This was a great obligation to bind God to this performance, neither doth it any vvhit abridge his own liberty, but that he remained Liberimum agens still, for that he declared therein the conftancy of his decree,which vvas à lui Berlu to θέλεμα το αυτό.

2 Because as I have fhewed, that and all other Gods promises have reference to the obedience of the people, so that God might have cancelled this obligation upon their forfeiture thereof by disobedience, if he had pleased, which maketh good the former motive of his own good wil and favour,vvho notwithstanding, their many provocations and rebellions, yet performed this promife.

The motive is negatively fet down, For here it is expreft vvhat vvas not the cause of these vvonderfull vvater-vvorks, vvas it? vvhich is as much, as it was not because the Lord was displeased at rivers it was not because his wrath was against the fea

To part the Sea in two, to divide fordan, to make rivers run a vvhile in full stream to ferve his people, was no difpleasure

taken at these elements.

God never layeth his rod upon thofe creatures, which he hath ordained for the service of man, but to punish man.

To the creature it is all one to keep the naturall order of creation, or to fuffer fnpernaturall alteration, for omnia illi ferviunt, all things do ferve him, vvas God angry vvith the earth vvhen he curfed it after Adams fall, vvhen he drown'd it, after it grevv full of cruelty.

The infenfible creatures do the will of him that made them. Herod, Po- It is recorded as a blemish to that mighty King Xerxes, that lihim lib.he foolishly overweened his power in such a case. Num.173. For being to paffe his army over the Hellefpont, where the fea vvas about seven furlongs over, he caufed a bridge to be made of floaty veffels to that purpose.

But a great tempeft arifing, and breaking his bridge, vvhen he heard thereof, he vvas in fuch paffion at the fea, that he commanded it to be punished vvith three hundred ftripes: and he caft in fetters into it to take it prifoner, and caused these vvise vvords to be spoken to it.

Oaqua

O aqua amara, Dominus hanc tibi irrogat pœnam, quod eum lafifti, qui de te nibil mali meritus es: te tamen Rex Xerxes, velis, nolifve tranfmittet.

As wifely, either he himself, or as Herodotus reporteth, Cyrus ca 34. his Grandfather fell out with the river Gyndes, for drowning Cyrus. him a white horse, but his revenge was more in fight, fo was his deliberate furious folly. For he fet his army a work to cut out new channels, and divided the river into 360 brooks, ut à mulieribus ne genua tingentibus tranfiri poffit.

But our God had no quarrell, the text faith, to these inanimate creatures of his, which were fo at his command. The Church here doth God right,to confeffe the true motive, of this extraordinary operation of God, fo here is a double confeffion.

S1 That Tu, Domine, fecifti, thou, Lord, haft done it. 22 That he did for fuch a caufe.

This is not barely avouched, but it is proved. Thy bow was made quite naked, that is, thou didft let all the world take notice of thy power, and ftrength, and favour, in the caufe of thy Church. At the comming of God in great Majefty and Glory on Mount Sinai, to give the law, before-mentioned, there was abfconfio roboris, the hiding of his ftrength, God revealed himself then tolfracl onely,butthefe three great wonders here confeft,did uncafe the bow of God, & made it quite naked, so that all nations might take knowledge of the arm of the Lord, and might give teftimony to the fame.

The Argument drawn from hence is ftill the fame, for from the former evidences of Gods great power and mercy fhewed, and openly, declared unto the Church, they gather comfort to affure themselves of the favour of God, toward them in this captivity in Babylon.

They know and believe that the hand of God is not fhortned, nor his arme weakned, but that he who was able to cut a way for them through the fea, and the river of Jordan, and to make rivers run in dry places, to relieve their fathers in the wildernesse, is ftill as able to fuccour them in that capti

vity

vity against the King of Babel, and all the Chaldeans, fo hee fheweth by what faith the juft fhall live in their banishment. Namely, by faith grounded on the power and wifedome, and love of God, and of his truth.

The doctrines which this paffage affordeth are these. Dodr. 1 God must have the glory of his own great Works. David is a full example of this duty, for, in his own case, Pf.66.16. he faith, Come and hear all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my foul.

Pl.66.5,6.

Reaf.x

Reaf.2.

2 Heftirreth up others to do the like,even in this cafe mentioned in my text.

Come and fee the works of God, he is terrible in his daings toward the children of men. He turned the fea into dry land, they went through the flood on foot, there did we rejoyce in him.

