exercise not only in times of temptation but in times of peace as souldiers exercise their Armes before they come to encounter their enemies It is recorded of that great Commander Philopaemon that as he walked either alone or with his friends he used to view and consider the ground through which he passed what advantages or disadvantages it might minister to him or his enemies if he should be there sodainly assailed so that having considered before how he might best either free himself or annoy the assailants he was easily able to avoyd the danger when it came Let us learne in this point wisdome of the children of this world our enemies are more subtile more powerfull more vigilant their surprises more sodaine and more dangerous Be sober be vigilant because your adversary the Devill as a roaring Lyon walks about seeking whom he may devour whom resist stedfast in the Faith 1 Pet. 5.8.9 The meanes which the Apostle prescribeth against this powerfull and dangerous enemy is the stedfastnesse of our Faith which we must not only have but have alwayes about us laying up the Promises alwaies in our hearts and by meditation supposing dangers and temptations before they come to consider how they may be applyed and made use of as the severall emergent occasions shall require The want of this providence in St. Peter left him naked so that he was sodainly surprised and shamefully foiled by Sathan before he could prepare himself for the encounter as is recorded Luk. 22.57 58 60. which he might have prevented if he had not been so securely and carelesly confident ver 33. but taken our Saviours warning before-hand ver 31.34 Faith thus grounded and exercised must be held out as a shield against Sathans fiery darts in times of tryall David being sorely shaken by the observation of wicked mens prosperous estate and his owne afflictions hath recourse to the Sanctuary where the word of God was layd up and see how quietly he settles his heart thereby Psal 73.12.14.17.25.28 And Psal 77. the Psalmist being tempted to question not only Gods mercies but his Promises too vers 7 8. is forced to have recourse to Gods workes ver 11 12. the supporters as I may terme them of that Faith which is founded upon the Word for the quieting of his distempered thoughts This is or should be the practise of all the godly in all our wrestlings with Sathan and his instruments lest Faith take hold on the word if yet it seeme to waver adde unto it experiments eyther in our selves as David doth of his deliverance from the Lyon and the Beare 1 Sam. 17.37 when he was to sight with Goliah or others as David comforted himselfe by remembring Gods judgements of old Psal 119.52 This use of Faith the condition of the times wherein we live so full of trouble and confusion calls for at present whether we looke upon the state of the Church in generall or our owne in Particular In generall we see the Prediction Rev. 12.17 that the Dragon should make warre with the Woman that is the Church and the remnant of her seed which keepe the Commandements of God made good and fulfilled before our eyes as not onely the long continued warres in Germanie but the troubles over most parts of Europe evidence it to the world By which that man of Sinne the Incendiary thereof hath so farre prevailed against the poore flock of CHRIST that some of the most famous and eminent States who had set up the Kingdome of CHRIST amongst them have hardly left unto them at this day the forme or face of a Church In the beholding of such sad spectacles let us lay before us that Propheticall Promise Dan. 2.44 That the Kingdome which God shall set up shall never be destroyed nor left to other people and that faithfull and full assurance out of our Saviours owne mouth that the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it Math. 16.18 That rather then faile the Woman the Church he meanes shall have wings to cary her out of the Dragons reach Revel 12.13 14. That the Wildernesse shall nourish her for a time and times and halfe a time that if the Serpent cast out floods of water after her to cary her away the earth shall swallow up the flood vers 15.16 In brief that God will arme and raise all the Creatures in heaven and earth for the defence of his Church Adde unto these the Decree pronounced against the Beast and the false Prophet that deceived them that received the marke of the Beast they shall be taken and be cast alive into a Lake of fire burning with brimstone Revel 19.20 A thing not only decreed but done with God though not yet executed in the sight of men for the Angell cryes mightily with a strong voyce Babylon the great is fallen is fallen Revel 18.2 The word is doubled like Pharaohs dreame because the thing is established by