THE Jewish Church was now in a sad conditi­on, [...]od was provoked against her for the sins of K. Manasseh, especially for that innocent blood which he shed, and with which he fil­led Jerusalem; and for which the Lord pro­tested he would not be pacified, 2 King 24 3.4. 2 King. 24.3, 4. therefore Jehoiachim, with the greatest part of the Iewes, were now carried away captive into Babylon, there to remain in slaverie for threescore and ten yeares: And now because the people could not beare the thoughts of so long a bondage, there arose up among them false prophets (which are alwayes ready to feed the peoples humors) & put them in hope that their slavery should be of a far shorter conti­nuance, and that they should very suddenly returne into their own Land again; namely, that they should not continue in bondage a­bove two yeares, as you have it, Jerem. 28.3, 4. Jer. 28.3, 4. To prevent the mischief that this doctrine might bring upon the people (name­ly the peoples impenitencie and carnall securitie, by being mis-led into such deceitfull expectations) the Prophet Jeremie writes a let­ter from Jerusalem unto the people of the captivitie, in this chapter; and therein, to undeceive the people, hee adviseth them that they [Page 2]should (for all that the false Prophets had said) make provision for a longer stay in Jerusalem then for two years, that they should marry wives, and build houses, and plant Orchards; he presseth on them that counsell from the 4. verse of this Chapter, Verse 4-15. unto the 15.

Next, forasmuch as he saw their hearts hancred after Jerusalem, that they might return to their own Land again, he acquaints them in the second place, that the remnant of the people, that were not yet carried away from Jerusalem, should be very shortly led into a like captivity, and the Citie of Jerusalem (on which their eye was fixed so much) turned into a shes and destroyed; so that their hopes in that particular were dashed. This argument he presseth on them from the 15, verse to 20. So you shall find it in the Historie, 2 Kings 25. Vers. 15-20. 2 Kings 25. In the former branch of the Prophets Letter, (wherein he doth indevour to take up the peoples thoughts about longer stay in Ba­bylon) be pleased to mark two considerable things, that are distinct­ly delivered.

First, he laboureth to confute the error of those false prophets, that told them they should stay no longer in Babylon then two yeares, and he lets them know that these are but dreames of their own, they had no such warrant for any thing from the word of God; Vers. 8.9. this at the 8. and 9. verse, whereby hee bridles their confi­dence, that they should not bee too hasty in expectation of their return so suddenly.

Secondly, lest they should cast off all hope and confidence of de­liverance, in the next place he labours to maintaine their hope, and strengthen their faith to wait on God: for though hee would not bring deliverance in such a time as the false prophets had foretold, (in the compasse of two yeares) yet hee would not faile to bring them deliverance in due time; he would deliver them, but not then; he would deliver them, but he would take his owne time for it: And in the mean time God would not forget their captivity, and his thoughts concerning them, were thoughts of peace, as in the words of my Text. For I know my thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evill, to give you an expected end,

Before I come to the words of the Text, give me leave a little to insist upon the designe and scope of the holy Ghost in this letter of the Prophet Jeremie; wherein, as he did intend to check them in their groundlesse expectations of a sudden deliverance, so he labors [Page 3]to bring them to, and support them in a patient waiting on God for deliverance in his own time. The point from hence is this.

Doctrine. That God would have his people in the times of their trouble, calmly to wait on him, and to be neither too hasty, nor hopelesse, concerning their return from captivitie.

You may observe that the Prophet Habakkuk (who is conceived to be contemporary with the Prophet Jeremie, and therefore to speak of the same thing) gives the very same advice or command concerning this very busines of the Babylonish captivity. The vision, saith he in 2. Hab. 3, 4. is yet for an appointed time, Hab. [...].3, 4. but at the end it shall speak and not lie, though it tarry, wait for it: for it shal come, and it shall not tarry. Behold his soul which is lifted up, is not upright in him. Mark, he would have men to be of that frame and temper of heart, that they should patiently and calmly possesse their soules in waiting on God, though the vision for their deliverance be somewhat long, and it be not yet come. It is the observation of Mr. Calvin, that the Prophet in commanding a waiting temper of spirit, Coarguit fer­vorem immo­dicum qui nos abripit. Calv. in locum. checks that common hastinesse, or hotnesse of spirit, wherin men are too much carried away with longing after deliverance, and therefore he would have men to possesse themselves with more patience: For he saith, Though deliverance tarry, it shall not tarry. It may tarry in re­spect of our desires, Etiam celeritas in desiderio mora est. Paraeus. Let deli­verance be never so swift, it cannot come so soon as it is looked for, mens hearts are so up in expectations of blessings in that kind; but it shall not tarry in respect of Gods own determination, Qui in ipsa tarditate semperaccelerat, it shall never stay beyond his coun­sell and appointment. His soule that is lifted up in pride of heart therfore, and cannot humbly submit unto the Lords pleasure, but in stead of waiting upon God, will seek a Tower of refuge elsewhere, and impatiently withdraw his heart, or draw back, as the Apostle renders the word, Heb. 10.38. his soul is not upright in him. Heb. 10.38.

Reasons. 1 First, it is Gods prerogative Royal to lay on and to take off af­fliction, and that in his own time, he hath the disposall of the sea­sons and opportunitie of both, he challengeth it in 32. Deut. 39. See now, that I, even I am be, and there is no God with me; I kill, Deut. 32.39. and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deli­ver out of my hand. It is as it were a thing hereditarie to the God­head, if as I may so say, a thing peculiar to him, to lay on, and to take off afflictions at his own appointment; Hee it is that com­mands [Page 4]deliverance, and therefore it is hee alone that we should a­scribe all our deliverance to, and upon whom we should wait for all our deliverance. It is reported of Domitian, that when he escaped from Vitellius seeking to destroy him, he resolved that in the place where he lay hid, he would build a Temple, and he would dedicate it Jovi Custodi, seque in sinu Dei s [...]cravit, saith the Historian. Tacitus. And had a heathen so much zeale for the honour of an Idoll-god, that hee would ascribe it all to him? How much more should we ascribe the honour of our deliverances to the true God, and write upon our Temples and monuments of praise, not Jovi, but Deo custodi, to our God our great deliverer.

2 Secondly, a diligent and patient waiting on God in the day of trouble, is the safest way we can take; let men try all other wayes, and they shall find this is the only way: for he is both able to help, and he is also of a good disposition, (if I may say so little of him.) The Apostle on that ground exhorts men, to cast all their burthen on him, 1. Pet. 5.6, 7. in 1 Pet. 5.6, 7. Cast all your care on him, for hee careth for you; he taketh to heart your condition, hee is sensible of all your misery. For a man to goe any other way, it will be in vain, it will adde to his misery, rather then deliver him. You have an ex­cellent and a cleare example in Ephraim, Hosea 5.13, 14. When E­phraim saw his sicknesse, Hos. 5.13, 14. and Judah saw his wound, Ephraim tooke a­nother course then this in the Doctrine, hee did not wait on God, but he went to King Jareb, yet could not he help you, nor cure you of your wound. And whereas before the Lord had been but unto them as a moth, and as rottennesse, in his judgements, now he was resolved to become as a Lion, he would teare them, and there should none be able to deliver them, Vers. 14. vers. 14. And (which is most of all conside­rable to the point) Ephraim that went another way, was faine to return to God at last, and seek help from him. Come, let us returne to the Lord, Hosea 6.1. for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and hee will bind us up.

Ʋse 1 First, it may serve to humble and to lay us low before the Lord this day, that since God requireth such a calme, a patient, such a waiting frame of heart in his people upon him, in the day of their trouble, our hearts should be so farre (as we know they are) from this waiting frame, that we should be so much distempered as wee are with pettishnesse, and with impatience under the hand of God; submission is that, my brethren, which God especially looks for at [Page 5]our hands, whereby he might have occasion given to deliver us. Levit. 26.40, 41, 42. 26. Levit. 40, 41, 42. verse, when the people of Israel were in their affliction, If then their uncircumcised hearts bee humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquities, then will I remem­ber my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember, and I will remember the Land. Mark! If when we have walked contrary to God, and wee find that God hath walked contrary to us, as at the 40. verse, if then we will accept of our punishment, that is to say, if we will kindly take it, humbly submit to it, patiently goe under it; then with God remember his covenant, then will God remember our Land, then will God be favourable to us. It much concerneth us to bee hum­bled, and ashamed this day, that there is such a frame of heart with­in us, so farre discordant and unsuteable to these times of calami­tie that are now on us. Alas, my brethren, wee are rather despe­ratly sick of Davids disease, sometimes we are too high, sometimes we are too low; he was so set on the top of his strong mountaine, as if he should never be removed, and so are we. And sometimes he was too low, so dejected that he concluded it was ion vain that ever he served God, that ever hee looked for any hope from God, that ever he waited on God, as he complained in the 73. Psalm., 13, 14. So is it with us, my brethren, Psal. 73.13, 14. we reel to and fro in our passi­ons, from one extream to another, as if so be we were drunk with impatiencie and with presumption by turnes. Beloved, how should this affect us, and make us ashamed, while we look up in the pre­sence of God this day, Evils of im­tiencie in trouble. to think that we are of such a distempered frame of heart? The better to move us to be humble and ashamed for it, consider what inconveniences follow hereon.

