pride Or in thine excellency as Psal 68.35 that is the thine external priviledges wherein thou hast hitherto so prided thy selfe as the onely people of God holy and beloved and thou shalt no more be haughty Stand upon thy tip-tees upon thy pantofles as if there were none such because of mine holy mountaine Ier. 7.4 The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord c. cryed they aloud that nothing cared for the Lord of the Temple So the Jesuites and their Romish crew cry the Church the Church the Catholike church ad ravim usque like so many oyster-wives but this is not the guise of Gods people He will purge his church of such Formalists Verse 12. I will also leave in the middest of thee an afflicted and poor people Poor and therein afflicted therefore despised Poverity is an affliction and makes a man trodden upon Men will be sure to go over the hedge where it is lowest Hence St. Nil habet insoelix paupertus durtus in se Quam quod ridiculos homines facit Paul ioyned them together I have leared to want and to be abased They that want must look to be abased This thy son saith He Luk 15.30 not this my brother he would not once own him because in poverty But though men will not yet God will Iam. 2.5 Rev. 2.9 I know thy poverty but that 's nothing thou art rich poor in spirit rich to God-ward glorying in nothing but this that thou understandest and knowest me and my will thy self and thy duty Ier. 9.23 and art therefore a rich Cargazon a full Magazine such as the world is not worthy of and they shall trust in the name of the Lord As having nothing else o trust to So St. Pauls widdow indeed being desolate and left aloue trusteth in God who whiles she had an husband trusted too much in him 1 Tim. 5.5 A noble-woman of Savoy mother to Iohn Galear Duke of Millaine after her huâ—bands decease caused a coyne to be made upon the one side whereof she drew these words Sola facta solum Deum sequor Being left alone I trust in God alone Verse 13. The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity Sanctity and security are here promised to al the citizâ—ns of the Church Being justified by Christ they shall do righteousnesse and truth there shall no way of wickednesse be found in them Psal 139.24 they shall be kept from foule flagitious practises neither shall they wallow or allow themselves in any known sin unrepented of Their spot if any shall be the spot of Gods children Deut. 32.5 unvoluntary and unavoidable informity such as there is a pardon of course for onely they must sue it out by praying daily Forgive us our trespasses Nor speak lies For that 's a foule fault and raâ—ely found in a Saint Esay 63.8 For he said Surely they are my people children that will not lie So he was their Saviour Tho. Walsingh It was wont to be as currant an argument Christianus est non mentietur He is a christian he will not lie as afterwards it was Hic est frater ergo mendax This is a friar and therefore a liar Sophronius testifieth of Chrysostome nunquam eum mentitum fuisse that he was never heard to tell a lie Whereas of Pilat Egesippus telleth us that he was Vir nequam parvi faciens mendacium a naughty man and one that made little conscience of a lie it may seem so indeed by that scornfull question of his What 's truth Ioh. 18.38 neither shall a deceitfull tongue be found in their mouth Their pure lip ver 9. is not used to the language of hell their spirit without guile Psal 32.2 produceth speech without deceit for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Mat. 12.34 See the Note there for they shall feed and lie down shall have all that heart can wish or need require plenty safety security c. and none shall make them afraid So as to make them dec iniquity or speak lies as very good men when frighted have dared to do witnesse abraham Isaac Jacob but especially David deeply guilty of this sin 1 Sam. 21.2 8. and 1 Sam. 27.8 10. In the sense of which sin he prayeth Remove from me the way of lying Psal 119.29 we also should pray Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from that evill one the father of lies And having the shepheard of Israel to feed us and tend us we should not feare Psal 23.2 3. but chusing rather to dye then to lye to suffer then to shift commit the keeping of our souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creatour 1 Pet. 4.19 Verse 14. Sing O daughter of Zion shot O Israel Ioy is the just mans portion which the wicked may not meddle with Hos 9.1 In the transgression of an evill man there is a snare or a cord to strangle his joy with to cheek and choke all his comforts but the righteous sing and rejoyce Prov. 29.6 they are commanded so to do yea the command is doubled and trebbled here and elsewhere in both Testaments and it is a sin for such not to rejoyce as well as not to repent be glad and rejoyce with all the heart which no wicked man can do his mith is but the hypocrisy of mirth like a little counterfeit complexion It may smooth the face never cheer up the heart like a slight dash of raine that soaketh not to the root or a handfull of brush wood or seare thorns under the pot Eccles 7.6 As their humiliations are but skin-deep they rent-their garments and not their hearts they grieve in the face and not in the heart Mat. 6.16 so do they rejoyce in the face and not with all their heart 2 Cor. 5.12 Verse 15. The Lord hath taken away thy judgments i. e. He hath remitted thy sins removed thy punishments turned againe thy captivity as the streames in the south commanded his Prophets faying Comfort ye comfort ye my people c. Esa 40.1.2 tell her that all accusations and actions laid against her in the coury of heaven are non-suted and Gods wrath appeased This is the summe of all hte good news in the world this is a short gospell he hath cast out thine enemy As rubbish and sweepings of the house are cast out so hath God dealt by thine enemies corporall and spirituall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repurga re everrere significat that thou being delivered out of the hands of both might serve him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all thy dayes Luk 1.74 75. the king of Israel even the Lord is in the middest of thee In the many testimonies of his powerfull and gracious presence yea he hath set him up a mercy-seat a throne of grace and bidden thee come boldly thereunto Heb. 4.16 thou shalt not see evill any more sc so long as thou retainest God with thee who is both a sun and a
conduct of Constantine carried it against them they shall lay their hand upon their mouth Be struck dumb as if they had seen Medusa's head they shall not be able to contradict the Gospell or to hinder the progresse of it Valens the Arrian Emperou comming upon Basil while he was in holy duties with an intent to do him hurt was not only silenced but so terrified that he reeled and had fallen Greg. orat de laud. Basil had he not been upheld by those that were with him their cares shall be deaf With the sudden bursting forth of Gods wonderfull and terrible works saith Mr. Diodate Verse 17. They shall lick the dust like a scrpent that is be reduced not only to extreme hunger and penury but to utmost vility and basenesse of condition so as to lick the very dust And whereas it is added like a sâ—â—pent he puts them in mind of that old malediction Gen. 3. and gives them to know that as like that old serpent they have lifted themselves up against God so will God cast them down again to the condition of serpents and abase them to the very dust See Psa 22.30 and 72.9 Es 49.23 they shall move out of their holes like wormes or creeping things of the earth They shall tumultuate and be all on an huddle as ants are when their molehill is thrown up with a spade The Hebrew word imports great commotion and bustle they shall be afraid of the Lord our God and shall feare because of thee O God or O Church terrible as an army with banners Impiety triumpheth in prosperity trembleth in adversity and contrarily saith holy Greenham Since the fall we tremble before God Angels and good men What have I to do with thee thou man of God said She Art thou come to call to mind my sin and to kill my son At the siege of Mountabove in France the people of God within the wals ever before a sally sang a Psalme with which holy practise of theirs the enemy comming acquainted when they heard them singing would so quake and tremble crying they come Spee belli sal 282. they come as though the wrath of God had been breaking out upon them Verse 18. Who is a God like unto thee No God surely whether so reputed or deputed whether heathen deities heavenly Angels or earthly Rulers can compare with our God or come neare him for pardoning of sin Indeed none can do it at all but He as the blind Pharisees saw and could say Men may pardon the trespasse but God alone the transgression But say