God ever received them the Spirit of God testifieth of them and God in all ages hath been glorified by them The church of Rome doth attribute to the church a power of authorizing books of Scripture and maketh the Churches authority the warrant for the authorising thereof S. Aug. alloweth the Church the reputation of a witnesse Contra Faust 33.6 but not the power of authority herein for he saith Platonis Aristotelis Ciceronis libros unde noverint homines quod ipsorum sint nisi temporum sibi succedentium contestatione continua therefore that these books were the Canon of scripture the testimony of all ages in their successions doth maintain but this testimony doth not give them authority but witnesseth the authority given them by the Spirit of God We finde that even the authority of holy scriptures hath been denied by Hereticks Sadducaei nullas Scripturas recipiebant nisi quinq libros Mosis Simon prophetas minimè curandos dixit Iren. 1.20 quia a mundi fabricatoribus angelis Prophetias acceperunt Saturninus totum vetus test repudiebat Ptolemaitae libros Mosis Epiph. Haer 33. Nicolaitae et Gnostici librum Psalmorum Anabapt Cant. Salomonis Et lib. Iob. Porphyrius scripsit volumen Cont lib. Danielis The New Testament hath had many enemies the children of darknes have ever made war against light We are better taught and seeing the Holy Ghost hath not satisfied us from whence this our prophet came but hath only given us his name and his prophecie this contenteth us The vessel was but of earth which brought us this treasure if we have lost the vessell and kept the treasure The messenger was a man like us the message was the Lords if the messenger be gone and the message do yet remain the matter is not great Let us glorifie God for his Saints whom God hath used as instruments of our good and praise him for all his prophets and holy men by whom these heavenly oracles were received from him and communicated to the church The son of Sirach Ecclus. 4. Let us now commend the famous men in old time by whom the Lord hath gotten great glory let the people speak of their wisdom and the congregation of their praise Of this there is a double use 1 That we that do Legere read may learn Degere Sanctorum vitas to live the lives of saints and do the church of God all the good service we can 2 That God may be honoured in Saâ—ictis in the saints as saint Jerome saith Honoramus servos ut honor servorum redundet ad Dominum This is the honour of God and this is the praise of this prophet Obadiah whosoever he was he liveth in this prophecie to preach the will of God to you here present and to let you know both the justice of God against the enemies of his church and his mercy to his own beloved people For as the Apostle doth say of Abels faith and by it he being dead yet speaketh Heb. 11.4 so may we say of this and all other pen-men of holy Scripture that by these works of theirs though they be dead yet they do now speak in the church of God Avel spake two ways for there was 1 Vox sanguinis a voice of blood which cryed for judgement Gen. 4.10 Heb. 11.4 and 2 Vox fidei a voice of faith which is example for imitation Thus all Ecclesiasticall writers do speak and we in our studies do confer with dead men and take light from them That is the reason that the elect of God do not arise to their full reward before the resurrection of all flesh because their works do follow them in order as they are done and their light goeth not out by night Death doth not quench their candle Thus the antient fathers of the Church have left living monuments of their holy learning and we come after them and enter upon their labours They are unthankfull and spightfull that despise their names and refuse their testimonies which they have given to the truth and blemish their memory as if they were unworthy to be named in our sermons or to their judgements to be held in any estimation It is the only way for a man gloriously to out-live himself to be the instrument of doing good to the church of God when he is gone hence and is no more seen Blessed is that servant whom his Master when he cometh shall finde so doing 2. What The Vision Some have confounded these two termes Vision and Prophecie as both expressing the same act of Propheticall vocation I finde three of these titles used together Now the acts of David the King first and last 1 Châ—on 29 29. behold they are written in the book of Samuel the Seer and in the book of Nathan the Prophet and in the book of Gad the Seer Where though our English Translation do use the same word for Samuel and Gad calling them both Seers the Hebrew distinguisheth them and a learned Professor of Divinity doth read in verbis Samnelis inspicientis the Inspector Dr. Humâ— Decor-Interpret lib. 3. Nathan Prophetae the Prophet Gad videntis the Seer I do not take these to be three distinct Offices but three parts of the same Office For 1. Such must be Videntes Seers God must open their eyes that they may see what the will of God is Balaam being to prophecie at the request of Balak against Israel beginneth thus Balaam the son of Beor hath said the man whose eyes are open hath said Num. 24.3 He hath said which heard the words of God which saw the Vision of the Almighty who had his eyes shut but now open Therefore they must be videntes Seers for if the blinde do lead the blinde you know where to finde them both 2. Such must be inspicientes