anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Instruction 2 For the second our presumption in sinning against him is intollerable because all our sinnes admit of this aggravation that they are committed full in the face of God r Isa 65.3 It is a people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face This is that which may prick our hearts and wound our soules in all our confessions and humiliations when we can say with David Å¿ Psal 51.4 Against thee thee have I offended and done this evill in thy sight Thou hast been an eye-witnesse of all my stubbornnesse and undutifulnesse of all my trechery and hypocrisie of all my wandrings and backslidings This was one thing that let the Prodigall blood in the heart-veyne and stroke him with penitentiall remorse viz. That in his wandring from his Father he went into a farre Country t Luke 15.13 v 18. as thinking to be out of the reach of his Fathers eye but when he returnes he bewailes this ver 18. I have sinned against Heaven and before thee Mark the phrase Before thee he looks on his sinne as committed in his Fathers eye all the time It were an intollerable impudency for a wife to dally with a stranger in the presence of her husband or for a villaine to offer violence to a Queen while the King looks on Will he force the Queen also before me in the house saith Abasierus concerning Haman v Ester 7.8 Or a Theefe to cut a purse in the Face of the Judge sitting on the Bench or for a Subject to set the Crowne on anothers head when the King himselfe is standing by Yet thus deale presumptuous sinners with the Lord every day and is not this a provocation intollerable What an aggravation was that of Nimrods sin x Gen. 10.9 he was a mighty Hunter before the Lord so desperately bold was he in his boystrous tyranny that he was not afraid to act it before the Lord And are there not some that dare call Heaven to record for ther fidelity in the publick cause of Religion when God and their owne conscience know the contrary Are there not some like Ephraim of whom God saith y Hos 12.7 8. He is a cunning Merchant the ballances of deceit are in his hand and he loves to oppresse yet as if he would mock the God of Heaven to his face he saith I am become rich I have found me out substance in all my labours they shall find no iniquity in me that were sin As if he should say God makes me prosper though it be in a way of injustice and oppression therefore he hath no quarrell with me at all Oh the horrible hellish Atheisme that doth possesse our hearts Are ye offended at the harshnesse of the expression Ye must know there is an Atheist in affection as well as in opinion z Job 21.14 They say to the Almighty Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes There is an Atheist in practice as well as in profession a Tit. 1.16 They professe they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate Are there not many of us that professe we know God and in our tongues dare not deny him yet in our life and conversation carry our selves as if God had but the eye of a picture without life or motion in it Are there not many of us who make of the great God of Heaven with reverence be it spoken no better then a Baal a sleepy senslesse carelesse God that neither regarded iniquity nor rewarded duty Are there not many who as much as in them lyes put out the al-seeing al-searching eye of his omniscience and cut off the arme of his revenging justice as if he would neither see nor censure any of their transgressions If pilfring Achan had thought that the eye of the Lord had followed him as Elisha told Gehazi that his heart went along with him when he received the present at Naamans hand b 2 King 5.26 durst he have stollen the wedge of gold and Babylonish garment and so have transgressed in the cursed thing If those two loose professors Ananias and Sapphira could have reasoned as holy Job did c Job 31.4 Doth not the Lord see my wayes and count all my steps durst they have lyed unto the holy Ghost If traiterous Judas had thought the eye of his Master had watched him durst he have nibled money out of his Masters bag If we in our actings for God our seekings and services did but really think that the frame and temper of our spirits our very ends and aimes are as obvious to the eyes of God as our actions are to the eyes of men were we but fully perswaded of this that he observes whether we be sound at heart or rotten at core durst we lye unto the Lord and cozen the world and in the end cozen our own soules But we think it not I say it againe to our shame we think it not We have poore low thoughts of God and of his greatnesse majesty power and glory we are ready to think wickedly of God That he is such a one as our selves d Psal 50.22 In stead of raising up our thoughts to God we pull downe God unto our thoughts This is our Atheisme this is our Presumption let us see it and bewaile it and be humbled for it Vse 2 exanation Let the second Use be for Examination Take occasion to enter into the Closet of our owne hearts to see how the case stands between God and us This should be a day of self-scrutiny