pray heartily for the welfare of Ierusalem and then stand still and see the salvation of God who hath meanes that we see not to accomplish his act his strange act and to bring to passe his worke even his strange worke A second use is to love honour and make much of such as are so gracious and powerfull with God as to stand in the breach and to withstand and remove threatned judgements Oh let Noah the Preacher of righteousnesse have double honour let Lot be loved that doth grieve his righteous soule let us make great reckoning of Moses that standeth in the breach to stay the Lords anger for as was said of Elijah These these are the chariots and horsemen of Israel These these are the protection of the Church and fortification of the Land These are to us as Paul was unto them in the ship with him the saving of houses and goods lives and liberties it is for the godlies sake that dwell amongst us that the Gospell and our gracious King and Governor peace and prosperity with all other our blessings are continued unto us if it had not beene for their sakes we may well assure our selves the full viols of Gods wrath as in the Powder Treason or otherwise had long since beene powred downe upon us And here give me leave upon so just occasion to reprove the unthankfulnesse of the world towards such as under God are a singular meanes of our preservation Never were Noah or Lot more mocked scorned and derided than the godly in these daies disgraced and loaded with all indignities as the men unworthy to live in the world who if they humble their soules with fasting and put on sack cloth they that sit in the gate speake against them and the drunkards make songs of them Psal 69. And when it pleaseth God to take them away by death they are as glad thereof as the inhabitants of the earth were for the death of the two witnesses who reioiced and made merry and sent gifts one to another Alas that this foolish world should be such an enemy to its best friends and from whom it receiveth most good Oh little doe wicked men know what a treasure they lose in the death of a good man how open then they lie to the lash of Gods judgements when he is gone that used to stand in the breach It was said of Elijah as you heard that he was the chariots and horsemen of Israel And it was said of godly S. Ambrose Bishop of Millaine and of whom Theodosius the Emperour pronounced That hee onely knew Ambrose worthy to be called a Bishop That he was the wals of Italy and Stilico the Earle said his death did threaten destruction to Italy And indeed how Italy hath beene harrowed and brought to desolation by the fire and sword of barbarous Nations the Goths Hunnes and Vandals and made the Theater of most lamentable Tragedies Histories doe report In places where enemies are up in Armes chariots and horses are in great request and when enemies besiege there is great regard had to the wals if they have breaches made in them and none to defend or fall downe flat as the wals of Iericho did those Cities must needs be surprised Now good men are as the wals of the Common-wealth City or Towne where they dwell if it were not for them the judgements of God would breake in and destroy them How are such to be esteemed Noah was as a wall to the old world and no sooner in the Arke but the floud came and destroyed them all Lot was as a wall to Sodome and no sooner in Zoar but fire and brimstone fell and consumed them all The Christians were as the wall to Ierusalem and no sooner in Pella but Ierusalem was surprised and sacked No sooner had Iosiah his eies closed that he might not see the vengeance but be taken to rest as God had promised but straightway the wofull tragedy of Iudah and Ierusalem beganne Wherefore the Prophet complaineth that good and mercifull men are taken away and men doe not take it to heart as a great losse and fearefull prognostication of evill For conclusion seeing Gods servants are so powerfull with God and that only by praier and we doe not know how to pray as we ought ourselves but it is the Spirit which helpeth our infirmitie and maketh us cry Abba Father And God hath promised to give his Spirit to them that aske it As every good gift commeth downe from the Father of lights so specially this most excellent proper and peculiar gift of praier I pray you observe that whereas the Lord by his Prophet promiseth I will destroy all the Nations that come against Ierusalem he presently addeth in the next words as the meanes whereby so great a favour is procured I will poure upon the house of David and upon the Inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication Where note first what is the lot and condition of all the persecutors of Ierusalem that first or last they shall be destroyed Secondly that the meanes whereby destruction is procured of the enemies of Ierusalem Gods Church and people is praier Lastly that this gift of praier commeth