they could do something that way yet nothing like our God who maketh his power appear to be great Num. 14.17 in pardoning such offences as no God or man besides would pardon See Jer. 3.1 Neh. 9.31 he forgiveth iniquity transgression and sin Exod. 34.6 7. that is all sorts of sins to all sorts of sinners without excertion Mat. 12.31 This is the expresse letter of Gods covenant which we ought not either to obliterate or to interline but to beleeve it in the full latitude and extent We are apt to cast Gods pardoning-grace into a mould of our own and to measure it by our modell But against this we are cautioned Isai 55.8 God must be magnified in our thoughts his quarters there enlarged high and honourable conceptions are to be had of him or else we wrong him no lesse then we should do a King by respecting and receiving him no otherwise then we would do another ordinary man He is set forth here as a God imparallell and that not without an interrogation of admiration O! who is a God like unto thee Thy mercy is matchlesse thy grace aboundeth even to an overflow 1 Tim. 1.14 it is more then exceeding it hath a superpleonasme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle there Surely as the Sea swallowes up hugest rocks and as the Sun scattereth greatest mists so doth He pardon enormities as well as infirmities and blotteth out the thick cloud as well as the cloud Isa 44.22 Jam. 2 His mercy rejoyceth against or glorieth over judgment and is ready to say of a great sinner indeed Jam dignus vindice nodus The more desperate the disease is the greater glory redoundeth to him that cureth it Our Saviour gat him a glorious name by curing incurable diseases and gained greatest love by franckly forgiving Mary Magdalens and others sins Luk. 7.42 47. which were many and mighty or bony as the Prophets word signifies Amos 5.12 Adams Apostacie Noahs drunkennesse Lots incest Davids blood-guiltinesse Manasseh his idolatry and witch-crast Peters thrice denying and abjuring his master Pauls blasphemy and persecution All these sins and blasphemies have been forgiven to the sons of men neither can they commit more then he both can and will remit to the penitent Note this against Novatus that proud heretick and strive against that naturall Novatianisme that is in the timerous conscience of convinced sinners to doubt and question pardon for sins of Apostasie and falling after repentance and to say as those Unbeleevers of old Can the Lord prepare a table for us in the wildernesse So Can he forgive such and such iniquities so oft reiterated This is a question no question what cannot our God do in this kind who pardoneth sin naturally Exod. 34.6 and therefore freely as the Sun shineth or as the Fountaine casteth out waters who doth it also abundantly Isai 55.7 multiplying pardons as fast as we multiply sins and lastly Constantly Psal 130.4 Ioh. 1.27 Zach. 13.1 It is his perpetuall act and it should be as a perpetual picture in our hearts We should go on our way toward heaven as Sampson did toward his parents feeding on this hony-comb that pardoneth iniquity Heb that taketh away sheere away non ne sit sed ne obsit not sin it self but the guilt of it the damning and domineering power of it this David calleth the iniquity of his sin and saith that this God forgave him Psal 32.5 pronouncing himself and all such happy as are so dealt with verse 1.2 and passeth by the transgression Heb Passeth over it taketh no notice of it as a man in a deep muse or as one that hath hast of businesse seeth not things afore him his mind being upon another matter he neglects all else besides that As David when he saw in Mephibosheth the feature of his friend Jonathan took no notice of his lamenesse or any other defect or deformity so God beholding in his people the image of his son winks at all faults that he might soon find in them That which Cicero said flatteringly of Caesar is truly affirmed of God Nihil oblivisci solet praeter injurias He forgetteth nothing but the wrongs that are daily done him by his and as it is said of our Henry 6. that he was of that happy memory that he never forgat any thing but injury c. so here Daniel 198. of the remnant of his
he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All-eye neither can we be at any time from under his view so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He hath an Holy eye that cannot behold evil and bear with it Hence that of Joshuah to the people chap. 24.19 Ye cannot serve the Lord sc unlesse ye first throw all your lusts out of service for hee is an holy God he is a jealous God he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sinnes Now therefore if Cave spectat Cato was such a forcible watch-word among the Romans and a Retentive from evil Take heed Cato seeth you and will punish you How much more should this prevail with Christians Cave videt Dominus Take heed the Lord beholdeth Ne pecees Deus ipse videt bonus Angelus astat c. Surely as they were wont to say at Rome concerning cowards that they had nothing Roman in them so may it be said of such as stand not in awe of Gods pure eyes and dreadfull presence that they have nothing Christian in them what ever they pretend sith it is every godly mans care and comfort to be in the fear of the Lord all the day to walk evermore in the sense of his presence and light of his countenance and canst not look on iniquity Heb. And to look on iniquity thou canst not do it Lo this is one of those things that God cannot do as he cannot he hee cannot die he cannot deny himself so here he cannot look on iniquity sc with approbation or delight He cannot but hate it and as the next thing to hatred is revenge he cannot but punish it such is the holinesse of his nature Psal 5.4 5 6. He hateth sinne naturally as we hate poison for it self and therefore let it be in a toad or in a Princes cabbin we hate it still Neverthelesse it must be remembred for our comfort that like as we hate poison in a toad but pity it in a man because in the one it is their nature in the other their disease So sinne maketh wicked men the object of Gods hatred but the saints of his pity and accordingly he chastiseth the one but plagueth the other Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously And yet such is thy tolerance seemest to take no notice of their trespasses and treacheries which I am sure thou hatest with a perfect hatred Here then the Prophet disceptat potius secum quam cum ipso Deo saith Calvin contesteth rather with himself then with God aboutthe ordering of thingshere below He doth not question the divine providence because good men suffer bad men prosper as Aristotle did Hee doth not say with Pompey when discomfited by Caesar that there was a mist at least over the eye of providence so blaming the Sun because of the sorenesse of his own blear eyes Hee doth not impatiently cry out with Brutus defeated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O wretched Vertue or O hard fortune But he modestly expostulateth with the Lord about his proceedings having before justified him and now dareth not reprehend what he cannot yet so fully comprehend but putting his mouth in the dust concludeth with David after some conflict with his own doubtings I know O Lord that thy judgements are right and that thou in faithfulnesse non ad exitium sed ad exercitium and that thou mightest be true to my soul hast afflicted me Psal 119.75 and holdest thy tongue And so Quitacet consentire videtur by silence seemest to consent as the Civilians rule is but thou seemest so onely Psal 50.21 Or Art thou deaf Nor so neither Psal 50 3. when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous then hee i. e. The Chaldees destroy the Jewes which were some of them better then they and the rest were therefore the worse because they ought to have been better The truth is none are so bad as they that either have been good and are not or that might have been better but would not Verse 14. And makest men as the fishes of the sea that are easily drawn out with hook or net So doth Nebuchadnezzar with little adoe bring whole Nations under his power and pleasure Here therefore saith Drusius Nebuchadnezzar is the fisher the world is the sea men are the fishes the armies and arts of the Chaldees are called the net drag hook to the which Nebuchadezzar ascribed his victories and not to God Whereas he should have written upon them as the Ancients did upon their greatest exploits Pausan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and have said as Titus did when some cried him up for his sacking the city of Jerusalem I onely lent mine hand to God who did the work by me as the creeping things Or the lesser fishes for in the sea also are creeping things innumerable Psal 104.25 See Levit. 