heb. 9.28 that carrieth the sins of his people into the wildernesse and receive us graciously Heb. Receive good that is as some interpret it Accept out of thy fatherly favour the true witnesses and effects of our thorow conversion But better they that thus sence it Take good to wit to bestow upon us as Psal 68.19 with Ephes 4.8 And it is not improbable saith a Reverend Writer that the Prophet here secretly leadeth us to Christ the Mediatour who first receiveth gifts from his Father and then poureth them forth upon his Church Act. 2.23 D. Reyn. in loc So will we render the calves of our lips Thy benefits shall not be cast away upon unthankfull persons but we will present unto thee a sacrifice that will please thee better then an oxe or bullock that hath horns and hoofs Psal 69.31 This cannot be done but by a sound Convert for the Lepers lips must be covered according to the Law and the sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord. To the wicked God saith What hast thou to do to take my Name into thy mouth c. hee liketh not a good motion from an ill mouth as that State in the Story The lip of excellency becommeth not a fool Prov. 17.7 no more then lying doth a worthy man that is renowned for his wisdom It well becommeth the Saints to be thankfull to cover Gods Altar with the calves of their lips This expression implieth saith One That Gods people should not offer their thankfulnesse to God of that which cost them nothing but bring 1. A calf do something to further Gods worship or relieve the necessities of others 2. It must be a dead calf that is it must proceed from humble and mortified mindes 3. A sacrificed calf where is required 1 An Altar our praises must be tendred in the mediation of Christ 2 Fire for the bare throwing out of words though in the name of Christ will not serve without feeling ardency and zeal 3 We must lay our hands on the head of the calf that is in all humility confesse our unworthinesse of the blessings we give thanks for as being lesse then the least Gen. 32.10 Verse 3. Ashur shall not save us c. q. d. He cannot if he would he shall not if he could The two great sinnes of this people were Creature-confidence and Idolatry both these they do here abrenounce and abandon The best repentance saith Luther is a reformed life It is true say they we have gone to the Assyrian wherein we have dealt as the silly bird flying to the snare or as fishes which to avoyd the powle wherewith the water is troubled swim into the net We have taken our horses instead of our prayers and gone about to finde out good We have
holy violence as Tertullian saith the good people of his time did The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much but then it must be the working stirring labourfull prayer as the word signifieth that strives and struggles and straines every veine in the heart as Elias seemed to do by that posture in prayer of putting his head betwixt his leggs 1 King 18.42 that sets awork all the faculties of the soule and all the graces of the spirit that stirrs up dust as Jacob did maketh a man sweat as our Saviour who being in an agonie prayed the more earnestly Luk. 22.44 not without strong crying and teares and was heard in that he feared Heb. 5.7 For such a prayer when a man cryes to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mightily or with all his strength 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it availeth much it can do any thing as Paul using the same words saith I can do all things through Christ who streng theneth me Philip. 4.13 Yea let them turn every one from his evill way c. For else Prayer profits not Humiliation is to no purpose without Reformation Repentance for sin without repentance from sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there must be fruits meet for repentance answerable to amendment of life tantamount as repentance and that weigh just as much as it for Optima aptissima poenitentia est nova vita saith Luther the best and truest repentance is a new life and if gods people will humble themselves and pray and seek his face and withall turn from their evill wayes then he will do much for them 2 Chron. 7.14 and from the violence that is in their hands Heb. In the hollow of their hands where it lay hid as it were but not from God who here bids them turn from their wrong-dealing and rapacity This was their speciall sin ut in magnis imperijs emporiis magnae sunt rapinae therefore are they charged to relinquish it It is a speech saith Mercer like to that of our Saviour Go tell my Disciples and Peter c. Tell them all but be sure you tell Peter So here turn from all your evill wayes but especially from the violence that is in your hands See Es 59.6 Ezech. 23.27 Psal 7.4 The Hebrewes understand this text of restitution to be made of evill-gotten goods or wrongfully deteined from the right owners This say they must be done or the party can be no more renewed by repentance then a man could be legally purified by the washing of water when he continued to hold in his hand an unclean thing That of Austin is well known The sin is not remitted till that which hath bin ill-gotten from another be restored And that of Father Latimer Non remittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum Aug. Restore or else you will cough in hell and the Devils will laugh at you Gravell in the kidneys will not grate so upon you as a little guiltinesse in this kind will do upon your consciences The same Latimer tells us in a sermon of his afore K. Edw 6. that the first day that he preached about Restitution there came one and gave him twenty pounds to restore the next time another and brought him in thirty pounds another time another gave him two hundred pounds ten shillings The Law for restitution see Num. 5.6 7. the party must not only confesse but restore or he is not a true convert And this will well appeare when death comes to draw the curtaine and looke in upon a man Hence our Henry the 7. in his last will and testament after the disposition of his soul and body Speed 995. Turk hist fol. 767. he willed restitution should be made of all such monies as had unjustly been levied by his officers And the like we read of Selymus the grand Signiour in the Turkish history Verse 9. Who can tell if God will turn and repent This is the speech of one that doubteth and yet despaireth not like that of David praying for his sick child Who can tell whether God will be gratious to me that the child may live 2 Sam. 12.22 We are staggering saith Saint Paul but not wholy sticking 2 Cor. 4.8 They that go down to the pit of despaire as well as of the grave Es 38.18 cannot hope for thy truth but are hurried headlong into hell as the Gergesites swine were into the sea The Prophet Jonah was peremptory that by such a day Niniveh should be destroyed These men therefore had good reason to doubt if not of the pardon of their sins yet of the saving of their city All their hope is that this that Jonah denounced was not Gods absolute decree but onely his threatening and that conditionall too viz. except they repented This if they could do and heartily they knew not but that mercy might be yet had Keep hope in heart or the work will go on heavily Psal 43. ult Hope is the daughter of Faith but such as is a staff to her aged mother See the Note on Ioel. 2.14 Of God repenting I have spoken elsewhere Verse 10. And God saw their works i. e. He noted and noticed them to others Or he saw them that is he approved of them Videre Dei est approbare Let God but see Repentance as a rainbow appearing in our hearts and lives and he will never drown us in destruction But unlesse God sees turning he sees no work in a fast saith One upon this very Text. God may say to impenitent fasters saith Another as Isaac did to his father Behold the fire and wood but where is the lamb Or as Jacob did concerning Joseph Here 's the coat but where 's the child Get thee behind said Jehu to the messengers what hast thou to do with peace Confessions and humiliations are our messengers but if the heart be not broken if the life be not amended what peace The Talmudists note here that God is not said to have seen their sack-cloth and ashes but their repentance and works those fruits of their faith truth in the inward parts which God eyeth with singular delight Ier. 5.3 as the work of his own spirit Eph. 8.9 August Certum est nos facere quod facimus sed ille facit ut facimus and he is pleased to call his grace in us our works for our incouragement in well-doing and freely to crown it in us without any merit on our part That they turned from their evill way To which they were by nature and ill custome so wedded and wedged that they could never have been loosened but by an extraordinary touch from the hand of heaven The conversion of a sinner from the evill of his way is Gods own handy-work Jer. 31.18 2 Tim. 2.25 Ezech. 6.9 Plato went three times into Sicily to convert Dionysius the tyrant and could do no good on him Polemo of a drunkard by hearing Xenocrates is said to have become a Philosopher But what saith Ambrose to
grace as we say and as good at resisting the Holy Ghost as ever those Jews were that had a whores fore-head Jer. 3.3 sinews of iron and brows of brasse Esay 48.49 When neither fear of God nor shame of the world will rein men in what hope is there of such Illum ego periisse dico cui periit pudor saith an Heathen Curtius He is an undone man that knoweth no shame Prevent it in time for the modest beginnings of sinne at first will make way for immodest proceedings The thickest ice that will bear a cart beginneth with a thin trembling cover that will not a pibble Verse 6. I have cut off the nations And hang'd them up in gibbets as it were before your eyes for your admonition ut ruina majorum sit cautela minorum Greg. Mor. that their destruction might be your instruction that seeing your neighbours house on fire you might look to you own that observing other to suffer ship-wrack you might see to yor tackling This is the use God expects we should make of his judgements upon others Luke 13.3 5. and 17.26 29. Matt. 12.13 41.42 1 Cor. 10.1 2 c. and surely he deâ—erveth to be made an example that will not take example by others their towers are desolate Or their corners sc of their munitions whereon towers were set Or their extremities q. d. I have over-turned them from one end to another Drusius and Ribera interpreteth it of their Princes See the Note on chap. 1.16 I made their streets wast c. See chap. 2. vers 5 6 14 15. To the end that when my judgements were thus on the earth the inhabitants of the world but especially of the Church might learn righteousnesse Esay 26.9 that the righteous seeing the vengeance might wash his feet in the blood of the wicked Psal 59.10 taking warning by his harmes Observe here by the way what great account God makes of his people sith for their instance and instruction hee thus wasteth the wicked like as the Persian kings when their sonnes had committed a fault made their servants to be beaten before them Verse 7. I said surely thou wilt fear me As in a schoole when one boy is whipt the rest tremble and as in the Common-wealth poena ad paucos metus ad omnes so it should be in the Church Other mens woes should be our warnings others sufferings our sermons others lashes our lessons Gods house of correction a school of instruction where we should hear and fear and do no more so Deut. 17.13 He that trembleth not in hearing shall be crusht to piece in feeling said that Martyr and receive instruction This I promised my self of thee but am disappointed Jer. 5.3 See verse 2. thou art therefore ripe for destruction So their dwelling should not be cut off They should have redeemed their sorrows and saved their citie And this God speaks to others as weary of speaking any longer to them to so little purpose but they rose early and corrupted c. Manicabant they made hast that no time might be lost the wofully wasted that best part of the day the morning which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 furthereth every businesse in corrupting their practises doing evil as they could Once saith a Reverend man Peters argument was more then probable These men are not drunk for it is but the third hour of the day Drunk cup. by D. Harris Now men are growen such husbands as that by that time they will return their stocks and have their brains crowing before day Verse 8. Therefore wait ye upon me saith the Lord c. Stand forth and hear your doom which that ye may know that I do not precipitate or rashly passe upon you Wait ye upon me c. and yet that ye may not presume upon my patience know that there is a day set a determination setled for your full payment Nostra Deus sub it is non damnat crimina pocnis Compensat long as sed gravitate moras to gather the nations To put them up as it were sheep into a pound for slaughter See more of this Jer. 25. to pour upon them mine indignation Here 's mention made of Gods prey of his indignation fierce anger fire of jealousie against nations and kingdomes the better to perswade people to that which they are so hardly drawn to beleeve viz. that God is not made all of mercy but though fury be not in him to speak properly Isay 27.4 Exod. 34.7 Yet that he will not by any means Clear the guilty but punish them severely taking vengeance of their inventions Psal 99.8 Verse 9. For then will I turn to the people a pure language Then when my sword hath rid circuit Eccles 14.17 and bin bathed in the blood of all nations for their many and mighty sinnes I will turn to the people I will turn mine hand upon the little ones mine elect that remnant reserved for royal use These I will bring not into the fire onely but through it and will refine them as silver is refined c. Zach. 13.7 9. so that their tongue shall be as choice silver Pro. 10.20 their lip shall be a pure lip at it is here a lip of excellency Prov. 17.7 so that they shall scatter pearls Mat. 7.6 throw abroad treasure Mat. 12.35 even apples of Gold in shrnes of silver Prov. 25.11 1 Joh. 3.3 they shall purifie themselves as God is pure Old things shall be past with them all things shall become new new constitution new communication new conversation Look how the Conquerour sought to bring the French tongue into England commanding it to be taught in schooles spoke in courts c. so doth the Lord Christ wo rideth about the world upon his white horses the Apostles and other Ministers conquering and to conquer Rev. 6.2 where-ever he prevails hee turneth to such a pure language even the language of Canaan not the Hebrew tongue as R. Abraham senses this text which all nations shall speak saith he in the kingdome of Christ what they doe in heaven I have not to say some are confident but words of grace Col. 4.6 words of truth and sobernesse Act. 26.25 right words Job 6.2 spiritual speeches Ephes 4.29 Scripture language 1 Pet. 4.11 That they may call upon the name of the Lord As all Gods people doe 't is their character 1 Cor. 1.2 he hath no dumb children they no sooner breath but pray Act. 9.11 for prayers is the breath of the spirit Rom. 8.26 and the fruit of faith hence it is called the prayer of faith and under the phrase of calling upon the name of the Lord here is meant beleeving in his name and reposing upon Christ for safety here and salvation hereafter To seâ—ve him with one consent Heb. with one shoulder that is unanimously and with conjoyned endeavours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A metaphor from oxen yoked setting their shoulders together to the work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Aarons rod better then the rest that it alone should bud and the rest lye dry by it n Num. 17.8 every name was alike written in their rod there is nâ— difference in the letters nor in the wood it is Gods choise that made the distinction So what was the floore of a Jebusite to the Lord above all other soâ—les to build an Altar on after the raging plague in Davids time o 2 Sam 24.18 As in places so in persons God maketh men to differ p 1 Cor. 4.7 and that is ever worthiest that he pleaseth to accept Araunah a Jebusite by nature but made a Proselyte by grace giveth his freehold as a King to the King q 2 Sa. 24.23 This deed of his or rather this work of Gods free grace is long after remembred by the prophet as some not improbably interpret him Ekron shall be as the Iebusite r Zach. 9.7 That is say they the barbarous people of Palestina shall be as the famous Araunah by kindred indeed a Jeâ—usire but by Gods gracious acceptation and adoption an Israelite Like as elsewhere Jether that was by his country and Ismaelite Å¿ 1 Chro. 7.17 is for his faith and religion called an Israelite t 2 Sam. 17.25 So then to summ up this reason albeit by nature that 's never a better of us but all are in the same hatefull and wofull condition all cut out of the same cloth as it were the sheers only going between Yet when grace once comes and sets a difference when that divine nature u 2 Pet. 1.4 as St. Peter calleth it is transfused into a man and he begins to be like unto God in some truth of resemblance the Lord cannot chuse but love and delight in his own image where ever he meets with it Now the persons of such being once in acceptation through Christ Gods beloved one x Eph. 1 6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their sacrifices cannot but be well accepted also Thus the Lord had respect to Abel and his offering to Noah and his burnt-sacrifice to Abraham and his intercession for Sodom to Iobs request for his friends to Davids for his people to Pauls for those in the ship Will you know a reason Abel was a righteous person y Heb. 11.4 Noah his favourite z Gen. 6.8 Abraham his friend Iob his servant a Iob 1.8 David his corculum b 1 Sam. 13 14 or darling Paul his elect vessell c Act. 9.15 Hence their high acceptance in the court of heaven and hence that singular delight and complacency that God took in their services For though the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord yet the prayer of the upright is his delight d Prov. 15.8 Psal 4.3 The blood of a swine is as well coloured and as fair to see to as the blood of a sheep but the former was an abhomination to the Almighty and present death to the party that brought it when the later might with good leave and liking be powred about his Altar and the sacrificer depart with the publican justified and accepted And that 's the second thing we were speaking to respecting the services of Gods people in all which there is something of Gods and something of their own This later God graciously overlooks taking notice only of his own part in that we do and hence our acceptance If this be not plain enough take it thus The Lord leadeth his people by his spirit into good works by governing the habits of grace infused and producing therehence acts of grace which though mixed with corruption as from us for who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean e Iob 14.4 Denominatio fit à potiori saith Iob Yet are they good before God who winks at the imperfections and have a true goodnesse in them being therefore denominated and called from the better part good works f 2 Tim. 2.21 good fruites g Mat. 12.33 fruits of the Spirit h Gal. 5.22 who exerciseth our faith hope love zeal fear of God humility and other graces in producing them Whence it is that passing by infirmities in the manner God looks upon all our religious performances as fruits of the vine i Esay 5.4 whereupon he is pleased to feed heartily the Church her self as knowing like another Rebeccah such savoury meat as he best loved inviting him thereunto Let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits k Cant. 4. ult which accordingly he did as followeth in the next chapter l Cant. 5.1 SECT IIII. Vse 1. It s otherwise with the wicked Their persons are hated their performances rejected and why FOr Use of this point God gives diligent heed to Use 1 and takes great pleasure in the religious performances of his faithfull people this as it must needs be marvelous comfortable to the saints so it cannot but be exceeding terrible to the wicked and unregenerate with whom alass it is farr otherwise if they mark it For they are all Cursed with a curse even with Cains curse the Lord had no respect to his sacrifice m Gen. 4.5 with Sauls curse whom the Lord would not answer neither by dreames nor by Urim nor by prophets n 1 Sam. 28.6 with Moabs curse he shall come to his Sanctuary to pray saith the Prophet but shall not prevail o Isa 16.12 with the curse of Davids enemies who cryed out but there was none to save them Yea to the Lord but he answered them not p Psal 18.41 Or if he do hear them as he did sometime that Non-such Ahab q 1 Kin. 21.29 nay the devill himself r Matt. 8 32 yet it is for no other end then that he may come upon them the more justly and consume them after he hath done them good Å¿ Iosh 24.20 their preservation is no better then a reservation to some further mischief But usually the Lord frownes upon such and turnes the deaf ear unto them and worthily for these three causes among many First they cannot present him with any service truly good and acceptable so long as they are out of Christ t Heb. 11.6 All their actions naturall civill recreative religious are abhomination Not the plowing u Prov. 21 4 onely but the prayer of the wicked is sinne x Prov. 15 8 saith Solomon Pray they cannot indeed to speak properly because they want the spirit of prayer that spirit of grace and of deprecation y Zach. 22.10 Say they may with those many in the Psalm Who will shew us any good but pray they cannot as there Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us z Psal 4.5 Wish they may with Balaam the Soothsayer O let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end bee like unto his a Num. 23.10 But 't is a David onely that can pray in
