Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A66112
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Useful instructions for a professing people in times of great security and degeneracy delivered in several sermons on solemnm occasions / by Mr. Samuel Willard ...
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Willard, Samuel, 1640-1707.
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1673
(1673)
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Wing W2299; ESTC R38936
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67,962
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82
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us and prevent the process of more and worse miseries 4. When we enquire but never intend to reform this was the enquiry of thâ—se Jer. 43. theiâ— promises were indeed fair but when the Prophet had gone to God and enquiâ—ed for them and throught them â—ord back again now they discover their hypocritical heart Chap 44. 16. they would make a formal kinde of process as if they had been desirous of Gods counsel to direct them and had the Answer been to their mindes what godly men might they have paâ—â— for Hath God told us nothing have not his Messengers pointed aâ—something haâ—e not the very Providences themselves given light to our enquiry but all this while where is the amendment who turns from his evil way to the Lord 5. When we enquire but not of Gods Watchmen times have been when they have been esteemed and looked upon as Watchmen indeed who were best able to inform us in the Counsels of God but now who more blinde then they in our practical judgement a prejudicial eye is cast upon them and they laid by as useless Oh how is the cavilling of an Anabaptistical and censorious spirit who can spit his venom in the face of Magistracy and Ministry and make these the Causes of all our Trouble set by among many whiles the faithful Warnings of Gods Servants are contemned 6. When possibly we enquire of them but with a slighty and difdainful spirit Oh how many go with their nice Queries to their Ministers when they despise them in their hearts and either lay snares for them as they dealt by Christ himself Is it lawful to pay tribute c or at least do not go to them as such whom they do indeed look upon and esteem to be sent of God and therefore may hopefully expect to receive better information from them then from others hence they little regard and less do they practice 7. When we enquire but we are not willing the Cause should be in our selves but in others and hence though we enquire with some earnestness yet if the Answer though true touch us and our Corruptions we cannot bear it this shews that we enquire with a censorious which is an hypocritical spirit â—â— regard not how much blame be laid upon others but are willing to take none of the blame and shame of the sin to our selves and therefore come not up to this which is the onely sincere first Enquiry What have I done Vse II. To humble us for our hypocrisie upon this account and how much cause the best of us may have to take the shame of this sin upon us before God this day if we did seriously enquire we might in some measure discover let us then bewail it seriously For Motive Consider 1. It is no light matter to mock God so we do in every act of hypocrisie God is not mocked saith the Apostle i. e. he will not be put off with nor will he put up our mockeries 2. God and your sin will finde you out God discerns the heart and therefore it is no mocking of him he is a jealous God and therefore he will make you to know how ill he takes it he will smoke against your best services that you may understand your hypocrisie is observed by him Isa 58. 1 Thus much of the Question of the Idumeans The Answer of the Prophet follows The Answer is short and full The Watchmanâ— i. e. the Prophet Isaiah Isaiah owns his Office though they put it upon him as a scoff and mockery but he is not ashamed of it in the least Hence Doct. The Ministers of God are not ashamed of their Office though the world seem to despise and flout at it Let the men of the world think never so undervaluingly of the Place and Work they are in they yet prize and esteem it Reas 1. Because it is an Office instituted by God and therefore will be defended and vindicated by him he owns them though the world despise them and he will take upon him to plead the Cause of his despised Ministers Reas 2. Because it is a high and honourable Office though despised let the world look upon it with an eye of disdain yet it is in it self a dignity an honour Ministers are Ambassadors from God to men 2 Cor. 5. 20. now the Majesty of the Prince is represented in the Ambassador God looks that part of his own honour is engraven upon this Office Ministers therefore have no reason to be discouraged by the contumelies of the world Reas 3. Because it is a Work which is accompanied with the glorious power of God and made a means of the Salvation of Gods Elect this is Pauls reason why he is not ashamed of the Gospel Rom. 1. 16. When they see God putting forth his pâ—wer and making the stoutest sinners fall like the walls of Jericho at the sounding of the Preaching of the Gospel and many souls by their Ministry brought effectually home to God this is enough to make them disdain the slanders and revilings of men and glory in their Ministry Reas 4. Because its reward is with God Ministers look not for nor would be satisfied with an earthly reward their praise is of God and not of men he hath promised they shall not lose their reward and they dare trust him and can chearfully endure and meet with all that reviling and contempt which wicked men delight to be venting against them the Crown will more then pay for all Vse Learn hence to have a care that you contemn not Gods Ministers and above all the Office of the Ministry doubtless the low esteem of this great Work appearing by too many evident symptomes is one thing for which God is now pleading with us and therefore seasonable at this time to be hinted to us Oh beware of this sin Consider 1. If we despise them we despise God Luke 10. 1â— the Prince accounts all the affronts and indignities offered to his Ambassadors to bear a proper respect to himself and do you then think that God will hear it Moses may hold his peace Gods Ministers may pity and pray for you yea will but God will not suffer his own glory thus to be trampled upon nor his Servants thus to be abused 2. If we contemn them and receive not their Ministry it is the ready way to be given up by God to a spirit of delusion 2 Thess 2. 10. Observe it and you shall see this hath been the door out of which so many have gone away into those giddy distempers which they are now infected withall even those many Enthusiasms of the Devil an undervaâ—uing of the Ministry an elevating and setting up private gifts c. which hath led men by degrees to those great Apostacies whereby their light which would have shone clearly in its proper Orb hath spent it self in a blaze and gone out in a stinkâ—ng snuff The Watchman said i. e. from God and by his direction we here see the Prophet
