may be though God haue this Office of an vniuersall Iudge ouer all the world yet this Circuit is so large that he wants Power or Meanes fully to execute it This cannot be imagined the contrary so euidently appeares thorough the whole Scripture Gen. 6.12 When all flesh had corrupted their waies vpon earth an end of all flesh is presently determined by the Iudge of heauen and the whole world is sentenced to be drowned and the sentence is as easily executed as if it had beene pronounced but against some one particular man Gen. 18. When the crie of Sodome and Gomorrah had pierced the heauens God adiudged them to be burned with fire and brimstone and presently he rained fire and brimstone vpon their heads I will not trouble you with heaping vp more examples of Gods power in this kinde I had rather stirre you vp to feare and obedience vpon consideration of the vnresistable power of this Supreame and Vniuersall Iudge Shall the Lyon roare and shall not the beasts of the field quake Shall the great ludge of heauen threaten vengeance against rebellious sinners and shall not dust and ashes fall downe at his feete and humbly sue for mercy Shall the Diuell himselfe vpon the knowledge of Gods supreame Iudiciary power beleeue and tremble and shall men more Diuelish then the Diuell beleeue God to be an Omnipotent Lord and Vniuersall Iudge and yet neuer tremble at the matter It were hard to thinke there were any such Gyants in the world who durst fight against God and despise both the Office and Power of this Soueraigne Lord and Vniuersall Iudge but that wee see them daily with our eyes and heare them with our eares Is not the strong Churh-robber one of these Gyants who dares openly say Psal 83. Come let vs take the houses of God into possession neuer fearing that which followes O my God make them like a wheele and like stubble before the winde Is not the abominable swearer one of these Gyants who dares tosse and tumble the reuerend name of God in his foule mouth though God haue threatned that for such irreligious oathes the land shall mourne Is not euery filthy fornicator euery beastly drunkard and in a word euery shamelesse and daring sinner of the race of these Gyants who knowing and confessing that this great Iudge hath already passed a sentence of death against these sinnes 1 Cor. 6.9 yet sport themselues with them and gibe at the Iudge himselfe Iush the Lord shall not see it neither will the God of Iacob regard it But I hope there is none heere of this rebellious rout nay I hope euery man heere present is in all humility obedience ready to say vnto this great Lord and Iudge as the Israelites doe in the Text. Behold wee come vnto thee for thou art the Lord our God And now let vs passe from the Generall Motiue vnto the more speciall in the two last words Our God Our God The former Motiue was common to the Israelites with all other nations for God is the Creator Protector and Iudge of all men but this is proper vnto them as they made the Body of Gods visible Church for it is the Church alone which can challenge God by peculiar right to bee her God And this shee may doe in a double respect Iure confederationis Iure redemptionis By right of Couenant or confederation and by right of Ransome or Redemption First by right of Couenant established betwixt God and the seed of Abraham I will establish my Couenant betwixt mee and thee Gen. 17.7 Verse 10. and thy seed after thee And for further ratification of this couenant God would needs haue the seale of circumcision put vnto it If this bee not enough God ouer and aboue hath confirmed it Ezek. 16.8 by swearing thereunto I sware vnto thee and entred into a couenant with thee and thou becamest mine In respect of this speciall Couenant God claimed the lewes for his speciall inheritance peculiar people and they challenged him for Their God in a more speciall manner then all the world besides could doe Now as God was by a speciall couenant God of the Iewes vnder the Old Testament so now he is become God of the Christians vnder the New Our Baptisme is the sealing of this Couenant wherein the blessed Trinity Father Sonne and Holy Ghost receiue the party Baptized into speciall fauour and protection and the party there indents with the same blessed Trinity so soone as he shall come to vnderstand this Couenant presently to forsake the Diuell and all his workes constantly to beleeue Gods holy Word and obediently to keepe his commandements Now I haue shewed the Nature and quality of this Couenant which then warranted the Israelites and now warrants vs Christians to call God Our God let vs consider how forcible it is or ought to be to draw vs all vnto obedience First this very Couenant must put vs in minde of obedience because otherwise wee loose the Benefit there of for not Taking hold of the said Couenant Chap. 56. Verse 4. The Prophet Esay hath taught vs that the keeping of Gods commandement and chusing the things that please him is the very taking hold of this Couenant and therefore it will follow from the contrary that he despising of Gods Commandements and doing those things which he hates is the loosing of this hold Againe we are farther to consider that all our happines or vnhappines in this life and after this life depends vpon the keeping or breaking of this Couenant Esay 1.19 If yee will consent and obey you shall eat the good things of the land But if you will not obey Leuit. 