The Author We must go to him from whom every good and perfect gift doth proceed to seek faith Here I must admonish you that faith is given without seeking at first for it is a free gift and it is the glory of God I am found of them that sought me not Do not think that the gift of faith is acquired that is freely given but the encrease of our faith is acquired by means I prove it thus The spirit of God is given in the wombe it is given to infants therefore faith is also given for the spirit is never unfruitful and faith is one of the fruits of the spirit And the Apostles said unto the Lord encrease our faith The grace of God which moveth in the generation of them that fear the Lord is the seed of all vertues and first of faith the mother vertue which issueth all the rest that is given early And the gift of faith doth so lie hid in the Elect of God that themselves know not of it till God be pleased not to put his sonne into them but to reveal his Sonne in them This magnifieth the free grace of God and teacheth us to say It is so father because thy good pleasure is such And this excludeth all boasting on our part seeing we have it of meer and free gift And it ascribeth the glory of all to God 2. The means to get faith These as I have said do not lay the foundation of faith in us that is the free gift of God but these means do advance the building they do help to encrease our faith I will referre you to one place to declare to you the acquisition of more faith And a certain woman named Lydia Act. 16.14 a Seller of Purple of the city of Thyatyra which worshipped God heard us whose heart God opened that she attended unto the things that were spoken of Paul And when she was baptized and her houshold she besought us Vers 15. saying if ye have judged me faithful to the Lord c. Observe the whole passage 1. Here was a woman living in an honest and lawful vocation She was a seller of Purple 2. Here were some beginnings of faith in her For she worshipped God 3. The outward means to increase her faith She heard us 4. The inward means The Lord opened her heart after which followeth 1. More attention to Paul 2. Baptism 3. A Desire to be esteemed faithful 4. Hospitality she welcomed her teachers So that for the encreasing of faith she heard the word and the more she believed the more attentively she heard and for confirming of faith she was baptized Faith cometh by hearing for how shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard Here let me admonish you 1. But when I say by the word with the Apostle I do understand and would be understood to speak of the Word not as it is the voice of a mortal man nor as it is a dead letter but as the spirit doth speak to us in the Word For this the Apostle biddeth us Be swift to hear it concerns us much but that you may see that faith is not begotten in us by hearing hearing doth us no good without faith and we must have a grain of faith to season our hearing or else our hearing will adde nothing to our faith The word preached did not profit them Hebr. 4.2 not being mixed with faith in them that heard it So do we see some at first poure water into a Pumpe to set it a work that it may yield water plenteously for faith poured into our hearing doth make our hearing bring forth more faith And so in Prayer Fulgentius saith of faith Incipit infundi ut incipiat posci A man cannot have faith without asking neither can he aske it without faith 2. When I name the word for a means to beget an increase of faith I mean the written word to exclude all unwritten traditions and all written legends which the tel-tale Church of Rome hath coyned to gull the swallowing credulity of the misled ignorants that is the books of Canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testament of which the Apostle saith They are able to make a man wise to salvation and perfect throughly perfect to every good work 3. When I name the word a means of faith I must mean the Word understood by us for the Eunuch learns nothing of Isaiah the Prophet by reading him without understanding And I wonder that ever the Church of Rome could so befool and infatuate the judgements of men to believe that either hearing a forme of service or praying in a strange tongue could carry any validity in them except they did conceive or do believe that such hearing and praying have power of incantation Therefore there is required A translation of the word into our natural language or some other that we understand if we understand not the original And herein I must stirre you up to a thankful consideration of their profitable labours who have taken pains to translate the Bible to English for the common benefit of you all that you may read the Scriptures and exercise your selves in the study of them and examine the doctrines that you hear by them Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers who put such a thing as this into the heart of our Kings Majesty to set this work afoot and to see it finished Herein also I must commend unto you the easinesse and perspicuity of Scripture for if God had not left the way of salvation open but had shut it up in such clouds of obscurity that we must needs have a guide to light us the way to the lanthorn why would David have called the Word it selfe A Lanthorne to our feet Therefore let no man be discouraged from his own private studying of Scriptures for feare of their hardnesse It is no better then idlenesse and shuffling to say the Scriptures are too deep for me I will not meddle with them Christ commandeth Search the Scriptures is he not Antichrist that saith do not thou shalt not search I say and believe that the Word only read over by us or to us without the help of any Comment or Sermon or Exposition of it is a Lanthorne and giveth light to the simple Much more the Word with good Commentaries and written Expositions Much more the Word preached by learned and judicious Preachers which know how to divide the same aright those be called fellow-labourers with God Angels of God the salt of the earth the light of the world and even Saviours of men and because of their labour in the Word and oversight of the People honour double honour is allowed to them by the Apostle Saint Paul This point is of great use 1. To us that are Ministers of the Word for it layeth a necessity upon us and wo be to us if we preach not the Gospel I am sure the Apostle putteth it home to Timothy I charge thee before
against crying sinnes of the time is discreet and necessary pag. 52 The Contents of the third Chapter A Double plainnesse of Scripture Rationall and Spirituall pag. 77 Afflictions of this life cannot separate the society of the Faithfull pag. 5 Afflictions of the Church are such a deading to it that unlesse it were quickened with souâ—â— beams of grace it would be a burthen to it more then it could beare pag. 41 Affection of love most vehement in a woman pag. 94 All Gods favours to men proceed from his love towards such as are thankfull for them pag. 69 As God brought Israel into the land of Canaan by the sword so by the sword he driveth them out pag. 144 C CAtesbie's speech concerning the Gun-powder treason pag. 89 Christ descended into hell pag. 78 Christ was alwayes before the Gospel and even from the beginning of the world the hope of all the ends of the world pag. 150 Church musick ancient and of holy use pag. 22 Comfort in afflictions groweth out of a right understanding of the Will and purpose of God therein pag. 43 Commination of Gods judgments makes the Church of God to fear pag. 174 Consideration of former mercies strengthens faith in present troubles pag. 50. 68 Cushan is Aethiopia so called from Cush the son of Cham. pag. 80 Cyrus angrie with the River Gyndes pag. 103 D. DAvids Psalmes a common store-house of good learning pag. 195 Description of Repentance pag. 1â—5 Distressing of the poor a greivous and provoking sin pag. 159 E EVery childe of God and member of the Church ought to pray for the whole body of the Church pag. 34 F. FAith in Christ takes away the horrour of the terrour of the Lord pag. 82 Faithfull men who worship God with fear and trembling how they ought to be taught pag. 33 Fear is a proper passion of a true Believer and is inseperably joyned with saving Faith pag. 28 Figurative speeches are in use in Scripture pag. 72 G. GOD is not so glorious in any thing that he hath wrought as in his Church pag. 38 God will not suffer us to be tempted further then he thinks fit pag. 41 God is armed with instruments of vengeance to punish sin pag. 57 God never had mercy enough to swallow or consume either his justice or his truth pag. 60 God is glorious in Heaven and in Earth pag. 61 God never layeth his rod upon those creatures which he hath ordained for the service of man but to punish man 102. For he hath no quarrell to them pag. 103 God must have the glory of his own great works pag. 104 God is without variablenesse or alteration pag. 113 God sometimes declareth his power openly to the comfort of his Church and terrour of its enemies pag. 115 God is above all second causes pag. 133 God hath taken upon himself the care of the preservation of his Church 151. Therefore we need seek no further for it pag. 153 God in his judgment maketh the ungodly rods to punish one another pag. 155 God in Christ is the rest of his Church pag. 158 God never forsaketh us till we forsake him pag. 185 God punisheth one evil nation by another pag. 87 God is the strength of his Church 214. both in that we are and in that we do and in that we suffer pag. 215 God is the restorer of his Church wil renew the face glory of it pag. 222 Gods word must minister matter to our prayers pag. 25 Gods Church is Gods work both in respect of its calling 37. and of his perpetuall presence in it pag. 38 Gods mercie and our obedience are motives of re-establishing his protection upon his Church pag. 55 God's secrets revealed only to them that fear him pag. 75 God's power shewed in the terror of the wicked proves that there is a God pag. 80 God's promises are either for this life or for the life to come pag. 124 God's extraordinary mercies must be often remembred pag. 166 God's mercie in giving must not destroy his justice in punishing of evill doers pag. 186 Good use is to be made of some temptations H. HOrnes in Scripture signifie strength page 49 How God was said to have divided the Land of Canaan amongst the children of Israel page 63 73 How many ways spiritual enemies assault the Church page 205 How many ways men abuse their strength page 216 I. JErusalem and the Temple shall lye desolate untill the second coming of Christ page 68 Jewish Feasts were instituted for remembrances of favours received from God page 166 In the last calling of the Jews their Common-wealth shall be restored page 66 In reading of holy Scripture we ought carefully to observe what is spoken literally and what figuratively 74. and not to make figures where none are 77. Nor understand that literally which is figurative page 79 In all wars God is Lord of Hosts and General of the armies that fight his quarrels 143. and he ordereth all wars page 144 Jotham's Parable page 188 Joy dilateth the heart page 195 Joyes of the ungodly compared to a candle page 205 Israel a type of Gods Church on earth page 99. L. LAnd of Canaan not above 300 miles in length and 100 in bredth 173. The fruitfulnesse of it shewn ibid. Logick and Rethorick requisite and necessary in a Minister page 76 M. MAnna and Water out of the Rock were types of our Lords Supper and the children of Israels passage through the red Sea a type of Baptisme page 168 Matter of thankesgiving is an acknowledgment of all benefits page 68 Mercy is the most glorious attribute that God hath page 46 Miseries of afflicted men make them forget comforts page 44 Monarchie of the Assyrians lasted 1300 yeers page 250 Moses charged by Heathens to be a Magician page 97 105 Motives inducing us to blesse those that persecute us and pray for those that hate us page 70 N. NO lesson so hard for a child of God to take out as to take up Christ's Crosse page 41 No counsel or strength can prevaile against God 65. nor any prescription ibid. No Oratory nor eloquence comparable to the holy elocution of Scripture page 75 O. OBjections against Church musick answered page 13 Obedience to God assures and gains all good things to us page 180 Over-weening of our fellow creatures is and hath been a cause of Idolatry page 134 P. POetry ancient and of use in the Church page 10 Polygamy unlawfull page 108 Prayer a faithful messenger page 43 Prayer hath the same force now as it had in former times page 141 Praysing of God in Hymns and Songs ancient and much used in the Church Prophane mens hearts are hardned with custome of sinning page 31 Prophane and carnal men how they ought to be taught page 30 Prophets Apostles and Ministers of the Word are the fittest Persons to be used for direction of devotion page 7 R. REading of Scripture good to make us understand what the Lord hath
to be the comforter of his Church to abide with it for ever we have the earnest of this Spirit to bind the bargain of eternal salvation We have the first fruits of this Spirit We have the testimony of this Spirit witnessing with our Spirits that we are the Sons of God and if Sons then Heyrs and Co heyrs with Christ 3. To spend the time of our waiting here for the promise of God we have the holy exercise of Prayer this doth bring us to a familiar conference with God and as in hearing and reading of holy Scripture we say Audiam quid loquatur Deus So in Prayer God saith He shall call upon me and I will heare him I will be with him In Prayer we may challenge God of his promise as the Psalmist Do well O Lord unto thy servant according to thy Word Remember thy Word unto thy servant Ps 119.49 upon which thou hast caused me to hope Faith and feeling are not always joyned together therefore in the want and expectation of Gods promises we pray building upon the Word of God because we know Vers 89. For ever O Lord thy Word is setled in heaven Saint Augustine saith of Prayer it is oranti subsidium and help to him that prayeth deo sacrificium a sacrifice to God daemonibus flagellum a scourge to the devils 1. It helpeth us for it setteth us in the face of God and bringeth us into his conference and the time can never seem long to us that is spent in that company 2. It is a sacrifice to God for it is the performance of a duty by him commanded 3. It is a scourge to the devils and to all his agents for when we pray against the evil our God heareth us and delivereth us from evil Vers 4. Behold his soule which is lifted up is not upright in him But the just shall live by his faith GOd having directed the Prophet concerning the Vision in the two former verses 1. For the Publication and then for the expectation thereof He cometh now to the Vision it selfe which containeth A Declaration of his holy Will in his general Administration of Justice and so doth not only serve those times and persons present but may be extended to all times and persons so long as the world endureth And Gods shewing hereof maketh it a Vision to his Prophet and so to his Church and so it begins at Behold Now the answer of God doth first prevent an objection which might arise out of Gods former words for when he saith of the vision that the time is appointed for it and though it tarry the Church must wait as implying that it might be long before it were fullfilled the Prophet might enquire but what shall the People do in the mean time how shall the afflicted hold out till that time appointed Therefore in the rest of the chapter 1. He cleareth that objection vers 4. 