and self-reflection wherein we should smite upon e Ier 31.19 our thigh with Ephraim and be ashamed yea even confounded before our God It should be a day wherein we should plough up our fallow ground f Ier. 4 3â— ransack every corner of our soules and turne the inside of our hearts out unto the Lord. Let us therefore search our hearts and sift our lives whether there be not those sinnes and abominations among us which the Lord beholds with an eye of jealousie True it is that Kingdome killing sin of Idolatry which God so deeply chargeth on them in the Text is in a great measure suppressed among us and blessed be the Lord who hath put it into the heart of this honourable Parliament to purge out the dregs of that leaven which the Lord hates in his very soul and to pull down that proud oppressing PRELACY and those prelatical popish Innovations which were the props and pillars of Idolatry But are there not other God-provoking Heaven-daring wrath-procuring sins yet unpurged out which in the sight of God are very odious and abominable May not God speak to his Ministers concerning England as he does to Ezekiel g Ezek 16.2 Son of man cause Jerusalem to know her abominations Let me instance in some particulars Abomination 1 First is there
to fight against Amurath He for a while prevailed and had like to have got the victory but Amurath seeing the great slaughter of his men plucked the writing out of his bosome wherein the League was contained and holding it in his hand with his eyes lift up to heaven said Behold thou crucified Christ This is the League that thy Christians in thy Name made with me and now have violated If thou be God as they say thou art Avenge the wrong done to thy Name and unto me Instantly after in the very same Battell was Vladislaus that had broke the League slaine and his Head carried on the poynt of a Launce through their Cities as a token of the Turkes Trophee Now is it so dreadfull a sinne to breake Covenant with men What is it to breake Covenant with that God who can cast Soule and Body into hell fire Certainly if we breake our Covenant our Covenant will breake us Helpe 3 Thirdly Let us get more publicknesse of spirit to say with the Psalmist e Psal 137.5 If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my right hand forget her cunning Let all private interests be drowned in publick concernments looke as when publicke men have a private spirit it is a great curse unto a Kingdome so when private men have a publick spirit it is a great blessing let that be our honour which was Davids f Acts 13.36 to serve our generation to be be usefull in the times and places whereinto God ha's cast us Helpe 4 Fourthly study unity and unanimity that in the cause of God and Gospell ye may all have one heart and one hand and one minde and one mouth Doe as the Tribes of Israel did in a publicke cause g Judg. 20 8. They all arose as one man Sure it is there is not one plot or project wherein the Devill more labours or bestirs himselfe then this How he may cast in a bone of Division blow the coles of contention and breake the band of unity among Brethren Therefore looke how farre any man nourisheth the spirit of discord and dissention in his brest so farre I dare tell him from the Lord he is Instrumentall to the Devill Boards joyned together make a Ship disioyned they cause Shipwracke Agreement among Christians builds up Jerusalem disagreement puls it downe In the building of Solomons Temple there was no noyse neither hammer nor axe nor any toole of iron was heard while it was in building h 1 Kings 6.7 O that in setting up the building of Reformation for which we have lift up our hands to the most high God there might be no noyse of jars or janglings crossings or thwartings envyings or hart-burnings Helpe 5 Lastly Get your hearts fired with a burning love to Christ and an enflamed zeale for his honour and advancement of the worke of Reformation that ye may be fervent in spirit i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seething hot Rom. 12.11 a peculiar people zealous of good workes k Tit. 2.14 and remember this for your encouragement If every thought of your hearts were a rapture and every word an extasie and every action a sacrifice If ye had a thousand lives to spend for Christ and ten thousand estats to lay down at his feet If ye did spend and were spent in his service He is able abundantly to recompence you both here and hereafter Your labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord l 1 Cor. 15.38 To draw to a conclusion Let me winde up the three Doctrins on one Bottome Particular Application to the Members of the Honourable House and so addresse my speech to you Noble SENATORS whom God ha's honoured and betrusted with so great a Worke as the steering of our Ship in a storme and the setling of a poore tottering trembling Kingdome Ye have heard That God See's all our Provocations a 1 Point That God Breath's out against us his comminations b 2 Point That God Cal's aloud for speedy Reformation c 3 Point I beseech you as a poore Messenger of Jesus Christ lay these things to heart and