hath ordained strength Psal 8. 2. He that maketh the Dumb Exod. 4. 11. And the Stammering Lips Isa 28. 11. to serve for his own Glory doth appoint such a weak Vessel and Unworthy Instrument for the Ministration of his Word and Truth Although the Person himself cannot effect any thing yet the Word and Truth of God which appears forth through him will have its effect one way or another either to Salvation or Condemnation either to make People partakers of the Mercy of God or to Load them with more Guilt and Ill deserving if they will not obey the Word of Life And tho' this last seems to be an hard saying yet it is grounded on those Words of the great Preacher of Righteousness If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin but now they have no Cloke for their sin John 15. 22. And so the Apostle Paul Witnesseth in behalf of himself and of the other Ministers of the Gospel For we are unto God a sweet Savour of Christ in them that are Saved and in them that Perish To the one are we the Savour of Death unto Death and to the other the Savour of Life unto Life and VVho is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. As himself doth Answer this last in the fifth Verse of the following Chapter Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God And if we are not sufficient to think neither are we sufficient to speak or to do We are meer Creatures in the hands of God As in him we live and move and have our Being So whatever Good Words and True Words do proceed forth from any one It is what before he had put into our Heart It is agreeable unto his method and manner of Dispensation to Publish and make known his word and will unto the Inhabitants of the Earth By Men of the like Passions and of the same Flesh and Blood with our selves And it hath so came to pass that who have been the greatest Instruments of his Glory and have received most from God of any in their several Generations The World hath not known them but despised them Which hath happened not only as to the Ungodly and common sort But even so it hath been with the Multitude of outward Worshippers and who called themselves the Servants of God The truth of this observation appears from the History of the Prophets Christ and his Apostles and of his Faithful Ministers ever since who have been Workmen approved of God and not Men pleasers That is to say such who have Fashioned the Word of God according to the Will and Lust of the Rich and Mighty People Which if they had been indeed the Servants of Christ they would not have so Learned of him their Master For as the Rain cometh down and the Snow from Heaven and returneth not thither but Watereth the Earth and maketh it to bring forth and bud that it may give Seed to the Sower and Bread to the Eater so shall my Word be that goeth out of my Mouth It shall not return unto me Void but it shall Accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it Isa 55. 10 11. It shall Accomplish either the Salvation or Condemnation of People It shall thus Prosper in the thing whereto God sends and intends it That if it doth not reform them it will leave them more without excuse The same Word which now warns them of both will pass upon their several and respective Lives and Deaths for all Eternity Tho' when the Word of God is laid before People and they obey it not nor do accordingly then it is thought to be vain weak and ineffectual Yet God Himself here saith It shall not return to him Void But whither they will hear or whither they will forbear it shall be known that there hath been a Prophet among them Ezek. 2. Such Words have been made known or such things have been Written That they might have turned from their Iniquities and from the Evil of their doings which however they were Stifled or Disregarded in the mean while shall rise up again at the Judgment of the Great Day They were warned and testified against and his Laws were set before them but when they would not take warning nor yet yield unto him who by his Word Spirit and Ministers testified against them to bring them again to his Law All these and such like are Signs and Prognosticks that such People will Perish It here so comes to pass As when Paul expounded and testified the Kingdom of God some believed the things which were speketh and some believed not Acts 28. 23 24. So it is of Preaching every Sermon out of the Word of God or hearing forth every Testimony of Divine Truth Some obey and give heed unto it and some do not Then Zerubbabel the Son of Shealtiel and Joshua the Son of Josedech the High Priest with all the Remnant of the People obeyed the Voice of the Lord their God and the Words of Haggai the Prophet as the Lord had sent him and the People did fear before the Lord Hag. 1. 12. And so we read in Ezra 10. They did obey the Commandment of the Lord in Putting away the strange VVives But we Read more often in the Book of Kings Chronicles Isaiah Jeremiah and in the Evangelists That the Chief and Multitude of the People did not obey then that they did obey And yet it was the Word of God which was Preached unto them also But it so came to pass that the Scriptures might be fulfilled which speak of their Destruction When the Prophet came to Ananiah with Words from the Lord and met with a rough Answer from Ananiah He said I know that the Lord hath Determined to destroy thee because thou hast done this and hast not hearkened unto my Counsel 2 Chron. 