God and God will shortly bring it to passe as Ioseph speakes to Pharaoh Gen. 41.32 yea I dare boldly say that these present Troubles of the Church which yet are but to purge out the Iniquity of Iacob and take away the sinne Isa 27.9 are but preparations to that great worke And these are no vaine Dreames but the true sayings of God as the Angell tels Iohn Rev. 19.9 Yea but you will say what Promise have we concerning this Nation and the Church of God therein what may we beleeve the issue of our troubles shall be at last To this I answer in generall two things First whatsoever our condition shall be suppose it to the worst that we feare yet if wee have any zeale for Gods honour or any true love unto his Church as members of that body we should put on St. Pauls resolution None of these move me sayth he neither count I my life deare unto my selfe so that I may finish my course with joy c. Act. 20.24 It was resolutely answered by the Roman Consuls when they stood stifly against the Law called Agraria which caused so many commotions at sundry times in the Roman state for the opposing wherof their Predecessors the Consuls of the former yeare after the extirpation of their office had been most unjustly Fined by the people Se quoque damnari posse ipsos legem per ferre non posse not regarding what became of themselves so they might secure the State I am sure the Prophets think it a sufficient ground of comfort to support the hearts of Gods children under the heavy burthen of the Babylonish captivity that it should be well with the Church in time to come although few of them lived to see that happie day Secondly although particular Persons and States be not named yet they are included in those Promises made unto the Church in generall or to the Iewes in particular considered as a Church if we answer the Conditions under which the Promise is made If we hearken to God and walke in his wayes we have
shall be no more said the Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel out of Egypt but the Lord liveth that brought up the Children of Israel out of the land of the North. This was indeed a work so farre above all possibility in mans eye that the Iewes themselves concluded Our bones are dryed vp our hope is lost we are cut off for our parts Ezech. 37.1 A work in it self wonderfull to Admiration but made more wonderfull by the Time wherin it was wrought a Troublous time sufficient to hinder the most easie and likely work much more to make a work in it self so Difficult and improbable altogether Impossible in mans judgement To come therefore to the neerer Examination of these words we shall find in them three Particulars worthy our serious consideration First the manner of Expression implying an infallibility Know saith the Lord to the Prophet and Vnderstand that is be sure of it and make accompt of it as of a thing certaine that shall not faile and afterwards The street shall be built againe and the wall in the time expressed after 7 weeks that is accompting every day for a yeare after 49 yeares from the going out of the Decree Secondly we have represented unto us the Condition of the Time when it shall be built a Troublous time for the exact Period of the time that it shall be accomplished after 49 yeares it makes not much to our present occasion unlesse it be to give farther assurance to the certainty of the Prophecy that God limits it to a precise number of yeares which none can doe but hee which hath the times and seasons in his owne hand It is enough to our purpose to looke upon it as a Troublous time Thirdly we have the work promised to be performed the building of the Street and Wall of Ierusalem The accomplishment of this Prophecy we have related especially to the Booke of Nehemiah Of these three Particulars as I have layd them out before you in their order The manner of the expression considered in relation to the Work the most difficult of all works and the Time the unfittest of all times iâ— worthy our carefull observation Notwithstanding the impossibility of the work in mans judgement and the impediments by the Troubles of the time the Street and Wall shall be built yea they shall be built by such a time Doubt not of it saith God but know this be assured it shall be so Thus God may speak and thus he thinks it fit to expresse himself So that upon this particular Instance we may observe in generall that Gods Promises even concerning things most Difficult and Impossible things in Mans eye are notwithstanding certain and Infallible They are saith the Apostle all of them Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 Yea and not Nay as hee explaines it vers 18. that is True in the event and reall performance and Amen that is Stable and firme as