The Looking Glass of the Holy War, Chapter 45
CHAP. XLV. Of humiliation for ſin, and forſaking of it.
FOurthly, as the conquered ſeeth ſin to be the cauſe of his euill, and therein cleareth the juſtice of God; ſo he muſt be humbled for ſin, and ſo forſake it, that (God reconciled to him) may be on his ſide. It ſhall nothing prevayle men to ſee ſinne as Pharao did, and never to mourne for it; or to mourne for it as Achab did, and not to forſake it. Iſrael, after their ſecond defeat, humbled themſelues, and mourned exceedingly. So Ioſua, when the people that went up to take A… fled before their enemies and were ſmitten to the number but of 30 perſons, fell on his face, mourned and cryed unto the Lord: but what meant Ioſua (might ſome ſay) was this the courage of ſo great a Generall, thus to be daunted for the loſſe of 30 men? was that ſuch a matter? might it not be a chance of war? no there was another matter in it. It was not the 30 men, nor 3000 that would hauehave ſo much diſmayed Ioſuah, he wiſely fore-ſaw that all was not well at home, and therefore he would not on againe, till the matter was cleared, & the execrable thing was found out. To be briefe, the Iſraelits under the yoke of the Philistims, found out their ſin, & mourned for it. It is ſaid in their humiliation that they drew water and powred it out before the Lord, (that is) they ſhed teares abundantly before the Lord. 1. Sam. 7.7The roring Goliahs of our age ſcorne a ſtone out of this running brook, to beat the brains out of their roaring ſins: oh! mourne and cry? Applicatiōthat is womaniſh. Well I am ſure there was more true worth and valour in in one litle David, then in all the roarers in Ram-alley or milford-lane; and yet he mourned, wept, and cryed, and roared for griefe of ſin; but not as they doe.Foure motives of mourning in Gods people defeated.
For four things the people of God are to mourne, being defeated: for their ſin; becauſe they grieved God by it: for the want of Gods preſence: for making him depart from his inheritance: for the defacing of Gods glory, by the wicked in their ruffe. For the firſt: many will mourne; but rather for the puniſhment of ſin then for the ſin it ſelfe: whē the worm of conſcience begins to knaw, & the terrours of hell preſent themſelues to them, then they cry and roare as though hell roard for them; but they are juſt like Mariners, when the ſtorme is ouer; or like fellous, they cry rather for the ſentence giuen againſt them, then for the felony committed. And ſome will cry for their ſin, but rather becauſe it is hurtfull and ſhamefull, then for grieving of God by it; as if a man by his lewdnes caſt into ſome loathſome diſeaſe, regrateth the ſin, for the diſeaſe it hath brought upon him; and not becauſe thereby he hath offended God: but David cryeth out, on himſelfe and his ſin, eſpecially for the offence done to God by it; againſt thee, againſt thee, onelyonly hauehave I ſinned, Pſal 51.and hauehave done that which is evill in thine eyes. As for the want of Gods preſence (ſo other things goe well with them) it is the thing that the moſt, leaſt regard: but for the godly, they make more of it then of all the things in the world; yea nothing without this will ſuffice the godly: giuegive them this (with whatſoever) they can be content: the good things or hid treaſure of this life will ſerve the wicked well enough, without this, many ſay, who will ſhew us any good, (that is for the belly, backe, poſſeſsion, or height of ambition: but lift thou up over us the light of thy face (Iehovah:) for that is more joy to me then all the riches of the world wherein worldlings moſt delight. And herein is a main difference betweene the child of God, and the wicked; let Iſmael live and be great, and let Iſaack be the heire, with all the troubles that belong to the executorſhip; let Eſau hauehave pottage, and let the bleſſing goe where it will; let Saul be honored before the people, and let him be an offcaſt from the Lord: but let all this be put together, it is but traſh in the eyes of the godly in compariſon of his face. Obſerve their deſire in the burthen of the 80 Pſal: where, in their captivitie, ſtill they deſire; oh God returne us, and cauſe thy face to ſhine, and wee ſhall be ſaved: their deliverance, and all the happines that may follow it, will not be worth any thing to them, without the amiable looks