Ebenezer, Sermons · Part 1 – Part 3
Speciall mercies, muſt have ſpeciall Obſervation.
Now by reaſon of theſe Actions, the Prophet affirms that the glory of God covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praiſe. Lofty expreſſions of the advancement of Gods glory, and the fullneſſe of his praiſe amongſt his people of the earth, which attended that mercifull deliverance, and gracious aſſiſtance. Nothing is higher or greater then that which covers heaven, and fills earth.
Gods lGloria eſt frequens de aliqua fama cum laude Ci. lib. 2. de inv. Conſentiens …us bonorum incorrupta vox bene judicantium de excellente virtute. Idem Tuſc l. 3. Obſ. 7.glory is exceedingly exalted, and his praiſe increaſed every where, by Acts of favour and kindneſſe to his people.
That which I ſhall chuſe from amongſt many others that preſent themſelves a little to inſiſt upon, is that
Former mercies with their times and places are to be had in thankfull remembrance unto them who wait for future bleſſings. Faith is to this end ſeparated by them. Awake, awake, put on ſtrength O arm of the Lord, awake as in the ancient dayes, as in the generations of old: art not thou it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the Dragon? Art not thou it that dried the ſea, the waters of the great deep, that hath made the depths of the ſea a way for the ranſomed to paſse over? Iſa. 51. 9, 10: The breaking of Rahab, that is Egypt, ſo called here, and Pſal. 87. 4. Pſal. 89. 11. for her great ſtrength which the word ſignifies, and the wounding of the dragon, that great and crooked Afflictour Pharaoh is remembred, and urged for a motive to a new needed deliverance. ſo Pſal. 74. 13, 14. Thou brakeſt the heads of Leviathan in pieces, and gaveſt him to be meat to the people in the wilderneſse. Leviathan, the ſame Dragon, oppreſſing, perſecuting Pharaoh; thou brakeſt his Heads, his Counſells, Armies, Power, and gaveſt him for meat, that the people for forty yeares together might be fed, ſuſtained and nouriſhed, with that wonderfull mercy. Out of the eater came forth meat, out of the ſtrong came forth ſweetneſse.
In this Reciprocation God walketh with his people. Of free grace he beſtoweth mercies and bleſſings on them: by grace works the returns of Remembrance and Thankfullneſſe unto himſelf for them: then ſhowres that down again in new Mercies. The Countries which ſend up no vapours, receive down no ſhowers. Remembrance with thankfullneſſe of former mercies, is the matter as it were, which by Gods goodneſſe, is condenſed into following bleſſings. For
Mercies have their proper end when thankfully remembred. What more powerfull motive to the obteining of new, then to Reaſ. 1.hold out, that the old were not abuſed. We are incouraged to caſt ſeed again into that ground, whoſe laſt crop witneſſeth that it was not altogether barren: that ſad ſpot of good Hezekiah, that He rendred not again according to the benefit done unto him, is ſet down as the opening a doore of wrath againſt himſelf, Judah and Jeruſalem, 2. Chron. 32. 25. On the other ſide ſuitable returns, are a doore of hope for further mercies.
The remembrance of them ſtrengthens faith, and keeps our hands from hanging down in the time of waiting for bleſſings. Reaſ. 2.When faith is ſupported the promiſe is engaged, and a mercy at any time more then half obteined, faith is the ſubſtance of things hoped for, Heb. 11. 1. God (ſaith the Apoſtle) hath delivered us from ſo great a death, and doth deliver, now what concluſion makes he of this experience? in whom we truſt, that he will yet deliver us, 2 Cor. 1. 10. It was a particular mercy, with it's circumſtances, as you may ſee ver. 9. which he made the bottome of his dependance. In the favours of men, we cannot do ſo: they may be weary of helping, or be drawne dry, and grow helpeleſſe. Pond's may be exhauſted, but the Ocean never. The infinite fountaines of the Deity, cannot be ſunk one haires bredth by everlaſtingly-flowing bleſſings. Now circumſtances of Actions, Time, Place, and the like, oft-times take deepe impreſſions: Mercies ſhould be remembred with them. So doth the Apoſtle againe, 2 Tim. 4. 17, 18. He did deliver me from the mouth of the Lyon: (Nero that Lion-like tyrant) and what then? he will deliver mee from every evill worke. David eſteemed it very good Logick, to argue from the victory God gave him over the Lyon, and the Beare, to a confidence of victory over Goliah: 1 Sam. 17. 37.
