cast off the yoak of Rome and God caused a light to shine in darknesse and ever-since a face of the Church hath appeared gathering more and more fresh beauty and now we may say truly of our times the light never shone more clear in this Land then now it doth never more learning and never more communicated then now But beloved this will not serve our turne God must have as well a rule of our hearts as of our eares of our hands as of our heads Let us look to our example in my Text when God had restored this people to their land they established his Kingdome With publick Assemblies with fasting and humbling of themselves before God with confession of sinnes with weeping and mourning with solemne Vowes to performe all the Commandements of God They spent their time not all in hearing but in worshipping also of God They vowed not to make any marriages with such as were no profest subjects of the Kingdome of God such as was the marriage of Solomon with King Pharaohs daughter They vowed to keep the Sabbath holily to the service of God to deale charitably with their poor brethren To honour God with their riches setting apart a portion to maintaine the worship and publick service of God And all this must we do if we will advance the Kingdome of God amongst us not only in outward profession but in inward subjection You may know a true subject of Gods Kingdom by his walk and by his pace for he walketh 1. Circumspectly fearing danger before him to meet him behind him to follow him above him to presse him downe under him to blow him up temptations on his right hand provocations on the left hand therefore he loseth no time but redeemeth it to the service of God 2 He walketh in holines as in the sight of God who searcheth the hearts and reines and cannot be deceived with false semblances and emptie shadows and seemings of false and hypocriticall shewes but requireth truth in the inward parts He walketh in righteousnesse that is in the obedience of the Second Table of the Law living in the practise and exercise of his knowledge to the uttermost of that measure of grace that is given to him as it becometh the Saints For these know that they were therefore delivered from the hands of their enemies that they might more freely attend the service of God and the saving of their own soules Amongst such as these God reigneth and hath put on his glorious apparrel and is acknowledged God as their King Idolatry and false worship doth unking and dethrone God and trespasseth the majesty of our King swearing and blasphemy maketh the name of God which is the safety of his subjects for our help is in the name of the Lord like to a broken hedge Breach of the Sabbath which is Gods holy day is a trespasse against his moderate prerogative claiming some part of our time for his publique service and the exercise of Religion Contempt of the word is a trespasse against the Lawes of this kingdome Injury in any kind to our brethren is breach of peace amongst the subject of this kingdome Gluttony drunkennesse pride be wastfull sins and consume the outward treasures thereof and they also seem to quench the Spirit of God and to kill all good motions in our selves and others Let us remember our prayer adveniat Regnum tuum Let thy kingdome come And seeing God hath graciously establisht a Church amongst us in peace which he hath watered with early rain in the first coming thereof in this Land and with a later raine in the Government of two incomparable Princes truly called defenders of the Faith against Heresie and Schisme Let the kingdome be the Lords let our obedience to his Law bear witnesse of our Faith and let our peace amongst our selves give testimony of our charity and let us walk all one way like the horses of Pharoahs chariot let us all fight as one man against sin and Sathan against the Devil and the Pope tanquam acces ordinata For if the Lord be our King we shall have cause to be glad thereof For Blessed are the people that are in such a case blessed are the people that have the Lord for their God 2. Let us look as farre as we can by Saint Pauls prospective there will be a time when Christ our grand Captaine shall overcome all his enemies even death which is the last enemy and then shall he deliver up the kingdome to God even his Father then Israel shall have judged Esau the Church the world Then Christ resigneth his office of a Mediator and then God is all in all For then all his enemies shall be in prison in the chains of darknesse all his Elect shall be fastened together and united with Christ their head in glory God shall then have none to contest with him for sway and domination his glory shall then be great in the Salvation of his Church and in the Victory of his enemies Thus have I in a few months gone through this short but full and pithy Prophecy of Obadiah I know with what great comfort light and delight in mine own meditations I hope not unprofitably for you If you desire many houres work in a few minutes of time this is the Analysis of it It was divided into two parts 1. Titulus the Title 2. Vaticinum the prophecie 1. The Title shewed 1. Whose Obadiah 2. What. 1. Whose Obadiah Doctr. God stirreth up his servants the Prophets to give warning of the Anger to come 2. What a Vision Doctr. The faithfull Minister must see before he say and take instructions from God before he undertake to teach others 2. The Prophecie this hath two parts 1. Against Edom ad finem ver 16. 2. For the Church ver 17. ad finem In the first observe three things 1. The subject of this Prophecie Edom. 2. The suggestiorus of it The Lord. 3. The Prophecy it selfe 1. Of the subject Edom. Doctr. Riches strength honour Victory are not so pretious things as many do value them oftentimes they go away with them all a long time whom God hateth he saith I have hated Esau yet he had all these 2. Of the suggestour of the Prophecy The Lord saith thus Doctr. Gods Ministers must deale faithfully with the Church saying no more or lesse and in the same manner as God speaketh to them 3. The Prophecy that hath foure parts 1. The judgement intended against Edom v. 1 2. 2. The despaire of all Edoms hopes ver 3 ad 9. 3. The cause provoking God ver 10 ad 14. 4. Gods revenge ver 15 16. 1. The judgement intended contains 1. The discovery 2. The rumour it selfe 3. The effect 1. The discovery by a rumour from the Lord an Embassador sent among the heathen Doct. 1. The decrees of Gods judgement upon the wicked be constant and unchangeable Doct. 2. The consent of Embassadours all declaring the same judgement sheweth that the
