Forty Sermons, Sermon 4
SERMON IV. Of Gods method in giving Deliverance.
Psalm 102. 13, 14.
Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Sion: for the time to favor her, yea the set time is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favor the dust thereof.
According to the version us'd in the Liturgy:
Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Sion: for it is time that thou have mercy upon her, yea the time is come. And why? thy servants think upon her stones, and it pitieth them to see her in the dust.
THE address of this text is not ordinary; they use to be directed to men for their instruction and practice: but this do's treat with God, seems to prescribe to and appoint him: and now not to excuse this by a plea, that since men have bin deaf to all addresses from this place, that have bin made unto them, 'tis time to change the method; and seeing we cannot persuade men, try if we can in that sense of St Paul's words persuade God: but to say for our selves when human wisdom cannot find expedients for us, and our distresses are beyond the succors of their power or their counsel, 'tis fit then to betake our selves to God, to plead with the Lord, and never let him rest; and when the help of man is vain, to to cry out, O be thou our help; and with holy confidence, thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Sion.
Indeed addresses to God use to be made otherwise, in a petitionary form at least; and it would seem much more to become us, if we humbly beg'd, Arise, O God, have mercy upon Sion: yet this here in the Text is such a form as does need nothing else, but faith in the Petitioner to make it acceptable. There is some difference in the reading of the latter verse, the one version rendring, for why? thy servants think upon her stones, and it pitieth them to see her in the dust: the other thus, for thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favor the dust thereof: yet this is easily reconcil'd, they think upon her stones, indeed with sorrow for, acknowledgments of their demerits, which did call down this calamitous condition, and being passionately thus affected with the sense of it, they willingly receive, contentedly and cheerfully accept this punishment of their iniquity, this return of their demerits foreign: and since it is on their account, namely thro their demerit that she is so low, since they are sensible themselves did make her fall into the dust, they cannot chuse but be more tender; love and pity her the more, and be more willing to do what they can to raise her up,aJud. Lev. pulverem ejus evehere cupiunt.
In the words there is an holy confidence, that God will grant the thing they long for, mercy to Sion: thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Sion.
2dly A Reason of that Confidence; for the time of shewing favor, the appointed time for it is come.
3dy A ground for that, because thy servants think upon her stones, and it pitieth them to see her in the dust. In handling which I shall consider
1. The Stones of Sion, and those in the dust, or at least in great danger of impendent ruin.
2. That tho God is not alwais minded to succor his own Sion, yet he hath set appointed times for that.
3. That when the Sons of Sion are affected towards her as the Text expresses, then is usually Gods season for deliverance, his time of mercy and of shewing favor, then the appointed time for it is come; and then we may take holy confidence, and in full assurance of faith say, Thou shalt arise.
First of the Stones of Sion, and those in the dust. Sion was, we know, either the City of the King, where there was the seat of Judgment, the thrones of the house of David, Psalm 122. 5. or else it was the mountain of the Lords house; and so the stones of Sion are either the stones of the seat of Judgment, of the Throne in the dust, or the stones of the Lords house, the Sanctuary there. Both these therefore might be treated of, and I shall speak to both, but more particularly to the later. And those stones may be either taken naturally, as they are the stones of a material Sanctuary; or else mystically, in that sense they often have in Scripture, which sais, we as lively stones are all built up a Spiritual house. 1 Pet. 2. 5.
1. The stones of Sion the material Sanctuary in the dust the Psalmist thought an object for so much pity, that some Psalms are but the Liturgies of his pious resentments upon that occasion. Psalm 74. is full herein, Think upon Mount Sion, where thou hast dwelt; lift up thy feet, that thou maist utterly destroy every Enimy, which hath don evil in thy Sanctuary, Thine Adversaries roar in the midst of thy Congregations, and set up their banners for tokens: they break down all the carved work thereof with axes and hammers, they have set fire upon thy holy Places, and have defil'd the dwelling place of thy name even unto the ground; yea they said in their hearts, let us make havock of them all together. It is not many years since this was our complaint, concerning both the house of God and of the King, the Church and Monarchy, as if the life of one were bound up in the others life. We saw Gods honor, at least the place where his honor dwelt, laid in the dust; nor was it suffer'd to stay there, the stones of Sion not allow'd to find a place for burial in that dust, which is the common grave: the Church it self had not a Monument, nor the tombs a sepulcher; but the very ruins were disquieted, the rubbish troubled, and the stones and dust suffer'd a deportation, us'd as if men thought with them to build a Sanctuary for those Sins that demolisht them, and make a Refuge for their Sacrilege. 'Tis true, to many this seem'd no sad spectacle, nor would it now to such, as think any occasional room, of the lowest name and usage, might do as well for the uses of Gods service. Strange! when there was never a Religion in the world, that did acknowledg any sort of God, but would allot some place peculiar to his worship: with them whose deities were Sicknesses, the Feaver had its Temple. Yea and stranger, in a world that does devote set rooms to every use of nature, of convenience, and of pleasure; the recreations have a place made for them, and the meanest instruments of sport have so; meals have one, and feasts have another, luxury hath its offices, State hath many; chambers, antichambers, and withdrawing places, merely because there may be so many rooms of which there is no use, for that is Pomp: if God should not have one too, for all uses that relate to him, to meet us in with all his train of Angels, and to bless us, and to entertain us with the food of heaven, with himself. But whether men desire it so again, yet so it lately was; and when his table was remov'd, his entertainment too was laid aside, and the Sacrament become as desolate as the Altar, Gods houses & his mysteries too in the dust, God did arise. I cannot chuse but see that we have no such object of resentment now, but how much farther off it is from being thus at this time, and how much less apposite to our condition at this present, the discourse is so much greater demonstration of what my Text affirms, that when Gods honor is affronted thus, and his house vilified and ruin'd, then the time for favor, the appointed time is come; and when the stones of Sion are thrown down into the dust, his Servants humbled too into the dust with sorrow and resentments, then God shall arise; for so he did.
