Spirit of his mouth that is Jehovah by his Eternall Son and Spirit made all things The heavens and their host are there expressed by a Synecdoche of the part for the whole creation or for all creatures both in heaven and in earth Againe Psal 104.30 Thou sendest forth thy Spirit they are created The Spirit of God creates every day what is it that continueth things in their created being but providence That 's a true axiome in Divinity Providence is creation continued Now the Spirit of God who created at first creates to this day Thou sendest forth thy Spirit they are created The work of creation was finished in the first six dayes of the world but the work of creation is renewed every day and so continued to the end of the world Successive providentiall creation as well as originall creation is ascribed to the Spirit The Scripture is full of arguments to prove that the holy Ghost is God Which because this fundamentall truth is blasphemously spoken against I shall a little touch upon First As the Spirit createth and makes the naturall man consisting of body and soule so he regenerateth which is a greater creation the whole into a spirituall man therefore he is God John 3.5 Except a man be borne againe of water and of the Spirit that is of the Spirit who is as water he cannot enter into the kingdome of God The holy Ghost is also call'd The sanctifier sanctification is regeneration in progress and motion regeneration is sanctification begun and sanctification is regeneration perfecting from day to day 2 Thes 2.13 We are bound to give thanks to God for you brethren beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and beliefe of the truth And the Apostle Peter writes to the Elect 1 Pet 1 2. according to the foreknowledge of God the father through sanctification of the Spirit Now who can doe these great things but God who can regenerate or give a new nature who can sanctifie or perfect that new nature but God alone Men and Angels must let these workes alone for ever or as we translate Psal 49.8 these acts cease for ever from men and Angels as much as the redemption of man from the grave or from hell from corruption or condemnation Secondly The Spirit is omniscient He knoweth all things 1 Cor 1.12 2 10.19 The Spirit knoweth all things yea the deep things of God He is not only acquainted with and privie to the surface and outside of things but he searcheth things to the bottom of them Nor doth he search only the deepe or bottome things of common men or of the chiefest of men Kings and Princes whose hearts are usually as much deeper then other mens as their persons and places are higher but the Spirit searcheth the deep things the bottome things of God the things of God that lye lowest and most out of sight the Spirit understandeth therefore the Spirit is God For as the Apostle argueth 1 Cor 2.11 No man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man that is in him even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God or he that is God if the spirit that is in man were not man or the intellectuall power in man it could never know the things of man and if the Spirit of God were not God he could never search and know the deep the deepest things of God Thirdly As the Spirit of God knoweth all things as he searcheth the deep things even all the secrets and mysteries of God so he teacheth all things even all those secrets and mysteries of God which 't is needful or useful for man to know The Spirit is a teacher and he teacheth effectually Joh 16.13 When the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himselfe that is he shall not teach you a private doctrine or that which is contrary to what ye have learned of me but whatsoever he shall heare that shall he speake and he will shew you things to come Which last words are A fourth argument that he is God As the Spirit teacheth so he foretelleth all things 1 Tim 4.1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressely that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devills The Spirit of God clearly foreseeth and infallibly foretelleth what shall be before it is therefore he is God The Lord by his holy Prophet Isa 41.23 challengeth all the false Idol gods of the Heathen to give that proofe of their Divinity Shew the things that are to come hereafter that we may know that ye are Gods As if he had sayd Doe that and we will yield the cause Men and Devills may guesse at but none can indeed shew things to come but God Fifthly The Spirit appoints to himselfe officers and ministers in the Church therefore he is God Acts 13.2 The holy Ghost said separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them Sixthly The holy Ghost furnisheth those Officers whom he calleth with power and gifts as he pleaseth that they may be fit for the work or ministery of the Gospel 1 Cor 12.8.11 To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdome to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit c. But all these worketh that one and the selfe-same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will Now who can give wisdome and knowledge who can give them prerogatively following in this distribution or division of gifts no rule nor giving any other reason of it but his owne will except God only Seventhly The holy Ghost is sinned against therefore he is God Some possibly may object and say This is not a convincing or demonstrative argument that the holy Ghost is God because he is sinned against For man may sin against man All second table sins are sins against our