He faith, it is a foolish boast to glory in evill : for evill is eafily done. He gives many instances, the care of preparing the seed, and of the ground the fowing, the weeding, the attending,how many hands it asketh , and Absolon can set it allon fire in a moment. merry with So Samsons Foxes did the fields of the Philistines. The Wifeman settech it down as a fault ; Prov.2016 Molt men will proclaim every man his own goodnesle ; how much more to boast of evil. As wantons boast how many they have defiled, and drunkards how many they have our-drunk. 5. Making a mock ac lin: fo the Wiseman faith, there be that toffe fire-brands, and say, Am not I in sport? All our sins are fire-brands, we need no other rods to scourge us here, no other fewell to enfire us hereafter, then our owne fins : this is, Hilaris insania, to make our felves merry these, and to set in the chair of the scornfull. 6 Incorrigibility, when the gracious warnings of God do not lead then corepentance : when the angry threatnings of God do not draw bloud of them, when the rods of Gods fa vourable chastisement doe not smart upon them. O Lord, Jir.5.3. faith Jeremy, Thon haft stricken them, but they have not grieved Pole sinners, but wlten iniquity is come to the full ripeness, God may lay on while he will, they that have not known the way of peace will harden their hearts, as Pharaoh did, and correction will but make them curfe , and blaspheme God to his face. This was the full iniquity of these nations, whom God threshed and wounded, and digged up; and cast out, that he might plant his Israel therein. Ule. And it teacherh us to be wise to salvation, as the Apostle faith; Thon man of God fly these things. And let me say to you, as Lot to the Sodomites, I pray you, my brethren, do not so wickedly . Take heed of Idols, Babes, keep your felves from Idols . Idolatry hath growen bolder of later then heretofore, the I Fa 2 3 1 Factors of Rome are busie amongst us, trading for proselites but God stirreth up the spirits of his religious servants to soli, cite the cause of Religion, and the worthies of our land stand up with zealous fervency of spirit for the truth of God. This is the light of Israel, so long as we keepe the fire of God burning upon our Altars, we shall have hope thaç God is with us, and that he will give us his blefling of peace. Let us break off our sins by repentance, that we may turn away the indignation of God from us, let not fin reign in our mortail bodies, that we should obey it in the lusts thereof. Let us take heed that we give not way to sin, either in our felves, or in others, left it over-grow us, but let us examin our own hearts in our chambers, and turn to the Lord. And if a brother by occasion fall into fin,let them that are spirituall, restore him with che spirit of meeknesse. Let thame cover our faces for the evils that we have done, i is no shame to be achamed of our evils, as there is a godly forrow, so there is a godly shame, let us say with 7ob ; I covered my transgression with Adam, by hiding. my iniquity in my Bofome. Let it griève us that weé have sinned, and let us not boast thereof, bit say with fob, Peccavi, quid faciam tibi: with Saul, 1 have finned and done foolishly. Let the remembrance of our fin snuiţe our hearts, as Die Let the judgments of God make us afraid. Then shall we neither feel the flail of God threshing us, 2. What he did in favour to his own The not 4 5 6 The everlasting comfort of the Church hath been planted and grounded in the favonr of God by the mediation of Jesus Christ his anointed. For although Christ were not so manifest to his Church before, and in the time of the law, as he hath been in the time of the Gospel, yet he hath been always the hope of all the ends of the world. Reason. The reason is because Christ is not onely a Mediatour of interceflion to pray for us, and a Mediatour of satisfaction to Then did he take his Church into his bolome, and married her to himself, and, they became one body, and ever since his Angels have charge over her to keep her in all her ways, and this must comfore Ifrael in Babylon, that God vvent before them vvich his anointed, to setle them in the promised Land. There be no other mercies that vvill, La Tipus: which God doth vouchsafe us by the means of this Mediator. He importeth many outward blessings, even to the yvicked, by the means of his holy ghost. For all the knovvledg that chey have all the vvisedome in arts and sciences be the gifts of the holy ghost, but they have no portion at all in the office of Christ, he vvas not anointed for them, From hence the Apostle dotli conclude, that God hath not forsaken the Jevvs, but that they shall be called again, for he faith. Hath God cast away his people? he ansvvereth : God hath not Ro, 11,1, caft away his people whom he foreknem. The election of grace vvhich made them his, doth confirm them to him forever, and therefore they mention his going be أر before them with his anointed to assure them, that though they go into captivity and abide a long time there, yer they shall not be left in bonds for ever. For the spirit of the Lord is upon this anointed, to preach liberty to Captives, and the ope- 18.1,61.1. ning the prison to them that are bound. This is now the true comfort of the distressed parts of the Church, which groan under the burthen of oppression, and bloudy persecution. They cry for the help from men, and no Nation doth fuccour them, they weep and pray to God and to his annointed, and no doubt, but in good time, he wil come down to them to visit them in his mercy, they are Christians, and they carry the name of Gods anointed, ihis name is in them, and his righteousnelse and truth are their hope and strength. It is time for thee, Lord, to put to thy band, for the wicked fons of Belial the children of Edom cry out against thy Church, down with it, down vvith it, even to the ground. The Bishop of Rome, abetteth the unchristian shedding of Christian bloud; by his letters, and dispersech his vvhetstones to sharpen the sword of Gods enemies against Gods Church.. Let us say with old facob; O Lord, I have waited for thy Salvation, for thy fefus. 2 This repetition of salvation f'. Dat. 2. Thou wenteft forthfer the Salvation of thy people, even for falvation, teacherh us. That God hath taken upon himself the care of the preservation of his Church. Therefore he goeth before them for salvation, and he dosh never leave them nor forfake them. :)) 1 God hath many gracious titles, which do álfure his love Reef.1. and favour to us. He is cald Jehovah:so we live, move,& have our being in him. He is callrd by fob, The preserver of men, Saint Paul'addeth especially of the elect, for their salvation is a peculiar grace, no common favour. :. And so his right hand both supporteth and guideth us, that vve neither stray out of the yvay: nor fall in the vvay. He He is called our Shepherd and so we come to want nothing, for he leadech us both to the green pastures, and to the waters of comfort. He is called the husband of the Church, and Christ preferveth her to him, sine macula & ruga, without fpot or wrinckle, and Christ teachech us to call him our father, so as a father bath compassion, &c. The Lord is our king of old , he maketh salvation in the middeft of the earth. All these cicles declare him no Non-refidont from his charge, he is always Incumbent. For ipfe eft qui, dat falutem. 2 Because the Church commitreth it feff to him and cafteth her care upon him, and he never failed them that trust in him. Saint Paul, I know whom I have trusted, Commit thy ways to the Lord, and truft in him, and bee fhall bring it to pals. 3 The Church of God giveth hith no rest, but by continual supplications, importuneth his saving protection, saying; O Lord, I pray thee lave now: O Lord, I pray thee now give prosperity, he hath commanded fier so to do. To seek to åske, to knock, and invocatiou is one of the marks of Gods chil Real.2. Real. 3: Real 4. He that calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved. They are called the assembly of Gods armies, and their prayers be their weapons, Heaven is their abiding City which they besiege , and Christ faith, the violent take it by force. For, multorum preces impossibile eft contemini..! 4 Christ himself always prayeth the Father for his Church, that God would keep it, and he faith to his Father, I know that thou hearest me always. .:This comfortable Doctrine serveth to refrerh the grieved soul in time of affliction, the- (mąre of Gods rod doth many times puts us into fits of impacience, and murmuring, the delay of Gods saving help, doth often stagger our weak faith : that the man after Gods one heart, doth sometimes feare that God hanh given him over... vse and |