just and spare to do nothing whereby thou mayest bee a gainer But then what may not what will not he do that hath secured not only other mens opinion but his own also of his honesty and piety This is a farre worse cousenage than the other for a man to deceive himself as well as other folks and will most inevitably bring him to ruine If it bee a great peece of that policy whereby the Devil rules the world for a man so notably to counterfeit piety that even when hee doth most destroy it hee shall bee counted pious as it was said of Tereus Ipso sceleris molimine Tereus Creditur esse pius Hee was cryed up for a Saint even when hee was committing the greatest villany What a notable peece of the Devils craft then is it so to perswade a zealous man in religious duties and so to inflame him that he shall passe in his own judgement for a Saint How certainly will he ruine both himself and others in what a ready way is hee to commit all injustice when hee is out of all danger of having his own conscience secretly reprove him of Hypocrisy and simulation which the other had not so secured When a man makes a conscience of some things and is very forward in them they make such a noise that they quite drown the voice of it in other matters and with the greater safety hee commits all other kinde of wickednesse which are no lesse dangerous than that which hee avoids But I shall not trespasse upon you much further Whether this bee assented unto which I have now discoursed or not this notwithstanding will remain good that such sins are a cause sufficient of a peoples ruine though there bee no other and therefore for the Lords our own and the Lands sake let us not look upon these things as lesser and inconsiderable which need not bee so much pressed upon mens practise nor the Pulpits so much sound of lest by this means the Priest and the people should both perish together Let the Prophet Isaiah bee once more allowed to speak and I will presently conclude chap. 30.8 9 10 c. Note it in a book that it may bee for the time to come for ever and ever that this is a rebellious people lying children children that will not hear the Law of the Lord which say to the seers see not and to the Prophets prophecie not unto us right things speak unto us smooth things prophecie deceits get yee out of the way turn aside out of the path cause the holy one of Israel to cease from before us c. They would not have the Prophets speak to them of things that were right and honest but desired some soft sleek flattering and deceitful doctrins i. e. such as would certainly abuse them that they should cry Peace peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Kimchi there notes do according to your hearts desire and it shall bee well with you they would not have them run in the old beaten way and preach so much strictnesse of righteousnesse unto them no finde some new smooth path wherin wee may go without any rub to our own lusts cause the holy one of Israel to cease from before us i. e. let us hear nothing of the holy one any more presse not holinesse so earnestly and frequently upon us But what saith God to such a people The 12 13 14. verse will tell us Thus saith the holy one because you despise this word because you like not to hear of the holy one and trust in oppression and perversenesse and stay thereon hoping that you shall fare well enough Therefore mark what the holy one the righteous God that hates iniquity saith This iniquity shall bee to you as a breach ready to fall swelling out in a high wall c. just as a wall that swells and often bursts on a sudden falling down upon those who are under it that dream of no such thing and crumbles all into dust or little bits that can bee put to no use at all such shall your ruine bee i. e. totall and inevitable because unexpected and not beleeved through the deceit of your hearts and your false confidences in other things while you remained guilty of those iniquities The Lord open every mans eyes that he may see how farre he is concerned in any of these truths that hee may passe sentence upon himself and prevent the condemnation of the Lord who hath set his throne for judgement who will judge the world in Righteousnesse and minister judgement to the people in uprightnesse His eyes behold his eye-lids try the children of men The Lord tryeth the Righteous but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1.
