An Ark Against a Deluge, Sermon
A Sermon Preached before the Honorable Houſe of COMMONS, At their Extraordinary day of Humiliation. October 22. 1644.
HEBREWS 11. 7.
By Faith Noah being warned of God, of things not ſeen as yet, moved with Fear, prepared an Arke to the ſaving of his houſe.
THeſe words contain in them 4. parts.
1. An Alarum given: wherein obſerve, 1. The party giving it, God: [Being warned of God] whether in a dream, as to Abimeleck, Jacob, others, or by voyce extraordinary, or by ſome Angel, or by ſome ſingular impreſſion, The Scripture is ſilent, and I dare not be ſo curious as to determine it.
2. The matter of it, [Things not yet ſeen] He means the deluge, or drowning of the whole world; Great Judgements may be preparing by God, though for the preſent no effects of them appear to man.
2. The Alarum Taken: where again obſerve.
1. The Perſon Taking it, [Noah] called in Gen. 6. 9. A juſt man and perfect in his generations: Godly men are firſt acquainted with Gods intentions; His ſecrets (in this ſenſe alſo) are with them that fear him;
2. The manner how he tooke it: the Text ſaith,
1. By faith: Faith is the firſt hand to take a mercy, and the firſt eye to diſcover a Judgement: Senſe may apprehend Dangers, when Acting upon the viſible Stage, but faith onelyonly eſpies them, when contriving upon the private anvile.
2. By Fear: when faith ſeeth a good God, then it cauſeth joy: when it ſeeth an Angry God, then it raiſeth fear: it proportions out all our affections, as God is pleaſed to proportion out himſelf: I ſee an inundation threatned, and it will certainly come, ſaith Faith: O I tremble at it, ſaith Feare, and how ſhall we do to eſcape it?
3. The Alarum Improved: and that's by prudence: A wiſe man ſeeth the evill and hides, or ſecures, himſelf: Faith is not oppoſite to Fear, nor is either of them oppoſite to care and wiſedome: Noahs wiſdome appeared in 2. Things.
1. He ſets upon the proper Remedy [He built an Ark] there was a deluge comming, and nothing was ſo proper a ſafety againſt a deluge of waters, as a Ship or Arke.
2. He doth this in Time: the Text ſaith [He prepared an Arke] his action was ſuitable, and it was ſeaſonable too: A right ſeaſon, ſeaſons all our works: purpoſes ill-timed, commonly prove ill or uſeleſſe: Noahs Ark was not to make when the waters came, but it was prepared, and he in it, before they came.
4. The ſucceſſe of all [To the ſaving of his houſe] I ſhall not finger all the particulars above mentioned, Two onelyonly of them I intend to proſecute at this time, viz.
1. That when Dangers Threaten us, we ſhould be moved with Fear.
2. That againſt a deſtroying flood, it is duty and wiſdome to prepare a ſaving Arke.
That when Dangers threaten us, we ſhould be moved 1. Propwith fear: Thus the Text, Noah being warned of God, &c. was moved with feare.
When Jacob heard that Eſau his brother was comming with 400. men, to meete him, He greatly feared, Gen. 32. 6. 7.
When Jehoſhaphat heard that the Moabites and Ammonites, with thoſe of Mount Seir, were ready to invade him, He alſo feared, 2 Chron. 20. 1. 3.
When Micab the Moraſhite prophecyed in the days of Hezekiah, ſaying, Zion ſhall be ploughed like a field, and Jeruſalem ſhall become heapes, Jer. 26. 18. Then Hezekiah feared the Lord, verſ. 19.
When the King of Syria, and the King of Iſrael confederated againſt Judah, the Prophet ſaith, They were moved as the trees of the wood are moved with winde, (i.) They exceedingly feared, Eſay 7. 2. compared with, verſe 4.
Bernard hath long ſince well taken notice of four Ser. in Pſa. Qui habitat.ſorts of men.
1. Some who Neither Hope, Nor Fear: ſuch are Atheiſticall ſinners, to whom Gods mercy ſeemes no Harbour, and Gods wrath ſeemes no Terrour.
2. Some who Fear but hope not: ſuch are deſpairing ſinners, who look onelyonly upon mount Sinai, full of thunder and lightning, but never look upon mount Sion, which is as full of Grace and Mercy.
3. Some who Hope but fear not: Such are preſumptuous ſinners, who like the Heathens of old that made their gods ſutable patrons to all their luſts; ſo theſe fancy a God onelyonly of mercy and Indulgence, without any Juſtice to account with them for their ſins, and therefore fear not.
4. Some who both hope and fear: Such are all truely pious people, who hope in a good God, and yet do fear a juſt God: rejoyce in his favour, but tremble at his diſpleaſure: when he ſmiles they bleſſe him, and when he frownes they feare him.
Now feare (which is the ſhrinking, the recoyling, the crouching, the flight of the ſoul in the apprehenſion of an abſent, imminent, prevalent, and approaching evill,) the Schoolemen and others diſtinguiſh thus: There is a threefold fear.
1. Timor poenae: A fear of puniſhment (which ſome call Timorem Gehernalem & Servilem) this is raiſed by the juſtice of God, threatning by no meanes to clear the guilty.
2. Timor offenſae▪ a fear of ſinning, and this is raiſed by the kindneſſe of God, whoſe preſence and bounty cauſeth an exceeding fear to offend him.
3. Timor Reverentiae, A Reverentiall fear, and this is raiſed by the Greatneſſe, and Majeſty, and Ability of God, and it is like that of a child to his Father, or of a wife to her Husband: ſome uſe I ſhall make of this diſtinction anone, but for the preſent take me thus.
There is a double Fear.G. Pariſ. Puſillanimitutis.
1. One of Diſtraction, or amazement, which routs the ſoul, and cruſheth all its faculties, diſabling their command and uſe in matters either ſpirituall or civill, take heed of this fear; fear ſuch a fear as this, which is too hard for Reaſon and Religion too.