of Gods countenance. So that as Abſalon ſeemed rather to make choyce of death, then not to ſee the Kings face: ſo Gods people had rather die, or endure any ſorrow or calamitie under the countenance of a reconciled God, then liue Methuſalahs age, and inioy what the world could afford, under the frowning lookes of a diſpleaſed God. Yea, there is no temptation ſo ſharpe, no plight ſo dolorous, no fright ſo fearfull, nor agony ſo in expugnable, as the angry countenance of a forſaking God: for this maketh a man apprehend and conceive of God, as a God inarmed againſt him for his deſtruction. This the people of God conceive of their ſtate, as it appeareth by that patheticall expoſtulation in the aforeſaid Pſalme; how long wilt thou ſmoake, or ſhew the tokens of an angry countenance againſt the prayer of thy people? verſ. 6. What maketh the wound of cōſcience ſo unſupportable, but that the Chirurgion denyeth to looke at it, he letteth it ranckle and feſter, till who can beare it? yea, if the ſpirit of God ſhould not ſupport his owne by the finger of the ſpirit (though unſenſiblie) the beſt ſhould be at their wits end, and Sauls impatiencie ſhould drive them to deſperate courſes: But in this, he differenceth his owne from the damned, that as his one hand is over them, ſo his other hand is under them; he ſupporteth them wonderfully, when they conceive nothing leſſe, and by a ſecret inſtinct extorts prayer from them, even in the fearfull agony of their ſoules diſtreſſe, whē their prayers ſeeme to be rejected of him: but it is nothing ſo with the wicked, in their diſtreſſes from God his juſtly conceived wrath: for eyther they ſeek not at all for the appeaſing of Gods angry countenance, or with loſt labour they leaue preſently of, and run to the devill directly, or indirectly, for the alaying of the ſame. I touch theſe things but briefly, leaving the further enucleation to accurat theologs, and ſound ſoule-phiſitians.
Laſtly, for the glory of God, trampled under the foote of pride; wee ſhould be moſt moved of all, ſince wee provoke him by our ſinnes to forſake his owne inheritance, and to leaue his owne cauſe, to his owne diſhonour unmaintained. This lay heavy upon Eli, who when he heard of the looſing of the day, the ſlaughter of the people, and the death of his ſonnes, could ſit ſtill and beare it out; but when he heard of the taking of the Arke, he could ſit no longer. So Phineas his wife, made more of the loſſe of the Arke, then of all the reſt, then of the people, of her father in-law, then of her huſband, or whatſoever? yea her reioycing for the ſonne ſhe had gayned, was ſwallowed up in ſorrow; ſo that ſhee left a character of her killing griefe in the name of her ſonne, calling him Ichabod, where is the glory, or there is no glory. It is the ſpeciall matter of the complaint of Gods people in their greateſt deſolation, that the heathen, in an inſulting braverie; did diſhonor their God, upon the ſeeming denyall of his preſence, and providence over his owne people; yea many ſpeeches in the Pſalmes hath reference to the thoughts of the wicked concerning God; Pſal 79.10 Retſach. Murther for a murthering weapon.why ſhall the heathen ſay where is their God? yea David ſheweth how he was affected in this caſe, that the reprochfull words of the adverſary were as a dagger thruſt into this bones, with a murthering weapon in my bones, Pſal. 42.11my distreſſors doe reproch me when they ſay unto me all the day long, where is thy God. When Hezechiah heard how curſed Rabſhakah had blaſphemed & reproched the Holy One of Iſrael, 2. King 19. foreign. Hipp. Aphoriſ.how grieved was he in heart, he got him to the houſe of the Lord, ſpread the letter before him, & humbled himſelfe in prayer. It is a principall in phiſicke, that when two evills or ſickneſſes concurre together, the greater taketh away the ſenoe of the leſſer. Experience did inſtance this in a man ſo oppreſſed and pained with the gout, that he could neither ſtir foote nor hand, but feared the very touch of a fether: but being taken with a cruell fit of the ſtone, he forgat the gout and run and ſtampt in the chamber, as though he would hauehave beaten it downe. To an honeſt ſervant, diſhonour done to his Maſter goeth neerer to his heart, then the cut of a ſword: the true child of a father had rather looſe his life then ſuffer his father to be diſhonored.
