for hath he said it and shall he not do it Here is firm footing for faith and men are bound to rest in Gods Ipse dixit Abraham did and required no other evidence Rom. 4. He cared not for the deadnesse of his own body or of his wives womb He staggered not at the promise of God through unbeleef c. No more must we if we will be heirs of the world with faithfull Abraham Gods truth and power are the Jachin and Bozez the two pillars whereupon faith must repose beleeâ—ing God upon his bare word and that against sense in things invisible and against reason in things incredible Verse 2. But who may abide the day of his coming The Prophet Esay asketh Who shall declare his generation Esay 53.8 Daniel 2.11 that is the mystery of his incarnation that habitatio Dei cum carne which the Magicians held imposlible or the history of his birth life and death as some sence it whose tongue shall be able to speak it or pen to write it Who can think of the day of his coming so the Vulgar reads this text viz. of all the glory graces benefits of that day But the Hebrew word is the same as Prov. 18.14 The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity and is so rendred here by the Chaldee and Kimchi Who can sustain or abide the day of his coming sc in the flesh What wicked man will be able to endre it for he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth that is the consciences of carnall men glued to the earth and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked Esay 11.4 And this is spoken of the Branch that grew out of the root of Jesse vers 1. when thâ—â— goodly family was sunk so low as from David the king to Joseph the Carpenter With what terrour struck he the hearts of Herod and all Jerusalem by the news of his nativity Mat. 2.3 And si praesepe vagientis Herodem tantum terruit quid tribunal judicantis If Christ in the cradle were so terrible what will he be on the Tribunall The Text that troubled those miscreants was Mic. 5.2 which some taking tsagnir in the Neuter Gender render thus And thou Bethlehem Ephrata it is a small thing to be among the Princes of Judah out of thee shall come a ruler c. This Herod and his complices could not hear of without horrour as neither could that other Herod of the same of Christs mighty works Mart. 14.1 2. such a glimpse of Divine glory shone in them The sinners in Zion are afraid fearfulnesse surprizeth the hypocrites and they run as farre and as fast as they can from Christ with these frightfull words in their mouthes Who amongst us shall dwell with the devouring fire who shall abide with the everlasting burnings The Ruffianly souldiers were flung flat on their backs when he said no more but Lam he August Joh. 18.6 Quid autem judicaturus saciet qui udicandus hoc fecit What will he do when he comes to judgement who was thus terrible now that he was to be judged Oh that the terrour of the Lord might perswade people to forsake their sins and to kisse the Son lest he be angry Though a lamb he can be terrible to the kings of the earth and though he break not the bruised reed Matth. 12.20 yet his enemies he will break with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potters vessell Be wise now therefore O ye kings c. Psal 2.9 10. And as the Sun Moon and eleven Starres in Joscphs vision did obeysance to him so let our souls bodies all our temporall naturall morall and spirituall abilities bee subject and serviceable to Christ as ever wee hope to look him in the face with comfort and who shall stand when he appeareth Heb. at the sight of him True it is that Christ coming to help us in distresse for the want of externall pomp in his Ordinances and worldly glory in his Ministers and members and splendour of humane Eloquence in his Doctrines is despised by those that form and frame to themselves a Christ like to the mighty Monarchs of the earth like as Agesilaus King of Spartans coming to help the King of Egypt was slighted in that countrey for his mean habit and contemptible outside But if the Centurion were worthy of respect because he loved the Jewish Nation and built them a Synagogue Shall not Christ much more even as Prince of the Kings of the earth sith hee loved us and washed us with his own blood and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father Revel 1.5 6 By whom also hee is made unto us righteousnesse imputatively wisdom sanctisication and redemption effectively by way of inherency and gracious operation Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God 1 Sam. 6.20 Jer. 10.7 as the men of Bethshemesh once said Who would not fear this king of Nations saith Jeremy this king of Saints saith John for to him doth it appertain Rev. 15.3 4. sith there is none like unto him neither can any stand before him when he appeareth any more then a glasse bottle can stand before a Cannon shot O come let us worship and bow aown Psal 95. let us keel befoâ—e this Lord our maker If we harden our hearts he will harden his hand and hasten our destruction There 's no standing before this Lion no bearing up sail in the tempest of his wrath you must either be his subjects or his footstool either vail to him or perish by him Thine arrows are sharp iâ— the hoaâ—t of the kings enemtes whereby the people sall under thee Psal 45.5 What a world of miseries have the refractary Jews suffered and do yet for rejecting the Lord Jesus They might have known out of their own Cabalists besides Dâ—ntels seventy weeks and other Scripture-evidences that the Mesliah was amongst them for it is there expressely recorded Vide Malcolin in Act. 18.28 that Messias should come in the time of Hillels disciples one of whom was Sâ—â—â—on the 〈◊〉 who embraced the child Jesus in his arms who also foretold that that child was set for the 〈◊〉 and rising again of many in Israel and soâ— a signe which shouiâ—â—â— spâ—kâ—n against Luk. 2.34 35. thâ—u the thoughts of many hearts might be revealed And to the same purpose St. Peter 1 Epist cap. 2. ver 7 8. But before them both Our Prophet here For he is like a refiners fire Intimating that the times of the Messiah would be discriminating shedding times and that he would separate the precious from the vile the gold from the drosse the sheep from the goats That Nabal should no more be called Nadib the vile person liberali the churle bountifull Esay 32.5 but that good people should be discerned and honoured hypocrites detected and detested as was Judas Magus Denias c. slit up and slain by Christs two-edged
rejoycing was as to devour the poor i. e Poor me they devoured in secret as if God had been nothing aware of their doings and this was their exultation or rejoycing they took pleasure in their cruelty and promised themselves impunity Verse 15. Thou diddest walk thorough the sea c. q. d. Shall they thus prevaile by iniquity and did they carry the ball upon the foot till they had gotten the goale Hath ever any waxed fierce against God and prospered Iob. 9.4 I trow not Thou that of old didd'st walk through the red sea did'st tread it or Psal 56.7 foot it and that most swiftly as if thou had'st had thy change of horses thorow the heap of great waters which thou laid'st on heaps for thy peoples sake so that instead of being swallowed up they were preserved thereby Thou Lord I say hast many times since when all hope failed opened a faire way for thy servants to escape out of greatest dangers and so I trust thou wile againe when they most stand in need of thine heavenly help Cum res est in acie novaculae c. God will be seen of his in the Mount Verse 16. When I heard my belly trembled c. Heard what That speech of thine verse 3. whereunto the Prophet now returneth after a long digression for the peoples support and comfort Digressions in divine discourses are not alwayes and absolutely unlawfull God sometimes draweth aside the doctrine to satisfie some soule which the preacher knowes not and sparingly used it quickeneth attention O Lord I have heard thy speech touching Israels captivity chap. 1. and after that the Chaldeans calamity chap. 2. and was afraid verse 2. Neither was this a slight or sudden pang and soon put over but such as soaked to the very roots so that my belly or my heart in my belly trembled See Prov. 20.27 my lipps quivered through want of naturall heate which in this fright was gone inward to succour the heart as souldiers upon the approach of an enemy run into the castle at the voice at the dreadfull denunciations of judgements rottennesse entred into my bones Poetico more ex signis describit saith Gualther The Prophet in manner of a Poet describeth his great feare by the gracious effects and signes thereof in his body that I might rest in the day of trouble This was the fruit of his holy feare of Gods imminent judgements and that contrition of spirit that followed thereupon viz. that both Hee and all that took part with him in those pious practises of sensiblenesse and self-abasement should have peace with God and be able to call their soules to rest in the evill day when he commeth up c. i. e. The Chaldean spoiler he will invade them with his troops Or cut them in peeces And that this was done See 2 King 25. and the book of Lamentations thorowout Howbeit in judgement God remembreth mercy as the Prophet had pray'd for besides the favour that the Jews found at Babylon by meanes of Daniel and others Cyrus having taken that city gave commandment that no Jews or any that spake the Syrian tongue should be hurt as Xenophon relateth and after this he gave them free leave to return home Verse 17. Although the figtree shall not blossom Here the Prophet sheweth a well settled and a sedate mind indeed that he had attained and by prayer waded unto a blessed composednesse and sabbath of spirit such as the cock on the dunghill medled not with neither knoweth the worth of it being the most precious and peerlesse jewel that ever the heart of man came acquainted with It hat been before noted that the Prophet here taketh out his own lesson of living by faith in the faile of outward comforts Origens teaching and living were said to be both alike Habakkuks were so Divinity is practicall If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them As lessons of Musick must be practised and a copy not read onely but imitated so is it here It is a blushful thing quando dicta factis erubescant as Tertullian hath it Plus sanctimoniae conspicitur in ipso libello quà m in libelli Auihore when mens lives put their words to the blush when Sanctiores sunt aures plebis quà m corda sacerdotum there are more heavenly doctrines in the peoples cares then ever were in the preachers heart as Hilary hath it when as One said of Erasmus his Enchiridion there is more holinesse in an Authours book then in his bosom Exemplis sanè qui docet ille docet Aristotle requireth in a Teacher Arist Rhetor. Epist ad Epbes that he shew himself a patern of his own rules and it is a good thing to teach saith Ignatius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if thou practise the same that thou teachest That is an excellent commendation indeed that is given to a late eminent Divine amongst us Mr. Sam. Crook that his life was but one continued Commentary upon his doctrine and an exemplary sermon consisting of living words or of words translated into works The just shall live by his faith saith Habakkuk and that I do so it shall well appear by my living upon God when I have nothing else to subsist with by beleeving him upon his bare word and that against sense in things invisible and against reason in things incredible Although the figtree c.. q d. Let warr come on and with warr famine as it befell Ierusalem at the last siege in the dayes of Zedekiah 2 King 25.3 Ier. 52.6 Lam. 2.11 12. there was no relief left for the people the enemy had eaten up all as Joel 2. and made cleane work so that faithlesse men were woe-begone and ready to run mad for the sight of their eyes Deut. 28.24 with 51. and to devour their own fingers as Pope Boniface 8. did when shut up close prisoner in St. Angelo and sorely straitened Verse 18. Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation This joy of the Lord was the Prophets strength Nch. 8.10 and kept his head above all waters of affliction So it was Davids at the sack of Ziglag 1 Sam. 30.6 when Saul at the same time for want of it ran first to the witch and thence to the swords point A Good man hath God for his portion and if any occasion of discontent or trouble befall him he retireth into his Counting-house and there seeth himself so well stored with unloosable graces and invaluable priviledges that he cannot be greatly moved Psal 62.2 His soule in greatest straights can magnifie the Lord and his spirit rejoyce in God his Saviour Disquieted he may be sometimes for a season till he hath recollected and better bethought himself we are staggering saith the Apostle but not wholy sticking 2 Cor. 4.8 for not the evenest waights but at their first putting into the ballance do somwhat sway both parts thereof not without some shew of inequality which
several Kings reigns as did likewise Athanasius and Latimer Jeroboams especially the second of that name and here only named when six other Kings of Israel in whose time Hosea prophesied are not once mentioned but lie wrapt up in the sheet of shame because wicked idolaters such as God took no delight in and hath therefore written them in the earth And in the dayes of Jeroboam the son of Joash Not the son of Nebat that ringleader of the ten Tribes revolt from the house of Dauid but another little better and yet very prosperous and victorious 2 King 14.25 28. He reigned also fourty one years and did great exploits yet is Hosea sent to contest with him to declaim against his sin and wickednesse and to proclaim heavy judgements against him and his people This the Prophet did for a long while together with all fidelity and fortitude when the King was triumphing over his enemies and the people were not only drunk but even mad again by reason of their extraordinary prosperity as Calvin expresseth it Non tantum temulenti erant sed etiam prorsus insani Calvin Now that so young a Prophet should so sharply contend with so fierce a people in the ruffe of their pride and jollity that he should so rouse and repple up these drunkards of Ephraim with their crown of pride Esay 28.1 this shews him to have been of an heroical spirit Jonah his contemporary flinched when sent against Nineveh Micah the Morasthite another of Hosea's contemporaries prophesied in the dayes of Hezekiah King of Judah and spake to all the people of Judah saying Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Zion shall be ploughed like a field and Jerusalem shall become heaps and the mountain of the house the high places of a forest Yet did not Hezekiah King of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death c. Jer. 26.18 19. He and Hosea though they prevailed little with the people they preached to yet they were better dealt with then the Prophet Esay their contemporary too of whom Hierom tels us out of the Rabbines that he was sawn asunder because he said he had seen the Lord and secondly because he called the great ones of Judah Hieron in Isa 1. Princes of Sodom and rulers of Gomorrah Isaiah 1.10 Verse 2. The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea Heb. In Hosea to note that the Lord was both in his mind and mouth in his spirit and speech God spake in him before he spake out to the people His prophesie must therefore needs be divine and deep That 's the best discourse that 's digged out of a mans own breast that comes a corde ad cor from the heart to the heart And blessed are the pleople saith one that have such Ministers that shall speak nothing to them but what hath been first spoken by God in them saying with David and Paul We believe therefore have we spoken we also believe 2 Cor. 4.13 and therefore speak we have experimented what we deliver we believe and are sure that God is in us of a truth and that we preach cum gratia privilegio The beginning Hence some gather that Hosea was the first Prophet Hoseas videtur tempore majestate aliis prior saith O Ecolampadius Certain it is he began before Esay because he prophesied in the dayes of Jeroboam who was before Vzziah whether before Amos or no is not so certain Di praep Evang l. 20 â—ulut Eusebius tels us there was no Greek History extant before Hosea's time Well therefore might that ancient priest of Egypt say to Solon You Grecians are all boyes and babies in matters of Antiquity neither is there one old man amongst you Samuel is counted the first Prophet Acts 3.24 Plato in Timâ—o but Hosea was the first of those that lived in these Kings dayes and likely held out longest see the Note on Verse 1. as did father Latimer preaching twice every sabbath day Act. Mon. though of a very great age and rising to his study winter and summer at two of the clock in the morning Others read the words thus At the beginning when the Lord spake by Hosea he said to Hosea himself Go take unto thee c. An uncouth precept and a rough beginning for a young preacher whose youth might be despised and whose sharpnesse might be disgusted But truth must be spoken however it be taken and a preacher should take the same liberty to cry down sin that men take to commit sin Esay 58.1 Hierom was called fulmen Ecclesiasticum the Church thunderbolt And our Mr Perkins applied the word so close to the consciences of his hearers that he was able to make their hearts fall down Mr Fullers Holy State and their hairs almost to stand upright But in old age he was more milde and delighted much to preach mercy as did also our Prophet Hosea whose prophesie is comminatory in the fore-part consolatory in the latter part And the Lord said to Hosea This is now the third time inculcated for more authority sake which the people so rubb'd and menaced would be apt enough to question He therefore shews them his commission and that he hath good ground for what he saith that they may have no cause to cavil Melch. Ad. but reply as that good Dutch Divine did if God would give them a heart so to do Veniat veniat verbum Domini submittemus ei sexcenta si nobis essent colla Let the word of the Lord come yea let it come and we will submit there unto though we had six hundred lives to lose for so doing Go take unto thee a wife of whoredoms An arrant whore a stinking strumpet Calvin scortum obsoletum a known and trite harlot such as were Thais Lais Phryne c. yea and such a one as after marriage with a former husband at least went astray after other sweet-hearts for so the application of the figure to the subject Chap. 2. requireth it to be understood Whereby it appears saith Diodate that all this was done in a vision Others infer as much from that phrase in this verse The beginning of the word of the Lord in Hosea that is saith Polanus appearing and speaking to him by an inward vision as it were in an extasie Besides in the third chapter and three first verses the Prophet is bidden to marry another harlot to buy her for his own use and to keep her at his house for a time Now scimus hoc non fuisse completum saith Calvin we know that this was never really done It follows therefore that this figure was only proposed to the people that they might perpceive in the looking-glasse of this allegory first their duty toward God second their disloyalty thirdly their penalty for the same It is not an historical narration but a Prophetical vision Children of fornication a bastardly brood such as this evil and adulterous generation is
