The Saints Sacrifice, Section 40 – Section 42
§. 40. Of Gods perfect preſervation.
II. GODS ſuccour is ſalvation. It freeth out of all danger. Thus much intended Moſes, when the Iſraelites deſpairing of all helpe, he thus ſaid to them, aExo. 14. 13.Feare y… not, ſtand ſtill, and ſee the ſalvation of the Lord. Such was that ſalvation, as they had no cauſe to feare thoſe their enemies any more. The like may be exemplified in other deliverances which God undertooke to give: eſpecially in the cures which Chriſt did in the daies of his fleſh. When his pleaſure was to heale any, he made them bMat. 15. 28.whole: and for evidence thereof, cLuke 17. 14.he commanded L…pens to ſhew themſelves to the Prieſts, whoſe office it was to judge whether a leproſie were perfectly cured or no. dMat. 9. 6. Ioh. 5. 8.Others that had beene very weake and impotent he willed to carrie their beds, that thereby is might be ſeene that they were perfectly cured. eMar. 5. 41. Luke 7. 14. Ioh. 11 43.The dead he cauſed to riſe up. fMar. 5. 19, 20.D…moniacks he charged to preach the Goſpell. But the greateſt and beſt evidence that can be given hereof, is the eternall ſalvation which is given to Saints, whereunto the Apoſtle having relation, ſaith, gHeb. 7. 25. foreign. id eſt perfectè. Ita videlice… ut nihil ad eam ſdlut…m poſſit amplius deſiderari. Beza in annot. major. in hunc loc.He is able to ſave to the uttermoſt.
God will have his works to be manifeſted to be divine: to be ſo perfect in their kind, as nothing need be added thereto, non helpe ſought of any other but of him: that ſo by evident demonſtrations men may be forced to ſay, This is the finger of God.
1. Aſſuredly they that know and believe this truth, that the Lord …weth them whom he undertaketh to help cannot but be much encouraged in their diſtreſſes to ſeeke helpe of Encouragement to ſeeke helpe of God. Mar. 5. 20.him. In ſuch caſes as are to men incurable, we uſe to do much for ſome preſent caſe: and yet faile oftentimes in that which we ſeeke for, and expect at mens hands, as that woman which had ſuffered manythings of many Phyſitians, and had ſpent all that ſhe had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worſe. If we could believe as ſhe did, aſſuredly we ſhould do as ſhe did, and have as good ſucceſſe as ſhe Diſſwaſion from truſting to any thing but God. 2 Ch…o 16. 12. Va … qui tempore tribulationis at que a…guſti… non confi…unt in Domino, ſed in Aegy…tiorum, id eſt ſecularium …ominum auxilio. Hier. Comment l. 10. in Iſa 31.had.
2. Let us beware of Aſa his fault, who in his diſeaſe ſought not to the Lord, but to the Phyſitians. How much better had it beene to have ſought not to the Phyſitians, but to the Lord. Which I would not have ſo taken as if Phyſitians were not at all in any caſe to be ſought unto; but to ſhew that it is much better to neglect all means, then to neglect the Lord who giveth a bleſſing to all the means that are at any time of any uſe. Warrantable meanes may lawfully, muſt conſcionably be uſed: but uſed as the hand of Gods providence, whereby he doth whatſoever good thing is done by them. Woe is denounced againſt them that truſt to means without the Lord, Iſa. 30. 1, &c. and 31. 1, &c. Whether therefore meanes be uſed, or not uſed, let not the Lord be neglected. He ſaveth.
§. 41. Of Gods taking occaſion to helpe at a pinch.
III. *§ 38.MA… extrimity is Gods opportunity. Then, even then eſpecially is God ready to helpe when men are at the loweſt. To paſſe over thoſe inſtances which are mentioned before § 39. there are two proverbes aſod in scripture which give good proofe to this point. The … Gen 22. 14. foreign Hoc apud Hebr…os exivit in proverbi…m, u…ſi quando in Anguſtia conſtituti ſunt, & Domini optant auxilio ſublevari, dicant in monte Dominus vide…it Hier. Quaeſt▪ in Gen.one is this, … In the monus will the Lord …e ſcene. Knowledge of the juſt occaſion of this proverbe will give light to the true interpretation thereof. The occaſion therefore was this. God gave an expreſſe charge to Abraham to take his onelyonly, his beloved ſonne, even him of whom it was ſaid, In Iſaac ſhall thy ſ…en be called, and to offer him for a burnt offering on a mountaine which the Lord ſhould ſhew him. Abraham in obedience to the Lords charge went on whither the Lord appointed him, with a full reſolution to do what he was commanded to do. Three daies was he in journying to the place: and at length came to the top of a mount, where he built an altar, laid the wood in order, bound Iſaac, laid him thereon, tooke a knife, and ſtretched out his hand Quantum ad vo l…n…atem attinet, cruentaverat dextram Patriarcha, &c. Chryſ. in Gen 22. Hom 47.to ſlay his ſonne. Thus in his intent he had ſlaine and ſacrificed his ſonne. In all this time did not God ſhew any mind or meanes to ſave Iſaac: but even then, when there was ſcarce a ſtep betwixt him and death, the Lord ſhewed himſelfe, and declared his pleaſure for preſerving Iſaac. Now becauſe it was on a mount where Iſaac was thus neare unto death, and that on the mount, and not before, God ſhewed himſelfe for the preſervation of Iſaac, thence aroſe this proverbe, In the mount will the Lord be ſeene. And to be an evidence to all future ages of Gods wiſdome in affording his help at the laſt caſt, the Holy Ghoſt prefixeth this clauſe, as it is ſaid to this day.
