and every faculty 3. Perfectio operationis when those perfect graces have their perfect works as the Apostle speaks James 1.4 Let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and entire wanting nothing so that the point hath in it those three branches First perfect purification which shall be hereafter our glory is in this life our duty in that every one that is an heir of the promise is to purge himself from all filthyness and this perfection of purification consists in three particulars First in being purged from all kinds of sin all filthiness Col. 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleanness c. Now the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eye or the pride of life can be dispenced with neither sins of ignorance or sins of knowlede sins of omission or sins of commission neither in thought word or deed nay it shall rise so high that a man should strive not only that sin might not rise but that sin might not be answerable to that prayer of the Apostle I pray God that you do no evil 2 Cor. 13.7 When a mans labour in purging holds correspondency with the purity of the Law and is of equal latitude thy Law saith David is very pure thy Commandment is exceeding broad Psal 19.40 v. 96. when a man hath an inward principle of purity answerable to the exact purity of the Law and as broad as the Law that a man hates every false way I was also upright before him and I kept my self from mine iniquity because it is the stumbling block of their iniquity Psal 19.28 Psal 18.23 Ezek. 7.19 Secondly from all degrees of those kinds of sin so to be cleansed as that he may be presented not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that he may be holy and without blemish Eph. 5.26,27 when a man doth strive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only to purge but to pull out the old Leaven that a man may be in all things a new lump 1 Cor. 5.7 and this is required not only that a man should not lie in wickedness as the word doth 1 Joh. 5.19 that is to be wholly in the power of the wicked one as that phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth import but also that a man keep himself unspotted of the world not a spot of sin shall be upon him sin shall not seize on him in any degeee James 1.27 he keeps himself unspotted from the world Eph 5.3 but fornication uncleanness and covetousness let it not be once named among you as becometh Saints And see how a godly man is described in reference to the least defilement of sin Isa 33.15 he despiseth the gain of oppression he shaketh his hands from holding bribes and stoppeth his ears from hearing blood and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil he keeps himself that the wicked one toucheth him not 1 Ioh. 5.18 he may tactu simplici and so he did Adam and so Christ also and a man cannot avoid it but not tactu qualitativo as a load-stone toucheth a knife to leave an impression of its nature to enable it to draw iron as it doth to leave an impression of the same evil and devilishness that is in him so he that is born of God keepeth himself that the wicked one toucheth him not Thirdly and that in the whole man when a mans purging reacheth to all filthyness of the flesh and spirit when a man makes it his business to have his heart cleansed as well as his hands Iames 5.8 hate a corrupt mind as well as an unclean conversation the wills of the fleâ—h as well as the lusts of the flesh to have a mans conscience purged from dead works as well as his waies Heb. 9.14 And put off the old man together with his deeds Col. 3.9 When a man puts off all his filthy garments will not leave a rag behind upon any part Zach. 3.4 when a mans care is that his Spirit and soul as well as his body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord Iesus 1 Thes 5.23 this is the perfection of purification and we see it enjoyned in all these particulars and he that strives unto this he doth purifie himself even as God is pure 1 Iohn 3.3 Reasons Now the reasons of the point to mention some of many that might be brought First because of the filthyness and spreading nature of all sin 1. Because of its filthy nature it is an open Sepulchre and the stink thereof Rom. 3.13 Ezek. 24.11 it is ascum it is a vomit 2 Pet. 2.20 it is dung Nay to express it to the highest it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very excrements of naughtiness so that if there could be any thing worse and more filthy then naughtiness it self that is sin Iam. 1.21 Wherefore lay apart all filthyness and superfluity of naughtiness c. What ever is loathsom in the world it is all too little to give names to sin and if sin be so in it self if filthyness in its essence then all the parts of it is filthyness and though there be but the remainders of sin in the godly yet this is their nature for every spark is of the same nature with the sire and every drop with the water because it is corpus homogeneum so is the body of sin also Secondly and it is not more filthy then it is spreading therefore it is rottenness Isa 1.6 from the sole of the foot to the head there is no soundness in it it is a leprosie a gangrene 2 Tim. 3.8 it is the plague the most infectious disease 1 King 8.38 it is a poison Rom. 3.13 and therefore so long as any remains so long there will be a continual infection if a man hath but one lust in his soul this will speedily conceive and bring forth all sin for the birth of sin is monstrous it will not only bring forth lusts after its kind but lusts of divers nay of a contrary kind covetousness is the root of all evil 1 Tim. 6.10 if there were but that one lust in the soul all sins would grow out of it even its contrary corruptions Secondly Because Christ hath perfectly bought off all sin in every kind and degree and he is as well a fountain for the filthiness of sin to wash it Zach. 13.1 as a Sea for the guilt of sin to drown it Mich. 7.19 And to this end he gave himself that thou mightest be without spot or wrinkle or any such thing Eph. 5.25,27 And should not a man strive to have all the price out of the blood of Christ consider the perfect cleansing was the price of blood it is a great undervaluing of the blood of Christ and not the least pitch of prophaness not to seek after that which our high Priest hath purchased at so dear a rate should it not grieve man to see lust possessing that which he so dearly bought Impius has segetes
with Christ for the term of vocation is union they were never cut off from their old root and never had experience of an ingrafting work never knew what it was to be translated Col. 1.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verbum deductum ab iis qui colonias transferunt e natali solo Its a Metaphor taken from transplanting of Colonies They are in him by profession only without any real implantation for Christ as he is a vine upon earth has in him many unfruitfull branches though as he is a head in Heaven so he hath no dead members and this is the great ground of all barrenness and so all that a man doth is but building upon the sand when it flows not from Christ through the union of faith which is the ground of all fruitfulness Non semper ore non semper meditor sed vestio dormio bibo comedo c. Haec omnia si in fide fiant tanquam recte facta divino judicio approbantur As are my prayers so my eating drinking sleeping and clothing my self they are all Luther fruit abounding to my account in Christ Luther Gen. 33. Secondly he gives them up unto a heedless spirit in the things of God so much of Religion as shall uphold a form they take up but they regard not the keeping of their hearts and the approving of themselves unto God in secret there is a cultus conscientiae that is wholly neglected 2 Kin. 10.31 But Jehn took no heed to walk in the Law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart what shew so ever they make of Religion and how great so ever their pretences are yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 2.3 They neglect or they care not for the salvation that is offered therein Bernard Vita uniuscujusque non cognoscitur nisi in conscientia Bernard A mans life may seem as fair in a hypocrite and as fruitful as in a godly man but it is the inward frame of the heart and the constant care of that in which Religion doth consist and if a man do duties with a Spirit of inadvertency they are none of them fruits but leaves and make way for a judicial barrenness Thirdly he gives them up unto new opinions and these do ingross the heart and take up the strength of the man by contests of this nature whereas the kingdom of God consists not in meat and drink Rom. 14.17 and when men are given up to this then Hylar quas volumus doctrinas coaptamus Hylar That must go for true doctrine which is agreeable to their apprehensions and there is more pains taken in contending for and in maintaining of such opinions and things which we have made our own then there is about knowing or practising all the Truths of Christ and the duties of godliness besides and so the whole practice of godliness is neglected while the man is sinfully busied in novelties and unpractical curiosities and so urbem produnt dum castella defendunt when as in absoluto facili stat aternitas The things necessary to salvation are easie and as for lesser disputes be not much in them say Elias cum veniet Let us leave this unto the day of Resurrection which will declare of what sort every mans work is whither it be gold or silver hay or stubble and the truth is this is a grave in which Satan hath buried many a soul causing men to fall in love with their own births and apprehensions and thereby to take them off from the things which are of eternal concernment in the things of God which turn men commonly from Idolatry to Heresie Fourthly the Lord gives them up to have their thoughts set much upon other things as it was with the thorny ground the thorns sucking in the strength of the soil choaked the seed Matth. 13. One is taken up about getting an estate and another about raising a building of honor and another he is busied in the great affairs of a Commonwealth and he talks of making of Laws defeating of enemies saving of Kingdoms c. and in the mean while he himself is lost Matth. 7 22. There is a man busie preaching to others whilst he himself is a castaway and casting out devils out of other mens bodies when he himself is all the while in his inward man possessed of the devil and so while he is made a keeper of the vineyard he neglect to keep his own vine Cant. 1.6 And so many a great Statesman gives the same accompt at his death as Luther brings in Cicero complaining Luther Olim frustra me sapientem putatum vocem indignationis desperationis plenissâ—mam c. So that men never consider by their gifts and places and powers they bear fruit among men and be usefull to a Civil State they never think of being useful to the people of God and saving of their own souls but it s one thing to live fruitful towards God and another to be thought so by men as it s said of Jeroboams son There was found some good thing in him towards the Lord God of Israel Therefore consider that may be good among men which is not good towards the Lord God of Israel Fifthly After this the oath of God passes on the man there is a swearing in his wrath against men now as there was against Israel of old Hebrews 3. and therefore we also must take heed for this is the most dreadfull Judgement can come among men and this oath though it be secret yet it hath this effect that the Spirit of God in the common works and gifts is by degrees withdrawn for though there be a decree that passeth upon every mans eternal estate as an act of the Soveraignty of God Iacob have I loved and Esau have I hated and the foundation of God remains sure the Lord knows who are his yet there are many strivings of the spirit of God about a mans eternal estate before the Lord swear in his wrath he shall never enter into his rest for my spirit shall strive with that man no more Gen. 6.3 for as the Lord will not always suffer his Ministers to speak in vain therefore sometimes he saith they shall be a reprover unto such a people no more and therefore he will change the orb in which the stars sometimes shine he that hath them in his right hand so he will not always suffer his spirit to strive in vain and therefore he doth call home this Spirit as his extraordinary Embassador when he prepares open war against that man and all Treaties of peace are at an end the Lord will treat with him about the matter of reconciliation no more Sixthly after this there comes upon a man from the Lord as a fruit of this oath a spirit of slumber and a heart that cannot repent Isa 29.10 the word in the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same that 's used of Adam when the Lord took out his rib
