Justice Triumphing, Introduction – Text
THE INTRODUCTION.
I Am ascended this sacred Mount with joy and feare. Joy in that blest occasion of this solemne meeting; feare of my too too unfit abilities for this weighty service. Indeed which way soever I looke, just causes of solicitous feare present me;Gen. 28.17. so that I may use Jacobs words concerning Bethel, How dreadfull is this place!
If forward on the difficulty of the businesse in hand, I feare least through my steril invention, and stammering tongue, the worke should miscarry and prove abortive. If round about on this numerous Assembly, judicious Auditory, I feare, as knowing my empty notions cannot satisfie your solid apprehensions. If backward to those Silver Trumpets which have formerly proclaimed the praises of God in this Sanctuary, I may well be afraid to sound my crack'd pipe and bruised reed. Last, if upward to that awfull Majesty, in whose place I stand, I desire most of all to fear and tremble, lest either through my dulness or unfaithfulnesse I should betray my Masters message. Yet on this last object I fix my eye. It was his providence, not my desert or desire called me hither. It is his glory, not my own honour I set before me; in his, not my own strength; I shall endeavour to performe my taske, not medling with matters of State, but only the state of the matter; for which purpose I shall intreat you to turne your eyes to that sage Apothegme of the Kingly Prophet David, and lend your eares to that sacred Ditty, of that sweet singer of Israel, as you shall finde it pen'd upon record, in
The Text.
PSALM 9.16.
The Lord is known by the Judgement which he executeth, the wicked is snar'd in the work of his own hands Higgaion Selah.
A Gratefull Commemoration is the worke of this day; a miraculous discovery the subject of this Commemoration, an eminent deliverance the fruit of that discovery; a remarkable judgement the attendant of that deliverance, and this Scripture a fit parallel of that judgement. Never did story more exactly demonstrate the truth of this Text; nor can any Text more pithily lay open the marrow of this story: so that whosoever rightly considers the fulnesse of Gods dispensation in the worke, must needs acknowledge the fitnesse of Davids acknowledgement in the words.
If you call to minde the mercy of the day, we may justly apply the Romans expression of the time wherein Caligula began to reigne by decree of Senate, it was the day wherein England was new built, a day in the Romish Calendar nigro carbone notatus marked with a black Coale because the fire came not at it to make it red: but in outs candore notabilis ipso, for the same reason worthy to be written in white yea Golden Characters.
This MonethMonth of November is memorable among others, for two dayes, the seventeenth and the fifth; on the one the purity of the Gosp…l brake forth; on the other the treachery of the Gospels enemies brake out: the one the initiation of as gracious a Queen▪ the other the continuation of as wise a King as ever England enjoyed. And truly should these two dayes parley, as once Themistocles fancied of the Holiday and Workeday, and the seventeenth should say to the fifth, if I had not been so happy, thou hadst never been; the fifth may well reply, had not I been, thou hadst never been so happy, since had not this day been so gloriously successefull that Sunne of the Gospell which did then arise, had probably in our Horizon for ever set. A joyfull day then it was; and that not lesse for our adversaries destruction then our preservation, both which were so neerly conjoyned in this dayes bl…ssi…g, that the one could not have been without the other, their desolation being our consolation, their corruption ou… generation, their ruine our resurrection; nor could wee have stood upright had not they fallen. So that if ever any people, we; if we for any deliverance, for this; and if for this on any day, much more on this, may well say and sing with the Psalmist in the words of the Text, The Lord is known, &c.