apply them to your owne Soules For example First Do's God see all your wayes with an impartiall eye for he accepts not the persons of Princes nor regardeth the rich more then the poore m Job 34.19 Then give me leave to propound that question to you which the Prophet Oded did to the men of Israel 2 Cro. 28.10 Are there not with you even with you sinnes against the Lord your God I come not hither either to accuse or to censure any of you There is a witnesse within you will doe the one there is a Judge above you will doe the other But ye will suffer me to intreat you to Beseech you by the Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering to him at that great day To be true to your owne spirits to look into your owne hearts and to watch over your own wayes that ye give no occasion to the Lord to say I have seene the provocations of these or these Parliament men Take heed therefore lest by the dignity of your places your hearts be lifted up above your Brethren and remember the greater your places are the greater must your reckoning be Be carefull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to use the Apostles phrase n Gal. 2.14 to tread with a straight foot to walke uprightly according to the truth of the Gospell Remember that speech of Job o Job 13.27 Thou lookest narrowlly to all my paths thou fettest a print upon the beeles of my feet If ye doe but tread awry or step out of that way that God hath appointed you to walke in Shall not God search this out for he knowes the secrets of the heart p Psal 44.21 Let there be none among you that drive on your owne particular designes and serve God and his cause no further then they serve your owne ends and interests Do not spare those whom God would not have spared It cost Ahab dear when he spared Benhadad q 1 Kings 20.42 God tels him Thy life shall goe for his life and thy people for his people Doe not discourage those whom God would not have discouraged Beware lest out of Cowardize or carnall feares out of sinfull complyance and conformity to the wils of men ye TOLERATE what God would not have TOLERATED for I conceive it worthy the consideration of the wisest whether the Devill would not thinke he had made a good bargaine and gained well by the Reformation if he could exchange the Prelacie for an Vniversall Liberty Take heed lest there be any found among you that are zealous for vindicating Civill Liberties but when Church-government comes to be setled ye shrinke and start and withdraw the shoulder as being afraid of a Reformation that will be too strict Ye have of late caused the Scriptures to be searched desiring that the minde of Christ in point of government and
of the oppressed enter into the ears of the Lord of Hosts Yet how many poore oppressed ones cry and cry againe but are not heard nor remembred nor relieved They have debts due unto them but are ready to strave for non-payment they are distressed but have no helper Nay are there not some that make no conscience of paying debts because they are under protection O that God had no cause to utter that complaint which he doth by the Prophet Isaiah w Isa 59.14 15. Judgement is turned away backward and Justice standeth a far off Truth is fallen in the streets and Equity cannot enter and the Lord saw it and it displeased him that there was no judgement Where the course of Justice is stopt it is not for me to enquire look YEE to that to whom it belongs for God looks for it at YOUR hands whom he hath called x Psal 82.6 Gods and he will one day call ye to an account and say y 58.1 Doe ye indeed speak righteousnesse O Congregation Doe yee judge uprightly O ye sons of men Only this I say Stop the course of Justice and ye stop the course of a River that will overflow all Bounds and Bankes and drowne the Countrey round about If the cryes of the oppressed be not heard our prayers and humiliations will not be heard so saith the Lord expresly z Amos 5.21 24. compared I despise your FAST dayes and I will not smell in your solemne Assemblies unlesse Judgement run downe as waters and righteousnesse as a mighty streame Abomina ∣ tion 5 Fiftly have we not our Wildernesse-provocations So much murmuring and repining at the passages of Gods providence in these dayes of trouble that God might justly swear a Num. 14.29 30. Your carcases shall fall in the Wildernesse and yee shall never see the Land of Canaan Are we not extreamly unthankfull in receiving mercies and shamefully barren in improving mercies May not it be said of us as it was said of the ingratefull Israraelites b Psal 106 21 22. They forgat God their Saviour which had done great things in Egypt wondrous works in the Land of Ham and terrible things by the red Sea Even so is it with us we have in a manner forgotten the mervailous things that God did for us at Edge-hill at Newbery at Marston-moore at Nazeby famous Nazeby never to be forgotten while we have a tongue to speak the praises of our God for THERE c Psal 76.3 did God break the Arrows of the Bow the shield and the sword and the battell Selah There did God so break the power and pride and rage of the