Two Treatises, To the reader – Chapter 1
THE EPISTLE TO THE READER.
Christian Reader,
IF Heinsius, when he had shut up himself in the Library at Leyden, reckoned himself placed in the very lap of Eternity, because he conversed there with so many Divine Souls,Plerumque in qua simul…c pedem posui, foribus pessulum abdo, & in ipso eternitatis gremio inter tot illustres animas sedem mihi sumo; cum ingenti quidem animo, ut subinde Magnatum me misereat qui felicitatem hanc ignorant. Epistola primira. and profesed, he took his seat in it with so lofty a spirit and sweet content, that he heartily pittied all the great and rich men of the world, that were ignorant of the happiness he there daily enjoyed. How much more may that soul reioyce in its own happiness, who hath shut himself up in the Chambers of the Divine Attributes, and exercise pity for the exposed and miserable multitude that are left as a prey to the temptations and troubles of the World?
That the days are evil is a truth preached to us by the convincing voice of sence, and that they are like to be worse, few can doubt that look into the moral causes of evil times, the impudent height of sin, or into the Prophesies relating to these latter days; for whom the sharpest sufferings are appointed, to make way for the sweetest mercies. A faithful Watchman of our own hath given us fresh and late warning in these words of truth. Hath God said nothing? Doth Faith see nothing of a flood coming upon us? Is there such a deluge of sin among us, Mr. R. A. Of Godly Fear. p. 19.and doth not that Prophesie to us of a deluge of Wrath? Lift up your eyes Christians, stand, and look through the land, Eastward, and Westward, Northward, and Southward, and tell me what you see? Behold a flood cometh, a flood of sin is already broken forth upon us, the fountains of the great deeps are broken up, and the windows of Hell are opened, &c. In such an Evil day as this is, happy is the soul that hath made God its refuge, even the most high God its habitation. He shall sit Noah like, Mediis tranquillus in undis, safe from the fear of evil. In consideration of the distress of many unprovided souls for the misery that is coming on them, and not knowing how short my useful time will be to any, (for I know it cannot be long) I have endeavoured once more the assistance of poor Christians in these two small Treatises, one of Fear, the other of Preparation for the worst times, which it may be is the last help I shall this way be able to afford them. It is therefore my earnest request to all that fear the Lord, and tremble at his word, to redeem their time with double diligence, because the days are evil. To clear up their interest in Christ and the promises, lest the darkness of their Spiritual estate, meeting with such a night of outward darkness overwhelmed them with terrors insupportable. Some help is offered in this Treatise to direct the gracious Soul to its rest in God. May the blessings of his Spirit accompany them, and bless them to the Soul of him that Readeth. It will be matter of joy, beyond all earthly joys to the heart of,
Thy Friend and Servant in Christ, John Flavell.
THE RIGHTEOVS MAN'S REFUGE, &c.
Isaiah 26. v. 20.
Come my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee; hide thy self as it were for a little moment till the indignation be over-past.
CHAP. 1.
Wherein the literal, and real importance of the Text are considered, the Doctrine propounded, and the method of the following discourse stated.
SECT. 1.
MAn being a prudent and prospecting Creature, can never be satisfied with present safety; except he may also see himself well secured against future dangers. Upon all appearances of trouble, 'tis natural to him to seek a refuge that he may be able to Shun what he is loath to Suffer, and survive those calamities which will ruine the defenceless and exposed multitude. Natural men seek refuge in natural things. The rich mans wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit, Prov. 18. 11. Hypocrites make lies their refuge, and under falshood do they hide themselves, Isa. 28. 15. Not doubting but they shall stand dry and safe, when the overflowing flood lays all others under water. But,
Godly men make God himself their hiding place, to him they have still betaken themselves in all ages, as often as calamities have befallen the world, Ps. 46. 1. God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble. As Chickens run under the wings of the Hen for safety, when the Kite hovers over them, so do they fly to their God for sanctuary, Psal. 56. 3. At what time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. q. d. Lord, if a storm of trouble at any time overtake me, I will make bold to come under thy roof for shelter, and indeed not so bold as welcome; 'tis no presumption in them, after so gracious an invitation from their God, Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers.
My Friends, a sound of trouble is in our ears, the clouds gather and blacken upon us more and more: Distress of Nations with perplexity seems to be near, our day hastens to an end, and the shadows of the night are stretching forth upon us. What greater service therefore can I do for your souls, than by the light of this Scripture (as with a Candle in my hand) to lead you to your Chambers, and shew you your Lodgings in the Attributes and promises of God, before I take my leave of you, and bid you good night.