that Hebrew word signifies This will evidently appeare by instances The greatest of all Gods promises was that of sending CHRIST into the world to be borne of a Virgin and to be made Immanuel truly Man and so GOD with us this when God promiseth Isa 7.14 hee prefixeth a Behold before it Behold a Vigin shall conceive and beare a Sonne which is a note not only of Admiration but Confirmation too as if God would represent it as a thing Present to be seene with our eyes so Peremptorily doth he promise that wonder of wonders which was as really performed in the fulnesse of time Gal. 4.4 It was a strange and unlikely thing that Israel after so long and heavie a bondage under the Egyptians should be wrested out of the hand of such a mighty Nation that kept them under as their slaves yet God not onely promiseth it but bids Abraham to make accompt of it as of a certaine thing know saith he of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs and they shall afflict them 400 yeeres and afterward they shall come out with great substance Gen. 15.13 14. It was not more serioussy promised then really performed and that in the point of time limited by the Lord The selfe same day it came to passe that all the Hosts of the Lord went up out of the land of Egypt saith Moses Exod. 12.41 It seemed so impossible at hing that Abraham should have a Sonne by his wife Sarah who had bin all her life barraine and was now 90 yeeres old and her husband an hundred and both their bodies dead as to the having of children that Sarah laughs at the Promise Gen. 18.12 and yet see how peremptorily God promiseth it I will certainly returne unto thee according to the time of life and loe Sarah thy wife shall have a Sonne ver 10. And we know the Lord made it good God promiseth to provide flesh for his people in the Wildernesse that they should eate their fill of it for a moneth long Numb 11.19 20. The people thought it was more then God could do as they spake Psal 78.19 20. and Moses was almost of their mind as it appeares by his objection of the impossibility of feeding six hundred thousand men besides women and children in a barraine Wildernesse that yeelded no provision for the sustaining of mans life yet we see it made good in the event by the sending of innumerable multitudes of Quails the most dainty of all flesh Numb 11.31 Many more instances might be brought to evidence this truth but these are sufficient Let us see what grounds we have for it in Reason First that God hath sufficient ground to speak peremp torily of things to come will be evident unto us if we consider what hinders men that they cannot speak in that manner or with like certainty concerning their owne purposes There be three things in men that may hinder the accomplishment of that which they intend 1. The man may die and then all his thoughts and consequently his resolutions and purposes perish with him Psal 146.4 Now God we know lives for ever from everlasting to everlasting he is God Psal 90.2 The earth may faile and the heavens may be roled up as a garment but God remaines the same and his yeeres faile not Heb. 1.11 Whence the Apostle drawes a strong ground of consolation to us in Christs mediation that it shall be effectuall to us because he lives for ever to make intercession for uâ— Hev 7.25 2. Though the man continue and live yet his mind and purpose may alter Never had a man more full purpose to doe any thing then Esau had to kill his Brother Iacob Gen. 27.41 and this resolution continued with him 20 yeeres while Iacob sojourned with Laban as is evident by his gathering of foure hundred men to come against him when he heard of Iacobs returne homewards Gen. 32.6 Questionlesse to doe that which Iacob feared with the sword to cut off him and his retinew And yet
which shall devoure the adversaries Heb. 10.27 4. Lastly in the meane time this want of Faith in the promises leaves the heart of a man full of distractions and unquietnesse thereby so that one becomes uneven in all his wayes unsettled in all his thoughts raised up and cast down with contrary hopes and feares as the outward things of this life subject to continuall changes ebbe and flow from day to day whereof we have too many evidences in these times of trouble wherein men fall on and off as their vaine hopes and feares carry them on to one party or drive to the other to the shipwrack of their owne consciences and as much as in them lyes the betraying of the cause of Christ and of his Church and to their shame discovering to the world that they were never yet setled upon any firme foundation whereas one that hath built his Faith upon Gods promise is like a Ship moared by her anchors in a safe harbour from whence the ebbs and flouds of the sea cannot