1 First, by this means it commeth to passe, that wee lose all our sweet comfort and Soul-supporting peace, that otherwise wee might have in the midst of our troubles, as the Church had found in her experience, and therefore sets it down in her song of praise, to encourage the Church to wait on God in after times, 26 Isaiah 3, 4. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is staied on thee, Isai. 26.3, 4. be­cause he trusteth ion thee. Trust in the Lord for ever, for in the Lord Je­hovah is eve [...]lasting strength. God himselfe, who is the God of peace, will undertake to keep those in perfect peace, or (as the word im­ports by the repetition of it, peace, peace) in peace assuredly, whose minds are staid on him, as Junius, cogitationi in [...]itenti; whom our last [Page 6]translation followes; and though Calvin renders the words a little differently, cogitatio fixa, as relating unto Gods counsels, which are fixedly set from everlasting to give peace unto his Church, Non apponitur nota dativica­s [...]s; expend at lectores annon magu conveni­at referre ad Deum, C [...]lvin on Isai. 26. (of which reading he gives an * account, and wherein hee leaves the reader free to his own judgenent) yet both Junius and Calvin con­clude, that God will not faile to give his Church and people peace, that patiently wait upon him, peace with God, which is of all o­ther the most perfect and fundamentall peace; peace in their owne soules in the middest of their troubles and distresses; and this, accor­ding to their trusting in him, shall be a continuall peace, seeing their God is of an Rupes saecu­lorum. everlasting power and strength to defend and keep it for them: But through this want of trust in God, it is that we are so unsetled in these times of trouble, that we are sometimes car­ried too high by carnall confidence, into provoking presumption; and sometimes cast downe too low by carnall feares into dejection of spirit. The beleeving heart of the righteous, shall be brought into a more excellent frame, as is promised, Psal. 112.7. Hee shall not be afraid of evill tidings, Psal. 112.6. his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord; nei­ther good nor bad newes shal move it inordinatly: he shall be in the midst of all stormes, like a Ship that lies safe at Anker in a good Haven; whereas a man that is without faith in God, is even as a Ship on the waves without Rudder, and without Anker, either to guide, or stay her; she is tossed sometimes up, and sometimes down, and carried sometimes forward, sometimes backward, sometimes as high as heaven, and sometimes almost as long as hell. So that his soule, Psal. 107. 27, 27. like their soules, Psalm 107.26, 27. reeles and melts in him because of the trouble. A disquieted and impatient temper of heart in trouble, brings the losse of all the comfort, peace, and en­joyment of God, that a man might otherwise have even in the midst of trouble.

2 Secondly, by this means it shall come to passe, that a man shall, question at least, if not utterly deny Gods power and providence; and so God himselfe, if he dare not wait and patiently trust upon the Lord ion the time of trouble: he questions whether there be such wisedome, and goodnesse, and faithfulnesse, and power in God, as may warrant such a trust, which is no other but to question whether God be God or no: the Prophet puts it all upon a meek and patient waiting on God, Psal. 46.10. 46. Psal. 10. Be still, and know that I am God. As if he should say, If you will acknowledge me to be God, then wait [Page 7]on me, and that quietly and be you not transported with this or that passion: He chargeh it on them there especially, because they had seen so much of God as they had, verse 8, 9. Vers. 8.9. Come see the workes of the Lord, what destruction and desolation he hath made in the earth, I have destroyed your enemies, and laid wast Countries for your sakes, and now therefore be quiet, wait on the Lord, and acknow­ledge that I am God. So if we should be spoken to, to see what God hath done, and how he hath delivered us of late, and what deso­lations he hath made among the enemies: And if after all this, we cannot yet wait on the Lord and be still, we acknowledge not Gods power to have done it. Nay, if we cannot wait on the Lord in a holy dependance for the Churches deliverance in due time, we shall in effect say little lesse of God, then the Prince did at the siege of Samaria, when the Prophet foretold that a great plenty should succeed the famine, 2 King. 7.19. 2 King. 7.19. If God should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? The thing is even impossible: And if we should speak so like an Infidell of the Lord, we might justly look to be punished like him. God sent a plenty in Samaria, but he did not eate of it: So God may send his Church deliverance, and we, with ours, be justly deprived of any comfort therein.

3 A third evill that followeth on this impatiencie and fretting of spirit under the hand of God, is, that it leadeth to Apostasie, where­by a man shall utterly fall from God and his cause, then to bethink all the cost and charges, and all the disquietment and bodily labour that befalleth men at such a time as this, is the way to take off the heart, and to seek out some other way, Hab. 2.3, 4. as is intimated Hab. 2.3, 4. the Prophet saith, If any mans heart be lifted up in him, signifying that if any man will goe to any other Tower or Sanctuary beside the Lord. The Apostle he renders it, a withdrawing his heart from the Lord, and he shall have no pleasure in him, Heb. 10.38, 39. Heb. 1038.39. So that such as have once lost their patience, and cannot beare those trou­bles that befall the Church, will fall from lesse to more, and will become at length an Apostates. And alas, are we without experi­ence this day, of the sad fruits of discontent? How many hath it brought to an utter forsaking of Gods cause, and his truth? Like the Smith in the time of King Edward the sixt; Fox in Acts and Mon. that sometimes had been very forward in matters of Religion, and had been a hap­py instrument, as it should seem, for the conversion of a young man, and setting him forward in the wayes and profession of Reli­gion, [Page 8]so farre that at length the young man was taken hold of, and imprisoned for the Gospels sake: this young man in prison be­thinking and remembring his old friend that had been so good to him, to whom he alwayes carried a reverent respect, he laid out to know whether or not this Smith that had been an instrument of so much good to him, was no taken hold of, and laid in prison as himselfe; but finding he was not, he took occasion to expostu­late with him, and so to feele his disposition, and to know whether he did think it comfortable for him to continue in prison, and whe­ther he would incourage him to burn at the stake for religion. He returneth this answer to him, saith he, your cause is good, and you doe well to suffer for it. But for my part, I cannot bring my heart to burn for Religion. But it seemeth by the event, that he that could not burn for Religion, he did burn for his Apostasie: For within a little time after, he that could not burne for Religion, had his shop and his house on fire, and was burnt in the midst of it. Be­loved, I produce it to this end, that we may see when men cannot bring their hearts patiently and meekly to submit to the suffering of what God shall lay upon his Church for the testimony of the Gospel, it is too too likely they will fall to flat Apostasie, and utterly turn from the Lord, and then he will surely meet with them: so that first or last they shall not escape.

4 Fourthly and lastly, another evill of this impatiencie and fret­fulnesse of spirit under the sufferings of the Gospel, brings us to murmuring, a provoking condition in the eyes of the Almighty, 1 Cor. 10.10. we have an example.

Ʋse 2 The second use of the point is, That seeing God lookes that his people should so patiently wait on him in the time of trouble, and neither be too hasty nor hopelesse, it should stirre us up to strive to be at least content, if not very willing, to lie still under our affli­ctions, though they be heavie, even as long as the wise God of hea­ven and earth shall please; we should be willing to let God doe as he will, let him afflict us, and correct us as long as seems him good; we will not limit the holy One of Israel: wee should labour for Luthers spirit, Luther. Mallem ruere cum Christo, quam regnare cum Caesare, I had rather I were ruined with Christ, then that I should reigne as a King without him; wee should labour to bee of that spirit, that though we suffer never so much, yet having the cause of Christ, and partaking of the sufferings of Christ, is better then all the jollitie [Page 9]and securitie we can have without him, and therefore Moses was of that Heroick spirit, he would rather chuse to suffer affliction with the people of God, then to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season, Heb. 11.25. 11. Heb. 25. And, beloved, me thinkes we should learn to make a vertue of necessity; there is a fatall necessity of suffering on the one hand, or the other, with or against Christ. I may then expostulate with you, as Chrysostome sometime did excellently with some others, Seeing we must all suffer, & seeing we must bear afflictions, why do we not rather chuse to suffer for the Gospels sake, that brings with it so many Crownes and Lawrels, so many comforts and consolations above all other sufferings in the world? You see then that this patience in suffe­ring for the Gospels sake, is a very needfull grace: So the Apostle, We have need of patience, that when we have done the will of God, we may enjoy the promises, 10. Heb. 36. Heb. 10.36. I might here relate unto you the grave counsell of Judith; and though the Historie be Apocryphall, I am sure the counsell is Canonicall, the counsell, I say, which Judith gave to the men of Bethulia, in Judith 8.14, 15, 16. verses, when the men of Bethulia being besieged by the enemy, had taken up a rash resolution, that if God did not come and deliver them within 5 dayes, they would deliver up the Citie to the enemy that lay be­fore them; Judith gravely thus bespeakes them, Nay, my brethren, let us not provoke the Lord our God to anger: for if hee come not within five dayes, he is able to defend us when he will, even every day, or to destroy us before our enemies, therefore let us wait for salvation of him, and call upon him, and he will heare us if it please him. So may I say to you all this day, Farre be it from us, that we should yeeld up the cause, and all we have, if God should not at such a time, or such a time, de­liver us; let us not speak so to provoke the Lord: Let us wait on the Lord, and call upon him, and he will help us, if it please him.

To stirre up our hearts thus meekly and cheerfully to submit to the disposall of Gods hand in our sufferings. Motives 3 Three things may be proposed to you by way of motive.

First consider, though God afflict us never so much, yet be well perswaded and assured, he will not lay on afflictions more on us then needs must. If Gods people be in a sad condition, or a sorrow­full estate, it is but if need be we are in heavinesse, 1 Pet. 1.6. 1. Pet. 1.6. God doth never afflict his people meerly out of soveraignty, because he will doe it; that is farre from him, 3. Lament. Lam. 3.33. I doe not tread upon men, sayes God, as if I would crush them, or shew my power over [Page 10]them; no, that is farre from God. For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men, to crush under his feet the prisoners of the earth. But when he afflicts his people the most severely, he doth it as a Refiner, as a Goldsmith doth put his metall into the fire, be­cause he would separate the drosse from it, and purifie it; so God puts his people in the fire of affliction, with some purpose or other, for their benefit and advantage. The Physician, though after long evacuations and purgings, he continue the same course, and bring the Patient yet lower, it is still with a purpose to take away the peccant humour, and to cleanse him. So God in afflicting his peo­ple, 27. Isaiah 9. By this shall the iniquitie of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit, Isai. 27.9. the taking away of his sinne. God will not lay one af­fliction on his people more, nor continue it an houre longer then he knoweth it needfull.

2 Secondly, the suffering of affliction for the cause of Christ, is very honorable, and therefore we need not so fret, nor be so impatient under them, they are honorable wounds we suffer for Christ, which maketh the people of God beautifull in the eyes of all good men. You may observe the Lord reserves it as a singular priviledge in the 1. Phil. 29. Phil. 1.29. To you it is given not onely to beleeve, but also to suffer for the name of Christ. And the Apostles tooke it for a dignity that they might suffer for the name of God, rejoycing that they were accounted worthy to suffer for his Name, Acts 5.41. 5. Acts 41. And therefore the Pri­mitive Martyrs suffered the spoyling of their goods with joy, Heb. 10.34. Heb. 10.34. We doe it with fretting and murmuring, and that must be taken from us which we should contribute unto the cause of God, wee count it our punishment, they counted it their crown and glory. It is reported of Hooper, Fox his Acts and Monum. that when hee was Bishop of Worcester, his Armes were a Lamb in a flaming bush, incircled with the rayes of the Sun beams, not under the notion of an Agnus Dei. But if it was, as it is observed by those that read the story, under another intimation, & thus we may undertake to emblazon them. The Lamb signifieth an innocent Christian, and the burning bush the fire of persecution; and the Sunne beames the beautie and glory of the innocent Chri­stian in those sufferings.

