A SERMON OF God's Omnipotency and Providence. PSAL. 95. 3. The Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. Printed by C. L. And are to be sold by Matthew Law, in Paul's Churchyard at the sign of the Fox. 1615. To the Reader. CHristian Reader, It may seem mere presumption, and vain ostentation, for one of my years to commit so unworthy labours to the 〈…〉sse, especially when so many aged and re〈…〉 end Divines, of excellent learning, pro 〈…〉 and judgement, and continued experience, 〈…〉 silent in this kind. My apology for my 〈…〉 is, the common plea, I mean importu 〈…〉 of friends, and for mine own part, I 〈…〉 not in conscience deny so religious a re〈…〉 of my Christian auditors. God that 〈…〉 es the secrets of all hearts knows it, that 〈…〉, and self love, were never the spurs 〈…〉 cke me on to this bold attempt: only 〈…〉 hath been the height of my desires, the go●d of Zion, the benefit of God's Church 〈…〉 people: if therefore thou repeast any pro 〈…〉 from these my pains, I have attained to the top of my wishes. Howsoever, here I present them to thy favourable censure. In the mean time, I commend both thee and thy growth in grace, to the help and furtherance ●● Almighty God. Canham. Thine in Christ jesus, BEZALEEL CARTER. A SERMON OF God's power and providence. PSAL. 135. 6. Whatsoever pleased the Lord, that did he in heaven, in the earth, in the sea, and in all deeps. Right Honourable, Worsh. and Well-beloved, THe Scripture is infinitely large The Lord omnipotent for four reasons. in setting forth unto us the power of God: I know, saith David, in the verse foregoing, that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all Gods. 1. The Lord is mighty, for he does whatsoever he pleases. Gen. 18. 14. 2. He is mighty, because he works by no means. job. 26. 2. 3. Psal. 148. 5. 3. He is mighty, for he works by weak means, Exod. 8. 6. Acts. 12. 25. Lastly, he is mighty, because he can do more than ever he did from the beginning, or will do to the world's end. Mat. 26. 52. Now his power in doing whatsoever he pleases, is laid down to us in this text: Whatsoever pleased the Lord, etc. At this time I resolve to read it in the present tense, Whatsoever pleases the Lord, that doth he, etc. and I hope I shall offer no violence to my text, for God is one and same, God yesterday, and to day, and the same for ever, his arm is not shortened, nor his power diminished, it hath been alike from the beginning, and shall continue alike, till time shall be no more, Whatsoever pleases the Lord, etc. Now for my method, take it thus. 1. I will show you that God doth what he pleaseth. 1. In heaven. 2. In the earth. Division. 3. In the seas. 4. In all deeps. 2. I will come to use and application. 1. In heaven. By heaven, I understand whatsoever is above the earth: Paul I remember makes 1. Particular. mention of three heavens, a first, a second, & a third heavens; like Noah's Ark that was contrived with a first, second, and third room. The first, reaches from the earth to the moon. The second, from the moon to the third heaven, which by the learned is called coelum empyreium, comprehending the seven planets, & the firmament, which is the receptacle of all the fixed stars. And the last, is that which Paul calleth the highest heavens, the Paradise of god, and the seat of the blessed. I might take occasion to show you that God doth what he pleases. 1. In the first heavens. 2. In the second heavens. 3. In the third heavens. But lest I should seem rather curious then profitable, I will handle this point generally, that God doth what he pleases in heaven. The heaven is the Lords throne, 1. King. 8. 27. the Angels at his command, as diligent as the servants of the Centurion, Matth. 8. 9 if he saith to one, go, he goeth; to another, come, he comes; to a third, do this, he doth it: If to destroy Sodom, ready to destroy: if to preserve Lot, they can do nothing, till Lot be come out of Sodom. Knowest thou not, said Christ, to him that smote off the high Priests servants ear, that I could pray to my father, and he would give me more than twelve legions of Angels? Matth. 26. The sun, and the moon, and the stars, the orbs and arches of heaven, obey his voice: he caused the sun and moon to stand still till joshua prevailed over his enemies, Josh. 10. 13. and the stars from heaven to fight against Sisera, judg. 5. 20. He commands the winds and storms, and the winds and storms obey him, Mark. 4. 36. The thunders, and they are obedient to him: He sent thunder to plague the hard hearted Egyptians, Exod. 9 23. He sent thunder at the prayer of Samuel, 1. Sam. 12. 18. The winds were his servants to bring in quails to the Israelites, Numb. 11. 31. And when jonah fled from the presence of the Lord to Tarshish, he raised up a mighty tempest, jon. 1. 4. The swift and speedy lightnings are his attendants. When he came to deliver the law to Moses, he came in a terrible manner with lightnings, Exod. 19, 16. He covereth the heavens with clouds, and prepareth rain, Psal. 147. 8. In the time of Noah the Lord opens the windows of heaven, and commanded the clouds to rain, and then the earth was covered with water, Gen. 7. 19 Again, he commanded that it should not rain for the space of three years and upwards, in the time of Eliah, 1. King. 17. 1. and then the windows of heaven were shut up, and the rivers were dried up, 1. kin. 17. 7. He gives snow like wool, & scattereth the hoar frost ashes. Psal. 147. 16. He tames the birds of the air, even the wild ravens: the wild ravens fed the Prophet Eliiah, 1. Kin. 17. 6. In a word, all things in heaven obey him, the Angels, the Sun, the moon, the stars, storms, tempests, thunders, lightnings, rain, snow, hail. He gives by his voice, the multitude of waters in the heavens, he causes his clouds to ascend from the ends of the earth, he turns his lightnings to rain, and brings forth the wind out of his treasure, jerem. 10. 13. Whatsoever pleaseth the Lord, that doth he in heaven. In the earth. As he ruleth all things in heaven, so he 2. Particule ruleth all things in earth, movable and immovable, man and beast: he ruleth all men, yea the very steps of a man are ruled by the Lord, Prou. 20. 24. he fashions the heart of every man, and understands their works, Psal. 33. 