remove her 2. Vse Let me therefore earnestly beseech you right honourable and beloved by the mercies of God to labour above all things to strengthen Faith having such a firme foundation to build it on not cunningly devised fables as the Apostle cals them 2 Pet. 12.16 not the word of men who may deceive and be deceived but a faithfull word Tit. 1.29 A sure word 2. Pet. 1.29 The word of the God of truth who cannot lye a word more firme then the foundation of the earth setled for ever in heaven Psal 119.89 We have great reason to be earnest and serious in labouring with all our power to attain to this firmnesse of Faith not only because otherwise we despise this great mercy and compassion of God towards us in condescending to our weaknesse and abasing himselfe to be ingaged to us by his word his oath and his seales but more especially upon these sore weighty and important considerations 1. Of all other graces Faith is most necessary and usefull unto us every way 1. We thereby bring unto God the greatest glory by it setting to our seale that God is true Ioh. 3.33 As Abraham is said to give glory to God when he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in Faith Rom. 4.20 Indeed there is no more mentioned in that place but that he beleeved and thereby Sealed to the power of God being fully perswaded that he which had promised was able to doe it ver 21. But without beleeving his faithfulnesse and truth with all neither had hee any sound comfort nor God his due honour by beleeving wherefore it expresly testified of Sarah that she beleeved that he was faithfull that had promised Heb. 11.11 2. ly To us is Faith of such necessity that without it wee were dead spiritually it is that which unites us unto Christ the fountaine of life in whom we live as the Apostle testifieth of himself I live saith he yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by Faith of the Sonne of God Gal. 2.20 So that without Faith we are without Christ who is our life Col. 3.4 Again it is Faith that quickens all our endeavours and sweetens all our labours in Gods service knowing that in due season we shall reape if we faint not Gal 6.9 Thirdly it is Faith by which both our persons and services are accepted By Faith Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain by which he obtained witnesse that he was righteous Heb. 12.4 Fourthly it is Faith that holds up our spirits in afflictions I had fainted saith David unlesse I had beleeved to see the goodnesse of God in the land of the living Psal 27.13 Whence he professeth that Gods word the ground of our Faith was all the comfort which he had in his afflictions Psal 119.50 Fifthly Faith only enables us to withstand all terrours By Faith Moses his parents feared not the Kings commandement Heb. 11.23 And by the same power of Faith the three Children feared neither King Nebuchadnezzars angry countenance nor his threatning words nor his preparations of the flames of fire to torment them no not so farre as to take time to consider what to answer in so dangerous a case Dan. 3.17 Lastly it is Faith that supplies us with strong consolations Heb. 6.18 So that the Apostle tels us that being justified by Faith as we have peace with God so we not only bear tribulations patiently but in the midst of them rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.3 Secondly as Faith of all Graces is most necessary and usefull so is it of all others the hardest to be obtained and that in divers respects For first there is nothing in Nature that can help us to the attaining of Faith Sense cannot help us for the objects of Faith are things that are not seene Heb. 11.1 That is things that are above Sense things that are in the nature of them spirituall 2. Cor. 4.18 Whereas Sense apprehends only things that are grosse and earthly and things whereof many have no present being but are in hope and expectation only Much lesse can Reason help Faith seeing that takes all her grounds from Sense Wherefore Abraham that he might waxe strong in Faith silenced Reason which would have furnished him with arguments against the promise of having a sonne by Sarah for the Apostle tels us that he considered not that is did not so much admit into debate reasons drawn from the deadnesse of his own body and of Sarah's wombe Rom. 4.19 No Sense and Reason are so farre from helping Faith that they are the most dangerous of all other meares to hinder it or overthrow it where it is When David judged by Sense of Gods wayes and dispensations which represented unto him the prosperous condition of the wicked and his owne afflictions every morning it so shooke his Faith that he had almost slipt and was upon the point of condemning his owne wayes and the state of the