That as there is authoritas Scripturae the authority of Scripture which is the ground of faith so there must be testimoniuâ—â— Ecclesiae the witnesse of the Church as Vincent Lirinensis well adviseth Cap. 2. Quia Scripturam Sacram non uno eodumque sensu universi accepterunt And in this case not having Antiquitatem ministrantem universall consent and we are put to it to search out what the most learned most sincere Divines in all ages have taught concerning this point here there is a necessity of consulting and declaring the constant judgement of the Church for the Testimony to the Truth 2. In all points of doctrine it giveth a great assurance to our hearers of our faithfulnesse if we declare our selves to be such as feed our hearers with the same Bread of Life which our fathers before us did break to their children 3. Whereas it is surmised that these citations of fathers be but a pride of our feeding and a vain boast of our learning It were more charitable to think 1. That our humility is such that we are not ashamed to professe by whom we learn any thing 2. That we have so unworthy an opinion of our own judgements that we chuse rather to apply the learned judgements of those that have gone before us then our own And who can deny but that our Preaching out of them is with the warrant of our Text. Sic dicit Dominus Thus saith the Lord if the Lord spake by them to his Church For the use of Heathen writers I onely say with S. Aug. Omnis scientia in gâ—nere bonorum est In arundine sterili potest una pendere Truth is the language of God and if ignorant men wicked men Devils do speak truth we may quote and write them and we may say truly Sic dicit Dominus Thus saith the Lord. The prophecie of wicked Balaam and of Caiaphas was the word of the Lord and the confession of devils testifying of Christ is a good confession there is no wrong done to the word Qui non est contra me mecum est He that is not against me is with me 2. The hearers lesson You are all taught to receive this wholesome doctrine which the Minister preacheth from the mouth of the Lord. It is not you that speak saith Christ he that hath ears to hear must hear Quod Spiritus dicit what the spirit speaketh When we tell the house of Jacob of their sins this is the word of the Lord. When we say unto you going in an evil way as Lot to the Sodomites Do not so wickedly Do not say Duruâ— est hic sermo he rayled to day against swearing or against drunkennesse c. I will tell you how you shall receive both comfort and great profit by our Ministery and the word is given to profit withall Mich. 2.7 Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly recto judicio rectis moribus I will give you a fair example Israel said to Moses Go thou now neer Deu. 5 27.28 and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and we will hear it and do it God took it well and said to Moses I have heard the voice of this people they have well said all that they have spoken We must tell you that the Word of the Lord which he sendeth forth in our Ministery shall not return to him empty it shall finish the thing for which it was sent Therefore take you heed how you hear and consider what we say hide the Word that we Preach in your hearts that you sin not against God If we do our duty he that heareth us and receiveth us receiveth Jesus Christ that sent us and in these earthen vessels rich treasures are brought unto him He that refuseth us our Ministery refuseth him that sent us and the Word of the Lord which we bring to them will prove a rod correction to chastise them and although they feel not the pain presently it will be owing to them till affliction or Death assault them and then they will remember the Word of the Lord with much horrour Obadiah v. 1. We have heard a rumour from the Lord and an Embassadour is sent among the Heathen Arise ye and let us arise against her in battell We are now come to the Prophecie it self which holdeth to the end of the sixteenth verse The parts whereof are four 1. The judgement intended against Edom v. 1.2 2. All the hopes of Edom despaired v. 3.4.5.6.7.8.9 3. The cause provoking God to this severe processe against them v. 10.11.12.13.14 4. Gods revenge upon them v. 15.16 1. In the judgement intended observe 1. The discovery thereof 2. The effect of it 1. In the discovery observe 1. By whom it was discovered 2. How two wayes 1. By a rumour from the Lord. 2. By Embassadours 1. To whom this threatened judgement was discovered we have heard We that is the prophets of the Lord for although Obadiah writ this present Prophesie yet was not this judgement onely revealed to him but to many more of the Holy Prophets for so saith the Prophet Amos Surely the Lord will do nothing but he revealeth his secret to his servants the prophets not unto one onely but to more And so fully was this revealed to Jeremiah Amos 3.7 that he doth prophesie even in the same words against Edom but under the name of Bozrah which was the name of a Principall city in Edom as appeareth Gen 36.33 the words of the Prophecie are these I have sworn by my self saith the Lord that Bozrah shall become a desolation Jer. 49.13 a reproach a waste and a curse and all the cities thereof shall be perpetuall wastes I have heard a rumour from the Lord an Embassadour is sent to the Heathen saying Gather ye together and come against her c. The margents of the Bibles refer you to that place The Lord gave great charge to Israel concerning Edom Deut. 23.7 Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite for he is thy brother Yet because the Edomite was ever an enemy to Israel God revealed his judgement against them to many of his Prophets Balainâ— foretold their subjection to Israel And Edom shall be a possession Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies and Israel shall do valiantly Num 24.18.19 Out of Jacob shall be come that shall have Dominion and shall destroy him that remaineth of that city The Psalmist prayeth for their punishment Psa 137.7 Remember O Lord the children of Edom. It had not been lawfull for the Prophet to have provoked the justice of God against Edom unlesse God had revealed his purpose of judgement intended against them to him For Davids imprecations be all Prophecies The burden of Dumah that is of Idumaea Isa 21.11 He calleth unto me out of Seir Watchman what was in the night c.
