Sermon 25 June 1645, Sermon

Sermon 25 June 1645 · Sermon

p. 1A SERMON PREACHED before the Right Honorable the Houſe of LORDS at their Monethly Faſt, June 25. 1645. in the Abbey Church at Weſtminſter.

Luke 8. 22.

Now it came to paſſe on a certaine day, that he went into a ſhip with his Diſciples, and he ſaid unto them, let us goe over into the other ſide of the Lake, and they lanced forth.

23. But as they ſailed, he fel aſleep: & there came down a ſtorme of wind on the lake, and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardie.

24. And they came to him and awoke him, ſaying, Maſter, maſter, we periſh: then he aroſe and rebuked the wind, and the raging of the water, and they ceaſed, and there was a calme.

25. And he ſaid unto them, where is your faith? and they being afraid wondered, ſaying one to another, What manner of man is this? for he commandeth even the windes and the water, and they obey him.

Marke 4. 38.

And hee was in the hinder part of the ſhip aſleepe on a pillow, and they awake him, and ſay unto him, Maſter, careſt thou not that wee periſh?

39. And hee aroſe and rebuked the wind, and ſaid unto the ſea, Peace, bee ſtill: and the wind ceaſed, and there was a great calme.

40. And hee ſaid unto them, Why are yee ſo fearefull? how is it that yee have no faith?

Matth. 8. 26.

And he ſaith unto them, Why are yee fearefull, O yee of little faith? then he aroſe and rebuked the winds and the Sea, and there was a great calme.

THere is ſo much of G…d, and of omnipotency in theſe words (which I deſire by Gods aſſiſtance and your patience to goe through ſhortly, at leaſt in ſuch heads of doctrine as may bee moſt ſutable to the preſent condition of the Church) as may prove that God being ſought by prayer is a preſent helpe in trouble.

p. 2The words containe ſix particulars.

1. There is here Chriſts Sea journey with the convoy; ſecondly, time; thirdly, and place. Chriſt and his members have not a way of onelyonly dry land to heaven, there is much Sea-way before Chriſt and his followers, ere they come to ſhoare.

2. We have in the Text, the condition of the ſhip and the Saylers and paſſengers that are carried in the veſſell with Chriſt,Six parts of the Text. in ſix particulars, expreſſing the greatneſſe of the danger by reaſon of a mighty ſtorme.The words opened. Firſt, there is a behold foreign, ſet before it; firſt to hold forth the greatneſſe of the ſtorme, Matth. 8. 24. And behold, there aroſe a great tempeſt. Secondly, to note that creatures as winds and ſtormes are daring and bold againſt Chriſt, and his Church, God permitting them; wee imagine when Chriſt goes to Sea, hee muſt have faire weather, and a calme Sea, for how dare the winds blow upon the faire face of him who created Sea and winds? But Chriſt ſayling muſt have a mightie gale, if the Prince of the ayre Satan can in his owne ſpheare and pariſh command the winds. The ſecond circumſtance, Mark ſaith a great ſtorme foreign came downe; it is contrary to nature that winds deſcend, they rather aſcend; this ſaith it was not an ordinary wind, but thirdly, a whirlewind, Mark foreign, ſuch a wind, as Ariſtotle ſaith, is moſt dangerous, by rolling in a circle with violence, ſo as it doth in Italy and other parts ſwallow up townes. Matthew ſaith it was foreign a great tempeſt, a Sea-quake, that had as great force and ſtrength as an Earth-quake, that can remove Caſtles and Towers out of their places. Fourthly, from the effect, the greatneſſe of it is amplified, the ſhip was filled with water; Chemnitius obſerveth as the waterpots, Iohn 2. are filled with water to the brim: for it is the ſame word. Fiftly, they were in ſuch feare, that the Diſciples being ſome of them Fiſhermen, and ſo experienced with Sea ſtormes, cry that they periſh, and are gone; when the Shipmaſters art faileth him, and the grayhaired Seamen goe to their prayers, the paſſengers have cauſe to bee afraid. But ſixtly, that is not much, there is a good Seaman in the Ship, the great Lord Admirall not of the Seas onelyonly, but alſo of the winds, is here; Lord Admiralls on earth cannot make winds and faire weather, all ſhall bee well, the Creator p. 3of Sea and winds is here; yea but hee is ſo here, as if he were not here to them, hee is faſt aſleepe; God ſave us from a Sea-ſtorme, when Chriſt is either farre away from us, or ſleeping.

3. What courſe take the Diſciples in their danger? firſt, they awake Chriſt with their prayer; ſecondly, they double their words, Luke ſaith, foreign, maſter, m…ſter, tutor, ſuch as are heads of Colledges, or take care of Orphanes, are ſo called. Chriſt tutors ſtormes, and winds, and Church and Court, and all: Matthew ſaith foreign, Lord, which ſignifieth Chriſts dominion: Marke foreign, Maſter, for (if he can, and what can hee not?) hee'l helpe his Diſciples, ſo they put an argument of helpe home upon Chriſt from his office. Thirdly, they complaine, Careſt thou not for us? What a maſter art thou, who ſleepeſt when wee are in danger to be drowned? ſo dreame we Chriſt careth not for us, if he deliver not preſently. Fourthly, they lay the danger before him, wee periſh.

4. Wee have Chriſts preſent helping of them, Matthew keepeth the naturall method; Why are yee fearefull, O yee of little faith? hee firſt rebuketh the Diſciples unbeleefe, before hee rebuke the Sea and winds. Secondly, hee ſpake angry words to the Sea and winds, or laid a ſtrict charge on the Sea and winds, as the word is, Luke 3. 12. Luke 9. 21. or it is to rebuke with threatning and authoritie, 2 Tim. 4. 2. not becauſe Sea and winds can ſtirre without ſpeciall commiſſion from God, as the Poets fancied that their Aeolus could boaſt and chide the winds and caſt them in fetters, but this is to expreſſe the abſolute and invincible dominion of Chriſt over Sea and winds, they being his Apparitors and Purſevants, ſo that thirdly, Chriſt (as Marke ſaith) uttered angry words of authoritie and commanded the Sea, foreign bee quiet, peace, and be ſtill, foreign bee muzled, it is borrowed from wild beaſts or dogs that are muzled up that they cannot devoure, ſo is the word, 1 Cor. 9. 9. Thou ſhalt not muzle the Oxe that treadeth out the corne; it is a hard trope, and holds forth to us the Sea as a devouring beaſt, that would ſwallow up ſhips; ſo Matth. 22. 34. Ieſus ſtopped the mouths of the Sadduces.

5. The effect of Chriſts rebuking is here ſet downe, there was without more adoe a great calme; when Chriſt p. 4glowmeth upon the Sea it dare but ſmile and bee ſtill.

6. The fruit of the miracle is here, the Seamen, not the Diſciples were ſtricken with wonder and aſtoniſhment.

Now it came to paſſe on a certaine day.Part I.

Touching the three particulars in the firſt part, a word firſt of the place, this was not properly a Sea, but a lake, not Lacus Gadarenus, of which Strabo ſaith beaſts could not goe through it, without the loſſe of haire and hoofes, the waters being ſo peſtilent, but it was the lake of Geneſareth, through which Chriſt and his Diſciples ſayled to the Gadarens, called by a Hebraiſme the Sea of Tiberias.

Secondly Chriſts convoy in this Sea-journey were his Diſciples. Seldome was Chriſt his alone, onelyonly when he went to a mountaine to pray, as Ioh. 6. 15. and in the garden when his Diſciples would not watch with him one houre. But ordinarily his Diſciples, and others were witneſſes of his doctrine and miracles. Firſt, becauſe the Diſciples were to bee eye-witneſſes of him, to preach by ſenſe as well as by faith, 1 Iohn 1. 1. 2 Pet. 1. 18. And this voyce which came from heaven we heard (ſaith Peter) when wee were with him in the holy mount. Preachers are to converſe much with Chriſt, & why▪Senſe of Chriſts ſweetneſſe in Preachers is not ſo good as faith, but it is more excellent then heareſay; there is a ſenſe of faith in ſuch as have beene in the Mount with Chriſt; I beleeved, therefore I ſpake, 2 Cor. 4. 13. Senſe of Chriſt is an excellent Preacher of Chriſt, Now beleeve wee (ſay the Samaritans, Ioh. 4. 42.) not becauſe of thy ſaying, for wee have heard him our ſelves; every faithfull paſtor is not onelyonly a meſſenger to ſpeake tydings, but a witneſſe who ſaw and heard the viſions of God. Secondly, Croſſe-bearing is not eaſily learned, Chriſt had the perfect art of it, Heb. 5. 8. the Diſciples muſt ſee how ſtraight Chriſts ſhoulders are in walking under the Croſſe; to learne to doe is no difficill thing, in compariſon of learning to ſuffer. Thirdly, wee know our owne weakneſſe beſt in converſing with Chriſt. Chriſts beautie and faireneſſe caſteth a ſhade and a light on our blackneſſe; wee are all faire enough while wee ſee Chriſts faireneſſe, Eſay 6. 5. Fourthly, the more you converſe with Chriſt, the more you partake of heaven; to bee with your ſelfe is to bee in ill company, to be with the world rubbeth ruſt on you, to be with Chriſt p. 5leaveth a ſmell of heaven, and a die and colour of another world on you that you ſhall never rub off; to touch perfume and ſweet oyntments leaveth a witneſſe behind it; none can preach nor ſuffer, but ſuch as have beene with Chriſt to ſee and heare; you may bee called to a bloody death for Chriſt. I pray you aske when was you laſt with Chriſt, and how oft was you with him, or was you ever with him?

Thirdly,foreign. the time of his ſayling, Marke ſaith, in that ſame day when the evening was come, chap. 4. 35. that is, in the day that hee preached the parables, you have Matth. 13. it is like hee went to Sea in the evening, when hee had preached all the day. Luke ſaith indefinitely on a certaine day; Luc. foreign.how ever there is no waſte of words, here two Evangeliſts, as their manner is, doe write a Diurnall of Chriſts life and actions,How carefully Chriſt husbanded time. they chronicle Chriſts time carefully. Whence ſee wee how well Chriſt husbanded his time upon earth, Act. 10. 38. he went about doing good: So in his meſſage to Herod, Luke 13. 32, 33. Goe tell Herod, Behold, I caſt out devils, and doe cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I ſhall bee perfected. Firſt, he ſpent whole nights in prayer to God, Luke 6. 12. wrought miracles in the night, at the fourth watch, Matth. 14. 25. yea now while hee is ſleeping hee is making way for a miracle. Secondly, Early in the morning hee taught in the Temple, Iohn 8. 2. and while hee was eating hee loſed not time, but preached in time of dinner. Luke 7. 38, 39. Luke 10. 39, 40. and made it his meate and drinke, when hee ſhould have eaten, to gaine ſoules, Ioh. 4. 34. Thirdly, hee began early, being twelve yeares of age, to diſpute with the Doctors in the Temple, and died preaching and praying on the Croſſe, Luke 23. 43. 44. 46.

Then firſt, ſuch are rebuked, as know not well their time, Ier. 8. 7. Yea the Storke of the heaven knoweth her appointed times, and the Turtle, and the Crane, and the Swallow obſerve the time of her comming, but my people know not the judgement of the Lord. Who is wiſe to know when God is watering the Land with blood?How both kingdomes faile in improving of opportunities of mercy. to know that the yeare 1645. is that yeare of vengeance that hath beene in the Lords heart againſt England and Scotland? This muſt bee a part of prophecy, which the people knowes not while God reveale it, Ezek. 7. 12. The time is come, the day p. 6draweth neare, verſ. 2. Alſo thou ſonne of man, thus ſaith the Lord God, unto the Lord of Iſrael, an end, the end is come upon the foure corners of the Land.

Secondly, it were a right timing of actions if the honorable Parliament would begin not at the eſtabliſhing of their owne Liberties, Lawes, houſes, but at the building of the houſe of God; the Lord hath given opportunitie for many yeares of a ſitting Parliament, and there is not yet a face of a Church in the Land, and ſcarcely is there one ſtone layd in the houſe of the Lord; men ſay, it is not yet time to build the houſe of the Lord.

Thirdly, wee have not knowne in this our day of the Goſpel, theſe things that belong to our peace: had Tyrus and Sidon, Sodom and Gomorrah ſeen the dayes of the Son of man, which England and Scotland have ſeene, they ſhould have repented long agoe; and had wee improved the gratious opportunities of mercy, our peace had beene as a River, and our righteouſneſſe as the waves of the Sea; but now wee are like broken men, unable ſo much as to caſt up our accounts, far leſſe to pay the rent of the Vineyard, when our Vine is as the Vine of Sodom, and our Grapes are Grapes of Gall; there is much underhand dealing againſt the cauſe and covenant of God; wee did ſweare the extirpation of Prelacie, Popery and Schiſme, now wee preach, profeſſe and print that libertie is to bee given for conſciences of men, and how can this bee denied to Papiſts and Prelates? not onelyonly every City, but every family almoſt hath a new Religion, the former unreprented wil-worſhip in the breaſts of men, againſt the power of godlineſſe, vanitie in apparell, whoring, extortion, unjuſtice to widowes and Orphans whoſe husbands and parents were killed in the warres, drunkenneſſe, exceſſe, lying and couſening, unjuſt and falſe ſlanders and calumnies, truſting in the arme of men and multitudes, halting betweene God and Baal, poſtponing of Chriſts matters to the end of the day, as if Religion and the houſe of God were of leſſe concernment to us then liberties and civill Lawes, and as if both kingdomes miraculouſly defended by the right arme of God, againſt mercileſſe and blood-thirſty Babylon, were not more obliged to the Lord of Hoſts, who p. 7hath ſaved us, then that wee ſhould now bee debtors to our owne carnall ends, diviſions, rentings, emulations, ſides and factions; Ephraim againſt Manaſſeh, and Manaſſeh againſt Ephraim, though the children of one father: all theſe and many other ſinnes teſifie to our faces that the time of the Goſpel hath not beene fruitfully improved by the two kingdomes.

Fourthly,A generall faile of all in the care leſſe improvement of time. all of us generally faile in the bad husbanding of time, wee are a dying ere wee know for what end wee live; imagine a maſter ſend his ſervant to a great Citie with a written paper containing buſineſſes of great concernment, having allotted to him the ſpace of ten ſandglaſſes to diſpatch them all, ſhould hee for the ſpace of the firſt nine houres fall a drinking with his drunken companions, and goe up and downe to behold all the novelties of the Citie, hee ſhould break truſt; Alas! is not this world like a great Exchange? our Paper containeth the buſineſſe of a great kingdome up above, the honour and glory of our Lord, our redemption through Chriſt, a treaty for everlaſting peace; the time of infancy and childhood ſlippeth over, and wee know not the end of our creation; youth-head and mans age like a proud meadow, greene, faire, delightfull to day, and to morrow hay, caſteth bloſſomes and flowers, and with one little ſtride skippeth over our ſpan-length of time, and wee goe through the Exchange to buy frothy honour, rotten pleaſure, and when the laſt houre is come, wee ſcarce read our maſters paper, we barter one nothing-creature with another; alas! it is but a poore reckoning that a naturall man can make, who can ſay no more at his death, but I have eaten, drunken, ſleeped, waked, dreamed and ſinned, for the ſpace of ſixtie or ſeventie yeares, and that is all. Time like a long ſwift ſliding River runneth through the Citie from the creation, when God firſt ſet the horologe a going, to the day of Chriſts ſecond comming, this River ſlideth through our fingers, wee eate, drinke, ſleepe, ſport, laugh, buy, ſell, ſpeake, breathe, die in a moment, every gaſpe of ayre is a fluxe of our minuts time ſliding into eternitie; within a few generations there ſhall bee a Parliament of other faces, a new generation of other men in the Cities, Houſes, Aſſemblies wee p. 8are now in, and wee a company of night-viſions ſhall flie away, and our places ſhall know us no more: and though this ſhould not bee, the world is not eternall, being a great body made up of corruptible peeces, of little dying creatures, ſtanding upon nothing, if God take the legges from them; at length God ſhall remove the paſſes of the watch, and time ſhall bee no more, the wheeles of time ſhall bee at a ſtand. What poore thoughts ſhall wee have of this poore fading ball of clay the earth, when the wormes ſhall creepe in through face & cheeks, and eate our tongue, and ſeiſe upon Liver and heart? or imagine that our ſpirits once entred within the line of eternitie could but ſtay up beſide the Moone, and looke downe and behold us children ſweating and running for our beloved ſhadowes of Lands, Fields, Flocks, Caſtles, Towers, Crownes, Scepters, Gold, Money, hee ſhould wonder that reaſon is ſo bleare-eyed as to hunt dreames and toyes. Judge righteouſly, give faire juſtice to Chriſt, doe good while it is to day, conſider the afternoone of a declining Sunne, within few houres wee are plunged in the boſome and wombe of eternitie, and cannot returne backe againe. Lord teach us to number our dayes.

