Gods Waiting to be Gracious Unto His People, Sermon · Part 3
Six Cautions.
FIrst it may be, 1. Caution.some may object when they have viewed these Encouragements, and say they do not see any such infallible assurance in them; they do not lay in any such unquestionable security and evidence that God will do England good, but that for all that hath been spoken, the Clouds may returne againe after raine, and we may live to see as black and dismall dayes as ever England saw since it was a Nation! And do I deny it? did I undertake such a worke as to lay in infallible assurances? unquestionable security? Page 52.remember therefore that as I told you in my addresment to this worke, I undertooke not to hold forth demonstrations unto you, but Encouragements, I profest not to speake in the language of divine Revelation, but of modest and awfull observation; not by spirit of prophesie but of powerfull and humble conjecture, while I have desired and endeavoured to compare spiritual things with spiritual; the out-goings of God in those remarkeable passages of wonder and compassion in the latter dayes, with the presidents and methods of his providence toward his Church and people in former ages, and the character of the promises on record for that very purpose in holy Scripture! Rom. 15.4.Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. On which observation while I fix mine eye and consider the sweet and beautifull proportions they hold one to another, me thinkes I see as in an optick glasse, the Lord in his glorious apparrell, travelling towards England in the greatnesse of his strength mighty to save, Isai. 36.1.making the very earth tremble under him. However the caution is I professe not to make this discovery by the eye of inspiration, but of hopefull observation. The wayes of God are in the Clouds, and his paths in the deep waters; who hath known the mind of the Lord or who hath been his counsellor, &c? As therefore those reverend Divines who did for many yeares together (till of very late dayes) with one lip foretell of an hour of temptation, wrath and fearfull desolation hastning upon England, did not do it by vertue of a spirit of prophesie, or immediate revelation, (with Jonas) thereby laying a fatall and peremptory necessity upon their predictions (which had been to great a presumption, and an high breach of divine prerogative) but meerly out of a sad and serious observation, of the dangerous and almost desperate height, to which all manner of sin was sweld in the Kingdome; and other direfull symptomes of divine displeasure upon us, the diversion whereof hitherto is not therefore to be accounted an argument of any spirit of errour and precipitancy in them, but meerely as a demonstration and monument of Gods free-grace, and prerogative royall, reserving to himself liberty to spare when and whom he pleaseth, though lying under most eminent guilt and danger; So have I presumed to hold out these arguments of reviving hopes and comforts to you and the whole Kingdome; not as revelations of unchangeable certainty, but as probable fore-runners of approaching salvation, the dawning of the most glorious and happy times that ever England saw, upon which if God should yet command the black clouds of dismaying feares and dangers to returne againe, who can doubt that (though these considerations breath warrantable and sweet consolation) yet God should be able to give a justifying accompt of his dealings to all the world, and England finde cause enough to lay her hand to her mouth, to be ashamed and confounded before the Lord.
And therefore the second Caution must be to cry a take-heed in every mans eare how they suffer these Encouragements to hearten them in wayes of sinne and sinfull security. 2 Caution.I cast in these grounds of comfort that I might strengthen the hands of your faith not of your lusts, to the end that you might apply your selves to all the duties which God and the times call for with diligence and chearfullnesse; Heb. 6.11.12. 1 Cor. 7.32.35.It being the great law of all that Christian security which Christ hath purchased for and dispenseth to his people, in any kind or branch thereof, that they may attend upon the Lord without distraction. Surely I have seene men with their hands upon their loynes, and feares taking hold upon them as panges upon a woman in travell; Ezek. 37.11.while they have seemd to cry out as the Jewes in captivity, Our bones are dried and our hope is lost, we are cut off for our parts. We have seen our best dayes. &c. Had these feares been onelyonly wakening fears I should have held my peace and rejoiced, but when I observed to be (in too many) weakning distracting fears, I conceived it time with Gods mediums to serve Gods command; To strengthen the weake hands, and to confirme the feeble knees, Isai. 35.3.4.5.by saying to them that are of a fearfull heart, be strong fear not, behold your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence he will come and save you. For this you may take as an infallible rule, whatsoever unfits a man for service is a temptation.
