Imatges de pàgina
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from that experience of Gods good help, he refolved to attempt the uncircumcifed Philiftine.

And in his declining years, when age grew upon him, he comforted his drooping foirits thus, Thou art my hope, O Lord, Pla. 71.5. God, even my trust from my youth.

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Upon thee have I been stayed from the womb, thou art he that took me from mymothers bowels.

Caft me not off in the time of age, forsake me not when my strength faileth.

There be three forts of men that do even run themfelves upon the edge and point of reprehenfion, we cannot here forgive them a chiding.

1 Those that, tanquam prona pecora, as groveling beasts do look onely upon the time incumbent, miftaking St. Paul, who faith, I forget that which is behind.

Lyranus understandeth him, legalia & terrena.

Theophilat better: Prateritarum virtutum nihil reminifcor, nec Phil.3.13. memoria repeto, fed ea omnia poft tergum relinquo.

So we must forget all the good we have done, as being fhort of perfection,that we may mend our pace in the ways of Gods Commandements.

But the Apoftle did look back to times paft, to fee what Chrift had done for us, how he loved us when vve vvere his enemies, how he washed us in his bloud, how he forgave him his fins, and how he obteined mercy of him, because vvhat he did, he did it ignorantly through unbelief.

2 Thofe alfo are here reproved, vvho look only to the time past, and see therein nothing but Gods temporall favours, but regard not the times present, and confider not Gods spirituall graces

Some that lived in the time of Popery,do prayse those dais: then vvas good houfe-keeping, eafie rents, a conftant fashion of apparrel; that many Gentlemen had the lands of their grandfathers in poffeffion, and their cloaths on their backs; then vvas no feeking of reverfions, or buying of offices, no market of Church-livings.

Ifrael did fo: Remember the fish that we ate in Egypt for nought,

the Cucumbers, and the Melons, and the Leeks, and the Onions, and Num. 11. the Garlick

I deny not,but when the people of this Land vvere fewer, and the vanity of the pride of other Nations, and many of their foul fins kept home,and were not imported hither, there were better times for the belly then thefe are.

But let us fee the state of fouls at that time, they were then in the house of bondage, under Pharaoh of Rome: Beef and Mutton, Wheat and Early were cheap but the two Teftaments, the two breafts of the Church, vvere like a Fountain fealed up, and like a Garden enclosed.

But when Queen Elizabeth began to reft in this Hemifphere, like the Sun to run her race, the turned that night into day, and maintained this fight till the vvas taken up into heaand the that vvas à fhining ftar on earth, and bleft the Church of God Here vvith Benigne afpect and influence, vvas made a gloriotis ever felled Saint in heaven.

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In the beginning of her taign, God came from Teman: The Holy one from mount Paran; God revealed himfelf in the glorious Sun-fhine of his Gofpel of peace.

3 They are affo reproved,vvho out of too much fore-cafting fear of the times to come, do quite forget both the former and the present mercies of God, and aftonifh themselves vvith representations of hideous formes of enfuing dangers.

The God that gave us his light of Truth, and hath continued it fo many happy years of peace amongst us, hath begun, he will alfo make an end; by this light, no doubt, many faithful fouls have found the way to the throne of grace, whofe continuall prayers to God for the happy eftate of his Church, are able to make this Sun ftay his course, and not withdraw his light from us; their prayers and devotions know way to heaven fo well, and plead the caufe of the Church fo effectually, that we have caufe to hope,that the goodness of God which endureth, yet daily will not fail us, but that we fhall fee it,and taft of it,in this land of the living.

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1 Tim. 2.

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Once,let us remember,under whofe fhadow vve live,a learned gracious King, who hath feen into the darkness of Popery, and laid it open, no Chriftian Prince fo much, no Chriftian more he hath put his hand to the Plough, and he cannot forget Lots Wife..

Let us not make our felves certain afflictions, out of uncertain fears, and draw uqon us the evils of to morrow, For fufficient for the day is the evil thereof.

Queen Elizabeth, brought into this Church and Land, True Religion and Peace, King fumes hath continued it, let us be thankfull to God for it, and let us be ever telling what the Lord hath done for our fouls: Let not our unquiet vyranglings amongst our felves provoke the God of Peace against us, neither let our bufie eves-dropping the counfels and intendments of State which are above us, and belong not to us make us afraid, our work is, In all things togive thanks, For what we have received already, for what we do poffeffe and enjoy and pray continually for that we would have for all men; efpecially for our King, that under him we may lead a quiet and and peaceable life in all godliness and honeftie: and then, Rejoyceevermore, Rejoyce in the Lord, and again, Isay rejoyce.