downe from God it is his gift he will poure out the spirit of supplications and verily as there is no gift more necessary and usefull none more rare how poore are some in this that are rich in some other graces I know God giveth this in measure to some more and some lesse according to his good pleasure And God forbid I should discourage any and specially novices and younglings for it is most cleare that even the sighs and groanes of a faithfull penitent soule are loud and shrill cries in the eares of God short ejaculations God be mercifull unto me God blesse his Church God prosper his Gospell God convert or confound the enemies of his Church and Truth even these uttered not for forme fashion vse custome but fervently heartily are most excellent and powerfull praiers yet herein we are not to rest but to seeke after a growth in this as in other graces of the Spirit and never to cease begging of God till in good measure according to the Scripture phrase even in the language of Canaan we be able to expresse our owne wants and the wants of his Church and in his owne words to crave such blessings and graces as we or his people doe stand in need of Standing in the breach with his owne weapons of gracious Covenant and Promise and Oath in one hand and urging his owne Arguments of truth grace glory Oh this is an excellent gift indeed and this is the way to bring destruction upon the enemies of Ierusalem and whosoever seeketh this grace shall in good measure obtaine it and as any receive let them use it and they shall to their great comfort see a blessed increase of
be not offended at the manner though simple plaine and popular a plaine iron Key may vnlocke the doore of a golden treasure the evidence of the spirit is most seene in plainnesse the Spiders web is curiously wrought but unprofitable curious delivery well pleaseth itching eares my desire is to profit and to have the praise of teares rather than of tongue though I had never so great leasure I cannot study for words phrases If I could yet now I had no leasure being often thrice in one weeke in the Pulpit My desire was rather to worke upon the affections than the understanding there being much more knowledge than devotion Our forefathers disease was ignorance ours impiety they sicke in the braine but we at the heart therefore I am briefe in the Doctrines and larger in Vses with Application and Exhortation If it shall please thee to accept them kindly read them devoutly censure them charitably and lovingly correct such errours as may have escaped Author or Printer being so farre asunder I shall be encouraged to communicate some of my Lectures wherein I have taken greater paines But if thou shalt read with a purpose to finde matter of dislike and reproofe I shall forbeare to proceed any further in this kinde a duty neither so directly commanded nor hath the like blessing promised where it is performed nor the like woe threatned where it is omitted yet I friendly advise thee reprehend not these till thou hast published better of thine owne If otherwise if in Cynicall disposition thou lovest to speake all such words as may doe hurt and like an idle drone canst not afford that others should bring any honey to the Hive I leave thee to the iudgement of the great day and only complaine Many dislike few doe like Farewell and helpe him with thy prayers who will not spare any paines to helpe thee forward in the waies of life and salvation From mine house in Christ-Church Cant. Thomas Iackson Iudah must into Captivitie SIX SERMONS LATELY PREAched in the Cathedrall Church of Christ in Canterbury and else where by THOMAS IACKSON Doctor in Divinitie and one of the Prebends of the said Church IEREMY 7. 16. Therefore pray not thou for this people c. BEsides the ordinary and setled Office of teaching Priests whose lips preserved knowledge the people were to seeke the Law at their mouthes and who did every Sabbath day preach the Law in their Synagogues God extraordinarily raised up others and sometimes endued those Priests with extraordinatie revelation whereby they were able to foreknow and foreshew things memorable to come good or euill to Gods people or strangers friends or enemies in regard of which excellent gift and facultie they were called Prophets i. foretellers of things to come or Seers both because God was seene of them in visions and dreams as God himselfe said If there bee a Prophet among you I the Lord will make my selfe knowne unto him in a vision and will speake unto him in a dreame and also because they foresaw things to come which gift of prophecie was given in the old Testament as well as the New and in both to women as well as men so that there were in both Testaments as well Prophetesses as Prophets though they much more rare This gift of prophesie in the old Testament began with the world for the first man was a Prophet and is registred in the