It was so also, if we look upon the Stones of Sion in their mystical and figurative sense. Now altho every sincere Christian, every one in whom, on the foundation of a true sound faith, an holy life is superstructed, be not onelyonly inb1 Pet. 2. 5. St Peters words a lively stone, but in c1 Cor. 3. 16.St Pauls a Temple, yet more properly the whole community of Christians is in Scripture represented to us as the body of a building. St Peter tells them, ye are built up a Spiritual house, 1 Pet. 2. 5. and St Paul saith, built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles. Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone, in whom all the building fitly fram'd together groweth up a holy Temple in the Lord, in whom ye also are built up together for an habitation of God thro the Spirit. Eph. 2. 20, 21, 22. The ends for which 'tis call'd so, seem indeed more lively represented in the parallel resemblance of a natural body Rom. 12. 1 Cor. 12. 12. and that body the body of Christ Eph. 1. 23. or that of which he is the head Col. 1. 18. from which all Christians do receive their life and motion, their increase and strength, no otherwise then as they are united and tied by joints and nerves to one another and that head Eph. 4. 16. and have all one Spirit also 1 Cor. 12. 13. Of all which expressions as one end is to enforce such unity in the profession of their faith, and communion in Gods public worship among Christians, as there is unity and communion between the several parts of one same person, that their union in it should be so strict, that all their assemblies for it should make but one body with one spirit; so another end is to assure that as in one same body there are several parts for several uses, without which it could not be an organiz'd, complete animal body, so in the one body of Christ the Church too there ared1 Cor. 12. 5, 6. several ministeries, offices, and powers, some more noble, others more inferior; and the whole body may as well be all eie, as each member in the Church a Seer, every part be tongue, as every man a Teacher: St Paul from that Analogy deducing a necessity of several parts, and their subordination also in that 1 Cor. 12. v. 28. and accordingly, saith he, God hath set several orders, first Apostles, after Prophets, Teachers, helps or ministerial offices, and governments; without which governments and which diversity 'tis as impossible it can subsist, as for a body to see without an eie, or speak without a tongue, consult, direct and call it self without a brain or understanding. Yet this same is exprest all in the other body of a building, which my text relates to; for Eph. 4. 11. Christ gave also some Apostles, and some Prophets, some Evangelists, some Pastors, and some Teachers, for the perfecting the Saints, compacting & holding Christians together in assemblies for Gods public worship; for the work of the ministry, for the edifying, or building up of the body of Christ. Now this embleme to the body of a building (as the other) is a type of Unity, but yet of several and subordinate stations in the Churches unity. For stones however excellently squar'd & fitted, are yet no parts of the structure, till they be cemented to the rest that lean on the foundation; the number possibly may make a heap, but not a frame until they be dispos'd and order'd in their several stations; for there are such in this body also, every hewn stone cannot be a pinnacle nor corner stone: so in the Church all are not capable of the same ministeries, offices, or powers. And yet we may remember when it was so; all assum'd all, seiz'd the offices, usurpt the powers, executed all the ministeries, all subordination was demolisht, order broken, Governments under foot, the stones of the Sanctuary pour'd out in the top of every street, aseChap. 4 1. Jeremy laments; the Vrim and the Thummim, stones that gave the heavenly Oracles, lost in ruins. Now then God to make good the promis'd method of his Providential mercies, when it was thus, when these stones of Sion were in the dust, the Ephod and the Priests thrown into it, and the Priesthood and the Fathers of it, the the whole life, with all its offices and powers dying, almost all that could continue it being laid in the dust, and Sions Enimies expecting the expiring of the Order: then the appointed time was come, and God not onelyonly did himself arise, but made a resurrection of the Church too, and from the dust these stones were again most miraculously built into a Spiritual House.