11.46 that have no ruler over them to right and revenge them and are therefore devoured the lesser by the greater without remedy And what will men imagine but that thy people have no ruler over them no God to take care of their comfort or to protect them from their enemies How will they conclude them to be in as bad condition as those of Brasile who are said to be Sine rege sine lege sine fide c. Or the old Nomades sub regno Cyclopico Verse 15. They take up all of them with the angle No lesse then all will serve their turns or satisfie their ambition as we read of Alexander who wept that there was but one world for him to conquer Julius Caesar who would be aut Casar aut nullus this Nebuchadnezzar in the text sitly compared to a greedy fisher-man who could wish to enclose and catch all the fishes in the river Covetousnesse is boundlesse and ambition rideth without reins The curse of unsatisfiablenesse the disease of a spiritull dropsie is upon all carnall hearts so that though one man should ingrosse a Monopoly of all the wealth in the world and heap up his hoards and his honours to the starres yet would his heart be as hungry after more as if he had nothing therefore they rejoyce and are glad This is worse then all the rest that they please and applaud themselves in their wickednesse that they hug and stroke themselves on the head as Doeg did Psal 52.2 and those Sodomites Esay 3.9 This shews that men are arrived at that dead and dedolent disposition spoken of Ephos 4.19 and are even stradling over hell-mouth which gapeth for them Verse 16. Therefore they sacrifice to their net Thus wicked men grow worse and worse their sinne is infinite what marvail then if their punishment bee also infinite in hell Sejanus sibi sacrificabat Deo To all other their iniquities these Caldeans adde this of abominable idolatry they sacrifice to themselves as Sejanus did to their net drag c that is to their weapons as Ajax called his sword his god and thanked it for all his brave atchievments And as Mezentius
for the ingathering of his Elect. Sic Octogesimus octavus mirabilis annus CHAP. II Verse 1. Say unto your brethren Ammi Besides the publike preaching of this gracious promise chap. 1.10 There it shall be said unto them c. charge is here given that this be the subject of their more private discourse also and that they that fear the Lord speak often one to another we that were not a people are now a people we that had not obtained mercy have now obtained mercy Jubet per Prophetam ne haec vox in ecclesia taceatur Mercer God commands by the prophet that these sweet words Ammi Ruhamah be tossed and talked of at every friendly meeting I will not leave you fatherlesse In me the fatherlesse findeth mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 13.5 I will never leave thee I will not not not forsake thee so many Nots there are in the Originall for more assurance God would have such precious passages as these to be rehearsed even in the places of drawing water Judg. 5.11 where the maids met to fetch water or do other ordinary chares for mutuall incouragement and for the praise of his name O the matchless mercy of our God! O the never-enough adored depth of his free grace who would not fear thee o King of Nations Psal 92.1 who would not be telling of thy goodnesse in the morning and of thy faithfulnesse every night Read that triumphant Psal 145. per totum and be you ever chaunting out as they of old at their daily employments aliquid Davidicum so building up one another with Psalms and hymns and spirituall songs Think but on these two words in the text and you cannot want matter Is it nothing to be in covenant with God and to be under mercy O blessed are the people that have the Lord for their God Psal 144.15 saith David But I obtained mercy saith Paul 1 Tim. 1.16 and that was his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his confident boasting where ever he came being a constant preacher of Gods free grace as was likewise Austin which makes him hardly censured by the Semipelagian papists and Arminians as an enemy to nature because so high a friend to grace Neither is he forgetfull to tell his Ephesians and others to whom he writeth that they were once dead in sins and trespasses but now quickened together with Christ c. They were forreiners but now fellow-citizens with the Saints they were darknesse Eph. 5.8 but now light in the Lord and should therefore walk as children of light and talk of his praises who had drawn them out of dreadfull darknesse into marvelous light Come saith David and I will tell you what God hath done for my soul The Lord hath done great things for us saith the Church whereat we are glad Psal 66.19 Psal 126.3 Luke 1.49 He which is mighty hath done to me great things and holy is his name saith the blessed Virgin Say ye unto your brethren Ammi and to your sisters Ruhamah Say it say it to brethren and to sisters upon every opportunity and with the utmost importunity that it may take impression upon their spirits and not be as a scale set upon the water nor as raine falling upon a rock that leaves no signe behind it The Grecians being delivered out of servitude by Flaminius the Roman General Plutark rang out Soter Soter that is Saviour Saviour with such a courage that the very birds of the ayre astonished thereat fell to the earth The people of Israel gave such a loud shout at the return of the Ark that the earth rang againe A drowning man being pulled out of the water by Alphonsus King of Arragon and rescued from so great a death cryed out as soon as he came again to himself by way of thankfulnesse Arragon Arragon Valer. Max. Christian p. 41 1. Sam. 7.12 Psal 116.8 let us cry as loud Ammi Ruhamah hitherto God hath helped us who were lately with those Israelites in the wildernesse talking of our graves Say therefore with the Psalmist Because thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears my feet from falling I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living c. Verse 2. Plead with your mother plead Here of right begins the second chapter the former verse being not so fitly separated from the former chapter and it is nothing else but a commentary upon the first as Parcus well noteth For the Prophet here proceedeth in accusing the people of disloyality and ingratitude whereupon he denounceth a divorce and punishment and then foretelleth their repentance and return into favour with God under the kingdom of the Messiah Now the end wherefore both the accusation and the promise is here reiterated is not so much to confirm what had been before affirmed as to set forth the means whereby this off-cast people was to be at length reduced unto the Church viz. Partly by externall meanes as sharp Sermons and sore afflictions and partly by the internall grace of the Spirit of God and good affiance of his love sealed up to them by sundry spirituall and temporall favours conferred upon them as so many love-tokens Come we now to the words of this verse where Oecolampadius begins the chapter Plead with your mother plead It is verbum forense saith Mercer An expression borrowed from pleaders at the bar q.d. Be in good earnest with her rebuke her roundly and openly according to the nature of her offence that she may be sound in the faith and ashamed of her perfidiousness What though she be your mother and in that respect to be honoured by you yet she is a perverse rebellious woman as Saul once said of his son Jonathans mother how truly I enquire not malice little regards truth 1 Sam. 21.30 so it may gall or kill and therefore to be barely and boldly told her own Besides we cannot better shew our respect to Parents then by seeking their souls health and by dealing fairly but freely with them therein Not as Walter Mupes sometimes Arch-deacon of Oxford did by his mother Church of Rome For relating the grosse simony of the Pope in confirming the election of Reginald bastard son of Jocelin Bishop of Sarum into the sea of Bath he thus concludes his narration Sit tamen Domina materque nostra Roma baculus in aqua fractus absit credere quae vidimus yet let our Lady and mother Rome be as a stick put into the water which seems to be broken but is not so and far be it from us to beleeve our own eyes against her Was this charity or stupidity rather Charity may be ingenuous but not servile and blockish Levit. 19.17 It is not love but hatred if Moses may judge to suffer sin in a dearest friend to passe uncontroulled Good Asa deposed his own mother for her idolatry and our Edward the sixt would not be drawn by any perswasion of friends