Catalogue and ended with Iohn the Baptist so saith Christ The Law and the Prophets continued untill Iohn the Baptist and the gift of Prophesie vnder the new Testament began with Christ the chiefe of Prophets and ended with Iohn who wrote the Revelation containing all memorable things to befall the Church of God or enemies there of to the end of the world For how soeuer I will not tye the spirit of God but hee may still at his pleasure endue with this gift and Iustin Martyr speaketh of Prophets in his time who lived some fortie yeares after the writing of the Revelation yet it may seeme that Iustin Martyr by Prophets meant but such as did open and expound the ancient Prophets of God as Saint Paul calleth the preaching of the Gospell prophesie It is true that Bellarmine doth hold that this is the twelfth note of the true Church and to that end alledgeth the Prophesies of Benedict Bernard Francis forged and fabulous things If wee should joyne issue with him I might better alledge from true and authentike stories the wonderfull prophesies of Iohn Hus Ierome of Prague Luther Walter Brute Hooper which indeed came to passe yet I take it the ordinary gift of Prophesie ceased in the Church with Iohn Brocard and some others who professed themselves Prophets and by written Prophesies foretold many things the sequell hath proclaimed them for fooles liers and deceivers and that they never had any such gift of God For the Prophets of the old Testament in some ages God raised up many in some very few in some none From the time of Malachie untill Christ we have no writings nor knowledge of any which was about 400. yeares at the least Then might the people of God complaine indeed wee see not our signes there is no more any Prophet And this was to stirre up in Gods people a greater longing for Christ and his forerunner Iohn the Baptist of whom Malachie had so plainly prophesied The times in the old Testament which most abounded with Prophets were the times before the captivities of Israel Iudah to reprove them for their sinnes threaten them with judgements comfort the godly and make the wicked excuselesse who contemned God and his word this being often and most heavily laid to their charge that he did rise up early and late sending all his Prophets but they would not heare Concerning our present Prophet hee was an excellent man of God sanctified in his mothers wombe and abundantly furnished with extraordinarie graces and gifts of God his name was Ieremie about the Etymon whereof the godly learned are somewhat divided in opinion two of them are good you may chuse whether yee will One deriveth his name from such rootes in the Hebrew tongue as signifie an excellent man of God and so was he indeed in regard of sanctifying grace and propheticall gifts and is by a learned man proposed to Preachers of the Gospell as being an admirable Preacher Another deriveth his name from such a roote as signifieth to cast off Iirmijah ramah Iah the reject of the Lord and so he was in regard of his condition for of all the Prophets of God hee suffered most and was most calamitous Me thinketh when I reade his Storie and Prophesie hee is even another Paul and might say of the Prophets as hee did of the Apostles Are they Hebrewes so am I are they Israelites so am I are they of the seed of
to repent who for any thing that I know are as great sinners as they so as if God should bring upon us a heavier judgement than he hath done upon them yet were it most just our consciences must needs witnesse we have had warning abundantly But above all blessed be God who hath given and doth daily give us such faire and full warning of the last judgement and destruction of all the Reprobate in hell fire oh beware of them The second Doctrine is that all Gods true servants when they see by evident signes that the Lords anger is kindled against his people for their sinnes and perceive some fearefull judgements to come upon them they are wonderfully affected therewith take it to heart and labour by all good meanes to pacifie and prevent it This doctrine ariseth from this word Doe not lift up a crie unto mee which noteth that hee would not in a cold and senslesse manner have prayed but as being wonderfully affected to foresee the miserie of Gods people for their sinnes he would with sighes and groanes yea and bitter teares have prayed to God for them if he had not bid him hold his peace for to cry in the Scriptures when it is referred to praying noteth to pray unto God in most earnest and vehement manner as where God asked Moses Why criest thou unto mee and David complaineth O my God I crie by day and thou hearest not and the Apostle saith That our Saviour in the dayes of his flesh did offer up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares In all which and many other places which might be alledged to this purpose crying doth rather signifie mournfull intention