I cannot but acknowledg that the breaches which this desolation made were not wholly made up, nor were well cemented, and as uncemented breaches use to do, decai'd more and more daily; what arts were us'd to keep them open, yea to widen them, by whom, for what ends too, is so evident I shall not touch it. But 'tis sure we had not much face, had no great appearance of the bodies, that the Scripture represents the Church by: for in those that were before broke off from her, there was no subordination, nor no order, nor no unity; every broken & divided piece of ruin took upon it self to be the entire building, the whole body; every Faction was Christs Church, each Assembly was his flock, his Congregation, when indeed it was onelyonly a Spiritual riot. And when things were dispos'd thus, then at once to break down all the poor remainders, he that takes his place to whom Christ said,fMatth. 16. 18. Thou art Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, who yet, as not content to thrust Christ out from being the alone foundation, then which none can lay another true one 1 Cor. 3. 11. would be the chief head stone in the corner also, on which whosoever should fall, shall be broken; but on whosoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder Matth. 21. 44. He, I say, in confifidence of that success attemts this on the Reformation, and particularly on this, as they thought, tottering Church, to lay her stones all in the dust. And truly such the instruments emploi'd are, that humanely speaking it must seem impossible to be avoided. For in Gods name, under the Autority of Religion, with the greatest Sacredness that can be, they contrive the bloudiest, most irreligious, most inhumane murders, treasons & assassinations imaginable, make the holy Eucharist the bond of their confederacy in those so tremendous villanies, Christ's bloud becomes the very obligation both to commit, & not confess them; for which end they say and swear even at the point of death, and upon their Salvation prov'd and confest falshoods. Now what security or guard can mankind have against such, whom no ties of Religion or humanity have any force on? Whether these be the doctrines of their Church, tho that be true in most part, yet it matters not to them who are to be massacred, if they be the constant practices, and if they have such guides of conscience as can satisfy, and thereupon engage the instruments that must effect them to those practices. How they do that, I must confess, seems strange; for they yet look upon those actions, as for which they would have absolution, therefore sins. For tho there have bin dispensations sent from Rome, permitting them to promise, swear, subscribe, and do what else should be requir'd of them, so as in mind they did continue firm, and us'd their diligence to advance the Roman faith in secret; yet such dispensations might be intercepted, as those were in 1580. and brought to King James in Scotland, and so might discover plots if they were us'd to give them in all such occasions: besides that they would stare the head of that Church in the face, betray his being privy to, and abetting those designs of bloud, which now, if they miscarry, they can cast at first upon some private Desperado's, and then after lye & laugh them out of mens belief. Such dispensations therefore being not to be expected still, they took other ways. For seven years after, Sextus V. offering by the Bishop of Dunblain to that King a marriage with the Infanta of Spaine, if he would become a Catholic, as he call'd it, and join with them against thegJesuits Catech. l. 3. c. 2. English; and this being mightily resisted by the then Lord Chancellor, which made that ineffectual, and who was their constant adversary, Father William Chrichton, who had somtime bin the Rector of the Jesuits at Lyons and came thither with Dunblain, sollicited one Bruce, who also had bin brought up by the Jesuits, and who was the Spanish Agent then imploi'd for ships there (which that Duke intended should be join'd with, and assist in their Armada) sollicited him very oft for mony to procure the murder of the Chancellor, which he had contriv'd by several ways; but being still deni'd, at first because his mony was not trusted to him for those purposes, he could not justify such disbursment; another time because, as to the sin, it was all one to kill a man with his own hands, or to give mony to procure it; and that he for his part was a private person, and had no Autority over the life of any man, and less over that of the Chancellor, who was a chief man in the execution of the Justice of the Land: and afterwards because the question was about advancement of Christian Religion; now this, he thought, would ruinate the same, in as much as men went about to promote it by murder to the great scandal of all. But finding himself still importun'd more, he demanded of the Father, whether in good conscience he might consent to that enterprize, or whether he could dispense therewithal; to which the Jesuit repli'd, that he could not, but that the murder being committed, and he coming to confess himself unto him, he would absolve him of it. It seems they thought they had no further power then. Now Bruce's answer, tho not much concerning my part in this subject, yet it was so honest, and the consequence so strange, that I shall not pass it. He repli'd, sith your Reverence acknowledgeth that I must confess my self of it, you also thereby acknowledg that I should commit a sin; and I for my part know not whether, when I have don it, God would give me grace and inable me to confess it: Besides I verily believe, that the confession of a sin, which a man hath don of set purpose intending to confess himself thereof, and to have absolution for it, is not greatly available; and therefore the surest way for me is not to put my self into such hazard: so it ended. But he ran into another hazard; for the Duke of Parma dying, and the Count Fuentes Nephew to the Duke of Alva in his place, Chrichton accus'd Bruce before him, that he was a Traitor, because he would not disburse mony to cause the Lord Chancellor to be slain, and the process had its course, he not denying the thing, and after fourteen months affliction was at last onelyonly releas'd, without repair of his good name or damages.