3 Thirdly, consider well the priviledge of suffering for Christ; It is no small advantage for a Christian, it being the way to perfect the graces of God that are in him: you may see as much 1. James 2, 3. James 1.2.3. Count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations, knowing that [Page 11]the triall of your faith worketh patience, that yee may be perfect. In­deed it is a childs portion, a thing that God will give to all his own children; and therefore the Apostle argueth, that God deals with his people like children, when they suffer for him, 12. Heb. 7. Heb. 12.7. [...]. If you indure chastening, God dealeth with you as sons. If you suffer with pa­tience, saith the originall: But if you suffer frettingly, or with im­patience, that is not the signe of a child, nor the badge of a sufferer for God. The sufferings that are laid on his people by the hand of God, they are not grievous meerly because they are sufferings, Non sunt om­nibus onerosa tolerantibus, sed tol [...]rare nolen [...] ib [...]n. Salvian. but because of mens impatience they become grievous. This hath been spoken by way of encouragement, to lay downe our selves pati­ently and meekly under the hand of God in the time of tribulati­on, and to beare the sufferings that God shall lay on his Church.

Let me next point at the meanes how we may bring our hearts into such a frame, that we may with meeknesse and calmnesse of spi­rit, under goe the hand of God, he layes on us, how heavie soever it may seem at present. There are three directions. Directions.

1 First, let a man consider and look into the justnesse of the hand of God on his people, on us. If there be any thing thou canst chalenge God of injustice for, then thou hast leave to fret and to bee impati­ent; but when all that God brings on thee, or on the Nation, or on the Church, is most just: so that God is righteous in all that hee brings on us, there is no place for impatiencie. Why doth the living man complain, saith the Prophet, a man for the punishment of his sins? 3. Lam. 39. As if he should say, Lam. 3.39. It is right that a man should suffer for his sinne. With this it is that the Church stops her own mouth in 7. Micah 9. I will beare the indignation of the Lord, Micha. 7.9. because I have sinned: And for our parts we have nothing to say, God is so righteous in all he hath brought upon us, though our calamities be grievous, we may see as in a glasse set before us, both the provoca­tions and the calamities of our deare countrey, in what God most justly threatned against Israel, Deut. 28.47. to 52. if we read 28. Deut. from the 47. verse to the 52. verse; Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulnesse, and with gladnesse of heart, for the abundance of all things, therfore shalt thou serve thy enemy, which the Lord thy God shall send a­gainst thee, in hunger and in thirst, and in nakednes, in want of all things; and he shall put a yoke of Iron on thy neck, till he have destroyed thee: the Lord shall bring a Nation against thee from farre, from the end of the earth, as swift as the Eagle flieth, a Nation whose tongues thou shalt not [Page 10] [...] [Page 11] [...] [Page 12]understand, a Nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young: And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattell, and the fruit of thy Land untill thou be destroyed. And he also shall not leave thee either corn, or wine, or oyle, or the increase of thy kine, or fl [...]ckes of thy sheep, untill he have destroyed thee. I may say this day is this Scripture fulfilled not in our eares only, but in our experience, and in our feares also.

2 Secondly, looke on eternitie beyond present afflictions, the A­postle found it an excellent remedy to set together in comparison the life to come, and the glory of it, with this life and its miseries, 8. Rom. 18. Rom. 8.18. I reckon that the sufferings of this present life are not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed. And you may see more clearly in 2 Co [...]. 4 16 2 Cor. 4, 16. to the end of the chapter, how excellently this pre­stle, Why? Because we looked not upon things temporall, wee looked on things eternall. What is it to lose a house, an estate, or case, or plea­sure, or fine cloathe [...]? What is it to lose all these? If we look on things eternall, an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, that fa­deth not away, reserved in heaven, if we look upon things farre more excellent and that eternall weight of glory.

3 Thirdly, learn to live by faith upon a promise; to live upon a promise yet unfilled, there is a quintessence and an excellent sub­stance in a promise made by God, to support the heart, though it be not yet fulfilled. And faith h [...]th an excellent vertue to extract and bring to present enjoyment that which is virtualy in the pro­mise to comfort and strength then the spirit. Faith hath, (if I may so speake) a kind of creating power, and can make a man to enjoy that this day that shall not be actually accomplished, it may be, ma­ny yeares hence, by giving a subsistance to things future, and an e­vidence to things invisible, Heb. 11.1. 11. Heb. 1. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. This is an excellencie of faith, That it brings all things to the present enjoyment of a belee­ver, even things that are past many yeares agoe, and all forgotten; Faith, I say, is able to bring them back againe to a Christians pre­sent use and comfort. And things that are on the other side farre off to come; Faith can foresee, and as by a perspective present them to the soule as if in being. We should therefore labour to live by faith, as it is promised. Heb. 10.38. The just live by faith, Heb. 10.38. And as we see the Martyrs did, Heb. 11.13. Heb. 11.13. They looked on the promises a­farre [Page 13]off, and were perswaded of them before they came unto them. And as Abraham who enjoyed Christ in a promise, Joh. 8.56. Joh. 8.56. He saw my day and rejoyced, he saw it by faith, and rejoyced in heart, as if he had seen it with the eyes of his body. So that there is an excellent Art in Faith (if I may so call it) to support the heart of man in time trouble, that if we would make use of it, we should be so strengthe­ned in the day of our calamitie, that we should not sink. Come we now to the words of the Text, wherein the Prophet, having bridled their too hasty expectation of deliverance in so short a time as the false Prophets pretended, he goeth about to uphold their faith, that they may wait for deliverance till the appointed time; to which purpose,

1 First, hee sheweth them the ground whereupon they may build their patience and their hope of deliverance in due time, verse 11.

2 Secondly, he sheweth them the meanes whereby their delive­rance hoped for, may be accomplished vers 12.13.

I shall undertake onely the former, The ground. the groond whereupon the Prophet builds their expectation, Gods thoughts, concerning which the Prophet holds out two things.

1 First, the manner how these thoughts are carried: I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord.

3 Secondly, the matter or the result of his thoughts, what it is that God intendeth to bring to passe in those thoughts, namely, To give them an expected end.

Before I speake of the manner of the carriage of them, I shall shew you what these thoughts are, then how these thoughts of God are carried. Gods thoughts in Scripture principally signifie two things. Sometimes they are taken for Gods everlasting counsels and determinations, that are secret. So 33. Psal. The counsell of the Lord standeth for ever, and the thoughts of his heart to generations. Psal. 33.11. Eò sua consiliaretulerat: I know my thoughts, that is to say, I know that in my counsels and secret determinations, Non prius de illorum [...]xilio, quam de illo­ram l [...]bertate cogitavit. Sanctius. I am resolved for your deliverance in due time. And Sanctius observeth and resolveth upon these words, that God did no sooner think of, or purpose their bondage in Babylon, then he did purpose their deliverance and freedome from that captivitie.

Sometimes Gods thoughts are taken for his word, his revealed will or promises, Gods thoughts concerning the Babylonish cap­tivitie, [Page 14]were here as much as Gods will revealed in his word, or Gods promises that he had made to his people, concerning their deliverance, and you shall see, that the promise which God calleth here his thoughts, J [...]em. 25 12. is recorded, 25. Jer. 12. And it shall come to passe when seventie yeares are [...]ccomplished, that I will punish the King of Ba­bylon, and that Nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the Land of the Ch [...]ldeans, and will make it perpetuall desolations. And I will bring you back again to your own Land. This was the promise and the word that God here calleth his thoughts, I know my thoughts. In the mean time these thoughts are carried somewhat secretly, mysteriously, and in a hidden way, and therefore though be mean his promises and will concerning this matter which are revealed, yet are they called thoughts, which you know are most out of sight: yea, they are called the thoughts of God, the more unsearchable and lesse to be known: they are thoughts known to God. You know something of God, it may be, but his wayes, much more his thoughts, are past finding out, that is to say, in what manner or when he will perform his promise, though the promise it selfe may perhaps be known. So that here is the first thing inten­ded in the secret carriage of his thoughts, Opposition to your thoughts. I know them, that is to say, they are things known to me, but they are not known to you; My thoughts concerning your deliverance, are unlike your thoughts, you think of your deliverance two yeares hence; but I have no such thoughts, saith God, my thoughts are otherwise, and therfore be saith, I know my thoughts, your thoughts are, that you shall sud­denly be brought out of bondage, and back to Jerusalem: but, saith God, my thoughts are otherwise: whereby he intendeth to set forth a secret Antithesis, or opposition between Gods thoughts, and the thoughts of the Jewes in this time of their captivitie and bondage. From whence the point is.

Doctrine. Gods thoughts are not as mans thoughts in the passages of his providence towards the Church.

I shall not follow this point in the full extent and latitude of it; but only as it is before you in the Text, concerning the Churches afflictions and deliverance out of trouble.

God hath other thoughts then man hath concerning her afflictions and deliverances. A Patient, you know, under the hand of a Phy­sitian, when he hath suffered a great deale of Physick, and is much weakned in body, crieth out, Oh I have Physick enough, it is high [Page 15]time I were comforted up again by cordialls, but the wise Phisician may be, hath other thoughts that he must yet evacuate more, and bring him lower before he can recover him.