be mace that you may lay them aside when you will and he gives them his reason for it take away those that are able to maintain those Doctrines once and then the Doctrines will fall of themselves Haeresis for so he cals the truth cui patrocinium decrit sine pugnâ concidet alas take a poor upstart fellow now that looks upon himself as a great Preacher understanding not what he saith it is an easie matter to make this man leave this truth or that truth but take another man that is able to assert it and alas before such a man these men dare not appear and therefore I say that these Doctrines they cry down will never fall so long as they live to maintain them therefore down with them Another way that is effectual to further this great design is this which you cannot but see who must be imbraced countenanced I wish it be not so with those in authority here among you I wish it be not so who must be received as the men of their Councel entertained at their table why who must they be truly such as do maintain some abominable Doctrine in matters of Religion that by this means such men being countenanced by men in place and authority truly their ware may vent the better that is the way I say the ware may vent the better and whereas oh that the Lord would be pleased but to let men consider that in the 2 Ep. of Iohn v. 10. He that brings not this Doctrine receive him not into your houses bid him not God speed have no converse no communion with him there is not so much as common civility to be shewed to him a stranger you are to take in but an heretick you are not Now I intreate you to consider seriously with your selves if truth be the mother of holiness and you see truth is so much in danger and so much laid at and the great designs of the times run this way how are your hearts affected with it Certainly if thou hast holiness in truth thou wilt be mightily affected with truth that is the mother of holiness This is a second Rule There are two or three more but I am very fearful of trespassing upon you One is where there is holiness in truth that man is affected with spiritual sins that man is most affected with spiritual sins you shall find the Apostle saith Cleanse your selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit that is the aim of the holy man the Godly man in 2 Cor. 7.1 but the great thing that doth affect his soul is spiritual sins that which no eye takes notice of but the eye of God only so you shall find in Psal 42.11 there the base dejection of spirit how David is troubled at i◠why art thou cast down O my soul so likewise carnal confidence in Psal 80.7 he saith I saidthon hast made my mountain to stand strong grudging at the prosperity of the wicked so foolish was I and ignorant I was as a Beast before thee all my waies are bruitish I am more brutish then any man Paul the rebellion to the Law that was in his members Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart thus the people of God they are more affected with spiritual sins committed in the eye of God then they are in reference unto outward sins committed before the eyes of men they are more ashamed before God then they can be before men Mr. Bradford though he were a man had attained to a great measure of holiness that Doctor Taylor cals him That Saint of God Iohn Bradford yet how doth he bewail his hypocrisie Now do you examine your hearts by thi if you be holy you be not affected only with sins before men but that which sitteth sadliest upon your spirits is that your hearts are defiled before God you are more ashamed before him then you are before all the men in the world That is a third Rule which I do but name Secondly where there is holiness in truth there the man sets before him as his mark the most difficult duties in Religion he doth not take up the easiest dut ies but I say though he fall short in performance many times yet he sets before him as a mark to aim at the most difficult duties of Religion I press hard to the mark saith Paul a mark of an enlightned understanding which I conceive as well as that goal of glory now as there are in the cripture some things that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hard to be understood as the Apostle saith so there are some duties too in Scripture that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hard to be put in practise very hard now the holy man he hath an eye unto the most difficult duties in Religion for he knows that all these lie upon him as duties and he sets them before him as a mark that he aims at and I will name some of them to you that I may draw to a conclusion As first It is a hard thing and yet a duty to have a mans obedience at highest when his comforts are at lowest it was one of the great difficulties that Luther found Luther there were three things he found very hard he professed in Religion One was to believe that which was impossible and another was to hope for that which was delayed and another was to love God when God shewed himself an enemy saith he that my obedience should be highest when my comforts are at lowest ebb for a man to obey his voice and serve him and yet all the while to walk in darkness and have no light as it is in Isa 50.10 truly my Brethren this is a hard thing to say I will love him though he kill me I will trust in him though he kill me this you will say is a hard duty O such things as these now the holy man hath in his eyes these are the marks he sets himself to aim at Secondly for a mans soul to be lowest when his employment is highest for a man to be like a Spire-Steeple minimus in summo to have his spirit lowest when his imployment is at the highest it was so with Paul in the 1 Cor. 15.10 I have labored more abundantly then they all cheifest in service the greatest of servants but the least of Saints the least of Saints why this is a hard thing O we do find there is not a poor creature imployed in a business if he be honoured above his Brethren but presently how doth his spirit rise with his imployment he grows so proud presently the earth cannot bear him we see examples of it every day but here is holiness my Brethren that sets him this pattern his spirit to be low when his imployment is high Thirdly holiness sets a man this pattern to be contented with the things that are present that is the Apostles exhortation Heb. 13.5 be contented with things that are present or be sufficient with them
let the things that are present be sufficient to thee whether I have much or little honour or disgrace it is that that is present Now for a man to subscribe to the dealing of God and to lay his hand upon his mouth and to say This is the disposing of a wise Father it is but in viaticum it is not in praemium it is but for my passage it is not for my reward then I say for a man to say truly Whatsoever I have here if it be but enough to land me sase in an other world it is all I care for O my Brethren this is the pitch that the Saints of God now set to themselves where there is holiness I say these difficult duties the soul propounds unto itself But Further yet Where there is holiness it propounds this To look upon suffering as a gift in Phil. 1.29 to you it is given not only to believe but to suffer for the name of the Lord Jesus Men can look upon imployment as a gift sometimes if God will set them in honorable service O but to look upon sufferings as honorable as if a man by that were to fill up that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ this is that pitch which the Saints set to themselves the mark they aim at is such difficult duties as these are to look upon suffering as a gift to say as in Jam. 1.9 Let the brother of low degree rejoyce that he is exalied I there is reason for that I but shall the brother of high degree rejoyce that he is made low Yes that God hath called thee to any condition to do good O that is a spiritual heart indeed that is a holy heart indeed Besides there is yet another great truth and that is to have such a spirit willing to go alone in duties and not to be turned out of the way that if I am brought to duty though I am left alone yet notwithstanding the duty is mine the special assistance is Gods Man is a sociable Creature indeed and he is in a great measure like a drop emptyed into the Sea he is mightily apt to swim down with the tide O t is a hard matter for a man to be willing in duty to go alone yet so it was with Paul At my first Answer all men for sook me no man stood by me for a man to say One God is sufficient as Mr Calvin I remember hath it upon Zach. 9.12 Go to the strong holds ye prisoners of hope Strong holds they had no strong hold the City was burnt and the Temple destroyed and they had no strong hold to betake themselves to turn to your strong holds Satis praesidii in uno Deo but yet notwithstanding saith he there was succour enough in one God So saith the soul There is society and communion enough in one God if no man stand by me in duty yet notwithstanding the Lord will for a man to go alone and not to balk nor to be turned out of the way because he is deserted by men either by a principle of falshood or Cowardice truly this is one of the difficultest duties of Religion There is one thing more I see I must break off I will but name this one thing and that is To have a mans spirit raised by opposition that the more he doth meet with opposition in a way of duty the more resolute he is for it so far is he from being afraid of the threatnings of men of the frowns of men he shall lose this mans favour incur such a mans displeasure and lose such an advantage and opportunity no his spirit riseth far more for it it is with such a man as it is with the fire in winter the fire burns the hotter because of the coldness of the air so it is with such a soul that is truly inflamed Come to David and tell him O there is a Goliah and he is come out with a spear like a Weavers beam and there is one that bears his target goes before him where is he saith David I will fight with him saith he his spirit doth not fall by difficulties but riseth I am not afraid of any uncircumcised Philistim my Brethren this is a true noble spirit holy greatness of mind lies in this when a mans spirit is born up upon the greatness of his God and the goodness of his Cause it is a base spirit that is born up by the strength of his party I have so many men on my side alass my Brethren that is a base spirit but I say here is a true noble spirit the greatness of his God and the goodness of his Cause and if that will not bear me out saith the soul let me sink in it I am content to perish I remember a godly man the Lord saith he will make Jeremiahs face like an Adamant saith he like an Adamant the hardest of stones truly then let the storm come and the Adamant that shrinks not it fears not it changeth not its hue no not a jot the Adamant is the same Certainly my Beloved this is the Motio of every truly noble spirit Nec spe nec timore it is neither hope nor fear that acts me I can neither hope for any thing ne ther truly am I afraid of any thing that man can do unto me and he doth neither fear nor faint nor flie but the more difficulties rise the more doth his spirit rise I say grounded upon the greatness of his God and the goodness of his cause Now it ye be holy men you do not pick and chuse duties but the more difficult duties are the more you strive to rise to bring up your spirits to them I that is holiness not to bring down the duty to you but to keep up the Law as Paul saith the Law is holy and just and good only labour you to bring up your spirits to the rule of it If you are holy men now it will be thus with you Thirdly a holy man hates every false way and fears it and recovers out of it Psal 119.128 Rom. 12.9 the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it s to hate it as Hell it self Secondly he fears it Eccl. 9.2 he that fears an oath c. I fear nothing but sin saies the holy man Thridly he recovers himself he doth not lie in his sin Peter sinned but Peter sorrowed for his sin a good man is a living fountain will never be drawn dry grace is a living principle it doth work out the mudd in the heart by degrees as the Sun doth labour for some time with the mist but dispels it at the last the longer any man lies in sin after a fall the more unholy his heart is to sin presently after duty is a sign there hath been little communion with God in the duty and to rise presently after sin is a sign that God hath hold on the man and that the root of the matter is in him Fourthly try