of blood and He that planted the eare shall he not heare It covered the old world with waters the earth is filled with cruelty it was vox sanguinis that cryed and the heavens heard the earth and the windowes of heaven opened to let fall judgement and vengeance upon it The joy that the Jewes had at the death of Christ what sorrow hath it cost them ever since they have gone like Cain with a mark upon them stigmatized and branded as murtherers and they are scattered upon the face of the earth 1600 yeers almost deportation have they endured and who cries now it is time for the Lord to have mercy upon Sion The author of the three conversions of England writes a congratulatory Epistle to the Catholiques in England rejoycing at the timely quiet death of Queen Elizabeth in a full age full of dayes and full of honour and telleth them that they have as much cause of joy as ever the Christians had in the Primitive times for the death of the bloody and cruell Emperours This candle of the wicked was soon put out for ere that Epistle could come to them our gracious King was Proclaimed the heyre of her Crownes and of her Faith 4. They are charged with the cruelty of the tongue verse 12. Neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of their distresse This is another kind of breach of the Law non occides thou shalt not kill to speak proudly or as the Originall doth expresse it to make the mouth great or wide against our brethren in their distresse For they animated the persecutors of their brethren in the day of Ierusalem Psa 137. and said raze raze it even to the foundations thereof They opened their mouth wide in cruelty or as Ezekiel speaketh for them Moab and Seir did say Behold the house of Iudah is like unto all the heathen Ezek. 25 8 i.e. God taketh no more care for them then for any other people It is one of the provocations wherewith God was provoked against Edom Because thou hast sayd these two Nations and these two Countries shall be mine Ez. 35.10 and we will possesse it though the Lord was there He accuseth them of Anger and Envy against those two Nations i.e. Israel and Judah so called because the Land was divided in Jeroboams time into two kingdomes Anger and envy are by our Saviour declared to be murther and the tongue is called by David a sharp sword the poyson of Aspes is under their lips it is the bow out of which they shoot for arrowes bitter words Thou hast loved all the words that may do hurt Verba be verbera Venite percutiamus eum lingua Jer. 18.18 Jam. 3.5 6. Come let us smite them with the tongue said the enemies of Jeremy and Saint Iames saith there is ignis in Lingua a fire in the Tongue Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth The tongue is a fire a world of iniquity so is the Tongue amongst the Members that it defileth the whole body and it setteth on fire the course of nature and it is set on fire of hell It is an unâ—uly evill full of deadly poyson There is that speaketh like the purcings of a Sword 1. In their anger they spake cruelly Pro. 12.18 instigating their enemies to destroy them 2. In their pride they spake insolently expressing their inward joy at their ruine by speeches of scorne and disdaine and of triumph over them The Iewes are a fearefull example of this in their processe against Christ for they cruelly said Crucifie him Crucifie him not him but Barabbas If thou let him goe thou art not Caesars friend And after tauntingly when he was upon the Crosse to him he saved others let him save himselfe to his Father Let him now save him if he will have him Which how deare it cost them let their owne tongues repeat their judgement Sanguis ejus super nos filios nostros his blood be upon us and upon our children it was so ever since and as God wrote the crueltie of Amaleck in a Book and vowed never to forget So even unto this day he remembreth what that Amalek did to Israel the desolation of their City and Temple the glory and pride and praise of the earth their miserable dispersion to this day is a certaine testimony of Gods unappeased displeasure to them Sarah saw Ishmael working he doth not say she heard him peradventure it was but a scornfull or proud looke that she observed but it is understood that he scoffed him with some words of disdaine that he should be the young-Master and heire of the house And this provoked Sarah to solicite his casting out of the house and the Apostle doth call it persecution and a kinde of murther Beloved do you know that cursing is murther do you know that bitter and scornful slandring which toucheth the good name of a brother is murther do you know that every word you speake to animate and encourage any against a brother is murther do you know that those reviling speeches which anger venteth in your common scoldings and reproachfull railings one upon anoâ—her and that secret and private whispers wherewith you deprave one another be murther Saint Iames teacheth you Jam. 4.11 That he that speaketh evill of his brother and judgeth his brother speaketh evill of the Law and judgeth the Law That is he declareth himselfe to be above the Law and takes upon him to judge for he that judgeth the Law and thinketh that the law of God doth not bind him to obedience he is not a doer of the law but a judge Christ saith he that saith to his brother satue thou foole is obnoxious to hell fire Let us all judge our selves by this Law and we shall finde that we had need to take heed to our wayes that we offend not with our tongue it is no easie worke to governe the tongue it asketh care and caution David himselfe must take heed That was the lesson Pambus found so hard that it was enough to take up his whole life And in our anger and fury we do little thinke upon it that By our words we shall he judged by our words we shall be condemned and if of every idle word we shall give an account to God how much rather of every angry word of every lying word of every spightfull and scornefull word every cruell and bloudy word of every prophane and blasphemous word This is commonly the revenge of the poore for when they have no other way to right themselves against injuries they fall to cursing and imprecations Saint Iames telleth you Jam. 1 26. If a man among you seems religious and bridleth not his tongue he deceiveth his owne heart this mans religion is in vaine And againe Jam. 3.2 If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man and able to bridle the whole body It is a Master-peece â—o â—â—â—eene the tongue What
