there such an universal Mourning for our particular sins we should soon â—ee Providence scattering the â—hreatning Clouds that hang over â—ur heads and raising a foundaâ—ion for our further hopes of â—scape Oh then that Charity to â— ruining State that Compassion â—o the languishing Church of our Lord Iesus Christ that our Graâ—itude to a gracious God for his Mercies or that our dread of a â—onfounding Majesty and hasteâ—ing Misery may make us break off â—n God calls as Ier. 14.17 I â—ave seen thy abominations Wo â—nto thee oh Ierusalem wilt thou â—ot be made clean when shall it â—nce be Oh when shall we leave â—ur sins after so many years of Patience tiring Iustice-daring Provocations When shall it once â—e after so many lesser Judgments â—ounding warnings to us to prevent â—ur ruine Oh when shall it be â—fter all the miraculous engaging Deliverances God hath given Oh let this be the time Now to this end I have presented thee with those Considerations that may be Inducements to all to learn to live more holily after such rich enjoyments of Mercies and prevent the abusing of them to sin For as Hermes after Wine was wont to take a grain of Mastick to prevent its Coagulation into destructive Tartar so should we wisely fortifie our selves by weighty Considerations so to prevent those sins we are naturally pronâ— to commit after the receipt oâ— Mercies And especially because when Satan by his Instruments hatâ— attempted our destruction and ouâ— gracious God hath prevented their designs by delivering not sufferinâ— the gates of Hell to prevail againsâ— us our vigilant Adversary seeinâ— he cannot destroy us will exercisâ— all his wylès to deprive us of thâ— benefit of Deliverances given tâ— us by endeavouring to divert our minde from considering them and â—entâ—cing us to a wrong Improvement of them Let us also believe our future condition is like to be according to our carriage under Gods present gracious Dispensations And I may say of Mercy as the Heathens of Fortune Nec cultores praeterit nec haeret contemptoribus It slights not its Worshippers neither will it stay with its Contemners So those that are grateful for Mercies shall never want them those that are abusers shall not long enjoy them Continuance in son will be so great discouragement to God in ways of Mercies that we shall have just Cause to despair of future relief from him 'T is reported of Alphonsus King of Spain that a Noble beggered by his wickedness seeking relief was denied with this Answer If thou hadst â—pent thy estate in my Service there were reason to provide foâ— thee but since you have foolishly wasted it thou shalt live iâ— thy wants without my relief Sâ— although God will deliver thosâ— whose dangers arise from serving of him yet he may justly deny deliverance to those that involvâ— themselves in miseries by sinning against him Now Reader if thou wonderesâ— so important a Subject as this iâ— undertaken by so weak a hand aâ— mine know that gratitude raiseâ— the price of the meanest presentâ— And this is certain God doth noâ— choose means because effectual buâ— means are effectual because God chooses them Young Samuel was chosen to carry a message to Olâ— Eli who did not contemn him foâ— his youth but received the messagâ— the Lord sent by him And 〈◊〉 though I am the meanest of Saints my weak endeavours may be prosperous with the blessing of an Almighty God There is such a pruritus scribendi in this diseased Age that would force me to make some plea for exposing this small Treatise to publick view But Apologies commence so low that they are rather believed to be flatteries than truths and as one saith should the highest Protestations of my humble intentions be entered I know men will take the liberty to believe or question at pleasure Therefore all I shall say is onely this The subject and Treatise is peaceable not mingling with the intemperate and preternatural heats of the Christian or rather unchristian Gladiatours of these days The Treatise is also practical designed to reduce the lives of persons to better order and not stuffed with nice speculations to gratifie mens itching ears and wild fancies I believe also you will say 't is plain if not too uncouth But I shall not affect the vain Pedantry of plausible ostentation for I reckon the simplicity of sober well-meaning hearts need no such curious embellishments And I shall be willing to be judged by any whether it be not seasonable and so I shall depend upon the Lord to accompany it with his blessing to the Souls of those who shall vouchsafe to peruse it whose Prayers I shall desire that I may spend my days to the glory of God and in promoting the publick welfare and so remain Chelmsford Octob. 8. 79. An unfeigned Well-wisher to the publick good THOMAS GOVGE God's Controversie WITH ENGLAND FOR Contemning Deliverances Ezra 9. 