That fear which unfits for any duty of the generall or particular calling, ordinary or extraordinary; for spiritual or natural defence or service is from Satan not from God. And therefore study the law of this blessed hope whereinto we are enlarged by the outstretched arme of our God, that it may not be an occasion unto you to dispirit your hope into wantonnesse and security. There is a proverb; It is pitty faire weather should do any harme.
Oh, it is a thousand pitties (my brethrem) that these faire hopes which God hath given us of Gospel-sunshine-times should encourage any one to be lesse good or active for God than they were in times of feares and dangers; (there is an angry question) God askes. Iorem. 7.9, 10.Will ye steale, murder, and commit adultery and sweare falsly &c. And come and stand in this house which is called by my name, and say, we are delivered to do all these abominations? e.i. in a word, do you think that I have delivered you from captivitie, that you may live as you list? dare you thinke such a thought much lesse dare you speak such a word?
Oh, take heed of such carnall reasoning with your selves; we are not so farr out of Gods hands and sight but that if God see us making such base conclusions upon those pretious premisses, he can easily bring us back againe into our old bondage and slavery; Levit. 26.yea and plague us yet seven times more for our sinnes; gracious spirits will blush at the thoughts of such unworthynesse. And after all this is come upon us for our evill deeds, and for our great trespasse, Ezra. 9.13, 14.seing our God hath punnished us lesse than our iniquities deserve, and hath given us such deliverance as this: Should we againe breake thy commandements, &c?
There is so much unthankfullnesse and disingenuity in such an entertaynment of mercy, that holy Ezra thinks Heaven and Earth would be asham'd of it, should we? were that done like children, like servants, like men, like any thing but unnaturall monsters, would not all the world cry shame on us? to render good for evil is divine, to render good for good is humane, to render evill for evill is brutish, but to render evill for good that is divelish: Love is a laborious grace, Heb. 6.10.faith is a working grace, & hope is a diligent grace, and therefore we desire that every one of you may shew the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope unto the end. Oh if God might see us upon these ground-workes of hope building up resolves for holynesse, all our expectations of mercy, running out (as they did in David) into streames of praise and service; We might have our hearts desire and God would delight to see us prosper; observe and remember this, Psalm. 105.45.the end of all the wonders which God wrought for Israel when he brought them out of Egypt was, that they might observe his statutes and keep his lawes.
The third Caution followes. 3. Caution.Study and improve your encouragements to the uttermost, make as much as you can of them: The arguments of hope which I have presented before you are of three sorts; sc. such as lie in two causes, our selves, in God.
As for the first sort of arguments, namely those which lie in the Creature in outward meanes and visible advantages; stand not gazing too much upon them, lay not too much waight of confidence upon them, least you be not onelyonly crost but cursed in your expectation; for thus saith the Lord, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arme.
There is not onelyonly a Crosse but a Curse attending upon Carnall confidence; and the reason is, because so much as a man trusts in the creature, so much he doth distrust God; and so it followes, whose heart departeth from the Lord, looke in what degree the heart cleaveth to the second cause, in such a degree the heart departeth from the living God: and God must needs take that in high indignation to see himselfe thrust downe and the creature set up in his place; to see the creature made a God, Three waies of making flesh our arme.and God made but as a creature. And this is done; First, either by sitting downe in a faithles and sullen discontent and dispaire when wee can see no second causes come into our succour in our streights and exigences; or secondly by rising up into a corkie frothy confidence, when we discover (as we think) sufficient forces and strengths of the creature marching towards us. And lastly, when by them our designes are acted and accomplished, we stand gazing upon the beauty, strength and wisdome of the creature, and fall… downe in our adoring and admiring thoughts before the creature, and putting the crowne of honour and praise upon the head of the creature, passe by God either with a neglective, or with but a superficiall observance, as if God came in but collaterally and accidentally into the businesse, and the creature had the prime and the maine and the overpowering stroke in the matter: doth not this making of flesh our arme highly merit, that God should wither that arme (with Jeroboams) and leave us to pine a way in our transgressions and Idolatry? To prevent this Idolatry in the Jewes, therefore God by his Prophets did acquaint them alwayes before hand what he meant to do, whether it were in a way of judgement or of mercy. I have from the beginning declared it to thee, Isai. 48.5.before it came to passe, I shewed it thee: least thou shouldest say, mine Idoll hath done them? &c. And truly so hath the wisdome of God methodized all his workes of wonder and love towards England, (as I hauehave formerly observed) by such an immediate and visible ducture of his own hand; that England also might not say mine Idoll hath done it; my King or my Parliament, my Armies or my Navie hath done it, Yea God hath made us smart for our former Idolatry already: It hath been the miscarrying wombe of Englands undertakings these many yeares; I am confident it was our carnall confidence that tooke off the King of Sweden, and some of our brave Commanders in Ireland (of late) in the mid'st of triumphant victories.