But passing by this, it seems they had no other snare to draw them in, could give them no assurance then, but in that hopes of after absolution, which prov'd insufficient; for they found themselves ingag'd in, and must wilfully commit crimes at the point of death, of which they could not live to be absolv'd. I do not instance in the perjuries of Father Garnet, tho with horrible execrations. He cry'd mercy after; saying, that he had not thought they could have prov'd the contrary: and he might have absolution. But Tresham, just when dying, did deny on his Salvation things concerning Garnet, which he had confest before, and Garnet did himself confess too after, yea and several others of their own persuasion unexceptionable persons also swore. The same words are now current in the mouths of those that suffer, notwithstanding the express Oaths of their Complices: as if they thought the vertue of their Sacrament were such, as that when men confess'd themselves of their intended villanies, it absolv'd them of them e're they did them, and of all the sins they should think needful to commit in the effecting them. Yea more, if they should discover or confess ought tho dying, then that vertue of the Sacrament retir'd, the absolution became void & unuseful, the Sins recoil'd upon them, of which otherwise it made them innocent, which gives them confidence on their Salvation at the point of death to deny matters of known fact, which 'tis not imaginable that they could do on any other, save on that account. And that it is so, I have one irrefragable instance of one executed lately for a murder of that kind in Ireland, which is assur'd by persons of best credit in that Nation, who tho upon flagrant evidence condemn'd, deni'd the fact at his death on his Salvation with deep execrations as he at the place of execution went to be turn'd off; but it pleas'd God that the rope brake presently, and he soon reviv'd, but in the greatest horror in the world; for having with such desperate execrations deni'd his own deliberate fact, and renounc'd his Salvation, he openly acknowledg'd the falsity of his former asseverations, and own'd his being really guilty of what was charg'd upon him; and blessing God for giving him those moments by so strange a way to disburthen himself of such deliberate wilful perjury, declar'd that his Confessor, when he absolv'd him, told him, if he did discover it, that absolution would not profit him, & that he should be damn'd; but if he did not, then he was forgiven. Such monstrous practices are made good & sanctified, as they contribute to the laying our poor Sion in the dust; for we have ever bin the mark of all their mischeifs. Since Pius the V. Bull, it was observ'd there never past four years all Queen Elizabeths reign without a mosthProceed. Q. pernicious plot for the subversion of the State and Church; and in the first years of King James not four months iProceed. R.without Treason: & they go now by the same rules, & in the same methods, with the same Oaths, & the same Sacraments administred to the same purposes. And just as they, somtimes designing open force, & somtimes private treasons & assassinations; somtimes trying by the softer pleas of Liberty of Conscience, toleration to do it, yea altho it be but partial, an Indulgence to our own Sects, any thing that may contribute to the breaches of our Sion, & may keep them open: which 'tis said (whether in earnest or to colour Blacker purposes, & hide designs more violent) is now spoken of, and they hope for, and hath still bin pleaded for, as the birthright of each Christian, as instated on them in the very charter of their Christianity. But yet to speak to that too, I neither find the word in Scripture, nor the thing, as most men take it, for the Liberty of Action: and besides this, whatever Arguments there are that press it, they can be no Arguments for the Romanist, who never grants it; for either they conclude or they do not; if not, why do they urge them? if they do, why do they not allow them? if they can see no force in them, then they must not use them; if they can, they must be wrought on by them: unless to be the onelyonly men that may do wrong and resist reason, be their grant and Charter. But not to evade onelyonly, I allow
1. That Christ came down to settle his Religion, plant the Christian Faith without a grant from, or the leave of Secular Powers; when he commissioned his Apostles to conveigh the Gospel thro the world, they did expect or ask no Pass-port from the several Princes, but in opposition to the Magistrates and Governors and Kings, against whom he promis'd them to justify and bear them out, they preach'd it. I allow too
2. That he autoriz'd and gave right to Christians, as such, to assemble for Gods Worship and Service according to the rule of his Religion, whatever prohibition, threats, or persecution they should meet from Secular powers on account of doing so. Accordingly thekActs 4. 5, &c. Apostles and their Converts did so, and St Paul gives it in charge to the Hebrews not to forbear doing so for any fear or suffering whatsoever,lHebr. 10. 25. not forsaking the assembling of your selves together, as the manner of some is. Now he that does require that they shall do so, notwithstanding any opposition from the Secular Powers, gives them right to do so, tho in opposition to those Powers: for all must have a right to do their duty, and accordingly the Christians of the first Ages did meet for Gods Worship against all the edicts, all the persecutions of the Heathen Emperors. But