of heart zeale and fervencie of spirit rather than any loud vociferation and contentions of words And from this word our Doctrin ariseth which would first bee confirmed and backed with some other Scriptures And to begin with Moses when hee saw imminent destruction to the people of God at the red sea he cried unto God little did any know the bitter affliction of his soule but God who saw it and revealed it Moses why criest thou How was David moved when he saw the Angell that smote the people and said Lo I have sinned and dealt wickedly but these sheepe what have they done Holy King Iosiah when hee heard from reading the Booke of the Law that was found what great wrath of God was kindled against the people for their sinnes to make them a desolation and a curse he rent his cloathes his heart melted and his eyes poured out abundance of teares How did godly Mordechai and Hesther take to heart the decree gone out for the destruction of the people of God and humble themselves with sack-cloth fasting weeping and praying crying with loud and bitter cries When Ezrah heard of the great sinnes of the people and foresaw some imminent judgement hee rent his garment plucked off the haire of his head and beard and did neither eat bread nor drinke water but mourned exceedingly The Prophet Esay foreseeing the captivitie of Gods people said Turne away from me I will weepe bitterly labour not to comfort me because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people Our Prophet exceeded in this who thus complained My bowels my bowels I am pained at the very heart mine heart maketh a noise in mee I cannot hold my peace because I have heard the sound of the trumpet and alarum of warre destruction upon destruction is cried and wished Oh that mine head were waters and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of my people And againe Let mine eyes run downe with teares night and day and let them not cease for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach and a very grievous blow The Prophet Ezechiel upon the same occasion seeing the Angels destroying Gods people feil on his face and cried Oh Lord God wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in pouring out thy furie on Ierusalem Our blessed Saviour wept when hee prophesied the destruction of Ierusalem The blessed Apostle protesteth the continuall heavinesse and sorrow of heart for the miserie of Gods people and forewarned the Philippians with teares of the evill to come By which cloud of witnesses out of the old and new Testament our doctrine is sufficiently confirmed viz. That when Gods anger is seene and some great judgement to befall Gods people is foreseene Gods true servants are greatly affected therewith and labour to prevent it It being then most cleere that it is so let us now proceed to consider the reasons thereof why it is so and why they are thus affected The first is because there is nothing so sweet and deare unto them as Gods love and favour nothing doth so much affect them with joy as the sense thereof I say againe Gods children are men and women and subject to passion as others and are glad of the comforts of this life but this is the glorious and unspeakable joy wherefore David prayeth Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon us and thrice in one Psalme the Church prayeth Cause thy face to shine and wee shall be saved Yea the greatest blessing the Priest could pronounce was The Lord blesse thee and keepe thee the Lord make his face to shine on thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee And no marvell for David saith that in Gods favour is life And if Salomon say The favours of an earthly King be as a cloud of the latter raine what is Gods Prov. 16. 15. What more urged by the Apostle than this pleasing of God as Offer up your bodies a living sacrifice holy and pleasing unto God and he saith this is a maine thing wherein the happines of single life consisteth the unmarried careth how he may please the Lord and S. Paul prayed for the Colossians that they might walke worthie of the Lord to all pleasing of him and biddeth children obey their parents in all things in the Lord for this is well-pleasing to the Lord and calleth almes a sacrifice acceptable and well-pleasing unto God and beseecheth the Thessalonians so to walke as they may please God Oh doe good children finde such comfort and content in the good favour and pleasure of their parents wives of their husbands servants of their masters and subjects of their Kings how much more true joy content and comfort doe Gods children finde in Gods favour and good pleasure So as if hee be well pleased they care not though all the world be offended And as nothing is so sweet and joyfull and highly esteemed and prized as Gods favour and doth even ravish the heart with joy unspeakable and glorious so there is nothing so bitter and grievous as sense