And therefore now after all this if we shall let downe our hands when second causes should hide their heads, or lift up our hearts in carnall confidence when we see our selves competently fenc't and guarded with creature-munition, or sacrifice to our owne nets, and burne incence to our draggs when God hath fil'd them with a greater draught of deliverance than formerly, if we shall say Net well held, Dragge thou wast wisely cast and strongly drawne, this was a brave pull indeed, we shall adde impudence and Idolatry to our confidence and pull the curse upon our heads with twisted guilt and indignation.
Oh therefore let us now study this seasonable and saveing lesson. scil. to use meanes and trust God, yea God alone, God alone; they trust not God at all that trust not God alone. He that stands with one foot upon a rock and another foote upon a quicksand will sinke and perish as certainly as he that stands with both feet on the quicksand, because the waight of his body which he rests on one foot, will draw down the rest of the body after it into the swallowing sands, and therefore happie they that can say of God with David, Psal. 62.2.5.6.he is only my rock and my salvation, He is my defence, wait thou only upon God, my soul, surely such an one shall not greatly be moved, moved he may be by violence of stormes, but not removed, moved a litle, but not greatly be moved.
And surely this is the least returne that God expects for all the wonders he hath wrought for us, that all the dear and seasonable experiments of his wisdom power and faithfulnesse should prevaile with us to say, Psal. 130.5.6.I wait for the Lord, my soule doth wait, in his word do I hope; we and our souls; a full and entire rolling our selves upon God is the least, and yet the best we can render to the Lord for all the sweet experiments of his faithfullnesse and all-sufficiencie. In a word the the summe of this branch of the caution is this,
Take heed of laying more upon the backe of the creature than it is able to bear; they that beleeve, because they see, live not by faith but by sence; Blessed are they that have not seene, and yet beleeve; that have learned to live upon God alone. He dies a thousands deaths whose life and comfort is bound in the dying creature; he lives indeed who lives in him to whom alwaies is essentiall.
Secondly As for those arguments that lie within your selves labour to strengthen them by adding as the Apstle counsels one grace to another, 2 Pet. 1.5.and one degree of grace to another, to your compassion, prayer, and to prayer faith, and to faith unanimity, and to unanimity magnanimity, and to magnanimity hungring after the meanes of grace; and to hunger profession, and to profession power, and purity in your conversations. These you know were some of those discoveries which spake sweet hopes and confidence that God will do us good; verse 8.11.and truly I may go on with the Apostle if these things be in you and abound, as they will make you that you shall be neither barren nor unfruitfull in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, so also (hereby) an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly, even into this Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, which we humbly expect and pray for, for so the glorious pure times of the Gospel are called, Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.Matth. 3.2.
Oh that every one would give all diligence to nourish and strengthen these arguments within you that whereas they do but whisper as yet, they may at length speake loud and visible hopes to all the world that Englands redemption is drawing nigh; I would have every one to blesse God for any good newes they here from the Parliament, or from Ireland, or from any other place; but (brethren) I would have you study and prize one argument in your owne bosomes, more than an hundred from abroad in those reports which we call good newes: if these be wanting and neglected within, the best newes cannot speake much comfort to us without; They reason sweetly and strongly that can inferre the Churches conclusion, Lord thou wilt ordaine peace for us from the Churches premisses, Isai. 26.12.For thou hast wrought all our works in us; Thou hast wrought in us a spirit of compassion, prayer, faith, unanimity, magnanimity, thou hast given us hearts to prize the meanes and to improve the means to desire the power as well as the form of godlinesse &c. and therefore we know Thou wilt ordaine peace for us.