25. 16. And so it was remarkably Noted of those that came out against the Children of Israel to Battel For it was of the Lord to harden their Hearts that they should come against Israel in Battel that He might destroy them utterly and that they might have no favour but that He might destroy them as the Lord Commanded Moses Josh 11. 20. And so it was Emphatically remarked after that gentle Reproof of Eli unto his Sons Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the Voice of their Father because the Lord would stay them 1 Sam. 2. 25. It is just the same after all the Preaching and Good Admonition and Counsel warning after warning Line upon Line Line upon Line Precept upon Precept Precept upon Precept here a little and there a little Notwithstanding all the things which are contained in the standing written Word of God in the Bible Notwithstanding all that is Preached and Alledged out from thence every Sabbath and Week Day throughout the several Congregations and Places of this Island Notwithstanding
all the Reproof and Admonition of Christian Friends and Acquaintance And what is yet more and nearer and closer unto them Notwithstanding all the Accusings and Dictates of their own Conscience which is Gods Witness in Man or Woman yet still There are a People in the World who will not hearken unto the Voice of all these Tho' it must be carefully said as to Temporal Judgments that they therefore Refuse and Disobey because the Lord would slay them But as to futurity The Lord is not willing that any should Perish but that all should come to Repentance 2 Pet. 3. 9. However He affording them the means thereof after continued and repeated Provocation as to that he gives them up at length to themselves to their own Hearts Lusts and to walk after their own Counsels in which they going on will Perish Everlastingly God hath suffered it so to be That Satan works with all Deceivableness in them that Perish which comes upon them through his continued Temptations and Suggestions I have oftentimes thought that People would never do so of themselves as now they do in Offending Displeasing Despising and Provoking of God but that an unseen Enemy doth stir them up Like as it is recorded But there was none like unto Ahab which did sell himself to work Wickedness in the sight of the Lord whom Jesabel his Wife did stir up 1 Kings 21. 25. In the Margent it is Incited So tho' there is a great deal of Wickedness in the Heart of Man by Reason of original and inbred Corruption for Flesh and Blood will Imagine and Practice Evil Yet this Corrupt Nature would never proceed and tend so far especially in immediate Rebellion against and Provocation or Despising of God for what is shewed forth against his Word is against God himself as it will be found by his Interpretation and Judgment at the last tho' perhaps this may be now besides and out of the Mind and Intention of the Creatures unless this Infernal Jesabel whose Right Name is Belzebub did stir and incite them up Now the Serpent was more subtle then any Beast of the Field which the Lord God had made Gen. 3. 1 He is more cunning then all or any of the Sons or Daughters of Men as they are merely such without the assistance and direction of Gods Word and Spirit He tempts suggests and doth whatever He can that each one in particular may lose Heaven and fall into Hell He walketh about seeking whom He may devour It is his continued Business and Employment So that it is not altogether so much to be wondred at tho' indeed it is a matter of Horrour and Grief Psal 119. 53 158. and Sighing Ezek. 9. 4. That when God hath made such very severe Declarations from Heaven against all manner of Sin and Transgression and against all Vngodliness and Vnrighteousness of Men. Which also will be Executed upon and sensibly felt by them after that their Breath is out of their Nostrils and their Souls are departed from their Bodies Yet Nevertheless in this Time of Provocation and in this Day of Temptation or Trial in this Wilderness of the Earth still People go on therein and do the same Yea rather more Greedily and Earnestly then they would have done if God had revealed no wrath and future Punishment against the same I knew a Man who after he had been convinced of the Sin of Unrighteousness and after He had heard the Word of God declared against it Yet the next opportunity afterwards He would more eagerly Practice the same And so when the like hath been done to Harlots and Unclean Persons the Sin and Danger of their course hath been laid open and made known unto them by my Ministry of â—…e Word it hath been told unto me that at the very â—…e moment they would for all Practice the lesser Acts of Lasciviousness This sheweth after what manner the Spirit of Disobedience doth work in the Children thereof And when they will of set Purpose Transgress yet more and more in plain and downright opposition to the Word of God and to the Preaching and Ministration thereof When they will run