2. He revealeth the Proceedings of his Justice against sundry sins in all the rest of the chapter For the first let us examine the words Behold Here he openeth the eyes and cleareth the sight of the Prophet and of the Church to see the Vision requiring us to take the matter into serious consideration as the Apostle saith Consider what I say Let him that hath ears to heare hear what the Spirit speaketh unto the Churches so is this word often used in Scripture to move attention His soule which is listed up in him is not upright Interpreters do two ways understand these words either thus He that is not upright his soul is lifted up or by Conversion He that is lifted up is not upright This last we follow and this I take to be Gods meaning It is true in the first sense that the ungodly man seeketh trust elsewhere then in God and doth strengthen himselfe in the malice or pride of his heart But God would shew here that whosoever is thus big-swoln in the pride of his heart hath not rectam animam some read quietam or tranquillam animam a right or a quiet soule It agreeth well with the Prophets complaint of the insolenty of the Chaldaeans that they being now lifted up with the glory of their many victories their souls are not upright wherein he declareth them horrible offenders and therefore obnoxious to his high displeasure Mr. Calv. doth understand this place thus that God declareth his just judgment against the Chaldaeans that because they have trusted in themselves they shall have no peace in their souls but some new suspicions shall still arise to disquiet them or new hopes to put them on upon fresh adventures or some new fears to discrefiate them so that they shall never rest in their souls Arias Montanus and Ribera a Jesuit do both follow a corrupt Translation Ecce qui incredulus est non erit recta anima ejus Whereas he speaketh not of unbelief but of pride of heart which yet doth include infidelity because such do translate the trust that they ought to place in God alone unto themselves and their owne means of accomplishing their intendments but our reading doth much better agree with our copy It followeth in the second part of the Antithesis But the just shall live by his faith And here let me first tell you that this sentence is cited in the New Testament often 1. Rom. 2.17 As it is written the just shall live by faith 2. Galat. 3.11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God it is evident for the just shall live by faith 3. Heb. 10.37 For yet a little while and he yet shall come will come and will not tarry 38. Now the just shall live by faith and if any man shall draw back my soule shall have no pleasure in him In all these foure places the words have one and the same sense The just man that is he who is justified by a saving faith shall be supported by that faith so as whatsoever either outward or inward calamities shall assault him his faith shall carry him through all because putting his trust only in God in the confidence of the Mediation of Jesus Christ he shal have peace of conscience and shall take all that befals him in good part So then 1. By the just we do understand not any legal righteousnesse such as standeth in the performance of obedience to the whole law which no man but Christ God and man could perform but an Evangelical righteousnesse which doth consist in a godly zeal and holy endeavour of obedience to the law according to the measure of that grace which God hath given to men and whereunto is joyned both repentance of all sins and an holy sorrow that we do come so short of that full obedience which in duty we do owe to God And where he saith vivet he shall live he doth mean both a natural a spiritual and an eternal life 1. A natural life for faith doth make that to be
lay persons or any other without speciall leave Thus much I dare affirm that holy Scripture are plain and easie in all dogmaticall points all the articles of faith are plainly set forth and the whole doctrine of godly life and the way to salvation is openly declared So far our Church doth avouch yet withall we must consider that there is a double plainnesse of Scripture 1 Rationall and Intellectuall which apprehendeth the true meaning of the words in Grammaticall construction in Logicall composition and in Rhetoricall illustration thus all the dogmaticall part of Divinity is plain to a naturall man that is capable of these helps 2 Spirituall and Metaphysicall which is saving knowledge and is the work of the Holy Ghost in us making us thereby wise to salvation this knowledg is both the daughter and mother of faith for by faith we hear the word else it would not profit us and by hearing commeth faith else it were unfruitfull Therefore I must indite many of the learned of the Church of Rome of slander who have given out in print that we do hold the whole body of Scripture so easie both in the whole and in every part thereof that any unlearned men women may read and understand all as they go and that they need no interpreter This no sober man will affirm but that the difficulty is not such as should deter us from the study thereof rather that it is such as inviteth us thereto that we affirme Vse 4 This serveth us for caution 1 Though the Scripture be full of figures let us not make figures where there are none and strein plain and evident Texts from their genuine and proper sense to forreign and far-fetcht mysteries as the Papist doth often For when Peter saith Ecce hic duo gladii they understand the double power of Peter and so of al Popes as his successours Ecclesiaticall and temporall so on these words He made two great lights the greater to rule the day the less to rule the night that these two lights are the Pope to rule the day that is to say the Church and the Emperour to rule the night that is the lay people Where note that as the Moon borroweth all the light it hath of the Sun So must the Emperour borrow all his glory of the Pope Some of our own brethren have trode awry in this way for an Article of Faith lyes bleeding in the unresolved judgements of many by this fault of making a figure where none is The words of Christ Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell are plain enough For we know that Christ had a soul we know that there is an hell and we hear Christ say that God would not leave it there But Mr. Calvine turns this into a figure and his words be all oracles with some that take their upon trust his figure is that descendit ad inferos diros in anima cruciatus damnati ac perditi hominis pertulet he descended into hell that is he bare in his soul all the torments of the damned Mast Perkins refuseth this as the meaning of the article for he saith all this is conteined in the former he suffered was crucified dead And he findeth another figure in these words by soul he meaneth the body and by hell he meaneth the grave for he thus rendreth it He descended into hell that is he was held captive in the grave and lay in bondage under death for three daies Which need not for the Article that saith he was buried contemneth that for then God did not suffer his holy one to see corruption This turning of Articles of faith into figures doth destroy faith therefore without figure the safest way is to understand the word of the Prophets in their own proper sense natural signification by soul to understand the living soul of Christ which by death was separated for a time from his body By hell to understand the place of the damned in which Christ triumphed victoriously over the Devil and his angels and brought away the keys thereof that he might open it to the reprobate and shut it again the elect to whom the promise is made that The gates of hell shall not prevail against them 2 Let us also take heed that where there is a plain figure we do not understand that literally to corrupt the Text which was the errour of the Disciplies to whom when Christ had spoken of restoring the Kingdom to Israel they understood it literally of the temporall Kingdom of the Jews which was meant of the spirituall Kingdom of Christ So the woman of Samaria thought Christ had spoken of an Elementary water and the Capernaites mistook Christ speaking of the bread of life Therefore let common judgements take good counsel how they expound Scriptures lest they pervert them to their own damnation for as Aug. Hinc natae sunt omnes haereses quia scripturae bonae intelleguntur non bene hence all heresies grow c. Ver. 7. I saw the Tents of Cushan in affliction and the curtains of the Land of Midian did tremble 3 HEre followeth further instance of the Majestie and glory of God and goodness to his Church declared 1 In the power of his fear which was upon the Nations When he brought his Israel to Canaan for that put them into affliction and trembling 2 In the wonders that he shewed in the work I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction Who saw this no the Prophet onely but the Church of God to whom God hath made himself known by this judgement The vision was that God did cast the fear of his people upon the Nations he nameth Cushan or the people of Ethiopia bordering upon Egypt and Midian which took name of Midian the son of Abraham by Keturah Gen. 25.2 The terrour of God fell upon many Nations when God put Israel into the way to the promised Land and long after and these two Nations are hereby a figure Poetically and Rhethorically named for many Nations The reason whereof I conceive to be this Gen. 10.6 Cushan or Ethiopia took name from Cush the eldest son of Cham them youngest son of Noah to shew that though Canaan the son of Cham be onely named in Noahs curse yet the smart thereof should also light upon Cush also and he should taste also of affliction Again herein the extent of this terrour is well expressed that Cushan or Ethiopia should be made to tremble which was remote from Canaan for the whole land of Egypt lay between Midian lay neer to that land so that I understand the Text thus That God cast his fear upon people remote and near hand and shook them with trembling at his mighty power when he brought his Israel into the promised Land and this was so palpable and manifest that the Church of God could not but take notice of it By tents and curtains he expressed this people dismayed not in their Cities and Towns and places of habitation
prayeth a sacrifice to God a scourge to the devil and his agents pag. 183 Prayer the Word and the Sacraments are means to preserve faith pag. 228 Preparation required in those who go to Church pag. 344 Pride a cause of strife pag. 25 Pride consists in three things In thinking too well of our selves contemptibly of others boasting and glorying in vain ostentation pag. 240 Pride is the ground of insatiablenesse pag. 241 Pride the ruine of Charity Justice Temperance and Religion pag. 243 Proofs of a sincere faith pag. 227 Prosperity of this world fils the hearts of men with pride and vain estimation of themselves pag. 131 Proud men resemble death and hell pag. 243 Punishment in its nature is evil yet God may work good out of it pag. 69 Punishment of Idolatry pag. 334 Punishments of Pride 247. Just Reprehension 155. Derision 257 Spoyle and destruction pag. 262 Punishments of Ambition 279. They consult shame to their own house Ibid. Sin against their own souls 283. Labour in vaine and without successe pag. 286 Punishments of drunkennesse 315. Who will punish it God 316 how he will punish it 319. Why he will punish it pag. 324 Q. OVantity of the fault is the measure of the judgment pag. 5 R. REasons why Ambition makes men unhappy Pag. 274 Religion contemned is a signe of a diseased and desperate state 38 Reasons thereof Ibid. Riligion is the knot of true Vnion that knitteth us to God and uniteth us to one another Pag. 78. Religion hath the bowels of compassion and they have no Religion that have no mercy Pag. 99 Religion the best bond of brotherhood Pag. 129 Remedy for mans fall 222. Which is Christ Pag. 223 Remedies against drunkennesse Pag. 308 S. SAthan suggesteth that the way of righteousnesse is painful pag. 287 Sathans chiefest temptation is by blemishing of Gods glory pag. 296 Seekers of strife condemned pag. 25 Service performed to God without zeal is without life pag. 51 Shame rather hardeneth then reformeth a sinner pag. 16 Sincere Faith cannot be lost pag. 228 Sharp and satyricall tartnesse not alwayes unlawfull pag. 259 Sin is a burthen to God 3. To men 4. And awakes Gods vengeance Ibid. Sins seen in others moves man to a loathing of sin and to charity pag. 68 Sin is like Leaven a little sowreth the whole lump pag. 204 283 Sins of Omission 218. Of evil motion 219. Of evil affection and of evil action pag. 220 Sins grow in clusters and one sin begetteth another 265. Examples thereof pag. 266 Sins committed against the Law of God are done against the committers souls pag. 283 Souls in heaven wait upon the performance of Gods Promises pag. 178 Stephens prayer at his death a means of Pauls conversion pag. 102 Suggestions to sin lay their foundation upon some unworthy opinion of God pag. 298 T. TEares of bitternesse are the bloud of the Soul pag. 285 Teaching by familiar resemblances is much used in both Testaments pag. 123 Temples not built in 200 years after Christ pag. 336 Temples and Churches necessary pag. 337 Temporall things can afford no true content pag. 39 There is no peace to a wicked man pag. 6 The sound of Gods Word preached cannot be truly heard by us unlesse he open our hearts pag. â—2 The soul of prayer is the holy zeal of him that prayeth pag. 22 Three speciall benefits of a godly life pag. 40. 41 The Chaldeans raised by God against the Jews pag. 56 They who are sealed with the Spirit of Promise have their infirmities lapses and relapses yet sin not to death pag. 64 They who fulfilling the Will of God which they know not do fulfill their own will which they aime at are not rewarded but rather punished for it pag. 74. 75 The way to avoid contempt is humility pag. 81 There is such a concatenation of duties of Religion and Justice that he that offendeth in one breaketh the chaine pag. 267 The fear of the wicked shall come upon himself pag. 280 The house of the righteous shall stand pag. 281 The Elect sin against their own souls in regard of the fault 283 and also in regard of the punishment pag. 284 The delivery of Gods Church and his vengeance upon her enemies gives honour to the Name of God upon earth pag. 294 The sting of the first sin pag. 297 The knowledge of Gods glory consisteth in the true consideration of his justice and mercy pag. 299 Though the Church of God live under the crosse for a time it shall not be alwayes so pag. 82 Those whom God useth as his rods are limited pag. 83 To know the glory of God here on earth we must observe the course of his judgments pag. 302 To make others drunk is a more grievous sin then drunkennesse pag. 310 U. VAnity of Idolatry pag. 326 Vncharitablenesse corrupteth a Common-wealth and makes all Gods servants complaine pag. 34 Vngodly men outragious when they finde a way open to their violence pag. 125 Vngodly men have no bowels pag. 136 Vnrighteous mens labours described pag. 287 Voluntary and involuntary drunkennesse pag. 318 W. WAnt of zeal a sinne pag. 52 Want of Faith the true cause of Idolatry pag. 90 Way to Hell all down hill yet very uneasie 286. And that is gotten by it is but meere vanity pag. 283 We ought to avoid causes of complaint pag. 34 We ought not to limit God to a set time for our deliverance nor to any set means nor measure of affliction pag. 107 We must not think long to tarry Gods leasure 173. to avoid these two evils Of murmuring against God or seeking unlawfull means to accomplish our desires pag. 178 We ought not be too busie to search into the wayes of God to know things to come pag. 174 We must beleeve Gods Promises whatsoever appearances do put in to perswade us to the contrary pag. 175 Where God is pag. 336 Whatsoever God hath decreed or spoken shall certainly take effect in the appointed time pag. 160 What duty is owing to him pag. 336 Where Religion is despised the courts of Justice must needs be corrupt 28. and power and authority degenerate into tyranny and oppression pag. 29 When God undertaketh a work he accommodateth all fit means though he need none for a full execution pag. 71 When we pray that Gods Will may be done we must also pray that it may be done for the same cause pag. 77 Whensoever God punisheth there is a fault deserving that punishment 253. Objections to the contrarie answered pag. 254 When God putteth his hand to spoyling the oppressor he will spoil him in all that he trusted in pag. 263 Whom God pardoneth Sathan tempteth most pag. 87 Whosoever gives divine Worship to a creature is an Idolater pag. 91 Wicked men have no peace pag. 84 Wicked men rejoyce at the Churches sorrow pag. 128 Woe to the man which gathereth not his own pag. 275 Written Scripture sufficient for salvation pag. 153 Z ZEale