13 14. Seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve and hast given us such a deliverance as this Should we again break thy Commandments Wouldst not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us so that there should be no remnant nor escaping SInce one effectual means to promote the deserved honour and transcending glory of the Soveraign Governour of Humane Affairs is by a suitable Improvement of his various Providences to us an industrious inquiry into the blessed designs of his providential dispensations in order thereto will be accounted no unnecessary work to such as intend that Religious improvement of them Of these providential occurrences which may not be pretermitted without some serious Meditations on them some are of that sort which we call common from the frequent enjoyment of them of which kind is our daily Preservation Provision Gubernation although they are special considering our unspeakable misery without them and these I say cannot be slighted and dis-regarded without an unworthy disparagement of infinite mercy and contempt of Soveraign Majesty But besides these ordinary works of Providence there are oftentimes extra-ordinary works presented to our view attended with special displays and bearing some eminent impressions of Mercy or Justice which are not to be over-look'd in a cursory way or dispatch with a single glance but require a deliberate Meditation a fixed inspection and a singular improvement Such unusual dispensations from the Almighties hand have frequently been known both in ways of Mercy and Justice in our sinful Nation which hath been a Theatre for the mixed displays of these Glorious Attributes for many years and especially of late our long-suffering God hath stampt most illustrious impressions of mercy on many of his eminent Providences to us of which our Miraculous Deliverance in part vouchsafed to us is an apparent testimony and requires the most faithful improvement that finite creatures can make of the doings of an infinite God The Deliverance I mean was that when the supream Overseer of created beings in all their
operations cast an unmerited eye of pity on our sinful Nation languishing with undiscerned distempers when the boundless goodness of the Eternal God made a timely stop to our hastning ruine when the heavenly witness that is conscious to the secret actions of unmindful Mortals detected the vaulted contrivances of the undermining Moles of our Common-wealth when the Almighty God who places bounds to the roaring waves and says to the raging sea Hitherto and no farther took off the Chariot-wheels of our furious Enemies when he unto whom belongs the issues from death as by a glorious Resurrection rescued us from the jaws of destruction who bore the Image of death upon us when the faithful God discovered the unfaithful dealings of perfidious Plotters and by a glorious ray of infinite goodness shining on our clouded Land hath made us a Land of Goshen who were near to be made a miserable Golgotha This is the Deliverance never to be forgotten the wonderful work with such impressions of mercy which is to be beheld with most fixed intention Now can we cast our eye on this magnificent master-piece of mercy but our eye must needs affect our hearts and ingenerate such motions as were in the heart of thankful David Psal. 116.12 What shall I render to the Lord for all his mercy Can we pass by this Heavenly favour without a pious inquiry into the gracious designs of our blessed God in bestowing of it Hath this unexpected deliverance continued the choicest of blessings to us and shall we dis-appoint the expectations of God who is looking for signal requitals of it Surely such a glorious work as this wherein hath appeared the immediate hand of Almighty God the most wonderful goodness of his sweetest nature the highest testimonies of his enduring patience can never be over-looked by us unless we design to affront his mercy disdain his kindness and dare his justice But oh miserable Nation oh ungrateful people Where are the tokens of thankful respects for unmerited favours What notice is there taken that such a work hath been done amongst us Who lays to heart the operations of his hands Where are the lips that praise him the lives that honour him for it The Idolatrous Philistines could assemble and sacrifice to their Dagon for delivering Sampson their Enemy into their hands Iudg. 16.23 24. But when have we assembled to offer the sacrifice of praise to our God for delivering us from the hands of our Enemies Oh regardless people if talking of Deliverance be recompense enough we have paid it if cursing our foes be sufficient reward we have given it but if repentance of disobedience be the onely return we have yet omitted it if reformation can onely be regarded as a suitable requital we are without it What have we seen but unchanged conversations in our changed condition What have we given to the Lord but a doubled measure of Impieties for his doubled mercies What have we done but endeavoured to revenge our selves on the mercy of God that hath spared us Oh undeserving Generation that we are how do we enjoy mercies and never improve them How do we comfortably reap the profit of Deliverance and unfaithfully rob the Lord of the glory of it How do we bless our selves in escapes and forget the