2. Another of Diſcretion, and Judgement, flowing Cantae Declinationis.from faith: Timor debitus, as Aquinas ſtiles it: a fear when a man ſhould fear, and as a Chriſtian ſhould fear: to this ſhall I apply my diſcourſe: ſuch a fear as this ſhould be in us, when God threatens dangers: And it comprehends 4. things in it.
1. An awaking of the Souls of men: a rouzing of 4. Things in duc Fear.them out of a Lethargie, a ſhaking off, of the Spirit of ſlumber, and deep ſleepe: Fear ſpeaks to the ſoul as the Marriners to Jonah, when the ſhip was endangered, Awake thou ſluggard, why ſleepeſt thou? It opens thoſe careleſſe and ſecure eyes, to ſee the Lord diſpleaſed indeed, and now upon the way marching towards the deſtruction of a Nation or perſon. We can ſee wrath and fury in men, and be moved: but right fear ſeeth wrath in God, it ſees the King of heaven and earth diſpleaſed, and all the arrows of vengeance (which flye up and down) all of them taken out of his Quiver, and caſt abroad and ſhot by his juſt and mighty hand: That the controverſie with the land, is his controverſie; and the ſword which is bathed in blood is his ſword, and that it ſhall accompliſh his pleaſure to the full, till he be pacified with us.
2. A Concuſsion of the Soul under this Apprehenſion: the Text doth not ſay, onelyonly, that Noah feared, but it ſaith, that he was moved with fear: the meaning is this, That God thus apprehended in the Greatneſſe of his wrath and power, ſhould exceedingly affect us: the Indignation of the Almighty ſhould make a dint Heb. 12. 19 21.and ſtrong Impreſſion upon our hearts: As Moſes when he was upon the mount, and heard the ſound of the Trumpet, and the voyce of words, and ſaw alſo the burnings with fire, he did exceedingly Fear and Quake: So when we heare either by the voyce of Gods Miniſters, or by the Trumpet of Gods reall warnings, or by the devouring flames of his acting wrath, that God is provoked by us, and incenſed againſt us; this muſt make us, like David, to fall flat down upon our faces, or like Moſes to quake, or like Habakkuk to quiver with fear: Who ſhould not fear thee O King of Nations.
There are three ſorts of behaviour under Gods anger 3. Sorts of men.and Judgements. 1. Some utterly careleſſe, diſreſpective, and deaf, though God cryes aloud in the wayes of vengeance: theſe men are like fooliſh children, running out to play in the midſt of thunder and lightning: or rather like Zimri and Cozbi, then impudently ſinning, when God was judicially deſtroying the Campe for ſinning. Secondly, ſome are onelyonly amazed and aſtoniſhed at the firſt blow: perhaps at the beginning of a judgement, a little huſht and ſtirred, and wrought on; but perceiving the danger to keep a diſtance, they grow bold to ſin ſtill: like the Frogs we read of, all ſilenced on a ſudden, when Jupiter threw down the great beams among them, but obſerving their immunity, they put on their confidence and old note again. Thirdly, others are throughly affected and ſtirred in the apprehenſion of Gods diſpleaſure: As ſeeing more than heaven in his favour and more then hell in his wrath: our protection, ſafety, happineſſe in that; and our loſſe, deſolation, and compleat miſery in this: Theſe are perſons who will Fear the Lord, and His diſpleaſure, For who can ſtand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceneſſe of his anger? Nahum. 1▪ 6.
3. A ſolemn conſideration upon both the former. The School-men ſay, that Timor facit conſiliativos. And the Philoſopher ſaith, that Fear makes men wiſe, for it makes them flee to counſel. There is nothing more ſuſpicious and more inquiſitive then Fear: for as in Love, all the ſoul is called in to obtain or rejoyce; ſo in Fear, all the ſoul is called in to conſider and adviſe how either to prevent or to ſuſtain the approaching evil. Now there are two grand enquiries which Fear makes, upon the apprehenſion of Gods diſpleaſure: one is, What have we done thus to provoke God? Two enquiries of Fear.another is, What may we do to pacifie this provoked God?
As when Joſhua's heart melted with Fear, becauſe God went out againſt his own people before Ai: why? What is the matter Lord (ſaith Joſhua) that Iſrael turn their backs upon their enemies? Iſrael hath ſinned (ſaith God) And now Joſhua makes a narrow ſearch to finde out the ſinner, he ſearcheth from Tribe to Tribe, from family to family, from man to man, till Achan was found out: And when Achan (who was the cauſe of Gods diſpleaſure) was found out, Joſhua ſtones him to death, and then all was well again.
4. A quick care to uſe all proper means by which God may be pacified, and judgements removed: You never knew a man full of Fears, who was not alſo a man full of Cares: Give me a Chriſtian who fears about his eternall ſalvation, this man will take care and give all diligence to work out his ſalvation, and to make his calling ſure: Give me a perſon who fears his corporall ſafety; this perſon cannot ſleep for care, how he ſhall preſerve and ſecure himſelf. Grief makes men heavie, and Pleaſure makes men careleſſe, and Deſpair makes men uſeleſſe, and Fear makes men carefull and diligent. The Lord threatens Nineveh with deſtruction; the Ninevites believe this, and fear: this fear commands Jonah 3.an immediate Faſting, and humbling, and crying unto God, and repenting.
Jehoſhaphat apprehends the danger of Invaſion, and 2 Chron. 20. 3.the Text ſaith, He feared; but then it immediately ſubjoyns, And ſet himſelf to ſeek the Lord, and proclaimed a Fast.
Jacob he feared his brother Eſau; I fear him (ſaith Jacob) leſt he will come and ſmite me, and the mother with the children. But this Fear ſets on Prayer, and wreſtling Gen. 32.with God; and one while he preſſeth God with his Command, another while with his Promiſe, and at length ſo cloſeth with God, that he is reſolved God ſhall not get free of him, unleſſe he bleſſe him.