The uſe of this, we are lead unto, Iſaiah 43. 16, 17, 18. Thus ſaith Vſe.the Lord which maketh a way in the Sea, and a Path in the mighty waters: which bringeth forth the chariot and the horſe, the army and the power, they ſhall lie downe together, they ſhall not riſe, they are extinct, they are quenched as tow: Remember yee not the former things, nor conſider the things of old. Let former mercies be an Anchor of hope in time of preſent diſtreſſes. Where is the God of Marſtone-Moore, and the God of Naſeby, is an acceptable expoſtulation in a gloomy day. O what a catalogue of mercies, hath this Nation to plead by in a time of trouble? God came from Naſeby, and the holy one from the Weſt: Selah: his glory covered the Heavens, and the earth was full of his prayſe. He went forth in the North, and in the Eaſt he did not withhold his hand. I hope the poore Towne wherein nNo place in the County ſo threatned. No place in the County ſo preſerved. Small undertakings there bleſſed: Great oppoſition blaſted. Non nobis, domine non nobis.I live, is more inriched with a ſtore mercy of a few moneths, then with a full trade of many years. The ſnares of death compaſſed us, and the flouds of ungodly men made us afraid: Pſal. 18. 4. but the Lord thundred from heaven, the higheſt gave his voyce, haileſtones and coals of fire: yea he ſent out his arrowes and ſcattered them, and he ſhot out lightning and diſcomfited them: he ſent from above, he tooke us, he drew us out of many waters, hee delivered us from our ſtrong enemy, and from them which hated us, for they were to ſtrong for us, v. 13, 14, 16, 17. How may we ſay with the ſame Pſalmiſt in any other diſtreſſe, O my God my ſoule is caſt downe within mee, therefore will I remember thee from the Land of Jordan, and of the Hennomites from the Hill Miſſar, Pſal. 42. 6. where is the God of Elijah, divides a new the waters of Jordan, 2 Kings 2. 14.
The following verſes ſet forth the glory and power of God, in Verſe 4.the accompliſhment of that great worke of bringing his people into the promiſed land: with thoſe mighty things he performed in the wilderneſſe. Verſe 4. if I miſtake not ſets out his glorious appearance on Mount Sinai: of which the Prophet affirmes two things:
1. That his brightneſſe was the light:
2. That, he had hornes comming out of his hand, and there was the hiding of his power.
For the firſt: is it not that brightneſſe which appeared, when the mountaine burnt with fire to the middeſt of Heaven: Deut. 4. 11. A glorious fire in the middeſt of clouds and thick darkneſſe. The like deſcription you have of Gods preſence, Pſal. 18. 11, 12. hee made darkeneſſe his ſecret place, and brightneſſe was before him. As the light, the ſun, the fountaine and cauſe of it: called light Iob. 31. 26. Now this glorious appearance holds out the kingly power and Majeſty of God in governing the world, which appeareth but unto few. The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce, clouds and darkeneſſe are round about him a fire goeth before him, his lightnings inlightened the world, Pſa. 97. 1, 2, 3.
Secondly, he had hornes comming out of his hand. So the words moſt properly, though by ſome, otherwiſe rendred. That oDeut: 33. 17. Pſal. 75. 10. Zech: 1. 18.hornes in Scripture are taken for ſtrength and power needs no proving. The mighty power of God which he made appear to his people, in that glorious repreſentation of his Majeſty on Mount Sinai, is by this phraſe expreſſed. There his Chariots were ſeene to be twenty thouſands, even many thouſands of Angels, and the Lord among them in that holy place, Pſal. 68. 19. There they perceived that he had hornes in his hand: An Almighty power to do what he pleaſed. Whence it is added, And there was the hiding of his power. Though the appearance of it was very great and glorious, yet it was but ſmall to the everlaſtingly hidden depths of his omnipotency:
(The moſt glorious appearance of God comes infinitly ſhort of his own eternall Majeſty as he is in himſelfe: it is but a diſcovery, that there is the hiding of infinite perfection.) Or, there his power appeared to us, which was hidden from the reſt of world.