2 King. 1…. 3.The other proverbe is this, The children are come to the birth▪ and there is no ſtrength to bring forth. By this proverb Ieruſalem being ſo beſieged by the King of Aſſyria, as there was (in regard of humane helps, little hope of deliverance, is compared to a woman great with child, in paine of travell: the Inhabitants of the city are reſembled to the children in the mothers wombe: the extremity of diſtreſſe wherein they were, to the difficulty and danger of travell. Such then was their caſe, as the caſe of a woman, which, having a weake child not able to helpe it ſelfe, is ſpent with paine and travell, and hath no midwife, nor any other meanes of helpe. Were they not now brought even to uttermoſt extremity. In this extremity, when they were ſo low brought, the Lord helped them.2 King 19. 35.
The helpe that in ſuch extremities is afforded, manifeſtly appeareth to be from God. When the Egyptians obſerved the ſuccour which was afforded to the Iſraelites in the midſt of the Red Sea, they ſaid, The Lord fighteth for them. Thus Exo 14 25.is God the more honoured by reſerving himſelfe to ſuch extremities.
In extremities ſuccour is much more welcome, much better accepted, more highly prized, and mans heart more affected and enflamed therwith. When the Iſraelites were ſafely Pſal. 106. 9, 12.led thorow the depths, then they ſang the Lords praiſes.
Is there not now great and juſt reaſon that God ſhould take this opportunity to helpe?
1. Wait therefore to the very uttermoſt of an extremity. This being the moſt ſeaſonable time for God to helpe, moſt Admonition to wait.meet it is that we ſhould tarry the Lords leaſure, and wait for his ſeaſon. This the Prophet noteth to be a property of true faith, He that beleeueth maketh not haſte▪ He ſeeketh Iſa. 28 16.not to preuent the time appointed of the Lord. If the Lord tarry, the beleever will wait. He well knoweth that there is Hab. 2. 3.an appointed time, which cannot be prevented, which ſhall not be overſlipt. For the Lord will take his opportunity.Direction to pray more earneſtly, and believe more ſtedfaſtly in extremity. Heb. 1…. 5.
2. When thou ſuppoſeſt that the uttermoſt of an extremity is come, then put fire to the powder of thy prayer; then ſtirre vp thy ſoule to all feruency: then be inſtant and importunate: then giuegive the Lord no reſt; then eſpecially plead theſe and ſuch like promiſes, I will neuer leaue thee nor Heb. 10 37. 1 Cor. 10. 13.forſake thee. He that ſhall come will come, and will not tarry. God is faithfull who will not ſuffer you to be tempted aboue that you are able: but will with the temptation alſo make a way to Iſa. 43. 2.eſcape. When thou paſſeſt thorow the water I wilbe with thee, and thorow the rivers, they ſhall not over flow thee: when thou walkeſt thorow the fire thou ſhalt not be burnt: neither ſhall the flame kindle upon thee. Be ſo farre from fainting by reaſon of the extremity of diſtreſſe; as rather with ſtronger confidence expect deliuerance. This being Gods opportunity, put him in mind of thine extremity, and thus plead it, Ariſe, O Lord, hauehave mercy: for the time to hauehave mercy, yea Confidat qui agit paenitentiam, quum venit tempus ſalvandi. Hier. Comment, in Pſal. 101.the ſet time is come (Pſal. 102. 13.) O Lord heare, O Lord forgive, O Lord hearken and doe: deſerve not for thine owne ſake, (Dan. 9. 19.) OnelyOnly let the truth of confidence be manifeſted by repentance. He that repenteth may be confident when the time to ſaue is come.
§. 42. Of applying to our ſelves Gods dealing with others.
IIII. *§. 58.DƲe obſeruation of Gods mercy to others maketh men in like caſes to acknowledge Gods mercy to them. This was it that moved the Prophet to ſay, that when he was brought low, the Lord ſaved him, becauſe he had duly obſerued how the Lord preſerved the ſimple. Well note the formes of praiſe that are recorded in Scripture, and you ſhall find it vſuall with the Saints to relate Gods accuſtomed dealing with others to be ſuch as it was with them. To omit the many Pſalmes of David that are pertinent to this purpoſe, 1 Sam. 2. 1, &c. Luk. 1. 46, &cthe two hymnes of Annah, and the Virgin Mary give good proofe hereof.
Inſtruction in the benefit of obſerving Gods dealing with others, & applying it to our ſelves.Men ordinarily behold Gods dealing with others, with a ſingle eye, whereby they are ſo convinced of the verity and equity of that which they ſee, as they cannot but acknowledge the like, (when the like falleth out) in their owne caſe.
Behold here what good we may gaine to our ſelves by taking notice of the divine properties as they are exerciſed on others. Few or none can ſo well diſcerne the evidences of Gods providence and mercy, or of his juſtice, jealouſie, and diſpleaſure in themſelves as in others. Objects brought too neare to the eye, cannot be diſtinctly and clearely diſcerned. Selfe-love dimmes mens ſight in their owne caſe. When others partake of any good thing, we can ſoone ſay, O how good is God unto them. When judgements are executed on others, we are ready to aſcribe it to the juſtice of the Lord. Well: ſeeing we are ſo forward to diſcerne Gods dealing in other mens caſes, let us make good uſe of this our diſpoſition, and do ſo ſtill, that hereby we may be brought to the minde of this holy man: and finding the Lord to deale with others, as he doth with us, acknowledge as much: and that as in works of judgement, to be humbled the more; ſo in works of mercy, to be provoked to more hearty thankfulneſſe: as we ſhalbe, when in truth, and on juſt ground we can ſay, The Lord that ſheweth mercy to them that are in miſery, was very mercifull to me when I was in miſerie.