Balm for Bleeding England and Ireland, Sermon 5
USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times.
COLOSS. 1.11.
—Glorious power, &c, or, power of his Glory.
IT may be I may proſecute this expreſſiō both ways, as you have it rendered and as 'tis in the Originall. As you read it 'tis rather interpretation then tranſlation. Word for word as, 'tis in the Originall, is according to the ſtrength or, force of his glory; which is a propriety of ſpeaking in the primitive language, where they would expreſſe a glorious thing, to expreſſe that by a ſubſtantive which wee doe by an adjective—the power of his glory, for glorious power. Like to this is that expreſſion, 2 Theſſ. 1.9. Who ſhall be puniſhed with everlaſting deſtruction from the preſence of the Lord and from the [glory of his power, that is, from his glorious power as we ſpeak. In my Text power is put firſt, according to the [power of his glory: but in that Text fore-cited, glory is put firſt—from the glory of his power: both note one thing to wit, a glorious power.
Power is called glorious when it doth glorious things within or without? therfore are theſe expreſſions here made Relata ſtrengthened with all might, —according to his glorious power. When a Chriſtian is made almighty, then is power made all glorious, glorious power; knowen ſo, and called ſo. Thus doth Moſes and other ſervants of the Lord call power glorious, when it was extended to doe glorious things. The right Hand of the Lord is become glorious in power (ſaith he in his Song when God had drowned the Aegiptians, Ex. 15.6. Thy right hand hath daſhed in pieces the Enemy.
Doct. Having ſpoken this to explaine, I would ſpeake this to ſtand on, That wee are to admire and call Divine power as it workes: When it does great things, almighty things, glorious workes in the World, in our hearts, then are we to call it anſwerably as the Holy Ghoſt doth here, glorious power. Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power.
All out-goings of God ſhould bee call'd and nam'd as wee finde God in them. Chriſt the great chanell of all in which God goes forth into the World (power, wiſdome, mercy of God and the like) is named according to what of God was in him and to be declared by him.—And his name ſhall be called wonderfull, the mighty God, the everlaſting Father, the Prince of Peace. As Divine power, mercy, or the like, workes in any perſon or by any perſon ſo ſhould it be called, mighty, wonderfull, glorious, everlaſting, &c. Thus doth the Pſalmiſt, his worke is honorable and glorious. The works of the Lord are great (ſay's he in the verſ. foregoing) and then in this verſe he calles it honourable and glorious, Pſal. 111.2.3. As power workes ſo 'tis to be called: as wiſdome workes ſo is it to be called—his underſtanding is infinite ſaith the Pſalmiſt ſpeaking of the wiſdom of God. Pſ. 147.5.
As Chriſt goes in this World ſo we are to talke of his going; as he rides in this World ſo wee are alſo to talke of that. If Chriſt ride in triumph we are triumphantly to ſpeake of him; wee are to call him Hoſanna in the higheſt, when hee ſhewes himſelfe higheſt.*When he rides upon Aſſes and rules aſſes; when he ſhewes an over-ruling power over the unrulieſt things we are anſwerably to cal him and his power which ſo Worke. If he take and ſhew the ſtate and power of a King, a glorious King, we are to give him royall and glorious titles; we are to name him ſtill in word, as he names himſelfe indeed: we are to Chriſten Chriſt as we finde him; to name power as we finde it, love as we finde it, &c. We are to extoll him that rideth upon the Clouds: that is, we are to lift up him, that lifteth up himſelfe; wee are to ſet him in the Clouds which hath ſet himſelfe there; we are to ſet up God in words, as he ſets up himſelfe in deeds; to ſet up him above all, which ſets himſelfe above all; to call him almighty which does almightily; to cal power glorious, which doth gloriouſly.—according to his glorious power, &c.