3. Tho our Savior by this grant seems to pass by those Powers unregarded, or at least not taken notice of, when he gives their Subjects Privilege to meet in public full assemblies (such as those of Christians ought to be) without their leave, yea and against their orders, yet does not this grant diminish or intrench upon their safety in the least: because the onelyonly men he gives it to are such, as can design or do no hurt to any Government. For Christ conferr'd this privilege merely on the account of that Religion which he instituted, and to men as his Disciples and Followers in it. Now himself so renounc'd all pretence to any Secular interest or power, practis…d such obedience to his Governors tho most unjust, taught such subjection to all in Authority whether good or bad, Patrons or Enemies to the Religion, nursing Fathers to his Followers or Slaughtermen and Executioners; and hath made all this so much the temper and the constitution of Christianity, which condemns all enterprizing upon any rights of others, and much more of Princes, that it is impossible that companies of such men, that is, of such Christians, such to whom alone Christ gives the privilege of meeting, can create a danger or a jealousy in any State: men that must indeed assemble, but must not resist, act, or contrive against their Governors, but die, if they and laws will have it so, for that their meeting. So the Primitive Christians did: so 20000 in one day at mSee Martyrol. on Christmas day. Niceph. l. 7. c. 6.Nicomedia for assembling. But men whose Principles or former practices upon their principles have any thing that tends to sedition in them, especially if they have us'd such meetings to foment it; or tho they did not that, the other also, till they can give such security as will satisfy the state, of which the State is to judg, can no more by their Christian birth-right, by Christs whether grant or injunction of assembling for Gods Worship, claim a privilege of such assemblies, then notoriously sinful, scandalous Christians, or then open Heretics can by vertue of that same injunction claim the privilege of the public Assemblies till they satisfy the Church: for the Church may excommunicate these, and the State may restrain those others, and they have no right or plea in conscience against it. The rights he gave were given to men so far, as they should follow the Religion which he instituted; he gave no more privilege to the seditious, then the scandalous. He did not by requiring such assemblies for religious Worship mean to weaken the security of Governments, which his Religion is above all other institutions fram'd to settle and establish: which therefore by the grant of Christs Religion, as well as by a right inherent in their office, Governors may take care to provide for by restraints of that kind, not at all examining mens pretension, whether their Religion or their Principles be true or false; for that were endless and to no effect, every mans Religion and his Principles are true to himself; but onelyonly if they tend towards commotions, or give cause of jealousy, which still Governors must judg of. Which if they cannot satisfy, they can plead no Privilege, to which they have no further right, then as they free themselves from such suspicions. In fine they cannot claim this on account of Christianity, since Christianity admits of nothing, that is prejudicial or gives fear to Governments; but is the basis of Obedience, the cement of Society, Ecclesiastical and secular, it compacts all the Stones of Sion, of the House of God, and of the seat of David, of the Sanctuary, and the Throne.
And therefore in the 4th place Romanists (and 'tis the same of every other Sect of men, so far as they abet such Principles, or have ever shew'd themselves in prosecution of them,) but Romanists for instance at the present, who by all ways of assurance have convinc'd the world, the most destructive Tenets, to government most abhorrent from the state of Christianity, are their Principles, & their Faith; as namely by the general dictates of their Schole-men, their allow'd Theology of their Canonists: their allow'd Laws of a shole of particular Councils and some general their allow'd Rule of Faith: of their Popes their infallible Judg; and what's worse by multitudes of practices the most inhumane that were ever heard of, and would never yet, however call'd on or accus'd, retract or sentence; but still justify and practise them. Since they therefore know themselves incapable of claming Toleration by the Laws of Christianity, we can interpret them to mean no other thing by claming and endeavoring it, but to get more opportunities to destroy the Government both of Church and State, to widen and to make more breaches in the gaping, tottering walls of Sion, tumble down her stones into the dust, and make their dust their grave. Nor need I discourse, how others turn these mercies into gall and bitterness; to contrive for parties and widen their own interests, and the breaches of the Government; the outcry for liberty ending alwaies in its denial of it to all besides themselves.
Such is our prospect of the stones of Sion; it looks fatal, but it hath this Argument of comfort in it, that when Sion is in this condition that it is usually Gods time of mercy and of shewing favor, then the appointed time for it is come, the next thing that I am to speak to.
That this is ordinarily Gods time of appearing to shew mercy, is notorious from Davids challenging his aids elsewhere upon the same account Psal. 119. 126. It is time for thee, Lord, to work, or it is time for Thee to put to thine hand, for they have made void thy Law. And we shall find a reason for this way of working in that prayer of the same King David, nPsal. 1. 9. 26. 27.Help me O Lord my God; O save me according to thy mercies, that they may know that this is thy hand, and that thou, Lord, hast don it. When our distresses are beyond the succors of means power and counsels, if deliverance come, we must needs know 'tis from above. The Prophet speaks of men, as apt to oHab. 1. 16.sacrifice to their net, and burn incense to their drag with which they catch, ascribing their successes to themselves. But when the Apostles use their net all night and can take nothing, then if one upon the shore, whom they know not, bid them cast in, and they do catch, strait one of them crieth out,pJohn 21. 7. it is the Lord. When out of a desperate condition of affairs we see hope drawn, we know it is the day spring from on high.
Whatever several of the late discoverers of the Popish conspiracy may have said or don to disparage their evidence, and the credit of what they testify; or men Popishly affected have contriv'd to make it be disbeliev'd; yet surely while the trial and the letters of the late apostate busy Factor for the party remain upon record, it will be manifest as the light, that there was a practice and endeavor to subvert the present establishment in Church and State, and introduce the superstition and tyranny of Rome among us. And that God will be further gracious in the sending forth his light to discover, and to disappoint their dire attemts, there is ground to hope, because it always was the ordinary method of his working, making the day of Extremity the day of Salvation.