15. by him Kings reign, and Princes decree justice; by him Princes rule, and all the judges and Nobles of the earth, Prou. 8. 15. It is he that giveth deliverance unto Kings, and rescueth his servants from the hurtful sword, Psal. 144. 10. he pulleth down Princes, and raiseth up Princes, according to his pleasure. He chased the Amorites, Exod. 34. 11. he fought for Israel, Ios. 10. 42. he gave Hezekiah victory, 2. King. 19 34. he gives the victory, he gives the overthrow; in a word, he rules all men, the mighty of the earth, Emperors, and Kings: The heart of the King is in the hand of the Lord, Prou. 21. 1. and not only so, but whatsoever is in the earth beside, with life or without life, * even ●en and ●attel. ●●. 8. 8. from the lion to the creeping thing: he caused a lion to destroy the disobedient prophet, 1. King. 13. 24. so he gave Samson victory over a lion, judg. 14. 12 and likewise David victory over a lion, 1. Sam. 17. 34. He sent two be 〈…〉 stroy the forty two children that 〈…〉 k the Prophet Elisha, 2. King. 2. 〈◊〉 Frogs, flies, lice, and grasshoppers are t●● Lords mighty army: he spoke the word and they mustered themselves up against Pharaoh, and made war against the wicked Egyptians, Exod. 8. 5. 9 1. 10. 28. The worms likewise obey the voice of God: he sent a worm to destroy jonah his gourd, jon. 4. 7. and so do the serpents, for he sent fiery serpents amongst the children of Israel, that stang them so as many died, Numb. 21. 6. The Lord is he that causeth 〈◊〉 trees of the earth to flourish, even th● 〈…〉 Cedars of Lebanon, and the tree 〈…〉 earth to whither, like the wild figg● 〈…〉 ●at●●. 21. 19 he raised up a wild gourd ●● comfort jonah, and the next morning he caused it to die away, jon. 4. 7. He causeth the earth to bring forth the bud of ●he herb, that seedeth seed according ●● his kind, Gen. 1. 11. he, I say, ruleth the earth, men, beasts, trees, plants. The earth is the Lords, and all that therein is, the round world, and they that dwell therein, Psal. 24. 1. Whatsoever pleaseth the Lord, that doth he in 〈…〉 in earth. In the seas. Thirdly, God doth that which he pleaseth in the sea: The sea is his, and he made it, and his hands prepared the dry land, Psal. 95. 5. he divided the red sea, so as the Israelites passed through upon dry land, Exo. 14. 23. He commands the sea, yea the fishes of the sea are commanded of God from the greatest to the least: He caused a whale to swallow up jonah, and the same whale to cast him up again upon the dry land, jon. 2. 10. and when Simon had gone a fishing all night, and could catch nothing ● at length Christ caused him to lau● 〈…〉 to the deep, and then he encloas● 〈…〉 ●ole multitude of fishes, Luk. 5. 〈…〉 God, saith David, rulest the raging of the sea, when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them, Psa. 89. 9 his ways in the sea, and his paths in the great waters, and his footsteps are not known, Ps●. 77. 19 When Israel came out of Egypt, and the house of jacob from the barbarous people, the sea saw it and fled, jordan was turned backward, Psalm. 117. Thou hast, faith the Psalmist, placed the earth upon her foundations, thou coverest it with the deep as with a garment: the waters would stand above the mountains, but at thy rebuke they fly, Psal. 104. 5. as if he had said, If thou, O God, didst not curb in and bridle the raging of the sea, it were impossible but that the whole world should be overwhelmed with water, the waters would stand above the mountains, but at thy rebuke they fly: and Psal. 33. 7. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as upon an heap, and layeth up the deeps in his treasure: and yet in another Psalm, The voice of God is upon the waters, he fits upon the floods, and remains king for ever and ever, Psal. 29. 10. Whatsoever pleases the Lord, that doth he in heaven, in the earth, and in the sea. And in all deeps. First, in the deeps of the sea: and thus 4. Particular he delivered jonah being encompassed with the deeps, jon. 1. 2. he makes the deeps to boil like a pot, job. 41. 22. Secondly, in the deeps of the earth: The grave is naked before him, job 26. 6. There is nothing hidden, no not in the bottom of the earth, but he seethe it. Thirdly, in the deep of all deeps: in the bottomless pit, Reu. 20. his power is deeper than hell, job 11. 8. hell and destruction are before the Lord, Pro. 15. 11. 4. But the meaning of the place is this, God ruleth not only the seas and salt waters, but all fresh rivers, ponds, and lakes, even the deeps that spring out of the valleys and mountains, Deu. 8. 7. Oh God, saith David, Let not the wicked have their desire: Oh cast them into the deep pits that they rise not. Psal. 104. 10 He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave the children of Israel drink as out of the great deeps. Psal. 78. 15. He spoke the word, and the fountains of the great deep were broken up. Gen. 8. 11. The rivers of Egypt he turned into blood, Exod. 7. 17. and caused the ancient river, the river Kishon to sweep away Sisera with his mighty host. judg. 5. 21. He turns the floods into a wilderness, and springs of water into dryness: again, he turns the wilderness into pools of water, and the dry land into water springs, Psal. 107. 33. Whatsoever pleases the Lord, that doth he in heaven, in earth, in the sea, and in all deeps. Whatsoever pleases the Lord that he doth, The limitation of this doctrine. etc. Yet this must be understood with limitation: for some things there are which God cannot do. God cannot lie, Tit. 1. 2. God cannot deceive, God cannot sin, God cannot deny himself, etc. here then arises the difficulty, how can it be said, that God doth whatsoever he pleases, since you have named particulars, that he cannot effect nor bring to pass? God cannot sin, God cannot cause that which is done to be undone, etc. and therefore God is not omnipotent, neither doth he whatsoever he wills. But the answer is easy: First, God doth whatsoever he pleases, but to sin, to lie, etc. these are not pleasing to his Majesty, Secondly, these are opera non potentiae sed impotentiae, to sin, to die, etc. these proceed from weakness and infirmity, and therefore if God were subject to these, he were not Almighty: for to sin is a token of imperfection, yea of slavery: know you not saith Paul that his servants you are whom you obey. joh. 8. 