a pitcht battle Here iâ— was saith Adrichomius that Gideon fought the Midianites Iudg. 6.7 Saul the Philistines 1 Sam. 31. Ahab the Syrians 1 King 20. And here Zachary the last of Jehu's line was slain and with him the kingdom of Israel received such a wound that it could never rise again Monaâ—chies have their times and their turns their rise and their ruine Junius renders it Propter Vallem Jericho I will break the bow of Israel because of the wall of Jezreel that is saith he because of the slaughter of Ahabs house there made by Jehu 2 King 10 Jehu's Tent in that execution was rewarded as an Act of Justice quoad substantiam operis and yet punished as an Act of policy quoad modum for the perverse end Finibus non officijs a vitijs discernuntur virtutes saith Augustine By the ends and not by the works done are vertues distinguished from vices Two things make a good Christian and declare him so good Actions and good Aimes And although a good aime doth not make a bad Action good as in Vzza yet a bad aime makes a good action bad as here in Jebu There may be then we see malum opus in bona materia a work materially good which yet may never prove so formally and eventually sc when there is a fail either quoad fontem or quoad finem A thing which I see in the night may shine and that shining proceed from nothing but rottenness Blazing comets though but comets as long as they keep aloft shine bright But when they begin to decline from their pitch they fall to the earth and infect the Air. So when Illuminates forsake the Lord and minde onely earthly things being all for self they lose their light and go out in a snuffe Jehu's golden calves made an end of him and his though he made an end of Ahabs house and Baals worship His rooting out of Ahabs race was but to settle the crown better upon his own head Like unto him was our Richard the third who well knowing saith the Historian it was no pollicy to play the villaine by half-deal is resolved to leave never a rub to lie in the way Daniels hist 218. that might hinder the true running of his bowle Like unto him also saith Master Calvin upon this text was our king Henry the eighth who cast off some degree of Popery so farre as would serve his own turn but there were the six Articles in force that whip with six cords as that Martyr called it for which many suffered at that time Acts Mor. And whereas like Sylla he commanded others under great penalties to be no Papists himself was either Papist or Athiest jearing at some for their old Mumpsimus and at others for their new Sumpsimus as he profanely called the Reformation hanging Papists on the one side of the hedge for denying his Supremacy and burning Protestants on the other side thereof for denying Transubstantiation c. And hence it may be thought is that dreadfull and dismall ruine that is now in these our dayes and in the fourth generation or succession befaln the royall family The house of Jehu fareth the worse for Jehu Offa king of East-Saxons lived in the time of Charles the great and was a potent Prince But the many injuries he did and the murther he committed in his house upon Ethelbert king of East-Angles coming to him under a publike faith and a suitor to his daughter were justly revenged upon his posterity which after him declining in the end lost all But to return to Jehu we shall find 2 Kin. 10.30 Daniels hist p. 111. that God said that because Jehu had shed the blood of Ahab in Jezreel that he would reward him for it and that his children to the fourth generation should sit upon the throne of Israel and govern that Kingdom And yet for miscarriage in the manner justly plagueth his posterity As Xerxes crowned his Steeresman in the morning and yet hanged him in the afternoon of the same day And as Marescal de Thermas the French Generall first Knighted a French souldier in Scotland who first mounted a besieged Fort by that means taken and then hanged him within an hour after for doing it without order See more of this in the Note upon the former verse Verse 6. And she conceived againe To shew in a continued allegory the weak and wofull estate of the ten tribes when the Assyrian took from them all the land of Gilead and Galilee together with all the land of Nepthali and carried them captive subduing in a manner five tribes of Israel to wit those without Iordan who as they had first their inheritance given them so they were now first carried captives and the tribes of Zabulon and Nepthali who were seated in the land of Galilee And this was the first captivity of Israel see 2 Kings 15.29 Esay 9.1 And bare a daughter This age is compared to a daughter because from that time forward after the bow of Israel was so broken as Verse 5. they should be no more able to defend themselves than if they were a common-wealth of women Their spirits should be so cowed out and emasculated their backs so bowed down with unsupportable burdens and bondages Vt de Ctanmerâ— Melc Ad. that there was scarcely place left of a worse condition nor hope of a better Like them were those we read of Esay 51.23 that yeelded to such as would but say to them Bow down that we may go over you Hom Jl. sic Virg Phrygiae neque enim Phryges Or as those in Nahum 3.13 Their men shall be as women 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 timerous and cowardly like Issachar's Asse Gen 49.15 whose lot fell in Galilee Iosh 19.18 or those fugitives of Ephraim Iudg. 12.4 that therefore bare a brand of dishonour because they would not rather die bravely then live basely Of such it may be said as of Harts and Stags they have great horns and strength but do nothing with them quia deest animus because their spirits are imbased as the Israelites in Egypt were of old by Pharoah and as the Grecians are at this day by the Turk call her name Loruhamah When God once calls a people or a person by this name we may well write upon their dores if any place be yet left for prayer any good to be done by it Lord have mercy upon them their condition is deplorable if not desperate Vade frater in Cellam et dic Miserere mei Deus Brother go into thy Cell and say Lord have mercy upon me said Crantzius to Luther when he began to declaime against the Pope for he looked upon him as an undone man Scultet Annal. and yet he was not But those are doubly undone to whom God shall say as here to Israel I will no more have mercy Heb I will add no more to shew mercy but my so oft abused mercy shall turn into fury That it
he basely recalled into France whence they had been banished and admitted them into his bosom making Father Cotton his Confessour et sic probrose se gessit et rem confusione dignam admisit as here He both shamed and undid himself For she hath said I will go after my lovers Amasios meos My sweet-hearts Marbeck Act. Mon. those that have drawn away my heart from my husband But if that persecutour could say to the Martyr What a devil made thee to meddle with the Scriptures how much better might it be said to the Synagogue and so to all Apostates What a devill meant you to go a whoring from such an husband who is totus Cant. 5.16 totus desiderabilis altogether lovely even the chief of ten thousand after dumb idols and false Prophets who are their brokers proxenetae et proci and spokesmen Athenaeus brings in Plato bewailing himself and his own condition that he was taken so much with a filthy whore Adultery is filthinesse in the abstract Gelulim Ezek. 22.3 1 Pet. 4.3 so is also idolatry and therefore idols are called by a word that signifieth the very excrements that come out of a man a tearm too good for those dunghill-deities those abominable idolatries as Saint Peter expresseth it Mention is made in histories of a certain heathen people that punish adultery with death and with such a death as is suitable to the sin For they thrust the adulterers or adulteresses head into the paunch of a beast where lieth all the filth and garbage of it there to be stifled to death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jude 7. Sodom and Gomorrha had fire from heaven for their burning lust and stinking brimstone for their stinking brutishnesse They are also thrown out as St. Jude phraseth it for an example suffering the vengeance of eternall fire And in the like pickle are the Beast and the false Prophet those Arch-idolaters for these both are cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone Rev. 19.20 And worthily Esay 3.9 sith they declared their sins as Sodom they hid it not And as this huswife in the text who said I will go after my lovers she did of wickedness forethought upon deliberation de industria ex consilio wilfully and of purpose impudently and without all shame of sin say I will go after This was shameles indeed They should rather have gone after her Deut. 23.18 then she after them Moses fitly compareth a whore to a salt-bitch that is followed after by all the dogs in a town And am I dogs-head said Abner to Ishbosheth 2 Sam. 3.8 that is Am I so given to lust lasciviousnes as dogs are that run after every salt-bitch But this harlot verified that saying in Ezekiel The contrary is in thee from other women in thy whoredoms whereas none followed thee to commit whoredoms thou followest them and gloriest in thy so doing as Lots daughters did in their detestable incest naming their children Moab that is a birth by my father and Benammi that is begotten by one of my near kindred These all might have held their tongues with shame enough But such kinde of sinners are singularly impudent Jer. 3.3 infatuated Hos 4.11 and past feeling Ephes 4.19 And so are Idolaters wickedly wilfull and irreclaimable for most part See Jer. 44.16 17. 2.10 Esay 44.19 20. A seduced heart hath turned him aside that he cannot deliver his soul nor say Is there not a lie in my right hand How stiffe are Papists to this day in defence of their Image-worship how severe against such as deface or but disgrace them Murther is not so hainous a sin c. That give me my bread and my water c. What can be more like to the doings of the Papists then this saith Danaeus Who knows not what suit they make and what thanks they return to their He-Saints and She-Saints and how they sacrilegiously transfer the glory due to God alone to the creature The Lord rightly resolveth the genealogy of corn wine and oil into himself verse 22. of this chapter And the Aposte tells us that it is He that filleth mens hearts with food and gladnesse Act. 14.17 Et cum charissima semper Munera sint Author quae preciosa facit This should make us lift up many an humble joyfull and thankfull heart to God well content if we may have offam et aquam bread and water and the gospel and vowing with Jacob Gen. 28.20 that if God will give us bread to eat and raiment to put on then shall he be our God and we will honour him with the best of our substance As for other gods whether Pagan or Papagan say we as that Heathen did Contemno minutulos istos deos modò Jovem mihi propitium habeam I care not for these petty-deities I trust in the living God who giveth us all things richly to enjoy All things I say both ad esum et ad usum for back and belly besides better things which is all that carnall people care for There be many too many that say and can skill of no other language Who will shew us any good who will give us bread Psal 4. water wooll oil c they look no higher know no heaven but plenty hell but penury God but their belly whereunto they offer sacrifice with Poliphemus and care for no more quam ut ventri bene sit ut lateri then that their bellies may be filled Epicur ap Hor. their backs fitted Let them have but plenty of victuals and the Queen of heaven shall be their good Lady Jer. 44.17 Base spirits look onely after low things gain and credit carry them any way They work for their peny a day and are like little children which will not say their prayers unlesse they may be promised their breakfast Whereas a true worshipper of God soareth aloft hath his feet at least where other mens heads are trades for higher commodities cannot be put off with mean matters When great gifts were sent to Luther he refused them with this brave speech Valde protestatus sum me nolle sic satiari Melch. Adam I deeply protested that I would not be put off by God with these low things The Papists offered to make him a Cardinall if he would be quiet He replied No not if I might be Pope They sent Vergerius the Popes Nuncio to tempt him with preferment and to tell him of Eneas Sylvius who following his own opinions Hist of Counc of Trent p. 73. with much slavery and labour could get no further preferment then to be Canon of Trent but being changed to the better became Bishop Cardinall and finally Pope Pius 2. The same Vergerius also minded him of Bessarion of Nice who of a poor Collier of Trapezond became a great renowned Cardinall and wanted not much of being Pope But what said Luther to all this Contemptus est a me Romanus et favor et
fetch them thence into captivity Oft they had been warned not to go down to Egypt for help and they must needs be hard bestead that fled thither True it is that the Egyptians are renowned in histories for a thankful people and the Israelites are charged not to abhor an Egyptian because they were once strangers in his land Diod. Sic. l. 2. Dent. 23.7 and had tasted of his courtesies But withall they could not but know how hardly the Egyptians had dealt with their fore-fathers and how treacherously also with them and that they ought not de jure to have returned thither upon any tearms Sed Deus quem destruit dementat and although here they were resolved for Egypt yet Chap. 11.5 God resolveth otherwise and voluntas Dei necessitas rei his will shall stand when all 's done And they shall eat unclean things in Assyria Things forbidden by the law as swines-flesh c they shall be forced to eat or starve they must not look for liberty of conscience in Assyria nor have that favour to make a difference of meat as Daniel had Chap. 1. but as Ezekiel baked his barley-cakes with mans-dung Even so said the Lord shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the heathen whither I will drive them So haughty they were grown that their fathers house could not hold them therefore they shall be giad of huskes with hogs as that prodigal they shall eat as the heathens sith they would needs act as the heathens They thought it was hard with them in their own land when the floores and the wine-presse would not feed them vers 2. But now it is farre worse when forced by hard hunger they are glad of any meat be it clean or unclean neither have they any more mind to be so merry with other nations as vers 1. or cause so to be their stomacks craving and themselves with Drusus in Tacitus ready to eat the stuffings of their bed or with the Jewes in the last siege of Jerusalem not onely to feed upon dogs rats cats c. but the leather of their shooes girdles targets bridles yea Pontanus Hegesippus oxe-dung was a precious dish unto them and the shreddings of pot-hearbs cast out and trodden under foot c. Vers 4. They shall not offer wine-offerings unto the Lord Non libabunt multò minus litabunt they shall not have wherewith to offer sacrifice when they are in their banishment Chap. 3.4 much lesse to serve God with cheerfulnesse to exhilarate his heart with their wine-offerings Judg. 9.13 to chear up themselves with the wine and oyle-offerings Num. 15.5 which were symbols and signes of the Merit and Spirit of Christ for the Ceremonial Law was their Gospel it was Christ in figure and the deprivation of them threatened the deprivation of grace and glory Now therefore sith such a sad condition and such sinking of spirits abided this people what reason had they to rejoyce with joy as others Neither shall they be pleasing to him Heb. they shal not be sweet or mingled for as sweet and sowre maketh the best sawce so the mixture of things of divers qualities maketh the sweetest confections and most pleasing to the palat but so shall not be these mens wine-offerings to God if any they should present but sowre and savourlesse He is now resolved to take another course with them to glorifie himself in their calamity and to give unto them another while the cup of the wine of the fiercenesse of his wrath Rev. 16.19 that is to delight as much in their misery as a man would do in drinking off a bowle of generous wine Their sacrifices shal be unto them as the bread of mourners i. e. as funeral-feasts whereof read Jer. 16.7 8. Ezech. 24.17 made ad levandum luctum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eaten in heavinesse by those that were polluted by the dead and therefore altogether unfit for sacrifice sith God loveth a cheerful service and will not have any of his come off heavily See Levit. 10.19 Deut. 13.7 and 26.14 Mal. 2.13 where those unkind husbands are blamed for causing their wives when they should have been cheerful in Gods service to cover the Lords altar with tears with weeping and with crying out so that he regarded not the offering any more So Ezr. 9.5 that holy man though till then he sat astonied at the sins of the people yet he arose from his heavinesse at the evening sacrifice for he knew that even sorrow for sin might be a sinful sorrow if unseasonable and sullen for it sowres a mans spirit and makes his services unacceptable to God For their bread for their soul shal not come into the house of the Lord Their bread That is their meat-offering or other sacrifices see Mal. 1.7 with the note for their soul that is for themselves soul is oft put for the whole person shal not come rightly and in due manner unto divine acceptation into the house of the Lord it should not have come into the Temple while it stood and the Levitical service was orderly performed how much lesse shall it be accepted now in a strange land being the bread of mourners Others by the bread for their soules understand their natural and necessary sustenance He speaks say they of that meat-offering Levit. 2.5 appointed for a spiritual use yet called here the bread for their life or livelihood because God esteemed it no other then common meat Tarnouius by the house of the Lord here understandeth the Church as Chap. 8.1 and 9.5 and 2 Tim. 2.20 The door of this house saith he is Christ Joh. 10.9 and door-keeper the holy spirit ibid. vers 3. the foundation and corner-stone Christ Eph. 2.20 the wall is God Zach. 2.9 the stewards the ministers 1 Cor. 4.1 Eph. 2.19 those of the houshold the Saints c. What will ye do in the solemn day c. q. d. How will ye do to laugh and leap then as ye do now vers 1. How will you be able to support your selves to keep your hearts from dying within you when you call to mind and consider your former solemnities and festivities which now alas in your captivity you are utterly deprived of Time was when you went with the multitude to the house of God with the voyce of joy and praise with a multitude that kept holy-day Psal 42.4 with dancing eating drinking and joy Deut. 16.14 15. Judg. 21.19.10 But now the scene is altered your singing is turned into sighing your mirth into mourning your joy into heavinesse and you must needs hold your selves so much the more miserable that you have been happy The Epicures indeed held that a man might be chearful against the most exquisite torments 1. In consideration of his honesty and integrity Ex praeteritc rum voluptatum recordatione Cic. de finib l. 2. Senec. de benef l. 4. c. 22. 2. In consideration of those pleasures and delights that formerly he had enjoyed and
