is like waxe it is melted in the middeft of my bowels. Thus the perturbations of griefe and fear, and the paffions of anguifh are expreft. The quivering of the lips which hindereth fpeech, fheweth a man overcome with anger, fear, or grief, fo doth, The generall difabling of the body, as if the parts thereof, the brains and finews fuffered luxation and debilitation. And the earth-quake in the whole frame thereof, and the diftemper of the man within us. I trembled in my felf, that is the inward man, the hid man of the heart felt this anguish of grief and fear, and all this trepidation and terrour had this good effect following. That I might reft in the day of trouble.] For of fufferance comes eafe, this fear of the heavy hand of God is but a fit, for faith followeth it, and confumeth it, and fetleth the heart in a yielding to the mighty hand of God, and that giveth reft in the day of trouble, that day is alfo defcribed. when he commeth up unto his people, he will invade them with his troops.] Either when God cometh, or when the enemy whom God fhall employ in the execution of this judgment cometh, he will invade his people that have rebelled against him, and are fallen away from him with troops, that is, hee will come upon them with a full power to make a full conqueft of them. This day is is further defcribed in the verse following. H.b.3.17. Verse 17. Although the fig-tree shall not bloffome, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labour of the Olive shall fail, and the field fhall yield no meat, the flocks shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the ftals. N the worst that befall to Ithe land, that God thould not onely as before, carry away, or destroy the inhabitants thereof, although he should smite the the land it felf with barrenneffe, that neither the fig tree nor the vine should relieve them, nor the olive, nor the fields, nor the foulds, yet the Church will not defpair of the loving kindneffe of the Lord toward them. This land to long promised to the feed of Abraham, fo long expected, and at laft by them poffeffed is much praised in Scripture. God himself calleth it a good land, and a large, a land flowing Exod.3.8. with milk and honey: And fo the pics that were sent to fearch it, brought word, and Nun!.13.9 they brought of the fruit, and fhewed it to the people. Again, for the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a Deut,8.7. Land of brooks of water, of fountains, and depths, that spring out of valleys and hils. and Á land of wheat, and barley, and wines, and fig trees, pomegranates, a land of oil, olive, and hony. A Land wherein thon fbalt eat bread without fearceneffe, thou fhalt not lack any thing in it, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whofe hils thou mayeft dig braffe. It was one of the miracles of the earth, and the full blefling of the Lord was upon it, for the land was fmall both in length and breadth,as all the Charts thereof defcribe it. For from Dan to the river of Egypt, which is fomewhat further then Beersheba,it was litle more then three hundred miles, which was the length of it, and in the broadeft place thereof it was not an hundred, yea do I put it in this accompt, all the land on this fide fordan, the portion affigned to Reuben, Gad, - and the half tribe of Manaffeb. Yet did it contein two great Kingdomes, of Judah and Ifrael, and in Davids time, there were numbred in it thirteen hun- 2 Chron. dred thousand fighting men, which cannot in probable com- 24. putation be more then a fourth part of the people, feeing aged of age men, women and children, and all under twenty years are not reckoned, and this land fed them all, much is faid by heathen writers of the fruitfulneffe of this land, and as great a wonder is it of the change thereof now, for travailers do report it at this time to be a barren and unfruitfull land: it Ýy v 2 Doct. it is in the poffeffron of Gods enemies, and David faith. A fruitfull land maketh he barren, for the iniquity of the people that dwelt therein. The fear it felf. 23 The effect hereof. In the fecond, the misery of the land. 2 Inthe foil yielding corne. 3 In the flocks yielding encrease.. 1 Of the fear of the Church, and therein. 