will be but as a drop of wrath forerunning the great storm as a crack forerunning the ruine of the whole building That is a known text If you will not yet for all this hearken unto me then I will punish you seven times more and seven times more and seven to that Levit. 26.18 28. Three severall times God raiseth his note and he raiseth it by sevens and those are discords in Musick Such saying will be heavy songs and their execution heavy pangs to the wicked Verse 15. I will go and return to my place To my palace of Heaven so the Chaldee rendereth it I will withdraw my Majestie and return into the habitation of my holinesse which is in heaven I will go from them that they may come to themselves with the Prodigal I will forget them that they may remember themselves I will trouble my self no further with them when God comes against sinners he is said to come out of his place and so to disease himself Esay 26.21 with Lam. 3.33 that they may be afflicted and weep and mourn after me Jam. 4.9 I will take my rest and I will consider in my dwelling place as Esay 18.4 I will hide my face from them I will see what their end shall be for they are a very froward generation c. Deut. 32.20 and they shall see that I will be as froward as they for the hearts of them Ps 18.26 I will gather them in mine anger and in my fury and I will leave them there Ezek. 22.20 that they may know the worth of my gracious presence which they have not prized by the want of it and be pricked on thereby to pray Return O Lord how long and let it repent thee concerning thy servants O satisfie us early with thy mercy c. Psal 90.13 14. Thus mothers use to leave their children or at least turn their backs upon them till they mourn and make moane after them Thus the Lion seems to leave her yong ones till they have almost killed themselves with roaring and howling but at last gasp she relieves them whereby they become the more couragious God also will return to his people when they once turn short again upon themselves and see their sin-guiltinesse and seek his favour This is Gods end 1 Cor. 11.32 and the happy effect of affliction sanctified 1 King 8.47 Till they acknowledge their offence Heb. Till they become guiltie till they plead guiltie and carry themselves accordingly blushing and bleeding in my presence Thus Saint James Be afflicted or be miserable Chap. 4.9 ye are so but see your selves to be so tremble and humble at Gods feet for mercy give glory to God my Son and confesse thy sin Josh 7.19 The viper beaten casts up her poison The traytour on the rack confesseth all He that in affliction acknowledgeth not his offence and seeketh Gods face is more hard-hearted then a Jew as is to be seen here and Psal 78.34 and 1 Sam. 7.6 In the year of Grace 1556. at Weissenston in Germany a Jew for theft was in this cruell manner to be executed He was hang'd by the feet with his head downward betwixt two dogs which constantly snatcht bit at him The strangenes of the torment moved Jacob Andreas a grave Divine to go to behold it Coming thither he found the poor wretch as he hung repeating verses out of the Hebrewes Psalms wherein he cried out to God for mercy Andreas hereupon took occasion to counsell him to trust in Jesus Christ the true Saviour of mankind Melch. Adam in vit Jac. Andreae the Jew embracing the Christian faith requested but this one thing that he might be taken down and baptized though presently after he were hanged again but by the neck as Christian malefactours suffered which was accordingly granted him Lat. Serm. Latimer reports a like story of one in his time who being executed at Oxford was cut down but not quite dead And means being used to recover him he came again to himself and then confessed all his villany which before he would not be drawn to do In the life of Master Perkins also mention is made of a lusty fellow at Cambridge who being upon the ladder and affrighted with the forethought of hell-torments was called down a gain by Master Perkins who prayed with him and for him so effectually as that the beholders could not but see a blessed change thereby wrought in the prisoner Master Fuller and Mr. Clark in Mr. Perk. his life who took his death with such patience and alacritie as if he actually saw himself delivered from the hell which he feared before and heaven opened for the receiving of his soul to the great rejoycing of the beholders How well might these men say with Themistocles Periissem nisi periissem I had been undone if I had not been undone David was brought home by the weeping-crosse Psal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herod lib. 1. Alsted Cbroni pag. 325. 119.67 Affliction was a better Schoolmaster to Queen Elizabeth then Master Ascham Nocumenta documenta said Craesus when he was in the hands of his enemies The Burgundians well beaten by the Hunnes fled to Christ the God of the Christians and embraced his Religion and seek my face Out of a deep sense of their sin-guiltinesse This is the work of Faith as the former of Repentance God was not so gone from his people nor so far out of their call but that if they could find a praying heart he would find a pittying heart if they would acknowledge their offence he would forgive the iniquity of their sin Psal 32.5 If they would set their Faith a work as she in the Gospel did of whom it is said that when Christ would have hid himself it could not be for a certain woman whose daughter was diseased came and fell at his feet fetcht him out of his retiring-room Mark 7.24.25 he would break the heavens and come down from his place Isai 64.1 2. he would come leaping over all lets and impediments those mountains of Bether or of division to the relief of his people See this set forth Cant. 5. with the Notes there Provided that they seek not so much their own ease and ends as his face and favour the sense of his presence and light of his countenance the fear of his name and comforts of his spirit Thus David Psal 63.1 O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee in a dry and barren Land Carnall prayers in time of misery are but such as the dry earth or the hungry raven make They are the prayers of nature for ease not of the spirit for grace such as was that of Pharaoh when the rack made him roar the rod slatter See Zach. 7.5 6. with the Notes In their affliction they will seek me early Manicabunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. They will morning me so the Orginall hath it They will do it saith God
Israel had been a scourge to Judah When the Israelites were in their flourish as the grasse or wheat is in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter groweth they had been first mowed by Benhadad king of Syria but growing up again under Jeroboam their king they were devoured by Pul and his Army as by so many greedy locusts In the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth For in those fat and fertile countreys they used Luxuriem segetum tener â depascere in herba Virg. Georg. 1. Now if the latter growth were eaten up too what else could follow but extreme famine It was the latter growth after the kings mowings Or sheep-shearings as some read it but the former is better and Diodate here noteth that it is thought that the kings did take the first crop in esum usum jumentorum to keep their warre horses and for other services leaving the latter mowings for other cattle who were taught to say After your Majestie is good manners Verse 2. When they had made an end of eating Not the corn onely but the grasse to the very roots besides a pestilent stench left behinde them when I say they had done their worst Prayer is the best lever at a dead lift as is to bee seen Jam. 5.18 upon the prayer of Elias the heaven gave rain and the earth brought forth her fruit after three years and a halfs drought when it might well have been thought that root and fruits and all had been dried up and that prayer had come too late But that 's seldome seen as all Gods people can say experimentally But what shall we think of Jamblicus Lib. 5. cap. 27. a Heathen Authour who hath such a commendation of prayer which might well beseem an experienced Christian He calleth it Rerum divinarum ducem lucem copulam quâ homines cum Deo conjunguntur the guide and light of divine duties the band whereby men are united to God Nay he proceedeth and saith that prayer is clavis instar qua Dei penetralia aperiuntur instead of a key wherewith Gods cabinet is opened and much more to the same purpose All this the Prophet knew full well and therefore sets to work in good earnest and as when a cart is in a quagmire if the horses feel it coming they 'le pull the harder till they have it out so He. Then I said O Lord God forgive I beseech thee Sin he knew was their greatest enemy the mother of all their misery Of that therefore hee prayes for pardon and then hee knew all should be well as when the sore is healed the plaister falleth off Of Christ it is said that He shall save his people from their sinnes Mat. 1.21 as the greatest of evils and the Church in Hosea chap. 14.2 cries Take away all iniquity Feri Domine feri saith Luther nam à peccatis