Godly too as himself acknowledgeth Psal 73.2.13.15 And when Sarah began by Reason to examine the promise of having a Child at 90. yeers old she was so farre from beleeving it that she laughed at it Gen. 18.11 And as long as Moses makes use of his reason to weigh Gods promise of feeding six hundred thousand men besides women and children with flesh in the Wildernesse for a moneth together we see how hardly he is brought to beleeve it Num. 11.21 22 23. It must therefore be concluded that seeing neither Sense nor Reason nor consequently any thing in Nature can bring any help to Faith nay rather are the strongest meanes to oppose and hinder it it must needs be a difficult worke as being both above and contrary to Nature to obtain it A second difficulty in obtaining Faith is the consideration of those great and wonderfull things which it apprehends and beleeves
sufficient ground to assure our selves of the fulfilling of those Promises to have our Enemies subdued and the hand of God turned against our adversaries Psal 81.13 14. If we Sanctifie the holy Sabbath and keepe it from Prophanation the Lord under one especiall duty of the Law includes all the rest we may warrant as assured by the word of God the fulfilling of all those gracious Promises recorded Jer. 17.24 25 26. For the things written afore-time were written for us that we through comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Not to hold you long look well upon your Covenant by which you have in as solemne a manner as may be obliged your selves by lifting up your hands to the most high God in the presence of men and Angels which if you break God will certainly recompence it on your heads as he threatens to doe in a like case Ezech. 17.19 consider it well and make good your solemne engagements both for Publique and private Reformation and you may boldly challenge God to make good unto you any Promise which he hath made vnto his Church in his Word in any age past Labour for Zerubbabels spirit in carrying on the Lords work and you may assure your selves of Zerubbabels successe and the great Mountaines that stand in your way shall become plaines before you Zech. 4.7 I adde further that if any thing may be concluded out of the course that God hath held with us hitherto he hath so strangely interposed himself and constantly stept in betweene us and our utter ruine at Keinton at Brainford at Newbery at York at Cheriton at Naseby when we may truly say with David 1 Sam. 20.3 There was but a step betweene us and death or utter destruction hath so compassionately looked upon us in our low estate as the Psalmist termes it Psal 136.23 and raised us up to a condition beyond our hopes and expectation that we have great reason to hope that he which hath begun will make an end as himself speakes in another case 1 Sam. 3.12 Indeed both Moses Exod. 32.12 and Ioshua cap. 7.7.9 presse God with respect to his owne honour which would have been much blemished if God who had so strangely brought his children out of Egypt and over Ierdan should have suffered them to perish either in the Wildernesse or in the Land of Canaan It is true I grant that when God hath called us to a work of thorough Reformation if we mixe our carnall policies with his Counsels and drive on our owne ends with more zeale then his As God may and will call them to accompt that doe his worke Negligently or unfaithfully so he justly may not onely deny them the honour of performing and accomplishing this service to him and to his Church but may put off the perfecting of this glorious work of thorough Reformation for the present and mix the accomplishing thereof and the restoring of our peace with more bitternesse then we have yet tasted And particularly I boldly affirm that every one whose Conscience witnesseth unto him that in singlenesse of heart he hath put to his hand for the furthering and carrying on this worke of Reformation out of true zeale to Gods honour and the good of his Church may assure himself that though Israel be not gathered yet he shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord and his God shall be his strength as Christ speakes of himself Isa 49.5 As he dealt with David whom though the Lord thought not fit to employ in the building of his Temple yet his desire and purpose to have done it was abundantly rewarded 2 Sam. 7.11.12 Let us therefore up and be doing and set forward for the raysing on of this great work with resolution as being assured both of the successe and perfecting thereof at the last and of the acceptance of our labours therein and of our reward hereafter what troubles soever we meet with in the way of which I am to speak in the next place This great Worke which in the promise which we have before