and the former historicall ones with so propheticall a spirit that they serve most aptly for future use unto all posterity and therefore his book of Psalmes remaineth the only Church musick unto the worlds end unto the Church of Christ A third Use is farther Exhortation Vse 3 that we be most deeply and chiefly troubled for our sinnes the only true trouble-house of the Israel of God untill we get pardon thereof in Christ his merits and victory over them by the power of Gods Spirit This will alleviate all other troubles to thee as being flea-bites hereunto they all will be easily overcome in joy of this once rightly and throughly vanquished and our quietnesse of Conscience issuing hence will be rightly bottomed upon tendernesse of Conscience bringing joy in the Holy Ghost and not on that false bottome of naturall security and senselesnesse in sinne growing up in impudencie of sinne untill at length it quite flag into finall despaire such a seared Conscience breakes forth at last into restlesse wounds and out-cryes of an accusing conscience Get God home to thee within thy Conscience then needeth thy hope for shelter never stirre out of thee but in all troubles whatsoever have this for thy retiring biding place If thither thou darest not whither wilt thou fly how comfortlesse is that mans condition who having no safety abroad dareth not retire having no quiet at home through a brawling wife both at bed and board restlesse yea worse is the trouble that sinne procureth disquieting the Conscience Such ones are like to the Citizens of Ai pursued and thinking to return to their City it was all on fire and so they fell all by the sword Josh 8. not much unlike was the condition of the Benjamites Judg. 20. 40 c. yet worse even as ill as may be is the present condition because we carry this house the retiring place of Conscience about with us where-ever we goe and cannot leave it behinde us and therefore take we heed how we disquiet it with our sins Faber deasciat lignain superficie putrida si auutem sana invenerit intue in aedificium provehit non valdae de superficie putrida laeso solicitus Quid proderit exterius sanum putrefacta medulla conscientiae To which purpose let us be sure to finde out and surprize our sinnes before they find and surprize us if we discover our sinnes first we may kill them if they find us out first they will greatly hazzard our ruine if God shew us not the greater mercy Let our sinnes therefore be our greatest trouble Take Austins expression The Carpenter heweth timber which is rotten on the outside but if he findeth it sound within he squareth it fitting it for building regardlesse of the outward unsound chips if they be burnt in the fire it will nothing availe us to have sound bodies and hollow hearts with corrupted consciences these be the troubles which seize on us that we sink under them Get a good heart and sound conscience and in whatever troubles Istae sunt tribulationes quae invenerunt nos nimis Si sanum sit intus ubicunque alibi passus sit illâ—c confugiet ibi invenerit Deum c. thither thou mayest with Hezekiah retire and appeale to God with comfort who will there meet thee speaking peace however troubles doe dog and pursue thee from place to place otherwise they will drive thee out of thy selfe and make thee thine owne accuser and tormentor haunting thy selfe with perpetuall vexation in every place and at every turne and that so much the more fiercely by how much the more inwardly and secretly and yet even in these extremities God yea God alone is out refuge Te sequitur teque cruciat tanto ardentius quanto interius tamen in his adjutor est Dominus August and present help wherfore find we out our sins and with the helpe of our God rout we them that they destroy not us utterly and make we sure to have our God at peace within us thither to retire When men rush out of a sort against their enemies and make good their sort they may retreat thither safely in all straights but if the enemy breake in upon them by surprize or step in between them and home or pell mell crowd in with them they may repent at leasure if God give them the grace I meane in this our spirituall conflict with sinne wherfore as some have voluntarily bound themselves to their good behaviour thereby to reteine their liberty that their enemy binde them not thereto for then it is very difficult to get loose so let out Christian wisdome teach us to doe Though we are all borne in our sinnes yet take we heed how we live in our sins for then we shall dye in our sins the godly however sinne is in them unto death yet they are not in their sinnes but in Christ Jesus new creatures continually mortifying all their sinfull lusts Oh let it be so with me with thee yea and with thee also whoever thou art as we tender the eternall salvation of our soules Take a fourth Use of Exhortation Vse 4 that we build and rest upon God alone for delivery in all our troubles Isai 26. 