When God is doing great things, he gives glorious manifeſtations of his Obſer. 8.excellencies to his ſecret ones. The appearance on Sinai, goes before his paſſage into Canaan. Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his ſecrets unto his ſervants the Prophets. Amos 3. 7. When he is to ſend Moſes for the deliverance of his people, he appeares to him in a burning unconſumed buſh, Exod. 3. 2. a ſigne manifeſting the preſence of his power, to preſerve his Church unconſumed in the middeſt of burning fiery Afflictions. VntoUnto this very end, were all the viſions, that are recorded in the Scripture; All of them accommodated to the things which God was preſently doing. And this he doth:
That they may thereby be prepared to follow him, and ſerve Reaſon 1.him in the great works he hath for them to do. Great works are to be done without great incouragements. If God appeares not in light, who can expect he ſhould appeare in operation? He that is called to ſerve providence in high things, without ſome eſpeciall John 12. 35. Revel: 16. 10.diſcovery of God, works in the darke, and knowes not whither he goes, nor what hee doth. Such a one travailes in the wilderneſſe, without a directing cloud. Cleare ſhining from God, muſt be at the bottome of deepe labouring with God. What is the reaſon, that ſo many in our days, ſet their hands to the plow, and looke back againe? begin to ſerve providence in great things, but cannot finiſh? give over in the heat of the day! They never had any ſuch Revelation of the mind of God upon their ſpirits, ſuch a diſcovery of his excellencies, as might ſerve for a bottome of ſuch undertakings. Men muſt know that if God hath not appeared to them in brightneſſe, and ſhewed them the hornes in his hand, hid from others, though they thinke highly of themſelves, they'l deny God twice and thrice, before the cloſe of the work of this Age. If you have no great diſcoveries, you will wex vaine in great undertakings. Now workings on old bottomes, are like new wine in old bottels, both are ſpoyled and loſt. The day is the time of work, and that becauſe of the light thereof: thoſe who have not light may be ſpared to go to bed.
That they may be the better enabled to give him glory, when Reaſon 2.they ſhall ſee the ſweet Harmony that is between his Manifeſtations and his Operations. When they can ſay with the Pſalmiſt, as we have heard, ſo have we ſeene, Pſal. 48. 8. as he revealeth himſelfe, ſo he worketh. When his power and mercy anſwer his appearance in the buſh, it is a foundation to a prayer, The good will of him that dwelt in the buſh, bleſſe thee. When a ſoule ſhall finde God calling him forth to Employments, perhaps great and high, yet every way ſuiting that light and gracious diſcovery which he hath given of himſelfe, one thing Anſwering another, it ſets him in a frame of honouring God aright.
This might be of rich conſideration could we attend it: for henceVſe
1. As I ſaid before, is Apoſtaſy from Gods work. He appeares not unto me, how can they go upon his Imployment? Men that have no viſion of God, are in the darke, and know not what to doe. I ſpeak not of viſions beyond the word, Anſwers of prayers, gratious applications of providences, with wiſe conſiderations of times and ſeaſons. Some drop off every day, ſome hang by the ey-lids, and know not what to do; The light of God is not ſent forth to lead and guide them: Pſal. 43. 3. wonder not at the ſtrange backſlidings of our days, many acted upon by-ingagements, and for want of light, know not to the laſt what they were adoing.
2. Hence alſo is the ſuiting of great light, and great worke, in our days. Let new light be derided whileſt men pleaſe, he will never ſerve the Will of God in this Generation, who ſees not beyond the line of foregoing ages.
3. And this thirdly, may put all thoſe, whom God is pleaſed to imploy in his ſervice, upon a diligent Inquiry into his mind. Can a ſervant do his maſters work, without knowing his pleaſure? we live for the moſt part from hand to mouth, and do what comes next: few are acquainted with the deſignes of God.
The going forth of the Lord with his people towards their reſt, Verſe 5.with reference to his harbingers is deſcribed v. 5.
Before him went the peſtilence, and burning coales went forth at his feete.