Neighbour and the Apostle tells the Corinthians 1 Ep 8.12 that while they used their lawfull liberty in eating with offence they sinned against the Brethren I answer Whosoever is properly sinned against is God because God is the Law-giver And though many actions of men are direct wrongs to man yet in every wrong done to man God also is wronged and in strict sence he only is sinned against by man For the reason why any action is a wrong to man is because it is against some Law of God And if to be sinned against in strict sence be proper to God only then the argument stands good that the Holy Spirit is God because he is sinned against especially if we consider that there is such an Emphasis put upon sinning against the holy Ghost in the holy Scripture more if possible then upon sinning against the Father or the Son Math 12.31 Wherefore I say unto you saith Christ All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto
we cannot but speak the things that we have seene and heard you may cut out our tongues if ye will take away the organs of speech ye may but otherwise we cannot but speak As it is said of Christ they could not resist the Spirit by which he spake so they were not able to resist the Spirir by which the Apostles spake Some have such Impulses from the Devill upon them that they cannot but speak boldly as well as wickedly and blasphemously it is strange to see what some both old and new Impostors have done their bellyes have been like bottles full of new wine they have even burst to vent their wicked opinions Esuris suit auditores quibus omne quod sentit effundat quibus qualâ— quantus sit innotescat Non curat te docere vel a te doceri quod nescit sed ut scire sciatur quod scit Bernard Bernard discoursing of such an Opinionist in his time saith He hungers and thirsts for Auditors into whose bosomes he might empty himselfe and powre out all his sentiments that he might appeare who and how great a man he was He careth not to teach thee what thou knowest not nor to be taught by thee what he doth not know but that himselfe may be knowne to know what he knoweth Now if there be such pressures upon the spirits of vaine men to be delivered of their false and ayery concepâ—ions How much more when a man hath strong impressions from the Spirit of God 't is discernable by the matter that comes out of the bottle whether it be the wine of Sodâ—me or of Sion is he unable to containe himselfe Such a man must speake not only to instruct and refresh others but as it followeth in the next verse to ease and refresh himselfe Vers 20. I will speak that I may be refreshed The Hebrew is That I may breath or I may have roome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 latus dilatatus recreatuâ— loquar mihi latum erit i. e. erit mihi dilatio recreatio Merc Per verba evaporata interiorem fervorem ab anxietate â—esiderij requiescam .. Aquin The word properly signifies that which is enlarged or widened when a vessell is full and you draw some of the liquor out of it then there is room So saith Elihu I will speak that I may be refreshed or have roome I will open my lips and answer To open the lips is a preparation to speaking Christ opened his mouth and spake speaking is begun with opening the mouth a man may open his lips for other ends then for speaking and a dumbe man opens his lips who cannot speake yet no man can speak without opening his lips and why did Elihu open his lips it was to refresh himselfe Hence note He that speaks his minde easeth his minde 'T is good to speak to refresh our selves but 't is much better to speak for the refreshing of others yea we should speak though to our own paine that we may refresh others and speak away their paine Isa 50.4 Thou hast given me the tongue of the learned to speak a word in season to him that is weary They are good words indeed which refresh both the speaker and the hearers But the designe of speaking is rather for the refreshing of hearers then of the speaker How vainly then doe they spend their breath in speaking who speak without any designe of good or of refreshing either to themselves or others who speak only to be applauded and taken notice of to be cryed up and commended for eloquent speakers These are sad designes of speaking better be a stammerer then such an Orator better be dumb and not able to speake then to speak for such ends with greatest ability Unlesse we speak that others may be informed converted comforted edified saved some way or other bettered we were as good hold our peace and say nothing The holy Apostle professed 1 Cor 14.19 I had rather speak five words with my understanding that I might teach others also then ten thousand words in an unknowne tongue To speak strange words in an unknowne tongue may gaine us a name among men But neither are any soules gained nor doth any soule gaine the worth of one farthing in spirituall knowledge by hearing thousands and ten thousands of words spoken in an unknowne tongue We should thinke all those words even as lost to us by which we have not at least intended the gaine and good of others But suppose while we sincerely intend the good of others in speaking they get no good by what is spoken yet it shall not be without good to us for as Elihu here hoped so may we to be refreshed by it for when a man hath discharged his duty to God and man in speaking his mind it cannot but be a great ease to his minde Elihu had a great duty upon him to moderate and set this businesse right between Job and his friends to take downe that height of spirit