O study (beloved Christians) to be arguments as well as to have arguments: that as the Apostle speaks in another case you might be ready alwaies to give an answere to every man that asketh you a reason even of this Hope (that we now speake of from within you) with meeknesse and feare. Oh, that whosoever sees us might say there bee reall and living testimonies that God will doe England good: especially take care to strengthen among your selves one evidence which will be as seasonable and as impregnable as any of the rest, and that is unanimity, that same onenes which God hath begun to powre out upon both Houses of Parliament; upon Citie and Country, and upon Christians between themselves: indeed for the divisions of Reuben there have been great thoughts & searchings of heart; the division of our House began to speake in a dreadfull language that we could not stand long; but God hath begun to powre out a spirit of healing upon our breaches; and of closure upon our wounds: Oh, grieve not this spirit, make much of it I beseech you as you tender Englands good. So much the rather because it hath been the cursed policy and practise of those who act by that maxime divide & impera, to thrust in Sampsons Foxes among us with firebrands in their tailes; and it is the wonder of Gods mercy, and an argument he intends good unto us, that this City as other parts of the Kingdome bath not been set on fire by such divelish stratagems long before this time (the Lord humble and forgive the Actors in this endeavoured combustions that knew not what they did.) There is a Spirit of seduction and division gone out into the midst of the land: Oh, England take heed of it, Rom. 16.17.and marke them that cause divisions and offences, and avoid them: factors they be for Rome and hell; Priests and Jesuits cannot doe that service for Antichrist which these men do, the Lord rebuke them; and send out that Spirit of truth and unity, that may teach all the people of the Land from one end thereof to another to think, speak, & do the same things, even the things that make for our safety and Reformation.
If we be once divided, we shall not be long unconquered; if they once divide us among our selves, it will not be long but they will divide us between themselves. If England would study to be a Philadelphia, that Brotherly love might abound among us, Revel. 3.7.8.9.it would be a sweet securing pledge that the dore which God hath set open before us, no man (no, not any divel) should shut it, and that God would make our hypocriticall lying enemies, that say, they are Christians, and are not, that say, they are Protestants, and are not, but doe lye, come and worship before our feete, and to know that he hath loved us. But then (brethren) in the third place for those arguments of Hope which lie in God, sc. in Gods works already done; and Gods Name and Honour, make much of them I beseech you, for in them lies Englands strength. It is true one evidence within us is better than ten without in the second causes; but one Argument in God is worth a thousand in our selves. Thou hast, and therefore thou wilt, or therefore doe Lord, is an argument David and other of Gods Remembrancers make plentiful use of in Scriptures. Psal. 85.1.2.3.4.5.Gods Names and Honour are arguments of that waight that they are able to prize up a Church, State, or cause that were sunke beneath their owne foundations: able to bring backe life and spirit into kingdomes and men and undertakings, which in the eye of sence and reason had given up the ghost. What wilt thou doe for thy great Name? Josh. 7.9.And Lord though our iniquities testifie against us, Jer. 14.7.doe thou it for thy Names sake. Psal. 79.9.Helpe us O God of our Salvation for the glory of thy Name, and deliver us, and purge away our sins for thy Names sake.
These and the like, a thousand whereof I could set before you, are arguments of such authority, that they do as it were binde Gods hands, and command him who is Almighty: They are not onelyonly of an insinuating, but Commanding power, and surely therefore they that could take these arguments, and with them wrestle with God in the behalfe of the Kingdome, as Jacob did with the Angell, might doe God and the Kingdome Knights service, and instead of a Jacob be Knighted Israel, to whom it was said; Gen. 32.Thy Name shall be no more called Jacob, but Israel, for as a Prince thou hast power with God, and hast prevailed. But if you would doe so, be sure (my brethren) that your hearts and spirits be carried out with sincere aimes and respects to the glory of the Name of God; see I beseech you, that you plead Joshuahs argument with Joshuahs spirit; Davids motives with Davids mind; remembring what Jacob said to his mother when she taught him how to get the birthright; My Father peradventure will feele me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver, Gen. 27.12.and I shall bring a curse upon me and not a blessing. We may say without all peradventure, our Heavenly Father will feele us; (for he searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts) and if hee finde us but complementing with his Majesty when we use these arguments, if he finde us pretending his ends, 1 Cor. 28.9.when we intend only our own; pretending his Name and his glory, when we minde onelyonly our own advantages; we shall seem to him as deceivers, and instead of a blessing bring a curse upon our selves, kingdome and posterity. Whereas if God saw us pleading his Honour and Glory with ingenuous and child-like breathings of spirit; if God saw indeed our eyes and hearts were more fixt upon his glory than our owne concernements, he could not chuse but take it well at our hands; and work not onelyonly for his owne Name but for our comforts, not only above our merit, but beyond our very prayers and expectations. It is the ingenuity of Saints in all their desired and expected mercies to studie Gods ends more than their own; choise and excellent spirits are more taken up with thoughts what they shall doe for God, than what they shall receive from God, and are more troubled when any thing crosseth God, than when any thing crosseth themselves; and in both drown all selfe respects in the glory of God.