Before him, at his face. The Peſtilence, This is lExod. 9. 15. Levit. 26. 25. 2 Sam. 24. 13. Ezek. 14. 19. Mat. 24. 7.often reckoned amongſt the weapons wherewith God fighteth with any people to conſume them: and as ſpeeding an inſtrument of deſtruction it is, as any the Lord ever uſed towards the children of men.
At his feet went forth a burning coale. A redoubling ſay ſome of the ſame ſtroke: burning coals, for burning diſeaſes.
When one blow will not do the work appointed, God redoubles the ſtroak of his hand:
Levit. 26. 22, 23, 24, 25.
Or burning coals, dreadfull judgements, mortall weapons, as fire and flames are often taken in other deſcriptions of God's dealing with his enemies: Pſal. 11. 6. 18. 8. prevailing fire is the moſt dreadfull meanes of deſtruction, Heb. 12. 29. Iſa. 33. 14.
Exod. 23. 28. God threatneth to ſend the Hornet upon the Canaanites, before the children of Iſrael: ſome ſtinging judgements, either on their conſciences, or bodies, or both. Something of the ſame kind is doubtleſſe here held out: he ſent plagues and diſeaſes among them to weaken and conſume them, before his peoples entrance. His preſence was with Iſrael, and the peſtilence conſuming the Canaanites before their entrance is ſaid to be foreign at his faces, or appearances, before him, before the entrance of the preſence of his holineſſe. And the following Judgements that quite devoured them, were the coals going out at his feet, which he ſent abroad, when he entred their land, with his own inheritance, into theirs, to caſt out thoſe malae fidei poſseſſores.
1. Sickneſſes, diſeaſes and all ſorts of judgements are wholly at Gods diſpoſall. Affliction commeth not forth of the duſt, neither doth trouble ſpring out of the ground, yet man is borne to trouble, as the ſons of the burning coale lift up in flying, Job. 5. 6, 7.
2. When God intends the totall deſtruction of a people, he commonly weakens them by ſome previous judgements. Let the truth of this, be found upon them that hate us, and the interpretation therof, be to the enemies, of this Nation: but the Lord knows, all our hearts may well tremble, at what will be the iſſue of the viſitations of the laſt years.
God never wants inſtruments, to execute his Anger, and ruine his enemies. Obſer. 9.His treaſury of judgements, can never be exhauſted. If Iſrael be too weake for the Amorites, he will call in the peſtilence and burning diſeaſes to their aſſiſtance. What creature hath not this mighty God uſed againſt his enemies? An Angell deſtroyes Senacheribs Hoſt, Iſa. 37. 36. and ſmites Herod with Wormes: Acts 12. 23. Heaven above ſends downe a Hell of fire and brimſtone on Sodome and Gomorah, Gen. 19. 24. The Starres in their courſes fought againſt Siſera. Judg. 5. 20. Devils do his will herein, He ſent evill Angels among the Aegyptians, Pſal. 78. 49. Fire conſumes perſecuting Ahaziah's companies, 2 Kings 1. 10, 11. The Water drownes Pharaoh and his Chariots, Exod. 14. 28. Earth ſwallows up Korah, with his fellow rebels, Numb. 16. 32. Beares rend the children that mocked Eliſha, 2 Kings, 2. 24. Lyons deſtroy the ſtrange Nations in Samaria, 2 Kings 17. 25. Froggs, Lice, Boyles, Hayle, Rayne, Thunder, Lightning, deſtroy the Land of Aegypt: Exod. 8, 9, 10. Locuſts are his mighty army to puniſh Iſrael Joel. 2. 25. Hailſtones deſtroy the Canaanites, Joſh. 10. 11. Stones of the wall ſlay the Syrians, 1 Kings 20. 30. peſtilence and burning diſeaſes are his ordinary meſſengers. In a word, all creatures, ſerve his providence, and await his commands, for the execution of his righteous Judgements. Neither the beaſts of the Field, nor the ſtones of the Earth, will bee any longer quiet then hee cauſeth them to hold a league with the ſons of men.Vſe. 1.