that was in Job and to allay that sharpnesse and bitternesse of spirit that was in his friends When we have in sincerity discharged our duty to all others and done that which our Consciences charge upon us how doth it quiet and refresh our minds and how many have been burdened and disquieted in their spirits for neglecting this duty They I say who neglecting to speake when it was incumbent upon them to speak and the cause of God required it have found it a burden upon them long after When Mordecai had acquainted Queene Ester with the sad condition of the Jewes whose destruction Haman had plotted and advised the messenger to charge her that she should goe in unto the King to make supplication unto him and to make request before him for her people Est 4.8 She returned him answer by the same messenger that she could not doe this without running the hazzard of her owne life v. 10 11. yet Mordecai replyed v. 14. If thou Altogether holdst thy peace let the danger be what it will at this time then shall their enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jewes from another place but thou and thy fathers house shall be destroyed and who knowes whether thou art come to the kingdome for such a time as this As if he had sayd It is thy duty to speake for thy people at such a time as this and therefore if thou doest not breake through all difficulties to speake thy silence will cost thee deare probably thou wilt loose thy owne life by it or if not then certainly thy conscience will trouble and vex thee for it as long as thou livest Many offend in speaking and we may in many cases offend both God and man yea our selves too when we see our opportunities lost by neglecting to speake JOB Chap. 32. Vers 21 22. Let me not I pray you accept any mans person neither let me give flattering titles unto man For I know not to give flattering titles in so
purpose Lastly consider God withdraweth man from his sinfull purpose all or any of these wayes by putting forth his mighty power with them For his word alone his works alone his patience alone the counsell of man alone would not doe it if God did not stretch forth his own arme in and with these meanes for the doing of it Nothing is any further efficacious then as God is with it Numb 22. Balaam was going on in his wicked purpose being sent for by Balak to curse the people of God And though the Lord sent his Angell to be an adversary to him in his way vers 22. so that his Asse turned out of the way into the field yet Balaam went on in his purpose yea though the Angell standing between two walls caused his Asse to turne so suddenly that she crusht Balaams foot against the wall vers 25. yet Balaam went on in his purpose Once more though the Angell went further and stood in a narrow way where there was no way to turne to the right hand nor to the left so that the poor Asse fell down under him v. 27. and speaking as the Apostle Peter expresseth it 2 Epist 2. with mans voyce rebuked the madnesse of the Prophet Yet so mad he was that all these checks and warnings could not withdraw him from his purpose And what the Lord did at that time to Balaam by an Angell that he doth by some other means and providences to stop many from their evill purposes who yet will not be stopt He speaks to them in the ministry of his word he speaks to them in his works he spreads their way with roses he hedgeth up their way with thorns he bestoweth sweet mercies upon them he sends sharp afflictions upon them to withdraw them from their evill projects and purposes yet on they goe like Balaam unlesse he send more then an Angell even his holy Spirit to withdraw them Lastly Elihu reports it as a speciall favour of God to withdraw man from his purpose Whence note It is a great mercy to be hinder'd in sinfull purposes and intendments Disappointments are acts of grace when we are acting against grace If God stop us from doing evill not onely by his word but by blowes or by a hedge of thorns yea if he stop us by a drawn sword it is a great mercy Though God throw us to the ground as he did Saul afterwards Paul when he went with a bloody purpose to vex and persecute the Saints Acts 9. let us count our selves exalted and rejoyce in it more then in any worldly exaltation 'T is a rich mercy to be kept from executing an evill purpose though by our owne poverty and outward misery The doing of that which is sinfull is worse then any thing that can be done to us or endured by us as a stop against sin Sin hath death in it sin hath wrath in it sin hath hell in it sin hath Devill and all in it therefore to be kept from sin let it be by what means it will if by paines and pining sicknesses if by reproaches and disgraces yea if by death we have cause to blesse God The greatest and sorest Judgement which God powres upon sinfull men is to let them alone in or not to withdraw them from their sins To be suffered to goe on and prosper in sin is the worst of sufferings the last of Judgements the next Judgement to hell it selfe and an infallible signe of an heire of hell Thus the wrath of God waxed hot against Israel when he gave them up to their owne hearts lusts and they walked in their owne Councel Psal 81.11 This was the highest revenge that God could take upon that sinfull people He sayd a little before Israel would none of me when God wooed them they were so coy they would have none of him and then said he goe on take your fill of sin I give you up to your owne hearts lusts The Lord did not say I gave them up to the sword to the famine or to the pestilence