for necessity and delight and this is so much inculcated and iterated that you may not slight it as a common occurrence but be deeply affected with it as a sore affliction Verba toties repetita viva sunt vera sunt sana sunt plana sunt Let no man think that this is a superfluous tautologie Aug. or an idle repetition of the same thing For in sacred scripture there is not a tittle in vain there is not an apex whereon there hangs not a mountain of fense as the Rabbines use to say By one and the same thing repeated memory is helped affection is excited and matters of moment are better minded Phil. 3.1 Besides Repetitio confirmatio est saith Ambrose De bone Mart. c. 12. The repeating of a matter implyeth 1 The infallible truth of it 2 The inexpressible excellency of it 3 The profitable use of it 4 The absolute necessity of it Aut faciendum aut patiendum Verse 13. Gird your selves and lament ye Priests Be you Prest and first in the practise of humiliation Be you an example of the believers in word in conversation c. 1 Tim. 4.12 a patern of piety Si vis ne flere c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Horat. Judg. 9.18 If others shall lament you must begin to them and say as Abimelech did to his souldiers What ye have seen me do make hast and do likewise and as St. Paul doth to his Philippians Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do Philip. 4.9 and the God of peace shall be with you for the meat-offering and the drink-offering c. your maintenance is substracted and that which should more affect you the sacred service of God is intermitted and so the glory is departed the dayly sacrifice is neglected which the Jewes counted and called The abomination of desolation Phineas his wife was not without natural affection 1 Sam. 4.21 but her spiritual affections prevailed Therefore in the declaration of her sorrow that of her father in law and husband is but once named but twice it came in The glory is departed The glory is departed All comforts are but Ichabods to a good heart without the ordinances without the sincere milk of the word Gods new-born babes cannot be quitted Tom. 4. Oper. Lat. p. 424. I could not live in Paradise without the Word said Luther as with the Word I could easily live in hell it self Verse 14. Sanctify ye a fast Having humbled your selves preach repentance to others That 's the best sermon that 's digged out of a mans own brest Sanctify your selves first and then prepare your brothren saith losiah to the Priests of his time 2 Cron. 35.6 A religious fast for that the Prophet intends here by Sanctify rightly observed and referred to religious ends is both a testimony of true repentance and a furtherance thereunto for it cames the rebell flesh 1 Cor. 9. ult which else will wantonize and overtop the Spirit Deut. 32.15 And it giveth wings to our prayers which before groveld on the ground as it were Fasting inflameth prayer and prayer sanctifieth fasting sanctify therefore a fast call a solemn assembly Heb. a day of restraint separating your selves as Zech. 8.19 from all fleshly delights amercing and punishing your selues in that sort by an holy revenge as Psal 35.13 and afflicting your soules with voluntary sorrowes for your sins and miseries gather the Elders both those qui canis annis sunt tales who are full of dayes and so of sins and also those that are in place of authority whose offences have sored higher on the wings of Example and Scandal and all the inhabitants of the land For as all are sin-guilty so your unanimity and charity will further the service All should get together in this case and bring their buckets to quench a common fire the more publike and general the humiliation is the more pleasing and prevalent Judg. 20.26 2 Chron. 30.3 13. Ion. 3.5 7 8. into the house of the Lord your God which house was a type of Christ in whom God heareth His and had made many promises to prayers there put up in faith 1 King 8.37 38 39. 2 Chron. 6.28 29. of the Lord your God Yours still by vertue of the covenant be sure to keep faith in heart when we are at the greatest undâ—r And cry unto the Lord with the heart at least as Moses did at the red sea Moses egit vocis silentio ut magis audivetur when yet none heard him but the ear of heaven only and as Hannah did when she uttered no audible voyce and yet poured forth her soul to the Lord with such a strange and unwonted writing of her lips that Eli thought she had been drunk Verse 15 Alas for the day c. 1 Sam. 1.15 Gr. Alas Alas Alas the Vulgar Latine A A A which à Lupide makes much adoe about to little purpose for the day of the Lord that is The day of the greatest evils and miseries then ever hitherto they had suffered if repentance prevent not That they had suffered much already appeareth chap. 2.25 but those were but the bâ—ginnings of their sorrowes if they yet went on in their sins for as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come An Elegant Agnomination there is in the Original together with an allusion to that tremend title of God Shaddai The Jewes probably boasted much and bare themselves over-bold upon their interest in God almighty The Prophet therefore tel's them that Gods greatest power should be little to their profit whiles impenitent for that it should be put forth and exercised for their utter destruction Aben-Ezra interpreteth Shaddai a Conqueror Others a Destroyer which a Conqueror must needs be And hereto this text and that Esa 13.6 do allude when they say Shod shall come from Shaddai Destruction from the Almighty Here also we may learn when we are under affliction to ascend to the first cause thereof Am. 3.6 as David did in that three years famine 2 Sam. 21.1 See â—am 3.38 Verse 16 Is not the meat cut off before your eyes Heb. before your eyes and so it appeareth to be the Prophets speech and not a form prescribed by him to the people by adding the word saying to the end of the fourteenth verse Cry to the Lord saying Alas for the day c. And it is as if the Prophet should say Doe ye not yet see what case you are in Are ye so stupid and so stout or sturdy as not to stoop though starved almost should not Vexation give understanding Are not the fiercest creatures tamed with hard hunger Will not men in such case buy or beg food of their deadly enemies O brawny breasts O horny heart-strings yea joy and gladnesse from the house of our God All Gods services were to be performed with joy but now for want of corn and wine which cheareth God and man Iudg. 9.13 the dayly
your day of grace the things that belong to your peace before the gate be shut the draw-bridg taken up the taper burnt out c. Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 The Apostle after the Prophet Esay purposely beateth upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if he should say Now or never sith thou mayest the very next minute be cut off by the stroke of death from all further time of repentance and acceptation Up therefore and be doing It is the Lord himself that thus saith Turn ye even to me Vsque ad me altogether as far as to me Stultitia sempâ—r in â—pâ—t vivere Sen. give not the half turn onely begin not to repent and then give over the work Some are ever about to repent but they can never finde time and hearts to set seriously about it to do it in good earnest Some wamblings they have as I may say and some short-winded wishes some kinde of willingnesse and velleity but it doth not boyl up to the full height of resolution to return The Prodigall changed many places ere he came home Many came out of Egypt that yet never came into Canaan with all your heart with the heart Jer. 4.14 Prov. 23.26 and with the whole heart in opposition to a divided heart Hos 10.2 a double heart Jam. 4.8 a heart and a heart Psal 12.2 This whole heart is elsewhere called a true heart Heb. 10.22 a perfect heart 2 Chron. 16.10 truth in the inwards Psal 51.6 where there is an unfained faith 1 Tim. 1.5 laborious love 1 Thess 1.3 sound and cordiall repentance as here undissembled wisdome Jam. 3.17 such holinesse as rendreth a man like to a chrystall glasse with a light in the middest of it doing the truth Job 3.21 and having his works full Rev. 3.1 2. being a true worshipper Joh. 4.24 an Israelite indeed Ioh. 1.47 God he knows to be just and jealous he will not endure corrivals or compartners in the kingdome His jurisdiction is without peculiar he will not divide with the Devil Be the gods of the Heathen good-fellows saith One the true God is a jealous God and will not share his glory with another He must be served truely that there be no halting and totally that there be no halving and with fasting weeping and with mourning with deep and down-right humiliation sutable to your sins as Ezr. 9.6 ye have inveterate stains such as will not be gotten out till the cloth be almost rubb'd to pieces Satan hath intrenched himself in your hearts and will not be gotten out but by fasting and prayer Fasting is of it self but a bodily exercise and meriteth nothing for religion consisteth not in meat and drink 〈◊〉 the belly full or empty Rom. 14.17 Col. 2.23 But fasting is a sinâ—ular furtherance to the practise of repentance and the enforcing of our prayers â—ee Ezr. 8.21 As full feeding increaseth corruption Ier. 5.7 8. so religious Aâ—stinence macerateth tameth and subdueth the Rebell Flesh 1 Cor. 9.27 giving it the blew-eye as there and 2 Coâ— 7.11 so that not the body so much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the soul is made more active by emptinesse Fasting dayes are soul-fatting dayes they fit men for conversion as here and make much to the humbling of the spirit hence they are called dayes of humiliation and of self affliction Levit. 16.31 and 23.37 and with weeping Drown your sins in a deluge of tears cleanse your wounds by washing in this precious water quench hell fire with it kill the woâ—m fetch out sins venome there 's a healing property in these troubled waters Tears of vine-branches are said to cure the leprosie and the Olive is reported to be most fruitfull when it most distil eth These April showers bring on May-flowers and make the heart as a watered garden or as some faces appear most oriently beautifull when most bedewed with tears Peter never lookt so sweetly as when he wept bitterly David never sung more pathetically then when his heart was broken most penitentially Psal 6. and 51. when tears in stead of gemmes were the ornament of his bed as Chrysostom speaketh Mary Magdalen that great weeper as she made her eyes a fountain to wash Christs feet in so she had his wounds as a fountain to bath her soul in yea she had afterwards the first sight of the revived Phoenix whom shee held fast by those feet that had lately trod upon the lion and the adder c. and with mourning This is added as a degree beyond the former Men may fast and yet find their pleasures Esay 58.13 weep out of stomack as Esau or complement as Phryne the harlot who was sirnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 weep-laugh because she could easily do either and as among the Brasileans Magirus in Gâ—â—gr Vt flerent oculos erudi resuos Ovid. tears are for a present salutation and as soon gone as if they had said How do ye What is an humbling day without an humbled heart not onely a religious incongruity but an high provocation like Zimri's act when all the Congregation were weeping before the door of the Tabernacle Here therefore the Lord calleth to mourning funerallmourning Nudaque marmoreis percussit pectora palmis Ovid. In gloss margin as the word signifieth with tabring upon the breast Nah. 2.7 smiting on the thigh Jer. 31.19 beating on the head face and other parts sicut mulierculae in puerperio facere solent saith Luther there See Esay 32.11 and 22.12 Sorrow for sin must not be slight and sudden but sad and soaking the heart must be turned into an Hadadrimmon Zech. 12.10 11. where the Prophet seems in a sort to be at a stand for comparisons fit enough and full enough to set forth their sorrow who looking upon Christ whom they had pierced felt the very nails sticking in their own hearts as so many sharp daggers or stings of scorpions The good soul say the School-men seeth more cause of grief for sinning then for the death of Christ because therein was aliquid placens something that pleaseth but sinne is simpliciter displicens simply displeasing So that Gods mourners need not send for mourning women to teach them to mourn as Jer. 19.17 but rather have need to be comforted lest they should be swallowed up with overmuch grief 2 Cor. 2.7 and lest Satan get an advantage against them verse 11. by mixing the detestable darnell of desperation Act. Mon. with the godly sorrow of a pure penitent heart as Mr. Philpot Martyr speaketh Verse 13. And rent your heart and not your garments i. e. not your garments onely Schindler which was gestus perturbationis among the Jews a gesture usuall with them to set forth the greatnesse of their grief and displeasure as 1. At funerals and losse of friends Tumpius Aeneas humerâ—â— abscinaere vestem Auxilioque vocare Deos tendere palmas Virg. Aeneid as Gen. 37.2 In
make beleeve Where is the promise of his comming Let him make speed and hasten his work Esay 5.19 Jer. 17.15 that we may see it Let him increase his army and come down Judg. 9.29 Such jearing and daring spirits there are still abroad But do they provoke the Lord to anger are they stronger then he The great and terrible day of the Lord will come time enough to their cost they need not accelerate it Can they stand to his triall Job 26.14 or abide the thunder of his power to what end is it for you when God shall answer you as he did a far better man out of the whirlewind and say Job 38.2 3. 1 Pet. 4.18 Who is this that darkneth counsel by words without knowledge Gird up now thy loynes like a man c. Where then shall the ungodly and the wicked appeare what hils will they call upon to fall on them when the elements shall fall upon them like scalding lead or burning bell-mettall and yet all this be but the beginning of their sorrowes Now therefore be not ye mockers lest your bands be made strong Esay 28.22 God can easily hamper you if he once take you in hand the day of the Lord is darknesse and not light No interchange of light an evill an onely evill without mixture of mercy Ezech. 7.5 a black and dismal day of one mischief upon another in a continued series Affliction shall not rise up the second time Nah. 1.9 but ye shall totally and finally be destroyed wrath shall come upon you to the utmost 2 Thes 2. This is illustrated in the next verse by an apt Similitude Verse 19. As if a man did sly from a lion c. And so by running from his death should run to it by seeking to shun the shelves should split against a rock Incidit in Scyllam c. Alsted Chronol pag. 480. as Nicodemus Frischline that famous Poet Orator and Philosopher endevouring to escape out of close prison by casting himself out at a window the rope broke and he perished by falling headlong upon a rock So fareth it with those that feare not God Aliud ex alio malum One mischief treadeth on the heeles of another as Iobs messengers The clouds returne after the raine Eccle. 12.2 as in April-weather one showre is unburthened another is brewed and deep calleth upon deep at the noise of the water-spouts Psal 42.7 Evill shall hunt the violent man to destroy him Psal 140.11 your sins shall find out out as a blood-hound Num. 32.23 as it did that Popish Priest in London who having escaped the fall of Black-friers Anno. 1623. where Drury had his braines knockt out of his head together with his sermon and taking water with a purpose to saile into Flanders was cast away together with some others under London-bridge Jac. Revius de vit Pontif. 312. the boat being overturned And as Philip the second King of Spaine who going from the Low-countries into Spaine by sea fell into a storme in which almost all the Fleet was wracked his housholdstuff of very great valve lost and himself hardly escaped Hist of Counc of Trent 417. He said he was delivered by the singular providence of God to root out Lutheranisme which he presently began to do But the hand of God was upon him in an extraordinary manner Caros Scribonde inflit Princ. cap. 20. for beside the invincible Armado here defeated to his great heart-break for his pretended patience was but as the fever called Epialis wherein men are cold without but hot as fire within he fell into that most lothsome lowsy disease called Phthiriasis whereof at length he dyed and a Beare met him A Beare robbed of her whelpes which she licketh into forme and loveth above measure is a very fierce and fell creature To meet her in such a rage is to meet death in the very face and yet that danger may be sooner shifted and shunned then the heavy wrath of God avoyded or averted without true and timely repentance there is no way to run from him but by running penitently to him as in a tempest at Sea it is very dangerous to strike to the shore the safest way is to have sea-room and to keep in the Maine still or went into the house To shelter himself from the Beare as every creature in danger runneth to its harbour Prov. 30.26 Psal 104.18 and leaned his hand on the walles As being breathlesse in running and glad to stay himself on what he can next lay hold on Man like the vine must have somewhat to leane on if it be but a broken reed or bulging wall Psal 62.3 he shifts and sharks in every by-corner for comfort as the Papists stung by the Friers sermons do by pardons and pennances Prov. 23.32 which are but palliate cures for a serpent bites them the guilt of sin abiding biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder Verse 20. Shall not the day of the Lord be darknesse c. q. d. How say ye now when thus beset with mischief on all hands such as ye can neither avoyd nor abide must ye not needes subscribe to the truth of what I said verse 18. and do here againe repeate that you may the better observe it with greater emphasis and earnestnesse you shall not have the least glimmering of comfort ease direction or good counsel To what end then should you desire this dreadfull day of the Lord Are you in hast to be undone Verse 21. I hate I despise your feast-dayes wherewith ye think to stop my mouth and to make me your debter saying as that Romane Emperour when his enemy came against him Non sic Deos coluimus ut ille nos vinceret we have not so served the Gods that they should serve us no better then to give the enemy the better of us The feast-dayes Antonin Philosoph refer Vulcat Gallic in Avidio Cassio Jer. 32.35 and solemne assemblies you so much bind upon are yours and not mine I never commanded them viz as you now use them neither came they ever into my mind So farr am I therefore from accepting your sacrifices as that I hate I despise I will not smell an elegant Asyndeton importing Gods utter distaste of what they did The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind Prov. 21.27 and assuring a sudden vengeance as in that quick and smart passage Go preach baptise He that beleeveth not shall be damned Mark 16.16 Will-worship and out-sidenesse in religion is very odious to the Almighty and stinks worse in his nostrils then any ill vapour from the vilest dunghill doth in ours or as those poisonous smels that ascended up once from the five cities of the plaine and brought down from him a counterpoyson of fire and brimstone Rome also that spirituall Sodom shall be destroyed in like sort with a terrible fire Rev. 17.16 and 18 8 9. for her