Almighty that gives them to us We are sollicitous wanters but careless enjoyers How are we joyful when getting out of danger but how little careful then are we to be getting out of sin Methinks the Moon that is often changing and still keeps its old spots is a plain Emblem of our wicked Nation when all things are ruining sin remains unruined when enjoying escapes from ruine still sin remains to be again a cause of ruine Oh what unchangeable Ethiopians are we in our sins How like are we to the hardned Mariners who escaping the fatal dangers of a threatning storm remain secure till another Tempest hangs over their heads What succession of mercies do we promise our selves in the vilest continuance in destroying iniquities But is there no hope◠that the consideration of delivering Mercies may over-power us from going on in our wicked courses Were they prest upon our Consciences would they not prevail to effect some reformation It may be a word that will suit to the works of the Lord amongst us may make some impression effect some conviction and produce some amendment Behold then a Word enough to melt our hearts with the reading of it to dissolve us into tears by meditating on it to make us reform by applying of it Seeing thou hast given us such a deliverance as this should we again break thy commandment Wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us c. In these words are contain'd 1. A thankful acknowledgment of the undeserved mercy their gracious God had exercised towards them consisting in these two things 1. He had punished them less than their sins deserved They admire the Clemency of Almighty God that when their iniquities were wonderfully great their punishments should be mitigated with so much mercy The Hebrew Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used signifies 1. Cohibere se to with-hold ones self And so the sence is elegant Thou hast with-held thy self from doing what our iniquities deserved from thee Thou wouldst not suffer thy direful anger to break out against us to the utmost but didst refrain thy self from making an irreparable ruine amongst us Hadst thou proportioned thy destroying judgment to our daring provocations and thy wrathful dealings to our vast deserts we had not been a people at this very day but thy mercy detain'd the hands of thy Justice and thou didst not so much design to consume us but onely to correct us The like acknowledgment have we cause to make having had experiences of the same clemency for when our provoked God hath come out against us with wasting Wars destroying Plagues devouring Flames yet he restrained his wrath and suspended the greatest part of the judgments we deserved from him and although when he began there was cause enough to make a full end of us all yet in the midst of Justice he remembred mercy and graciously desisted from ruining of us 2. The word signifies Cohibere aliquid to restrain any thing else So the sence is Thou hast restrained kept down our sins from rising up in judgment against us for had they appeared against us we had utterly been ruin'd 2. This Mercy was exprest to them by the working out for them so great a deliverance Since thou hast given us such a deliverance implying how merciful how seasonable how undeserved a deliverance that was they received and such is ours that the Almighty God hath vouchsafed to us 2. You have here the deep sense of duty that was upon his heart which duty was to break off sin which onely can be a just return to God for his goodness 3. You have his sense of danger if sin was persisted in after such a deliverance Wouldst
against me As judgments will not bridle us so mercies will not break us off our sinning Isa. 26.10 Let favour be shown to the wicked yet will he not learn righteousness In the former verses the Prophet shews that the people of God would serve him even under afflictions but as for the wicked neither mercies nor afflictions work upon them Mercies are messengers to instruct us our duty but although for many years we have been called upon by them yet how little have we learnt to love serve and obey our God by them Noah miraculously delivered is abominably drawn into sin He that had the highest proofs of the mercy and justice of God mercy to himself justice to the world lyes drunk in his Tent preserved from waters overcome by wine behold you may see him guilty of the sin for which he saw the world condemned you may see him to be rebuked for the sin he so often had reproved and he that was so holy before now becomes a pattern of uncleanness and example for future wickedness thus prone are the best to sin after deliverance Thus holy Hezekiah 2 Chron. 