shall be done to thee c. And after Metaphorically he expresseth the retaliation As thou hast drunk upon my holy mountain hereof we observe the change of the manner of speech that is here used we shall cleere the Text from that difficulty that hath distracted interpreters so that they have failed in the right meaning of these words For whereas before the Prophet speaketh to Edom here he bringeth in God himselfe speaking to Ierusalem comforting them in the declaration of his just judgement against her enemies for he saith to Iacob As thou hast drunk upon my holy mountains so shall all the heathen drink continually By the Metaphor of drinking which is referred to that which is called the cup of the Lords indignation of which David saith In the hand of the Lord there is a cup the Wine is red c. By this figure then the cup of affliction is understood the phrase was used after by our Saviour Let this cup passe from me again If thou wilt not let it passe but that I must drink thereof thy will be done We use that phrase to drink of the cup of God So the threatning runneth in this sense that as the people of God upon Gods holy mountaine have drunk of the cup of Gods wrath and have had their draught thereof which was but for a time So shall all the heathen drinke and their judgement shall not have end they shall drink continually there shall be no end of their affliction they shall swallow down the wrath of the Lord untill they be utterly destroyed for they shall be as though they had not been In which words is contained 1. A judgement against the Heathen 2. A consolation to the Church In the judgement observe 1. The certainty thereof the day is set 2. The propinquity of it it is neere 3. The extent of it to all the heathen 4. The equity of it as thou hast done 5. The certainty of it they shall drinke c. 6. The duration of it continually In the comfort note 1. He speaketh of it as of a judgement past and gone at ye have drunk thereof 2. He calleth their dwelling though thus punished My Holy Mountain 3. He revealeth to them his severe vengeance against their enemies 1. Of the judgement 2. Of the certainty The Lord hath set down and decreed a day for vengeance threatnings of woe at large do move but little but when the punishment is denounced and the day set for the execution thereof this cannot but pierce and draw blood And being here called the day of the Lord that is a day designed by the Lord for this execution it is more quick and penetrating There is no sin which is committed on earth but God hath both made a Law against it to forbid the doing of it and he hath declared his judgement against it yet hath he given us the light of his word or the light of the Law which his finger wrote in our hearts to declare it to us and he hath given us time also to repent and amend it and he is patient and long-suffering in his expectation of our amendment But where it is not amended he doth set down a day for the execution of his just judgement for he will not he cannot suffer his truth to faile His patience and mercy will take their day first and his justice will also have her day Saint Iames advertizeth us Let patience have her perfect work Jer. 1. â— We have a faire example of God for this For he will not let the work of his patience be unperfect he will forbear us till the very day of his justice designed for punishment Though all the masters of Assemblies all the Ministers of the word be continually striking at this naile we cannot drive it into the head to make men beleeve that God hath set a day for punishment of all our sins The promise of grace to the penitent doth so comfort us generally that we hope we shall have time enough to put off that day by our repentance and then again we often take that for repentance which is not it For it is not enough to remember our sins with a God forgive me Repentance is a putting off of sinne an hatred of it and a change of life and manners every sorrow is not such But were it that this day were thought upon with that feare and trembling that is due to it it would put sin out of countenance and the sinner out of hope The sinner that beleeves not this doth make God a lyar whose word of truth hath revealed the certainty of this day to us 2. It armeth the lusts of the flesh against the soule for who is he that liveth without fear that will bridle his affections or stop the swift current of nature in himself but runneth into sinne as an horse rusheth into the battaile But when we do consider upon every sin that we commit that the day of the Lord shall declare it the day of the Lord shall punish it this maketh us afraid of our secret sins for feare of shame and of all sins for feare of punishment The certainty that this day will come the uncertainty when it will come is the greatest motive to hasten repentance that may be 2. The Propinquity it is neere If our Consciences be convinced of the certainty of this day and the judgement thereof Sathans next allusion is to flatter us that it is afarre off and shall not come yet and there will be time enough to repent us of our sin If we tell you indefinitely that it is neere yet you may hope not so neere but that we may prevent it For the Apostle hath told his brethren long-agoe of the last day The end of all things is at hand But it is 1600 yeers since 1 Pet. 4.7 and where is the promise of his coming But let not that comfort thee in sin for even that day is neer seeing time is nothing to eternity but thy day wherein God shall visit thy sinnes with his judgements may be much sooner If we had Commission to tell you it is but forty dayes and the next day is the day of the Lord as Jonah did peradventure it would warn you but we have no Commission to say it is so it is a good proofe that it is neere when none can promise that this very day shall not be it Yet we see there were some that took the day of their death neere themselves cras moriemur yet they made evil use of it Edamus bibamus as the Epicure Dum vivimus â—rvamus For the sensuall and carnall man maketh that evil use of his neere end to live more sensually Post mortem nulla voluptas In every particular mans case St. John doth admonish us all well Now also is the Axe layed to the root of the Tree I learn a parable of Christ Do but consider thine own field and see the Com that grows upon it and observe