23. But as they ſayled bee fell a ſleepe, Part II.and there came downe a ſtorme of wind, Matth. 8. 24. a great tempeſt. I keepe the order laid downe before; this is not an ordinary ſtorme. But is not the moſt skilled Seaman in heaven and earth here? dare the wind blow ſo proudly on his face, who is white and ruddy, and the chiefe amongſt ten thouſand worlds? do not the Seas know their Creator? and dare they wet his face, who made the Sea and the dry Land? Yet from the greatneſſe of this ſtorme (as was cleared before from the Text) wee obſerve that Chriſt his Ship, his Church, and paſſengers have in their ſayling more then ordinary ſtormes. Lamen. 1. 12. Is it nothing to all you that paſſe by? (alas! Chriſt in his ſufferings hath too many paſſers by) Behold and ſee if there bee any ſorrow like unto my ſorrow, Chriſt and his Ship have more then ordinary ſtormes.wherewith the Lord hath afflicted mee, in the day of his fierce anger! Chap. 2. 13. the Prophet cannot find a compariſon to equall the Churches ſorrow. Thy breach is great like the Sea, who can beale thee? The Sea is a vaſt body, and a great Sea of troubles p. 9was like to drowne the Church, Chap. 1. 9. Jeruſalem came downe wonderfully foreign is admirably, foreignthe word is from a root which ſignifieth to bee ſeparated, and hidden as things above ſenſe or reaſon, as Gen. 18. 14. Is there any thing hid, or too hard or admirable to the Lord, which hee cannot doe? there is ſome great and admirable thing in the Sword of the Lord, upon the three kingdomes above all that Iriſh Rebells, or bloodly malignants can doe; the curſe and vengeance in afflictions from men comes from a higher hand then men, men kill with the Sword, but they cannot ſtampe upon killing with the Sword judgement and vengeance, this onelyonly God doth. Lam. 2. 2. The Lord hath ſwallowed up all the inhabitants of Jacob, and hath not pitied. 4. He hath bent his bow like an enemie; O terrible, any enemy but God, is tolerable; the Lord ſtood with his right hand as an adverſarie, and ſlew all that was pleaſant to the eye, (the ſucking children are pleaſant to the eye) in the Tabernacle of the daughter of Zion bee poured out his fury like fire, v. 20. Behold, O Lord, and conſider to whom thou haſt done this: ſhall the women eate their fruite and children of a ſpan long? ſhall the Prieſts and the Prophets bee ſlaine in the Sanctuary? Pſal. 44. 19. Thou haſt ſore broken us, or bruiſed us, as in the place of Dragons, and covered us (as with a vaile or covering, or garment, Pſal. 32. 1.) with the ſhadow of death. Death is a cold, ſad and fearefull garment caſt over the Church, and that when ſhee is bruiſed to duſt and pouder: how ſore and heavy a ſtorme was upon poore Job? Chap. 16. 13. His archers compaſſe mee round about, (Gods terrors ſhot not at the rovers, that God ſhould miſſe the marke) hee cleaveth my reines aſunder, and doth not ſpare, hee poureth out my Gall upon the ground. 14. Hee breaketh me with breach upon breach, and runneth on mee as a Giant. What is ſafe in the living man, when the reines, that are as inward as the mans heart, are cloven aſunder? and when Gall and Liver are taken out of the living man, and powred upon the earth? See how the Lord dealeth with his owne people, Hoſ. 13. 8. I will meet them as a Beare bereaved of her Whelpes, and will rent the cawle of their heart. It cannot bee an ordinary paine, when the webbe of fate that compaſſeth about the heart, is torne aſunder. There is a ſad and a blacke booke preſented unto Ezekiel, Chap. 3. 10. a roll p. 10of a booke written within and without (page and margin) lamentation, and mourning and woe, how doth the afflicted Church complaine, Pſal. 102. 3? My dayes are conſumed as ſmoake (when yeſterdayes ſad life is burnt to aſhes, what is it?) and my bones are burnt as an bearth, 4. My heart is ſmitten and withered like graſſe, ſo that I forget to eate my bread. 5. By reaſon of the voyce of my groaning my bones cleave to my skinne. Theſe and the like borrowed expreſſions, hold forth that the ſtorme of afflictions was terrible and loud, as if it would cleave Mountaines and Rocks, and there muſt bee ſuch a preſſure of paine here, as if you would take a living mans bones, and make fewell for fire, and uſe them as we do Faggots; and not that onelyonly, but they indured as much heat of fire as the hearth-ſtone that is daily under the extremitie of the fire: ſo the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of himſelfe, 1 Cor. 4. 8. For I thinke God hath ſet forth us, foreign, the laſt Apoſtl…s, as it were appointed to death, for we are made a ſpectacle to the world, and to men and Angels. The Apoſtles in regard of their great ſufferings, were ſo expoſed to violent death, as in the Roman Playes, Bulls, Dogs, Lions, were ſet forth to fight one another to death; they were made worlds wonders, and gazing-ſtacks to heaven and earth, to men and Angels for their great ſufferings. Behold how ſtrong the tempeſt was, that invaded that barke, that carried the witneſſes of Jeſus to heaven, Heb. 11. 35. they were tortured, ſtoned, ſawen aſunder, tempted, ſlaine with the Sword.

The reaſon of the Lords ſo dealing is.Reaſon why the afflictions of the people of God are ſo extreame. 1. God declareth himſelfe more impatient of ſinne in his owne children, then in the wicked; I meane of Gods impatience Evangelick, in regard that it is a ſinne of higher ingratitude to ſinne againſt the Goſpel. 2. Illumination. 3. And the mercy of regeneration, then to ſinne againſt the Law, and common favours and gifts; though Gods legall impatience in regard of revenging juſtice bee farre more againſt the ſinnes of the wicked, then againſt the ſinnes of beleevers,Evangelick & legall anger in God. it being an act of vengeance which God cannot exerciſe towards beleevers; and if Antinomians would acknowledge an Evangelick diſpleaſure and anger of God againſt the ſinnes of beleevers, as the Scripture doth, 1 Cor. 10. 21, 22. 1 Cor. 11. 30, 31. 2 Sam. 11. 27. they p. 11ſhould not ſo ſtumble at the Goſpel as they doe; I ſay, God is more diſpleaſed with the ſinnes of his owne children, then with the ſinnes of the wicked; even as the husbandman is more offended that Thriſtles and Thorns grow in his Garden, then in his out-field, Eſay 1. 2. Heare O heaven, hearken O earth; why? it is more then an ordinary defection that moveth the Lord to this. I have nouriſhed and brought up children, and they rebell againſt me. God taketh it alſo harder, that violence and unjuſtice ſhould bee in Parliaments and Aſſemblies, then in Prelates Courts and High Commiſſions. The Lord expecteth nothing elſe but ſowre grapes from his enemies. 2. The hell of the godly, and the heart of their hell ſhould ordinarily bee heavier then the borders and margin of the hell of the wicked: the ſufferings of the Saints in this life is their whole hell: wicked men have here a heaven, and but fore-taſtings of hell, which I grant, in regard they want the preſence and comforts of God in this life, and alſo that their curſes are in themſelves heavier then the afflictions of the godly, but not ſo in their apprehenſion. 3. Gods deepe counſells worke under-board; providence is a great myſtery: why theſe three kingdomes having a good cauſe, and contending for Chriſt, yet ſhould bee put to a more bloody condition, and have more of floods of blood for a while, then bloody men who defend a curſed cauſe, is wondred at by us, as ignorance is the cauſe of admiration; hee that never ſaw husbandry, thinketh ſowing, loſing and caſting away of good Corne; the end, cujus gratia, which ſeaſoneth Gods workes with wiſedome and grace, is unſeene: hony is ſweet, but taſting onelyonly diſcerneth it; neither eye can ſee it, nor eare can heare it; our ſenſes cannot reach the reaſon of his Counſell, who will have the godly plagued every morning.

If it bee ſo,Ʋſe. 1. that the godly, the greene tree ſuffer ſuch a fire, it muſt bee more then fire that is abiding the enemies; O enemies of the Goſpel, O Malignants and haters of the Lord and his Saints, have you Caſtles and ſtrong holds to runne to in the day of wrath? or are your Caſtles judgement-proofe? Cannot death and hell ſcale your walls? and though you ſhut your doores, climbe in at your windowes? p. 12are your bulworkes and walls ſalvation?Wrath untolerable to the ungodly. have you ſtrength to bide the proofe and ſhot of the vengeance of the Lord, and the vengeance of his Temple? hath not the ſecond death long and ſharpe tuskes? will you indure the ſiege and batteries of everlaſting wrath? vengeance will have nothing under your pretious ſoules; take your pleaſure, kill and deſtroy the mountaine of the Lord, the feaſt is good, ever, till the reckoning come: Job 28. 8. Can you drinke a Sea of vengeance? and floods of gall and wormewood? there is a Sword before the throne forbiſhed that will lap and ſwallow up blood and never bee quenched: wrath, wrath creepeth on the ſinners in Zion by theft, without a cry or noyſe of feet, you heare not the ratling of your ſunnes wheeles, when it is ſetting, and the night falleth on you; the day of wrath is ſecret and uncertaine, you ſleep & you ſee not hell at your heels; what will you do, when you ſhall make your prayers to the hills, to cover you quick?

This ſerveth to condemne our ſoftneſſe,Ʋſe 2. who love a wanton, and a ſmooth providence,We love a ſoft and a choſen providence of our owne carving. and Golden and ſilken ſayling to bee carried away quickly to land without wind or ſtorme, wee deſire to goe to Paradiſe through no other way but Paradiſe, and a way ſtrowed with Roſes; nay but wee muſt indure hardneſſe, and reſolve the way cannot bee changed to flatter our ſoftneſſe, it is as God hath carved it out, there bee not two wayes to heaven; one way ſtrowed with blood, and brimſtone, and deaths, to Chriſt, and another to us white, faire, eaſie; heaven was not ſo feazable to Chriſt, but it was to him ſweating; if Chriſt had taken the faire way and a ſtreet to heaven like Paradiſe, and left the rough way to us, wee had the more reaſon to complaine. But it ſhould ſilence us that Chriſt ſaith; you have no harder uſage then the Captaine of your ſalvation had, Joh. 15. 18. when wee ſee wee muſt ſuffer, wee would bee at a choſen Croſſe, and afflictions carved by our owne wit, or flowred and perfumed with Diamonds and Rubies; ſo our heart ſaith any judgement but warre, and any warre but civill warre; the hatred of the world is not much, but hatred from our brethren, the ſonnes of our Mother, O that is hard! yet it is not to bee expected but the fleſh will warre in the Saints againſt both the Spirit and the fleſh in other Saints; no leſſe then the fleſh warreth againſt the Spirit in one and the p. 13ſame Saint, wee are to kiſſe and adore providence, wee can no more change the foule and dirtie way to faire heaven, then wee can remove heaven it ſelfe out of its place; God hath drawn and moulded the topographie to heaven, and ſet all our Gueſts before; hee is a bad Souldier who followeth ſuch a Captaine of ſalvation as Chriſt, weeping and murmuring.

But what doth this ſhip lead us to? certaine it is, that it holdeth forth to us the condition of the Church of God, toſſed with wind and wave, and the world it ſelfe, the earth is a Sea of glaſſe before the Throne, Revel. 4. 6. and that mingled with fire, Eight particulars conſiderable in the ſhip in which Chriſt and his Church is carried.Revel. 15. 2. Of which a word, 1. of the ſhip, 2. of the Element it ſayleth in, 3. of the Pilot, 4. of the Anchor and appurtenances, 5. of the wares, 6. of the paſſengers carried in the ſhip, 7. of the winds and ſtormes, 8. of the Port and Haven. The ſhip is, of its nature, a tumbling and a moving creature, and by its conſtitution and nature ordained for motion. The Church triumphing is landed, and above motion, but the militant Church is a rolling and a tumbling thing; and that firſt,The Church a moveable thing as a ſhip. in a naturall; ſecondly, in a civill; thirdly, in a ſpirituall relation. As the Church conſiſteth of men in a naturall conſideration, all are but changes and meere motions; for mans condition in the wood of creatures, he is borne amongſt is moveable, hee himſelfe is a proud inch of ſhort-living clay. God hath given wheeles to time, ſo that it playeth upon generations, Eccleſ. 1. 4. One generation paſſeth away and another commeth, verſ. 5. The ſunne alſo riſeth, and the ſunne goeth downe; the Moone looketh not on us, two dayes, with one face; elements, winds, floods, ſeas, time, as yeares, dayes, houres, living creatures, trees, hearbs, flowers, ſummer, harveſt, ſpring, heavens, ſtarres are all tottering and reeling; and if the earth and the workes that are therein, muſt bee burnt with fire, 2 Pet. 3. 12. all muſt bee on their journey toward change and corruption; the beſt of them for elegancy of matter not excepted. The heavens ſhall wax old as a garment, Pſal. 102. 26. 2 The Church in a civill relation is a rolling thing, and that firſt, as it is in Common-wealths and States. Kingdomes and Monarchies are up and downe, greene, flowriſhing, and withering in their cadency like May flowers. God doth roll Kings and p. 14Kingdomes like Bowles in an Alley; pride, tyranny, unjuſtice putteth a Byas on the Bowle that it tumbleth over the mount, and God with a put of his foot turneth the Bowle out of its place; the glory and abſoluteneſſe of men is a weight that cannot beare it ſelfe. Secondly, man the beſt of the creatures is a vaine thing, Pſal. 39. Every man at his best ſtate is altogether vanitie▪ foreignif the Hebrew expreſſe it better (as I humbly conceive it doth) it runs thus, ver. 6. ſurely, all men are all vanitie, even ſtanding on their feet, or every man is every vanitie, though he ſtand on his tiptoes, or ſtand ſtraight up, as a Champion or an army of Souldiers that ſtand faſt and keepe their ground, for ſo the word foreign ſignifieth as the learned obſerve, vanitie is a light, a moving and rolling thing, like a Cart wheele or a feather in the ayr. Thirdly, the Church for one good day of eaſe hath ten, twentie troubleſome dayes of warre, perſecution, diviſions, hereſies, plots. Reade the Hiſtory of the Judges, and of the perſecuting, yea and Chriſtian Emperours, and you ſhall ſee the ups and downes of the Church, they had eaſe, yea and court and favour with godly Emperours, but a very ſhort time. Thirdly, in their ſpirituall relation, the Church is a moving thing: in that, 1. change is a part of ſufferings, and ſuffering and the Croſſe is the patrimony of the Church; whereas David ſaith of the wicked, Pſal. 55. 19. Becauſe they have not changes, therefore they feare not God; Meab is not moved from veſſell to veſſell, Great change of the ſpirituall condition of the Church, & of particular Saints.and hath not gone to captivitie, therefore his taſt remained in him, and his ſent is not changed, Jer. 48. 11. Secondly, the Song of Salomon ſheweth the inward and ſpirituall ups and downes, and changes of the Church; as ſometime Chap. 2. it is full noone-day with the Church; ſhee being taken into the banqueting houſe, and Verſ. 4. his banner over her was love; and ſhee is in great Court, Verſ. 16. My well beloved is mine, and I am his, hee feedeth among the Lillies, 17. till the day breake, and the ſhaddowes flee away; but there is a change of Court, and a great revolution, Chap. 3. 1. By night, on my bed I ſought him whom my ſoule loveth, I ſought him, but I found him not. Againe, Chap. 4. there is a revolution, Chriſt breaketh out in a high commendation and praiſe of his Church, Chap. 4: Verſ. 16. there is a prayer of hers in ſenſe of love and heate of faith for an p. 15union; Let my beloved come into his garden, and eate his pleaſant fruits; here the ſhip hath faire weather, and ſailes faire before the wind, for Chriſt anſwereth, Ch. 5. 1. I am come unto my garden, my ſiſter, my ſpouſe, I have gathered my myrrhe, with my ſpice, I have eaten my honey-combe with my honey, I have drunken my wine with my milke, eate O friends, yea drinke abundantly, O beloved; this is a joyfull feaſt betweene Chriſt and his Church. But this world laſteth not alway; ſhee falleth aſleepe and holdeth Chriſt at the doore, and there is mightie ſtorme that toſſeth the ſhip, and a ſad diſcourting of her; for it is farre otherwayes, Verſ. 6. I ſought him, but I could not finde him, I called him, but hee gave mee no anſwer. Grace, as it is in God, is God gracious, and is moſt ſtable and unchangeable, but it is various, as it is received in us, who are made of changes, and a difference there muſt bee betweene a communion of grace and a communion of glory, and 2. betweene this life and that life; as for the former, glory is grace in everlaſting action, and therefore there is no deſertions in heaven, no hiding of Gods face, no cloud, no night, no change, nothing but a ſunne in its full ſtrength; alwayes day without night, a full Sunſhine without a cloud or a ſhadow. Grace in us is a habit, and not alwayes in action, and our ſtabilitie here (as touching the other) is Heb. 13. Verſ. 14. that wee have no continuing Citie here, but wee ſeeke one to come, this is a tottering life.

Secondly,The Ship ſayleth in a Sea of glaſſe, mingled with fire. the ſhip ſayleth in an element called a Sea of glaſſe, all things here are fraile, ſlippery, brickle like glaſſe, it cannot beare the ſhip above, no more then a board of glaſſe can ſuſtaine the weight of an huge ſhip, but it ſhould breake in a thouſand peeces; certainly the Church ſubſiſteth by no worldly ſtrength, Chriſt ſayleth with his owne wind, then it it is a Sea of glaſſe mingled with fire, Rev. 15. 2. There bee cumbuſtions, warres, tumults, motions, and mightie winds in this Sea, that that may bee fulfilled which Chriſt ſaith to the paſſengers, John 16. 33. in the world you ſhall have tribulation.

Thirdly, all the ſafetie of the ſhip is in a good pilot, now Chriſt who can ſayle with every wind, and bringeth many broken ſhips to land, he ſitteth at the helme and ſetteth the halfdrowned ſhip-broken paſſengers on dry land to ſing on the p. 16ſhoare, Revel. 7. 14. Theſe are they (the ſhip broken men who ſwimmed to land on Plankes and broken boards) that have come out of great tribulation (out of the Sea of glaſſe mingled with …) and have waſhed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambe. The Ship is ſayling in Britaine now in a Sea of blood, Chriſt muſt bring her ſafe to land.

Fourthly,Hope the Anchor of the Church. there bee three excellent vertues of the anchor of hope, Heb. 6. 19, 20. firſt, which hope wee have as an anchor of the ſoule foreign, out of danger and ſure. Secondly, it is tothed in good ground, it is up within the vaile in heaven; hee muſt ſhake heaven, who loſeth the Anchor. Thirdly, Chriſt the forerunner, who leapt firſt aſhoare, and as the firſt begotten of the dead, firſt hanſelled heaven with our freſh, hath the farre end of the Anchor in his hand. Chriſt ſtrengthneth the Tackling and the cords of the ſhip; the Church a ventruous Pinnage, that through the ſtrength of Chriſt ventures thorough, 2 Cor. 6. 5. Stripes, impriſonments, tumults, labours, watchings, faſtings, by honour and diſhonour, through evill report and good report, and landeth ſafe, John 14. 3. I will come againe and receive you to my ſelfe, that where I am, there you may bee alſo.

Fiftly,The wares of the ſhip. the pretious pearle of the Goſpel is carried in this ſhip, yea Chriſt who holdeth the ſeven ſtarres, and walketh in the midſt of the golden Candleſticks, is in the ſhip. Bee not afraid (ſaid the Emperour to the waterman) th…u carrieſt Caeſar: So here Chriſt ſaith to the ſhipmen, Bee not afraid, you carry the King of Kings in this poore Barke of the Church; indeed there bee more pretious wares in the ſhip, then if ſhee carried from India millions of Navies of Gold, and ſhipfulls of Diamonds and Rubies.

Sixtly,Seven ſorts of paſſengers in the ſhip. there be many paſſengers of divers qualities, of which I ſpeake with reference to the times; as firſt, ſome greene profeſſors beleeved (as children doe) it was but a play to bee ingaged for the good cauſe. But when the King left his Parliament and made warre with his good Subjects of both kingdomes, they then became to bee Sea-ficke, and to vomit out their proteſtations and covenant; men ſhould ſeriouſly put downe in paper aforehand what it will coſt them, if they indent with Chriſt to follow him, Luke 14. 28. Secondly, ſome ingaged p. 17to the cauſe and embarked upon life and death did caſt themſelves in the Sea, thinking to ſwim to the neareſt ſhoare, they ſtole away from Chriſt, and caſt Cauſe, Goſpell, Lawes and Liberties over board to ſave themſelves, but hee that will ſave his life, ſhall loſe it. Thirdly, ſome ſtill remaine in the ſhip, but as Judas did with Chriſt, waiting an opportunitie either to play a game for Malignants, or to foſter diviſions betweene the kingdomes, and diviſions in the Church, to raiſe a mutinie amongſt the paſſengers of Chriſt, that the one halfe may throw the other over board in the Sea. Fourthly, Some are like Jonab, downe in the ſides of the ſhip ſleeping; theſe are indifferent paſſers by, Lament. 1. 12. they'l neither ſweat at the Pumpe, nor lay one finger on a rope, nor move an Oare, but (ſay they in their heart) Chriſt is a good enough Seaman, if he will not guide his owne ſhip to ſhoare, let him ſee to it. Fiftly, ſome paſſengers are merchant men; their Sea voyage in the ſhip is to gaine, to buy and ſell Religion, and live on the winning, theſe that would draw in to themſelves gaine from the publike now, would crucifie Chriſt for his coate. Sixthly, ſome truſting in multitude and ſtrength thinke by hard rowing and ſweating at the Oares to bring the ſhip to land; but a horſe is a vaine helpe. Seventhly, ſincere profeſſors are willing to ſtay, and take faire or foule weather with Chriſt, to ſinke or ſwimme with the Goſpell, and not onelyonly to ſtay, but to row and pray. Wee cannot but ſee winds and ſtormes, loud and mightie toſſing the poore ſhip in Britaine; Pirates and robbers have made ſtops in the ſhip by plots, much underwater is come in. Eighthly, though the winds be ſtrong and the Sea tempeſtuous, yet the port is ſure, for this is the promiſe of the Lord who ſits at the helme, Eſay 54. 11. O thou afflicted and toſſed with tempeſts, behold I will lay thy ſtones with faire colours, and lay thy foundations with Saphires. Chriſt can ſaile with contrary winds, yea the harbour is neare; Behold I come quickly, (ſaith the Lord); in the greateſt ſtorme that ever was, the Church can ſee the ſhoare and dry land, Mic. 7. 9. and faith in warre ſeeth peace, and in ſhipwrack is aſſured of the land, and in ſaddeſt times, when God is fartheſt off, the children of God feele the ſmell of the flowers of the higher garden p. 18Romans 5. 3. Wee rejoyce, or wee leape for joy, in tribulation.

