fetcht directly from it p. 385 386 A Syllogisme demonstrating plainly that Poperie especially the Iesuited Papists Religion is in a speciall manner of the devill teaching lying and murder for the supporting of it p. 386 Proofe of the Proposition p. 386 Proofe of the Assumption That Poperie teacheth lying and murdering for the supporting and advancing of it p. 386 Helpes and preservatives which God hath provided for those who would be kept from Poperie the scourge that followes the contempt of the Gospell As p. 387 1. Notable confutations of Poperie to keepe us p. 388 2. Notable discoveries of the bloudy cruelties and vilenesse of Poperie and contrarily The perpetuall witnesses of the truth which we professe p. 388. 3. Speciall helpes for sanctification whereby to be kept from declining from God and so from this scourge p. 389 4. Helpes for praier because we cannot be kept except we pray nor stand in these evill daies without the speciall sustaining hand of our God p. 390 5. Helpes for fasting to humble us and to make our praiers more powerfull and effectuall that we may be kept p. 390 Abomination 33. Atheisme of Iudah angring the Lord to the uttermost and bringing the Captivitie p. 390 The day of vengeance wished by desperate scoffing Atheists p. 391 What a day that will be when it commeth p. 392 Atheists scoffing at the threatnings of the Prophets p. 392 This sinne cannot be purged till they die p. 392 All were at a covenant with death and hell p. 392 Atheists of all others most timorous when the vengeance comes p. 393 Abomination 34. Divisions of Iudah angring the Lord and bringing the Captivitie p. 394 Their divisions flowing from all their abominations and chiefly from the Apostasie so generally p. 394 All were given to covetousnesse and spreading nets p. 395 No man could trust other p. 395 The greater spoiling the poorer p. 395 All against the true Prophets and against all that feared the Lord and why p. 395 Their owne familiars waiting to have matter against them p. 396 Not one left with Gods faithfull servants to be seene to stand for them p. 396 The Church had none to looke to but to the Lord. p. 397 The number of the godly exceeding small at that time amongst them as the grapes after the vintage p. 397 How the Church comforts her selfe against the insulting of the enemie p. 397 A question answered viz. In so many divisions to whom to joine p 398 399. Application to our owne soules concerning our divisions and the rest of the heads herein p. 399 CHAP. XII The meanes whereby the Lord had striven with them to bring them to repentance that he might spare them and how in stead of repenting their sinne was increased by them all p. 400 Meanes by calling them by his word and how he had thereby striâ—â—n with them in all sorts p. 401 402 How he had called them by the continuall voice of his mercies p. 402 How he had called them by the voice of his rods both bodily and spirituall p. 403 The Lord weary with smiting inforced to give them up to their owne hearts lust and to this induration p. 404 The highest step of their induration that they were given over to scoffe at the Lords warnings whereby he called them to repentance p. 405 This sinne could not be purged p. 405 Some causes of their induration and why they profited not by all the meanes which the Lord used p. 406 Why the Lord would spare them no longer after he had used all these meanes to reclaime them p. 407 Application to our selves p. 408 CHAP. XIII The severitie of the Lords vengeance when no other meanes could serve p. 410 The Lamentations of Ieremie written to set out this miserie p. 411 Their carnall confidence in Iosiah seemeth one cause to have provoked the Lord to take him away after whose death began their miseries immediatly p. 412 The wofull miseries which at that time they endured As p. 412 1. Famine in the most lamentable kindes p. 412 2. Destruction by the sword p. 413 3. The desolations of the Temple p. 414 4. The finall desolation that came upon them p. 414 5. The shame cast upon the Lord and his people p. 414 6. The people that escaped caried captives p. 415 The miseries of their Captivitie p. 415 7. In their Captivitie the Church acknowledgeth all this justly come upon her for rebelling against the word of the Lord. p. 415 Despising Gods word and misusing his messengers caused that 〈◊〉 could be no more remedie p. 416 Application why the Lord should not execute as heavie a judgement upon us as on Iudah p. 416 How neere we have beene unto it and how oft p. 416 The mourning of the Lord for his people before this execution p. 417 The Lords expostulation after a sort mourning over us for our foolish impenitency and unkindnesse p. 417 The changing of our danger into such a joyfull day p. 419 Our unthankefulnesse in forgetting our wonderfull deliverances and mercies p. 420 The Lords expostulation further urged bemoaning our unkindnesse and wilfulnesse p. 421 Whether the Lord may not justly thus speake unto us especially having so many ready to receive our most bloudy enemies into our bosomes p. 421 422 424 Our answer to the Lords expostulation taken away p. 424 Application to all notorious sinners who are the men that hale on the vengeance of the Lord. p. 425 Warning to all obstinate sinners howsoever the Lord deale with us at the cries of his servants p. 427 Their miserable state at death most at Christs appearing p. 427 How each may come to the certaine knowledge of the truth hereof viz. by inquiring of his owne heart awaked p. 428 CHAP. XIIII How Gods faithfull servants are wont to be affected seeing his anger kindled against his people p. 430 How they are wont in such cases to use all meanes to pacifie his Majestie p. 431 The meanes which they have beene wont to use to this end p. 431 1. Gods faithfull servants have beene wont to intreat the Lord in secret to pacifie him thereby towards his people p. 433 2. They have beene wont to forewarne Gods people of their sinnes and his vengeance comming on them for the same p. 434 3. Gods servants have beene wont to direct his people to the meanes whereby he may be pacified p. 436 The principall meanes publike humiliations p. 436. Examples hereof p. 436 c. The example of Iehosophat is to be beholden of all religious rulers who would see the like experience of the Lords presence and mercie towards them and therefore set downe at large p. 438 The way to ouerthrow and daunt the enemies of the Church p. 439 Our owne practise and experience p. 441 Reason hereof All having provoked the Lord all must seeke to pacifie him by humbling themselves p. 442 The office of forewarning and calling to fasting belongs to Gods Ministers p. 443 446 The supreme Magistrates to appoint publike
for the wealth of vs and our posteritie I haue strictly kept my selfe within the limits of the first part of this Watch which conteyneth the Summe of the Couenant of our God wherein we all agree in outward profession and vnto which whosoeuer returneth vnfeignedly to walke in the sincere obedience of it shall vndoubtedly haue eternall life like as euery impenitent transgressor against it is certainely condemned by the generall verdict of all the true Churches of Christ. In all this worke I haue and doe instantly desire of the Lord that I may be a faithfull and true witnesse both for his heauenly Maiestie and for his people and also that I may shew in euery part a right demonstration of an vnfeigned loue to the Church of Christ and towards my Nation euen to euery soule for the sauing of ech from the wrath to come and withall that I may preserue the honour due to all in autoritie chiefly to the highest to binde all hearts to their superiours ech to others and all of vs to Iesus Christ That he may euer remaine our Captaine Protector King and Sauiour euen he who will one day manifest all the secrets of the hearts of men who haue bin with him and who against him who will come quickly and reward euery one as their workes shall be Amen euen so come Lord Iesus CONTENTS OF THE seuerall Chapters particularly as they arise out of the Vision Ezechiel 9. 