The reafon hereof is in fight, for David faith, this honour is due to his name.

We have two debts which we fhall ever be paying, and yet never clear with our Creditors, that is of prayfe to God, of love to our neighbours, he that came of purpofe into the world to pay our debts hath not wip't off this fcore, rather he hath fet us further in debt.

1 To our brother: if God fo loved us as to fend his Sonne amougft us, we ought alfo to love one another fo much the

more.

2 To himself: David faith, The loving kindneffe of the Lord is ever more and more toward us: therefore, laus ejus erit femper in ore meo, his prayse shall be ever in my mouth. The comming of Chrift amongst us hath made it more and more feen, for therein the bow of God was made quite naked.

2 We must do God this right to honour him in his own works, becaufe, if we be filent, and do not our duty herein, yet P.145.1. David faith; All thy works shall prafe thee, O Lord. Reaf..

3 We fee the enemies of God do not fpare to do all they can to rob God of his glory, and as one faith Vigilat boftis, & tu dormis? the enemy waketh, and doft thou fleep?.

Some gave out amongst the Egyptians, that this paffage

over the fea on dry land, was onely an advantage taken by Mofes, of a great ebbe occafioned by an extraordinary wind, which comming of the land, at the head of the bay, made all the head of the bay dry land for many miles together, but the text is against that, for it fheweth how the waters were a wall unto them on both hands.

Again, the waters were divided by an Eaft vvind, but that vvind blows not from that fhore, but rather it fhonld have been a Northerly vvind: others imputed this to Mefes, as done by magicall arts, vvhich if it had been so, no doubt, but there vvere vvith Pharoah, of his Magitians that could in the lear-. ning of the Egyptians, have vvrought vvith Mofes hand to hand.

And furely, that is the reason, that there is so often mention of this vvonder in Scripture, to ftirre up all faithfull people to vindicate the honour of God, against the depravers thereof.

This admonifheth us both to the hearing and reading the Use 2. story of the Bible,that we may understand what the Lord hath done in former ages: God himself made Abraham fo much Gen.18.19 of his counfail, for that, because he knew that Abraham would teach his children.

And for that the Sacrament of the Paffeover was inftituted, for that it might teach their children after them..

Ex.12.26.

For this were the twelve ftones fet up in Gilgall, to teach Josh.4.21. the ftory of the paffage over fordan; and in the New Testament,the Sacrament of the Lords Supper was inftituted in remembrance of Chrift till his coming: fo many as would learn matter enough to fill their mouthes with the praife of God, let them open the two Teftaments, and read therein, let them hear and study that holy ftory, there is enough in it to make a man wife to falvation."

For this is your wifedom and uuderstanding to know the Lord and to ferve him,and to honour him,for, For him that honoureth me, I will honour, faith our God.

2 This reproveth thofe that fwallow the gratious favours Use 2. Ooo

of

of God without any relifh or taft of them, & neither confider the former mercies of God, nor his present bleffings, that live like bruit beafts, faying, this day is like yefterday, and to morrow will be like this day,and more abundant : and fuch sensuall and carnal fons of nature there are that reap benefits, where they never fowed prayers, and gather mercies where they ne ver fcattered fupplications,

3 This chideth the Euchites of our time, that are all for prayer, and they never give God reft from petitious, but like the nine Leapers, when they are healed they never return any

thanks.

I have ever commended to you the ufe of prayer, it is a fpeciall part of Gods worship, and God loves both frequent and importunate petitions, but if we part praise from it, and do not joyn thanksgiving with fupplication, we have the profit, but God hath not the honour of his own favours.

All our care must not be who will fhew us any good? we must also offer to him the facrifices of righteousness, as well as call upon the name of the Lord, for quid recipiam, we must have, quod retribuam.

Seeing God must have the glory of his own great works, we must take the pains to fearch after them; not onely content our felves with fuch as offer themselves to our confideration, but we must take delight to look them out, fo David; The works of the Lord are great, fought out of all them that have pleasure therein

His work is honorable and glorious, and his righteousness endureth for ever.

He hath made his wonderfull works to be remembred. Which fhews that our praifing of the name of God is no meritorious act of free-will, but an officious fervice due to him, and it is a great injuftice in you to deny it to him: for David faith, He is worthy to be praised.

This ferveth for caution; It is a glory to God vvhen vve thankfully remember vvith praise the vvonderfull vvorks that he hath done, but it is no honour to him at all vvhen vve re

port