the mercy and this brought a Judgement upon him and upon the whole land 2 Chron. for let me tell you of all things God can least bear the despising and contempt of his mercies there are two things that are very terrible to the Saints and that they are afraid of and would be preserved from First that they reap not curses from the Ordinances of God which are usually the great means of blessing Secondly that they have not Judgements grow out of mercies because of their unanswerable walking under their present enjoyments Thirdly the praises of the Saints are as terrible unto the Churches enemies as their prayers you think it is your duty to pray often truly it is your duty to praise God also for Psal 8.2 out of the mouth of Babes and sucklings he hath ordained strength to still the enemy and the avenger it is spoken of Satan and of all spiritual enemies So the children of Israel 2 Chron. when they praised God in the beauty of Holiness God set ambushments they destroyed their enemies with the sword that proceeded out of their mouths Orabilibus telis and that is as much by their praises as by their praiers therefore if you would not have the present mercy prove a future judgement and if you would have the work go on let me exhort you as you did give in your assistance in prayer for this beginning of mercy so let not your praises be wanting with-hold not them for the perfection of it So let all thy enemies perish oh Lord but let them that love thy name be as the Sun going forth in its strength And now I address my self unto the words out of which I would speak something as matter of your thankfulness and meditation suitable unto this present occasion Babylon the great is fallen is fallen there are in the words four things to be opened First who it is that speaks Secondly who this Babylon is of whom it is spoken Thirdly why called Babylon the great Fourthly why its put in praeterito pro futuro is fallen and why it s set down by way of ingemination is fallen is fallen c. First who it is that speaks it ver 1. it is an Angel that came down from Heaven having great power c. By Angels some do expound the heavenly hosts those ministring spirits that are sent forth for the good of the Elect which are therefore called principalities and powers because of that great and that glorious government that the Lord hath committed unto them during the Mediator Kingdom of Christ Ezech. 1. the spirit of the living creatures is in the wheels so that they have a great hand in the government and the administration of all things below and in this doth their degrees of glory consist in officio in the office in which the Lord Jesus doth imploy them they differ not in their nature at all but only in their office as Zanch. observes answerable unto what the Lord Jesus will employ them in for they are the great instruments and officers in the ordering of all things and when Christ shall give up his Kingdom then shall they lay down theirs for Cor. 1.15,28 he shall put down all rule authority and power Calvin de principatu Angelico etiam intelligitur all power and authority that was set up by the oeconomical Kingdom of Christ shall at the giving up of that Kingdom be laid down and therefore according unto the particular services in which God doth imploy the Angels such a great work is committed unto one Angel and another great work is committed unto another 2 Dan. 10,21 Zach. 6.8 the Instrument of Vengeance went forth into the North So Rev. 7. there are four Angels that held the four winds that they must not blow upon the earth that is motus bellicos Impetus hostiles and some there are that sound the Trumpet unto war and then if the Angel go out before them he stirs up all the Instruments amongst men and all things shall succeed accordingly to that saying of Opera divinae providentiae Angelico administerio geruntur answerable unto the work so there is an Angel to whom the great care of it is by Christ committed for they are ministring spirits sent forth for the good of the Elect. Some by Angels understand messengers and Instruments raised up amongst men whether Magistrates or Ministers and so Brightman Brightman vir aliquis praestans egregius qui subito nec expectatus adveniet quemadmodum res quae coelitus delabuntur Suddenly and unexpectedly as if he had discended from heaven some great instrument that the Lord would unexpectedly raise up which I should not understand of any individual persons and bring it down to this man and the other as the seven Angels full of vials unto Rome not to seven individual persons but for seven sorts of Instruments â—nd officers that God would successively raise up for to finish that work which should though they be many all concurr as one person to effect that about which they are employed Now I shall chuse to put both these together and to understand it of heavenly Angels which the Lord Christ imploys in these administrations which have the first hand in the work and also all men all sorts of instruments and officers that those Angels do stir up and imploy for the Spirit of the living creatures is in the wheels and when I am gone forth the Prince of grace shall come therefore the Angels and the Instruments stirrd up and acted by the Angels the Lord looks upon as but one person c. So that first the ruine of Rome and all the Roman power is committed unto an Angel and therefore if all the power of the earth were engaged for it to support Rome yet this Angel is a mighty Angel and he will surely destroy it and if an Angel hath undertaken it he will not want instruments those that he will surely in all ages stir up to effect it Secondly Romes ruine as it is the work and office of the Angel so it is unto the Angels matter of joy and triumph for as the conversion of the Saints is joy to the Angels so is the destruction of the enemies also but especially unto those Angels that are employed as officers therein as Ezech. 9.1 there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto the Angels the ordering of that great work was committed and therefore they are said to have the charge of it the Babylonish Armie did the work but the Angel that had the charge of it ordered it Secondly of whom is this spoken it is spoken of Babylon Rev. 17.12.3 there is a woman seen riding upon a scarlet-coloured Beast full of names of blasphemy having seven heads and ten horns and this woman hath written upon her forchead mysterie Babylon the great the mother of Harlots who is it ver last it s that great City that reigneth over the Kings of the Earth Now this could not be litterally
success Some more and some less according as the Lord is pleased to use them or bless them and as suitable to the Churches necessities so he doth give gifts so heâ— doth give Officers also for no men are to minister in the things of God without a call from God therefore such Ordinances and Officers as the Church doth stand in need of he hath appointed and with these they ought to rest satisfied and to fancy or create no more to themselves which was the error of the first Churches when they began to degenerate and corrupt themselves when they brought in new Ordinances then did they begin to set up new officers immediately and they that will lay aside the Ordinances of God will bring in multitudes of their own as we see it in Israel they multiplyed their Idols and also they that wil lay aside the Officers of Christ wilmultiply Officers of their own Ambrose saith of the Church of God at first Ambâ—ose It did nothing without the approbation of certain Elders thereunto appointed but that being neglected doctorum desidia vel potius superbia dum soli voluerunt aliquid videri now they brought in all manner of new Officers to the great burden of the Church that under Popery they are as much burthened with officers as they are with Ordinances therefore it must be our care to have an eye to the pattern in the one as well as the other for what ever is not of the Lords appointment that he will neither own nor bless it is of such that Christ speaks of in Ioh Every plant that my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up it is those that did place themselves in Offices in the Church never planted by the Father Here are in the words two things First the Officers duty and that is first to rule and then to watch Secondly the object or subject of this authority it is not over the bodies and estates of men but their souls only Thirdly the great engagement and obligation that lies upon them so to do because they must give an account Fourthly here are the different accounts that Church Officers will give to God and that is some with joy and some with grief Secondly here is the duty of the people that are under their power First they are to obey Secondly to submit themselves Thirdly upon this ground because they are such as watch for their souls and must give an account Fourthly as knowing if it be with grief it will be unprofitable unto them And hence there are several propositions very useful to our present occasion which I will set down in their order First that the Lord Christ as head of the Church hath appointed that there shall be Officers in all the Churches there is as well an Institution of Officers and offices as there is of Ordinances and it is in a mans power to constitute the one no more then he may the other and the neglect of one is a neglect of the Institution and so of the authority of Christ as well as the other it will appear that there hath gone some great hands unto this and to manifest this appointment First Christ Eph. 4.11 it is counted there as one of his gifts which Christ gave upon his Ascension for he doth not only say that he gave the gifts that qualified men for that work and that is a mercy when the Church is enriched with gifts and the Lord doth pour out his spirit upon many of them that they be fitted for office if they be called to it 1 Cor. 1.7 2. in a Common-wealth though there be but a few Magistrates yet there be many that are fitted to be Magistrates as in an Army when the souldiers are valiant yet it s not expedient that every one is able to command a party or be an Officer c. But it is not the gifts only but the Officers also that Christ hath given his Church and they are to be looked upon as a special gift of Christ as a special fruit of his taking possession of the Kingdom when he sat down at his Fathers right hand and though they were all given for the gathering and the perfecting of the Saints yet some were but temporary others were to abide to the end of the world till all the Saints were gathered and perfected and therefore it is said that he hath set them in his Church 1 Cor. 12.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word notes a constitution a firm stablishment that cannot be changed Act. 17. the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his own power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a firm appointment and decree c. 1 Thes 5.9 God hath not appointed us to wrath but to attain salvation it s the same word So that the word signifies to appoint by a firm and a sure decree which cannot be changed he hath set them there and therefore none shall or can remove them Secondly the Holy-Ghost he also hath a hand in this Constitution Acts 20.28 Over whom the Holy-Ghost hath made you over-seers it is spoken unto Officers when they meet with the Apostles c. and for the understanding of it we must consider That the Spirit is the Mediatory Kingdom hath undertaken to be as it were a Prorex to rule for Christ therefore before the Throne there are seven Lamps of fire that is the seven spirits of God Rev. 4.5 for in the gifts and graces the Spirit is given the Gospel it s Preached by the Holy-Ghost sent down from heaven c. Now there are two things mainly that the Holy-Ghost doth in this constitution First the Spirit doth gift the men and qualifie them for the work for though there be diversity of gifts yet it is the same spirit that works in every man even as he will to one man the gifts of wisdom to another the word of knowledge but by the same spirit 1 Cor. 12.7,8,9,11 that as before Bezaleel and Aholiab did set upon the work of the Tabernacle he was filled with all wisdom by the spirit of God understanding and knowledge in all manner of work-man-ship and when Saul was called unto the Kingdom the spirit of the Lord came upon him and he was turned into another man 1 Sam. 10. Whether we do look unto the providential or spiritual Kingdom it is now in the hands of the Spirit and he knowing what works he hath to accomplish in both he doth gift men for the work in which he will employ them for though the gifts be common yet they proceed from the spirit as well as graces Secondly when a man is gifted and by the furniture of the man there is a ground to conceive God hath done it that he may employ him yet it is not enough by and by for any man to say I am gifted and therefore I will employ my self but there is another work of the spirit and that is he doth stir up the hearts of men to chuse
When that Sea of glass Rev. 15.2 shall be pure as Christal as it was in the Primitive times now mingled with fire of contention and disaffection then shall Jehovah be one and his name one These promises are all for the Saints if they dye and never see them fulfilled yet they dye in the Faith of them Heb. 11.13 Rev. 3. I will write upon him the name of the City of my God new Jerusaâ—em That when the Lord shall reckon up his people at the last day and put every man with those of his own rank all they that dyed in the faith of it shall be reckoned as truly to belong thereunto as they that lived in the time thereof that enjoyed it Seventhly in reference to the destruction of the Enemies of the Church Rev. 14. The Lord Jesus Christ hath a Winepresse to tread and a Vintage to gather It 's the Winepress of the fierce wrath of God who is almighty when the blood shall be up to the briales of the horses c. which is in the times of the third Angel and it hath a more special and peculiar aspect upon the times in which we live then the Saints shall rejoyce when they see the vengeance and wrath of God upon the ungodly and they shall sing Hallelujah praise and glory and honour be unto thee O Lord for thou hast judged the great whore and avenged the blood of thy Saints c. Rev. 19.2 Eighthly the glory of Heaven is to come but the Saints do rejoyce here in the hope of it and do bathe themselves in thâ—se Rivers of pleasures which shall be for evermore c. By this hope Anima ascendit frequentèr currit plateas caelest is Jerusalem By this doe they see God in a fiducial though not in the beatifical vision And a man having this hope he doth purifie himself that he way be made a meet partaker of the blessed hope that is set before him So that all things to come do make for the good of the Saints surely things to come are theirs But what are the grounds of the interest that the people of God have in things to come Consider these five First the Lord hath ordered his eternal decrees concerning things to come so that they shall not only make for his own glory but also for the good of his people Eph. 1.11 for he doth work all things according to the counsel of his own will He did not onely from all eternity chuse his peoples eternal estates and chuse them