absalutus sum Smite me as much as thou pleasest now that thou hast forgiven my sins By whom shall Jacob arise for he is small Here is much in few It is Jacob thy confederate and he is down upon all four and he is but small low and little and as some render it Quis stabit Jacobo Behold He whom thou lovest is sick Ioh. 11.3 They that are thine by covenant are at a very great under trodden on by the buls of Basan as a poor shrub of the wildernesse so the Psalmists word imports Psal 102.17 Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied that knowes not whether he had best help or not or as a mighty man that cannot save Jer. 14.9 Yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us and we are called by thy Name leave us not Thus the Prophets indeed prayed for their unkind countreymen so did Paul Athanasius Luther I have obtained of God said He that never whilest I live shall the Pope prevail against my countrey when I am gone let those pray that can pray And indeed he was no sooner gone but all Germany was on a flame Act. Mon. as when Austins head was laid Hippo was soon surprized by the enemy and when Pareus's Heidelberg Verse 3. The Lord repented for this it shall not be saith the Lord. Here was mutatio rei non Dei facti non consilij a change not of Gods will but of his work therefore by way of explication it followeth it shall not bee saith the Lord. To speak properly there can be no repentance in God 1 Sam. 15.20 but this is spoken after the manner of men and it notably setteth forth the power of faithfull prayer able after a sort to alter Gods minde and to transfuse a dead Palsie into the hands of Omnipotencie Exod. 32.10 where God is fain to be-speak his own freedom and Moses is represented as the great Chancellour of heaven Verse 4. And behold the Lord God whose Asterisk or starry Note this behold is saith Tarnovius stirring up to attention Another compareth it to an hand in the margent of a book pointing to some notable thing Another to the sounding of a trumpet before some proclamation or to the ringing of a bell before the sermon of some famous Preacher the Lord God called to contend by fire that is by parching heat and drought causing dearth as Joel 1.19 For which purpose God called his Angels those ministring spirits that execute his judgements upon the wicked as they did once upon Sodom to contend for him a metaphor from civil courts to plead for him by fire to destroy the perverse Israelites by fire and brimstone Esay 66.16 Ezech. 38.22 as they had done Sodom and Gomorrah so some interpret it according to the letter or by the woe of warre compared to fire 2 King 14.26 Esay 26.11 as being a misery which all words how wide soever want compasse to expresse Or by immoderate heat and drought as afore so great that it devoured the great deep as that fire of the Lord in Eliah's time licked up the water that was in the treuch 1 King 18.38 See Esay 51.10 and did eat up a part Or it devoured also the field Not onely the waters in and under the earth that serve to make it fruitfull but a part of the earth it self which was altogether above and against the common course of nature Kimchi Some render it and did eat up that part or that field sc that mentioned verse 1. the Kings field that as the King had chiefly offended so he should be principally punished Drusius Other interpret it by chap. 4.7 One piece was rained upon and the piece whereon it rained not withered Verse 5. Then said I O Lord God cease I beseech thee See verse 2. and persevering in prayer for the publike remember to plead not merit but misery Psal 79.8 9. and with all humility to acknowledge that it is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not Lam. 3.22 Verse 6. The Lord repented for this
resolve cases of conscience as they It was their office Levit. 10.10 11. Deut. 33.10 Mal. 2.7 See the Note there It was an evil time with Gods people when he was put to complain who is blind but my servant or deaf as my messenger that I sent Isay 42.19 Viu in Aug. de civ Dei l. 4. c 1. When the Prophet was a foole the spiritual man was mad for the multitude of their iniquity and the great hatred Hos 9.7 Varro upbraided the Roman Priests of old with their grosse ignorance of many things in point of their own rites and religions and Cicero brake a jest upon C. Popilius an ignorant Lawyer at Rome For when Popilius being called for a witnesse to some controversy answered Nihil se scire that hee knew nothing Cicero answered by way of jear Put as fortasse te de jure interrogari you mean perhaps that you know nothing in the law which yet you professe to have skill in What a shame was it for the Pharisees who took upon them to be guides of the blind teachers of babes c. Rom. 2.19.20 to be found blind leaders of the blind Mat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Enniâ—s 15 So is it for Divines being asked concerning the Law or will of God in such and such cases not to be able to answer discreetly and intelligently as he did Mark 12.34 as an egregie cordat us homo But so bungler-like and so farre from the purpose that it my well be seene that desiring to be teachers of the Low they underst and neither what they say nor whereof they affirme 1 Tim. 1.7 How like the motion of a puppet the language of a Parret is the discourse of such unlearned or uninteressed Casuists Every Minister of Gods making can truly say The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know to time a word to him that is weary he wakeneth morning by morning he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned Esay 50.4 See 1 Cor. 12.8 Tit. 1.9 Eph. 3.4 7.1 Cor. 2.13 Verse 12. If one bear holy flesh in the skirt c. problemes and parables are notable helps to the bolting out of the truth and conviction of the gainsayers For problemes see Mat. 21.25 Mat 22.42 c. For parables see Judg. 9. that of Jotham Mat. 21. Mat. 22. Mat. 13. of Nathan 2 Sam. 12. of the woman of Tekoah 2 Sam. 14. of our Saviour concerning the two brethren sent into the Vincyard the wedding of the Kings son the sower c. See the Note on verse 10. and the Priests answered and said no Roundly and readily without hacking and hewing without doubling and dissembling as those perverse priests those selfe-condemned Hierophants Mat. 21.27 that against their consciences answered Iesus and said We cannot tell The wit of gracelesse persons will better serve them to faulter and fumble deny or devise a thousand shifts to evade and elude the truth then their malice will suffer them to yeeld to it or professe it This is to detain the truth in unrighteousnesse Rom. 1.18 as Plato who had the knowledge of One God yet he dared not to communicate it to the vulgar and as some of the chief champions of Popery who held justification by faith alone but refused to say so lest their Dagon should down their Diana be despised Let every spiritual man but especially Ministers be ready as to every good work so to this of comparing spiritual things with spirituall that he may judge or discerne of all things 1 Cor. 2.13.15 according to the analogy of faith Rom. 12.6 the tenour of the Scriptures his sure Cynosura and laying up all in his heart Luke 2.18 he may have a treasure there of new and old a word of wisdom and a word of knowledge â—00 1 Cor. 12.8 both as a Teacher and as a Pastour to bring forth for common benefit Verse 13. If one that is unclean by a dead body with a ceremonial uncleannesse The Hebrew hath it thus If one that is unclean in soul that is in his whole person as every wicked man is totus totus pollutus wholly covered with corruption a lothsome leper from head to foot wholly set upon sin as Exod. 32.22 lying down in wickednesse or in that wicked one 1 John 5.19 sick of such a disease as the Physicians call corruptionem totius substantiae nay dead in sins and trespasses Eph. 2.1 and can therefore doe no better then dead work at best Heb. 9.14 such as the living God will not be served with ibid. See the note on Mal. 3.16 doct 4. Use 1. He is unclean unclean and impureth all that hee toucheth according to that which followeth Verse 14. So is this people and so is this Nation before me Though pure in their own eyes Prov. 30.12 and to the world-ward unrebukeable as Paul the Pharisees Phil. 3. and those self-iustitiaries Luke 16.14 15. Ye are those that justifie your selves and have the worlds good word for you but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God Sordet in conspectu judicis quodfulget in conspectu operantis Splendida pecca u. Am. 6.13 Wicked mens services are but glistering sinnes they rejoâ—ce in a thing of naught as Amos hath it like as Leah rejoyced in that whereof She had cause to repent and said God hath given me my hire when she had more cause to say God I fear will give me my hire my payment because I have given my maiden to my husband Gen. 30.18 But she was in the common errour of measuring and judging of things by the successe as if God were not many times angry with men though they outwardly prosper or as if there were not here one event to the clean and to the unclean Eccles 9.2 Uutill the day that God shall separate the sheep from the goates whom for the glory of his name and the good of his people he suffers for present to goe one among another to make his own to stick the faster together and to their principles Shepheards say that it is wholsome for a flock of sheep to have some goats to feed amongst them their bad scent being good Physick for the sheep to keep them from the shakings Onely let Gods sheep take heed that they contract no corruption by conversing with goats which is soon done for sinne is catching and ill company is contagious Nemoerat sibi ipsi sed dementiam spargit in proximos saith Seneca No man erres out of the right way alone but drawes others along And multos sollicitat soâ—iet as nefanda saith Chrysostom evil company solliciteth many to sinke virtue is oft overcome by vice saith Nazianzen Orat. 1. Apolog as a little wormwood sooner imbittereth a great deal of hony then twice so much honey can sweeten a small deal of wormwood Or as one spoonfull of vineger will soon tart a great deal of sweet milk