I ſhould now give you the Reaſons, why we ſhould Three Reaſons.fear when God threatens dangers: as 1. Becauſe our own ſinnes endanger us with all dangers threatned. 2. Becauſe God hath brought the dangers to people which he hath threatned, witneſſe the old world, and the Flood; witneſſe Iſrael, and the Captivity; witneſſe Jeruſalem, and her deſolation; witneſſe England, and the Sword this day. 3. Becauſe the dangers will be the ſooner, and the greater, and the ſurer, if we fear not. But I ſhall not need to demonſtrate the truth of the Propoſition; it rather calls for Application.
Firſt then, If Fear be requiſite and neceſſary in Times of danger, certainly Security (which is oppoſite thereto) is a moſt evil Quality in evil Times. No Judge ſo unjuſt as he, who ſaid, I fear neither God nor man: nor is any ſinner more fearfull, then he who fears not. Nazianzene ſpake the truth; This foreign.is fearfull indeed, when a ſinner is not fearfull: So did Auguſtine; This ſhould make thee to tremble, becauſe thou haſt not an heart to fear. And yet (the Lord be mercifull to us) we have multitudes in this Land, yea, I fear that the greateſt part of the Land, and of our ſelves too, are without Noahs Fear, in this time, not of threatned, but inflicted Judgement. There are three Things which ſhew that a Perſon or a Nation are a Three evidences of Security.Fearleſſe and ſecure people in time of miſery.
1. A ſenſuall and voluptuous courſe of life. You reade in Amos 6. 1, of a ſecure company of ſinners: What was their Poſture? ſee verſ. 4, 5, 6. They lie upon beds of Ivory, and eat the Lambs out of the flock, and chaunt to the ſound of the Viol, and drink wine in bowls, and anoint themſelves with the chief ointments; and they are not grieved for the affliction of Joſeph. The like you may reade in Iſai. 56. 12. We will fetcb wine (ſay they) and we will fill our ſelves with ſtrong drink, and to morrow ſhall be as this day, and much more abundant. O that I could not apply theſe paſſages of old to our preſent times! Good Lord! what amazing times are our times? ſome Chriſtians ſtarving, and crying out for a bit of bread, others in gluttony, and throwing to the dogs: ſome bitterly lamenting, others chearfully ſpoiling: ſome tumbling in blood, others tumbling in vomit: ſome feeding on aſhes, and drinking of tears, others faring deliciouſly, like Dives, and drinking themſelves drunk, like Elah. It is with us, as it is ſpoken of in Eſther 3. 15. The King and Haman ſate down to drink, but the Citie Shuſhan was perplexed. Is this to fear an angry God?
2. A ſtrange ſtupidity, benummedneſſe, I know not what to ſtyle it, an unmovedneſſe, a dull inconſideration, a drowſie imperception of our own ſins, and Gods hand upon us. It is generally with us, as with Ephraim, that had a ſilly heart; though gray hairs were here and there upon him, yet he perceived it not: or as with Iſrael, though ſet on fire round about, and burning in the fire, yet they laid nothing to heart. Though all the Churches of Chriſt (almoſt) are crying out, The Sword, the Sword; though the pangs of death be upon our ſelves; though Gods (uſually) laſt Judgement be upon us (the Sword) and in the quickeſt way of deſtruction (an Inteſtine War) and helped on by infinite Diviſions: yet men generally intend their own Gain, their own ways, their own ends; as if an angry God were not riſen up to be avenged of a ſinfull Nation.
3. A generall neglect to make peace with God. If we did fear his wrath, would we not ſeek his friendſhip? Becauſe I will do this unto thee, therefore prepare to meet thy God, O Iſrael. God is actually doing, doing his Am. 4. 12.ſtrange work amongſt us, and yet we prepare not to meet him: You reade that thoſe of Tyre and Sidon, when Herod was highly diſpleaſed with them, they with one accord uſe the beſt means to make their peace with him, becauſe that Countrey was nouriſhed by Act. 12. 20his Countrey: Theſe will riſe in judgement againſt us: they tremble at man, we tremble not at a God; they haſten to pacifie an angry man, and we all this while come not in to make peace with an angry God: they ſeek for peace, becauſe their Countrey depended on Herod; and we ſue not for peace, though our eternity depend upon God: we ſtand out againſt a threatning God, and againſt a deſtroying God. We may well take up that of the Prophet; The way of peace they know not, and there is no judgement in their doings. Beloved, Iſa. 59. ….there are two ways wherein perhaps the Lord may yet meet us with mercy: one is, Serious Humiliation; the other is, Reall Reformation. Believe me, Prayings will not do it, Faſtings will not do it, Declarations and Profeſſions will not do it, Covenantings will not do it, Councels, Armies, Aſſemblies, nothing will do it, God will never be pacified, till we become an humbled and reformed People.
But then as in Jeremiah, ſo may God now ſay of this Land, I hearkned and heard, but they ſpake not aright; Jer. 8▪ 6.no man repented him of his wickedneſſe, ſaying, What have I done? every one turned to his courſe, as the horſe ruſheth into the Battell: Fearleſſe, and venturous in ſin ſtill. What one perſon (almoſt) in this great Congregation, hath (ſince all our calamities) left one ſin? yet this is the fear of the Lord (this is a true character of it) To depart from evil. A man durſt not continue in a courſe which provokes God, if he did truely fear God.
Now what ſhall I ſay of this common ſecurity amongſt us? I would ſay of it as Daniel did of Nebuchadnezzars Dream, Dan. 4. 19. The dream be to them that hate thee, and the Interpretation thereof to thine enemies. O that we our ſelves, and the people of this Land, would remember two things:
1. That Security (in times of judgement) is one of the greatest ſins. There are three provoking hearts in ſuch times: 1. An hard heart. 2. An unbelieving heart. 3. A ſecure heart. A ſecure ſinner keeps up all his ſins, he ſlights all Repentance (of which you heard much in the former Sermon) and he ſlights and contemns an angry God; he ſtill provokes a provoked God.
