persecuting Citie which liveth so deliciously and saith I sit a Queene and shall see no sorrow Her purple flatterers vaunt that temporall felicite is a note of the Church and make a catalogue of the strange victories which the Catholikes have had and as one saith scarcely ever received the foile in a just warre yet the holy truth assureth us the Beast and false Prophet shall be taken and all the sowles of Heaven filled with the flesh of those Kings Captaines and mightie men which have fought against the Gospell Yea Babylon as a mill-stone cast into the sea shall be throwne downe and found no more and she rewarded double according to her works at whose destruction all the Kings and Merchants of the earth who have lived deliciously and committed fornication with her shall bitterly lament and cry Alas alas that great Citie bow in one boure is she made desolate So Heaven Prophets Apostles and all the Martyrs Saints shal praise God with many a ioyfull Alleluiah Therefore stumble not at it that for the sins of his people hee giveth them into the hands of such as are more wicked than themselves for when his people are sufficiently scourged their enemies shall for ever be destroyed But some object againe wee have continued long in our sinnes and have felt none evill why should wee now be so earnestly called upon and urged to repent and threatned with judgement If wee repent not God is not so hastie I wis as our Preachers would make us beleeve I answer It is the continuance in sinne doth increase our danger as Iudah and Ierusalem were not carried into captivitie for the sinnes of a few yeeres but for their sinnes wherein they had long continued even ever since they were brought up out of Aegypt the men of the old world were spared long even an hundred and twentie yeeres yet continuing in sinne were in the end drowned Iudah and Ierusalem were spared long after their brethren were carried captive even 130. yeeres but continuing in sinne in the end they were carried into captivitie too The Lord is patient and slow to anger yet if there will bee no end of sinne there will be an end of mercie and God may repent so often that hee will repent no more and as our Prophet saith he can no longer beare and as he saith in another place God is wearie with repenting this wee have in the Scriptures illustrated by two familiar and elegant metaphors The first is of a large vessell which by drops asketh a long time of filling so God told Abraham the iniquitie of the Amorites was not yet full and our Saviour bade the Scribes and Pharisies of his age Fill ye up the measure of your fathers The second is of an harvest Corne when it is sowen is not by and by ripe The husband-man saith S. Iames hath great patience Why did not men cut downe their corne at Easter because it was not then ripe why are they now in many places so busie with sithes and sickles because the harvest is come and corne is ripe So God calleth to the executioners of judgements when wickednesse is great as unto his reapers Put ye in the sickle for the harvest is ripe Oh then doe not say we have sinned often or long and what evill hath happened for a vessell at last may be filled with drops and corne may so long grow till fields be white to harvest and readie to be cut The last objection is Oh but England is a most happie and flourishing kingdome blessed with a most wise and prudent King a most hopefull issue wee have many learned and religious Preachers multitudes of godly and sincere professours Gods true religion established by Law and maintained by authoritie God hath heaped such temporall blessings upon us that it is another Canaan flowing with milke and hony God hath most wonderfully delivered it from matchlesse dangers and ruine intended it is a verie Sanctuarie of refuge for the Saints of God elsewhere persecuted Oh the consideration of these things makes many an one so secure that no warning fro heaven or earth word or works of mercie or justice will doe them good but they proceed from evill to worse as though no hurt could come unto them But give me leave as I doe most unfainedly acknowledge the great mercies of God so I would plucke away these pillowes from under their elbowes whereupon they sleepe in security I say then that the greater are the mercies of God unto any people the greater shall be their judgements if they abuse them The higher that Capernaum is exalted to heaven the lower shall it be cast downe into hell if it repent not And God threatneth Coniah As I live saith the Lord though Coniah the sonne of Iehoiakim King of Iudah were the signet upon my right hand yet would I plucke thee thence and I will give thee into the hands of them that seeke thy life Was there ever any people in the world could compare with Iudah and Israel for privileges and prerogatives yet could they not secure them but their sinnes comming to height God forsooke the house whereon his Name was called yea and gave the