said, "that God stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, and of Joshua, and
of the people, and they came and wrought in the house of the Lord." When
God stirs up men to do a good work, nothing on earth can stay it: I am
sure if ever God stirred up men to a good work, He hath stirred us up to
this, both noblemen, ministers and people. Wherefore, "Who art thou, O
great mountain" before God's people, that thinks to impede such a work?
3. In respect of the impeders: what are they but men, and wicked men, as
ye may see in the adversaries of the Jews. Who are they that impede our
work? Even men that seek honour and preferment of this world, enemies to
religion, fighting against God; to whom, I may say that word in Job,
"Who hath hardened himself against God, and prospered?" With one word
more I will reprove this mountain, and go forward.
"Who art thou, O great mountain?" Wilt thou search thyself who thou art:
art thou of God's building or not? I trow you are not _juris divini_,
but _humani_; God nor Christ hath never built thee: thou art only a hill
of man's erecting; knowest thou not that Zion, against which thou art,
is a hill of God's building. I will say to you then that word, "The hill
of God is a high hill, as the hill of Bashan: why leap ye, ye hills?
This is the hill that God desireth to dwell in; yea, and will dwell in
it forever." And think ye to prevail against the people of Zion? She
hath stronger mountains to guard her than ye have, "As the mountains are
round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people, from
henceforth and forever."
3. The third thing in this mountain, is, It is a mountain removed,
"Thou shalt become a plain;" that is, God shall remove all impediments
before Zerubbabel, and his people; God is able to remove all that
impedes His work; even the mightiest enemies that oppose themselves to
the work of God. Ye may observe a fourfold power of God against these
mountains.
1. A _determining power_, whereby He sets such bounds to the greatest
mountains, that ye see they fall not upon the vallies, albeit they
overtop them. The Lord hath set bounds to the great kings in the world
which they could not pass, when they have set themselves against the
Lord's people. We may see an example of this in Sennacherib. "Therefore
thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come up
to this city, nor shoot an arrow against it, nor come before it with
shield, nor cast a bank against it." Ye are afraid of the king, that he
come against you: fear not, the Lord by His restraining power is able to
keep him back, that he shall not shoot so much as a bullet against this
city.
2. God removes impediments by His _assisting power_, as He promised to
do before Cyrus. "I will go before thee, and make the crooked places
straight; I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder
the iron bars." Albeit for any thing we see, there be brazen gates, and
iron bars, closing out a reformation: yet let not this discourage you;
God is with you by His assisting power to go before you, to make all
crooked places straight, and to break the brazen gates, and to cut in
sunder the iron bars.
3. God hath a _changing power_, whereby He makes mountains plain: how
easy is it with God, to make the highest mountain that impedes His work
a plain? "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of
waters, to turn it whithersoever He will." Lord make our mountains thus
plain.
The 4th way how God removes mountains, is by an _overthrowing power_:
If there be no change yet, God will bring it down. "Every one that is
lifted up shall be brought low."
By this which hath been said, ye may understand how a mountain may be
made plain. God makes mountains plains, either in mercy or in wrath. 1.
In mercy, when He takes a grip of the heart, and of a proud haughty
heart, makes it toward and plain: we have seen such a change by
experience. This work had many enemies at the beginning, that impeded
it, whom God hath taken by the heart, and made plain; yea, He hath made
them furtherers of the work.
2. There is another way of making mountains plain, to wit, making plain
in wrath; when God overthrows the mountains that stand up impeding His
work. Assure yourselves, if God bring not down this mountain we have to
do with, in mercy, He shall overthrow it in wrath, and make it waste.
That I may make this mountain more plain, ye shall consider how it shall
become a plain, and how easily it may be made a plain.