abuse them through their injustice to make the poor of the land fail For the oppression of the poor for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord. I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him Psal 12.5 Neither doth God say it onely though that were sufficient but swear it too in this chapter yea in this text the two next following verses are put in as by a parenthesis and these Cormorants are called upon to hear it and not to passe it by with a deaf ear tanquam monstra marina as such kind of creatures use to do Verse 5. Saying when will the New-moon be gone c. O what a wearinesse it is I and ye have snuffed at it Mal. 1.13 See the Note there This ye have said or thought at least and God knoweth the language of your hearts He presseth upon no man neither will he accept of that service that is pressed out of people as verjuice out of a crab All his saints are free-hearted Psal 110.3 all his souldiers volunteeres The sabbath they call Desiderium dierum they welcome the sabbath as that holy man did who went forth to meet and salute it with Veni sponsa mea Come my sweet spouse I have dearely longed for thee They also passe it over with singular delight Esay 58.13 walking into Christs garden of spirituall duties whereof there is so great variety for the good soule to breath it self in and not be sated Cant. 2. and then are taken into Christs wine-cellar 1 Cor. 2. and after an holy manner inebriated with divine consolations such as the cock on the dunghil knowes not such as pass all carnall mens understanding They find no more rellish in holy dayes and duties then they do in the white of an egge or in a dry chip the work they do at such times for fashion-sake or feare of law c. is dead work as the Apostle calleth it they sit in the stocks when they are at prayers and come out of the Church when the tedious sermon runs somewhat beyond the houre as prisoners do out of a jayle c. they cannot tell how to weare out the sabbath which therefore they wish over and constantly violate either by corporall labour or else which is as bad or worse by spirituall idlenesse Full ill would these men addere de profano ad sacrum as the Jewes say we should do Buxtorf Synag Jud. pronouncing those happy that begin the sabbath with those of Tiberias and end it with those of Tsepphore the former began it sooner then others the later continued it longer Full ill would they have liked our King Edgars law Act. Mon. that Sunday should be solemnized from Saturday nine of the clock till Munday morning Full loth would these men be to beg Davids office out of his hand of being a doore-keeper in Gods house that is to be first in and last out And what would they do to keep an everlasting sabbath in heaven that are so troubled and even tired out with so short an attendance on the Lords-day not without a world of wilfull distractions such as spoyle and fly-blow their performances so that they stink in the nostrils of the Almighty and the sabbath Not the sabbath of the seventh yeare called Shemittah Remission Levit. 25. as some would have it meant but the weekly sabbath which the unrighteous Mammonists here cry out of as if on that day the Sun proceeded a flower pace then on others and they greatly grutcht lucellum suum Dei cultui cedere that God should be served to their disadvantage Their fingers therefore itch to be setting out corn and they as dearely desire it as David did once to come and appeare before the Lord. O rus quand◠te aspiciam Horat. As He had his when shall I come by way of wish Psal 42.3 so they had their When shall we fell corn when shall we set forth wheat Surely as Davids soule longed sore to go forth unto Absalom 2 Sam. 13.39 so that he could have found in his heart but for stark shame to have gone himself and fetched him home so was it with these gripple corn-masters these frumenti corrasores veluti corrosores Prov. 11.26 They had a good mind to have been doing on the New-moones and sabbaths Exod. 20.8 34 21. Lev. 23.3 Neh. 10.32 13.15 c. Num. 10.1 2 Sam. 20.5 but that they were flatly forbidden by the law made on purpose for these lawlesse and disobedient 1 Tim. 1.9 these masterless monsters these yokeless Belialists to be to them as chaines and shackles to confine them as Solomons command did Shimei that they may not leape over the pale after profit and pleasure or if they do they may dye for it Esay 66.23 it is prophecyed that in the restitution of the church from one new-moon to another and from one sabbath to another as oft as they come without tire-somenesse all flesh shall come to worship before the Lord they shall call the sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable Esay 58.13 be rapt and ravished in spirit Rev. 1.10 be in the feare of the Lord and in the comfort of the holy Ghost all the day long Epist 3. ad Magnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Ignatius hath it Sabbatize spiritually rejoycing in divine meditations This well practised would take men off from the worlds tastelesse fooleries as his mouth will not water after homely provisions that hath lately tasted of delicate sustenance It would also blessedly free them from those many foolish and hurtfull lusts 1 Tim. 6.9 those heavy sorrowes and self-created miseries wherewith covetous caytiffes pierce them selves thorough gall and gore-their own hearts and trouble their own houses verse 10. taking no more rest then if upon a rack or bed of thornes making the Ephah small and the shekel great Selling by small measures but for great rates which was directly against the law Deut. 25.13 14. and that golden Rule of right the standard of equity the royall law of liberty Mat. 7.12 Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets this is the sum of what they have said for duties of the second table and falsifying the balances by deceit Heb. preverting the ballances of deceit that is by a metonymie as Job 22.6 making those that were right deceitfull See Prov. 20.10 23. with the Notes there Such falsifiers are counted no better then Canaanites Hos 12.7 and shall have small joy of their cursed hoards of evill gotten goods Verse 6. That we may buy the poore for silver c. Thus the poore alwayes pay for it the modest and mild poore especially as ver 4. Hence Poore and afflicted are put for one and the same Zeph. 3.12 and to want and to be abased Philip. 4.12 they that want shall be sure to be abased and abused
for his great goodnesse We are so joyfull that I wish you part of my joy c. The posy of the city of Geneva stamped round about their mony was formerly out of Iob Ibid. Post tenebras spero lucem After darknesse I look for light But the Reformation once settled amongst them they changed it into Post tenebras lux Light after darknesse Scultet Aunal Like as the Saxon Princes before they became Christians gave for their armes a black horse Cranz in Saxon. but being once baptized a white Verse 9. I will beare the Indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him The Church had sinned and God was angry with her So Zech. 1.12 Esay 57.17 What meane then the Antinomians to tell us that God is never angry with his people for their foule and flagitious practises no not with a fatherly anger nor chastiseth them for the same no not so much as with a fatherly chastizement Virg. Aeneid Is not this contra Solem mingere Godlinesse is on target against affliction Blind Nature saw this nec te tua plurima Pentheu Labentem texit pietas Onely it helpes to patient the heart under affliction by considering 1. That it is the Lord. 2. That a man suffers for his sin as the penitent theef also confessed Luk. 24.41.3 That the rod of the wicked shall not lie long upon the lot of the righteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Say we then every one with David I know that thy judgements are right and thou hast afflicted me justly Psal 119.75 yea in very faithfulnesse hast thou done it that thou mightest be true to my soule And with that Noble Du-plessy who when he had lost his onely son a gentleman of great hopes which was the breaking of his mothers heart quieted himself with these words of David I was silent and said no word because thou Lord diddest it Psal 39. See my Love-tokens pag. 145.146 c. It shall be our wisdome in affliction to look to God and to reflect upon our sins taking his part against our selves as a Physician observes which way nature workes and helpes it until he plead my cause As a faithfull Patron and powerfull Avenger for though it be just in God that I suffer yet it is unjust in mine enemies who shall shortly be soundly paid for their insolencies and cruelties he will bring me forth to the light He will discloud these gloomy dayes and in his light I shall see light I shall behold his righteousnesse that is his faithfulnesse in fulfilling his Promise of deliverance in due time Meane-while I will live upon reversions live by faith and think to make a good living of it too All the wayes of God to his people are mercy and truth Psa 25.10 this is a soul-satisfying place of scripture indeed All the passages of his providence to them are not onely mercy but truth and righteousnesse they come to them in a way of a promise and by vertue of the Covenant wherein God hath made himself a voluntary debter to them 1 Joh. 1.9 Verse 10. Then she that is mine enemy shall see it c. Not onely shall I behold his righteousnesse as before but mine enemy shall see it and feel it too to her small comfort They shall see it when 't is too late to remedy it as they say the Mole never opens her eyes till pangs of death are upon her And shame shall cover her when she shall see that thou hast shewed me a token for good that thou hast holpen me and comforted me Psal 86.17 which said unto me Where is the Lord thy God So laying her religion in her dish whereby God became interested in her cause and concerned in point of honor to appear for her The Church is no lesse beholden to her enemies insolencies for help then to her own devotions for God will right himself and her together See Joel 2.17 with the Note Mine eyes shall behold her and feed upon her misery not as mine enemy but as Gods nor out of private revenge but out of zeal for his glory Now shall she be trodden down as the myre of the streets Erit infra omnes infimos she shall be as mean as may be Nineveh that great city is now a little town of small trade Babylon is nothing else but a sepulture of her self Those four Monarchies that so heavily oppressed the Church are now laid in the dust and live by fame onely so shall the Romish Hierarchie and Turkish Empire All Christs enemies shall shortly be in that place that is fittest for them sc under his feet as was before noted he will dung his Church with the carcasses of all those wilde boars and buls of Bashan that have trod it down Verse 11. In the day that thy walls are to be built In the type by Nehemiah chap. 3. who did the work with all his might and having a ready heart made riddance and good dispatch of it Mar. 16.15 In the truth and spiritually when the Gospel was to be preached to every creature and a Church collected of Jews and Gentiles The Church is in the Canticles said to be a garden enclosed such as hath a wall about it and a well within it Cant. 4.12 See the Note there God will be favourable in his good pleasure unto Zion Psal 51.18 and build the walls of Jerusalem His spirit also will set up a standard in his Saints against strong corruptions and temptations and make them more then conquerours even Triumphers Esay 59.19 Rom. 8.37 2 Cor. 2.14 In that day shall the decree be farre removed That decree of the Babylonians forbidding the building of the Temple and City shall be reversed and those statutes that were not good given them by Gods permission because they had despised his statutes Ezek. 20.24 25. shall be annulled and removed farre away Some read it In that day shall the decree go farre abroad and interpret it by Psal 2.7 8. of the doctrine of the Gospel Verse 12. In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria To thee Ierusalem in the Type shall recourse be had from all parts as if thou wert the chief city of the world Pliny saith that in his time she was the most famous of all the cities of the East and Titus himself is said to have wept at the last destruction of it by his souldiers whom he could not restrain from firing the Temple To the new Jerusalem the Church of the New Testament in the Antitype from whence the Gospel was sent out to every creature which is under heaven Col. 1.23 and whereunto people of all sorts flowed and many nations came Mic. 4.1 2. with highest acclamations most vigorous affections and utmost indeavours bestowing themselves upon the Lord Christ Act. 2.9 c. Jerusalem in the Hebrew tongue is of the duall number in regard of the two parts of the city the upper and the nether town Or
because they did not but stood stouting it out with God which was their manner from their youth therefore were the Syrians before and the Philistines behind to devoure Israel with open mouth and for all this his anger was not turned away but his hand was stretched out still Isay 9.12 13. Besides the hinderance and hurt they did to others by standing out For ifye turn again to the Lord your brethren shall find compassion said Hezekiah to his people moving them to repent 2 Chr. 30.9 And should not we lend them this friendly help and I will turn to you saith the Lord of Hosts And should not such a favour from such a Lord melt them and make them malleable Rom. 2.4 Ioel 2. If. 55.7 Mat. 3.3 Psal 130.4 Iam. 4.4 Lukâ— 15. Should not the goodnesse of God lead them to repentance Should they not rent their hearts because God is gracious return unto him because he will multiply pardon repent because his kingdome is now at hand feare him the rather because with him there is mercy draw nigh to him who thus drawes nigh to them make hast home with the prodigall where there is bread enough Surely nothing worketh so much as kindnesse upon those that are ingenuous Those Israelites at Mizpeh drew water and powred it forth before the Lord upon the return of the Ark. There is no mention of their lamenting after the Lord while he was gone 1 Sam. 7. but when he was returned and settled in Kiriath-jearim 1 Sam 7.6 2 Cor. 5.14 Tit. 2.14 David argues from mercy to duty Psal 116.8 9. Ezra from deliverance to obedience chap. 9.13 14 The love of Christ constraineth us saith Paul his grace that bringeth salvation teacheth us to denyungodlinesse and to live up to our principles Rom. 12.1 I beseech youby ' the mercies of God saith the same Apostle as not having any more prevailing more heart-attaching attracting argument in the world to presse them with I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with mercy have I drawn thee Ier. 31.3 And againe I drew them with the cords of a man with bands of love Hos 11.4 that is with reasons and motives of mercy befitting the nature of a man with rationall motives to neglect mercy is to sin against humanity not to convert by kindnesse is to receive the grace of God in vaine nay it is to heape up wrath against the day of wrath A son feeling his fathers love creepes nearer under his wing A Saul sensible of Davids curtesy in sparing him when he might have spilt his blood was strangely moâ—â—ified and melted into teares Shall God offer to turn to us and we refuse to turn to him Shall he beseech us to be reconciled and we go on in our animosities and hostilities Doth he offer to powre out his spirit even upon scorners and to make known his words unto them and all this that they may turn at his reproof Prov. 1.23 And shall they yet turn their backs upon such blessed and bleeding embracements Had God given us but one Prophet and forty dayes time only to turn unto him as he dealt by Niniveh that great city surely we should have repented long agone in sackcloth and ashes But how justly alasse may he complaine of us as he did once of Jezabel Rev. 2.21 I gave them space to repent but they repented not I have striven with them by my spirit and wooed them by my word I have heaped upon them mercies without measure and all to bring them back into mine own bosom I have also smitten them with blasting and mildew with judgements publike and personall and yet they have not turned unto me saith the Lord Am. 4.9 Ah sinfull nation c. If any ask What can we do toward the turning of our selves to God I answer First you must be sensible of your own utter inability to do any thing at all toward it Ier. 10.23 Btza Iob 15.5 Philip. 2.12 Non minus difficile est nobis velle credere quam cadaveri volare It is no lesse hard for us to be willing to beleeve then for a dead carcase to fly upwards Secondly know that yet it is possible feisable by the use of these meanes that God hath appointed who also hath promised to make it both possible and easie to us He bad Moses fetch his people out of Egypt but himself effected it He bad the Israelites go and blow down the walls of Jericho they obeyed him and it was done So here Thirdly as our liberty in externall acts is still some as to come to the publike ordinances to set our selves under the droppings of a powerfull ministery and there to lie as he did at the pool of Bethesda waiting the good houre so must our indeavours be answerable The Bereans brought their bodyes to the Assembly took the heads of St. Pauls sermon compared them with the scriptures Act. 17.11 12. and yet they were unconverted Fourthly make much of the least beginnings of Grace even those they call Repressing since they prepare the heart for conversion See Luk. 11.32 Fiftly Pray Turn us O God and we shall be turned Draw us and we shall run after thee And here remember to be earnest Ask seek knock as the importunate neighbour that came to borrow two loaves or as the widdow that came for justice Luke 18.1 and would not away without it He that heareth the young ravens that cry onely by implication will he be wanting to his weake but willing servants Lastly wait for the first act of conversion the infusion of the sap of Grace which is wholy from God our will prevents it not but followes it and whensoever the spirit imbreatheth you turn about like the mill when God hath tuned and doth touch you do you move and make melody resigning up your selves wholy to him and putting your selves out God into possession Thus if you turn to him he will turn to you The Lord is with you whiles ye be with him If ye seek him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you 2 Chron. 15.2 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh in this text with so much affection and earnestnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 12.25 see that ye slight him not that ye shift him not ofâ— as the word signifieth for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that thus speaketh from heaven sc by his blood Word Sacraments Mercyes motions of his spirit crosses c. When Physick that should remove the disease doth cooperate with it then death comes with the more paine and speed The stronger the conviction of sin is the deeper will be the wrath against it if it be not by repentance avoyded No surfet more dangerous then that of bread no judgment more terrible then that which growes out of mercy offered and despised Verse 4. Be ye
and for his heritage Isracl whom they have scattered and parted their land Ioel. 3.2 Further they say that mount Olivet shall then be shaken with a very great earthquake so that it shall cleave in the middest and leave a very great valley it shall enlarge the valley of Iehosaphat that it may be able to receive those that are there to be judged by Christ Thus Lessius Sa à Costa à Lapide who also citeth for his purpose Clemens Romanus lib. 7. Constit Ap. cap. 33. speaking thus Mons ipse Oliveti gloriae venientis cedet in quaetuor partes dissectus longissimè diffugiel ut tribunali judicis theatrum totius orbis assistat i. e. Mount Olivet shall give place to the glory of Christ when he commeth and being clest into foure parts it shall flie far afonder to the end that the theatre of the whole world may stand before the tribunall of the Judge Thus He. and surely the following verses 6 7 8 c. seem to favour this interpretation and to have relation to the last Day But in Prophesies not yet fulfilled as this may be one it is better and more sure to expect and stay for the explication by the event then to give it without any certain ground Verse 5. And ye shall slee to the valley of the mount ains Or ye shall flee the valley of the mountains sc of mount Olivet made by God verse 4. by whom the Romanes were set awork to garrison Mount Olivet against the Jews and Joseph lib. 6. cap 13. by digging down a great part of it to fill up the brook Cedron or the town-ditch and to bring a wall wherewith they compassed about the whole city thorow the middest of this mount whereby the city was greatly pressed and much annoyed This Mountain ye shall flee as many of you as are Azal that is separated confer Exod. 24.11 Esay 4â— 4 and repair to Pella a place of rest provided for you Not without some perturbation of spirit though causelesse as in common calamities it falleth out and the like shall befall the very Elect also at the last day till they have recollected themselves till they remember that now their redemption draweth nigh And ye shall flec sc with utmost hast and fright j death being that terrible of terribles as the Philosopher calleth it Natures slaughterman Hells Purveyour c. like as ye fled from before the earthquake which might be as sad and as suddain as that at Pleures in Rhetia Anno 1618. Aug. 25. Alst Chronol the whole town was overcovered with with a mountaine which with its most swift motion oppressed 1500. people in the dayes of Vzzaah king of Juda Whether this earthquake fell out just at that instant time when Vzzaah offered incense and was therefore smitten with leprosie as the lewish Doctors affirm i have not to say But of the horror of it besides Am. 1.1 Joscphus relateth that a mountain towards the West cleft in sunder and removed from its proper place the space of four furlongs or half a mile and farther it had proceeded had not a great mountain towards the East stayed its course Camden reporteth the like hereunto to have fallen out in Heresord hire Anno 1571. Cal. Martij 12. about six of the clock in the evening a great hill lifted up it selfe with a huge noise and ascending into an higer place carryed along with it trees Camd. Britan. flocks of cattle sheep-coates walked about from Saturday night till Monday noon overturned a certain Chappell that stood in its way c. This kind of earthquake Philosophers call Brasmatia and the Lord my God shall come q. d. Let scoffers doubt and deride saying where is the promise of his coming My God will effect with his hand what he hath spoken with his mouth he will he will Habac. 2.3 There is an Emphasis in the word My q.d. The God whose I am yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wholly his as Aristotle saith of a servant and another in the following Apostrophe and all the saints with thee The Prophet in an holy indignation at his hearers obstinacy and untractablenesse turns him thus to God like as doth old Jacob Gen. 49.18 and our blessed Saviour tyred out with the peoples perversenesse Mat. 11.25 26. See the Note on both places Verse 6. And it shall come to passe in that day that is saith Diod uc after the destruction of Antichrist shall the son of God come in who shall bring the Church into its glory where without any vicissitude or variation of day and night of calamity and prosperity of knowledge and ignorance it shall enjoy eternall light by the sight of God Isai 16.19 20. Rev. 21.23 and 22.5 Thus he Betwixt this fall of Antichrist and the Consummation of all some place the full and finall restauration of the Iews and make this a description of that glorious Church they shall then erect There shall be no darknesse but perpetuall light It shall not be saith our Prophet here sometime clear sometimes mistie variable and uncertain weather now fair now foule but one day not of day and night for in the evening when night is wont to come it shall be light as if he should say it shall be alwaies day and no night 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a nightlesse day a morning without cloudes a clear shining after raine as David in another case 2 Sam. 22.4 Heresâ—ath dâ— re rust and asâ—vith the Hyperborians the whole halfe year is said to be but one continuate day so that they sowe and reape in a day Verse 7. Which shall be known to the Lord And that should suffice us without further curious enquiries Calvin de re nobis toti mundo abscondita concerning the set times and the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power Act. 1.7 The Muscovites use to say in a darke point in a difficult question God and our great Duke know all this Heyl. Geor And in other talk all we enjoy health and life all from our great Duke therefore let us leave all to him hould not we much more to God Time hath already confuted those learned men who from Dan. 12.11 pitched their calculation for the Jewes restauration upon the year 1650. Those that shall live a few years longer shall see what will become of their confidence who have undertaken to prove out of Daniel and the Revelation Clavis Apocalypt p. 134.136 that the Prophetical numbers come to an end with the year of our Lord 1655. because then the seventh Trumpet shall sound and then the six thousand years from the Creation of the world do expire as they compute Verse 8. Living waters shall go out from Jerusalem i.e. Abundance of spirituall graces frequently in scripture compared to waters for their cooling cleansing quicke ning property Isai 44.3 Ezek 36.25 and 47.1 John 7.38 .. And of these waters without all doubt our baptism ordeined of