1. In the Jewish Church and Nation. And here I shall not mention their deliverance from the Egyptian bondage, tho it be a demonstration of my Proposition, but name that from the designs of Haman, who had satisfied the King, their Laws, and their Religion, and their Worship differ'd from those of all people, foreign, saith Josephus, and that were still occasions to embroile the State; that if he would give order they should be destroi'd, he would bringqEster 3. 9. 10000 talents, near two millions of our mony, into the Exchequer: whereupon the King allows him to make what declarations he shall please against them, and signs an Edict to his Governors and his Lieutenants for the massacring the whole Nation▪ which might easily be don, the Jews then being in captivity, and mixt among them. Mordecay adviseth Ester to present her self before the King, remonstrate the injustice of the fact: that being death to do, she would decline it; but as one acquainted with Gods methodsrCap. 4. 13, 14. Mordecai does answer her, think not with thy self, that thou shalt escape in the Kings house more then all the Jews; for if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place, (here is a pregnant instance of the assurance of my text) but thou and thy fathers house shall be destroi'd. And who knoweth whether thou art come to the Kingdom for such a time as this? Hereupon she and her Nation fast and pray, and she adventures, and God gives her favor with the King, and he reverses all; and the whole Nation on that very day it was to perish is secur'd, and the design returns upon their heads that plotted it, on all their Enimies. I need name no more, but there is one pregnant one, on which there lies an imputation from great men: I mean, when throout that Nation their Religion was so persecuted, that it was almost extinct, false Heathen worship planted in its place, possessed the Temple and the Sanctuary, and all was profan'd by Antiochus Epiphanes: the state so lively propheci'd of by the Prophet Daniel. Now when it was thus, & there was so universal a defection, as already had subverted the whole Government, Religion, and almost the whole Nation, God stirs up the Spirit of the Maccabbees, & on that day three years that all was profan'd, 'was again purified and they deliver'd. I instance so, least that whichsL. 1. de Jure Belli c. 4. §. 7. Grotius satih, that nothing can defend that action of the Maccabbees, besides extreme certain necessity; and what ourtConcerning the Rights of the Church in a Christian Sate p. 306. Thorndike saith, 'tis manifest the Arms which they took up against their lawful Soveraign, are by God approv'd, and their Faith commended Hebr. 11. least these should misguide men, it may be seasonable to declare that it is plain Antiochus Epiphanes, altho he*1 Macc. 1. 41, 51. call that land his Kingdom, was not then their rightful King: for after Alexanders death, the first that got possession of it, was the King of Egypt. It was after violently taken indeed from him by the King of Syria, & the Jews gave up themselves to the protection of Antiochus the Great; but he gave it in dowry to the King of Egypt with his daughter, & so parted with all right; & whatever right the Kings of Syria could be suppos'd to have, Antiochus Epiphanes had none of that, as being not a lawful King of any place, usurping from his Nephew the right Heir: and with all injurious angry violence, when he was driven out of Egypt, the attaques Jerusalem, and enters it, and sets up all the Heathen Exercises and Religion, and forbids Gods Worship; ravages and spoils and murders all refusers, till the Maccabbees oppos'd his fury, and till Judas three years after, as I said, restor'd all, having fought against a violent Aggressor, not his rightful Prince; and he is by Grotius made the very man, that typ'd out Christ, and was seen by the Prophet in Isaiah 63. Who is he that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozra? to which he makes Judas Maccabeus answer, I that defend Gods Worship and the true Religion, against Antiochus and all his power, and to save my People cast my self upon extremest hazards.
Once more, when Caius Emperor of Rome had sent Petronius into Syria, charging him to make war on the Jews, and by all utmost force to make thew condescend to let his image, the statue of himself I mean, be set up in their Temple at Jerusalem: the Jews when he came into Syria to their Country, met him several thousands, several times with supplications and entreaties to divert him, if they could from doing it. But he declaring his Commission to them, let them see it was not possible for him to contradict the Emperor; and they declar'd also, since he durst not transgress the commands of the Emperor, he must not think it strange, if they durst not transgress Almighty Gods command, resolving to endure whatever should be inflicted on the, rather then violate that. Doing this often, and in multitudes, Petronius askt them whether they did mean on that account to fight with Caesar, and make war against him, they repli'd they would not fight, but they could die on that account, and prostrating themselves and offering their naked throats, shew'd their readiness to entertain their death, and this for four daies together, and neglected all their husbandry, resolving not to till their land or to provide for life, when they had once determin'd thus to die. Upon this Petronius undertakes to write to Caesar, and dissuade him from the enterprise; but Caius answers that his letter with another, which commands Petronius, for the punishment of his not executing his commands, to kill himself, resolving also to exterminate the Nation: but before his letter came to Syria to Petronius, the notice of the death of Caius came. Thus God did then preserve both him and them, tho at that time a Nation guilty of the death of Christ; yet in a cause, wherein they were resolv'd to suffer any thing rather then disobey Gods Law so grossly, he was pleas'd to spare them, and continue to preserve them.
