him saith David that is whatsoever thou wouldst that God should bestow upon thee cast it first upon him by faith and it shall be effected Rom. 8. Qui misit unigenitum immimisit spiritum promisit vultum quid tandem tibi negaturus est Bâ—r. de tem he shall bring it to passe Away with the spirits of bondage to feare againe we have now received the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba father yea for an unquestionable pledge of his infinite love he hath given us his son how shall he not then together with him give us all things also That 's St. Pauls argument If ye which are evill can give good things to your children how much more wil your heavenly father give to them that ask of him that 's our Saviours argument Whereunto let me adde this God made himself known to be our gracious and provident Father Mat. 6 A Christian is crowned not only in his cradle with K. James but before he is born as Sapores K. of Persia was For his father dying left his mother with child and the Persian Nobility set the crown on his mothers belly acknowledging thereby her issue for their Prince Heyl. Geog. p. 64 Mat. 6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 23.3 before we could know our selves to be his children He formed us in the womb crudled us there like cheese curiously wrought us in those lowermost parts of the earth as an Artificer when he hath some speciall piece of work to do retires into some private room out of the sight of others whilest we were there he filled two bottles of milk for our entertainment into the world whereinto we no sooner came but he entred into covenant with us to be our God and Father hee signed and sealed this covenant by the Sacrament of Baptisme the solemne seal of our adoption And all this before ere we knew what was done unto us And will hee now forget to do us good when we know and acknowledge him when we pray unto him and by faith depend upon him It is not possible He feeds the fowls and clothes the lillies to whom he is no father And will he not much more do so for you Oh ye mall faiths A child whiles he hath his fathers favour cares for nothing never troubles himself to think where he shall have his next meal or a new suit of clothes let him but please his father and those things shall be provided to his hand Again let a child walk in dark and dangerous places so long as he hath hold of his father he fears not Did we but stirre up our selves to take hold of God wee should be secure yea though we walked in the vale of the shadow of death with David we should never be heard to say as Heathens that have no interest in God What shall we eat or what shall we drink or wherewith shall we be clothed so long as our heavenly Father knows that we need all these things and will not fail to provide them in a competent measure The men of Gods hand it may be shall have more then wee because they have their portion here with the prodigall But we need not envie them that for it is but an estate for life granted them in the utmost and most remote part of our inheritance Psal 17 Will a child think much a father should give a pension for life out of this or that whiles he hath far greater things left him yea the inheritance also of that out of which an annuity is granted for a time to some other Children ought not to lay up for their parents but parents for their children saith the Apostle And Oh how great things saith the Prophet hast thou laid up in store for them that fear thee Now 2 Cor. 12.14 will he give us a crown and deny us a crust provide heaven for us and with-hold earth from us Ask onely and it shall be given you the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof In your Fathers house is bread enough Shall the prodigall call so confidently for his childs part shall Esau go so roundly to his father for the blessing Luk. 15.12 Gen. 27.34 And do we stand doubting whether we were best speak or hold our tongues and not fall down with Esther before Ahashuerosh or with Achsah before her father Caleb and beg the upper-springs of spirituall blessings and the nether-springs of temporall comforts which he with-holds haply for a time with an unwilling willingnesse that he may hear of us and have our prayers which though never so poor and imperfect yet he is much taken with as a naturall parent is with the pratling and stammering of his own above all the plain speech of all the children in the Town besides SECT XIV Comfort of Adoption where are shewed the Priviledges of sonnes privative and positive COmfort to all Gods faithfull servants Vse 5 they are sonnes and daughters to the Almighty and count you that a small matter Is it nothing to be son-in-law to a king saith David What pains did Jacob take night and day to be but sonne-in-law to Laban who changed his wages ten times and ever for the worse Joseph and Daniel were for their good service highly advanced but not adopted But every servant of God is a sonne and every sonne an heir Great was the glory of our first Parents in Paradise had they held it and yet if they had what had they gotten more then a confirmation of their present estate or at most the reward of their service wages for their work they could never have attained to this honour Joh. 1.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be the sons of God This St. Iohn in his gospell calls a dignity an eminency a royalty And in his first epistle he stands and wonders as transported with an extasy of admiration at it 1 Ioh. 3.1 And well he might For this saith the psalmist is to be set above the Kings of the earth it interesteth and inrighteth a man to the inheritance of heaven and earth The possession of the earth is as yet deteyned from God children by the wicked for a time as the promised land was from Israel by the Amorites but they have great things mean-while in reversion even heaven with all its happines whither they may comfortably look up and boast on better ground then Nebuchadnezzar did of his Babel 1 Pet 1.4 Is not this mine inheritance Am I not kept by the power of God to that salvation reserved for me in the heavens Yea they may comfortably lift up their eye as God bâ—d Abraham toward heaven and tell the starrs if he were able so they their glorious priviledges This Moses well understood and therefore chose rather to suffer as a son Heb. 11. then to scape as a bastard he preferr'd the reproach of Christ before the honour of being the son of Pharaohs daughter and the possibility of being heir to two
prevaile nothing behold the whole world follows him Now against these spiritual spirits the wrath of God shall be revealed from heaven Rev. 21.8 Dan. 12.2 Esay 65.11 12 13 14 15 16 17. and it shall come to passe that in the place where it was said unto them As if God did now even repent and would make them a full amends make them glad according to the time Psal 90.15 and in that very place when and where they had seen evil Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in Jerusalem Zech. 12.6 The Jews it is thought shall dwell in their own Countrey Jer. 3.18 23.8 Ezek. 37.11 12. Amos 9.14 15. and God have a very glorious Church in the Land of Canaan But that 's not all The Gentiles who shall be made a spiritual Israel though in time past they were not a people yet now are they the people of God and which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy 1 Pet. 2.10 yea such a signal mercy as S. John cannot look on without an Ecce admirantis Behold Qualem quantum As 2 Pet. 3.11 saith he what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God 1 John 3.1 Yes the sons of the living God who as he lives so he gives us all things richly to enjoy and is therefore to be trusted 1 Tim. 6.17 And that we should not only be Gods people but his sons reconciled but adopted and not only be so but be called so have the name and the note the credit and the comfort Well might the Apostle say that the grace of God herein had abounded even to an overflow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1.14 Well may Oecolampadius say as he doth upon this very Text Vide ut major gratia quam peccatum Behold how as sin abounded grace superabounded Serm. 6. de Nativit Well might Leo say Omnia dona excedit hoc donum c. This is a gift of God that exceedeth all gifts that man should call God Father and God call a man his sonne this is a greater dignity then to be called an Angel Archangel Cherubim Seraphim c. See more of this in my Righteous mans Recompense part 2. doct 5. Calvin upon this verse noteth that there is an emphasis in these words It was said and It shall be said The latter sheweth that till the Lord speak peace to his people and say to their souls that he is their salvation they cannot have the comfortable assurance of their Adoption and acceptation into his favour Eph. 1.13 After that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your salvation ye believed and were sealed with that holy spirit of promise Again if God by his Prophets have said to any ye are not my people c. he will effect it God heweth men by his Prophets and slayeth them by the words of his mouth Hosea 6.5 Elisha hath his sword as well as Jehu and Hazael 1 Kings 19.17 Ezekiel besiegeth Jerusalem and overthroweth it Jeremy is set over nations and kingdoms to root out and pull down c. Chap. 1.10 S. Paul hath vengeance ready for the disobedient 2 Cor. 10.6 And what Gods Ministers do on earth he ratifies in heaven Mat. 16.19 and 18.18 Verse 11. Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together i. e. they shall unite into one body and one religion and shall all make one entire Kingdome John 12. Ezek. 37.22 24. Christ once lifted up shall draw all things to himself and wherever this carcase is Mat. 24. there will the spiritual Eagles be also Caiaphas like another Balaam prophesied that Jesus should die for that Nation And not for that Nation only but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad John 11.51.52 Zeph. 3.9 This is the gathering together here mentioned Christ shall be one amongst his people and his name one Zeâ—h 14.9 See the Note there they shall serve the Lord with one shoulder It seems to be a Metaphor taken from Oxen that are yoked together and that set their shoulders joyntly to the work Surely the more the Gospel prevaileth the more peace there will be They shall be gathered together in that day So when Christ shall be preached and obedience yielded to his government Esay 9.7 then shall there be a blessed harmony of hearts then shall they flie in flocks to the ordinances as the doves to their windows then shall they come to the Lords house upon horses and in charrets and in litters Esay 66.20 and appoint themselves one head The Lord Christ called David their King chap. 3.5 A multitude gathered under this one Head and united to him is a Church This head is indeed appointed and set up over the Church by God Psal 2.6 Eph. 1.22 But the Saints are said to appoint Christ their head and indeed to set the Crown upon his head as Cant. 3.11 when they chuse him and embrace him for their Soveraign when with highest estimations most vigorous affections and utmost endeavours of unfained obedience they set him up in their hearts and serve him in their lives giving him the preheminence and holding all in Capite in Christ yea holding of the head as the Apostles expression is Col. 2.19 not of Paul or Apollo or Cephas That Popish Buzzard was utterly out who said that he had found in the Dictionaries that Cephas signifieth an Head and that therefore Peter was head of the Church For neither doth Cephas signifie an Head but a Stone or Rock nor if it did would that prove what he alledgeth it for Judah and Israel shall appoint to themselves one head not more then one The Church is not bellua multorum capitum neither is there any need of a ministerial head of the Church Indeed there is a contradiction in the very mention of it as one well observeth a Ministerial Head it is absurd to speak it and they shall come up out of the land i. e. They shall be gathered into the heavenly Jerusalem saith Occolampadius They shall come up from their miserable life saith Luther from their earthly affections saith Hierom. Rather from Chaldea or where ever they lie captivated and dispersed to Jerusalem there to joyn in the same way of worship as once the twelve Tribes did before the schism under Jeroboam with the Christian Church and so go on the way to the kingdom of heaven for great is the day of Jezreel i. e. of Christ saith Hierom who is Gods seed and shall see his seed and so prolong his dayes by a succession of Saints Esay 53.10 for whom God also will do great things in that day of his power Psal 100.3 when there shall be a marvellous increase of his Church which he shall sow with the seed of men and of beasts Jer. 31.37 Ezech. 36.38 revealing his arm another etymologie of the word Jezreel
rebels 5 He is thy God in covenant with thee and will accept of pence for pounds desires for deeds sincerity for perfection 6 Thou hast fallen by thine iniquity and yet wilt fall further and never rise again as Am. 8.14 if thou stop not step not back by repentance and stir up thy self to take hold of God Verse 2. Take with you words and turn to the Lord Confesse your sins beg pardon and promise amendment Sue to God to give you those words that he bids you Take go to him in his own words put his promises in suit crave the help of his holy Spirit without which what can we do Rom. 8.26 Say to God as Job 37.19 Teach us what we shall say unto thee for we cannot order our words by reason of darknesse David promiseth not onely to pray but to marshall up his prayers to put them in good array so the word signifieth Psal 5.3 In the morning will I direct my prayer order it in the best manner his words should be nec lecta nec neglecta neither curious nor carelesse but such as are humble earnest and direct to the point avoiding vain babblings Here 's a form prescribed in the Text forms of prayer therefore are not so unlawfull as some conceive them words put into their mouthes as the phrase is 2 Sam. 14.3 that they might not misse Men must as well look to their words as to their feet when they come before God and see that their affections in prayer be not without answerable expressions Take with you such words as may testifie that ye turn heartily to the Lord and not from the teeth outward as they in the Psalmist Psal 78.36 37. Turn before ye begin to pray for God heareth not sinners sith their incense smels of the hand that offereth it Esay 1. Say unto him Mentally and vocally with spirit and speech True it is that prayer is not the labour of the lips but the travell of the heart and God hath promised to answer his people before they call Esay 65.24 By calling upon his Name we neither inform him of what he knoweth not nor move him to shew us more mercy then he intendeth But yet prayers are necessary as means which God will have used that we may receive what he of free mercy giveth Besides it prepareth us holily to enjoy the things received and makes us ready either to wait for them or to want them and to be content that he may be glorified though we be not gratified And although God knoweth our thoughts and understands the mind of the spirit as being the searcher of hearts Rom. 8.27 yet he calls for the calves of our lips the service of our tongues Jam. 3.9 guiding them now and then in a wonderfull manner farre beyond all naturall apprehension and strangely enabling his praying servants who do also finde no small benefit by this practise of pouring out their hearts before him both for the preventing of distractions and kindling affections and discerning their profiting in holy disires for the more worthy effect followeth where more fervent affection went before Take away all iniquity Few words but full of matter O quam multa quam paucis What a short but pithy prayer is this Such was that of the Publican Gic. de Bruti epistola Luke 18.13 that of our Saviour in his agony when yet he is said to pray more fervently that also which he taught us to pray Mat. 6.7 8 c. set in flat opposition to Paganish battologies This in the Text is not much unlike that perfect pattern for here they are taught to beg Vt auferantur sua maleficia conferantur Dei beneficia Take away all evil and give good and then to restipulate thanks So will we render c. Take away from us as an unsupportable burden such as we cannot stand under All iniquity stain and sting crime and curse power and punishment that there be no after reckonings crosse out the black lines of our sinnes with the red lines of thy Sons blood that Lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world by this Merit and Spirit by his Value and Vertue that true scape-goat Joh. 1.29 Heb. 9.28 that carrieth the sins of his people into the wildernesse and receive us graciously Heb. Receive good that is as some interpret it Accept out of thy fatherly favour the true witnesses and effects of our thorow conversion But better they that thus sence it Take good to wit to bestow upon us as Psal 68.19 with Ephes 4.8 And it is not improbable saith a Reverend Writer that the Prophet here secretly leadeth us to Christ the Mediatour who first receiveth gifts from his Father and then poureth them forth upon his Church Act. 2.23 D. Reyn. in loc So will we render the calves of our lips Thy benefits shall not be cast away upon unthankfull persons but we will present unto thee a sacrifice that will please thee better then an oxe or bullock that hath horns and hoofs Psal 69.31 This cannot be done but by a sound Convert for the Lepers lips must be covered according to the Law and the sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord. To the wicked God saith What hast thou to do to take my Name into thy mouth c. hee liketh not a good motion from an ill mouth as that State in the Story The lip of excellency becommeth not a fool Prov. 17.7 no more then lying doth a worthy man that is renowned for his wisdom It well becommeth the Saints to be thankfull to cover Gods Altar with the calves of their lips This expression implieth saith One That Gods people should not offer their thankfulnesse to God of that which cost them nothing but bring 1. A calf do something to further Gods worship or relieve the necessities of others 2. It must be a dead calf that is it must proceed from humble and mortified mindes 3. A sacrificed calf where is required 1 An Altar our praises must be tendred in the mediation of Christ 2 Fire for the bare throwing out of words though in the name of Christ will not serve without feeling ardency and zeal 3 We must lay our hands on the head of the calf that is in all humility confesse our unworthinesse of the blessings we give thanks for as being lesse then the least Gen. 32.10 Verse 3. Ashur shall not save us c. q. d. He cannot if he would he shall not if he could The two great sinnes of this people were Creature-confidence and Idolatry both these they do here abrenounce and abandon The best repentance saith Luther is a reformed life It is true say they we have gone to the Assyrian wherein we have dealt as the silly bird flying to the snare or as fishes which to avoyd the powle wherewith the water is troubled swim into the net We have taken our horses instead of our prayers and gone about to finde out good We have
2. Arise go unto Nineveh Begin again and take better heed as the Nazarite was to do that had defiled the head of his consecration Numb 6.9 12. unto Niniveh that great city See the Note on Chap. 1.2 There was no city since by the estimation of Diodorus had the like compasse of ground or starelinesse of wals the height thereof being an hundred foot the breadth able to receive three carts a-row adorned with fifteen hundred turrets Some think as Annius Berosus that those three cities spoken of Gen. 10. Rehoboth Calah and Resen were all included in Niniveh and they conceive it thus that when Nimrod had built Babylon Ninus disdaining his government went into the fields of Ashur and there erected a city after his own name Raphael Volaterranus saith it was eight years in building ten thousand men working at it Quintilian saith that great Millain ancient Ravenna brave Bouonia noble Naples and other great cities of Italy are but towers to Rome but what was Rome to Niniveh and yet Lipsius hath written a treatise of Romes greatnesse and when the Emperour Constantine came to Rome and beheld the companies that entertained him he repeated a saying of Cineas the Epirote that he had seen so many kings as citizens but viewing the building of the city he thought naturam vires omnes in urbem unam effudisse that nature had shewed the utmost of what she could do in that one great city See more on vers 3. and preach unto it the preaching Heb. Proclaim unto it or against it the proclamation that I say to thee that I have formerly put into thy mouth and do now so again sc that their wickednesse is come up before me and I am even upon the way toward them to punish it grievously Flagitium flagellum sunt sicut acus filum Who ever waxed fierce against