32.24 25. God delivered him from death but he rendred not to the Lord according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up not with thankfulness but haughtiness not in praises but with pride Deut. 32.15 Ieshurun waxed fat and kicked then be forsook the God that made him and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation Deliverance had made way for his promotion and he being promoted God was rejected Righteous Lot by distinguishing favour escaping the flames of Sodom fell into the fire of sin The ashes of Sodom the pillar of salt made him not wise enough to shun the drunken bed of Incest Who could have thought Lot should fall into such Impieties upon the receipt of such mercies but thus prone are we to abuse goodness and ready to slight the greatest kindness how often do we turn our Physick to poison How often do we make our Mercies Commeatus peccandi Inlets to sin 'T is said concerning Eve that God design'd her an helper to Adam and made her of his rib but the devil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 took his rib and made it a fatal dart So God gives Mercies with good intentions but Satan siding with our corrupt inclinations makes use of them to our great disadvantage I shall now consider how it comes to pass that Deliverances have no more Influence upon us and how we become so prone to sin after them 1. It arises from the mighty Power that accustomed sins have upon the heart When highest Reasons are obliging to leave sin the force of Custom prevents their operation When men are soaked in Sensuality flesht in Villany thorough-paced in Rebellious courses what is able to change them Hereby the heart is so direfully hardned the Devil's Kingdom so invincibly fortified and sin itself so much endeared that there is unspeakable difficulty in conquering of it Ezek. 16.4 When delivered from Egypt 't is said Their Navil was not cut The Navil is that whereby the Child is supplyed with nourishment in the Mothers Womb. So this expression means Israel was still drawing in Egyptian Manners and Superstitions being accustomed to them they still hankered after them notwithstanding their great deliverance And although for a while a deliverance may seem to make some impression yet as the water heated redit ad ingenium grows cold again so affections to God wear off and men are hankering after their former Lusts. So Ezek. 23.8 Neither â—eft she her whoredoms brought from Egypt Difficile est ab usitatis desinere Accustomed â—ins are hardly deserted sins often renewâ—d are hardly reformed sudden mercies â—hough never so great will hardly wear â—ut continued sins 2. The reason why our Deliverances work no greater Reformation is because â—e fix our Eyes too much upon second â—auses and inferiour Instruments withâ—ut a due acknowledgment of the hand â—f God Hence we are prone to conâ—eive our selves more obliged to Men than 〈◊〉 God himself How wickedly do ma 〈◊〉 ascribe more to Humane Policy and Heathenish Fortune than to infinite power and Heavenly favour Hos. 11.3 They knew not that I healed them Nescire dicitur qui gratiam non refert He is ignorant who neither observes nor answers the merciful hand of God Attributing Deliverances to man hinders the performance of duty to God The reason why mercies are not seconded with obedience to God is because we look too much to second causes so those Hab. 1.16 Their portion was fat and they sacrificed to their nets and burnt incense to their drags Thus the Assyrian proudly ascribed all to himself Isa. 10.14 By the strength of my hand have I done it and by my wisdom for I am prudent How can the mercy of God be answered if it be not owned How can we requite God for delivering if we deny the receipts of deliverance from him If we look not upon our mercies as given by God we shall give God nothing foâ— his mercies 3. Deliverances are no more influentia to reclaim from sin because of our unreasonable oblivion of them Our greatest mercies are but nine days wonders present impressions made by deliverance are soon worn off by neglect of future consideration The sense of our Engagements to Obedience wearing off our inclinations to sin make head When mercies are new how frequent is our remembrance of them Whilst employed in our daily labours our minds are admiring delivering love When waking in the night these are the objects of Meditation when conversing with friends these are the Theams we discourse of Now somewhat must be done to requite this kindness but too sudden a forgetfulness anticipates and prevents the performance of our acknowledged obedience Deut. 32.17 18. they are charged with abominable sins and it stands as a reason because they forgot the God that formed them and the rock that begat them Did we not forget our mercies our Consciences would force us to forsake our sins Were our hearts more but Repositories for Gods favours so much Iniquity would not be lodged in them Forgetting Gods mercies is not onely a base unworthy sin but a breeding sin many desperate sins arise from despising the kindness of our God And oh how unspeakably strange is it that we can forget him who doth so much to be remembred That we can suffer his mercies to pass out of our mind whose mercies are new every moment How impossible would it be to live in unlamented sin did we live in the sense of undeserved mercies Hence it is we are so prone to sin after deliverances because we are so apt to suffer them to slip out of our labile memories 4. This continuance in sin after deliverances arises from persons bolstring up themselves with sinful presumptions that the dangers of destruction are past When men begin to apprehend all things are well they are apt to take occasion to do ill When