to glory but he hath a decree that passeth upon all things to come in the government of this world as may conduce unto this end and as may further this great decree and grand design of God For though in the decrees of God some Divines doe observe that there are not priora posteriora because they are eternal and in aeternitate non est prius posterius yet there are subordinata one thing may be subordinated to another as the means are to the end for he hath chosen us to glory and virtue the one as the end the other as the means 2 Pet. 1.3 And so the grand design of God is the glory and eternal good of all the Saints and he hath subordinated all things in the government of the whole creation of God unto this great and principal end all things to come shall work together for their good Secondly it is for their sakes that he hath committed the world unto the government of Christ Isa 9.8 for it is by their Covenant that the world stands and 't is for their sakes that he hath undertaken the Government of the world Ephes 1. last He hath made him the head over all things to the Church Christ is not a head over all things as he is the head of the Church He is a head of guidance unto all things but he is a head of influence unto the Church also and he did undertake the government of all things for the Elect sake That he might gather them all together under one head even in him Eph. 1.10 And he that doth rule all things for their sakes they need not fear but he will over-rule all things for their good and therefore all things which are in the government of Christ doe belong wholly unto the good of the Saints Thirdly hence Christ doth exercise a peculiar providence over his own people which is a great mercy There is a common providence which doth extend unto the meanest creatures not a sparrow doth fall to the ground not a hair from off your head without it But there is a special providence over all the Saints he is the Saviour of all men but especially of them that beleeve 1 Tim. 4.10 It 's spoken of a temporal salvation and there is a special providence over the Saints in reference to temporal things Yet how apt are the people pie of God many times to distrust the providence of God even in these O ye of little Faith are you not much better then many sparrows c. Consider but the projects of this providence for the Saints good in reference unto things to come 't is exceeding remarkable how they have been overshaddowed by a special providence whilst they live in this world When the Saints shall come to Heaven and shall understand all the dealings of God towards them whilst they lived here below and the grounds thereof that they may give God the glory of it Suarez Beatus in Deo videt res omnes accommodas ad se pertinentes omnes circumstantias accommodatas Suarez Then when all things shall be opened and layd together then it will appear how gloriously God watched over them for their good by all things to come Fourthly hence it is that in the oeconomical Kingdom of Christ the Angels have their government and they doe order things to come strangely for the Saints good for though no creature can know things to come of themselves yet by Revelation they do for they receive from Christ Rev. 19.10 a spirit of Prophecie and they are employed as Officers under him in the government of all things Ezek. 1. The spirit of the living creatures is in the wheels and that was the Angels chap. 10.20 and ver 19. When the living creatures went the wheels went by them and when they were lifted up the wheels were lifted up for the spirit of the living creatures is in the wheels and this is because they are sent forth as Ministring spirits for the good of the Elect Heb. 1.14 And when Christ gives up his kingdom to the Father he will put down theirs for he will put down all rule and all authority and power for they were made principalities and powers onely under the kingdom of Christ and so long their principality shall last and no longer as we see Dan. 10.20 I goe forth and fight against the King of Persia and then the Prince of Grecia shall come
grace of God to another end then that for which the Lord appointed it when men do father their lusts upon the Word of God and bear them up by it and this has always been the custom of a I falâ—e Teachers 2 Pet. 3.16 the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they doe put the Scripture upon the Rack and bending them unto their own bow they shall serve their turn which way soever their lusts work there shall be found something in Scripture that they can lay hold of for it And when men doe make use of the Doctrines of the Gospel to serve their own lust and do grow more loose and licentious under them this is to pervert the Gospel of Grace unto an end for which it was never appointed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin M. Hence there are two things to be observed First that there is a Wantonness that goes with corrupt Teachers wheresoever they are corrupt doctrines and wicked practises go together There are no men that sin with so much wantonness that is with so much licentiousness liberty and impudency as corrupt Teachers do Secondly they wil wrest the Word of God and of his grace unto this end they wil strengthen their lusts by the word and so pervert it to an end unto which it was never appointed Doct. There is a wantonness in corrupt Teachers there is both wicked doctrines and wicked practises for they both go together in the same men First this will appear by the descriptions every where given of them in the Scripture they are described and placed in the highest rank of wicked men Phil. 3.2.19 Degs they are that is unclean creatures that return unto their vomit and they are joyned with evil workers their God is their belly they meerly serve their own lusts in all that they do and they do it with a great deal of impudencie which is the highest pitch of sinning they glory in that which should be looked upon as their shame The Apostle had sayd 2 Peter 2.14.18,19 That there should bee false Teachers amongst them that should privily bring in damnable or destructive Heresies and hee describes the men having eyes full of Adultery and cannot cease to sin having their hearts exercised with covetous practises cursed children and they allure through the lusts of the flesh and much wantonness It is this that is the bait for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They do allure as with a bait 2 Tim. 3.13 Evil men and deceivers grow worse and worse There is no stay when men once are deceived themselves and do become deceivers and seducers of others the Lord doth commonly give them up in judgement unto all excesse of Riot and they sall to all manner of lasciviousness c. Secondly it must needs be so if wee consider from whence doth Heresie come We have the rise of it Revel 9.1,2 And I saw a Starre fall from Heaven unto the Earth and to him was given the Key of the bottomlesse pit and hee opâ—…ed the bottomless pit and there arose a smoak out of the pit c. It 's spoken of the Judgement of GOD poured out upon Râ—me Anti-christian in the Easterne part of the Empire And the bottomlesse pit is opened and that by a Starre that fell from Heaven For Mahomet was at first a Christian and did prosesse the Christian Religion till at last meeting with Sergius a wicked and corrupt Monk they made up between them this fardle of Heresies and Follies by which they have deceived the world Now this Star falling opened the bottomlesse pit That is it was the Instrument to let out the smoak thereof And so the Armies of Mahomet are called Reâ—el 12.15 The Serpent cast out of his mouth a flood after the woman that 's meant of the Arrian Heresie Now consider what can come out of Hell And what can come out as smoak out of the bottomlesse pit but it must needs be full of filthiness and uncleanness but hence it is that all false Doctrines come out of the mouth of the old Serpent who is uncleanness it self Thirdly they are in Scripture reâ—embled unto the wickedest men that ever were 2 Pet. 2.15 as Balaam it 's said they followed the way of Balaam who was himself a Witch and one that would be easily hired to curse the people of God for a reward and they are Jannes and Jambres 2 Tim. 3.8 who were two famous Egyptians of Aegypt There are not a more wicked generation of men in the world nor men given up to wantonness and loosness more then they Fourthly no men are so industriously wicked as they are and they will compasse Sea and Land to make a proselite and make him tenfold the child of hell when they have done more then he was before Revel 9.10,18,19 They had tayles like to Scorpions of these were the third part of men killed that is of the fire and smoak and brimstone that came out of their mouths For their power is in their mouths and in their tayls It 's spoken of the Mahumetans who as they did conquer used their utmost power to promote their Religion and the corrupt principles thereof by which they have wholly defiled even all the Easterne Chuches they had the Heads of Lyons but they had a stâ—ng in their tayle wheresoever they came they left a sting behind them and they did kill not onely by their hands but by the smoak that came out of their mouthes Their power was not onely in their mouthes but in their tayles also they did a greater mischief by their corrupt Doctrines then they did by all their power and force of arms and the men were in better condition that were killed by their hands then they that surviving were destroyed hy their tayles Fiftly the people of God have abhorr'd them as the wickedest men that ever were in the world and therefore there is no sort of sinners that the Spirit of God hath so set himself and the Spirit of his Saints so much against as these Tit. 3.10 A heretick reject c. And we are exhorted to beware of false Teachers for they come in Sheeps clothing but they were ravening Wolves By their fruits ye shall know them They be thistles and ye shal never gather grapes off them they are thorns and therfore you shal never gather figs off them 3 Joh. 10. We are charged not to receive them into our houses not communicate a word with them not to bid them God speed It was the title that John gave to Cerinthus I know thee to be primogenitus Satanae the first born of the devil Hereticks are they that have received a double portion of this spirit Sixthly they are such sort of sinners as most immediately acted by the Devil of any men in the world they have the most immediate influences from Hell and therefore Revel 16.13,14 The unclean spirit came out of the mouth of the Dâ—agon They are sent forth by his command and they doe receive a
to himself in his own iniquity did not hide a sweet morsel but had respect to all the Commandments and hated every false way Secondly he was a friend to Reformation in the purity and spirituality of it which consists not onely in casting out the old rubbish of corruption in doctrine and worship but laying a new foundation not onely an outward Reformation of Ordinances but an inward reformation of members Re. 11.1 The corruption of the Church is so express'd There are many when God is about to reform his Church will bear the name of Christians Isa 54.11,12 I will lay thy stones with fair colours and thy foundations with Saphyrs when the Church of God sparkles in the eys of the world as many times it does it shall have many followers There is saith Calvin a double foundation a foundation of doctrine on which the Church is built and of members of which the Church is constituted and this he saith is meant here the Church shall not be built of every ordinary and Common-stone but new-Jerusalem shall be built with precious stones and without shall be dogs and every one that loves and makes a lye and in comparison of what now it is they shall be all eminent Saints then as it is said thy people shall be all righteous every one of them and this will distinguish in an eminent manner the Saints from the men of the world and therefore no wonder if godliness has so few friends in the world Color omnibus unus 3 He was a man in all his relations of a very publik spirit he was far from making those private advantages to himself that many do of kindred and friends he was one had impoverisht himself for the publick service to my knowledge and never sought and profess'd never would recompence from the State Many men will serve the kingdom whilst they serve themselves upon it and the while they serve the State they have wrought well for themselves dives potestas pauperem facit Rem-publicam 'T will be an honor in after ages that a man hath made no advantage of his publick trust when every man is making gain from his interest to promote himself and his family thereby 4 He was a man very humble of a meek and a sweet temper free from the common bitterness that is in men he had much of the Dove and of dovelike simplicity and much of the wisdom though very free from the craft of the Serpent a man full of sweetness and love of an amiable and a winning conversation which surely are things in the sight of God in great price 5 He was a man of a very faithful spirit which truely now is very hard to finde We may well say the faithful man is perished falshood is now grown the wisdom and the policy of the times for men to pretend grace and intend nothing less to look one way and row another to speak words smoother then butter when they have war in their hearts and to betray his brother with a kiss and with Ioab stab him in an imbracement and he that can carry it with the greatest fairness and smoothness is the wisest man and this is the great policy of our times 6 Lastly He was and I wish all that are in places of trust would consider this exceeding industrious and active in the care of the publick much lay upon him he did not spare his pains and his time even to the neglect of his own necessary affairs yea the necessity of nature for a support of nature many a time as I can witness and the sad condition of the kingdom lay very heavy upon him he was willing to his power to put men a work ere he had wages for them from the publick Many men are active but it is when there is something to be gotten that does oyl their Chariot wheeles they love to tread out the Corn but to plow in hope and to labour barely for the publick good I fear there are but few such in the kingdom I le appeal now to you that knew him you knovv these things to be true I doubt not but God has rewarded him according to his works God with Vs whilst We are with Him At a publick Fast before the Parliament Iune 9. 