1. THe Vision giuen to Ezechiel with the occasion and opening of it 2. Certaine directions to be obserued in our reading hereof to teach vs to make right vse of the Vision to our selues 3. The Lord is not wont to bring any terrible iudgement on his Church but euer before hand to giue some euident warning That he neuer warned without cause or in vaine and what iust matter we haue for all our manifold gratious forewarnings to betake our selues to watching and prayer 4. The withdrawing of the Lords glorious presence from his Church is both an euident signe of his displeasure and a manifest threatning of his departure And what causes we haue therevpon to watch and to pray to pacifie the Lord so to hold him still amongst vs. 5. How the Lord is most vnwilling to depart from his Church so long as there is any other remedie manifested in his oft threatning to depart before he goe and of the outward tokens both of his glorious presence in his Church and of his departure from it And what causes we haue in respect thereof to watch and pray continually 6. No priuiledges can doe a people any good if they grow in their iniquitie but the mo their mercies haue bin the greater is their sinne and the heauier shall their iudgement be when it commeth what cause we haue thence to watch and to pray for the fearefull increase of the transgressions amongst vs. 7. The marking of the mourners That is how Gods owne people are marked in the midst of the greatest confusions before the destruction come And so what cause euery one hath to watch and to pray that he may be so marked 8. The propertie of the godly liuing amongst the wicked in a sinfull age is to mourne and cry for all the abominations and tokens of Gods anger Also what cause all Gods seruants haue to watch and pray for the fewnesse of such and that ech of vs may be found of that litle number 9. The enemies by which the Lord threatneth or afflicteth his Church are his soldiers and therevpon what cause we haue to giue our selues to watching and prayer because of the increase of them in number pride and malice 10. The mourners being once marked made sure then comes the vengeance for the destroyers follow at the heeles of the marking Angell What neede we had therefore to watch and pray bicause we know not whether this worke be not already accomplished or how neere it is 11. The principall abominations for which the godly so mourned and which moued the Lord to so seuere a vengeance first in generall after more particularly And therein what causes we haue to watch and pray both to be kept pureâ— from them and to obteyne pardon and redresse of them or at least that we may escape the plagues due vnto them 12. The meanes which the Lord had vsed to bring them to repentance that he might spare them and how their sinne was increased thereby Also the cause why the meanes could doe them no good And what neede we haue therevpon to watch and pray continually 13. The seueritie of the Lords vengeance and the miseries which all sorts indured in that captiuitie when no other meanes could serue to reclaime them And thence what neede we haue all to watch and pray continually to turne away the like and also to be thankfull for all our former deliuerances from as great calamities so neere vnto vs. 14. How Gods true messengers and all his faithfull seruants are wont to be affected when they perceiue the Lords anger to be kindled and his iudgements ready to rush vpon his people Also the meanes which in this their holy affection they vse to preuent the euils and to pacifie his Maiestie And herein likewise what cause we haue to watch and pray for the want of these affections and for the generall neglect of the state of the people and of pacifying the Lords wrath 15. The sinnes of a people may be so heynous as that the Lord will not be pacified at the prayers of his deerest seruants Also when that time is and what cause we haue therevpon to watch and pray continually 16. The true obedience of Gods faithfull messengers and seruants will bring them boldnesse to appeare before him and this alone when they are able to say in a good conscience Lord I haue done as thou hast commanded me And what great cause all of vs haue to watch and pray continually that we may be alvvayes able to say so to haue boldnes euermore hereby vvhatsoeuer come to passe THE VISION given to EZECHIEL before the great Captivitie of IVDAH set downe in the ninth Chapter of Ezechiel with the occasion and opening thereof 1. HE cryed also in mine eares with a loud voyce saying Cause them that have charge over the Citie to draw neere even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand 2. And behold six men came from the way of the higher gate which lyeth toward the North and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand and one man among them was clothed with linnen with a writers inkehorne by his side and they went in and stood beside the brazen Altar 3. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the Cherub whereupon he was to the threshold of the house and he called to the man clothed with linnen which had the writers inkehorne by his side 4. And the Lord said unto
THE third part of THE TRVE-WATCH or The Call of the Lord to awake all sorts to meete him speedely with intreaty of peace to turne vnto him by true repentance shewing what causes we haue forthwith to betake orselu's to watching prayer Taken out of the vision of Ezekiel Chap 9. BY IO BRINSIEY The secâ—und edition Imprinted at LONDON for Thomas Pauier 1623. THE THIRD PART OF THE TRVE VVATCH Containing the call of the Lord to awake all sorts to meet him with intreatie of peace and to turne unto him by true repentance shewing what causes we have forthwith to betake our selves to Watching and Prayer Taken out of the Vision of EZEKIEL Chap. 9. By IOHN BRINSLEY IER 36. 2. Take thee a roule of a booke and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel and against Iudah and against all the Nations from the day I spake unto thee from the daies of Iosiah even unto this day VERSE 7. It may be they will present their supplication before the Lord and will returne every one from his evill way for great is the anger and the furie that the Lord hath pronounced against this people HAB. 2. 2. Write the vision and make it plaine upon tables that he may run that readeth it EZEK 18. 30. Repent and turne your selves from all your transgressions so iniquitie shall not be your ruine VERSE 32. For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith the Lord God Wherefore turne your selves and live you LONDON Printed by IOHN HAVILAND for THOMAS PAVIER and are to be sold at his shop in Ivie lane 1622. The summe of the whole Booke 1. How the Lord did long forewarne his people of Iudah calling them to repentance sundrie waies before he brought upon them the seventie yeeres captivitie in Babylon And withall the pâ—incipall abominations which provoked him to this heavie judgement 2. The wofull miseries which all sorts endured in that Captivitie when no warnings would preuaile to bring them to unfained repentance and more specially the plagues which came upon the wicked and impenitent 3. Particular application hereof unto our selves and of the manifold forewarnings which we have received chiefly from Babylon above all in the powder treason shewing evidently that the Lord is angrie with us for our sinnes and what use we are to make as of all our forewarnings so chiefly of that Powder-treason 4. How to appease the Lord so as to prevent the like judgements and all other plagues â—nd ever to â—emaine a most happie people unto the comming of Iesus Christ. Also how very one of us may attaine to true Christian boldnesse to be alwaies readie to appeare beâ—ore his Majestie See the more particular contents of the severall Chapters and heads after A Commendatorie Epistle THis Author Christian Reader having desired first my censure now sundrie yeeres agoe and since my joint testimonie touching this worke that by the mouth or two or three witnesses God might make it more effectuall for accomplishing all the good his heart desireth I could no way justly denie the same seeing as the ends which it propoundeth and wholly aimeth at are only to helpe to further the way to our unfained repentance for the generall happinesse of us all yea even of every soule and that our glory may be continued to us and to our posteritie so he hath long travelled in the same and used all holy meanes of triall and examination that there might be nothing in it but that which is necessarie to these ends and which might stand before the Lords Tribunall For the Author himselfe though I have knowne him from my childhood being borne neere unto him brought up in the same Grammar Schoole and after in the same Colledge in Cambridge and ever since beene most familiarly acquainted with him and therefore could speake more in this case then I take to be convenient yet I may wholly spare that paines seeing his owne faithfull and happy labours have so long agoe commended him and made him and his holy affection for the good of all so well knowne to the Church of God As first the first part of this True watch the Rule of Life so much approved of all religious Christians to whose hands it hath come that it hath now the ninth time seene the Presse and gone thorow the triall Wherein he hath set out to the view of all the holinesse and integritie of that way of life which we all jointly professe according to Gods sacred word and the good Lawes of our Christian Commonweale to the justifying of our Church against the Separatists to be the true Church of Iesus Christ and that whosoever so walketh shall undoubtedly finde eternall life and in the meane while all heavenly boldnesse peace and joy And not only against them but also against the superstitious and clamorous Papists who herein slander our Religion affirming it to be a religion of carnall libertie theirs of holinesse ours full of divisions and uncertaintie theirs of perfect unitie thereby to draw our