Imatges de pàgina
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with this; for it is an old truth, Ingratum fi dixeris,omnia dixeris, Say he is unthankful ard you have faid all: this is a full imputation,and Saint Bernard faith, Ingratitudo est ventus urens, ficcans, fibirerem mifericordia, fluenta gratia.

2.The Remedies*

These we may reduce to these few.

1. A frequent and serious confideration of our felves, what we were by Creation,what we are by our fal, for fo we fhall find how poor and impotent we are in our felvs,how we have no strength to do any thing, but we are debters to God for all, all that we have is borrowings; quid habes o homo quod non accepifti? We have loft the freedom of our Will to any thing that is good: we do carry about us legem membrorum, corpus peatati, lo that our ftrength is weakneffe, our wifedom is folly, our friendship with the world enmity with God.

2. The cleareft mirrour to behold our felves in, is the Holy Word of God, which reporteth to us the ftory of our Creation, and of our Fall; which openeth and revealeth God to us, in his Juftice, and Holineffe, and Wifedome, and Power, and Mercy. 3. Let us fet God always before us, and the nearer we approach to him, the more fhall we perceive whereof we are made, and we fhall then remember that we are but duft.

We shal perceiv wherfore we are made, namely to live in the obedience and service of our Maker, to bestow all our time constantly therein, even to the end, to glorifie God in our bodies and in our fouls.

We shal see how unable we are to perform any part of this duty without God& how we ftand obnoxious to thecurfe of the law, for either omitting the duties which we should perform'or committing any thing against that just law. What have we then to be proud of,feeing, in him, and for him, and by him are all things?

4. Let us often revolve and recount the good favours of God to us, and remember all his benefits, and confider what he hath done for us, and we fhall find that there is a full ftream of favour coming towards us, whether we fleep or awake, whether we drink of that brook in the way or not,

The Apostle joyneth two Precepts together, which do fweetly ferve to exercife a Godly and Chriftian life. Pray continually:

in all things give thanks; which do fhew that all good gifts come from above to us, and therefore all our holy duties muft direct themselves that way; and as our help cometh from thofe hils, fo our eyes muft be ever to thofe hils.

It is not bread that man doth live by, but by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of Cd: it is not the letter of the Word that quickeneth us, but the fpirit.

Our whole help is in the name of the Lord who hath made heaven and earth; Hallowed be that name;. we are his People and the Sheep of his Paiture.

Let us go into his gates with Thanksgiving, and into his Courts with praife; let us be thankful to him and speak good of his name. Let us do this faithfully, and we fhall fee it is no thank 、 our. own net,or drag,that our portion is fat and our meat plenteous. For none but he filleth the hungry with good things; Peter and his company, though they had their nets, and fifhed all night, yet they caught nothing:when at Chrifts word they let fall their net and made a great draught, they knew whom to thank for it.

A domino factum eft hoc, this is the Lords doing. Is the voice of the Church; therefore non nobis, non nobis, twice he putteth it from our felves, fed nomini tuo da gloriam. Not unto us, but unto thy name give the glory.

5.Grievance. Ver. 17.Shall they therefore empty their net, and not fpare continually to flay the nations?

He continueth his former figurative manner of fpeech, and preffeth his grievance, fhall thofe fifhing Chaldæans when they have filled their net with fish,empty it, and return to another fifhing? will it hold out, that they fhall go from nation to nati on, and make all theirs as they go?

The grievance is,that the Prophet doth not fee any end of their cruel perfecutions as yet;for the lingring afflictions which gather increase of ftrength by time, do threaten final ruine,whereas vio lent extremities fpend themselves into vanity and nothing.

2. Things are here feared.

1. The hurt that they may do, if they may fill and empty, and fill again their net as often as they will.

2. The pride of heart, that they may gather by the vain-glory of their Conquefts. The point here confiderable, is, that

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The ungodly man hath no bowels.

Cain mult kill Abel his own natural brother, and Judas must betray innocent blood.

They that be once flesh't in the blood of men, can make no fpare thereof; there is oculus in fceptro, but not oculus in gladio, an eye in the Scepter, not in the sword.

Agags fword made many women childleffe..

The growing Monarchies ruined all before them as they went, and overflowed all as a deluge; nations and kingdomes that prevented not facking and destruction with timely dedition,perished before them.