greedily after the Errour of Balaam for Reward Jude 11. Or to the Errour of any of their own ways any Law or Ordinance of God to the contrary Notwithstanding VVhen they will break these Bands asunder and cast away these Cords from them And they will do it the rather because the Lord by his Word and Ministers hath forbidden it This and such like in the very Truth seems to be that Sin of Presumption or that Sinning with an high hand whereof it is written The Soul which doth Presumptuously shall be cut off from my People saith the Lord. Ay But the People of the World do not value nor fear that Threatning for such Persons who do Presumptuously and Sin with an high hand do commonly live out their appointed Time in Health Strength Wealth and Prosperity as other People do Yet Alas In this they are Ignorant or Unmindful that God hath another Place besides this Earth and another time besides this Life wherein He will fulfil and make true his Word For tho' a Sinner doth Evil an Hundred Times and his Days be Prolonged yet it shall be well with them that fear God which fear before him Ecles 8. 12. But the sinner being an Hundred Years Old shall be Accursed Isa 65. 20. By which Phrase of Accursed we are given to understand that the Word of God doth speak Evil of him now for so Maledictio the Latin Word for a Curse doth signify and it shall go Evil with him at the last VVhen all the Curses that are written in this Book shall be upon him Deu. 29. 20. And shall be also Excuted and the Lord also shall Blot out his Name from under Heaven so that Himself shall not go there This is to be cut off from Gods People when they shall be Blotted out of the Book of the Living and not written with the Righteous Psal 69. 28. So that tho' when He heard the Words of the former Threatning He blessed himself in his Heart saying I may live as long as other Men and VVomen tho' I walk in the Imagination of my Heart to add sin to my Lawful desires For that is Adding Drunkenness to Thirst â—…asmuch as Thirst is a Lawful and Necessary desire whâ—…as Drunkenness is a Sin So the Course of the World goes on that whereas such and such Thoughts Words and Actions are Lawful and Necessary People go on to graft and add thereto Vain Thoughts False Words and Sinful Actions of their own whereof there is no need For as Thirst may altogether as well or rather be better quenched and satisfied without Annexing Drunkenness to it So People might think speak and Act altogether as well yea better then by conceiving Vanity speaking forth Falsehood or Acting of Evil. It is yet seven timeâ— a greater Sin and will make the Oven or Furnace seven Times
the Hyssop on the Wall from the greatest to the smallest for his Providence and Government of things is comprehensive of and extensive even unto sparrows and the hairs of our head the more inconsiderable Creatures and every least thing that belongs to us All one as to Angels or Men or to the yet greater Works of the Creation So as that same Word in Scripture doth speak of all things that are done on this Earth So Reciprocally whatever is done or comes to pass or happens here it is all a fulfilling of the same Word There is hardly any thing whatever be it of greater or less moment but some Places in the Book of the Lord do speak thereof either in express Words or near to the same purpose There shall the great Owl make her Nest and lay and hatch and gather under her shadow There shall the Vultures also be gathered every one with her Mate Seek ye out of the Book of the Lord and Read No one of these shall fail no one shall want her Mate for my mouth it hath Commanded and his Spirit it hath gathered them Isa 34. 15 16. As the Apostle saith Doth God take care for Oxen So doth his Word speak of Cormorants and Bitterns and Ravens Wild Beasts and Satyrs Schreech Owls and Great Owls and Vultures and Thorns and Nettles and Brambles Yes verily it doth and of all the things in the Earth and even of the very Times and Seasons of the Year How Grass doth grow upon the Mountains and Herb for the use of Man Observe this last which leads again towards our Subject and Intended matter For as the same Apostle Paul goes on to add Saith He it altogether for our sakes For our sakes no doubt this is VVritten 1 Cor. 9. 10. So as there is a certain Connexion and Linking on together of all the Creatures and Works of God whither Living or Inanimate So they have each severally and all together a yet greater Connexion Tendency and Relation to us Men and Women It is so Written of them and so Gods speaks of them in his word for our sakes in order to us as they are somewhat concerned and do belong unto the Exercise and Administration of his Kingdom and Dominion over Men He being the God unto whom we and all the other Creatures besides have to do It is but a small matter as to these outward visible present things But the Kingdom of God is within you And the chief and only matter is as each stands in Subordination Subserviency and Tendency to the invisible and future State of things and that is Branched out only one of these two ways Salvation or Condemnation Happiness or Misery The Word of God hath its effect upon all Men and Women of every Countrey Nation and Language from the beginning of their Generations unto the End thereof one of these two ways Go ye into all the World and Preach the Gospel to every Creature He that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved and He that believeth not shall be Damned Mark 16. 