As for the Christians, I might instance in the care God took soon after most expressely and miraculously to call them all out of Jerusalem, when the Romans were preparing to sit down before it, and destroi'd it utterly, and in all the persecutions, particularly that of Diocletian, when thatuNomine Christiano deleto, qui Remp, evertebant superstitione Christiana ubique deleta, & cultu deorum propagate, Grut. Inscrip. p. 280. destruction that was level'd at, and falling on all Christianity, was in a trice return'd upon the Designers and on Heathenism. It might be a more parallel instance to the genius of these later ages, should I name that of the Arrians, men that were thexAt…n. Ep. ad S…it. pag. 815, 821, 854. first that ever drew the sword of persecution against their fellow Christians; foreign was their petition toySee Grotius De Jure Belli l. 2 c. 20. §. 50. Constantius, a copy which the Church of Rome hath long writ after, with the bloud of those that differ from them. And indeed the Arrian persecutions were most barbarous;Constantius yet when had don all he could, had made the Universe, saith St Jerome, all Arrian by having banisht almost all the Catholic Bishops of the world, then very quickly God restores them, even by a Julian an Apostate: and then when shortly after Valens the same again, himself repenting of it, did revoke them, & lastly Theodosius restor'd them and establisht all. And tho afterwards God let the Goths continue both the heresy, and somtimes the persecution, for above two Ages in our western world; yet since that, for the last thousand years, the name of Arrian hath scarce bin heard. But I have said enough to shew, such is the ordinary method of Gods Providential workings, when Sion is in that condition: provided that the Church have not deprav'd it self as 'tis a Church, model'd it self by worldly principles and powers, and adopted rules or doctrines which are not consistent with those of Christ. There are few instances to be produc'd, I think, where any Church hath bin destroi'd, whole constitution hath preserv'd this temper, tho her wicked and ungracious members may be cut off: at last, as z1 Pet. 5. 10St Peter tells, after it hath suffer'd a while, he will strengthen, stablish, settle it. And if we look upon the low condition of our Sion together with these instances of Gods procedure, may we not take confidence to hope, that the appointed time is come? For is it not time for Thee to arise, O Lord, when thy resting place is destroying? And thou, O Christ, who art the Rock on which the Church is built, is it not time for thee to awake, to rise, rebuke the Tempests, break the waves that break into thy Church, and threaten as if they would swallow all that's built on Thee, the Rock of Ages? It is most certainly, provided we have those affections, which the text sets down here, as the diagnostics of that time; of which in the last place.
The first is this, thy servants think upon her stones with sorrow and sincere acknowledgment, that their demerits call'd this state upon her, and they therefore willingly receive, accept of Gods dealing with them, foreign they take pleasure in it. It is observ'd, that this was the express condition, upon which God covenanted to shew mercy on his People. Levit. 26. From v. 14. to the end we find, that if they should arrive at that height to abhor Gods Statutes, break all his Commandments, merit all his curses, and he should inflict them, and yet they go on still to walk contrary to him, and he overtake them still with plagues, yea and this thro all the stages both of sin and punishment, and each stage of punishment seven times multiplied v. 18, 21, 24, 28. so as to leave no more place for access, yet if then they confess their iniquity, and their uncircumcized hearts be humbled, if then foreign they accpt of willingly, contentedly receive the punishment of their iniquity v. 41. I will not case them away, neither will I abhor them to destroy them utterly, and to break my Covenant with them, v. 44. but will remember my Covenant, and I will remember the Land, v. 42. and remember Sion also, if we have the like sentiments for Sion; if her low condition, if her stones in the dust truly humble us into that dust, and make us from the heart acknowledg, aNeh 9. 33.Thou, O Lord, art just in all that is come upon, and hovers over us; for thou hast don right, but we have don very wickedly: for we have walkt unworthy of the opportunities thou hast afforded us, have bin unfruitful under the whole latitude of all thy working methods, the Kingdom of God hath had no Obedience, nothing but Rebellion from us, and tis just it should be taken from us, be given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof, and have our candlestic remov'd, since we hate light, our deeds are so evil. 'Tis just that we, who heapt our selves Teachers according to our factions and lusts, should be given up to strong delusions, have a lying Spirit in the mouth of our Prophets, Prophets that should daub with untemper'd mortar, such as never will cement the stones of Sion, or build up a Church; that we, who have debaucht the Reformation, should quite loose it. The present time does certainly suggest the practice, which is set aside for great humiliation, and the occasion does require it; both the commands and the necessities too of the Church expect it; & God also calls for mourning, & for stricter applications to him on behalf of Sion: and then they that do not answer all these calls by doing somthing more then ordinary do not think upon the stones of Sion, neither does it pity them to see her in the dust, 'tis certainly not time for God to arise in their behalf, they are sufficient to divert his preparations for her. No O Lord, we will put our hands upon our mouths, and our mouths into the dust, and acknowledg righteousness belongeth unto thee, but to us confusion of face, as at this day; and we resolve to humble our selves under thy correcting hand how sharp soever, and take pleasure in it too thus far, that dost shew by thy castising us thou hast not given us over as incorrgible, but hast taken us into thy care, and discipline, and managery; and on that account thy rod comforts us, our correction is joyous, we take pleasure in the stones of Sion, and we favor, love her dust; the other Symtom.