people to a dislike of the eternall truth of our blessed God and to a liking of that popish way which is nothing but meere superstition in outward shews of devotion according to mens inventions and such as God never commanded or required nay such as God hath most expresly forbidden as tending to utter perdition both of soules and bodies So secondly the second part of this True watch the Rule of Praier in which he hath manifested his holy desire and unfained love to the Church of God and his native Countrie for a perfect peace and unitie with all happinesse in the same and hath so laboured to trace out the most sure and plaine way following the direction of our blessed Saviour as that whosoever striveth so to watch pray shall undoubtedly be amongst them that are as the Chariots and horsemen of Israel and helpe to save the Iland And in the third place in his Schoole labours for the benefit of our children and posteritie he hath fully witnessed his longing desire of the perpetuall flourishing of this our Church and Nation concerning which travell to omit all other that one testimonie of the learned Doctor Hall that worthie Deane of Worcester in his Commendatorie Preface before his booke called Ludus Literarius or the Grammar Schoole dedicated to Prince Henrie and Duke Charles speaking out of his owne experience and of sundry other learned many yeeres agoe may fully suffice And much more now of late that more then ordinarie witnesse by that learned Mr. Butlour of Oxford in his fourth Edition of his Rhetoricke who in stead of the commendations of many other of principall note which especially in Oxford are wont to be prefixed before any worke of speciall worth as that is taketh only the testimonie of this Author in a place or two in his Grammar-Schoole and sets it before his booke instead of many there commending him
specially at death most at the dreadfull judgement p. 532 533 Reasons of their horrour p. 533 State of them then who have neglected their callings and that which hath beene commanded them p. 534 How fearefull the condition of all those men is who have not gained with their talents nor increased them and more of those who have used them against the Lord and for Sathan p. 534 Their case of all other most fearefull to whom most hath beene committed p. 535 How their horrour shall be increased p. 535 No impenitent sinner can possibly looke to stand before the Lord. p. 535 Application to all who have neglected to doe as the Lord hath commanded them p. 536 Application to the chiefe to put them in remembrance as their answer must be the greatest for their place and charge p. 536 The Magistrates Commission and what the Lord will call for at his hards p. 537 The Iudges commission p. 538 The Ministers commission p. 538 The account of each Governour of a family for every soule within his gates p. 539 The account of every one to whom he hath committed any talent p. 539 How the Lord will reply to all sorts beginning to excuse themselves untill their mouthes be stopped p. 540 How he will reply to all for imploying their talents by trying their advantage p. 542 Objection of the weake Christian viz. who can be able to appeare before the Lord p. 543 Every one who hath unfainedly striven hereunto shall be able to stand before the Lord and reasons of it p. 544 Object 2. The cry of all sorts of sinners whose consciences shall be awaked when they shall bethinke themselves of this appearing p. 545 The Lords answer to all such p. 545 What the Lord commands the poore sinner in the first place p. 546 The endevour of Sathan to drive all such poore sinners to endlesse despaire p. 547 How to comfort the poore humbled sinner against Sathans assaults and temptations p. 547 The second terrour of Sathan that the time of mercie is past p. 549 The time is never too late whilst the Lord calls us to repent if we can obey p. 549 Generall comfort never repentant sinner but found mercie p. 550 The Lord still stretcheth out his hands to all to come to him p. 550 The terrible voice of the Lord to all despisers of mercy now offered p. 551 The Lord will one day bring all that belong unto him to say Lord I will doe as thou commandest at least he will bring them by strong hand p. 552 God purposeth their destruction whom he suffereth to goe on perpetually in their impenitencie p. 553 Application to us all in generall what securitie we have to escape the vengeance so long threatned from Babylon untill we doe as God commands p. 553 The Lords reply to us if we answer that we have repented and therefore shall have peace p. 554 555 God threatneth us as sensibly from Rome as he did them from Babylon p. 556 Conclusion of all how to trie the certaintie hereof and when we may have securitie and boldnesse p. 557 Comfort to all the meeke who can say that they have truly endevored to doe as the Lord hath commanded them These only have the promises p. 557 The Lord hath given most comfortable answers against each feare of his servants in such cases p. 558 Against the feare of being left into the enemies hand p. 558 The second feare for the wrongs and provocations of the enemies answered p. 559 Our third feare for that we are but poore wormes and nothing in regard of our enemies which are the mightie men of the earth p. 560 The fourth feare of Gods people for the miseries we may come into in the meane time amongst our enemies answered p. 561 A fift answer of the Lord against the feare of want of necessary comforts p. 562 A sixt comfort against feare of fainting in the long continuance of the troubles of the Church p. 563 The seventh the Lords answer to the faithfull soule mourning for feare of the dangers of the Church p. 565 What every faithfull servant of God should doe for the Church and this nation that would never see 〈◊〉 feele their miseries p. 565 All to hearken what the Lord calleth and crieth for at our hands moaning our estate p. 566 What he will doe for us and against our enemies if we will yet hearken unto him p. 567 A holy praier according to the Contents of the booke p. 569 TO ALL ESTATES AND DEGREES WHO truly tender their owne Soules the Church of God and their natiue COVNTREY IT is now many yeares Christian Reader since by reading those holy Prophets which liued next before the Captiuitie of Iudah who denounced the same to be ready to come vpon Gods people for their sinnes and by considering and comparing the same with the times wherein we liue I haue euer feared the life plague or a heauier to be hanging ouer this our sinfull Nation Neither haue I feared without iust cause for how neere indeed such a iudgement hath bin vnto vs and how the same threatnings haue bin ready to be verified vpon vs the world is witnesse euen all they who haue but onely heard the report of our dangers and of our wonderfull and euen miraculous deliuerances And euer the later perils and preseruations haue bin the more wonderfull as that one of the Powder furnace was aboue all that euer former age heard of In the due meditation and regard whereof I haue taken it to be my dutie and of all the faithfull Ministers of Christ to follow the example of Noah and of all those faithfull Prophets in giuing warning aforehand keeping within the limits and compasse of our calling to helpe to open the eyes of all to foresee and to cause all to tremble for the anger of the Lord also to contend with all our power to turne euery soule from his euill way that so his wrath may be appeased and we deliuered from the dreadfull execution of his heauiest vengeance Herevpon in my former feare amongst other causes I was chiefly emboldned and that not long before the time of that bloudie Powder-treason as the Lord had so directed it to endeuour to set downe truly and after to publish to all the first part of this watch viz The rule of life contayning the couenant which we haue all entred into with our God To the end to helpe to keepe all his people from the generall declining from that his blessed couenant to profanesse and iniquitie and from the outragious wickednes of the rest that we also might all learne to watch to be preserued in the euill day And since then likewise the second part of the same watch viz The rule of prayer to awaken vs the better and to stirre vp all the Lords faithfull seruants the more speedily and instantly to betake our selues wholly to watching and prayer not onely to be