answer to some Queries and Objections made by a misgiving heart SEcondly you that are possest of this priviledge to be ever at Gods elbow as his favourites and to have the royalty of the kings ear as you must admire at this mercy so labour and learn in the next place how to retain and keep your selves in this love of God e Jude 21. as Saint Jude exhorteth And that is done by keeping close and constant communion with this God All-sufficient walking before him continually as Abraham and being upright f Gen. 17.1 The Lord is with you saith that Prophet in the Chronicles while ye be wiâ—h him g 2 Chro. 15 2 He is with you in mercy so long as ye are with him in duty If ye seâ—k him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you The Lord is not so fond of his own children but if they forget him he may and sometimes doth forsake them in part h Psal 119.8 without breach of covenant If they prove unconstant and start aside from their station he can quickly and doth otherwhiles withdraw his grace to their thinking and the powerfull operation thereof in very deed for a time at least as in David relapsed and for a while deserted i Psal 51.11 12 He also seemes to frown upon their suites and shuts out their prayersifight against them with his own hand meets them as the angell did Balaam with a maked sword in his hand as if he meant to dispatch them out of hand and send them packing to hell Thus it fared sometime with David I thought upon God saithhe and was troubled k Psal 77.3 with Ethan thou compassest me about with terrours l Psal 88.16 17 with Jeremy I shout and he shuts out my prayer m Lam. 3.8 God turnes his back upon his Absoloms his Josephs when they grow proud presumptuous secure slothfull nay he turnes them into Bedlam when he findes them frantick and to all other their afflictions addes this that he will not once come at them call they never so long never so loud after him At such a time he seemes to have lesse good remembrance of his deare children then the Ostrich of her egges which she leaes loose in the sand n Job 39.14 15 or than the sea-monster of her young which resuseth not though cruell enough o draw forth her brests unto them o Lam. 3.3 He puts his Sion sometimes to that sorrowfull complaint the Lord hath forsaken me my Lord hath orgotten me p Esay 49.14 yea to that desperate conclusion of the church in the Lamentations First she prayes Turne thou us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned renew our dayes as of old But as if she had lst her labour in such a bootelesse suit she subjoynes this for a perclose of all But thou hast utterly rejected us thou art very wroth with us q Lam. 5.21 22. Now in such a pittifull strait in such a forelorne condition as this what can a poor soule do for the regayning of his God more then 1. make mone 2 make out in the use of the meanes and then 3. wait his return with patience First you must bewaile the want of Gods gratious presence and acceptance make like moane as Rouben for Ioseph r Gen. 37.30 Heu quid agam perijt puer ille puer puer ille as David for his Absolom Å¿ 2 Sam. 18.33 as Rachel for her children t Jer. 31.15 Sing no new song u Psal 137.4 till thou hast recovered him Do in this case of spirituall desertion as Mephibosheth in the absence and exile of his Soveraigne he neither dressed his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes from the day the King departed untill the day he came againe in peace x 2 Sam. 19.24 Secondly set up a loud cry after him as Iacob after his Ioseph Elish a after Eliah Micah after his lost gods y Judg. 18.24 Say i th Absolom when out of savour Let me see the Kings face and if there be iniquity in me let me die z 2 Sam. 14.32 Returne O Lord How long and let it repent thee concerning thy servant a Psal 6.4 90.13 I had rather be thy door-keeper then of Sathans privie-chamber O Lord other lords besides thee have had dominion over vs but by thee only will we make mention of thy Name b Esay 26.13 Encline thine eares O Lord and hear open tine eyes O Lord and see c Esay 37.17 O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and do defer not for thine own sake O my God d Dan. 9 19 c. And then thirdly if God please to hold off longer refuse not to wait his leisure sustayning your selves in the meane with those two cordiall places who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his servant though he walketh in darknesse and have no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God e Esay 50.10 Again sine the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the eare neither hath the eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him f Esay 64.4 In which waiting estate shouldst thou be taken away by death which seldome falles out saith one if thy heart be still set against sin and linger after the light of Gods countenance thou shalt be certainly saved because the spirit of truth faith blessed are all they that wait for him g Esay 30.18 Thirdly let such as have part and portion in this glorious priviledge of having open accesse and all assured acceptance with the most high in all their holy performances learn to improve this happy opportunitie by apprehending and making all best use of it for their everlasting advantage Is any among you afflicted saith St. Iames Let him pray Is any merry Let him sing plalmes h Jam. 5.13 Feare we any evill want we any good In nothing be carefull but in all things by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God i Phil. 1.6 Note that he bids us come with supplication and thanksgiving at once as intimating that we need not once doubt of good speed but have our thanks ready in our hand as sure of a gratious answer to our prayers After which the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall guard your hearts set them in as much safety as if they were in a tower of brasse or town of war Thus Esther after she had been with God took boldnesse to go to the king uncalled for without fear of death k Est 4.16 And thus our Saviour though at first afraid yet when he had conferred with his father by prayer arise let us go saih he behold he is at hand that betrayes me l Math 26.46 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
the people by their new Lords new Lawes there is none among them that calleth unto me though in so great a confusion and under so heavy calamities a strange stupor that there should be none to set to his shoulder to shore up the falling State None there were to speak of in a considerable number of praying people to stand in the gap and to divert the divine displeasure Their sins cried loud for vengeance their blood-guiltinesse especially But had there been but a few voyces more of praying Saints their prayers had haply out-cried them A few birds of song are shriller then many crocitating birds of prey stirre up your selves therefore ye that are Gods remembrancers to take hold of him and give him no rest Lie night and day at the gate of his grace knocking thereat by the hand of faith and praying for the peace of our Jerusalem If Englands fears were greater thy prayers might preserve it Jer. 5.1 as if our hopes were greater thy sin and security might undo it Eccles 9.18 Vers 9. Ephraim he hath mixed himself among the people viz. In confederacies marriages manners superstitions They were conformed to those nations from whom God had separated them with a wonderful separation Exod. 33.16 and put them up by themselves from all the world in the promised land as it were in an Island Isay 20.6 And this they had done not once but often as the conjugation importeth and that wilfully without any necessity yea and that constantly and of custome or desperate obstinacy Heb. he will mingle himself so that there was little difference to be discerned betwixt Ephraim the professed people of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and profane heathens Hence that Amos. 9.7 Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me O children of Israel saith the Lord Hence Saul is called Cush or an Ethiopian for his black and ill conditions Psal 7. title as the Chaldee interpreteth it Cast we may be upon bad company but we must not mingle with them The rivers of Peru after they have run into the mam sea yea some write twenty or thirty miles they keep themselves unmixt with the salt water so that a very great way within the sea men may take up as fresh water as if they were neer the land At Belgradi in Hungary where the Danuby and Sava two great rivers meet Abbats Geog. 331. their waters mingle no more then water and oyl not that either flote above other but joyn unmixed so that neer the middle of the river I have gone in a boat Sir Henry Blounts voyage into Levant p. 10. saith mine Authour and tasted of the Danow as clear and pure as a well Then putting mine hand not an inch further I have taken of the Sava as troubled as a street-channel tasting the gravel in my teeth Thus they run sixty miles together and for a dayes journey I have been an eye-witnesse of it To come nearer home the river Dee in Merionith-shire running thorough Pimbli-meeri remaines intire Camden and mingleth not her streams with the water of the lake Let not Ephraim mix himself among the people but cry with David Gather not my soul with sinners Psal 26.9 and vers 5. I have hated the congregation of evil-doers and will not sit with the wicked Ephraim is a cake not turned And so but half-baked or dow-baked neque crudus neque coctus neither hot nor cold as Laodicea Rev. 3.15 halting between two as 1 Kin. 18.21 Mongrels as those 2 King 17.33 Zeph. 1.5 Barnacles that are neither fish nor flesh Amphibians that will conform to the world and yet seem to be for the Lord. But he likes no such retainers no such holy-day-servants he requireth to be served truly that there be no halting and totally that there be no halving he cannot away with dow-baked duties Men must be fervent in spirit serving the Lord they must be zealous of good works if they look to be accepted Rom. 12.11 Tit. 2. The effectual fervent prayer or the thorough-wrought prayer of a righteous man availeth much A cake that is half-baked half burnt pleaseth not the palate no more do customary formal bedulling performances please the Lord. It is Gualthers note upon this text Jam. 5.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a cake saith he that is raw on the one side and scorcht on the other is cast away so Hypocrites that are hot in their superstitions but cold in their devotions are rejected of God Introrsum turpes speciosi pelle decorâ I know the words are otherwise interpreted by Luther Mercer Polanus and others with reference to the following words thus that Ephraims adversaries even those strangers with whom he hath mixed himself shall be so greedy to devour him that they shall not stay till he be baked on both sides but shall eat him raw But I like the former better Vers 9. Strangers have devoured his strength and he knoweth it not Strange stupidity such as was that of Sampson who had lost his haire and therewith his strength and wist not of it These strangers were the Kings of Syria but especially of Assyria See 2 King 13.7 Chap. 14. with 15.19 30. 17.6 Salmanasar as a deep gulf swallowed them up whole Now that they should not know how these strangers had devoured their strength that is their wealth and warlike power this was very strange The Chaldee Paraphrast helps us to the meaning of it Non novit formidare à facie mea He knew it not that is He knew not how to fear before me to tremble at my judgements and to flee to my mercies this he knew not that is he cared not to do as the old world knew not till the flood came though fairly forewarned Matt. 24.39 and as the Greeks would not know that the Turks had invaded their Empire till they were got into the very bowels of it So was it with Ephraim A spirit of pride and of slumber had so surprized and seized him that he took no knowledge of the enemies and evils that were upon him Thus the spirituall sleeper stirs not with Saul though the water-pot and spear be taken from his bolster Like the foolish hen which loseth her chickens one by one by the devouring kite when one or two or three are snatcht away she still continues to pick up what lies before her It is our wisest way to observe and improve Gods dealings with us to be sensible of his stroaks and to return to him that smote us and can as soon heal us if we come to him for cure Lev. 26.40 yea gray-hairs are here and there upon him Heb. sprinkled sparsi non spissi He began but to decline and decay as a man doth when he grows toward fifty And as gray hairs come the sooner through cares and griefs Histories tell us of a young man who being for some capitall offence condemned to die grew gray in one nights-space and was therefore pitied and
Majestie God as he surmounteth all creatures and hath no parallel so he surpasseth all notion and is above all name Plutarch lib. de Isâ—d Ofâ—id The Africanes call him Amon that is Heus tu quis et Our best eloquence of him â—â— an humble filence Or if we say any thing to say as in the next verse following Iehovah God of heasts Jehovah is his momoriall and prevailedâ— Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He had power or got the better Christ yeelding himself overdome by the prayers of the Patriarch for the effectuall servent prayer of a righteous man availeth much saith St. James there is a kinde of omnipotency in it saith Luther of whom also that saying passed amongst his friends Iste vir pot uit apud Deâ—â—s qnod volâ—it That man could do what he would with God The reason whereof is given by St. Hierom in these words Deus ipse qui nulliscontra se viribuâ—superari potest precibus viucitur that is God himself who is otherwise insuperable may be overcome by prayers provided that men persevere in prayer as Jacob did Invictum vincunt vota preâ—esque Deum holding out till the morning-light and growing more resolute toward the later end then he had been before He wept and made supplication Jacob did not the Angel as Mercer and Drusrus would carry it His wrestling was by weeping and his prevayling by praying Verbum preces lachryma Misera arma sunt Ecclesia We read not till this Text of his weeping for the blessing no more we do of the earthquake in Hezekiah's dayes till Amos 1. and Zach. 14. But this we know that ardent prayer is a pouring out of the soul to God not without a shower of tears or at least a storm of sighes And as musick upon the water sounds farther and more harmoniously then upon the land so prayers with tears are more pleasing to God and prevalent with him Christ could not but look back to those weeping women that followed him to the crosse and comfort them Tears of compassion and of compunction when men love and weep as Mary Magdalen did are very acceptable to God who puts them into his bottle as precious There are tears of another sort lachrimae nequitiae tears of wickednesse expressed either by hypocrisie or a desire of revenge such were Esau's tears for the blessing too Gen. 27.38 but he went without it because a profane hypocrite he cried out of discontent and threatened his brother Iacob he complained of his fathers store Hast thou but one blessing of his brothers subtilty was he not rightly called Iacob but not a word of his own wickednesse He roared for the disquietnesse of his heart but he did not as Iacob weep and make supplication to his Judge Hithchameâ— deploring his own wants and imploring the supplies of his grace quam unicè expetijt as the main thing he desired he found him in Bethel that is the Lord found Iacob there Gen. 28.18 but especially Gen. 35.14 confirming his promises to him and all his posterity there he spake with us who were then in Iacobs loyns and promised that God should be our God but we have falsified with him and turned Bethel into Bethaven abusing that place to idolatry and calf-worship where we in our forefathers had so many manifestations of divine mercy Oh better he had never spoken with us there then that we should have so slighted his promises cast his words behinde our backs and wickedly departed from our God Is this Iacob-like c. There hee spake with us What he spake with Iacob he spake with us and wee are to hold our selves no lesse concerned therein then he was See a like expression Psal 66.6 See likewise Râ—m 15.4 and Heb. 13.5 what God spake to Ioshua chap. 1.5 he spake to all Beleevers And that which he spake to his afflicted Psal 102. He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer that he spake to us for verse 18. This shall be written for the generations to â—ome The Hebrews have a proverb Quae patribus a ciderunt signum sunt filijs What things befell the fathers those were a signe to their children and thence it is that the deeds of the fathers are oft attributed to the children Let us labour to see our own names written upon every promise and secure our interest by searching for the conditions whereunto the promises are annexed and then put them in suit by faithfull prayer saying with David Remember thy word unto thy servant whereupon thou hast caused me to trust Verse 5. Even the Lord God of hosts Lo He it is who promised who spake with us at Bethel even that Jehovah who is himself unchangeable and Almighty whose promises are eternall and infallible who will perform with his hand what he hath spoken with his mouth to the thousandth generation of those that return unto him Concerning Gods name Jehovah see the Note on Mal. 3.6 Concerning his Title God of Hosts see the Notes on Mal. 3.17 Doct. 1. The Lord is his memoriall Jehovah is that nomen majestativum as Tertullian hath it that holy and reverend name of God whereby he will be known and remembred Psal 111. Exod. 3.19 which place doth notably illustrate this True it is that the Jews to countenance their conceit of the ineffability of this name Jehovah do corrupt that Text and for this is my name Legnalam for ever they read this is my name Legnalam to be concealed Where it is well observed by One how crosse the superstition of men is to the will of God They in a pretended reverence to God will not so much as mention this name because they say 't is a name that God so much glorieth in and yet the Text saith this name is Gods memoriall it is the name by which he would be remembred to all generations as that which setteth forth his glory more then any other Name whatsoever So that when we would have a holy memoriall of God and to remember Him Tam Dei meminisse opus est quam respirare Nazianzen is every whit as needfull as to draw breath saith an Ancient we need no Images or other unwarrantable helps the meditation of the Name Jehovah and the import of it will be of singular use that way Papists have their pictures and their memories as they call them Idolaters fain to themselves diverse representations and remembrances Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrances Esay 57.8 where Gods Law should have been written according to Deut. 6.9 11.12 and when as Gods Name should have been remembred Psal 135.13 and Psal 102.12 Verse 6. Therefore turn thou to thy God The premises considered Repent and so return to God from whom thou hast deeply revolted It is to thy God to whom thou art exhorted to turn not to a tyrant but to a God in covenant yea it is with thy God as the
for their dignity they are the Lords Ministers as likewise the good Angels are and their fellow-servants so according to their duty they must be first in holy exercises going in and out before Gods people in the perforâ—â—nce of their trust and that worthy work of theirs 1 Tim. 3.1 for the which 〈◊〉 are to be very highly esteemed in love 1 Thess 5.13 Let Ministers therefore pray hard for their people as did Aaron Samuel Paul c. Let their prayers at â—asts especially be well watered with teares those effectuall Oratours that cry to God for mercy Psal 39.12 as blood doth for vengeance Gen. 4.16 as theirs were Judg. 20.23 and Judges 2.5 and 1 Sam. 7.6 and as Ezra chap. 10.1 and â—remy chap. 9.1 and 13.17 and why but for corruption in Magistrates Ministers All sorts a generall defection drawing on a generall desolation Oh let Gods two faithfull witnesses be clothed in sack-cloth Rev. 11.3 teaching Gods people with many tears and temptations Act. 20.19 20 31. both publikely and from house to house yea not ceasing to warn them night and day with tears to redeem their own sorrows by sound repentance It is said of Athanasius that by his tears as by the bleeding of a chast Vine he cured the leprosie of that tainted Age. And of Luther that by his prayers and tears he had prevailed with God that Popery should not over-run his countrey Act. Mon. In vita Luth. during his dayes When I am dead said He let those pray that can pray Melancton his Colleague writeth that he constantly prayed with abundance of tears for he knew that as Musick upon the waters sounds farther and more harmoniously then upon the land so prayers joyn'd with tears finde much respect with Christ who could not but look back upon the weeping women and comfort them though he was then going to his death between the porch and the altar This was that void place where the Priests prayed after the sacrifices were offered Ezek. 8.16 As in man there is Body Soul and Spirit 1 Thess 5.23 so in the Temple at Jerusalem 1. between Solomons Porch Act. 3.11 and the Altar of burnt-offering was the outer great Court 2. Chron. 4.9 where the people met for preaching and prayer Next there was the second Court for the Priests onely and here was the Altar of incense Luke 1.9 10. Thirdly the most Holy place for the High-priest to enter once a year Num. 17.10 The first is here spoken of the outer Court where the priests might bee best heard to pray and seen to weep and the people might comport and say Amen the want whereof St. Paul counts no small losse 1 Cor. 14.16 and let them say Spare thy people O Lord c. Other exercises there were usually performed at publike fasts as Reading the Scriptures Jer. 36.5 27. expounding and preaching Neh. 8.4 8. examining censuring and punishing such sinnes as then most raigned Neh. 9.2 Ezr. 9.2 Josh 7. and 22. Binding themselves to God by a Covenant of better obedience Nehem. 10.18 29 30. Contributing to good uses Esay 58.7 and 2 Chron. 31.3 4. But the chief businesse and duty of the day was as here Prayer to God for pardon of sinne and removall of shame and other punishment whence also it was called A day of Atonement or Expiation Spare thy people O Lord c. Brevis oratio sed tota affectibus ardens saith Mercer A short prayer but very affectionate So are all Scripture-forms they have fulnesse of matter in fewnesse of words Quam multa quam paucis How much in a little as Tully said of Brutus his Laconicall Epistle See Numb 6.24 25 26. Hos 14.2 Luke 18.13 Matt. 6.9 10 c. which is both a prayer and a pattern as the standard is the exactest measure Why then should any man fall out with forms and call them idols odious as swines-flesh c Why should they say that the use of the Lords Prayer is the Note of a formalist Is not this to speak evil of good c. and give not thine heritage to reproach Suffer us not for our sinnes to be forced by famine to beg bread of our enemies the Ammonites and Moabites for that will reflect upon thee Lord and turn to thy dishonour as if thou hadst no care of thine heritage couldst not maintain thy servants See a like prayer to this Num. 14.11.12 16 17 c. and Deut. 9.26 27 28. and learn to deprecate shame and reproach as a fruit of sinne and a piece of the curse Deut. 28. Lev. 26. 1 Sam. 2.30 Beg of God 1. To keep thee from reproachfull courses such as may expose thee to the scandall of the weak and scorn of the wicked David is much in this petition 2. To hide thee in a pavilion from the strife of tongues Psal 31.20 either to preserve thee from aspersions or so to oil thy name that they may not stick 3 To give thee good repute and report among the best 'T was God gave Solomon honour and he promiseth it to all his as a reward of religion Prov. 22.4 that the heathen should rule over them It is an heavy hand of God upon his people when Pagans or Papagans have dominion over them Neh. 9.9 10 27 c. Psal 79.1 c. and 80.1 2 c. and 137.1 2 c. Lam. 1.2 4 5. They are bloody in their positions and dispositions See Rom. 1.31 their government is tyrannicall such as the Spaniards is over the poor Indians the Turks over Greece the Rebels over the English in Ireland c. The Saints also are 1. Consciencious and cannot yeeld to their unlawfull commands as the three children 2. Zealous and cannot but contest as Steven Paul at Athens the Martyrs 3. Friendlesse and destitute Matt. 10.16 as Paul afore Nero Christ afore Pilate forsaken of all Pray therefore as here and prevent such a mischief by shunning Ierusalems sinnes of ignorance ingratitude incorrigiblenesse formallity c. and by putting our necks under the yoke of Christs obedience observing from the heart that form of doctrine which he hath delivered unto us Rom. 6.17 wherefore should they say among the people Where is their God q. d. Why should they cast our religion in our dish why should they twit us with thy neglect of us why should thy name be blasphemed and thy power traduced as it were on a publike theatre This was that which most galled these good souls as it had oft done David before them that God with whom they quartered armes should be reproached for their sakes and thorow their sides and his glory defaced This was as a murthering-knife in Davids bones Psal 42.10 and worse to him then all the evill that he had suffered from his youth up Our nature is most impatient of reproach for there is none so mean but thinks himself worthy of some regard and a reproachfull scorne shewes an utter disrespect which flowes from the very superfluity of malice You