[And hee was faſt aſleepe.] Wee are here to conſider farther of the condition that they were it;Why Chriſt took on our nature and infirmities. it is a ſtorme, but Chriſt ſleepeth. Firſt, a word of Chriſts ſleeping. Secondly, of his ſleeping at this time. If wee compare the Text with it ſelfe wee ſhall finde, hee was ſleeping, who can neither ſlumber nor ſleepe, and that hee is waking while hee is ſleeping, for hee who is the mightie God, the Prince of peace, and rebuked the Sea and the winds, and there was a calme, does not ſleepe. How then? can God ſleepe? hee that is in one perſon God-man can ſleepe. Firſt, becauſe in this rare peece of our redemption, Chriſt-God took all our infirmities on him, except ſinne, as hee tooke our nature, ſo hee tooke our condition and place, to expreſſe the depth of the love of God to mankind; the lower and the baſer our glorious redeemer was, it hath the greater impreſſion of love.Chriſt, God and man, and why. Love, love anſwereth all our queſtions of wonder. O way of life, why waſt thou wearied? O bread of life, why waſt thou hungry? O well of life, why waſt thou thirſty? Haſt thou not made all the fountaines and all the Vines in Judea, and in all the earth? O ancient of dayes, why becameſt thou young, and a weeping infant? bleſſed Jeſus would become a workhouſe of ſufferings and infirmities for us; and love, free love anſwereth all theſe queſtions; for us, for us ſinners hee came thus low. Secondly, here is a wonder, if there be a wonder in the world, Chriſt God and man in one perſon is more then a miracle. The mightie God giving infinite ſubſiſtence to a finite nature, Iſa. 9. 6. Thirdly, here is an able and ſufficient Saviour furniſhed to us, one who is more then a man; why? there was not onelyonly need of infinite worth and merit to the perſon, but of infinite ſtrength under the ſufferings; man as man is but a creature, and all the Angels in heaven and a world of worlds of new created Angels could not indure the infinite wrath of God, and therefore God muſt bee in this play, unleſſe all had beene marred. Qu. But the Godhead could not ſuffer nor be a paſſive ſubject of ſuffering, God therefore though bee had not made one perſon with the manhead, might have added actively ſtrength to a man to endure and ſuffer all that Chriſt ſuffered. Anſw. p. 19It is true, the Godhead was no formall paſſive ſubject of either infirmities or ſufferings in Chriſt, and God might have added to one who is only man poſſibly ſtrength to ſuffer the terrours of the ſecond death without deſpairing: but then it could not bee ſaid, that in that caſe theſe ſufferings ſhould have beene the ſufferings and blood of God, and ſo of infinite worth and merit. But here all ſtrength, and which is more, all worth and merit of ſuffering came from the Godhead, The influence of the Godhead in Chriſts ſufferings was active, not paſſive.which may bee illuſtrate from two compariſons. Firſt, ſuppoſe there were a faire roſe in the ſoutheſt part of the earth, neareſt the Sunne, growing in great beautie, but in danger to bee burnt up with the extreame heate of the Sunne, yet if wee ſhould imagine there were at the root of this ſame roſe a cold refreſhing Fountaine and Spring of water, ſending up an oily and lively ſope of life to the roſe, ſo that how much the parching heate of the Sunne conſumed and waſted of the life and greeneneſſe of the Roſe, the fountaine eternally furniſhed as much of new vigour and life to it, wee may thinke if the fountaine were eternall ſo to act upon the Roſe, the Roſe muſt bee eternally greene and never wither: So the flower of Iſſai, Jeſus Chriſt the faire Roſe of Sharon, that Lilly of the field never planted with hands, that bleſſed man who was a ſonne without a father, though the parching Sunne of the infinite wrath of God, for our ſinnes did burne him, and looke upon him to conſume him, as hee complained, Pſal. 22. 15. My ſtrength is dried up like a Potſheard. 17. I may tell all my bones; yet the bleſſed Godhead, in a perſonall union, was like an oily fountaine at his root, that contributed the active influence of life, courage, vigour and ſtrength, ſo as this roſe could not but grow in death, and the excellency of his perſon makes the ſufferings of infinite worth. And even as the Scarlet and purple Curtaines in the Tabernacle caſt a glaunce and luſtre on the golden Mercy-ſeate, when the Arke was within the Tabernacle: ſo the purple wounds and blood of Jeſus Chriſt and all his infirmities received an excellent ſweet luſtre, worth and beautie from the glorious and more then golden Godhead of our true and living Arke the Sonne of God. It may alſo bee thus cleared, the Iron wedges of Noahs Arke ſeparated p. 20from the Arke, and caſt into the waters ſhould ſinke to the bottome, but being faſtned in the Arke they fleet above the water: the manhead ſeparated from the Godhead ſhould ſinke under the wrath that Chriſt did ſuſtaine, but being wedged and united to the Godhead, in a perſonall union, could not but ride out againſt all the ſtormes: O bleſſed bee our ſure Ark. Now though ſuffering could not touch the Godhead paſſively, yet could the Godhead actively contribute to the ſtrengthning of the Manhood for ſuffering.

Hence wee are to conceive if Chriſt the Redeemer,Ʋſe 1. Chriſt perſonall, was a Standard-bearer that could not faint under all his ſufferings and infirmities, Chriſt myſticall is more then men, I meane the Church of Chriſt muſt have alſo ſtrength againſt all the perſecutions of men; there is a bone in the head of the Church, that is, ſtrength in Chriſt that cannot bee broken, malignants ſhall fight againſt Mount Zion, but ſhall not prevaile, there was never any victory that the ſeed of the Serpent or Satan could obtaine againſt Chriſt, but the bruiſing of his heele, that is a poore victory, a wound in the heele, or a bleeding heele is farre from the heart; Malignants are but drawing blood of Chriſts heele, in theſe bloody warres. But they doe but threſh the waters, Chriſt hath indured more then the wrath of the King of Britaine, and beleeve it, hee ſhall bee victorious and ſhall prevaile.

If Chriſt be ſuch a wonderfull one that is God no leſſe then man,Ʋſe 2. it is neither pietie nor good policy to take any thing from him that is his due; if Caeſar had ſtepped in and uſurped a headſhip over the Aſſembly convened in the name of Chriſt,It were ſacriledge in the Roman Empire and Senate to give out decrees to the Churches as the Apoſtles and Elders did, Acts 15.Acts 15 Act. 15. and had ſaid it ſeemed good to the Holy Ghoſt, and to us the Roman Emperour and Senate of Rome, to injoyne ſuch Lawes to the Churches of Chriſt; and ſhould put the name of the Emperours and Parliaments decrees on theſe which are called the decrees of the Apoſtles and Elders at Jeruſalem, as they are called, Act. 16. 4. I conceive the Apoſtles would have called it a wronging of Chriſt the King of the Church, in his prerogative Royall, and an abridging of the freedome of his Court; nor was it ever in our heart to teach that the Chriſtian Magiſtrate is p. 21with blind obedience to execute the decrees of the Church; for this poore argument, if it have any nerves, as it would caſt upon us the doctrine of Papiſts and Jeſuits to make the wayes of Chriſt odious, it hath as great ſtrength againſt the preaching of the Goſpel; for if Paul or any faithfull Paſtor preach to the Magiſtrates of Berea that Chriſt, whom the Jewes crucified, is the onelyonly Redeemer and Saviour of the world, and that therefore they are as nurſe-fathers to give libertie to the Servants of God, to preach this doctrine, and to hinder any to perſecute ſuch as ſhall preach this doctrine, yet by their civill authoritie, and ex officio, they are not for that, with blind obedience to receive it, and not to ſearch the Scriptures to try whether that which is preached bee agreeable to the Scriptures, nor to take it upon the bare authoritie of the Preacher, but they are to ſearch the Scriptures, and obliged to beleeve the preached Goſpell. But not as Magiſtrates either to preach themſelves, or to judge authoritatively by vertue of their office, whether the Preachers doctrine bee the Goſpel of Chriſt, or no: ſo if a Synod, by the holy Ghoſt, and the light of Scriptures determine any thing for diſcipline or cenſure, the Magiſtrate as hee may as a Chriſtian try the word preached, ſo may hee the ſame way try the decrees and determinations of the Church, and not take them upon blind truſt, and accordingly puniſh the contraveners as a magiſtrate, and as hee is the Miniſter of God that beareth his ſword; but yet hee can no more as a Magiſtrate, and by his office preſcribe ſuch eccleſiaſtick Lawes, (as wee have Acts 15. v. 28, Act. 16. 4.) unto the Churches of God, or as a Magiſtrate and by his office judge them unlawfull, and forbid them, then hee can preach the word, or ſay, it ſeemed good to the holy Ghoſt, and to me who beares the Sword, to command that the Churches obſerve ſuch and ſuch Lawes. But wee ſhall hardly beleeve that the honorable Houſes will take on them ſupreme authoritie above the Aſſemblies and courts of the Lord Jeſus, or that they will give occaſion to all the Proteſtant Churches in the world who prayeth for them, to write againſt their proceedings.

[And he was faſt aſleepe] What? ſhould Chriſt ſleepe now, as Lonab did, when God ſeemeth to bee angry with all in the p. 23ſhip?Innocency can ſleepe ſound amidſt the greateſt calamities. Nay but Chriſt holdeth forth to us by his ſleeping, that innocency and a good conſcience can ſleepe ſecurely amidſt the greateſt calamities and ſtormes, and not bee afraid. This is made good by theſe grounds of Scripture; as firſt, God hath a chamber and a pavilion to ſave his owne people in, ſo are they ſpoken to Eſay 26. 20. Come my people, enter into thy Chambers, and ſhut thy doores about thee, hide thy ſelfe for a little moment, untill the indignation bee overpaſt. Secondly, God not onelyonly ſaveth his owne from trouble, but alſo from the feare of trouble, Pſal. 3. 5. I laid mee downe and ſlept. 6. I will not bee afraid of ten thouſand of the people, that have ſet themſelves againſt mee round about, Pſal. 23. 4. Yea though I walke through the valley of the ſhadow of death, I will feare no evill. Thirdly, there is yet a higher degree to which a good conſcience can aſcend, for Eliphaz ſaith, Iob 5. 22. At deſtruction and famine thou ſhalt laugh, faith is ſo above death, that it maketh a holy ſporting at death, 1 Cor. 15. 55. O death, where is thy ſting? O grave, where is thy victory? It is much to looke death on the face and to laugh; beleeve and triumph. It is true, the Godly are fitteſt to bee ſouldiers, and faith hath more true courage for the warre then thouſands of men, yet are not meanes to bee deſpiſed. God will not have us to worke miracles on the warrant of our owne private ſpirit, though God worke miracles himſelfe; David ſaith, Pſal. 141. 7. that the Lord covered his head in the day of battell; yet hee putteth on a helmet on his head himſelfe in the day of battell, and was a man of warre. 2 Sam▪ 17. 10. There is reaſon why the Saints are ſecure in God, in the greateſt calamitie, becauſe peace with God maketh peace with bullets, and ſwords and ſpeares, and theſe goe well together, Pſal. 149. 6. Let the high prayſes of God be in their mouth, and a two edged ſword in their hand: and faith knoweth nothing of baſe feare; when there are ſtormes without, to the beleever, there is faire weather within, faith is a grace above time, as there is neither raine nor winds above the ſecond region of the ayre, therefore the Campe ſhould bee purged of Achans. Secondly, unbeleefe hath a wide apprehenſion, and is full of jealoſies and feares, and beleeveth every buſh to bee an armed man, Prov. 28. 1. The wicked feeleth when none purſueth, but the p. 22righteous foreign is confident as a Lion, or as a young Lion, courage and animoſitie is vigorous and greene in the young Lion, for when the beleever hath cloſed a covenant with death, not ſuch a one as is Eſay 28. 15. but ſuch a covenant as taketh in Chriſt as a party with the beleever, in which hee is in Covenant with the wild beaſts of the field, Hoſ. 2. 18. and with the ſtones of the fields, then is hee ſecure, for if death bee the Saints ſervant, 1 Cor. 3. 22. why but wee ſhould have Law-ſuretie in Chriſt, with our ſervant, that death ſhall not hurt us? 1 Cor. 15. 55. and if the grave bee our bed of reſt, why ſhould not the ſick man bee at peace with his owne Couch, and with his owne poſt that conveyeth him over the water to heaven? the beleevers death is a ſleepe, 1 Cor. 15. 6. 51. 1 Cor. 4. 14. then it muſt bee a ſweet and ſound ſleepe, as is the ſleep of the godly, whereas ſuch as ſleepe wrapped in ſuch a winding-ſheet as the ſinnes of their youth, Job 20. 11. cannot have a ſound ſleepe, but as an ill conſcience prophecyeth vengeance, as wee ſee in Hamans wife, Eſth. 8. 13. and in Cain, Gen. 4. 14. ſo the bones of a reprobate in the grave muſt in a manner prophecie hell and wrath to him.

[Hee was faſt aſleepe] Chriſt-man did but ſleepe,How God is ſaid to ſleepe. for otherwayes, Pſal. 121. 4. Behold hee that keepeth Iſrael ſhall neither ſlumber nor ſleepe. Yet in our trouble God is ſaid to ſleepe, not that ſpirits, farre leſſe the Creator of ſpirits, doth ſleepe, onelyonly hee ſeemeth to ſleepe. i. when wee dreame that God letteth things goe at ſix and ſeven, and when hee ſeemeth to cocke the wheeles of his providence, and worketh not for us, his arme ſeemeth to ſleepe, Eſay 51. 9. Awake, awake, put on ſtrength O arme of the Lord, awake as in the ancient dayes, in the generations of old; now the ſleeping of his arme is the ſleeping of his power, and hee ſaith, Verſ. 5. My righteouſneſſe is neare, my ſalvation is gone forth, and mine armes ſhall judge the people; his arme is his power to judge betweene his Church and his enemies, Pſal. 44. 23. Awake, why ſleepeſt thou, O Lord? Pſal. 7. 6. Awake O Lord, for the judgement that thou haſt commanded.

But why ſhould Chriſt ſleepe when his cauſe requireth hee ſhould wake?

Anſ. Beſide that this was a proofe of his humane nature p. 24united perſonally with his Godhead, that a ſleeping man was God who could command the Sea, and the winds, it was expedient that this ſtorme ſhould riſe when Chriſt was ſleeping, for it might ſeeme to ariſe againſt his will, if hee had beene waking: or rather God of purpoſe will have extreame dangers to come on his Church, and hee will ſeeme to ſleepe and to bee farre off, to waken up our ſleeping faith. Hence the doctrine is,God will have his Church & cauſe within a haires breadth of loſing, except he ariſe and helpe. God will have his Church and cauſe to bee brought within a haire breadth of loſing, except the Lord ariſe and bee onelyonly be a preſent helpe in trouble. Conſider that Chriſt-man (if wee lay aſide the decree of God) was capable of drowning, ſtoning or any death as well as crucifying, and in this ſhip was carried Chriſt the hope of heaven, and all the ends of the earth, and the eleven Diſciples were in the ſame danger, they had a word of promiſe that they ſhould bee his witneſſes to carry the Chariot of the Goſpel to all the world, and to ſubdue the nations to Chriſt by the preaching of the word, and were to be brought before Kings and rulers for a teſtimony to all nations, and to bee ſcourged, killed, perſecuted of all men for Chriſts ſake; here be both a promiſe, and prophecies, and all ſeemes to bee loſed as fallen in the bottome of the Sea; Chriſt and Apostles and the ſhip are within leſſe then two or three fingers breadth of death. The Church was at a low ebbe in Aegypt, the male children muſt bee drowned in the River, the life of the aged is toyled and worne out of them. Omnipotency with nine heavy plagues cannot get the people of God freed out of the hands of a Tyrant. God muſt ſtep in with immediate omnipotence in the tenth plague to pull out his people with a ſtretched out arme. Moſes his word of deliverance and Gods decree of bringing out the people is upon the extreame banke and margin of periſhing: Iſrael hath an hoaſt of cruell enemies behind them, and the raging Sea before them, and mountaines on every ſide, here bee many deaths in a circle round about the Church, this is like to God ſleeping and the wheeles of providence at a ſtand, there is no place for helpe from a creature except immediate omnipotency break a gap in the circle, and divide the red Sea; the Church of God is a field of dry and dead bones, ſo as it is ſaid, Ezek. 37. 2. Behold the bones p. 25were foreign very or exceeding dry, and they ſay, Verſ. 11. our hope is loſed, and wee are cut off; yet wee know God made his owne word good, Verſ. 12. Behold O my people, I will open your graves, and bring you to the land of Iſrael, Deut. 32. 36. The Lord ſhall judge his people, and repent himſelfe for his ſervants. But when ſhall that be?foreign Omnipotency is good at a dead lift; when hee ſeeth their ſtrength is gone, Heb. that their hand is gone, and there is none ſhut up and left, when the Saints have neither hands nor feet, the Lord ariſeth: for Chriſt can ſaile with halfe wind, and play about and fetch a compaſſe, yea hee can ſayle againſt tide and wind, and with no wind, hee never ſincks his bark, nor breaks his helme, nor loſes a paſſenger, nor miſſeth his harbour, ſo how hopeleſſe was the condition of the Church, when loving Jeſus Chriſt is couched under a cold ſtone in the grave? the onelyonly hope of Davids throane, he who was to reſtore the kingdome to Iſrael is gone; and what ſhall the people of God now do? utter deſolation is ſo neare that God is put to it, and the poore Churches coale ſo cold, that they are at Lord either now or never, either within three dayes reſtore the head of the Church or never. Then the Lord, Act. 5. 31. exalted buried Chriſt, with his right hand to bee a Prince, and a Saviour to give repentance to Iſrael and forgiveneſſe of ſinnes.

1. Reaſon. Why God ſaveth not while the Church be betweene the ſinking and the ſwimming.Omnipotencie can walke in the extreame and out moſt margin and moſt pendulous banke hanging over hell, and not fall; Chriſt can drive his Chariot over mountaines and rocks and not breake one pin or wedge of it, poore nothing to omnipotency is as good as Speare and Shield.