God is a figure and sacrament Living waters they are called that is running as a Spring not standing as a poole The godly esteeme of life by that stirring they find in their souls Isa 38.15 16. In all these things is the life of my spirit else they lament as over a dead soule O live D. Hâ—rris live saith a Reverend man live quickly live much live long Many live more in a day then others in a year for life consisteth in action and so much every man liveth as he acteth graciously Up therefore and be doing something of worth whereof ye may testifie that ye have lived And for this get a principle of life the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus and then if ye live in the Spirit yâ—â—hall also walk in the spirit Gal. 5.25 and not fulfill the lusts of the siesh verse 16. The waters of the sea though by their natural course they follow the center yet by obedience to the Moon they are subject to her motion and so turn and return ebbe and flow and are kept in continual motion to keep them from corruption so those that are spiritual though naturally they are carried downward and the best that of themselves they can do is but dead work Yet so farre as they are spiritualized heavenlized they are acting for God and all their deeds are wrought in him John 3.21 It is their great care to weare out not rust out to burn out not to be blown out yea to flame out not to smother out to serve out their generation as David did not to idle it out to live their utmost and not as Job 27.15 with 23. to be buried before half dead in summer and winter shall it be such is the perennity and perpetuity of true grace it ever flowes more perennis aquae As it is not like the River Araris of which Cesar saith Câ—s de bel Gal. l. 1. that it cannot with eyes be discerned whether it flow forward or backward so slow and still is its motion so neither is it like the brook Cherith that dryed up before the Prophet 1 Kin. 17.7 because there had been no raine in the Land or like the River Novanus in Lombardy which saith Plinie at every Midsomer solstice swelleth and runneth over the banks but at mid-winter is clean dry But as the waters of the Sanctuary Lib. 2. cap. 130 Ezek. 47.4 c. And as the poople of Siloe which served all Jerusalem and was for every use to the citizens or Hezakiah's watercourses 2 Kin. 20.20 Neh. 3.15 16. whereunto some think that the Prophet here alludeth He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living waters But this he spake saith the Evangelist of the spâ—rit which they that believe on him should receive John 7.38 39. Verse 9. And the Lord shall be King over all the carth At the sounding of the seventh Angel the Kingdoms of this world shall become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reigne for ever and ever Rev. 11.15 17. Cosmographers tell us that if we divide all the known world into thirty parts the Heathens part is as nineteen of this thirty the Mahometans as six the Christians as five only And of those that professe the name of Christ three parts at least of those five are possest by Idolatrous Papists who say they believe in one only true God but indeed set up many He-saints and She-saints whom they adore with divine worship and therein are no better then Pagans Hence they are called Gentiles Rev. 11.2 and are said to worship Divels Râ—v 9.20 with 1 Cor. 10.20 Cardinal Bombus saith of their Saint Franciâ— that he was in numcrum Deorum abâ— Ecclesia Rom. relatus At Ruremund in Gelderland a play was acted by the Jesuites In Hist. Ven. Anno Dom. 1622. under the title of the Apotheosis of St. Ignatius the founder of that Order In the year 610. Boniface the fourth ordained the feast of All-saints after that he had obtained of the Emperour the Idol-temple at Rome called the Pantheon Jac. Ren. de vit Pont. 309. wherein he placed the Virgin Mary in the roome of Cybcle the Mother of the Heathen Gods Now the time is yet to come and oh that it were come that all false worship laid aside and abandoned the fulnesse of the Gentiles shall be brought in and from the Jews as some gather from this Text compared with others shall the Gospel go out to all Nations of the world Isay 2.3 who with one consent shall submit themselves to Christ Ashur and Egypt all those large and vast Countries the whole tract of the East and of the South shall embrace the faith of Christ and be converted Isa 19.23 24 25. and 27.12 13. Mich. 7.11 12. Psal 68 31. and 72.9 10 11. Rev. 21.14 O dieculam illam Neither need we think it incredible God can hisse for them and fetch them in ' suddenly he can cause a Nation to conceive and bring forth in one day Esay 66.8 9. A Text that Cardinall Poole in a letter to Pope Julius the third abused by applying it to the bringing in of Popery again so universally and suddainly in Queen Maries dayes shall there be one Lord Be the Gods of the Heathen good-fellows saith One the true God is a jealous God and will not share his glory with another Be it that to Pagans and Papagans there are Gods many and Lords many to us there is but one God and but one Mediatour betwixt God and man the man Christ Jesus As for all others say we of them as that Heathen once did Comemno minutos istos Deos modò Jovem propitium habeam I care not for those petty-deities so long as Jehovah favoureth me Heare O Israel saith Moses Deut. 6.4 Jehovah thy God Jehovah is one The Hebrew word there used for One hath Daleth the last letter which also stands in number for â—our extraordinary great in the Originall to signifie say the Jew-Doctors that this one God shall be worshipped in the foure corners of the earth and his Name one that is One way of worship all Superstitions being abolished see Mich. 4.5 Or his Name that is his glory as Psal 8.1 his transcendent excellency shall be supereminent He shall have a name above all names that at the name of Jesus every knee may bow Thus the word Name is used both in Divine and Humane Authors Gen. 6.14 Men of Name that is of Renown so Numb 1.16 and 16.2 Acts 1.15 the number of Names that is of the chiestaines that were fit to act in the Election Contrary whereunto is men without name Job 30.8 men written in the earth Jer. 17.30 shrouded in the sheet of shame ingloria vita recedit and whose happinesse it is to be forgotten in the City Eccles 8.10 So the Poets call Eminent and famous men Nomina as Ovid doth Augustus Vive
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Deliverer It was the thankfull acknowledgement of Generall Captaines and souldiers at Edge-hill-fight that the Lord was seen in the Mount Never lesse of man in such a businesse never more of God But what shall it prosit a man to conquer countries 2 Tim. 2.26 and yet be vanquished of vices to tread upon his enemies and yet be taken captive by the devill at his pleasure to command the whole world as those Persian kings and yet were commanded by their concubines so by their base lusts by yeelding whereunto they give place unto the very devill and receive him into their very bosomes Eph. 4.26 who therehence leads them away naked and barefoot as the Assyrian did the Egyptians Isa 29.2 How much better Valentinian the Emperour who said upon his deathbed that among all his victories over his enemies this one only comforted him viz. that by the grace and power of Christ Jesus he had got the better of his corruptions and was now more then a Couquerour even a Triumpher for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet Even the ashes of that stubble burnt in Christs oven Verse 1. This shewes their utter and ignominious destruction And the like is foretold of mysticall Babylon Rev. 18. Tota eris in cineres quasi nunquam Roma fuisses sang Sibylla of old Fiat Fiat Our corruptions also shall one day be incinerated they are already buried Rom. 6.4 Col. 2.12 the fiery spirit of Christ will do with the body of sin as the King of Moab did with the King of Edom Am. 2.1 burn its bones into lime In the day that I shall do this sc partly here but perfectly at the last day Mean while sinne may rebel in Gods people but it cannot raigne Satan may nibble at their heele but he cannot come at their head the world may kill them but cannot hurt them Re of good chear saith Christ I have overcome the world Joh. 16.33 All evils and enemies shall cooperate for their good Rom. 8.28 saith the Lord of Hosts Who hath also said Heaven and earth shall passe but not one jot or tittle of my word c. Verse 4. Remember ye the law of Moses viz. Now henceforth in the fail of Prophecy for Malachy knew that after him untill the dayes of John Baptist no Prophet should arise Hence this exhortation to read and remember the Law as leading them to Christ the Law I say in all the parts of it not excluding the Prophets those Interpreters of the Law and most excellent Commentaries thereupon with like reverence to be read and received The Jews at this day read in their Synagogues two lessons One out of the Law by some chief person another out of the Prophets correspondent to the former in argument but is read by some boy or mean companion for they will in no sort do that honour neither attribute they that authority to any part of the Bible that they do to their Law But this their way is their folly Psal 49.13 yet their posterity opprove their sayings as the Psalmist speaketh in another case Two things offer themselves to our observation from these first words First the little coherence that this verse hath with the former the Prophet chusing rather to fall abruptly upon this most needfull but too too much neglected duty of remembring the Law then not at all to mention it See the like Rom. 16.17 where the Apostle breaks off his salutations to warne them of their danger by seducers and that done returns thereto again Secondly In the Hebrew word rendred Remember Buxtorf in Comment Mafor c. 14. there is in many Bibles a great Zain to shew as some think the necessity and excellency of this duty of remembring the law of Moses It is well enough known that since the fall mans soul is like a filthy pond wherein fish die soon and frogs live long profane matters are remembred pious passages forgotten Our memories are like sieves or nets that retain chaffe and palterment let go the good grain or clear water Gods word â—uns thorough us as water runs thorough a riven vessell And as hour-glasses which no sooner turned up and filled but are presently running out again to the last sand so is it here And yet the promise of salvation is limitted to the condition of keeping in memory what we have read or heard 1 Cor. 15.2 And Davids character of a blessed man is that he meditateth in the Law day and night Psal 1.2 Hoc primum reâ—etens opus Nor. ep 6. hoc postremus omittens Bishop Babington had a little Book containing three leaves onely which he turned over night and morning The first leaf was black to inminde him of hell and Gods judgements due to him for sinne The second rod to minde him of Christ and his passion The third white to set forth Gods mercy to him through the merits of his Son in his Justification and sanctification The Law of the Lord as it is perfect in it self so it is right for all holy purposes Psal 19. â— 8 It serves to discover sinne Rom. 3.20 and 7.9 shews the punishment due to sinne Gal. 3.10 scourgeth men to Christ Gal. 3.24 And is a perfect rule of obedience it being so penned that every man maythink it speaks de se in re sâ—a as â—thanesivs saith of the book of Psalms and must therefore be of all acknowledged to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods own invention Demost Moses was but the Pen-man onely though it be here called his Law because God gave him the Morall Law written with his own hand Deut. 10.2 adding it to the promise made to Abraham that thereby guilt being discovered c. men might acknowledge the riches of free-grace and mercy and that they might walk as Luther hath it in the heaven of the promise Gal. 3.19 but in the earth of the law that in respect of beleeving this of obeying that they might live as though there were no Gospel die as though there were no Law passe the time of this life in the wildernesse of this world under the conduct of Moses but let none but Joshuah Jesus bring them over to Canaan the promised land This the generality of the Jews could not skill of though the Morall-law drove them to the Ceremoniall which was then Christ in figure as it doth now drive us to Christ in truth they would needs have Moses for a Saviour and being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse wilfully ignorant they go about to establish their own Rom. 10.3 and so lose all They jear at an imputed righteousnesse and say That every fox must pay his own skin to the fleare They blaspheme Jesus Christ and curse him in a close abbreviature of his name and call those among them that convert to Christianity Mtshumadim that is lost or undone Buxtorf syn Jud. cap. 5. Schicard de jure reg Jiebr Moses Law they extoll without meature It
darknesse but reproove them rather s Eph. 5 11. with a number more that I might add with ease That one of Solomon for all My son saith he if sinners entive thee consent thou not If yet they say Come with us let us lay wait for blood c. Cast in thy lot amongst us let us all have one parse My son walk not thou in the way with them resrain thy foot from their path t Pro. 1 10 11 14 15. For their way in the issue of it is the way to hell going down to the chambers of death u Prov. 7.27 Even that second death as the scripture tearms it which though hand joyu in hand w Prov. 16.5 and they muster up and unite their forces as hoping haply to scape in the croud or to carry it away cleanly because a multitude yet they shall never be able to avoid or abide For the wicked be they never so many of them shall be turn'd into hell and whole nations that forget God x Psal 9.17 This the Patriarch Noah that I may shew you secondly the practise of the point in some particular examples of ancient and later times this I say Noah beleeved ere he saw and therefore lived to see what he had afore beleeved not whole Nations only but a world-full of wicked people swallowed up together in one universall grave of waters their spirits being now in prison 〈◊〉 in everlasting chaines under darknesse unto the judgement of the great day y 1 Pet. 3.19 The foresight whereof by a lively faith being warâ—â—â— of God of things not seen as yet z Heb. 11.7 made him walk uprightly with God evea in his geaeration a Gen. 6.9 Now for him to walk alone in a divers way to a worid of wicked people as Chrysoscome hath it b Solus ipse diversâ â—mbulavit viâ virtutem malitiae praeferens c. Chrysost Hom. 22. in cap. 6. Genef to keep himself unspotted in such a foul season as anotherspeakes of him c inter corruprissimos minere incorruptnÌ„ Pare in Gen 6 nay like a right orient and illustrious planet not only to hold out a constant counter-motion to that of the vulgar but also to shine so fair with a singularity of heavenly light spirituall goodnesse and Gods sincere service in that daâ—kâ—st midnight of damned impiety this was that whereby he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousnesse which is by faith e Heb. 11.7 The next in the Apostles roul there remembred and registred is Abraham that precious man pall'd as a brand out of Vr of the Chaldees from whence he went forth forsaking father f Iosh 24.2 house and friends who served other Gods beyond the slood not knowing whither he went saith the text g Hâ—b 11.8 nor much daring so long as he had God by the hand For whom also his first care was where ever he came setting up Altars to Jehovah h Gen. 12.6 7 8. 13.4 18. in the mid'st of those Idolaters and making open profession of his service before the people or the land which was a reall confutation of their heathenish fopperies Thus Aoraham then and thus after him Johua by his example which he therefore useth and urgeth in that parliament he called and held at Shechem a little afore his death I took your father Abraham saith he there in Gods behalf from the other side of the flood c. i Josh 24.2 whose children ye shall shall well approve your selves if ye walke in the sheps of his fâ—ith k Rom. 1.12 by putting away the â—trange gods from among you as he and serving the Lord l Josh 24.14 In which holy practue however you come off choose you this day whom you will serve though in evils of sin there be no choise whether the gods of your sathers leyond the slood Malorum non est electio Aâ—â—â—t or tke gods of the Amornes in whose land ye dwell but as for me and my house we will serve Jehoveh The time would fail me to tell of Job who would not part with his Integrity to die for it m Job 27.5 6 though instigated thereunto by the wife of his bosome n Job 2 9 Chrysostom set on doubtlesse by the Devil who of all the parts of his body had leâ—t his conâ—ue onely free from blisters if haply he might be drawn to curse God therewith and die To tell you next of David who therefore loâ—ed Gods statutes exceed ngly because min had made void his Lâ—w o â—sal 119.126 127. and Psal 39 2 resolving first uqon filence among wicâ—ed company could not hold his spirit so burnt c. p 1 King 19.10 Rom. 11.3 Of Elias who though alone and singular continued therefore zealsus for the Lord of Hosls because they had argg'd down has Aâ—â—s c. Of Micaâ—ah who would not flatter the King though 400. false prophets had done it afore him q 1 King 22 Of Obadith that fea ca God 〈◊〉 in a common defection r 1 King 8.12 c. Look to the New Testament and there you have our Saviour eaten up with the zeal of his Fâ—â—â—ers house when by all sorts polluted s Joh. 2.17 his Apostles soon after his departure resolving to obey God even comora goutes against whatsoever opposition and not to swim down the stream of the times for any menaces of the Council t Act. 4. Pâ—â—ul that heavenly spark burning in spirit against a Church full of unbeleeving Jewes at Corinth u Act. 18.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intus apud se aestuabat prae zeli ardore and openly contesting with the Gentiles at Athens about their senselesse superstition w Act. 17. So he gave thanks afore meat in the midst of Infidels Act. 27.25 What should I stand longer to tell you of Timothy so abstemious and temperate among the luxurious Ephesians x A people so dehauched that they made a law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let there bee never an honest man amougst us And it is storied that they therefore cast our one Hermodorus as by an ostracisme because he was a good busband and a temperate man that Saint Paul was fain to prescribe him a â—â—le wine for hish alihs 〈◊〉 y 1 Tim. 5.23 Of Antipas who held forth the word of life even to the death where Savans â—hâ—one was z Rev. 2.13 Of Neâ—o's family to whom Saint Paul sends salutations a Philip. 4 22. Of Polyâ—â—â— that blessed Martyr of sâ—â—us Christ who being sollicited by the Tyrant to do sacrifice to the â—doll and so to provide for his own safety as diverse others had done before him Fourâ—core and â—dde yzers sud he have I served my Master Christ and â—e never deceived me an shill I now desem him God forbid me any such wickednesse I scorn to be delivered upon any such dishonourable termes b