David was a man of such a spirit; in mercies begd, he minds God more than himselfe; and therefore doth not only eye Gods praises in or with his deliverances: O prepare mercy and truth which may preserve me, so will I sing praise unto thy Name, Psal. 61.7.8.(and a thousand such like) but overlooking, and as it were, forgetting his owne deliverances, solaceth himselfe in the expectation of an opportunity of praising God. I shall yet praise him, not I shall yet be delivered and so praise him; but I shall praise him, he singled out Gods praises from all his own concernments, and in the mid'st of evils rejoyceth in the hope of a day of thanksgiving.
And so in evils feared, Gods dishonour affects and afflicts him more than his owne sufferings. Doe I not hate them O Lord, Psal. 42.5.11.that hate thee, and am I not grieved with them that rise up against thee? They rose vp against David and the Church, as well as against God, yet Gods sufferings stirs up his affection of grief and hatred more than his own, yea, this perfected his holy passion: I hate them with a perfect hatred. True grace raiseth the soule above all selfe respects, and resteth not till it have wrought it selfe up to the highest and chiefest end, and surely it loseth nothing by it, for its best being is in God the best of beings, as the sparke is best in the fire, and the drop in the Ocean; there they live and are the same with the whole, separated, they dye and perish. If wee begin with our selves, yet let us end in God; if God bee so gracious as to give us leave to respect our owne good, let us not be so ungracious as give our hearts leave not to respect his glory: if we cannot make it our only, yet let us our chiefest, our highest, our ultimate aime in all our desirings, that God may be glorified. Surely if God saw us thus indeed studying his share more than our owne, wee might have what wee would, and God even thinke himselfe beholding to us. But so much for the third Caution, I come now to the fourth.4 Caution.
Let it be every ones wisdome and care to provide for whatsoever God may intend to doe with us: and brethren it is no great matter what ever God will doe with us so we be provided for it; as no mercy will doe us good if we be not provided for it; so no misery can doe us harme if we be prepared to meet it: It is unpreparednes only that laies us open to all disadvantages. Wherefore prepare to meet thy God O Sion, Amos 4.12.whether he come in peace or in war, in mercy, or in judgement, prepare to meet him: if you be not prepared for war, you are not prepared for peace, you are not fit for a Reformation unlesse you are prepared for a desolation; they that are fit for one are fit for both, and they that are not prepared for both are not prepared for either, what God is doing we cannot certainly divine; but certain it is, God is doing no ordinarie thing in our daies. If it be a judgement it will be such an one as was threatned against Eli's house, at which both the eare of every one that heareth it shall tingle, 1 Sam. 3.11.and if it be a mercy, a deliverance, it will be such an one as shall (as it were) make all Gods former works of mercy and wonder to be forgotten; such an one as shall shadow and obscure all the former monuments of his power and wisdome, as the Sunne doth the Starres when it ariseth: so that it shall not be said in that day, Jer. 16.14.The Lord liveth which brought up the Children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, or the Lord liveth which saved England from the Spanish Invasion in 88. when the proude waves threatned to goe over our Soule, or the Lord liveth which snatcht us as a brand out of the middest of the fire, and was seen walking in the middest of the flames, of the hellish powder plot (November the 5th. 1605.) So that not an haire of our head was scorcht or our coate singed: but the Lord liveth that did thus and thus for England, a poore perishing helplesse hopelesse England, when there was but a step between them and destruction: we shall and must want a Title for it, till the Mercy it selfe make one. And truly it is most likely God is doing both these works of wonder, wherein Righteousnesse and Truth shall meet together, Justice and mercy shall kisse each other, let every one looke to which he belongeth; and now bestirre themselves to purpose to make peace, to enter into covenant, to cleer evidences, to worke our salvation with feare and trembling. Blessed are the people that thus labour to prepare themselves to meet with God. Rom. 8.28.Thy safety lies not so much in what God will doe with the Kingdome, as in being prepared for it what ever it is. All things shall worke together for the best to them that love God: Make this out upon warrantable evidence that thou lovest God, and trust God with the rest, what ever he doth shall be in reference to thy best and everlasting advantage.
