places, and do not act nor move in their own spheres? Oh, you that are scholars of Jesus Christ, away to your places, your Lord is coming, and if he find you out of your places he will take the rod into his hand. But above all things, think of this truth much that is now before ye. Lactantius observes, that the heathens accounted it the best honouring of their gods, to be like them: and therefore some would be wicked, that they might be like to Jupiter their god and though it were evil which they did, yet they thought they honoured their gods in it, because they were like to them. Ye would all honour your God: labour more and more to be like to him; he hath saved, delivered and loved you with a notwithstanding. Oh, therefore let us love one another notwithstanding all our failings, and infirmities. Ye read of Rebecca, that when she was with her servants, she rode on camels: but when she saw Isaae on foot, she did alight and walk as he did. It may be when you are with your fellow servants, you think it fit to be on horse-back, you are high and in your ruffe: but behold our Isaac, our Saviour hath condescended to our infirmities, came down, walked on foot he hath saved us with a notwithstanding; and why should not all we be contented to walk, as Christ walked; and to love, as he loved? He hath loved us with a notwithstanding, so let us do. If the Lord doth sometimes save his people with a nevertheless, out of mere love, then why should we despise, or despair of any, though they be never so vile; or envy at any, though they be never so good? Say not, says Austin, Num quid Deus correcturus est hominem tam vilem &c. Will God correct and convert a man so vile and so perverse? Do not despair, says he, attend whom thou prayest to, not for whom imposuit nobis personam, nobis nolumus, et peregrinam agere desideramus; qui agere debet theologum, agere audet politicum, qui privata contentus esse umbra debet, publico apricare sole molitur: quod non minus creat in hac mundi histrionia incommodi, quam si in comoedia servus agat herum et ancilla dominum, morio regem, &c. Est via ad concordiam, quisque faciat in suo vitæ genere ad quod Deus eum vocavit suum officium. Non extollat se supra alios neque opera aliorum reprehendat, et sua velut meliora laudet, sed alii aliis per charitatem serviant.— Luther. * Mores et vitia regis imitari genus obsequii est : abjecerunt pietatem ne exprobrare regi (Jovi) scelus viderentur. Lact. thou prayest. You see the disease of the patient, but not the power of the physician. And seeing God works and saves with a notwithstanding, who knows what he will do, whose ways are past finding out? Joseph was thrown behind for a while, and though he had a promise that his sheaf should be higher than the rest of his brethren, yet at the first it was lowest, but God took him, raised him, and made his sheaf higher than all his brethren's. So can God do by this or that wicked person: though now he stands behind, God may take him, and set him before; for God works freely. Oh, therefore, never despise any, though they be never so wicked; nor I say, envy at others, though they be never so good, for their parts, gifts, and abilities: God can take you and make you as good, or better. For the present indeed, you may bemoan yourselves, and say, Is God so good, so gracious, so free as to save with a notwithstanding, and am I the only wicked man or woman that shall have none of this free love; that shall not taste of this rich grace ? Si impius es, says one, If thou art wicked, think on the publican: if unclean, think on Rahab: if injurious, think on the thief; if an idolater, think on Abraham; if a blasphemer, think on Paul: who would have thought, that should have seen Paul trudging with a persecuting commission, that he would ever have been such a famous preacher of the gospel? But the Lord, our Lord, works, delivers, saves with a notwithstanding; he doth work freely: therefore, despise not any, though they be never so vile: envy not any, though they be never so good. If the Lord doth save for his own name's sake, then let us all be tender of his name: take heed that we do not wrong his name, our only friend in adversity: but if we be in any danger, labour more and more to engage his name in our work, and upon all occasions exalt this name of the Lord. Abulensis observes, that though Moses did strike other things with his rod, yet himself would not strike the waters, but spake to Aaron to strike them, when they were to be turned into blood for, says he, Moses was preserved in the waters, and ont of thankfulness he would not strike the waters that had preserved him. I do not like his reason, but I allude: it is * Attende quem rogas non pro quo ragas, vides periculum morbi sed non vides potentiam medici fecit reficere potest-Augustin. the name of the Lord that hath preserved you, and shall we now strike his name? I say nothing of those that do swear by his name, their own consciences tell them, that they wound the name of God: but how few are there in these days that are tender of God's name? If a man, a professor, fall and sin, how ready are others to spread and divulge his sin? yea, though the spreading thereof be a scandal unto God's name. As Luther said in his time, ob quodcunque erratum, for every fault, and error, they presently cry out, These are your fruits of the gospel: so now this is the fruit of your profession and holiness. But ye see into what times of danger we are now fallen. "The name of the Lord (says Solomon) is a strong tower, the righteous fly thereunto and are safe :" or, as some read it, lifted up. If a man be in a tower, he may not only defend himself, but offend his enemy. Abimelech and a sorry woman were too unequally matched; what was a weak woman to him? Yet, Judges ix., a woman, having the advantage of a strong tower, proved too good for him; for, from the tower she cast down a great stone upon