and Job were here c. they should prevail only for their own Souls Oh says God you think the cries of your Prayer shall drown the voice of your Sins you imagine your earnest calls will make my bowels yearn to you or if you cannot prevail alone you will engage others but I tell you neither ye nor my greatest friends that can most prevail shall perswade me to spare so ungodly a people as you they and you shall not effect your desires with me so 3. Mercy disengag'd the wrathful blows of Divine Vengeance will be to speak after the manner of men inflicted in a careless manner on a Mercy-contemning people The Vine-dresser is most exact and curious in abscinding the luxuriant branches of a fruitful Vine but hacks and hews the unfruitful tree in a careless manner Thus the Almighty God measures out and limits the Judgments that are out of Mercy to a fruitful people to increase their fruit but regards not how he strikes a barren generation that are only to be hewed down as cumber-ground trees Whilst tender Affections remain in the heart of God to a people he limits the proceeding of enemies he restrains the rage of their foes he afflicts pondere mensura with weight and measure But when Justice only is exercised in Judgment the worst of times the most fierce enemies the most astonishing manner is chosen in afflicting When we are regardless of a mans life we say Let him eat drink do what he will I will be no hinderance to him Thus Mercy disobliged says Let enemies wound massacre slay whom and how they will I shall not help I will not hinder God permits enemies to do their worst to go as far as they can when he designs the ruine of a people The Prophet prays Jer. 10.24 Lord correct me but with judgment not in thine anger lest thou bring me to nothing In thy correction use moderation for the anguish of thy anger is intolerable the blows of thy wrath alone will bring us to nothing The fatherly Anger of God is dreadful but the fierceness of his Anger is fatal If God doth not moderate his anger we can never sustain the dreadful terrour of it 4. Mercy disengag'd we become under a total impossibility of receiving help from any means If Mercy that should stop miseries be taken away miseries must needs flow in Whither shall the poor creature go if Mercy be gone If we resort to creatures for help they all say It is not in me If God affords you no help I cannot if God withdraws his merciful influence I have no efficacy Psal. 3.8 Salvation belongs to God 'T is the honour of God that he can easily save without any else and that none else can save without him However suitable means may be to relieve us unless there be the harmonious conjunction of God with them they prove ineffectual Creatures can never help us in distress if Mercy stands off There is a counterpoising power to the ability of created agents that may obstruct their success there are unseen circumstances that may invalidate their attempts there are intercurrent Causes and unprovided-for Accidents that may be unconquerable hinderances to their endeavours The most suitable instruments voluntatem habent non potestatem have only an impotent Velleity or Will but no effectual Ability to help us A Nation deserted by Mercy is like a diseased dying man Head a king Heart fainting Wits confounded Spirits consumed given over by Physicians Friends stand behind the Curtains sobbing and sighing weeping and bewailing willing to relieve not able Thus 't is with a Nation when Mercy is disengag'd 't is bleeding to Death gasping for Life its Friends dejected their Hearts melted but dye it must dye it will none can help it Let men be never so sollicitous most unspeakably industrious to help a perishing Nation they will be successless without mercy for they are but media deferentia non operantia means of conveyance not of efficience Mercy disengag'd there can be no binding the hands of Justice no obstructing its fatal Blows no stopping the floods of Vengeance no perswading to spare no prevailing to stay no hindering its arrests no opposing its violence but destruction will be unavoidable The highest profession the richest possessions the strongest fortifications will be no security no shelter on earth can secure from the vengeance of Heaven The united forces of all Creatures can no ways impede the actings of their Sovereign Creator Job 9.12 13. He taketh away and none can hinder him If God will not withhold his anger the proud helpers must stoop under However great the Patrons of our Cause may be whatever Allies may consociate with us whatever Assistants shall appear for us yet they can never prosper to protect us or succeed to deliver us from the hands of resolved Justice Our helpers must have the assistance of God or they cannot procure deliverance for us Had we thousands as strong as that world-bearing Atlas they could never uphold us had we a world of Confederates