enemies that he dealt with them as he dealt with Pharaob d Ezek. 30.21 Sonne of man I have broken the Arme of Pharoh King of Egypt and loe it shall not be bound up to be healed to put a rowler to bind it to make it strong to hold the sword Yet all these mercies miracles of mercies and glorious Victories have been made scarce nine dayes wonder Nay worse then this We have provoked him at the Sea even at the red Sea e Psal 106.7 that is In the sense and under the fruition of speciall mercies and extraordinary deliverances vouchsafed to us We have not been better'd but rather made worse by Mercies and Victories bestowed on us Gods gracious favours have been fuell to feed our pride and covetousnesse and contention c. Showres of mercy have made the weeds of corruption grow the faster Such dunghilly hearts have we that the more God shines on us with his mercies the more we putrifie the better he hath been to us the worse have we been to him and the more he hath loved us the lesse hath he been beloved of us and doe ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise f Deut. 32.6 What an intollerable provocacion must this needs be This unthankfulnesse and unanswerablenesse of heart to Gods gracious dealings and dispensations it is Obex infernalis as one cals it a hellish stop or bar to future favours A man that is about to poure in some precious oyle into a glasse if he see the glasse crackt he stayes his hand and saith I will poure no oyle into this glasse An unthankfull heart is a broken glasse Abomina ∣ tion 6 Sixtly is there not a notorious contempt of Ministers and Ministry among us at this day Heretofore yee could say of Ministers that were faithfull g Rom. 10.15 How beautifull are the feet of them that preach the Gospell of peace and bring glad tydings of good things But now they grow out of credit and esteem Yea our very calling begins to be questioned and brought to the bar and say some Ye take too much upon ye ye Sons of Levi h Num. 16.3 Too much state and power too much honour and holinesse in appropriating these administrations to your selves wherein all the people might partake with you I dare boldly say never was there in any age or Nation under Heaven a greater contempt cast upon this Ordinance then there is at this day especially by subtle and undermining Sectaries and Seducers who cast dirt upon the very paps which they have sucked villifying those Ministers and that Ministry whereby they were first enlightned To whom I say in the words of the Apostle i Acts 13.41 Take heed ye despisers and wonder and perish Ye read of a Damosell possessed with a devill that cryed out concerning Paul and Silas who were Ministers of Christ k Acts 16.17 These men are the servants of the most high God which shew unto us the way of salvation The Devill himselfe durst not speak irreverently or contemptuously of the Ministers of the Gospell Contempt of the Ministry therefore is a grievous provocation which God will not put up at our hands For when they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets THEN the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy l 2 Cor. 36.16 Now doth not God see all these sinnes and provocations and if he see will he not censure I know the uncovering of this sink of our abominations is unpleasing to you Every unwelcome truth though it proceed from the Father of lights is looked on as a bastard no man will owne it till it be laid at his owne doore But when God comes to charge these or any of these abominations upon the conscience then ye will begin to entertaine those sad and serious thoughts that holy Job did m Job 34.14 What then shall I doe when God riseth up and when he visiteth what shall I answer him It is a small matter for me a poore mortall man like your selves to reprove you but when God reproves you and sets these things in order before your eyes how will ye hold up your heads before your Judge Vse 3 Exhortation Let a word of exhortation therefore be
not abundance of swelling pride and that is one abomination for every one that is proud in heart is abomination to the Lord saith Solomon h Prov. 16.5 We have yet as lofty looks and scornfull carriages and ambitious aspirements pussing at Superiours trampling on Inferiours high conceits of our selves low conceits of others as we had before this bloody war began God hath pul'd us downe in our estates but he hath not pul'd downe our pride we are brought upon our knees but our hearts are not humbled Abomination 2 Secondly is there not abundance of Hypocrisie among us which is another provokefull abomination for the Hypocrites in heart heap up wrath saith the Scripture i Iob 36.36.3.13 Now we are for the generalla hypocriticall Nation and therefore a people of Gods wrath as God spake of the Jews Isa 10.6 We are a Nation full of wit and therfore full of craft and guile God may say of us as he did of Ephraim k Hos 11.12 Ephraim compasseth me about with lyes and the house of Israel with deceit We can give good words they cost us nothing just as the Israelites did whom the Psalmist mentions l Psal 78.34 37. When he slew them then