2. Reaſ. This declares the depth of the wiſedome of Gods unſearchable diſpenſation, he ſuffereth malignants to ride over his people, that hee may perfume the worke of hell in the enemies, who are, as it were, skullions to purge the veſſells of mercy and to humble them, and may inſtampe their Acts with ſupernaturall events of faith and patience; malignants plow the Church, and ſow blood in the three kingdomes, the father of Chriſt the good husband man comes in to breake the clods and the fallow ground, and reape the crop of the quiet fruits of righteouſneſſe; and it is depth of wiſdome to conſider how God maketh uſe of mens ſinfull ingagements having p. 26chainzed men to his cauſe, and carries his owne holy and cleane worke of reformation through many foule hands and durtie intentions: ſo when men thwart and croſſe Gods will of precept, they ſerve Gods will of providence; a paſſenger walkes on the hatches of the ſhip toward the weſt, Sea, and tide and winde doe carry both him, his motion and ſhip to the eaſt, the wiſedome of God the Pilot of his Church overpowereth mens intentions which are ſet on gaine, honour, factions, their owne by-ends, eaſe and pleaſure.

It is not unlike that when this worke now under the Lords wheeles in Britaine is come to a height of extreame deſolation, that wee are at this, Lord, either now or never, and the Sea is come in at the broad ſide of the ſhip, that the Lord will deliver by ſome immediate way; and wee ſee feavours come to a height, and then decreaſe and coole: and when doth the Sea turne to an ebbing? not while it flow to the utmoſt ſcore of the coaſt, and then be fulleſt; ſeldome doth ever the Lord deliver his Church while their hope be gone, and what if it bee ſo here, that Parliaments, Aſſemblies, armies of and in both kingdomes, navies, ſhippings, treaties, victories can doe no more? and then the Lord ariſe, and by ſome immediate omnipotency wee never dreamed of, calme our Sea, and bring his owne ſhip to land. Firſt, you never ſaw creatures doe any great worke, but ſomething was left to omnipotency and to God onelyonly to bee done. Moſes led the people out of Aegypt, but hee could not divide the red Sea, and that was their way. Secondly, in Gods greateſt workes immediate providence hath had hand. The victory over Midian had more of Gods immediate worke, then of Gideons Sword in it: this truely to me is one continued miracle that theſe 1600. yeares, God hath carried his ſhip and kept the paſſengers alive, when perſecuting Emperours, when bloody Babylon, when Hereticks, Kings the hornes of the beaſt that roſe out of the Sea, fire, faggots, ſword, torments have torne the ſailes of Chriſts Ship, broken the Maſt, drowned the paſſengers, yet wee live. Joſeph is bleſſed, but when hee is ſeparated from his brethren, then bleſſings come upon the head of Joſeph.

He was faſt aſleepe.

This is the ſaddeſt circumſtance in their ſuffering. What is death and the drowning of them all, ſo they have Chriſt p. 27with them?The preſence of God in trouble how comfortable. But Oh! Chriſt to their ſenſe is as good as abſent; for hee is faſt alſeepe; and as they complaine, hee careth not for them; Chriſt walking and working for a ſoule in the ſaddeſt affliction of the world is a bleſſed viſitation. To bee in heaven, if Chriſt ſleepe and bee not with you, is a hell, and to bee in hell and want his preſence, is two hells; to bee ſicke, and the onelyonly Phyſitian Chriſt will not come at mee, is two hells. Gods watching preſence, firſt, bringeth the courage of faith: To bee in the midſt of devils, the beleever having God with him walketh without feare; even cold death that king of terrours walking with him at his right ſide, hee hath a paſſe-port that will take him ſafe through the grave, as theſe places prove, Pſal. 16. 8, 9, 10. Pſal. 23. 4. Pſal. 46. 2. 3. Mic. 7. 8. Secondly, God is not preſent with his owne in trouble as the picture of a friend, who hath much love in his heart while hee ſtands at your bed ſide ſeeing you goe to a great hell through a little hell of ſickneſſe and paine, and cannot take off you one graine weight of ſorrow and paine. But God is in a farre other manner preſent, Pſal. 91. 15. I will bee with him in trouble, but this is not all, I will deliver him, Eſay 43. 2. when thou paſſeſt through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the Rivers, they ſhall not overflow thee, when thou walkeſt through the fire, thou ſhalt not be burnt; nor is Chriſt in trouble like our Summer-friends who in a great drough dry up.

But may not God be with his own, though they be both burnt & drowned? then this is no conſequent at all, feare not that the fire ſhall burn thee, or the waters ſhall drowne thee, for I am with thee; yea it is moſt ſtrong, this preſence of God with his owne in trouble maketh God and them ſo one, by Gods union of love, (for Gods love to us is infinitely more active to ſave us, then either our faith and love to him) that the fire that burneth Jacob muſt alſo ſeiſe upon God, according to that, Zach. 2. 8. Hee that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eye. Thirdly, when Chriſt waketh and ſleepeth not in heavy afflictions, his love is ſo in action, even while hee ſtriketh, that the rod falleth out of his hand, that hee 1. giveth them not ſo hot a fire, as ſilver, and 2. hee acteth love and mercy on them in their ſaddeſt time of ſuffering, and marieth them at their loweſt condition; both which are excellently expreſſed, Eſay 48. 10. Behold, p. 28I have refined thee, but not as ſilver, I have choſen thee in the furnace of affliction. Fourthly, wee may adde another benefit of the preſence of God in afflictions, that the very breath of Chriſt is ſweet, though hee ſhould not deliver for the preſent, yet the ſmoake of hell and the paine of the furnace is ſo perfumed and over-gilded with the breathings of the love of Chriſt, that the paine of the furnace is allayed; this is witneſſed by the Martyrs ſinging at the ſtake; If in theſe bloody ſufferings wee want Gods preſence, how miſerable are wee? and therefore this is one of the proper markes of the children of God, if wee can miſſe Gods comfortable preſence in this fiery tryall that is now in the three kingdomes: So Lament. 1. 16. for theſe things I weepe, mine eye, mine eye runneth downe with water, yea but theſe ſufferings are but the materiall object of weeping, there is a higher cauſe of weeping then that, and ſet downe in the Hebrew as a cauſe with an foreign becauſe the comforter that ſhould bring backe my ſoule is farre away: foreignChriſt eſteemed this the ſalt of his ſufferings; My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? there is a great Empheſis in foreign and therefore the word is doubled: as if hee would ſay, any forſaking of friends is nothing, but Gods forſaking is ſad: and Heman, Pſal. 88. 6. Thou haſt laid mee in the loweſt pit, in darkneſſe, in the depths. 7. Thy wrath lieth hard upon mee, thou afflicteſt mee with all thy waves; but this is the heavieſt of all, 14. Lord why caſteſt thou off my ſoule? why hideſt thou thy face from mee? poſitive wrath is not ſo heavy as the meere negative abſence of God. Mary her want of the man Chriſt is ſad, but ſhee wants him under an higher reduplication, John 20. 13. The Angels ſay unto Mary Magdalen, Woman why weepeſt thou? ſhee anſwereth with a becauſe, foreign, Becauſe they have taken away my Lord; Sword and peſtilence, yea the civill ſword are heavie plagues on a land, but this is heavier, God hath left us, O terrible! the Lord is not with us.

Luke 8. 24.Part III. And they came to him, and awoke him, ſaying, Maſter, maſter, we periſh.The unitie and harmony of Chriſts Diſciples in their trouble.

The third part of the text containeth the courſe they take in their trouble. It is good that in their trouble they agree in theſe foure. Firſt, that there is a great danger, even preſent drowning. Secondly, they looke ſpiritually on it in this, p. 29that the face of death is ſo much the more awefull that Chriſt their deliverer ſleepeth. Thirdly, they agree in judgement that Chriſt onelyonly can helpe them. Fourthly, they agree in practiſe, all joyne in prayer to awake Chriſt, and by faith to awake him, and ſet him on worke to helpe and ſave them. It is excellent when one heart and one mind is amongſt all the paſſengers of Chriſts ſhip, eſpecially in a troubleſome Sea ſtorme. Gen. 13. Abraham and Lots herdmen ſtrive. But it is ſo much the worſe that it is ſaid, Verſ. 7. and the Canaanite and the Perizite dwelt then in the land, they had common enemies,Reaſons for Chriſtian unitie. and therefore ſtriving was unſeaſonable; holy Joſeph (when his brethren was in great diſtreſſe, falling out was unſeaſonable) therefore ſaith to them, Gen. 45. 24. See that yee fall not out by the way: Alas! wee are in great trouble, and yet wee fall out by the way: it was a ſad time with the Diſciples neare to the time when the ſhepheard was ſmitten and they ſcattered ſheepe, when Chriſt ſaid, John 13. 35. By this ſhall all men know that yee are my Diſciples, if yee love one another.

Doe but heare how Paul is moſt copious in arguments for this in one Verſe, Philip. 2. 1. If there bee therefore any conſolation in Chriſt, if any comfort of love, if any fellowſhip of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2. Fulfill my joy, that yee may bee like minded, having the ſame love, being of one accord, and of one mind Pſal. 133. 1. to bee of one mind in love, is the fulfilling of the joy of the Saints; biting and devouring is a hole, a gap, a great blanke to the joy of the holy Ghoſt; love neighboureth with the ſweet conſolations of Chriſt, it is the birth, a fruit, an Apple growing on the ſpirit of Jeſus, Gal. 5. 22. in the wombe and bowels of love lodgeth bowels of tender mercies; pardoned ſinners cannot ſo hate pardoned ſinners as to jeere them out of the hearts of the Saints, & end them to the lake of Brimſtone. Pſ. 133. Behold how good, and how pleaſant it is for brethren to dwell together in unitie. Many things are good, as workes of divine juſtice, and deſtroying the enemies of God, yet they are not pleaſant; and many things are pleaſant that are not good, as the pleaſures of ſinne for a ſeaſon muſt bee pleaſant; but becauſe unlawfull, they are not good; but unitie amongſt brethren is both good and pleaſant; now becauſe ſtriving and bitter diviſions in this land and Church are ſo ſad, and a lovely and peaceable union ſo neceſſary, give me leave to preſſe p. 30this a little; the motion of a loving union were deſirable.

Firſt, becauſe our Father the Lord appeared to Elias, not in the thunder, but in the calme voyce. Love is not onelyonly from God, but 1 John 4. 8. God is love, and that in all the foure cauſes of love: See how much of God is in any, as much of love and meekneſſe is in them; love is the breathings of heaven, love is the aire and element wee live in, in the higheſt new Jeruſalem, 1 Cor. 13. 8. 13. The redeemeds breath ſmells of love, and love hath the ſmell of another world; it is a flower of Chriſts planting, the bleſſings and prayers of the good husbandman Chriſts Father came on the flower, Pſal. 133. 3. The dew of God lieth all the night upon the leaves of the flower, it is alwayes greene. The Church is a houſe that is builded up in love, that raiſeth the wall up to heaven, Epheſ. 4. 16.

Secondly, Chriſt our redeemer, whoſe wee are, being bought with a price, is a maſſe of love, hee hath a heart very hoſpitall to lodge all our infirmities; when hee ſaw his people, as touching the condition of their ſoule, like ſheepe without a ſhepheard, foreign, hee was bowelled with compaſſion toward them: Eſay 40. when the Prophet ſpeaketh of his power and his ruling arme, hee alſo prophecyeth of his meekneſſe and bowels of compaſſion to weake ones; there bee three ſorts of perſons in the Church that hee ſhall handle tenderly. 1. The ſimple but gratious, and for theſe, Verſ. 11. hee ſhall feede his fl…cke like a ſhepheard; hee hath the heart of a ſhepheard who tendereth and careth for the flocke. 2. There bee young ones, babes in Chriſt, and of theſe it is ſaid, hee ſhall gather the Lambes with his arme, and carry them in his boſome, two excellent ſweet expreſſions, hee ſhall not throw his club at the Lambs, nor bee froward and cruell to them, but in lieu of a club, hee ſhall gather them with his arme. 3. And as for the young and weake that have not legges, he ſhall carry theſe in his boſome; the boſome of Chriſt is a ſeat of love and tenderneſſe of bowels. 4. There bee ſome in the Church that want not their infirmities and ſinnes, and have legges, and a little ſtrength, yet the tenderneſſe of the bowels of compaſſion muſt yeeld them, ſome Chriſtian condeſcenſion and accommodation, and they muſt not bee forced and driven roughly, Chriſts Spirit is a ſpirit of accommodation, Sir Ile make you in deſpight p. 31of your teeth, is not for theſe, and therefore it is ſaid, hee ſhall gently lead thoſe that are with young, ſo Eſay 42. 2. Jeſus Chriſt ſhall not cry nor lift up, nor cauſe his voyce to bee heard in the streets, Chriſt hath not the art of rayling, ſhouting and thundering againſt the meeke of the flock. Yea Chriſt rideth and triumpheth in meekneſſe, Zach. 9. 9. his horſe hee rideth on, is meekneſſe, Pſal. 45. 4. it is ſpoken to him, Ride proſperouſly upon truth and meekneſſe, and Pſal. 147. 6. This Lord lifeth up the meeke, and Pſal. 76. 9. bee will ſave all the meeke of the earth: Chriſts heart is King Solomons Chariot, the pillars of it is, (Cant. 3. 10.) Silver, the bottome thereof Gold, the covering of it of purple, the midſt thereof beeing paved with love, for the daughters of Jeruſalem. And Chriſt chooſeth to dwell in a heart paved with love and meekneſſe.

Thirdly, the Spirit of the Lord is a Dove, the ſpirit of grace is a gaul-leſſe and gentle ſpirit. Grace, grace is the innocenteſt thing of the world, there is no wild fire of ſinfull wrath in grace. Bitterneſſe, rayling, jeering, perſecution with the tongue, outcries againſt Aſſemblies, Presbyteries, are not the tooles of the ſpirit of grace; yea calumnies, ſalt writings on either ſide are not from that ſpirit of Chriſt which hath a hand to wipe teares off the faces of the mourners in Zion; To all raylings, all bitter mockings againſt Presbyteries and Aſſemblies, wee ſay, wee are deſirous not to bee driven off the roade way to heaven, but to goe on, Through honour and diſhonour by evill report and good report, as deceivers, and yet true. One inch of a good conſcience is rather to bee choſen, then a thouſand yards of windie credit. Meeke Jeſus Chriſt and his Apoſtles uſed not ſuch a ſtile of language, nor is ſuch Grammar from heaven, nor ſmelleth it of the holy Ghoſts pen.

Fourthly, if wee bee the children of one father, it might breed ſtrange thoughts in our minds, when the ſonnes of one father Independents and Presbyterians (ſpare mee, neceſſitie, not love of factions forceth mee to theſe tearmes) ſhall ſing one ſong up before the throne, to him that liveth and reigneth for ever, that wee cannot gather heate and warmneſſe of love in one arke, and in one Church here in the earth, pens and tongues ſalted and ſteeped in the gall of bitterneſſe are not the p. 32fruits of the Spirit. Shall wee kill and devoure one another all the day, and lodge together in one heaven at night, and can wee ſay one to another in heaven, haſt thou ſound me, O mine enemy? ſhall there bee any factions, any ſides, either religious, of Presbyterian and independent in heaven, or nationall of England and Scotland (which yet differ not eſſentially (I am ſure) but onelyonly in the poore accidents of North and South) and yet on earth wee muſt bee at daggers, at rentings, diviſions; are there two Chriſts, becauſe two nations?

Fiftly, truth is never victorious by perſecution; now the Scripture ſpeaketh of a perſecution with the tongue, Jer. 18. 18. Come (ſay they) let us ſmite Jeremiah with the tongue. Job thus complayneth of his friends who never put violent hands in him, Chap. 19. 22. Why doe you perſecute me as God, and are not ſatisfied with my fleſh? then tongue perſecution is an eating of the fleſh.

Sixtly, the Goſpel which wee profeſſe is a Goſpel of peace, wee preach warre betweene the fleſh and the ſpirit, and warre betweene the womans Seed and the Serpent. But oh! ſhould wee preach warre betweene the Saints? wee have choyſer golden chaines to tie us together, Epheſ. 4. 4. There is one body, and one ſpirit, even as yee are called in one hope of your calling. 5. One Lord, one faith, one Baptiſme. 6. One God, and Father of all. Have wee need of Prelats and a high Commiſſion Court, and purſevants ſent out to hunt us for praying together, that they may reconcile us and unite us together, as wee were all one within theſe few yeares?

Seventhly, the more grace and mercy wee have from God our Father, and from our Lord Ieſus, the more peace amongſt our ſelves, and the more grace the more compaſſion toward the weakneſſe of Brethren. Chriſt is an uniting and a congregating Saviour, his blood and his ſpirit ſoweth and needleth together the hearts of the lambe and the Leopard, of the Calfe and of the young Lion, Eſay 11. 6.

Eighthly, the Saints of the moſt High are ſtiled the meeke of the earth, Eſay 11. 4. there bee no meeke creatures on earth but the regenerate. Buls and Lions fight together, Lions and Woolves purſue Lambes. But wee have not heard of warre betweene p. 33Lambes and Lambes; Why ſhould wee ſtrive, for wee are brethren? how unſeemly that one redeemed one ſhould hate, perſecute and chaſe another redeemed one, even into the gates of heaven?

Ninthly, are wee not debtors one to another? and the ſum wee owe is love. O what a ſpirit of accommodation was in that choſen veſſel Paul! who ſaid, 1 Cor. 9. 22. I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means ſave ſame. This is Pauls charge, Gal. 6. 1, 2. who will have love to put in joynt an overtaken ſinner, in the ſpirit of meekneſſe, and ſo it is, love doth not onelyonly beare it ſelfe, but alſo the burdens of our brethren▪ and ſo fulfilleth the Law of Chriſt; love planted by Chriſt is the Law of Chriſt, and why doe wee by ruptures and diviſions labour to fruſtrate the end of Chriſts prayer, which is, John 17. 2. I pray (ſaith Chriſt) that they may all bee one, as thou Father art in mee, and I in thee? if wee bee one in uno tertio, in the heart of Chriſt, and of Chriſts Father, why but wee ſhould bee one amongſt our ſelves? yea love is burnt in tender feeling and compaſſion with the very ſmoake of a brothers houſe that is on fire, 1 Cor. 13. 15. Love is not eaſily provoked; it is a pardoning grace, and hath ſtrong ſhoulders to beare the madneſſe and infirmities of a fellow heire of heaven. Love thinketh not evill, love muſt abound in love and charitable thoughts towards others, as every element aboundeth in its owne ſpheare, it thinketh not that the Saints doe hunt for a dominion over Saints. 6. Love rejoyceth not in iniquitie. Curſed bee that love that exulteth when malignants prevaile, and rejoyceth not when the cauſe of the Lord and his people are victorious. Love rejoyceth in the truth; then love is wounded and ſicke when hereſies and ſects prevaile; and ſigheth to ſee Altars multiplied, and that many falſe Christs and falſe teachers ariſe. Wee cannot deny but God hath put his ſeale to the miniſtery of the ſervants of Chriſt that went from this to New England, and in the wiſdome of God they ſaw and doe ſee, that libertie of conſcience is no remedie, but phyſick worſe then the diſeaſe; againſt falſe religions; It is now off my way to diſpute. But I know certainly a negative argument from the practiſe of Chriſt and the Apoſtles, becauſe they ſtirred p. 34not up heathen Magiſtrates and Wolves, not fathers, to puniſh falſe teachers, is not good divinitie to infer libertie of conſcience; for in their practiſe they ſtirred not up the ſword of the Magiſtrate againſt extortions and rapines in publicans, nor againſt the perſecuting and killing of the Lord of Glory, nor againſt ſedition, inceſts, tyranny over the Apoſtles and Chriſtians, bribing and unjuſtice uſed againſt Paul by Felix and others who were ſubject to higher Magiſtrates, and many other ſcandalous ſinnes againſt the ſecond table; any might inferre libertie of converſation in matters of the ſecond table, no leſſe then libertie of conſcience in matters of the firſt table, if this argument hold good. But the doctrine of Chriſt and his Apoſtles giveth to the Magiſtrate the Sword againſt evill doers, Rom. 13. 4. but teachers of falſe doctrine though in the matter of ceremonies, are evill doers, Phil. 3. 2. and they pervert ſoules, Act. 15. and kill ſoules, and ſubvert whole houſes, and make their followers twofold more the Children of hell, then they themſelves, Matth. 23. 15. nor did wee ever dreame that the bloody ſword was a mean of converſion of ſoules, the Goſpel is ſo the onelyonly power of God to ſalvation, but that hindereth not but the Magiſtrate is to reſtraine by a coercive power the man that teacheth that Jeſus Chriſt is not true God conſubſtantiall with the Father, becauſe the Sword ought to curbe the ſpreading of falſe doctrine, it followeth not that it is a meane of propagating true doctrine. But of this more poſſibly in another place. Nor doe I intend the bloody ſword ſhould bee drawne againſt every different opinion holden by the truely godly, though in the government of the Church all ſee not with the ſame light.