they could never preserve us if Justice designs our ruine The most potent Friends can never deliver those who have the Omnipotent God to be their enemy If Mercy will not help us we must needs be helpless Job 27.22 God shall cast upon him and not spare he would flee out of his hands â—ugere conaâ—itur sed non effugiet He shall strive to get out of his hands but shall not escape Neither Policy Power or Prayer can prevail with or succeed against God when not seconded with the aid of Mercy Dan. 4.35 There is none can stay his hand None can deliver from the destroying hands of Justice but victorious Mercy What need then is there to be careful that we disoblige not Mercy What grateful carriage should we have under Mercies lest we make them our enemies And if Mercy be once against us all things will work against us 5. Destruction after Deliverance will be exceedingly aggravated by that self-confounding desperation that will be in our Souls when God shall come out against us to vindicate the quarrel of abused mercies to avenge the contempt of former deliverances Then we shall not only have God against us but Conscience also will direfully torment us the reflecting on former deliverances will cause as great terrour as present dangers The very thoughts of contemn'd deliverances will damp and destroy the confidence of the Soul in renewed Miseries How can a man lift up his face before God to desire a mercy that hath turn'd his back upon God when he obtain'd a mercy How can he go to God for fresh supplies of Mercy who getting a mercy hath gone away from God When God hath lifted thee up from a low condition and thou hast gone on in a wicked life with what face canst thou look upon God again Canst expect a good look when thou lookest to him What canst expect but a denial from him when thou hast denied obedience to
will be their greatest advantage They know our Throats will lye open to be cut by their cruel hands when once we have emptied our hearts of sollicitous thoughts of destruction Hence hence it is instruments are active to inform us deceitfully that we are sufficiently provided against them for this they instruct theirs and the Devils Martyrs to obtrude on the world the highest Protestations of Innocency For this they strain their throats to swallow renouncing Oaths which they will as certainly keep as ever they intended which I fear was not at all Hence they force themselves to a Parish-Church that we may certainly think they cannot belong to the Romish Mother and that we may fancy they cannot go thence to contrive our miserable ruine Oh then if this be their plot how have they got us by it How do we please our enemies and promote their designs by our sinful Security But shall we not fear the Hammer and Nail will cleave our Pates when Sisera-like we are droll'd into sleep with a Lordly Dish of Butter and Honey You may certainly believe this stupifying Opium will be like the poyson of Asps at last Is not this the Posture most have been in when Judgments came upon them What was there but careless and senseless doings when that dreadful Deluge surpriz'd the world of old Mat. 24.37 38. How unexpected was the ruine of Sodome and Gomorrha How incredulous were the Jews of their sad Captivities and of their utter Desolation at last Observe we but the frame of persons when Judgments have been rained from Heaven upon them and we shall finde they were fearless of any storms and conceitedly secure from any miseries When the Massacre broke forth in Paris the cruel butchering was acted in Ireland the ruining Persecutions and Distresses fell upon Germany they were all involv'd in Lethargical Distempers besotted with fatal Security This is the time the beasts of prey have ever gone out to glut themselves with fatning blood This hath been the season ever selected to manage the overthrow of Kingdoms Yet examples do not warn us but we foolishly seem resolv'd to gratifie our enemies with a suitable season to ruine us Is not this the posture that God hath severely threatned in his Word to which he will ever be faithful Isai. 22.13 14. In that day the Lord of Hosts called to mourning and weeping and behold joy and gladness and it was revealed in my ears Surely this Iniquity shall not be purged from you till you die Nothing urges Justice more to confound a people with floods of Vengeance than Epicurean stupidity under awakening Alarums Hath not the Lord threatned Prov. 29.1 He that being often reproved and still hardens his neck shall be destroyed suddenly and that without remedy Why then do we flatter our selves and cry Peace peace Shall we say as those Zeph. 1.12 The Lord will do neither good nor evil Will not God then say as v. 13 Therefore your goods shall become a booty and your houses a desolation Whatever may be the foundation our Security is builded upon so long as provoking Sins are heaping up Wrath Security doth but hasten our Misery 'T is possible we are incredulous that Judgments can ever destroy a People renowned in Profession as we but since our Profession is but as Samuel's mantle under which are