done in former ages page 105 Religion in the Head is speculation in the Heart affection in the Hand action page 169 Rich mens duties to the poor page 161 S. SAlvation is a work of power 210. of glory Ibid. Of mercy page 211 Salvation only of God page 229 Satans Suggestions that God is merciful animates sinners to do evil page 58 Satan is but Gods instrument in afflicting of the Church page 84 Selah what it signifieth page 49 Self conceited men how they ought to be taught page 32 Self-opinion is a kind of spiritual drunkennesse page 32 Set-prayers both lawful and necessary to be used page 6 Senselesse and livelesse creatures are subject to Gods will page 119 133 Sigionoth what it signifieth page 2 Signes of true spiritual joy page 201 203 Six Signes of ensuing judgment page 146 Sin is that which parteth God and us page 146 Sometimes God taketh away from his children their feeling of his love and of the joy of the Holy-Ghost page 56 T. TEmporal things have but a resemblance of good and evil spiritual favours are reall Pag. 202 Thanksgiving ought to be joyned with Prayer Pag. 106 Thanksgiving is a work of Justice which puts us in mind of our unablenesse to requite God and of our unworthinesse Pag. 69 The Contemplation of Gods justice in punishing the sins of his Church of his vengeance in revenging the quarrels of it of his mercy in his mercy in healing the wounds of it give the faithful occasion to resort to God by prayer Pag. 3 The Churches Plea in affliction is for mercy Pag. 45 The Church of God hath a special interest in the power and protection of God Pag. 54 The best forme of thanksgiving is that which maketh particular commemoration of Gods mercies Pag. 68 The sense of Scripture is the soul thereof Pag. 76 The welfare of the Church is the grief and vexation of her enemies Pag. 82 The truth of God is a good ground because the word of God is a sure word Pag. 112 The devil knew where Moses was buried Pag. 137 The effectual fevrent prayer of a righteous man prevaileth much Pag. 139 The poor are under Gods protection and his own flesh Pag. 160 The very Elect are shaken with fear Pag. 177 The law sheweth us how much we are in Gods debt Pag. 178 The same hand that put the children of Israel in possession of the land of Canaan put them out again Pag. 186 The Chaldaeans armies the Troops of God Pag. 186 The Saints of God have their sorrows on earth yet they always rejoyce in the Lord. Pag. 202 The general apprehension of Gods mercy in Christ will not justifie a man in the sight of God Pag. 207 The Lord will loose the bonds of his Church and give her deliverance out of her troubles Pag. 220 They that joy in the Lord rest in the Lord and rejoyce in nothing otherwise then as a means to serve the Lord. 200 and because God is Lord. Pag. 201 Three notes of a lawful promise and oath Pag. 115 VAin repetitions not to be used in Prayer Pag. 33 W WE ought to give the whole glory and praise for all good to God 70. And thanks to creatures as ministers and instruments of God Pag. 71 We must search out and confesse the true cause of all the good that God doth to us Pag. 107 What use may be made of Davids Psalmes in our frequent reading and meditation of them Pag. 19 What is meant by the works of God Pag. 19 What is meant by the midst of years Pag. 21 Whether we ought to swear at all Pag. 114 Whether every oath ought to be kept Pag. 115 Wheresoever there is Election there is Vnction pag. 130 154 Where God loveth a People his favour runneth in a full stream in the channel of his Church Pag. 138 Where there is the true joy of the Holy Ghost no temporal affliction can extinguish or eclipse it Pag. 195 X Xerxes angry with the sea causeth it to be beater with stripes pag. 102 FINIS A Commentarie OR EXPOSITION UPON The Prophecy of HABAKKVK CHAP. I. Verse 1. The Burthen which HABAKKUK the Prophet did see THis first verse tels us what we shall find in the ensuing Prophecy and it openeth to us three things which give light to that which followeth 1. The Minister of God in this Prophecy 1. By his name Habakkuk 2. By his Function the Prophet 2. The manner how he came by it Vision 3. The matter of it the Burthen 1. Of the Minister First of his name The name Habakkuk is rendred by Philo the Jew amplexans embracing so doth Pagnine give it our English a wrastler for they that wrastle do embrace and hold fast one the other a name well expressing the office and employment of this Prophet who wrastled with the sinners of those times and their horrible iniquities to cast them 1. But as God wrastled with Jacob that he might leave behind him a blessing His tribe Dorothaeus saith was Simeon I know not upon what information for the silence of the holy Scripture doth argue it to be conjectural Concerning the time when he prophecied it is not particularly exprest but it appears to be before the deportation into Babylon for the Chaldeans invasion is here threatned and therefore Junius thinks him contemporary with Jeremiah and referreth his Prophecie to the end of Josias his Government Others after the Hebrews referre it is the â—â—me of King Manasseh Master Calvin very truly affirmeth it before the time of Zedekiah Arias Montanus gives a probable conjecture by comparing that which is said 2 Reg. 21.12 Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel behold I am bringing forth an evill upon Jerusalem and Iudah that whosoever heareth of it both his ears shall tingle That in the eleventh verse t is said Because Manasseh King of Judah hath done these abominations and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did which were before him and hath also made Iudah to sinne with his idols And this Commination is almost in the same words in the fifth verse of this chapter Saint Hierome in his Prologue to this Prophet saith that he is called a wrastler quia certamen ingreditur cum deo because he wrastled with God Nullus enim Prophetarum ausus est tam audaci voce Deum ad disceptationem justitiae provocare none durst so boldly provoke God to vindicate his Justice as it appears v. 2. But he doth violate the text of Canonical Scripture and History to verifie that Apocrypha tale of Habakkuks bringing food to Daniel by miracle which destroyeth the truth of the history to make faith of a Legend For either there must be two Habakkuks or this one must live as Arias Montanus doth cast it up three hundred years if he lived to feed Daniel in the Captivity a long time of life then or this must prophecie before he was born Bellarmine hath found out two Daniels one the
Justice or directly unjust in suffering his own servants to be opprest with the injuries of men The Minister must diligently preach the hearer must reverently hear and faithfully believe the truth concerning the Providence of God or else all Religion will sink and want foundation Vers 2. And the Lord answered me and said Write the vision and make it plaine upon Tables that he may run that readeth it 3. For the vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lye though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry HEre begins the second part of the chapt which contains the Lords answer to the Prophets expostulation Containing 1. A Direction to the Prophet ver 2 3. 2. A Declaration of his holy will in the general administration of Justice 1. Concerning the Direction given to the Prophet And the Lord answered me and said For the manner how God maintained intelligence with his holy Prophets we are not very particularly informed we find inspiration and revelation and ision mentioned he that made the light that is in us and gave us our understanding can best make his ways known to his holy ones and as I do not think that Habakkuks contestation with God was verbal and vocal but rather a wrastling and striving of his spirit and inward man neither do I think this answer of God was audidle presented to the eare but by some secret divine illumination suggested And where he saith The Lord answered and said These phrases do expresse so plain an answer as is made in conference between man and man Write the vision That is set down in writing my answer It is our manner for the better preservation of such things as we would not forget to set them down in writing But because this request of the Prophets doth concerne others that he may inform them God addeth Make it plain upon Tables that he may run that readeth it That is write my answer in a Table in great Characters that though a man be in haste and run by yet he may read as he runneth shewing that he was desirous to satisfie all such as the Prophet spake of before who should argue against him As out manner is to fix publike Proclamations and Edicts on wals or on Posts in ways of common passage that any Passenger may take notice thereof seeing it concerneth every one to that the Lord alludeth in this place giving the Prophet great charge for the declaration of his holy will in this great matter so to expresse it that every one of his People may receive information thereof Vult aperta esse verba apertè scribi saith St. Hierom. For the vision is yet for an appointed time The time is not yet fulfilled for the execution of the Will of God but it is in the holy wisedome and purpose of God determined when it shall be fulfilled At the end it shall speak and not lie That is in the time prefixed by Almighty God it shall take effect and the counsel and decree of God shall be executed For God that hath promised cannot lie The answer of God is full as it after will appear and doth not only clear the Iustice of God in the present cause of the oppressed Iews against the Chaldaeans but it maketh a further and more general overture of Gods decree against all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse of men so that this Prophecy shall not only comfort that Church and those times but it is directed to the perpetual use of the Church in all the ages thereof He therefore addeth Though it tarry wait for it do not think by any importunity to draw down the judgements of God upon the ungodly or to hasten the deliverance of the Church God doth all things tempore suo in his time and the servants of God must tarry his leasure Because it will surely come it will not tarry He giveth assurance of the complement of his Will in the proper and prestitute season thereof which nothing shall then hinder The parts of this text containing Gods direction given to his holy Prophet are three 1. The care that God takes for the publishing of his Wil to the Church vers 2. 2. The assurance that he gives of the performance thereof in the time by him appointed 3. The patient expectation which he commands for the performance thereof 1. The law that he takes for publishing it The Prophet must not only hear God speak the Seer must not only behold the vision but he must write the same litera scripta manet the written letter abideth I will not stand to search how ancient writing is wherein some have lost time and labour I know that many do make God the first immediate Author of it and do affirm that the first Scripture that ever was was Gods writing of the law in two Tables Exod. 32. But because I find in Exod. 24 that Moses wrote all the word of the Lord Vse 4 and Josephus doth report a tradition of the Hebrews for writing and graving before the flood I hold it probable that both Scripture and Sculpture are as ancient as the old world I will not question Josephus his Record of the two pillars erected before the flood engraven for the use of posterity with some memorable things to continue in succeeding ages whereof one remained in Syria in his own time It is frequent in Scripture to expresse a perpetuity of record by writing In the case of Amalek Write this for a memorial in a book Ex. 17.14 Iob. O that my words were now written that they were printed in a book Job 19 23 Graven with an iron pen Vers 24. in lead and in the ink for ever Isay the Prophet I heard a voice from heaven saying to me write all flesh is grasse Ioh. Audivi vocem dicentem Beati mortui I heard a voice from heaven saying Blessed are the dead Beloved thus have we the light that shineth upon the Church and guideth our feet in the ways of peace by writing for all Scripture is given by inspiration holy men wrote as they were inspired It was given to them by inspiration to know the will of God they impart it to the Church of God by writing and that boundeth and limiteth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus hath God revealed himself to his Church 1. Cor 4.6 both sufficiently that we need no more knowledge for eternal life then what is contained in Scripture and so clearly that the word giveth understanding to the simple And as this word from the immediate mouth of God doth warrant this particular prophecy so doth the Apostle say of all the body of Canonical Scripture that all Scripture is given by inspiration and Gods care is double 1. That it be written to continue 2. That it be written plain to be read 1. It must be written that it may remain 1. Written For in the old world because of the