God is the Phisician, and the Church is his patient, and she is apt to think, Oh, now wee are weak enough, and brought very low; now it is time for God to deliver: yet it may be God may deter­mine, and that not without cause, that the Church shall be brought lower yet: the Church hath such thoughts as th [...]se, if you observe, Psal. 74. wherein she complains, as if God had forgotten her, Psalm. 74.1. and his covenant, and his enemies, as if God had over-slipped the time of her deliverance; the like wee finde of mens thoughts, when God is begun to proceed against sinners in his wrath, they think he will never be reconciled more, he will utterly consume and cast off, his covenant shall be broken, and there shall be an end of all. To such thoughts God answers: 55. Isaiah 7.8, 9. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, Isay 57.7.8, 9 and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to God, for hee will abundantly pardon: as if God had said, a corrupt man thinks thus of God, because his corrupt heart has not bowels to pardon ano­ther man, if he shall so provoke him; so measuring God by him­self, but he incourageth them notwithstanding, to come unto him for pardon, after they have so provoked him; for my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor my wayes your ways; for as the heavens are higher then the earth, so are my wayes highter then your ways, and my thoughts then your thoughts. Alas, mans thoughts are led by outward pro­bability, judging of things according to the event of things; Gods thoughts are antecedent to all things, his counsels are from ever­lasting; our thoughts and desires are many times after a carnall de­liverance of the Church, that wee might have peace and plenty again, but Gods thoughts are more taken up with the spirituall de­liverance of his Church and people; he cares not though he leave his people afflicted and poore, so that he leave them faithfull th [...]t will trust in the name of the Lord, and a holy people that will do no ini­quity, 3 Zeph. 12. In the 3. of Ezra 12. compared with 2. of Hag. 7, 8, 9. verses, Zeph. 3 12, 13. Ezra 3.12. there is an observeable passage concerning the buil­ding, when the foundation of the later Temple was laid, there was a great deal of shouting and joy, but the old Levits, that had seen the former Temple, the largeness and greatness of that Edifice fell a weeping, because they saw, that the Temple that was then in [Page 16]building (the second Temple) was not like to be so great and so glorious as the former Temple had been; this was mans thought, but God saith, Hag. 2.7, 8 9,. 2. Hagai 7, 8, 9 v. I will fill this house with glory, and the later house shall be greater then the glory of the former house; as if he should have said, you think that I am wanting to my house, because I build not so great and outwardly glorious a Temple as I did before, thats nothing saith God, my thoughts are not on the outward Temple, but I mean to make this later Temple a great deal more glorious and honourable then the former, because I will make it glorious with a spirituall glory, the former Temple, how goodly soever it was in building, never had Christ in it; but this later Temple shall have Christ in it, that shall make it more honou­rable and more glorious then the other Temple was; even so it is here: many times our thoughts are carnall thoughts, concerning the Churches deliverance and affliction, they are carryed to out­ward things, we would faine be as we were, trading as it was, plen­ty as it was, these are the things we look on: whereas God hath other thoughts, it may be he would have us a more honourable people another way, he would have us more zealous and holy then ever we were, to honour us with more of the Kingdom of Christ then before, to make us richer in the work of Reformation and in spirtuall things then we were before in temporall things.

Reason. 1 First, because he would have the Churches deliverance to be brought in unto her in a way of faith above humane probability, which it could not be, if it should come by sense and reason, and that we could alwayes judge of the carriage of things, if things were carried in our own way, how ready should we be to sacrifice to our own wisdome and power, and therefore the Lord will make foolish mans wisdom, and make mens strength weakness, and will carry on his work by such means as men think are inconsiderable to his own ends: 7. Judges 20. the Lord had by providence put into the hands of Gideon a considerable army against the Midianites, they were thirty two thousand, Judg. 7.20. but God cometh to him and tells him, these are too many for mee to deliver the Midianites into thy hands, for if I deliver the Midianites into the hands of so many, they will say, Israel saved themselves, and these men did the work, and these shall carry away all the glory of the day; and therefore, saith God, I cannot with safety of my own honour deliver into their hands the Midianites, God could with more safety deliver them into the [Page 17]hands of three hundred, then into the hands of thirty two thousand, for then all the world must needs be convinced, and say, This was the very finger of God, and a speciall work of the Almighty; And indeed, my Brethren, we are never brought throughly to give God his honour in such things as these, while we are in wayes of pro­babilitie, while we are in hope through humane strength. The Prophet observing such a disposition in the Jewes; namely, that they would not acknowledge Gods hand, unlesse they were re­duced into straits that should make them hopelesse, tells them, 37. Ezech. 12, 13. They should be as good as dead in Babylon, Ezech 37.12, 13. wel-nigh buried in that captivity, but God would deliver them thence, and, when I have opened your graves, said God, and brought you back out of your graves again, then shall yee know that I am the Lord; you would not know before, but then shal you know that I am the Lord.

Reason. 2 Secondly, because it becometh God Almighty to walk in an ex­traordinary way, sutable to his infinite Majesty, not as men, accor­ding to rules of reason and power, and humane wisdome, when the Apostle cometh to speak of God his wayes and counsels, questi­ons and wonders, Oh, how unsearchable are his Judgements, and his wayes past finding out? 11. Rom. 33. Rom. 11.33. Est in rebus, nec tamen est inclu­sus, est extra res, nec tamen est exclusus, August.

It is like God, when we say of him, he is incomprehensible, God is in things, yet not included, and he is without things, yet not ex­cluded; so it is done like the Almighty, when he doth not according to humane rules of policy and prudence, but when he doth things be­yond all grounds of expectation, of wisdome and reason, therefore the Lord is said to have his way in the whirle-wind, Nah. 1.3. Psal. 77.19. 1. Nah. 3. and his footsteps are not known, 77. Psal. 19.

Ʋse 1 This at once offereth both a check and remedy unto our car­nall presumptions, and our carnall feares: carnall presumption is a disease that we are often sick of in these dayes, when as God is pleased to smile on us a little in our trouble and misery, to give us some revivings, then are we too apt to be too much lifted up, too hold in our confidence; and to conclude, too peremptorily. Let us take the check which the Lord giveth us here: My thoughts are not as your thoughts, and therefore saucily talk no more of your thoughts in the ways of God, Gods ways are above your wayes, his thoughts above your thoughts. God hath cleerly given our thoughts the check in four Four things wherein God hath checked our presump­tuous thoghts touching our present troubles. things concerning these troubles, which we ought to receive and take notice of, as so many convictions of this truth [Page 18]and occasions of reflecting upon our selves with shame and sor­row this day.

1 First, we thought, that if we had to our enemies those that were Gods enemies, then we must needs quickly overcome them, and that because our enemies are Gods enemies, swearing enemies, drunken enemies, Popish enemies, Atheisticall enemies, prophane enemies, we conclude, God will never favour them, nor suffer them to prevaile, nor deliver his people into their hands; but beside our owne experience on the contrary, we find that A­maleck, the worst of all the enemies that Israel had, a people as much abhorred of God as any, yet if Israel shall transgresse, Ama­leck shall prevaile, if Israel will not pray, not seek unto God, not humble themselves, all the wickednesse of the Amaleckites shall not destroy them, Exod. 17.11. 17. Exod 11. The proud Assyrian, that boasting wic­ked enemie, God had j [...]stice and wrath enough in store for them, yet God will not medle with, then they shall go on and oppress Israel, till Israel be reformed, till the work be done upon mount Sion, and on Jerusalem, God will not strike a stroke against Assyria for their ruine, but will suffer them to prevaile, 10. Isaiah 12. Nay, if Gods people continue impenitent, and remain in their wickednesse, God will then strengthen the hands of their enemies, Isai. 10.12. 3. Judg. 12. When Israel had sinned, saith the Text, the Lord strengthened the hands of Eglon against Israel, because they had done evill in the sight of the Lord. We should not run too much on that strain. Our enemies are wicked and prophane enemies, (its true) and God will plague and punish them: But let us not make that a ground of our too much confidence & boldnes. God may both suffer and strengthen them a­gainst us, if wee remaine an unreformed and a rebellious people; we have hitherto felt and found them as goads in our sides, and thornes in our eyes. Our thoughts have therein deceived us.

2 Secondly, we are so taken up with the thoughts of a good cause, that we cannot admit a thought of miscarrying. A good cause may miscarry [...]d tempus. I grant, in the issue it shall prevaile, and finally, and we may conclude as much in the generall. But take heed of concluding peremptorily for particular times, as that we should conclude so of this time, and of these enemies; that we shall overcome at this day, or in this gene­ration; who can say so? A good cause may yet have a prevailing enemy a l [...]ng time; and the people of God may have a good cause, and yet flie before their enemies. Observe a cleare instance in the [Page 19]people of Israel they went against the children of Benjamin, Judg. 20.18. Judg. 20.18. A good cause they had, and they were so bold thereon, that when they came to go against the Benjamites, they did not so much as ask the Lord, whether they should goe or no. But the first que­stion they make, is, Which of us shall go up first, as taking it for granted, their cause was so good, they must needs prevaile, onely they would be ma [...]tialled by the Lord: But yet for all their good cause they flie before their enemies, Vers. 21.25. you may see once at the 21. verse, and againe, at verse 25. Therfore build not too much upon the cause, as if the present issue of things did depend barely on that: Deliverance in time shall come, which may be a comforta­ble encouragement to goe on in a good cause. But let us not li­mit the holy One of Israel, the cause in which we suffer, is as sure to conquer, as the light is to shine, being Gods, and therefore shall prevaile at length. But a good cause may be ill managed, and suffer for the sins of those that undertake it, and in this also we have had experience of the vanitie of our thoughts, we are not yet delive­red, though our cause be good.

3 Thirdly, another thing we have too high thoughts upon, and wherein Gods thoughts are otherwise, is the priviledge of out­ward ordinances: Blessed be the name of our God, that we have the liberty we have, and that God hath taken off the yoke of the oppressor, wherein our consciences were burthened with more then Egyptian bondage; yet should we be humbled that this out­ward priviledge in Gods ordinances hath too much lifted up our thoughts, and we have been too confident upon them, because we have the ministery of the word more purified, and some superstiti­ons purged out from the worship of God among us, we have thoughts, that therefore we shall now prevail, our enemies shall be consumed before us, notwithstanding many other our yet latent sinnes. See what in the like case did befall the Israelites, when the Philistines came against them, 1 Sam. 4.3.5. 1. Sam. 4.3, 5 And when the people of God were come into the Camp, the Elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us f [...]tch the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that when it commeth a­mong us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies. And when the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang againe. At the 10. and 11 vers. And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every [Page 20]man to his tent: and there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Is­rael thirty thousand footmen. And the Ark of God was taken, and the two Sonnes of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas were slain.