3 4. is a full text to this purpose Let no carnall reasonings stave or draw us off from this our repose in God as that is a maine one Objecting that Cities Object Kingdomes Republickes most flourishing have their periods birth growth heigth decay and ruine and none can hinder this fate and destiny as hath been observed and therefore why should we struggle in the businesse Answer hereto is Answer that for as much as this doth generally take us off from our addresse to and securing our selves in Gods all-powerfull wise and good providence Therefore First Conclus 4 Know we that God in vertue of these his attributes disposeth of Kings and Kingdomes bringing downe one and setting up another and doing whatever he pleaseth both in Heaven and in earth Secondly know we likewise that God is not fickle nor humorous lightly loathing old friends nor changing his love but spareth and forbeareth untill our sins so highly provoke him that the honour of all his glorious Attributes Justice Truth Holinesse are so deeply ingaged in the quarrell that he cannot fairly come off but by taking vengeance to the uttermost In as much as even when the cry of Sodome came up to Heaven he will first come downe to the earth to see if their sins were as great as their cry was loud yea and he spared the Canaanites untill their sins were full ripe for judgement Judah's sinnes grew to that height that there was no remedy 2 Chron. 36. 16. Matth. 23. 32. Fill ye up the measure of your Fathers Psal 107. 34. A fruitfull land he turneth into barrennesse for the iniquity of them that dwell therein Thirdly Know we farther that in all these Catastrophe's God still preserveth his Church the City of God
bringeth good out of evill which could not be had he not first permitted evill to be These are Pauls miraculous Riddles and Paradoxes 2 Cor. 6. 4. to the 10. v. with which the Spirit of God by faith acquainteth his children which the naturall man discerneth not neither can he Nothing so confoundeth Satan with all his Assassinates foiling him at his owne weapon letting him have his most malicious will and thereby accomplishing his owne most holy will As that Josephs brethren should sell him into Egypt that they might not worship him whom thus they came to worship That Sampson should be bound by the Philistines to deprive him of his strength thereby to exercise and evidence his strength to their ruine That David should kill Goliah with his sling and smooth stones out of the brooke and so cut of Goliahs head with his own sword All severall types of Satan bringing Christ to death so working mans salvation and his own kingdoms desolation the things Satan so feared and hereby thought to prevent Psal 76. 10. Surely the wrath of man and devils shall praise thee and the remainder of wrath shalt thou refraine that is when God hath let as much malice runne forth as will make most for his glory God will turne the cock and damme up the residue when at the fiercest then is his fit time and that is as ver 9. When God ariseth to judgement to save all the meeke of the earth Let this suffice for clearing of this last doctrine The first Use whereof is Instruction of the severall waies that God hath for delivery of the godly from all their troubles Vse 1 wherof he hath given us evidence besides his reserves even his owne waies in his own wise providence to his own glory beyond mans tracing according to what we last delivered in this Doctrine as followeth 1. God often smiteth the hearts of the enemies of his Church and children with sudden fears and jealousies of dangers to themselves when no cause is thereof that is reall so that they fly when none pursueth them As did the hosts of the Assyrians 2 King 7. 6 7. whom the Lord caused to heare a noise of chariots and horses and of a great hoste and so were utterly routed Yea Stories mention the like in ordinary through mistake of trees and Sun-shine upon waters and cattell for armies of ratling winds yea dreames striking horrour and amazement as a notable example of the Midianites dreame with the following stratagem Iudg. 7. 13. doth evidence 2. God often smiteth the enemies hearts with relenting pity and maketh them prove friends to his Church and children So he over wrought Iudah and Reuben towards Ioseph Gen. 37. 19. to spare his life So Ahashuerosh towards Hester and the whole Nation of the Iewes to reverse the sentence gone forth for their destruction Esth. 7. So Nebuchadnezzars heart was set before hand to free Daniel in his measure as well as after to joy in it and in the interim to be troubled for him Dan. 6. These twain are Gods preventing wayes of help 3. God often suffereth his Churches and childrens enemies to ride on prosperously in their projects yet so as in the upshot to confound them and to turne their designes to his owne glory the welfare of his Church and children and their owne shame and confusion as in the instances of Iosephs brethren who sold him into Aegypt the Philistines binding Sampson and the betraying Christ unto death Also in Saul his giving Michal to David to wife to be a snare unto him in the dowry of a hundred Philistines fore-skins that so David might fall under their hands which was his rise to greater honour 1 Sam. 18. 