long life of the fathers the oracles of God were committed to them without any mention of writing because they were both wise and faithful in the custody and transmission of them For Adam himself living nine hundred and thirty years to teach his children had under his teaching Seth Enosh Kenan Mahalaleel Iarod Henoch Methusalah and Lamech the father of Noah And Noah lived with Abraham 57 years But after the flood when the Church in the posterity of Iacob encreased and no doubt had many corruptions by dwelling in Aegypt then was Moses appointed both to be the deliverer of the People of Israel from Aegypt and to be the Penman of God to write those things which God would have to remain in the Church for all succeeding times and after him successively holy men wrote as they were inspired And a better Argument we cannot give for the danger of unwritten traditions which the Church of Rome doth so much commend even above Scripture then this God saw that men had corrupted their ways and he found the imaginations of mens hearts only evil continually and that the Church was a very few therefore he stirred up Noah to be a Preacher of righteousnesse in whom the light of truth was preserved he destroyed the old sinful world and by Noah and Sem he began a new Church to the restored world Yet after Noahs death the worship of strange gods were brought in so that to heal this grief and to prevent the danger of traditions God caused the Word to be written by holy men for the perpetual use of his Church whose books were faithfully preserved in all ages thereof Then came the Sonne of God and he left his spirit in the Church to lead the Church into all truth by which spirit the New Testament was endited and written So that now all things necessary to salvation are so clearly revealed that traditions of men have no necessary use in the Church in the substance of true Religion for that which is written is sufficient The Church of Rome denieth the sufficiency of Scripture Many of their great learned men write both basely and blasphemously thereof But they are not agreed upon the point for Scotus Gerson Oecam Cameracensis Waldensis Vincentius Lerinensis do all confesse what we teach of the sufficiency of Scripture as the learned Deane of Glocester Dr. Field l. 3. de Eccoles c. 7. hath fairly cited them And Dr. White in his way of the Church addeth Tho. Aquinas Antoninus Arch-bishop of Florence Durandus Alliaco a Cardinal Conradus Clingius Peresius Divinity Reader at Barcilena in Spain and Cardinal Bellarmine Of whom Possevinus writeth that he is one of the two that have won the Garland De verbo Dei l. 1. c. 2. Sacra Scriptura regulae credendi certissima tutissima est Per corporales literas quas cerneremus legeremus erudire not voluit Deus Writing against Swenck field and the Libertines this is a legal witnesse Pro Orthodoxo heretici testimonium valeat I know to whom I speak and therefore I forbear the Polemical bands of arguments to and fro upon this question which in print and in English is so fully and learnedly debated Our lesson is seeing Gods care of his Church for the instruction thereof is here exprest in commanding his revealed will to be written that God would have his Church to be taught his ways in all the ages thereof Doct. 1. Because the ways of God Reas 1 and the saving health of God cannot be parted none can have the saving health of God without the knowledge of his ways no ignorant man can be saved it is said of Christ By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Isa 53.11 per scientiam qua scitur Therefore Davids Prayer is That thy way may be known upon earth thy saving health among all nations 2. Because the promise of God doth run in semine Reas 2 in the seed I will be thy God and the God of thy seed Our children are the Lords inheritance his care extendeth so farre That yee may live Deut. 5.33 and that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days But that is not all That it may be well with them and their children for ever Vers 29. 3. For his own sake Reas 3 that his Wisdome Power and Iustice may be known to men that they may be able to plead the cause of God against such as either ignorantly through unbelief or maliciously and blasphemously shall dispute and argue against God for therefore God doth condescend to this Apology of himself that he may instruct his Church how to plead the cause of his Iustice against all strife of tongues that the name of God be not evil-spoken of To make profit of this point Vse 2 1. Herein let us consider what the Lord hath done for our souls for he hath given us two means to communicate to us his holy will hearing and reading and he hath used to this purpose both the voice and the pen of holy men for he spake by the mouth of all the holy Prophets since the world began and holy men wrote as his spirit directed them Let him that hath ears to heare heare quid Spiritus Ps 34.16 Mat. 24.15 and seek yee out the book of the Lord and read but then adde this caution Who so readeth let him understand It was Philips question sed intelligis quod legis Seeing God hath written to us Vse 2 and the whole body of holy Scripture may well be called Gods Epistle or Letter to his Church let us bestow the reading of Gods letter St. Augnstiue saith Quae de illa Civitate unde peregrinamur venerunt nobis literae ipsae sunt Scripturae It was St. Gregories complaint of Theodorus In Ps 90.2 that he was so over-busied with secular cares Regist 4.84 Et quotidie legere negligit verba redemptoris sui quid est autem Scriptura sacra nisi quaedam epistola Omnipotentis dei ad venturam suam It is a question in our times whether printing hath done more hurt or good for Satan finding this a means to keep things alive in the world hath employed the Presse in all sorts of heresies in all sorts of idle and lascivious false and dicterious slanderous and biasphemous books The remedy is to refrain such readings and as Dr. Reynold tels Hart his adversary that he hath no book allowed him to read but the Bible It is likely then that he is perfect in that book and that Physitians do well when they find their Patient surfeited with too much variety of meat to confine him to some one wholesome dyet So shall we do well to limit our selves to the reading of Gods letter and know his mind for he is wisest and the wisedome that we shall gather from thence is wisedome from above it is able to make us wise unto salvation as the Apostle saith 3. Seeing God teacheth us by
the world and loose the soul In the last day an upright soul will be able to stand it out before the judgment seat when they that have kept all things upright but their souls shal see that none but upright souls are happy 2. Let us therefore not stand wishing I would I had such a soul Vse 2 as Balaam I would I might die the death of the righteous but let us study and use the means to get such a soul These are 1. The Word for in that the Spirit speaketh there is a sound of the voyce that commeth to the ear that is not enough there is the Spirit speaking to the soul that 's the Sermon the Spirit of God is the Preacher the souls of men are the audience So the Psalmist I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his Word do I hope 2. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper for that is spirituall meat and drink the Pabulum animae it is both meat and medicine worthily received it is Emanuel God with us I may say to you my brethren as Christ said to the woman of Samaria Joh. 4.10 If you knew the gift of God and understood what grace is offered you in the word and Sacrament and how beneficiall they are how nourishing how cordiall to the inward man you would not come to the Word when your leasure served but you would put by all businesses and make them attend that service you would not receive the Sacrament once a year if so much but your Word would be Desiderio desideravi comedere hoc pascha I only say with Christ If you know these things happy are ye if ye do them 3. Confession to God is another good means keep the soul upright we say even reckonings make long friends There is a threefold Confession 1. Confessio fraudis quid omisi 2. Confessio facti quid feci 3. Confessio laudis quid retribuam Here is work enough to take up the whole life of man and this keeps our accompt with God even 4. I must never leave out prayer that must make one in all the exercises of Christian life pray continually And let our petition be that God would give us wisdom from above to direct us in the ordering of our souls so as we may ever keep them upright for it is not in man to order his ways much lesse to govern his own soul let us therefore pray to him who chalengeth interest in all souls who is called The Father of Spirits and who saith All souls are mine We have a good encouragement from Saint James If any of you want wisdom Jam. 1.5 let him aske of God who giveth to all men liberally And Christ hath promised that whatsoever he shal ask the Father in his Name he wil do it 5. It wil help to keep our souls in integrity to have regard of our conversation of our calling of our recreations of our time of our means 1. That we keep good company which may not corrupt our manners either consilio or exemplo by counsel or example 2. That we live in a lawful calling that we may have the testimony of a good conscience that the means of our maintenance are honest and lawful and that we do not spend the wages of unrighteousnesse that defileth the soul with an indelible pollution all your prayers and almes wil not purge you 3. That your recreations be both lawful and moderate such as may make you more fit for the service of God not such as may make you suspend the time wherein God should be served not such as may provoke you to impatience or to blasphemy and abusing the name of God 4. That your time be spent by weight and measure as those that are to be accomptants to God for it 5. That our means that we enjoy in this life be so gained and managed that they may seem as faculties of well-doing and may by no means stoop the soul to any departure from God for love of them or by abuse of them 3. Let us learn humility Vse 3 decline pride for that doth corrupt the soul to such God giveth grace he that is humillimus should be humillimus But the just shall live by his faith This is the second part of the Antithesis that contains in it the whole sum of the Gospel there be three words in it that carrie the contents thereof 1. Righteousnesse 2. Faith 3. Life Righteousnesse and Faith are the way of life they are two special pieces of that spiritual armour which the Apostle doth advise all the children of God to use against their enemies The breast-plate of Righteousnesse Eph. 6.14 and the Sheild of Faith 1. Of Righteousnesse This is that vertue which denominateth a man just and righteous and it is a vertue which doth give suum cuique to God in the obedience of the first table of the law to man in the obedience of the second table This is given 1. Legally 2. Evangelically For the first which is Legal righteousnesse it is the fulfilling of the whole Law in every part of it by the whole man in body and soul Ecles 7.31 the whole time of his life and Adam who was created in the image of God was cloathed with this righteousnesse as the Apostle saith Eph. 4.24 created in the image of God and in righteousnesse and true holynesse And this righteousnesse was lost by Adams fal and was never found in any man since but in the Man Jesus Christ who is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that just one And of him it is said Act. 22.14 Isa 59.17 that He put on Righteousnesse as a breast-plate And this Righteousnesse the Saints in glory have so the Apostle calleth them The spirits of just men made perfect But on earth Heb. 12 23 Rom. 3.10 There is none righteous no not one The Church of Rome doth directly contradict the Spirit of God speaking in Scripture concerning this righteousnesse Sess 6. Can. 18. For the counsel of Trent hath set it down for a Canon Siquis dixerit dei praecepta homini justificato sub gratia constituto esse ad observandum impossibilia anathema sit Let me then clear the Church tenent concerning this point that Legal Righteousnesse is altogether impossible to man in the present state of desertion from our creation Our Argument is this Whosoever sinneth breaketh the Law of God but every one that liveth sinneth Ergo every one that liveth breaketh the law The first proposition is proved by the definition of sinne given by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh. 3.4 But every man that liveth sinneth Saint James will make that good In multis offendimus omnes in many things we offend all The conclusion followeth ergo omnis praevaricatur legem Andradius answereth with a distinction to the minor every man sinneth sins are of two sorts 1. Mortall so every man sinneth not for he that is borne of God sinneth not
me out of his belly shall flow rivers of the water of life John 7.38 These be sure proofs of sincere faith which though it be weak yet it will gather strength and being able to fight will in the end be made able to overcome all our enemies 3. How faith may be preserved This seemeth a needlesse question because we have cleare evidence of Scripture that sincere faith cannot be lost True it cannot finally be lost it is assured to God but we must preserve it so as that in temptations and afflictions we may not be cast down with fear that it is lost Neither that we do bear our selves too bold upon it so farre as to presume Therefore we are bound to the use of all those means ordained by God to preserve faith If it be an hypocritical or a temporary Faith it may be lost if it be a true Faith this is one certain sign of it The same means that breede Faith in us the same means do nourish it therefore If thou standest by Faith be not high minded but fear It is a Tenet of the Church of Rome Rom. 11.20 and it is now revived of late by the Anabaptists in a book of the last yeer that a man may finally fall away from saving grace And many false shewes are made out of Scriptures not rightly understood to maintain this heresie I say no more but as the Apostle doth Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall He that is once assured of his standing 1 Cor. 10.11 cannot fall because the same Spirit which witnesseth to our spirits that we are the sonnes of God doth also teach us all things and bring all things to our remembrance which Christ hath taught us The means are The Word the Sacraments Prayer 1. The Word for as we are born anew by the immortal seed of the Word so we must as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that we may grow thereby 2. The Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper for these also serve to strengthen Faith 1. By visible representations to the sense of the inward graces of Gods spirit that walking here by Faith and not by sight we may have something to fasten our eye upon which may be to us as the brazen serpent lifted up 2. By the vertue of consignation because these Sacraments are the Seals of Gods Covenant of grace obliging God the giver to continue his love to us and reciprocally binding us to return duty and love and obedience to him 3. By the efficacy of mediation because they be the means in the Ordinance of God whereby he doth convey his spiritual graces to us so that Baptism is called the cover of regeneration and by Baptism Christ is put on The Supper of Christ presenteth Christ to us our spiritual food and therein we do eat and drink his body and blood This admonisheth us to be swift to hear and to neglect no opportunity for the same To renew our Baptism by often repentance to frequent the Table of the Lord as the feast of our souls This advanceth our ministry of these by which this Serpent is lifted up on high and set on a pole for all that desire health to look upon it They that are carelesse