1652. 2 Chron. 15.2 But if ye forsake Him He will also forsake you THe Lord having rent the kingdom from Rehoboam according unto the vvord that he had spoken and left him only tvvo Tribes that his servant David might have alvvays a light before the Lord in Ierusalem this remainder of the kingdom did he seek to establish to strengthen himself in but as Luther observes qui regit signum est in quod Satan omnia jacula dirigit therefore as he doth of men endeavour to corrupt the first the prime of their yeers so he doth also to Magistrates the prime of their Government that he may lay corruption in the foundation and therefore he forsook the Law of the Lord ch 12.1 and men in Authority sin not alone principum delicta sunt plano diabolica they have many that fall with them therefore it is said that he did not only forsake the Law of the Lord but all I srael with him having thus departed from the Lord they now betake themselves unto other Laws having chosen unto themselves other Gods for they forsake God that forsake his Law and they build high places and Images and groves upon every high hill and under every green tree and there were Sodomites in the land also who did according unto all the abominations of the Nations permittente Rehoboam so also he did give them a toleration its true that he did not set them up by authority but he did connive at them and let them alone he did not look upon it as his duty to use his Authority and turn the edge of it against them but there was something else in it for it was done nomine praetextu religionis Pet. Mart. it being the way that the heathens did worship their Gods and who shall limit the Consciences of men that way of worship which they shall think fit that they are to use and who shall controll them and so set themselves in the place of God if men as Sodomites or Ranters will worship God who hath power to gainsay them for uncleanness in opinion will soon bring in uncleanness in conversation and Abijam succeeded his father in all these abominations for he walked in all the sins of his father that he had done before him as Rehoboam did in the abominations of the heathens which the Lord had cast out before them for men may be the sons of those per imitationem to whom by generation they have no relation and they that cast others out of authority and yet be their successors in the same abominations they are in Gods account their sons though their posterity be disinherited by them and this was the state and condition of the kingdom when Asa came
and Lud to Tubal and Javan to the Isles a far off that have not heard my fame nor seen my glory and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles Esa 66.19 So that when the fullnesse of the Gentiles that God had appoynted before their call shall come in then blindnesse shall be take off from Israel and they shall be converted to the Lord in a great multitude A national way that they shall become a Church unto Christ being ingraffed into their own Olive tree and then shall there come in a greater fulness of the Gentiles even of many that never heard of the name of the Lord and so all Israel shall be saved but indeed the ensuing promise doth seem to restrain it onely into natural Israel For it is a Redeemer shall come to Sion and he that turnes away the iniquity from Jacob Esa 59.20 And this is the Covenant that I will make with them when I shall pardon their sins and so it refers all unto Israel that is unto the Iews and all Israel is ment not a sprinkling some few first fruits but the whole crop and whereas before he had said that blindness came but in part upon them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now he saith when their deliverance shall come it shall come unto all Israel even unto the whole Nation for their iniquities shall be turned away by God and they also shall turn from their iniquities All Israel shall be saved not every particular person but a National conversion All Israel c. Beeing to treat of the comming in of the Iewes when all Israel shall be brought in there are many heads unto which all may be reduced which orderly the Scripture speaks there which I shall briefly in a summe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set before you at this time that I may be at least an occasion of enquiry into each of them and thereby happily light may be encreased First there shall be National conversion of the Iewes wherein a great if not the greatest part of the Nation of the Iewes that are reserved shall be turned unto the Lord. This some oppose a Conversion they grant but a National Conversion it must not be Secondly this Conversion shall be in the height of their misery when there shal be the greatest misery and affliction upon them that ever was since their dispersion There shall be a time of trouble such as there never was since they were a Nation unto the same time and at that time Daniels people shall be delivered as many as are found written in the book Dan. 12.1 when they shall be dry bones and all hope shall be past with them that they shall say our bones are dry bones our hope is past and we are cut off for our part then the dry bones shall live and they that sleep in the dust shall awake Ezek. 37.11.12 Behold Oh my people I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves and bring you into the land of Israel That 's the Lords time of love above all other times when men lie wallowing in their blood when their hopes shall be lowest their Redemption shall be near Thirdly when they are converted they shall return unto Christ and embrace him whom they formerly crucified and rejected saying we will not have this man to rule over us and his blood be upon us and our Children but there shall come a time when Israel and Judah shall be gathered together which never yet was since their rejection and they shal appoint to themselves one head Hos 1.11 and this head can be no other then Christ whom they shall then by their own election appoint to be as a Head or a King over them its true that he was appointed by the Father in his eternal decree and in the covenant made between the Father and the Son before the World was as he himself saith I was set up from everlasting it cannot be spoken of him as he is God for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was appointed Prov 8.2.3 whch must refer into the office into which he was designed from eternity by the Father it is the same word used Ps 26. I have set my King upon my holy hill of Sion but now their hearts shall be brought about and they that rejected the counsel of God against themselves and would not have him to be their head whom the Lord had appointed now they shall also chuse the same and consent unto him they shall appoint unto themselves oâ—e head c. In that day shall there be a Fountain open unto the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness Zach. 13.1 it is spoken of the day of their conversion as appeares by what goes before in the former Chapter then shall Christ become the glory of his people Israel hee was their glory because that of them according to the flesh Christ came Rom. 9. But now they shall chuse him as their glory and they shall rejoyce and glory in him and they shall in their return seek the Lord and David their King Hos 3.5 that is they shall seek God aright according to the way of the Gospel and with Gospel apprehensions they shall not onely seek the Lord from whom they have grievously revolted but they shall seek him in Christ and they shal come to him in the way that he hath appointed that is in Christ and unto Christ shall they come Fourthly at their conversion there shall be wrought in them a great and a national humiliation Jer. 31.18.19 I was ashamed and confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Hos 14.8 Ephraim shall say What have I doe any more with Idols I have heard him and observed him c. Zach. 12.10 I will pour upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of Grace and supplication and they shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him and be in bitterness for him as for an only son as he that mourns for his first bâ—rn There shal be a great mourning as the mourning of Hadadrimmon c. Jer. 31.8,9 Behold I wil bring them from the North country wil gather them from the ends of the Earth and they shal come with weeping and with supplication I wil lead them to Sion they shal come but with weeping and supplications c. But is not this spoken of their return from Babylon How can it did they come out of Captivity weeping It cannot be meant fully of that return though there are different degrees of the accomplishment of prophesies but if we look to verse 1. At the same time saith the Lord I wil be the God of all the Tribes of Israel and they shal be my people Which can hardly be imagined unto the ten Tribes in that return to be fulfilled for they did never return from the land of their Captivity unto this day There
day of their deliverance shall come to the astonishment and amazement of the Nations and there are many great reasons that it must be a great day but I cannot insist upon them Seventhly the time of their calling shall be when the fulness of the Gentiles is come in blindness so long is happened unto them when the four Monarchs are cast down to dust in the period of them Dan. 7.12.13.14 after the destruction of Antichrist when the little horn is slain and his body given unto the burning flame now he comes to receive a Kingdom of the ancient of days and it shall be when the seventh Angels Trumpet shall sound then the Kingdoms and Nations under the whole Earth become the Kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ Rev. 11.16 which is from the setting up the abomination of desolation the 1290. days which shal be the year of the Iews redemption Dan. 12.11 which is to be finished four thousand year after which is 1335. daies but these are times â—hat I cannot now speak to Eighthly then shall be amongst them a glorious Church in which the presence of the Lord shall dwell Ezek. 37.27 I will set my Tabernacle among them for ever more And elsewhere Ezek. 48. ult the name of the City shal be Jehovah shammah the Lord is there Rev. 21.3 The Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and it is not in Heaven for it is new Jerusalem that comes down from God out of Heaven and the Kings of the earth shall bring their glory to it and the glory of the Lord and of the Lamb shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the light of it and Rev. 21.12 twelve Angels at the gates and there shall be no use of the service of the Angels in Heaven they are sent forth as ministring spirits for the good of the Elect. But when they are gathered in as their Kindom begins with the Kingdom of Christ so shall it end also for he will put down all rule authority and power it is to be understood Etiam de principatu Angelico as well as of any other And they shall have the purest Ordinances Rivers of water of Life that is clear as Christal not running blood not mixed with fire Rev. 22.1 Not blood as is the Doctrine of Antichrist nor mixt with Fire either of affliction or contention as are the doctrines of the reformed Churches and then shall be the exactest discipline all that love and make a lye shall be without and the more of Gods order the more of his presence and his blessing for they shall see his face and his name shall bee written upon their foreheads c. Ninthly this Church of the converted Jewes shall be the Mother Church and shall be exalted above all the Gentile Churches the mountain of the Lords house exalted above the tops of the mountains Ezek. 16.61 then shalt thou be ashamed when I shall give thee thy sisters for daughters all the Gentile Churches shal know that they do receive as the Law from them at the first so now aboundance of light and nourishment great discoveries of God and of his grace for the light of the Moon shall be as that of the Sun and the light of the Sun seven-fold and the Temple shall be opened in Heaven and you may see into the Ark of the Testament all vailes shall be taken away both from the hearts of men and the mysteries of God and the Abdita the hidden things of God revealed the which should then be made fully manifest For he did not write the Word for the World to come but for the Life that now is and therefore there is nothing there hid that shall not be made manifest it shall appear unto the world that he wrote none of those divine mysteries in the word in vain Tenthly Then shall follow great