The Ark, though it was the outward Testimonie of Gods presence, it would not bear them out they were slain before the enemy with a great slaughter, and the Arke of God was taken. I speake not this, that this should any way weaken our love, or our thankfulnesse to God for those outward Priviledges we enjoy, or that we should any way lessen our esteeme and reverence of Gods ordinances, but that we should not make them, nor any thing else a ground of carnall confidence, that we should build our selves up in vaine hope, and set our selves upon a deceitfull expectation, That the very outward ordinances should deliver us from outward af­flictions and temporall punishments that may bee on us by the hand of God. In this also we have found that God hath checked our thoughts, and brought us low before our enemies, that would captivate our religion, as the Philistines did the Ark.

4 The L: Brook, M. Hambden, M. Pym, &c.Fourthly, in our thoughts touching those worthy and pretious instruments whom God had raised up to carry on his work among 01 us: we thought it had been they that should have delivered us, some by th [...]ir counsels, and others by their valour, being so choicely fitted instruments, that we looked upon each of them as an Atlas to our cause and Kingdome, and such pillars of the reformation, as that without them it could not have been supported or carried on: Yet all this while that we were idolizing his servants, God intended to do his work by other hands then we looked on, and that Moses should not bring the Israelites into the land of Canaan (though he was a man called and excellently fitted to lead them thitherward) but when Moses was dead, he was able, and so raised up Joshua, with whom he would be, and was as effectually to all purposes, as he was wi [...]h Moses And I may appeale unto you all, whether God hath been wanting to his cause, through or since the taking a­way of such famous men as have appeared for us; or whether he hath not carried on the work more strenously since: he that had spi­rit to make such instruments, hath spirit enough to raise up more, as we have seen so that in this also we have seen God checking our thoughts: And as it is a check, it should be looked upon likewise as a remedy, i [...] should be enough to cure our presumption, to think on this Doctrine, Gods thoughts are not as our thoughts.

A check to carnall fears in times of trouble.It may as well afford us a checke and a cure to our carnall feares: for as we are too bold on the one hand, we are too weak spirited on the other in times of afflictions, and when Gods hand is yet out against us, we are as full of desperate feares, as before we were full of saucie presumptions. And in our jealousies conclude, there is no recovery, no hope, or expectation left for the people of God; whereas Gods thoughts (may be) are otherwise, even to carry on his ends by weak means, and when his people are lowest to raise them, when things are desperate and all past cure, then God thinks to worke: for hee worketh not by power, nor by might, but by my spi­rit, saith God, 4. Zach. 6. He giveth not the battell to the strong, Z [...]ch. 4.6. Ezek. 9.11. nor the race to the swift, but to whom he pleaseth, 9. Eccles. 11. God many times layeth the foundation of some great deliverance very low, out of sight, and (as it were) under ground: The foundation that God laid for the deliverance and preservation of the Church of Israel in Egypt, (you may observe) was the selling of Jos [...]ph by his brethren. A strange foundation. So likewise, Gods providence had a hand in turning away David from the Philistines Armie; wherein God beyond all imagination intended to prevent David, lest he should have his hand in the blood of Saul, who was slain by the Philistines shortly after David was gone from them, as is obser­able, 1 Sam. 29, 30, & 31. chapters. Yea, we find God had another reach in bringing away David from the Philistines Armie: for there was need of Davids service at Ziglag, because that was taken shortly after, and therefore David was come away by the hand of Providence, to serve for the rescue of that town, and of his wives, that were taken prisoners there. We should therefore in times of danger, when there is the least likelihood of safetie or deliverance, we should stay our hearts against all carnall feares, by casting our selves upon God, who worketh in unknown wayes, even as we see by those stories, beyond all imagination.

Remedies a­ganst carnall feares.Give me leave to propose unto you these 3 remarkable things, to carry up the soules of men from being transported with carnall feares in times of danger.

1 First, consider Gods unchangeable love to his Church, even when shee is in persecution, he is in love with her when we think he hath cast her off, even while shee is in the furnace of afflictions, God s [...]ith of her, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction, 48. Isa. 9, 10. That may bear us up against fear that God is alway un­changeable in his love to his Church.

2 Secondly, his uninterrupted presence with the Church, what ever her afflictions be, and that makes her invincible, so the holy Prophet inferres, Psal. 46. [...]. 46. Psal. 5. God is in the midst of her, therefore shee shall not be moved, God shall help her, and that right early; though it should be in a time when the Sea roared, and the earth should be moved, and the mountains should be c [...]rried into the midst of the Sea, Verse 2. 3. Vers. 2.3.

3 Thirdly, consider Gods promises of making every thing (even the bitterest of her afflictions) to work togeth [...]r for her good, 8. Rom. 28. So I pass from the former branch in the manner of the carriage of Gods thoughts, Rom. 8.38. that they were carried in a se­cret way, unlike, yea, opposite to the thoughts of the Jewes, Your thoughts are to be delivered after two yeers captivity, or shortly, but I know my thoughts.

Another branch, of the manner of the carriage of these thoughts, they were carried, so as that they were unlike to his own car­riage towards them, which did speak nothing but misery and desolation; hee had clad himself with vengeance as with a garment, he had put on zeal as a cloak, he had taken the sword in­to his hand, he had given them up into the hands of his enemies, and he tells of a bondage and slavery in which they should lie threescore and ten yeers; here was nothing but severity and wrath, to be seen or heard from God; his ways toward his people at this time, gave so little incouragement to hope that hee had any good purposes toward them at present, that the Septuagint translate these thoughts of peace in the future, not in the present Tense, C [...]gitabo super vos cogitationem pacis. And yet, even now (saith God) for all that, My thoughts toward you are thoughts of peace, I know my thoughts that I think toward you, though my carriage be thus, hard, punishing, and wrathfull; whence the next point for observation is this:

Doctr. Gods bowels are full of love and compassion toward his people, even when he is driven to bring upon them his heaviest judgements, Deus it [...] punit rebellem populum, ut illius non adjiciat curam; Before we come to confirm the point, give me leave to premise some Pro­positions by way of Caution or Concession. C [...]nc [...]ssions.

1 First, that God may turn away in displeasure from his people, though they be his own inheritance, Psal. [...] 1. 60. Psal. 1.

2 Secondly, his people may apprehend possibly, that Gods love is [Page 15]quite extinguished toward them, and that all is shut up in displea­sure; you see it was so with Christ, Mat. 27.46. My God, my God, Mat. 27.46. why hast thou forsaken me? and therefore much more may it be with any other man: and David cryeth out, Psal. 77.7. 77. Psal. 7. That God was gone, and he would never return, he had shut up his loving kindness in displeasure for ever, though he was mistaken.

3 Thirdly, yet at such a time Gods bowels are ful of love and com­passion towards his, though they be so sorely afflicted: mark what a soul-warming expression the Lord hath given concerning his Church in her afflictions, even when hee had delivered his people into the hands of their cursed enemies, Jerem. 12.7. 12. Jerem. 7. I have deli­vered the dearly beloved of my soul into the hands of her enemies: though Gods people, and the dearly beloved of his soul, and unto him as a Jewell of great price, hee suffered them to be trampled un­der the uncircumcised feet of the Moabites and Idumeans for a time. Anger in God is not a passion, as it is in man, that it should overwhelm all his love, and cast out all his bowels toward them; no, it doth so indeed with us, and that is our corruption, our sin, we cannot be angry but we weaken our love, but it is not so with God; for his love is as essentiall to him as other attributes, and therefore being of Gods essence, they are continued still in act, as I may say, and must needs be consistent; nay, further, the love of God towards his Church, is the supreme attribute of God toward his Church, and all Gods dispensations and carriages in the at­tributes shall be subordinate to his love which hee bears to his Church; if hee plague them, if he punish them, if he give them into the hands of their enemies, if hee bring famine or the plague, Demonstrati­ons of Gods love to his people, even in his punish­ing of them. or the sword upon them, he can, and will do all these things in sub­ordination to his love, which shall be the soveraign a [...]tribute that shall steer all these, and bring them to a conclusion of mercy and loving kindness at last, whereof there are three demonstrations.

1 First, all his Judgements that hee brings on his Church are dis­pensed Euangelically, as m [...]y appeare in that they come from an Euangelicall gr [...]und or principle; they are not the fruits or effects of Justice properly, Heb. 12.7, 8.11. but they proceed fromk Gods love and father­ly care of his people, 12. Heb. 6.7, 8, 11. verses, in all the sufferings that he brought on them, God dealt with them as with children, saith the Apostle, Whom the Lord l [...]veth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every one wh [...]m he receiveth; if yee indure obastening, God dealeth with [Page 14] [...] [Page 15] [...] [Page 14] [...] [Page 15] [...] [Page 24]you as with sonnes. And as they come from an Euangelicall ground, so all Gods judgements do aim at an Euangelicall end, even the benefit of his people; they aim not at the destruction of any, but at the humbling, sanctifying, and saving of his people, that is, at least, finis operantis, 27. Isa. 9. The Lord in afflicting the Church, is as a Physician, Isa. 27.9. all that he looks for, is a purging of them from their uncleannesses, from their sins and corruptions, and if that be taken away, he lookes for no more, By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit, the taking away of his sin; and hee cleerly tels you, his end is their salvation, that they might not be condemned with the world, 1 Cor. 11.32. 1 Cor. 11.32. Moreover, they are dis­pensed Euangelically, as appeareth in the measure of their afflicti­ons, and from the manner of the carriage of them, when they are at the worst, when Gods hand is severest on his people, yet see at that very time, God he doth differ in the manner and in the measure of punishing them and his enemies: For thus God appeals (and it was in an affliction that was very heavie on his people) 27. Isa. 7, 8. saith God, Isa. 27.7, 8. It is true, your afflictions are very grievous, so that they were to be left desolate, yet I appeal to your selves (though you might in this case be partial) Have I corrected you, as I have corrected your enemies? Have I smitten you, as I have smitten them? Can you say, I have not made a difference between the Rods that I have laid on you, and the Rods I brought on them?