brought upon the world mentioned in his booke In all which he hath left this carefully recorded because he would have all his people to be well acquainted with it As first before the destruction of the old world besides the plaine evidence of Gods vengeance at hand being apparant and almost visible in the strange increase of the iniqvity many of them being become Gyants to set themselves impudently to fight against his Majestie and against all godlinesse contrary to the light of their owne consciences and for that all flesh had corrupted their wayes so as the earth was corrupted and filled with crueltie he also warned them himselfe in a speciall manner by the making of the Arke and by the preaching of Noah And this he did by the space of an hundred and twentie yeeres before which time he gave them to repent striving with them by his Spirit chiefly in the Ministerie of Noah to bring them to amendment Secondly before the Captivitie of the ten Tribes which were caried away by Salmanasar into Assyria from whence they never returned besides many other threatnings dangers warres overthrowes and plagues he also forewarned them long by sundry of his holy Prophets as Ahiah Iehu Eliah Michajâ— Elisha but more specially but even hard before by Obadiah Hosea Amos Ioel Ionah and others By all whom he foreshewed that judgement evidently unto them though they would not obey but hardned their necks and were worse and worse untill the vengeance caried them away Thirdly before this lamentable captivitie of Iudah besides this vision and many others he forewarned them likewise by sundry of his most worthy servants the Prophets raised up extraordinarily and sent unto them crying unto them early and late Prophet after Prophet and that for a long time togither But most plainely by the space of threescore yeeres and more by Esay Ieremie Mica Ezechiel Zephanie and others still proclayming this terrible desolation Although they likewise mocked his servants misused his messengers growing daily worse and worse untill there was no remedie Fourthly before that last and utter subversion of the Iewish nation he forewarned them sundry wayes but in a more speciall manner First by the preaching of Iohn the Baptist threatning them That the axe was then laid to the roote of the trees Afterwards by our Saviour himself over and over most evidently setting downe in plaine termes the manner of their destruction and the grievousnesse of it And to omit all other admonitions by the Disciples of our Saviour and his Apostles Iosâ—phus in his storie records That besides many terrible signes from heaven and earth strange lights in the nights a dreadfull blazing starre over the Temple fearefull sights of chariots and horsemen of fire and an Armie marching towards Ierusalem a hydeous voyce was also heard in the Temple at one of the Feasts saying Let us goe out of the Temple and depart hence There was moreover in a time of their greatest peace plenty foure yeeres before their warre began one of the ruder and meaner sort whose name was Iesus the sonne of Hanani who being come forth of the country to Ierusalem at the Feast of the Tabernacles and going into the Temple began of a sudden to cry out with a loud voyce in this manner A voyce from the East a voyce from the West a voyce from the foure windes a voyce against Ierusalem a voyce against the Temple a voyce against the bridegroome and the bride a voyce against all this people This he continued day and night going thorow all the streets of the Citie And although he was rated and cruelly beaten yet he never gave over going up and downe thâ— Citie thus woe to Ierusalem and the Sanâ—tuarie thereof woe woe to Ierusalem And thus he cryed out especially on their feast dayes and that for seven yeeres and five moneths togither neither was he ever thought to be hoarse or weary but went thus up and downe being taken as a mad man untill in the time of the siege going about upon the wall and crying out lowder than ever before woe woe to the Citie to the Temple and people and at last having added this voyce woe also to me he was smitten upon the head with a stone shot out of an engine that he dyed And last of all when they had suffred most grievous miseries by bloodie dissensions amongst themselves murthering one another and by most pitifull famine as ever was before that they were inforced to eat such things as their soules did abhorre and which bred a most terrible pestilence amongst them immediately before the taking and sacking of the Citie and putting them to the sword a voyce was heard among the Christians which spake to them thus Goe forth to Pella which so soone as the Christians had done the enemie brake in upon them and slaughtered the rest with a most lamentable destruction Fiftly before the last and finall destruction to come upon the world by fire the Lord hath foretold sundry signes and tokens which shall come to passe that none can plead ignorance or have any more excuse Thus the Lord hath bin wont to deale with the wickedest places of all other especially if any of his owne deere servants have bin amongst them As before the destruction of Sodome because his servant Lot was there he will doe nothing untill he hath revealed it to his faithfull servant Abraham Lots uncle that he may intreat for them Afterwards he makes it knowne to Lot himselfe who forewarnes his sonnes in law and daughters to have gotten them all forth of the burning if it had bin possible This he did to Ninivie that proud Citie before he would destroy it for he pittying the great multitude of poore ignorant and simple people which were amongst them in the bowels of his compassion he sends his servant Ionah first to proclaime thorow their Citie Yet fortie dayes and Ninive shall be destroyed And to conclude this point as he forewarned Babylon and other the cruell enemies of his Church of their destructions so he hath as plainely proclaymed his vengeance to come upon the spirituall Babylon which now holding so great a part of his Church in captivitie strives to captivate all the rest that all his owne people may by all means get out of her the rest be left utterly inexcusable This may sufficiently manifest his truth to every conscience that we may boldly conclude this point with the Prophet Amos That the Lord will do nothing in his Church in bringing in any destruction or terrible plague but he will first reveale it to his servants the Prophets He will make his owne faithfull ones to foresee it by one meanes or other so far as shall be for his glory and their good The reasons of it also are most cleare why he will doe it 1. For his chosen sake
his forbearance of us as the like forewarnings were unto Ierusalem have bin to other places which he hath destroyed for their sinnes yet let this be seriously thought of how we generally stood then affected with them whether since the time that the Lord hath begun in a most speciall manner to threaten destruction unto us from Rome they have not beene farre more usuall till of very late yeeres and much more dreadfull than formerly Let us but call to minde how fearfull these sights were unto us when they began in our remembrance to be so seene in this our Nation Most who are of any yeeres must needs remember the time with the terrour upon mens hearts that was thereupon Besides that our Chronicles have specially recorded those first most dreadfull apparitions of them as of things not knowne before in our Nation or at least very rarely or that the former were nothing in comparison of these When such strange impressions of fire and smoke were seene in the ayre and the heavens from all parts seemed to burne over our heads as the historie doth mention We cannot have forgotten that wonderfull starre which appeared about two yeeres before these began continuing for almost six moneths togither which as it was found by the learned was in place celestiall far above the Moone otherwise than ever any Comet hath bin seene or can naturally appeare So wonderfull was it as the learned did affirme that the like was not read of to have bin since the beginning of the world And therefore it was then accounted of amongst the learned to have bin of signification not naturall but divine as sent from God to warne the world of some strange worke Let us but call these things to minde and withall the perpetuall danger that the Church of God and our Nation have bin in in a more speciall manner from Rome since about that time or not much before togither with all our judgements and great deliverances since and then thinke whether they may not justly seeme to foretell that the Lord hath yet some greater worke to worke Howsoever this cannot hurt us to be warned by them and to make better use of them than Ierusalem did â—ith they are undoubted fore-runners of the great and notable day of the Lord. And to passe over all other former tokens as the two great tydes recorded to have bin one within an houre after the other and in the same moneth when these grievous flashings so appeared the dreadfull earth-quakes at that time since and the like hath not the Lord since then caused the seas to roare and rush in upon us as ready and threatning to have overwhelmed us all at once At the very tidings whereof and of the cry and scritching of all neere unto them and the perishing of so many what heart was so flintie which either did not powre ouâ— teares or at least quake and tremble at that terrible approching of the vengeance of the Lord Hath he not also spoken unto us since then even in the yeere next after by so many strange and sodaine overflowings of the lesse rivers in the midst of the Land as if seas and flouds and all had offered their service unto the Lord to execute his