The fifth Caution may be as usefull, 5 Caution.and that is Give not your hopes and your cause for lost, though it should seeme to loose ground as fast as ever it gain'd it.
There was never any great deliverance set on foot but it met with many and almost desperate setbacks before it was compleated, you see the beginning of Israels deliverance out of captivity, was the doubling of their bondage, how did that deliverance hover up and downe between hopes and fears good newes to day; oh Pharaoh sayes we shall goe; he hath confest his follie, Moses and Aaron are men of reckoning at court, Pharaoh calls for their prayers sure now we shall be delivered; to morrow as bad newes, Pharaoh is of another minde, as far off as ever from Israels departure; he is desperately resolved upon the matter, They shall not goe, he sayes, what ever come on it, but speaks big, Exod. 10.10.curses, threatnes them, it is well if they might remain in Egypt with their lives. Well but he melts again and againe, confesseth his sinne, vers. 16.17.begs pardon and prayers but this one time; surely now we shall off say the Israelites one to another, &c. but alas this fair weather lasts not long, the clouds returne after rain, new storms arise, Pharaoh hardens againe, Moses and Aaron are driven out of the Court gates, and must never come thither againe upon paine of death; vers. 28.Alas now they seeme further off from deliverance than ever, the meanes of negotiating their enlargement is obstructed; as long as Moses might be admitted into the presence chamber, some hope in the matter, but now banish't the Court, Pharaohs eare lockt up from him, there is little probability left that ever this worke will come to any thing.
In a word (brethren) looke how nany plagues there were, so many seeming desperate setbacks to the work; and when they thought themselves loose and well onward in their way, then they see the greatest danger following them, and treading even upon their heels; not onelyonly to be brought back againe into their former & greater bondage than ever (that would have seem'd a mercy in Israels eyes) but even to be cut off and slaine every mothers child of them in the wildernesse by the sword of Pharaoh and his Egyptians. You may follow this deliverance through it's story and journey of forty years long, & see it travelling up and downe backward and forward, somtimes advanced pretty well for many dayes journey together; and then fetching such a compasse that they were reduced some steps backwarder, then from whence they formerly set forward.
The building of the Temple in Ezras and Nehemiahs time, how was it off and on, begun and staid. set forward, and then throwne as it were quite off from the thinges againe. Hos. 1.7.Judah hath a promise of mercy and salvation from God, I will have mercy upon the house of Judah and will save them by their Lord their God: And yet before this salvation was accomplisht they were brought under greivous oppressions and Captivity.
Yea, what shall I say the greatest and most glorious worke that ever was, the deliverance and redemtion of the world, though carried on not by man but by the Sonne of God, God and man, was encountred with mighty oppositions, (and one would think) irrecoverable set-backs, in so much as it was brought to this strait and bottome; that the Disciples themselves began to give it for a lost designe; Luke 24.21.But we trusted it had been he that should have redeemed Israel, &c. we trusted it had, implying that now they were out of hope. Acts 7. Acts 15.37.38.39. Acts 27.This is not the man, this is not the time; It was so in the planting of the Gospel; The stoning of Steven. The falling out of Paul and Barnabas. The sending of Paul prisoner to Rome; These and the like were in the eye of rationall probability, such disadvantages and obstructions to the propagating of the Gospel that one would have thought it could hardly ever have recovered these hinderances.