34. If God could be overcome by sin, he should be the servant of sin, and if he could subject himself to the bondage, and slavery, and service, and dominion of sin, and be vanquished and overcome by it, he were not Almighty: for this would derogate from his omnipotency, because it implies a contradiction, to be omnipotent, and yet to yield to the conquest of sin: and therefore here rather appears the mighty power of God, that he is not subject to these infirmities, it is the great power of God, that he cannot lie, and so for sin in general, therefore it is not in God, because he is Almighty and omnipotent. But I leave the doctrines, and hasten to the use. I will first deliver one use in general, and so we will come to more particular application. Since God rules all things in heaven, The general use. and earth, etc. therefore nothing comes to pass, without his special notice and providence, nothing comes by accident, nor nothing comes by chance. The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposition is of the Lord, Prou. 16. 33. who saith a thing comes to pass, & the Lord hath not done it? out of the mouth of the most High proceeds evil and good, Lam. 3. 37. The Lord saveth man and beast, Psal. 36. 6. God careth for the birds of heaven and feeds them, Matth. 6. 26. and he numbers our hairs, Matth. 10. 30. Nay, takes notice of every tear that is shed by the faithful, and puts them in a bottle, Psal. 56. 8. Nay, his providence extends to the lilies of the field, and to the birds of heaven, even to the little sparrow. The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away, as it pleaseth the Lord, so come things to pass, job. 1. 21. Indeed ordinarily we ascribe whatsoever betides us, to fortune, and chance, and to the influences of the stars, as if God were not the disposer and ruler of all his works: there can be no evil in the city, saith Amos, but the Lord hath done it, Amos. 3. 6. plagues come from God, punishments from God, crosses from God: the covetous man imputeth his losses to fortune, his increase to fortune, & generally untimely deaths, burnings, blast, etc. these are imputed to accident & chance, when indeed sin is the cause, and God is the author of punishment. Man suffers for sin, Lam. 3. 39 our sins are the cables, and cart-ropes, that hurries down God's vengeance upon us. I kill, saith God, and I give life, I wound and I make whole, Deut. 32. 39 I form the light, I create darkness, I make peace, and I create evil, I the Lord do all these things, Isai. 45. 7. This in general. Now in particular this doctrine may serve, First for terror to the wicked. Secondly, for comfort to the elect. Terror to the wicked. 1. In regard of this life. 2. In regard of a better life. Consolation to the elect. 1. for this life. 2. for a better life. Use. 1 How can a wicked and a godless person harbour any quiet in his breast, since God rules in all places? how can they promise themselves any safety, since God doth whatsoever he pleaseth in heaven, in the earth, in the sea, and in all deeps? how can they promise peace to themselves, when the Lord of heaven is able to muster up all his heavenly powers, and set legions of heavenly and celestial soldiers in battle array against them? nay how can they ever think to be saved, since God is the Lord of the heavens, that excludeth and admitteth whomsoehe pleases? how can they think to prosper upon the earth, or to be safe upon the sea, since God rules in both these; when his power reaches higher than the heaven, deeper than hell, since the measure of it is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea, job. 11. 8. If they look up to heaven, the mighty God of heaven their enemy, Christ their enemy, archangel's, and Angels, the orbs and arches of heaven, the stars and the planets, all things in heaven ready at God's command to bandy against them, nay the gates of heaven bard up against them, as it was against the five foolish virgins, Math. 25. 12. If they look down to the earth, the earth is weary of bearing so vile a burden: if they fly to the sea, that swells and rages against them: if they fly to the East, God is there, if to the West God is there, if to the North he works in the North, if to the South he hides himself in the South, job. 23. 8. So as the estate of a wicked man, is like the estate of him that the Prophet Amos speaks of, that flew from a lion, and a bare met him, Amos, 5. 19 Or like Pliny's flying fish, which being in the sea, is chased by the fishes, and flying into the air is pursued by the birds, which way soever they go they run headlong to their destruction: if they take the wings of the morning and fly to the sea, God commands the sea, and that makes war against them, as it did against the Egyptians, Exod. 14. 28. If they return to the earth, the earth shall be cursed to them as it was to Cain, Gen. 4. 12. If they look up to heaven, they fly from a lion to a bear, God likewise ready to execute vengeance upon them for their wicked courses. And therefore truly said the Devil to Saul, Dost thou ask counsel of me, and God is thine enemy? 1. Sam. 28. 16. It is vain to consult or ask counsel, if God opposes, if God takes in against us, it is a vain thing to trust in charets or horses: woe to the rebellious children, saith the Prophet, that strengthen themselves with the strength of Pharaoh, and trust in the shadow of Egypt: for the strength of Pharaoh shall be their shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt their confusion, Isai. 30. 1. 2. Though hand join in hand, saith David, nation join with nation, kingdom with kingdoms, though hand join in hand, yet shall not the wicked escape unpunished: I kill, saith God, neither is there any that can deliver out of my hands, Deu. 32. 39 Though they dig down to hell, thence shall mine hand take them, though they climb up to heaven, thence I will bring them down: though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them thence, and though they be hidden in the bottom of the sea, I will command the serpent and he shall bite them, Amos 9 2. 