15 16. He that obeyeth all the whole Word of God shall be saved but He that obeyeth not the Word of God shall be Damned He that observes all things whatsoever Christ hath Commanded Christ will be a Saviour unto him But He that doth not observe all things whatsoever Christ hath Commanded He is without the Covenant and Benefit of a Saviour and He shall Perish For the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven in flaming Fire taking Vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Who shall be Punished with Everlasting Destruction from the Presence of the Lord and the Glory of his Power It is Reported of Chrysostome who was in his Generation a Preacher unto a very Numerous Auditory in the City of Antioch Where the Disciples were first called Christians And I would to God they had never been called any thing else since that He should say that if He was to Preach before all the Men and Women living upon the Earth and such a thing were possible for them all to be gathered together and his Voice could reach them all as such a thing might be now effected by Printing and an Universal Publication of the several Copies which would be a very good work if it were so done He would choose for his Text these Words O ye Sons of Men How long will ye turn my Glory into shame How long will ye Love Vanity and seek after leasing Selab Psal 4. 2. So if the like was here to be supposed as indeed it might be of good effect if it were so done there could not be a more proper Subject chosen then what hath been here insisted on To shew How that the Word of God will have its effect upon those Multitudes Multitudes in the Valley of Decision Joel 3. 14. So as to decide their future State and Condition one way or another As the Proverb is among the Latins Ye may guess at the Bigness of Hercules by his Foot So we may make some estimate of this Generation of Men and Women now living upon the Earth by such a mixt Multitude Assembled together of Saints and Sinners As there are probably of both sorts so it is abroad in all Parishes of this Nation and also in all the other Habitable Parts of the Earth Some will believe the things that have been spoken and some will believe them not Some will obey these Words and some will obey them not And Perhaps of this latter sort some will be found who will sin yet more Violently and Earnestly and Greedily because such Words of Soberness and Truth have been declared unto them They will make if they can the Preacher a Liar and what lies in them the Word of God of none effect As if it was not able and sufficient to Convert Sinners from the Errour of their ways in that themselves are resolved not to be Converted by it There be those abroad in the World who do not Hear or Read this and if they do not altogether so perversely and obstinately against the Word Preached for they hear little or none at all and it may be out of a secret Consciousness that their own Lives are not Answerable thereunto nor yet will they Regulate their Life and Manners according to it and they imagine that then to Hear or Read the Word of God will but so much the more increase their Sin and Guilt These do not consider how that the Height and Abomination of Iniquity is set forth throughout the Old Testament In refusing to Hear Gods Words The Spirit it self calleth them This Evil People which refuse to hear my Words Jer. 13. 10. Which I would were more attended unto even by the very Worshippers of God that when an opportunity is given or Door is open to hear the Word Preached they count it a matter indifferent they may hear or let it alone But let such
God In that so very few are converted by it and do obey it That ye who do believe and obey to the saving of your Souls be not soon shaken in Mind by the Disadvantages which arise thereby for it may anon appear that this is yet a greater fulfilling of the same Word As the Apostle Paul doth record of himself That after the manner of Men he had fought with Beasts at Ephesus So both in the beginning entrance and course of our Ministry which is more advanced and carried on by Writing Printing and Publishing then by speaking with a living Voice For whereas the Voice Perishes in the utterance and the matter is soon forgotten by the Hearer that reaches to the People afar off and to after Ages I say again that both in the beginning and course of our Ministry we have met with Scoffers who with their several kinds of sayings did endeavour either to turn us aside from our intended Ministry or to defeat the design thereof As it was said to Ezekiel Thou art not sent to a People of strange Speech and of an hard Language but to the House of Israel Not to many People of a strange Speech and of an hard Language whose Words thou canst not understand Surely had I sent thee to them they would have hearkened to thee But the House of Israel will not hearken unto thee for they will not hearken unto me For all the House of Israel are impudent and hard hearted Ezek. 3. 