Luke 8. 24. Maſter, maſter, wee periſh.

Marke 3. 38. Maſter careſt thou not that wee periſh?

It is too ordinary for us, Doct.becauſe of the greatneſſe of the ſtroake, and no preſent deliverance to put unkindneſſe upon Chriſt, Wee put unkindneſſe on Chriſt, becauſe wee are not preſently delivered, and the reaſons thereof.as here they complaine that Chriſt is careleſſe of them, becauſe hee ſleepeth and they periſh; few of the Saints have ever beene in extremitie of heavie afflictions, but they have uttered hard thoughts of Chriſt, Pſal. 77. as the Prophet in name of the Church, when hee was troubled and his ſore ran in the night, Verſ. 7. ſaith, will the Lord caſt off for ever? will hee bee favourable no more? 8. Is p. 35his mercy cleane gone? foreignis his word or oracle rotten? 9. Hath hee forgotten to be gratious? hath hee in anger ſhut up his tender mercies? It is a ſtrange word, Verſ. 7. will hee bee favorable no more? will hee never put forth in action one act of good will againe? for the word foreign is foreign; it were a prodigious thing as the Prophet calleth it, his infirmitie, Verſ. 10. that all acts of reconciliation toward the elect ſhould dry up.foreign Jeremiah when hee cryed out in his great trouble, Chap. 15. Verſ. 10. Woe is me, my mother, foreignthat thou haſt borne mee a man of ſtrife, and a man of contention to the whole earth; foreigncomplayneth Verſ. 18. Wilt thou bee altogether to me as a lier? Et non addet (bene) velle ultra.as waters that are unfaithfull? that is, I hoped thou ſhouldeſt have helped mee, as the thirſty traveller truſteth in a dry pit, ſeeing it afarre off, and beleeving it to bee a refreſhing fountaine, but thou haſt beguiled mee and my hope; to this you may adde the curſing of the day that hee was borne in, Chap. 20. David, Pſal. 31. when Verſ. 12. hee was forgotten as a dead man, and laid aſide by all the world, as an uſeleſſe, and a broken veſſell, complaineth, Verſ. 22. For I ſaid in mine haſt, I am cut off from before thine eyes; and wee know the ſufferings of Job, who beſide his other agues uttereth theſe words, Chap. 13. Verſ. 14. Wherefore hideſt thou thy face, and holdeſt mee for thine enemy? The Reaſons are:

Firſt, extreame afflictions, as Phyſicke, ſtirre up both the good and the bad humours, they make legible both the good and the ill in the man, and which of them is the predominant; when the fire boileth extremely, if there bee a ſcum in the liquor, it is that which is firſt ſeene, yea and it is not onelyonly the vertue and ſtrength of the fire, but alſo of the gold that the droſſe goeth to its owne place, if it were all gold there ſhould bee no ſeparation at all; the Diſciples here put a falſe Character upon Chriſt, that hee hath neither love to them, nor care of them, they double the word, Maſter, maſter, and that is a check, being added to the other, careſt thou not for us? it ſaith 1. that hee is worſe then other maſters, better ſerve any maſter then Chriſt, a maſter will care for his ſervants, ſo hee can helpe them, no earthly maſter will ſleepe, when hee knoweth his ſervants are drowning. 2. They object his ſluggiſhneſſe, careſt thou not for us? hee bath neither love nor p. 36reſpect to us, though wee have forſaken all and followed him.

Secondly, apprehenſion putteth a baſtard glowme upon Chriſt, and cauſeth us to take a falſe meaſure of Christ; Fancy hath ſtrong operations, eſpecially when it commeth in the roome and place of faith. What could they imagine now but that the Sea will drowne Chriſt? hee had ſaid to them, hee muſt bee delivered to the hands of ſinners and bee crucified, or then, hee could walke upon the Sea and eſcape death, and would let them goe to the merciemercy of the raging Seas, and periſh in the waters? now this was a belying of the promiſes of God; Chriſt had both decreed and ſaid that they behooved to bee his witneſſes, and to carry his name to the Gentiles, and carry the chariot of the Goſpel thorough all the world, and be delivered up to Synagogues and councels, and bee beaten and ſcourged, and hated of all men for his names ſake, now all theſe are dreams, they muſt bee drowned in the waters, through no other cauſe but the negligence and cold affection that their maſter Chriſt beareth to them, though they had preferred him and his ſervice to all the world. Wee are beaſts under great temptations, and phantaſie is all the wit that leadeth beaſts, ſo the Prophet ſaith of himſelfe, Pſal. 72. 22. ſo fooliſh was I and ignorant, I was a beaſt before thee; and why a beaſt? hee had ſaid in his heart, Verſ. 11. how doth God know? that was a ſtrong dreame: hee that teacheth man knowledge, ſhall bee not know? Pſal. 94. 10. and Verſ. 13. Verely I have cleanſed my heart in vaine, foreign is an emptie thing, and our word ſmoake or reeke ſeemeth to come from it, then ſaid the Prophets imagination, it is as empty a thing as ſmoake to ſerve God.

Thirdly, ſenſe is ſtrong as fancy, drowning and death was come over board, and therefore they complaine of a changed and ſleeping Chriſt; now old and gray haired judgements move us not, as the drowning of the old world, the deſtruction of Sodom with fire and brimſtone, theſe are gone many hundreth yeares, therefore they affect not us, and the day of judgement is farre off, and where is the promiſe of his comming? ſay the ſcoffers, 2 Pet. 3. and ſo did the people, Ezek. 12. 27. Sonne of man behold they of the houſe of Iſrael ſay, The viſion that hee ſeeth is for many dayes to come, and hee prophecieth of times p. 37that are afarre off. But when death is at thy right ſide, and ſitteth upon the ball of thy cheek, that acteth and worketh on us. When the Sword is two hundreth miles from us, wee take no care of it; but if the enemy were comming in at the ports of the Citie, and wee ſaw them burning houſes, and killing huſbands and children, and heard the crying of women and children; wee ſhould then bee on the other extremitie, and cry, Chriſt is changed and cares not for us; keepe good and heavenly thoughts of Chriſt in the ſaddeſt times, Pſal. 22. 2. O my God I cry by day and thou heareſt not, in the night ſeaſon I am not ſilent; What then? doth hee fall a chiding with God? doth hee ſay, Oh, God is changed, hee careth not for us? no: yea the contrary hee ſaith, Verſ. 3. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabiteſt the praiſes of Iſrael. 4. Our fathers truſted in thee and were delivered; ſay in the mouth of hell, I will beleeve, as Job 13. 15. Though the Lord ſhould kill mee, I will truſt in him; faith liveth and breatheth in the grave, in the throat of hell. How ſweet is it to heare, There is the grave of a buried beleever; theſe bee the aſhes of a dead man, that went into the grave in faith and hope as Chriſt did, Pſal. 16. 10. Beware of falſe imaginations of God in time of trouble. Fancy can ſpin out and forge a God weake of memory, who hath forgotten his promiſes, Eſay 49. 14, 15. wee caſt behind us the promiſes in the day of trouble; yea which is fearefull, often when wee conceive wee are praying, wee are but chiding with God, and not farre from blaſpheming; grace in the day of trouble layeth ſilence on the thoughts, wee have need of an high Prieſt to waſh our ſacrifices, and when we have prayed, there is ſo much ſinne in our prayers that Chriſt muſt pray them over againe, as it were, for hee maketh prayers and requeſts for us, Heb. 8. 25.

They awoke him ſaying, Maſter, maſter.

Prayer awaketh a ſeeming ſleeping God, and puts him to it, wee cannot take a better courſe in trouble then to runne to Chriſt by prayer, Pſal. 130. 1. Out of the deeps have I cryed unto thee, Pſal. 18. 6. In my diſtreſſe I called upon the Lord: that is a ſweet ſtory, Pſal. 34. 6. This poore man cryed unto the Lord, and the Lord heard and ſaved him out of all his troubles. …David uſed this weapon of prayer againſt his owne ſonne Abſolom, Pſal. 3. Faith p. 38is not partiall, prayer is not ſelfie, David prayed and propheſied his ſonnes deſtruction. 7. Ariſe O Lord, ſave mee; and hee anſwers himſelfe, Thou haſt broken the teeth of the ungodly: A praying Army muſt be a victorious Army. If this ſtorme had not riſen they ſhould not have prayed: alas! wee put Chriſt often in the reere; or wee keepe Chriſt to a reſerve or a recrute; when we have tryed Phyſitians for twelve yeares, and ſpent all, then wee come to Chriſt, when wee can doe no better. There is much deceit in bed-prayers, for the principium motus, the firſt ſpring is extrinſecall, it comes from the rod on us; it is true, naturall conſciences deaded and benummed with rubbing doe gather warme blood, and are ſtirred up to devotion and faſting, and praying in the ſpirit, and the ſpirit of prayer may bee wakened by judgement,Iudgements of themſelves are the occaſion, rather then the cauſe of praying. but judgement is not the cauſe of praying in the godly, but the occaſion. Hee that raiſeth up a ſleeping man is not the cauſe of his motion and walking, the cauſe was in him, when hee was faſt aſleepe, his life and the Locomotive power is the cauſe of walking, and this is not put in the ſleeping man by him who raiſeth him: when the hypocrite and ungodly man faſteth and prayeth, the hand of an angry God is both occaſion and cauſe of his praying; wee would try what moveth us to faſting and praying.

Firſt,Some ſignes that ſinne, not afflictions put us to faſting and praying. whether ſinne or afflictions, this is a good ſigne, if we can pray with as great intention of ſpirit to bee delivered from the dominion of ſinne, as for the pardon of the guilt; we may be afraid that God heare us when wee pray for deliverance from the dominion of Idol-ſinnes, experience teacheth this. But wee are never afraid to bee heard, but afraid with the feare of unbeleefe, for the moſt part, that wee bee not heard, when wee pray for pardon and deliverance from the guilt of ſinne; the reaſon is, men may hate the guilt of ſinne, and yet love the ſinne.

Secondly, if affliction put us to a humiliation for ſinne, as ſinne and the depth of griefe for ſinne putteth us to condemne our ſelves without flattery and lying, the contrary of which is when in trouble wee give God good words, and have within us lying hearts and thinke not ſo, as the people, Pſal. 78. 34. p. 39who ſought God when hee ſlew them, Verſ. 36. Nevertheleſſe they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lyed to him with their tongues. 37. for their heart was not right within them; men doe then flatter themſelves, when they flatter God.

Thirdly, when we are more anxious in our fasting for Zion, and the taking of the Arke of God, then for our ſelves, our Lawes, goods, houſes, lives and liberties; when David made the 25. Pſalme the troubles of his heart were inlarged, but this was one of his great ſuits when hee had cauſe to mind himſelfe, 22. Redeeme Iſrael, O God, out of all his troubles.

Fourthly, when the circumciſed heart is humbled, and the people ſhall not faint and expire through want of faith, by which the juſt liveth. 2. When they ſhall not ſo murmure and wreſtle againſt the rod as a wilde Bull taken and lying in a net, which having loſt ſtrength and feet, and being overcome, yet kicketh againſt the hunter. 3. When they ſhall not bee ſurfeited with affliction, ſo as to loathe and deſpiſe the rod, as the tender ſtomack loatheth phyſicke, becauſe they are full and ſurfeited with the fury of the Lord. Theſe three are excellently expreſſed, Eſay 51. 20. Thy ſonnes have fainted, they lie at the head of all the ſtreets (for in the meetings of wayes the wild bull is catched in the net) as a wild bull in a net; they are full of the fury of the Lord, and the rebuke of thy God: it is a bad token to faint; 2. to wreſtle, 3. to bee ſo drunke with Gods judgements and rebukes, as againſt reaſon, to cry out againſt God and his Prophets in trouble, as theſe who are drunken and afflicted, but not with wine, Verſ. 21. but with the rod and rebukes; and cry, it was better with us in Aegypt, und…r the Prelates, and their brick and clay and toyling, under ceremonies, Officiall Courts, tyranny of conſcience, and now wee are waſt…d and deſtroyed and killed; and 4. when the people ſhall as it were, with pleaſure and good will (for ſo the word Levit. 26. 41. foreign ſignifieth) accept of the puniſhment of their iniquitie, a kindly and willing ſatisfaction of heart in the rod of God in ſo farre, as it calmeth and pacifieth (in a manner) Evangelick juſtice, ſo that the Lord is eaſed and comforted toward his people, when he hath puniſhed them, and they are eaſed and comforted in the declaration of the glory of his juſtice, and with good will p. 40doe juſtifie God in his afflicting them, as Lament. 3. 41, 42. Micah. 7. 9. Eſa. 39. 8. this willing accepting of the rod, (I ſay) is a ſpeaking ſigne that the rod of God is ſanctified.

Marke 4. 39. Then hee aroſe, and as Matth. 8. 26. hee ſaith to them, Why are yee fearefull, O yee of little faith? Matthew keepeth the moſt naturall order; for Chriſt firſt rebuked the Diſciples unbeleefe, before hee rebuked the Sea and the winds, we have reaſon ſo to conceive of Chriſts method, for hee requireth faith before hee worke miracles, at leaſt often hee doth ſo, though hee confirme and ſtrengthen that faith by miracles.How the rod of God muſt work us to humiliation, ere we be delivered. It is fit that Chriſt rebuke us ere hee deliver us from drowning. Hee firſt rebuketh the noble man and all his nation for unbeleefe, and then healeth his ſonne, John 4. 48, 49, 50. Hee firſt chideth Martha out of her unbeleefe, and then raiſeth her brother Lazarus from death, John 11. 40. 43, 44. and Matth. 17. 17. Hee rebuketh the father of the lunaticke child, and the faithleſneſſe of the perverſe generation, before hee caſt out the devill; it is fit wee bee both convinced and humbled, before hee turne away his angry hand. Firſt, the croſſe is a myſtery to us and a dumbe teacher, wee underſtand not the language and the grammar of the rod, the man of wiſedome knowes it, Mic. 6. 9. Vengeance is written on the wall before Belſhazzer; but it is in unknowne language, hee doth not underſtand it. Secondly, greene and raw deliverances are plagues of God, not mercies; the plague is nine times removed, but Pharaohs heart is neither ſoftned nor humbled, the ſcum abideth in the bloody Citie, as the Lord complayneth, Ezek. 24. 6. Therefore thus ſaith the Lord God, Woe to the bloody Citie, to the pot whoſe ſcum is therein, and whoſe ſcum is not gone out; the Prophet in Chaldea heard that Jeruſalem had beene boyled with the ſword of the Lord, but the ſcumme of their Idolatry and blood remained in them; whilſt the wicked of theſe kingdomes, malignants, bloody Iriſh, rotten hearted men, ſuch backſliders and perjured Apoſtates, as are in Scotland, delivered to Satan and excommunicated, while theſe taſte of the Gall and wormwood of the wrath of God in this warre, the hand of God cannot bee removed, and therefore that muſt bee taken notice of, Jer. 6. 29. The bellowes are burnt, the lead is conſumed of the p. 41fire, the founder melteth in vaine: for the wicked are not plucked away; O that our Lord would boyle out on the fire the ſcumme of both kingdomes. The whoredomes of Popiſh Aegypt, and the ceremonies, the inventions of men are not mourned for by the paſtors of the Lord, ſure, I am, not by moſt of the Miniſters in Scotland: What can wee ſay for our confidence in our Armies, our multitude, Parliaments, Navies, our extortion, oppreſſion, unjuſtice, hollow-heartedneſſe in the cauſe of God, our lying, couſening, budding and bribing, our breach of our Covenant, denying of juſtice to the oppreſſed, to the widow, ſtrangers, and Orphans, to the poore and needy, the abominable and daring opinions of God, his Sonne Chriſt, his Church, his Sacraments and free grace and ſanctification and holineſſe in this land? Thirdly, judgements on a land or a perſon are the cup of the Lords fury: now often it is the grounds and thick of the cup, which is the ſubſtance and vertue of the cup, and muſt worke the cure. And poſſibly to ſip at the brim will not doe it, it is a judgement that ſome get not leave to heate in the furnace, but are dipped in in the flood, and are never at leaſure to commune with their owne heart, nor hath the Lord time to allure them in the wilderneſſe, Hoſ. 2. 14. as Ephraim was in the Oven as a Cake unturned: poore Germany hath not beene ſlenderly dipped in, and preſently out againe, they have now beene in the floods, and under the water theſe 26. yeares, theſe kingdomes are yet greene, not ripened, for the mercy of deliverance, ourſcumme remaineth in us; diviſions amongſt us ſay, it is not yet time for our triumph, The fields are not while already to harveſt; when all godlineſſe is to diſpute out new wayes to heaven, and not ſeeke after the power of godlineſſe; it is good wee ſee the farre end of the judgement, and that wee bee heart-humbled and tamed, and made weaned children, that wee put our mouth in the duſt, and ſit alone on the ground, and keepe ſilence, and bee filled with reproach, and beare the yoake, Lament. 3. 28, 29, 30. and reſolve to beare the indignation of the Lord, becauſe we have ſinned, Mic. 7. 9. and it is good we be threſhed while we be ſo broken as we may remember, and bee confounded, and never open our mouth any more, becauſe of our ſhame, when the Lord is pacified toward us, for all that we have done, Ezek. 16. 63.

p. 42Marke 4. 40. Why are you ſo fearefull? Luke 8. 25. Where is your faith?

The ground of their doubting and unbeleefe is exceſſive and immoderate feare, not ſimply feare, therefore Marke ſaith, foreign, why are you ſo fearefull? hee ſaith not; why feare you? hence the Text will leade us to inquire in the bad properties of this feare; which that wee may doe, a little of the affections in generall; 2. of this bad feare condemned by our Lord in theſe following propoſitions.