peace and prosperity in the world all persecutions either from Enemies without or Tyrants within shall come to an end Ezek. 34.25.26 I wil make with them a Covenant of peace and wil cause evil beasts to cease out of the Land they shall dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods Esa 66.12 I will extend peace to her like a River that shall never be dryed up that when the enemies shall look when it will be dry it may be expected in vaine Labitur labetur Zach. 14.11 Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited persecutions from without for the four Monarchs shal bee destroyed and Satan shall be bound that he shall not stir them up to make war against the Saints Rev. 20. Ezek. 45.8 because their Princes before did slay them and not hold themselves guilty make nothing of oppression but now he saith my Princes shall oppresse my people no more a wall 12000 furlongs high Rev. 21.16 and for prosperity Esa 60.16.17 c she shall suck the milk of the Gentiles and the brests of Kings Eleventhly Over this people Iesus Christ shall in a glorious manner reign and that in a more eminent manner then he hath done over the Churches of the Gentiles for it is the Kingdom of David his Father which he is to sit on a Kingdom which he is yet to receive Ezek. 34.23.24 â—zek 37.25 Ezek. 21.26 David my servant he shall feed them and rule over them I will be their God and David my servant as a Prince amongst them when the dry bones are risen David my servant shall be their Prince for ever remove the Diadem c he will overturn overturn overturne and then will he come whose right it is The Scepter shal depart from Judah and they shall be many days without a King Any form of government of their own Hos 34. and what then they shall seek the Lord and David their King unto whom the Father hath committed all judgement Joh. 5.22 and in a special manner the Kingdoms and Nations over this people that from his presence their judgement is to go forth and therefore he shall in a more special manner be be King of the Jews as being his own people unto whom he hath a right of inheritance more then he has over any people of the world besides and yet I do confesse I do not see light from the Scripture to assert the personal reign of Christ upon Earth over them and the Saints reigning with him in his person I know Aliud est ChristuÌ„ regnare in Sanctis Aliud Sanctos regnare cum Christo both shall be in this life in some sense but yet whether Christ shall rule them by a personal residence upon earth is unto me still a doubt but this I say the Lord Iesus Christ hath a peculiar right unto the Kingdom of the Jews as he is of the seed of David And God will give him the Throne of his father David Twelfthly The people shall be exceeding holy in this Church walking in truth and sincerity there is a form of Godliness but there is little of the
pulchrum est digito monstrari c. there goes a rich man a wise man a great Schollar c. but to be pointed at there goes a holy man a diligent hearer a constant frequenter of the Ordinances in the place where Gods honour dwelleth this is an imputation and a matter of disgrace and this especially in any of the higher and the greater sort Salvian It is that which Salvian in his time did complain of p. 113. that if any Noble man or great man begun to be religious statim honorem nobilitatis amittit quantus in Christiano populo honor Christi ubireligio ignobilem facit The same is the disease of the present times that dishonour some men for no cause but because they do honour God of whom the world may truly say Thy God hath kept thee from honour It will appear in the consideration of these things First what a man counts a matter of honour he will not be ashamed to appear to be Paul was not ashamed to preach the Gospel but was abundant in it laboured more then they all why because he counted it the matter of his glory Rom. 15.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was so his labour that he counted it his honour too and that made him so abundant in it he was willing to appear so to be the Martyrs in the Primitive times counted Christianity their honour and therefore they were not ashamed to profess with triumph before their cruellest persecutors Christiani sumus c. but amongst us we find men are loth to be taken notice of for constant preachers for diligent hearers c. because they count it will be a blemish to their names and may be a stop to their honour and preferment in the world c. Thus many a man is by this means kept off from the Ordinances which would be his glory quodammodo mali esse coguntur ne viles habeantur they must be evil or else they say they shall be vile if they be not wicked they say they shall be men of no esteem Surely all those that are ashamed to appear or to be thought holy they count the Ordinances of God their disgrace and not their honour for a good man is that Seneca Epist 81. Seneca boni viri famam perdidit ne perdiret Constantinus let every man look into his own heart whether it be so with him I accuse none but as Salvian saith Salvian Si quis in se esse novit quae loquor non à mea sihi haec lingua dici aestimet sed à conscientia sua not my tongue but his own heart is his accuser Secondly what a man counts his honour that he will have recourse to or setch comfort or encouragement from it in disgrace or any other calamity whatsoever When Mordecay refused to bow to Haman unto what did his heart recoyl in this contempt as he conceived Hest 5.10 it is said that he told his friends of his glory riches multitude of children and all the things wherein the King had promoted him and how he had advanced him above the Princes c. and with this he bore up his own Spirit So it will be with the Ordinances if a man make them his glory as the Lord himself tells his people Isa 30.20 though they were not freed from outward afflictions though they were fed with the bread of affliction and the water of trouble yet their Teachers should be removed into corners no more but their eyes should see their Teachers c. and with this the Lord strives to uphold their hearts against all their outward calamities they should be sure of plenty of the bread of life though they did want the staff of bread when a soul is able to turn in upon himself and in any calamity uphold his spirit herewith It is true God feeds me with the bread of affliction but yet my eyes do see my Teachers and can he be hungry that is fed with the bread of life can he fare meanly that is alwaies at a feast of fat things No surely brown bread and the Gospel is rich provision Can he thirst that may at pleasure draw water with joy out of the wells of salvation Can he be poor unto whom is daily offered the unsearchable riches of Christ Can he be sick to whom the Sun of righteousness doth arise with healing in his wings and can he be alone who is come to the innumerable company of Angels or the general assembly and Church of the first born which are written in heaven to God the Iudge of all c. Thus we are by Gospel-Ordinances Heb. 12.22,23 Matth. 9.2 Christ saith unto the poor man sick of the Palsey Son be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee A poor man in sickness and in pain how could he be of good chear yea there is sufficient in the Gospel and the Comforts and Ordinances thereof to chear a mans heart and to bear him up against all the outward sorrows and calamities in the world if a man do make the Ordinances of the Gospel the matter of his honour then they will be his chiefest joy in the best times and his only joy in the worst Thirdly a mans honour and that which he glories in he will lay all at stake to defend the people of Israel counted David a great honour to his Nation as indeed he was and therefore they called him the light of Israel 2 Sam 21.17 and being in battle there came Ishbebenob the Giant and would have slain David but Abishai the son of Zerviah interposed himself rescued the King and slew the Philistine Now when the Giants of the world strike sometimes at one Ordinance sometimes at another and think surely to quench the light of Israel Where is the man that hath interposed himself and born the blow that he might succour the Ordinances Where is the man that is of Saint Bernards mind Bernard Malo in nos murmur hominum quam in Deum bonum est mihi si Deus dignetur me uti pro clypeo Objection But when you have said all the world will never count these Ordinances an honour nor those that do frequent them to be honourable men but either men of mean parts or mean fortunes the instable multitude c. or what ever a man was before he shall never be so esteemed afterward Si honoratior quispiam religio ni se applicuerit Salvian illico honoratus esse desistit Salvian p. 113. Answer But consider First though the world will not so count it yet there is an honour that comes from God only Iohn 5.44 and there is circumcision in the heart and in the Spirit whose praise is not of men but of God Rom. 2. ult There are indeed two great rate Books or counts in which all the persons and actions of men be valued Goâ—s book and the worlds and they set upon persons and actions different rates for that which is highly esteemed amongst
these did labour to their utmost to retard the settlement of this people newly returned into their own Land again laboured to keep the City and Temple in their ruines and to that end by their interest and power in forraign Nations they had engaged against them even the whole authority of the Persian Monarchie Now when the hopes of the enemy grew high and when the hearts of the Saints fell low what is the way God takes to remove them now why now a Prophet must go to them he sendeth Zachariah the Prophet and bids them Return to your strong holds ye prisoners of hope your strong holds why their City was laid wast their Temple burnt with fire strong holds they had none satis praesidii in un Deo Calvin Calvin There is enough strength in one God even then when walls and fortifications fall Why now that the Lord might bear up their Spirits in this condition he reveals his mind as the manner of the Lord was in those times unto his Prophet by several Visions in an especial manner in this Chap. and the latter end of the former Chap. he doth it in a double vision In one the Lord tels him that be the powers of the enemy what they would be though they saw no help none to oppose them yet the Lord would raise up an adverse power that should break them though they knew not whence it should come And he tels them in the 21. ver of the former Chap. there were four horns that did push Ierusalem and the Lord saith I will raise up four Carpenters and they shall beat them in pieces equal to the horns so shall the Carpenters be In the next place in this Chapter the Lord shews him another vision a man with a line in his hand taking me asure of the City Ierusalem and of the Temple as the manner of Builders and Artificers is to do Jesus Christ doth usually appear to his people according to those great things that he is about to effect for them when the people were to be carried into Captivity Jesus Christ then appears cloathed in linnon with a writers Inkhorn by his side Ezek. 9.1,2 and when the instruments of vengeance come Iesus Christ comes in the midst of them the man with a writers Inkhorn was in the midst of them what to do to mark those that were written to life in Ierusalem First before the instruments of vengeance can stretch out their hands against any the man with a writers Inkhorn will set his mark upon those that are written for life But when the people returned out of captivity now Jesus Christ appears with a line in his hand for he it is that must build the Church so you have it in the 6. Chap. 12. ver Behold the man whose name is the Branch he shall build thee he shall build the Temple of the Lord no wonder then that when the Temple and City is to be built Jesus Christ appears with a line in his hand This is the Vision Now observe in this Chapter three things that I may bring you home to the words read to you First you have the Vision it self the man with a line in his hand Secondly you have the interpretation of the Vision Ierusalem shall be built and the City shall be inhabited Thirdly you have a threefold Apostrophe that the Lord infers from this First directed unto the Jews that yet continued in Babylon the Lord calls them deliver thy self Oh Sion that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon It is barrenness and lowness of spirit not to accept deliverance it is pitty but those men that say they love their Task-masters they should have their ears bored as a token of perpetual service The Lord calls upon them Oh Sion that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon deliver thy self Secondly the next is to the enemies that were their neighbours the truth is my Brethren it was a good observation that of Tertullian unto the Church Tertul. there are tot hostes quot extranei all that be strangers be enemies now the Lord speaks unto these and tells them I will shake my hand against you and they that spoyl you they shall be a spoyl to their servants their own servants shall spoil them The third and last branch of this Apostrophe is in the words that I have read unto you the words of the Text and it referrs partly to the enemies and partly to the people of God that were returned out of captivity be silent Oh all flesh for the Lord is raised up out of his holy habitation Let the enemies silence their murmurings silence their slanders Be silent Oh all people Let the Saints silence their frettings silence their doubtings for the Lord is raised up out of his boly habitation You have then in the words two things First a Proposition The Lord is raised up out of his holy habitation Secondly an inference by way of Exhortation or Command thereupon Be silent before the Lord Oh all flesh The Proposition is first in nature though it be last in place and therefore I must first speak of that and then afterwards of the Application First then the Proposition is this the Lord is raised up out of the habitation of his holiness Here are two things to be explained before I can come unto those points that I purposed to commend to you First I must shew you what is meant by the habitation of his holiness And Secondly I must shew you how the Lord is said to be raised up The habitation of his holiness is used two waies in the Scripture It is sometimes put for heaven in 2 Chron. 