5 6 7. So if I should recount my manifold Experiences I should make known that I have met with more perverse and contrary usage Evil entreaty contradiction and false Reproaches from Formal and Nominal Christians and from outward Worshippers then ever I did from open Sinners and the manifest Ungodly Tho' I have spoken equally against their Sin and Ungodliness as I have laid open the Hypocrisie and Foolish vain deceits of the others And yet all this doth nothing shake me in Mind nor yet doth it at all abate or lessen from my present Comfort in the well grounded hope of my future acceptance from the Lord. But rather it doth increase and confirm me therein That I may have boldness in the Day of Judgment because as he was so are we in this present World For the like did happen to him also to be thus opposed and contradicted in his Ministry by the Scribes and Pharisees who were the then Teachers and Expounders of the Law and by the Jews who were as exact and constant in all the Parts and Times of the outward worship of God all the same while as the People of this Nation do go continually to their Parish Churches or other Congregations and Assemblies Where the most good is either done or intended there the Devil doth raise the greatest opposition and the old Serpent doth never shew himself more subtle then when he Acts through those who seem to be Religious and to make a fair shew in the flesh So that when the Spirit of Lying and Falshood or Reproach doth proceed forth through them it hath a greater Appearance and Likeness unto Truth and so it passes down glib with them who judge according to Appearance and not Righteous Judgment The Lord is well pleased for his Righteousness sake He will magnifie the Law and make it Honourable Isa 42. 21. And as the Ministration thereof is more worthy and excellent then the Business and Employment of the Greatest Kings or wisest States-Men Nevertheless Ignorant and Ungodly Minds like as when Michal saw David Dancing before the Ark she despised him So they will lessen and have a low esteem of such a kind of Office Or as they Proudly and Disdainfully think that it is not consistent with a Good Birth and Education Alas All these and such like are but foolish and false Imaginations which Satan suggests and keeps in the Minds of some People for to uphold his Kingdom It is all but Imagination and nothing of reality therein for as it is said in the Book of Job I am also formed out of the Clay Nehemiah the Governour of the Province speaks in the behalf of the Poor Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our Brathren our Children as their Children Neh. 5. 5. God hath made of one Blood observe that all Nations of Men for to dwell on the Face of the Earth Acts 17. 26. Wherein then doth one differ from and excell another even in respect of these vile Bodies whilst we are in the midst of Life and carry them about us all one as when they come to be in the place of Skulls where the Poor and Rich are all alike And whereas the Richer sort now a-days call themselves a good Family I wish that sin and contempt of God and that shame which is among them of coming down to the Plainness and Simplicity of his Worship or to the place where his Word is Preached did not manifest and demonstrate the contrary He that overcometh shall not be hurt by the second Death And this is overcoming that Corruption which is both within our own Nature and also that which is in the World through the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life And truly if the Pride of Life was overcome and rooted out of the minds of any one as it is out of every one who is indeed the Child and Servant of God and an Heir of Glory then all those things that Savour of Men All those Imaginations and Sayings which arise up from the Pride and Fashion of this World or from the chief that is from the Rich People thereof will all sink and fall to the ground and be as dung in Comparision of the Knowledge of Jesus Christ or what may further his Gospel in the World For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ Rom. 1. 16. What need had the Apostle to say this But only in Relation and Answer to those who would imagine and fasten shame thereon in order to disswade from what was Good and Praise worthy The Devil Acts in the minds of People to endeavour to beat off or let and hinder one who may be a proper Instrument and Labourer in the Work and Vineyard of the Lord. But the shame wherewith they would reproach that shall at last return upon their own heads when themselves shall at last rise up to Shame and Everlasting Contempt And they who were a shamed of Christ in this Adulterous and Sinful Generation It is not said Jewish or Heathen but in Epithets proper and sutable to this Countrey of England at this Day of them shall the Son of Man be ashamed when He cometh in the Glory of his Father with the Holy Angels People are commonly ashamed of that whereof a great stir and clutter is made before-hand and nothing comes of it And hereupon it is that Ignorant Persons and Unbelievers would endeavour to fasten shame on the Preaching of the Gospel For as they