22 c. The like in the accusers of the three children Dan. 3. and of Daniel himself chap. 6. both which tended to the rise of them and ruine of their adversaries 4. God often letteth the principals alone and only dealeth with the instruments of their cruelty disabling them for service against his Church and children as the fiery fornance and the Lions in the two fore-named examples So the chariot wheeles of Pharaoh's hoste fell off in pursuit of Israel through the red Sea Exod. 14. 25. So the band of souldiers that came to attach Jesus as soon as he said I am he went backward and fell to the ground Ioh. 18. 5 6. And Ecclesiasticall Story telleth us that Iohn being put into a Caldron of boyling leade came forth without any hurt 5. God often suffereth the devill and all his instruments to do their worst and then he doth his best setting himselfe in battalia his host against theirs under whose command are all creatures like so many regiments Some so potent that one Angel in one night slaieth 185000 enemies of his Church 2 King 19. 35. The starrs in their courses fought against Sisera Judg. 5. 20. the Sunne and Moone stand still to give light to his people to be avenged of their enemies Iosh 10. 12 13. Yea the river Kishon swept them away Iudg. 5. 21. Yea God hath hosts of lice flies fleas frogs haile murten and what not to punish kings for their sakes 6. God often suffereth the wicked to prevaile even unto martyrdome against his Church and Saints but it is to free them from evils to come to give them a more honourable crown of glory and to raise up seed to his Church out of their blood as hath formerly been touched Now beloved all these things are written for our instruction for how ever we expect not the like miraculous deliverances as most of these were yet wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures must have this hope that the Lord will find out a fit way for us also to escape and will give a good issue with the temptation when how and how farre his wise providence seeth best for his own glory and his childrens good however delivering them from eternall death and giving to them life everlasting I need not recount unto you our own experiences of our Church of Englands wonderfull deliverances that from the Spanish invasion of eighty eight and that of the hellish powder-plot with those in these our late and present calamities which we may name Gad for loe a troope cometh many deliverances already brought forth and many more we trust are yet in the wombe Gods children are men of observation and thereout suck they no small advantage to their soules which shall usher in a second Use of Exhortation Vse 2 that we observe diligently Gods gracious dealings in this behalfe both to his Church and to thy selfe in particular to learne thence to praise God to pray to him and to trust in him Herein if in any thing was David a man after Gods owne heart who inditeth Songs of Gods providence in all his wondrous works of grace to his Church both historically from the beginning of the world downe to his own times and prophetically from his owne time unto the worlds end yea
A SERMON PREACHED before God and from him To the Honourable House of COMMONS At a publike Fast Novemb. 27. in the yeare GoD Is oVr refVge oVr strength a heLpe In troVbLes VerIe aboVnDant VVe fInDe By George Gipps Rector of Elston in Leicester-shire one of the ASSEMBLY of DIVINES Published by ORDER of the said HOUSE LONDON Printed for Christopher Meredith at the Signe of the Crane in Pauls-Church-yard 1645. Die Mercurij 27. Novembr 1644. ORdered by the Commons assembled in Parliament That M. Salloway and M. Knightly do from this House give Thanks to M. Pickering and M. Gipps for the great pains they took in the Sermons they preached this day at the intreatie of this House at S. Margarets Westminster it being a day of publike Humiliation and to desire them to print their Sermons And it is ordered That none shall presume to print their or either of their Sermons without leave under their or either of their hand writing H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. I doe appoint Christopher Meredith to print this Sermon GEORGE GIPPS TO THE HONOVRABLE House of COMMONS Assembled in Parliament at Westminster SEeing it is made a matter of course and order that we speake to you in print and that you presse me to the print which whilest I remained a Volunteere I have not hitherto been guilty of Imprimatur I say not Cum Privilegio that I am not so ambitious to challenge nor ex mero permissu this were more ambitious to affect but my present scantling is Jussu Superiorum which I cheerefully obey the rather because sweetned also cum gratia For so your Order phraseth it You are desired to print namely