2 Secondly, hee calleth on the Church to believe in him, even when she is most severely corrected, and under his punishing hand, which she could not, neither would God call her to do, if all his bowels were shrunk, and all his love toward her were utterly end­ed in displeasure; Fear not Jacob, he incourageth her, 43. Isaiah, from the 1. to the 7 ^th verse, Isa. 34.1.7. 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, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee: and hee calls on the Church, that shee should believe and depend on God, and in the time of her troubles hee had a love to her therefore, which he would have the Church rely upon; and indeed the Church could not rely on him, nor be­lieve in him, if so be there were not such an attribute in God, as love, and tender bowels of compassion toward her actually at that time; for pure wrath and displeasure in God would dutterly destroy faith, and not exercise it, for there can be no believing in God by [Page 25]any, where there is not some love in God toward them; but faith is exercised by the Church in the times of her sorest calamitie, as is observable, Isai. 63.15, 16. Isai. 63.10, 10, 15, 16. though God was now afflicting them heavily: For he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them; yet the Church, even then, strongly apprehended his love and rela­tion towards them, as appeares in their expostulation with God. Where is thy zeale and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels, and of thy mercies towards me? Are they restrained? Doubtlesse thou art our Fa­ther, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledgeth us not, thou, O Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer, thy name is from everla­sting.

3 Thirdly, the yearning of his bowels: when he is driven to afflict his Church, he doth it with a great deale of tender heartednesse, as a man may say, and reluctancie, his compassions are stirred up with­in him, and he looks out for the first return of his people by repen­tance, that he may have an occasion, and take the first hop of an op­portunity to be merciful to them. Nay, such is the Lords compassi­on toward them, as that he protesteth, Hee is afflicted in all their affli­ctions, Isai. 63.9. though he afflict, Isa. 63.9. he feels (as it were) every stroke that is laid on them: And on may observe in this kind, a strange declaration of Gods bowels, Jer. 31.20. Ier. 31.20. When Ephraim had been smitten by God, and God had seen Ephraim repenting, and smi­ting on his thigh, humbling and bemoaning himself, Gods bowels were turned in him for Ephraim: For since I spake against him, I doe earnestly remember him still, therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord. As if a mother should stand in a corner for a while, and hide herselfe from her child, and heare the child weeping and bemoaning himselfe, O my mother, my mother is gone, she cannot withhold long, but must come in, and shew her self unto the child. And if natural parents that are e­vill, can be so tender over their children in their misery, how much more are there infinite bowels in God toward his people, even when he afflicteth them?

Ʋse 1 First, there cannot be a better, or more encouraging motive, to seeke the Lord in the time of our troubles, then this, That hee car­rieth such bowels of love and mercie, and that he is so ready to melt toward his people in the times of their sorest judgements. Oh how should this melt our hearts in Gods presence this day! Whose heart doth not as it were weep within him? and is not somewhat softe­ned, [Page 26]when he conceiveth that the Almighty, our God before whom we lie this day, is thus bigge with mercie, and as I may say, in pain till he be delivered; he would fain be mercifull to England, he would fain be mercifull to his people. O then my brethren! give God way, humble your souls before the Lord, cast down your selves. Levit. 26.40, 41, and 42. You heard ere-while, Levit. 26.40, 41, & 42. ver. That the Lord did but look for a time that his people would accept of their punishment, and lie low before him, that hee might remember his covenant with Abraham, and his covenant with Isaac, and his cove­nant with Jacob our Fathers. O therfore shrink not up the bowels of the Lord this day. If we shall not humble our souls before him, upon so sweet and Evangelicall a motive as this is, I testifie to you this day, that we are guilty of shrinking up the Lords bowels to­ward us, we are guiltie of shutting up his compassions when hee would be mercifull to us, we are guilty of our owne destruction, as God said to Israel, Hosea 13.9. O Israel thy destruction is from thy self, saith God, Hosea 13.9. but in me is thine help. I would have helped thee, but thou wouldest not come unto me, thou wouldest not labour to bee prepared for my help, to be capable of my love, so may God say to us, if when he hath offered us so many tenders of salvation, and given us so many experiences of his goodnesse, love and power to us, and to his cause: if after all this, we will not humble our souls, and labour to draw out these bowels more and more to carry on this deliverance, to finish what he hath begun, we shall certainly, I say, be guiltie of all our own woe & misery; there is great need now of every mans improving himselfe as farre as he can, to draw out these tender bowels of the Almighty toward this poore kingdom: Ireland is already over-run and laid wast; and the poore remnant there, are designed as sheep to the slaughter. Behold the bleeding condition of England, bleeding (alas) to death if it be not preven­ted Do you not look on the desolations made in many parts of the Kingdom already? And which is yet a greater misery, Is not Eng­land a divided Kingdom? a divided Citie? how can it stand? how can it con inue? Therfore if you have any pity toward a dying king­dome, if any comp [...]ssion to your deare Countrey; if you have any love to God, any to the Religion we professe, and to the cause of Christ, labour to draw out these divine bowels. God would readily open his bowels toward England, Oh shrink them not up, let us not harden Gods heart against us, by hardening ours against him, [Page 27]and against his judgements now abroad in the world.

Directions to draw forth Gods bowels toward us.The better to instruct us how to draw out these bowels toward us, and to prepare us, that God may extend and exercise his com­passions toward us in our present affliction, which hee carries to­ward his people when his hand is upon them, I shall present you three Directions, viz.

1 First, see that we cast away all carnall confidences: God will har­den his heart against us, if we trust in the arme of flesh, as he did a­gainst his people formerly, in the like case, as we see Isai. 31.1. Woe to them that goe down to Egypt for help, and stay on horses, and trust in Chariots, because they are many, and in Horsemen, because they are very strong. And Isai. 30.2, 3. That walke to goe downe into Egypt (and have not asked at my mouth) to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pha­raoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt. Isaiah 31.1. Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt, your confu­sion. The Lord withdrew himselfe from his peoples help, even for their trusting in lying vanities, and turned that w ^ch they trusted in, into their shame, and protested he would deliver them no more, if they should continue to withdraw their trust from him, as hee had delivered Israel when oppressed by the Zidonians, and the Amale­kites, and the Maonites, Judg. 10.13, 14. Ye have forsaken mee, Judg. 10.13, 14. and served other Gods, wherefore I will deliver you no more, goe and cry unto the Gods which ye have chosen, let them deliver you in the time of your trouble. We have been going downe to Egypt also too much, ri­ding on horses, and trusting in the strength of men, we have had our confidences in our Armies, and wise men, and gallant spirits, and the Lord hath hardened his heart against us hitherto. But if wee place our whole affiance in the Lord, renouncing all creature-confi­dence, his heart wil melt towards us, and his bowels yearn upon us, as they did upon Israel when they renounced Ashur, Hos. 14.3, 4. Hosea 14.3, 4. Ashur shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses: he an­sweres, I will heale their back-slidings, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away.

2 The second means how to draw out these bowels of Gods com­passion toward us, will be, that we hold on in the duty of soul hu­miliation, of seeking unto God by fasting and praying, repenting of our sins, and turning from our evill wayes, for it is thereupon that the Lord promiseth to return and be mercifull, 1. Zachariah 3. nor let any perswade you, that this duty of confession, and godly [Page 28]sorrow for sinne is an antiquated duty, or now out of date, since Christ came in the flesh, it is a duty continued still; It is a Gospel­duty, and not only required under the Law, Jame [...] 4.10. 1 Pet. 5.6. see 4. James, 10. and in 1 Peter 5.6. it is required of Believers, and charged upon them that are in Christ, as having still need to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may raise them up: Hold on there­fore to seek the Lord while hee may be found, to call upon him while he is neer: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighte­ous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and hee will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for bee will abundantly pardon, Isaiah 55.6, 7. Isa. 55.6.

3 Thirdly, Prayer openeth the bowels of the Lord towards his Church and People, especially when it followeth upon humiliati­on: If they humble themselves and pray, 2 Chron. 7.14. 2 Chron. 7.14. Then I will hear in heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their land, if they humble themselves and pray; prayer in this posture, is that that will provoke the Lord to return and be mercifull, when other­wise he is resolved to sit still: Hos. 5.15. As you see, Hosea 5.15. I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face.

Ʋse 2 Seeing that God is full of bowels and compassion toward his people, even in the midst of those heavie afflictions that he brings on them, with what comfort (my beloved Brethren) may we not only heare, but also feele this truth made good unto us this day, in the midst of our miseries and calamities? God is pleased to re­member mercy in the midst of judgements, and to give us a little reviving in our bondage, together with some sweet experiences of his power and faithfulness: we should be exceedingly rais [...]d up in our confidence toward God, when wee consider, how the Lord hath made good unto us that promise anciently made to his Church, Zech. 8.19. Zech. 8.19. Thus saith the Lord of Hoast, The fast of the fourth Moneth, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, Dayes of pub­like thanks­giving appoin­ted for victo­ries God had given the Par­liament forces in Hampshire, Yorkeshire, and Wales. shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerfull feasts; therefore love the truth and peace. The fastings of our former moneths have they not of late been, if not turned into, yet at least mingled with feastings of joy, and dayes of Thanksgiving? Since we have such experience, not only that there are such bowels of love in God, but also that they yearn toward us in our misery, let us indeavour to improve them, so as that Gods thoughts of peace may be carryed on toward that expected end which God hath [Page 29]purposed concerning his peoples calamities; and the rather, seeing God is now going out before us, and hath put himself into a posture of deliverance; let us go about to improve our deliverances, that God hath been pleased to bestow upon us.

It is said of Hanibal, that he knew how to conquer, but he knew not how to improve his victories: in like manner, Hannibal. God is pleased to give us victories, but we know not how to improve them as we might. We love to heare the good newes of successes against the enemies of God and his Cause; we delight to heare of deliverance, but when through Gods goodness we hear thereof, we sit still, and deliverance leaveth us where it findeth us, we are never the more improved, nor a whit inlarged toward God, nor more capable of a finall deliverance thereby; let us learn at length, how we may car­ry on our deliverance, Directions to improve par­ticular delive­rances. and improve every victory toward the full deliverance of the Church of God; for which purpose I shall set before you some few following directions.