God and prospered Job 9.4 This wicked men must be boldly told Esa 3.11 however they take it neither may Gods ministers steal away the word Jer. 22.30 or keep back from the people any part of Gods counsel Act. 20.27 handling the word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth commend themselves to every mans conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4.2 as becometh his Embassadours Vers 3. So Jonah arose and went unto Niniveh He went not home first to bid them farewel as Luk. 9.61 neither went he another way as once it was enough of that once and he had learned obedience by the things that he had suffered To Niniveh he goes though a mere and a mean stranger unknown unregarded and with an harsh message such as he might fear would cost him his life from that fierce and furious people But Jonah feareth nothing now but disobedience and seems to say Luth. Epist as afterwards Luther did Inveniar sanè superbus excors modò impij filentij non arguar Let me be called and counted proud mad any thing every thing that naught is so that I be not found guilty of sinful silence and of betraying the trust committed unto me by a dastardly deserting the cause of God Jonah was now of another spirit Jâ—â—levit post me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. and fulfilled after God as Caleb Num. 14.24 for why he had now received not a spirit of fear and of bondage but of power and of love and of a sound mind 2 Tim. 1.7 his spirit of grace had sanctified to him his afflictions which else would have been but as hammers to cold iron as they were to Pharoah Ahaz the rayling thief c. Aben-Ezra saith that assoon as ever the whale had vomited up Jonah he got up and took the direct way to Niniveh that if God should command him thither again he might be ready and shew his forwardnesse It is a very good signe when men are the better for what they suffer when thereby the iniquity of Jacob is purged and this is all the fruit the taking away of their sinne Esay 27.9 according to the word of the Lord His call and command which Jonah had formerly cast behind him Sed Piscator ictus sapit There shall be only fear to make you understand the hearing Esay 28.19 Esay stood off till frighted but then he offers his service Here I am send me Chap. 6.8 now Niniveh was an exceeding great city Heb. a great city of God or to God which some interpreted dear to God Deo châ—râ— curae and such as he would not destroy Others a city not idolatrous though otherwise vitious Others a city which God himself accounted great Animo magno â—ihil magnum and looked upon as such But if to a great mind nothing is great as Seneca saith what can be great to him who is great Ps 77.13 greater Job 33.12 greatest Ps 95.3 greatnesse it self Ps 145.3 and to whom all nations are but as the drop of a bucket or dust of the ballance behold he taketh up the Isles as a very little thing Esay 40.15 Oecolampadius applieth it to the Church of the Gentiles that city of the living God They do best that take it as we read it for an exceeding great city like as elsewhere tal mountains and cedars are called mountains of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homer Psal 36.7 and cedars of God Psal 80. c. and excellent wrestlings are wrestlings of God Gen. 30.8 See Gen. 23.6 So the Greeks and Latines call great things divine God being the measure of all true greatnesse Niniveh as it was a very great city of fifty miles compasse as Herodotus and Diodorus so Jonah is often told so that he might come to it well prepared and resolved sith he was to have a great task and an hard tug of it See Vers 2. and Chap. 1.2 Of their dayes journey Not such a journey as a traveller could dispatch in no lesse time but suh as a Preacher pedetentim obaembulando by leasurely walking Theodocet might in three dayes go thorow See Vers 4. This is added to set forth further the greatnesse of the city Vers 4. And Ionas began to enter into the city Having seen God he now fears no colours dreads no danger as neither did Moses Michaiah Esay Chap. 6. Paul Act. 21. Luther going to Wormes c. Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5.18 we forewarne them to flee from the wrath to come Mat. 3.7 we pull them out of the fire of hell as firebrands Iude 2.3 a dayes journey One of the three dayes Vers 3. Not all the three in one day for haste as Hierome would have it and he cried and said Not fearfully muttering his message but delivering it with a courage Boanerges like able almost to make his hearers hearts fall down Mr. Fullâ—â— and hairs stand upright as One saith of Master Perkins Yet fourty dayes and Niniveh shall be overthrown The word properly noteth a sudden inevitable and perpetual destruction
another Atheist is brought in saying Dextrae mihi Deus Virg. Aeneid lib. 10. telum quod missile libro So Sesostris king of Egypt in Sampsons dayes would needes be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord of the whole world and when he had conquered any countrey he caused these words to be engraven there upon marble pillars This countrey I gained by mine own strength c. So Antiochus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herod l. 2. that little Antichrist is said to worship his God Mauzzim that is his forces and armies Dan. 11.38 It was Nebuchadnezzar that was here pointed at and how he deified himself and his own doings see Es 10.13 Dan. 4.26 and burn intense to their draggs whiles they ascribe to the instrument that which is due to God alone the chief Agent Hold out net said they well done dragge c. Hoc ego primus vidi said Zabarell Hoc ego feci saith Another But what saith Luther By mens boasting in this sort Haec ego feci haec ego feci Luth. in Psal 127. they become nothing better then mere Faeces dreggs and lees because by them their portion is fat By them that is by their net and dragge they think that their condition is well mended and their meat is fat opimus optimus God the giver of all this is not in all their thoughts but as the moon the fuller it is of light the further it getts from the Sun the fountain of her light so deale men with God Verse 17. Shall they therefore empty their net That they may fill it againe anew and so draw to themselves as to a pond or pool the wealth and power of the whole East Interrogatio precationis speciem habet saith Gualther This question is an effectuall prayer and it is as if the Prophet should thus say If as hitherto thou go on to wink at their wickednesse O God will they not grow more audacious every day and mischievous to mankind Arise therefore O Lord of recompences to the help of thy people Set up and shew thy self above the heathen that they may know themselves to be but men and not spare continually to slay the nations q. d. This cannot hold long and that it may not is mine earnest suite and supplication Lord when thou makest inquisition for blood remember their blood-guiltinesse Psal 9.12 and forget not the cry of the humble These cruell Chaldeans do not only subjugate but slay not a few but whole nations and that continually and that without mercy Is it not high time for thee to set to thy hand O preserver of men c. Note the Prophets ardency in prayer and learn of him to get upon the battlements and look up to see what comes of it chap. 2.1 This was also Davids practise Psal 5.3 where he useth the self-same military word atsappeh importing that he would be as a Spy upon a tower to see whether he prevailed with God whether he got the day CHAP. II. Verse 1. I will stand upon my watch To see what becomes of my prayer and what will be the issue of my doubts and temptations about Gods providence ruling the affaires of the world See the Note on chap. 1.17 There are spaces betwixt our prayers and Gods answers God harkens what Habacuc speakes and Habacuc must harken another while what God speakes This he had learned of David Psal 85.8 Prayer is a Christians angel seed dove messenger and must be looked after Who shootes an arrow or casts a boule and takes not notice where it lights They that observe not the answer of their prayers do as scoffing Pilate who asked in scorn of Christ what 's truth but staid not for an answer and set me upon the tower Heb set me firme and fast as a Champion that will keep his ground upon the tower or fortresse of divine meditation upon Gods word Nescio quomodo imbecillior est medicina quam morbus which alone hath virtutem pacativam a settling property to compose the soule when distempered and to lodge a blessed calme a sabbath of rest in it far above all Philosophicall Consolations whereunto when Cicero had ascribed very much yet he is forced to conclude that the disease was too hard for the medicine And this well appeared both in Socrates who died doubtingly and Cato who desperately slew himself after he had first read Plato's discourse concerning the immortality of the soule So foolish a thing it is to flie in distresse of mind ad consolatiunculas creaturulae as Luther speaketh and not to run to the Name of the Lord that strong tower Prov. 18.10 R. Kimchi reades the text thus I have set me in a circle q. d. I will not out till I have an answer why thou deferrest to punish the wicked and will watch to see what he will say unto me Or in me viz. by a Prophetick spirit by internall revelation 2 Sam. 23.1 Zach. 1.9 and 2.2 Preachers must still hearken what the Lord God saith unto them and in them speaking as the oracles of God 2 Pet. 4.11 and able to say with St. Paul I have received of the Lord that which also I deliver unto you 1 Cor. 11.23 For ut drachmam auri sine imagine Principis sic verba Praedicantis sine authoritate Dei contemnunt homines saith Lipsius Bring scripture or else you do but throw forth words without wisdome and to little purpose because they come not Cumprivilegio and what I shall answer when I am reprooved Heb upon my reproof or arguing Increpationis nomine tentationes intelligit saith Gualther Under the name of reproof he understandeth those temptations whereby his faith was assaulted when he saw bad men prosper good men suffer Satan and the world do usually set upon Gods servants with this weapon to unsettle their faith and to make them fall from their own stedfastnesse Dost thou still retain thine integrity said Jobs wife to him Seest thou not how little good there is to be got by Gods service that all things are in a huddle here below that they run on wheeles and have no certain course Thus the devill and his imps suggest to the godly and thereby greatly disquiet them setting their thoughts all on an hurricomb It was the case of David Psa 73. of Jeremy chap. 12.1.5 Of Basil under the heat of the Arrian persecution An Ecclesias suas prorsus dereliquit Dominus saith He what hath the Lord cast off all care of his churches Is it now the last houre c. Of many good people in Salvians time for whose satisfaction he was forced to write those eight excellent bookes De Gubernatione Dei as likewise Austin upon a like occasion did those two and twenty elaborate bookes De Civitate Dei and as the Prophet Habacuc here doth the following vision which he had for some time waited for and now receiveth as a gracious answer to his prayer chap. 1. for his own and others