but to their owne hearts lusts and to walke on in their own way That person or people may be sure God hath purposed evill against them whom he will not withdraw from their evill purposes The severity of the wrath of God against the Gentiles is exprest and summ'd up in this Rom 1.26 28. He gave them up to vile affections he gave them up to a reprobate mind to doe things which were not convenient A naturall man left to himselfe will soone doe such things as nature it selfe abhorreth and blusheth at The same dreadfull doome is denounced Rev 22.11 He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is filthy let him be filthy still I will not withdraw him from his way let him goe on and perish let him goe on and sink downe to the pit of perdition for ever As St. John in the Revelation foretelling the Church given up or left to not in great sufferings of all sorts Here is the patience of the Saints So when we see the world given up and left in great sinnings of any sort especially if to sinnings of all sorts we may truely and sadly say Here is the wrath of God 'T is therefore a great mercy if God will any way withdraw man from his sinfull wayes and purposes especially when he taketh such gentle wayes as dreams and visions counsels and instructions to withdraw man from his purpose and as it followeth in this verse to hide pride from man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 texit operuit imponendo aliquid quo tegas The word which we render to hide is to hide by casting a covering a vayle a garment or any other thing over what we desire should be hid Prov 12.23 A prudent man concealeth knowledge it is this word he doth not pretend to know so much as he knoweth he puts a vayle upon his own abilities as Moses upon his face when there was such a shining beauty imprinted there rather then reveales them unnecessarily or uncalled 'T is the foolish man or he that hath but a shew of wisdome who loves and affects to be shewing it But to the text The word is used also to note that gracious act of God his pardoning the sin of man Psal 32.1 Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is covered God covers our sins in the riches of his grace by the perfect righteousnesse of Jesus Christ Now there are two wayes by which God hideth pride from man First by pardoning it Secondly preventing it Here to hide pride from man properly is not to pardon it when acted but to prevent or keep man from the acting of it God indeed hides the pride of man by pardoning it and that 's a high act of grace and he hideth pride from man by keeping man from doing proudly or from shewing his pride in his doings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 superbia excellentia The word rendred pride
his soule v. 26. He shall pray and God shall be favourable to him and he shall see his face with joy for he will render to man his righteousness Thus you have the parts and purpose of these words I shall now proceed to the particulars If there be a messenger with him Hypothetica locutio significat libertatem dei in conferendo hoc beneficio Indicatio contingit quibus deus vult Coc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 missus legatus nuncius These words are Hypotheticall or by way of supposition if there be noting that it is not alwayes so every one hath not this mercy to have a messenger sent him it 's a speciall priviledge granted by God to some If there be A messenger What or who is this messenger The word in the Hebrew hath a three-fold signification all which are insisted upon by interpreters upon this place First It signifieth an Angel Now Angels properly taken are spirituall or incorporeall substances whose both office and high dignity it is to attend about the throne of God and to be sent forth upon his speciall service Psal 103.20 Bless the Lord ye his Angels that excell in strength that doe his commandements and hearken to the voyce of his word God hath thousand thousands of these servants ministring to him and ten thousand times ten thousand standing before him Dan 7.10 Some stay upon this exposition affirming that here we are to understand an Angel by nature And hereupon ground the ministring of Angels to those who are either sick in body or troubled in mind Yea the Popish writers would hence prove the intercession of Angels for man and mans invocation of Angels but though the exposition be granted yet it yeilds no ground for this Inference For what though God should send an Angel to instruct and comfort a sick man will it therefore follow that the sick man should pray to him and so give him the honour which is due to God Secondly The word is applyed in particular to Jesus Christ the uncreated Angel or the creating Angel the Lord of Angels who by way of eminency is called The Angel of his presence Isa 63.9 and the Angel or messenger of the Covenant Mal 3.1 He also was that Angel of whom the Lord spake to the children of Israel Exod 23.20 saying Vides quam clarè hoc loco Elihu de Christo concionetur per quem omnis conscientia quontumcunque per legem occisa vivificatur per quem omnis crux vitae et liberationis initium est Brent Behold I send an Angel before thee to keepe thee in the way and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared Beware of him and obey his voyce provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions if you persist in them for my name is in him that is he is of the same nature with my selfe and with that nature he hath my name Jehovah Thus some carry it here as if Elihu specially intended