3. This then is the estate of a wicked man, but I purpose to handle this point more particularly. First, God doth what he pleaseth in In heaven. the heaven, and therefore in what a dangerous, in an uncertain, and slippery estate is every wicked person, that stands not in good grace & terms with God, but stands in the estate of rebellion, and is out of his favour, which way soever he turns, encompassed about with as many enemies as God hath creatures. For even as Princes out of their absolute authority levy up forces, in the court, in the city, in the country, amongst their subjects superior and inferior: So I say the Lord hath, as the earth and sea at his command, so likewise all his celestial courtiers the Angels, as it were his Nobles, whereof one is able to overthrow an hundred fourscore and five thousand, 2. King. 19 39 and as he hath his no●●es, so hath he his inferior officers, the sun●●, the moon, all the planets and stars, whereby he can and doth astonish and amaze wicked and godless and rebellious people. He binds the waters in the cloud, and the cloud is not broken under 〈◊〉. The pillars of heaven tremble and quake at his reproof, he hath garnished the heavens, & framed the crooked serpent, job. 26. 11. 12. 13. He commands the sun, and it riseth not, ●e closes up the stars as under a signe●, he maketh the stars Arcturus, Pleyades, & Orion, and the stars of the South, job. 9 7. 8. 9 He commands the pillars of heaven, the sphear●● and constellations, the planets and stars, Arcturus, Pleyades, and Orion, all these are ready to obey the voice of God, and if he please to command them to plague the ungodly: and there is not the least of the Lords army, not the least Angel, star, not the least meteor, but is able, if God but speak the word to destroy, I say not an Egypt, an Asia, or a world, but ten thousand worlds. Surely, it is a wonder that any wicked man should dare to sleep upon his bed, that they should give sleep to their eyes, or number to their eyelidds, Prov. 6. 4. being so infinitely beset with millions of enemies: how miserably was the poor servant of Elisha affrighted, when he saw that an host of men had encompassed the 〈◊〉, and cried out to Elisha, alas master what shall we do? 2. king. 6. 15. And how fearful were the children of Israel when they departed Egypt, and were pursued by their enemies, they were sore afraid saith the text and cried to the Lord, Exod. 14. 10. A ● so I say it is a wonder of wonders, that men should be so secure, that they should not tremble even as Belthazar trembled, when he saw the hand writing upon the plaster of the wall, Dan. 5. 5. that their hearts should not fail them, that dismaiednes and fear●●ould not swallow them up: When ●mies, not of Egyptians, but Angels pursue them, nay when as all things created from the earth, to circumference of heaven, the lion & the bear, the great bear & the lesser bear, the crooked serpent, Pleyades, and Orion: all ●ods heavenly host, bid them battle, and set themselves continually in battle array against them. Secondly, how can they think to be In earth. safe upon the earth, or to prosper upon the earth, since God is the ruler of the earth; methinks every ungodly wretch should be of cain's mind, that feared least every man he met with, were appointed for his executioner, Gen. 4. 14. May they not justly fear that the earth will take part with her Lord and maker, and swallow them up, as it did Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, Numb. 16. 1, 2, 3. yea, that the least worm and creeping thing should be made strong enough to destroy them: thus proud Herod was worried with worms, Act. 12. 23. and so we read in joel, that the Lord plagued the nation of the jews with most contemptible creatures, grasshoppers, cankerwormes, caterpillars, and palmer-wormes, joel 2. 25. Pope Adrian was slain by a gnat, others with the stone of a raisin, some with an hair in their broth, some one way, some an other, and methinks then that every vile person, should fear the vilest and basest of God's creatures, even frogs, flies, and louse, lest these should be appointed for their destruction, that they should fear to walk in the air for fear of infection, or yet to remain in their houses, for fear lest their houses should revenge God's quarrel upon them: may they not fear that every morsel they eat should be their bane, and every drop of liquor they drink should be their poison? but what saith Solomon, Sentence against evil is deferred, and therefore the heart is fully bend to do wickedly, Eccles. 8. 11. God doth not open the sluices and floodgates of heaven upon us as he did upon the old world, Gen. 7. 17. the earth doth not open her mouth to devour, as in the time of Moses, Numb. 16. 1. God raineth not down upon us fire and brimstone, as he did upon Sodom and Gomorrah, Gen. 19 24. We see many an old sinner, many an old adulterer, many an old swearer, many an old drunkard, and therefore men draw on sin with cords of vanity, Isa. 5. 18. and commit all manner of wickedness with all greediness; these let them know (though God be patiented waiting for their conversion) yet as he is patiented, so he is just, and therefore though he forbears long (as he is slow to anger, Exo. 34. 6.) yet even as a stream being stopped carries all before it, or as wet wood being once kindled burns the faster; so though his wrath hath been a long time kept in with the floodgates of his mercy, yet in the end his fury shall break out, like a violent stream, to the utter destruction of the wicked. Long did he bear with the old world, long did his spirit strive with man, Gen. 6. 3. but in the end he turned the whole world into an Ocean, Gen. 7. 17. long did he strive with jerusalem, but at length, she was made a prey to the teeth of her enemies, Psal. 124. 6. & not one stone left upon another: long may the Lord bear with the wicked, but as sure as God is just, so assuredly in the end his wrath and jealousy shall smoke against them, Deut. 19 20. how then can they soothe up themselves, and flesh up themselves in their sins? how can they think to be safe upon the earth, since the righteous judge of the whole world, Gen. 18. 25. is Lord over the earth? or how can they think to thrive and prosper upon the earth, since the earth is the Lords, and the plenty of the earth? Psal. 24. 1. Gold is mine, saith God, and silver is mine, saith the Lord of hosts, Hag 2. 