This then, Applicatiōby it ſelfe, were matter enough of humiliation: why ſhould the brats of Bable ſay where is the God of the Calviniſts (as they call them?) No, ſhould not this pierce our hearts while thus they ſay of our God? but doth not all, or the moſt, lay this eſpecially to their heels, that all ſhould lay to their heart: witneſs the ſecuritie of all; the avarice, oppreſſion, ambition, and time-ferving humor of ſome; the epicuriſh, & beaſtly life of others: giuegive the men of this world gain, honor, office, yvorie beds, wine in bowles, laſcivious Muſick, joviall companie, and beaſtly ſongs, lordly prelacies, and fat livings: Let Ioſeph carrie his afflictions as well as he can, and let the Lords honor lie unlamented in the duſt: but woe be to them that are at eaſe in Zion; Amos 6.1.the Lord ſuffereth ſometimes himſelf to take wrong, to ſee how men will take it, but when he ſees that none regards it, he will quit himſelf by the power of his own Arme, and when he rekoneth, with the coward, and the careleſſe, he will pittie them as little as they did pittie him. Yea, what reckoning can our State make, who helps to deface the honour of God, by ſuffering our people to ſerue Gods enemies, againſt thoſe that fight the battles of the Lord: in this is a greater maſſe of miſchiefes then we are aware of; for beſide the ſetting ſubject againſt ſubject, bloud againſt bloud; yea, brother againſt brother (which is worſe then toleration of duels) it ſmites at Gods cauſe, it makes his honour bleed, it heartens and hardens Gods enemies, it grievs the heart, and weakens the hand of Gods forces, it proclaims that we are not Gods friends indeed (what ſhow ſoever we make) and it threatneth the wrath of God againſt us. I cannot but with griefe and fear, make uſe again of Gods anger threatned againſt Iehoſhaphats ſin of this kind; Shouldſt thou help the ungodly, &c. therfore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord. Let us humble then our ſelues unfaynedly; let us afflict our ſelues, and powre out our hearts before our God, and doe no more ſo. Let us ſow in teares, for this eſpecially, if ever we mean to reap in joy. Gods honour in the duſt, and all the reſt of the former motiues, cals us to mourning and baldneſſe, and girding with ſack-cloth. If we will not ſeek God with ſorrow in affliction, we will never ſeek him: It is no time to hang our hearts upon the merry pin, when we ſhould hang up our harpes upon the willow trees; & if we doe, the Lord hath threatned us (as I hauehave formerly ſhewed) not to purge this iniquitie till we die.