the ministration of Jesus Christ the Angel of the Covenant to the sick sinner for his restoring both as to the health of soule and body 'T is true Jesus Christ is the great Angel or messenger and he primarily and chiefly doth all the business for poore sinners he is the messenger sent from God and he is the interpreter of the mind of God he came from the bosom of the father and reveales the mysteries of heaven to us by his holy Spirit He indeed is the one of a thousand the chiefest of ten thousand to shew unto man his uprightness Yet I conceive that in this place not the Lord of Angels alone but some Angel of the Lord is also intended And therefore Thirdly The word Angel is applyable to every Messenger The Scripture gives it first to those that are sent by men about any errand or business 1 Sam 23.27 But there came a messenger unto Saul saying hast thee and come for the Philistims have invaded the land We read of an evill messenger Pro 13.17 who is either such a one as brings an evill message or is himselfe evill Isa 14.32 What shall one then answer to the messengers of the Nation the Lord hath founded Zion and the poore of his people shall trust in it And as it notes a messenger first by man so a messenger sent by God The ancient Prophets were in this sence the Angells of God his messengers and so are the Ministers of the Gospel at this day The Epistles to the seaven Churches are all directed to the Angells of the Churches that is to the severall Pastors or Ministers of the Churches respectively And thus we may conclude that by the messenger in this text we are to understand any faithfull Minister of Christ sent to convince convert or comfort a sick troubled soule And as was intimated before we may very well gather up both these latter interpretations into one that which applyeth it to Christ and that which applyeth it to the Ministers of Christ For so we have here both the author and the instrument of this comfort to the sick man Jesus Christ is the chiefe messenger and comforter of poore sinners and the Ministers of the Gospel are instruments in his hand sent out by him for the perfecting of that worke The word is applyed to both Mal 3.1 Nuncius est propheta aliquis seu doctor à deo missus Pisc Behold I will send my messenger or my Angel and he shall prepare the way before me John the Baptist was Christs messenger as Christ himselfe an infallible interpreter assureth us Math 11.10 And presently it follows The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple even the messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in Behold he shall come saith the Lord of hosts In the first part of the verse John is called the Lords messenger and in the latter part Christ is called the Lords messenger Both were messengers yet with a mighty difference and therefore John the messenger of Christ saith of Christ the messenger Math 3.11 He that cometh after me is mightier then I whose shoes I am not worthy to beare And againe John 1.26 He it is that coming after me is preferred before me whose shoes latchet I am not worthy to unloose If there be a messenger Hence note First The Ministers of Christ are the messengers of Christ Christ is the fathers messenger and they are messengers sent out by Christ As my father hath sent me so send I you said Christ to his Apostles John 20.21 And though that Title of Apostle which signifieth One sent or a Messenger be most properly attributed to those who were immediately called and inspired by Christ yet in an allayed sence it may be applyed commodiously enough to any true Minister of the Gospel for he also is sent he hath both his mission and commission mediately from Christ Yea the word Apostle is applyed in common to all or
for all the comforts of this and the next life All the blessings of this temporall life and the perfect blessedness of eternall life are comprehended in light So that when 't is sayd his life shall see the light the sence riseth thus high He shall be happy forever so extensive is the favour of God to repenting persons that time is too narrow for it everlasting light shall be their portion From the former branch of the words thus opened He will deliver him from the pit Observe All our deliverances are of God As there is none can deliver like God so none can deliver but God If he gives out the word that such a man shall goe to the pit it is not in the power and skill of all the Princes and Physitians in the world to save or stay him from it And how low and desperate soever any mans condition is if God say the word he is deliver'd and reprieved from going downe into the pit Secondly From the connexion with the former verse the sick man having made this confession I have sinned and perverted that which is right and it profiteth me not the Lord presently delivers him c. Observe God is ready to deliver humble praying and believing sinners That command hath a promise joyned to it Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver The 107th Psalme speakes this quite through where we find many sorts of perishing persons crying unto God and God delivering them from perishing when they cryed As when sin cryeth God will afflict so when sinners cry God will relieve them in or bring them out of their affliction From the latter branch His life shall see the light Note Naturall life and light are a great blessing God promiseth much when he promiseth life and light The light of this life is no small mercy how much greater is the light of spirituall life But who can conceive how great a mercy