2. It is the ſinne which immedately goes before deſtruction; as a great Calm (uſually) goes before a great Earthquake. If Security be within the door, Judgement is at the threſhold: It is the flaſh of Lightning before the crack of Thunder: or much like that Silence ſpoken of in Revel. 8. 1. after which the ſeven Angels ſounded their Wo-Trumpets. In Amos 6. 1. you reade of ſome who were Secure in Sion: and verſ. 3. did put far away the evil day. But then reade verſ. 7. Theſe God reſolves ſhall go captive; nay, They ſhall go captive with the firſt. In their own opinion they were the fartheſt from miſery; but in Gods determination they are the very next, the firſt men for it. So in Iſa. 47. 8. you finde Babylon drowned in proud Security, following her pleaſures, dwelling careleſly, lifting up her ſelf, (I am, and none elſe beſides me) promiſing ſafety to her ſelf, (I ſhall not ſit as a widow, neither ſhall I know the loſſe of children) But then reade the very next verſe, v. 9. Theſe two things ſhall come to thee in a moment, in one day, The loſſe of children, and widowhood; They ſhall come upon thee in their perfection: exact ruine and ſudden ruine upon ſecure Babylon.
I think you cannot in all the Bible pitch upon any ſecure ſinners, but preſently you may finde a ſtroke of judgement upon them.
The old world were in eating, and drinking, and marrying, and knew not (ſaith Chriſt) till the flood came Mat. 14. 38, 39.and tooke them all away: they were drowned in ſecurity, and then preſently drowned in a flood.
Sodom and Gomorrah were a people whoſe ſinnes did cry to heaven: they were high in ſin, and deep in ſecurity: ſinned in the night, ſhined upon by the Sun in the morning, and all of them conſumed to aſhes before noon, Gen. 19. 23. 24.
The people of Laiſh were careleſſe, quiet, and ſecure, and now the Danites ſuddenly come upon them, and ſmite them with the edge of the ſword, and burn their City with fire, Judg. 18. 27.
Agag comes forth delicately (as the Scripture ſtiles it) and confidently too; Surely (ſaith he) the bitterneſſe of death is paſt: and preſently he is hewed in peeces before the Lord in Gilgal, 1 Sam 15. 32, 33.
The Amalekites are drinking, and dancing, and revelling, becauſe of the great ſpoile they had taken, but are immediately aſſaulted, and routed, and killed by David, from the twilight untill the evening of the next day, 1 Sam. 30. 16, 17.
Nebuchadnezzar is proudly vaunting in his pallace, Is not this great Babylon which I have built, for the honour of my Majeſty? Dan. 4. 30. But (verſ. 31.) while the word was in the Kings mouth, (the very next word is) There fell a voyce from heaven, O King! To thee (thus proudly ſecure) it is ſpoken, The kingdome is departed from thee.
When Belſhazzar was feaſting, and carouſing, and quaffing, (inter pocula) Then the hand-writing appeared, and notwithſtanding all his confidence on the great River, it was drawn aſide, and the Perſians entred the City, and ſlew him that very night, Dan. 4. 5. 30. So true is that of the Apoſtle, 1 Theſſ. 5. 3. When men ſhall ſay, peace and ſafety, Then ſudden deſtruction commeth upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they ſhall not eſcape. O, ſaid one of ſecurity, Thou art my firſt enemy, and my chiefeſt enemy: thou killeſt fear G. Pariſ.which is my Guardian, and art the enemy which diſarmes me in the midſt of all my enemies, the ſoft pillow which betrayes me, the kiſſe of Joab which murders me: I can neither provide for my Salvation when God is diſpleaſed, nor for my ſafety when man is diſpleaſed, becauſe of thee.
If fear ſhould be ſtirred, when God threatens dangers: Uſe. 2 why then (Right honourable and the reſt) let us all this day hear and fear: O that there were in us ſuch an heart as to fear! the Scriptures tell us, that fear is our treaſure, and our ſtrength, and our wiſdome, and our bleſſedneſſe: Bernard ſaith, it is Vigil Animae, the Captain of the Watch, and Cuſtos animae, the Captain of the Guard: Nay, ſaith one, Cuſtodit ipſos cuſtodes, Fear doth guard all our guards; all our graces are preſerved by fear; it is their Sentinell, and in ſome ſenſe their ſecurity, their ſhield and buckler: O that we did Repent and fear, beleeve and fear, pray and fear; do every fit work, and ſtill fear. There are four portions of fear which I would earneſtly commend unto you.
1. Timorem Diſplicentiae, a fear to anger God, and a fear of God when he is angred: O be afrayd of an angry God! It is a fearfull thing (ſaith the Apoſtle) to fall into the hands of the living God: Gods anger is (uſually) in Scripture ſet out by fire, and by conſuming fire: Let us fear leſt we fall into a conſuming fire. When Jehu ſent to the Elders of Jezreel to come out and fight for their maſters ſons, they were afraid; Two Kings (ſay they) could not ſtand before him, and how ſhall we? Why? Beloved, two of our Kingdomes cannot ſtand before an Angry God! Nay a whole world could not ſtand before an angry God, and how can we? He is above all the wiſdome of men, and above all their dignities and powers: He can lift up the mighty mountains by his voyce, and tread under his feet all the Scepters on earth at his pleaſure: he can threſh the Nations to duſt, and diſſolve the Potentates into nothing: O fear him who can do all that he ſpeaks; as eaſily make the worke as ſay the word: fear him who can accompliſh all his will, and none can riſe up to ſtay or hinder him: Fear him who can deſtroy bodies and ſouls too: fear him whoſe diſpleaſed looks have made the beſt and ſtrongeſt of his ſervants to cry out and roar, whoſe little finger made Balſhazzars joynts to unloſe and tremble, whoſe anger made his beſt child to ſweat drops of blood, and to cry, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me?