for a just description of a godly Christian that he truely feares the Lord. First you shall finde Gods true service and his holy fear go coupled and handfasted in sundry scriptures Some few for a tast Now therefore fear the Lord saith Joshua in his last farewell to the world and serve him in sincerty and truth m Iosh 24.14 intimating that there is no sincere service done to God where his fear is not found So the Psalmist Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce before him with reverence n Psal 2.11 Fear then must be one thing in Gods works and reverence another whatsoever be the third Indeed it is the first second and third in Gods true service * As Demosthenes once said of Elocution in an Oratour Hence the Apostle Let us have grace saith he whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear o Heb. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae parit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As who should say A fearlesse heart is certainly a gracelesse heart neither let such a man think that he shall ever receive any wages at Gods hand for such unacceptable work sith displeasing â—â—rvice is a double dishonour But secondly as Gods true fear and service are in some places of scripture conjoyned so in other some they are confounded and indifferently taken the one for the other as tearmes convertible See for this Deut. 6.13 compared with Mat. 4.10 and again Mat. 15.9 with Esay 29.13 whereupon Solomon the wise makes this fear of God the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end the first and last in Gods businesse The basis and beginning of all he sets it for in the beginning of his Proverbs p Prov. 1 7. the end and upshot of all he concludes it in the close of his Ecclesiastes Let us hear the end of all saith he Feare God and q Eccl. 12.15 Hoc est enim totus homo Ergo si hoc est omnis homo absque hoc nihil est homo Bern. super Cant ser 20. keep his commandements for this is the whole man r Act. 13.16 as Broughton after the vulgar reads that text Lastly to perswade this the scripture usually describes a godly person by this property sets him out by this periphrasis not only here in the text but a few verses below chap. 4.2 But unto you that fear my name set in opposition to the proud and wicked ver 1. as these here to those stout rebels ver 13.14 15. shall the Sun of righteousnesse arise c. So elsewhere up and down Gods booke Men of Israel saith the Apostle and ye that fear God give audience r Act. 13.16 A close connexion you see for All that are Israelites indeed Jews inwardly Å¿ Rom. 2 29. do fear God according to that of Solomon He that walketh in his uprightnesse feareth the Lord t Prov 14.2 Whence it is pinn'd as a badge upon the sleeve of every faithfull Christian as of Iob for instance in the old Testament u Iob 1.2 Act. 10.2 and Cornelius in the New that they fâ—ared God and eschewed evill u for by the fear of the Lord men depart from evill Pro. 16.6 The scripture then is expresse for us you see that every servant of the Lord feares the Lord Neither need we want Reasons for it whether we look upon this holy fear in its 1. Causes 2. Consequents 3. companions 4. contâ—aries the opposites I mean in either extreames SECT II. The Doctr. further confirmed by Arguments drawne from the 1. Causes 2. Consequences 3. Companions 4. Contraries to the true fear of God FOr the causes first Reas 1 the principall efficient cause and authour of this reverentiall fear is God in Christ by the hand and operation of the Holy Ghost whose sole work it is to spiritualize that natural affection of Fear common to all mankinde and by putting it into a right frame turning it into a new channel that it may thence forward run forth-right upon God to make it the fear of sons the fear of Gods elect partakers of the heavenly calling w Hob 3.1 that Covenant of grace one special claus whereof is this I will put my fear into their hearts 't is a fruit then of Gods own setting and taken off the tree of life for they shal never depart from me but I will rejoyce over them to do them good and will plant them in truth with my whole heart and with my whole soule x Ier. 32.40 'T is a blessing of Gods own right-hand I will put my sear c. I is emphaticall and exclusive q. .d I and only l. 2. And not a common blessing neither but such as he will bestow on his own alone with whom he is in speciall covenant Thirdly And this by way of infusion that all may be of grace for he will put his fear into their hearts Fourthly and for the best end all this is that they may never depart from him For this is a filiall fear out of ingenuity and the servant abideth not in the house for ever but the Son abideth for ever y Ioh. 8.35 saith the naturall Son of God that came out of the bosome of his father knew all his counfell and upon whom the spirit of the fear of the Lord rested for his members Some other subordinate and lesse principall causes also of this grace in speech I might here mention as making to ourpurpose such as are 1. a lively faith in all the glorious and gratious attributes of God especially his fatherly compassion and kindnesse a Hos 3. vlt. Psal 130.4 which is better then life b Psal 63.3 2. an aâ—dent child-like affection to God as a father whose displeasure we therefore fear and feel more bitter then death c Eccles 7.26 Neoffendamus quem diligamus ne ab eo separemur M. Sentent l. 3. dist 34. Reas 2. In via Dei à timore incipitur ut ad fortitudinem venia tur Non siâ—ut in via seculi timor debilitatem it a in via Dei timor forâ—itudinem gignit Greg. But these with some other graces that concur as principles to the constituting of the right fear of God â— passe for hast and come to the second Reason And that is taken from the effects and consequent of this holy fear and they also are such as suite only with Gods dear children and are found in none other besides To instance only in two of them till we come to the Application First Christian conrage and a confident reliance upon Gods fatherly love and affection for safety and salvation In the fear of the Lord saith Solomon is strong confidence and his children for such only sear God which is the point in proof have a place of resuge d Pro. 14 26. what even siorme be up they have God name to repair unto for shelter Now the Name of the Lord is a strong tower the
would never be drawn to fear or stand in awe of For Blessed is the man that feareth alwayes but he that in a desperate boldnesse or Cyclopicall contempt of the divine Justice hardneth his heart shall fall into mischiefe q Prov 28 13 yea shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy r Prov. 29.1 In executing of which dreadfull sentence though the Lord be slow yet he is sure his forbearance is no quittance But although a sinner in high contempt of Gods heavy displeasure do evill an hundred times and his dayes through Gods infinite patience be prolonged yet surely I know saith Solomon that it shall be well with them that feare that Lord which fear before him Å¿ Eccles 8.12 That is that fear him in his ministers and deputies trembling at his judgments while they hang in the threatnings t Isa 66.2 melting as Josich u 2 Chr. 34 27 at the terrour of his menaces nay by the kindnesse of his mercyes which dissolves their good hearts as weake water doth some thin substances or as the hot â—un doth the hard ice An instance hereof ye have in that solemne meeting at Mizpeh where Israel which had found the misery of Gods absence is now resolv'd into teares of contrion and thankfulnesse when he was once returned and settled in Kiriath-jearim Then they mett together at Mizpeh and drew water and poured it out before the Lord w 1 Sam. 7 6. In signum expiationis iniquitatum juâ—ta Iob 11.15 R. Sâ—lomon dicit quod hâ—c feâ—erunt in signum humiliationis q d sicut aqua effusa ad nihi 'um valet ultra siâ—in conspectu tuo nihil sumus aut videmur 2 â—sal 86.11 Whether 't were teares out of their eyes or water out of their vessels as a ceremony or pledge of their hearty humiliation the difference is little Sure it was to testify the tendernesse of their hearts which having hang'd loose a long time from the Lord began now to unite again unto his fear* It is certaine that the mercies of God draw more teares from his children then his judgments do from his enemies who as in prosperity bec use they have no changes therefore they fear not God y Psal 55.19 so in adversity their hearts are the more hâ—rdâ—ed thereby from his fear z Is 63.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1.7 as in Pharaoh and Ahaz till at last by long trading with the devil in the wayes of sin they come to lose with him all passive power also of being wrought upon and arrive at that that height of incurable hardnesse that neither ministry nor misery nor miracle nor mercy can possibly mollify Which is the greatest plague that can befall a man out of hell and the very next step into it But the second extreame standing in as full opposition to that fear of God we are treating of is that slavish and hellish fear and terrour that evill spirits and men conceive of God whom they look upon only as an implacable sin revenging judge or tyrant rather ready to teare the very kell of their hearts in suder a Hos 13 6. Quem metunnt Oderunt Ennius Odium timerem spirat Tert and to send them packing to their place in hell Hereupon follows an exulcerate hatred of God according to that of the Poet whom men fear they hate a desperate â—unning away from God with Cam Saul Ahrzath b 2 King 1.2 Quem quisque odit pernsse expetit Ennius c. A secret rising up against God and an inward desire that there were no such thing as God that so they might never be called to an Audit and account of their wicked wayes and sinfull courses as they are sure to be in that dreadfull day This the Devill and his impes beleeve and therefore tremble c Iam. 2.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greek word seemes to imply such an excesse of fear as causeth gnashing of teeth like the clashing of armour or horrible yellings like the roaring of the sea * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est maris agnatio Hom Iâ—â—ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vide Eustach in locum Nullum maleficium sine formidine quia nec sine conscientia sai Tert. They have no rest day nor night Apoc. 14.11 The reason of which outrage is rendred by Terâ—uâ—iam No sinner saith he escapes fear of Gods wrath and all because he can never possibly shake off Conscience which being Mans spie and Gods overseer if it be not desperately feared or sealed up securely with a spirit of slumber against the day of slaughâ—â—r doth sting the evill-doer betwixâ— whiles d Rom. 2.15 with unquestionable conviction and horrour And thus it fares ordinarily with a wicked person But now t is otherwise with the godly when they are out of temptation for then you must know it is ego non sum ego with them they are not themselves neither can any right judgment as then be made of them But usually their hearts being purisied from an evill conscience e Heb. 10.22 through the blood of sprinkling f 1 Pet. 1.2 cast upon them by the hyssop bunch of faith g Rom 5 1 they have peace with god their reconciled father in Jesus Christ Whom therefore they love in fear and fear in love wishing nothing more then his being Let he Lord live h Psal 18.44 saith David as the principle of their well-being for it is good for me to draw neer to Jehovah i Psal 73.28 Into whose presence they therefore flee as the doves unto their windowes k Esay 69 8 I will come into thine house in the mulutude of thy mercies there 's his reverence l Psal 5.7 Loe this is the guise of a godly person whiles himself He feares and loves feares and hopes feares and prayes feares and feasts m Iude 12. feares and workes yea workes out his whole salvation with fear and trembling and all because he knowes that 't is not of himself but of God a most free agent that gives both to will and to worke and all of his own good pleasure n Philip 2.12.13 as the Apostle there enforceth it SECT III. Objections and Queries touching the Fear of God cleared and answered IF any object here that of Saint John Object Perfect love casleth out fear o 1 Joh. 4.18 That is Sol. Duo sunt timores Dei servilis amicalis Bedain Prov. 1 say we for abswer servile and base fear which love is perpetually purging upon For as for filiall and friendly fear it is never cast out no not in the state of perfection neither for the very angels cover their faces and feet before God p Esay 6.2 as knowing their distance But is the fear of Gods children here purely filiall without all mixture of that which is servile Quest No Ans nor need it be For first servile fear I
Cam guilty l Gen. 4.10 or if earth do not heaven will reveal the iniquity m Ier. 20.27 Servi ut taâ—eant jementa loquentur luvenal Yea the very beasts have a wordist to passe upon evill-doers as the asse upon Balaam n 2 Pet. 2.26 A bird of the ayre shall carry the voice and tell the matter o Eccle. 10 20 Or it all tlâ—ese should faile yet the eyes of the Lord run to and fâ—o beholding the evill and the good p Prov. 15 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mus Neither is he an 〈…〉 as the Epicures dreamt but he hath a revenging eye as the hrathen Poet. and hand to q Esa 5.25 as the holy Prophet assure us the remembrance whereof reyn'd in Ioseph from yeelding to the wicked motion of his wanâ— on mistresse though he might have commâ—tted that folly and the world have been never the wiser r Gen 39 9 Lastly it cleanseth also from secret sins such as the world never comes acquainted with for such as fear the Lord shall not be â—â—sited of evill Å¿ Prov. 19.23 It weeds by pâ—crisy t Iosh 24.14 out of the heart and pride and arrogancy and every 〈◊〉 way u Prov. 8.13 be it but in thought as is to be seen in Iob who durst not once 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ully upon a maid because God he knew saw his wayes and coumed 〈…〉 w Iob 31.1 1 Loe this was it that mâ—de him retrain wanton lookes and 〈…〉 wâ—ckednesse cleausing himself from all fi lt himsse of slesh and spirit so persâ—â—ling holâ—â—ss 〈◊〉 the fear of God x2 Cor. 7.1 Secondly this holy fear as it frames the heart to a shâ—â—ing of sin so it formes it no leâ—e to the dâ—ing of duty and that 1. toward God 2. toward men For God first it mâ—keth a man 1. beleeve him 2. â—â—â—y him First it trembleth all out as mâ—ch at the threats of God mouth as at the stâ—okes of his hand y Esay 66.2 as is to be seen in Habakkuk z Hab. 3 16 And the scripture noteth 〈◊〉 of the Patriarch Noah that moved with fear he beleeved a Heb. 11.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aâ—d the denvered Israeliâ—â—s possest with this filiall fear beleeved God and â—is servant Moâ—es b Ex 14. nlt. Thus it frames a mans heart to saith in Gods word c Prov. 13 13 And so it doth secondly to the obedience of his will for they that fear the Lord will keep his covenant d Ps 103.13.18 yea they will work hard at it e Act. 10.35 as afraid to be taken with their tasks undone Thus it orders us in point of duty toward God and no lesse toward men both our selves and others For others first this fear of the Lord teacheth both rich and poor their seve all duties The rich it teacheth 1. not to brow-beat or oppresse their poorer brethren f Gen 42 18 This do and live saith Ioseph for I fear God and that 's your secâ—â—â—ty As if he should say â—â—ntend you no huâ—t though ye are fallen into my danger for it stands nâ—t with that scar of God that hath taken up my heart And ought ye not to have walked in the fear of God g Nehem. 5.9 said Nehemiah to those mercilesse usurions Israelites that had engrated upon their brethren 2. To be hospitable and haâ—borous ready to relecve the necessitous such especially as are of the houshold of saith This we see in Obadiah h 1 King 8.12 13 for the old testament and Cornelius for the new he feared God saith the text and he gave much almes i Act 10.1 2 As on the other side to him that is afflicted saith Iob pitry should be shewed from his friend but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty k Iob 6.14 What cares Nabal the churle though worthy David dye at his doore so long as he may sit warme within eating of the fat and drinking of the sweet All his Logick is little enough to conclude for himself Shall I take my bread and my flesh that I have kill'd for my shearers and give it to men whom I know not whence they be l 1 Sam. 25.11 No why should he say but the fear of God would have taught the foole * Nabal is his name and folly is with him moe wit But Secondly as it formeth the rich to their duties so the poorer sort too whom it rendreth 1. Content with their pittance as knowing that Better is a little with the fear of the Lord then great treasure and trouble therewith m Prov. 17 12 2. Far from envying the rich sith God hath meted out to each one the portion of his allowance n Acts 17 26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with this condition that where much is given much shall be required o Luke 12.48 Let not thine heart envy sinners saith Solomon but for an antidote against that evil disease be thou in the fear of the Lord all day long p Prov. 23.17 Lastly for our selves in what estate soever the fear of the Lord will make and keep a man in prosperity 1. humble 2. thankfull as in adversitie 1. patient 2. confident In prosperity it teacheth 1. Humility according to that of the Wise-man By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches q Prov. 22.4 c. where you may observe a very close connexion of humility and the fear of the Lord set forth by an elegant asyndeton in the originall there being no grammaticall copulative set between them but such a near affinity intimated as if they were the very same thing and the one praedicated of the other as termes convertible 2. Thankfulnesse as appears in the example of Job and David and may be gathered out of that text in Jeremy Neither say they in their hearts Let us now fear the Lord our God that giveth rain both the former and latter rain in his season c. r Jer. 5 2â— One would think he should rather blame them there for not saying Let us praise the Lord our God c. but that former includes this latter for he that truely feareth God will not fail to be thankfull Next in time of adversity the fear of God is of no small use and benefit for 1. It makes men patient willing to bear Gods hand and to wait his leisure to seek remedy onley in Gods wayes and to accept of it onely upon his termes Thus those holy women in Peter being under the crosse of unequall yoke-fellows might not seek to win their loves by plaited hair or garish attire but by a meek and quiet spirit and by a chast conversation coupled with fear Å¿ 1 Pet. 3.3 Adde hereunto in the last place that the fear of God keeps men confident in the evil day holds up their hearts from dejection and disquietment For it brings a man before God in prayer t Prov.
