מרפא

tan.

Son. Pfal.72.1. And if God lead your Lordships into his owne worke, bee will accompany you with his owne ftrength; you cannot better con fult Honour unto your owne families and Happinesse unto this Nation then by causing Justice und Judgment to run downe like mighty fireams into all the Countryes thereof.

They call for Meekenesse, and sweeteneffe of difpofition: which Ecclef. 10.4, beeing gained, you shall not need to leave your place, if the fpirit of the Ruler rife up against you : for yeelding (faith the English) but Sanitas autle- according to the Hebrew, and Montanus his tranflation, lenity or nitas Ar. Mon- fweetneffe pacifieth great offences. None pretend more to good Nature, then our Gentry; and indeed I think it is a flower growes much in their Gardens: But though Divine nature will bring w to Heaven, meeke good nature will not. Tis Gospel Love and Meeke neffe which this fermon meanes. The Gospel workes it, and it bonours the Gospel. The more the Gofpel conquers this Nation, the more Love, and Meekenesse (which is so wanting) will abound. Ob, Spread the Gospel, and by your meanes let us fee the Angel flying in the midst of our Heavens, with the Everlasting Gospel in his band. This is a worke worthy of you. Great men fhould doe Great things, and count themfelves Little; vere magnum eft magna facere & teipfum putare nihil.

Rev. 14. 6.

Eufeb, Neir.

My Lords, Chrift bath done much for you, you must doe much for Chrift. The more you have in this world, the more grace it is to be of another. For outward things, afford them fome reliques of your love; and fo much only as better things leave for what is too cold for God, is bot enough for these things. Toleremus potius præfentia quam deligamus. Why should not we give that unto God by an act of our faith, which be bath given unto us as a fruit of his love? Thur fal you be able to fay in your lying downe, as Chrißt spake at his death: Father, I have glorified thee on earth, I have finished the worke Jo. 17. 4. 5. which thou gaveft me to doe, and now glorifie me with thine owne felfe. Which that your Honours may doe, shall be the prayer of

Your humble and most unworthy fervant in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

WILLIAM BRIDGE.

SAINTS

HIDING-PLACE In the time of

Gods Anger.

ZEPH. 2. 3.

Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgement, feek righteousnesse, seek meekneffe; it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger.

OD never lets off his Murdering-Pieces upon a Nation or Kingdom, but he doth first discharge his Warning-Pieces he never ftrikes but he doth threaten first. For as he doth therefore strike once, that he may not

B

ftrike

E בקש

ftrike againe So he doth therefore threaten at the first, that he may not ftrike at all: he promises that he may fullfill, but he threatens that he may not fulfill.

Having therefore denounced great Judgements in the first Chapter, he proceedeth by the Prophet Zephaniah to foft and fweet Exhortations in the beginning of this fecond.

And because men are either godly, or ungodly, he begins with the ungodly, and exhorteth them to gather themselves, &c. Verfe the first and fecond. And for the godly, he exhorteth them for to fecke the Lord, Verse the third, seeke ye the Lord, &c.

In which words, three things are most confiderable. First, the Matter of the Exhortation, which is, To Seeke the Lord, to seeke righteousnesse, and to feeke meekneffe.

Secondly, the Subject or Perfons upon whom this Exhortation falls; that is, The meeke of the earth, further described to have wrought judgement.

Thirdly, the Motive preffing thereunto, It may le je fhall be hid in the day of the Lords anger.

For Explication.

Seeke ye the Lord] That is, the Lord himself, his querere magis face,his favour,his honour. The word [Seeke] is used conatu & fu- in Scripture,either more largely, for our whole fervice dio quam interrogatione aut of God, and indeavours after him; or else more strictpetitione quod ly,for Prayer: Here it is taken in the largest fence, beperf caufe the word in the Hebrew is not which fignipetere feu roga fies rather verbo querere, Prov. 15. 14. to feek by Word, re etfi interim or Petition. But up which fignifies rather cond Mercer. Pagni, quærere, to feek by indeavour.

gnificatur, i. e.

confundatur.

in Thef.

The meeke of the earth] The Hebrew word turned

Meeke

Meeke, fignifies Afflicted, as well as Meeke, and fo it is often tranflated; for afflictions well used are means tomeeken us,and to file of the roughnefle and ruggedneffe off our difpofition: but here it doth note the grace and vertue of Meekneffe, which is irarum moderativa, that Scripture grace whereby a man hath the command and moderation of his Anger, leaving all his revenge unto God himself: for it is the fame word that is used after for Meekneffe, which connot be underftood of Affliction, but of the grace and vertue of Meekneffe, for that no man is to feeke Affliction.

Which have wrought his Judgement] The word on Judgement is used in Scripture, either for the Commandements, Word and Statutes of the Lord: Or for that evill which God doth bring upon a people in a way of Justice; in both these refpects the Meek may be faid to work his judgements, either as obedient to the Lords Word, or as Executioners of Justice; but I take it rather in the first fence.

Seeke Righteoufueffe] That is, the Righteousneffe of Christ, juft and righteous dealing between man and man: And the truth of God which is called the Word of Righteoufneffe; none more fit to feeke Juftice and Righteousnefle, then those that are the meek of the earth.

Seek Meekneffe] Yea, though they were Meek before. When God calls upon wicked men, to love and feek him, (as Eftius obferves) he wills them to do *Quæritur qua re hæc non fit Supervacanea that which they did not before: When he calls Propheta ex

up

bortatio, cum eo ipfo manfueti funt, Dominum jàm antea quæficrint? Refp. Quando impin dici tur diligite Dominum monentur facere id quod antea non faciebant; quando autem redis corde dicitur, diligite Dominum monentur amplius & deligentius facere quod antea faciebant, ita cum dicitur malis & duris quærite Dominum, &c. Eft in locum.

B 2

on godly men to love and feeke him, he wills them to do that more which they had done before. Its not enough to be habitually godly, but whatever grace we have in the habit, mult be drawn forth into exercife, and though we have wrought Judgement, we muft do it again.

We must not think to exercife one grace alone, but there must be an harmony, mixture, conjuncture of all graces. Some are Wife, but not Zealous; fome Zealous, but not Wife: Some Juft, but not Meeke, fome Meeke and fweet difpofition'd, but not Righteous in execution of Juftice. But thefe graces must be mixt together; and therefore faith the Lord here, Seeke Righteousneffe, feek Meekneffe.

It may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger] Ye fhall furely be hidden from the wrath to come, and it Non may be from the wrath prefent. This may be) dubitantis eft faies Junius, is not a word of doubting, but provoking fed follicitudi to more indeavour it is an halfe-promife.

אולי

nem exacueniis

Jun. in Exod.

32.

Doct. I.

2.

3.

4.

From all which words ye may obferve these five Notes.

First, that God hath his dayes of anger, there is wrath and anger with God, which upon occafion breaks forth upon the children of men.

Secondly, that in thefe dayes of Anger, God is very willing for to hide, fave, and defend his own people.

Thirdly, though he be willing to hide his own children in evill times, yet he doth fometimes leave them at great uncertainties.

Fourthly, when Gods anger doth break forth upon the children of men, and his people at uncertainties, not knowing what will become of them; then and

then