shrouded most devilish sins or as a carpet cast over the mouth of Hell it can never be a shelter for us but stirs up the Lord to vengeance Outside-Holiness and mocking Formality renders our condition the worse Micah 3.11 12. They leaned upon God in ways of sin and said Is not the Lord among us do we not profess him and worship him Therefore shall Zion for your sakes be plowed as a field and Jerusalem shall become heaps and the mountains of the House of the Lord as the high places of the forrest The Ark of the Lord could not save the Israelites sinning Zion will be no shelter for Hypocrites 'T is in vain to flatter our selves with conceits of safety in an outward shew of Godliness that hay and straw can be no fence from the ruining flames of Divine Vengeance Awake then from brutish security and fall to work to prevent the threatned ruine by repentance and amendment Fancy not your selves beyond the reach of judgments but tremble in your selves that you may have rest in the day of trouble Make the Almighty your friend that he may not be a terrour in the day of Evil. Be afraid of all his judgments For if you will not learn to fear that great and dreadful Name the Lord thy God then will he make thy plagues wonderful Deut. 28.38 Is not destruction coming after deliverance Are not dreadful days approaching to us Consider these few particulars following and you will see what cause we have to shake off security and prepare our selves to meet the Lord in ways of judgments who have so long enjoy'd the shines of mercy 1. May we not justly fear our ungrateful carriage towards God will hasten his formidable departure from us Unkindness shown to friends coming to us will certainly discourage them from abiding with us The happiness of a Nation consists above all in the fruition of the favourable presence of God and if by a regardless carriage or displeasing behavior we provoke him to depart our sudden ruine will be the consequence of his deserting of us Hos. 9.12 Wo also to them when I depart from them There is that absolute necessity of the presence of the Lord with a people to conduct them by his Counsel to protect them by his Power to succeed them by his blessing in use of saving means to deliver them in unconquerable dangers that if he withdraws it from them none of these things can be done by another hand Hence the Lord unwilling to ruine Ierusalem with bowels of compassion cries out Ier. 6.8 Be instructed O Ierusalem lest my soul depart from thee and thy land becomes desolate and not inhabited The soul of a man is the vivisick principle on the separation of which from the body there ensues a death all strength counsel beauty leaves the body Thus when the Lord departs the soul of a Nation is gone and then the Nation is only a mouldring heap and as a liveless carcass We certainly loose all good when the presence of God is withdrawn from us If we by our sins make the Almighty go away he for our sins will take away all kinde of Mercies from us Deut. 3.1.17 I will forsake them The regardless Athâ—ists of our age will say Let him go and what then Oh says the Lord. Then shall ye be devoured and many evils and troubles shall come upon you so that they shall say in that day Are not these evils come upon us because the Lord is not amongst us Now may we not fear God will depart from a people that behave themselves so unkindly as we at this day We slight his presence abuse his
of my people Israel and now because ye have done all these works saith the Lord therefore will I do so to this house c. May not the dealings of God with others prognosticate his dealings with us May not the sore Desolations in Germany the distresses of Protestants in France the ruines of the Churches we read of in Iohn's Revelations cause us to fear we at last shall experience the same Miseries and drink of the same cup of Astonishment that hath been given to them 2 Pet. 2.5 6. If God spared not the old world shalt thou escape his judgment What have we more to secure us Why should we not be made as Sodome by judgments that parallel it in sins Let us take the caution God gave to Israel Deut. 24.9 Remember what the Lord thy God did unto Miriam by the way when he brought thee from Egypt Minde what God hath been doing to other Nations The Inscription on Senacherib's Statue may be written on all ruined Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beholding me learn to be godly But especially when distresses fall on a people near us we are greatly to regard them The Protestants in France are already involv'd in unspeakable trouble and as the Poet said Tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet Thou art greatly concerned when thy Neighbours house is in flames The Cup passes from one to another 7. To conclude Although we may have an escape from final Ruine and glorious Times may succeed our unhappy days may we not justly fear that our Mercies may be ushered in with a great deal of Misery and that a black Storm will precede our glorious Sunshine The approaches of Mercies may be attended with amazing Terrour Great distresses may