dearely beloved of his soule into the hands of her enemies or as some Translations reade his beloved soule Oh if God did not spare such a people as he acknowledgeth to be the dearely beloved of his soule who had such a good and religious King when Ieremy beganne to prophesie viz. Iosiah who reformed Religion destroied the monuments of Idolatry and strictly compelled all to serve the Lord according to his word such excellent Prophets and some learned and worthy Teachers and some good people that mourned for the abominations of Ierusalem yet when their sinnes came to be full he would not heare any for them but gave them over to a long and wofull captivity What have any people to presume on No no this Doctrine shall stand against all the subtill objections of Satan and of flesh and bloud against it That the sinnes of a people may come to that height that God will bring some temporall judgement upon them and not heare any that shall pray for them Now to come to ourselves that we may make good use of all that hath beene spoken and heard You hearken what I should say concerning our owne estate and that you shall doe first from the mouth of an enemy When Ieremie heard the false Prophet Hananiah prophesie much good to Iudah he answered feelingly Amen the Lord doe so Pererius the Iesuite writing on that you have heard in Genesis The sinne of the Amorites is not yet full saith If any doe marvell why England continueth to flourish notwithstanding the cruell persecution of the Catholikes there he doth answer thē with the words of the Text Because their sinne is not full
it shall be given into the hands of the King of Babylon and he shall burne it with fire saith the Lord The like he counselled Zedekiah the King Bring your necks under the yoke of the King of Babylon and serve him and his people and live why will ye die thou and thy people by the sword by the famine and by the pestilence And as he advised the King and people to yeeld themselves so he wrote a letter to those that were carried away captives requiring them in the name of the Lord to be quiet and to pray to the Lord for the peace of the Citie which sheweth that Ieremie well knew that the Lords purpose was absolute and his prohibition to pray for them so too If any man shall aske me whether Gods threatnings be not conditionall I answer that many of Gods threatnings of temporall punishments are conditionall so saith God by our Prophet At what instant I shall speake concerning a nation and concerning a kingdome to plucke up pull downe and destroy it if that nation against whom I have pronounced turne from their evill I will repent of the evill I have thought to doe unto them It was the case of Ninivie against which Ionah by commission from the Lord pronounced Yet fortie dayes and Ninivie shall be destroyed yet Ninivie repenting Ninivie was not then destroyed God changed his revealed will and sentence the prophesie fell but the Citie fell not yea the same punishment which at the first threatning is conditionall yet afterwards may become absolute and unavoidable as the destruction of Sodome conditionally threatned when as at Abrahams suit the Lord was brought from fiftie to ten If there be found but ten righteous persons in Sodome I will spare it for the ten sake but because they could not be found the destruction was absolutely threatned when the Angell said to Lot We will destroy this place the Lord hath sent us to destroy it and if God had not beene mercifull to pull Lot away he had beene destroyed in it Such was the case of this people If when Ieremie began his ministerie reproved them for their sinnes and threatned them with captivitie they had humbled themselves and repented in sackcloth and ashes it might have been prevented but growing worse and worse and unto their former sinnes adding this of extremely abusing the Prophet the Lord grew to be resolute they should into captivitie as well as their brethren he revealed it unto his Prophet and forbade him to pray for them which he did and only counselled them to yeeld themselves into their enemies hands Thirdly by way of prevention God satisfied his Prophet in what he foresaw might be objected The Prophet might object that hereby both his justice and truth might be questioned he satisfieth the Prophet in both first he cleareth his justice and that two wayes first by declaring the greatnesse of this peoples sinne whereof you shall more hereafter for a taste looke but the next verse following my text Seest thou not what they doe in the Cities of Iudah and streets of Ierusalem The children gather wood and the fathers kindle the fire and the women knead their dough to bake cakes to the Queene of Heaven Therefore my furie shall be poured out on such a people unworthie to be prayed for Is it not a just thing to send such into captivitie Secondly he declareth his soveraigne and absolute authoritie over all people and nations so as without controll he