and pray alwayes saith our Saviour that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe and to stand before the Son of man Luke 21.36 with 25 Something God will yeeld to the prayers of his people when he seemeth most bitterly bent and unchangeably resolved against them Matth. 24.20 and when the tribulation is so great that it is not likely that any flesh shall be saved vers 21 22. Prayer saith One is the best lever at a dead lift provided that it be the prayer of faith for Mercy is the Mother Faith the Midwife of deliverances Hence it followeth for in mounth Zion and in Jerusalem where the pure word of God was preached Esay 2.3 and mens hearts purified by faith Acts 15.9 shall be deliverance from all evils and enemies Psalm 76.3 There brake he the arrows of the bowe the shield and the sword and the battle Selah There where In Salem in Zion verse 2. where Gods people were praying This Moab knew and therefore more feared a praying people then a numerous army Numb 22.3 This the Queen Mother of Scotland knew and therefore said that she feared-more the fasting and prayers of Iohn Knox and his disciples then an army of twenty thousand men Spec. bell sacri Let Gods suppliants but call upon him in the day of their trouble and he will deliver them that they may glorifie him Psal 50 15. He will deliver them yea and honour them with long life will he satisfie them and shew them his salvation Psalm 91.16 Holy Merlin Chaplain to the Admirall of France at the Parisian Massacre had the performance of this promise among many others For understanding the danger they were all in he prayed in the Admirals chamber and by his command a little before the Murtherers brake in and by a singular providence escaped into an Hay-mow Epitom hist Gullick where he lay hid for a fortnight and was miraculously fed by a hen that cam daily and laid an egge hard by him as the Lord hath said and Gods suppliants have stedfastly beleeved and do therefore put his promises in suit In the want of other Rhetorike let Christians in their prayers burden God with what he hath said sue him upon his own bond urge this with repetition Lord thou hast promised thou hast promised and they shall finde that he cannot deny himself and he can as soon deny himself as his promises His covenant he will not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of his lips Psal 89.34 and in the remnant whom God shall call Those holy brethren that shall partake of the heavenly calling to glory and vertue Heb. 3.1 whether they be Jewes or Gentiles Faithfull is he that calleth them who also will do it 1 Thess 5.24 And although they are but a remnant which is but a small to the whole piece an hand-full to an house-full a fold to a field a little little flock Luke 12.32 yet being the caled of Jesus Christ Rom. 1.6 and such as call upon him in truth they are not onely his called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but chosen and faithfull Revel 17.24 They are also heirs of that promise Mic. 5.7 which shall be fully made good to them that as for their propagation this remnant of Iacob shall be in the middest of many people as a dew from lehovah the dew is ingendred and distilled from the Lord immediatly so for their growth and increase they shall be as the showers upon the grasse as the sprouting up of grasse and herbs in the wildernesse that tarrieth not for man nor waiteth for the sonnes of men to come with watering-pots to nourish them as herbs in gardens do but these have showers from heaven that give the increase CHAP. III. Verse 1. FOr behold in those dayes and in that time In is diâ—bus illis ipsis in hoc tempore ipso In those very self-same dayes and in that self-same time sc In the time of the Messias in the dayes of the Gospel when God shall deliver Jerusalem and call the remnant of Gentiles and so bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem of the whole Jsrael of God preaching liberty to the captives Esay 61.1 and proclayming the everlasting Jubilee Joh. 8.36 In those happy dayes I say Jer. 23.5 6. Wo to the wicked enemies of the Church it shall go ill with them They are sure to be broken with a rod of iron to be dashed in pieces like a potters vessell Psal 2.9 dashed against Christ the King who as He is Pierum rupes a Rock of refuge to his people such as was that to Moses Exod. 33.22 Sic Val. Max de tribunali L. Cassij so He is Reorum scopulus a Rock of revenge to Persecutours to split them to pieces such a rock as that out of which fire arose Judg. 6.21 the fire of Gods jealousie Zach. 1.14 which burneth unto the lowest hell Deut. 32.22 Let them therefore have grace as the Apostle from this ground adviseth Heb. 12.28 29. Let them at least have so much wit for themselves as Pilats wife had in a dream to take heed of having any thing to do with just men Let them do as Tertullian counselled Scpula Si non nobis tibi si non tibi Carthaginiparcas God will reduce the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem which shall be as a cup of poyson to all the people round about as a burdensome stone as an harth of fire Zech. 12.2 3 6. See the Notes there Their destruction must needs go along with the Saints salvation Philip. 1.28 29. Esay 8.9 Prov. 11.8 The Jew-Doctours collect from this and other like places in the Prophets that when the Messias commeth he shall recollect the Jewes into the land of Canaan where they shall get the better of their enemies and have a most flourishing Common-wealth and glorious Church For this they daily expect the visible appearance of the Messias Buxtorf Synag Jud. cap. 13. Sanbed c. 11. oft throwing open their windowes to behold and crying altogether to God Let thy kingdom come let it come quickly even in our dayes quickly quickly quickly That he stayes so long is for our sins say they which are many See the Notes on Zach. 14.2 3. Verse 1. I will also gather all nations that are adverse to my Church that I may have my peniworths of them and do execution upon them with ease troubling those troublers of his Israel 2 Thess 1.6 licet videantur plures potiores as he dealt by Jehosaphats enemies 2 Chron. 20. and leaving them no more place to escape then those have who are environed in a valley by a potent enemy who hath gotten them into a pound as the proverb is And this God will do in the valley of Jehosaphat a valey saith Lyra Adrichomius and Montanus betwixt Jerusalem and Mount Olivet in the very view of the Church that the righteous may rejoyce when he seeth
Abels innocent blood had as many tongues as drops to crie to heaven against Cain Gen. 4.10 The voice of thy brothers bloods And 1 King 9.26 Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth Murder ever bleeds fresh in the eye of God and to him many years yea that eternity that is past is but yesterday Full well then did these men so earnestly deprecate the guilt of innocent blood which they knew would lie and light heavie and lay not upon us innocent blood Innocent as to us for hee hath done us no hurt but much good by his piety and patience whence it is that we are so loth to part with him after this sort especially for thou O Lord hast done as it pleaseth thee Thou hast appointed him to this death and now callest for him as we easily collect by the circumstances Sic quicquid superi voluere peractum est Ovid. Metamor l. 8. Verse 15. So they took up Jonah Not against his will but in a sort offering himself to condigne punishment The Marriners had tried all wayes to save him till they saw they must either destroy him or be destroyed with him So deal many with their beloved sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dixit Caligula which they are loth to mortifie they see they must either kill or be killed Rom. 8.13 either turn from them to God or burn for ever in hell Jonas his charity is exemplary who yeelded to perish alone rather then to have others perish with him and for him the Devil and his imps desire to draw company the same way with themselves and say as that wretch of old When I die may the earth be all fired and cast him forth into the Sea Thus dealeth God by his servant Ionah formerly faithfull in his office and able thereunto and therefore sent to Nineveh Behold the righteous shall be recompenced in the earth Prov. 11.31 here they are sure of their payment neither can all their good deeds bear out one prepensed wickednesse Ovid. Metam Nec horret iratum mare Horat. lib. epod or a lesser fault that lies unrepented of as were easie to instance in Moses Miriam David others And all this proceeds from love displeased and the Sea ceased from raging Heb. stood from its wrath or indignation Nec maris ira manet The Sea having found what it sought for and now possest of the prisoner it pursued resteth quiet and content Vide hic mare disce sapere saith One See the sea here and learn obedience to thy Creator sith winds waves and all are at his beck and check See Mat. 8.23 Ver. 16. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly Heb with a great feare They feared before ver 10. with a naturall feare but now they feared Jehovah they began to beare an awfull respect to the divine Majesty of whose power and goodnesse they were by this miracle clearely convinced and as it may seem to the true faith effectually converted For They offered a sacrifice to the Lord They sacrificed spirituall sacrifices presently that holocaust of themselves Rom. 12.1 that broken heart that lieth low and heareth all that God saith giving thanks to his name Heb. 13.15 and resolved to cover Gods altar at Jerusalem upon their safe arrivall as the Chaldee here paraphraseth and made vows That the true God should be their God as Iacob the father of vows promised Gen. 28.21 and that they would bestow cost on the Temple on the poor Saints to feed and cloath them as Isa 23.18 c. Verse 17. Now the Lord had prepared a great fish A whale Mat. 12.40 which is a great fish indeed Pliny tells of one taken that was six hundred foot in length and 360. in bredth Plin. lib. 32. cap. 1. when they swim and shew themselves above water annare insulas putes saith the same Authour you would think them to be so many Islands so many mountaines saith Another who also addeth Lib. 9. cap. 2. that when they grow old they grow to that bignesse and fatnesse that they keep long in a place Insomuch as ex collectis condensatis pulveribus frutices erumpere cernantur Sphinx Phili◠the dust and filth gathered upon their backs seemes to be an Island which whiles shipmen mistake and think to land at they incurr a great deale of danger Such a great fish God prepared Either at first when in creating of whales creavit vastitates stupores as One saith Or He now commanded this great fish to be ready to ship Jonas to the shore and to afford him an Oratory in themeane while and Jonah was in the belly of the fish where Interpreters note a concurrence of these foure miracles 1. That he was not there consumed but that the concoctive faculty of the fishes maw was so long time kept from doing its office 2. That he could in such a close prison breath and live without the common use of aire and light 3. That he was not killed up with intolerable stench in so lothsome a jakes 4. That he could there frame such an excellent prayer or rather song of thanksgiving For Jonah was the true Arion whom the Poets faine to have been a minstrell cast into the sea by the mariners and saved by a dolphin three dayes and three nights Part of them at least as Christ was in the grave Mat. 12.40 where in the history of Jonas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he descrieth the mystery of his own death buriall and resurrection teaching us thereby to search the scriptures to search them to the bottome as those that dig for gold content not themselves with the first or second oare that offers it self but search on till they have all The Rabbines have a saying Epist 3. ad Volusian that there is a mountaine of sense hangs upon every Apex of the word of God And so great is the depth of the holy scriptures saith Augustine that I could profit daily in the knowledge thereof though I should set my self to search them from my childhood to decrepit old age at best leisure with utmost study and a farr better wit c. CHAP. II. Verse 1. THen Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God i. e. Praised God with this Canticum eucharisticum this gratulatory song as Tremellius calleth it That he prayed in the ship in the sea in the whales belly we doubt not but that he chiefly intendeth to shew his thankfulnesse for the return of prayers and the sweet support he felt in the whales belly we do as little doubt See ver 2 6 7. yea that this was the substance though now better methodized of what he praied and praised in the bowels of the fish we have cause to beleeve from this very verse and therefore also his deliverance is set down ver 10. after his doxologie The word here rendred pray'd signifieth also sometimes to give thanks as 1 Sam 2.2 and who knowes not that thanksgiving is a speciall part
of prayer This therefore Jonah having prayed and perceiving that he was heard and by the goodnesse of God preserved safe in body and sound in mind he growes strong in faith Rom. 4. giving glory to God and being fully perswaded that he should yet walk before him againe in the land of the living out of the fishes belly where though he might seem buried alive and free among the dead yet he enjoyed Gods gracious presence and those strong consolations that made him live in the very mouth of death and say in effect as blessed Bradford did Act Mon. fol. 1476. I thank God more of this prison and of this dark dungeon then of any parlour yea then of any pleasure that ever I had For in it I find God my most sweet God alwayes Verse 2. And said I cried by reason of mine affliction His lips did not move in affliction like a creaking doore or a new cart-wheele with murmuring and mutinying against God and men Psal 73.9 he set not his mouth against heaven as the howling wolf when hunger-bit neither did his tongue walk through the earth cursing the day of his birth Lam. 3.29 and cutting deep into the sides of such as were meanes of his misery But putting his mouth in the dust if so bee there might be hope he cried by reason of his affliction The time of affliction is the time of supplication no time like that for granting of suites Zech. 13.9 Gods afflicted may have what they will of him then such are his fatherly compassions to his sick children he reserveth his best comforts for the worst times and then speaketh to the hearts of his people when he hath brought them into the wildernesse Hos 2.13 This Jonah experimented and therefore said I cried out of mine affliction unto the Lord. Ad Dominum asslicto de pectore suspirando And he heard me How else am I alive amidst so many deaths here 's a visible answer a reall return Oh blessed be God who hath not turned away my prayer nor his mercy from me Psal 66.20 Surely as the cloud which riseth out of the earth many times in them and insensible vapours falleth down in great and abundant showers so our prayers which ascend weak and narrow return with a full and enlarged answer This was but a pittifull poore prayer that Ionas here made as appeares ver 4. and so was that of David Psal 31.22 For I said in mine hast I am cut off from before thine eyes Neverthelesse thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee It would be wide with us if God should answer the best of us according to our prayers yea though well watered with teares sith Ipsae lacrymae sixt lacrymabiles c. we had need to weep over our teares sigh over our sobs mourne over our griefs c. Jonah was so taken with this kindnesse from the Lord his God that he repeates it and celebrates it a second time out of the belly of hell cried I and thou heardest my voice The whales belly he calleth hels-belly because horrid and hideous deep and dismall Thence he cried as David did De profundis and was heard and delivered Yea had hell it self closed her mouth upon a praying Jonah it could not long have held him but must have vomited him up A Mandamus from God will do it at any time Psa 44.4 and what cannot faithfull Praier have of God there is a certaine omnipotency in it said Luther Verse 3. For thou hadst cast me into the deep A graphicall description of his wofull condition which yet he remembreth now as waters that are past and is thankfull to his Almighty Deliverer See the like in David Psa 116.3 and learn of these and other Saints to acknowledge the uttermost extremity of a calamity after we are delivered out of it For hereby thy judgement will be the better instructed and the more convinced thine heart also will be the more inlarged to admire and thy mouth the wider opened to celebrate the power wisdome and mercy of God in thy deliverance As if this be not done God will be provoked either to inflict heavier judgements or else to cease to smite thee any more with the stripes of a father and to give thee up for a lost child for thou had'st cast me into the deep Not the mariners but Thou didst it and therefore there was no averting or avoyding it Thou had'st cast me with a force as a stone out of a sling or as that mighty Angel Rev. 18.21 that took up a stone like a great milstone and cast it into the sea saying Thus with violence c. In the middest of the seas Heb in the heart of the sea 's so Mat. 12.40 So shall the Son of man be three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth And Deut. 4.11 we read of the heart of heaven that is the middle of it as the heart sitteth in the middest of the body as king of that Isle of Man Now if it were so grievous to be cast into the main Sea what shall it be to be hurled into hell by such an hand and with such a force into that bottomelesse gulf whence nothing was ever yet boyed up againe and the floods compassed me about Aquarum confluges The Sea whence all floods or rivers issue and whereto they return Homer calleth the Ocean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a river by the figure Miôsis Danaeus here noteth that out of that gulf of the Sea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iliad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which of Plato is called Tartarus that is hell the waters do flow into the veines of the earth as it is Eccles 1.7 losing their saltnesse in the passage Here Jonah cried out as Psa 69.1.2 Save me O God for the waters are come in unto my soule I fink in deep mire where there is no standing I am come into the deep waters where the floods overflow me It was onely his faith that held him up by the chin and like blown bleathers bore him alost all waters all thy billowes and thy waves passed over me All so it seemed to Jonah that God had powred out all his displeasure upon him but he sufâ—ereth not his whole wrath to arise against his people neither remembreth iniquity for ever Thy billowes or surges not the seas but thine God seemed to fight against Jonah with his own hand David likewise in a desertion complaines that all Gods waves and floods were gone over him Ps 42.7 In this case for it may be any ones case let us do as Paul and his company did in that dismall tempest Act. 27. when they saw neither sun nor star for diverse dayes and nights together cast anchor of hope even beyond hope and then wait and wish for day God will appeare at length and all shall clear up he will deliver our soules from the nethermost hell Vers 4. Then I said I am cast
him De Elia jciun cap. 12. Si resipuit à vino c. If he repented of his drunkennesse yet he continued an Infidel he was still temulentus sacrilegio drunk with superstition He recovered of one disease and died of another as Benhadad did he gave but the half turn Psal 9.17 and therefore turned at length and neverthelesse into hell We conceive better of these Ninivites though fome are of opinion that their repentance was but fained and forced as was that of Pharaoh and Ahab as appeares say they by the sequent history by their dealing against the Jewes and by Nahum and God repented This was mutatio Rei non Dei as is above noted CHAP. IIII. Verse 1. BVt it displeased Jonah exceedingly Mirablilis homo profectò fuit Jonas saith Winckleman here as strange a man was Jonas of an honest man as you shall lightly heare of Well might David caution Psa 37.8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath fret not thy self in any wise to do evill A fretfull man is easily drawn to evill David was once at least displeased at Gods dealing which was no whit for his credit or comfort 2 Sam. 6.8 Discontented he was not at Gods lenity as Jonah but at Gods severity against Vzziah and that all the peoples joy should be dashed and damped with such a sad and sudden diâ—aster How much better minded was he when dumb not once opening his mouth because God did it Psal 39.9 The Greeks give this Rule Either say nothing or say that which is better then nothing O that you would altogether hold your peace and it should be your wisdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said Job to his friends Iob 13.5 Silence sometimes comes to be a vertue and never more then when a man is causelesly displeased Prima semper irarum tela maledicta sunt saith Salust Angry people are apt to let flie to mutter and mutiny against God and man as here Reason should say to choler that which the Nurse saith to the childe Weep not and you shall have it Plut. But either it doth not or if it do yet the ear which tasteth words as the mouth doth meat is oft so filled with gall some creatures have fel. in aure that nothing can relish with it See Exod. 6.9 If Moses his anger was pure free from guile and gall Exod. 32.19 yet Ionah's was not so It is surely very difficult to kindle and keep quick this fire without all smoke of sinne Be angry and sinne not is saith One the easiest charge under the hardest condition that can be Men for most part know not what they do in their anger this raiseth such a smoke Put fire to wet straw and filthy stuffe and it will smoke and smutch you quickly yea scorch you and scald you when once it breaks out Levit. 13.5 we read of a leprosie breaking out of a burning seldome do passions burn but there is a leprosie breaking out of that burning It blistereth out at the lips hence the Hebrews have but one and the same word for Anger and foaming at the mouth Esth 1.18 Zach. 1.7 Ketseph Spuma Hos 10.7 They have also a Proverb that a mans disposition is much discovered Bechos bechis becagnab by his cup by his purse and by his passion at which time and in which cases A fool uttereth all his mind Prov. 29.11 all his wrath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fool and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suddenly rashly is from the same root De sera unmin vindict say the Seventy and that suddenly rashly as the Hebrew intimateth but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards Prov. 29.11 Ahashuerosh when hee felt himself enraged against Haman walked into his garden Esth 7.7 And Platarch tels of one Archytas that displeased with his servants for their sloth he flung from them saying Valete quoniam vobis irascor I will leave you for that I am angry with you The very first insurrections of inordinate Passions are to bee crusht the first smoke of them to be smothered which else will fume up into the head and gather into so thick a cloud as wee shall lose the sight of our selves and what is best to be done Cease therefore from rash anger and stint strife betime The beginning of it saith Solomon is as when one letteth out water therefore leave off contention before it bee medled with Prov. 17.14 Storms rise out of little gusts and the highest windes are at first but a small vapour Had Jonah stopt or stept back when he felt himself first stirred he had not so shamefully over-shot himself nor heapt up so many sinnes as he did in the following entercourse with Almighty God He was naturally hot and hasty and so were those two brethren the sounes of thunder they had quick and hot spirits Luke 9.55 Now where there is much untowardnesse of nature there Grace is the more easily overborn sowre wines need much sweetning Gods best children though ingrafted into the true vine yet carry they about them a relish of the old stock still It is thought by very good Divines that Ionah feeling his own weaknesse in giving place to anger thought to strive against it and so addressed himself to prayer verse 2. but transported by his passions of grief and rash anger while by prayer hee thought to have overcome them they overcame him and his prayer too so true is that of the Apostle The wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God Jam. 1.20 Verse 2. And he prayed unto the Lord i. e. He thought to have done so but by the deceitfulnesse of his own heart he quarrel'd with God and instead of wrastling with him as Jacob he wrangled with him The words seem to be rather a brawle then a prayer which should ever proceed from a sedate and setled spirit and hold conformity with the will of God Could Jonah be in case to pray when he had neither right conceptions of God nor bowels of mercy to men but that millions of people must perish rather then he be held a false Prophet Say there were something in it of peace for Gods glory which he thought would suffer as if God were either mutable or impotent Say that there were in this outburst something of affection to Gods people who had then no greater enemy to fear then these Ninevites whom therefore Jonah would have had destroyed according to his prediction yet cannot he be excused for falling so foul upon God and upbrayding Him with that which is his greatest glory Exod. 33.28 19. with Exod. 34.6 7. The truth is nothing makes a man eccentrick in his motions so much as head-strong passions and private respects He that brings these into Gods presence shall do him but little good service The soul is then onely well carried when neither so becalmed that it moves not when it should nor yet tossed with tempests to move disorderly as did Jonah here and Job in that peevish