full from the communion of the Church of England pretending the great corruptions that be some in the doctrine but most in the Discipline thereof Is Sion the Mountaine of the Lord still although both sinne and vengeance have left it desolate Did Christ call the Temple his fathers house when the ungodly prophaners of it had made it a den of theeves I dare not say now though that Mountaine of the Lord and the place whre Gods honour did sometimes dwell and wherein God tooke delight hath almost endured sixteen hundred yeeres desolation and is now the cage of uncleane birds inhabited by Turks and Saracens and for the profit of both by Popish Idolators which make prize of Pilgrims resorting to visite the places sometimes hallowed by the presence of Christ and his Mother and his holy servants I dare not say that God hath lost his interest therein or resigned all his right thereto Nullum tempus occurrit regi I remember the Prophecy of Zacharie But it shall be one day Zac. 4.7 8 which shall be knowne to the Lord nor day nor night but it shall come to passe that at evening time it shall be light And it shall be in that day that living waters shall go out from Ierusalem A Prophecy not yet fulfilled for though Interpreters doe commonly attribute this to the coming of Christ in the flesh and the light of the Gospel beginning at Ierusalem and shining over all the world the words of the Text do directly confute that exposition for this prophecy is determined to the evening time that is to the latter end of the world and Christ came in the fulnesse of time And at the coming of Christ in the flesh it was not as here is said Nor day nor night for then Lux magna orta est the sunne of righteousnesse arose in our hemisphere the very night was lighted to the shepherds with an extraordinary clarity And such a light shone in Ierusalem as not only lighted them but it was a light to lighten the Gentiles it shone to the East upon the Magi there and all the ends of the world soon saw the salvation of their God Therefore I conclude that this prophecy is to be fulfilled towards the end of the world when God shall call againe his people from far and his dispersed from the ends of the earth When the fulnesse of the Gentiles is come in then shall God call again his people and remember the oath that he sware unto Abraham and the sure mercies of David Then shall he set his name again in Ierusalem and displant the intruders upon his possession and settle his habitation once again upon the Holy mountain at the end of the world Yet I do not affirm that there shall be again a Common-wealth of the Jewes or a distinction of Tribes as heretofore that wall of partition is taken down and the bond of Christian Religion shall be the bond of peace and God hath said it Tros Tyrius ve mihi nullo discrimine agetur Both Jew and Gentile all shall be alike But God hath layed such claime to this mountain and professed so much love to it that I dare not beleeve that he can forget it for ever but that when the time the appointed time shall come he will have mercy upon Sion and will pitty the ruines and dust thereofâ—â—â— But when here Sion is called Mons sanctus meus my Holy mountain here is a quaere how any place can be called Holy and what kind of holinesse it is which is ascribed to any place Surely if it be Sanctus quia meus what place is it where God is not he is in the valley of the shadow of death he is present over men in the nethermost hell But God is said to sanctifie some places here on earth because he is present there 1. Secundum specialem curam in respect of his speciall care and protection 2. Secundum specialem cultum in respect of his speciall Worship Ierusalem was the place which God took into his speciall protection and where he placed his speciall worship for the Lord God was well known in Sion at Salem was his Tabernacle and his dwelling in Sion 1. And for the speciall care that he had of that place He loved the gates of Sion more c. And though the earth was the Lords and all that therein is yet of Sion he said here do I dwell I have a delight herein And this Spiritualis cura Spiritual care so sanctified that place that when Israel had polluted the worship of God and Heathen came in upon Gods inheritance and defiled his Sanctuary yet ceased not that place to be Holy not by any inherent holinesse as the Roman Church suggesteth but only secundum specialem curam because it was not yet out of Gods speciall protection and only thus it is holy at this day 2. Propter specialem cultum for his speciall worship when any place is dedicate to Gods worship and separate from common use it is an holy place and God vouchsafeth there specialem praesentiam a special presence For I am not of Mr. Calvins mind who saith Templa non sunt propria Dei habitacula unde aurem propius admoveat For God hath a speciall interest in those places which are separate to his special worship and the very place is fearful to them that have any sense of Religion and as Damascen saith plus participat gratiae operationis Dei they partake more of the powerfull operation of God For why is Heaven the Throne of God more then the earth but because God doth there more expresse his glory then he doth here And for the interest that God hath in those consecrated places consider Gods challenge in my Text Sion though in the Land of the Chaldeans is the Mount of God Churches and Lands once given to God do remain his for ever for unlesse God shall manifestly reveale his resignation to man what man on earth hath any assignment from him of his right Beloved we have power to give to God of his own but we have no power on earth for revocation when it is once Sacred and God hath enclosed it no man can lay it common But the fat of the Church hath fed so many of all degrees in this Land to that grouth and strength that this Doctrine is a Paradox and we are but laught at when we plead the right of God to things sacred For if Sacriledge be a sinne what rank of men in this or our neighbour kingdome doth not live in sin and by sin The Mount of Sion is challenged here to be the holy Mountain of God in whose hand soever the possession thereof be and all that invade the right of God in things sacred shall heare him complain Prov. 20.25 Ye have robbed me and though they make it strange and aske wherin have we robbed thee Solomon will tell them It is a snare for a man to devoure that which is Sanctified