1. I see you looking up to the height of it, and ye are saying within
yourselves, How shall it come down? Ye must not think that it will come
down of its own accord; God useth instruments to pull down. I find that
God hath made His own people instruments to pull down such mountains:
"Fear not, worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel, I will help thee, saith the
holy One and thy Redeemer, behold I will make thee a new threshing
instrument having teeth; thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them
small, and shalt make the hills as chaff; thou shalt fan them, and the
wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them." Mark
these words, although Jacob be a worm, despised by the great ones of the
world, yet God will make him a threshing instrument, to beat these
mountains in pieces. The professors of this land are despised by the
mountains; yet fear not, for the sharp threshing instrument is made, I
hope it shall beat the mountains in pieces. We think them very high, but
if we had faith, that word would be verified. "Ye shall say to this
mountain, remove to yonder place, and it shall be removed, and nothing
shall be impossible unto you."
But one is saying, I have not faith, that all that are joined this day
against the mountain shall continue. I hope they shall continue, I hope
they shall; but if they do not, we trust not in men, that they shall
bring down this mountain, but in God, who hath said, "Behold I am
against thee, O destroying mountain, I will stretch out My hand upon
thee, I will roll thee down from the rocks, and make thee a burnt
mountain; they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a
foundation; thou shalt be desolate for ever." This mountain ye see so
exalted, although men would hold it up, yet God will bring it down, and
make it a burnt mountain: even so, O Lord, do.
2. In the second place consider how this mountain may be made a plain: I
told you it was but an artificial mountain, a stooted mountain, standing
upon weak pillars; if ye would take a look of the whole frame of the
mountain, it stands upon two main pillars; and upon the top of the
mountain stands the house of Dagon, an house of false worship, and take
me the pillars from episcopacy, and it shall fall; take episcopacy away,
and the house of Dagon shall fall. The two main pillars that prelacy
stands on are a civil and secular arm, and an ecclesiastical tongue, so
to speak.
1. The _secular arm_ is the authority of princes, which have ever
upholden that mountain: ye know secular princes uphold antichrist, and
prelacy in this land is upholden by the secular power. 2. The second
pillar I call _ecclesiastical_, that is, prelacy in this land hath been
upholden by the tongues of kirkmen, preaching up this mountain, or, by
their pens, writing up this mountain: and these are the two pillars
whereupon our mountain of prelacy is stooted, the secular power, and the
tongues of kirkmen. Let the king withdraw his power and authority from
the prelates, and they shall fall suddenly in dross; let kirkmen and
ministers withdraw their tongues and pens from them, and our mountain
(ere ye look about you) shall become a plain. As these two stoot up this
mountain, so upon this mountain all false worship in the kirk is built,
even Dagon's house. "Lead me," says Samson, "to the pillars that Dagon's
house stands on, that I may be avenged for my two eyes." The Philistines
were never more cruel to Samson in pulling out his eyes, than our
prelates would have been to us: they pressed to put out our eyes, and
ere ever we were aware, they thought to lead us to Dagon's house, even
to the tents of popery and idolatry. Let us come to this main pillar of
Dagon's house, and apply all our strength to pull it down; that we may
not only be avenged for our eyes, which they have thought to pull out,
but also that the house of false worship, which is erected upon this
mountain, may fall to the ground.
I hear some say, Minister, for all you are saying, the mountain will not
come down at this time; ye think nothing but it will come down. I assure
you, I would have it down, but ye must not think us that silly, as to
think it will come down, because we have many for us; we trust not in
men, but in God; and if this be the time that God will have it down,
although ye should lay all your hands about their head, they shall come
down: it appears they will come down, if there were no more but their
pride, avarice, cruelty, and loose living to pull them down, especially
when all these are come to height, as they are come to in them. And so
much for the mountain; ye see we have reproved it, God remove it.
I come now to the three in the work, the mountain being removed, 1. It
is a work growing and going up; "He shall bring forth." 2. It is a work
finished; "He shall bring forth the head-stone thereof." 3. It is a work
praised; "He shall bring forth the head-stone thereof with shouting,
crying, grace, grace, be unto it." We shall speak of all these three
shortly.
1. It is a work going up; it was impeded, but now it is going up. There
is something here very considerable; the work goes not up until the
mountain be made a plain. The mountain must not be pared or topped, but
it must altogether become plain, otherwise the work cannot go up, the
mountain of prelacy must not be pared nor topped, something taken away,
but it must be brought down wholly, otherwise the work of Reformation
cannot go on, neither Christ's house go up.