prayer of his chap. 6.8 9. See also Jer. 20.7 8. I pray thee O Lord was not this my saying c. that is my thought for whether he worded it thus with God till now it appeareth not but God heareth the language of mens hearts and their silence to him is a speaking evidence when I was yet in my countrey And had Jonah so soon forgotten what God had done for him since he came thence Oh what a grave is oblivion and what a strange passage is that and yet how common Then beleeved they his words they sang his praise They soon forgat his works they waited not for his counsel Psal 106.12 13. Jonah did not surely wait for Gods counsel but anteverted it Idcirco anteverti saith he in the next words Therefore I fled before and thought hee had said well spoke very good reason It is the property of lust and passion so to blear the understanding of a man that he shall think he hath reason to be mad and that there is great sence in sinning Dogs in a chafe bark at their owne masters so do people in their passions let flie at their best friends They set their mouth against the heavens and their tongue walketh thorow the earth Psal 73.9 Ionah in his heat here justifieth his former flight which he had so sorely smarted for Et quasi quidam Aristarchus he taketh upon him to censure God for his superabundant goodnesse which is above all praise For I knew that thou art a gracious God and mercifull c. This He knew to be Gods name Exod. 34.6 7. but withall he should have remembred what was the last letter in that Name viz. that he will by no means clear the guilty See Nahum 1.2 3. The same fire hath burning heat and chearfull light Gracious is the Lord but yet righteous saith David Psal 116.5 his mercy goes ever bounded by his truth This Jonah should have considered and therefore trembled thus to have upbraided God with that mercy by which himself subsisted and but for which he had been long since in hell for his tergiversation and peevishnesse But mercy rejoyceth against judgement and runneth as a spring without ceasing Jam. 2. It is not like those pools about Jerusalem that might be dried up with the tramplings of horse and horse-men The grace of God was exceeding abundant 1 Tim. 1.14 It hath abounded to flowing-over as the Sea doth above the hugest rocks See this in the present instance Jonah addeth sinne to sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and doth enough to undo himself for ever so that a man would wonder how God could forbear killing him as hee had like to have done Moses when he met him in the Inne But He is God and not man he contents himself to admonish Jonah of his fault as a friend and familiar velut cum eo colludens jesting with him as it were and by an outward signe shewing him how grievously he had offended Mercer Concerning these Attributes of God here recited see the Note on Joel 2.13 and say with Austin Laudent alij pietatem Dei ego misericordium Let no spider suck poison out of this sweetest flower nor out of a blind zeal make ill use of it as Jonah doth for a cloke of his rebellion lest abused mercy turn into fury Verse 3. Threfore now O Lord take I beseech thee my life from me A pitifull peevish prayer such as was that of Job and that of Jeremy above noted to which may be added Sarah's hasty wish for God to arbitrate betwixt her and her husband Moses his quibling with God till at length he was angry Exod. 4.10 14. Eliah's desire to die out of discontent c. What a deal of filth and of flesh clogs and cleaves to our best performances Hence David so prayes for his prayers and Nehemiah for pardon of his reformations Anger is ever an evil counsellour but when it creeps into our prayes it corrupts them worse then vinegar doth the vessel wherin it standeth Submit your selves therefore to God as Ionah should have done resist this devil of pride and passion and he will flee from you Jam. 4.7 as by giving place to impatiency ye give place to the Devil Eph. 4.26 who else by his vile injections or at least by his vain impertinencies will so flie-blow and marre our duties that we may well wonder they are not cast back as dirt into our faces Sure it is that if the holy Ghost had not his hand in our prayers there would not be the least goodnesse in them no not uprightnesse and truth without which Christ would never present them or the Father accept them for it is better for me to die then to live sc in that disgrace that I shall now undergo of being a false prophet not henceforth to be believed Lo this was it that troubled the man so much as it did likewise Moses Exod. 4.1 They will not believe me for they will say The Lord hath not appeared unto thee But God should have been trusted by them for that and his call obeyed howsoever without consults or disputes carelesse of their own credit so that God might be exalted True it is that a man had better die with honour then live in disgrace truly so called It were better for me to die 1 Cor. 9.15 saith holy Paul then that any man should make my glorying void Provident we must be but not over-tender to preserve our reputation learning of the unjust steward by lawfull though he did by unlawfull means to do it for our Saviour noted this defect in the children of light that herein they were not oft so wise as they should be Luke 16.8 But Ionah was too heady and hasty in this wish of his death because his credit as he thought was crackt and he shoulld be lookt upon as a lyar But was the Euge of a good conscience nothing to him was Gods approbation of no value nor the good esteem of his faithful people It was enough for Demetrius that he had a good report of the truth 3 Iohn 12. what ever the world held or said of him What is the honour of the world but a puffe of stinking breath and why should any Jonah be so ambitious of it as that without it he cannot find in his heart to live Life is better then honour Joseph is yet alive saith Jacob. To have heard that Joseph lived a servant would have joyed him D. Hall Cont. more then to heare that he died honourably The greater blessing obscureth the less He is not worthy of honour that is not thankfull for life St. Pauls desire to be dissolved that he might be with Christ which is farr farr the better Phil. 1.3 was much different from this of Jonah Vers 4. Doest thou do well to be angry Or what art thou very angry Nunquid rectè Summon the sobriety of thy senses before thine own judgement and see whether there be a cause
him and his when we list to be deceived when we covet to be in errour when we desire to offend God truth and honesty c. behold it is laid over with gold and silver q. d. Come and see beleeve your own eyes at least behold the matter form workmanship of this new-made god Ibid. 1084. and grow wiser The Rood of Grace with all its trinkets the blood of Hales that notable impostor was laid open at Pauls crosse by Cromwell and there viewed and torn in peeces by the people there is no breath at all in the middest of it No soule Aesop not so much as that of a beast O pulchrum caput sed cerebrum non inest said the ape in the fable comming once into a caâ—vers shop The best thing that an image can teach a man is that it self is dumb and dead and that the maker thereof cannot give life and breath to it much lesse a deity Verse 20. But the Lord is in his holy Temple It is not enough to condemne superstitions but we must know and serve the true God in a true manner Tully wished that he could as easily find out the true religion as disprove the false ones De nat deos Cambyses destroyed the Egyptian idols rather in scorne of all religion then hatred of idolatry Lucian ieared the heathen-gods and yet was an enemy to Christianity Erasmus was no Papist nor yet good Protestant Henry the 8. despised the old religion and yet envied the new There are many said He in Paâ—liament that are too busy with their new Sumpsimus and others that dote too much upon their old Mumpsimus c. Hence it is that the Prophet here to those dunghill-deities of the heathens those dead idols opposeth the living and onely true God Jehovah saith he is in his holy Temple that Essentiator who hath his being of himself and gives beeing to all things else 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Paul elegantly expresseth it Act. 17.25 He is in his holy Temple sc in heaven by his power and glory and in his Church on earth by his grace and goodnesse The use of which doctrine followeth let all the earth keep silence before him Heb. sc or be still all the earth c. Reverentiae cause silete Tremble at his judgements trust in his promises wait upon him in his ordinances walk before him in obedience speake not of him or to him but as knowing your distance your infancie In speaking of God our best eloquence is silence saith Mr. Hooker In speaking to him quanta cum reverentia quanto timore quanta humilitate Bern. de divers 25. accedere debet è palude sua procedens repens vilis ranuncula saith Bernard with what reverence and godly feare with what humility should a poor small frog creeping out of his mud draw neer unto this great God before whom Angels appeare with greatest self-abasements what abhorrency then and self-annihilation can be sufficient to accompany our approaches to this great God of heaven And how should the enemies of the Church stand in aw and even quake before him wriggling into their holes as wormes do when it thundreth and beeing all husht as sheep are before the wolfe birds before the hawk all the beasts of the field before the lion when he roareth CHAP. III. Verse 1. A prayer of Habbakkuk the Prophet Habakkuk signifieth a Wrastler that by closing striveth to get the better as hath been before noted on chap. 1.1 To close with the adversary is the best way to supplant him or to avoid the blow so is running in to God the way to escape him The Prophet had heard Gods speech and was afraid verse 2. He saw his wrath ready to break forth and therefore gets in with him by this prayer He knew that Flectitur irat us voce rogante Deus Ovid. God suffereth himself oft to be overcome by the prayers of his people and yeeldeth much unto them when most bitterly bent Mat. 24.20 he therefore sers shoulders and sides to work and wrestle lustily in this chapter He knew it was a Prophets work to pray as well as preach and between these two to divide his time God forbid saith Samuei who is reckoned the first of Prophets that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you I will also teach you the good and right way 1 Sam. Act. 3.24 12.23 So doth this Prophet he both preferreth a prayer the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say some signifieth such a prayer as is made by a Mediatour before a judge we have an advocate with the Father 1 Ioh. 2.1 and dedicated the same to the people to be used by them in the time of the captivity which yet they shamefully neglected to do as Daniel acknowledgeth chap. 9.13 or if they did any thing towards it they merely sought themselves in it and so lost their labour Zech. 7.5 whereas had they prayed as here is prescribed confessing their sins Lam. 3. and beseeching God not to deale with them after their deserts but according to his ancient loving kindnesses that never faile they might have found mercy The Altar of incense stood against the Mercy-seat and Rev. 9.13 the prayers of the Saints from the foure corners of the earth sound and do great things in the world make it ring It was the speech of a learned man If there be but one sigh come from a gracious heart it fills the eares of God so that God hears nothing else upon Sigionoth Vocabulum Musicum est cujus ratio Hebraeis ignota saith Buxtorf it is a Musical terme the reason whereof is unknown to the Hebrew-Doctours at this day Yet Rabbi Salomon and with him the most Interpreters rendreth it pro ignorantiis for ignorances or as touching his own and his peoples errours which the prophet here convinced by Gods former answer to his expostulation confesseth with confusion of face Ignorance surely is a blushfull sin especially if affected and delighted in as the Hebrew word seemeth to imply confer Prov. 5.19 and 20.1 Privative ignorance though it do somwhat excuse a man sc à tanto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not à toto Luk 12.47 yet is it a sin to be confessed and bewailed for Christ died for the not-knowing of the people Heb. 9.7 and destruction is threatened prâ— non-scientia or lack of knowledge Hos 4.7 But Calvin well observeth here that the Prophet by begging pardon for iâ—norances doth not omit his own and the peoples more grievous sins but sheweth that men must also be sensible of their lesser lapses and cry out with David after whose example this whole song is framed Who can understand his errours or ignorances unwitting and inconsiderate sins O clense thou me from secret faults Psal 19.12 Verse 2. O Lard I have heard thy speech and was afraid Audivi auditionem tuam I have heard not thy fume or thy report as some render it unlesse it
and a month it appeareth that Preachers were rare and that sermons they had but seldome Neither was it otherwise here in England at the first reiormation for to many churches for want of Preachers Readers were sent Whence one of the Martyrs wished that every able Minister might have ten Congregations committed to his charge 〈◊〉 Cant. 180. till further provision could be made the word of the Lord came unto Zachariah The Lord is said to come to Balaam Abimelech Laban c. But he never concredited his word to these prosane persons as he did to the holy Prophets of whom it is said as here The word of the Lord came unto them in the fourth day of the ninth month which answereth to our November why the precise time of the prophesies is set down See the Note on Hag. 1.1 Verse 2. When they had sent They who Not the Prâ—nces of Persia that were now proselyted as the vainglorious Jewes and after them Heymo and Hugo would have it for the honour of their nation Nor the Samarinans as some in Theodoret held as seeming to Judaize in part to joyne Jewish ceremonies with heathenish rites But either the Iewes yet â—emayning in Babylon as Calvin conceiveth blaming them 〈◊〉 their sloth 〈…〉 commenthing them for 〈…〉 they 〈…〉 vice Of else the whole body or 〈…〉 lastâ—â—â—ome particulâ— man not named 〈…〉 I 〈◊〉 in the fifth moneth 〈…〉 Enallage the singular 〈…〉 name of the whole 〈…〉 unto the house of God Not to 〈…〉 from Bethel as the 〈…〉 likely But to the house of God 〈…〉 to the 〈…〉 nigh finished and that 〈…〉 queâ—tion here 〈◊〉 Sherezer and Regemmeleeh and their men that is their 〈…〉 were men of rank and fashion as it was fit they should be in 〈…〉 polyment And here the Sepâ—uagim by their correct translating of the 〈…〉 have caused a strange coyle among those that strive to defend them 〈…〉 they translated against their will and theresore what can we expect from them but slippery doing It is most sure that the translation of theirs which we now have is full of errours and that they pervert diverse clear propâ—esit 〈…〉 Jesus Christ and have occasioned many mistakes being themselves mnay times grossly mistaken as here unlesse they did it wilfully Some 〈…〉 men think that the Septuagint that we have now is not theirs It was burnt 〈…〉 as some hold in the library of Alexandria or as others by 〈…〉 when he burnt Serapion to pray before the Lord Heb. to intreat the face of the Lord 〈…〉 prayers and sacrifices in the most solemne sort The Hebrew properly 〈…〉 Lord with prayers to set upon him â—ith utmost 〈…〉 untill he yeeld to urge him as they did the Prophet 2 〈…〉 17. 〈◊〉 he be ashamed to deny till we put â—m to the bsush or leave a blot in his 〈◊〉 as she Luke 18.5 unlesse we mâ—â—â—revaile This must be done especially when we are to converse with Proâ—nets about soule-businesses cases of conscience c. Verse 3. And to speak unto the Pâ—â—â— whose office is to 〈…〉 knowledgeâ— and present it too to teach Jacob God judgement and to 〈…〉 before him Deut. 33.10 to selfoyle Mae 〈…〉 9. to bring 〈…〉 8.22 to speake as the Oracles of God 1. Pet. 〈…〉 sand can skill of Iob 33.23 and to the Prophets who were extrâ—ordinarily raised up some ames by Gods â—â— assist the Priests in teaching the people and to shame them for their back wardnesse to such businesses See the Note on ver 1. should I weep that is fast which was ever with 〈…〉 17. and affliction of the soule which indeed is 〈…〉 Levit. 16.31 and 23.37 the which it is but as a brainelesse heâ—â—â— or a life 〈…〉 humble day saith One without an humble 〈…〉 but an high provocation like Zimri 〈◊〉 when 〈◊〉 Congregation were weeping before the door of the Tabernaclâ— in the fifth moneth wherein the Temple was consumed to 〈…〉 In a sad remembrance whereof the Jewes 〈…〉 day of 〈…〉 for a solemne fast every yeer till now separating my self Heb. Nazarâ—â—â—â— my self that is abridging my self of meates drinks and delights Hence a fasting day is called a day of restraint Iâ—el 2.15 Tsom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence it hath its name both in Hebrew and Greek Hence â—â—â— it is spoken of as a foule fault Esay 58.3 Beheld in the day of your fast 〈…〉 The Popish fast is a meer mock fastâ—â— for they separate themsel◠〈…〉 kind of meates only it is not a to tall abstinence And here in 〈…〉 of Turk Hist 777. the very Turks who upon their fasting-dayes will â—â—â— so much 〈…〉 or wash their moâ—ths with water all the day long before 〈…〉 in the sky and then they-make all the cheer and joy they can 〈…〉 as the At ick Daines in their Thesmophoria a feast of Ceres prepare 〈…〉 fasting but after that laid the reines in the neck and ran riot as I have done these so many yeers Seventy at least But they seem to reckon up upon so many as was scarce to be told and that therefore God was deep in their debt Is it not time now to give over sith the Temple wa almost reedified This was the great case 〈◊〉 ded by these Questionists Hereunto an answer is made by the Prophet 〈◊〉 two following chapters and this answer is partly Reprehensory Chap. 7. partly Consolatory Chap. 8. The Sun of righteousnesse loves not to set in a cloud Verse 4. Then came the word of the Lord of Hosts This is oft prefaced for amhority's Take and to procure andience and reverence The Lord God hath Spoken who can but be affected See that ye despise not him that speaketh from heaven The Angel Mat. 28.7 useth no other argument to assureâ— the women of the truth of what he had told them but this Lo I have told you Verse 5. Speak unto all the people of the land Not to the Embassadours onely as the cause is common so let the answer be publike for they were all too well conceited of their external services bodily exercises and made much adoe about a trifle a practise of their own devising neglecting the weightier matters of the law judgment mercy and faith Mat. 23.23 and to the priests Who themselves were to seek belike And having been the authours and observers of these customs were backward to abolish them as those that rested in them without true repentance faith and new obedience when ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh moneth sc For the slaughter of Gedaliah and the sad consequence thereof 2 Kings 25.22 and Jer. 41.1 even those seventy yeers wherein ye have lost full sevenscore fasts and were not a button the better for them because they fasted rather to get off their chaines then their sins they rested in their fasts in the work done neither regarding how nor why they should fast Now God weighes mens actions by their aymes And with him though a good