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But it is a figne of an uneftablish't ftate, when the foundation thereof is laid in blood and fuch as must be wood to make them grow, thall have an informer against them; vox fanguinis fratris tui clamat de terra, the voice of thy brother cryeth from the earth.

This makes all that love the gates of Sion, and take pleasure in the prosperity of our Ierufalem, to give God no reft in their earnest devotions, praying him not to deliver our Church into the hands of Papifts, because it is a bloody Religion, fuch as doth hazard Princes more then common men; which doth bear them out in murthers, and legitimateth Maffacaes for the fafety and increase of their Church.

2. It is wifedome out of the prefent fate of things to forecast what may come hereafter, as the Prophet doth, the Chaldeans muft come and invade the land, they shall fill their net with fish. God hath spoken it, it is like to be a merry time with them, they hall rejoyce and be glad.

They are like like to grow very proud upon it, facrificabunt Lagene fue, &c. They fhall facrifice to their net.sony (ne,

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But shall this conquest so Befh them, that they shall empty their nets, and fish again amongst the nations, and not ceafe ro fhed bloud.

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Ezcchiah hath the hath the name of a good King, he prayed to God, Let there be Peace, or as the Kings Bible reads; rit not ed that there be Peace and Truth in my days? viuda nice But careful Princes will look beyond their own days, and fit Princes their defignes to the good of Pofterity.

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Prefent

Prefent evils being in their growth threaten future dangers, and we fay of them as our Saviour doth, Theje are but the beginnings. of forrows, and there is fear that there will be femper deterior pofterior dies, the latter times will be the worfer. The best remedy is to awake the tender love of God to his Church, with an expoftulation; Shall they do this O Lord? Thy will be done.

Shall they do it continually? wilt thou fuffer it? when the time is come he will have mercy.

CHAP, II.

Verf 1.I will stand upon the watch and fet me upon the Tower, and will watch to fee what he will fay unto me,and what I shall answer when I an reproved.

N this Chapter God answereth a'l the Prophets grievances, and it containeth two parts.

I, The Prophets attendance upon God for his answer, verf, 1.

2. The Lords anfwer in the reft of the chapter.

In the first,

The Prophet having difputed with God, and as his name importeth, having wraftied with him, doth resolve,

I will stand upon the watch, and set me upon the tower, alluding to the military practice of fouldiers, who appoint fome in fome eminent place to observe the enemic, and to give timely warning of their doings.

And seeing God hath declared himself an enemy to the Iews, by all thofe evils which he hath threatned to bring upon them, the Prophet watcheth him, and attendeth to receive further advertisement from himself, concerning his purpofe toward them. I will watch to fee what he will fay unto me; for the fecrets of the Lord are revealed unto them that fear him: And God fpake

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in the mouth of all the Prophets, which have been fince the world began.

Neither doth the Prophet attend God out of a curiofity,fcire ut fciat, to know only, as Bern. fpeaks, but that he may know what to aniwer for God when he is reproved, or as the Margent faith much better, when he is argued with, and others come to difpute with him upon thofe grievances, as he hath done with God; for you must understand, that in all the former complaints this Prophet hath not argued as a particular man, but as undertaking the cause of the Church, and fuftaining the Perfons of all his amiЯted brethren, for whose fakes, that he may fatisfie them, and for Gods fake whofe Minister he is, that he may know how to maintain to them the cause of Gods Wifedome and Iuftice, he doth now attend Gods answer.

By this ftanding upon the watch and upon the tower, in this place is meant the Prophets attending upon a furtherRevelation of the Will of God concerning these grievances,because in those times God did speak to his Prophets by vifions, and dreams, and fecret infpirations.

And holy men then had acceffe to him immediatly, whereby they knew the mind of God, and yet did communicate to them his counfels.

Yet fo as he put them to it to await his good leafure, and to expect his anfwer. So David in his own cafe, I will heare what the Lord God will fay unto me.

These words do wel expreffe the whole duty of a faithful Prophet, and Minister of the Word, confifting of two parts.

1. His information of himself, implet cifternam he fils the Cistern.

2. His inftruction of others, for then he will turn the Cock.

In the firft obferve,

1. His wifedome: he will borrow all his light from the Sun. what he will fay unto me.

2. His vigilancy, I will ftand upon the watch:

3. His patient expectation :I will fet me upon the tower.
4. His holy care, to fee what will be faid to him.

1. His Wifedome.

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