1 Love leades to this; Juſtice 2. bindes to this, to give to God that which is due to his Name; to give to power, that which is due to power; to put titles ſuitable to ſtate. Give unto the Lord the glory due to his name ſaith the Pſalmiſt, that is, to admire and call power as it is, and as it does, in Chriſtians and for Chriſtians: to call power glorious is but due, when it does glorious things; the Apoſtle ſo apprehended, that when he ſpake of power as working at ſuch an height, at an almighty height for the carrying the ſoule thorough the worſt that might come, that he was bound to call it glorious power. Vaine man would be wiſe though he be as the wild Aſſe, Colt, ſaid he to Job, that is, he would be accounted wiſe, and called wiſe though a foole, though of no more wiſdome then an Aſſe, then an Aſſe Colt, the ſillieſt of Aſſes: vaine man would be accounted that which hee is not, and have more then his due to him, but 'tis not ſo with GOD; he would have no man call him what he is not, or any thing he does, what it is not; but as he is, and as hee does. Tell Pharaoh I am that I am; as he ſees me doe and worke, ſo let him call me and no otherwiſe; as men ſee me and feele me, my power, my glory and the like, ſo let them call it and me.—Srengthened with al-might according to his [glorious power, &c.
Ʋſe. Love leades to this, juſtice binds to this, and yet I feare I ſhall not finde ſo much favour for Chriſt from every one, as to obey this doctrine. A glorious power wrought in and by Chriſt and yet the Scribes and Phariſes would not acknowledge it, but blaſpemed all. They would not call Chriſt, Chriſt; GOD, GOD; though convinced he was ſo; but called GOD a divell; and the power which wrought in him, by him, and for him, a Diabolicall power, and thus continued blaſpheming glorious power, the moſt glorious power that ever wrought: So did Jannes and Jambres, the power which wrought by Moſes.
This generation is alive againe; alive and luſty in this Land at this day. Divine power workes gloriouſly in the hearts and hands of Chriſtians, yet will not manie wretches acknowledge it, but deride it, blaſpheme it, make head againſt it, as a power of the devill: Never did divine power worke more gloriouſly in the hearts and hands of Engliſh Chriſtians then at this day and yet never leſſe acknowledged, nor more oppoſed; what ſpeaking, what plotting now by curſed ſpirits, againſt glorious power, wiſdome, and love that ſtirs in the people of GOD? Men care not what they ſay of our GOD, nor what they doe againſt thoſe in and by whom hee workes. Men will not ſee Chriſt in Chriſtians, nor Chriſt for Chriſtians, but Chriſt wil make them ſee and feele both.
When the heart is naught tis full of ſhifts, ſuch men will attribute all that is done, to any thing rather then to that they ſhould, then to divine power, and call that glorious. The Syrians attribute that to Hills which they ſhould have attributed to GOD, for which Divine power wrought bloudily againe, more bloudily then before that they might acknowledge God, and call his power as it was, glorious. Thus ſaith the Lord becauſe the Syrians have ſaid, The Lord is God of the Hilles, but not of the Vallies, therefore will J deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and yee ſhall know that I am the Lord. 1 Kings 20.28. wretched men will call Hilles ſtrong, houſes ſtrong any thing ſtrong and mighty but God. The working of Divine power in the hearts and hands of Chriſtians ſo lately and ſo gloriouſly at Kenton I much doubt whether the wicked will acknowledge to be the power of GOD againſt them, and call it as it wrought, a glorious power. Divine power therefore ſhall worke againe and againe, more bloudily then at Kenton til they be made to call it a glorious power which workes in the hearts and hands of GODS people. Their blindneſſe and madneſſe is our affliction and their damnation, let's put one againſt t'other to eaſen our burdens as we may.
O when will Engliſh Papiſts and Atheſts, call the power of GOD which works in the hearts and hands of Engliſh Chriſtians, a glorious power? [his] glorious power? When will they confeſſe, that they are ſtrengthened with all might according to [is] glorious power? men of almighty hearts and hands, by the power of an almighty GOD? When will Balaam alight and turne his horſe, and confeſſe a glittering glorious Power of GOD againſt him? When will he ingeniouſly ſay, I cannot curſe but bleſſe altogether Engliſh Chriſtians, ſuch a glorious power of GOD workes in their hearts and bands? Naughty hearts have their ſhifts, and they have their ſinnes: pride cannot call that power glorious, which is againſt it. A proud perſon cannot acknowledge that povver glorious, which ſhames him. A proud heart is a deadly plague, ſuch a man will rather die, then lay downe his Weapons to GOD; than acknowledge himſelfe too vveake for glorious povver. O what a nothing is man! What a worſe then nothing is a wicked man! And yet what a ſomething! What a all! What a ſome thing above all, doth he think himſelfe!