our selves to sin more boldly upon a new score with the Whore in Prov. 7. 14 15 thought to have cleared all old scores with God by an overly Confession that so we might more securely run into new arrerages and is not this a great mockery to think to pay God with such counterfeiâ— Coin What have we to do then but to confess and bewail this sin be oreâ— God and labour to amend it For Motive Consider 1. God will make you to know who sent these Messengers that it was not of their own heads nor on their own errands that his Ministers came to you but that it was from him Ezek. 25. and that you have not scoffed and neglected them but God himself you shall see this 2. Gods patience hath a bounded time Hab. 2. 3. God may delay long he will not do so alwayes know it he is just as well as mercifull God will take a season finde out a fit opportunity to be known in his Judgements upon those who despise his patience and reject his counsels and fore-warnings he will not strive alwayes with man who is flesh Gen. 6. 3. 3. Such a spirit will provoke God to make haste Ezek. 12. 23. if God send yea rise up early and send and so far condescend to a rebellious people as to send Messenger after Messenger and Message upon Message and these mocked and despised that news quickly comes there is no remedy 2 Chron. 36. 16. this ripens men apace for destruction 4. Such a spirit is an immediate fore-runner of swift Calamity 1 Thess 5. 1 No surer and more infallible token of great Calamities to be hastning upon a people then this when God tells them of trouble and calamity they cry Peace Peace and lay themselves down in despight of all Counsels and Warnings upon the bed of Security and take their ease in sin without remorse Let us then be deeply affected with this evil as knowing that there is nothing whereby we have more grievously provoked God and vexed his Spirit then by this lye low before him in the sense of it it may be he will pardon and forgive it Doct. 3. It is no sure sign of a sincere heart in times wherein Gods Judgements are felt â—◠〈◊〉 to b◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 about them You see Edom here makes a great do of Enquiry there is an hypocritical and false and there is a sincere and true Enquiry made about divine Dâ—spensations and the one apparently and to the view of the world may be as earnestly pressed as the other Reas 1. Because there are other things which may excite such an Enquiry besides the fear of God viz. 1. A natural fear which may be stirred up at the first hearing of Threatnings and discovery of tokens presaging Calamity the sight of dismall Clouds and the noise of some terrible Thunder-cracks do at the first carry a kinde of consternation along with them and this makes men till by degrees they outgrow their affrightment to be very sedulous to know what these things mean 2. A naturally busie talkative spirit that loves to be busie talking and discoursing many affect to be in discourse and hence they enquire that they may have something to spend time in discourse 3. A desire to be thought wise discerning and prudent hence men will enquire for light we love to have the esteem for prudence and discretion to be accounted men of discerning spirits that observe and know the times and hence take some pains in searching 4. An irohicall and floâ—ting spirit such this seems to be in the Text not that we have any true desire to know any thing but in disdain of Gods Ministers we enquire of them as for knowledge but in the mean-while look upon them to have no more knowledge of the minde and counsel of God then our selves with this spirit those proud men seem to have come to enquire of the Prophet Jer. 43. Reas 2. Because there are other ends of such Enquiry besides such as accompany sincerity viz. 1. A bare desire of external knowledge and discourse there is seated in man a great natural desire of the knowledge of the Nature of things and that especially of future Contingencies hence men take a great deal of pains and busie themselves much in seeking to know such things when it is to no other end but to know 2. An intent to cavill at Gods dispensations Isa 58. 2. Some enquire to no other end but that they may pick a quarrel with Divine Providence and charge the wayes of God with injustice as if they were wiser then God as if he did not Rule the World by an equall Law Vse 1. For Tryall there is much talk now a-dayes amongst us about the Judgements of God and those awfull Providences that are rolling over our heads there is a great Enquiry made but let us not think or conclude our selves ever the better because we are among the number of those who are possibly the most forward upon this account but examine our selves whether we do it in sincerity or in hypocrifie Signs of hypocriticall Enquiry 1. When we enquire more after the Events of Calamity then the Causes procuring of it thus those Idumeans What of the night i. e. What is like to come upon us So there is much enquiry what the issue of these rolling Providences is like to be what things are like to come to but there are few say What have I done wherein is the Lords anger incensed c this shews we are more afraid of sorrow then sin when we look so much at the Rod and not at the hand which wieldeth it This argues a spirit of hypocrisie for we neglect our work which is to search and try our hearts and meddle with Gods work whose Soveraignty it is to rule and order the affairs of the whole World at his own pleasure 2. When we enquire more after Natural then Spiritual Causes we are very inquisitive to know what may be the Natural Cause of these Blastings which have for many years diminished and corrupted the best of our Grain and hence many projective endeavours in vain attempted to prevent it by a seeking to remove that Cause which we are to this day baffled in and as far off to seek as ever but the Causes Spiritual which are more manifest and easie to be discovered are slightly sought after and so but little endeavour to remove them hence no wonder that the Effect remains we enquire in hypocrisie 3. When we enquire but 't is without any desire or willingness to see the true Reason or Causes or bâ— convinced of them we enquire with a kinde of fore-stalled and prejudicate spirit we have taken up already what our determination is and must be hence this it is and no other thing hence we arm our selves with a resolution to outstand all Conviction and so lay a block in the way to prevent any efficacious meeting God iâ— such a way as might remove his hand off from