26. Verse 15. but despise mine Ordinances and breake my Couenant then I will set my face against you c. It is a Chapter worthy of our most diligent perusall For in it as in a glasse we may cleerely see how it comes about that we the people of this Land who were sometimes crowned with all Gods blessings begin of late to be stripped out of them one after another and are in danger of being depriued of them all We may likewise see from whence it comes that wee haue beene consumed at home with plague pestilence that abroad wee haue fallen before the sword of the enemy in these and all other iudgements which haue or shall light vpon vs we must take notice of Our God Leuit. 26. Verse 25. as auenging the quarrel of his Couenant What quarrell can God haue against vs about this Couenant He hath a double quarrell First for our Hypocrisie in that wee call him Our God and make shew as if we were his peculiar people in that we call him Our Father and pretend that wee are his true children and yet in the meane time wee will neither serue him as Our God nor loue him as Our Father Ieremie 3. Verse 19. It is Gods agreement with his people Thou shalt
askes for their obedience haue learned to answer from the heart Behold we obey I can giue no better reason here of then this that men deceiue themselues whilest they suppose they firmely beleeue that as an Article of their faith which they onely assent vnto for company or fashion sake because other Christians hold it for an Article Such a beleefe is but a slight opinion swimming in the braine it is no true and liuely faith rooted in the heart Such men when they call God their Creator deale with him as the lewes did with Christ who clothed him in a royall robe and salute him with the royall title of a King and yet at the same time they scorne him buffet him and spit in his face Doth not the Drunkard the Fornicator the Sweater and in a word euery bold and rebellious sinner deale with God in the same manner He calls him his Creator he bowes the knee vnto him as to his Maker and yet he seares not to cast the filth of his sins into the very eyes of this his Lord and Maker Cuires nominisubiecta negatur Tertullian nomine illuditur It is but a flat mockery to giue God high titles and to denie him answerable duties and those which doe it are but Christians in name and Infidels in deede and truth The true Christian that beleeues from a sound heart God to be his Maker cannot but in some good measure from the heart obey God his Maker Secondly GOD is not onely The Lord Creator but also The Lord High Protector or Generall Preseruer of all his creatures and more especially of mankinde For God is not like an artificer who when hee hath finished his worke quits his hands of it and leaues it for-lasting or perishing to the strength of the materials whereof it consists No we must conceiue a perpetuall Manatenentia diuina as the Schoolemen terme it without which men and Angels heauen and earth with all the creatures in the world would in a moment fall backe into that Nothing out of which they were at first made Something Vpon this ground Durandus maintaines Durand Verum est dicere de quauis creatura quod quamdiu est creatior à Deo We may truely say of any creature that so long as it Is so long God Creates it His meaning is that Creation and this Conseruation are the same action being considered in God and only differ thus That Creation respects the Being of the Creature as newly produced out of Nothing by Gods infinite power and this Preseruation respects the Beeing of the same creature as continually supported from falling into nothing by the same infinite power of GOD. But to let Schoole-speculations passe the Scripture can best teach vs how this title of Vniuersall Lord Protector belongeth vnto the Almighty Colos 1.17 He is before all things and in him all things Subsist saith the blessed Apostle And againe Omnia portat Hee beareth vp all things by his mighty power Heb. 1.3 So that if this our great Supporter should but for a moment withdraw his Preseruing power the whole world in the twinkling of an eye would vanish into Nothing Neither is it our Being only which depends vpon Gods continuall preseruation but all our well-beeing is also deriued from his gratious prouidence and protection It is this bountifull Lord which opens his hand and filleth vs with his blessings which holdeth his hand ouer vs and keepes vs out of manifold dangers which stretcheth out his helping hand vnto vs and pluckes vs out of all our miseries Such a Generall Powerfull and Careful Lord Protector is our God vnto vs. Now this being granted is it not an effectuall motiue to make all men dutifull and obedient vnto such a Lord I am sure that our Souereigne Lords vpon earth for this very cause of protecting their subiects and maintaining them in peace and safety challenge and iustly challenge Rom. 13. Verse 6. both obedience and tribute at their hands How much more then may the Souereigne Lord of Heauen who protects both Prince and People challenge the tribute of obedience frō them both Out of doubt he will and doth require it and therefore it is our best to pay it The wise Salomon tells vs