is I will accept your worships Psal 73.23 24. though in this meaner temple If God may have the substance of worship hee stands not much upon the circumstance The sick may pray upon their beds the persecuted in chambers Acts 1. yea in dens and caves of the earth Heb. 11.38 The Church in Queen Maries dayes met and prayed oft together in a cellar in Bow-church-yard It was one of the laws of the twelve tables in Rome Ad divos adeunto castè pietatem adhibento Act. Mon. opes amovento Sacrifice and Offering thou didst not desire viz. in comparison of obedience 1 Sam. 15.22 but as a better thing mine ears hast thou opened Psal 40.6 Hypocrites by cold ceremonies think to appease God they observe the circumstance neglect the substance they stick in the bark of religion gnabble on the shel offer the skin keep back the flesh serve God with shewes shall be served accordingly Verse 5. According to the Word Or as Tremellius hath it better Cum VERBO quo pepigeram vobiscum with the WORD in and sor whom I covenanted with you c. So my Spirit remaineth among you And so it is a gracious promise that the whole Trinity will be with them The particle eth seemeth put for gnim◠and the article He is emphatical shewing that by Word is meant the second person often called the Word both in the Old Testament 2 Sam. 7.21 with 1 Chron. 17.19 and in the New Luke 1.2 John 1.1 1 John 5.7 The Caldee seemeth to favour this interpretation for he rendreth it My Word shall be your help Hierome Albertus Nyssen and Haymo dissent not Haggai and other Prophets and Patriarches of old did well understand the mystery of the Sacred Trinity See my note on Gen. 1.1 Elihu speaks of the Almighty his makers Job 35.10 Solomon the same Eccles 12.1 Cant. 1.11 which Jarchi interpreteth of the Trinity Isay hath his Trisagion or Holy Holy Holy chap. 6.3 and chap. 42.5 Thus saith God the Lord He that created the heavens and they that stretched them out So Deut. 6.4 When Moses beginneth to rehearse the law and to explain it the first thing he teacheth them is the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity Hear O Israel the Lord our God the Lord is One Three words answering the three persons and the middle word Our God deciphering fitly the second who assumed our nature as is well observed by Galatinus Others observe that the last letters in the Original both in the word Hear and in the word One are bigger then ordinary as calling for utmost heed and attention The old Rabbines were no strangers to this tremend mystery as appeareth by R. Solomons note on Cant. 1.11 We will make c. though their posterity desperately deny it The Greek Church was not so sound in this fundamental point therefore their chief City Constantinople was taken from them by the Turks as Estius observeth on Whitsunday or as others on Trinity Sunday which day saith our Chronicler the Black Prince was used every year to celebrate with the greatest honour that might be Speed 723. in due veneration of so divine a mystery Now Christ is here and elsewhere called The Word either because hee is so often promised in the Word Or else because by him Gods will was manifested and revealed to men and that either mediately in the Prophets whence Peter Martyr thinketh that phrase came Then came the Word of the Lord that is Christ Or immediately himselfe Heb. 1.2 and 2.3 That I covenanted with you Or in whom I covenanted and whence Christ is called the Angel of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 Christ then was a Saviour to those of the Old Testament also Rev. 13.8 the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World Christ undertook to pay his peoples debt in the fullnesse of time and hereby they were saved A man may let a prisoner loose now upon a promise to pay the debt a year after See Heb. 9.15 and take notice of the unity of the faith in both Testaments they of old saw Christ afarre off in the promises they saluted him and were resaluted by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 11. When ye came out of Egypt Ye that is your ancestours Things done by the parents may be said to be done by the children because of the near conjunction that is between them Hence Levi is said to pay tithes in Abraham and Adams sinne is imputed to us all Heb. 7. So my spirit remaineth amongst you Not the substance but the gifts of the Spirit not the tree but the fruits Those whom God receiveth into the covenant of grace he endues them with the spirit of grace See Rom. 8.9.11 How else should they be able to perform their part of the Covenant sith we cannot so much as suspirare unlesse he doe first inspirare breath out a sigh for sinne till he breath it in to us by his Spirit Hereby then we may know whether or no we are in Covenant with God the Devill will be sure to sweep all that are not sc if his spirit remain in us Jer. 31.35 working illumination 1 Cor. 2.14.15 Mortification Rom. 8.13 Motion Rom. 8.14 Guifts 1 Cor. 12.4 7 8. c. Fruits Gal. 5.22.23 strength Esay 11.2 Courages as here Fear ye not Cur timet hominem homo in sinu Dei positus Aug. why should such fear man who have God in Christ by his Spirit standing with them and for them The righteous may be bold as a lyon he hath the peace of God within him and the power of God without him and so goes ever under a double guard what need he fear It is said of Achilles that he was Styge armatus and therefore could not bee wounded But he that is in covenant with God is Deo Christo Spiritu Sancto armatus and may therefore be fearlesse of any creature Verse 6. For thus saith the Lord of hosts i. e. the three persons in Trinity as appeareth by the note on the former verse Howbeit the Author to the Hebrews chap. 12.25.26 applyeth the words to Christ whence observe that Christ is Lord of hosts and God Almighty even the same second person that is called haddabhar the Word in the former verse is very God Compare John 1.3 with Col. 1.14.16 and Iohn 1.9 with Iohn 8.12 and Iohn 1.11 with Acts 3.13.14 c. See those cohaerencies of sentences Iohn 9.3.4 and 11.4 and 12.39.40 besides the Apostles argument Heb. 1.4 That one Gospel written by St. Iohn who was therefore called the Divine by an excellency as afterwards Nazianzen also was because he doth professedly assert and vindicate the Divinity of Christ ever strongly impugned by the Devill and his agents those odious Apostates and hereticks ancient and moderne And no wonder for it is the Rock Mat. 16.18 setting him forth 1. as coessential to the Father his onely begotten sonne Iohn 1.14 One with the Father in essence and power
And it is a part of his joy that we shall one day bee where he is attended with innumerable Angels John 17.24 who will be glad of our company How much better cause have we then that Heathen to cry out O praeclarum diem cum ad illud animorum concilium coetumque preficiscar Cic. de seneclute cum ex hac turba colluvione discedam c. O what a brave and bright day will that be when wee shall go to that Congregation-house of blessed spirits and walk no longer in the way of this world which is like the land of Chabul dirty and dangerous like the vale of Siddim slimy and slippery 1 Sam 2. full of lime-pits and pitfalls snares and stumbling-blocks laid by Satan to maime or mischieve us O happy they that walk humbly with God who keepeth the feet of his Saints and hath charged his Angels to bear them up in their hands lest they dash their feet against a stone This whiles they are here Psal 90.12 and when they go hence to convey them thorow the air whereof the devil is the prince as thorow the enemies countrey into the heavenly habitations and there to entertain and welcome them with sweetest varieties felicities eternities sitter to be beleeved then possible to be expressed Verse 8. Hear now O Ioshua the high Priest Hear a sermon of Christ the Fountain of all this mercy bestowed upon thee and yet further promised unto thee Hear for thy self hear for thy whole Society Thou and thy fellows thy fellow-friends the rest of the priests thy fellows in service though inferiour in Office for there was a subordination of priests both before the Temple Num 3. and 1 Chron. 23.4 5. and under the Temple 2 Chron. 35.8 9. Types also of Christ and partakers of the benefit 1 Tim. 6.2 for they are men wondered at Erant omnibus probrosi saith Calvin They departed from evil and thereby made themselves a prey Esay 59.15 they were for signes and for wonders in Israel Esay 8.18 hissed and hooted at Psal 71.7 as those that affected to be singular and seraphicall They think it strange saith Saint Peter to his holy converts that you run not with them to the same excesse of riot speaking evill of you as if you were no better then mad-men Esay 59.15 1 Pet. 4.4 robb'd of your right minds as the word signifieth It is a French proverb He that would have his neighbours dog hang'd gives out that he is mad The primitive persecutours used to put Christians into bears and dogs skins or ugly creatures and then bait them so gracelesse persons put the saints of God into ugly conceits look upon them as strange creatures and then speak and act against them In our wretched dayes as the Turks count all fools to be saints so people account all saints to be fools and the more zealous among them monsters and miscreants Holy Statâ— As for Athanasius and Marcellus who have impiously blasphemed against God and have lived as wicked miscreants and are thereupon cast out of the Church and condemned we cannot receive them to the honour of Episcopacy said those fourscore Bishops in the mock-Synod of Sardis And Bede testifieth of the ancient Brittains immediatly before their destruction by the Saxons that they were come to that height of wickednesse as to cast reproach upon the professours of religion as upon the worst of men Doth not Saint Paul say as much 1 Cor. 4.9 We are made a theatre or are