It will be said, What ails you? You shall have your desires, but the
estate of bishops must stand; it is impossible to bring it down
altogether; the king may not want an estate, (truly a good one both to
kirk and commonwealth) ye shall have them brought within the old bounds
and caveats set down to them; they shall not hurt the kirk any more. The
Lord knows how loath I was to speak from this place; but seeing God hath
thrust me out, I must speak the truth.
I say to you these quarters are not to be taken, because the mountain is
not of God's making, but of man's; therefore make it what ye will, God
will be displeased with it; yea it is impossible to set caveats to keep
them. I appeal to all your consciences, Is it possible to set caveats to
their pride and avarice? Their pride and avarice will break through ten
thousand caveats. I will clear this impossibility by similitudes. Tell
me, if a fountain in the town of Edinburgh were poisoned, whether were
it more safe to stop up the fountain, than to set a guard to keep it,
that none draw out of it, for there is hope the poison would do no harm?
There is no man of a sound judgment, but he will think it more safe to
stop up the fountain, than to guard it: this prelacy is the poisoned
fountain, wherefrom the kirk of Christ hath been poisoned with the
poison of error and superstition. Now the question is, Whether it be
safer to stop it up than to guard it? Surely it is safer to stop it up;
for all the caveats in the world will not keep the kirk unpoisoned, so
long as it remains. I will give you another similitude: If the town of
Edinburgh were (as many towns have been, and are) taken and possest by
cruel and obstinate enemies, who would take all your liberties from you,
would not suffer your magistrates to judge, and would spoil you of your
goods, and use all the cruelty that could be devised against the
inhabitants, if God give you occasion to be free of such a cruel and
obstinate enemy: what would you do if this were proponed to you? Why may
not you suffer the enemy to abide within the town? We shall take all
their weapons from them, they shall never hurt you any more. Would ye
not think it far better to put them out of the town altogether; both
because the inhabitants would be in fear, so long as they were in the
town, and because the town would never be sure: for there might be
traitors among yourselves, who would steal in weapons for their hands;
and so they would bring you under the former tyranny, yea under a
greater. Even so it is in this case; the crudest and greatest enemies
that ever the kirk of Scotland saw are those prelates; they have spoiled
us of all our liberties, and exercised intolerable tyranny over us. Now
the Lord is shewing a way how to be quit of them: consider the condition
offered. What ails you? May ye not let them abide within the kirk: we
shall take all their weapons from them; as admission of ministers,
excommunication, and that terrible high commission; they shall never
hurt you again. This is but the counsel of man; the counsel of God is,
to put them out of the kirk altogether, otherwise the kirk can never be
secure; yea, I assure you, there are as many traitors among ourselves,
as would steal in the weapons again in their hands; then shall our
latter estate be worse than our first: if our yoke be heavy under them
now, it shall be heavier then; if they chastise us now with whips, they
shall chastise us then with scorpions. I think I hear men speak like
that word, "Hew down the tree, cut down his branches, shake off his
leaves, scatter his fruits; nevertheless leave the stump of his roots
with a band of iron and brass." The interpretation of that part of the
vision is set down in the 26th verse; "Thy kingdom shall be sure unto
thee, after that thou hast known that the heavens bear rule." I hear men
say, Hew down the tree, cut off his branches, shake off his leaves,
scatter his fruits; ye shall be quit of all that; but the stump must be
left banded with iron. (If it were till they knew God, it were
something, but there is no appearance of that.) Consider, O man, who
saith that. "No man, but the watcher, and the holy One, even He that
made Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom sure to him." If God had made this estate
sure to them, it would and should stand; and if God would bind down the
stump of it with iron bands, we would never fear the growth of it, nor
the fruit of it; but seeing they are only bands to be laid on by men,
albeit the tree were hewed down, it would grow again in all the branches
of it, with all the leaves of its dignity, and we should taste of the
bitter fruit of it: ye that are covenanters, be not deceived, if ye
leave so much as a hillock of this mountain in despite of your hearts it
shall grow to a high mountain, which shall fill both kirk and
commonwealth. If the kirk would be quit of the troubles of it, and if ye
would have this work of reformation going up, this mountain must be made
a plain altogether, otherwise the Spirit of God saith, Ye shall never
prosper.