The Title of this Psalme according to the vulgar reading is pro occultis filii, foreignwhich Hierome and Aquinas interpret of Absolons conspiracy against his father David, and if so, it well suits our present occasion, which is the detection of those sonnes of Belial, who closely contrived the ruine of Father and Mother, King and Countrey. Some there are who render it pro juventute candida, conceiving the scope to be a gratulation for the flourishing estate of the Church; and if so, it fitly answers this dayes comfort wherein the Church of England revived as it were from the dead, and hath flourished since more then before. Our late Translators referre it to some Musicall instrument, Junius to a note which wee commonly call the Counter-tenor, and if so, wee may learne one part of this dayes se…vice, by vocall and instrumentall Musicke to celebrate this unparalleld blessing. Not to controvert the Title▪ if we will believe Ainsworth, Ains. in Psal.as the intent of the former Psalme is the magnifying of God for the Propagation of Christs Kingdome, so this for the destruction of Antichrist. And if so, well may we beare a part in this tune for that fatall blow, which …hough to us in the intent, yet to Antichrist in the event p…oved pernicious. However some famous example of Gods mercy to David, and judgement on his enemies was the ground of pe…m…g this Psalme. Many are the verses wherein David mentioneth both these, and among them none so remarkable as this which hath Selah annexed to it a word that is never used nisi ubi valde insigne est quod dicitur, Ribera in Hab.unlesse that which is spoken be of singular concernment, so that what the Diamond is among Stones, the Sun among Planets, Gold among Metals, that is this sentence in the Psalm, worthy to be engraven in every religious bosome, and sung by every pious soule, The Lord is known, &c.
In which words you may observe a Rhethoricall Climax, which we shall climbe up by these steps; Jehovah though in himselfe incomprehensible may be known; nothing wherein he is more conspicuous then in executing judgement, no judgement more palpable then that which snareth the wicked in their own works; and when this is done, nothing becomes the Saints better then to make it Higgaion, Selah, our continuall meditatiō.
The Text presents us with three parties, God, the wicked, the Saints; Gods judgement, the wickeds punishment, the Saints deportment.
Gods severity, the wickeds misery, the Saints duty.
Deus perceptus, God perceived by his executions.
Impius deceptus, the wicked deceived in his intentions.
Pii conceptus, the Saints conceit and meditation of both.
If you please call the Text a Theatre of Gods judgements, wherein you have
1 The King of glory displaying himselfe on the Stage of this world with Thunder and Lightning, and thereby known in his severe judgements.
2 The wicked acting his part with secrecy and confidence, but his exit dolefull and miserable.
3 The Saints as spectators of this Tragedy, hissing at the folly of the wicked, applauding the equity of God.
I… you will▪ conceive it as a pitched field, wherein you may behold
Isa. 26.21.1 The Lord of Hosts comming out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth, drawing out of his sword, and doing execution on his enemies, his Colours red, betokening vengeance, and his Motto this in the Text, The Lord is known, &c.
2 The wicked adversaries of the Church mustering their forces, lying in ambush to intrap the Saints, discovered and ensnared; their colours black, bespeaking malice, but their Motto may well be the second clause, the wicked is snared in the work of his own hand.
3 The whole Army of Saints triumphing in their Generals honourable conquest, and the enemies shamefull overthrow, their colours white, intimating purity, and their motto the last words Higgaion, Selah. To speak more plainly, call the Verse a Sermon; in it are the three usuall parts of a Sermon, Doctrine, Reason, Use; the Doctrine affirming, Reason confirming, Use inferring, in fine observe these three plain and pithy severalls.
1 A general proposition concerning Gods manifest Justice asserted, the Lord is known in executing judgement.
2 A particular expo…tion and exemplification of that assertion annexed, the wicked is snared in the worke of his own Hands.
3 An implicite imposition of a duty to be performed in reference to both the former Higgaion, Selah. I shall gently strike these severall flints, each of them will afford various sparks to enlighten both the Text and day, in prosecution of which, let our Prayer be that that God who as on this day was gloriously known to the wicked in the execution of his reall, would now be graciously known to us in the promulgation of his verball judgements; and as the wicked were justly snared in the work of their hands, so our souls may be mercifully taken by the words of his Mouth, that the lessons which we shall heare and learn this houre, may be Higgaion, Selah, our meditation, comfort, and practice for ever, and so I begin with the