set upon the stage for a laughing-stock unto the world and to Angels and to men c For behold I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH The same that grew out of the root of Jesse when that goodly family was sunk â—o low as from David the King to Joseph the Carpenter See Esay 4.2 and 11.1 and 45.8 and 53.1 Ier. 33.15 where the Chaldee for Branch rendreth it Messiah as here also he doth And some have observed that themagh a Branch is by transposition of letters the same with Masciach Messias Samech and tsade being neer akin and of the same sound almost A servant Christ is called by reason of his Mediatorship taking upon him the form of a servant yea of a faulty servant that was to be beaten yea that being cruelly beaten was brought forth to the people with an Ecce homo Behold the man Behold saith God here Joh. 19.5 I will bring forth my servant the Branch bring him forth out of the bosom of his Father out of the womb of his Mother out of the types of the Law c. Verse 9. For behold the stone c. Another title given to Christ who is the foundation and chief corner-stone of his Church and another Behold prefixed as a starry Note or as a hand pointing to a remarkable matter All the Prophets pointed to Christ who is therefore called the Branch the Stone c. that in these creatures every where obvious as in so many optick glasses wee may see him and be put in continuall remembrance of him It being as necessary to remember Christ as to breathe saith a Father See Psal 118.22 Esay 28.16 1 Pet. 2.6 7 8. that I have laid and that I will engrave The Church is Gods building and we are his workmanship this artificiall manufacture created in Christ Jesus unto good works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 2.10 there being not so much of the glory of God in all his works of creation and providence as in one gracious action that a Christian performeth As for the glorious work of our redemption by Christ it was a plot of Gods own contriving a fabrick of Gods own erecting it was the Lords own doing and it is justly marvellous in our eyes Vpon one stone shall be seven eyes That is Christ shall draw all eyes and hearts to him as the stones of the Temple did the Disciples eyes Mat. 24.2 and Mar. 13.1 Master say they to Christ see what manner of stones and what buildings are here Thus some sence it I should rather by these seven eyes understand the Spirit in his severall operations upon Christ as Esay 11.2 for he received not the Spirit by measure as others but had as much of it as a creature could possibly have See the Note on Rev. 1.4 where the holy Ghost for his manifold good gifts and perfect givings is called The seven Spirits like as he is also stiled the seven golden pipes Zech. 4.2 3. There are that by these seven eyes upon one stone understand the Providence and Wisdome of Christ in the Government of his Church Hee is indeed as One saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All-Eye Sic spectat universos quasi singulos sic singulos quasi solos like a well-drawn picture hee eyeth all Christ as he is a living so he is also a looking stone he looketh at the miseries and matters of his Church Exod. 3.7 and saith as once I have seen I have
flesh be the spirit never so willing so ill-disposed is our most noble and immortal part the soule to supernall and supernaturall employments Meditation and prayer are the creatures of the holy Ghost Iude 20. and that we may not run out into extravagancies or put up yawning petitions we must watch and pray Mat. 26.41 yea watch while we are praying meditating c. against corruption within the sin that doth so easily beset us Heb. 12.1 and temptations without whether from the world the things whereof are so neer us and so naturall to us or from the devill who is ever busiest with the best as flies are with sweet-meats and with the best part of their best performances as in the end of their prayers when the heart should close up it self with most comfort Verse 2. What seest thou The sight was already in sight but the Prophet had not seen it or noted it if the Angel had not stirr'd him up to it If the Lord give us not sight as well as light if he inlighten not both Organ and Object too if he shine not into our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of himself in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor 4.5 seeing we shall see but not perceive with Hagar we shall not be able to discern the fountain that is just before us I have looked Carefully viewed the sight It is expected ut acti agamus that having a talent of grace we trade with it that our will which at first conversion was meerly passive should be afterward active that we which once were darknesse but now are light in the Lord should walk as children of light Eph. 5.9 behold a candlestick that is the Church as Rev. 1.20 all of Gold pure gold as the Candlestick in the Tabernacle Exod. 25.31 which is therefore called the pure Candlestick Lev. 24.4 Exod. 31.8 noting out the Churches purity in doctrine and manners Chrysostome that golden Preacher testifieth of some Saints in his time that they were puriores coelo purer then the visible heaven Her Nazarites were purer then the driven snow whiter them milk ruddier then rubies their polishing was of Saphire c. Lam. 4.7 with a bowle Heb. gullah an oyle-glass or oyle-cruse a hollow round vessel quod pariter Latinè rectè gulam appellas saith a Lapide which you may not unfitly call a gullet or throat for as the throat receiveth the food and transmitteth it to the stomach so did this vessel receive the oyle to be transmitted to the lamps It figured Christ in whom it pleased the Father that all fulnesse should dwell Col. 1.19 for the Churches use Ioh. 1.16 and 3.34 and his seven lamps thereon signifying the manifold graces and diversity of gifts in the Church by the same spirit of Christ 1 Cor. 12.4 6. For of his fulnesse we all receive grace for grace Iob. 1.16 and seven pipes to the seven lamps Heb. seven and seven that is seven I say seven by the figure Anadiplosis saith Sanctius This is a better glosse then that of those that say the Hebrew text is corrupted as having two sevens for one These seven pipes you must imagine to be in the bottome of the bowle to distribute the oyle to each lamp the grace of Jesus Christ to each Christian that he may shine as a lamp or luminary in the world Phil. 2.15.16 holding forth the word of life as the hand doth the torch or the watch-tower the light and so the haven to weather-beaten Mariners Verse 3. And two Olive-trees by it The two chief branches whereof through the two golden pipes empty the golden oyle out of themselves ver 12. that is the spirit of grace infuseth all precious graces much more precious then gold that perisheth though it be tried in the fire into the Church Hence grace is called the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 yea Spirit 25. Danaeus his Note here is though from these two olive trees there was continuall oyle powred into that burning candlestick that it should never dry up or be put out yet are not these olives said to be pressed by any man which notwithstanding amongst us must needs after an ordinary manner be done that the oyle may flow or run from them Neither is this oyle said to flow nor with toyle and labour to be carried from one part or place into another that there may be alwayes oyle for the candlestick but there stand these olive trees growing and dropping down oyle into the Bowle and this of themselves without the help or service of any men or oyle-mills Mr. Pemble to shew saith Another Interpreter that Gods grace only is sufficient for his Church to repaire and maintaine the same without all other meanes against all opposition of man and this is the Scope of this vision Verse 4. What are these my Lord Or Sir which English word comes from Cyrus the Persian word for a Lord or great Prince as H. Stephanus will have it Others fetch it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 authority or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lord and so the word Adoni in the text is usually rendred Others think our word Sir comes from the French Sieur whence Monsieur my Lord as the word Lord from the old Saxon Laford which commeth of Laef to sustaine like as the Hebrew Adonai from Eden a foundation or pillar that sustaineth the whole building It is written sometimes with Camets or long A in the end and then it is proper to God as having the vowels of Jehovah and is given to him 134. times in the old Testament Sometimes it is written with Bathach or short A and then it is applied to the creatures as here to the Angell Hinc Hispanorum Don saith Drusius what are these The Prophet had been before warned by the Angell to behold and heed the vision This he had done and yet was to seek of the sense and meaning of it as a man may look on a trade and never see the mystery of it or look on the hand-diall and never understand the curious clock-work within None can understand the mysterie of Christ but such as have the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2.7 11 16. such as are spiritually rationall and rationally spirituall such as are taught of God and conducted by his spirit into all truth Ioh. 16.13 No understanding of Gods riddles but by plowing with his heifer as I may say This the Prophet here knew and therefore applies himself to the Angell for information so did Daniel chap. 8.15 see chap. 9.22 Verse 5. Knowest thou not what these be Thus preparation is made to the ensuing interpretation of the vision by this dialogue that we might give better heed to that manifold wisdome of God made known to and by the Church Eph. 3.10 wherein the very Angels themselves are great students and daily proficients Docent proficiendo docendo proficiunt The best of men know not so much as they might have known Are