the light of eternall life is yet all this God speakes to the humble and believing sinner when he saith His life shall see the light Secondly Comparing the two parts of this text together He will deliver him from going downe to the pit and his life shall see the light Observe The mercy of God to humble sinners is a compleate mercy Here is not only deliverance from evill but the bestowing of good it is much to be kept from going downe into the pit but it is more to see light the light of comfort here and the light of glory hereafter The mercy of God to his people is great in temporalls greater in spiritualls greatest in eternalls The benefit of redemption to shew the fullness of it is set forth two wayes First by our freedome from evill Secondly by our enjoyment of good John 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life He shall not perish that is he shall be delivered from going downe to the pit he shall have everlasting life that is as the text speakes his life shall see the light Elihu having at large drawne a description or narration of the whole proceeding of God with sinfull man in all the parts and particulars of it gives a briefe of all that he sayd in the two next verses Vers 29. Lo all these things worketh God oftentimes with man Vers 30. To bring back his soule from the pit to be enlightned with the light of the living As the Apostle after he had discoursed at large about the dignity of Christs Priest-hood gathers up all together Heb 8.1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum we have such an high Priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens So Elihu having spoken much of the severall wayes by which God revealeth himselfe to man and works him to a sight of his sin and penitentiall sorrow for it recollects and summes up all in these words Lo all these things worketh God oftentimes with man c. In these two verses we may take notice chiefly of two things First The frequency of Gods dealing thus with man v. 29th Lo all these things worketh God oftentimes Secondly The designe and purpose of God in doing so That he may bring back his soule from the pit and be enlightned with the light of the living Lo all this worketh God oftentimes with man Here 's the application of the former Doctrine Elihu presseth his hearers with it and bids them lay it to heart As if he had sayd I have not been speaking of things in the clouds but of what is really and dayly acted among the children of men Lo or behold all these things There are foure speciall significations in Scripture of this word Lo or behold and they may all foure meete in this place First It imports some new unheard-of and wonderfull thing Isa 7.14 Lo or behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son That a virgin should bring forth a son is a wonder of wonders a wonder so much above the course and power of Nature so much beyond the compasse comprehension of reason that men and Angels have reason to be astonished at it Secondly 'T is prefixed to shew some extraordinary impulse or readinesse of spirit for action Thus Christ speaketh in that other noble prophecy of him Psal 40.7 Then said I Lo I come in the volume of the book it is written of me I delight to doe thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart Lo I come that is I am ready to come I am prest upon the work I am under the pressure and command of my own spirit as well as under thy appoyntment and decree to undertake and finish that worke of mans redemption Thirdly It frequently implyeth matter worthy of weight and deepest consideration That 's usefull and remarkeable which is thus prefaced Thus Solomon speaking of the field of the slothfull man saith Prov 24.31 Lo it was all growne over with thorns and nettles had covered the face thereof and the stone wall thereof was broken downe As if he had sayd Marke this is a thing to be attended the sluggards field is full of thorns that is in a spirituall sence slothfull hearts are full of lusts and vanities In this language the Church invites all to consider the Glorious excellencies of God Isa 29.9 Lo this is our God And thus Christ speakes of the woman whom he had healed on the Sabbath day Luke 13.16 And ought not this woman being a daughter of Abraham whom Satan hath bound lo these eighteene yeares be loosed from her infirmity on the Sabbath day As if he had sayd Pray consider the case and speake your mindes Fourthly 'T is often used in a way of strong assertion and affirmation intimating the certainty of what is spoken Gen 1.29 And God said Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed And
sense for death is a passing away a passing out of this world Psal 37.36 Transire intelligo non pro migrare aliò sed pro abire in sepulchrum Merc Loe he passed away and was gone that is he died And that which is as death to the heavens and the earth their great change when ever it shall be is called a passing away Math 5.18 Till heaven and earth passe away one jot or one tittle shall in no wise passe away from the Law till all be fullfilled that is the Law shall stand in force as long as the world stands Thus to passe away is to die But I conceive we are to expound this third branch of the Judgement distinctly from the former two and therefore for as much as we have death in the first words it will not be proper to take in death here againe or to expound passing away by dying The third notion of they shall passe away is they shall run or flee for it they know not whether they shall flee for their lives from the danger