breach made in this wall for oppression violence and wrong to enter in which I have as good as already cleared while I have brought in the Prophets every where crying out upon these sins as the cause of their desolation and being carried captive out of their own land But if you desire more particular satisfaction be pleased to observe 1 That the captivity of Israel is in a great part charged upon the account of these sins and take the pains to consult but these two places in a Prophet whose vision was concerning the ten Tribes Amos 2.6 7 8. Amos 4.1 2 3. 2 The captivity of Judah both first and last is most manifestly ascribed to them these being the iniquities which even in their reformations they spared from being destroyed and I must again put you to the pains of considering these places which the time will not give mee leave to inlarge upon Isa 10.1 2 3. Isa 30.12 13 14. Micah 3.12 and especially that remarkable one Jer. 34. where hee calls upon them to let the Bondmen of the Hebrew Nation go free according to the Law which because after their promise they refused and kept them still in their service see what is threatned vers 17 18 19 c. And to this that passage I am apt to think relates which wee meet withall in the very beginning of Jeremiahs Lamentations Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction and because of great servitude chap. 1.3 3 Babylon her self who destroyed Judah was destroyed for these sins which I note lest you should think that these things concerned only that particular people and do not bode so sadly to other Nations where they are found in Isa 10.5 6 7 it is said that God sent the Assyrian against the Hypocritical Nation that I have been describing and gave him charge to take the spoil c. but hee thought of nothing but destroying and cutting off Nations and therefore hee threatens to destroy him utterly and to take off his burdens and yoaks from his people vers 26 27. and more fully chap. 14.3 4 5 6. hee notes the hard bondage wherewith they made the conquered serve and their oppression and ruling the Nations in anger as causes of their destruction To which may bee added that most evident place Isa 47.5 6. where plainly hee saith that cruelty and oppression toward those whom shee had overcome brought the Lady and Mistresse of the World down to sit in the dust in perpetual silence and darknesse And take notice that one reason why this mischief was not prevented and this destruction came upon them while they thought not of it was the same with that which wee met withal in the case of Judah viz. The base flattering humor of their soothsayers the men-pleasing prophecyes of her diviners and those watchmen they had though pittiful ones they were who had told them lyes just as the watchmen of Gods people had to them which the latter part of that chapter doth give us reason to take for a truth I will refer you but to one place more which most largely treats of the Chaldeans ruine Habak 2. from the fifth verse to the eighteen which whosoever reads must cast his eyes very carelesly upon it who doth not see that unsatiable covetousnesse cruelty bloudinesse violence spoiling aad such like sinnes are made to have a greater hand than their idols in reaching the cup of the Lords right hand unto them and making them so drunken and full gorged that shameful spuing should bee upon all their glory How long should I detain you if I should multiply more particulars from Nineveh Nahum 3.1 from Damascus Gaza Edom Ammon and all the rest mentioned in the first and second Chapters of Amos who were all threatned for their oppression and cruelty to bee punished without any mercy I will onely desire you to consider as you read those chapters whether you can refuse to assent to this as a true observation that one great destroying if not the chiefest sin of those people there mentioned was this their unmercifulnesse and cruel dealing with those whom they had conquered and got into their power I am sure that Edoms four transgressions are so neer of kin to this that wee can scarce make them any more then four degrees of this one sin viz. want of kindnesse compassion and mercy to those whom it was natural for him to pitty especially when hee had the better of them vers 11. Hee did pursue his brother with the sword and did cast off all pitty and his anger did tear perpetually and kept his wrath for ever And I think there is another whole Chapter which renders no other cause of the perishing of those Ammonites Moabites Edomites and Philistims also but this that they either rejoyced and clapped their hands at the ruine of their Neighbour Judah or else with an implacable and irreconcilable hatred prosecuted their victories over them intending their total deletion and final destruction Ezek. 25. But as I said I will not now make so bold as to prolong this discourse till a particular narrative bee given you of all these things Nor will I do any more than suggest to your meditation that Ammon is again threatned for insulting upon the necks of the slain i. e. of a faln and feeble enemy Ez. 21.29 v. Jun. and Pharoah for deceiving and cozening the expectation of Israel who leaned upon his promise Ezek. 29.6 7. And the Israelites themselves for slaying their brethren of Judah with a rage that reached up to heaven and without any pitty intending to make them bondmen 2 Chron. 28.9 10. and that in general it is denounced that the robbery of the wicked shall destroy them because they refuse to do judgement c. Prov. 21.7 15. and that God hath stiled himself the avenger of the poor and needy and hee that will plead the cause of those that have no helper that are crushed by the mighty and cannot right themselves nor have any other to do them right and that these are such unnatural sins and so contrary to all the dealings of God with men who is merciful kinde and compassionate as well as just and righteous that God will not let them go unpunished especially in the Rulers whose office it is to see right equity and mercy take place among men The Jews you have seen are a notable example of this and by often experience it seems they were so sensible of it that there grew to bee a common saying among their wisemen of this signification That when Gods ears are shut against all mens prayers he will hear the cry of the poor needy and oppressed Quando vastata fuit domus sanctuarii omnes porta clausa fuerunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excepta porta oppressionis i. e. when the Temple was destroyed there was no gate open for the Prayers and Petitions of any to enter but onely the gate for the Petitions of the oppressed which they say is