and negligent in these things will soon make shipwrack of that temporary faith that they seem to have for they that live in the neglect of these things do forsake their own mercy and declare plainly that their Faith is not sound and sincere but their whole righteousnesse is like the morning dew soon dried up 3. Prayer 1. for that shewes of whom we hold not of our selves but of God 2. That bringeth us into Gods acquaintance and familiar conversation whereby we do more perceive Gods love to us and declare our love to God 4. How Faith must be used The handling of this point draweth in the third word of my text which is life The just shall live by Faith The right use of Faith is to live by it as I have shewed in the exposition of the words 1. There is use of it in the natural life 2. In the spiritual life 3. For the eternal life 1. In the natural life for 1. In prosperity 2. In adversity there is use of it 1. In prosperity 1. Faith is a shield to bear off all the flattering temptations of the flesh Heb. 11.24 the world the Devil so it is said of Moses By Faith Moses when he was come to yeers refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter And by Faith Joseph when he was tempted by his unchaste mistris whose offer tendered him all sensual delight refused her and would not sin against God 2. Faith is the contentment of the righteous in those things that they possesse they beleeve them to be the gifts of God and they are satisfied with his allowance so by Faith Daniel was content with his pulse and refused the Kings meat they that do beleeve that God knows better then they what is good and sufficient for them are content with what they have 3. Faith is the acknowledgment of all our good from God for thanksgiving is a work of Faith and giveth God his due 4. Faith dependeth upon God for the time to come Psal 16.5 as David saith thou maintainest my lot I have set the Lord alwayes before me Psal 16.8 he is at my right hand I shall not be moved Upon which ground the faithful do build things hoped for and commit their wayes to the Lord. They cast all their care upon God for he careth for them And surely it is for want of Faith that the filii saeculi hujus the men of this world do rise so early and go so late to bed and eate the bread of carefulnesse robbing God of his service and breaking the Sabbath and often doing wrong to their brother to build up themselves it is a signe that they dare not trust God A strange inference 1. For we beought nothing with us into the world 2. We cannot deny but that whatsoever we have or possesse in the world it is the gift of God for aperiente manum de implet omnia we have no interest in any thing being born in sin the right is in him the gift from him 3. We must confesse that very little will serve our necessities whilest we do live in the world 4. We shall carry nothing away with us and why should we discruciate our selves with cares for others seeing that is the care of God our children also are his inheritance I know and beleeve that our children are under the Covehant and Promise of grace Ero Deus tuus seminis tui Let us study to breed them to the love and service of God let us not waste unthriftly what we may spare from our own necessities and for the charge of their education Let us use all honest and lawfull means to provide for them Thus are we discharged
of our duty permitte Deo Caetera leave the rest to God Faith now doth all that remains to be done By Faith Isaak blessed Jacob Heb. 11.20 21. and Esau concerning things to come By Faith Jacob when hee was dying blessed both the sonnes of Joseph 2. In adversity Thus it serveth to furnish us with 1. Patience 2. Hope 1. With Patience to bear the present distresse without murmuring at God David is a notable and a full example of this Faith I shall shew you him in distresse For when the Amalekites had burnt Ziklag 1 Sam. 30. and had carried away captives all the people therein and amongst them Davids two wives Abinoam and Abigael David was greatly distrest so were all the people They lift up their voice and wept untill they had no more power to weep David beside this sorrow of his losse and compassion of the losse of his people c. Feared For the people speak of stoning him because the souls of all the people were greived every man for his sons and his daughters No remedy against all this sorrow but Faith 1 Sam. 32.6 But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God 2 Chor. 20. The like example of Jehoshaphat When some came and told the King of an army coming against him to invade him instead of mustering his men surveying his armour sending out for oxciliaries to resist this armie Or instead of sending a messenger to treat of peace to divert the enemy and to prevent war Jehoshaphat lets the enemy come on Vers 3. Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Juda he goes to Church and prayes O our God wilt thou not judge them for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us Vers 12. neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee In the very distresse to which this remedy is applied God hath threatned the Jews with an invasion by the Chaldeans he hath declared the enemy insolent and violent what shall the Jews do in the misery Observe God takes no care of the wicked let him sin let the Chaldeans do his worst to him but The just man shall live by his Faith For he shall possesse his soul in patience Beloved we hear of distresses abroad if we do but crosse the water the sword is drawen against the professours of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they that have armes put them on to save their lives and stand upon their guard The bloody Iesuits cry to the French King of our Religion Rase it Rase it We know not how God may visit us hereafter when the light of Israel shall be quenched although there go over neitheir men nor mony to relieve the distresses of our own mothers children filios ecclesiae children of the Church such consultations are far above us yet let us pray for them to God that God would give them Faith to depend upon him and the just amongst them shall live by that Faith There is an example nearer kinne to this land the daughter of great Britaine and her root and branches for whom many a loyall heart in this Kingdom aketh in whose quarrel the honourable house of Parliament have in the name of the Commons offered to unlock all the treasures to put on armes and to adventure the lives of all faithful Patriots in the just cause of restoring them to their rightful inheritance and all such honours as their just claime shall challenge In their distresse I know no other comfort but my Text. The just shall live by Faith In a word where these three great and crying sins do raigne which in this Prophecy are threatned That is corruption of conversation when there is no honesty nor truth left amongst men but that every man studyeth the building of his own house he cares not where he hath the brick and the morter Corruption of Religion that schisme and heresie do carrie it from peace and truth Corruption of justice that honours places of service in the Common wealth and justice it self are sold for mony good men punished evil men rewarded Comfort Justus ex fide sua vivet the just shall live by his Faith 2. Faith furnisheth us with Hope That also 1. In Prosperity 2. In Adversity We have hope through Faith that God will continue his loving kindnâ—sse to us and not take away from us the light of his countenance So David Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life Psal 23.6 and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever Observe in Davids hope two things 1. The ground of it Faith in Gods protection for that is the part of the whole Psalme The Lord is my shepheard he shall feed me he restoreth my soul In the valley of the shadow of death thou art with me Thou preparest my table thou anoyntest my head with oyle my cup runneth over 2. The means by him used to continue the assurance thereof even by dwelling in the house of God continually that is by consecrating his whole life to Gods service and worship 2. In adversities We have hope that either God will strengthen us to bear it or give issue out of it This is grounded upon that promise of God to his Church I will not leave thee nor forsake thee And if we hope for that we see not Rom. 8.25 we do with patience waite for it There is no such comfort in the sorrows and distresses of life as reading the holy Scriptures for the support of our hope For They are written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15.4 This hope keeps the heart from breaking for building upon the truth of God it cannot be shaken 2. How Faith must be used in the Spirituall life 1. For this the Apostle doth call it the sheild of Faith and it serveth for defence against the fiery darts of Sathan to keep off the evil that is yet without us either in temptation or provocation 2. It serveth also to purify our hearts from that evil which we do bear about us in the infection thereof 3. It serveth for a provocation to stirre us up to resist the power of the enemy 1 Pet. 5.8 For so Saint Peter saith Though Sathan go about like a roaring lyon seeking whom he may devour Whom resist stedfast in the faith Vers 9. 4. It serveth for victory This is the victory by which we overcome the world even our Faith 5. Many that returne out of the field victorious yet may bring home some dangerous wound that they have received in the battaile and there is another good use of Faith to cure and heal all the wounds For our Faith maketh us whole 6. It serveth for the effectuating the means 1. Hearing 2. Sacraments 3. Prayer 3. For our eternall life Faith is profitable unto all things which hath the Promise of
Church of Rome for it is clear that there was a time wherein there were no images at all known in the Church There were some desirous then to bring them in but the councel of Eliberis decreed that no picture or image should be brought into the Church lest it should be adored And Epiphanius finding an image painted on a cloth Can. 36. hanging in a Church rent it down and said it was against the Authority of Scriptures that any image should be in the Church Saint Origen saith of his time Con. Cels l. 7. nos imagines non adoramus we do not worship images Eight hundred years after Christ the second Nicene Councel set up images but The Councel of Franckford which was a general Councel and where the Popes Legates were present repealed it and affirme The Catholick Church doth affirme that mortal man ought to worship God not by images and Angels but by Christ our Lord. And whatsoever the practice of the Church of Rome now is in the use of them they shall never be able to reconcile the judgments of their best learned concerning them For Some condemn all divine adoration given to them some condemn external bowing before them some confesse that the ancient fathers condemned them some think their use dangerous And they which have gone farthest in defending them have done it by so nice distinctions that the common People cannot understand how to beware of idolatry themselves not understanding themselves therein Even in the administration of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper they are idolaters in worshipping the hoast which I prove from Cardinal Bellarmines own penne De justif lib. 3 cap. 8. Ne que potest certus esse certitudine fidei se percipere verum Sacramentum cum Sacramentum sine intentione ministri non conficiatur intentionem alterius nemo videre potest And thus much Garnet the Provincial did ingenuously confesse upon his private conference with some of our Bishops Wherefore how they can excuse their idolatry in the worship of the elevated hoast I cannot see seeing they worship they know not what Any man may easily conceive that they do carry a corrupt mind that way because in all their Catechismes set forth for the institution of young beginners they do leave out the second Commandment quite and to make up the number they divide the tenth Commandment into two Now having convinced them of idolatry which is the high sin against God and toucheth him in his Majesty and Glory we see how dangerous a thing it is to have conversation with such least we receive of the plagues due to them Though the Church of Pergamus did hold fast the name of Christ and denied not his faith yet had the Lord something against her Rev. 2.14 Because she had there them that held the doctrine of Balaam who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed unto idols and to commit fornication The same quarrel had our Lord to the Church at Thyatira in which though he approved her works and charity and service and faith and patience yet he saith Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Iezebel who calleth her self a Prophetesse Rev. 2.20 to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to idols We have no law to favour idolatry or idolatrous meetings to masse we have severe laws against them yet it is in sight that Masse is frequented by multitudes of all sorts in the sight of Israel in the sight of the sun whence this boldnesse grows we cannot judge but from â—n negligent execution of our godly and just laws Have we forgotten 88 have we forgotten the fifth of November 1605 do we not believe experience Were not the Canaanites whom Israel suffered to live amongst them against the Commandment of God Jude 2.3 thorns in their sides and pricks in their eyes and were not their gods a snare to Israel Is not Popery a dangerous religion to the Soveraign Authority of the King setting the Pope above him to over-rule him and to deprive him of his Crown if he be not for his turn Is not Popery a profest enemy to the Religion that we professe light and darknesse God and Belial may as soon be reconciled and therefore an enemy to our Clergy who are all armed with the Word of God against it Or is it good and wholesome doctrine which the Anabaptists this last year tendred to the King Prince Nobility Judges and Commons of Parliament that Freedome of Religion is not hurtful to any Common-wealth or that Freedome of Religion depriveth not Kings of any Power given them of God The times are foule God is much dishonoured where the fault is and of whom the Church and Religion hath cause to complain is not so much our duty to enquire as to pray to God to amend all I le tell you where you shall have him 2. The punishment of this sinne is exprest in one word Vae Wo and it containeth the whole Cup of Gods indignation 1. In this life they trust in that which cannot help them 2. They invocate that which cannot hear them They trust in lying vanities and they forsake their own mercy they are taught by teachers of lies and therefore the light that is in them is darknesse Baals servants cried from morning to evening upon Baal their god to hear them and it would not do here is a double woe 1. Losse of labour 2. Want of help In the first they bewray their folly the god of this world hath made fools of them for turning the glory of the invisible God into the images of creatures But it the second they find the misery for we cannot subsist without help and they trust to idols where there is no help But that is not all the woe the Apostle telleth us that no idolaters shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven Gal. 5.20 this is terror domini the terrour of the Lord for how shall they hope to have glory witch God who deny glory to God will God give them glory that seek to take away glory from him or let them into heaven that would thrust him out Observe it in that law concerning graven images God hath more exprest himself then in any of the rest to be a God of vengeance for there is ratio legis God is jealous And there is Comminatio judicis visitabit and it goeth in descent to the third and fourth Generation of them that hate him Observe he calleth them such as hate him There is a promise He will shew mercy to thousands of them that love him And I conceive this added to this Commandment rather then any of the rest because Gods Israel did most often offend in this kind by worshipping God in creatures and by performing external adoration to them which is in this law chiefly forbidden The fear of this woe hath