by them who may Command which is so farre from weakning that it strengthneth the Command by a double tye of Obedience Qui impetrare vo uâ—t cum â—…perare possunt ij obligant dum obsecrant I hope therefore that this Sermon may croud through the presse as many a meaner person doth with others of greater note Gods Blessing go with it so to imprint the truths thereof in the hearts of the Readers that the use thereof may be read in the course of their lives I only adde in mine owne behalfe two things First I having nothing wherein to boast but mine infirmities both of minde and body doe confesse that I shall not be able to present to your eyes in the same dresse of words that I did to your eares those selfe same notions the notions were duly penned the words not my memory would not beare it how ever the debt be not payed in the selfe same covne which I did then tell forth unto you yet I hope you shall have the just summe in value to your content and my discharge I having withall saved the burden of carrying in memory the words Secondly whereas to spare the wearying of you as much as of my selfe I did cut off the better part of the last point I shall now pay down unto you the arrerages not formerly tender'a with whatever was overseene in the former telling I returne with Josephs brethren with double mony in this sacks mouth I desire you to daigne me this favour in lieu whereof for the present I shall only adde that I am Your most humble Servant in the Cause of God and of Christ GEORGE GIPPS A Sermon Preached to the Honourable House of Commons on their Monethly Fast Novem. 27. 1644. PSAL. 46. 1. God is our refuge and strength a very present helpe in trouble THis being the first verse of the Psalme Gratiarum actiapro miraâ—us losit beneficijs divinis c. Quam caneâ—at Israel c. Quem psalmum ecclesia nunc caâ—it in laudem Dei potenter mirabiliter ecclesiam verbum suum to servantis contra it is independent neither shall I trouble you with the title of the Psalme but only usher in my Text with Luthers descant upon the Psalme It is saith he a thanksgiving to God for his wonderfull benefits in keeping his Church safe from all the Enemies thereof those nations which circled them in on every side who both in hostile and perfidious manner sought their utmost ruine This therefore the Iewes sang to support their faith and to raise their fainting spirits in all their extremities 1. Hereses pâ—…naticorum spirituum 2. Torque tyrannos which also addeth he let us now sing to the honour of God powerfully and miraculously preserving his word and Church Against the errours and heresies of giddy brain'd spirits 3. Impugnationem mundi carrâ—s peccati Against the power and policy of cruell tyrants Against the baits of sinne the world and the flesh Against all malice of Satan by all his engineers 4. Et huic contra portas inserorum infinituÌ„ odum diaboli Lutherâ—… A Psalme in all these respects as well suiting our present as both those former times and conditions Thus therefore we close with our Text wherein according to my usuall method I propound these three things 1. Explication of the sence of the words 2. Observation of their doctrinall truths 3. Application thereof to our owne behoofe Begin we with the first the Explication wherein we should not at all trouble you with the diversity of readings of Expositors Concordia dâ—sâ—…rs Diâ—corddia concors did not their harping upon severall strings make up a full harmony of sence strange it is yet not so strange as true that their jarring doth fill up the sweet musicall sence Breifly my tongue shall tune them that your eares may deseant upon the words in order 1. God 58. words even that God whom Paul describeth Acts 17. 24. that made the world and all things therein that dwelleth not in Temples made with hands ver 28. In whom we live and move and have our beeing This for the first word The 2. followeth Is as we reade it Others shall be Others neither nor any thing in lieu thereof but simply God our refuge So is the Originall All which differing readings in one give us the full sence thus Experimentally God is resolvedly God shall be pathetically God our refuge an exclamation with exultation Ravished affections utter broken sentences with elevation of voice transported above rules of Grammer Experience of Gods mercies passed rightly improved beget resolution for the time to come and from both an exultation of the heart in admiration of Gods mercy Let this suffice for the second word The 3. followeth Our which some reade affixed to God thus our God others to refuge thus God is our refuge Both united give the full sence thus Our God is our refuge First make we God our God by Covenant then may we make him our refuge by claime This for the third word The 4. followeth Refuge as we reade it others Hope others Shelter Which three thus differ Hope is that grace in our hearts which putteth us upon refuge which signifieth a flight or flying and mooving by which flight we