up his poyson so doth the good soul when afflicted purge it self from all filth of flesh and spirit striving to perfect holinesse in the fear of God These Jews after they had been in the Babylonish furnace for idolatry hated and feared that sinne as much as the burnt child dreads the fire They would die any death rather then admit an idoll Josephus tells how stoutly they opposed Pilate and Petronius that would would have set up Cesars statue in their Temples offering their throats to the swords of the souldiers rather then they would endure that idoll in Gods house What God is now doing with them and for them in this long time of their sad desolation and dispersion who can tell There are that think that after much purging and proving as here God will gather a Church of them to himself according to that which followeth They shall call upon my name and I will hear them I will say it is my people c. And that upon their profession of Christ shall come the sorest time of affliction that ever was chap. 14.1 2. when Gog and Magog with all his troops and armies shall compasse the beloved city Rev. 20.8 9. But the Jews shall get a glorious Conquest for God himself from heaven will miraculously fight for them verse 3 4 5. together with all the holy Angels the ministers of his judgements verse 5. Sure it is that the Turks fear some such thing as this and therefore they cannot abide that any Jew amongst them should turne Christian In the yeer 1528. a certain Jew dwelling in Constantinople became a good Christian and was baptized which the Turks understanding were vehemently exasperated against him for it fearing lest his conversion should prove prejudiciall to their Mahometan religion and therefore they apprehended and cruelly murthered him and try them as gold is tried viz. that when I have tried them they may come forth as gold Job 33.10 Hence Gods people fall into manifold temptations Jam. 1.2 they fall they go not into them step by step but are precipitated plunged into them and not into one of them or a few but into manifold temptations or trials yea fiery trials so afflictions are called because thereby God proves what is in his people Deut. 8.16 Rev. 2.10 Not to better his own knowledge of them neither for he knows all things and is intimo nostro intimior nobis Job 2.25 Act. 1.24 Heb. 4.12 Artificers perfectly know the nature and properties of their own works and shall not God see Psal 94.9 10. But tentat ut sciat hoc est ut scire nos facâ—at August he trieth us 1. That he may make discoveries of himself unto us especially of his power and goodnesse and so get him a name as Esay 63.11 12 13. 2 Cor. 12.9 Elias would have water poured upon the sacrifices yea the Altar covered therewith that Gods power might the more appear in consuming it with fire from heaven and the people thereupon might cry Iehovah he is God 1 King 18.39 Iehovah he is God think the same here 2. That he may make discoveries of us to our selves and to others who are apt to misjudge and undervalue us as not onely Satan did Iob chap. 1.9 but even Elihu also though otherwise a good man and the best of his friends chap. 34.36 But when they see our holy carriage under the crosse they can say of us as that Centurion did of our Saviour Luke 23. Verily this was the Son of God and as one Culocerius in the Church-history when he saw the piety and constancy of the Martyrs he cryed out Verè magnus est Deus Christïanorum The Christians God is a great God indeed But as by afflictions we are made known to others so to our selves much more We are apt either to over-value or else to under-value our selves till put to the triall as is to be seen in the history of Saunders and Pendleton Hard weather tries what health wind and stormes what sap withered leaves soon fall off Rotten boughes with heavy weights quickly break Woodden vessells set empty to the fire soon break and leak not so vessells of gold and silver The best divination what men are is at the parting-way as Ezek. 21.21 When the fire comes to green wood it will appear what 's within when the pond is empty what 's in the bottom It is not known what corn will yeeld till it come to the flail nor what grapes till it come to the presse Grace is like the stone Chrysolampis quem lux celat prodit obscurum which shine brightest in the dark The skill of a Pilot is unknown but in a tempest Solinus the valour of a Captain but in a battle the faithfulnesse of a wife but in an assault The wicked tried are found to be but reprobate silver or at best but Alchymy-gold that endureth not the seventh fire They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Crocodiles Chameleons Bats Spunges c. They murmure when tried as Psal 78.40 41. Or curse as Micah's mother Iudg. 17. Or fret and howl upward as Wolves when hunge-rbit Esay 8.21 Or faint in the day of affliction as Saul who lay upon the ground like a beast 1 Sam. 28.20 Or Nabal who lay in his bed like a block Or desert God and his cause as those Renegado's Dan. 11.32 and those in the Palatinate who fell to Popery as fast as leaves fall off the trees in Autumne Many titular Christians amongst us were in times of peace but as wolves in a cage but as lions tamed by art they wanted nothing but liberty and opportunity to shew their wolvish and worrying natures which now these late shedding and discriminating times have sufficiently discovered Have all these workers of iniquity no knowledge who eat up Gods people as they eat bread and call not upon God They shall call upon my name and I will hear them Psal 14.4 No time for hearing of prayers and obtaining of suits like that of affliction Those are mollissima fandi Tempora the time of affliction is the very time of supplication then our hearts are largest then Gods ear is openest Then the saints may have any thing for asking Psal 50.15 and 91.15 Thus Lot had Zoar at his request Deut. 29.23 Paul had all the souls in the ship given him Act. 27. Jacob greatly fearing to be bereft of his Benjamin prayed God give you bowels of mercy before the man Gen. 43.14 He prayed it and he had it ver 30. For Ioseph made hast for his bowels did yern upon his brother c. God reserves his best comforts for the worst times as the feast-maker kept his best wine till the last Ioh. 2. as the mother brings forth her conserves and cordials when the child sis at sickest Israel was never so royally provided for as in the wildernesse I will bring her into the wildernesse and speak to her heart Hos 2.13 As a bone once broken is stronger
the Lord with seeming honours we pollute him with our sacrifices whiles either for the matter of them we present him with will-worship as those of old that sacrificed their children in a foolish imitation of Abrahams offering his sonne Isaac and the Papists at this day in their unbloody sacrifice for the living and the dead and many other unwarranted fopperies Or else when for the manner devotion is placed more in the massy materiality of the outward works then purity of the heart from which they proceed This made God complain Isai 1. that all his five senses nay his very soul was offended and vexed at their hypocriticall performances verses 11 12 13 14 15. their very incense that pretious perfume that was made up of so many sweet spices and pure frankincense stank in his nostrils Gods sharp nose easily discerns and is offended with the stinking breath of the hypocrites rotten lungs though his words be never so sented and perfumed with shews of holinesse Never did the five cities of the plaine send up such poisonous vapours to God as the prayers and other performances of a corrupt and carnall person And God not able to abide these ill sents sends down upon such a counterpoyson of fire and brimstone Good actions from bad men displease as a man may speak good words but we cannot hear them because of his stinking breath and as we abhorre to tast of a dainty dish if brought to table by a foul nasty sloven that hath been tumbling in a jakes or wallowing in a quagmire The very Heathens as they were very curious in the choice of their sacrifices that they were every way sound and of the best Procul hine este profani so they carefully shut out all profane persons the Priest cryed out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is here those that were present at the sacrifice answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here are many Erasm Adagâ— praefat those all good men And hence it was that Jehu sees and searches that no servant of Jehovah be crept into the throng of Baals worshippers Well might this search have bred suspition were it not that in all those idolatrous sacrifices the first care was to avoid the prophane Even Baal will admit no mixture how should the true God abide it Let all Cainists take heed how they draw nigh to him so Luther calleth offerentes non personam sed opus personae all those that offer to God the work done but do not offer themselves withall Luth. in decal We may fitly call those also Caimsts that offer polluted bread as if Gods table were contemptible that think any thing good enough for God that comes next hand Gen. 4.4 Heb. 11.14 as Cain did when Abcl brought of the sirstlings of his flock and so offered a more excellent sacrifice then Cain God testifying of his gifts as likewise Christ did of Maries spicknard of great price defending her against Judas the thief that held it wast whereas he secretly taxeth those rich wretches of basenesse who cast their brasse-money into the Treasury 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mar. 12.41 as holding the worst piece they had good enough for God and his poore Surely Papists with their vowed presents of the very best they have to their He-saints and She-saints and Turkes with their Moschees or Temples stately built when their private houses are low and homely shall rise up in judgement and condemn such sordid Christians as cannot beteem God the best of the best Solon the Athenian Lawgiver appointed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rous Archae pag. 57. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pâ—uâ—arch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pluâ— Cypr de oratione Chrysost that their sacrifices should be chosen and selected that the sacrificers should purifie themselves some dayes before and that none should serve God obiter slightly and slenderly but in all best manner and with the best preparation they could make aforehand Numa Fompilius King of Romans would not have them worship their Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for fashion and dissolutely but freed from all other cares and cumbers in the time of Divine Service the Priests to prevent distraction cryed out oft to the people Hoc agite mind the businesse you are about So in the Primitive times of the Church the Deacons called oft upon the people sursùm corda lift up your hearts And again Oremus attendamus Let us pray let us attend For why Prayer without intention and hearing without attention is as a body without a soule This sentence is written in Hebrew upon the walls of the Jewish Synagogues et si nullibi minus intentionis sit quam in ipsorum precibus c. saith mine Authour Buxtorf Abbreviat Spec. Europ though there is as little true devotion to be seen amongst them in their services as among any people unlesse it be among the Papists of whom perhaps they learned it whose devotions are prized more by tale then by weight of zeale whose holynesse is the very outward work it self being a brain-lesse head and soule-lesse body In the Isle of Sardinia as they give way in the very time of their Masse to vain talking and toying and tumults so after Masse done they fall to dancing in the middest of the Church Heyl. Geog. singing in the mean time songs too immodest for an Ale-house Henry 3. King of France Processiones religiosas non intermittit at tepidius celebrat saith the Chronicler would not neglect their religious processions but shewed little devotion at them For betwixt him and his Cardinall there went at same time a Jester whose work was to make sport then when the businesse required greater seriousnesse How much better the great Turke who when he comes into his Temple laies aside all his state and hath none to attend him but a Professour of their law whose Office is to proclaim before they begin that nothing be done against religion yet ye say wherein have we polluted thee They well understood that by offering polluted sacrifices they polluted God hinself as much as in them lay and that the dishonour done to Gods service reflected upon himself and was a despising of his name verse 6. whereof his true worship is a part Mic. 4.5 and 1 King 5.3 5. Hence they say not wherein have we polluted thine Altar but Wherein have we polluted thee This is much more done under the New Testament by all unworthy Communicants and Unhallowed Worshippers that present the great God with dough-baked duties slubbered services carelesse and customary performances which they turn over as a task holding a certaine daily stint of them as malt-horses do their pace or mill-horses their round merely out of form and for fashion sake These do enough to pollute the God of purity and to cast contempt upon him from the sons of men who will be apt to conclude that he is a contemptible God sith he will be content to take up with such contemptible
God takes no pleasure to pledge the devil or drink the snuffes that he hath left If men reserve the dregs of their dayes for him He will likewise reserve the dregs of his wrath for them He will put them over to the gods whom they had chosen as Judg. 10. and make them to know the worth of his good acceptance by the want of it He that should set before his Prince a dish of meat that had been half-eaten before by hogs or dogs would he not be punished with all severity What then shall become of those that serve God with the devils leavings that sacrifice to themselves as Sejanus did Dio in Tiberio that serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies as those Seducers Rom. 16. that say to God Depart from us and to the devil Reigne thou over us that are serious at his work sleighty in Gods c. Verse 9. And now I pray you besecch God Heb. Weary God with your prayers presse him till he be even sick of you improve your uttermost interest in him if at least you have any Pray hard if ye can at least for all men cannot pray wicked men are gagg'd by the devil and their character is They call not upon God They may cant or chatter out a charm when Gods chastening is upon them yea be with childe as it were of a prayer and yet bring forth nothing better then winde Isai 26.16 17 18. In prosperity they may have some few short-winded wishes as Balaam satans spelman had yea they may by strength of wit or memory devise an handsom prayer and seem to set it forth with much life that they may passe for men of parts and gifts But will the hypocrite pray alwayes Iob 27.10 will he persevere in prayer when God seems to cast out his prayers and to multiply his crosses will he not rather curse in that case as Iob's wife and Micah's mother will he not how lagainst heaven as the wolf when hungerbit and as the Parrot when beaten leave imitating man and turn to his own natural harsh voice But say that wicked men do Ioab like run to the horns of Gods altar when in distresse or danger say they roar out a consession when they are upon the rack Hos 6. Psal 78.34 as Pharaoh and call for good prayers say they seek him with their sacrifices as Israel did when he slew them then they sought unto him c. and made their voices to be heard on high as the prisoner at the bar as the hog under the knife as a bull in a net Say they weary out God with their many words as those sacrificing Sodomites Isai 11. those hypocrites in the Gofpel that hoped to be heard for their much babling Mat. 6. yet all this is but the prayer of the flesh for ease and not of the spirit for grace it is but the fruit of sinful self-love to rid themselves of Gods rod or to still the noise of their consciences or out of a vain hope to stop Gods judgements c. And hence it is that they miscarry that they pray to so little purpose as here is hinted and that they are not a button the better for all their long prayers For either God answers them not at all he hath no respect to their sacrifices which was Cains and Sauls unhappinesse The Philistims were upon him and God was departed from him Or else he answers them according to the idols of their hearts bitter answers Or if better it s but as he answered the Israelites importunity for a king for a scourge to them and for quails to choak them Deus saepe dat iratus quod uegat proprtius God often gives that in anger which he denies in mercy If it were otherwise the devil should have received mercy from God when upon his suit he was suffered to enter into the swine Let our chief and constant Petition therefore be in all our our addresses to God that he would be gracious unto us that he would cast a loving aspect upon us that what ever else he denie us corn wine c. yet that he would lift up the light of his countenance upon us This David preferred before his crown and scepter He had a crown of gold but he valued not that in comparison of that other crown Psal 103.4 he crowneth thee with loving kindnesse and tender mercies Hence Saint Paul having himself obtained mercy beginneth and concludeth all his Epistles with wishes of Grace mercy and peace as not knowing what better to wish those whom he wished best unto This was Abrahams prayer for Ismael O that he might live in thy sight that is be joynt-heire of the promise of grace with Isaac God answers Divers Dukes shall come of Ismael but with Isaac as a token of special grace will I make my covenant This was also Iosephs prayer for Benjamin Gen. 43.29 God be gracious unto thee my son This the priests were appointed to pray for as a blessing upon the people Num. 6.24 25. The Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee And hereunto the Prophet seems to allude in this text q. d. you are the Lords Priests and your office is to preach and pray Deut. 33.10 They shall teach Iacob they shall put incense before thee Shew now what ye can do in a time of necessity Beseech the Lord that he would be gracious unto us This is the main the mother-blessing that comprehends all the rest Every man seekes the face of the Ruler Prov. 29.26 I humbly beseech thee that I may sinde grace in thy sight my Lord O king q. d. that 's better to me then all the land thou hast given me said that crafty Sycophant Ziba 2 Sam. 16.4 How much more is the grace of God to be preferred before all outward blessings whatsoever The Lord that made heaven and earth blesse thee out of Zion Psal 134.3 saith the Psalmist intimating that blessings out of Zion are above all the blessings besides that heaven and earth can yeeld us What is the ayre without light what was Haman the better for all his honours when the king frowned upon him How can a wicked man be happy though wealthy so long as God is his enemy As that father speaks of Ahab he describes him sitting in his ivory palace in the time of the three yeers famine in Samaria he had gold silver and jewels in every place but what good did all that when the heaven was brasse above and the earth iron beneath Cry therefore as those in Zachary Grace Grace unto us pray for our selves and others as David did for Ittai the Gittite mercy and truth be with thee 2 Sam. 15.20 Stir we up our selves to take hold of God and to get of him Gaius-his-prosperity dona throni soul-blessings and such as accompany salvation Jesus Christ when he came into the world brought grace and truth with John 1.17 And
others strange p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 4.4 and wonder what 's come to us alate that we refuse to run with them as once into the same excesse of riot say thou to thy self * To walk with God is a precious praise though none do it but my sell â—and to walk with man with the world with a town or â—arish in wicked wayes is a deadly sin though â—â—lhous do 〈◊〉 B Babington upon Gen. 6.8 Better go to heaven alone and with the ill will of my neighbours then to hell with never so much company and with the love of all the world But indeed ye are not alone however it may seem so as it did once to Elias q 1 King 19.10 for ye have many fellows abroad your brethren and companions in the kingdom and patience of Iesus Christ r Rev. 1.9 who will be ready as here to joyn with you in speaking often one to another for mutuall edisication and encouragement * Clouds of wimesses thousands thousands of 〈◊〉 and every of them worth ten thousand of others as St Chrysost speaks Hom. 26. ad Pop. Antioch Beside those other also above whom you may see by the eye of saith the crowned and glorfied Saints I mean all which trode the same tract of holinesse with you have gone to heaven alone and been hated for it Å¿ Joh. 15.15 yet is not any one of them heard now to say Oh what fools were we when time was to be so strict and conscientious to stand upon such nice points to sequester our selves from the corrupt courses and companies of others t 2 Cor. 6.17 to deprive and abridge our selves of the pleasures of sin and delights of life c. Oh no such word is ever heard to fall from their holy lips but they rejoyce rather and infinitely exult and glory in that God that gave them an heart to do as hath been said and in those rivers of exquisite and unmixed pleasures with the which their good hearts are even inebriated u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh 2.10 Hag. 1.6 and in a sober sence made drunk again whiles they continually behold his face with whom they once walked in the flesh as a man with his friend In who e presence is the fulness of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for ever more w Psal 16. ult CHAP. II. Doctr. II. Of the severall sorts of Feares and That every faithfull Christian feareth the Lord. Hâ—th rto of the Duty here performed as touching the first circumstance to wir of time noted in the particie Then The second followes and that 's of person who they were that thus spake often one to another And these come here described unto us under a double notion first as fearing the Lord secondly an thinking upon his Name As to the first * Constriciia cordis ex sensu mali instantis Pareus in Mâ—t 25 Hinc Gâ—eci 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—cant â— ligâ—menâ—um eò quod quasi gâ—lu aâ—lringit Naâ—ianzâ—orat 7. Fear in a generall sence is nothing â—lse out an astection of the soule shâ—inking in it self from some imminent evill Hereof there are three sorts usually reckoned 1. Naturall 2. Carnal 3. Spirituall The first of these we cannot justly fault if it do not degenerate into the second for every thing by an instinct of uncorâ—upted Nature desires the conservaâ—ion of it self and fears the contrary You may sâ—e an instance of it in our blessed â—aviour who to manâ—fest himself a true man subject to like passions with 〈◊〉 yet still without sin * It being with Châ—â—â—t as with a christal glass full oâ—â—iear water which is still pure howsoever is he shaken P. B. trembled at the apprehâ—nsien and approach of Death which iâ—to nature of all terribles the most terrible as the Philosopher * Aristot Ethic. l 3. and the king of feares as Iob defines it a Iob 18.14 To him you must needs think it was so if ever to any whose soule suffered the very soule of sufferings as one expresseth it * Purchas Microcâ—sm which made him offer up prayers and supâ—lications with strong crying and teares to him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared b Heb. 5.7 Next there is a carnall feare and that is of the Creature * Majore formidin callidiore â—â—â—â—litate Caesarem 〈…〉 Sed 〈◊〉 ratiore 〈◊〉 sed ment praesentatrae 〈…〉 c. Tert. de Ro 〈◊〉 Apologeâ—â—op 27. more then the Creatour the great the mighty and the terrible God c Nche 9.32 as Nehemiah stiles him itarisâ—th partly from want of faâ—th in the power and providence of the Almighty the Aposties were therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carnally-fearsull because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 petty-sidians or small-sauls d Mat 8.25 Partly also from want of Spirituall fear to the which therefore it is usually opposed in holy scripture as in that of our Saviouâ— Fear not them that kill the body c. but fear him which after he hath killed hath â—ower to â—ast into hell yea â—â—ay unto you fear him e Mat. 10.28 And this latter is that third sort of fear which being nothing else but an awsull respect to the Divine Majesty we therefore call Spirituall 1. from the object God whâ— is both a Spiâ—i f Ioh. 4. and the father of Spirits g Heb. 11. the proper object of this and all other affections of uâ—ns â—oule h Luc. 10.27 Whence it is that by an appeilative proper he is 〈…〉 Fear by the Psalmist â—ring presents unto Fearâ— i Psal 76.11 so runs the Origiâ—all that is to him that ought to be feared as it is usually read and rendred 2. from the principall efficient and chief Authour of it and that is Gods holy Spirit called therefore a spirit of fear k Esay 11.2 3. from the blessed effect it hath upon the spirit of a man for it spiritualizeth and sanctisieth both us and our services l Psal 2.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—uae parit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doct and is therefore here rightly made the mark of a spirituall-minded man the constant charter of a true Christian and a plain distinctive note whereby to discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serâ—â—th God and him that serveth him not What may we learn hence but this That every faithfull Christian feareth the Lord neither is he any true servant of God that hath not his heart possest and seasoned with the spirituall reverentiall feare of God SECT I. The Doctrine cleared and confirmed by Scripture THe truth of which Assertion will soon appear if we take notice how the holy scripture 1. conjoynes Gods service and his fear making them go hand in hand as individuall friends and companions 2. confounds them and takes them for one and the same thing 3. gives it ordinarily