returning are found by computation in that 〈◊〉 set down Ezra 3.64 as the Jew-Doctours have concluded There are that understand the words of the general conversion of all the Jews in the time of the Gospel and this may very well be for ought that I see to the contrary so will 〈◊〉 you Lest you should say in the language of Ashdod 1 Sam. â— 9 It is a chance I will do it saith God and ye shall be a blessing Not onely a name and praise as Zeph. 3.20 but a form to be used in blessing of others such as was that Ruth 4 11 12. And not altogether unlike is that prayer of David Psal 119.132 Look thou upon me and be merciful unto me as thou usest to do unto those that love thy Name sow not but let your haâ—ds be strong Be not diffident but diligent in well doing in due season you shall reap Gal. â—â— if you faine not See the Note on verse 9. â—ase feare expectorates and unmans us banish it therefore or ye will be betrayed by it Verse 14. As I thought to punish you He had promised to make them of a curse a blessing and here he shews them the cause of this change namely Gods better thoughts of them and toward them upon their return unto him And because they might haply think that their Fathers had hard measure he tels them that their panishment was the fruit of their provocation And whereas they might expect that God should repent and relent toward them He shewes here that He had repented so long that He was even weary with repenting and that he therefore Jer 15.6 Crudelem â—medicum intemperans ager facit Mimus as implacable because he found them incurable Hence he resolved as Ezek. 24.13 and would not be altered Lo thou far these Jews had sound and felt Gods fingers and that in his menaces he had been as good as his word Verse 15. So again have I thought Sic conversus sum This change was not in God but in the people to whom He is now resolved to shew mercy and that from a gracious purpose and determination such as altereth not sear ye no Faith quelleth and killeth distrustful fear but awful dread it breedeth seedeth fostereth and cherisheth Verse 16. These are the things that ye shall do Heb. These are the words God will not so do all good for his people but that they should reciprocate and do somthing for him by way of thankfulnesse Particularly these are the words or commands that ye shall not onely know but do They are verba vivenda non legenda as lessons of Musick must be practised and a copy not read onely but written after speak the truth every man to his neighbour Let your words be few and ponderous Lie not in jest lest ye go to hell in earnest Let Socrates be your friend and Plato but the truth much more Rather die then lie for any cause execuse the judgment of truth and peace That is upright judgment pronounced or delivered with a calm and quiet minde not angry Jadicium pacis dâ—st placidum rite compositum Calv. Deut. 16.20 nor partial nor of any distempered or toubled affection such as hatred fear favour c. All that savours of self should be strained out and Iustice Iustice as Mâ—sâ—s speaketh that is pure justice wihout mud should run down as a river That Magistrate hath too impotent a spirit whose services like the Dial must be set onely by the Sun oâ— self and sinister respect He should have as nothing to lose so nothing to get he should be above all price or sale 2 Chro. 19.7 and 〈…〉 persons nor receive gifts Verse 17. And let none of you 〈…〉 7.10 Take notice here that as 〈…〉 proves one to he carnal Eâ—h 2.3 〈…〉 the root oâ— bitternesse Deut. 29.18 〈…〉 somthing in it that men are here 〈◊〉 to imagine evil in 〈…〉 particle in their hearts may seem 〈…〉 secret sins that lie conched in the 〈…〉 man of the heart and never shew themselves to the world men shall be accoâ—â—able See Heb. 4.12 Eccles 12.14 Jer. 6 1â— Rev. 2.23 The very want of good thoughts is a sin against that 〈◊〉 and great commandment 〈…〉 22.30 and concupiscence even before it come to consent is a sin against the last Commandement Rom. 7.7 But evil thoughts allowed and wallowed â—â— is a flat 〈◊〉 of every Commandment so vain is their plea that say Thought is fra◠〈…〉 thereupon lay the reins in the neck and run riot in vain and vile imaginations O Jerusalem wash thy heart from wickednesse if thou meanest to be saved Jer. 4.14 How many alasse have we that professe large hopes of heaven whose hearts are no better then dens of darknesse dungeons of filthâ—nesse cages 〈…〉 clean birds brothelhouses slaughter-houses pesthouses of maicious 〈…〉 Atheistical proud covetous malicious and fraudulent projects 〈…〉 continually hammering and wherewith their wretched hearts are 〈…〉 haunted and pestered Contrariwise a godly man is said to 〈…〉 Prov. 12.5 holy imaginations Prov. 12.2 and that his desire 〈◊〉 onely good Prov. 11.23 or if worse croud in as they will he rids them 〈…〉 and will not let them lodge there Ier. 4.14 he boyls out that filthy 〈◊〉 Ezek. 〈◊〉 and purifieth himself of all pollutions of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7.1 he both 〈◊〉 them Psal 119.113 and forsaketh them Esay 55.7 and love no false oath As not only he that maeth a 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 out of heaven but he that loves it though made by another â—akes it up and divulgeth it Rev. 22.15 So not onely he that taketh a 〈…〉 perswadeth another to it or that 〈…〉 is a Miosis lesse is spoken and more understood 〈…〉 God 's just hatred for all these are things that I hate saith the Lord And as the next effect of hatred is revenge he will not fail to punish such sinners against their own souls Verse 18. And the word See the of Note Verse 1. Verse 19. The fast of the fourth moneth wherein the city was taken 2 Kings 25 3. and the fast of the fift and the fast of the seventh See 〈…〉 and the fast of the tenth Wherein Jerusalem was first 〈…〉 25.1 This last mentioned was first taken up upon a like 〈…〉 Constantinople when the city was besieged by the 〈…〉 advertised of the enemies purpose for a general 〈…〉 mended the defence of himself and the city to the 〈…〉 Turk hist 〈◊〉 345. and prayer and afterwards appointed every Captain and 〈…〉 certain place of the wall for defence thereof shall be to the house of Iudah joy and 〈◊〉 God 〈…〉 into feasting all their sadnesse into gladnesse all their 〈…〉 their tears into triumphs and so gives 〈…〉 about Fasting after a larger and most 〈◊〉 preface 〈…〉 and making much more to their benefit and 〈…〉 main question proposed by them to the Prophet 〈…〉 this with them by way of 〈…〉 therefore love the truth 〈◊〉 〈…〉
hist Exod. 28.30 and as it is reported of Suetonius they took the same liberty to cry down sinne that men did to commit it Elian tells us that the High-priest among the Egyptians wore about his neck a Saphir-stone which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth This was but an apish imitation of Aarons Vrim and Thummim s. e. light of truth and integrity of life Mercuries Priests were wont to feed upon figs and then to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth is sweet It is so indeed to those that have their senses exercised to discern good and evil Heb. 5. ult But most men cannot brook down right truth the hearing of it galls them as they write of some creatures that they have fel in aure their gall in their ears Hence Truth breeds hatred and plain-dealing is generally disgusted it is bitter in the stomacks of those that hear it though sweet in the mouth of those that utter it Rev. 10.9 Micaiah would not budge or be base in his errand to Ahab though he were sure to kisse the stocks for his stoutnesse Azariah the high-Priest withstood king Vzziah to his face and put him out of the Temple Which whiles Vriah did not but wickedly complied with idolatrous Ahaz in making and setting up the altar of Damascus 2 King 16.11 16. he is branded with a black-cole for a court-parasite and shall be infamous to all posterity His contemporary Esay was of another spirit Implevit post me Num. 14.24 and fulfilled after God as it is said of Caleb He kept the law of truth in his mouth and rolled it as sugar under his tongue though he suffered for it For as Hierom tells us he was sawn asunder by his wicked countreymen for two causes First because he said he had seen the Lord. Hier. in Isa 1. ex Rabbin Secondly because he called the great Ones of Judah Princes of Sodom and Rulers of Gomorrah Quintilian saith of Vespasian the Emperour that he was patientissimus veri very patient of truth though it never so much touched him But not many such to be met with Asa though otherwise a good Prince yet fell out grievously with Gods Prophet for his plain-dealing and layed him by the heels Queen Elizabeth dealt little better with a Bishop that had in a zealous Sermon admonished her to think on her last end The Newlanders cure by Sr. Wil Vaugh. by reason of her great age which few Princes had attained unto and of the Clymactericall year of her life which happened at that time The Bishop had the Queens Apage but Gods Enge And so shall all Truths-Chaplains have however the world entertain them Wisdome shall be justified of her children Act. 20.26 27 and God will see to their safety modo audeant quae sentiunt so they shew men all the counsel of God and keep back nothing that they have in charge to deliver and iniquity was not found in his lips Heb. Crossenesse or Crookednesse Chaldee No falsenesse He did not preach distorted doctrines that produce convulsions of conscience as those Seducers did Act. 20.30 He did not handle the word of God deceitfully or fraudulently as those deceitfull workers did 2 Cor. 11.13 Neither did he broach errours and writh from the right way for self-respects setting his diall by that Sunn 1 Thess 2.3 But being of a most masculine disingaged and noble spirit that hath received the truth in the love of it he will not be drawn to falsity or faulter to huckster the word or handle it craftily and covetously but as of sincerity but as of God in the sight of God c. 2 Cor. 2.17 Without mixture of errours or humane inventions Let Pharisees soure mens soules with their leaven of false doctrine Let those Inhabitants of the Sea as they are called Rev. 12.12 Popish Padres set abroach grosse troubled brackish Tenents which rather bring barrennesse to their hearers and gnaw their bowels then either quench thirst or yeeld good fruit He that feares God can pitty poor soules made prize of by Sectaries and Seducers Col. 2.8 and knowing that he that breaketh the least of Gods commandements and teacheth men so shall be least in the kingdome of heaven Mat. 5.19 that is nothing at all there Mat. 20.16 Psal 19.104 he hateth every false way with David and takes care that no iniquity be found in his lips he walked with me in peace and equity i. e. He kept constant correspondency and communion with me so that we never disagreed or differed For can two walk together and they not agreed He was like-minded to me in all things and observed my law in every point and part thereof An high commendation and a necessary qualification in a minister that he not only talk of God but walk with him and that not loosely and at all adventures but stricktly and exactly as a pattern of the rule as a transcript of his own sermon ne verba factis