9 Except the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain that build it; except the Lord keepeth the city, the keeper watcheth in vain, Psal. 127. 1. what a madness is this in a besotted worldling, to cark and to care, and to dig, and ditch, and delve, and beat his brains, and rise early, and go to bed late, Psal. 127. 2. as if they would command the earth in despite of heaven? I tell thee whosoever thou art, if God but command, the heavens above shall be as iron, and the earth as hard as brass, your land shall not give her increase, nor your trees their fruit, Leu. 26 19 and therefore cease from your immoderate labour, and sue for God's blessing, for without it you sow much, but bring in but little, and put all your earnings into a broken bag, Hag. 1. 4. Thirdly, how can a reprobate think In the sea. to be safe upon the sea, since God likewise rules the seas. I remember what I read of jonah: When jonah fled from the presence of the Lord to Tarshish, he betook him to the sea, jon. 1. 3. but as soon as ever God gave commission to his creatures, the winds broke forth, and made war upon jonah, jon. 1. 4. the waters encountered with the winds, and made war upon jonah: nay the fish, the whale opened his mouth, and lay waiting to devour jonah, the mariners that were to land him safely in Tarshish, conspired to cast him into the sea: nay, if God but set against us, then shall we even like judas set against ourselves, Mat. 27. 5. jonah did not in this extremity plead for, but against himself; Take me, saith he, and cast me into the sea, and so shall the sea be calm unto you, jon. 1. 12. & how can wicked persons hope for the least safety upon the sea: if the Lord but command the storms and winds, they obey him, and these shall work their overthrow; if he but command, the sea, the ship, the pirates upon the sea, the rocks, these shall work their destruction. But suppose that neither heaven, nor earth, nor sea sets against them, yet hath In the deeps the Lord an other army, and when he arms himself to vengeance, even the sweet waters, and delightful springs shall run upon the world as it were with drawn swords: and hath not the Lord infinitely fought against us with his watery army, witness our late floods and inundations, breaking down banks, carrying away mills, bridges, etc. the Lord armed these fresh water soldiers with such strength and power, that nothing was able to resist them: and therefore still see the miserable estate of an unsanctified man, if he escapes one evil he meeteth with an other, if he escape a first, he meeteth with a second, for the Lords quiver is full of arrows, and his thunderbolts are never spent, if neither heaven, nor earth, nor sea, yet shall the deeps revenge God's quarrel upon them: even thus miserable are they in this life, even as jonah in the whales belly was compassed with waters, so are these with enemies above, beneath, and round about them. And yet behold, this is but their miserable The 2. use ● the 1. part f● terror to th● wicked. estate in regard of this world: see again their miserable estate in regard of a better life. Is it possible that an unclean person should ever think to dwell with God, so long as God rules in heaven? consider this point in the name of God, and let it be a doctrine to work terror and amazement in us. God hath said it in his word, that neither buggers, fornicators, nor adulterers shall inherit the kingdom of heaven, Eph. 5. 5. God that hath the keys of heaven, and hath the keys of hell, this God hath spoken it, and how canst thou then that runnest to the harlot's house, and makest thyself a slave to uncleanness, how canst thou ever think to dwell with God, that ever abhorred uncleanness: and so for covetous persons, that forsake the kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof, to surfeit upon filthy Mammon, how can they over think to dwell with that God that ever abhorred covetous persons, malicious persons, drunkards, swearers, liars? how can they ever hope to dwell with that God, that abhors malice, abhors excess, abhors swearers, and liars? how can such devilish and damned persons ever think to be saved, since the heaven of heavens is the Lords? Deut. 10. 14. God he is holy, God he is righteous, God he is pure: how canst thou then, thou that art unholy, thou that art unpure, thou that art unrighteous, how canst thou ever think to set thy foot within the gates of the new jerusalem? a stinking carcase stinks not more vilely in the nostrils of man, than an abominable sinner stinks odiously in the nostrils of God. Let all sinful wretches know this, that God is their mortal enemy, he will wound the head of his enemies, & execute vengeance upon his enemies, Deut. 32. 41. we loathe not a toad nor a scorpion worse than the Lord hateth them; we hate not the devil, nor the devil hateth not man worse than God hateth them, and therefore questionless the Lord will never admit them into his holy kingdom, neither covetous earth-worms, beastly drunkards, hellish blasphemers, extorting usurers, God will never receive these into his sacred presence, but shall send them packing with the wicked and the reprobate into everlasting damnation: whosoever worketh abomination and lies, shall have no part in the kingdom of heaven, Reu. 21. 27. the frogs of Egypt stank not more rankly in the Egyptians noses, Ex. 8. 14. then these smell rankly in God's nostrils: and therefore I say, God will stop his nose against them, and give them their portion with hypocrites. All the fearful, all the unbelieving, and abominable murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters, and liars shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, Reu. 21. 8. And therefore now The conclusion of the use in general. to draw to a conclusion, as Peter saith, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, 1. Pet. 5. 6. so say I, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God: God he is a mighty God, able to work your ruin upon earth, and to cast both body and soul into hell fire: humble yourselves therefore before the throne of his grace; for it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Thou drunkard that destroyest the temple of God, and the good creatures of God by thine intemperancy, and runnest into all manner of enormities, that thy drunken humour hurries thee into, that makest streets and towns ring of thine unruliness, thou that art mighty to drink wine and strong drink, how darest thou rise early, and go to bed late, to follow drunkenness, since God hath denounced a woe against drunkards? Isa. 5. 