be mine saith the Lord in that day when I make up my jewels or speciall treasure and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him Ver. 17. What can a man desire more of God then to be esteemed amongst his jewels and precious treasure such are the holy and what trouble can it be to them to be despised of the world and cast out of them when God shall take them in as his jewels and treasure God himself giveth holinesse in precept and giveth the reason in that injunction Be ye holy for I am holy And Saint John saith that every man that hath hope of eternall life 1 Pet 1.16 ex Lev. 21.44 1 Joh. 3.3 purifieth himself even as he is pure So that Gods holinesse is the motive that must induce us and the president and pattern that must conduce us to holinesse 1. The motive because he being holy nothing ungodly and unclean may approach him therefore all the legall purifications and sanctifyings of the poople before any speciall worship and service of God were types of that holinesse which must fit us for Gods service because without holinesse no man shall see God Again because the favours which we desire from God be holy and Christ saith Nolite dare quod sanctum est canibus give not that which is holy to dogs surely he will not do so himself 2. It must be our pattern and example because holines is never accepted but where it hath three properties as it hath in God 1. That it be sincere and not in hypocrisie there is a sinne of hypocrites and there is a portion with hypocrites false holines is like â—â—â—â—â—erfeit gold it will not go for pay it is high treason agâ—â—â—â— God to counterfeit his Image and superscription for holinesse is the Image of our God stamped in us in our creation therefore hell is called the portion of hypocrites 2. That it be totall holinesse in the face and outward gesture proceeding from holinesse in the heart and inward affections holinesse of the tongue that it speak not lewdly falsely or prophanely holinesse of operation that we do nothing but what becometh the Saints of God Holinesse at Church and holines at home holinesse in our private conversations and in our private retirings that is in the whole man in the whole time of his life and in all places 3. That it be guided with knowledge for the ignorant holinesse of the Church of Rome which is implicit and knoweth not what it doth is the sacrifice of fools like the Athenians worship directed to an unknown God This is the way to come again to our own possessions and to cast out that strong man armed that hath led us into captivity this is the old way and the good way to the new Ierusalem Many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you weeping they be enemies of the crosse of Christ whose end is damnation whose belly is their god and whose delight is in their shame which mind earthly things But our conversation must be in heaven an holy conversation is an heavenly conversation and maketh heaven upon earth And if we be risen with Christ to this conversation then we seek those things which are above and not those things which are beneath It must therefore be our care to look to those things which hinder holinesse and to keep good watch upon our life that none of those things do corrupt us These are as the Apostle doth enumerate them 1. The lusts of the flesh 2. The lust of the eye 3. The pride of life 1. Carnall desires do make us unholy not only fornication and adultery which do make the members of Christ the members of an harlot of which sin the Apostle saith that adulterers and fornicators God will judge But carnality also in our affections labouring more for the body then for the soule for the flesh to ful-fill the lusts thereof studying meat and drink for the belly stuffe and fashions for the garments more then to please God in the exercise of Religion and duties of charity and piety carnality also in the very service of God of which the Apostle also speaketh for while one saith I am of Paul another I am of Apollo are ye not carnall for the truth of God and the wisdome of God is valued not in it self but in respect of persons And so that those be the greatest pretenders to holinesse that pretend most of the spirit unawares do serve the flesh and are men in Religion carnall yet think they do God good service 2. The lust of the eye is another great enemy to holinesse for that coveteth an evill covetousnesse how easily is flesh and blood carried away from God with the wings of worldly desires I would I were as well housed as well placed as well landed as well friended as well monied as such and such are Who wisheth I would I were as holy as the Prophets and Apostles were when we must needs dye Balaam would wish his later end like theirs 3. The pride of life affecting place and Court above others trim and rich bravery beyond others power and authority over others these things do corrupt Religion and make us unholy and all these things do perish in the use of them There be two things which make the life of man proofe against these darts of Satan 1. Godlinesse that fixeth our hearts on God and fastneth our trust on him which giveth us assurance that we shall never want things sufficient for us and therefore fear not to lose by it if we bestow our time and strength and means in his service 2. Contentednesse which respecteth rather a supply of wants then a fulnesse to look upon considering that of all that we have in possession no more is truly ours then what serveth for use and that is little and seeing we brought nothing with us and we leave all but what our wants have spent behind us let a little content us lest much do distract us from the service of our God or corrupt our holinesse 2. This teacheth to embrace all the good meanes by which holinesse may be preserved and increased in us that is 1. Diligent hearing the Word of God upon which must attend 1. Private meditation 2. Conference This is not the service of God it selfe but a candle lighting us the way to the worship of God David saith Verbum tuum Lucerâ—a pedibus meis thy word is a Lanthorne to my feet And they are much deceived that think they have sanctified a Sabbath to the Lord if they have onely heard sermons and meditated and conferred on them That is neither opus dâ—ei nor opus loci the work of the day nor place all this is but receiving from God The worship of God must have somewhat from us to God to which preaching doth direct us therefore we must adde 2. Our worship of God which chiefly doth consist in 1 Thanksgiving 2 Prayer Thanks