hearts nothing will work or take impression till out of the bottom of hell they roar and bewail their own madnesse with desperate and bootlesse teares SECT V. Use 2. admonition Let the wicked break off their sins that they lose not their services VVHich to prevent come we now to a second use of Exhortation Vse 2 And this we addresse unto two sorts of men 1. To all unregenerate and wicked people 2. To those truly religious that are thus highly accepted and favoured with Daniel c Dan. 9.23 in the court of heaven To the wicked first God saith what hast thou to do to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth so long as thou hatest instruction and castest my words behinde thee d Psal 50.16 17 even the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination saith Solomon how much more when he bringeth it with an evil heart e Prov. 21.27 As who should say though such a man have never so good a meaning to serve God in his sacrifice yet he doth worse then lose his labour when he doth his best for he committeth that which is abomination before the Lord and so in seeking to shun hell he doth but take pains to go to hell And to the same purpose another Prophet He that killeth an oxe saith he unlesse withall he kill his corruptions is as well-pleasing to God as if he slew a man He that sacrificeth a lamb unlesse he sacrifice his lusts too is as if he cut off a dogs neck he that offereth an oblation unlesse he present also his body a living oblation holy acceptable to God e Rom. 12.1 is as if he offered swines blood he that burneth incense if it stink of the hand that burneth it is as if he blessed an idol f Isai 66.3 Even your incense is abomination g Isai 1.13 saith the Lord to those sacrificing Sodomites h Isai 1.10 Lo there that precious perfume made up with so many sweet spices and fragrant odours stanck odiously in Gods nostrils he could not abide the scent of it * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nay not his smelling faculty onely is offended by the sinful mans services but the rest of his senses also For his taste their burnt-offerings of rams and fat of lambs he could not relish i ver 11. they delighted him not but were sowre to his palate For his feeling their new moons and appointed feasts were a burden to him he was weary to bear them And for his sight he tells them though they spread forth their hands he will hide his eyes And for his hearing when they make many prayers he will not hear 15.16.12 And for their whole service he demands who required this at your hands to tread in my courts As if he should say it were fitter a fair deal for you to be in your shops or in the alehouse or any where else then here unlesse ye were better This is the gate of the Lord the righteous shall enter into it k Psal 118.20 As for others thus saith the Lord will ye steal and commit adultery and swear and then come and stand goodly before me in this house l Jer. 7.10.11 Do ye think to expiate your sins by your prayers and set off with God by your good deeds for your bad No that 's not the way to get in with God and to be enfeoffed into his favour But what is may some say Wash you make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes ease to do evil learn to do well c. Come now and let us reason together as friends when this is once well done to purpose saith the Lord. For then though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow m Isai 16 17 18. c. as till then it boots not to bow your selves before the most high with thousands of rams or ten thousand rivers of oyl no not to offer your first born for your transgression the fruit of your bodies for the sins of your souls n Micah 6.7 Away therefore will the love and liking of every lust cast away all your transgressions throw all your sins out of service your beloved sin especially be it as an hand for ptofit off with it be it as an eye for pleasure out with it be it what it will and never so neer or natural to us if a sin say of it as Haman did of Mordecai what availeth me any thing if he yet live All that are Christs and none but such may appear before God in holy duties have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts o Gal. 5.24 David would not presume to compasse Gods altar till he had washed his hands in inocency p Psal 26.6 nor could he conclude that God would shew him mercy or receive his prayer till he had brought his heart to an utter disregard of whatsoever iniquity q Psal 66.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Achilis Homericus The lepers lips were to be covered according to the law and our Saviour would not admit of a fair word from a foul mouth r Mar. 1.25 The lip of excellency saith Solomon becometh not a fool ſ Prov. 17.7 and the best dish though never so well cookt is extreamly loathed if presented by a leper or brought to table by a nasty sloven so is any holy duty whether of piety or charity displeasing to the Almighty if performed by one that is yet in his pure naturals a stranger to the power of grace and unacquainted with the daily practise of mortification Hence that of Saint Iames Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you t Iam. 4.8.9 10. expounded ob Oh but we dare not come near the Lord neither can we serve him for he is an holy God he is a jealous God he will not forgive our transgressions nor our sinnes u Josh 24.19 Sol. No be sure of that except ye confesse and forsake them x Prov. 28.13 Therefore wash your hands ye sinners saith the Apostle there neither so onely for Pilate washed his hands as if all the guilt had stuck in his fingers ends but cleanse your hearts ye double minded Yea Ob. but how must that be done for though thou wash thee with nitre and take thee much sope yet thy iniquity is marked before me saith the Lord God y Jer. 2.22 Sol. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 miseri estote Par. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pas Curaeleves c. Afflict your selves saith the Apostle or as the word there signifies be miserable you are so but see your selves such and be sensible even unto godly sorrow and the tears of true repentance weep saith he or if ye cannot do that as some constitutions are naturally dry and do not yeeld tears and some sorrow is bigger then tears and above them yet mourn at least and that ye may not