Let us doe as the Iſraelites did: when the Lord did rebuke them by his Angel, for not overthrowing of the Canaanits altars, and that therefore he would not caſt out the Canaanits; but they ſhould be as thornes in their ſides, Iudg. 2.2.and their gods ſhould be ſnares to them; all the people upon this lift up their voyce and wept, and from their weeping called the name of the place Bochin: ſo let us weep much, for we… hauehave much matter of weeping: but we muſt not onelyonly weep bitterly for ſinne, but we muſt abandon ſin, there muſt be a totall change of the inward and outward man; wee muſt ceaſe to doe evill, and learne to doe well: the golden Calfe muſt be beaten to powder; yea, and the powder muſt be drunk, as Moſes made the Iſraelites to doe with th… golden Calfe. Divers reaſons whereof are given by the Fathers, partly to put away all impreſſions and reliques of idolatry, partly, to ſhew the vile and baſe eſteem that we… ſhould hauehave of Idols, as of things to be carryed into the draught; and by the bitterneſſe of the water they might partly be admoniſhed of the bitter curſe whereunto all by nature, without Chriſt, are ſubject, and partly how ſin by the bitterneſſe of repentance, muſt be done away. I will not, with ſome of the learned Chymiſts, take this act of Moſes as an inſtance of Chymicall projection: but I am ſure that out of it we may pick the true projection of repentance, Ezekiah muſt break the brazen Serpent into peeces. Ioſua muſt find out the excommunicate thing, and conſume it with fire: for ſo long as it is with us, God will not be with us. Non unum tantum vitulum, ſed multos habemus.As Ferus did wiſh for the Romiſh Synagogue, I wo…ld we had ſome Moſes (ſaith he) to take away the evils: for we hauehave not one golden Calfe but many: ſo would to God every one of Gods people would reforme one; and that Moſes and Aaron (the Magiſtrate and Miniſter) would both reforme themſelues and others, by the due and holy imployment of their ſeverall powers, in their places; and every one in the ſo doing muſt caſt out his beloved ſinne. Samuel ſhewing the Iſraelites the way how to return, layeth down a good and perfect rule in this caſe, 1 Sam. 7.4which will never deceiue us. If you will return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the ſtrange gods, and Aſhteroth from among you. What was not Aſhteroth a ſtrange god? Yes, and the greateſt Idoll. Why is it ſingled out then? Becauſe it was their beloved Idol. So every one hath his Aſhteroth, his beloved ſin, which though it ſeem a little one to himſelfe, like Zohar; yet it is the greateſt of all: Aſhterah.it may ſeem an Aſhterah, a ſheep, but it is indeed a wolfe in ſheeps clothing. At this then muſt we ſtrike, and neither at great nor ſmall ſo much as at this; He that conquereth this overcommeth …: but where this beareth ſway, no ſin is truely overcome. And ſo much Samuel intimateth by the ſpeech, as if he ſhould explane himſelfe further: You ſay well, you will return to God, you will amend what is amiſſe; if you will doe it indeed, this is the right way to work, put away Aſhteroth: and ſo muſt we doe, if we mean that God ſhall heare us and help us.
The cauſe of Nehemiahs diligence in reforming of the Sabboth, after the return from the captivity, was not onelyonly conſcience of obedience; or becauſe the ſincere keeping of the reſt of the commandements, dependeth much upon the keeping of this; but alſo, as it is plainly in the Text expreſſed, becauſe it was Iſraels ſpeciall ſinne, and the ground of other ſinnes, for the which eſpecially the Lord had plagued them. Did not your fathers thus (ſaith he) and did not our God bring all this evill upon us, and upon the Citie; Nebem. 13.18.yet ye bring more wrath upon Iſrael by profaning the Sabboth?
I wiſh to God that the Vnited Provinces, and all other that profeſſe the Goſpell, would looke to this. The Phariſaicall Papiſt, being zealous of his Idoll-daies making the Lords day (being his own commandement) of none effect, doth much inſult over us that we hold it a morall commandement, and yet do yeeld ſo little obedience to it, together with this, that we retain ſome of their deviſed holydaies. The like amendment I might preſſe of many other ſinnes, though I cannot touch all in particular. The Lord touch our hearts with the ſenſe of every particular. That Cardiack life of ſwilling, ſweating, and ſwearing, Bibere & ſudare, eſt vita Cardiaci.muſt be done away. David and all his, muſt not onelyonly turn away his eyes from beholding the vanity of Stage-plaies, and other idlements; but he muſt whip out, with Auguſtus that counterfeiting rabble that God