justly be expected before our great Deliverance The shorter the time of enemies raigning is the greater will be their rage A Cloud ushered in the presence of God to the Tabernacle Christs coming to redeem his people appears in a cloud The darkest hour is a little before the dawning of the glorious day The sorest conflicts Israel had was on their entrance into their blessed and promised Canaan Mercies of greatest excellencies have proportioned difficulties Iosephs pearled Crown Chains of honour had answerable links of trouble We have just cause from Gods promises to expect some glorious days but certainly a gloomy day will be first The earth will be shaken when Babylon shall fall Before we can be happy the filth of England must be washed away with the spirit of judgment and burning We may be dealt with as is spoken of the Iews Zech. 13.8 9 Two parts may be cut off and the third refined I may confidently assert God will bring more glorious days than yet the world enjoyed but as Balaam said Alas who shall live when the Lord does this Numb 24.24 Thou or I may be cut off with millions more and seeing this time is at hand be not secure The onely way to secure any future deliverance is by improving this The way to have future salvation is to make use of this you enjoy to mortifie sins For the Redeemer shall come to Zion and to those that turn from iniquity in Jacob Isa. 59.20 So then let us no longer abuse the patience of God but since he is an indulgent Father let us become obedient Children that so we may hope that he that hath delivered and can deliver will still be continuing deliverances to us SOLI DEO GLORIA FINIS ERRATA PREFACE Page 6. line 14. for health read hearts BOOK Page 21. line ult read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 22 l. 10. r. multiplicavi p. 47. l. 24. for willing r. unwilling p. 59. note that at the twelfth line begins a fourth head p. 73. note l. 5. begins a second head p. 90. note l. 13. begins a fourth head p. 100. l. 26. for also r. able p. 103. l. 3. for usurped r. envied Books Printed and are to be sold by John Hancock at the Sign of the Three Bibles in Popes-Head Alley in Cornhil TWelve Books lately published by Mr. Tho. Brooks late Preacher of the Gospel at Margarets New-Fish-street 1. Precious Remedies against Satans Devices or Salve for Believers and Unbelievers Sores being a companion for those that are in Christ or out of Christ. 2. Heaven on Earth Or a serious Discourse touching a Well grounded Assurance of Mans Everlasting Happiness 3. The unsearchable Riches of Christ held forth in 22 Sermons 4. Apples of Gold for young Men and Women or the happiness of being good betimes 5. A String of Pearls or the best things reserved till last 6. The Mute Christian under the smarting Rod with Soveraign Antidotes against the most miserable Engines 7. An Ark for all Gods Noahs in a stormy Day 8. The Crown and Glory of Christianity in 48 Sermons on Heb. 12.14 9. The Privy Key of Heaven or a Discours of Closet-Prayer 10. An heavenly Cordial for such as have had or escaped the Plague 11. A Cabinet of choice Jewels or a Box of percious Oyntment containing special Maxims Rules and Directions in order to the clearing up of a mans Interest in Christ and his Title to all the glory of another World 12. Londons Lamentations The Godly Mans Ark in several Sermons To which is added Mrs. Moors Evidences for Heaven By Edmund Calamy B.D. at Aldermanbury Christs Communion with his Church Militant by Nicolas Lockyer Sin the Plague of Plagues by Ralph Venning A true Narrative of those two never to be forgotten Deliverances One from the Spanish Invasion in 88 the other from the Hellish Powder Plot Nov. 5 1605 by Mr. Sam. Clark To which is newly added a brief account of the late Horrid Plot discovered 1678 with a Relation of other Popish Cruelties hear and beyond seas The Accurate Accomptant or London Merchant being Instructions for keeping Merchants Accompts by Thomas Brown Accomptant Short Writing the most Easie Exact Lineal and Speedy Method that hath ever yet been obtained as thousands in the City and elsewhere can from their own Experience testifie by Theophilus Metcalf Also a Book called a School-master to it explaining all the Rules thereof A Word of Advice to Saints or a choice Drop of Honey from the Rock Christ. A Coppy-book of the Newest and most useful Hands with Directions for Spelling and Cyphering Bridges Remains being Eight choice Sermons by the late Reverend Mr. William Bridge of Yarmouth A Disswasive from Conformity to the World also Gods severity against Impenitent Sinners by Henry Stubbes Minlster of the Gospel Vennings Remains belng the substance of many Sermons by Mr. Ralph Venning prepared by himself for the Press a little before his death The Poor mans Family-book by Richard Baxter Luthers 34 special and choice Sermons Comae Berenicis or the hairy Comet being a Prognostick of malignant Influences from the many blazing Stars wandring in our Horizon Gospel love Heart purity and the flourishing of the Righteous being the last Sermons of that late Eminent