To teach us all to tremble before this mighty God. Who can ſtand before him, qui tot imperat legionibus? If hee will ſtrike hee wants no weapons: if he will fight he wants no Armies. All things ſerve his Will. He ſaith, to one come, and it commeth, to another go, and it goeth, to a third, do this, and it doth it. He can make uſe of our ſelves, our friends, our enemies, Heaven, Earth, Fire, Water, &c. any thing, for what end he pleaſeth. There is no ſtanding before his Armies; for they are all things, and himſelfe to make them effectuall. There is no flying from his Armies, for they are every where, and himſelfe with them. Who would not feare this King of Nations? He that contends with him, ſhall find it, As if a man did flee from a Lyon, and a Beare met him▪ or went into the houſe and leaned upon a wall, and a Serpent bitte him: Amos 5. 18, 19. No flying, no hiding, no contending. Wormes kill Herod; A Flie choak'd Adrian, &c.Ʋſe 2.
To be a bottome of confidence and dependence in an evill day. He that hath God on his ſide, hath alſo all things, that are ſeene and that are not ſeene. The mountaine is full of fiery Chariots for Eliſha's defence, when outwardly there was no appearance, 2 Kings 6. 17. All things waite their Maſters beck, to do him ſervice, as for the deſtruction of enemies, ſo for the deliverance of his. What though wee had no Army in the time of war? God hath millions, Many thouſands of Angels, Pſal. 68. 17. one whereof can deſtroy ſo many thouſands of men in a night: Iſa. 37. 36. Hee can chooſe (when few others will appeare with him againſt the mighty, as in our late troubles) fooliſh things to confound the wiſe, and weak things, to confound the ſtrong. Senacheribs Angell is yet alive, and the deſtroyer of Sodom is not dead. And all thoſe things are at our command, if their help may be for our good: Judah ruleth with God, Hoſ. 11. 12. hath a rule by faithfull ſupplications over all thoſe mighty hoſts. Make God our friend, and wee are not onelyonly of the beſt, but alſo the ſtrongeſt ſide. You that would be on the ſafeſt ſide, be ſure to chooſe that which God is on. Had not this mighty all-commanding God been with us, where had we been in the late tumults? ſo many thouſands in Kent, ſo many in Wales, ſo many in the North, ſo many in Eſſex, ſhall they not ſpeed? ſhall they not divide the prey? is not the day of thoſe factious Independents come? was the language of our very neighbours: The ſnare is broken, and we are delivered.Verſe 6.
The Lord having ſent meſſengrs before him into Canaan, ſtands himſelf as it were upon the borders and takes a view of the Land.
He ſtood and meaſured the earth, he beheld and drove aſunder the Nations, and the everlaſting mountaines were ſcattered, the perpetuall hills did bow: his wayes are everlaſting.
Two things are here conſiderable▪
1. The Lords exact fore-view of the promiſed land: he ſtood and meaſured the earth, and beheld the Nations.
2. His operation at that time, he drave aſunder the Nations, and the, &c.
1. Hee ſtood and meaſured. The Prophet here repreſenteth the Lord on the frontire of Canaan, as one taking view of a piece of Land, and exactly meaſuring it out, as intending it for his own, weighing and conſidering the bounds and limits of it, to ſee if it will anſwer the end for which he purpoſeth it. Gods exact notice and knowledge of his peoples poſſeſſion is in thoſe words held out. He views where the lines of every tribe ſhall run.
Nothing happens or is made out to any of Gods people, without his own carefull providentiall prediſpoſition.
He views the circuit of the whole, where, and how, divided, and ſeparated from the dwellings of the unclean, and habitations of the uncircumciſed.
Fixed bounds, meaſured limits of habitation is a neceſſary ingredient, to the making up of a nat…all Church.
2. What he did: which is two wayes expreſſed, 1. in reference to the inhabitants, 2. to the Land it ſelfe:
1. For the inhabitants, he drove them aſunder: foreign and he made to leape out of their old chanels. Thoſe Nations knit and linked together amongſt themſelves, by leagues and civill ſociety, he ſeparated, diſturbed, divided in counſels and armes, (as in the caſe of the Gibeonites,) perſecuted by the ſword, that they ſuddenly leaped out of their habitations, the reſidue wandering as no people.Joſh. 9. 3.