not wrought enough upon the Romanists who are guilty of grosse idolatry so on the other side it hath wrought too much upon some zealous Professors who fearing superstition and idolatry dare scarce shew any external reverence to God himself either when they come into Gods house or when they come to Gods Table Yet the Angel that would not be worshipped said Worship thou God and that is all the Church exacteth not an inward Worship only but an outward also commanded in the second Commandment Vers 20. But the Lord is in his holy Temple let all the earth keep silence before him The Temple of Gods holinesse is understood here as you have heard two ways 1. For the Temple at Jerusalem 2. For heaven In both let all tremble before him This is the second part of the Antithesis True Religion containing two parts 1. Where God is 2. What duty is owing to him 2. He is in his Temple at Jerusalem Vbi est and in all other Temples dedicate to his service For the Temple at Jerusalem he appointed the making of it and chose the man to whose care he committed the trust of the work David might not do it but Solomon was the man When it was finished and Solomon had assembled the People to the consecration of it and prayed there God answered the Prayer of Solomon with a visible expressure of his Presence for a cloud filled the house it was filled with the Glory of God But some of our Sectaries say there is no need of Churches for Gods publick service there is neither precept nor example in Scripture for it but the words of Christ to the woman of Samaria leave it at large The houre cometh and now is John 4.23 when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth Saint Augustine calleth this heresie in the Massilians that they denied the use of Temples because Christ foretold that the use of the Temple at Jerusalem should cease which was a shadow of things to come In the Old Testament beside the Cathedral and Mother-Church the People had their Synagogues for their meetings to Gods service which continued even to and in Christs time Christ himself designed a place for that meeting wherin he celebrated the last Passeover and instituted the Sacrament of his Supper The Disciples had a place of meeting wherein Christ twice found them the first day of the week The persecutions of those times gave no sodain liberty to settle a Church and to erect Temples nor that I can read for the first 200 years after Christ were any Temples built Yet before the persecutions ceased they had erected Oratories for their meeting to Prayer and hearing of the Word for in the tenth Persecution under Dioclesian Euseb 8.2 An. Reg. 19. Mense Martio he made an Edict for the pulling down of the Temples of the Christians But under Constantine when Christian religion had the favour of Authority regal then Concurrebant populi ad populos quasi os ad os Ecclesiae quae antea impiis tyrannorum machinis destructae fuerant redivivae c. Then the People came together Eus 10.2 And ever since the Church hath continued this practise of maintaing Oratories for the meeting of the Congregations for the praise and service of God There is warrant enough from the example of the Church and the Authority thereof to maintain this holy practice Those places be the Temples of Gods holinesse the houses of God separate from all common use to the holy service of God And God who by his Omnipotency filleth all places is in our Churches by a more special presence for if the Glory of God filled the Temple in the time of the Law why may we not believe that in the light of the Gospel he reveileth his Presence more because the place wherein we serve God is Gods house and all Civil and common use of it is resigned to consecrate it to Gods service If God be present where two or three are assembled surely where there is a meeting of a full Congregation he is present with a special presence And therefore it hath ever been esteemed a pious charity in those that have been founders enlargers restorers or adorners of Churches as Saint Origen saith quam gloriosum est si dicatur in Tabernaculo domini Illius fuit hoc aurum hoc argentum In ex 25. Hom. 13. c Rursus quam indecorum ut dominus veniens nihil muneris tui inveniat in eo nihil a te cognoscat oblatum Ego optarem si fieri posset esse aliquid meum in auro quo arca contegitur Nollem esse infoecundus c. These houses of God are the temples of his holinesse where the name of God is declared to the Church wherein God by his Spirit speaketh to the Churches in the outward ministry of the word where the holy ones of God do speak to God by the same Spirit in prayers in hymnes and spiritual songs where the sacrifices of righteousnesse are offered And herein is that gracious Prophecy of Isay fulfilled which our Saviour alleadgeth in the Gospel For mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people Observe Isa 56 7. here is not only oratio prayer which is cultus divinus divine worship but here is Domus mea my house a place designed for the worship of God and that for all people This cannot be made good in the temple of Jerusalem nor in any one Church but must determine both the extent and dilatation of Gods worship and the designation of fit houses for the same Another like Prophecy we have before in Isay It shall come to passe in the last dayes that the mountains of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains Isa 2.2 and shall be exalted above the hils and all nations shall flow unto it And many people shall go and say come ye and let us go up to the top of the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths for out of Sion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem The common exposition is that after the returne of the people of Israel from the 70 years captivity in Babylon then Religion and Gods Worship shall be setled at Ierusalem But observe how this exposition shriveleth up the promise of grace for this is not all He saith this shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the last time and he addeth that all nations shall flow to it and he saith not that one mountain but The mountains of the Lord shall be established which must needs be understood of the Churches of the Christians to which the faithful should resort For further proof hereof read Micha 4. where you shall find this Prophecy totidem verbis Vers 1.2 in so many words and a commentary upon it Micah 5.
of the Jews shall be resetled there before the end of the world as it was after the return from the captivity of Babylon so that though there have been interruption of possession for so many years there shall be no impeachment of title but their right doth run on till the time appointed for the restoring of them Concerning the calling of the Jews and the restoring of them to the Church St. Paul hath prophecyed so plainly Rom. 11. as there can be no doubt thereof But for the restoring of them to the land of promise we have no good ground in holy Scripture 1 Because they have forfeited their estate therein which they held with condition of obedience When thou shalt beget children Deut 4.25 and childrens children in the land and shalt have remained long in the land and shall corrupt your selves and make a graven image or the likenes of any thing and shall do evill in the sight of the Lord thy God to provoke him to anger I call Heaven and Earth to witnesse against you this day that ye shall soon utterly perish from of the Land whereunto you goe over Jordan to possesse it ye shall not prolong your dayes upon it but shall utterly be destroyed And the Lord shall scatter you among the nations This is not without hope for as by sin they lost their inheritance there so by repentance it was recoverable When thou art in tribulation Verse 3. and all these things are come upon thee even in the latter days if thou turn to the Lord thy God and be obedient to his voyce He will not forsake thee nor destroy thee nor forget the Covenant with thy Fathers This proves their tenure conditional and their restitution to this land after their return froÌ„ captivity was also upon the same condition of obedience as appeareth in the words of Christ How often would I have gathered thy children together Moâ—h 23.37 38 39. even as an hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not Behold the house is left unto you desolate For I say unto you you shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord. That place is plain that the habitation of Jerusalem that is Domus vestra and the temple of which our God said Domus mea now become by abuse Domus vestra shall be desolate till the second comming of Christ 2 The Prophesies do speak plain Thus saith the Lord of hoasts Jer. 19.11 even so will I break this people and this city as one breaketh a potters vessell that cannot be made whole again My conclusion therefore is that Though the argument drawn from the free gift of that land to the people measuring out the same to the tribes do serve to comfort their captivity in Babylon with hope of restitution yet now in these times and ever since the dispersion of the Jews for the cause of Christ this can minister no comfort at all to that nation to promise them their land again I come to matter of instruction 1 These words aime not at the generall scope of this Section in which is declared that The remembrance of Gods former mercies is a sweet consolation of present afflictions 2 Because he nameth the measuring out of the land of Canaan to the tribes the driving in sunder the nations the scattering of the mountains the bowing of the hils 1 Docemur We are taught The best form of thanksgiving is that which maketh perticular commemoration of the mercies of God to his Church or to any member of it 2 That the matter of thanksgiving is an acknowledgment of all benefits as received from the hand and free gift of God 3 From the phrase and manner of speech here used we are taught that figurative forms of speech are in use in holy Scripture In thanksgiving 1 Doct. let us be perticular in our commemoration we have Davids example for it Prayse the Lord Psal 103.2 O my soul and forget not all his benefits so he stirreth up himself to remember them to remember them all The two Psalmes 105.106 are full examples of this perticular thankfulnesse and they are good guides to such as would learn it This is necessary Reas 1 1 Because the more perticularly we recompt the favours of God to us the more we discerne Gods love to us as in the example of this people Deut. 4. Moses saith That God had done much for this people never so much for any read from Verse 32. ad finem 38. And all those favours grew out of one root Because he loved thy Fathers It is the Apostles note Ecce quantam charitatem behold how great love Sic Deus dilexit mundum God so loved the world 2 Seeing Gods temporall favours are not always bestowed in love but are made rods to whip the ungodly Reas 2 this is a certain rule that these favours of God are evermore tokens of his love to such as are thankfull for them and to none else 3 They that keep an inventorie of their receipts Reas 3 and are always reckoning and reporting the bounty of God to them shall finde that their receipts of favours have been more and greater then their issues of prayers For how many great blessings have we from God that we never prayed for so that God giveth us much more cause of thanksgiving and prayse of his name then of prayer and supplication 4 Thanksgiving is a work of justice as David Reas 4 it well becommeth the just to be thankfull and again give to the Lord the glory due to his name that is for every perticular benefit perticular prayse and thanks Thanksgiving doth put us in mind of our unablenesse to requite God Reas 5 we cannot make him amends for his favours done to us we shall finde that our wel-doing extendeth not to him we must therefore do good to all propter Dominum for the Lord. 6 Thanksgiving doth put us in mind of our unworthinesse Reas 6 as Mephibosheth to David What is thy servant that thou shouldst look upon such a de ad dog as I am Jacob Non sum dignus I am not worthy David himself What is man 2 Sam. 9.8 that thou art so mindfull of him 7 If we will forget God will remember us as to David Reas 7 I anointed thee King over Israel I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul I gave thee thy Masters house and thy Masters wives into his bosome Domus Israel Domus Judae Surely Vse we have not well taken out the lesson of thanksgiving to God for to shuffle it up with generall God be thanked for all comes if but coldly and is a poor rependam for all the benefits bestowed upon us St. Augustine upon those words of David And forget not all his benefits saith pro quibus bonis primo quia es cum non esses sedest lapis deinde quia vivis sed vivit pecus