Pro. 3. There is no rising vp against the King And the Hebrewes haue a Prouerbiall saying Migrandum ex loco in quo Rox non timetur It is time to leaue that Countrey where the King is not feared as if alwaies some great iudgement were hanging ouer it What then may we think is like to befall that Nation which is vp in rebellion against their heauenly King which deny obedience to their omnipotent Lord and gratious Protector I am either much deceiued or this matter doth very neerely concerne vs. No Nation in the world hath seene more apparent effects of Gods admirable protection ouer them then we haue done No Nation in the world hath been more laded and ouer laded with plenty of all manner of blessings then we haue been And which I am sorrie may truly be added no Nation in the World hath shewed themselues more carelesse and thanklesse and gracelesse towards so gratious a Lord and mighty Protector then wee haue done I cannot thinke of the generall impietie of these times but me thinkes I see withall a terrible blacke storme gathering ouer our heads mee thickes I see God withdrawing his wonted fauourable protection from vs and suffering vs to be ouerwhelmed with such iudgements as our folly and impiety hath long agoe deserued There is but one meanes to preuent those miseries which hasten towards vs and that is betimes to cease from farther prouoking our mighty and gratious Protector Ieremie 25. Verse 6. Prouoke me not to anger by the workes of your hands and I will doe you no barme it is Gods owne promise by the mouth of the holy Prophet I am now come to the third and last Respect wherein God is truely stiled The Lord that is the Vniuersall Lord ouer all mankinde And this is in regard of his Iudiciary Office and Power which makes him the true Lord Chiefe Iustice through the whole world For the Office it is in expresse termes ascribed vnto him by the Psalmist Psal 9.7 The Lord hath prepared his throne for iudgement for he shall iudge the world with righteousnesse and the people with equity And this Office doth not onely extend it selfe to the punishing of the wicked who hate God but to Gods owne children also when they disobey him Psal 89.32 I will visit their transgressions with the rodde and their iniquity with stripes None but such prophane Atheists who wish God out of this Office durst euer denie it to belong vnto him Marcion was anciently branded in the fore-head for this heresie Iudicis officium à Deo remouet ei solum bonitatem adscribit saith Tertullian But no doubt long since his owne experience hath made him recant this error in hell It
call mee saying My Father and shalt not turne from me He that will needs call God Father and yet will turne away from him in the course of his wicked life If God call him sonne it will be no more to his comfort then when Abraham said to the glutton in hell Sonne Luke 16. Remember that thou in thy life time tookest thy sinnefull pleasures and therefore now thou must be content to vndergoe eternall torments But yet God hath a farther quarrell against these Couenant breakers and that is not only for their hypocrisie but for their plaine treacherie For as if it were not bad enough to forget the Couenant established betwixt God and them they most traiterously account Heb. 10. Verse 29. the bloud of this Couenant as an vnholy thing and make a new confederacy with Gods knowne enemies the world the flesh and the diuell They shame not to boast and brag of this their new league Esay 28.15 We haue made a Couenant with death and with Hell we are at an agreement But let euery man that by vertue of the Couenant calls God his God detest all by pocrisie abhor all treachery and remember that his happinesse depends not vpon the entring into a Couenant with God but vpon the true keeping of the Couenant And for the more effectuall stirring vp of euery man here present to repentance and newnes of life according to the tenor of the Couenant I wil adde this one thing That whatsoeuer our carriage hitherto hath been this very Couenant may assure vs that Our God and Our Father neither will nor can refuse gratiously to accept vs into fauour vpon our submission and amendment He is ingaged by speciall promise 2 Chron. 7.14 If my people among whom my name is called vpon doe humble themselues and turne from their wicked waies then will I heare in heauen and be mercifull to their sinne August and heale their land Promissa haec tua sunt quis falli timeat cum promittu ipsa Veritas These are thy promises O Lord and who needs doubt the performance where Truth it selfe makes the Promise But if any man should doubt whether this Promise be strong enough to binde God to accept the submission of a rebellious seruant yet there is no doubt but his tender fatherly affection is strong enough to make him accept the submission of a Repenting Childe Ier. 3.14 Ephraim is my deare sonne therefore my bowels are troubled for him and I will surely haue compassion vpon him saith the Lord. Let vs therefore now at last come vnto our God with humble lowly and penitent hearts and then wee shall speede no worse then the Prodigall childe did That is our louing Father will haue compassion vpon vs hee will run and fall vpon our neckes Luk. 15.20 hee will kisse vs and put the best Robe euen the rich Robe of his