fry weep and gnash live and die a dying life a living death not for a time or times or half a time t Rev. 12.14 oh happy they if ever they might hope an end but ever and ever and beyond all time throughout all eternity Oh considerchis all ye that forget God lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you u Psal 50.22 Save your selves from this tormenting Tophet and be forwarned to flee from the wrath to come See what miserable slaves ye are to Satan being altogether as much in his power and clutches x Act. 26 18 as he that goes gyved is in the gaolers or he that goes up the ladder pininond and hoodwinkt in the hangmans and for how little good advantage ye lay forth your selves and toyl out your lives in wearisome * Ier. 9.5 Psal 55.10 wickednesse Do but summon the sobriety of your senses afore your own judgments and see what uncessant pains ye are at and all to go to hell whiles you do wickedly with both hands earnestly y Mic. 7.3 working hard at the works of the flesh but putting your gets into a bottomlesse bag z Hag. 1.6 Nay that 's not all for he that soweth the winde shall reap the whirelwinde a Prov. 22 8 Hos 10 12 saith Solomon that is he that soweth the wind of sin and vanity shall reap the whirlwinde of vengeance and misery And he that soweth to his flesh shall of the fiesh reap that corruption that is contradistinguisht to life everlasting b Gal. 6.8 for the wages of sin is death c Rom. 6. ult Sursum cursum nostrum dirigamus minantem imminentem exterminantem mortem attendamus ne simul cum corporis fractura animae jacturam faciamus temporal spiritual and eternal And is it nothing to lose an immortal soul to purchase an everliving death hear then set thy self in good earnest to see and sigh under Satans servitude be sensible of his yoke as galling thy neck and let it make thee cry out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this unsufferable servitude Behold I am more miserable then Samson at the mill for he had hope in his death d Prov. 14.32 but what hope have I When God shall take away my soul e Job 27.8 I am more miserable then Zedekiah in cold irons for though he los his eyes yet he escaped with his life but I alasse am am dead while alive f 1 Tim. 5.6 a very living ghost a walking sepulchre of my self I am more miserable then Ieremy in the dungenon for he found friends and means of enlargement but to which of the Saints shall I turn my self g Job 5.1 or where shall I finde help or rescue in heaven or earth I am more wretched then Israel in Egypt for if they performed their tasks they escaped the lash but I after all my best services done o the devill am laden with stripes and shall be scourged with scorpions * â—â—â—nsideret his quilibet quam jod 1 sir servitus servhe priacipi immò tyranno diabolo qui subditos sibi infandis divexat modis Bucer Thus make moan to thy self first and tenmake out to Christ next for manumission and enlargement for if the son set you free you shall be free indeed h Ioh. 8.36 Cry to the Lord Christ in the words of the ancient Church O Lord other Lords besides thee have had dominion over us but we will remember thee only and thy name i Isa 26.13 Thy name is as an oynt munt powred out theresore the Virgins love thee k Cant 1.3 O pour upon my dry soul of that precious oyntment and stablish me with thy free spirit l Psal 51 12 for where thy spirit is there is liberty m 2 Cor. 3.17 from both the commanding and the condemning poer of sin and Satan O deliver not the soul of thy turtle dove to these wicked ones x in thy righteousnesse rid me and set me free For a day in thy courts is better then a thousand other-where I had rather be a dore-keeper in the house of my God o Ps 84.10 11 then to be Satans chlef-favourite or one of the privy chamber For the Lord God is a Sun and a shield the Lord will give grace and glory large wages grace and glory what things be these one would think that were reward enough for such sorry service as we can do him a best ey but then her 's more then enough for no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly Oh bountifull God! who would not chuse and covet to be thy servant who would not gladly stand waiting at the posts of thy gates p Prov. 8 34 if haply at any hour of th day he might hear thy happy call and be hired into thy heavenly Vineyard who would not â—un through thick and thin * Quidam ad omnia viae vitae hujus exercitia non solum ambulant sed currunt imò potius volant Bern. Serm. 3. de Asc Dom. to compasse such a gainfull service And yet 't is a world to see a wonder to behold how strangely men hang off here how hard they are to be wonn to the setting in hand with the works of the Lord miserably slighting God offers and letting slip their golden opportunities of getting into his employment They talke sometimes of the wages but shrink at the work as the Israelites talked of the reward of Goliath's conquest yet fled from it when they had done q 1 Sam. 17.24 25 The land is good said those faint-hearted spies but the cityes are walled up to heaven and the inhabitants unconquerable They wish well other-whiles to heaven as he that kneeled to our Saviour with good master r Mat. 19.16 Turpe est impios diabolo tam strenuèservire nos Christo pro sanguinis â—retio nihil rependere Cyprian lib. de oper et eleemos in his mouth they could be glad with Balaam to dye the death of the righteous but to live their precise and austere life that goes to the heart of them they cannot frame to it O blinder then Beetles the merchant refuseth no adventure for the hope of gain the hunter shrinketh at no weather for love of game the souldier declineth no danger for desire of glory or spoile the bear breaks in upon the hives contemning the stings And shall we fain to our selves an ease in not understanding or an idlenesse in not seeking after that service that will be a means unto us not only of avoyding intollerable and endlesse torments which is the devills meed and wages but also of attaining immeasurable and immortall glory pleasure and gain which is Gods reward and guerdon For glory honour and peace to every man that works good to the lew first and also to the Gentile Å¿ Rom. 2 10 And contented godlinesse
such as hath no part in Christ nor portion in his kingdome b Gal. 5.23 Nay he passeth in Gods Book for a Pagan c Rom. 1.21 such as hath no blood of a Cristian in him for an Epicure d Phil. 3.19 20 the worst of Pagans for an Atheist the worst of Epicures e Psal 10.4 for an hypocrite f Acts 8.22.23 the worst of Atheists for an open rebell g Esay 65.2 the worst of hypocrites lastly for a reprobate h Phil. 3.23 the most desperate of rebels such as being enemies to the crosse of Christ have destruction for their end whereunto also of old they were appointed i Jude 4. I know what such kinde of people the ruder sort especially are apt enough to object They will never beleeve they say that the matter is so hainous ob the danger so great as the ministers would make of it for first they have as good hearts as the best and although they be not so strait-laced as to make such a businesse about idle and evil thoughts as some would seem to do yet so long as none can tax them for external outrages and reproachful offences they shall think never awhit the worse of themselves for all that Hereunto we answer sol that this very brag of the goodnesse of their loose and lewd hearts speaks them at once 1. Ignorant 2. Proud 3. Impenitent person First I say Ignorant of God and his will of themselves and their duties as if they were not bound to love the Lord their God with all their thoughts also k Math. 22.37 Now without knowledge the minde is not good saith Solomon and he that hood-winkt with such blinde conceits hasteneth with his feet in away good enough as he fondly imagineth sinneth l Prov. 19.2 Secondly they are stuft up with pride and self-conceitednesse as the Laodiceans who not knowing their own spiritual beggery and blindnesse gave out themselves for great rich men and in as good case as the best m Rev. 3.16 The pure in heart are withal poor in spirit n Math. 5.3 8. humbled for nothing more then their inward impurities those vain thoughts deceitful dreams carnal fears worldly cares endlesse and needlesse plodding upon earthly things that haunt their hearts and passe the forge of their fancies every day in despite of whatsoever endeavours to the contrary Together with those innumerable bythoughts and distractions that will needs throng in upon them even in the interim of divine duties when they would be most free and reserv'd to God These be the things that most gall and grieve the godly man and bring him ful often upon his knees for pardon of inward failings in those duties for the outward well-performance whereof other godly people do many times both approve and applaud him But now it is otherwise with the wicked if he can wash his hands with Pilate keep his fingers from picking and stealing and his tongue from evil speaking curb and keep in his inordinate lusts from budging and breaking forth in his outward practise he eares not how fowl his inwards are how irregular and enormous the motions of his minde be thinks though he never lay lawes upon those but suffer them to run riot at pleasure upon whatsoever vanities or villenies yet he shall speed well enough and perhaps step into heaven before the purest of them all Here 's a heart as full of pride as empty of goodnesse◠for he that lifteth up himself his minde is not upright in him o Hab. 2.4 Thirdly They are impenitent and so out of the state of salvation till they bethink themselves of a more thorough reformation p Luke 13.3 For repentance where it is sound begins at the heart It is not a cleansing onely of the outside of the platter but a changing of the inward thoughts affections and purposes according to that of the Prophet Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to the Lord and he will have mercy upon him c. q Esay 55.7 not else And that of Peter to Simon Magus Thy heart is not right in the sight of God repent therefore and pray God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee r Act. 8.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 postulat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that lastly of the Prophet to the people Oh Jerusalem wash thy heart from wickednesse that thou mayest be saved no heaven to be had you see where the heart is not washed how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee ſ Jer. 4.14 No surer signe of a foul and wicked heart then the residence and raign of vain and vile thoughts Let no man therefore bear himself in hand or boast hereafter of the goodnesse of his heart if his thoughts be habitually and allowedly evil Oh but we have many good and holy thoughts in our hearts ob God and his name is much in our mindes and mouthes and we think frequently upon his word we hear and his works we see c. You have many good thoughts you say 't is well sol a reprobate also may have good motions in his minde and not be a buton the better for any of them Try your good thoughts therefore before you trust too much to them and 1. By the causes 2. By the effects For the causes first wee 'l suppose them for the matter good and religious but for their efficient cause first whence be they let me ask Are they inbre'd and native to your sanctified hearts or are they onely injected from without and meerly adventitions cast in by God who now affects thine heart by a good motion thy self no way concurring but being meerly passive in the whole business If so Nebuchadnezzar might have as much comfort and hope here-hence as you God put into his heart a good thought viz. to turn his course against Israel the people of Gods wrath and to revenge the quarel of his covenant upon an hypocritical nation Howbeit he meant not so saith the Prophet neither did his heart think so but it was in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few c t Isai 10.7 Secondly for the form and fashion of your better sort of thought are they set and solemn some times with choice of fit matter time and place Do ye sit in the door of your hearts on set purpose to entertain good motions as Abraham was wont in the door of his tenr to entertain strangers Or are they not onely occasional and accidental falling in by the by and besides your intention by reason of some sudden occurrence c. These holy men in the text did not onely think upon Gods name as a thing that fell into their thoughts by chance but sollicitously throughly studiously serously they set themselves to work in good earnest and in Gods fear to consider of his
loves not to strain upon any neither cares he for an ill-willing service Delight thy self in the Lord d Psal 37.4 Virtus nolentium nulla est if he shall delight in that thou dost let it be thy recreation to walk into Gds Garden to muse upon his word and works to be thinking upon his Name Secondly do it soberly e Rom. 12.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qui scrutatur majestatem opprimetur à gloria Aug. not prying into Gods secrets further then hee hath revealed them lest ye lose your selves in the search and be swallowed up in a maze or whirl-pool of errours and heresies Thirdly do it spiritually without framing any grosse image of God in our mindes or representing him by the similitude of any creature in our hearts for his is idolatry Onely this may help our understandings much when we think of God to conceive that God is in Christ that expresse image of his Fathers person f Heb. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and there we may finde firme footing for our fickle thoughts He is that ladder of ascension g Joh 3.13 by which we may climb safely up to God whilest we fix the eye of our minds upon his humane nature in which the Godhead dwelleth bodily h Colos 2.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wee may not set before our eyes Christ-man and so worship without any more ado but if we conceive of the Man-Christ and then worship that God-head that dwelleth in him we do right and besides we attain to a point further which is to conceive of God in Christ Bifield on 1 Pet. 2. pag. 530. that is personally So then like as when I see the body of a man there I know his soul is also and therefore I speak to his understanding when and where I see his body because they are not severed so viewing by the eye of my minde that humane nature of Christ now glorious in heaven I can there also look upon the great God because I know he is there personally united Fourthly do this divine work reverntly taking heed that we defile not his Name i Dent. 28.58 by our slubbering services as those greasie priests did in the beginning of this prophecy k Mal. 1.8 whiles they thought any thing good enough for God But undertake we this duty with trembling hearts and wel-composed affections coming into his dreadfull presence with the best preparation we can get considering that he is a great king and stands upon his seniority as he tells them there yea his Name is dreadfull among the Heathen ib. Verse ult Lastly do it constantly never going off nor giving over the holy matter of our meditation whatever it be till wee have made somewhat of it till it bee form'd and seated in our hearts till it be well disgested and improved for practise Else what will it profit us to knock at the door of our hearts by some good thoughts of God and his Name if we stay not an answer Thon shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord l Hos 6.3 saith the Prophet SECT X. Directions about the measure of divine Meditation where is shewed how men offend 5. wayes in thinking on earthly things HItherto the manner of our thinking upon Gods Name The measure follows and that must be modus sine modo For the generall it must be without measure * Cum Cypriâ—no modum esse putemus in pictate nullum tenere modum Quocunq tempore non cogitaveris Deum puta tempus illud amisisse Casarius monit 2. c. 3. Omne tempus quo de Deo non cogitasti cogita te perdidisse Bernardus Magit Dei meminisse debemus quam respirate Heidfield In particular think we must upon the things of God more plentifully largely affectionately constantly then of all other things in the world laid together This is a duty of the first Commandement yea this is that first and great Commandement of the Law Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all c. Not but that it is lawfull to think also of other necessary businesses in their due place and season but te offence is when 1. We think of them primarily and in the first place letting them have the first-fruits of our thougts in a morning which indeed is due to God alone and was paid him in kind by David When I awake I am still with thee m Psal 139 18 saith he And by Esay With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early n Esay 26.9 That rule of our Saviour is generall and holds here Seek ye first the kingdome of God o Mat. 6.33 c. 2. Unseasonably at prohibited times as on the Lords day p Esay 58.13 and in the Interim of divine duties any day * Hoc age Gel. for then to give way to earthly thoughts is to commit dalliance with strangers before Gods face yea to think of the best things out of season when the duty in hand calls for the whole heart is sinfull and in that case we must answer the tempter as Hushai did Ahitophel Thy counsell is not good at this time q 2 Sam. 17.7 3. Too savourily or with over-much delight or confidence in the same being wedded and wedg'd unto them in our thoughts and affections laying our whole waight upon them as it were as David did when he had gotten him upon his mount and said He should never be moved r Psal 30.6 7 and as Job when flourishing and swimming in all abundance of wealth and ease hee made no other reckoning but to die in his nest Å¿ Job 29 18 4. Sollicitously distrustfully anxiously when Martha-like we trouble our heads about many things t Luke 10.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and turmoil our spirits with fretting vexing carking and corroding cares and thougts of the things of this life contrary to that Evangelicall precept Take no thoughts u and again In nothing be carefull x Ph lip 4.6 5. Needlesly endlesly and superfluously laying out far more thoughts upon these earthly things then the matter amounts to Live not in carefull suspence y Luke 12.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word sounds thus much Hang not like Meteors make no tedious and superfluous discourses in the air It notes out the covetous persons endlesse framing of projects and tossing of thougts this way and that way and every way for the compassing of his greedy desires and worldy designes But do not you so saith our Saviour rather be paring off superfluities this way and contract your thoughts into as narrow a compasse as may be z 1 Cor 7.29 Zacheus converted prefac Illuminati stamunt opud se nil agendum seriâ— in tota vita prater caelestia reliqua obiter Rolloc in Ioh. 4.32 It is enough to look at the world slightly aloof off and out at
but not given me up to death The plowers plowed upon my back but thou hast cut asunder their traces and provide liberally for them in the land of their captivitie as he did for Ezekiel Daniel and others he will be a little sanctuary unto them there and supplie the defect of all other comforts Or if he call them to higher sufferings he will give them an higher spirit if he free them not from the common destruction yet certainly from the common distraction If they resist unto blood yea unto losse of life yet in the midst of death they shall live conquer and raigne For blessed are they that dye in the Lord especially if withall they dye for the Lord for they shall rest from their labours rest in their beds each-one walking in his uprightnesse Esay 57.3 Heb. 4 There remaineth then a rest unto the people of God an eternall Sabbatisme such a day as knowes no evening or end or toile of travell that great Sabbath-day that comprehends and accomplishes all the Sabbaths of the law These were first the weekly Sabbaths wherein they rested from their week-day labours Secondly the seven-yeares-sabbath for every seventh yeare the ground also rested from tillage and manuring Thirdly the fifty-yeares-sabbath for every seventh seventh year was a year of Jubilee And then all debts were remitted all prisoners released and all mortgages restored to their right inheritours Heaven involves all these And that great day of the Resurrection when God shall chiefly make up his Jewels and redeeme Israel out of all her troubles called therefore the day of Redemption of the purchased possession for Gods peculiar Rom. 8.21 Psal 16.11 Rev. 3.21 2 Tim. 4.8 Rev. 2.26 2 Pet. 3.13 Heb. 12.22 Psal 16 9 10 11. 17. ult Rom. 8.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a bird out of a cage as longing for liberty or as a prisoner out of a grate looking for a pardon or as one out of a turret expecting his friends coming the people of his purchase This day I say shall set Gods people at rest from their labours and the creatures which now lye bed-ridden as it were waiting the good houre at rest from all their burdens and bondages into the glorious Jubilee of the children of God Who shall then have all their wrongs righted all their sins pardoned debts discharged bonds cancelled graces perfected desires satisfied and that heavenly inheritance mortgaged in paradise and long since forfeited shall be then restored Where they shall be possesed of all the pleasures at Gods right hand seated as Princes in thrones of Majesty crowned with diadems of immarcessible glory having power over all creatures and plenary possession of that now heaven and that new earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse Beholding and being filled with the vision and fruition of Gods glorious presence amidst a world of blessed angels and crowned saints even all the court of heaven who shall joyfully meet and welcome them Oh let the forethought of those unutterable varieties felicities eternities lighten our spirits smooth our countenances and chear up our hearts as it did Davids and doth all the servants of God who with stretcht out necks look up long after and even hasten that happy day crying all with one minde and with one mouth Come Lord Jesus come quickly and exhaling their broken spirits in continuall sallies and egressions of love affecting not only a union but a unity with Christ SECT X. Reproof of forwardnesse and saintheartednesse in affliction SEcondly will the Lord indeed finde a set time to free his poor people of all their sorrowes and sufferings this then serves sharply to reprove that impatiency and shortnesse of spirit found in not a few of Gods dearest Jewels who because they are vilipended and undervalued by the blind world who know not the price of a heavenly Jewel and for that they are trode under foot for a time by these swine and slurried with the mire of their contempt and cruelty are drawn thereupon one while to fret and another while to faint begin to be out of all heart and hope of a better condition and to make against themselves these or the like desperate conclusions Surely I shall never winde out of these disgraces and distresses Esay 38.15 I shall go softly all my yeers in the bitternesse of my soul My state is past recovery I never look to see joyfull day more Abraham had a spice of this disease when he could enjoy nothing because he wanted one thing Gen. 15. 1 2. But Iacob was farr over-gone with it when together with his wife Rachel he refused to be comforted Gen. 37.35 and would needs go down into the grave unto his son Ioseph mourning as if all his merry dayes were past So the children of Iacob in Egypt Exod. 6.9 that could not take comfort in the sweet words of Moses and Aaron for the greatnesse of their oppressions The eare that tryeth words as the mouth doth meat Psal 34. was so imbittered with their extreme bondage that they could not relish any thing nor tast how good and sweet the Lord was This was Iobs fault when he cursed his day and the consolations of God were small unto him Elias also wisht himself dead in a passion and wist not that he was to be carried up ere long in a fiery charret And what can we say for David when he repented him of his repentance Psal 73.13 and another time said I shall surely fall one day by the hand of this same Saul notwithstanding Gods promise to me of the kingdome 1 Sam. 27.1 Gen. 25.32 Were it not better for me to save one Behold I am going to dye and what profit shall this birth-right do to me and to shift for my self by flying to the Philistines 1 Sam. 27.1 Psal 116.11 then by ' biding longer here to hazard my life upon the hopes of a kingdome being a mere uncertainty sith all men are liars not the Prophets themselves excepted Thus he in hast And thus the whole Church upon as little good advice Lam. 3.18 19. I said my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord Remembring mine affliction and my misery the wormwood and the gall Lam. 3.18 19 Lam. 4.22 Fidei murus tentationem ariete durius aliquantò pulsatus concussus facilè nutare acruinam minari incipit nisi divinitus sustentetur Bucholc Psal 43.7 This made her desperately conclude the book But thou hast utterly rejected us thou art very wroth against us And the very truth is the best faith long tried will something flag and hang the wing The best minds when troubled yeeld inconsiderate motions as water that is violently stirred sends up bubbles Adoò nihil est in nobis magni saith One quod non queat minui But for this we must take up our selves roundly and chide our hearts out of these distempers with Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Why