fierce wrath and most just judgement in overflowing purging such a sinfull Land to have swept away all of a sodaine Yea and this many times when no such thing was feared at all and in such places where never feare of waters had bin heard of before And yet to proceede Hath he not proclaymed his vengeance in every part of our Land by his undaunted Heralt the consuming pestilence so many yeeres togither yeere after yeere as this Nation hardly ever knew before What place is there against which the sword of the destroying Angell hath not bin shaken and stretched out in most fearefull manner as ready to be avenged presently Can there be a more visible messenger of the Lords anger Is it not one of the foure chiefe plagues of God sent for the sinnes of a people by which he threatneth to destroy and a principall sore-runner of the most dreadfull even of the bloodie sword of the enemie And hath not that sword of the blood-thirstie enemie beene drawne oft upon us Hath it not consumed and devoured about us and made most grievous slaughters and desolations as it were before our faces and at our very dores for many yeeres togither heretofore First in the Low Countryes after in Ireland laying it in many places as a desolate wildernesse when in the meane time our selves have bin free at home though all was principally aymed at us And did not the Lord after all these in that desperate rebellion treason unmatchable set the sword to the hearts of us all Yea did he not in that so extreme and deadly winter following soone after some prints whereof remaine unto this day proclaime denounce to the consciences of all men that he hath a controversie with our Land when he began with the fowles of the ayre smiting the fish in the rivers with very many of the creatures and destroyed the most sweet and pleasant flowres and herbes which grew upon the earth wherein we tooke chiefe delight so as they are hardly yet repayred againe threatning withall the utter famishing of the cattle as if he had determined to destroy all things from off the earth Did he not also by reason of the same afterward cause amongst us a greater dearth of all victuals and other things than ever in any mans remembrance all sorts of things being considered togither and the continuance thereof so long whereby so many of our poore were brought into so extreme povertie And howsoever he in pitie looking upon the poore restored bread unto them having both increased the corne upon the ground after by that lamentable rayne in the beginning of the harvest when the corne was ready to be brought into the barne made it so as it could not be kept in long or hoarded up by cormorants and unfit to be transported yet did not the dearth of all other victuals grow grievously for a long time togither Yea and albeit for a litle time after this he withdrew some of the former tokens of his fierce wrath and turned the dearth into plentie againe yet what was that so long as our sinnes not onely remained but were and are daily multiplyed so that the cry of them goeth up to heaven Did not the Lord send his people Quayles to satisfie their lust and yet for their grudgings and tempting of him smit them while the flesh was betweene their teeth And did he not in like manner amongst us that yeere through that unseasonable raine leave an evident print of his displeasure upon all or the chiefe kinde of graine to be remembred almost in every peece of bread Yea that we may not deceive our selves
but the glory was remooved the Lord gave him no answere any more from thence The like might be shewed still in the story further as we shall see after in the particulars but this may suffice for the present to manifest this point To returne therefore to our selves we are first to inquire what are the most evident signes of Gods glorious presence in his Church especially in the daies of the Gospell and heereby we are to judge of our estate and whether in regard heereof we have not just cause to feare the Lords departure without speedy repentance and all to give our selves to watch and pray Like as the word sincerely preached and the Sacraments administred according to our Saviours institution are the most infallible marks of the true visible Churches of Christ amongst which he hath promised his presence so long as these are duly observed maintained and reverenced so we may marke also thorow the booke of God fowre most lively evidences of his glorious presence in his Church amongst his people One whereof is more inward felt chiefly in the soules and consciences of men to wit the Spirit of the Lord accompanying the word and the powerfull operation thereof in mens hearts in and by the same word to cause all men to acknowledge the Lord to be there The other three are more outward and apparant to the view of the world although they be nothing but the fruits and effects of the same spirit The first of which three is when the Lord gives to his people abundance of saving and sanctifying knowledge of his heavenly word The second when together with this knowledge he worketh in them true holinesse of life and conversation and obedience to the same word and withall peace and unitie among his people arising from the same The third is in protection when he declares himselfe to be present amongst his people in shielding and protecting them and overthrowing all the plots of the enemies or casting a feare upon the enemie that they dare not rise up against his Church and chosen flocke For the first of these which is more inward viz The Spirit of the Lord speaking and working powerfully in the word It is not the word alone nor the Spirit alone but the word and Spirit going together The Spirit accompanying the word and speaking to the hearts and consciences of men out of the mouthes of his servants This is the Tenor and the very substance of Gods covenant with his Church for the infallible demonstration of his presence in it and with it And I will make this my covenant with them saith the Lord to his Church My spirit which is upon thee my word which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seede nor out of the mouth of the seed of thy seede from henceforth for ever To make this more plaine As in the time of the law not the Arke alone nor the mercie seate covered with the Cherubims but the answeres from the Arke given immediatly from God were were the undoubted evidences of his most glorious presence amongst them so this must needs be acknowledged of all That not the Gospell alone nor the bare ministry thereof but the powerfull working of the spirit thereby speaking to every mans soule and conscience is the most evident demonstration of the same glorious presence in the dayes of the Gospell As for example when the word is lively and mighty in operation powerfull in converting mens soules and drawing the people of God after it This is the true presence and arme of the Lord. As it was when the Holy Ghost was sent downe appearing in forme of cloven tongues like fire to shew the heavenly fire that should accompany the word and inflame the hearts of the elect like as it then wrought wonderfully upon the consciences of the hearers and that very worke was an infallible witnesse of the presence of the Lord so is it now according to the manner of the working and measure thereof When by the same spirit some are pricked at their hearts with remorse for their sinnes and made to cry out Men and brethren what shall we doe as those who were so pricked at the hearts at Peters sermon When other have their hearts burning within them as the two Disciples going toward Emaus at the opening applying of the Scriptures unto them When as others are smitten downe to the earth in the sense of their own vilenesse and the Majestie of Iesus Christ as persecuting Saul who was made thereby a preaching Paul And when others are compelled to confesse That they neuer heard men speake so as those who came of purpose being sent by the Pharises to catch our Saviour Or as the poore simple man who comming in and hearing the word so Preached is made thereby to fall upon his face and enforced to acknowledge That God is in these men of a truth when others also shall receive such a strong assurance of the truth of God taught unto them being indeed his very word as they cannot be drawne away from it by any violence or feare no nor yet by any perswasions though an Angell should come from heaven and teach them otherwise And to conclude this point This must needs be confessed of all to be the most cleere and invincible testimony of his most gratious and glorious presence and of his spirit powred plentifully upon his Church when by the power of the word the blinde eyes are opened the deafe heare the stonie hearts are bruised the dead in sinne are raised to a new and holy life for this is not a a worke of flesh and blood but of the Spirit of the Lord onely This was a principall part of that lively presence whereby he was so wonderfull and after a sort visible in the primitive Church when the same day were added to the Church about three thousand soules by the preaching of Peter and the other Apostles and after when the Church increased so admirably And by this he hath promised to be with his faithfull ones teaching his truth sincerely unto the end of the world This finally is the full accomplishment of that promise To powre downe his Spirit upon his people in the dayes of the Gospell when he would gather his Church in any place as we may see thorow all the Historie of the Acts. And even as it was then so is it now according to the measure of grace whereby he sends downe his holy Spirit upon any Congregation And in some Congregations under faithfull Ministeries all these blessed be God are apparent thus graciously manifesting his presence thereby And therefore the more generally that this operation appeares in Preachers and people the more visibly doth the glory of the Lord shew it selfe and the more