In a word it was never otherwise, it hath been so already with this truly good and honorable worke in hand, and we may yet looke that it may be reduced to a lower ebbe than ever it was yet; wherein we complaine with Hez…kiah, the children are come to the birth and there is not strength to bring forth.
And yet here is our mistake and (by vertue thereof) our misery, that when such a worke as this is on foote, and hath been carried on a while with prosperous gales, we thinke it must be advanced still with proportionable progresses; it will surely go on alone and meet with no rubbs, and therefore when crosse winds blow hard, and tempests beat vehemently upon it, which it may be doth not retard the progresse only but drives the designe backward many leagues and degrees by which it had been formerly advanced; our hearts fail us, feares and jealousies arise and we begin to conclude we are at the furthest; just like Peter though God have caused us to walke on the waters, and carry us over deepe and dangerous passages, Seas of trouble and opposition, yet if a wave do arise but a little higher than the rest, we begin to sink and cry out, Master save us, we perish, and well if no worse, perhaps in stead of crying out with Peter to Christ, with the Israelites in the wildernesse, we cry out ene to another, murmur against our leaders, charge them with exposing the congregation of the Lord to ruine and slaughter; and wish we had never attempted a departure out of captivity. Oh, God hath heard some such language amongst us, and is angry, 14.11.and me thinks I hear him questioning concerning us in his jealousie. How long will this people provoke me, how long will it be ere they beleeve me for all the signes which I have shewed them? well, Psal.let us chide our selves out of our frowardnesse and unbeliefe as David did, Zech.Let us provoke our selves to beleeve and wait on God till he arise up to the prey, or else (as Joab told David) I professe it will be worse than all the evills that befell us from our youth untill now.2 Sam. 19.7.
And therefore for your encouragement observe that this is Gods way and method to carry on the deliverances of his Church and people through mighty oppositions and desperate disadvantages. Yea not onelyonly through them but by them; God makes all these mighty oppositions and crosse turnings which seeme to be obstructions and set-backs, to be so many advantages and advancements to his designes to bring them forth with more fullnesse, perfection and glory.
Let Saint Paul speak in the behalfe of all the rest; heare him reasoning the matter with his Philippians: You think (saith he) that my voyage to Rome and my imprisonment there hath beene a prejudice to the cause, and a setback to the preaching and entertainement of the Gospell; I tell you (saith he) you are out, you are infinitely mistaken. I would have you understand brethren, Phil. 1.12.13.14.that the things which have happened unto mee have fallen out to the furtherance of the Gospell: nothing ever fell out more to the advantage of the Gospels plantation, than that journey of mine to Rome, and hee tels them in the two next verses wherein; many in Nero's Court and other places in Rome and else where came to the knowledge of Jesus Christ by this means, his sufferings begot some converts at court; the Saints hee mentions in Cesars household, Phil. 4.22. and more in the Citie; Pauls imprisonment was Romes seed time of the Gospell: others by Saint Pauls courage and zeale tooke confidence both to Preach and Suffer for the Gospell of Jesus Christ.
The enemies of God when they cannot conquer would faine Compound: Pharaoh will let some goe not all; Tobias and Sanballat they would build with Nehemiah and Ezra if they could not hinder the worke yet the bewty and glory of it. The divell was content that Christ should have been scourged and so let goe free; August. &c. Matth. 27.19.for so some Divines think Pilats Wives dream was from the divell, thereby to have hindered the worke of Redemption by this composition. But when God hath a work to doe, hee will not endure any lowe and unworthy accomodations; to which his people for peace sake are too too ready to subscribe; and therefore God hardens the heart of the enemy to oppose, lets then attempt high and desperate resolutions, thereby to heighten the spirits and steele the courage of his people, that so hee may bring them and the worke off with full and perfect satisfaction to them, and honour and renowne to his own Name.
I am almost confident that whensoever God indeed delivers England, wee must be at such a losse as that we shall give all for a lost cause, and then when hee seeth our strength is gone, Now will I rise (saith the Lord) now will I be exalted, now will I lift up my selfe.