O with what satisfaction should I part with you, were I but sure to leave you under Christs wings! It was Christs lamentation over Ierusalem, that they would not be gathered under his wings, when the Roman Eagle was ready to hover over that City; and you know how dear they paid for their obstinacy and infidelity. Be warned by that dreadful example, and among the rest of your mercies bless God heartily for this, That so sweet a voice sounds from Heaven in your ears this day, this day of frights and troubles; Come my people, enter thou into thy Chambers, &c.
This Chapter contains a lovely song fitted for the lips of Gods Israel, notwithstanding their sad captivity; for their God was with them in Babylon, and heard their hearts there with many promises of deliverance, and in the mystical sence, it relates to the New Testament Churches, of whose troubles, protections, and deliverances, the Iews in Babylon were a Type.
This Chapter, though full of excellent and seasonable truths, will be too long to Analize; it shall suffice to search back only to the 17 verse, where you find the poor captived Church under despondency of mind, comparing her co…dition to that of a woman in travail, who hath many sharp pains, and bitter throws, yet cannot be delivered, much like that in 2 Kings 19. 3. The children are come to the birth and there is no strength to bring forth.
Against this discouragement a double relief is applyed in the following Verses, the one is a Promise of full deliverance at last; the other an Invitation into a sure Sanctuary and place of defence for present, until the time of their full deliverance came. The promise we have in verse 19. Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise; awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust, &c. Their captivity was a civil death, and Babylon as a grave to them, So it is elsewhere described, Ezek. 37. v. 1, 3, 12. I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves and bring you into the land of Israel. And therefore their deliverance is carried under the notion of a resurrection in that promise.
Objection. Yea, (might they reply) the hopes of deliverance at last is some comfort, but alas, that may be far off: How shall we subsist till then?
Sol. Well enough, for as you have in that promise a sure ground of deliverance at last, so in the interim here is a gracious Invitation into a place of security for the present, Come my people, enter thou into thy chambers. In which invitation Four things call for our close attention.
1. The Form of the invitation, including in it the qualified subject, Come my people. Gods own peculiar people, who have chosen God for their portion, and resigned up themselves sincerely to him in the Covenant, are the persons here invited, the same which he before called the righteous nation that kept the truth, verse 2. he means …hose that remained faithful to God (as many of them did) in Babylon, witness their sorrow for Sion, Psal. 137 per totum; and their solemn Appeal to God that their hearts were not turned back, nor had their steps declined though they were …ore broken in the place of Dragons, and covered with the shadow of death, Psal. 44. 18, 19, 20. These are the people invited to the chambers of security. And the form of invitation is full of tender compassion, Come my people; like a tender father that sees a storm coming upon his children in the fields, and takes them by the hand, saying, Come away my dear children, hasten home with me le…t the storm overtake you, or as the Lord said to Noah before the Deluge, Come thou and all thy house into the Ark, and God shut him in, Gen. 7. 1. 16. This is the form of the invitation, Come my people.
2. The priviledge invited to; Enter thou into thy chambers. There is some variety, and indeed variety rather than contrariety in the exposition of these words.
In this all are agreed, that by their Chambers,Ezek. 21. 14. is not meant the Chambers of their own houses; for alas, their houses were left unto them desolate; and if not, yet they could be no security to them now, when neither their own houses nor their fortified city was able to defend them before.
Grotius expounds it of the Grave, and makes these Chambers the same Grot. in loc. with the Chambers of death. Ite in cubiqula, h. e. sepulchra vestra. The grave indeed is a place of security where God sometimes hides some of his people in troublesome times, as is plain in Isa. 57. 1, 2. but I cannot allow this to be the sence of this Text; God doth not comfort his captives with a natural against a civil death, but with protection in their troubles upon earth, as is evident from the scope of the whole Chapter.
By Chambers therefore, others understand the chambers of Divine providence, where the S…ints are hid in evil days. So our Annotatons on the place, and no doubt but this is in part the special intendment of the Text.
Others understand the Attributes and Promises of God to be here meant, as well as his providences. And I conceive all three make the sence of the Text full, (i. e.) the Divine Attributes engaged in the promises, and exercised or actuated in the providences of God; these are the sanctuaries and refuges of Gods people in days of trouble.
Calvin understands it of the quiet repose of the Believers mind in God, but that is rather the effect of his security, than the place of it. It's Gods Attributes or his name (which is the same thing) to which the righteous fly and are safe, Prov. 18. 10.
Object. But you will say, why are they called their Chambers? Those Attributes are not their…, but Gods.