him we may adjoyne that faithfull Prophet Ieremie who though he lived in a far better time and place both in the bosome of the Church and in the dayes of that holy King Iosiah yea in that worthy reformation for many yeeres togither for he began to preach unto them in the thirteenth yeere of Iosiah and so continued untill this Captivitie was brought upon them yet he likewise is vexed continually even from the beginning of his prophesying This was a daily corosive to his soule to see the people so backward in embracing the truth so senselesse and impenitent in their sinnes in such evident tokens of Gods vengeance rushing upon them so prone to the former Idolatrie wherein they had lived and to all other abominations to anger the Lord notwithstanding the example of their most worthy Prince and all the meanes used to reclaime them This made his very soule to faint within him and his heart to tremble that no admonitions of his nor of other the holy Prophets could doe them any good although they daily discovered their iniquities and so proclaimed this desolation That beholding this and seeing that now there was no more hope but that their plagues must needs breake in violently upon them he wisheth his head full of water and his eyes a fountaine of teares that he might weepe for them day and night and for all the miseries that were to come upon them And moreover desireth that he had if it were but a poore cottage of a wayfaring man in the desolate wildernesse to live all alone and never to heare of their sinnes nor to see their wicked conversations any more More than this we may also observe how carefully this is recorded in the Booke of God That divers of his most faithfull servants hearing of some haynous sins committed to his dishonour and provocation and considering the judgements due thereunto or foreseeing by evident signes some present calamitie hasting upon them for the same have bin strangely humbled thereupon yea how they have wept prayed fasted lyen downe on the ground and could not be comforted Besides Moses who was ever thus humbled upon the new provocations of the people and with him Samuel David and others see Ezra his behaviour how he rent his clothes pluckt off the haire of his head and of his beard sate astonied got privately into his chamber fasted neither eating bread nor drinking water mourning because of the transgressions of them of the Captivitie and fearing some new wrath to come upon them This caused him to be cast downe in himselfe when he heard of the strange women which Gods people had maried in the Captivitie contrary to his law how they had mingled themselves with the prophane Heathen which were given to all abominations whereby their children began to prove heathenish also and because the Princes and Rulers had bin chiefe in this trespasse And not onely he himselfe but the people likewise sat trembling for those and other sins and for a grievous raine which God had sent upon them at that time as an evident token of his displeasure So holy King Iosiah when he heard the words of the Booke of the Law which was found laying to heart the threatnings in it and considering thereupon the wrath kindled against them for their owne sinnes and for the sinnes of their fathers he mourning thus humbled himselfe rent his clothes his heart did melt his eyes powred out teares He sends straight way to inquire where he could have any answer even of Huldah because he knew that shee was a Prophetesse of the Lord with which fact of his declaring his unfayned humiliation the Lord was so pleased that he sends him this message That his eyes should not see the vengeance which he would bring on that place He should first be taken away in peace before those plagues came Our Saviour also himselfe foreseeing the last desolation of this Citie and yet beholding the people so senselesse in the midst of the imminent danger when his preaching will doe them no more good he stands and weeps over them thus lamenting Oh if thou hadst knowne at least in this thy day those things that belong unto thy peace But now are they hid from thine eyes for the dayes shall come upon thee that thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee and compasse thee round and keepe thee in on every side and shall make thee even with the ground and thy children which are in thee and they shall not leave in thee a stone upon a stone which shall not be cast downe because thou knowest not the time of thy visitation And for continuall mourning for this the holy servant of God Paul calls Christ to witnesse to his soule that he had a continuall heavinesse and sorrow in his heart for his stiffe-necked and unbeleeving Countrymen the Iewes And that he could have wished himselfe separate from Christ so that they might not have beene cast off from being any more a nation or the people of the Lord. Finally the two Prophets in the Revelation representing all the true and faithfull Preachers of the Gospell in the last age even these daies wherein we live are set out unto us cloathed in sackcloth after the manner of mourners bewailing the strange delusions of the people of God by the abominations of Antichrist in so cleare a light of the Gospell of Christ shining againe so gloriously And thus have we seene plainly this propertie of Gods people how they use to sigh and mourne for all the iniquities of the times wherein they live Now to ascend to the next degree of the griefe of the godly for the wickednesse of the times the Prophet saith That they sigh and cry not only that they sigh but sigh and cry for all the abominations Wherein the Holy Ghost would have all to take notice that the godly at such times have beene so farre off from bearing with the wicked or flattering them in their sinnes as that from mourning they have come in a zeale of Gods glory and in an holy indignation against sinne to cry out openly against the grievous corruptions and transgressions and have shewed thereby their detestation so farre as their calling would any way suffer them especially when the provocations have beene hainous to anger the Lord. To omit the boldnesse of the young Prophet sent to Ieroboam and of Eliah to Ahab in the case of open Idolatrie this was the continuall course of these three worthy Prophets Esay Ieremie Ezechiel and so of the rest that lived before the Captivitie Thus God bids Esay to lift up his voice as a trumpet to tell his people of their transgressions And this was Ieremies usuall tenour for which all his hatred and troubles came upon him with earnest contention to cry out against the fearefull sinnes of his time These God hath left as presidents
our Noahs building the Arke and calling all to enter nor our Lots mourning crying to all Good brethren deale not so wickedly Doe we not daily increase in our senselesnesse and still more harden our selves against all warnings signes and tokens untill the floud-gates of heaven be open and the vengeance of God come powring downe And to goe yet one step higher and to adde this one demand more Are not very many amongst us come to that height of impietie to scorne and to abuse by all meanes all those that mourne for the evils and who will not run with us to all excesse of ungodlinesse And if any doe ever reprove such though in the griefe of their hearts with the greatest love and reverence are they not ready to say as those unto Lot Hence who made thee a Ruler and a Iudge so to thrust them away with all disgrace Or which is yet worse if worse may be Is not this too common in very many places to use them as Ieremie was used to load such with all opprobrious slanders as tho they were the vilest men that could live upon the earth and those that seeke not the good of the Land but the hurt and as if indeed there were none to be hated but they be they never so peaceable and obedient And finally are they not made such in many places as Ieremie saith of himselfe whom every bodie curseth though they have neither given nor taken upon usurie but lived without ofâ—ence or intermedling in the world Nay although they be such persons whom all the world cannot touch except for such infirmities as are incident to all the sonnes