deficientibus erubescant lest his words blush for want of deeds accordingy Tertull. ne virtutis stragulum pudefaciat lest he put honesty to an open shame as Antipater did when being vitious he wore a white cloke the ensigne of innocency lest his life gives his lips the lye as it fared with those Pharisees that said and did not Mat. 23.3 The foolish Virgins were found with their Sic dicentes so saying but the faithfull servants shall be found with their Sic facientes so doing And when men come to give account it shall be enquired non quid legerint sed quid egerint non quid dixerint sed quomodo vixerint not what they have taught others but what they have practised themselves Origens preaching and living were said to be both one Quod jussit gessit So did Mr. Bucer whom his friends could never sufficiently praise nor his foes in any point find fault with his singular life and sincere doctrine Bern. Act. and Mon. and did turn away many from iniquity The effect of his unspeakable labours and unblameable life was conversion of soules and those not a few God sometimes gives a Pastour after his own heart to such places where he takes but one of a city or two of a family Ier. 3.14 15. Quod si decimus quisque si unus persuasus fuerit c. saith Chrysostom If one in ten be gained nay if one of ten thousand be turned from iniquity it is a great mercy Nay saith He say that none be converted the faithful Minister that indeavours their conversion though he effect it not non minus praemii shall have no lesse reward then if he had prevailed for their conversion Some good Divines think he shall have more then those that do convert because they have praemium ante praemium that which may encourage them in Gods work but he does his utmost amidst all discouragement Well may Ephraim love to tread out the corn because while he treads Hos
mean fear of punishment is a good legall preparative to filiall the spirit of bondage to the spirit of Adoption which it introduceth as the needle or bristle doth the threed that follows it Secondly as it cannot be utterly cast out whiles we are here so it is of singular use to a Christian in his way homeward for being paâ—tly flesh and partly spirit it is profitable for the unregenerate part which is a slave and not a sonne to be contain'd in duty and restrain'd from sinne by the fear of Gods justice power and punishments And hence it is saith One that the fear of God is so much urged in Scripture Cum audis quod Dominus tuus dulcis est attende quid disigas cum audis quod rectus attende quid timeaâ— ut amore timore Dei excnatus legem ejus custodias Cass super Psal 25. Dulcis rectus Dominus Si amor Deite tenere noâ— potest saltem teneat terreat amor judicis meius gehennae laqueâ—mâ—tis â—olorâ—s injer ni ignis urens vermis corrodens c. Hug. l. 3. de anima to shew a difference between mans first integrity wherein he needed no other motive to duty then love and the renovation of Gods image in us since the fall which being but imperfect and in part onely therefore hath God purposely fixed in us the affection of fear and sanctified it in his own to the restraining of them from sin and provoking them to duty How farre forth then may it be lawfull to stand in fear of Gods wrath and judgements Quest Divines determine it thus Answ we may not fear the punishment onely and not the offence The chief object of godly fear is evil of sin a just man is one that feareth an oath Eccl. 9.2 Gods offence rather then his own distresse which appears in that however God spare him yet he will not spare himself he is a law to himself nor yet the punishment chirefly and more then the offence but the punishment must be feared with the offence the offence being feared first and most And this is both commanded by the Lord Christ q Maâ— 10.28 29. and commended unto us in the examples of David r Psal 119.120 Jostah Å¿ 2 Chron. 34.27 Habakkuk t Hab. 3.16 and diverse other saints And the reason is ready rendred by Moses Who knoweth the power of thine anger even according to thy fear so is thy wrath u Psal 90.11 that is As any man fears thy displeasure more or lesse so shall he feel it as some understand that Text. SECT IIII. Use 1. Information They that scar not God are not his and who these are by their Character out of Psal 36.1 2 3 4 c. Vse 1. NOw for Use of this point Is it so that every faithfull servant of God feareth God hence then in the first place will follow as a consectary that all such as are destitute of this reverentiall fear of the Almighty are notwitstanding all their other commendable parts and properties to be esteemed no better then gracelesse and irreligious persons Hence it is so often made the brand of a sonne of Belial that there is no fear of God before his eyes and this is purposely reserved in Scripture after a large bedroll of other abominations found in mens hearts and lives to the last place of all w Rom. 3.18 Mal. 3 5. to intimate that the want of Gods fear is the ground of all the forementioned mischiefs the mother of all the misrule in the world As in that unjust Judge for instance who was therefore unjust because he fear'd not God nor regarded man x Luk. 18.2 And surely the fear of God is not in this place therefore they will slay me said Abraham of the men of Gerar y Gen. 20.11 Lo he could promise himself no good at all of that place and people Object Sol. where God was not feared God was not feared may some say what a reason 's that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Timendus terribiliâ— per Metonyâ—â—aÌ„ Deus cui timor debetur Shindler there is no people so barbarous or person almost so bruitish that feareth not God For answer I confesse there is nothing more naturall then to stand in awe of a Deity Whence also it is that God in the Greek tongue hath his Name from fear as some derive it And the Chaldee Paraphrast sometimes useth the word Fear or Terrour for God because of the fear confessedly due to him Hence Jacob coming from Syria and being to swear to a Syrian sware by the fear of his father Isaac z Gen. 31.53 But that all fear not the true God or 2. that they do not truely fear him and so are none of his 't is more then evident First 't is certain that all men fear not the true God but some thing else which they set up in his room Who seeth not that some fear idols and devils a 1 Cor. 10.20 Lev. 17.7 Seghnirim of their horrour and terrour which they cause to men as Pagans some hee-saints and shee-saints as Papagans some the Queen of heaven b Jer. 44.17 as the superstitious person that consults his calendar and scars nothing more then to fall sick upon an evil day Some again fear diâ—grace as Saul c 1 Sam. 15.30 see Jer. 38.19 danger and displeasure of great Ones as Pilate who fear'd if he released Clirist according to his conscience Caesote * Caius Imperator should as indeed afterwards he did pull his purple over his ears and kick him off the bench * Contra propriae couscientiae testimoniuÌ„ ores sui enuntiatum he delivered up to death the Lord of life so not only drew upon Casar and his throne the guilt of innocent blood in which respect Christ is said to have been crucified at Rome Revel 11. but also ran himself at once vpon Gods and the Emperours heavy displea sure shortly after became his own deaths-man Eurrop 1.7 Eus b.l. 2 c. 7. some fear losse of goods as the rich young man that went away sorrowfull for nothing more then that Christ should require such conditions as he was not willing to yeeld to d Mat. 19 20 21 Some fear losse of liberty as those that forsook Paul the prisoner and were ashamed of his chaiâ— e 2 Tim. 4.16 some fear losse of life making much of a thing of nought f Psal 39.5 shrinking in the shoulder when called to carry the crosse of Christ or to suffer with him though it be to bee glorisied together g Rom. 8.17 Thus men can make a shift to fear any thing so what they should fear God I mean 〈◊〉 proper object of this and all other our affections whatsoever There is I confesie a â—nd of fear of God abusively * Timor Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sic appellatus Polan Synt. so called a generall fear a
Christo Calvin in loc He looks upon such as serve him in sincerity as upon sons and daughters 2. That he will surely shew like mercies and mildnesse to his children in their faults and failings in their wants and weaknesses as the kindest father would do to his dearest son that serveth him For the former point The promise of pardon is here fitly made sub patris parabola saith Gualther under the similitude of a father Figuier in loc And the sense is thus much saith another Interpreter although I seem for a time to the blinde moles of the world to be negligent of those that are diligent about me of my best and busiest servants yet I think upon them still as my dearest children and when I may be thought most carelesse and cruel towards them then am I a most propitious and sin-pardoning father fully reconciled unto them in Christ for there comes in the kinred according to that of our Saviour in his message by Mary to his distressed disciples after his resurrection I ascend unto your father Iohn 20.17 and my father mine and yours and therefore yours because mine For as many as received him saith St. Iohn to them he gave priviledge to become the sons of God Ioh. 1.12 And again when the fulnesse of time was come saith another Apostle God sent forth his son his natural onely begotten son made of a woman and so by personal union of the two natures in one Christ his son by a new relation Gal. 4.4 according to that This day have I begotten thee and all to the end that we may receive the adoption of sons That we which by nature were children of wrath and by practise children of the devil might by divine acceptation and grace be made the children of God who had predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will Ephe. 1.4 5. to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved One. SECT I. Reasons hereof drawn from the causes IN which heavenly Text Reas 1 we have the first and chief ground of this doctrine drawn from the causes of our spiritual sonship 1. The fundamental and original cause Gods decree of election by grace we have an act for it in Gods eternal counsel According as he hath chosen us in Christ before the soundation of the world c. For which cause also the predestinate are called the Church of the first-born who are written in heaven Heb. 12.23 And whom he did foreknow saith Saint Paul them he did predestinate also to be conformed to the image of his son like him in glory as well as in sufferings like in being sons as he is a son that he might be even according to his humanity the first-born among many brethren Rom. 8.29 2. The meritorious and procuring or working cause of our adoption is here set forth to be the Lord Christ in whom he as a father hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things Ephe. 1.3 but all in Christ and all in this order A christian by the Gospel is made a beleever Now faith afteran unspeakable manner engrafteth him into the body of Christ the natural son and hence we become the adopted sons of God it being the property of faith to adopt as well as to justifie ratione objecti by means of the object Christ up whom faith layeth hold For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Gal. 3.26 Children I say not by creation as Adam is called the son of God Luk. 3. because he was produced in the similitude of God but by marriage and mystical union with Christ the fecond Adam the heir of all who hath 1. Laid down the price of that great priviledge Heb. 9.15 even his own most precious blood redeeming us thereby that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons Gal. 45. 