us God engageth himselfe to performe for his Church he casteth into the unfittest and in mans Iudgement the most unlikely of all Times into Times of trouble the reason whereof we shall consider by and by In the meane while we may take notice that it is usuall with God to intermixe some bitternesse with his sweetest mercies The Passeover it self must be eaten with bitter herbes Exod. 12.8 More particularly God usually mixeth troubles and afflictions with the Churches Reformation so that we may lay this before us as a general rule It is usuall with God to carry on the worke of raysing and restoring his Church in times of Trouble The building of the Temple was indeed put off from Davids troublesome Reigne to the dayes of Solomon a man of Peace as his name imports or of Rest as God termes him 1 Chron. 22.9 in whose time God promiseth to give his people Peace and Quietnesse But that is an unparalleled example as it may be easily made good by instances of all times ancient and modern The time of delivering Israel out of Egypt was not only a time of heavie bondage but as Moses hastened on that work that yoke was made heavier upon them in so much that for anguish of spirit and cruel bondage they had no mind to hearken to Gods message by Moses of their delivery Exod. 6.9 When God had by strong hand brought them out of the Land of Egypt besides their forty yeeres troublesome travaile in the Wildernesse what troublesome and dangerous warres they were encumbered withal in the Land of Canaan in their setting and planting there is at large recorded in the booke of Ioshua In the planting of the Church under the Gospel both the history of the Apostles Acts and the records of the state of the Church for the first three hundred yeeres after CHRIST testify to the World what bitter Persecutions it indured to the effusion of the blood of many hundreds of thousands of Men Women and Children in all places where the Gospel was planted Yea the master-builders themselves drunk as deep or deeper of that bitter cup of Afflictions as any of the rest as St. Paul testifies of himselfe at large 2 Cor. 11.23 24 25. and is as fully witnessed of the rest in Histories of undoubted verity To come neerer to the times of the Waldenses who neere 500 yeeres past held out the light of the Gospel in those dayes of palpable darkenesse which had overspread almost the face of the whole earth when they began once to encrease to a considerable number as indeed in the space of a few yeeres there were reckoned neere Eight hundred thousand that embraced their Doctrine the Records of those times howsoever much corrupted by the adversaries testify what bloody Wars were raised up against them by the Pope continuing neere one hundred yeeres and ending almost in the utter extirpation of that holy seed To speak nothing of those long
stood which David fears to do Psal 73.14 Thirdly the issue of those troubles appearing to be the good of the Church as the Apostle affirms Rom. 8.28 though it should not move us to think them gods with the Barbarians yet it may warrant us to conclude that the cause is Gods and the events the effects not of his wrath but of his love Vse 3 These considerations assure us of a comfortable issue and successe at the last in the cause where in we stand depending on the Almighty power of God who doth whatsoever he pleaseth in heaven and in earth Psal 136.5 and on his goodnesse which as it extends to all his works Psal 145.9 so is it in a more especiall manner manifested to his Israel Psal 73.1 And lastly on his faithfulnesse which continues to all generations Psal 119.90 and therefore he must make good his word that the gates of hell shall not prevail against his Church Mat. 16.18 and that he will not forget his people though a woman should forget her sucking childe Isai 49.15 Vse 4 Fourthly the considering of the Churches troubles warns us to prepare for and arm our selves against them before hand as both St. Paul Eph. 6.11.12 and St. Peter 1 Epist 5.8 exhort us both to be armed and to stand upon our guard upon that ground because we shall meet with strong encounters We had indeed need to be stirred up to make such provision 1. Because the Churches troubles are certain as not only raised by men who may fail in their intentions but decreed by God whose counsels stand throughout all ages Psal 33.11 You shall have afflictions in the world saith our Saviour Joh. 16.33 The king of Syria will come against thee at the return of the yeer Gostrengthen thy self and see what thou doest saith the Prophet to Ahab 1 King 20.22 Secondly though in a true estimation these troubles are as the Apostle terms them but light afflictions 2 Cor. 4.17 yet to flesh and blood they seem grievous for the