1 Propoſition. Grace doth not extirpate, but regulate feare and other affections.Grace removeth not affections; Chriſt condemneth not their feare, but onelyonly their fearfulneſſe foreign ſo high bended. Grace maketh not men Stoicks, nor does it root out Nature: Nature of it ſelf, as it commeth out of the workhouſe of the Creator, is an innocent thing. Whatever decrees the high former, and Potter have concerning all things, in the exerciſe of his abſolute, but moſt pure and holy Soveraignty over lame Veſſels, yet all that hee made is good; hee is the author of no ſinfulneſſe in the Creature. But hee doth not extirpate the nature, and harmleſſe being of naturall affections: A Chirurgion taketh not away life and ſenſe, but onelyonly rottenneſſe and corrupt humors, that are enemies to life and ſenſe. Grace embroidereth ſinleſſe nature, but does not turne it out at doores: Give your luſt to Chriſt who maketh all things new; and hee ſhall reſtore it againe to you in renewed love: Put your fainting in his hand, and hee'll make it holy feare: Chriſts furnace melteth but out the refuſe and droſſe of our affections. What fire was in Peter a Fiſher is but made holy zeale in Peter the Apoſtle; no man is the worſe that hee come through the new Phyſitians hands; hee maketh braſſe Gold: I ſhould wiſh no better, but that Chriſt would barter an old heart with a new; for Chriſt has skill to over-gold nature with Grace. Grace turned not Job in a lumpe of iron, that hee could not weepe or ſorrow; for it was not deſtructive of Grace which hee ſaith, Job 16. 16. My face is foule with weeping: The Man Chriſt that choſen flower, and the rareſt pearle of ſinleſſe nature both wept, Job. 11. 35. Luke 19. 42. and was feared, Luke 22. 44. Heb. 5. 7.

2 Propoſ. Grace but removeth the ſcumme, and exorbitances p. 43of our affections: As firſt, Grace is a regular thing, and moves as the Starres doe, in a motion, contrary to the motion of the whole World; it moveth not as nature doth, to ſeeke its own being and life, but with ſubordination to God. Bee angry, but ſinne not, holdeth in all; Feare, but ſinne not; Love the Creature, but ſinne not; Truſt holy men, but ſinne not; Sorrow at calamities, but ſinne not. Grace is a ſtraight line that meaſureth both it ſelfe, and all crooked lines. And therefore the Grace of God, the Goſpel is a teaching guide, Tit. 2. 11. The grace of God, 12. teacheth us to deny ungodlineſſe.

Secondly, grace is an excellent skreene between the ſoule and the burning heat of affections, it is a ſtrong banke to keepe off over-ſwelling tides of luſts in the ſoule; when affections ſtart up without leave of the grace of God, then a man according to Gods heart David will but utterly deſtroy Nabal and all hee hath, the Diſciples, becauſe they cannot have a nights lodiging, will doe no leſſe then burne Cities and Townes, & have Samaria deſtroyed as Sodome, as if Chriſt were come in the world to raiſe fire and ſword againſt men, women and ſucking infants, but when affections looke toward the creatures, the grace of God ſets them on to move on leaſurely and upon ſlow wheeles, and loppeth off from our affections all the wanton and luxuriant branches, that is a ſweet fruite of the grace of God, 1 Cor. 7. 29. But this I ſay, Brethren, the time is ſhort, it remaineth that both they that have wives, bee as though they had none. 30. And they that weepe, as though they wept not, and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not, and they that buy as though they poſſeſſed not; and mortification laugheth at mirth and laughter, as Solomon in his repenting dayes doth, Eccleſ. 2. 2. I ſaid of laughter, it is mad, and of mirth, what doth it?

3. Propoſition. There bee diverſe diſeaſes in the feare of the Diſciples; as firſt, their feare is more then enough, they ſpeake as if the Sea could drowne Chriſt and them both,The faults of the Diſciples feare. ere the man Chriſt awake. Hence their precipitations, Maſter, maſter, and their complaint, careſt thou not for us? our affections in great dangers runne with the head formoſt, not onelyonly before the light of faith, but before that reaſon command them to riſe; according to the meaſure of unmortified luſts ſo is the p. 44ſwelling of our affections; grace keeping them within banks, elſe they are as ſome great Seas that have great tides. Secondly, there is much unbeleefe in this feare; and therefore as Matthew relates the ſtory, Chriſt ſaid to them, why are yee fearfull O yee of little faith? and as Marke ſaith, 4. 40. How is it that you have no faith? and Luke ſaith, where is your faith? that is, they had little or no great ſtrength of faith, with this fear, it being mixed with much doubting; hence as Chriſt denyeth not ſimply that they had no faith, ſo hee condemneth their unbeleefe, unbeleefe doth not a little dull our apprehenſion, ſo that death and afflictions looke on us with a more ugly and awſome countenance, the more of the ſunne bee covered in an eclipſe, the greater is the darkneſſe: unbeleefe is a darke black webbecaſt over our eyes, that wee ſee not what omnipotency can doe, and how it ſecondeth the faithfulneſſe of God, to make good his owne promiſes, our corrupt affections ariſing in their ſtrength are great enemies to righteous judging. Hence thirdly, this feare doth make them to misfather their affliction, they lay the blame of their danger on Chriſts ſleeping, and his forgetfulneſſe and careleſneſſe of them, as their complaint ſheweth: Careſt thou nor for us? wee periſh, and thou ſleepeſt; in this, if in any thing, it is true; happy is hee who knoweth the cauſes of things, wee are often ſmitten of God in the darke. To apply theſe to our ſelves. It is much to know the cauſes of this preſent warre in the rwo kingdomes, ſome ſay it is becauſe libertie is not given to every man to live in what Religion hee pleaſeth, but this is a ſin that every man doe,It were good to inquire the cauſes of the judgement. What ſeemeth good in his owne eyes, becauſe there is not a judge to put any to ſhame, Judg. 18. Chap. 19. 1, 2. the contrary then cannot bee the cauſe of the ſo great judgement. Others ſay rebellion againſt the King is the cauſe, but rather the not timous riſing to helpe the Lord, and his oppreſſed people againſt the mightie is the cauſe. The defection of both kingdomes to altar worſhip, imagerie, idolatry, Popiſh and Arminian Doctrine, the articles of Perth Aſſembly followed and practiſed in our owne kingdome without repentance, the ignorance of God, people periſhing for want of knowledge, both under prelacy, and now the not building of the houſe of God in this land, the backſliding of p. 45many after the Covenant of God is ſworne, are the true cauſes, and it is to bee feared that if Presbyteriall government bee erected in this land (as wee hope it ſhall) if this bee not taken heed to, it ſhall continue a judgement on the Land, and it is this, many both preachers and profeſſors ſhall conforme to the Government (as they would doe to either the prelaticall, or congregationall way as many time-ſervers doe) and ſhall hate and perſecute the power of godlineſſe under the pretence of Sectaries, Browniſts, Separatiſts, independents, and the like, and retaining an Antichriſtian and rotten heart ſhall doe what in them lies, under that colour to vex, oppreſſe and baniſh many godly men out of the land. But this is to bee conſidered, if it were not needfull there were a Faſt through both kingdomes to deale with God to find out the true cauſes of our faſtings, and theſe heavy judgements in which in the three kingdomes many hundreth thouſands are killed. I doubt if under any Prince or Emperour there bee a hiſtory can parallel the blood ſhed within theſe few yeares; Job when God viſited him deſired to know wherefore God contended with him: it is a ſad thing to lye drowned under unknown and fatherleſſe plagues, wee being ignorant of the cauſes of Gods judgement; ſo wee ſuffer blind croſſes like the Oxe that beares the yoake and knoweth nothing of the art of husbandry, or the horſe killed in the battell, and yet is ignorant of State-affaires, and of the cauſes of warre, and of diſorders in Lawes, Liberties, Religion in State and Church, wee are like one ſmitten in the dark night by a ſpirit or a ghoſt, but hee ſeeth not who ſtriketh. Oh it were good wee would inquire, as the Prophet doth, Eſa. 42. 24. who gave Jacob for a ſpoyle; and Iſrael to robbery? and wherefore is all this come on us? why doth the Lord contend with us? O make us know our iniquities.

Often the rod maketh a lying report of God,Ʋſe 2. and accuſeth Chriſt in our deſertions. O! Chriſt is unkind, hee is changed, hee hath forſaken me; wee can ſooner ſpy a fault in Chriſt under deſertion then in our ſelves, and wee often reaſon from that which is no cauſe for the cauſe. Chriſt ſeemeth changed to us, and unmercifull and ſleepey and careleſſe. Firſt, when the judgement is extreame and wee apprehend it as a p. 46fruite of the anger and vengeance of God.The cauſes of miſapprehending of Chriſt. Apprehenſion gives life to afflictions and caſteth in many ounce weights of wrath in our cup, which was never there, becauſe our conſcience giveth in againſt us lying libells and unjuſt complaints, ſuch as this, (thou art not in Chriſt) nor a convert, nor a pardoned and juſtified ſinner;) and wee firſt retort the lying libell upon Chriſt▪ O! Chriſt hath forgotten to bee mercifull, wee ſee Chriſt in the falſe glaſſe, in our extreame ſuffering, our ſinne and apprehenſion joyning together. Secondly, Chriſt may ſleepe and hide himſelfe in a great tryall, and when hee is gone, and grace hath no actuall influence on our ſoules, then wee languiſh and die; the paſſes of the Clock being laid by, there is no motion at all, and the wheeles gather ruſt. Should wee ſuppoſe that the Creator of nature did ſuſpend his influence, all naturall operations ſhould ceaſe, there ſhould bee no motion in the Sunne, it ſhould neither riſe nor goe downe, the raine ſhould not fall, the wind ſhould not blow, living things could not move, Beaſts could not walke, Fowels could not fly, Fiſhes could not ſwimme, Roſes, Flowers, and Hearbs could not grow, &c. becauſe hee cauſeth all theſe to bee, and his immediate influence addeth oyle to all wheeles, and rowleth and moveth them, elſe they could not ſtirre; ſo Chriſt in the ſpheare of grace being the firſt mover, if his influence ſtand ſtill, all our wheeles as wanting oyle and motion gather ruſt and ſtand ſtill; Paul cannot call Jeſus Lord, the Spouſe runneth not, for the bridegroome will not draw, Can. 1. David dieth and withereth a hundreth deaths; for God hides his face. Hezekiah fainteth, for God glowmeth, Haman is downe amongſt the dead, in the grave, Chriſt his life worketh not, ſo here in trouble Chriſt ſtandeth behind the mount, and the poore Diſciples faint and die, and dreame, and are all afraid in a ſtorme, becauſe God ſeemeth to ſleepe, as if God were dead: Oxthodoxe and ſound apprhenſions of Chriſt in us are not habits, but acts, and are in us as lightnings are in the ayre, when nature actually cooperateth, or as fire is in the flint, not but when it is beaten out with force. Thirdly, diſtempers and feavers on faith take away the taſte and the honey out of Chriſt, the father is not a father to the child in a fit of an ague.

p. 47Thirdly, when extreame danger is neare and the Army foyled, and the enemy entering in at the ports, our courage is as farre to ſeeke as ever was the courage of the Apostles. Oh then wee are gone, this is our death, the cauſe is now loſed, Chriſt is buried, hee cannot riſe againe, Eſay 7. 2. It was told the houſe of David, ſaying, Syria is confederat with Ephraim, and his heart was moved, as the trees of the field: the word foreign is to bee moved from place to place, and is aſcribed to Cain the vagabond, Gen. 4. 12. wee feare the creature too much, becauſe hee can kill the body, and wee feare the Lord of heaven and earth to little, though hee have dominion over both ſoule and body, remember what a forgetting of God it is to feare the creature in Gods cauſe, Eſay 51. 12. I, even I am hee that comforteth you, who art thou that ſhalt bee afraid of a man that ſhall die, and of the Sonne of man that ſhall bee made as graſſe? is it ſo great a ſinne to feare man? ay, the next words beare no leſſe. 13. and forgetteſt the Lord thy maker that ſtretched out the heaven, and laid the foundation of the earth; an unbeleeving people hath a feare of their owne, which the people of God are not to follow, Eſay 8. 12. Feare yee not the feare of this people, neither bee afraid. 13. Sanctifie the Lord of hosts, let him bee your feare.

Matth. 8. 26. Then hee ſaith unto them, why are yee fearefull, O yee of little faith? Luke 8. 25. where is your fatth?

That which Chriſt firſt ſeeketh, and firſt miſſeth in any is their faith. Where is your faith? by comparing the Evangeliſts together a little faith is faith, and it is no faith, that is, not ſo great a faith as is required in a great ſtorme. Hence theſe concluſions concerning a little faith.

1. Concluſ. What is a ſmall or weake faith.A little faith in regard of the nature of faith is faith; as Chriſt, Matth. 8. ſaith not, they have no faith; but hee childeth them for their little faith; as the leaſt of fire is fire, as well as a fire of all the timber and fewell of the earth is fire, and the fourth part of a drop of dew is water, no leſſe then the whole element of water is water; the leaſt meaſure of ſaving faith is ſaving faith; and there bee other three acts of free grace that are of the ſame nature. As firſt, Gods free love of election to glory can neither bee halfe nor divided; the p. 48meaneſt of the elect is no leſſe a choſen Senator inrolled in the booke of life then Abraham, or great Moſes. Secondly, all the Saints are equally ranſomed and equally married on Chriſt, there was no greater ranſome of Chriſts blood given for Job, David, the Apoſtles then for thee, O thou the leaſt of Saints. Thirdly, all are equally ſaved and crowned Kings; of the degrees of grace and glory, I doe not now ſpeake.

2. Concluſ. Faith and fainting may conſiſt together at one and the ſame time, as night and day are one in the twylight, ſo the poore man ſaid,Faith and fainting may conſiſt together in one Marke 9. 24. I beleeve, that is faith, Lord helpe my unbeleefe, that is fainting; and David, Pſal. 31. 22. I I ſaid in my haſt, I am cut off from before mine eyes; here is much fainting. Nevertheleſſe thou heardest the voyce of my ſupplication; here muſt bee much faith, when his prayers hath beene heard: So Jonah Chap. 4. Then I ſaid, I am caſt out of thy ſight, this was baſe fainting; yet I will looke toward thy holy Temple, this is faith, and Jeremiah, ch. 20. 7. O Lord thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived, thou art ſtronger then I, and haſt prevailed, I am in deriſion daily, and every one mocketh mee. Hee fainted not a little, when hee ſpake ſo of God to God; but Verſ. 11. hee getteth up the mount againe; But the Lord is with mee as a mightie terrible one, therefore my perſecutors ſhall ſtumble, they ſhall not prevaile. A wreſtling faith oppoſing doubtings and faintings is an argument of a vigorous life of Chriſt, and weakneſſe here is an argument of ſtrength and deadneſſe doth argue life, and fainting beleeving; wee have a bad opinion of our owne ſtate when there is no cauſe, and the reaſon is, that it is a reflect act to know our owne acts of faith;Reaſons why wee know our grace ſo hardly. and firſt, reflect acts are more rare and difficill, becauſe more ſpirituall then direct acts. Secondly, the light of ſaving grace muſt concurre in all our reflect acts, but it ſeemeth to mee to bee eaſier, becauſe more naturall to reflect upon our doubting and unbeleefe, then upon our beleeving, eſpecially where there is any tenderneſſe of conſcience, as a ſleeping man knoweth not that hee is in health, nor can hee have any ſenſe of his health while hee ſleepeth, and yet a ſleeping man may know and feele the paine of ſickneſſe, and of an aking bone, and thereby bee wakened to feele it more ſenſibly, though I know there bee a neceſſitie p. 49of the influence of ſaving grace, either to know our fainting, or our faith in a ſpirituall manner, yet there bee degrees of grace here.

3 Concluſ. Thoſe who have a great faith in habit, many have a little faith in act, and the Diſciples who had forſaken all and followed Chriſt, muſt have a great meaſure of faith of fiduciall adherence; it is a great faith to renounce all our boſome-lovers for Chriſt: Though 2. their faith of light, or in regard of knowledge was weak; they not knowing Chriſts death and reſurrection, which are principal Articles of faith, Matth. 16. 21, 22, 23. Joh. 20 9. Yet in this preſent act their faith was weake. The grounds of a weake faith in regard of the act, and ſome ſpeciall exigents of a prevailing temptation: are firſt, becauſe faith is one thing,The grounds of a faith weak in action. and the uſe of faith another thing: The habit of faith is not the compleate and onelyonly cauſe of beleeving. 1. Becauſe then the regenerate from the firſt moment of their regeneration to their dying day, ſhould alwayes beleeve, which is repugnant to Scripture and all experience; for the habit of faith, and the ſeed of God alwayes remaineth in them, even when they ſin, they loſe not that, Joh. 3. 9. 1 Ioh. 2. 27, 28, 29. Ioh. 4. 14. Ier. 32. 40, 41. Eſay 59. 21. 2. We are not Lords, having by free-will a dominion over the habit of faith, to ſtirre it up into acts when wee pleaſe; for then, theſe that have the habit need not to pray for the actuall influence of the grace of God, to worke in them to will and to doe, againſt many Scriptures, as Cant. 1. 4. Pſal. 25. 5. Pſal. 86. 11. Pſal. 119. 18, 36, 37. 66. 68. 80. 3. Our free-will, at its beſt, is but Graces armour-bearer, and ſervant. Grace whether habituall or actuall, is Gods Prerogative Royall, and one of the ſupreme and abſolute flowers of his Crowne. And therefore wee are Maſters of our owne ſins; wee can bee willingly wicked, and fall when wee will, we are not maſters of our owne riſing againe; wee can faint when wee will, but wee beleeve when Christ will, and when his ſaving grace breathes on us, and neither ſooner nor later, neither more ſtrongly, nor more remiſſely, then the free-grace of God, inableth us: for if wee could beleeve ere grace blow on us; Firſt, wee could prevene grace, and then ſhould wee carry it all before us; and it p. 50ſhould bee after this, not prevening grace, but prevening nature, prevening free will. Secondly, if the intention of the degrees of actuall beleeving were in our power, Paul did not well to aſcribe his labouring more abundantly to the grace of God, and not to himſelfe, 1 Cor. 15. 10. But I laboured more abundantly then they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Faith and ſenſe compared together. Simile.Secondly, our faith is often led by the ſenſe of appearance and ſecond cauſes, and that is a very bad rule. Faith and ſenſe may thus bee compared: Faith is like the juſt horologe or watch which ſheweth to us juſtly the houres at midnight, when there bee neither Sun, Moone, nor Stars to give notice what time of night it is; ſo rotten boylie Job, chap. 19. 25, 26. when hee had not ſo much as Star-light of appearance to lead him, but death and rotten boyles, could in faith point the houre, and ſay, I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that I ſhall ſee him for my ſelfe, and my eyes ſhall behold, and not another, though my reines bee conſumed within mee: But ſenſe is not like the night horologe, but like the Sun-diall, that cannot point the houres in the night, nay, nor yet in day-light if the ſame bee under cloud, ſenſe muſt have daylight, and a ſhining Sun; and can doe nothing for Chriſt upon truſt: and this is a great unthankfulneſſe in our ſenſe; for it is faith and not ſenſe that layeth hold on relations, and ſuch a relation as is betweene husband and wife, ſo the Lord ſpeaketh, Eſa. 54. 4. Feare not, that is, beleeve; upon what ground? Upon the ground of marriage-faith. Ver. 5. for thy maker is thy husband. ſo is faith expreſſed by a marriage word, Wee are freed from the Law, Rom. 7. 4. foreign that yee ſhould bee for another husband, that yee ſhould bee maried on another lover.