2. Timorem paenitentiae: a fear of continuing in ſin, and of committing any more ſinne: Stand in awe and ſin not, ſaid David: O that we could be afraid to let ſo many ſins (of which we are guilty) to ſtand uncancelled before the eyes of an angry God, and lye ſo cloſe to our hearts, as yet not penitentially broken for them: O that we could fear all ſin for time to come: not onelyonly not commit ſin, but fear (as Joſeph did) to commit it: Non ſuſtinere, as well as abſtinere: Fear an Oath, as well as not ſwear, &c.
3. Timorem Reverentiae, A fear of Reverence: fear to omit, or neglect, or delay to do what God would have you to do, in theſe evill and dangerous times: when you have Gods work, and Gods warrant. Now fear the Lord, and none but him: Be not afraid of men, be not afraid of events, But ſanctifie the Lord himſelf and let him be your dread and fear: The time was when I preſſed you not to be afraid of your enemies and evill men; At this time I preſſe you alſo Not to be afraid of your friends, and good men: I beſeech you do the work which God looks for, and fear not that a party will fayle you, or will not be pleaſed with you, or will not hearken unto you, or will thwart you: O that in the work of Reformation (ſo much deſired, and ſo long expected) you would not know Father nor Mother, nor Friend, nor Enemy, nor Miniſter, nor any but God alone. We had returned ere this, ſaid Jacobs ſons unto him, hadſt thou let Benjamin go: I am perſwaded the land had been well nigh ſetled by this, had we let go the fear of our enemies, and the fear of our friends, and exalted the fear of God above all other fear.
I have read lately a Paſſage in Luther, Timor eſt idem quod Deus. Feare is (in ſome reſpect) God himſelf; this though I may ſafely ſay, That Feare doth (as another hath it) deificare Deum. It is that which doth ſet up, and exalt the True God; Yea (but take me candidly) it makes men ſomewhat like God, eſpecially if that be true which one ſpeakes, Qui Deum Timet, eum omnia timent, All things ſtand in awe of him, who ſtands in awe of his God; Aſſuredly you ſhall finde an awefull feare falling upon them who are under you, if your Superlative Feare be of him who is above you;
4. Timorem Providentiae: A provident Feare: Beloved! as Faith makes us to depend upon Gods Promiſe, ſo Feare makes us to ſerve Gods Providence: That Fear which makes us over-feare, or over-negligent, which ſhrivells up all endeavour, or all care; I cannot thinke but it is either diſpaire, or folly, or Treachery: Give me that Feare which is a ſervant to Faith, a Gale to Prayer, a Spur to Repentance, and an edge to Prudence: which can judge of evills, and haſten Remedies; which can fore-ſee-Dangers, and be prepared with Antidotes: which makes the Eye open, the Head Serious, the Heart faithfull, the hand quick, and the worke ſeaſonable: which cries out about a Soule, O Hearken, Repent, Beleeve, whiles it is called to day, for heaven may be loſt, and it too in an hour! which cries out about a Kingdom, It may be loſt or ſaved, in leſſe then in one day, and therefore let us not trifle, let us Act for it with all our ſtrength: In a word, Give me ſuch a feare like this in Noah, which found him Righteous, and made him Induſtrious to prepare an Arke to the ſaving of himſelfe, and of his Houſe: This is the ſecond part, and follows orderly and ſeaſonably to be handled: [prepared an Arke to the ſaving of his Houſe] whence learne,
That againſt a deſtroying flood, it is duty and wiſedome 2 Propoſition.to prepare a ſaving Arke.
An Arke (in the Scripture) is taken two wayes.
1. Literally, So it is either the Arke of the Covenant which Moſes made, or the ſhip of ſafety, which Noah made.
2. Analogically: ſo it notes ſomething, which in the uſe and vertue of it, doth Anſwer unto that Arke which Noah made. viz. Some Qualities, or Actions that will keep us ſafe, though judgements, deſtroying judgements breake downe into the world.
But here's the Queſtion; what Arke of Safety may Queſtion.that bee?
To this demand, I anſwer.Solution.
1. In the Generall.
1. That Arke which ſaved Noah, was ſuch a Fabricke, as God himſelf commanded: ſee Gen. 6. 14. Goe (ſaid God) and make thee an Arke; Many men are apt to make an Arke, but few are making ſuch an Arke as God commands; The Iewes made an Arke of their owne Righteouſneſſe, but this could not ſave their ſoules; and ſometimes they made an Arke of the Aſſyrians and Egyptians, but this could not ſave their lives: The Papiſts alſo doe make an Arke of their owne Merits (which Bellarmine dares not thinke ſafe and ſure) and of the Interceſſions of Saints departed; Nay, they make an Arke of water (their Holy-water) and a wooden Arke too of Images and Croſſes, Arkes in the Ayre, vaine Arkes, which can neither ſave themſelves, nor them that make them: And ignorant people make an Arke of their Good meanings, and devout Service-Booke: Thouſands in the Land, place all Religion in it, it is their God, and if you take away that, what have they more: And profane Perſons make an Arke of Preſumtion upon Gods Mercy: yea, every Sectary makes an Arke of his owne fancie: but when a deluge breakes forth, mens ſoules will be drown'd for all theſe: No Arke is ſafe, which is not built upon God's Word.
2. That Arke which ſaved Noah, hee himſelf made it: Gen. 6. 22. Other mens Arks will never be ſafety to us: wee cannot live by another mans foule, nor be nouriſhed by the bread which another man eates, nor be ſaved by the faith which another man hath. The juſt ſhall live by his own Faith, Haback. 2. 4. And thoſe three Righteous men could deliver but their owne ſoules, Ezek. 14. 14 The wiſe Virgins had no oyle to ſpare, they had no more then would ſerve for themſelves.
3. That Arke which ſaved Noah, was made by faith; ſo the Text, By faith Noah prepared an Arke; Nothing will be ſafety without Faith; Prayer (I confeſſe) may ſave, but then it muſt be the Prayer of Faith, Jam. 5. 15. Teares may ſave, but they muſt then be teares in the eye of Faith: and Repentance may ſave, but then it muſt be rais'd by faith: nothing will ſave us without Faith, even our Saviour will not ſave us without faith.