The second thing in this is a work finished; "He shall bring forth the
head-stone thereof." When a head-stone is put on a house, the house is
finished: ye who are reverend fathers in the kirk, who have seen the
work of our first reformation, ye saw it going up, and brought to such a
perfection, that the cope-stone was put on; purity of doctrine, and
administration of sacraments, and sweetness of government, whereby the
kirk was ruled; but woe's us all, we see with you now the roof taken
off, the glorious work pulled down, and lying desolate. Now, it hath
pleased God to turn again, and offer a re-edifying of this work, as He
did here to the people of this temple: seeing therefore the Lord hath
stirred up our spirits, to crave a re-edifying of Christ's kirk, let us
never take our hands from it, till Christ have put the cope-stone on it.
I hear some say, There is more ado ere that be done; ye sing the triumph
before the victory; ye will not see it go up at leisure. Ye are
deceived; we sing not the triumph before the victory; some of us are
afraid that it go not up so suddenly. I must say to you, if it be God's
work, (as it is indeed) all the powers of the world shall never be able
to hinder the putting on of the cope-stone. Ay, but say ye, It will be
hindered; ere ye get the work forward, ye will find the dint of the fire
and sword. Let it be so, if God will have it so, that will not impede
the work: if our blood be spilt in this cause, the cope-stone shall be
put on with our blood; for the kirk of God hath never prospered better
nor by the blood of saints. Fear not, beloved, this work, whether it be
done peaceably or with persecution, the cope-stone shall be put on it.
Ye know in the beginning of the reformation, there was small likelihood
that the work should go up, and be finished, because of the great power
that was against it; yet the Lord brought it forward against all
impediments; and put the cope-stone on it: that same God lives yet, and
is as able to put the cope-stone on this work, as He was then, if ye
believe.
The third thing in this work is a work praised; "He shall bring forth
the head-stone thereof with shoutings, crying, grace, grace unto it."
All ye that build and behold the work, will love the work, and will all
wish it well. He alludes by appearance, who, when the foundation of a
common work is laid, rejoices, and when it is finished, rejoices. Ye may
see this clear in Ezra iii. 11: at the laying of the foundation of this
temple, the people shouted with a great shout: if they did that at the
laying of the foundation, much more shall they do it at the bringing
forth of the head-stone thereof; as is said here, the words they cry,
grace, grace. The phrase comprehends under it these three things:
1. A wish of the people of God, whereby they wish prosperity to the
work. Ye may see it was a common wish. "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, As
ye shall use this speech in the land of Judah, and cities thereof, when
I shall bring again their captivity: the Lord bless thee, O habitation
of justice, and mountain of holiness."
2. It comprehends under it a thanksgiving; the workers give all praise
to the work. When the builders laid the foundation of the temple, they
set the priests with their trumpets, and the Levites with their cymbals,
to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David: "They sang by course,
praising God, and giving thanks unto the Lord, because He is good, and
His mercy endureth forever."
3. The third thing it comprehends under it, is a faithful acknowledgment
that the work is built and finished, by no power and strength of men,
but by the grace of God. Look the verse preceding the text, and ye will
find it thus, "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the
Lord of hosts:" ye may easily apply this. Our work that God is bringing
up, and will finish, should be a praised work, our wishes should be to
it: "The Lord bless thee, O habitation of justice, and mountain of
holiness." Our song of thanksgiving should be in our mouths, "God is
good, and His mercy endureth forever."--Albeit it go up, let us not
ascribe any thing to ourselves, but let us ascribe all to the grace of
God; and this will stop all the mouths of disdainers, who say, "Who are
ye, who think to finish such a work?" We answer, "It will be finished,
not by might, nor by strength of man, but by the Spirit of the Lord of
hosts."