inspectors and that both in regard of the suggestion that it be no humane phantasie no satannicall illusion but a divine and spirituall revelation As also in regard of the thing suggested that they may rightly informe themselves in the will of God and so farre as God revealeth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may boldly say and maintaine Sic dicit Dominus thus saith the Lord. 3. Thus prepared they may be Prophets that is the Publishers of this will of God to them to whom they be sent So that Vision and Inspection belong to preparation prophecie to execution of that Office from whence Docemur we are taught 1. Doctrine The faithfull minister of the word of God must receive his information and instructions from the Spirit of God before he preach or prophesie We are ambassadours and messengers from God and the warrant of our calling is our mission the Apostle saith How shall he preach except he be sent for mission importeth fit instructions in the errand God hath laid blame upon them that run unsent and no man putteth himself in that imployment but he that was sent as was Aaron The Son
to 16. 2. For the Israel of God 17. to the end The title of the first part is my text Thus saith the Lord concerning Edom. Consider here 1. The subject of the prophecie Edom. 2. The authour of it Diciâ— Dominus Thus saith Lord. 1. Of the subject Edom. Isaac had two sons by Rebâ—â—â—a Esaw and Jacob. Esau was called Edom the reason of that name is thus given Jacob had made red pottage and when Esaw came from the field hungry and faint he said to his brother Jacob Feed me 〈◊〉 pray thee with that red with that red pottage Gen. 25.30 for I am faint Therefore was his name called Edom because he so affected that red colour being himself also red and very hairy This name doth maintain the memory of a quarrell for he bought that red pottage dear enough with the sale of his birth-right Esau and Jacob are a figure of the Church of God and the Synagogue of Sathan for they strove in the womb of their mother so that Rebeeca wondered at it saying v. 12. If it be so why aâ—â— I thus The blessing how soever usurped by â—sau be longeth to Jacob and when Jacob hath his right Esau is angry From this naturall Antipathy between these two brethren and the grudge that the elder should serve the younger From the sentence of this difference which was I have loved Jacob and I have hated Esau there was ever mutuall war and hatred between Israel and Edom in their succeeding posterities for the posterity of Esau did encrease both in number and wealth and grew both many and strong Thus doth the world gather riches and strength and armeth it self against the Church of God and therefore the Church is called Militant Concerning Edom is this part of the Prophecie declaring both Gods quarrell against them and his judgement threatened We may take notice here of one point by the way Edom is a mighty people a strong and rich nation able to molest the Lords Israel that God from heaven undertaketh the quarrell of his Church Do you not see that they whom God hates may have riches and honour and strength and may encrease and grow into multitudes how cometh it then to passe that so many in the world do measure the love and favour of God by these outward things as one flattered his Prince O nimium dilecte deo tibi militat aether What though their oxen be strong to labour what though their sheep bring forth thousands and though they have the fruits of the womb of the herb and purchase lands donec non siâ— locus till there be no room what though they have power and high places all this had Edom whom God hated and doth not our Saviour make it an hard thing for the rich to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Outward things are the gifts of God and he doth not value them at so high a rate as we do He doth not care if his enemies have them His own Son when he took upon him our flesh had none of them more then for necessity and his Apostle perswadeth us if we have food and raiment to be therewith content For there be snares in these outward things and if God give not a blessing with them they be the rods of God to scourge the sons of men and great impediments to godly life There is an Holy use may be made of them but they are not our happinesse seeing they whom God hateth may have them in a greater abundance then those whom God loveth best 2. The authour of the Prophecie Thus saith the Lord. This is the assurance of the truth of all that followeth in this Prophecie and it is the ground of our faith to beleeve what is here revealed it is no passionate motion in the heart and affections of the Prophet against Edom but it is the word of the Lord. These be the bounds that are set to the Prophets and Holy ministers of the Lord we may go no further then the word of the Lord. Christ himself saith often The word which thou gavest me I gave them And Balaam did his office and calling right when he told the king of Moab Lo I am come unto thee Num. 22. v. 38. have I any power to say any thing the word that God putteth in my mouth that shall I speak Must I not take heed to speak what the Lord hath put in my mouth 23 12. All that the Lord speaketh that must I do v. 26. Cap. 24.12 And Balaam said unto Balak Spake I not to thy messengers saying If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord to do either good or bad of mine own minde but what the Lord saith