11. and that God that hath denounced a woe against thee, is able to cast both body and soul into hell fire. Thou covetous earthworme, that makest a god of thy goods, that diggest down to hell for riches, and eatest the poor as men eat bread, that art choked with the love of the world: thou greedy caterpillar, how darest thou continue in this sin, since God hath said it, That neither thieves, nor railers, nor covetous persons, shall inherit the kingdom of God? 1. Cor. 6. 10. and this God is able to cast both body and soul into hell fire. Thou blasphemer of the name of God, that rentest and tearest the name of God in pieces, and spewest forth black, and fearful, and damnable oaths, and makest swearing, and cursing, and devilish speaking, thy best language: how darest thou take the name of the Lord in vain, since God hath said it, that he will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain? Exod. 20. 7. and this God is able to cast both body and soul into hell fire. Dares a son offend his father? durst Pilate offend Caesar, joh. 19 13. dares the borrower offend the lender? no man will willingly offend him that is able to work him an inconvenience; and think we then that it is a safe thing to offend the living Lord of heaven and earth, that is able doubly and redoubly, and trebly to requite us, and to render vengeance to those that know him not. If you will not be reform, saith the Lord to the obstinate jews, but walk stubbornly against me, then will I also walk stubbornly against you, and I will smite you yet seven times for your sins, Leuit. 26. 24. I remember what I read in the 2. Sam. 16. 6. concerning David & Shemei: when David went down, the wind and the people increased with Absalon, then indeed Shemei cared not for David, but railed on him, and cursed him, & cast stones at him: David prevailed against Absalon, than he hasts to David with his thousand people, trembled and quaked before him, O saith he, let not my Lord impute wickedness unto me, I know that I have done amiss, I know that I have offended, etc. so truly if God had not an overruling hand, if he were not able to recompense evil to his adversaries, than there were some reason that we should be secure and careless of his majesty; but since his might is so boundless, that it reacheth from heaven to the earth, from the earth to the lowest hell, so as he is able to destroy the mightiest even with the breath of his nostrils, oh therefore let us humble ourselves before his Majesty, let us cry out with the poor Publican, Lord be merciful to me a sinner, Luk. 18. 9 or with the prodigal son, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and against thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son, Luk. 15. 21. let us cry out with Paul, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death? Act. 7. 24. let us with the Ninevits fly to God, with prayer and fasting, jon. 3. 5. let us with Manasseh, humble ourselves greatly before God, 2. Chr. 33. 12. with Daniel, confess our sins, and seek the Lord, Dan. 9 3. with Peter, let us weep bitterly, Matth. 26. 75. let tears run down our cheeks like a river, let us take no rest, neither let the apple of our eyes cease, Lam. 2. 18. until we have recovered the favour of God, and found rest to our souls, Mat. 11. 29. What man dares presume to move the wrath of a King? The wrath of a King is as the messengers of death, Prou. 16. 14. or as the roaring of a lion, Prou. 20. 2. Indeed there are many court clawbacks and Parasites, to humour and flatter a king, to cry out upon every occasion, as Herod's auditors did, The voice of God and not of man, Act. 12. 22. ready to bow to him and adore him like a God: but who dares come to him, as Eliiah did to Ahab, and confront him to his face, 2. King. 18. 1. and how then should we dare to offend the king of kings, whose lordship is heaven, and earth, and sea, and hell: for he filleth all places, jer. 23. 24. the landlord of the whole world, the God of gods, & Lord of lords, Isa. 41. 2. whose face is as a flame of fire, his voice as the roaring of many waters, that hath charets innumerable, and rides upon the wings of the wind, that measures the waters in his fist, that counts heaven with his span, & comprehends the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighs the mountains in a weight, and the hills in a balance, Isa. 40. 12. If we dare not offend a King whose breath is in his nostrils, that shall die like a man, nay if he do wickedly shall perish like a beast, Psal. 49. 12. & be cast into the burning Topheth, which is prepared for the king, Isa 30. how then should we dare to sin against the almighty God of heaven and earth, which hath his way in the whirlwind, that as it was said of the monster Leviathan, esteems iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood, job 41. 18. that puts his hands to the rocks, and overthrows the mountains, job 28. 9 Before whom the earth trembles, and the mountains melt, judg. 5. 5. Oh let us cast ourselves down before this God, for he is a great God, and a great king above all gods. This of the first use. 2. This doctrine of God's omnipotency, The 2. use fo● consolation to the godly may serve for the comfort of the Elect: for since God rules all things, therefore they may be assured, that none of all God's creatures shall hurt them: what saith the spirit of God, concerning the righteous; they shall laugh at destruction, and death, and shall not be afraid of the beast of the earth: The stones of the field shall be in league with them, and the beast of the field shall be in league with him, job. 5. 22. First, God rules in heaven: this may administer In heaven. infinite comfort. For by this they may be assured, that none of all God's creatures in heaven shall hurt them. The wind shall not blow upon them, nor a cloud shall not rise but for their good, a drop of rain falls nor, storms nor winds nor lightnings happen not but by the appointment of God, and therefore he is said to make the chambers in his clouds, and to ride upon the wings of the wind, and to break the bottles of rain, job. 38. 