men are grown to that condition that they hope these matters of Justice are but a trifling businesse and that the change of so small a thing as a Letter the placing of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the stead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the room of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will make no great change in Gods affection to his people and bee accounted but a petty oversight Then immediately comes out a woe in the following verse and an asseveration that many houses shall bee desolate even great and fair without an inhabitant vers 8 9. and v. 20. unto 25. If I may bee allowed to say any more it should bee only this that the Rulers of the People ought carefully and impartially to inquire into themselves about these matters they being more than others concerned in them as many of these places which I have alledged will tell him that reads them and having greater power and temptations to do these things than most of the people or at least to come nearer in their sins to the height of Prophetical expressions than the ordinary sort of men in regard of whom those phrases must bee interpreted with some diminution and abatement I am sure they every where note it as a sad thing when the rulers cause the people to erre but I shall mention now onely that single place Isa 9.14 15 16 17. and remember that I am now speaking in an auditory where there are no Rulers that have fearce power to do any body any wrong but are far I am perswaded from having any will If any one have occasion to treat of these matters in a more publick Assembly it might not perhaps bee intollerable in him to propose this Question whether wee may not fear though I have excluded all confident assertion as to my own particular that if a Prophet should now rise up in the Christian yea in the reformed world hee would thunder out against it that men make little difference of fas and nefas right and wrong that they invade one anothers rights and properties wallow in bloud and cruelty c. and yet cry up the purity of Religion the merits of Christ Jesus and such like things with as loud a voice as they in the Prophet did the Temple of the Lord yea whether it bee out of all doubt that hee would not have any better language for those who are double refined from Popery and have reformed even the reformation 2 I do not say that these are the onely sins that undo a people nor that sins more immediately against God as denying of his being and his truths and blaspheming of his name c. if they bee general are not wasting sins nor that these are the more hainous in themselves than those against God All that I affirm is that these alone are and have been enough to destroy a Nation without the other and that these commonly prove the most dangerous and ruinating to a Nation of any else because they are commonly overlooked whereas one would think the duties toward our brother whom wee see should bee most easily in our eye and when men reform impieties against God they think themselves to have done him such high service and are so much in those upper speculations that they take no notice of these things under their feet and make no reckoning how they deal with men so they bee but zealous and fierce for that which is due to God or they can bee content to bee religious so they but retain their unlawful gains pleasures and ambitious ends yea perhaps their religion and forwardnesse for reformation in other things may give them a better advantage more colourably to practice these iniquities and their unmortified affections will easily put them in minde to make use of such opportunities Religious services in their greatest outward puritie besides that the natures of men are not so averse unto and abhorrent from them but that they may bee very forward to do them they also make a great sound and din in the world and have such a glorious appearance that by the doing of them hee may bee reputed and also take himself for a Saint and then bee so pleased with this fine perswasion and so inwardly tickled with the delight of such thoughts that hee is ingaged to minde with all his power the promoting of such matters as have gained him the credit of a holy person without denying his worldly lusts which may rather have a freer liberty under such a brave and splendid master as stands not upon punctilio's of honesty and equity between one man and another But if wee turn our eyes the other way wee shall finde that justice and mercy pitty and compassion forgivenesse and doing of good to others especially to those who have wronged us will fall out sometimes with a mans worldly interests and carnal desires and will put him to learn that hard lesson of self-denyal and beside they make no such great noise in the world but must bee content to passe with many men for a peece of dull morality It was most truly said by a very wise man Nulli facilius ad magnam pietatis famam perveniunt quam superstitiosi hypocrytae They that have nothing else to shew for their sanctity but their religious performances will bee most nice exact and even ceremonious about them and do them with a greater pang of zeal than many cordial Christians which easily obtains for them the name of holy and devout persons among men when honesty mercy and a sober religion and piety cannot prevail for so much credit Whence is it that men are easily tempted to neglect these things while they minde the other and so the sins of injustice c as I have been proving oftner undo a Nation than any other Hence I say again it is that these things do more commonly ruine a Nation than corruption in Gods worship not because that is not destructive but because men will a great deal sooner reform the one than the other a fair outward correspondence in all the outward worship of God being a great deal more easy than this denial of mens selves in their covetous malitious ambitious and other fleshly desires and being apt to get a man a higher name if it bee in any good measure of fervency and heat and likewise to beget in himself a comfortable opinion that hee is truly pious And seeing there is such Hypocrisy and deceit in mens hearts and they are so willing thus to cheat themselves I hope it will not bee deemed unseasonable that I have treated of this matter rather than the other It is observed you know by some that no men can so securely commit all wicked actions as they who have gained the repute of honest men and therefore the Poet in Plutarch most cunningly adviseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De aud Poetis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do all thou canst to bee accounted