of Adam or the matters of their God as Daniâ—l was Doe we not thus adde to the increase of their sorrowes to kindle more the Lords anger for the injuries done unto them and by seeking to drive them out from amongst us or at least to cause them to cease crying to the Lord for us Which unkindnesse he can no way indure sith these I meane who make conscience of all his commandements are the deerest unto him of all the people of the earth and the onely preservers of the rest so long as they remaine amongst us And thus much shall serve for this in like manner what cause we have to watch and pray yea to tremble and cry for the small remainder of our mourners and also to the end that we our selves may be found to be of the number of them so to helpe to appease the wrath or so to escape in the evill day CHAP. IX The enemies by which the Lord threatneth or afflicteth his Church are his souldiers and what cause we have to give our selves to watching and prayer for the increase of them in number pride and malice IT remaineth now that we shall come to shew the abominations for the which the godly so sighed cryed what and how great they were But the handling thereof may be more profitably reserved unto the sixt verse where the Holy Ghost sets downe how fierce his wrath was and how grievous the plagues were which the Lord threatneth to inflict upon them that by the greatnes of the vengeance we may better consider the heynousnesse of the abominations Having therefore thus finished this first Commission which was to the marking Angell for the preservation of all the godly we will come to the second commission given to the destroying Angels how they should deale with all the rest conteyned in these words following Vers. 5. And to the other he said in my hearing Goe yee after him thorow the Citie and smite Let not your eye spare neither have pitie sâ—ay utterly olde and young c. Here the Lord delivering this Commission aloud and bidding these destroying Angels to goe and smite to spare none will have us all to consider this well That the enemies by which his Church is afflicted as the Babylonian here meant to whom he said Goe yee after him thorough the Citie and smite are the Lords soldiers They come not nor fight of themselves alone but at his comand they fight also his battels though they know not so much nor purpose any such matter but doe it in the pride and malice of their hearts No point is more necessarie for us to know becasue in the plots and conspiracies of wicked enemies and in all the rage against the Church of God it is so rare a thing for any man to looke at the Lord and how he sends and orders all but every man almost useth still to looke onely at the hand of the enemie Neither is any truth more cleerely set forth in the booke of God We will content our selves with two or three places which are past all exception in which he hath of purpose taught this point most fully First we may begin with the former great Captivitie of Israel of the Ten Tribes caried captive into Assyria by Salmanazar which was a good space before this captivitie of Iudah The Holy Ghost saith that the Lord in his wrath sent upon them the King of Asshur to destroy them Whom the Prophet â—say in speaking of both the Captivities joyntly and the like instruments and reasons of both calleth the rod of Gods wrath because he had in his wrath prepared the Assyrian as his rod to whip both Israel and Iudah for their rebellion He termes also their staffe meaning the weapons in their hands his indignation because all their weapons were cheifly prepared to execute his most fierce indignation He calls them moreover the Lords axe whereby he cut downe the Nations All were the Lords instruments He sent these Assyrians and gave them the charge to spoile and trample under foote the rebellious Israelites as the mire in the streets But did the proud Assyrian know thus much how God used him as his soldier or did he purpose in it to execute Gods wrath and his terrible judgement No saith the Lord he thinketh not so neither doth his heart esteeme it so as to avenge my quarrell but he imagineth to destroy not a few nations that is All that he doth he doth in pride and malice of his owne wicked heart and by his owne strength as he foolishly thinketh Therefore the Lord saith plainely That when he had used him as his rod to correct his people first Samaria and then Ierusalem first Israel and after Iudah that he would surely burne the rod in the fire He would visit the proud heart of the King of Asshur and bring downe his proud lookes and as a fire in his vengeance consume him utterly And secondly for Manasseh the sonne of that worthy Hezechiah when he went backe from the good wayes of his father and set up againe all the abominations that his father had taken away and had also destroyed that pietie and religion which his good father had so laboured to build up and finally when he caused his people to doe worse
him through the Citie and smite let your eye spare none c. IN this next place we are to observe how the Lord bids the destroyers to goe after the marking Angell following him as it were hard at the heeles that so soone as ever the servants of God are marked and safe they should stay no longer but presently execute their charge which was Kill kill and spare none for so the words doe plainely import Herein the Lord would have us all to know yet further that so soone as ever he hath gathered forth those that bewaile the sinnes of the times that is his faithfull ones from among the rest or made sure provision for them then he will stay no longer but presently begin the execution of his vengeance on the rest which remaine This truth the Lord hath left unto us as cleare as any of the former that when we see him taking the godly away all may learne to prepare for themselves to escape or else be left more without excuse To shew this in order out of the former destructions as being in my understanding most fit as so set downe to this purpose and also most plainely for the simplest to conceive of 1. Noah is no sooner in the Arke fast lockt in by the Lord himselfe and so out of the danger but presently the sloud-gates of heaven are set open the fountaines of the great depths broken up destruction rusheth upon them that 〈◊〉 they or climbe they whithersoever they will the vengeance of God still followeth them at the heeles untill they be utterly swept away from the face of the earth without any more pitie and compassion 2. Lot is no sooner out of Sodom and gotten safe into Zoar past all the danger but though it was a goodly morning to see to the Sunne rising gloriously upon the earth as it was wont yet the fire and brimstone came powring downe The Holy Ghost saith that The Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrha brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven and overthrew all He turned all those filthy Cities into ashes making them most loathsome pits and a terrible monument of his most severe vengeance to all such beastly livers to the end of the world All perish togither in an instant as they were partakers togither in the same filthy sinnes Howling and crying then will do no more good no place is now lest to repentance nor to mercy any longer 3. The Christians are no sooner gotten out of Ierusalem to Pella according to the warning but presently Ierusalem is taken as Iosephus reports and then as great cruelties are exercised as ever upon any Citie or people before and as great miseries followed them according as our Saviour had foretold 4. And lastly that same holy Iosiah hath his eyes no sooner closed that he might not see the vengeance and himselfe taken to his rest as the Lord had promised him because his heart so melted at the hearing of the abominations and the judgements denounced for them but straight-way even within three moneths begins this wofull tragedie of Iudah and Ierusalem As the flying away of the Swallow is a signe of winter at hand so the departing and taking away of these mourners forth of any Church must needs be a fearefull threatning of some terrible winter if not a desolation to come upon that people especially when we consider what such are for the preservation of the place where they are And so much first for the evidence of this truth Now that we may againe returne home unto our selves Let us see whether hereby we have not just cause to be awakened ech to betake our sâ—â—ves to watching and prayer to stay the vengeance of God before it be come upon us and it be too late Have not many of our Noahs I meane many of Gods faithfull servants most famous both in Church and Common-wealth for helping to build and prepare the Arke bin taken away from us not many yeeres ago long before their time And amongst others Did not the Lord specially pluck unto himselfe in a short space togither sundry of our most worthily renowmed and victorious champions so approved against that proud Goliah of Rome Hath he not thus caried up these into the Arke not made with hands as accounting us thereby unworthy that they