They prize her reliques, wht is standing of her; and since 'tis on their account, namely thro their demerit, that she is so low and weak, they are more tender, love, and pity her more in that condition which they brought her into; will do what they can to raise her, pulverem ejus evehere cupiunt in the Tigurine Translation.
'Tis true indeed the stones of Sion in the dust are apt to become stones of stumbling and rocks of offence, as St Peter saith of the chief corner stone of Sion, Christ hmself 1 Pet. 2. 8. whereat many stumble and fall. We had fatal experience how when once the building was disorder'd, the subordination broken, the Church offices and powers thrown down, on the one side Sion strait became like Babel, every one almost spoke a strange language, and so built by himself, built up, divided Faiths, and Churches, and Religions; on the other side that broken tottering State made many run away as from a falling Church, take shelter in another: and what the Cross of Christ was to the Jews, that the Cross of his Spouse too was to many pretended Christians, a ground to renounce her. They no sooner saw their Mother wounded, naked in the dust, but they concluded her fit to be buried, and ran from her as from the house of death; as if in the noblest way of sufferings to follow Christ could look like the mark of being Anti-Christian: and the yet unsettled state of it is made great use of for the same intents, her stones are laid on purpose to be stones of stumbling and to give occasion of falling. And truly 'tis to be confest, that since the bonds of Government, which kept men under discipline, were unloos'd, and since the Churches Ministeries and her Powers are cut so short, that they are not so effectual to the ends of their institution to work out a strict Christian life, as were to be wisht; and since men are divided so by claims of several Churches, and by fearful expectations also, both the Coversations and the Faiths of men too are grown loose and dissolute: and 'twas not the least Stratagem of our Adversaries to contrive men should be such as could, while they continue such, find Sanctuary no where but in their Church, at their Altars; whether they have but to come to be absolv'd of all. But truly 'tis extreme barbarity in us, when 'tis on our account, by our demerits, for our punishment, that she is distressed, that fears and dangers press upon her, then to sleight her: if when we see our Mother gasping, then to throw dirt at her, make her mouth her mouth be stopt with the reports of her ungodly offspring, the reproches of a pointing Scorner, that shall cry, see how her Sons behave themselves, how little love or pity they have for her. He favors her stones that beautifies and guilds them with inscriptions of Religious actions; this, if any thing, will raise them and repair her. And truly'tis to be expected from the men that do pretend to have the pity and the sorrow that is due to their Mother, whom the powers of Hell seem arm'd against to ruin her, so far as she's disabled, should themselves supply to themselves what is wanting: if her discipline be loosen'd, and she have no strong ties on mens actions, we should do her work upon us, put obligations, fetters on our selves. 'Tis probable this very state of Sion in the text was that, which Nehemiah labour'd to repair, and see how he effected it c. 9. after a most solemn fasting and confession and bemoaning, rather of their guilts then sufferings, in the 10th himself, the Princes, and the Priests and Levites, and he rest of all the People with their Wives, their Sons and Daughters that were come to understanding, entred into a curse and into an oath to walk in Gods Law, and to observe and do all the Commandments of the Lord our God, his Judgments and his Statutes, v. 29. Here was a cement would compact the Stones of Sion, the whole building against all assaults whatever, seat her in her perfect height and beauty. It is not he loves her, who curses them that laid her in the dust, but he who enters such a curse of serving God; 'tis not he favors her dust, who wishes, talks, or swears on the Churches side, but he that humbles himself daily in the dust in her confessions and Prayers, he who binds himself with such an obligation to worship and serve God faithfully, as she prescribes: this will help to raise her, make her visible in the lives of her Children; and when the dust of Sion shall have a more perfect Resurrection in this world, and this of Christ shall as his other body rise out of the earth, it will be comfortable to each one that put his hands to the repairs, that did but fit one stone to it, that would not let God rest till he had establisht our Jerusalem again a praise in the Earth. Then God almighty would be importun'd, prevail'd upon to put it in the hearts of those men, whose part 'tis to secure our Sion and repair her breaches, to build by a true line and level, make such an establishment as may be fitted not to the satisfying parties, factions, interests, or any human appetites, but the just obligations or Religion; not build weakly, fearing, as it were, the Churches strength should aw men in their practices, & that the weapons of her warfare should gall their vices, besides that their own strong holds may be still able to hold out, and not be beat down by her forces: for this were to model the structure of Sion to mens own, and to their sins convenience. But to build her up so, as that the profession and the practice of true Religion may be preserv'd safe, and Gods Worship kept intire; that upon our one onelyonly foundation, the rock Christ Jesus, we may be built up with a lively faith into an holy life, all cemented by Charity, and all divisions be made up, and we may with one heart and one voice meet and join in giving Glory, Honor, &c,