4. The Arke which ſaved Noah, was made of Gopher wood: Interpreters cannot tell where to match or finde the like in all the Scripture: It was a rare kinde of wood, ſolid, choice, moſt apt to keep above water: It muſt be ſome rare thing, which is a ſinners ſafety: That which every man can have, will ſave none: every mans portion, will be no mans ſecurity.
5. The Arke which ſaved Noah, coſt him a great deal of paines to make. The ſaving Arke, is a coſtly Arke; O it will coſt us many Heart-ſearchings, and humblings, and Prayers, &c. to ſave our ſoules: A working out, as Paul ſpeakes, and All diligence, as Peter ſpeakes; it is not an eaſie worke to be holy here, or happy hereafter.
6. Noah made the Arke, though he met with much oppoſition, and many a ſcoffe: They who intend to be ſafe, muſt hold to their ſaving worke, againſt all the jeares and reproaches of men who are loſt.
7. Laſtly, the Ark which ſaved Noah, was that which God ſhut him in, when he entred into it. All means muſt be uſed, but none can be ſafety, unleſſe God himſelf make us ſafe.
Secondly in particular.
And now I beſeech you heed me: There are five things which will (certainly) be an Arke of Safety to a Perſon or Nation, whenſoever dangers break out like a deluge.
1. A God reconciled: Happy is that people, and that man, who hath the Lord to be his God: let all the floods in the world burſt forth, and rage, and ſwell, and threaten, yet if God be our God, If wee lie in the Armes of his favour, If he hath pardoned our ſinnes, If enmity be ſlaine; If his good will be towards us, if he ſaith, I am your God, feare not, I will uphold you, I have blotted out your iniquities, you and I are friends, I will cover you with the ſhaddow of my hand: O this is an arke indeed, This is a ſhield indeed, A ſtrong Tower, a Refuge from the ſtorme, an All-ſufficient Banner of Safety.
But if God be not Reconciled to us, what can be ſafety to us? the waters now will riſe in ſtrength, and cover all the mountaines: A very ſad condition, when man is mine enemy about me, and Conſcience is mine enemy within me, and God alſo is mine enemy above me.
2. A Chriſt poſſeſſ'd: when Chriſt came into the ſhip, the ſtorme ceaſed preſently: now all was calme and ſafe, though the Diſciples were in danger before: how much more is it our ſafety, when Chriſt not only is in our ſhip, but is our very ſhip; when a Perſon is in Chriſt, and Chriſt is in him: All the houſes of the Iſraelites were ſafe from the deſtroying Angel, which had the blood ſprinkled upon them: Chriſts blood is a ſecuring blood, his blood covers us from the wrath of God, and his Blood makes our peace with him, who can make peace on all the earth, Yea, our very enemies to be at peace with us. A Perſon, who hath Chriſt, may be upon many waters, but he ſhall never be under the waters; His Arke may be toſſed, but it ſhall never be drowned: it may be troubled, but ſtill 'tis ſafe: Chriſt is an Arke, that can ſave at a pinch, and that can ſave to the uttermoſt.
3. A Conſcience purged: purged of dead workes, and purged of deadly workes: All the Ocean cannot drowne a ſhip, whiles without it; but if they get into the ſhip, then is the feare of drowning; If Conſcience be purged from the love of ſinne, and from the ſervice of ſin, if it be kept ſound, and haile, why! this will be as the Apoſtle tells us, 1 Pet. 3. 21. Like Noahs Arke, it will be confidence to us, and ſafety to us: O freinds! wee have no Enemy like ſinne: All our dangers lie in our owne ſinnes: The drowning deluge breakes out of a damning deluge, I mean, out of our owne fountaine of ſinne: Therefore, if you love your ſafeties, if you love your lives, if you love your ſoules, if you love your ſelves, if you love the Land, Away with ſinne: If thou let this man goe, thou art not Caeſars friend, ſaid they of Chriſt; but I ſay, If you let your ſinnes goe uncrucified, you are not Gods Friend, nor your owne friend, Nor the Kingdoms friend.
4. Sincerity maintained; you may read in Eſai. 33. 16. that the upright perſon dwells on high (above the regions of danger, above the reach of a deluge) And his defence is the munitions of Rocks: If hee ſhould be where dangers are, yet he ſtill is where defences are; and no defences are like the munitions of Rocks, which none can well aſſaile, or undermine; In common dangers, if the Lord takes care for any perſon in the world, it is for the upright perſon: Noah was an upright perſon, and here is an Arke for him; Abraham was an upright perſon, and God was a ſhield to him; Lot was an upright perſon, and Zoar is reſerved as a ſecurity for him; David was an upright perſon, and he had an Arke which preſerved him ſafe from firſt to laſt, through all troubles and dangers.
5. Truths obeyed, and defended. Truth ſaith to a Nation, as hee to his Buckler, (Epaminondas it was) Defend me, and I will defend thee: Keepe that ſafe, and that will keep you ſafe: Becauſe thou haſt kept the word of my patience, I will alſo keep thee from the houre of Temptation, which ſhall come upon all the world, ſaid Chriſt to the Church of Philadelphia, Revel. 3. 10. the like you read in Eſa. 26. 1. Wee have a ſtrong City, ſalvation will God appoint for walls and Bulwarkes, open ye the gates, that the righteous Nation, which keepeth the Truth, may enter in: Theſe are ſaving Arkes indeed, none like them to ſave our ſelves, and the whole Kingdome.