Sol. The answer is easie, though they be Gods Properties, yet they are his peoples priviledges, and benefits; for when God makes over himself to them in Covenant to be their God, he doth as it were deliver to them the Keys of all his Attributes for their benefit and security; and is as if he should say, my wisdom is yours, to contrive for your good; my power is yours, to protect your persons; my mercy yours, to forgive your sins; my all-sufficiency yours, to supply your wants; all that I am, and all that I have is for your benefit and comfort. These are the Chambers provided for the Saints lodgings and into these they are invited to enter. Enter thou into thy chambers. By entring into them understand their actual faith exercised in acts of affiance, and resignation to God in all their dangers. So Psal. 56. 3. At what time I am afraid (said David) I will trust in thee. q.. d. Lord, if a Storm come I will make bold to shelter my self from it under thy wings by faith; look as unbelief shuts the doors of all Gods Attributes and promises against us; so faith opens them all to the Soul, and so much of the priviledge invited to, which is the second thing.
3. We have here a needful caution for the securing of this priviledge to our selves in evil times, shut thy doors about thee. Or as the Syriack renders foreign behind or after thee, i. e. …aith Calvin, Diligenter cavendum ne ulla rimula diabolo ad nos pau…t. Care must be taken that no passage be left open to the Devil to creep in after us and drive us out of our refuge; for so it falls out too often with Gods people, when they are at rest in Gods name or promises, Satan creeps in by unbelieving doubts and puzling objections, and beats them out of their refuge back again into trouble; it is therefore of great concernment in such times especially, not to give place to the Devil, as the phrase is, Eph. 4. 17. but …eave to God by a resolved reliance.
4. Lastly, we are to note with what Arguments or motives they are prest to betake themselves to this refuge. There are two found in the Text, the one working upon their fear, the other upon their hope.
1. That which works upon their fear, is a supposition of a storm coming, the indignation of God will fall like a tempest; this is supposed in the Text, and plainly expressed in the words following, For the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth, ver. 21.
2. The other is fitted to work upon their hope, though his indignation fall like a Storm, yet it will not continue long; it shall be but for amoment, better days and more comfortable dispensations will follow. From all which the general observation is this.
Doctrine.
That the Attributes, Promises, and Providences of God are the Chambers of rest and security, in which his people are to hide themselves, when they foresee the …orms of his indignation coming upon the world.
The name of the Lord (saith Solomon) is a strong Tower; the righteous run into it, and are safe, Prov. 18. 10. And his Attributes are his name, Exod. 34. 5. For by them he is known as a man is known by his name, and this his name is a strong Tower for his peoples security; now what is the use and end of a Tower in a City, but to receive and secure the Inhabitants when the outworks are beaten to the ground, the walls scaled, and the houses left desolate?
And as it is here resembled to a Tower, so in Isa. 33. 16. Its shadowed out unto us by a munition of rocks, His place of defence shall be a munition of rocks. How secure is that person that is environed with rocks on every side? Yea you will say, but yet a rock is but a cold and barren refuge, though other enemies cannot, yet hunger and thirst can invade and kill him there. No, in this rock is a store-house of provision, as well as a magazine for defence; so it follows, Bread shall be given him and his water shall be sure.
And sometimes it is resembled to us by the wings of a fowl, spread with much tenderness over her young for their defence, Psal. 57. 1. Yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge until these calamities be overpast. So Psal. 17. 8. Keep me as the apple of thine eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings. No part of the body hath more guards upon it, than the apple of the eye God is as careful to preserve his people, as men are to preserve their eyes; and he that toucheth them, toucheth the apple of his eyes. But we need not go from one Metaphor to another, to shew you where the Saints refuge is in time of danger, you have a whole bundle of them lying together in that one Scripture, Psal. 18. 2. The Lord is my rock and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my strength in whom I will trust, my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. Where you find all kinds of defence, whether natural, or artificial, under a pleasant variety of apt Metaphors, ascribed to God for the security of his people.
Now for the casting of this great point into as easie and profitable a Method as I can; I shall resolve this general truth into these following Propositions, which are implied or expressed in the Text and Doctrine thence deduced; and the first is this.
1. Proposition.
That there are times and seasons appointed by God for the pouring out of his indignation upon the world.
2. Proposition.
That Gods own people are concerned in, and ought to be affected with those Iudgments.
3. Proposition.
That God hath a special and particular care of his people in the days of his indignation.
4. Proposition.
That God usually premonishes the world, especially his own people, of his Iudgments before they befal them.
5. Proposition.
That Gods Attributes, Promises, and Providences are prepared for the security of his people, in the greatest distresses that befal them in the world.
6. Proposition.
That none▪ but Gods people are taken into these chambers of security, or can expect his special protection in evil times.
And then I shall apply the whole in the proper uses of it.