38. to have his treasures of hail, and his treasares of snow, job. ●8. 22. He causes the sweet influences of the Pleyades, and loses the bands of Orion, he brings forth Mazaroth in their time, and guides Arcturus with his sons, job. 38. 32. If then (as it is said in an higher sense) if God be on our side, who can be against us? so if God the general of the army be on our side, which of all his creatures can be against us? no, if he be with us, he shall open his treasures of snow, he shall command his clouds to pour down their ●●rst rain, and their latter rain, and the grass shall grow upon the mountains, Psal. 147. 8. the elementary regions the stars, and the planets, shall fight for us: The Sun shall stand still in Gibeon, and the moon in the valley of Aylon, Josh. 10. 12. the sun and moon stood still at the prayer of joshua, the sun in Gibeon and the moon in the valley of Aylon; the sun shall forsake her wont race, and the moon shall cease from her course, for the good and benefit of God's Church & people. Nay, the Angel's Gods domestical servants, in the check roll, that wear God's livery after a special manner, these shall attend upon the elect. The Angels of the Lord pitch round about them that fear him, and delivereth them, Psal. 34. 7. and the writer to the Hebrews, Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for their sakes, which are heirs of salvation, Heb. 1. 14. nay, they are not only guarded by Angels, but by armies of angels: an host of Angels met with jacob, Gen. 32. 2. & an army of Angels with chariots of fire were ready to protect Elisha, 2. King. 6. 17. an Angel were sufficient to protect the whole Church: one army might be sufficient, but not one angel, not one army, but legions, millions, and mirriads of heavenly soldiers, pitch their tents, about every one that fears the Lord. May we not say of this doctrine, as was said of Goliath his sword, there is none to it: this this, is a matchless doctrine for a wounded spirit: fall in with God, and make thy peace with him, and not only his other creatures, but even Archangels, and Angels shall guard thee. 2. God ruleth the earth, and therefore In earth. this may administer further comfort. God raiseth up states, & he casteth down states, for the Lord is judge, Psal. 75. 7. It matters not then how grievous thy distresses be, nor how many thine enemies be, for the Lord can raise the poor out of the dust, and the needy out of the dung, that he may set them with the Princes, even with the Princes of the people. Psal. 113. 7. That child that hath a wealthy, and powerful, and potent father, fears neither poverty nor enemies: and what need we then that have the Almighty jehovah for our Lord and father, that looks down with us or against us, Psal. 33. 12. and binds all his other creatures to their good-abearing, Hos. 2. 21. what need we fear so long as God rules the earth: Let God take in with Samson, not a band of Philistines can prevail against him: nay Samson without sword, or spear, (when the spirit of the Lord came upon him) he slew a thousand men with the jaw-bone of an ass, jud. 15. 15. gideon's three hundred men, shall (with the knocking of potsherds) chase their enemies that lie as thick upon the ground as grasshoppers, judg. 7. 22. jonathan and his armour bearer shall terrify an host, 1. Sam. 14. 15. little David, with a sling and stone, shall vanquish mighty Goliath that was harnessed with an helmet of bras 1. Sam. 17. 5. and had boots of brass upon his legs, and a shield of brass upon his shoulders, v. 6. If the Lord be with jacob, Esau shall have no power to bid him battle, Gen. 34. 4. If the Lord be with Abraham, Pharaoh his cruel enemy shall enrich him, Gen. 22. 19 Thus doth the Lord, order all things for the good of his people: he makes their enemies their friends, and delivers them in battle from the power of the sword, job. 5. 20. God is my shepherd, saith David, and how can I want? Psal. 23. how can he want that hath God for his shepherd: lift up thine eyes, said the Lord to Abraham, Eastward, Westward, Northward, and Southward, all the land that thou seest will I give thee, Gen. 13. 14. God's wealth is not in the East only, or the West only, but Eastward, Westward, Northward, & Southward: and therefore no good thing can be wanting to those that fear God: Psal. 34. If you keep my Commandments (it was the Lords promise to the jews) I will send you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall give their fruit, your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and your vintage to the sowing time, and you shall eat your bread in plenty, and dwell in your land safely, you shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you upon the sword: five of you shall chase an hundred, & an hundred shall put five thousand to flight: Leu 26. 4. 5. 6. In the name of God, and fear of God, let us consider this point: do thine enemies rise up against thee? and thine adversaris increase, Ps. 3. 1. as God said to Abraham, fear not Abraham, I am thy buckler, Gen. 15. 1. so say I, fear nothing, God is thy buckler: be thine enemies never so malicious, God that is greater than thine enemies, he shall cause those that rise against thee, to fall before thy face. If they come against thee one way, they shall fly before thee seven ways, Deu. 28. 7. Yea, doth their malice reach to blood; do they lead thee before Kings and Rulers for Christ his sake? still trust in God, that God that delivered Daniel out of the lions jaws, preserved Shadrach, Meshack, & Abednego amidst the fiery furnace, that delivered the children of Israel with an high hand against Pharaoh king of Egypt, Exod. 14. 8. this God is able to preserve thee in spite of thine adversaries: and he hath said it, that he will never forget thee. Isa. 49. 15. If the Lord sustain thee, what needest thou be afraid of ten thousand people though they should beset thee round about, Psalm. 3. 6. Again, for the things of this life, how canst thou want, since God ruleth the earth. That God that gave riches, and treasures, and honours to Solomon, so as he gave gold and silver as stones, 2. Chron. 1. 15. That God that chose David from a sheepfold to a kingdom, Psal. 78. 