labour of love which ye have shew'd toward his name in that ye have ministred to the saints and do also minister o Heb. 6.10 For the better understanding of which argument it must be premised that there is a double Justice of God one of Equity which is the giving of every man his own as ye all know and another of fidelity according to that of St. Iohn If we confesse our sinns he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins p 1 Ioh 1.9 Posset alioqui justus esse Deus c. sed quia se verbo suo nobis constrinxit justus censeri non vult nisi ignoscat Calvin in locum And in this sence as it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you which is the justice of Equity so to you that are troubled rest with us when the Lord Iesus shall come to be glorified in his saints and to be admired in all them that beleeve q 2 Thes 16 7 which is the justice of sidelity for faithfull is he that hath promised who also will do it Take it thus God having made himself our voluntary debter not by receiving any thing from us for who hath given unto him first and he shall be recompensed r Rom. 11 35 not one but by promising all good things unto us what ever unworthinesse be found in us Yet he abides faithfull he cannot deny himself Å¿ 2 Tim. 2.13 nor forget to crown his own graces in us with that life eternall which God that cannot lie promised before the world began t Tit. 1.2 He hath of his own accord smitten a covenant with us of mercy and given us his band for ou security nay his oath nay his seal both the privy seal of his spirit u Eph. 1.13 and the broad seal of the sacraments x Rom 4.11 That by so many immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should lye we might have strong consolation which have our refuge to hold fast the hope that is set before us y Heb. 6.18 Reas 3. Thirdly God is gratious and hountiful as well as righteous and faithfull He is rich in mercy to all that call upon him z Rom. 10.12 or do him any other businesse Doth Icb serve God for nought a Iob 1.9 No nor any man living he is a large paymaster Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought neither do ye kindle a fire upon mine altar for nought b Mal. 1 10 David indeed would serve him on free-cost c 2 Sa. 24.24 but di the Lord dye in his debt nay did he not pay him his charges are the Sun went down the same day with usury At another time David had but a purpose to build God an house and God promised thereupon to build him an house for ever d 2 Sa 7.2 16 Again he had but a purpose of confessing his sinns and before he could do it the Lord forgave him the iniquity of his sin e Psal 32.5 The Apostle tells us that a poor servant if in serving his master according to the flesh he do withall serve the Lord Christ doing it heartily as to the Lord and not as to men let him know saith he that of the Lord he shall receive the reward of inheritance f Coloss 4.24 He meets it may be with a hard master that both belly-beats him and back-beats him too gives him very hard work and litle or no wages but Christ will do all Not wages only shall he receive as a servant but inheritance as a son Nay the poor begger that gives but a cup of cold water with desire of doing more if he had wherewithall Verily I say unto you saith our Saviour he shall not lose his reward g Mat. 10 42 Saul when he went to enquire about the Asses had but five-pence in his purse to give the Seer h 1 Sam. 9.8 the Seer after much good cheer gives him the kingdome Such is Gods deaing with us he liberally rewards the small offerings of his weak servants when he perceives them proceed from great love How often doth he send away his poor Oratours as Boaz did Ruth wit their bosome full ofblessings i Ruth 3.15 as David did Mephibosheth with a royal revenew k 2 Sam. 9.7 as Solomon did the Queen of Sheba with what soever heart can wish l 1 King 10.13 or as Caleb did his daughter Achsah m Iudg. 1.15 with upper and nether springs a confluece of spirituall comforts temporall contentments and all of the riches of his grace doth he thus give us all things richly to enjoy n 1 Tim. 6.17 Reas 4. Fourthly God is wondrous tender an chary of his own glory seeking the setting forth thereof mainly and indeed onely in all his works Now the glory of God is no way more advanced and enlarged then by keeping open house as it were giving all best entertainment and incouragement to those that frequent him not forgetting the labour of love that is shewed to his Name For this is it that will draw in much ompany about him and make men very obsequious and observant when they seâ— for certain that there is a reward for the righteous o Psal 58.11 yea stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord as knowing that their labour is not in vain in the Lord p 1 Cor. 15. ult Praise waiteth for thee O God in Sion and unto thee shall the vow be performed q Psa 65.1 2 3 Sint mecoenates non deerunt Flacce Marones Virgiliumque tibi vel tua rura dabunt Mart. But how comes it about that men are so officious and forwardly as to stand waiting at the posts of the gates of Wisdom with free offer of their best devotions and services It followes there O thou that hearest prayers unto thee shall all flesh come As who should say It is for no marvell though men come thick about thee and thou have followers good store for a little eutreaty serves turne for the obtaining of great suits of all sorts and mercies without measure And it is seldom seen that a good house-keeper wants company ' is pitty he should Fifthly God rewards even wicked men that do his will Reaf 5. though against their own will and beside their own intentions as he did Nebuchadnezzar his involuntary and unwitting servant to whom he gave Egypt in way of wages or military pay for the long labour and hard pains he had taken in the siege of Tyrus r Ezek 29.18 Howbeit he thought not so but imagined to destroy and cut off not a few nations Å¿ Esay 10.7 Likewise those that serve him out of servile respcts and sinfull self-love he rewards out of the abundance of his bounty as Ahab to whom he requited a temporary repentance with a temporall deliverance Nay those
shall stop him If Salomon delight to search out the secrets of wisdom what shall be hid from him If Somson delight in Daliance what will h not dare to do for it if Ahashueroh delight in Esther what may not she have of him If the Lord delight in us saith Caleb then be will bring us into this land of giants and give it us As if he hath no delight in me said David behold here I am let him do to me as seemeth good to him But now the Lord doth delight in every David and will shew him yea seal up unto him the sure mercies of day He delights in mercy saith the Prophet yea such a mercy saith the Apostle he rejoyceth against judgement and glories over it as over his adversary whom he hath subdued Hence it was that he erected himself of old not a judgment-seat but a mercy-seat in the midst of his people as one that settled himself to shew them mercy When the Judge sate him down in the gates of Israel it was to do justice Psal 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. When the scorner sits him down in the chair of pestilence he will scoff to some purpose so now that God sits in his mercy-seat he will surely shew mercy with ease yea a multitude of mercies When a man hath setled himself in his seat it 's supposed he is at ease and a small matter shall not raise him God is never more at ease as I may say and better pleased then when he is in his mercy-seat in his throne of grace Hence he is said to rise out of his place Heb. 4.16 to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity Esay 26.21 and to do his work his strange work when he is to do justice Esay 28.21 It is an act neither so proper to him for it is his strange work nor so pleasant to him for he riseth out of his place to do it which is a kinde of diseasement and a pain to him especially from whom mercie flows as freely and as naturally as light from the sun hony from the comb water from the well-spring He quits himself in it as well apaid thereof he rests in his love and will seek no farther Zeph. 3.17 This mercy-seat was the cover of the Ark where the two tables of the Law lay to note the blessednesse of those that receive mercy their iniquity is forgiven their sin is covered Again from this mercy-seate Psal 32.1 scituate not between the Seraphim those flaming executioners of justice Isa 6. but between the Cherubims as ministers of mercy the Lord shewed himself Act. 7. and gave forth the lively oracles as St. Steven stiles them Once he spake from the burning bush or smoaking mountain so terrible that Moses himself said I exceedingly fear and quake This was mount Sina in Arabia But we are come to mount Sion c. Heb. 12.21.22 and upon all the glory now there is a covering or mercy-seat Isa 4.5 The tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them Rev. 21.3 Jerusalem which is from above is now called the throne of the Lord and all nations flock unto it Jer. 3. God puts them among the children of his love and saith to each of his Thou shalt call me my father and shalt not turn away from me Jer. 17.19 Therefore are they before the throne of God answerable to the ancient mercy-seat serving him day and night in his temple Rev. 7.15 Where the Angel of his presence Jesus Christ offers their services powring in of his incense with the prayer of all Saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne Rev. 8.3 And hence it is that the good Lord pardoneth every one that prepareth his heart to seek God 2 Chr. 30.18 19. though he be not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuary that he winks at small-faults shall I say and spares them as a man spares his own son that serves him nay that he pardoneth iniquity and passeth by transgression or treason he retaineth not his anger for ever seem he never so much displeased and all because mercy pleaseth him which puts the prophet to his patheticall exclamation by way of wonderment Who is a God like unto thee c. SECT