sunder the Nations God is all eye and beholdeth all things all ear and heareth all things all hand and maketh all things and doth whatsoever he wil all foot and standeth in all places he is here said to behold which denoteth his provident care of his work and he is said to drive in sunder the Nations because he ordeined their expulsion and he gave commission for the destruction of them that he might give their land according to his promise to his own people 4 Where he cals the mountains everlasting and the hils perpetuall this is also a figure For these be attributes onely belonging to God to be everlasting and perpetuall and it sheweth the stability and setlednesse thereof 5 There is also another figure in the very name of mountains for we must not literally understand that there was any violence offered to the mountains and hils but thereby the strength and processe and setled estate of those nations that dwelt in the land of Canaan is signified and so the scattering and bowing of these moutains doth expresse the dispersion of those nations or the bringing of them under the yoake of subjection to the people of Israel 6 His wayes are everlasting this is also figurative for by the ways of God are understood here the counsels and decrees of God and his executions of his will which are no sudden operations but proceed from everlasting wisedome And this is the wisedome of the Reader of holy Scripture to observe what is spoken literally and what figuratively else many errours and heresies may arise As even in this attribution of the parts and motions and actions of the body of man to God the Anthropomorphites not understanding the figure did conceive God in body like to man The heresie of transubstantiation grew out of the mistake of those words hoc est corpus meum this is my body wherein the figure not observed the Romanists do believe a reall transmutation of the bread into the body of Christ whereas that is to be understood only by sacramentall representation as as the sacrament of Circumcision is called the covenant of God in the flesh and the water of Baptisme is called the laver of regeneration being the sign and seal thereof You know that when Christ said to his Disciples Beware of the leaven of the Pharises Mat. 16.16 they understood him not to speak figuratively and said It is because we have taken no bread So when he said Destroy this Temple the Jews understood him of the temple at Jerusalem The Scriptures of both Testaments are full of examples of figurative speaking The whole book of the song of Solomon is a continued figure and all the poeticall part of holy Scripture abound therewith The reasons why the wisedome of God hath thus exprest it self are 1 Because herein he would commend to us the use of that excellent science of the Rhetorick which teacheth the use of figures for there is no eloquence or oratory in all the wisedome of the world comparable to the holy elocution of Scripture the majesty whereof is such that it convinceth the judgment of man and maketh it to yield it to the breath of God 2 Because this cripticall manner of speaking doth involve the secrets of Gos wisedome in some obscurity to stirre up and awake our diligence in the search that we may be put to it to study holy Scriptures as Christ saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 search for easie things do soon cloy us and make us idle 3 Because this difficulty doth put us to our prayers to be seech God to open to us the secrets of his wisdome 4 This makes us fear God because the secrets of the Lord are onely revealed to them that fear God 5 This difficulty is so sweetned with the pleasant mixture of art as it hath omne punctum in it for it mingleth utile dulci. 6 It doth teach us to be spirituall for the carnall man cannot perceive the things of God because they are spiritually discerned and the letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life this Spirit he hath left to teach his Church and to bring all things to our remembrance 7 This obscurity doth call upon us to set apart some time for the study and search of Scriptures and we cannot employ our spare hours of leasure better then in this search for here are the treasures of wisedome and knowledge and these are able to make the man of God wise to salvation perfect then to throughly perfect to all good works 8 He hath distributed his graces in his Church accordingly and hath ordained some to be teachers of others whose whole time is consecrated to the study of this book of Scripture that they may be able to understand this word aright divide it aright to their hearers Herein you have a great advantage if you consider the goodnesse of God to you for in one hour you reap the harvest of our labours in many hours of our readings of our inventions judgments search These reasons I gather from Clemens Alexandrinus St. Augustine and St. Gregory and some others Vse 1 This teacheth us that the worthie Minister of the Word must be no smatterer in those necessary arts and learning which is helpfull to the study of Divinity for want whereof many bunglers handle the Word of God too homelily and instead of giving a constant light do only make a blaze which yet like one of our night-walking fires devours more admiration that the full Moon that shines all night long Logick and Rhethorick are two such necessary and requisite parts in a Minister as without which neither can the method of Scripture nor the power of the arguments therein used nor the clear interpretation of the words be given Vse 2 This teacheth the hearer and reader of the World to put his strength to it not to parrat the words of Scripture but to study the sense thereof St. Origen saith that as man so the whole Bible doth consist of a body and a soul the body is the better the sense is the soul of Scripture That is the spirituall Manna that giveth strength to the weak that is the true Light that giveth understanding to the simple Vse 3 Let not this discourage any zealous Christian from exercising himself in the reading and study of holy Scripture because we do confesse that the figurative forms used therein do often make the Scripture obscure For we do also affirme that figures do sometimes give light to our apprehension and make the mind of God better known to us as when Christ saith I am the good Shepheard as David said The Lord is my Shepheard this doth make Christ better known to us in his carefull protection of us and his watchfull keeping and his plentifull feeding and safe foulding of us and in such like Now because the Church of Rome hath taken advantage of the obscurity of the Scripture to forbid the translation thereof into the vernacle tongues of nations and to prohibit
I have waited for thy salvation for thy Jesus 2 This repetition of salvation Doct. 2 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people even for salvation teacheth us That God hath taken upon himself the care of the preservation of his Church Therefore he goeth before them for salvation and he doth never leave them nor forsake them 1 God hath many gratious titles Reas 1 which do assure his love and favour to us He is cal'd Jehovah so we live move have our being in him He is callrd by Job The preserver of men Saint Paul addeth especially of the elect for their salvation is a peculiar grace no common favour And so his right hand both supporteth and guideth us that vve neither stray out of the vvay nor fall in the vvay He is called our Shepherd and so we come to want nothing for he leadeth us both to the green pastures and to the waters of comfort He is called the husband of the Church and Christ preserveth her to him sine macula ruga without spot or wrinckle and Christ teacheth us to call him our father so as a father hath compassion c. The Lord is our King of old he maketh salvation in the middest of the earth All these titles declare him no Non-residont from his charge he is always Incumbent For ipse est qui dat salutem 2 Because the Church committeth it self to him Reas 2 and casteth her care upon him and he never failed them that trust in him Saint Paul I know whom I have trusted Commit thy ways to the Lord and trust in him and hee shall bring it to pass 3 The Church of God giveth him no rest Reas 3 but by continual supplications importuneth his saving protection saying O Lord I pray thee save now O Lord I pray thee now give prosperity he hath commanded her so to do To seek to aske to knock and invocation is one of the marks of Gods children He that calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved They are called the assembly of Gods armies and their prayers be their weapons Heaven is their abiding City which they besiege and Christ saith the violent take it by force For multorum preces impossibile est contemni 4 Christ himself always prayeth the Father for his Church Reas 4 that God would keep it and he saith to his Father I know that thou hearest me always This comfortable Doctrine serveth to refresh the grieved soul in time of affliction Vse the smart of Gods rod doth many times puts us into fits of impatience and murmuring and the delay of Gods saving help doth often stagger our weak faith that the man after Gods one heart doth sometimes feare that God hath given him over In great losses as of our honours and preferments of our libertie of our wealth of our dear friends it is some time before wee can recover from this shaking fit of feare that God hath forsaken us and we say Why standest thou so far off O Lord and hidest thee in due time Psal 1◠1 in time of affliction But when we remember thou art with me it establisheth our footsteps it strengtheneth our weak knees and comforteth our sorrowfull hearts and biddeth us Rejoyce in the Lord again it saith Rejoyce so David I waited patiently for God and so he comforteth his soul Psal 43.5 Wait on God for I will yet give him thanks for the help of his presence he is my present help and my God So then if present issue appear not out of affliction let us not faint in our troubles but perswade us that God is with us and the rock of our salvation will not fail us 2 This sheweth that we need not seek further for salvation Vse 2 then to God himself and his anointed seeing they are always with us It is a foolish and idle superstition and idolatry to seek our salvation from or by the means of Angels or Saints or the mother of our Lord when we have both him and his anointed Messiah that is both the giver and the mediatour of salvation with us This foolish devotion of the Roman Church of making way by Angels and Saints hath three great defects which all the wit of Rome and hell could never cover or conceal 1 It hath no Commandement to require it 2 It hath no example to lead us to it 3 It hath no promise in Scripture to reward it Whom have I in heaven but thee and I have none upon earth Psal 73.25 that I desire besides thee They be our glorious fellow creatures we honour God for the good that they have done in his Church We believe that they pray for our happy deliverance from all miseries of life and the society of their lives We imitate their holy examples and do strive to follow them in their vertues and pray for the graces of God that sanctified them on earth But for our salvation we know that he is always with us that saveth us and his anointed doth never forsake us that keepeth us from evill We hear him saying Come unto me and he calleth us not to heaven to him but Lo I am with you to the end of the World he is neer unto all that call upon him and he is easily found of them that seek him 3 This doth give us fair warning to take heed that we do not leave our God and live in sin Vse 3 for he is not so neer us but that our selves may separate between him and us for it is also true that God putteth a great deal of difference between an ungodly and godly man as Solomon saith The Lord is far from the wicked Pro. 15.29 but he heareth the prayer of the righteous And as God is far from them so is salvation as David saith Psal 119. Salvation is far from the wicked Verse 155. As we tender the favourable protection and love of God let us take heed of sin Behold Isay 59.1 the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save nor his ear heavy that it cannot hear But your iniquities have separated between you and your God Verse 2. and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear 4 Seeing our salvation is of him Vse 4 onely by his anointed let us remember that we are called Christians after his name not onely Christum Lo I am with you and Spiritum Christi whom I will send you from the father but we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very anointing it self left and deposited in the Church as S. John saith But ye have an Vnction from the holy one 1 Joh. 2.2 If we keep this Unction we are sure of this salvation therefore grieve not the spirit of God resist not the holy ghost receive not the grace of God in vain And so let the enemy of mankind and his agents do their worst to annoy us our salvation is bound up in the bundle of life with
my bones are out of joynt Ps 2.14 my heart is like waxe it is melted in the middest of my bowels Thus the perturbations of griefe and fear and the passions of anguish are exprest The quivering of the lips which hindereth speech sheweth a man overcome with anger fear or grief so doth The generall disabling of the body as if the parts thereof the brains and sinews suffered luxation and debilitation And the earth-quake in the whole frame thereof and the distemper of the man within us I trembled in my self that is the inward man the hid man of the heart felt this anguish of grief and fear and all this trepidation and terrour had this good effect following That I might rest in the day of trouble For of sufferance comes ease this fear of the heavy hand of God is but a fit for faith followeth it and consumeth it and setleth the heart in a yielding to the mighty hand of God and that giveth rest in the day of trouble that day is also described When he commeth up unto his people he will invade them with his troops Either when God cometh or when the enemy whom God shall employ in the execution of this judgment cometh he will invade his people that have rebelled against him and are fallen away from him with troops that is hee will come upon them with a full power to make a full conquest of them This day is is further described in the verse following Verse 17. Although the fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the vines Hâ—b 3.17 the labour of the Olive shall fail and the field shall yield no meat the flocks shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stals IN which words he supposeth the worst that may befall to the land that God should not onely as before carry away or destroy the inhabitants thereof although he should smite the land it self with barrennesse that neither the fig tree nor the vine should relieve them nor the olive nor the fields nor the foulds yet the Church will not despair of the loving kindnesse of the Lord toward them This land so long promised to the seed of Abraham so long expected and at last by them possessed is much praised in Scripture God himself calleth it a good land and a large Exâ—d 3.8 a land flowing with milk and honey And so the spies that were sent to search it brought word num 13.9 and they brought of the fruit and shewed it to the people Again for the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land Deut. 8.7 a land of brooks of water of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hils A land of wheat and barley and wines and fig trees and pomegranates a land of oil olive and hony A Land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarcenesse thou shalt not lack any thing in it a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hils thou mayest dig brasse It was one of the miracles of the earth and the full blessing of the Lord was upon it for the land was small both in length and breadth as all the Charts thereof describe it For from Dan to the river of Egypt which is somewhat further then Beersheba it was litle more then three hundred miles which was the length of it and in the broadest place thereof it was not an hundred yea do I put it in this accompt all the land on this side Jordan the portion assigned to Reuben Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh Yet did it contein two great Kingdomes of Judah and Israel and in Davids time there were numbred in it thirteen hundred thousand fighting men 2 Chron. 