never made. The abhorring or liking of Stage-plaies was holden amongſt the Romans for a note, of a bade, or a good Emperour. I will not trouble this Treatiſe with the diſcovery of theſe hypocrites, onelyonly hear a little of that which one (once much affected with them) ſoundeth out againſt them in a retreat (for ſo the Treatiſe is called) he profeſſeth, on his knowledge, that he found Theaters to be the very hatchers of all wickedneſſe; as brothels of baudry, the black blaſphemy of the Goſpell, the Sabboths contempt, the ſeat of ſcorning, yea, even of God himſelfe, the danger of the ſoule, the diſorder and cankar of the Commonwealth. He inſtanceth in his own knowledg, Citizens wiues confeſſing on their death-beds, that they were ſo impoyſoned at Stage-plaies, that they brought much diſhonour to God, Pag. 43.wrong to their husbands and marriage bed, weakeneſſe to their wretched bodies, and woe to their undone ſoules. Bodin, the Civilian, calleth them, the ſchooles of filthineſſe, Turpitudinis ſcholae, & vitiorā …e…tinae.and ſinks of ſinne; inſomuch that they are not worthy of a chaſte eare, nor of an honeſt mans preſence. But I hope in a Treatiſe onelyonly of that ſubject, more fully to diſcover the ſin, and to ſet them forth in their colours; wherein I ſhall be able to proue, that the Stage-player, and Stagehunter, breaketh all the ten commandements in an eminent manner. The Stage is one of the Ieſuits ſchooles, from which theſe vile Varlets hauehave caſt ſo much dirt upon the face of the King of Brittain, and of his children, with their Iſſue, that I think they ſhould be as hatefull to them, in a manner, as calumnious devils, for they are foreign, or devils indeed: As for the counter-railing of that proſtituted Crue, it ſtands neither with grace nor wit, to make devils on our ſide Antagoniſts to other Devils: it is alſo a bad requitall by the States, of all Gods mercies, to grieue his ſpirit by thoſe plaguie plaies: yea, it is fearfull on the Lords day to make them a part of princely intertainment. It was the obſervation of an ancient Hollander in Leyden, upon the inſurrection of the Armenians; that hee feared God would being ſome great evill upon them, for the Stageplaies that did ſo abound; for he remembred that before that firebrand Duke de Alva was flung amongſt them, that this plague was begun amongſt them. The Lord giuegive them and others to rid the land of them. The Lord threatneth to be gone, and hee will be gone indeed, both from Camp and Cittie, except we put away theſe evils from before his eyes.
But to conclude this point: up and doe as you hauehave heard, and the Lord (no doubt) will be with you, and delight to doe you good in your deliverance. I will not, as ſome doe, pawn my ſoule for aſſurance becauſe it is not mine to pawn, but I will aſſure you on a better pawn, namely, the promiſe and practiſe of God, whoſe promiſes are all Yea, and Amen; and his practiſe like himſelfe, unchangeable for ever.
The booke of God is ſo large in this, that I need not be any thing large in the proofe of it; take but that one place of Samuel mentioned, where after that Iſrael had humbled themſelues, and got their peace made with God; and Samuel to cry mightily to God for them; the Lord taketh the work of their hands, he incountreth with the enemy, by thundering from heaven upon them, 1 Sam. 7.the earth trembled under them, the lightning blaſted them; all wrought for his people againſt them. Our God is the very ſelfe ſame God, and they our enemies be the Philiſtims; Would we become ſuch as this people, all the creatures of God ſhould be inarmed in zeale, to take vengeance on our enemies: Yea, I am perſwaded, that if the enemy ſhould ſee us take ſuch courſes, it would daunt …. more then thefeare of any forces that we can make: if they ſhould ſee us taking up the controverſie with God, and growing great with him, it would make their hearts tremble, as the Philiſtims did when they heard the Arke was brought into the Campe. It is reported that at the ſiege of Mountabone, the people of God uſing daily humiliation, as their ſervice would permit, did ſing a Pſalm after, and immediatly before their ſallying forth; with which practiſe the enemy comming acquainted, ever upon the ſinging of the Pſalme (after which they expected a ſally) they would ſo quake and tremble; crying, they come, they come: as though the wrath of God had been breaking out upon them. Oh that we had hearts to ſeek the Lord, and ſurely he would be found, and will be ſeen in the Mount, whenſoever we ſeek as we ought: and ſo much of this point, wherein I cannot be too large to thoſe who mean to mend.