4 Concluſ. Sometimes wee beleeve on Chriſt as morall agents, and then wee may both know Chriſt and our own ſtate, if the light of the Spirit concurre to make the promiſes viſible to our ſpirituall ſenſes: not onelyonly as true, but alſo as good and ſweet, for wee ſee colours, and apprehend them both as colours, and as pleaſant and delectable: ſo a man may ſee a great heape of Gold which belongeth to another man, hee ſees it as of ſuch a colour, and as it offereth it ſelf to the eye; but becauſe it is not his owne, nor hath hee any hope it can bee p. 51his owne; hee ſeeth it poſſibly with griefe: but if it were offered and given to him, hee ſhould then ſee it as good and acceptable: now the grounds of a weak faith, is a weake evidence of our intereſt in Chriſt; ſmall and weak evidence produceth weak acts of beleeving: it is true there is ſometime little evidence of knowledge, where there is ſtrong adherence, and ſtrong faith, as many unlettered Martyrs of no great knowledge in the Scriptures, have dyed with great adherence and ſtrength of faith: but there is a twofold evidence, one literall, another ſpirituall, it is unpoſſible there can bee a ſtrong faith, but there muſt bee a ſtrong ſpirituall evidence proportionable thereunto to convey it, for faith walketh not without eyes, and therefore the weakeneſſe of ſpirituall evidence of our intereſt in Chriſt (as here the Apoſtles ſee not but Chriſt hath forgotten them, and cares not that they periſh) muſt produce a weake faith. Againe faith commeth not onelyonly from diſcourſe, and the morall perſwaſion of the holy Ghoſt making uſe of ſanctified reaſon,Faith from inſtinct of grace ſometime rather then from light of diſcourſe. but alſo ſometime from a meere ſpirituall inſtinct, as where there is no diſcourſe, eſpecially when wee firſt beleeve, and have nothing but a meere command, and knowes not whether the promiſe and the Saviour belongeth to us or not, even as the infant that can make no uſe of diſcourſe relieth and truſteth to the mother or nurſe for milke, by meere inſtinct, having neither promiſe nor experience for it, and the young Chickens confide in the covering of the Hens wings, and the Lambes for food from the damme meerly by naturall inſtinct: ſo when wee are new borne againe, the firſt act of fiduciall adherence ſeemeth to bee from the new nature and inſtinct of grace, as the child in a ſuddaine danger without diſcourſe or promiſe that his father will helpe him, runnes to his father, and the Conies in danger to their holes of the rock, and ſo a weake inſtinct of grace may produce weake acts, and by the way the promiſe may bee forgotten and out of mind, and the aſſurance that Chriſt loved mee before the world was, none at all, and a beleever yet may rely and confide in Chriſt through inſtinct, and know no ground, as through ſome ſecret ſympathy of nature one may love another and they know not the reaſon, and proportionally may p. 52truſt in another alſo, for love produceth ſome confidence, ſo ſome are kind and their heart warmed with Chriſt; and they doe not well know Chriſt, as the Diſciples going to Emmaus have hearts burning with the love of God, but they knew not it was Chriſt who was there, the third man conferring with them.

5. Concluſ. The ſpeciall cauſe of all ſinnes of infirmitie.The chiefe cauſe, as of all ſinnes of infirmitie, ſo of a weake and infirme faith, is not ſo much from want of will as want of power, and rather from want of grace and a larger meaſure of the ſpirit of faith, then from malice and wickedneſſe. I deny not but the corruption of a wicked nature hath influence in ſinnes of infirmitie, and in a weake faith, as it hath in all ſinnes (as ſome of the mothers ſeed muſt alwayes bee in the child;) but I ſpeake comparatively, and in regard of that which is the nature of ſinne; therefore ſinnes of infirmitie and a weake faith, though they bee not veniall ſinnes, as Papiſts vainely teach, yet they bee ſinnes of a lower ſize; for there bee leſſe activeneſſe and more paſſiveneſſe in theſe ſinnes, and ſo leſſe will and more renitency and reluctancy then in raigning ſinnes, and all ſinnes of infirmitie have but the halfe of the will, ſometime nothing but a virtuall conſent, as in the firſt motions of concupiſcence and ſome ſinfull errors and bad opinions contrary to the truth which the children of God have, and the renewed part doth proteſt on the contrary againſt the fleſh and ſide with Chriſt; and if the will joyne in ſinnes of infirmitie, it is but the one halfe of the will trayling the other halfe after it, like the motion of a worme in which the former part having more life and vigor draweth after it the hinder part. But I come to prove the nature of a weak… or little faith, and of other ſinnes of infirmitie: Paul, Rom. 7. 14. ſaith of him ſelfe, I am carnall ſold under ſinne, hee uſeth the paſſive Verbe foreign, that which is put to the market to bee made away for money, were it man or woman, is a patient, But Ahab had another marke, Elias ſaid to him, 1 King. 20. …0. foreign thou haſt ſold thy ſelfe to worke wickedneſſe in the ſight of the Lord, hee that is ſold is not ſui juris, not his owne man, the fleſh in that act prevaileth over him, the p. 53renewed will ſaying the contrary. The acting of …d unbeleefe in a Saint is like a buſineſſe in a court hardly … hotly debated, and the matter is carried by one voyce onelyonly, or as in weighing of things in a ballance one ſcruple may caſt the ſeale, and where there is but one graine of ſaving grace, the worke may bee ſwayed by it, if the fleſh act by prevalency, it goes wrong, but in the wicked, where there is no prevalency of ſaving grace, nor any ſuch principle, the ſinne is not a ſinne of infirmitie. Chriſt hath not one voyce in the court, if reaſon ſpeake againſt ſome crying ſinnes, that is ſomething of God the Creator, but nothing of Chriſt, it is not from a ſaving principle, or the right end the honour of God, and ſo it is not a voyce in the court for Chriſt, but for nature and carnall ends. Paul hath another word, Rom. 7. 23. I finde another Law in my mind, foreign, leading mee captive to the Law of ſinne; the word ſignifieth one taken with the point of a Speare, or Sword, or with a bloody weapon, ſo is the word,From foreign, cuſpis, mucio, and foreign, captivus, or foreign, cuſpis haſtae. Luke 21. 24. They ſhall fall by the edge of the Sword, foreign, and ſhall bee led captive unto all nations, Rom. 16. 17. Salute Andronicus and Junia my kinſmen, foreign and fellow priſoners. Now in a taken captive there bee two things expreſſing the nature of infirmities, and ſo of a weake faith in the Saints. Firſt, ere the captive bee taken in warre he reſiſteth, and ſheddeth blood, and therefore by paction they promiſe him quarters. Secondly, it is major vis, a greater power that doth it, ſo it is againſt his will that hee is taken, and onelyonly for want of ſtrength and power to fight hee is taken; ſo hee that falls of infirmitie or ſinnes of weakneſſe, if hee had more ſtrength of grace, hee would not yeeld, and therefore hee reſiſteth and accepteth not of quarters from the fleſh without ſtroake of Sword, and the ſpirit doth not conſent to the ill hee doth, as it is, Rom. 7. 15. For that which I doe, I allow not, for what I would, that I doe not: but what I hate that I doe: So the beleever is like a ſicke man walking up a mount, his will and deſire is quicker in climbing up to bee at the top of the mount, then his legges are. The laſt practicall inditement of conſcience that leadeth on in theſe ſinnes of infirmitie is broken, ſhaken, divided, it is not a kindly conſent p. 54the captive giveth to obey his keepers, and therefore there is complaynings under theſe ſinnes, as Paul doth, Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver mee from the body of this death? Hence the poore man is ſo gravelled with a body of ſinne, that his confined deſires take ſtrength from the ſtrong walls of the priſon, that hee would gladly bee in heaven, where hee ſhall ſinne no more, as the Bird would wiſh the Cage of clay broken that it might flee up and ſing; Eſay uſeth another word,foreign Ch. 22. Chriſt ſhall not breake a Reed that groweth in a lake, or an Oate Reed that is already bruiſed, the word is halfe-breaking, as Gen. 25. 22. The Twinns ſtruggle or ſhalter one another in the wombe, but they killed not one another; and the ſmoaking flax is a dying out candle in the ſocket, except more oyle bee added to it, it is gone, the word foreign ſignifies the dimme eyes of old men, Gen. 27. 4. Job 17. 7. ſo the weake beleever and the fainting faith may from this eaſily be knowne.

Then if Chriſt miſſe faith in a profeſſor;Ʋſe 1. firſt, labour to beleeve, eſpecially in a ſtorme; now the Sea rages, the ſtorme is tempeſtuous, God hath not as yet awaked in the three Kingdomes for our deliverance, beleeve, faith cannot ſtrike ſaile to hell or death, Rom. 8. 37. faith can make a paſſage between hell and heaven; for out of the belly of Hell Jonah cryed; this ſhould put our enemies to flight, it did ſo of old, Heb. 11. 34. and grace is not weake, and old, and gray haired now; there are bones and ſtrength in faith now to ſubdue malignants, as of old; theſe that ſeeke for crooked wayes of an unjuſt peace without truth, doe not truſt God in theſe ſtormes; wee are in publick calamities ſo farre from faith that wee think God hath forgotten us, as the people in their calamitie ſaid, Ezek. 33. 10. If our tranſgreſſions and our ſinnes bee upon us, and wee pine away in them, how ſhould wee then live? we looke to the waters that floweth over the ſoule and cannot ſee the bottome, and our hope ſinketh, but faith would outface all our ſtormes, and carry ſhip-broken men to laud. It was unbeleefe rather then Sea and winds that was like to drowne the Church, for it puts weakneſſe and ſleepineſſe upon Chriſt, and robs him of the glory of his truth. Glory is the prime flower of the p. 55Crowne and Royall Prerogative of Christ, and it changeth Chriſt in a ſleeping man, there muſt bee then more high treaſon here againſt the Royall honour of Chriſt then in all ſins, it is from unbeleefe that that complaint is made, Jer. 14. 8. Why ſhouldeſt thou bee as a ſtranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aſide to tarry for a night? 9. Why ſhouldeſt thou bee as a man aſtoniſhed, as a mighty man that cannot ſave? the Church had as good ſaid, why ſhould you bee turned in no God, for hee that cannot ſave is no God; ſo unbeleefe uſurpeth the Crowne and dethroaneth God.

Secondly,Ʋſe 2. ſo long as wee are not humbled for ſinne, and turne not from our evill wayes, Chriſt juſtly miſſeth faith in us, and ſaith, hee can ſee no faith in the land, and God will change his diſpenſation toward his Church, and doe what hee hath not done before, if hee deliver us, ere wee turne to him. But God cannot take his veſſell out of the fire till hee have purged away the tinne and the droſſe: Will hee caſt the rod in the fire till hee have done his worke in mount Zion? God principally aymeth that this ſhall bee the end of his fire in Zion, and his furnace in Jeruſalem, which hee ſaith, Ezek. 7. 16. But they that eſcape of them ſhall eſcape, or, ſhall bee ſaved, and they ſhall bee upon the mountaines as Doves in the valleyes, all of them mourning every one for his iniquity: could wee returne, and build the houſe of the Lord, our enemies in the three kingdomes ſhould fall and our peace ſhould bee as a river, and our righteouſneſſe as the waves of the Sea, Eſay 48. 18. wee may have peace without turning to God, but it ſhould not bee peace like a mightie river, but like a dryed up brook, but ſo ſcarce that it ſhould dry up as the dew.

Thirdly,Ʋſe 3. challenge not Chriſt of unkindneſſe through unbeleefe in ſad times, faith thinketh no evill of Chriſt; blame thy ſelfe and thy unbeleefe, if Chriſt hide his face; faith hath eyes to ſee Chriſt in the night as in day-light, faiths eyes pierce through Chriſts marke, and the vaile or cloud that covers his face, there is mercy and love in the bottome of afflictions.

Fourthly,Ʋſe 4. weake ones are neither to under-value Chriſt in themſelves, nor ſhould others under-value them; faith maketh p. 56not heart-ſeparation from faith, the eſtrangement of affection from any in whom there is any thing of Chriſt is from the fleſh, contrary to faith,

Marke 4. 39. And hee aroſe and rebuked the wind, and ſaid unto the Sea, Peace, peace, be ſtill.

The Sea is not capable of rebukes ſuch as are given to reaſonable creatures,How God really rebuketh the creature. but there is a rebuking of omnipotency, that is not verball but real; foreign is with words hardly to rebuke; in conjugation kal cum foreign it is to deſtroy, Mal. 2. 3. Behold I will deſtroy your ſeed, Eſay 54. 9. I have ſworne I will not bee angry with thee, neither rebuke thee. 2. It is to hinder the enemies in their ill courſes, Zach. 3. 2. The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan, Mal. 3. 11. I will rebuke the devourer for your ſake, Pſal. 68. 30. Lord rebuke the company of the Spearemen: and when it is applyed to creatures voyd of reaſon, it is by omnipotency to hinder them to hurt us, and to ſtay their actions, Pſal. 106. 9. Hee rebuked the red Sea alſo, Luke 4. 39. Jeſus rebuked the ſeaver; it holdeth forth the acts of omnipotency in Chriſt, ſuch as is his act of creating of an immediate faire ſweet calme out of a contrary, out of a boyſterous and ſtormy Sea. God hath ſome peeces in which is ſtamped ſo much of a legible and evident omnipotency, as the worke fathereth it ſelfe upon God onelyonly without a teacher,Gods omnipotency in creating and ruling the earth and Sea. ſo Job 26. 7. hee ſtretcheth out the North over the emptie place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing; the earth is the weightieſt of any viſible creature God hath made, it needeth ſome ſolid reſting place; but the omnipotencie of the Creator doth hang it upon nothing, except onelyonly the aire round about it, now the aire being ſo weake, ſo yeelding an Element, it were unpoſſible that the heavy and ponderous earth ſhould have beene ſeated on the emptie and fluid aire to reſt in it theſe five thouſand yeares, except omnipotency had done it, for the aire of it ſelfe is very nothing to hold up the globe of the earth, Job 38. 5. Who hath layd the meaſures of the earth, if thou knoweſt? or who hath ſtretched the line upon it? 6. Whereupon are the foundations thereof faſtned? or who layd the corner ſtone thereof? there bee three great queſtions here, that few can anſwer but God. Firſt, to take the compaſſe of the circumference of the globe of the earth exactly, and to p. 57lay a meaſuring line over the Diameter and the whole body of it, is a great work. Secondly, to know how to faſten the corner ſtone of the world. Thirdly, and how the whole weight is ſuſtained, is more then wee can tell, and it is no leſſe wonder, Pſal. 104. 2. who ſtretcheth out the heaven as a curtaine. What a power muſt it bee, to ſpread over all nations of the earth, the elements and creatures in Sea and land, ſuch a large white molten webbe of Cryſtall glaſſe, that hath beene ſpread over our head, from the eaſt end of the world to the weſt, and north and ſouth, and there is not an hole in the webbe, theſe five thouſand yeares. (2) The Sea is a fluid huge great body, where can there bee a bottle to containe it? 2. When it ſwelleth and rageth with mightie winds, how is it kept from drowning the world? God doth remedy theſe two. 1. Job 38. 8. Who ſhut up the Sea with doores, when it brake forth, as if it had iſſued out of the wombe? Verſ. 11. The Lord ſaid, Hitherto ſhalt thou come, and no farther, and here ſhall thy proud waves bee ſtayed. God hath put an Iron doore upon the Sea, and put it under an Act and Law of omnipotency, that it ſhall not devoure and overwhelme the earth, Jer. 5. 22. he hath placed the ſand for the bound of the Sea, by a perpetuall decree. For the ſecond, when, Pſal. 107. 27. the Sea is all in fire, and the paſſengers in a mightie ſtorme reele to and fro, and ſtagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits end, 29. hee maketh the ſtorme a calme, ſo that the waves thereof are ſtill. Eſay 50. 2. Behold, at my rebuke, I dry up the Sea. Pſal. 65. 7. hee ſtilleth the noyſe of the Seas. (3.) The Seas, as all the reſt of the creatures, are by the firſt ſinne of man, broken out of the covenant of peace, betweene us and them in the ſtate of innocency, and warre is denounced betweene us and them, the fire ſhould burne us, the water hath Law to drowne us, the aire to ſuffocate us, the earth a Commiſſion to ſwallow us up quick, if Chriſt had not made a ceſſation of armes, and if the Goſpell were not a concluded treatie of peace, and if the Lord ſhould not rebuke the fury of the creature, (for ſome ſparkes of Gods wrath yet reſideth in the creature) they have yet an inclination to revenge the quarrell of the treaſon that wee committed againſt their King, and wee doe receive the creatures as fugitive ſouldiers from Gods Campe of juſtice, and doe imploy them in warre againſt God, as the p. 58Glutton and Drunkard imployeth meat and drinke againſt God, the vaine perſons their vaine apparell, their patched faces, bare breaſts and ſhoulders, as an exchange to ſell the body to luſt; if the Lord ſhould not rebuke our ſervants the creatures, water, fire, ſword and the like, they would deſtroy us.