impending over them As some shall die and all be troubled so not a few shall endeavour to save their lives by flight Christ in the Gospel foretold the great troubles and afflictions which should come upon Jerusalem and in them there was a sad concurrence or meeting of these three Judgments in the text For when after forty yeares the Romans invaded and ruin'd their City many dyed were destroyed by sword and famine all the people were troubled Oh in what a hurry were they to see the Romane Eagle displayed before their Gates and then they passed away that is as many as could withdrew and got out of the danger It is reported in history that before the Seidge of that City a voyce was heard in Jerusalem saying Migremus hinc let us passe from hence they who believed that warning departed soone after And as some passed away before the Judgement came so when it was come many were striving to be gone or to passe away Therefore Christ admonished them Math 24.20 Pray that your flight be not in the winter nor on the Sabath day I conceive we are to understand this text distinctly of such a passing away In a moment shall they die and the people shall be troubled at midnight and passe away they shall doe what they can to secure themselves by out-running the danger Note from it First God hath variety of meanes to humble a sinfull people Into how many wayes doe the Judgements of God divide themselves severall persons beare severall parts here is death to many trouble to all flight to some That in the Prophet answers it fully Jer 15.1 where the Lord protesting that nothing no not the intercession of Moses and Samuel should take him off from his resolve against that people saith Such as are for death to death and such as are for the sword to the sword and such as are for the famine to the famine and such as are for the captivity to the captivity There 's pestilence and sword and famine and captivity ready at the call of God to take away a provoking people Secondly Note To passe away or to be put to our flight is a grievous Judgement To flee from the face of the pursuer to run for our lives who knows the trouble and terror of it but they that have been in it what a mercy is it that our dwellings are continued to us that we abide in our places that we neither die in a moment are not surpriz'd by midnight-feares but rest quietly in our beds though feares at midnight have been ready to surprize us What a mercy is it that we are not passing away running fleeing into the wildernesse as the poore Churches of God have done in severall ages So much of Judgement upon the people in that three-fold notion of it We have here also Judgement upon Princes And the mighty shall be taken away without hand Not only the many but the mighty shall feele the Judgements of God For as 't is sayd in the former verse He accepteth not the persons of Princes nor regardeth the rich more then the poore The mighty and the meanest of men are alike to God when they are alike in sinning against God If they doe evill alike they shall suffer evill alike God accepteth no mans person The mighty shall be taken away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fortis robustus excellens fortitudine pluraliter Abirim in genere forte significat The word rendred mighty taken plurally is used in Scripture to denote not only mighty men but any creature that excells in might And therefore according to the exigence of the place it signifies sometimes Angells who being spirits exceed all flesh in might The people of Israel in the wilderness did eat Angells food Psal 78.5 the food of the Abirims of the mighty or strong ones And as it is applyed to Angells who exceed the strongest men in strength so it is applyed to any sort of strong beasts to the horse Jer 47.3 to Bulls Isa 34.7 Jer 50.11 Psal 22.13 Psal 68.31 Thus the word riseth above man to Angells and falls below man to the beasts of the earth here 't is applyable only to strong and mighty men of whom yet there are three sorts First Some are men of a mighty arme Secondly Others are mighty in Armes Thirdly There are men mighty in Authority The first of these is a natural mighty man he hath a mighty arme a strong body or he excells in bodily strength The second is a marshall mighty man a souldier a man of warre The third is the Magistratical mighty man he is cloathed with power both to punish and reward Possibly he may have no bodily might yea possibly he is no souldier yet a man of such power he is that he commands whole Nations Now take the word Mighty in any of these three senses and it is a truth the mighty shall be taken away the mighty in strength of the Arme the mighty in strength of Armyes the mighty in power and dignity are by the hand of the Almighty God taken away They shall take them away saith the Hebrew text that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et amovent potentem impersonaliter Pisc say some according to the first translation mentioned the people shall violently take away the mighty But by an usuall Hebraisme we may read it Impersonally the mighty shall be taken away concealing or leaving it to be understood by whom Like that speech to the rich man Luke 12.25 This night doe they require thy soule of thee so we put in the Margin that is as the text hath it this night thy soule shall be required of thee they shall take thy soule that is it shall be taken away so here they shall take away the mighty that is the mighty shall be taken away or removed We may take notice of a two-fold remove or taking away First There is a