III. ANd that is the rise of our second Reason from God Reas 2 who therefore spares his people as a father his childe that they may 1. praise him for present yea for ever Cretae Jovis est imago auribus carens ait Plutarchus Non enim convenit audiri ab eo quenquam qui omnium dominus sit princeps Plut. Mor. Lucianus fingit cancellos in coelo per quos Jupiter certo tempore homines respiciat quo solummodo tempore petentes exaudiantur Psal 48.10 Tollens iniquitatem peccatuÌ„ scelus sic enim exprimitur magnitudo clementiae quod non levibus tantum delictis det veniam sed graviss quibusque sceleribus Calvin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim 1.14 that he may fill their mouths with laughter and their tongues with triumph that they may say among the heathen The Lord hath done great things for them that they may say among the saints Their Rock is not as our Rock our enemies themselves being judges Oh who is God like unto thee â— The Gods of the Nations are idols And we know that an idol is nothing and that of nothing nothing comes of such dung-hill deities no mercy is to be expected they cannot work beyond the sphere of their activity But our God is in the heavens and as the heavens are high above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that fear him He is a great God and a great King above all Gods And as himself is great so is his mercy and so also is his glory For according to thy name O Lord so also is thy praise unto the ends of the earth Now what is Gods name Heare it from his own mouth Iehovah Iehovah God mercifull and gracious c. forgiving iniquity transgression and sin that is all sorts of sins though never so heavy never so heinous Naturall pollution actuall transgression stifneckt presumption all sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven to the sons of men saith our Saviour how much more the involuntary slips of the saints their unavoidable infirmities their sins of daily incuâ—sion for which also there is provided a pardon of course it needs no more but suing out It is the glory of a man to pass by a transgression saith Solomon Prov. 19.11 And it makes no lesse for the glory of God that he pardons the iniquity of his people that he multiplyeth pardons as they multiply sins Esay 55.7 that where grace aboundeth then doth grace superabound or abounds to flowing over as the word there signifieth that they cannot commit more then he will remit Surely hereby the power of our Lord appears to be exceeding great and as true as he liveth
Hag. 2.3 2. The Authour to the Hebrews bids us study one another and take notice of such things only in our brethren Heb. 10.24 as may whet on love not that engender dislike Pitch upon such things as are amiable and passe by the rest This is love and this is to be like unto God who is love There was nothing good in all Sarahs speech Gen. 18.12 but only this that she calles her husband lord and yet for this God praiseth her setting it as a pearle in a gold-ring to her eternall commendation 1 Pet. 3.6 There was nothing almost but sin in Rahabs entertainment of the spies and in the midwives excuse to the King and yet Rahab is registred among the ancient beleevers and God builded the midwives houses that is Rivet in Exod. gave them children as some interpret it in lieu of their care for preserving the Hebrew children Nay for a patern of ingenuity and candour to us he gives the very devills also their due praising in them what is praise-worthy when he stiles them principalities powers Rulers c. who yet sin against him of malicious wickednes And shall we unchristianly conceal or but dissemble the better parts and practises of our weaker brethren and fasten only upon that they may draw on dislike or disaffection This is with the crow to light upon carrion and prefer it before sweeter food This is with the fly to fasten on the sore Vultures ad male olentia feruntur passing by the sounder places of the body This is with the vultures to hunt after dead carcasses and with swine turn'd into a garden to root in the muck-kill if any such be there not once taking notice of the fruits and sweets Sure it is that if a man should do nothing else but pore upon his own infirmities he would in short space loath and abhorr himself with Iob how much more if God should break up that sink of sin that is in us as in Judas should we never be able to abide the stench thereof 3. Is it not sufficient that the wicked censure us for hypocrites factionists humourists c. watch for our haltings making a man an offendour for a word and turning aside the just for a thing of nought Esay 29.21 barking and blaspheming for every small matter but that we must thus fall out amongst our selves and thus fall foule upon one another Is it not enough that the Pharisees quarrell Christs disciples for not fasting but Iohns disciples must joyne with them Res commiseranda cum pij fratres c. Cartw in loc and be first in the quarrell Mar. 2.18 Mat. 9.14 should'st thou sit and speak against thine own mothers son Psal 50.20 4. Consider lastly the evill that redounds here-hence to our selves For a censorious christian subjects himself to the judgment both of God Mat. 18.34 Scalig de re poet cap. 16. gives this proud and unmannerly censure Gothi belluae Scoti non minus Angli perfidi inflati feri contemptores stolidi amentes inertes inhospitales immanes One comes after and censures him thus His bolt you see is soon shot and so you may happily guesse at the quality of the Archer Iam. 3.4 and men Mat. 7.1 2. Luke 6.38 Good men will suspect such bad men scorn them and all shun them and desire to be rid of them Besides it may be just in God to leave such to themselves and to give them over to the power of the like temptation or worse Gal. 6.1 that they may learne to lend that mercy too ther 's that now they are compell'd to borrow of others SECT XI Exhortation to put our selves into Gods service THirdly this Doctrine may serve for justification and first to those without that are yet to chuse their master let them learne to pitch upon God alone Use 3 and to put themselves as soon as may be into his service sith he looketh upon every servant as a child and useth them accordingly Time was when the kingdome of heaven suffered violence and men throng'd into it when the people were so forward to serve God with the best of their substance that they brought more then enough for the works of the Tabernacle Exod. 36.6 Esay 2.1 When men called upon themselves and one another with Come let us go up to the house of the Lord c. In which voyage they passed from strength to strength Psal 84. went many a dearne mile and many a weary step till they came to see the face of God in Sion And yet how did they see it otherwise then in the dark glass of the ceremonies and not with that evidence of vision and nearnesse of acquaintance that we now see and serve him Time was when the people in Ioshua's dayes were set to serve God And notwith standing he told them Ye cannot serve the Lord Iosh 24.18 for he is a holy God he is a jealous God he will not forgive your transgression nor your sin which was enough in likelihood to have quailed and cooled them yet they resolutely replyed Nay but we will serve the Lord as not knowing how better to prefer themselves or provide for their posterity How is it then that we seek not after his service that we hire not our selves into his house sith his work is so fair his wages so great that we put not our necks under his yoke sith it is so easy that we bear not his burden sith it is so light no more burden to a man then wings are to a bird Esay 56.6 that we love not to be his servants sith he rules with so much love and lenity that we come off no more roundly with his businesse as a free-hearted people Psal 110.2 3 sith he is content to take up with so little But we are ready rather to shift off that little as Ionas did his journey to Niniveh Virtus nolentium nulla est He that does good with an ill will does ill God strains upon no man Exod. 25.2 Exod. 25.2 neither likes he that service that is wrested from us as Pharaoh's or wrung out of us as verjuyce is out of a crab He loves a cheerfull giver and therefore when he calls for an offering he wills that every man give it willingly with his heart And that none may pretend cause to hang off see how low he stoops Content he is to accept of a lamb or two for a sacrifice And if that be too much and a man want means for a lamb let him bring a pair of turtles or two small pigeons and it shall be taken Or if he cannot reach to that a hand-full or two of flower with a corn or two of salt shall suffice Levit. 14.10 21 31 32. An it is often repeated for the encouragement of weak ones Looke what a man is able according to his ability even what his hand is able to reach unto and it shall be accepted Now is not this