that will I speak When God designed Jeremie to the office of a Prophet who did fear to undertake that great employment God said to him Say not I am a childe Jer. 17. for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee and whatsoever I command thee shalt thou speak When our Saviour sent forth his disciples he so limited them Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Mat. 20.20 And accordingly Saint Paul doth professe First of all I delivered unto you 1 Cor. 15.3 that which I also received Thus doth the Apostle again professe being accused of the Jews I obtained help of God and continue unto this day Act. 26.22 Witnessing unto to small and great saying no other things then those which the prophets and Moses did say should come 1. This limitation we finde in the titles of our office for we are the Lords workmen and we must do his work not our own the Lords builders he provideth the materials we work not by great but day-work We are the Lords Messengers and Embassadors we may not digresse from our instructions the messenger of the Lord must speak the Lords message 2. This is necessary in respect of those to whom we are sent for the seeling of their faith so the Apostle hath declared it And my speech and my preaching was not in the entising words of mans wisdom 1 Cor. 2.4 but in the demonstration of the Spirit and power That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery There is nothing that giveth faith firm footing but the word of God That is the Lords fan which purgeth away the chaff and trash from the good corn That is the bread of our fathers house words of mens brains be the husks that the prodigall gathered up in his famine That is the two edged sword that divideth between the bone and the marrow that is the medicine that searcheth the soars and diseases of the inward man Humane wisdom put into the best words is but as a woodden dagger it may dry beat it will never kill the body of sin it
If I have spoken evil Joh. 8.22.23 bear witnesse of the evil but if well why smitest thou me This then is spoken by our Saviour to forbid private revenge that no man should be the judge of his own wrong but should bear it with patience It is Saint Augustines answer Obedientia istanon in ostentatione corporis est sed in preparatione cordis And he saith Non maxillam tantum obtulit sed totum corpus dedit figendum cruci And he addeth Quanto melius et respondit vera placatus et ad perferenda graviora paratus est He could have withdrawn his cheek from the smiter Lam. 3 30 but he would fulfill the Prophecie He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him he is filled with reproaches Private revenge Christ forbiddeth us Christ did not take it against his adversary that smote him he reproved it in Peter he amended the maim that he made and healed his smiter But war is a publike revenge and the Magistrate beareth the sword to that purpose to execute revenge upon evil doers Vengeance is Gods and where he committeth the trust of execution thereof as he doth to the Magistrate there it is lawfull This cleareth many other like objections as that Qui gladio ferit Lam. 11. gladio peribit He that smiteth with the sword shall perish by the sword we must recompence to no man evil for evil For all this is meant of our revenge but the revenge of the Magistrate is the vengeance of God because he is Gods Minister Object 2 The prophet Isay foretold that in the time of the Gospel Isa 2.4 they shall beat their swords into plow-shares and their spears into pruning-hooks nation shall not lift up sword against nation neither shall they learn war any more Sol. These words bear three interpretations 1. That this was a signe of the coming of the Messias into the World he was born in a time of cessation from wars when the Romane Monarchy had leasure to leavie a taxation by the Poll so when David had rest then he thought of numbring his People 2. That this was fulfilled in the spirituall Peace and Unity of the Church collected now out of all nations of the World Iew and Gentile made one 3. That this is the proper effect of the Gospel where it was embraced faithfully to make Peace Under the name of Edom we may understand all the enemies of the Truth of God and Christian Religion such as are Schismaticks and Hereticks who understanding not the mystery of Godlinesse and Peace do set their wits against the Church to corrupt the Truth therein deposited and professed or to disturb the quiet professours thereof 1. Hereticks These are our brethren by outward profession 1. Heretiques calling themselves Christians but they see that we have gotten the birthright and the blessing from them and therefore they hate us and are comforted against us to destroy us The Church is Gods Israel the children of the Promise filij regni filij thalami filij lucis children of the kingdom of the Bridechamber and of the light The Embassadours that are sent to stir up to war against those be the Ministers of the Word of God for to this purpose we are sent forth to confirm the brethren against those to reconcile these to God And we are commanded to arise against these in battell The war and so the weapons with which we fight against these are not carnall but spirituall the clear light of the Gospel which is the power of God to salvation to them that beleeve and the Truth of God which is strong and prevaileth against them that beleeve not It is time