divino instructi diâ—untur sal Terrae c. Episcop Sariâ—b in Coloss that have a healing property in them above all filed phrases and humane expressions assuring us that if any speak not according to this word it because there is no light in them This David knew and therefore By the words of thy lips saith he which I have well disgested and by long practise made my proper language I have kept me from the path of the destroyer and am fully purposed that my mouth shall not transgresse e Psal 17.4 or passe the bounds to wit of Gods holy word which he had set up for a Directory of all his speeches both for matter end and measure So of the godly woman it is said in the Proverbs that the law of grace is upon her tongue f Prov 31.26 that is she was so well versed in the holy Scriptures that she had there-hence gathered and gotten an ability of speaking with profit and power in the things of Gods kingdome 2. Pray for the gift of utterance and beg the prayers of others for you as Paul doth often with greatest earnestnesse of intreaty g Ephes 6 19 Colosl 4.3 and yet hee was a man passing well-spoken and able to deliver himself in as good termes as another but what of that he saw sufficient cause to send to heaven for utterance and boldnesse of speech and to use all the help he could make for that purpose For who hath made mans mouth have not I the Lord h Exod 4.11 There may be such and such preparations in the heart of a man but when all 's done the answer of the tongue is from the Lord i Prov. 16.1 Let a man be as eloquent as Aaron as powerfull in the Scriptures as Apollos as full of matter as Elihu who was ready to burst for want of vent k Job 32.18 19. yet unlesse God open his lips his mouth can never speak to his praise This David came to see and acknowledge upon second thoughts Psal 51. For having promised that his tongue should sing of Gods righteousnesse he retracts as it were and corrects what he had spoken in the next verse Not as one that repented of his promise but as one that had promised more of himself then he was able to performe and therefore subjoyns Lord open thou my lips and then my mouth l Ps 51.14 15 c The reason we speak no better to men is because we speak no oftner to God to teach us to speak as we ought knowing how to answer every man m Colos 4.6 3. Lastly practise much this duty of holy conference run into the company of Gods people that speak the language of Canaan naturally and familiarly and there imitate such as are most expert and best gifted that way Accustome your selves also to speak there as you have occasion right words n Job 6.25 sober words o Acts 26.25 savoury words p Colos 4.6 seasonable words q Prov. 15.23 wholesome words r 2 Tim. 1.13 the words of grace and of wisdome Å¿ 1 Cor. 12.8 the words of eternall life t Joh. 6.68 finally all such words as issue from those inward graces that good treasure as our Saviour calls it of knowledge faith love joy zeal desire forrow for sin c. and advance those main ends Gods glory the salvation of others and our own safety Not barrelling and hoording up our gifts as rich cormorants do their corn nor yet so close and curious of our words as to say no more in company then what may breed applause and admiration of our worth and wisdome as proud self-seekers but as good house-keepers having that honey and milk of good matter under our lips u Cant. 5.15 that we may plentifully pour forth to the feeding of many * Not like a curst cow that will not give down her milk but opening our mouâ—hes for mutuall edification Certainly the gifts of such shall not perish in the use as temporall commodities do u Cant. 5.15 or be the worse for wearing but the better and brighter as the widows oyl or plow mans coulter It is use that makes masteries in any skill and so in this If your tongue shall ever be as the pen of a ready writer x Psal 45.1 inure it much to Christian communication * Let your speech bee with grace that ye may know how to answer c. Colos 4 6. so that by speaking well we learn to speak well It is practise and not precepts so much that makes a good scribe and although a man be at first but a bungler at it yet by use and exercise he will attain to write both fairly and swiftly too after a time So here I conclude this second direction with that of our Saviour Wherefore let every Scribe that is instructed to the kingdome of heaven be like unto a good housholder that bringeth forth out of his treasure as need requires both new and old y Mat. 13 52 Thirdly labour and learn the well-using and wise ordering that ability of discourse and utterance you have attain'd unto A work of no lesse pains then profit hard I confesse but highly concerning all that would give up a comfortable account of the talents they have been entrusted with And here that I may hasten precious and worthy of all acceptation * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1.15 is that counsell of St. Paul Let your speech be alway with grace seasoned with salt that ye may know how to answer every man z Colos 4.6 Non quòd semper loquendum sit est enim tempus tacendi sed quòd curn loquimur semper curandum ut loquamur prout oportet Daven In which text there is not a word but hath its weight not a syllable but its substance First Let your speech saith he be with grace and alway so Not that we must be alway speaking for in the multitude of words wanteth not sinne but hee that refraineth his lips is wise a Prov. 10.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à Luciano Aristoph dicuntur stulti quòd aperto hianteq ore esse plerunque siultitiae sit argumentum Pasor in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To lay on more words upon any businesse though never so good then the matter requires argues impotency of mind excesse of affection or pride in speaking Be not therefore ever speaking for an open mouth is a purgatory to the master but ever when ye do speak let your speech be with grace And so it is 1. When it proceeds from a habit of heavenly-mindednesse from a principle of grace a good treasure within b Mat. 12.35 2. When for manner it is delivered with a grace whiles we do not turn over these discourses lightly and profanely as news or table-talk but with such reverence and affection as may shew we are inwardly touched with the majesty of Gods truth and that
be to lay open our cases and cares to the God of all comfort when we see Nehemiah again so quick in the expression of his grief to an uncertain eare That we have come off so heavily with our good God and done so little heretofore in his work upon so great incouragement let it heartily humble us SECT VII Vse 4. Exhortation to the Saints 1. To admire this mercy Helpes thereunto respecting God and themselves ANd for the future that I may speak forward here is a threefold duty to be commended from the point in hand to your christian care and practise First Use 4 doth the Lord of heaven and earth so abase himself as to take the least notice of our poor performances Yea as the bridegroom is glad of the bride doth our God so rejoyce over us u Isa 62.5 doth he delight to see our faces to hear our voyces to smell our odours to taste our fruits to be handled and embraced x Heb. 11.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by our faith Is he so farr taken by the poor things that passe from us that he rests in his love and will seek no further Yea that he joyes over us with singing y Zeph. 3.17 Oh how should the due appehension of this dear love of his ravish and affect our hearts with deepest admiration and how should we even stand amazed at the never-enough-adored depth of his love unto us in this behalf To help you herein the wonder will appear the greater if we first look up to God and there see 1. what he is 2. how little either need he hath of us or gain he makes of our services and then secondly look down again to our selves and consider 1. who we are 2. what are our best works in themselves For God first he is the high and mighty Monarch of heaven and earth of transcendent perfection and excellency even above all degrees of comparison for he is great z Psa 77.17 greater a Iob 33.12 greatest of all b Psal 95.3 greatnesse it self c Psal 145.3 Again he is good d Psal 106.1 better e Psal 108 9 best f Phil. 1.23 goodnesse it self g Mat. 19.17 So that if men should attempt to serve God and do sacrifice to him according to his excellent greatnesse h Psal 150.2 and goodnesse all the wood of Lebanon would not serve to burn nor all the beasts that be in it suffice for sacrifice i Esa 40.15 16 Yea little enough would all the wood in the world be and all the cattle therein to make up but some one sacrifice Next see how little this mighty and All-sufficieut God either needs us or gets by us For the first hear what he saith Psal 50. from the seventh to the sixteenth Hear O my people and I will speak O Israel and I will testifie against thee I am God even thy God I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings c. For every beast of the forrest is mine and the cattel upon a thousand hills c. Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me k Psal 50.6 7 8 9 10 11 12 c. Lo this is all he looks for at our hands Not but that he could well enough be without that too sith his glory being eternall and infinite as himself is no way capable of any our addition or detraction For as the Sunne would shine though all the world were blinde so should God be glorified though we were all condemned Yea he could glorifie his justice by our eternall damnation There 's all the need he hath of us And for matter of profit If thou be wise thou art wise for thy self l Prov. 9.12 saith Solomon what shall the Lord gain by it And if thou be righteous what givest thou to him saith Elihu and what receiveth he at thy hands m Job 37.5 And yet we see how highly he esteems and how greatly he respcts that little Nothing of our endeavours of doing him the least service and bringing honour to his Name Secondly take notice what we are and what the best of our works To the first Abraham answereth I am but dust and ashes n Gen. 18.27 then when he stood before the Lord to mediate for Sodom Jacob answereth I am losse then the least of thy loving-kindnesses o Gen. 32.10 then when he wrestled with excellent wrestlings and prevailed with God p Gen. 30.8 David answers I am a worm and no man q Psal 22.6 Esay answers I am a man of polluted lips r Esay 6.5 Peter answers Depart from me for I am a sinfull man or a man a sinner ſ Luk. 5.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a very mixture and hodgpodge of dirt and sinne for ever since the fall whole evil is in man and whole man is evil Lastly the whole Church answers It is the Lords mercy that we are not consumed t Lam. 3 22 that hee plungeth us not in the ditch and that our own clothes abhor us not u Job 9.31 Especially since all our righteousnesses which is an answer to that second demand what are the best of our works are but as filthy clouts x Esay 64.6 such as a man would be afraid to touch and asham'd to take up The best we can present God withall passeth from us no otherwise then as pure water thorow a muddy sink or sweet wine thorow a sowre cask See it in Jonas's prayer or rather brawl y Jon. 4.1 Jobs request or rather curse z Job 6.8 9 Sarah's heat and hast to send for God by a post to arbitrate a Gen. 16.5 Moses his carnall expostulation his former tergiversation and at last cast when he had nothing else to reply his flat and peremptory refusall to go upon Gods errand to the King of Egypt b Exod. 4.1 13. 5.22 23 The conscience of which weaknesse or rather wickednesse in himself drives holy David so often to pray for his prayers c Psal 119.169 170 and good Nehemiah to crave pardon for his best performances d Nehem 13.2 c. Horreo quicquid de meo est ut sim meus Bern. In any of which if the Holy Ghost had not his hand there would not be as from us the least goodnesse no not so much as truth and uprightnesse without which the Lord Jesus would never present them for us to his Father nor the Father once vouchsafe to look upon or hearken after such refuse stuffe which yet he doth such is the de-delight he taketh in the exercise of his own graces in the fruits of his own Spirit And this is that that may justly drive us into a deep extacie of admiration at his incomparable love and more then fatherly affection SECT VIII 2. To retain it and if lost to recover it and how With
a Psal 77.9 and that Zion said The Lord hath forsaken me my God hath forgotten me b Esay 49.14 The Butler may forget Ioseph and Ioseph his former toyl and fathers house c Gen. 41.51 but God cannot forget his people whom he hath chosen d Rom. 11.1 Can a woman forget her sucking childe e Esay 49.15 possibly she may some tigresses have proved unnatural to their own birth and bowels f Rom. 1.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but so cannot God He is not unjust to forget your labour of love g Heb. 6.10 or if he should as I abhor to imagine beold there is a book of remembrance written before him for them that fear the Lord and that think upon his name A borrowed speech for our better apprehension from kings and great personages who use for memories sake to keep a catalogue a calendar of such as whom they minde to reward for some special service as Ahasuerosh did Mordecai when he had read his name in the roll of those that had deserved well of the king h Est 6.3 So Tamerlane had alwayes by him a catalogue of the names and good deserts of his servants which he daily pernsed Knol Tu r hist p. 227. Those stout rebels above my text were grown so bold and bedlam as to give out that Gods service was nothing worth and that it was a course of no profit to keep his ordinances i Mal. 3.13 14 15. The contrary whereunto is here vouched and the truth vindicated God saith our prophet both hearkened and heard the holy language of his people and so sealed up his dear respect unto them for present and also caused a book of remembrance to be written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name and so setled it in his heart to requite them for the future That like as in the work of creation there went with Gods dixit his benedixit and with his ordinavit his ornavit so in the administration of all things especially in that which is special and proper to the elect with his remembrane there goes a recompence and with his regard a reward Note hence That God doth perfectly remember Doctr that he may plentifully requite all the good srvices done him by his saints and people SECT I. The truth confirmed by Scripture HE not only harkened and heard what good things passed between them here but registred up and ingrossed the same in his book of remembrance called elsewhere the book by a specialty k Dan. 12.1 the writing of the house of Israel l Ezek 13.9 the writing to life in Jerusalem m Isa 4.3 the book of life n Philip. 4.3 the book of life of the lamb o Rev. 21.27 wherein he records and where-out he will relate at last day all the good works of his children p Mat. 25. not once mentioning their sins and infirmties which he hath promised to remember no more q Heb. 8. Our labour of love he will not forget but be ever mindfull of his covenant r Psal 115.5 The Lord hath been mindfull of us saith the Church and as an effect thereof he will blesse us He will blesse the house o Israel He will blesse the house of Aaron He will blesse them that fear the Lord both small and great ſ Ps 115.11 12 Cornelius for instance he feared God winh all his bouseholde and he made good proof thereof for he gave much almes to the people and pray'd to God alway and therefore both his prayers and his almes came up for a memoriall before God t Act. 10.1 2 4 Thus God remembred his Noah u Gen. 8.1 Abraham x Gen. 19.20 Rachel y Gen. 30.22 Joseph z Psa 105.20 whose fetters he changed into a chain of gold his rags into fine linnen his stocks into a charret his goal into a palace Potiphars captive into his Masters Lord the noyse of his chains into Abrech and all because heremembred his Creatour in the dayes of his youth a Eccles 12.1 and thereby kept himself pure from the great Transgression b Psal 19.13 SECT II. The truth confirmed by six Reasons THe ground of which gracious dealing in God is first his incomprehensible wisdome Reas 1 and fore-knowledge The Lord hath the Idoea the perfect platforme and paern within himself of all persons and things together with the severall occurrences of either Hence it is that he knowes all things Simul semel together and at once not successively or by discourse collecting one thing from another as we do but in one simple and eternall act knowing and comprehending all things He need but reflect upon himself and there he seeth all things before him as in a glasse So that to speak properly there is neither foreknowledge nor remembrance in the Almighty all things both past and future being ever present with him Tine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect and in thy book were all my members written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them c Ps 139.16 In this fore-knowledge of God so we call it for teaching sake as in a book are recorded the persons birth quality and death of every man and woman together with their severall deeds and practises that they may receive according to what they have done in the flesh whether good or evill d 2 Gor. 5 And this is our first ground of this point Known to the Lord are all his works from the begining e Act. 15 18 The Lord knoweth them that be his f 2 Tim. 2.19 Yea he knowes the whole way of the righteous g Psal 1. ult And this his knowledge of them and their good works is a knowledge of singular apprbation yea of infinite delight and complacency which makes him wait to shew them mercy h Esay 30.18 Heremembreth saith the Psalmist when he writes up the people when he makes up his jewels i Mal 3.17 that such a man was born k Psal 87.5 6 there and that being born by a second birth and having followed him in the regeneration l Mat. 19.28 they shall not lose the things they have wrought but receive a full reward m 2 Ich. 8. Secondly Reas 2 God is just and faithfull hence his remembrances and remunerations of his peoples services Not of duty I must tell you but of mercy it being a mercy in God even to reward men according to their works n Psal 62.12 were they better then they be or can be To thee O Lord belongeth merey for thou rewardest every one according to his works n Psal 62.12 But this by the way We were drawing a second reason for the point from Gods justice and faithfulnesse And this we borrow fom the Apostle Heb. 6.10 God saith he is not unrighteous to forget your works and
Lord often of his covenant with Abraham Isaac and Jacob b Exod. 32.13 and treats with him to that purpose by his Name Jehovah that emphaticall and comfortable Name c Exod. 6.3 so when he had foretold a plague to the Aegyptians or the remove of it yet he omitted not to pray the accomplishment And the later when he had by warrant from heaven promised rain to Ahab after three yeers draught yet he went afterward to the top of Carmel and prayed earnestly d Jam. 5.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith St. James he prayed toughly lustily laboriously he strained every vein of his heart as it were in prayer for he stoopt and stretcht and put his face between his knees saith the story and this for a great while together till at length a cloud and after this a cataelysme of raine and waters came of it when once he had prayed to purpose e 1 Kin. 18.42 and not till then For the Lord though he be liberall yet he is not prodigall and although he reject not our weak services yet he throwes not away his mercyes upon such as hold them not worth whistling after as they say Be his children never so deare unto him yet they shall know their distance and their duty and although he love to be acquainted with them in the walkes of their obedience yet he taketh state upon him in his ordinances and wil be sought unto for his mercies Seek the Lord saith the Prophet and then will he raine righteousnesse upon you f Hos 10.12 For like as the Sun drawes up vapours from the earth not to retaine them but to return them to the moistening and so fattening of the same so doth the Lord draw from us our devotions and other duties not for any benefit of his own but to raine them down againe upon us in so many blessings SECT VIII LAstly this me thinks should mightily encourage good peoples hearts and strengthen their hands in well-doing to consider that the Lord doth perfectly remember plentifully to requite whatsoever service The pains cannot be cast away that we resolve to lay out nay to lose for Christ Master saith Peter we have laboured all night and have taken nothing Neverthelesse at thy word wee will let down the net g Luk. 5.5 6 And he sped accordingly for he enclosed a great draught of fishes even to the breaking of the Net c. So true is that of the Apostle Heâ— that is Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him h Rom. 10.12 He gives exceeding abundantly even above all that we ask or think i Ephes 3.20 Thus David asked life of the Lord and he gave him length of dayes for ever and ever k Psal 21.4 Solomon asked wisdome not wealth and he had wisdome and wealth too Hezekiah asked one life and God gave him two added fifteen yeers to his dayes which we count two mens lives and a yeer over The palsie man seeking health at Christs hands had health and heaven to boot Zacheus striving to see Christ not onely seeth him but heareth him spealâ—ing salvation to him and his Yea may some say God may crown his people with salvation Ob. John Baptist was without any law right or reason beheaded in Prison as though God had known nothing at all of him George Marsh Martyr Act. Mon. fol. 1423. Sol. but they are hardly put to 't in the mean while many of them and sorely vexed by the oppressions of their enemies who make pitifull havock of them and God regards it not First this is not for their diligence but negligence rather in the work of the Lord lazy servants must be quickned Secondly God hereby tryeth the truth and soundnesse of their graces makes it appear that they serve him for himself and not meerly for provender or for a whole skin as the Devil accused Job l Iob. 2.4 Thirdly God in humbling them remembreth them for his mercy endureth for ever m Psa 136.23 Is Ephraim my dear sonne is he a pleasant child for since 1 spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord n â—er 31.20 Lastly heaven will pay for all and the lesle they take up of their wages before hand the more they shall receive at the quarter day It we suffer together with him we shal be glorified together o Rom. 8.17 This made Abraham content to dwell in tents because he looked for a more enduring city p Heb. 11.9.10 Moses chose the repreach of Christ the worst part of him before the honour of Pharaoh's court this when he was no baby neither but at mans estate q Heb. 11.24 c. and therfore knew well what he did and all because he had respect to the recompence of Reward This made the beleeving Hebrewes suffer with joy the spoiling of their goods as knowing that they had in heaven abetter and more enduring substance r Heb. 10.34 Nudus opum sed cui coelum terraeque paterent De Archimede suo Silius lib. 14. Ezekiel willing to deliver an unpleasing message and suffer for it too because God took him up and let him heare the noise of a great rushing saying Blessed be the glory of the Lord Å¿ Ezek. 3 12 Nay our Saviour Christ helped himself over the hardship of his crosse by casting his eye upon the Crown leaving us an example to follow a copie t â— Pet. 2.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to write after And indeed it is a matter passing difficult to obey God when carnall reason suggesteth likely hood or damage or other danger But if it were a sufficient reason to move Jacob to neglect his stuffe in the land of Canaan because Pharaoh promised him the best things of Egypt u Gen. 45.20 How much more should the assurance of heaven that true treasure make us carelesse of this earthly trash How should the very fore-thought of that exceeding exceeding weight of glory x 2 Cor. 4.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There ye have an elegant treble Antithefis double hyperbole beyond englishing A superlative transcendent phrase saith one such as is not to be found in all the Rhetorike of the Heathens because they never wrote of such a theme nor with such a spirit make us plentifull in Gods worke cause and even compell us to hear much pray much live holily deale uprightly be constant and abundant in well-doing what ever come of it Not standing upon the worlds censure who are apt enough to call thee foole for thy forwardnesse and two fooles for thy foole-hardinesse so they usually call and count the care of good conscience and courage in a good cause let them work on and spare not but scare thou God and against all their * Nigro carbone notandus Juven black coles comfort thy self with bis white