1 Of the cause of this fear in these words, when I heard. The commination of Gods judgments, doth make the Church of God to fear. 1611 r Because this openeth to man his confcience, and declareth to him his fin, for weknow that God is gratious and mercifull, and long fuffering, and hideth his hand in his bofome, his mercy doth often pull it out, and openeth it, and he filleth the hungry with good things, his mercy ftretcheth it out often to gather together his chofen, to defend them from evill, to ftay and fupport them. If his indignation do pluck it out, it is a fign that fin hath provoked him, and therefore we read what of old was the practife of the Church. If there were any judgment abroad, prefently they made fearch for the fin, that had provoked God to it; for they knew him fo juft, that he will not smite without caufe. God taught a this, when the men of Ai fmote the men of Ifrael, and made them to fly before them,fofbua went to the Lord to make his moan, and God told him. Ifrael hath finned... 186 And And fo there was a present search made by the commandement of the Lord throughout all Ifrael, to finde out the finner, and Achan was defected. on the lear In like manner, when Saul had made a vow that none of his army fhould taft any food till night, and fonathan not hearing of the commandement had eaten a little hony upon the end of his rod, hee went too advise with God concerning the purfuit of the Philistines, by night, and God anfwered him not, wherefore Saul faid. Draw you neer hither all the chief of the people, and know and fee 1 Sam.14. wherein this fin hath been this day. 38. And this is so naturall a queft, as that whofoever do acknowledg a divinity,cannot but upon the fenfe of judgment,or the fear of it presently conclude,God offended with fome fins. 6 He is Ubiquitarie, as that no remove can avoyd him, his prefence filleth all places w So the Mariners in the great forme in fonah, faid, every one 2 to his fellow. Come and let us caft lots, that we may know for Jonah 1.7. whofe caufe this evill is upon us C' The confideration of Gods judgments do breed fear in re- Reaf.2. fpect of God, whofe judgments they are. For, he is fo quick fighted to difcerne our fins, that he feeth all, nothing can be hidden from him, but all lyeth open and naked to his fight. 2 Hee is fo wife, to weigh the fins that we commit, putting into the scales the incitements and temptations, the cir cumftances of time, perfon, place, number, even the very affection, wherewith fin is committed. 4 3. He is so just as not to impute more fin to us then we 2213 7 He is fo true of his word, that heaven and earth fhall paffe, but no part of his Word fhall fail, till all be fulfilled. 8. He is one that cannot repent of any thing that he per: emptorily decreeth. All All these things do deciare, that there is great caufe to fear, when he threatneth. 3.3ade Vse. The Apostle teacheth us the ufe of this point, wilt thou not Rom 3.3. then be afraid of the power?do that which is good, then shalt thou have praife of the fame. This is the way to make us feek the face of God, the first finners fled from the prefence of God behind the trees in the garGen.3.19. den, Adam confeffed to God. I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid. A good life is a good fence against fear, Solomon faith: the righhteous is bold as a lyon. Perfect love cafteth out fear,for perfect love is the fulfilling of the law, where our love faileth fhort, there fear filleth the empty and void room. The voyce of the Lord is comfortable, and his words are fweet to thofe that fear him, he will speak peace unto his peoPfal.85.8. ple, and to his Saints: But let them not turn again to folly. So David refolves there. I will hear what the Lord will speak ) It is a plain fign, that all is not well with us, when the voyce of God doth caft us into fear, when we are afraid to hear the Word preached, when juft reproofs of our fins are unwelcome to us, and anger us, and make us think the worfe of our Minifter that chideth and threatneth us. de carx A good life and a well governed converfation, doth not fear the voyce of God: the Word of God is the light which God hath fet up in his Church to guide her feet in the wayes of peace, they that do evill, hate the light, and will not come neer it, left their works fhould be reproved, the children of the light refort to it, and call upon God, fearch my reins and my heart, and fee if there be any way of wickednetle in me. This fear of the Church is not joyned either with obftinacy against God, or murmuring at his judgments, or defpair of his mercy, it is that fear, which is one of the effects of a godly forrow, and it is one of the documents to true repentance, it is the hammer and mallet of God, wherewith he bruifeth us, and breaketh us, that we may be truly humbled under his al |