doest fret Why doest faint Hope in God for I shall yet praise him c. Should I conclude that it will never be better with me either I should deny that I am Gods child and one of his Jewels which were to bely my self and deny the work of Gods grace in my soul or basely and blasphemously to joyne with those ranke Atheists above-mentioned that charge him with heedlesnes and improvidence as one that laid his Jewels at his heels and cared not what became of them Which were to set my mouth against heaven and like a breathing-devill to bely the Almighty whose secret is upon my tabernacle Iob 29.4 that is his secret and singular providence who ordereth my down-sitting and mine uprising Psal 139.2 who cutteth out my whole condition and not only keepeth my bones not one of them is broke but numbreth all my haires not one of them is missing Things are therefore numbred that none of them may be diminished Lo the hairs of our heads are numbred as the three childrens were in the Babylonish furnace not one of them can fall to the ground without your heavenly father And if not a hair much less the head it self Mat. 10.29 Zion may say The Lord hath forsaken me and my Lordâ—hath forgotten me But that was but her mistake and misprision of the matter Esay 49.14 Psal 94.14 For the Lord will not utterly cast off his people nor forsake his inheritance for ever For a small moment he may forsake them to their thinking but with great mercy will he gather them In a little wrath he may hide his face from them for a moment Esay 54.7 8 Esay 57.16 but with everlasting kindnesse will he have mercy on them He will not contend for ever nor be alwayes wroth for the spirit should faile before him When the childe swouns in the whipping God le ts fall the rod and falls a kissing it to fetch life into it again In some diseases blood must be let usque ad deliquium till the patient faint again Yet it is a rule in Physick still to maintain nature so doth God uphold the spirits of his children by cordials of consolation in their deepest affliction This we should never doubt of but constantly shame and shent our selves in Gods presence for our forwardnesse and faintheartednesse SECT XI Exhortation to diligence in duty THe last use we shall put this point to for present Use 3 is an Exhortation to a double duty 1. Diligence in doing Gods will 2. Patience in suffering it For the first It 's encouragement enough to shew all good Conscience and fidelity in our generall and particular callings to consider that sooner or later God will not sail to requite our labour of love even to a cup of cold water or a bit of bread cast upon the waters and so cast away as a man would think but after many dayes thou shalt finde it Give a portion to seven and also to eight Eccles. 11.1 for he that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord and that which he giveth will he pay him again Not down upon the naile it may be Prov. 19.17 but he is a sure and a liberall paymaster he gives double interest Mat. 19.29 nay a hundred fold here as Isaac had a hundred sold increase of the seed he sowed in the land of Canaan and eternall life hereafter When we have laid our grain in the ground we look not to see it the same day in the barne or garner as he saith of the Hyperborean people farr North that they sow shortly after fun-rising and reap before sun-set Heresbach de re rustica Spes alit agricolas spes sulcis credit aratis Semina quae magno foenore reddit ager Tibull for with them the whole half-yeer is but one continuall day but we are content to wait for a crop till the yeer be run about living in hope mean-while and therewith sustaining our selves And shall we not shew like patience in waiting Gods good leisure without being dismayed or dishartened though not presently requited light is sowen for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart Lo it is but seed-time with the saints while here and that 's commonly a wet time and dropping But they that sow in tears shall reape in joy He that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed shall doubtlesse come again with rejoycing Psal 126.5 6 Ob. Sol. Rev. 22.12 Act. 13.36 Act. 13.25 2 Tim. 4.7 8 Gal. 6.9 1 Cor. 15. ulc bringing his sheaves with him Ey but when Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give unto every man according to his works David served out his time and it entred into his masters joy Iohn Baptist did up his work and is gone to take up his wages St. Paul finished his course and hath received his crown Wherefore let us not be weary of well doing for in due season we shall surely reap if we faint not Yea be ye stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. SECT XII Exhortation to patience in misery NExt let this Doctrine of gods day of delivering and doing good to his people patient our hearts and quietly compose our spirits in an humble submission to Gods holy hand and a hopefull expectation of the day of grace walking and waiting in the midst of our houses till he come unto us Psal 101.2 It is but a little while that we have to wait that he futures us yet and comes no sooner it is for the more effectuall triall of our faith and patience and for the better exercise of our hope and prayerfulnesse When that 's once done He will send his Mandamus as Psal 44.4 by some swift Gabriel who brought an answer to Daniels prayers with wearinesse of flight Dan. Esay 64.1 9.21 Yea he himself will break the heavens and come down he will come riding upon the wings of the wind he will come leaping as a hind over the mountains of Bether all lets and impediments to our relief and release In the Courts of Princes there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cant. 8 delayes and discardings But God is quick to help and constant in his care even when he seems to cast off hee hates putting away Jam. 5.7 whatever he makes shew of Be patient therefore brethren unto the coming of the Lord saith St. James and sweeten your present tears yea though God should make you a diet-drink of them with the hope of future comforts Look upon the husband-man saith he who although his barn bee empty and his seed cast into the earth not yet appearing above ground yet hee waiteth for the crop and hath long patience for it untill he receive the former and latter rain Verse 8 And what of all this Be ye also patient therefore and stablish your hearts for the comming of
the Jews valued our Saviour at 2 Cor. 6 20 Zech. 11.13 the price of a slave but with the blood of God Act. 20.28 For we are not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold poor things to purchase a soul with more likely a fair deal to drown it desperately in perdition and destruction but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb undefiled 1 Tim. 6.9 1 Pet. 1.18 19 1 Pet. 1.2 Tit 2.14 and without spot who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify us to himself by that blood of sprinkling that saved us from the Destroyer a peculiar people and present us to himself a glorious church not having spot wrincle or any such thing Eph. 5.27 SECT IIII. Reason 4. 4. HE hath effectually called us with an high and heavenly calling Heb. 3.1 Reas 4 Whereby we that in times past were not a people as St. Peter after the Prophet hath it or if any a disobedient and gainsaying people Rom. 10.21 a people laden with iniquity Isay 1.4 a people of Gomorrah ver 10. a naughty people Ier. 13.10 good for nothing but to be cast off as a rotten girdle ibidem and therefore the people of Gods wrath Isa 10.6 and of his curse Esay 34.5 are now by a gracious calling and speciall priviledge become the people of God a righteous people Esay 60.21 a holy people Esay 62.12 wise and understanding above all people Deut. 4.6 a people in whose heart is Gods law Isa 51.7 the epistle of Christ written not with inke but with the spirit of the living God known and read of all men 2 Cor. 3.2 whiles we walk Phil. 2.15 as examples of the Rule harmelesse and blamelesse the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and corrupt nation amongst whom we shine as lights in the world holding forth the word of life as an ensigne or badge of our high and honourable vocation and as an holy nation a peculiar people shewing or preaching forth the vertues of Christ that hath called us out of Egypt into Goshen out of palpable darknesse into his marvelous light And this the rather 1 Pet 2.9 1 Cor. 1.24 because not many wise mighty or noble are called 't is a wonder that any But God hath made known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory even us whom he hath called according to purpose not of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles As he saith also in Osee I will call them my people which were not my people and clepe her beloved which was not beloved Rom. 9.23 24. yea I will betroth her unto me in faithfulnesse and marry her in mercy for ever Now marriage in it self is honourable among all men Hos 2.20 Heb. 1.2 How much more when to such and such an honourable personage as the Heir of all things Especially since to make her a fit spouse he purifies her as they did Esther and beautifies her as Abrahams servant did Rebeccah for he puts a Jewel upon her fore-head earerings in her eares and a crown royall upon her head Ezek. 16.12 he decks her as a bride-groom and as a bride adornes her self with Jewels Isa 61.10 thus is her beauty perfect through his comelinesse put upon her And herein the Lord Christ goes beyond all earthly bride-grooms whatsoever Moses married a blackmore and could not change her hue Solomon an Egyptian and could not convert her to the truth But Christs conveys and communicates his beauty to his bride every grace in that chaine about her neck wherewith Christ is ravished Caent 4.9 being as a costly Jewel set in fine gold and whensoever he calls a man to an heavenly kingdome as once Saul to an earthly he makes him to be of another spirit then before and to walk worthy of God and worthy of the vocation wherewith he is called Eph. 4.1 SECT V. Reason 5. LAstly God hath already glorified his people so the Apostle doubts not to deliver himself of sanctification begun here Reas 5 Rom. 8.30 and to be perfected hereafter set them together with Christ in heavenly places given them the earnest of their inheritance for a pawn of the whole bargaine Ephes 2.6 the first-fruits of the spirit as a foretaste a pledge of the whole harvest garnished them with that grace that will one day be glory nay is so already for what is grace but glory begun and what is glory but grace perfected They differ not in kinde but degree only whence it is that grace is in scripture put for glory and glory again is used for grace yea that Gods people 1 Pet. 4.14 for their graces are called the Glory Esay 4.5 46.13 as having the spirit of glory and of God resting upon them Indeed there is a naturall glory stampt upon the very persons of true Christians Colos 2. ult such as those that are but meer civil men cannot chuse but honour as the Hittites did Abraham Thou art a Prince of God among us nay the wicked and worst of men as Jehoram did the Prophet Elisha over whom when sick he wept out O my father Acts Mon. my father the horsemen of Israel and charets thereof And Master Bradfords death is said to have been bewayled of many Papists also that knew his piety in his life and patience in his death so much honour God did him in the consciences of his very enemies Vnde indicatur conscientiae puritas causae benitas Malcolm in Act. 7 Ephes 4 Mat 4 Cant. 4. Wisdome maketh the face to shine as it did St. Servens They saw his face as the face of an Angel such was the goodnesse of his conscience his cause and his courage And could they have seen his inside they should have discerned and admired a farre greater glory that new man I mean that new world above-mentioned that after God or according to the likenesse of the heavenly paterne is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse The transcendent beauty and bravery whereof is such that the Lord Christ himself who was nothing moved with an offer of the glory of the whole world professeth himself ravisht and lost in love toward a sanctified soul For albeit we are sanctified but in part and there be yet many flawes and blemishes in the best whiles here yet he considers us as we are in himself and as we shall be in the state of perfection like as we do kings children Colos 3.3 whiles yet in their nonage For when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory Israel in the mean-while is his glory Esay 46.13 a crown and a diadem in the hand of Jehovah actually possest of heaven aforehand as it were by turf and twig Joh. 5.24 1 Joh. 3.14 And albeit the Saints have not yet attained to the full degree of the shining brightnesse of
motive sufficient to set in and go on to lay the last stone of Gods spirituall building with joy He rules not over his servants with rigour as the Egyptians did over the Israelites he puts them to no drudgery as the Israelites did the Gibeonites but measuring the deed by the desire and the desire by the sincerity he takes all in good part that they do willingly though never so weakly And for what 's wanting in their work he spares them as a man spares his own son that serves him To conclude this first Exhortation He requires no more of us then he gives and gives so much as shall suffice to his acceptation How is it then that we stand here idle all day long and do not lay our bones to work in his Vineyard SECT XII Give God the glory of his fatherly goodnesse NExt we addresse this Exhortation to Gods faithfull children And so this doctrine of his fatherly dealing with such as serve him in sincerity should in-force upon them a threefold duty 1. of thankfulnesse to God 2. of mercy to men 3. comfortable enjoyment of themselves Let God be praised our brethren pittyed and our selves acheared For God first how should we not only justify him from hard suspitions and aspersions of rigour but also glorify him for his singular love to us herein that he is content to take any thing well at our hands that is but done with honest hearts To quicken you hereunto consider 1. that he requires no more of us then he gives 2. gives us to do what he requires 3. makes the best of that little we do and remits the rest First he requires no more then he gives expects not the gain of ten talents where he hath given but five nor of five where he hath bestowed but one but that every man be doing something according to his modell and measure of grace received Cursed be that cozener saith the Prophet that hath in his flock a male and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing Mal. 1.14 But he is not accursed that brings no better because he hath no better to bring Of a little God is content to take a little as in Jeroboams son in whom there was found a little good and God took him for it and as in the Church of Philadelphia who had but a little strength and yet for that little is highly commended and not blamed for any thing as the rest were Where no gold was to be had goats-hair was as well accepted Revel 3.7 O 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. Quicquid vis non potes factum Deus reputat Aug. The poor widdow went as farr with her two mites as some other with two millions And those beggars that never were able to deal an almes shall yet hear Come ye blessed c. for ye fed me hungry clothed me naked c. that is ye would have done it if it had laine in your power and to what ye were able ye were not backward Secondly he gives us to do that which he requires to be done which made Austin pray Give Lord what thou commandest and then command what thou wilt I will put my Spirit into you and cause you to walk in my statutes Ezek. 36.27 saith God in the new-covenant Christ will not break the bruised reed Gal 2.9 Joh. 5. Mat. 12.20 21 nor quench the smoaking flax Every man cannot be a strong pillar as James and Cephas or a flaming torch a burning and a shining light in Gods house as John Baptist What though he be but a bruised reed Christ will not break him What though he be but a smoaking week of a candle Christ will not quench him A smoaking week is offensive to the smell and is soon quenched according to that Esay 43.17 they are quenched as tow which is a thing soon done But Christ will not do it tho but he will attemper himself to their infirmity till he hath supplied them with light more full and strength more solid till he hath brought forth judgement to victory that is a smaller measure of grace to full perfection of conquest over whatsoever corruption He will not reject the corn for the chaffe the wine for the dregs the gold for the drosse but purging out all our drosse and taking away all our tinne Esay 1.25 he will correct and cure us of all wants and weaknesses till we come to a perfection of purity Ephes 5.26 to the full measure of a man in Christ Ephes 4.13 Thirdly he makes the best of that little we do when he perceives it to proceed from great love as in Mary that loved much and out of her love anointed Christs head with that precious ointment It is likely that she had no further intent then to shew her love in doing our Saviour that honour usuall at feasts and to refresh his spirits by the sweet scent of that ointment But the Spirit of God directed that fact for a funerall-service and Christ defends her against Judas and the rest that she had done it against the day of his buriall Joh. 12.7 Joh. 12.7 In the same Chapter at his triumphant riding into Jerusalem the children sang the disciples shout Hosanna in the highest the Pharisees fret at both the Lord Christ defends both The children he defendeth from Psal 8.2 Out of the mouth of babes c. the disciples he defendeth from the necessity of their duty wherein had they failed the very stones would cry out Luk. 19.36 40. And yet the Disciples themselves how much lesse the children understood not what they did at that time Indeed when Jesus was glorified then that they had done these things unto him Joh. 12.16 But that whether ignorance or incogitancy was never laid to their charge through Gods fatherly love and indulgence to his whom he spareth as a man spares his own sonne that serves him and is therefore to be praised of them thoroughout all eternity SECT XIII Bear with others weaknesses and forbear harsh censures SEcondly Let Gods Saints be exhorted to look as God doth upon the infirmities of their brethren with a more favourable and forbearing eye not thinking it strength of grace to endure nothing in the weaker sort but bearing with them and beleeving all things straining to a good opinion of them where there is but the least probability to indure it 1 Cor. 13.7 Take not up every evil report you hear of another from a tale-bearer as you do wares from a pedler but frown upon such and be ready to make apology In particular 1. Judge no man by the outward appearance or common-hearsay for so you may beseem to condemn a dear child of God and approve a detestable heretike and incarnate devil St. Pauls companions that were the very glory of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 8.23 were counted the sweepings of the world and off-scouring of all things The precious sonnes of Sion comparable to fine gold were esteemed as earthen pitchers Lam. 4.2