2. He hath sealed it up to us by his spirit that earnest of our inheritance Eph. 1.13 called therefore the spirit of adoption and the spirit of Gods son as springing out of his death Rom. 8.15 Joh. 16.14 Gal 4.6 and procured by his intercession For because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying Abba father 3. Here is the motive and impulsive cause and that is the good pleasure of his will Joh. 1.12 1 John 3.1 2 Tim. 1. vlt. his absolute independent grace and mercy was the sole inductive He giveth us this dignity saith St Iohn in his Gospel And what more free then gift he sheweth us this love saith he in his epistle because it was the time of love that we should be called the sons of God So that our Adoption is not a priviledge purchased by contract of justice Rom. 8.23 Prov. 16.4 but an inheritance cast upon us of free grace and goodnesse The Lord shew mercy to Onesiphorus in that day when our adoption shal be crowned with its ful accomplishment Lastly here we have the final cause of our adoption â—heprâ—â—ise of the glory of his grace This is the end God propounds to himself in this as in all other his works as having none higher then himself to whom to have respect for he is the most highest God hath made all things for himself yea the wicked also for the day of evil viz. for the glory of his Justice and power as he told Pharaoh Rom. 9.17 but especially of his grace sith all that his justice doth in the Reprobation of some tendeth to this ultimate end of all that the riches of his grace may be the more displayed in the election of others SECT II. Reasons from the effects of his father-hood A Second reason followeth from the effects and those are no lesse demonstrative of the point then the causes Reas 2 These are 1. Gods fatherly affections 2. His expressions both which speake him a father to all his For his affection first to his people Albeit they be but his Adopted children yet he loves them more then any naturall father doth his own bowels Jam. 1. ult Hence he is called the father by an eminency as if there were no father to him none like him none besides him as indeed there is not originally and properly Called he is the father of all mercies Eph. 3.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paternitas paerentela Math. 23.9 the fountaine of all that mercy that is found in any father all is but a spark of his flame a drop of his ocean Yea he is stiled the father of all the fatherhoods in heaven and earth Whence also our Saviour Call no man saith He your father on earth for one is your father even God To enter comparison in some few particulars First a father loves freely not so much for that his child is witty or wealthy Patriam amat quisque nonquia
Iohn Careles 110.1 When the righteous shine as bright as silver upon the celestiall shelf as that martyr said and surpass us as farr as the lily doth the thorns Cant. 2.2 or as the gold doth the coals in the goldsmiths shop yea they are the throne of Christ Exod. 17.16 his Iewels Mal. 3.17 his ornament Ezek. 7.20 the beauty of his ornament and that set in majesty ib. a royall diadem on the head of Jehovah Esay 62.3 and so they shall one day appear to be though now they do not 1 Ioh. 3.2 it shall be no hard matter to discern them Between the righteous and the wicked Here they are together in the church militant and ever have been Sinners in Sion Isa 33.14 sacrificing Sodomites Isa 1.10 a devill in Christs family Ioh. 13.10 All men have not faith 2 Thess 3.2 all the Lords people are not holy Num. 16.3 that any are 't is just wonder What is man that he should be clean and he which is born of a woman that he should be righteous Iob 15.14 None are so but such as are arraied with that fine white linnen and shining the righteousnesses of the saints Rev. 19.8 that twofold righteousnesse Imputed and Imparted of Justification and of Sanctification See both 1 Cor. 6.11 and seek after both by Christs Merit and Spirit by his Value and Vertue He is Iehovah our righteousnesse Ier. 23.5 and of his fulnesse we all receive Ioh. 1.16 He it is that makes us to differ from the wicked of the world that have hearts full of hell and are ever either hatching cockatrices eggs or at best weaving spiders webbs vanity or villany is their whole practise The best among them would serve god and yet retain their lusts too as Solomon thought he could follow sinfull pleasures and yet keep his wisdome And with such we must converse whiles in this world Tares will be with the wheat goats among the sheep righteous and wicked together God permits it so to be for the glory of his free grace and for the triall and exercise of his people Our care must be the greater for evill men indanger good men as weeds do the corn as bad humours the blood or an infected house the neighbourhood We must resolve as Ioshuah to serve the Lord howsoever because a difference shall be one day set between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Where we see that not serving of God not sacrificing is a sinne Eccles 9 2. Not robbing onely but the not relieving of the poor was the rich mans ruin Not gluttony onely but overmuch abstinence may overthrow the body Omission of diet breeds diseases so doth omission of duties and makes work for hell or for the Physitian of our souls Let us therefore have grace whereby we may serve God with reverence and godly fear Heb. 12.27 Serve him as old Zachary in his Canticle saith we should do Luke 1.74 75. First out of sense of his dear love in our deliverance by Christ whereinto the deeper we dive the sweeter Servati sumus ut serviamus This will make us love to be his servants Esay 56.7 fervent in spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12.12 Secondly serve him without fear slavish fear serve him with an holy security in full assurance of his gracious assistance and acceptance yea though thorough infirmity we misse or marre his work yet he will spare us Mal. 3.17 Thirdly serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse in all parts and points of duty shew your integrity both for subject and object not picking or chusing ' your work nor sticking at any thing but willing in all things to please God He doth not Gods but his own will that doth no more then himself will Fourthly serve him sincerely in holinesse and righteousnesse before him or as in his presence Set the Lord ever at your right hand look him full in the face approve your hearts and lives unto him do him but eye-service and it sufficeth Fifthly serve him constantly all the dayes of your lives hire your selves to him for terme of life why should you desire to shift or fleet where can you mend your selves either for fairnesse of work or fulnesse of wages Can the son of Iesse give you vineyards c. said Saul to his servants so may God say Can the world do for you as I both can and will if you cleave to me with full purpose of heart Sure it cannot c. FINIS An Alphabeticall Table of all the Principall things contained in this whole WORK A ABstinence Pag. 265 Admonition rejected p. 60 61. the best need it p. 480. Râ—ch 1. admonished by an Hermite p. 321 Adoption the whole Doctrine of it p. 912 913 914 915 916 c. Adultery goeth along with idolatry p. 69 70 71. punished p. 57 664 Affliction is Gods thorn-hedge p. 27. 't is usefull p. 26. humblâ—th us p. 89. teacheth us 90. maketh us pray ib. is Gods vocall instruction to us 377. Comforts under it 385. Difference of afflictions that befall saints and sinners 414 421. Saints are thereby purged 591 592 661 662. tried 593. gratified 593. How to live by faith in affliction 888 889. Despondency under affliction reproved 890. Suffer it patiently 891 892. though not presently delivered 893. Helps thereunto ib. 894. God a Father to his afflicted 928 Alchymy a pick-purse p. 420 Alexander M. meeting the high-priest p. 520 Ambition unsatisfiable p. 422 Amos who p. 221 Amurath 3 stabbed to death p. 579 Angels readily serve the Saints p. 504 537. and why 504. they are our Gardians 512. heavenly spirits c. 537 Anger rash the evil of it p. 326 Antiquity falsified by Papists p. 561 Apostasie p. 67. Apostates 74â— it is very dangerous 178 Apparrell pride in it condemned p. 448 Assurance labour after it p. 153 208. be not unsetled 618 Astrologie judiciary condemned p. 446 Atheists practicall p. 450 B BAal who p. 30. Baalim what 37 B. Babingtons three-leaved book p. 686 Baptisme promised p. 583 Bastards reproached p. 652 Bath of Christs Blood p. 660 Beauty lovely p. 281. stained with evil manners 408 Be Best in worst times and why 695 696 697 698 c. Blasphemy punished p. 676 Blood-guiltinesse wofull p. 406 Borbonius anagrammatized p. 23 Bribery condemned p. 73 354 382 C CAlling of the Gentiles p. 623 Get a lawfull Calling p. 309 Calvins Institutions when and why written p. 273. Calvin belied by A Lapide p. 601 Cardinals pompous creation p. 25 Censure not others harshly p. 936 937 940 Chemarims who p. 446 Children soon corrupted p. 83. unnaturall children 384. degenerate children 642. a fathers huge love to his children 585. Sennacherib why slain by his own sons 399 Church described by her afflictions p. 594. restlesse here 504. is invincible 527 576. is under persecution 594. she shall be delivered 887. onely she must pray for it 888. she is married to Christ 897 hath him for her Head 13 Christ his yoke is