There are three sorts looking to this work, and to the going up of it:
1. Evil-willers. 2. Well-wishers. 3. Neutrals. 1. The evil-willers are
Edom; and he was Jacob's brother; yet in Psalm cxxxvii. he cries, "raze,
raze this work to the foundation." There is a number that is crying,
raze, raze this work to the foundation. 2. There is a second sort that
are well-wishers, crying, grace, grace be unto it. In those former
years, the shout of raze, raze, hath been louder than grace, grace; but
now, God be praised, the shout of grace, grace, is louder than raze,
raze. 3. There is a third sort gazing upon this work, who dare not cry,
raze, raze, because they are borne down with grace, grace; they dare not
cry grace, grace, for fear of authority. What shall I say to these
neutrals? They are so incapable of admonition, that it will be a
spending of time to crave their concurrence to the work. To whom shall I
speak then? My text is an apostrophe, if I may use one; that which I
shall use first is God's own words from Isaiah, "Hear, O heavens,
hearken, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought
up children, and they have rebelled against Me."
I will next turn me to strangers and foreigners. All ye of reformed
kirks (What! have I said strangers? These men who are brought up in the
kirk, are strangers from the womb; but) ye are joined with us in a
corporation; come therefore with your fellow-feeling, let us hear your
shouts and cries of, grace, grace, be unto the Kirk of Scotland; and let
your wishes condemn these ungrateful neutrals, who profess themselves
children of this kirk, and yet will not rejoice with us for the good of
our mother.
Now, ye have heard this text in all these six steps. 1. A mountain
seen. 2. A mountain reproved and disdained. 3. A mountain to be removed.
4. A growing work. 5. To be finished. 6. With great applause of all
well-willers, wishing grace unto the work. And seeing I have ado with
this great mountain; both with mountains that impede this work, and all
ranks of persons, removers of the work, I will direct my speech to these
with the apostrophe in the text.
And first, To the mountains lying in the way of this reformation: I rank
them in two sorts, viz., prelates, and upholders of prelates. O
prelates, if I had hope to come speed with you, I would exhort you in
the name of Christ, to lay down your worldly dignity, and help us to
exalt the kirk of Christ: but I fear ye have hardened yourselves so
against the truth, that nothing will prevail with you, except ye keep
your worldly monarchy; yet ye shall be forced to take up my apostrophe,
"O mountains of Gilboa, on whom the anointed of the Lord is fallen,
neither come dew nor rain upon you." Ye are these mountains, upon whom
Christ and His Anointed have been slain; the dew and rain of God's grace
are not on you: ye may well receive fatness from beneath, to make you
great in this world; but from above, ye are not bedewed with the grace
of God, without which, whatever your bodies be, ye have clean souls.
Under this curse I leave you, and turn to you, O great mountains; great
men, who are putting your shoulders to hold up this mountain of prelacy;
I beseech you, if ye have any love to Christ, to take your shoulders,
and help from this pestiferous mountain the wreck of Christ's kirk. And
if exhortance will not prevail with you, I charge you in the name of the
great God, and His Son Jesus Christ, to whom one day ye must give your
account, that ye in nowise underprop this mountain; the which if ye
obey, I am sure the Lord will bless you, and your posterity; but if ye
will not, though ye were never so high a mountain in this kingdom, ye
shall become a plain.
In particular, I speak to all ranks of persons. O noblemen, who are the
high mountains of this kingdom, bow your tops, and look on the kirk of
Christ, lying in the vallies, sighing, groaning, swooning and looking
towards you with pitiful looks: if the Sun of Righteousness hath shined
on you, let her have a shadow, as ye would have God to be a shadow to
you in the day of your distress.
Barons and gentlemen, who are as the pleasant hills coming from the
mountains (I speak to you for the relation that is betwixt you and the
mountains, for by your descent ye are hewn out of the mountains) my
heart is glad to see you lift your tops, as the palms of your hands
reached to the mountains, that they and ye may be as a shelter for the
kirk of Christ. I pray you separate not your hands from theirs, till our
work be brought forth with shouting.
Burrows (Burghs), who are as the vallies God hath blessed with the
fatness of the earth, and the merchandise of the sea; the mountains and
hills are looking to you, and ye to them: join yourselves in an
inseparable union, and compass the vineyard of Christ; be to her a wall
of defence, lest the wild beasts of the wood waste it, and the wild
beasts of the forest devour it.