for us to joyn together as one man in battell against these Especially the Papists whose Religion is ambition whose piety is worldly policy whose zeal is combustion whose faith is fury who hide the Word of Light in the darknesse of an unknown tongue to keep the people ignorant that they may not know Gods right hand from his left to emplunge them in the flames of their imagined Purgatory that they may be well paid to release them thence They mingle the sacrament of Baptisme with their own inventions which they make acquivalent in vertue to the power of Gods ordinance The mangle the sacrament of the Lords supper by robbing the people of one half thereof taking the cup from them They disable the sacrifice of Christs sufficient satisfaction for sin by addition of humane merits of erogation and super erogation They weaken the sole intercession of Christ by intrusion of more Mediatours Angels the Mother of our Lord and Saints They shorten the free and full grace of God which Christ himself from Heaven told Paul was sufficient by their lying doctrine of Free-will They flatter and abett some by their doctrine of indulgencies which attributeth to the Pope power of pardoning sins past and to come They dishonour the holy sufficient Word of God by acqui-ballancing with the same humane Traditions and false Legends They destroy true saving faith by their false doctrine of implicite faith teaching that is enough to beleeve as the Church beleeveth not declaring what the Church beleeveth and upon what ground their faith is built They maintain flat Idolatry by teaching the worshipping of Images and praying to Saints And for the power which they give to the Pope against God in dispensing with the breach of his Covenants in coining new Articles of faith in defining the interpretation of Scriptures in usurping authority over temporall Princes to enthrone and to dethrone at pleasure to arm their natural subjects against them to animate Incendiaries to abett treasons to blow up States All these things and many more call upon us take arms and joyn our strengths against this Edom this red and hairy and bloody enemy whose mercies are cruell The best weapon against this Kingdom of darknesse is the Light of Truth the more we carry this Light about us the more will the ignorant amongst them know how they are abused and mis-led For our war is spirituall not against their Persons but against their Heresies 2. Schismaticks These also call us brethren but they break the Unity and Uniformity of the Church All the children of Peace must arise against these in battel this also is a spirituall war and the sword of the spirit must be drawn and used against these to cut them off as Saint Paul wisheth I would they were cut off that trouble you Or if the Word of God cannot prevail with them to convert them to peace The discipline of the Church which Saint Paul calleth his rod must be used against them to cut them off from our congregations The Apostle calleth them Leaven and saith that a little leaven soureth the whole lump So do Schismaticks for a few of them do corrupt many and divert them from the congregations whereof they are members and distaste the established Ministery to them and set them in opposition to
the Gospel for the Church of God and the patrones of his truth are under the banner of Gods love and their latter end must be peace let us by daily prayers command them to the tutelary protection of God and let him hear vocem fidei the voyce of faith of those that fight his battels and vocem sanguinis the voyce of blood of those that die in his quarrel 2. It furnisheth us with patince to tarry the good pleasure of God for when he shall arise his enemies shall be scattered and they that hate him shall fall before him he hath promised his Church victory and he will not suffer his truth to faile Excellently is this comfort exprest by the Prophet Isaiah And therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercie upon you for the Lord is a God of judgment Is 30.18 blessed are all they that wait for him For the people shall dwell in Sion at Jerusalem Verse 19. thou shalt weepe no more he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall hear is he will answer thee And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity Verse 20. and the water of affliction yet shall not thy Teachers be removed into a corner any more but thine eyes shall see thy Teachers 3. The assurance which the Church of God hath in all this The Lord hath spoken it They build sure that build upon the word of God for heaven and earth shall faile and perish but no word of God shall be unfulfilled Ye have a sure word saith the Apostle for God hath magnified his name and his word above all things This is my comfort in mine afflictions Thy Word hath quickned me Remember thy Word unto thy servant upon which thou bast caused me to hope Ps 119.50 Verse 49. The best faith hath many fears and terrors joyned with it to shake it and the faithfull do sometimes want the feeling of the favour of God we are directed here like wise men to let rather our understanding spiritually enlightned then informed by sense govern us The naturall mans understanding is wholly led and instructed by the outward senses and as they suggest that apprehends when the sense feeleth paine the understanding apprehends cause of feare and grief and stirreth the affections that way But the spirituall