1 First, when a deliverance is up, drive it on by prayer; it was a spirituall policy (if I may call it so) that when God began to deli­ver the people of Israel out of their bondage, they did not slack, but improve their duty of prayer, the more hee delivered, the more they prayed, Psal. 126.1. Psal. 126.1. the Lord had begun to turn the captivity of Babylon, When the Lord turned again the captivity of Sion, then were we like unto them that dream, the deliverance was so great, as that they durst hardly believe their own sense and experience therof, but were as in a dream; Verse 4. yet verse 4. they make it matter of their farther prayer, Turn again our captivity as the rivers in the South, as thou hast begun to turn the stream of our captivity, turn it as the streams in the South, which do satisfie the dry and thirsty land in those parts, so turn thou our captivity, till thou hast fully accomplished the work of our deliverance: Especially when God giveth us deliveran­ces as the fruit of our prayer, we have great cause then to prosecute and pursue our victories by our prayers; and for our late successes, God hath given them as the fruit of prayer, and in them God hath visibly returned an answer to all the cries and armies of supplicati­ons that have been sent up on our fasting dayes to the throne of Grace, and therefore you should follow it, as you know the holy Ghost directeth us, Ps [...]l. 65.2. O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come; when God manifesteth himself to his peoples experience, that he is a prayer-hearing God, he doth in effect incou­rage all men to wait upon him in prayer.

2 Secondly, the more God cometh unto us by deliverances, let us the more draw neer to God by dep [...]ndancy; there is a cursed disposition in the heart, namely, to r st in them. when God hath given us any deliverances, as either glutting our [...]usts by injoying the fleshly delights of them, or through pride and [...]elf-love, having our turns served upon God for the present, wee care for no more, and affect a kinde of ind [...]pendancy, using God (as Themisteeles com­plained the people used him) like a Plane tree, whi [...]h p [...]ople run un­to for a shelter in a storm, but at another time neglect it, pluck off her leaves; or as some men use Physicians, only while they are sick, but when they are recovered & in health, look not after them: thus are we also apt to deale with God when he hath delivered us from some particular distress, we let go our hold on God, and abate our zeal in following him by prayers and supplications, as if we needed him not now as before, and were resolved not to seek him any more, till a new distress should drive us to him, and so to seek him, not out of any love to him, or desire of his honour, but meerly out of concupiscence and self-love, whereby to serve our own turns upon him. Oh! consider of such a cursed disposition, and for time to come, the more God delivereth, let us be the more carefull to depend on him still. I wonder, beloved, which of you, that having received any deliverance from a disease, by the hand of a wise Phy­sician, will be any whit the less regardfull of the Physician, because he hath cured him, will he not the rather know him against another time, and keep correspondence and acquaintance with him, be­cause he knows not how soon hee may have need of him? So when God hath delivered us, let us not a whit slack our dependance, nay, depend on him the more; now we have known and felt him by ex­perience, therefore we should the more take notice of him and his faithfulness, and cleave unto him. It was an excellent conclusion which the Church made, Psal. 124.8. Psal. 124.8. upon her miraculous delive­rance from wrathfully inraged enemies, by the evident hand of God, which when she hath affectionately set forth in the body of the Psalme with praises that were due unto God for it: (Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us over for a prey unto their teeth) shee concludeth, that her help standeth only in the name of the Lord, as inti­mating a resolution to depend upon no other help but his for the time to come; and what the Church did then, let the Church do now. The Church now hath been parallel to the Church then in [Page 31]dangers, the wrath of wicked men hath been kindled against us in our dayes, as it was against Israel, and they have desired to swallow us up alive: And the Church now hath been parallel to the Church then in deliverances, and those wrought as evidently by the hand of God as theirs, If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may England say as Israel, If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us, then they had swallowed us up; And why then should not the Church now be also parallel to the Church then in duty? upon the like experience to take up the like resolution, even to trust in the name of the Lord: and say, Our help is and shall be in the name of the Lord; Thus should we make use or former deliverances, and experiences to increase our trust and dependancie upon the Lord; And as this is our duty, so would it be very pleasing to the Lord, who otherwise will be displeased with us, as he was with his people Israel, in so much that hee takes up a great complaint against them, Numb. 14.11. Numb. 14.11. that for all the won­ders he had done among them, they did not believe; How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe mee, for all the signes which I have shewed among them? I list not to com­pare any more, but I know not whether God hath not equally shewed his power and love, and faithfulness towards us in signes and wonderfull works, even at this day; not to speak of those ne­ver to be forgotten wonders, the Armado in 88. and the Powder-treason, what heaven-born discoveries have we lately seen, and had experience of in this kingdom? what dangers God hath preven­ted, what deliverances he hath brought to you in the City, to the Parliament, and to the whole kingdome? Oh, let it not be said af­ter all this, God cannot get us to believe in him, the more God deli­vereth, the more let us depend on him.

3 Thirdly, let us up and be doing by our own indeavours, when God worketh for us, and labour to go on with him, when he deli­vereth and goeth before us; 2 Sam. 5.24, 25. That was Gods charge to David when he was to go against the Philistims, 2 S [...]m. 5.24.25. When thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the Mulbury trees, then thou shalt b [...]stirre thy self, for then shall the Lord go out before thee to smite the bost of the Philistims; and David did so, as the Lord commanded him, and smote the Philistims; we can never more seasonably con­tribute our indeavours, and bestir our selves, then when God goeth out before us. We see how it crowned Davids undertakings with [Page 32]successe; and Davids spirit elsewhere was raised and inlarged to more eminent enterprises when he found Gods hand going along with him, Psal. 60.6.10. Psal. 60.6.10. When the Lord had given him victory over his enemies in the field, hee goes about to beat them out of their garrison also: I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth: Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine, Ephraim also is the strength of my head, &c. not content with these, hee thinks of en­tering their garrison, Who will bring me into the strong City, &c.

We should likewise be incouraged to lay out our selves freely now when the Almighty stands up, nay, when the Lord of hosts is pleased to become the God of our armies, and to fight for us against our enemies: Oh! that we could now joyn hearts and hands, and stand up as one man in the common cause of the Church and State; Now, I say, that God hath displaied a banner for them that feare him, and for the truth; now that God hath given out a Commis­sion of deliverance for Jacob; now that deliverance begins to come, we might pull it home to us by our wrestings with God in prayer, and by going out unto battell, to help the Lord against the mighty: when a Bell is rising, one pull will do more to set it up then three pulls will when it is fallen.

Thus may we happily improve the tender bowels which wee see God carries towards us in our miseries, to a full deliverance, that he may give us rest from all our enemies round about, and establish truth and peace together, in the midst of us, from generation to ge­neration, which is, and leads mee to open, the expected end which the Lord intends to give his Church, even the last branch of the Text, the matter and result of Gods thoughts toward his people in distress, to give you an expected end.

The matter or the result of his thoughts, are peace and an expected end of their long and tedious captivity; and though their hope deferred hath made them heart-sick, Prov. 13.12. yet when he desire shall come, it will be a tree of life. (You see) even the thing that they can wish or expect; so that their desire and Gods thoughts agree in the event, onely they differ in the point of time; it is in Gods thoughts to give them what they desire, but not when they desire it. The words which our translation renders an expected end, are disjunctively rendred by the most: finem & expectationem, so some; finem & spem, so others; finem & patienti [...]m, so a third sort of interpreters: I will not trouble you with the superficiall descants of any that would severally ap­ply [Page 33]these words, as that end should relate unto their captivitie, God promiseth them an end of that, and expectation should relate unto their return into their own land, God should give them their ex­pectation in bringing them back into their own countrey again: the sense and meaning of the words more solidly, is, that Gods pur­pos [...] was to give them such an end of their captivity, as that there­in they should also receive the end of their hopes and expectations: the yoke of their bondage should be taken off, and their eyes again behold dear Judea, and Jerusalem, which lay so neer their hearts, and all this in a time fore-appointed by Gods counsels, though far off, even threescore and ten yeers. The point hence is:

Particular churches may be, like those seven famous churches in the Revelation, now laid waste and desolate; and the Church generall (as she is visible) may be brought low, inter suspiria & la­chrymas, her calamities may be so destructive and lasting, that she may seem to have lost her visibility for a time, as the Prophet Elijah complained, when he fled from Jezabels fury, 1 King. 19.10. 1 King. 19.10. I, even I only am left, and they seek my life to take it away: and accor­ding as the Lord often threatens his own people, that hee will de­stroy them, yet still there is a remnant saved, to return to be as a seed for a flourishing posterity, that after the Church have lyen for a while among the pots, sullied and all becolled with persecution, she may be as beautifull as the wings of a Dove, that is covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold. God intended deliverance and free­dom to Abrahams seed after four hundred yeers affliction, Act. 7.6.7. Act. 7.6.7. and though he led Israel a crooked way through the wilderness, to humble them, yet was it still with an intent to do his people good in the latter end, Deut. 8.16. So that as by the course of nature, Deu. 8.16. the trees and plants that in Winter are drie and sapless, and seem to be little better then dead, yet at the Spring recover, grow green again, and bear fruit according to their kinde, as being appointed thereto by the God of nature: so the Church, though shee seem to be an out­cast in the Winter of affliction, and even swallowed up of misery, never to be healed, so long, saith the Prophet, as untill the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly d [...]solate, and the Lord have removed men farre aw [...]y, Isa. 6.11.12.13. and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land (speak­ing of Judea, and his own people) Isaiah 6. vers. 11, 12, 13. [Page 34] [...] vigor [...] [...], Calvin. yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teyl tree, and as an Oake, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof; God will not only reserve a remnant in the Church which shall out-live the Winter-like troubles which befall her, but that remnant shall be as seed, which, though it lie under the earth, and die, shall revive and bear fruit; Gods promise unto them shall be as effectuall to reco­ver and settle them in a peaceable and desired condition (which is, to gi [...]e them an expected end) as the Spring is, by her vigorous influ­ence, to make seeds and plants after the dead time of the yeer to be flourishi [...]g and fruitfull: And such thoughts there are in the Al­mighty his heart, and such promises to the Church in his Word.