24. which cannot in probable computation be more then a fourth part of the people seeing aged men women and children and all undertwenty years of age are not reckoned and this land fed them all much is said by heathen writers of the fruitfulnesse of this land and as great a wonder is it of the change thereof now for travailers do report it at this time to be a barren and unfruitfull land it is in the possession of Gods enemies and David saith A fruitfull land maketh he barren for the iniquity of the people that dwelt therein De verbis hactenus of the words hitherto The parts of this Section are two 1 The fear of the Church 2 The misery of the Land In the first I observe also three things 1 The cause of this fear 2 The fear it self 3 The effect hereof In the second the misery of the land It is distrest in the three great commodities of life 1 In the trees yielding fruit 2 In the soil yielding corne 3 In the flocks yielding encrease 1 Of the fear of the Church and therein 1 Of the cause of this fear in these words When I heard The commination of Gods judgments Doct. doth make the Church of God to fear 1 Because this openeth to man his conscience and declareth to him his sin for we know that God is gratious and mercifull and long suffering and hideth his hand in his bosome his mercy doth often pull it out and openeth it and he filleth the hungry with good things his mercy stretcheth it out often to gather together his chosen to defend them from evill to stay and support them If his indignation do pluck it out it is a sign that sin hath provoked him and therefore we read what of old was the practise of the Church If there were any judgment abroad presently they made search for the sin that had provoked God to it for they knew him so just that he will not smite without cause God taught Joshua this when the men of Ai smote the men of Israel and made them to fly before them Joshua went to the Lord to make his moan and God told him Israel hath sinned And so there was a present search made by the commandement of the Lord throughout all Israel to finde out the sinner and Achan was defected In like manner when Saul had made a vow that none of his army should tast any food till night and Jonathan not hearing of the commandement had eaten a little hony upon the end of his rod hee went to advise with God concerning the pursuit of the Philistines by night and God answered him not wherefore Saul said Draw you neer hither all the chief of the people 1 Sam. 14.38 and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day And this is so naturall a quest as that whosoever do acknowledg a divinity cannot but upon the sense of judgment or the fear of it presently conclude God offended with some sins So the Mariners in the great storme in Jonah said every one to his fellow Come and let us cast lots that we may know for whose cause this evill is upon us Jonah 1.7 The confideration of Gods judgments do breed fear in respect of God whose
canit By singing prayed and by praying sung So the 70 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Tremelius and Junius read Oratio Habak Prophetae secundum odas mixtas That is not accommodated to any set kind of verse but mixt of sundry kinds And so they do not understand the word Sigionoth to be the the name of the instrument upon which it was sung but the name of the verse into which their prayer is digested As the Greeks and Latines had their severall kinds of verses Heroick Iambick Asclepediake Phaluciake and such like I cannot better expresse this to the understanding of the weakest judgment then by referring you to the varieties of verse in our English Psalmes that we sing in the Church for if they were all composed in one kind of verse they might all be sung to one tune Some have their set tunes and admit no other because they are of a severall kind of verse So I take it that this Sigionoth was the name of that kind of verse in which this Psalme was written Thus much of the words of the title The things which we may make profit of in this title are these 1 That the Prophet composeth a prayer for his own use and for the use of the people in captivity 2 That he putteth this prayer into a song or psalme Concerning the first The contemplation of the Justice of God in punishing the sins of his Church Doct. of the vengeance of God revenging the quarrels of his Church and of the mercy of God in healing the wounds of his Church and restoring it again to health doth give the Faithfull occasion to resort to God by prayer The reason is because these things well considered that God is just and mercifull do breed in us Fear and Faith which being well mingled in us cannot chuse but break forth into prayer Fear discerning the danger of his power wisely and Faith laying hold on the hand of his mercy strongly For howsoever Fear be an effect of weaknesse yet doth it serve to good use in the fitting of us to prayer because 1 Fear breedeth humility which is necessary in prayer as St. James adresseth Cast down your selves before the Lord and St. Peter Jam. 4.10 1 Pet. 5.6 Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God And howsoever the proud despise humility as too base a vertue for heroick and generous spirits St. Peter commendeth it for a speciall ornament Deck your selves inwardly in lowlinesse of mind 1 Pet. 5.5 That feare which is in the reprobate doth drive them quite away from God but the fear of the elect brings them to his hand and casteth them at his feet the Publican full of fear yet it had not power to keep him from the Temple nor from prayer rather because he feared he came to Church to pray 2 Fear breedeth in us a desire to approve our selves to God and keepeth us in awe setting both our sins always in our own sight and our selves in the sight of God which sheweth what need we have to fly to him 3 Fear doth serve for a spur to put us on and to mend our pace that we may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 run the way of Gods Commandements For men run for fear With this fear is joyned faith which layeth hold on the comfortable promises of God and so filleth us with the love of him that we resolve under the shadow of his wings we shall be safe This also doth break forth into prayer as the Prophet saith I believed therefore did I speake Fear directed by Faith will soon finde the face of God For fear humbleth us faith directeth this humiliation to the mighty hand of God Fear makes us ful of desire faith directeth our desire to God Fear makes us runne faith sheweth us the face of God and biddeth us runne thither and thus the contemplation of Gods justice and mercy doth fill the heart with zeale and the spirit of supplications as in this present example The Church seeth God remisse in forbearing them it feeleth God sharp in punishing them it discerneth him just in avenging them and it is promised mercy and favour in delivering them therefore the Prophet teacheth them to pray We are taught to think on these things 1 Vse which may move us to seek the face of our God and that is a work for the soul when it keepeth a Sabbath of rest unto the service of God as appeareth in the Psalme Psal 92. for the day wherein the Church doth consider the justice and mercie of God Our idle and wandring thoughts runne all the world over in vain imaginations we could not bestow them better then in sweet contemplation of the works of God here in the government of the World We are taught also when we behold these things to pray to God for prayer being a conference with God we cannot offend him in any thing that we shall say out of fear and faith This duty is by God commanded he hath directed it he hath promised his Spirit to helpe us in it hee hath made many promises to them that use it aright and it is here prescribed as a sovereign remedy against affliction to use it for it is fitted for the use of the Church in captivity in Babylon This prayer being made for the use of the Church 2 Doct. as we have said we are taught That the afflictions of this life cannot separate the society of the faithful but that even in exile they will assemble together to do service to their God and therein also to comfort one another 1 The reason is in respect of themselves the faithfull are one body and the ligaments and bonds of their communion are love and peace therefore much water cannot put out this fire of charity neither can the flouds drown it so afflictions are in Scripture resembled in flouds and waters 2 In regard of the service they know it to be a debt from them an honour to God and though each of them in severall may do it yet when a Congregation meeteth together their conjoyned zeal is like a bonefire for every ones zeal enflameth another What needed the faithful else to seek out corners and private places to assemble in in the times of persecution for their devotion if single and severall persons had been either so fervent in it self or so acceptable with God so that before persecution ceased they began to build Oratories for their meetings Therefore Vse though some do separate from our society others tarry with us to disturbe our peace some cry out against the use of our Churches let us thank God that we have liberty of Religion and places to meet in to serve our God and let us not neglect the society of the Church Ecce quà m bonum quà m jucundum Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is to see one holy congregation set upon God by prayer This prayer made for the use of the Church doth teach
3 Doct. that set prayers are both lawfull and necessary to be used by the faithfull both in their private and publique meetings And this is proved by these examples in holy Scripture God himselfe prescribed to the Priests a set form of blessing the people which they constantly used for God said to them Thus shall ye blesse the children of Israel numb 6.23 c. and say unto them The Lord blesse thee and keep thee The Lord make his face shine upon thee and be mercifull unto thee The Lord lift up his Countenance upon thee and give thee peace The 92. Psal is called a Psalm for the Sabbath The 102. Psal is a prayer for the afflicted when he is overwhelmed and poureth out his complaint before the Lord. Hezekiah the King and the Princes commanded the Levites to praise the Lord with the words of David 2 Chron. 29 3â— and of Asaph the Seer which is the 136. Psal This was also used by Jehoshapht 2 Chron. 20.21 And in the Gospel the Disciples came to Christ and told him that John had taught his Disciples to pray and desired him to teach them and he taught them the Lords Prayer which doth imply in the judgment of the best learned that John had taught his Disciples a set form The reasons are first for hlep of the infirmities of such as have good affections in them but cannot so well express them that they may be directed lest they should utter any thing rashly of themselves For thus the spirit helpeth their infirmities by those who can direct them and in themselves using these set formes This much advanceth the service of God when men before hand have their petitions drawn and shall need nothing but zeal and faith in the delivering thereof to God Herein we are like to poore petitioners that come to the King who not trusting themselves with their own suites do get some wiser than themselves to set down their mindes and then they have nothing to do but to importune the Soverreign Majesty of the King to hear them and to grant their requests This serveth for the maintenance of Unanimity the Congregation knowing before they meet what they shall aske at the hands of God it resteth that they bring affections fit to joyn one with another in supplications This maintaineth outward Uniformity when the whole Congregation joyn together in an outward worship and service of God This admonisheth us 1 To take it for a great blessing of God that he hath provided these helps for our weaknesse Vse 2 It sheweth us that God for our good doth so labour to fit us to his service as that he is pleased that one of us be helpfull to another therein 3 It reproveth those who out of a presumption and overweening of the graces of God in themselves do not onely despise those helps themselves but disgrace them in others in which number we may reckon all the depravers of our Church prayers 4 Here the prayer of the Prophet is used This teacheth that the fittest persons to be used for direction of devotion are the Prophets and Apostles 4 Doct. and Ministers of the word The reason is because they are the most fit to speak to God for us and to teach us how to speak to him who are set apart to speak to us for God and to instruct us from him These are the Phisitians of our souls and should best know our diseases and defects and therefore best able to direct us to the remedy for as in the state of bodily health many superficially in-sighted in some empericall Physick do hurt themselves by being their own Physitians So in the state of the spirituall man many do overthrow their spirituall health by presuming to be their own Divines and trusting too much to their own skill Therefore it is wisedome for the flock to be directed Vse especially in the service of God by their Pastours and to hear his voyce let Habbakuk teach Israel how to pray And for us howsoever the spirit of contradiction which likes nothing long have laboured long to disgrace our publique Service yet because many faithfull and godly Pastours of the Church have zealously joyned their united forces of piety and charity to compose this book and the approbation and authority both of Church and Common-wealth hath commanded it to the use of our Congregations and the malignity of all the times since hath not been able to remove it let us embrace it and use it as Gods ordinance sealed with the seal the double seal both of prescription of time and good successe in the use of this Church of England 2 He putteth this prayer into verse and maketh a song of it and fitteth it to be sung by the Church with an instrument of Musick for so the last verse of the Chapter directeth it to the chief Singer on my stringed instruments This manner of praising God is ancient and of much use in the Church Mr. Beza hath taken the paines to collect fourteen songs eleven out of the old Testament and three out of the new which he hath interpreted by way of Paraphrase and hath annexed them to his Paraphrase of the book of Davids Psalmes and they are translated into English I shall not lose my labour nor you your time to shew you where you may finde them Exod. 1.15 The song that Moses taught Israel to sing to the praise of God for their deliverance from Pharoah and his armies which is of such excellency being a type of the deliverance of the Church from the adversary power of the world and the tyranny of the beast that there is mention of it in the Revelation Rev. 15 3. And they sung the song of Moses the servant of God Deut. 2.32 When Moses drew neer his end he maketh a Propheticall song for the use of the people both to commemorate Gods mercies to them to lay open the judgements of God against them to chide their rebellions and to comfort them with types of grace in the revelation of the Messiah And promising them the gift of the spirit of repentance to returne them into the favour of their God 3 The triumphant song of Deborah and Barak Judg. 5. after the victory of Jabin King of the Cananites 4 1 Sam. 2.1 the song of Hannah the Mother of Samuel in thanksgiving for the blessing of her fruitfulnesse conteining in it both thanksgiving doctrine and prophecy 5 2 Sam. 1.19 the elegie of David bewailing the death of Saul and Jonathan 6 2 Sam. 7.18 A song of David in thanksgiving to God after Nathan the Prophet had from God told him that the Messiah should be the Sonne of David 7 Isaiah 5. Conteining the rebuke of the people which is a Satyricall Psalme 8 Isaiah 26.1 the song of the Church conteining consolation and prophecy 9 The song of Hezekiah when God comforted his sickness with promise of recovery Isaiah 38. 10 The song of Jonah in the belly