man doth not value Gods love by what the sense feeleth but by that which the Word of God suggesteth In paine the flesh smarteth the sense complaineth and Satan saith God hath forsaken thee but the spirituall man saith no for Gods Word saith I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Therefore in all afflictions the soule of man hath no better remedy then to resort to the Word Thou art my hiding place and my shield I hope in thy Word this is the poole of healing waters Gods Bethesda for all infirmities and he hath sent his Angels his Ministers to stir these waters by exposition of the Word exhortation and consolation to heale the diseases of his Saints VERSE 21. And Saviours shall come upon Mount Sion to judge the Mount of Esau and the Kingdome shall be the Lords 3. The means ordained for the performance of all this Vid. dinis supr pag. 182. Mount Sion here doth signifie the whole Church of God in the two houses of Jacob and Joseph as they are before distinguished that is the two Kingdomes of Iudah and Israel as they were divided under Rehoboam for Mount Sion was at first Caput imperii the head of the Empire the Saviours here mentioned are those that God imployed for the restablishment of the state of his Church and that Either in the procuration thereof Or in the execution of the same First In the procuration 1. Cyrus King of Persia hath the honour of the meanes of this favour for God stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia Ezra 1 1 c. and he confesseth that God The Lord of heaven gave him all the Kingdomes of the earth and charged him to build him an house at Ierusalem which is in Iudah and therefore by Proclamation he gave a large Commission to this purpose 2. The chiefe Fathers of Judah and Benjamin had the same motion from God to undertake this designe Verse 5. But Artaxerxes by a contrary Edict made this work to be given over cap. 4.17 3. Then God by the Prophecy of Haggai stirred up Zerubbabel and Ioshua the son of Iozedek to attempt the work This also was opposed and Darius then King of Persia was solicited against the Jewes to hinder their building so 4. Darius came in as a Saviour to help the people and confirmed the Decree of Cyrus cap. 6. according to that he found in the search of the Rolls and the work went on and the house of God was finished and dedicated 5. Ezra moved Artaxerxes and prevailed for a full grant both for the return of the people out of captivity and for the re-establishment of the worship of God at Ierusalem 6. Nehemiah mooveth Artaxerxes for the building again of the City of Ierusalem he prevaileth and they go to work and their enemies who by scornful speeches and violent opposinges hindred their building Nehem. 2. lost their labour These be the Saviours who by procuration did advance this work of God in his Church 2. By Execution all these concurred 1. Cyrus gave leave and meanes so did Artaxerxes and Darius restoring them the treasures of the Temple which Nebuchadnezzar had taken away and arming them with full Commission for all the helps that might advance that work 2. The Prophets of the Lord encouraged the work and Ezra the Scribe prayed and wept and mediated with the Kings 3. Zerubbabel Nehemiah and Joshua and the chief Fathers of the people laboured to hasten the execution of that work and for this all these are called here Saviours because God used them as his instruments in his preservation of his Church giving them the honour of his own proper appellation for in the fitnesse of the word and in the fulnesse of sense God only is properly and by peculiar prerogative capable of that great title as himself hath laid claime to it I Isa 43.11 Ose 13 4. even I and there is no Saviour besides me And he gave this title to his Son who thought it no robbery to be equall with God for he shall save his people These Saviours shall come upon Mount Sion to judge the Mount of Esau By the Mount of Esau Edom or the Idumaeans the posterity of Esau is understood throughout this Prophecy that people who as you heard dealt so cruelly with their brother Jacob in his posterity To judge this people is to execute those jugements upon them which God hath in this Prophecy threatned and elswhere as you have heard from other Prophets especially that of Balaam and of Ezechiel for God
judge the world The parts of the Textare three 1. A gracious promise to Mount Sion concerning it selfe Servatores Saviours 2. A further promise concerning their enemies Iudicabunt Montem Esau shall judge the Mount of Esau 3. The issue and effect of both regnum erit Jehova the Kingdome shall be the Lords 1 Saviours shall come upon Mount Sion Doct. 1 This gracious promise revealeth to us a comfortable and cheerfull doctrine that God howsoever he punisheth yet he still loveth his people Which is thus proved Reason 1 1. Because God doth not look downwards upon his people to see what they do deserve but he looketh upward to the decree of his owne Election and the councel of his will If God should look downwards toward men even to his Elect who could stand in his sight he looketh with pure eyes and he found imperfection in his Angels Moses hath cleared this point to this people of Israel For thou art an holy people to the Lord thy God Deut. 7.6.7 8. the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a speciall people to himselfe above all people that are upon the face of the earth The Lord did