locusts c. Till Pharaoh was compelled to answer for him The Lord is righteous but I and my people are wicked This was a faire confession but extorted for he was no sooner off the rack but he bit it in again and became more hard and hardy as water grows more cold after a heat And such for all the world was the forced and fained obedience of those Israelites im the wildernesse while God slew them by fiery serpents and others his warriors then they sought him yea they returned and enquired after God Psal 78.34.36 as if they would have done the deed Neverthelesse they flattered him with their mouthes and lied unto him with their lips So must not we do if ever we mean to do well but throwing away our weapons lay our selves low before his foot-stool unfainedly submitting to the scepter of his kingdom obeying from the heart that form of doctrine whereunto we have been delivered For what a shame is it for us not to do that homage to God Rom. 6.17 that all other creatures so gladly pay perform what a monstrous thing that man amidst al Gods handy-works that revere the Almighty and readily do his will that he I say should prove a great Heteroclite an open rebel a profest adversary to God his soveraign Lord his crown and dignity Oh send a lamb in token of homage and fealty to the ruler of the world Vow and pray to the Lord your God bring presents unto Fear that is to him that ought to be feared And for as much as with your ten thousand you are not able to encounter this great King that comes against you with twenty thousand times twenty thousand send an embassage quickly of prayers and tears whiles he is yet on the way Irent propè ne remorando iram victores exasperarint Tacit hist lib. 2 Mittamus preces lacrymas cordis legatos Cyprian 1 Kin. 20.32 The British Embassadours came in torne garments with sand on their heads in the time of Valentinian the third Daniels hist of Eng. The Callice men came to Ed. 3 bare headed bare-footed in their shirts with halters about their necks c. lib. p. 240. Psal 27. and desire conditions of peace Luk. 14.32 You know how Jacob disarmed that rough man Esau that came against him with 400. cutthroats at his heels how Abigail appeased that enraged man David that had desperately vowed the death of so many innocents how the Syrians prevailed with that non-such Ahab for the life of their Lord Benhadad Having heard that the kings of Israel were merciful men they put sackcloth upon their loines and ropes upon their heads and in this form of humble suppliants they came to the King and said Thy servant Benadad saith I pray thee let me live And a like addresse we read of in our own histories of the old Brittones to Aetius the Roman Governour and of the Calice-men to one of our Edwards Oh let their practise be our pattern We have heard abundantly that there is a matchlesse mercy in God for all penitent persons above that ever was found in the best king of Israel this mercy we have a promise of if we submit to the condition in thee the fatherlesse findeth mercy Hos 14 3. So had not the Syrians their best encouragement was a general hear say This condition is no more then what every man will yeeld to be reasonable viz. that we lay down the bucklers first that we come before him in lowliest manner with ashes on our heads so they of old as unworthy to be above ground with sack-cloth on our loyns as unworthy the coursest cloathing with ropes about our heads as deserving to be destroyed yet humbly begging that we may live in his sight with Ismael yea that we may serve in his presence with Moses and dwell in his house with David all the dayes of our lives to behold the fair beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his temple This is all that God requires and this was that one thing that David beg'd so dearly at Gods hands Psal 27.4 and accordingly obtained it Hence he so confidently calls his soul to rest amidst a multitude of molestations and incumbrances Hear him else Psal 3. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about I laid me down and slept I awaked c. He never brake his sleep for Absalom and all his forces the up in arms against him For why salvation saith he is of the Lord his blessing is upon his people Ver. 5 6 8. whereof I am one and shall therefore be in safety Behold I have blessed him and he shall be blessed said Isaac of Iacob saith the God of Iacob of all those that rest confidently upon his power for their preservation that hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto them at the revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.13 At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh saith Eliphaz neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee Iob. 5.22 23. SECT VII Set his power awork by prayer The power of prayer LAstly is God Lord of Hosts how should this consideration quicken and call us up to a constant instancy in prayer to that God Eph. 3.21 2 Cor. 8 Phillip 4 Oratio fidelis omnipotens est Luther Est quaedam omnipotentia precum Alsted syst Theol. lib. 4. cap. 2. Luk. 18.6 who is able to do for us above that we are able to ask or think that we having all sufficiency alwayes in all good things may abound unto every good work through Christ that strengthneth us Many and glorious things are spoken of the power of prayer in the book of God Indeed there is a kinde of Omnipotency ascribed unto it and not without cause For certainly whatsoever God can do prayer can do sith prayer sets God awork God sets his power awork and Gods power sets the creature awork as at Peters enlarge ment and then what wonder the thing come on an end though never so difficult For shal any thing be too hard for God or shal not God avenge his praying people that cry day and night unto him though he bear long with them I tell you that he will avenge them speedily Asa and Iehosaphat prayed down their enemies so did the Jewes in Esthers time the Saints in the acts the thundering legion The death of Arrius Acts 4. Secrat lib. 1. cap. 15. was precationis opus non morbi He was brought to confusion by the prayers of Alexander the good Bishop of Constantinople Luther had obtained of God that whilst he lived the enemie should not plunder his countrey when I am gone said he Acts Mon. let those pray that can So when the states of Germany were once assembled to consult
about points of Religion then in controversy he though thirty miles distant at the very house wherein it was concluded that the reformation should be established came leaping out of his closet where he had been tugging with God by prayer with Vicimus Vicimus in his mouth we have overcome we have overcome Spec. belli sacri Dr. Powell in Cambr. histor Non disputationibus sed rogationibus saith Bodine The busines of religion is more dispatcht by prayers then disputes yea or then by force of armes A great Queen is reported to have said that she more feared the fasting prayers of John Knox and his disciples then an army of thirty thousand men Leoline Prince of Wales when by some about him he was moved to make war upon our third Henry I am more afraid sad he of his prayers and almes then of his preparations and armies Alius insaniat utibellum inferat ei qui câ—nsâ—â—itse deum defensorem habiturum Bucholc Index Chron. Idem in Cron. Cruciger Ber medi. devotis cap. 5. The like we read of a cor am Duke of Saxony that having raised forces to fight against the Bishop of Magdeburg and understanding by his Intelligencers that the Bishop made no kinde of Warlike provision but said that he would wholly commit his cause to God who would not faile to fight for him God blesse me said the Duke from waging war with him that trusts in God for defence and deliverance Numa a Heathen reposed so much confidence in his gods that when he heard the enemies were at hand he laughed and said At Ego rem divinam facio But I am about the service of the gods and so long I can not but be in safety Jacob wrestled with God by prayer and had the better of him Of Luther it is said that â—e could have what he would of God St. Bernard in his meditations giving diverse rules of strictnesse purity of heart humilitie and holinesse Et cum talis fueris saith he memento mei when thou art thus fitted for prayer thou maist have any thing pray for me God requires no more of us but to bring before him lawfull petitions and honest hearts and then doubt not but if the thing be feasable prayer can effect it Especially if in prayer we rest upon Gods infinit power ingaged for our reliefe and plead it he cannot say us nay It was a notable and an imitable piece of policy in the ancient church Psal 80. to found her prayers upon Gods Power Stir up thy strength and come and save us Verse 2. And in suing for her liberty to presse God with this prevayling argument Thou art the Lord of hosts yea by waving her wings often to gather that winde under them that might mount and beare her up to the presence of the Almighty with more facility and efficacy growing every time in fervency by her threefold iteration and repetition of the self same petition in prayer Turne us agine O God Cumin colloquium descendimus cum Dee replicemus licet duplicemus triplicemus et quadruplicemus Alsted in Gen. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tantus fulminator ad Jesabelis minas 〈◊〉 trepidat fachis seipso imbecillior Buch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cognationem habet cum verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 attendere intendere Novarin saith she ver 3. and cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved This was a good prayer but somwhat flag therefore she stirres up her self againe and takes better hold of God by this title in my text Turne us againe O God of hosts and cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved ver 7. Here â—he is somwhat thriven in her devotion Before 't was O God onely without any further attribution Now t is O God of hosts Thou that hast all power in thine hands do it for us But lastly as if that were too little she trebbles her forces as Abraham did for Sodom and by a new addition Turne us again saith she O Lord God of bests cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved And having thus said she rests satisfied so dosing up her prayers as not doubting in Gods due time of a gratious answer The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man saith St. James availeth much or is greatly powerfull And this he exemolifies in Elias a man saith the Apostle as other men are and therefore had originall sin in him mixing with his prayers And a passionat man too subject to like passions as other men are for we read how on a time when he sate under the Juniper he would have died in a passion and yet he prayed and prayed that it might not raine and at his prayer it rained not on the earth by the space of three yeares and six moneths And he prayed againe and the heaven gave raine and the earth gave her fruits not without a miracle of Gods mercy For raine in an ordinary course had come too late to a land that had laine so long parcht and scorcht the very roots of herbes and trees being now decayd and dryed up and all in a manner past recovery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But faithfull and fervent prayer never comes too late and that because God never comes too late Prayer is a great wonder-work in heaven and earth No good thing can match it nor evill over-match it The flood could not drown the old world till praying Methuselah was laid up in peace The fire could not consume sinfull Sodom till praying Lot was provided for It is not in the power of Labans hand to hurt Iacob because Quasi manu facta Deum ambiunt orantes Tertull. Preces sunt bombardae instrumenta bellica christianoâ—um Luth. Ligatum habent Sancti Deum ut non puniat nisi permiserint ipsi Bern in Cant. serm 30. upon his yester-nights prayer God had rebuked him Nor could Esau touch him because Iacob had wrestled with God all night and would not away without a blessing of deliverance and a guard of Angels The plague cannot fasten upon the people for Moses will not yeeld to it nor Amalec prevail in the vale because he held up his hands on the hill If ever the enemy shall do good on 't and God have decreed it so he first takes order for the silencing of his prophets whose prayers would as it were tranfuse a dead palsy into his hands that he could not smite Ier. 7.16 pray not saith he for this people neither lift up cry nor prayer for them neither make intercession to me for I will not hear As if the Lord should have said thus Had there been any good to be done in this case prayer would have done it But I am fully bent and therefore though Moses and Samuel those men of prayer stood before me yet my minde could not-be toward this people I am inexorable Ier. 15.1 what then shall Gods servants lose their prayers No this they shall have
of my hand they shall deliver their own souls they shall have their own lives for a prey Something there is that God will yeeld to prayer then Cartwr in loc when he is most bitterly bent against a people or person Mat. 24.20 Pray saith our Saviour after he had foretold such an affliction as never had been nor should be the like pray saith he that your flight be not in the winter for that will be tedious nor on the sabbath for that will be grievous Whereupon a learned Interpreter makes this note In maxima severitate aliquid permittit precibus Something God will graciously yeeld to prayers in his greatest severity Admirable is that and for the present purpose most apt and apposite that Polanus reports of a terrible earth-quake in the territories of Berne in Swisserland by means whereof a certain high mountain carried violently over other mountains ' ore-whelmed and covered a whole township that had ninety families in it one half house only excepted wherein the master of the family with his wife and children were with bended knees calling earnestly upon God This fell out no longer ago then in the year 1584. Polan Syntag. Theolog tom ◠lib. 5. cap. 21. de terr aemotu mortuus est Polan Anno. 1610 Mat. 21.21 and is related by Amandus Polanus a famous Divine who lived not many yeers since at Basill not many miles distant from the place where the thing fell out In which notable example who seeth not as in a mirrour the marvelous force and efficacy of faithfull prayer standing Aaron-like with his incense betwixt the living and the dead and verifying that of our Saviour Verily I say unto you if ye have faith and doubt not ye shall say unto this mountain Remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove yea be thou removed and cast into the sea and it shall be done And All things whatsoever ye shall aske in prayer beleeving ye shall receive Oh blessed Saviour Eph. 1.19 what could have fallen from that sweet mouth of thine more for the glory of thy free grace and our greatest encouragement to ply the throne of grace with dayly suites that God would open our eyes to see the exceeding greatnesse of his power towards us that beleeve according to the working of his mighty power There is in the Originall a sixfold gradation and all too little Words are too weak to utter it SECT VIII Be comforted in the consideration of his power where diverse objections of weak Christians are answered SIngular comfort to all that belong to the Lord of Hosts Use 4 to consider that God hath a power alwayes prepared an army ever in readinesse 1. to preserve them 2. to provide for them For their preservation Dan. 3.17 first Our God is able to deliver us either from the fire or in it this was the support of those three brave Worthies in Daniel and may be ours that lean on the Lord and the power of his might Shall the Philistins rely upon their Goliath Papists an their he-saints and she-saints Turks on their Mahomet Heathens on their Tutelaries and not we encourage our selves in the Lord our God as David not cheer up our hearts in this man of warr whose name is the Lord of Hosts the Lord mighty in battle Oh say with the church in Micah Micah 4.5 All people will walk every one in the name of his God and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever For their rock is not as our Rock Deut. 32.31 our enemies themselves being Judges Contemno minutos istos Deos modo Jovem propitium habeam said that Heathen If God be for us what need we fear what man or devill can do unto us Rom. 8 31 Ob. Sol. Oh but mine enemies are many and mighty Yea but thy champion is the Lord of hosts with whom it 's nothing to save whether with many or with no power I his staid up Asa's heart against a thousand thousand enemies 2 Chron. 14 22 But they are fierce and furious Ob. Sol. What of that I know whom I have trusted saith Paul and I am sure that he is able to keep that I have committed to him against that day 2 Tim. 1.12 I have been delivered out of the mouth of the lion And the Lord shall deliver me from all evill c. 2 Tim. 4.17 18. Did not the Lord appear to Joshuah with a naked sword in his hand Nudatum nimirum ensem suum nunquam deposuit sed inde usque ab Adae lapsu eum in Ecclesiae suae defens c. Bucholc as captain of the Host Did not the Angels fight for Hezekiaeh and environ Iacob at Mahanaim Elisha in the mount c and hath not the Lord charged them still to pitch their tents round about the righteous They appear not unto us it 's true now as of old because the church now needs not such confirmations and Christ being ascended and the spirit plentifully bestowed God would that our conversation should be in heaven and not that the Angls should converse so visibly with us on earth But they still pitty our humane frailty and secretly suggest both counsell and comfort they also keep us from perils and dangers of body and soul who else could not subsist no not an hour Next for provision of necessaries God hath taken and bound over the best of the creatures to purvey for his people and to bring them in maintenance the heaven Pro. 20.30 31 Rex ferarum Isidor lib. 10. c. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the earth the corne the wine the oyle the best of the best is for them Hos 2.20 21. The Lions saith the Psalmist and the Lion is the king of beasts or the ricb among the people as the Septuagint have it shall hunger and starve those that will be sure to have it if it be to be had wicked rich men not only rob but ravish the poor Psal 10.9 10 when they have gotten them into their nets that is their debts bonds mortgages as Chrysostom expounds it Hence they are called men-eaters Cannibals Psal 14.4 Loe these Cormorants these yong Lions shall lack and suffer hunger but those that seek the Lord shall want nothing that is good Psal 78.14 Pluviam escatilem petram aquatilem Tertull. Vix unquam major fuit gloria illius populi in terra Canaan quà m in deserto Buchol He will rain down bread from heaven and set the flint-stone abroach and turn the wildernesse into a Paradise before his people shall pine and perish Never was Prince so served in his greatest pomp as the rebellious Israelites in the desert How good shall we finde him then to those that please him Elias is fed one while by an Angell another while by a Raven But if both should have failed him as the brook Cherith did yet he that took away his meat could have taken