He that came from Teman and Paran, to a people,that fate in darkness and in the fhadow of death, and gave us light,hath ever fince fo fupplyed us with oile, that we may fay, difficiunt vafa, the want is on our part, for truly God is good to Ifrael, to all fuch that have faithfull and true hearts.

To this end, let me ftir you up to a remembrance of the times paft, beginning at the Initium regni November 17, in An20, 1558. for fo long hath this Sun of righteoufness fhined clear upon our Church..

2 Doctr. The Church hath a fpeciall intereft in the power and protection of God, gathered from hence, he had hornes comming out his hands, and there was the hiding of his power. There is a power that God openly fheweth, and that is exten ded to an univerfall protection of all the works of Gods hand, but there is a power that he hideth, and that is his fpeciall protection of his Church.

1 He protecteth them, David gives them a good inftarce in the former mercies of God to this people.

When they were yet but few, and they strangers in the land.

1 Chron.

And when they went from nation to nation, from one Kingdome 16.19.

to another people.

He suffered no man to do them any wrong, Kings for their fakes, Saying,.

but reproved even

Touch not my anointed, and do my Prophets no harme.

And the Pfalmift can give no other reafon of this speciall protection, but on Gods part, because he had a favour to them; and on their part, that they might keep his ftatutes, and obferve his lawes.

And these be motives that establish Gods protection upon his Church, in all the ages thereof.

His mercy and our obedience, which leffon if we take out vvell, vve thall learne thankfulneffe to him for his favour, and holineffe in our lives. And this is that godlineffe, vvhich hath the promises of this life, and that vvhich is to come.

2 He hideth the horne of our Salvation.

I From his Church,in fome measure, to keep us from prefumption, fo that vve do often rather believe then feel the loving kindneffe of the Lord, and to stirre us up to prayer, for the more vve are made fenfible of our vvants, the more are vve provoked to invocation of the name of the Lord.

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2 From the vvorld, that hateth his Church, that they may fulfill their iniquity, and declare their uttermoft malice a-gainst the Church, and when he had fuffered PHAROAH and his hoaft to follovv his people of Ifrael into the red Sea, and there taketh of their Chariot wheels, then they fhall fee it and fay,we will fly from the face of Ifrael, for the Lord fight- Exod.14. eth for them against the Egyptians.

Great is the profit of this point in the cafe of thofe fpirituall desertions, vvhereby God for a time feemeth to forfake his

own children.

Well are they described by Gods ovvn mouth.

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For a fmall moment have I forfaken thee, but with great mer- Ifa.54.7.

cies will I gather thee.

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In a little wrath, I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindneffe will I have mercy on thee, faith the Lord,thy Redeemer.

Which fheweth that the hiding of Gods protecting power, is not totall, but partiall, for it is in a little anger, and it is not finall, but temporary, for a fmall moment.

In outward things.

In the example in my text,God hid his hand in his bofome, & the horn of his Salvation was almoft all out of fight for the fpace of 70 years, during the captivity of the Church.

So many of Gods dear Servants drink deep of the bitter cup of affliction, fuffering the contempt and injuries of the world, in bonds, imprisonments, oppreffions, fcourges, fuch as the world is not worthy of: yet do they not want a fecret feeling of the power of Gods protection, quickning their patience, and reviving his own work in them, in the midst of the years. 2 In fpirituall graces.

Sometime God taketh away from his children their feeling of his love, and of the joy of the Holy Ghost, and that they finde with much grief.

In the oppreffion of the heart with forrow, wherein they feel no comfort, as David; My foar ran, and ceafed not; my foul Pfal.77.2, refufed comfort. I did think upon God and was troubled.

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3. 2 In the ineffectuating the means of falvation for a time.For many holy zealous fouls defirous to do God good fervice, do complain, that they hear the Word,& do not profit by it,they receive the Sacraments, and do not taft how fweet it is; they pray, but they feel not the Spirit helping their infirmities; they give thanks and praife to God, but they do not feel that indanci

Ala. 63.17.

give of the heart, and jubilation of the foul, and re

joycing in God, that should attend his prayfe, yea,rather they perceive in themselves a going backward from God, as the Church complaineth

O Lord, why haft thou made us to erre from thy ways, and har dened our heart from thy fears?

3. Sometimes when we have the zeal of Gods glory, and a

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