wel-beloued Sonnes righteousnes vpon vs. There remaines the other title of Redemption to be briefly touched in regard whereof the Israelites terme God their God and on the other side God also termeth them his peculiar people And this Redemption was twofold God was called their Strong Redeemer and they were stiled the people whom God had Redeemed in regard of that famous and miraculous deliuerance out of the Egyptian thraldome God esteemed this Temporall and Corporall redemption so great a benefit and so forcible an inducement to Obedience that hee thought it fit to bee ingrauen in the forefront of his ten Commandements Yet this is not it which I purpose now to insist vpon There is therefore another Redemption wrought by the bloudy Passion of the Messias obscurely represented in the Leuiticall Sacrifices more plainly described by the Prophets but most euidently painted out vnto vs by the holy Apostles This is our Spirituall and eternall Redemption whereby we are redeemed out of the lawes of the diuell from eternall Death and Damnation of body and soule which otherwise we must haue vndergone indured world without end Now albeit the Generall Power of this redemption extend it selfe vnto the whole world yet the Declaration Application thereof belongs in speciall manner vnto the Church therefore it is the Church which out of this respect calls God her God and it is likewise the Church which for this cause God owns as his peculiar people This is the Redemption whereof euery member of the church ought with holy Iob to take speciall notice Scio quod Redemptor meus viuit Iob 19. I know that my Redeemer liueth And not onely so but I know that this my Redeemer hath ransomed both my body and soule not with gold or siluer but with his owne precious bloud 1 Cor. 6.20 to the end that being thus Bought with a price I may glorifie him both in body and soule If all which hath beene formerly vrged cannot perswade men to returne to the obedience and seruice of God yet this Motiue that he is Our God and that by Right of Redemption should inforce vs thereunto Our Creation out of nothing was an infinite benefit and ties vs straitly to God our Creator But this our Redemption at such an inestimable price when we were worse then nothing is infinitely greater then that other infinite benefit and ties vs in a more strait band vnto God our Redeemer Our Creation cost God no more but the word speaking Dixit factum est hee said it and hee did it but our redemption was not so easily wrought Multa tulit fecitque Deus sudauit alsit What man so thanklesse that would not for euer acknowledge him for his good Lord and Patron and striue to doe him all acceptable seruice who had but redeemed him from the Turkish slauery and rowing chained in their gallyes How much more then stand we obliged in all duty and seruice vnto our God who hath redeemed vs from beeing the slaues of Sathan from the chaines of darkenesse and euerlasting damnation They haue no sense of this Redemption nor no part as yet in it who are not inflamed thereby to serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse Tit. 2.14 and to become a peculiar people vnto him zealous of good workes But alas where shall God our Redeemer finde such zealous seruants amongst millions of men that confesse and professe themselues to be redeemed with his blood The World and the Flesh haue a world of Seruants at command nay the diuell himselfe is so well attended that Saint Cyprian brings him in thus bragging against our Sauiour Christ and insulting ouer vs silly and sinfull wretches Serm. de Eleemosyna Ego pro istis necsanguinem fudi c. I haue spilt no one drop of bloud for any of these I haue taken no paines to doe them any good nay all my study and paines euer was and euer shall be to bring them to death and eternall damnation Notwithstanding all this Ibid. Tuos tales demonstra mihi Christe O Christ if thou canst shew me so many so busy so painefull so dutifull seruants of thine as I am able to shew vnto thee euery where of mine O what a shame is it vnto vs all that beare the name of Christians Hec dici potuisse non potuisse refelli That such things may truely bee obiected against vs by the diuell and cannot truely be denied or confuted by vs. O what a griefe is it vnto our Lord Christ that a cursed Murtherer should be able to entise away so many seruants from a blessed Redeemer This point should rather be prosecuted with teares then words nothing now remaines but that euery man heere present search into his owne heart and life inquire and finde out his owne proper sinnes turne speedily from his wicked waies and that all of vs say with a ioynt and constant resolution as these Israelites did Behold wee come vnto thee for thou art the Lord our God THat Almighty God who hath this day called vs vnto him by his word draw vs vnto him by the effectuall operation of his holy Spirit that so renouncing the seruice of the World the Flesh and the Diuell and returning vnto the Seruice of our true Lord wee may recouer his fauour here and enioy his euerlasting fauour hereafter Grant this most mercifull Father for the infinite merits of thy wel-beloued Sonne to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be ascribed all Praise Power Maiesty and Dominion this day and for euer Amen FINIS