affectiâ—â—â— hearts to greatest cheerfulnesse and thankfulnesse let it swallow up an â—â—â—â—oâ—tents and make us send up many an humble joyfull and praisefull heart to him SECT X. Let them honour their father and how A Third duty we are to performe to God as a father is Reverence according to that in the Prophet Mal. 1.6 A son honoureth his father If then I be a father wher 's mine honour and that in the Decalogue Honour thy father and thy mother which saith St. Paul it the first commandement with promise Promise I say of long life to him that by honouring them lengtheneth his parents life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hiâ—rocl Reverence and loving respect to parents never went unrecompenced as in Iapheth Isaac Ruth others much lesse shall that to God for them that honour him he will honour Here then we are 1. 1 Sam. 2. to have an high and honourable esteem of God in our hearts lifting up and laying open those everlasting doors that the King of glory may come in Psal 24. and come in state in his own likenesse Ignorant people cast him into a dishonourable mould as it were they have bald and base conceits of God they think him altogether such a one as themselves or worse they change the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man c. Psal 50.21 Rom. 1.13.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 6.16 they dishonour him and therefore he gives them up to passions of dishonour or vile affections For as a king will take it ill to be entertained no otherwise by his subjects when he comes amongst them then if he were some Knight or meaner man so will God when we have low conceptions of him when we glorifie him not as God when we enlarge not his roome and let him in-dwell richly in us when we conceive not of him as the onely potentate represent him not to our thoughts in the apprehension of one that is in and of himself All-sufficient Omnipotent onely wise and in Christ our most merciful father yet still our father in heaven who without respect of persons judgeth according to every mans works 1 Pet. 1.17 whom therefore if we call father we must passe the whole time of our sojourning here till he send for us home infear Lo this is to honour God in our hearts And this is that that is required so often in scripture under the term of magnifying God or making him great and of glorifying God or making him glorious so he is pleased to account of it when we get so far as to conceive of him above all creatures and that is when he comes into our hearts as a king of glory far above all the glory that can be found in earthly princes 2. We must honour him in our speeches both to him and of him 1. In our prayers to God we must take unto us words neither too curious Verba nec lecâ—a sint nec neglecâ—a nor too carelesse we must speak supplications with the poor publican we must addresse our selves unto him in lowliest manner as the Prodigal did Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee I am no more worthy to be called thy childe A servants place in thine house is too good for me Briefly our words to God in prayer must be as the words use to be of a childe to his father humble earnest and direct to the point avoiding vam babblings This is to be sober in prayer 1 Pet. 4.3 Eccles 5.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interparlance 1 Tim. 2.1 Omnino oportet nos oraâ—iotionis tempore curiam intrare coelestem in qua Rex regum stellaâ—â— sedet solâ—â— c. Quant â— ergo cum reveremia quanto timore quanto illuc humilitate accedere debet epalude suâ— procedens repens vilts ranuncula Bern. Lev. 19.12 when considering that God is in heaven and we on earth considering the infinite distance and disproportion between him and us therefore our words are few We are allowed to parle with God by prayer to use an holy and humble familiarity and to come boldly unto the throne of grace but yet we must so couch our petitions that all needless heartlesse repetitions superfluous endlesse digressions tedious and unnecessary prolixities be carefully avoided Humble and pithy prayer findes freer accesse to God and returns with better successe to us 2. As we must thus honour our heavenly father in our speeches to him so in our speeches also of him to others Take heed that we take not up that great and terrible name of his unreverently lightly loosely disrespectfully for he hath vowed that he will hold none guiltlesse he hath sworn that no vain swearers or other dishallowers of his name shall ever enter into his kingdom Reviling of parents was banishment by Plato's laws death by Gods laws Exod 21.17 How shall they escape that bore thorough the glorious and dreadful name of God tossing it in their common talk as filthy dogs do stinking carrion that swear in â—â—st and not in judgement that play with oathes as apes do with nuts not considering that there is a large roll of ten yard long and five yards broad full of curses against the swearer and that shall rest upon his house which he calls his castle and where he thinks himself most secure Zach. 5.2 Oh what will become of those hellish mouthes that belch out blasphemies against him whom yet they daily call Our father which art in heaven so ordinarily and so openly that some of them are become very inter ections of specch to the vulgar S. Edw. Sands and other-somemere phrases of gallantrey to the braver as one complaineth How should we grieve at this as those good men did when David was reviled by Shimei how should our hearts rise to hear our heavenly father thus dishonoured surely good blood will not belie it self 3. God is to be honoured as a father in our whole conversation remembring that we are ever in his eye and should therefore walk before him in an holy bashfulnesse as ashamed and afraid to do any thing unworthy of his presence or that may give him discontent It was ordered in Moses law that when any went forth of the camp to ease nature they should dig a hole with a paddle and cover their excrements And why For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp therefore shall it be holy that he see no unclean thing in thee and turn away from thee Deut. 23.13 14. Now there was more in this law then every man looks unto Sin is the souls excrements St. Iames therefore calls it the superfluity of naughtinesse Jam. 21. Hâ—b 1.13 Amos 3.3 2. Sain 12.9 〈◊〉 10.33 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 4.13 Gen. 27.12 41 Prov. 17.2 as Samuels and 〈◊〉 sons as â—onathan the four Gâ—rshom the son of Menesseh or as some copies have it the son of Moses In
followeth his trade whereto he is bound apprentice though he be far from being his trades-master he shall have honour and life honour in earth and life in heaven Prov. 21.21 Yea but displeasing service is double dishonour Obj because we displease God in that act wherein he specially lookes to be pleased I grant that a powerlesse performance of holy duties Sol. proceeding from a spirit of sloth joyned with presumption so highly provoketh God against his own dear children that he hath much a doe to forbear killing them as he had to forbear Moses when he met him in the Inne Ready he is to have a blow at them as he had at David when he brake his bones and felt his fall to his dying-day Psal 51 But they that see and sigh under their wants and weaknesses with shame and sorrow need not be discomforted Christ appeats for them in heaven with their names upon his bosom and their services in his hand which he not only presents but perfumeth not only puts them up but adds weight to them nonsuting and casting out of the court all accusations and allegations made against them either by sin or Satan and drowning their noise by that blood of sprinkling Heb. 12. that speaketh better things then the blood of Abel This he doth for them in heaven as on earth he is touched with the feeling of their infirmities and hath taken order with their enimies for their security Joh. 18.8 and with their friends for their kinde acceptance commanding the stronger to receive them into their affections Rom. 14.1 and to restore them in their outstraies Gal. 6.1 promising also to give strength to him that fainteth and to increase power to him that hath no strength Even the youths that trust to their own strength or to any measure of grace acquired which is but a creature and to trust in it is to trust in the arme of flesh lo those youthes shall faint and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint Esay 40.29 30 31. In regard of the Authours absence and the misplacing of his Copy the Reader is desired to referre this Exposition of the 18. ver of the 3. Chapter to its proper place Verse 18. Then shall ye returne you wicked blasphemers that have flandred Gods hous-peeping and brought up an evill report of his providence and justice as if in managing the matters of the world he were lesse equall or lesse carefull You I say shall returne not to your right minds by a through conversion by an entire change of the whole man from evill to good alasse for your misery t is past time of day with you for any such good work But you shall alter your opinions when your eyes are once uncealed by the extremity of your suffering Plin. Prov. â—â— 25 Eâ—â— 4.30 Dan. 11.21 Vasallos Christi Socrat. as the Mole eyes are said to be when pangs of death are upon her to see and acknowledge a sensible difference between the righteous ever more excellent then his neighbour let him dwell where he will because sealed up to the day of redemption and the wicked who is but a vile person an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him be as great as Antiochus Epiphancs the great King of Syria between him that serveth God accounting it the highest honour to be his vassall as Constantine Theodosius and Valentinian their Emperours called themselves And him that serveth him not but casteth off the yoke of his obedience being a son of Belial and counteth it the only liberty to live as he lists and not to be ruled by God Then shall ye returne Then when it it is too late when the day of grace is past the gales of grace gone over the gate shut the draw-bridge taken up Then shall ye wretched lingerers and loytorers Epimetheusses postmasters after-wits that come in at length with your fooles Had-I-wist return not as the Prodigall did who seasonably and savingly came to himself Luk. 15.17 having bin before utterly bestraught 1 King 8.47 and quite beside himself by the deceitfulnesse of sin called foolishnesse of madnesse Eccles 7.25 nor as those true converts mentioned in Solomons prayer that bethink themselves and repent and make supplication to their judge Par. in Rev. 18.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 27.3 Fox Martyrol But as Iudas who whilst he plai'd alone wan all but haunted with the furies of a guilty conscience which would needs make one with him he repented after a sort with a poenitentia sera Iscariotica as Pareus calleth it had some after-thoughts but not to a transmentation some inward wamblings but they boyled not up to the full height of a godly sorrow and therefore came to nothing Or as Iames Abbes with his hideous All too late All too late So these wicked ones in the text when they shall see Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdome of heaven and themselves thrust out Lazarus in Abrahams bosom and their selves in the burning lake Mat. 13.43 Christs poor despised fellow-sufferers shining forth as the Sun in the kingdome of their father and themselves cast out into outer darknesse then shall they change both their minde and their note then shall their odious blasphemies be driven back again down their throats and then made to say with Pharaâ— Exod. 9.27 The Lord is righteous and so are all his people Esay 60.21 but I and mine associates are wicked and therefore deservedly wretched We once counted the proud happy but now we see that of David verified which erst we beleeved not Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed for that they erred from thy commandements Psal 119.21 We looked upon the righteous as calamitous as worms and no men as the nullisicamen populi Tertullians expression fit to be set with the dogs of the flock De resurrect Iob 30.1 and as the off-scouring of all things But now we can vote with that man of God and say Happy art thou O Israel Who is like unto thee O people Deut. 33 29 saved by the Lord the shield of thy help and the sword of thine exeâ—â—ncy and thine enemies are now found liars unto thee for thou treadest upon their high places when they are troden under foot as unsavoury salt Woe unto 〈◊〉 spoilers for now we are spoiled c. Isa 33.1 Ier. 4.13 Isa 33.14 Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire Who can abide with ever lasting burnings Behold the day is come that burneth as an oven Mal. 4.1 and we are now as stubble fully dried that it may burn the better Nah. 1.10 We are put away even all the wicked of the earth like drosse Psal 119.119 thrust away as thorns 2. Sam. 23.6 placed as vile things under Christs feet Psal
p. 1. how he took to wise an harlot 4 Humiliation must be hearty p. 678 Humility in holy duties threefold p. 376 Hypocrisie is an hatefull lye p 157. an odious vice 244 626 627 628 Hypocrites are accursed p. 627 114. their specious pretences 568. why they partake of Ordinances 569. they wrangle with God 677 I IDolatry and adultery together p. 4 69 70 71. It is an abominable sinne 99 115 116 584. a senselesse sinne 433 434. a land-desolating sinne 561 Idolaters are over at uncertainties p. 368. they kisse their idols 168 Jehovah Gods memoriall 161. the import of it 666 Jewes their calling 121. their land fertile tile 193. a disjected and despised people 288. their sublime dotage 302. Satan stir'd up Herod to beautifie their Temple 487. of their conversion and future flourish 515 578 592 599 602. their cruelty 548. how they are hated ib. they are a very numerous nation 564 cozened by a mock-Moses 565. their last dolefull desolation 571. they are discovenanted ib. sold 30 a penny 572 disjected 573. they are still vain-glorious 592. harsh husbands 650. earthly-minded 685. their great respect to the Law 686 687 they reject the Gospel ib. and Christians ib. they falsify the text 688. their sects and dissentions 689 Ignorance bruitish 617 57 affected 63 64 71. a blushful sin 436 Ignominy the reward of iniquity p. 634 Images in Churches p. 80 Impudence in sin p. 534 Incorrigible 26 27 53 77 78 94 100 Ingo King of Danes his respect to poor saints p. 908 Infiâ—â—â—â—ties what are p. 933. they deprive nâ—â— of Gods favour 941. objections about them answered 942 Ingratitude how displeasing to God p. 29 a remedy against it ib. hatefulnesse of it 30 109. it forfeiteth all 31,33,50 Joel who and when he lived p. 185 Joy in wickeds downfall limited p. 612 Joy of the wicked is short p. 34 35. they joy in other mens misery 298 The just mans joy p. 207. in affliction 442 Judges evil a publike mischief 459. judgement perverted 418 Judgement generall it shall certainly be 431. terrible 658 682. the sire of that last day 406. where Christ shall sit to judge p. 596 213 Judgements of God in this life Observe them 612. rejoyce in them ib. He smiteth not till needs must 632. and then is resolute ib. He loveth to retaliate 643. He punisheth slowly but surely 663. K KNow God as a Father p. 918 and how 919. grow in knowledge 92. sinne not against knowledge p. 635. L LAnd-mark removed and how p. 85 Lawes excellency and use 686. the Law judiciall ceremoniall and morall 688 Licentionsnesse under Nero p. 470 Lye not p. 264. 't is a great sin 55 378 159. brings desâ—lation ib. Life a precious mercy p. 636. 't is in Gods hand ibid. how and why mens lives are shortened 481. live apace 598 Lip-labour lost-labour p. 110 Lord whence p. 525 Losses of saints made up p. 563 Love God and how p. 923 924. suffer for him out of love ib. Lukâ— warmnesse condemned p. 701 Lutâ—er over-magnified p. 689 M MAccabees whence so called p. 558 Magistrates must countenance Ministers p. 470. Exactours are a publike pest 573. they must fear God 666. See Judges Malachy who p. 607 608 Manner do all aright p. 662. in faith ibid. Marriages with Idolaters dangerous p. 648 Meditation on God p. 850 852 857. motives to it 859. matter of meditation 861. manner 862. measure 863. hinderances 864. helps ib. See Consideration Meck persons preyed on p. 230 Memory corrupt p. 373 Mercy and judgement to be kept p. 162. mercy abused p. 8. limited to the saints onely 10. let it melt us 151. God delighteth in it 929 Merchandise usefull p. 448. but abused and how 449 Merits p. 36 Ministers must bee unblameable p. 613. well maintained 622 669. may not preach till called to it 625. must speak truth howsoever they speed 638 639. shall convert souls 640. must be able and apt to teach ib. and plainly 641. alledging Scripture ib. they must bee made welcome ib. scandalous Ministers 642. flatterers 645. they must repeat the same points 47. use all means to win men 95. bee faithfull 239. Ministers are Saviours and how 303. must be content with mean things 329. parasiticall preachers a plague 347 351. The best have small successe 300. they must both say and do well 441 442. take their best opportunities 469. must bee knowing men ib. cry aloud 51. Satans spite at them 516. may lose their abused gifts 574. their hard labour 587. burthen 606. Ministers must bee exact 613 639. they are slighted if poor 617. they are the worst men if wicked 621. thsoe that scant them are cursed 670. how they are begrutcht and beguiled 672. they must preach home to the conscience 690. Mocking goodnesse derided p. 521 Money monarch of this world p. 229 Moses praised p. 166 Mulâ—itude not to be followed p. 704 go to heaven alone rather 707 Murther a foul sin p. 56 58 Mutuall help p. 492 552 N A Good Name gotten by holinesse p. 644 ignominy fruit of iniquity ib. and 634. be not over-tender of thy good name 328 Nationall sinnes bring nationall plagues p. 590 Nineveh a great city 305 320. desolated 305 306 Nullifidians p. 435 O OBedience Jehu's partiall p. 6 7. obey God rather then man 85 86 Obstinate in sin p. 77 78 94 100. bee not so 654. some love to thwart God 609 Occasions of sin shun them p. 72 Offers of grace slighted p. 604 Old age kept unspotted p. 106 Omissions are dangerous sinnes p. 109 945 Oppressours are Cannibals p. 349. their evil-got goods prosper not 295. but are cursed 474. Shun their sinne 646 P PApists are idolaters p. 18. Pagans they are 599 Patience of God no quittance p 5 Patient be in misery p. 892. and how 893 894 Paul censured p. 706. and Marg Peace and truth together p. 552 Perjury a great sin and heavily punished p. 533 664 665 Persecutours plagued p. 209. they help to increase the Church p. 220. wo to such 900. God is against them and why 902. See Enemies Pleasure-mongers p. 224. a notorious one p. 266 Plenty is from God p. 46 Polygamy unlawfull and why p. 651 652 Policy reason of State p. 407 Pope not infallible p. 640. his insolency and usurpation 269. his soul-murther 401 his be witching superstition 408. he is over-magnified by his parasites 870 Poverty preyed on p. 277. despised 464. no prejudice before God 909,910 Power of God p. 867 869. fear him therefore 872. trust in him 873. submit unto him 874 875. comforts flowing from it 878. See God Practise be doing p. 483 684. saints practise 884 Praise God for his mercy p. 930 Prayer pray and faint not p. 620. person must first be accepted 6â—2 The power of prayer 37 211 217 270 4â—0 876 877. ask and have 559. pray carnestly 541. 't is a necessary duty 177. Gods liberall answers 205. He hearâ—th prayers 218 388 424. bold accesse to him 417.
wicked cannot pray 620. nor be heard ib. how to know our prayers are heard 837 Preaching what it is p. 84. twice a day 493 Pride 79 80. its picture 420. it precedes a fall 456 Prins stigmata Laudis p. 589 Processions popish p. 165 Procrastination is greatest folly p. 471. punished 944 Prodigies in heaven p. 210 Priviledges of saints p. 896. price of a saint 902. honour such ib. 108. their glory at the Resurrection 904 905. their priviledges privative and positive 925 926. Promises of God they shall be performed p. 636 637. they are a strong-hold 558. pray them over 848. mixt with menaces and why 566. Prophecy obscure p. 537 Prosperity no sure signe of piety p. 163 it causeth pride 170 420. slayeth the wicked 134 71 73 74 Providence of God Doubt not of it p. 424. see 882. He will preserve his and provide for them 878 Psalms book of Psalms praised p. 442 443 Publike most to be minded p. 476 Punishment waiteth upon sinne p. 59 217 531 535 545 670 843 punishment in kind 63. in all sorts of sinners 76. punishment insensible 87. one mischief after another 260 R RAin how taken in Scripture p. 603. it is from God 560 673 245. Doctrine resembled to it 246. rain of blood 210 Reformation was ever opposed p. 630. what Magistrates and Ministers are to do in it 631 Relapse not p. 587. let the relapsed return to God and how 28 Religion reproached as rebellion p. 272 273. otherwise reproached 455. mixtures in it 446. It is the beauty and bulwark of a land 512 Remission of sinne a great comfort p. 519 Christs righteousnesse imputed ib. Repentance the parts of it p. 27. the vertue of it 39. mercy leads to it 40. necessity of it 192. there is a naturall and morall repentance 321. Reformation is the best repentance 324. See Conversion Resemble God and wherein p. 922. Restitution is necessary p. 324 Resurrection it is sure p. 319. and will be glorious 562 904 905. Retract errours and evil practises p. 586 Revenge p. 226 Reward of righteousnesse is liberall p. 673. God remembreth and requiteth all his 839. and why ib. and 840 841. his service is very gainfull 842 843 849. See gain of godlinesse Righteousnesse of Christ imputed to us p. 932 Romish Edomites p. 610 Romish cruelty 347. Romes filth 611. its pride and downfall 65. avarice 66. 't is degenerate 206. must be burnt ib. Romes ruine 609. S SAbbath profaned p. 128. must be our delight 276. benefit of it ib. Sacrifices spirituall to be offered to God p. 625. our selves especially ib. Sacrilâ—dge a great sinne p. 215. punished 668 670 Saints are earthly Angels p. 608. their sinnes are most grievous 625. God will own them and honour them 895 896. despise them not for their outward meanenesse 906. their honour 907 Scandall to be shunned p. 239. scandalous Ministers 642. Professours 231 Scriptures commendation p. 120 121. See Word Seek God p. 146 Selah what it importeth p. 432 Seducers dangerous p. 584. they must be stigmatized 585. not tolerated 584. see 588. they are hardly ever recovered 587. Self-deniall to be studied p. 705 801 Self-seekers p. 137. self-ascribers 423 542 Sensuality p. 68 224 266 Septuagint translate amisse p. 629 620 628 Security fore-runneth ruine p. 263 427 Serve God with the best p. 615. not with slubbering service ib. 676. serve him with soul and body too 625. love Gods service 276 â—â—me devotion 618. honour of Gods service 687. he highly accepteth our performances 825 826 827 c. He rejecteth the services of the wicked and why 829 830. and that 's their misery 831 let them therefore repent ib. Blesse God for acceptance of our services 834. get into Gods service 846. and serve him earnestly 846. God how to bee served 917. serve God and why 937. He accepteth small services 938 939. how he is to be served 945. Setlednesse to be laboured after p. 618 Sicknesse fruit of sinne p. 378 379 Sight of sin is before sorrow p. 580 Silence in due season p. 257 Similies how to be used p. 164 Singing a Gospel-Ordinance p. 40 Sincerity accepted p. 98 Sinne a great burthen p. 606 607. It maketh God to disown people 634. to destroy them 23. remember it not with delight 42. the filth of sinne 78 518. hatefull to God 143. especially if iterated 223. 't is deceitfull 293. the greatest folly 317. hardly parted with 649. saints sinnes are most hainous 236. difference of their sins from other 933. adde not sin to sin 549 Sir whence p. 525 Slandering p. 85 86. make-bates 417 Sorrow godly p. 198. it follows upon sight of sin 580. 't is deep 581. greatest of all sorrows 581 582. 't is secret ib. forts of sorrows ib. Souls have no sexes p. 373. the worth of a soul 429. it comes from God and is like him 579. not propagated 653. precious ib. Spanish greatnesse p. 418 Spirits first work in the heart p. 852 Strength of a saint wherein p. 579 Stumbling at the word dangerous p. 642 Submission hath mercy p. 249 Suffer for God p. 144 Superstition pompous p. 70. prodigall 375 Supper Come prepared to the Lords Supper p. 616 Swearing a common sinne p. 532. dangerous 55 Sweating-sicknesse p. 247 310 T TEars powerfull with God p. 161 197 650 Temporals are to be slighted p. 24 25 saints oft have them 546 Temptation resist Satan p. 517. withstand first motions 544 Tempt not God p. 672 Thankfulnesse how it must be qualified p. 177. Think upon God and why p. 850 852. See Meditation Wicked think not on God 854 or not well 855 857 858 Thiâ—st corporall and spirituall p. 20 21 Thought not free p. 342 481 551. evil thoughts argue an evil man 856. earthly thoughts when they are naught 863 Threats shall be accomplished p. 643. wee should tremble at them 236 237. they are slighted 413. till felt 491 Time-servers p. 701 Tithings whence p. 345 Tythes to be payed p. 669 Tythe and be rich p. 673 674 Tongue order it well p. 383. an ill tongue destructive 407 Treachery to be avoyded p 646 Trinity of persons known of old p. 484 Truth little is to be found p. 53 't is ill taken 255. hated 256 274 Trust in God hath security p. 396 413. the triumph of Trust 420. Trust in Gods mercy 930 Tumults outragious p. 147 Turks Empire great p. 418. how they use their Asapi 420 Turn to God See Conversion and Repentance V Victory is of God and a great blessing p. 686. especially that over corruption ib. Vnity seek it p. 646. study it 462. Christian union 690 Vnsetlednesse in judgement p. 618 Vnthankfulnesse a grave p. 608 609. a great sinne 231. It exasperateth the Lord 572 Vnworthy Receivers p. 933 Vowes must be payed p. 318 W VVAit upon God p. 49 50 162 425 Walk exactly p. 520. worthy of God 706 Wantonnesse shun it p. 17 Warre the wo of it p. 566 595 148 153. desolation is by it