No Land ſurely, hath more guilty wretches of diſobedience, to this doctrin I have in hand, then England. What land hath ſuch deſperate unacknowledgers of divine power, of ſuch glorious divine power as we have? Had the glorious and mighty power which workes in the hearts and hands of Chriſtians in England, wrought ſo in the ſight of Turkes and Americans, how would they have adored it, and glorifyed it! what hardened Wretches are ſinners againſt the glorious povver, vvhichwhich vvorkes in the light of the Goſpell above all others! Let all men know this and feare, that as power is abuſed ſo 'twill right it ſelfe within and without. Glorious power abuſed, will right it ſelfe gloriouſly. That glorious povver vvhichwhich vvorkes in the hearts and hands of Chriſtians in England abuſed, blaſphemed, as many doe, vvill harden and cut off vvith a vvitneſſe; 'tvvill turne men into Divells, and Divells into Hell apace. Divine povver ſtumbled againſt vvill throvv men, but Chriſt and his povver ſcofft at and blaſphemed, vvill fall upon men and grind them to duſt; and yet this is the practice of our Enemies. Let us be patient they fight againſt themſelves vvith their tongues, more then vve can doe vvith our hands, by blaſpheming that vvhichwhich they ſhall bee for'ct to ſtoop unto.
That vvhichwhich the vvicked vvill not doe lies the more upon us, a neceſſary vvork vvill elſe fall quite to the ground. You have ſeene how divine power hath wrought, in the hearts and hands of our brethren abroad, in Gods Cauſe, call it as 'tis; a glorious power. The almighty hath ſtrengthened them within and without, according to his glorious power; call it ſo. He raiſed and ſtrengthened the ſpirit of Scotland to reſiſt to bloud, againſt bloudy wretches that would have deſtroyed both them & us: his power is a glorious power. He hath raiſed and ſtrengthened the ſpirit of England to reſiſt to bloud, againſt their bloudy enemeis and ours too; againſt all the baſe bloudy body of many Kingdomes combin'd: his power is a glorious power. He hath ſtrengthened the hearts and hands of Chriſtians at Hull, at Portſmouth, at Coventry, at Warwick, in the City, in the Field, and made them victorious; His power is a glorious power. Bloud, much good bloud is fallen, and yet much riſen up againe: men have hearts, to ſet their feete in the place of the dead, to die againe, that Chriſt may never die: His power a is glorious power. He hath made the ſpirits of Nobles, Noble; the ſpirits of Gentlemen, noble; the ſpirits of Tradeſ-men, yea, the ſpirit of Plow-men, noble; City and Country, noble: all England (for ſo I account the Parliament) reſolved to live and die with truth: his power which worketh in them and us, is a glorious power.
This is ſpoken in the generall. I would have every one of you in particular, to take notice what power works in and by you and call it as it works. Are yee ſelfe-condemned? call that a convincing power. Are your hearts prickt and wounded? call that a terrible power. Are your hearts inflam'd with love to Chriſt? call that a glorious power. Divine power condemning, executing, to wit, torturing, muſt be look't to betimes. 'Tis time to ſhake off ſin, when hell is come home; come into a mans ſoule, ere the ſoule be gon out of the body. A power working meerly convictive, is a ſad and black, not a glorious power. Such a man ſhould know that life and death are neere him: he may live or he may die, as he ſtoopes to that power which hath ſeis'd upon his ſoule. Where power works meerely convictive, that man is endited for his life; if he can believe he will doe well; if not his wounds will bleed to death. No power workes ſo black and ſad in the ſoule, but faith alters it and makes it a glorious power. The goings of God in the ſoule are ſuited to faith ſtill. Believe O ſelfe condemned ſoule and thou ſhall ſee the glory of God; a glorious power working in thee. Out of faith, ſprings love; out of love, Heaven; Heaven felt, and then, and not till then, a Chriſtian calles the power that workes in him a glorious power: all is glorious, in Heaven. The ſoule quickly calles power as it feeles it worke, and very hardly otherwiſe. Wee call the Sun glorious, when we ſee it and feele it, ſmiling, warming, & …omforting of us. Other celeſtiall powers which blow; blaſt, nip and pinch, we call not glorious powers. Power is glorious, and confeſſed glorious, as it does it's moſt glorious works in the heart. Chriſtians yee are too far from Heaven, to call the Sun glorious: too few glorious works in you, to call power glorious. Were ye ſtrengthened with all might, ye could not but (as the Apoſtle here doth) call power glorious.
FINIS.