The sixth and last Caution is, 4 Caution.Thinke not the Reformation and mercy we Hope and Pray for, a deare bargain whatsoever it cost; hitherto it hath been the cheapest deliverance that ever people had since the world stood, and it is not too much or too hard for God to carry the rest on upon the same termes; It would bee the wonder of Ages if it should bee so, but if not, doe not think, I beseech you, that God deales hardly with us, The Churches in all ages have not onelyonly wept but sweat and fought and bled for their deliverances witnesse that maxime: The blood of the Marters is the seed of the Gospell. The seed times of the Churches peace and reformation have been wet and dropping, but the Harvests have made amends with glorious Sun-shines; Psal. 126.5.6.They have sowne in teares, but they have reapt in joy, yea, they have not sown in tears only but in blood also, but either themselves or their posterity have reapt in the greater joy for it: Joh. 4.37.one generation soweth, and another reapeth. The Martyrs in Queen Maries daies have sowne, and we have reapt; they did sowe in teares and blood; and we for above these fourescore yeers have reapt in marveilous joy: Oh let us not think much if it come to our turne to sow now in teares and bloud; for if either wee or our children may reape the harvest of a powerfull Gospell, pure Ordinances, Pastors and worship according to Gods own heart, it will bee a glorious recompence of reward: who would think such a recovery too deer of silver, gold, estates, livelihood and lives and all, 1 Pet. 1.18.18.when as the first purchase of them was not with corruptible things, as silver and gold; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot?
I tell you the Gospell and Gospels priviledges for which we contend; the Sonne of God himselfe in our natures was content not onelyonly to fast and pray for them, but to weepe and sweat, and conflict and bleed, and dye for them. Ah what is an Ocean of our blood to one droppe of his? The best blood that runnes in our veines is tainted with bastardy and treason; if we will not lose it for Christ and his Gospell, Jude 3. foreign sig To contend in fighting, to conflict one after onother.we may lose it, and Christ and his Gospell; and that will bee a losse indeed; if wee will not lose it in Love, we may lose it in wrath; if we will not lose it to serve a command, contend for the faith (others have done it before you, contend, or conflict you after them, for so the word imports; and if we will not doe it to inherit the promise, [whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall finde it] we may lose it to suffer a curse and fulfill a threatning, Marth. 16.25.(in the same place) whosoever will save his life shall lose it. The book of Martyrs gives us some sad instances of the execution of this threatning in some; who being afraid to burne for Christ at the stake, were in a few daies after burnt in their beds, and others who would not lay downe their lives for the Gospell, had shortly after their lives taken from them by a hand of divine justice.
Our Brethren in Ireland are dolefull witnesses, who obeying an unlawfull command of contributing to their Brethrens destruction in Scotland, thinking it better to give part of their estates, than have their whole estates confiscate, goods seized upon, Cattle driven away, if they stood out; have by this contribution incur'd that losse which they thought hereby to prevent, together with the additions of that misery and desolation, the report whereof shall make the generations that are yet to come, tremble, their faces gather palenesse, and their knees smite one against another.
If we will save our lives and estates by deserting the cause of Jesus Christ, and those that have engaged themselves in it, we may make up the Catalogue of these wofull examples, and so if we will not beare witnesse to the truth of Christ in an active way, we may bear witnesse to this truth of Christ in a passive; and if we will not serve the generations to come, by leaving unto them the presidents of courage and zeale for their imitation, we may serve them whether we will or no, by leaving them in our sinne and punishment, the take heeds of foolish wisedome and carnall providence for their admonition.
Oh, if we knew the valew of the Gospell and the worth of such a Reformation as wee pray for and hope for, we would not thinke it too deare whatsoever it should cost us; and the onelyonly way to get this pearle at a cheape rate, is to bee ready to sell all to buy it. Prov. 23.23.Buy the truth and sell it not, buy it with our estates, buy it with our peace, with our dearest lives and blood, buy it at any rate, but sell it at no rate.
Thinke nothing too deare for Reformation, and happy we and our Children after us, if we can get it upon any tearms. Let us not valew our lives at too high a rate; this is certaine we cannot keepe them long, nor lay them out upon a better purchase. Oh that there were that minde in us that was in Saint Paul, that we could say and resolve with him, None of these things trouble me, neither count I my life dear, so I may finish my course with joy, Acts 20.24.and the Ministery which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the gospel of the grace of God. He is not worthy to live that thinks his life too deare for the Gospel of Christ. This is the sixth.