present Heb. 12.11 as the Prophet Davids bitter complaints not only in sore sicknesses Psal 38.6 7 8. but besides in the persecutions of his enemies Psal 143.3 sufficiently testifie When nature is so sensible of afflictions and by the sense of them makes so strong impressions upon the spirit when we feel so much smart by these although but outward troubles it concerns us neerly to be well provided of such strong helps as may support our spirits in such trialls Thirdly it concerns us the more to prepare for such troubles as a Christian profession brings with it because they not only afflict us at present but withall strike at the very foundation of our faith often times as the Psalmist acknowledgeth that in his present distresses he was moved to question both Gods Mercie and the Promises themselves Psal 77.7 8 9. Now if faith should fail us we are left destitute of all comfort at present and of all hope hereafter it must therefore be our care to be well prepared for that conflict wherein if we should be mastered we are lost for ever To make provision for the supporting of our selves under such troubles as attend the Church every member of it under Christs government our care must be First to take off our hearts from the world as we are advised to do like good souldiers 2 Tim. 2.4 It is the love which we bear unto and high esteem that we have of the honours riches and pleasures of the world that keeps us off from Christ as it did the young man Mat. 19.22 and makes us look back oftentimes and thereby unfit for the Kingdome of God Luke 9.62 Secondly we must labour to get assurance of heaven it was the assurance of a crown of righteousnesse laid up for him which strengthened St. Paul to fight that good fight 2 Tim. 4.7 8. We must have treasure some where if we have taken off our hearts from earthly treasures we must lay up for our selves treasures in heaven as our Saviour adviseth Mat. 6.19 20. The Merchant never sold all that he had till he had found that pearle of great price and bought it Mat. 13.46 Thirdly we must take up and exercise our selves in the use of that spirituall armour recommended unto us Eph. 6 13 14 15. above all the shield of faith ver 16. of which we have spoken already sufficiently Fourthly we must watch with all perseverance as our Saviour commands not only his Disciples but all men to do Mark 13.37 First watch our selves keep thine heart with all diligence Prov. 4.23 because it is deceitfull and desperately wicked Jer. 17.3 full of evill thoughts whence proceed adulteries fornications murthers Mar. 7.21 None ought to be more carefully watched then the traitors within our own bosomes Watch the world our company or any temptation that may assail us from without David was of all things most carefull of his company joyning with those that feared the Lord Psal 119.63 and commanding the wicked out of his sight vers 115. Above all watch Satan 1 Pet. 5.8 and be not ignorant of his devises as the Apostle calls them 2 Cor. 2.11 And to be the better armed against all these keep the heart fill'd with holy thoughts hide the law there Psal 119.11 that it may be our meditation all the day vers 97. Fiftly consider and be throughly acquainted with the nature of those troubles which the world feares so much that they reach not to those things that most concern us they corrupt not our hearts unlesse it be our own faults that they are but momentany and bring us more advantages as we have shewed then they do incombrances Lastly look at the reward that follows as our Saviour for the joy that was set before him endured the crosse despising the shame Afflictions are light while wee looke at the things which are eternall 2 Cor. 4.18 the crown of righteousnesse which God the righteous Judge gives those that fight the good fight 2 Tim. 4.8 The last considerable circumstance in my Text is the matter or thing promised the building of the walls and streets of Jerusalem the walls for defence and the streets to reduce it into an orderly form That the materiall Jerusalem is to be looked on as a type of the Church is evident by St. Johns description of the new Jerusalem Rev. 21.2.10.12 by the types of the walls gates foundations and circuit of that old Jerusalem and the resemblance of the Church figured by the Temple in Ezekiels vision Chap. 41. and 42. So that in this promise before us we have represented to us how God will have his Church ordered for time to come hee will not only have a people freed from Satans bondage as the Jews from the Babylonish captivity but will have a Jerusalem built a people united into a body a regular body compassed with walls of government for protection and digested into an orderly form as cities are by streets so that we may hence