storm it is gone saith David The wisdom of God in man is ever at the best in the greatest tempest of danger and sense of sin The Disciples when they are brought before Kings and Rulers are promised Dabo vobis sapientiam I will give you wisdom and further Dabitur illâ horâ it shall be given in that houre Steven at the houre of his death not distracted with the fury of them that stoned him dyed calling upon God calling on him for them that killed him God takes away wisdome from them that know not how to use it Such as are wise to do evil but to do good have no understanding Wisdom in an ungodly man is armata nequitia armed wickednesse and therefore David prayeth against it let not their wicked imagination prosper It was Davids wisdom Audiam quid loquaturin me Deus I will heare what the Lord will say For he will speak to our hearts peace and joy in the Holy Ghost He will uphold us with his counsell the feare of the Lord is the beginning of our wisdome 2. The Assurance Thus saith the Lord. For the trust in wisdome is so confident that the holy Prophet though he had called his prophecy his Vision and though he had begun his whole Prophecy with Thus saith the Lord yet the more to assure the events threatned he resumeth this authority 1. He bringeth in God himselfe despersing their first hope I have made thee small the pride of thy heart hath deceived thee 2. In their second hope which was in the strength of their habitation he bringeth in God speaking to Edom I will bring thee down saith the Lord. 3. Now again in this third hope of theirs in the wisdome of their wise men two things do meet in this verse to fortifie the assurance 1. The authority of him that saith and doth those things Thus saith the Lord. 2. His appeale to them for he doth not say I will destroy the wise men out of Edom but he appealeth to their own hearts saying Shall I not destroy them q. d. Do you think that I will be over-reached by your wise men No they shall not have wit enough to save themselves much lesse to save you For I will destroy them Which peremptory declaration of the will of him who is judge of all the world doth leave no place for evasion for the Psalmist saith of him that He doth whatsover he will in heaven and in earth and in all deep places By vertue of this certaine word of God we do gather this assurance against all the enemies of the Church in all ages thereof for he hath said it by the mouth of Iob How often is the Candle of the wicked put out Job 21.17 And how oft cometh their destruction upon them God distributeth sorrowes in his anger What though the execution of this wrath be deferred he addeth God layeth up his iniquity for his children that is the punishment of his iniquity ver 19. as there is a decree against them in the counsell of God and word against them declaring the decree of God so dies erit there shall be a time 3 The time in that day Our days and times be all in the hand of God and they be hid in his own power who in his secret wisdom hath appointed them when that day should come he hath not yet revealed to Edom in this Prophecie God is so patient and long-suffering that he doth not punish presently for vengeance is his he may take his time when he will and no man can resist him The point here considerable is That God in his secret wisdome hath designed a particular day for every execution of his will yea the Scripture goeth so far as to the houre even to a moment the least fraction of time This declareth that the wisdome of the world and of flesh hath but its time there is a period fixed wherein it must detertermine Ahitophels counsels went for Oracles till this day then God turned his wisdom into folly and destruction So God threatned Ierusalem with a day in which the Lord would take away from them the mighty men Isa 3.2 and the men of warre the judge and the Prophet the prudent and the ancient This he doth two wayes One by turning all their knowledge into ignorance and their wisdome into folly Another by destroying their persons either by his sore judgements or by leading into captivity here both are threatned for he will destroy both prudentes wise men and prudentiam their wisdome in that day This may remember us of that great day of which St. Paul preached to the Athenians Act. 17.31 that God had appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousnes by that man which he hath appointed For as the day of Ierusalem and the day of Edom and the time of Gods particular judgements is set and fixt so is the day of the last judgement in which every man shall give an accompt to God of himself and all our works shall come to judgement What manner of men then ought we to be expecting this day and providing for it This Doctrine of the set day of particular execution of Gods threatned wrath against sinners doth teach 1. Holy patience in waiting the Lords leasure and as the Apostle admonisheth Cast not away therefore your confidence For ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye may receive the promise Heb. 10 35 36 37. For a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry And blessed is he that endureth to the end This living under the rod of the ungodly and this beholding the prosperity of the wicked doth much disquiet even the Saints of God on earth as is the example of David we see Therefore we have need of patience to sweeten the sorrows of life to us and to clear our eyes that we may not mourn as men without hope 2. It teacheth faith for the same Author saith Ver. 38 Now the just shall live by faith for he that hath promised is faithfull and no word of his shall fall to the ground unfulfilled Faith cometh by hearing let us then use it as the best remedy against the oppressions of the ungodly to be swift to hear the word of God that we may get the shield of faith to bear off all the darts of Satan so David in that disquiet went to the house of God there he was taught the end of those oppressors 3. It teacheth holinesse for seeing the wrath of God from heaven is revealed against the enemies of the Church there is no safety but in the Church of God and that is the Congregation of Saints these are safe in that day he hideth such under his wings his faithfulnesse and truth is their shield and buckler There shall no evill happen to them neither shall any plague come nigh their dwelling So long as we make conscience of our