they sought him they returned early enquired after God c. But they did but flatter him with their mouth and lyed unto him with their tongues for their heart was not upright with him neither remained they stedfast in his Covenant Here is a lively Image or representation of our double-dealing with our God in the time of our straights We doe not seek God for God but for our selves we doe not so much serve him as serve our own turns of him we pretend a willingnesse to be reformed but when it comes to the quick to take Christs Yoake on our neck to have purity of Ordinances and power of godlinesse meet together to have strictnesse of Sabbaths and strictnesse of conversation kisse each other to have plain powerfull convincing heart-humbling soul-healing preaching now we shrink and draw back and are afraid of a refining Reformation this argues the dishonesty of the heart The truth is we would faine have Religion and our lusts together we would have a Reformation that might suit with our owne humours ends and interests and make Religion a shooe fitted to our owne last is not this to be hypocriticall in our ends and aimes We come to heare Sermons just as they did in Ezekiel's time m Ezek. 33.31 Son of man this people sit before thee as my people they heare thy words but they will not doe them for with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousnesse So at this day many of you will give us the hearing but ye will doe what ye list Ye come to judge the Sermon not to be judged by the Sermon as the Apostle speaks in the like case Jam. 4.11 If thou judge the Law thou art not a doer of the Law but a Judge Ye would have witty Sermons and reproofe at a distance and love not the jewell of plain-dealing Look as men commend the sweetnesse of Rosewater but start and turne away if they be bespinkled with it so ye love to heare the truth and commend it but like not that it should touch ye or come too close unto you Ye come on such days as these to hear your ways reproved but have no serious purpose to have your wayes reformed we may preach what we will ye wil practise what ye please Is not this a piece of hypocrisie which the Lord abhorreth Abomination 3 Thirdly is there not a great deale of impenitency and stubbornnesse under Gods corrections Me thinks I heare the Prophet Jeremy complaining of us as he did of the Jewes in his time * Ier. 5.3 O Lord thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder the a rock they have refused to return There is a spirit of insensiblenesse * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 11.8 seized upon us that we do not lay to heart one of the sorest of Gods plagues one of the sharpest of his arrowes this man-devouring land-destroying sword that hath eaten so much flesh and drunk so much blood and is not yet put up into the scabberd We are like the Drunkard that Solomon speaks of n Prov. 23.34 35. that sleeps on the top of a mast and lyeth downe in the midst of the Sea they have stricken me saith he and I was not sicke they have beaten me and I felt it not Oh how provokefull is this to our God and to the eyes of his glory to see us a people so stupid so senslesse so lockt up in our owne hearts that neither sins nor miseries nor meanes nor mercies nor word nor sword can work upon us Ye shall read of some of Gods servants recorded in Scripture that have been more affected with an evill threatned then we are with a judgement inflicted Look on godly Josiah he hath his heart tender and melting when he heard the words of the Book of the Law o 2 Kin. 22.11 Look on Habakuk he hath his belly trembling and lips quivering and rottennesse entring into his bones p Hab. 3.16 Look on Isaiah his loynes are filled with paines pangs took hold on him as the pangs of a woman that travelleth he was bowed downe at the hearing of a hard vision he was dismayed at the seeing of it q Isa 21.3 These holy men were deeply affected with a calamity that was but like to come upon them but we are not sensible of a dreadfull judgement that is already come upon us I pray God a deep fleep from the Lord be not fallen on us such a one as fell on Saul and his Army r 1 Sam 26.12 when the Lord purposed to deliver Saul into Davids hand r 1 Sam. 26.12 for we bear off all Gods blows with head and shoulders as Jerusalem did when she said s Ier. 10.19 Woe is me for my hurt my wound is grievous but I said Truly this is a griefe and I must beare it as if shee should say It is a burden and I must beare it as well as I can Doe but examine our thoughts consider our speeches look into our houses observe the generall deportment and carriage of men under this heavy judgement of a Land-wasting war and you may see that literally fulfilled in our times which the Prophet speaks of concerning Israel t Isa 42.25 He hath powred upon him the fury of his anger and the strength of Battell and it hath set him on fire round about yet he knew it not and it burned him yet he laid it not to heart Abomina ∣ tion 4 Fourthly is there not a great deale of injustice and oppression yet among us And this is a crying abomination v Iames 5.4 The cryes