For hee hath made a covenant with his people which he will re­member, Re [...]n. 1. even in their afflictions, and whereby hee hath graciously tyed himself, that hee will not cast them away, but recover them, how severely soever hee deal with them for a time in punishing their sins: Admit he should (as here in the Text he did) cast them ou [...] of their own into their enemies land, [...]v. [...].44, [...]. yet then, Lev. 26.44, 45. When they he in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, n [...]ither will I abhorre them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my cove­nant with them: for I am the Lord their God; but I will for their sakes remember the c [...]venant of their Ancestors. This proviso was expres­ly put in, when God renewed his Covenant unto David and his seed, that as hee would be carefull on the one hand to punish the sins of his people, in case they did transgress; so on the other hand, he would continue his love to them, and be mindfull of his covenant, Ps [...]l. 89.32, 33. I will visit their transgression with the rod, P [...]. [...]. [...]2, 33, [...]4. and their iniquity with stripes, nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my truth to fail, my coven [...]nt will I not break: His truth should fail, and his covenant should be broken, if his Churches calamities should not be brought unto a good end at last; if her temporall afflictions should be endless, or swallowed up in eternall misery; but the people of God in former times have confessedly found his promise made good in this particular also, as we finde in the confessions of Nehemiah, N [...]h 9 31 Neh. 9.31. Having set forth how the Lord was driven by their sins to punish his people, by giving them up into the hand of the people of the lands, hee shewes us, that hee did not continue their miseries upon them. Nevertheless for thy great mercies sake thou didst not ut­terly [Page 35]consume them, nor forsake them, for thou art a gracious and mer­cifull God. Yea, it concerns the Lord to make good this covenant visibly before the world, that he may be justified, even in the sight of men, concerning his faithfulnesse to the Church in her de­liverance.

2 Secondly, Gods mercie is the great attribute which is finally to be magnified and set up in his dispensations toward the Church, as his wrath is to be in his dispensations toward his enemies, which are called the Vessels of Wrath, as his people are called Vessels of Mercie. In all w ^ch dispensations he so carrieth intervenient occurrencies, that at length they shall serve to further the glorifying of that attri­bute mainly intended, whatsoever they may seem to doe in our ap­prehensions for the present: as Parcendo malis ita ju­stus es secun­dum t [...] & non secundum nos, si [...]ut mis [...]rtus es s [...]cundum n [...] & non s [...] ­cund [...]m [...]. Anselm. an Ancient speakes of God sparing the wicked though he seem to be mercifull to them in our sense, he is not so to them in his own intentions therein. But that sparing them, shall further glorifie his justice upon them at length. The like we may speak of his afflicting of his beloved people, it shall turne in the end to the advancing of his mercie, as it did in David, by his 01 own confession, It is good for me that I have been afflicted.

So then we may be confident upon this ground, that the end of the Churches troubles shall be such, as mercie may rejoyce in, and be magnified by, and such as we may mark for good as assuredly as the Prophet doth the end of the perfect and upright man, Psal. 37 37. Psal. 37.37. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace: His life may be troublesome, but his death shall bee comfortable; as the Israelites through a crooked & tedious wilder­nes, came to the promised land at last: Moses said of their journey, in that wildernesse, it was to try them. As the Gold-smith puts his metall into the Furnace, that it may come out the purer; so the Lord dealt with his Church therin, that he might bring her forth of trouble to his mind, & set her according to her desire at last; so saith the Prophet, Psal. 60.10, 11, 12. Thou, O God, hast proved us, thou hast tried us as silver is tried: thou broughtest us into the ne [...], Psal. 60.10, 11, 12. thou laidest affliction upon our loyns, thou causedst men to ride over our heads, we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place: where we have the Church raising up her apprehensions of Gods present mercies to a highher pitch, by reflecting upon the dangers through which she came to enjoy th [...]m; however shee was [Page 36]neere shipwrack, she is now not onely as a ship in safe harbour, but as on shore in a pleasant countrey.

Some speciall benefits in which the Churches troubles shall end, &c.We see then in the generall, the Churches troubles shall end well, but what kinds of good may be expected or hoped for as the fruit of them, we have not seen; I shall therefore in the next place briefly point at some particular good ends which we may hope and expect God will bring his Church unto by her afflictions.

1 First, the refining of the Church herselfe, which was intimated before, by trying her as silver is tried, in the Psalmist; while she is in afflictions, she is as metall in the furnace, which comes out severed from the drosse at length: the frequent allegories of washing and purging in Scripture, to this purpose, I forbeare, we will only take notice of the Prophets expression, Mal. 3.17, 18. Mal. 3.17. And they shall bee mine in that day when I make up my Jewels, then shall yee disc [...]rne be­tween the righteous and the wicked. The Lord had been working up­on them as a Refiners fire, and Full [...]rs sope in the former part of the chapter, by afflicting his people he had been cutting and polish­ing his jewels, that he might render them Oriently beautifull, and at last he strings them, and makes them up to preserve them as his peculiar Treasure, in his Cabinet, wherein he placeth nothi [...]g but things of price: Reformation then of the Church, whereby the ho­ly seed shall be the substance thereof, Isai. 6.12. Isai. 6.12. is one great good may be expected as the end of the Churches miseries and afflicti­ons.

2 Secondly, the just punishment of the wicked, whereby the righ­teousness and power of God shall be much exalted, as they were upon Ph [...]raoh; for which Moses indited a God-exalting song, and God himself is pleased to hold out this, as an incouragement to his people, to be patient in their afflictions; that when God hath done his work upon his people by the Assyrian, Isai. 10.12. he will punish him, Isa. 10.12. Nay, he will destroy him, Verse 25. Yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction: for the incouragement of a reforming childe, the father will throw the rod wherewith he was corrected into the fire; and this shall be so ex­pected an end of the Churches calamities, that the people of God sh [...]ll rejoyce to see the Lord so jealous for them, to avenge the innocent blood of his servants: so the Lord calls upon them, Deut. 32.43. Rejoyce, Deut. 32.43. O yee nations, with his people, for he will avenge [Page 37]he blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversa­ries, and will be mercifull to his land and to his people: and so the Lords people shall, as is promised, Act. 58.10, 11. Psal. 58.10, 11. The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance; so that a man shall say, there is a God that judgeth the earth, they shall rejoyce, not in the de­struction of the creature, but in the execution of righteous judge­ment.

3 Thirdly, the Churches calamities shall end in the kingdome of Christ, after the shaking of all nations, the desire of all nati­ons shall come, saith the Prophet, Hag. 2.7. Hag. 2.7. When Christ first came, it was as a refreshing after t e distresses of Gods people: so also the oppressions of Antichrist, and the stirs that shall be in the world thereby, shall end in Christs next coming, when he shall confu [...]e the man of sin with the spirit of his mouth, and with the brightness of his coming shall dest oy him. The tumults that are in the world, shall raise up Christ unto his throne, though it be contrary to the purpose of those that ra [...]se them: The Pro­phet observably points at t [...]is in Nebuchadnezzars Image, Dan. 2.34, 35. Dan. 2. that when the sword shall have carried the government from one Monarchie to another, the Kingdome of Christ (shadowed out by the stone out out without hands, which when it had smitt [...]n the Image, became a gre [...]t mountain, and filled the whole earth, Verse 34, 35.) shall put an end to the quarrels that are among the kingdomes of the earth, by taking down them, and s [...]tting up his own, that so all the kingdoms of the earth may become the kingdoms of the Lords Christ. This, I say, is another spe­ciall expected end of the Churches calamities, which will bring with it a fulness of all kindes of blessings desireable; all hurt­full things shall be removed out of the Church, Isa. 11.9. Isa. 11.9. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: there shall be al­so a confluence of all temporall mercies comprized in the word peace, Isa. 32.17. The work of righteousness shall be peace, Isa. 32.17, 18. and the eff [...]ct of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever, and my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places; and it is not unworthy our best observation, how gloriously the Church is set forth in this kingdom of Christ, as shee shall be when it is come, Isa. 60. Isa. 60.

Ʋse 1 First, this truth may be a foundation of strong consolation and [Page 38]hope unto the people of God this day, when the ark or ship of the Church is even covered with waves, and when other foun­dations are cast down, that Gods counsels have determined, and he passed his word that there shall be a good end at last of his Churches calamities; If Gods people be in bondage under affliction for the present, Zach. 9.12. yet they are prisoners of hope, Zach. 9.12. For the word is gone out of the mouth of the Lord, It shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him, Eccles. 8.12. Or what if wee live not to see an end of these heavie troubles? may it not much stay our hearts, that we know it shall go well with Gods Church at length: If it was Eli's greater grief that the Ark of God was taken, then that his own sonnes were slain (so that he could hear of their death, and live, but the newes of the Ark being taken kills him presently, 1 Sam. 4.17, 18.) it would have been, doubtless, so great a comfort to him if it had been well with the Ark of God, that hee would have cheerful­ly born the loss of his children; wee should likewise receive so much comfort in this good newes concerning the Church, that wee should rejoyce in it, though wee should never live to see it otherwise then by the eye of Faith, as Abraham saw Christs day and rejoyced.

Ʋse 2 Secondly, it should incourage us to contribute what help wee may to bring about this good end to the Churches cal [...]mities: Gods counsels are brought about in a way of providence, wee should therefore indevour to serve providence to bring about the promi­sed deliverance of the Church. Thus did Daniel even in the busi­nesse of our Text, when he understood that there was a time appoin­ted for the redemption of the Jewes out of their captivitie, he sets himselfe to do what in him lies to further it, Dan. 9.23. Dan. 9.23. We should also lay out our selves freely in the Churches cause, what way soever we may be improved, whether in our counsels, or in our estates, What wee should do to further this good end, viz. or in our persons, we cannot be laid out in a better cause, wherein God himselfe will be (nay is) ingaged for the event. For the furtherance of it,

1 First, we should be carefull to remove any thing that might hinder this expected end from being accomplished: our sinnes at home will hinder our Armies in the Field: Therefore Mo­ses commanded the people of Israel to take heed of every wicked [Page 39]thing when the Host went forth to battell, Deut. 23.9. Deut. 23.9. Let not the lust of thy pride lie in the way of our publicke deliverance, to make thee contend for a degree of Honour, while the king­dome lies a bleeding: Let not thy lust of covetousnesse carry on a private designe of gathering by the ruines of the State: Let not thy lust of envie or revenge lead thee to hazard the Kingdome for thy will upon thine adversary, &c.

2 Secondly, we should labour after personall and domesticall re­formation, upon that speciall duty the Lord promiseth to heale a Land, 2 Chron. 7.14. This is that which will procure us peace, 2 Cor. 7.14. not meritoriously, but conditionally, and by way of covenant, Isa. 32.17, 18 Isai. 32.17, 18. we find usually that Righteousnesse is the mother of all comfortable and happy Peace.

3 Thirdly, we should pray for it, as Daniel did above mentioned, and as the Lord himselfe prescribeth in the very next verse to the text, and promiseth also it shall take effect. The Lord inable us to do our dutie, and of his own free grace performe his promise of delive­ring the Church, and accomplish the thoughts of his heart toward her in due time. Amen.