30. ult it is said their prayer came up to his holy habitation even unto heaven So in Isa 63 15. look down from the habitation of thy holiness and thy glory why then the habitation of the holiness of God is Heaven Secondly it is many times put for the Temple the place of Gods presence amongst his people manifested in Ordinances so the Tabernacle is called Gods habitation in 1 Sam. 2.29 And the Lord is said to be at Ierusalem Brusius Brusius interpreteth it of the former Calvin Mr. Calvin of the latter we may very well by way of subordination take in both for I conceive the sense will be made up with both all the Churches deliverances as well as all the enemies destructions they come out of heaven the sword is bathed in heaven before it comes down upon the people of Gods curse in Iudgement in Isa 34.3 and yet all these whether deliverances or destructions are obtained by the prayers of the Saints in the Temple so that you may well ascribe it to both Observe I beseech you and it is a mighty truth the Saints have as glorious a hand in the Government of the world as they shall have an eminent hand in the Judgement of the world There is a threefold Authority that was erected by Christ when the government was taken into
comfort your selves with this the Lord is raised up out of his holy habitation he hath begun and he will carry on the work And so much now for the first branch of the Text the Proposition the Lord is raised up out of his holy habitation The inference that followeth upon it I shall speak but briefly to only I pray you lend me your diligent ear and with that I shall conclude I would be loth to trespass in respect of time The Lord is raised up out of his holy habitation what then be silent Oh all flesh before him That is the inference be silent O all flesh before the Lord. These words Interpretets referr both to the Churches enemies and to the people of God who were returned from the Land of their captivity The particle Interjectio est silentium Imperans Jerom. Ierom. Oh that is here used is a kind of Interjection by which the Lord commandeth silence and not a silence of the tongue only but silence of the soul My soul keep silence unto God There is a double silence in the world Some men keep silence in policy because they would not discover themselves till a convenient time But all the people of God that will approve themselves they must keep silence in duty Well First then Let us look upon enemies and as it is a direction to them a command laid upon them Oh all flesh be silent before the Lord. I here is a double ground of all ungodly mens silence and I find it used so in Scripture First there is a silence from shame Psal 31.19 let the lying lips be put to silence that cruelly and despightfully speak against the righteous silencing may be by shame Secondly there is a silencing of men wiâ—h fear and astonishment Psal 107.41 he setteth the poor on high with Princes the righteous shall see this and rejoyce and all wickedness shall stop their mouth men shall be amazed to see it There is a silence from shame there is a silence from fear then it is as if so be the Lord should have said unto all the Churchs enemies for shame or if not for shame for fear suppress your murmurings away with your boastings your censurings your slanderings Keep silence Oh all flesh before the Lord why now give me leave to inforce it a little All those that are enemies unto Gods actings among his people give me leave to speak a word to you if any such are here as in most of our Congregations it is like there are When the Lord is raised up out of his holy habitation doth gloriously appear in providential actings for his people then see that you keep silence I say away with your murmurings your disputings your censurings your slanderings and let me inforce it upon these four grounds remember them First know the Lord hears all your murmurings the Lord takes notice of all your censurings sometimes men in design keep silence because they dare not speak out But remember what the Lord told his people when they murmured against Moses Exod. 16. the Lord tells them that they have not murmured against thee at the 7. ver they have not murmured against thee but they have murmured against me When God appears in Instruments and you evidently see the hand of God with them then when you murmur at these Instruments you murmur against God remember that and the Lord takes notice In the second place It is a far greater Judgement for a man to be given over to a froward fretful spirit under an affliction then any affliction that can befall him I desire that it may sink deep into all your hearts I say to be given over under an affliction to a froward and a fretful spirit is a greater judgement then any affliction can befall him for a man to be like a wild Bull in a Net full of the fury of the Lord the cross he cannot bear and yet he cannot avoid it I intreat you consider it is worse then any other judgement can befall you it is the Devils sin and it is the Devils punishment mark this I say it is the Devils sin and it is the Devils punishment the Lord crosseth him in all his designs and yet notwithstanding for all that still his spirit risseth up against all his acting and so envy is his sin and his plague now do you mark it is true all sins are from the Devil but yet some are from him per modum servitutis others per modum Imagini in some sins you do the Devils work but in some sins you bear the Devils image and I beseech you consider this is the condition of every man so far as he is given over to a froward fretful perverse discontented spirit under the providential actings of God towards his people Consider I beseech you it is this that makes Hell this makes Hell when a man is under the hand of God that yet he cannot bear it nor he cannot avoid it It was a good speech of Bernard Bernard Ubi non est propria voluntas non erit infernum take away a mans self-will and truly you take away hell this is that my Bretheren makes it be so when an affliction lies upon a man all that while his will continually riseth against the dealings of God and he frets against the hand of God upon him it is the greatest Judgement could befal him In the third place This will certainly hinder your repentance It is a sad Scripture that so much the more sad because it hath an aspect upon the times in which we live Rev. 16.9 you read of the Vial poured out upon the Sun the highest authority in Church and State so far as it holds to Rome Now the Text saith that men should be scorched the same Vial that was poured out upon the Sun I say now that men should be scorched exceedingly fretful perplexed in spirit and what follows why the text saith they blasphemed God that had power over these plagues and they repented not to give God the glory My Brethren there is not a greater Judgement befalls men in these daies then through a fretful spirit against the instrument to neglect the hand of God and not repent and turn Yea in the last place that I may draw to wards a conclusion This will provoke the Lord I assure you for to bring greater plagues upon you therefore take heed to it to keep silence before him when you see Gods hand upon you Isa 26.11 When the hand of the Lord is lifted up they will not see but they shall see and be ashamed for their envy at the people saith the Text. My Brethren God worketh Judgements in lesser characters at first and truly if men cannot read it he will write them in more eminent and capital Letters small judgements they will not open wicked mens eyes truly neither will they stop wicked mens mouthes and if they will not do so assuredly God will have a way for all wicked men
to stop their mouthes therefore if you would not have Judgements encreased take heed when you see the Lord appearing for his Church providentially acting the Lord is up then Say to thy own soul Let all flesh be silent before him That is the first looking upon these words as referring to the Churches enemies A word I shall add looking upon these words as referring to the poor distressed Jews who were now returned out of the Land of their Captivity but there was a mighty power of the enemy against them why yet saith the Lord do you keep silence silence your doubtings silence your frettings Silence your doubtings It it said of Abraham Rom. 4.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he did not dispute the business pro and con and truly neither must you if God be up leave the work in his hand leave off your doubtings leave off your doubtings upon conjectures and suppositions That is the first Let all flesh keep silence silence your doubtings Secondly Let all flesh keep silence silence your frettings saith David Psal 39. I kept silence I was dumb saith he for it was thy doings A terrible Judgement befell Aaron two sons were taken away by an immediate stroke from Gods hand and Aaron held his peace his spirit did not rise and discontentedly fret at the present dispensation Oh ye that fear God take heed when the Lord ariseth for his people keep silence before him silence your doubtings silence your fret tings That I press by four considerations and so I shall conclude I beseech you mark them You that fear God that know his name that expect an interest in all that mercy that the Lord intendeth for his people in the latter daies take heed I say that ye keep silence before the Lord. First Consider but this will you contend with God will you I say contend with God in Judgement the Lord challengeth that Who will appoint me a time who will contend with me in Iudgement Will you dispute the business out with God Consider Gods Judgement is the last Judgement and his Judgement is an eternal Judgement from his Sentence there is no appeal it is the worst course that a man could take that is to be Judged to undertake to contend with his Judgement before God therefore take heed of it you cannot contend with God in Judgement Iob 9.32 Secondly should not the Soveâ—aignty of God put you to silence though it may be all the actings of God be not according to your will should not the Soveraignty of God I say stop your mouthes â— hath not the Lord reserved to himself the power of Kingdoms Depoint Reges disponit Regna he it is that disposeth Kings he it is that disposeth Kingdoms now I beseech you observe this seriously this did silence David I was dumb and opened not my mouth it was thy doings truly had I looked barely upon man it was such a thing I could not have born if I had looked only upon instruments but when I looked upon him as my Soveraign and absolute Lord then saith he I was silent before him In the third place consider this A fretful spirit even in Gods own people doth strangely blind their eyes that they cannot see the goodness of God in the mercy but take many times that which is a high and glorious mercy they take it to be a cross and an affliction My Brethren observe envy will strangely hoodwink a man when the hand of the Lord is lifted up they will not see why for their envy at the people they text saith it is an evil frame of spirit in a Christian a froward discontented fretful spirit a spirit ill becoming a Saint your wisdom should hinder it Solomon tels you a man of understanding is of an excellent Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 frigidus spiritu he is a man of a cool spirit a man of understanding a great many men will speak of their understandings and their zeal many times but know that a man of understanding is of a cool spirit Consider the Spirit of Christ comes in the form of a Dove be innocent as Doves without gall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sine felle sine dolo so the word signifies the Dove is without gall as well as without guil and truly that is a spirit becoming a Christian and the want of this my Brethren makes many deny the most glorious actings of God towards his people when many times even an Heathen man a stranger standing by is ready to cry out as he did truly it is a glorious God the God of the Christians Alas they will not look upon it they cannot see it envy I say strangely bleareth the eyes take heed of it therefore In the last place and so I have done Consider doth the wrath of man work the righteousness of God the Apostle S. Iames tels you clearly the contrary certainly you that will maintain Gods cause you must do it by Gods means the Lord needs no carnal weapons no help of any body no fleshly interest to maintain his spiritual cause no I entreat you consider it when if ever you will carry on the cause of God let it be done by the means and with that spirit that God requireth I dare undertake you shall find that of Nazianzen a good rule Nazian Let us be weak that we may overcome I that is the way the way to overcome men or to mannage a cause though you say it is the cause of God I say it is not to be done by humane heats and fleshly animosities therefore this is that I shall leave with you for the present in these five considerations farther and so have done First God hath never set up any authority or way of government but he hath reserved to himself in his providence a power to change it at his pleasure Zach. 21.10 Remove the Diadem take away the Crown God will shew himself to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords Secondly it is his ordinance that there should be a Magistracie they are called the shields of the earth the stay of your tribes the foundations of the earth and it is not good there should be an Anarchie for God hath set Rulers over men some by providence some by promise But yet God sets them over them that should be enough to restrain men of giddy spirits who are like the children of Belial without a yoak therefore let us not go about to pluck up our own bedge and destroy our own foundations Hab. 1.13 The fishes of the Sea have no Ruler over them but devour one another The Persians at the death of their Kings have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on purpose that men might find the evil of it therefore be not unruly boysterous spirits like the raging Sea But be content to submit to the bounds that God hath set you Thirdly though this Government be an Ordinance of God yet the extent and specification of it is but an humane creation 1. Pet. 2.13 〈◊〉