Abimelech, brake his skull, and he died. Now such a strong tower is the name of the Lord: though you be so weak as a woman, yet if in-towered in the name of God, you shall be able to cast down millstones upon all your enemies. Who would not, therefore, engage the name of God more and more in the time of danger? And seeing for his own name's sake he hath saved you, and your fathers, and children, and families, as it is this day; come now, and let us exalt his name together. The name of God is exalted, when ye speak highly of his power, faithfulness, mercy, free love and grace, and of all his attributes. A man exalts his name, when he ventures upon great things, and hard things, even lions in his way, upon confidence in the name of God: as David against Goliah. The name of God is exalted, when men yield up their resolutions and engagements, and that presently, upon the least discovery of dishonour that may come thereby to this name of God. We exalt the name of God, when we labour to bear up those ordinances, ways and truths of God, which the world decries. There is a verbal, and there is a real exalting of God's name; it is not the verbal but the real that God expecteth and seeing he saveth us, and all our's hitherto, for his own name's sake, why should we not all join together in exalting his name? Oh, you that are parents, call upon your children to exalt his name; you that are governors and masters, call upon your servants to exalt his name: tell them how he hath saved us with a notwithstanding, for his own name's sake; and therefore exalt his name. I shall now tell you, in the next place, that if God doth save us with a notwithstanding, then we should serve him with a notwithstanding all opposition, notwithstanding all discouragements: that we should believe and trust in him, notwithstanding all our fears and dangers. But I hasten to the next doctrine, which is this: Secondly, When God doth save his people with a notwithstanding, he doth then leave such marks and characters of his infinite power upon their deliverance to salvation, that he may be fully, clearly, plainly known to the sons of men. Ye shall observe, therefore, that when God promised any great deliverance to his people in the time of the prophets, he frequently addeth these words, "Then shall ye know that I am the Lord," or, "Then shall ye know that I am Jehovah." God's infinite and almighty power is never more seen or legible, than when he works in a way of free love. And therefore, if ye look into Numb. xiv., you find, that when Moses pleaded with God to pardon and pass by the iniquity of his people, to shew forth his grace and love to them; he doth then implore and call in the power, the great power of God; ver. 17, it is said, he made the heavens by his power, but here great power is used and expressed for the pardoning of sin. And in Ps. xcix. 8, we find that his free love and power are knit together. Deus fortis condonans, &c. For he is not only strong and merciful, but he is strong in mercy. So that, whensoever God doth save his people with a a notwithstanding, his great design is to make known his mighty power unto the sons of men. of But it will be said now, We are all convinced and persuaded, that the Lord hath saved us and ours in a way free love, with a notwithstanding: but what marks or impressions of a Deity, or of infinite power, are there upon the deliverances or salvations that we have had? It is only God himself that can turn the tide. Poor weak man may turn and divert the stream of a river, but it is only God, and the infinite power of the Almighty, that can turn the tide. When the tide comes in, we may sail up with the tide, or cast anchor: but none can turn the tide but God alone. Not long since, there was a full tide of superstition and prelatical malice coming in upon all God's people; and now of late how hath this tide been turned? Oh, the tide is turned, it is turned: this is the Lord's doing, and it may be marvellous in your eyes if it be not. Again, when there are such great things done for God's people as the nature of the second cause will not, cannot bear; then the hand, and arm, and special power of God is, and may be seen therein, Jer. xxxi. 22, "I the Lord have created a new thing in the earth, a woman shall compass a man."* It is ordinarily understood of Christ in the womb of the virgin Mary, but, as Calvin doth well observe, (it is his comment not mine,) it is not said, that a woman shall compass a man barely, but a strong one: a woman shall compass a strong one, or one that is strong: so the Hebrew word signifies and, says he, that word which is translated compass, signifies such a compassing, as enemies do use when they lay siege to a city. So Ps. cxviii., "They compassed me about like bees." It is the same word there which is used in a hostile way. And so the meaning is thus: though, oh, ye Israelites, ye be as weak as women, and your enemies strong, yet you shall lay siege to them, and take them captive, for I will create a new thing." When God works creation-wise, then he puts forth his almighty power; and when a woman, or those that are weak, shall lay siege to, and take the strong, then his creating hand is at work. * Neque enim simpliciter propheta hic de viro loquitur, sed nominat virum robustum. 1 enim sumitur a fortitudine; cum igitur fæminam viro comparet, non dubito quin significet propheta Israelitas qui similes erant fœminis, hoc est carebant viribus, destituti erant omni auxilio, quin dicit superiores fore hostibus snis quorum potentia poterat toti mundo terrorem incutere: Nam 3D significat non amplecti sed obsidere, sæpenumero, et multis accipitur scripturæ locis in malam partem: Hostes circundederunt me, Ps. cxviii. Cum igitur notatur obsidio scriptura hoc verbum usurpat. et perinde est acsi propheta dixisset, redigent fæminæ viros in angustias, ita ut ipsos captivos teneant.-Calvin. in Jerem. xxxi. 22. |