should remaine any longer amongst us upon the earth to helpe to stand betweene the Lords wrath and us What heart was so flintie which dissolved not into teares for sundry of them or which was not astonished at the apprehension of his manifest displeasure therein and in a fearefull consideration of that which he saith That the righteous are taken away from the evils to come This yet is some comfort That we have still some Noaâ—s carefully preparing and finishing the Arke and warning the secure and unthankfull world All our Lots are not yet pluckt from amongst us The Lord of hoasts hath as yet in mercy reserved us a remnant who unfeignedly feare the tokens of his wrath He hath some that stil lift up their voyces like trumpers to tel his people of their sins Some that lift up their hearts with their hands with Moses against Amaleck Some that made continuall intercession with faithful Abraham Some that mourne in secret who wrastle and weepe with Iacob and who will not let the Lord goe untill he shew us mercy and save us from the scourge which we have justly deserved Some I say for what are they compared with the rest or in regard of our time and meanes or that they have beene in sundry parts of the Land otherwise we had bin made long agoe as Sodome and like unto Gomorrha And we may further say by the infinite mercy of God That the Lords annointed is still preserved for our shelter and the breath of our nostrils by whom alone under the highest we hitherto enjoy our safety in the midst of the greatest furies of our implacable and bloud-thirsty enemies If the Lord had ever or yet should never so little take away his hand for all our provocations which evill of all other he ever turne from us like as hitherto he hath done sith the enemies hunt after his life and the lives of us all continually and our sinnes doe cry for it what then could we looke for Or if he should any way suffer the mouthes of all his faithfull messengers to be shut that there might be none to reprove much more if he once take from amongst us those that sigh and cry out for all the abominations and restrayn utterly that spirit of mourning and prayer what may we expect then And is not this the thing which the Atheist and belly-God with all the company of the wicked and ungodly do desire so much and which the I do latrous murthering enemies doe conspire continually And why Because these are they
of their torment and their fearefull expectation of further vengeance Their calamities which they endure are nothing else but preparatives and fore-runners of the damnation of hell Hereby they also become more senselesse and impenitent they waxe more hardned and enraged to murmure and blaspheme against the Lord. And ordinarily they are alwaies chased in their owne consciences as Cain having a sound of feare in their eares the worme beginning to gnaw and their sinne to sting them to the very hearts and consequently to become runnegates to the grave and to eternall confusion Or let the best be supposed that ever can befall any of them they are but in a lethargie or sleepie sicknesse without sense untill the vengeance of God light wholly upon them to send them to the place of their destruction where they shall never finde any rest after But for their wretched estate we shall see it further in another place And thus we may behold the estate of all both good and bad in such generall calamities Now who is there that beleeves the word of the Lord whom the due consideration of this one point alone must not needs drive to watching and prayer and to cause him to seeke to be prepared aforehand in these dayes of our peace that he may be thus undoubtedly marked and under this protection yea that he may be thus hid in the evill day and finde all the comforts belonging to the godly and that he may be sure to escape those certaine and dreadfull miseries of the wicked what judgements soever it shall please him to exercise us withall for A wise man as Salomon saith foreseeth the plague and hideth himselfe but a foole goeth on still and is punished This therefore may serve as a first cause to enforce us all to betake our selves more instantly to watching and prayer then ever we have done if we would be so marked as to finde the Lord to be a Sanctuarie and a hiding place unto us in the evill day how soone soever he shall bring it upon us for all our sinnes and provocations and in the meane time to get boldnesse thereby and peace of conscience against all assaults whatsoever And more also unlesse we will strip our selves wilfully of his most gratious providence and protection and desperately expose our selves and all ours to all kinde of miserie and unhappinesse both in this life present and that which is to come If any shall demand further what this marke was we must remember That this Vision was given according to the capacitie of man to shew this unto the Prophet that he might make it knowne to all sorts what care the Lord hath for his faithfull ones in the greatest confusions and when they seeme to be utterly neglected and forgotten and to this end he hath caused it to be written for us This moreover seemeth evidently to be an allusion to the custome of men who use to set a marke on such things as they have a speciall care to preserve heedfully Or rather an alluding to the marking of the houses of his owne people in Egypt with the bloud of the Lambe that the destroying Angell might not touch any of them when he destroyed the Egyptians Or else at least to the marking of Rahabs house in the Citie of Iericho before the destruction came for the saving her selfe and hers But if it be demanded whether they had not indeed some speciall marke of difference to be discerned from the rest we may answer truly That there is no question but they were marked indeed both inwardly and outwardly Inwardly by the bloud of Christ sprinkling them and by the Spirit sanctifying them making them to cry Abba oh Father Outwardly by a bold and constant outward profession of the truth of God in word and deed and more specially by mourning and crying out for all the abominations which were practised daily to anger the Lord as followeth after But this is not that marking here spoken of much lesse is it any marking with any outward marke or signe as some doe vainely and very fondly conceit but only to make them sure that they might be preserved from the destroyer The words signifying nothing else but marke them with a marke or signe them with a signe That is marke them surely and carefully doubling the word according to the manner of the Hebrew phrase And thus much also shortly for answering those doubts Now to our next cause which every soule hath to watch and to pray CHAP. VIII The propertie of the godly living amongst the wicked in a sinfull age is To sigh and cry for the abominations and tokens of Gods anger So what cause all Gods servants have to watch and pray for the fewnesse of such and to labour to be of that litle number TO proceed to a sixt cause which yet more neerely concerns ech of us cals on us all to watchfulnes and prayer We are all who desire to finde true assurance and comfort to consider who and what ones these servants of God are which are thus marked They are described in these words which sigh and cry for all the abominations They were those who were so far off from framing themselves to the wickednesse of that evill time as that they contrarily abhorred with a vehement indignation all those sinnes whereby Gods anger was so kindled and their destruction hastned so fast Insomuch as that thereby they did not onely mourne in themselves in secret but being inforced with a zeale of Gods glory and indignation against all the abominations cryed out against them according to their places and callings and sighed in secret for mercy and redresse Here we must observe The Lord setting before our eyes the condition of the true children of God living in evill times and amongst a people voyde of the sense of sinne and of the feare of Gods judgements That their manner is not to approve of the wicked wayes of the ungodly much lesse to sooth and flatter them in their evill courses nor to give over themselves to any jollitie or carnall delights as others doe but they use to have continually much heavinesse in themselves sighing for the grievous sinnes which are committed An example hereof the Lord hath set forth to all posteritie in holy Lot who living amongst the filthy Sodomites was thus grieved with their ungodly conversation for so saith the holy Apostle Peter That he being righteous and dwelling among them in hearing and seeing vexed his righteous soule from day to day with their unrighteous deeds He was so disquieted with their beastly manners provoking the Lords most holy eyes that his whole life for the time that he dwelt amongst them was but wearinesse and a continuall mourning This holy man the Lord would have set forth as an example to all succeeding ages to shew the condition of all his true and faithfull servants living amongst wicked and ungodly men To