beset us Isa 6.6 and 7.8 when the Lord saith Whom shall I send the Prophet saith send me non tardat uncta rota but see the contrary in Moses and Ionah and this makes men in all the duties God cals them unto no longer then corruption is bribed to drive heavily Fourthly This makes all our services the more sweet unto God the more clean the heart is in them Mal. 3.4 Then shall the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord c. Psal 66.18 But if I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear me the duty would be more valuable in Gods account Luke 21.3 The poor widdow cast in more then they all because her mite came from a purer spirit then their great gifts therefore such services of the Saints Christ cals them the honey and the honey-combe wine and milk to shew how acceptable they are Cant. 5.1 Lastly consider the glorious motives and encouragements we have therein as First the promises Ezek 47.8 and Zach. 13.2 Secondly the Spirit of Christ to be a spirit of burning Isa 4.4 and when the Church is in the purest condition yet alwaies this spirit is leading her on to perfection still the spirit and the Bride saith come Rev. 22.17 and Christ and the Father love the purity as well as the prosperity of his people and if we would set faith on work he hath promised to manifest it Iohn 14.20,21 In that day ye all know that I am in my Father in his counsel in his â—osom one with him in Majestie and in power and we have the same purposes and intentions towards sinners and you in me your nature and your infirmities you are in my bosom and in my heart cloathed with me and living with me and while I live you shall live I dyed your death and you rose my resurrection I bear your in firmities and you are filled with my fulness I pray your prayers and you weare my righteousness and I in you not only by my righteousness to justifie you but by my Spirit to purifie you by my wisdom to guide you and by my power to keep you and by my glory to Crown you You unto whom I will say Enter into the joy of your Lord these are the better promises of the Gospel and it is the lowness of mens spirits want of Christian greatness of mind grounded upon the consideration of this that is the true cause why Christians lie fettered with their old failings and out-grow their infirmities no more then they do A Set Time FOR Iudgement JER 8.7 The Stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their coming but my people know not the Iudgement of the Lord. EVery faithful Minister of God hath a double reference First unto the particular Flock over which God hath made him an Over-seer Acts 20.28 Secondly unto the Land in general where he lives unto whom God hath made him a watch-man to foresee danger Ezek. 3.17 and a Trumpeter to discover it Numb 10.8 For first every private Officer in the Church is to have a publike spirit and so to perform his particular duty as to have respect unto the general good a Minister is so limited to a particular Flock as he must also remember that he is the servant of the whole Church and as every particular Church hath an interest in the gifts of all 1 Cor. 3.21 so every particular Minister is to have a care of the good of all though in a more peculiar manner of the Flock committed unto his own charge Secondly there are not only Congregational and Personal sins and mercies but there are National also and there are times when God cals a people to be humbled for the one and to be thankful for the other and in both these the Ministers of the Gospel must be employed as Trumpeters to sound forth the praise of God and as watch-men to give warning of Gods displeasure and of the time and approach of Judgement Being thus debters unto both we must pay both debts in their season and be so far careful of our particular charge that also we forget not to be faithful to the Nation and Church wherein we are for this is the common Ship in which we are all embarked and if this in Judgement be cast away whether dashed against the Rock of any forraign power or swallowed up in the quick-sands of domestick divisions it must needs hazard all the passengers Or if you were sure that for your parts you might be safe would it not be a bitter thing to you to stand upon the shore and to see so glorious a Vessel as this Nation is to be cast away to see this glorions Land defaced the blessed Gospel polluted the golden Candlestick removed it cannot but affect men that have any bowels Or if this move you not yet to see a stranger to Lord it in thy habitation and thy dwelling to cast thee out for your delightsom dwellings your pleasant and well-tilled fields to be made a prey and for you to sow and another to reap Impius has segetes c. for the delicate woman upon whom the wind must not blow and that scarce dares venter to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for tenderness Deut. 28.26 to be exposed to the lusts and cruelty of an enemy and to be glad to flie away naked to prolong a miserable life which they would be glad to part with for death were it not for fear of the exchange for the tender mother to look upon the child of her womb and consider Must this child in whom I have placed the hope of my age for omnis in Ascanioâ—stat chari cura parentis he that hath been so tenderly bred up must he fall into the rough hands of a bloody souldier skilful to destroy it had been well for me if God had given me a miscarrying womb and dry breasts rather then to bring forth children unto murderers if you might be safe how could you endure thus to see the evil that should come upon your people and the destruction of your kindred as it was her expression Hest 8 6. I do not Rhetorize and fawn to draw your affections your Brethren are a sad Comment upon what I have spoken and Ireland the stage upon which you may see this Tragedy acted before your eyes And is this nothing unto all you that pass by are you nothing concerned in the misery of your Brethren is not the Lord come neer un to you and may not you be consumed by the same fire tunc tua res agitur c. is not Iudah neerly concerned in the desolation of Israel can we see the dealing of the Lord with our Brethren say I shall sit down as a Ladyfor ever I shall see no forrow shal we say when the over-flowing scourge shall pass over it shall not come at us Isa 28.15 shall we
soul to feed upon in the expectation of mercy he gave them to be meat to his people in the wilderness Psal 74.14 so former Judgements are meat also for the soul to feed upon in the expectation of future for the wrath of God breaking in upon a people is like a breach in awall where the enemy will be sure with all violence to break in if no man stand in the gap to make resistance impossibile a patente porta iram Dei non procedere For by a lesser Judgement God makes way for his anger for a perfect and an utter ruine Psaul 78.50 Let us see whether the same way be not made with us as it was with them First all Nations about them were against them Ier. 12.9 Mine inheritâ—nce is as a speckled Bird the Birds round about her are against her as a strange Bird seldom seen the Birds usually fall upon and set themselves against her if we did wisely consider the estate of this Kingdom how it is a speckled bird and how the Nations about her are against her as a strange bird it were easy to conceive and what expectations most of them have from the present state of things amongst us it is not hard to guess Secondly the general corruption and decay of truth and wisdom of men in places of greatest trust their silver becomes dross and their wine mixed with water Isa 1.22 their Judges and Officers and men in authority growing daily more and more corrupt the best of them is a Briar Mich. 7.4 that is a poor man flies to them for shelter as a sheep to a thorny hedge and instead of defending they do fleece him in and what follows the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh now shall be their perplexity what hath been the condition of this state we all know how servants have ruled over us and there was none to deliver us out of their hands men of servile birth and education and servile spirits in so much that there hath been no peace either to him that went out or to him that came in for God did vex us with all adversity 2 Chron. 15.6 Thirdly the subversion of fundamental Laws of the Kingdom which the Scripture calls the foundation upon which a Kindom stands which was a bitter complaint of the Church of God in this state all the foundations of the earth were out of course Psal 82.5 what invasions have been made upon us and our Laws hath been abundantly of late discovered and Solomon tells us that he that breaks a hedge a Serpent shall bite him Eccl. 10.8 he speaks it of this hedge by which a people are defended and kept several that all do not become first a Common and then a Wilderness Lastly private and intestine divisions amongst us the fore-running of Gods last and fiercest wrath upon that people Ephraim against Manassch and both against Iudah Isa 9. ult which the Lord saith is as if one member in the same body should be injurious to another as if a man should eate the flesh of his own arm and how far the wrath of God is at present stretched forth against this Nation we all know and complain of what secret whisperings and murmurings what jealousies and fears there are one of another and what parties and how for these divisions there do arise great thoughts of heart we can never sufficiently bewail which doth continnally threaten that the Lord will take us and dash us one against another as Potters Vessels These were the fore-runners of Judgement with this Nation which did show them that the time of Judgement was at hand and these are now the sins of the times which may justly occasion us to conceive that the time of Judgement is at hand let it not be our sin which is here reproved as theirs that we should not know the time of the Judgement of the Lord. Vse Use for direction only in five things First not to know the time is misery enough therefore men are taken suddenly unawares insnared in an evil time as birds in an evil share and as fishes in an evil net Eccl. 9.12 Secondly that you may know the time to improve this promise Whosoever keepeth the Commandment shall find no evil a wise mans heart shall discern time and Iudgement Eccl. 8 5. Thirdly a wise man foresees the evil and hides himself but fools pass on and are punished Prov. 22.3 First by a work of humiliation Hab. 3.16 When I heard my belly trembled rottenness entred into my bones I trembled in my self that I might rest in the evil day Secondly a work of reformation Zeph. 2.3 Seek righteousness seek meeknesâ— it may be you may be hid in the day of the Lords wrath Thirdly improve all the promises that perfection to which you are called Isa 26 ult come my people enter into your chambers the Promises and Attributes are the chambers of the godly but you must come into them else they will afford no shelter upon all the glory shall be a defence Fourthly be much in prayer to lay in for this time will be profitable for you for know prayer never proves ineffectual to a spiritual end it never in this respect comes too late because God never comes too late 1 King 18.45 Luke 21.36 Watch therefore and pray continually that you may be accounted worthy to escape all those things that shall come to pass fidelibus orationibus Deum ambimus coelum tundimus Fifthly betake thy self to the mediation of Christ Mich. 5.5 for this man shall be the peace when the enemy comes into the Land he is a refuge from the storm a defence from the wind a river of water in a dry place and the shaddow of a great Rock in a weary Land Isa 52.2 therefore return you to your strong holds you prisoners of hope Zach. 9.12 Remember his name is Shilo the peace-maker and he is so called everywhere when the Scepter departs from Judah Gen. 49.9 there must needs be nothing but trouble yet then he is the peace-maker then doth Shilo come