words and thoughts and wayes and labour our sanctification and strive against sin we need not fear in the evil day holinesse is our dore mark and our forehead mark the destroying Angel shall passe over VERSE 9. And thy mighty men O Teman shall be dismayed to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter 5. Their last hope is in the strength of their own mighty men this is addressed to Teman Which word as it signifieth the coast to which the Idumaeans lay from Jerusalem i.e. the east so it is the name of one of the Nephews of Esau Gen. 36.11 whose posterity inhabited a part of Arabia called also by his name He was the eldest son of Eliphaz the eldest son of Esau and under his name here the whole Nation of the Idumaeans is threatned And as the hope the Idumaeans had in the wisdome of their wise men faileth them for they have trusted to false friends and all their providence for their safety miscarrieth So shall they fail in the hope that they have in their own strong men for they shall not be able to preserve them from a finall destruction even so great that every one of the mount of Esau shall be cut off by slaughter Excellently is their judgment set forth for their confederates shall turne perfidious to them abroad and their strong men at home shall be dismayed Two things make wars advantagable to a Common-wealth Consilium fortitudo counsel and strength in the former verse God befools their wisdome in this he enfeebles their strength The reason is he hath decreed that every one of the mount of Esau shall be destroyed And when God turneth enemy neither head nor hand neither wisdome nor force can resist him David and his sling shall discomfit Goliah and his armour his sword and spear and admired strength The two little flocks of Israel the great armies of the Aramites It is worth our noting that God working by means and directing our operations so even in this work of overthrow threatned to Edom doth destroy them by disabling to them all the meanes of their safety as before he turneth the hearts of their friends against them He destroyeth the wisdome of their wise men and now he takes away all heart and courage from their strong men To teach us that all the outward means of safety are not sufficient to keep us from ruine except the Lord be on our side Therefore we pray Hallowed be thy name Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done And we acknowledge Thine is the Kingdome power and glory And this enforceth upon us the law of the first Table to have no other gods but one to give him outward worship to sanctifie his Sabbath not to abuse his name And this filleth us with faith saying Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem I beleeve in God c. For as David saith Domine quis similis tibi Lord who is like to thee There is no wisdome or strength not that which is in the god of this world the Prince that ruleth in the air but it is a beame of the heavenly light can God suffer any of his own gifts to be abused against him to turn edge and point against the author of them There is a time when God winketh at the outrage of the ungodly for the exercising of the patience of his servants but when he intendeth a cutting off by slaughter of his enemies in that day the Lord will be known to be God These things are written for our sakes for the enemies of our Church are here threatned to be cut off by slaughter even Antichrist the man of sin who sitteth in the place of God as God and is worshipped whom God shall scatter with the breath of his mouth that is by the power of his word preached and we have comfort against him that neither his wit nor his force shall prevaile against us We have two examples which I hope no time will ever forget to praise God for till the second coming of Jesus Christ The power of Antichrist was defeated in 88. when the Pope gave away the Kingdomes of England and Ireland to the King of Spaine who sent his Invincible Armado hither not as a Challenger but as a Conquerer to take possession of these Lands They had speciall revelations to assure their victory and the prayers of the Popish Church were all in armes against us But as it is in my text their mighty men were dismayed their strong Ships either sunk in the sea or well beaten or constrained to flie because God meant to cut them off by slaughter and the power of Spaine so weakned and the coffers of their treasure so emptied that nothing was more welcome to them then the newes of peace with England The wisdome of Rome had no better successe in the yeere 1605. for when some men of bloud the sons of Belial had layed a plot for the destruction of the whole Church and Common-wealth then in Parliament by powder We cannot deny but the Serpent put his best wits to the rack to stamp a devise with his own image and superscription never was there nequitia ingeniosior a more witty wickednesse then to bring so many precious lives to the mercie of one excutioner who had nothing to do but to put fire to the train Yet in the very act of preparation and the night before the intended execution God put fire to his own train layed for them and discovered things hidden in darknesse and cast them into the pit which he had digged for them and their wit and policie proved hanging and quartering to the conspirators and declared the Papist our secret enemies such whom we must carefully look to for if by strength or wit he can destroy the state of the Church and Common-wealth the mercies of his heart are so cruell that we can expect no favour That is now the cause why his Majesty intending a Parliament doth require so strict a survey of the land for the detection of all Popish Recusants as now is both by the Ecclesiasticall and Civill Magistrate urged For they have given us fair warning that if they can do any thing by wit or force they will abate nothing thereof to the prejudice of this Church But as the confounding of the wisdome of Edom and the disabling the strength of Edom did fore-run their fall so our faith is that Antichrist Gods enemy and ours hath now but a short time and every one of the mount of Esau of the City built upon the hills shall be cut off by slaughter The pride of their own hearts who think they have the keyes of heaven and of hell not only Peters keyes but Davids also who bear the world in hand that they can save or condemn shall deceive them The rock of their habitation shall prove to them like an undefenced City Their confederates and men of their peace that eat bread with them shall