If wee looke ſpiritually now upon Gods dealing to theſe kingdomes,Ʋſe the ſword hath a charge from God to come againſt theſe lands, Ezek. 21. 14. Therefore, Sonne of man, prophecy and ſmite thine hands together, and let the Sword bee doubled the third time, the ſword of the ſlaine, it is the ſword of the great men that are ſlaine, This ſword in Brittaine not the ſword of men, but of the Lord.which entreth into their privie Chambers: when God giveth the ſword a commiſſion to deſtroy, it cannot reſt, Jeremiah Chap. 47. Verſ. 6. O thou ſword of the Lord, how long will it bee ere thou bee quiet? put up thy ſelfe into thy ſcabbard, reſt and be ſtill. 7. How can it bee quiet ſeeing the Lord hath given it a charge againſt. Askelon and the Sea ſhore? there hath bee appointed it: it is then a commanded and a ſent ſword that now rageth in theſe kingdomes. 2. Not onelyonly is the Sword and the peſtilence ſent of God by ſpeciall commiſſion, Jer. 24. 10. but it is his ſword, it is not the ſword of Papiſts and malignants, but the ſword of the Lord, Jer. 47. 6. The Lord ſaith, Ezek. 14. 21. that the Sword, famine, noyſome beaſts and peſtilence are his foure ſore judgements: wee may goe thorough theſe ſouldiers, wee have the Lords paſſe-port, Eſay 43. 2. for the ſword is our Fathers ſword. The Seas wee are in, are our Fathers Seas, and ſo cannot drowne us. 3. Omnipotency taketh this as peculiar to himſelfe, hee onelyonly can create peace, Pſal. 46. 9. Hee maketh warres to ceaſe from the ends of the earth, Eſay 45. 6. I am the Lord, and there is none elſe. 7. I forme the light and create darkneſſe, I make peace and create evill: then by what title hee is God and Creator by the ſame,It is proper onelyonly to omnipotency to make peace. hee maketh peace, Pſal. 65. 7. He ſtilleth the noiſe of the Seas, the noyſe of their waves and the tumult of people; theſe bee two troubleſome creatures, the raging Sea, and the people up in warres; The will of furious men is an unruly and wild thing, there is a ſtrong tide and mightie and loftie winds ſtirring in mens hearts, when they are in a feaver and heat of warre; it is Omnipotencies proper worke to calme the winds, and put the wheeles to a p. 59ſtand, that peace may bee in our borders. 4. Hee hath promiſed as hee is Creator deliverance, Eſay 65. 18. But bee you glad, and rejoyce for ever, in that which I create, for behold I create Jeruſalem a rejoycing, and her people a joy, it is the word uſed Gen. 1. 1. when it is ſaid, God created the heaven and the earth, 5. Hee hath ſaid hee will rebuke Kings for his Churches ſake, Pſal. 105. 14. and Eſay 50. 9. of Chriſts enemies. They all ſhall wax old as a garment, the moth ſhall eate them up, Eſay 49. 26. And I will feede them that oppreſſe thee with their owne fleſh, and they ſhall hee drunken with their owne blood, as with ſweet wine; Are wee then to doubt but the Lord will ariſe and rebuke theſe windes? Chriſt is in the ſhip called the Church of God, therefore the tacklings ſhall not bee looſed, but the maſt ſhall bee ſtrengthned and the ſailes ſpread out, though there breake up a leake in the ſhip: and there was a loud noyſe of loftie ſtormes in this poore ſhip, ſuch as fining, confining, impriſoning, baniſhing, ſilencing of the Paſtors of Jeſus Chriſt, cutting off eares, ripping of noſes; yet Chriſt aroſe and rebuked theſe winds: and though there were cries of reconciliation with Rome, ſtrong tides and winds of falſe doctrine, of altar-worſhip, imagery, vaine Idols to repreſent the Father and the Sonne Chriſt, maſſing, a new reall ſacrifice, the body of Popery taught in Univerſities, preached in Pulpits, printed in books, Chriſt aroſe and rebuked theſe winds; and when the three kingdomes have been ſwimming in blood, to hold up arbitrary power in the State, and the Tyranny of Antichriſtian prelates in the Church, the Lord of Hoaſts hath alſo rebuked theſe winds, and will calme the Sea. There bee alſo great ſtormes of ſad and lamentable diviſions, and rents, alter againſt alter, ſo as the one halfe of the paſſengers are like to caſt the other over board in the Sea, theſe are more dangerous and judgement-like winds, Oh that wee could awake the Lord, that hee may ariſe and rebuke the Sea and the winds! There hath been, and ſtill is a cry of many provocations in both kingdomes, ſo that the Lord cannot have reſt in heaven, for the ſinnes of the land that are come up before him. The breach of the Covenant of God, all ſort of ſinnes againſt both Tables, no knowledge of God in the land, no mercy, no truth, but by ſwearing, lying, killing and ſtealing and committing adultery wee break out, and blood toucheth p. 60blood; yet the Lord Jeſus is a Saviour not onelyonly of perſons, but alſo a nationall redeemer, hee ſprinkleth many nations, Eſay 52. 15. with his blood, he ſprinkles cleane water upon nations the houſe of Iſrael, and cleanſeth them from all their filthineſſe and idols, for his names ſake, Ezek. 36. 22. 25. it is the omnipotency of free grace that Chriſt ariſe and rebuke theſe winds and Seas alſo.

Mark 4. 39. And there was a great calme.Part V.

There be… two Characters of God in this miracle;Two Characters of God in this miracle: 1 That it is done in an inſtant, and irreſiſtibly. 2 That it is great. One in the manner of the doing, anger goes not away from either a man, or the Sea in an inſtant; when the aire is calmed, and the wind removed, yet in the bowels of the Sea, there remaines a wind, and ſo a raging and working in the Sea. But here without delay, there is a calme. Secondly, in the miracle there is a Character of God, there was a great calme.

In the former wee ſee God worketh irreſiſtibly, and with efficacy. For when hee ſaveth, wee muſt bee ſaved: When God ſaith that which Iſaac ſaid, I have bleſſed him; the other muſt follow, And hee ſhall bee bleſſed. Some Creatures worke neceſſarily without any dominion over their actions; the Sun muſt caſt out heat, the fire cannot but burne, the Sea cannot but flow;Things neceſſary to the Creature, to the Creator have a may not be: Things contingent to the Creature, may have a muſt bee to the Creator. but becauſe God has truly an abſolute Prerogative Royall, hee has a Negative voice in all the actions of the world, and what is to the creature neceſſary, and a muſt bee, to the Lord it is free, though not contingent, and it hath a may bee to God, and not a muſt bee, except he will: To the creature the ſea muſt ebbe and flow, the Sun muſt give light, the fire muſt conſume, the Lyon muſt devoure the prey; but in all theſe to God, there is a muſt not bee, except hee adde his affirmative voice; and therefore God commandeth the Sea neither to ebbe nor flow, but to ſtand up as two ſtiffe walls of glaſſe, hee covereth the Sunne with a webbe of darkneſſe at the crucifying of the Lord of glory; hee diſchargeth the fire to burn the three children, and the Lyon to eat Daniel, and all theſe muſt bee, becauſe God has ſaid they ſhall bee. Againe, as God putteth his may not bee upon things neceſſary to the creature; ſo hee putteth a law of neceſſity upon all the contingent actions of the creature: an arrow ſhot at a venture may kill Achab, and not kill Achab, but ſome other man neare by; yet there is here to the Lord no contingency, no ſuch thing as p. 61maybee, and may not bee. But the arrow of the Lords vengeance muſt bee ſo timed, ſo placed, as it has no motion againſt any but Achab onelyonly, and againſt no part of him, but betweene the joints of his harneſſe, that hee may fall and die, according to the word of the Lord.

The way and manner that Chriſt hath a calme Sea,Ʋſe. wee have a calme Sea, and the way that Chriſt commeth to land, and at that very time,It is enough that our ſea be calme, when Chriſts is calme the Diſciples come to land; our ſtomacks riſe much, wee ſay, What is God doing? is there not a neceſſitie in regard of divine juſtice, that vengeance fall upon Malignants, Papiſts, Prelates in theſe Kingdomes, and bloody Iriſh cut-throats and murtherers? But wee would conſider theſe two. Firſt, theſe ſixteene hundreth yeares, Chriſt hath beene under wrongs, and vengeance to the full, hath not reached his enemies, as yet, for 1. the enemies of Chriſt are not fully ſubdued; 2. and many of them rotten in the duſt, are not in their bodies tormented as yet; Chriſt ſuffereth injuries, and you cannot, you will not have patience to indure the crueltie of bloody men. Secondly, Chriſt as wee ſee here, devideth faire weather and foule weather with his Diſciples, it is enough to us, that if wee bee laid low, wee are low with Chriſt▪ it is time enough that wee have faire weather and come ſafe to ſhoare to dry our garments at that Sunne that ſhineth to the glorified in heaven, when Chriſt commeth to ſhoare; let us weepe when Chriſt weepeth, and bee buried when Chriſt is buried; when Chriſt rejoyceth and riſeth againe, wee cannot lie rotting in the grave.

[A great Calme,] Matthew 8. 26. ſo calleth it foreign. This is the other Character of God in this miracle, that it is a great calme. Greatneſſe is printed on all the works of God.There is nothing in God, not any judgement or worke of God but greatneſſe is printed on it; for the effect ſmelleth of the cauſe, Job 36. 26. God is great, Chriſt is great, as the Churches danger in this Sea-voyage is great, ſo is the calme great; great buildings have great foundations, great ſhips great ſailes, great Sea-ebbings have great flowings, 2 Cor. 1. 10. God delivered us from ſo great a death, ſome death is but an infant death and weake, there is another death called by Bildad, Job. 18. 13. The firſt borne of death. The Lord ſheweth his people (Pſal. 71. 20.) great and ſore troubles, and p. 62gives them teares to drinke in great meaſure, Pſal. 80. 5. and the people is in great diſtreſſe, Nehem. 9. 37. and for that the Lord doth great things for them, Pſal. 126. 2. and worketh a great ſalvation for his people, 1 Sam. 14. 45. and giveth great deliverances to David, Pſal. 18. 80. and to Davids ſeed, the Iſrael of God. Secondly, there is greatneſſe written upon all the workes of God, Pſal. 92. 5. O Lord how great are thy workes? Pſal. 111. Verſ. 2. The works of the Lord are great, ſought out of all thoſe that have pleaſure therein. Thirdly, there is greatneſſe written on his judgements againſt his enemies, for Zach. 7. 12. there is a great wrath from the Lord of hoſts on thoſe that pull away the ſhoulders, and makes their heart as an Adamant ſtone; hee fighteth againſt the rebellious, Ier. 21. 5. in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath; and the great day of his wrath ſhall come upon his enemies, ſo that they ſhall not bee able to ſtand. Fourthly, and there is a great reward for the righteous, Pſal. 19. 11. a great reward in heaven for them, Matth. 5. Verſ. 12. A farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory, 2 Cor. 4. 17.

Then great vengeance is appointed for the enemies of God, Ʋſe 1.Ezek. 25. 17. and great deſolation on Pharoah the great Dragon that lieth in the midſt of his Rivers, Ezek. 29. 3. and when theſe kingdomes have committed great whoredomes, what wonder that great judgements bee on us, and many more hundreth thouſands bee ſlaine in the three kingdomes then hiſtories can in our ages parallel but if Babylon bee a great whore, great muſt bee her fall, all the Kings of the earth, and her Merchants ſhall wonder, and weepe and waile at her deſolation. Our King ſaith, hee will repeale Lawes made againſt Papiſts in England; But it is a worke above his ſtrength to hold up the curſed throane of the beaſt, which God hath ſaid hee will cruſh; if all the Kings of the earth ſhould make their bones pillars to hold up that throne, there is ſuch a weight of vengeance lying on that throne, that their bones ſhall bee bruiſed in powder.

Reformation is a worke of God alſo,Ʋſe 2. Zach. 13. 23. and then it is a great worke, and though there bee great mountaines in the way, God doth rebuke and remove ſuch mountaines, Zach. 4. 7. faint not then, bee ſtrong in the Lord.

p. 63No marvell wee are to ſell all and buy Chriſt that pearle of great price, Ʋſe 3.Matth. 13. 46. for none hath ſo neare a relation to God as hee; wee ſeeke great things, ſeeke great Chriſt.

Luke 8. 25.Part VI. And they being afraid wondered, ſaying one to another, What manner of man is this? for hee commandeth even the winds and waters, and they obey him.

This is all the fruit wee read this miracle produced in the Seamen, they fall a wondring, being aſtoniſhed to ſee a man command Sea and winds. Firſt, the miracles of Chriſt and all the workes of God are ſo farre inferiour to his word, that they can teach us nothing of the Trinitie, Wee ſee little of God in his wayes.nor of two natures in the one perſon and of our mediator Ieſus Chriſt. Secondly, O how little of God doe wee ſee, eſpecially being voyd of his owne light? even Iob ſaith, though God bee at our elbow, wee know not it is hee, Chap. 23. 8. Behold I goe forward, and hee is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive him. But is this becauſe God was neither behind Iob, nor before him? no, God goeth round about us, every man may as it were, put forth his hand, and grope the Almightie, Act. 17. 27. therefore Iob addeth Verſ. 9. (he is) on the left hand where hee doth worke, but I cannot behold him, hee hideth himſelfe on the right hand that I cannot ſee him; wee cannot trace the footſteps of his unſearchable wayes, alas wee but ſport our ſelves to behold the ſuperfice, the outſide, and as it were, the brim of divine providence men or Angels cannot dive to the bottome of the wayes of our Lord; Eſay 55. hee ſaith himſelfe, Verſ. 9. for as the heavens are higher then the earth, ſo are my wayes higher then your wayes, and my thoughts then your thoughts. Thirdly, wee come but that neare Chriſt, that wee goe at the fartheſt three or foure ſteppes to him; ſome are convinced and wonder, they ſay this muſt bee God, as Luke 4. 22. when Chriſt preaches as Chriſt, and like himſelfe, they all beare him witneſſe and wonder at the gratious words that proceed out of his mouth; yet they are not a ſtep nearer to him, they deſpiſe him, and ſay, Is not this Joſephs ſonne? Some know a Prophet hath beene amongſt them, Ezek. 3. 5. but they are Scorpions and briars and thornes, and will not heare. Secondly, ſome ate inlightned and beleeve for an houre, Matth. 13. 21. a faith that liveth for an houre is a ſickly, dying faith. Thirdly, ſome are a ſtep nearer, they have joy in Chriſt, Matth. p. 6413. 20. and the word of the Prophet is, Ezek. 33. 32. to them as a very lovely ſong of one that hath a pleaſant voyce, and can play well on an Inſtrument; the Goſpel is ſweet to many, but they come not nearer, they will not heare, nor obey. Fourthly, ſome taſt of the good Word of God, and of the powers, foreign, the manifold powers of the life to come, Heb. 6. 5. yet come never nearer to Chriſt, but fall off, as if they were afraid to bee converted, they goe not a fift ſtep farther on to give themſelves up wholly to Jeſus Chriſt.

It is not the Seamens way onelyonly;Ʋſe 1. but 1. Malignants, and Prelats and Papiſts ſee God in this worke,God moſt viſible in that hee now doth in Brittaine, but Malignants will not ſee him. they wonder, and yet they reſiſt, Eſay 26. 11. Lord thy hand is exalted, they ſee not, they ſhall ſee and bee aſhamed for their envy at the people: in this worke that the Lord is working in the three kingdomes, there bee ſundry notes of divinitie and footſteps of God, and Malignants doe but wonder; as 1. when Prelats and Malignants were on the top of their wheeles, God, from deſpiſed and contemned beginnings, raiſed the worke to a great height; 2. our adverſaries were agents, and would not reſt, but did cooperate to their owne deſtruction: They would move the King to change Religion in Scotland againſt all Lawes. 2. They would ſtirre him up to raiſe Armies by Sea and Land againſt Scotland. 3. They moved the King to break the articles of peace, and the word of a Prince to his Subjects, after an accommodation, and ſet him on bloody warres againe. 4. After his Army was defeated and a Parliament granted in England they moved him firſt to come and yeeld to all that is juſt and right in a Parliament of Scotland, but againſt their mind, with no purpoſe to keepe their faith, and then to raiſe Tragicall and bloody warres in England, and in all theſe they were coagents and workers with a judiciall and ſecret providence, to their owne deſtruction. 3. They have beene ſearching to find out, that our intentions were not to eſtabliſh Religion in power and puritie, and to bee freed of the bondage of arbitrary and tyrannicall domination over Church and State, but to change monarchy, and ſet up another government; this they could never yet find. 4. They ſee God againſt them, prophanitie and wickedneſſe on their ſide, and with them Papiſts, Idolaters, Iriſh murtherers, the cruelleſt p. 65of men, the ſcumme and refuſe of the Churchmen, yet they will not ſee God in this. 5. They find and ſee their treachery, popery, tyranny diſcovered by many plots come to light, by letters under the Kings hand, their intentions to bring in a forraigne nation, ere popery and arbitrary government bee not eſtabliſhed; and that all Treaties have beene intended, not for a juſt peace, but for this end that a peace being once patched and ſowed up, all things ſhall returne to their ancient Channels, as the King ſpeakes in his inſtructions to his Commiſſioners at Ʋxbridge, yet they will not ſee God in all theſe paſſages of his deepe providence.

If naturall men wonder at the power and excellency of Chriſt,Ʋſe 2. in that hee with a word commands Sea and winds,The Lord Jeſus a wonder to all. and they obey him; ſhould not Chriſt bee to us a worlds wonder? ſhould hee not bee to us altogether lovely? were it poſſible to lay in the counter-ſcale of the ballance to Chriſt a world of Angels, put in yet millions of worlds of Angels, adde to them a world of Solomons with tripled wiſedome, put in all the delights of the ſonnes of men, put in yet the flowre and Roſe of ten thouſand poſſible worlds perfections, they ſhould bee under-weight to him, the ballance ſhould never downe. Oh! wee glory in good armies, wee rejoyce in victories and ſucceſſe, in a good Parliliament, in godly Commanders, in a good reformation, all is excellent to us, that hath any luſtre or glimpſe of created goodneſſe, but why doe wee not rather wonder, admire and extoll excellent Jeſus Chriſt? who ſetteth him on high above the skies? who lifts up his throne and his glory? Conſider but what is ſaid of him, Col. 1. 15. Who is the image of the inviſible God, the firſt borne of every creature, Verſ. 16. For by him were all things created, &c. 17. And hee is before all things, and in him all things conſiſt. 18. And hee is the head of the body the Church, who is the beginning, the firſt borne from the dead, that in all things hee might have the preheminence; ſee what wonders are there in Chriſt, as firſt, hee is Gods equall, every way as high as God, being the ſubſtantiall Image of God, begotten of the Father, and without all beginning. Secondly, as man the eldeſt of the creation of God, and as God the p. 66Creator of the new world. Thirdly, no leſſe the Creator of all then the Father; wee have a head who can make and unmake all the glorious Angels in heaven, the royalleſt of the houſe of heaven, theſe principalities and powers, theſe little Gods, the eldeſt and ſupreme Courtiers, the higher houſe of the Peeres of heaven, are but peeces of dependent ſhadowes that fell from the fingers of our higheſt King, when hee framed this great all, and the rich Palace-Royall of this greateſt body of heaven and earth and all the furniture within the boſome of the great world. Fourthly, the Lord Jeſus hath all the created world ſo in the hollow of his hand, as a man that holdeth a bowle of glaſſe in his hand in the aire, ſhould hee take his arme from under it, it ſhould fall to the earth and breake in a hundred peeces, and doe no more good, if Chriſt in whom all things conſiſt (ſome ſay) as the notes of an excellent muſick in a ſong, draw in his armes of conſerving providence, the world ſhould go all out of tune, and the Globe of Cryſtall glaſſe ſhould fall to a thouſand meere nothings; and as a man betweene his fingers may cruſh an Egge, ſo hath Chriſt the huge created Lump of the whole creation in his hand, if hee but thruſt his two fingers together with a little cruſh, all the world is diſſolved like a broken Egge. Fiftly, hee is the head of the Church, and ſuch a head as is deaths eldeſt ſonne and heire, hee lay in deaths wombe, and as the doubly bleſſed firſt-borne, had the key of death with him in the inner ſide, and opened the wombe and tooke away the ports and gates of death on his backe, that now all the younger brethren might come out at the ſame paſſage alſo; yea hee came a bridegroome from heaven to ſuite in marriage a bride his Church, was ſicke, and died of love for a Princes daughter his lovely Church, & roſe the third day from death, and married her. Sixtly, he hath ſo the abſolute preheminence in all things that the higheſt of the Angels are but his vaſſals and ſervants, & is now in ſuch incomparable eminency of Glory, above all creatures, that when the beloved-diſciple John who came that neare to him in the dayes of his fleſh, that hee leaned on his boſome, ſaw him in his glory, hee fell downe at his feet dead, Revel. 1. 17. yea there was more of heaven in Chriſt then his eyes of fleſh could behold.

FINIS.

End of the text · Samuel Rutherford, Sermon 25 June 1645 (1645)