And now (Right Honourable!) Give me favour to Vſe. bring this Text in ſome neerer application to your ſelves: I look upon you as the Noahs of our Age, and I look upon the condition of our times, as very much reſembling that ſtate wherein Noah lived: In his time the ſinnings of the world grew common and high; doe they not doe ſo in our time? In his time the ſpirit of God warned them of an inſuing deſtruction; Hath not God given us many warnings, vocall and reall? In his time, the Spirit of God did ſtrive with them to draw them from their ſinfull courſes, and to repent? Hath not the ſame Spirit ſtriven and wreſtled with this Land for that purpoſe? Towards them God exerciſed a long patience, or ſuffering; Hee waited upon them an hundred and twenty yeeres; Hath not the Lord borne and forborn us almoſt as many yeers? But after all theſe callings, warnings, ſtrivings, long-ſufferings; God ſtill ſaw that the wickedneſſe of man was great upon the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart, was onelyonly evill continually, they grew impudent and incorrigible: O that it could not be ſo aſſirmed of this land in generall: Hereupon God reſolves to forbeare no longer (Hee will beare long, but not for ever.) A flood of water is juſtly determined to be their deſtruction, whom an Ocean of Divine Mercy and Patience could not perſwade to Repentance and ſalvation: God grant that we have not given effectuall occaſion for an anſwerable reſolution in him concerning our ſelves: yet in the midſt of this Righteous reſolution, hee thinks upon his ſervant Noah, and inſtructs him to make an Arke to ſave himſelf, and all his houſe: I truſt, the Lord hath inſtructed you ſo to doe fot your ſelves, and the Land, againſt the deluges which ſorely threaten us.
I have but three things to put you in minde of, this ſolemne day of your Humiliation, Nay, the God of heaven put you in minde of them, or elſe it is in vaine for mee.
1. You have an Houſe to ſave: Nay, let me call in that expreſſion, it is too ſhort, for you have no leſſe then three houſes to ſave.
Firſt, your owne Houſe; Every mans ſoul is an houſe, (Domus Dei, & domicilium Chriſti) The lofty God, dwells in the higheſt Heavens, and in the humbleſt Souls: He is the maſter of this houſe, you are but the Tenants, your Leaſe will ſhortly be out: As you expect a bleſſed eternity, looke well to the ſaving of this Houſe.
The ſecond is, The Kingdomes Houſe: The Houſe of Parliament, it is the great Houſe of all the Kingdome, in which are laid up all their Liberties, all their Safeties, Eſtates, Refuges, Reliefes and Lifes: And truly, if this houſe be not kept ſafe, I know no houſe in England, that can or ſhall be ſafe: If this houſe be ſuffered to fall, wee ſhall all have cauſe to ſay, (yea, they too who fight to pull downe this Houſe) as of that Houſe in Matth. 7. 27. The raine deſcended, and the floods came, and the winde blew, and beate upon that houſe, and it fell, and great was the fall of that houſe: The fall of a Parliament, will be the greateſt fall that ever Engliſhmen heard of: I am confident, it would prove the fall of the Three Kingdomes, and I feare it would endanger the fall of moſt of the Churches of Chriſt.
The third is, Gods Houſe; this is an Houſe to be look't unto before, and above all other houſes: as Aeneas had a care of his houſhold gods, before he tooke care of his houſhold goods: Princes of old did ſtrive to joyne their Pallaces next to the Temples, & ſet the Temples above their own Pallaces: Gods Houſe muſt be looked unto, before any of our own houſes: They in Haggai found it by wofull experience, that their neglect of Gods Houſe in the firſt Haggai. 1. 2. 4, 6. &c.place, was very diſtaſtfull to God, and unproſperous to themſelves; and ſo ſhall any Stateſmen finde it, notwithſtanding all their Politique conceits: I doe not know three ſuch Houſes in the world againe as theſe, therefore it behooves you to have a ſingular care of them.
2. But then in the next place, I muſt tell you, that there are Deluges, many Deluges, not onelyonly probably, but alſo actually breaking out to endanger the drowning of all theſe: for the firſt Houſe (our Soules) O how many ſenſuall luſts breake forth, and how many worldly luſts breake forth to drowne the ſoule (as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh) in perdition? And for the ſecond Houſe (the Parliament) what an inundation of lies and ſcandalls; what raging waters of Papiſts, Delinquents, and other people; what a deluge of blood hath beene guſhing out to overwhelm and ſwallow up that Houſe? And for the third Houſe, what floods are Papiſts. Arrians. Socinians. Arminians. Anabaptiſts. Browniſts. Antinomians. Libertines.caſt out of the mouth of the Serpent to beare down the Houſe of God? A deluge of errors, a deluge of Blaſphemies, a deluge of Schiſmes, a deluge of odde opinions, a deluge of diſſentions, and diviſions.
So that all cry out unto you, as the Diſciples in the Storme to Chriſt, Maſter, ſave us or elſe wee periſh: your ſoules cry out, O ſave us! and the Kingdome cries out, O ſave us! and the Church of God cries out, O pitty and ſave us!
3. The ſafetie of all which conſiſts in making of an Arke both proper and ſeaſonable: for the contriving whereof if I ſhould a little miſſe of Art in my ſubſequent directions, yet pardon me, for I ſhall not faile in will and deſire that all may be ſaved: Thus then,
1. For your Soules (the firſt Houſe I mentioned) Two things (really got & exerciſed) will aſſuredly ſave them; Repentance and Faith:
2. For the Kingdomes Houſe (the ſecond that I mentioned) foure things will exceedingly conduce to the ſaving of it.
1. An effectuall care that Juſtice be executed: why? it is lamentable to behold how looſe the raines of Juſtice are in the Country? every man (almoſt) does what ſeemes good in his own eyes; ſweare, and cheate, and lie, and ſwagger, and ſlight Sabbath-dayes, and Faſting-dayes, and wallowin uncleaneneſſe and drunkeneſſe, &c. and there is ſcarce a Juſtice of Peace to put them to ſhame: Good Lord, what will become of us if matters continue thus? ſinnes of all ſorts will become out of meaſure ſinfull, and God will be extreamely provoked againſt us. I beſeech you therefore take care not onelyonly to name Juſtices, but that they be ſworne, and execute judgement; The life of all Laws (you know well) lies in their execution. O that your care would appeare about this, which I ſpeake not onelyonly from my ſelfe, but from thouſands more; For my part I had rather live where nothing is lawfull, then where every thing is lawfull: The Lacedemonian being asked by one, how they came to be ſo ſtrong a people, Anſwered well, The Lawes doe governe us, and we by them doe governe the people: Beleeve me, if you do not carefully ſee Juſtice done upon ſinne, God himſelf will ſee Juſtice done upon you:
2. A mutuall complying amongſt your ſelves, in matters which neceſſarily referre to the publike preſervation; how familiar is Machiavils deſtructive maxime to your mindes and tongues, Divide & impera, rent them and ruine them; and yet there is not a more ſad ſpectacle to us, who ſtand below upon the earth, then to heare of thoſe rents and diviſions in that upper Region which is above us! Diviſions in Counſells, diviſions in Armies, diviſions in all: I confeſſe that diviſion once made a Tower of Babel, but it never made a ſaving Arke: I once wiſhed (when I preached before you) that the Parliament had no friend (you remember the ſenſe wherein I ſpake it) And now I wiſh that the Parliament had but one man left in it: Nay, doe not wonder at the expreſſion, there is no hurt at all in it: I ſay, but one man: Nothing but Unity, no diviſion at all: that all of you might be as one man, of one heart, of one minde, of one endeavour to ſave our divided and periſhing Kingdome.
3. Timely Supplies: Beloved! there are three After-games, which every Judicious man accounts very ill and ſad: The firſt is for a mans Name; The ſecond is for a mans Soule, And the third is, for a Kingdomes Safety: O how my heart hath aked for the neglecting of our late Army in the Weſt! God knows where the fault reſts: every eye was open to ſee our opportunity both offered, and loſt: Let me freely tell them (whoſoever they were) that were guilty of delaying their helpe; That a few more ſuch omiſſions will ſhake the Thoughts and Hearts of the people, if not alſo the ſafety of the whole Kingdome: unleſſe any amongſt you can aſſure to themſelves the Power of Chriſt, to raiſe Lazarus, when hee is Three or Foure dayes dead; I beſeech you, and againe I beſeech you, let no more ſeaſons be loſt; But what you doe, doe in time: for ought you know, the Kingdome might have been ſetled, if timely ſuccour had been forwarded.
4. Your now prepared Propoſitions of Peace: The Scriptures tell us, That wee muſt follow Peace, yea, though it be flying from us: And Peace with all men, much more amongſt our ſelves; Now then, if your Termes of Peace be ſuch (as I preſume they are) That Peace and Chriſt doe meet together, that Peace and Holineſſe doe meet together, that Peace and Truth doe meet together, That Peace and Reformation meet together, That Peace and Juſtice meet together, That Peace and Safety meet together, I will be bold to ſay, That ſuch Termes of Peace, will ſpeake for you before God, and will acquit you before all the World; They will be our comfort, if obteined, However, they will be our ſafety, though denied.
3. Laſtly, For Gods Houſe (the other which I mentioned) I humbly conceive, That the Arke to ſave it, may be made (as Times are now with us) of two Acts of yours:
1. One is, your Abhorring of the mentioning, yea, of the very thoughts of Tollerating all opinions in the Church; This were ſuch a monſtrous Prodigie! ſuch an Intollerable way of Confuſion! Such a mocking of the people of God! Such a mocking of God himſelf, To whom wee have all Solemnly engaged our utmoſt for Unity in Doctrine, and Uniformity in Diſcipline; ſuch a ſpeedy Grave for the Kingdome and Church, that miſchief it ſelfe could not eaſily digge the like: Such a ſpirit to revive Arrianiſme, Pelagianiſme, the Turkiſh Alcoran, the Popiſh Hoaſt, &c. And yet I have ſeene walking Bookes, and Printed Books for this purpoſe: For my part (Right Honourable!) If God thinkes fit, I ſhould rather wiſh to lie in my Grave, then live to behold ſuch an intollerable Tolleration.
Moſt of the Arguments for this wildneſſe of late, I have found heretofore uſed by one who ſtiled himſelfe Martinus Bellius, a friend to that monſtrous Heretick Servetus; all which are related and confuted by learned and pious Beza in his booke de Haereticis a civili Magiſtratu puniendis:
2. The ſecond is, Call upon the Aſſembly to haſten their worke, unto which you have ſummon'd them; bee pleaſed to command the ſight of that Government, which you deſire to have ſetled in the Church of Chriſt: If I miſtake not, you may finde moſt of the Principalls agreed upon, as for the fillings up, let them (if time ſupply us) be debated at leiſure: And that no more rubbs may lie in the way. If there be any party more conſiderable then another, uſe your Authority, that they may cleerly and fully repreſent the whole platforme of their Government, that wee may try it by the Infallible Touchſtone of the Scriptures, where if it can indure the Tryall, and finde Approbation, wee will with all our hearts embrace it; If not, then neither they ſhould, nor we, nor any elſe countenance or ſubmit unto it.
And thus have I (as I truſt) faithfully diſcharged my duty unto you this Day: If God will be pleaſed to incline your Hearts to regard what hath been ſaid, I ſhall not doubt, but that an Arke of Safety will attend you, and all of us, notwithſtanding all the dangerous Deluges which now threaten us.
FINIS.
Die Martis 22. Octob. 1644.
Ordered by the Commons aſſembled in Parliament: That Mr. Aſhurſt and Mr. Gourdon, doe from this Houſe give Thanks to Mr. Obadiah Sedgwick, for the great paines he took in the Sermon he Preached this Day at the intreatie of this Houſe, at St. Margarets Weſtminſter, it being a Day eſpecially ſet apart for a Publique Humiliation; and to deſire him to Print his Sermon: And it is Ordered, that none ſhall preſume to Print his Sermon without leave under his hand writing.
H. Elſynge Cler. Parl. D. Com.
I appoint Samuel Gellibrand to Print this SERMON.
OBADIAH SEDGVVICK.
End of the text · Obadiah Sedgwick, An Ark Against a Deluge (1644)