70. this God is able to supply thy wants, & he hath promise to make thee plentiful in goods, Deut. 28. 11. Let us seriously consider this point: when thine enemies rise up against thee, think of God's power: when the world frowns upon thee, think of God's power: when the streams of affliction overwhelm thy soul, think of God's power: nay resolve with job, though he should slay me, yet will I trust in him, job. 13. 15. no question the thought of it shall be as comfortable unto thee, as the cool water to the weary passenger, Prov. 25. 25. Thirdly, to proceed to further matter of comfort: God ruleth the sea, and therefore In the sea. the child of God shall be safe as well by sea as by land: no place is more full of peril and danger than the sea, dangerous for pirates, dangerous for storms, dangerous for rocks, yet notwithstanding, there doth the Lord mightily uphold his people, even amidst the billows and storms of the sea. Excellent for this purpose is that in the 107. Psalm. 2. 3. 4. when the storms rise, and lift up the waves of the sea, when they mount up to the heavens, and descend to the deep, so as their souls melt for trouble, when they are tossed to & fro like a drunken man, and all their cunning is gone, etc. when those that are upon the sea, are in this fear & perplexity, ready to be devoured by the seas, to be swallowed up in the sands, and to dash against the rocks: when the winds whistle, & the sea roars, and swells, and darkness overspreads all: when every one is at his wits end with astonishment, why then saith David in the same Psalm, they cry unto God in their trouble, and he brings them out of their distress, he turns the storm into a calm, so as the waves of the sea are still, and they come to their desired haven, v. 30. Thus you see, sea and land, every place is a place of Sanctuary, of rest, and refuge, to the righteous man, according to that, Deut. 8. 3. thou shalt be blessed in the city, and blessed in the field: or that in the Psalmist, blessed in thy going out, & coming in, Ps. 121. 8. Lo surely thus shall the man be blessed, that feareth the Lord, Psal. 128. 4. abroad, at home, by sea and by land. Thus God dealt by the Israelites, when they travailed by land: he guides them when they came to the sea: he divided the red sea, and led them through it, Psal. 78. 13. when they did travel in the day time, he led them with a cloud, and when they went in the night he led them with a pillar of fire, v. 14. when they were thirsty, he gave them water out of the hard rock, v. 16. When they were hungry, he sent them Manna from heaven, and reigned down flesh upon them like dust, vers. 27. Thus the Lord dwells with his servants, joh. 14. and not only so, but he follows them wheresoe-they go. Ios. 1. 9 The Lord is their keeper, the Lord is their shadow at their right hand, so as the sun shall not smite them by day, nor the moon by night. Psal. 121. 5. 6. 7. Lastly, God rules the deeps, therefore In the deeps shall he likewise curb the fresh waters, that they shall not overflow thee, job. 21. 11. Let Sisera oppose himself against the Church, and the river Kishon shall sweep away Sisera, that ancient river the river Kishon, jud. 5. 21. And the waters of Marah, though never so bitter, yet at the prayer of Moses shall the waters of Marah be made sweet to the Israelites, Exod. 15. 25. Nay they shall but only drink of the waters of Marah, no let Moses smite on the rock Horeb, and the waters of Massah and Meriboth shall flow forth like a river, Ps. 105. 41. Is Naaman the Assyrian a leprous, the river jordan shall cure him, 2. King. 5. 15. Are the waters of jericho never so deadly; the Prophet Elisha shall heal them for ever: 2. King. 21. 12. And are the ungodly for their sins never so much visited, with the common plagues of floods, and overflowings, and inundations, yet notwithstanding we may still say of the righteous, as David in another sense. Surely, in the floods of many waters they shall not come near him. Psalm. 32. 6. Thus heaven, and earth, and sea, and deeps, are attendants upon the Saints. But behold a greater comfort than any of these, God is the God of heaven, and therefore every Christian soul may be certainly assured of his own salvation: for there can be no condemnation to those which are in Christ jesus, which walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit, Rom. 8. 1. This then is the blessed estate of a righteous man, the angels pitch their tents about them here, and they shall live an angel's life after death, Matth. 22. 30. The sun shall not hurt them in the day time, nor the moon by night, & after death they shall shine like the sun, in the glory of the father, the stars and the planets shall fight for them in their courses, and after death they shall glitter like the stars for ever, Dan. 12. 3. God hath spoken it in his word, God that is able to perform his promise, Rom. 4. 21. And I am verily persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ jesus, Rom. 8. 38. 39 God hath promised it, he that never promised more than he was able to perform, nor never performed less than he promised: I saith Christ, give eternal life to my sheep, and they shall never perish, and none shall pluck them out of my hands: for my father that gave them is greater than any, and no man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand, joh. 10. 29. Christ reasons here from the omnipotency, & mighty power of God, so boundless, and infinite, and endless, that those which repose their confidence in him, need never be afraid. If God give eternal life to his sheep, who is able to take them out of his hand? If God writ our names in the book of life, who is able to raze them out again? if he justify who can condemn? Rom. 8. 34. if God be on our side, who shall dare to lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen? no I am verily persuaded, that neither principalities nor powers, neither Belzebub, nor Belial, nor all the devils in hell, shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ jesus. The devil may go about like a roaring Lion, seeking to devour: but God hath the Devil in a chain, and greater is he, that is in us, than he which is in the world. joh. 4. 4. Trust in God, and the gates of hell, shall never be able to prevail against us. Matth. 16. 18. FINIS.