not set his love upon you nor chose you because you were more in number then any people for ye were the fewest of all the people but because the Lord loved you From this fountain of his love did flow all those streames that made glad the City of the great King as Albeit they were few in number yea very few and strangers in the Land and walked about from Nation to Nation Psa 105.12 from one Kingdome to another people Yet suffered he no man to do them harme but reproved even Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine Anointed and do my Prophets nâ— hor me Therefore let all afflicted consciences which are overcharged with the burthen of their sins Look up to thâ—se hills from whence their helpe cometh Let them 〈◊〉 Christ biddeth Lift up their heads Let them chide themselves as David did Why are thou cast downe O my soule the remedy is hope in God Psa 43.5 he is the health of my countenance and my God Faith and Feare worke together Faith doth take up the decree of Election and the just is bold as a Lyon Feare looketh down upon the corruptions of nature and propension to sin and trembleth under the mighty hand of God and the more we feare the faster hold we lay and the surer we tread on the steps of that ladder by which we scale heaven Thereupon doth the Apostle give this precept Make your Calling and Election sure that is having a strong faith of these and then the many failings in your obedience your lapses and relapses into sin may breed your grief they cannot bring forth despaire Reason 2 2. The decree of God is a secret and peradventure Satan will suggest that thou art not within this decree Therefore God hath revealed his decree to his Church and sealed it with gracious promises for so Moses saith to Israel Because he would keep the word which he had sworne unto your Fathers Deut. 7.8 This Oath as we doe learne from old Zachary in his Bendictuâ— hath two branches One concerning God Another concerning his people The Oath which he swore to our father Abraham that he would give unto us Luk. 1 73 that we being delivered from the hands of our enemies might serve him without feare c. 1. God bindeth himselfe by his Oath to deliver his Church from their enemies 2. The same Oath bindeth him to the procuration of his owne service for us for onely he must grant ut serviamus that we may serve by him we are liberati delivered for we cannot thinke a good thought without him In him we live and move and Christ saith Sine me nihil potestis facere without me you can do nothing This promise of God to his Church he hath sealed by giving to us the spirit of promise which spirit he hath dedosited in his Church to abide with it for ever and he hath given to all the Elect of God his Spirit the earnest of his Covenant this spirit serveth for a light in us to discerne our salvation afar off For a witnesse to testifie to our spirits that we are the sons of God And God is faithfull he will not suffer his truth to faile This also doth settle the faith of the Elect in all the tribulations of life I am the sonne or daughter of God I know it by the spirit which he hath given me which leadeth my understanding into the way of truth which converteth my affections and frameth them to his love which directeth my ways and ordereth them to his obedience this spirit doth teach me to lay hold on the promises of grace and to challenge my part in them these promises do lift me up as high as to the decree of my Election and therefore I will not feare David goeth farther I am thine O save me for the interest that we have in the love of God doth send us to him for salvation Doct. 2 2. Though God love his people and have all power in his hand to save them yet he doth use meanes and raiseth up out of themselves Saviours The providence of God worketh by meanes even from amongst our selves to effect our preservation 1. Because his immediate operations are full of terrour and therefore we cannot so well endure them therefore the people prayed Moses to speak to them and desired that God might speak no more to them The Angell that brought word to Mary that she should conceive a Sonne by the Holy Ghost began his Message with Feare not The Angel that proclaimed the birth of Christ to the Shepherds said to them Feare not We have so much cause to feare in respect of our own unworthinesse that if God did not abate somewhat of the splendour of his glorious Majesty by the employment of means familiar to us we could not abide it 2. God using weake meanes to effect his will doth magnifie his owne strength For his strength is made perfect through weaknesse Whereby we are taught 1. To content our selves with the meanes in the wisdome of God ordained for our preservation not expecting miraculous and extraordinary subventions The rich mans brethren shall not have a Preacher come to them from the dead Luk. 16.27 c. to give them warning that they come not to that place of torment where their brother is They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them God that sent his spirit on the Apostles could have done so upon the whole Church and when the Eunuch was reading Isaiah in his Chariot he could have opened his understanding to have known what he had read but he chose rather to use the Ministry of an Apostle and therefore he command Philip to joyn himselfe to that Chariot and by him he taught and baptized the Eunuch So was Cornelius directed to Peter