may justly build and plant or pull downe and destroy which he shewed in the pottershouse in whose hands a vessel that he made of clay being marred he made it another vessell as seemed good to the potter then came the word of the Lord saying O house of Israel cannot I doe with you as this potter behold as the clay is in the hands of the potter so are yee in mine hands The clay is not beholden to the potter for it had being before and the clay never offended the potter yet the potter may make what vessell he will and the vessell not complaine Why hast thou made me thus But we are beholding to God for our being and we have sinned against him and may he not doe with us as pleaseth him This sinfull people shall into captivitie the Prophet must not pray for them yet is God herein most righteous and just Yea but harken how the Prophet bemoaneth Gods truth saying Ah Lord God the Prophets say unto them yee shall not see the sword but you shall have an assured peace in this place Then sayd the Lord the Prophets prophesie lies in my name I sent them not neither have I commanded them neither spoken unto them they prophesie a false vision and divination the deceit of their owne heart but I will bring the sword yea and by the sword shall those false Prophets also be consumed speake unto the people and charge them that they harken not to the Prophets Diviners Dreamers Inchaunters and Sorcerers which say ye shall not serve the King of Babel for they prophesie a lie unto you Thus God preventeth his Prophet and declareth that this judgement is well deserved and standeth with justice and truth and would have the Prophet to rest therein and not pray for them Lastly though many temporall judgements be denounced conditionally yet that this is absolute and that he meaneth indeed his Prophet should not pray for them in this may be gathered from the manner of his revealing of this purpose which was first with many words of most earnest and vehement asseveration saying The land shall be desolate the earth shall mourne and the heavens above be blacke I have spoken it I have purposed it and will not repent neither will I turne backe from it That must needs stand which the Lord thus avoucheth yet to make it if it were possible more sure the Lord hath sworne it I sweare by my selfe saith the Lord this house shall become a desolation An oath saith the Apostle is amongst men an end of all strife and God that he might fully declare the immutabilitie of his counsell having no greater to sweare by hath sworne by himselfe Loe how the Apostle saith an oath declareth the immutabilitie of his counsell God never sware but hee performed it He hath sworne and will not repent saith David if God sweare he will never repent of it he may change his sentence but never reverse his oath yea God swearing that Moses should not enter into the promised land though he repented of his sinne and most earnestly intreated this favour could not obtaine but received a kinde of rebuke Let it suffice speake no more to me of this matter Deut. 3. 28. He cannot lie much lesse forsweare himselfe he hath seldome sworne but ever made it good Seeing then God revealed to his Prophet that
world yet all in love As many as I love I rebuke and chasten If we be without correction we are bastards and not sonnes I beseech you remember this No sinnes so displeasing and provoking God as the sinnes of his people for whom he hath done most and who professe most You only have I knowne of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities And this is that which God said I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me Nadab and Abihu must die for it if they presume to offer strange fire Small holes in others are great rents in Moses David Salomon they had best take good heed to their walking if they fall they shall be sure to pay for it They are so farre greater sinners than our selves that God will never suffer them to prevaile I answer This is it so offended the Prophets and made them so to expostulate the matter with God as our Prophet Righteous O Lord art thou when I plead with thee yet let me talke with thee of thy iudgements Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper wherefore are all they happy that deale very treacherously And the Prophet Habacuck complained The wicked doth compasse about the righteous And againe Wherefore dost thou hold thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he Whereby it appeareth the Prophet had a great combat in himselfe to thinke that the Babylonians more wicked and ungodly should so prosper and devoure the Israel of God as no doubt but it troubleth many that the Papists such Hereticks Idolaters bloudie men and generally most prophane that they should so devoure the Protestants more righteous than they But let Gods children humble themselves it is just and let not the enemies boast for their day is comming Hearken what God saith by your Prophet Loe I begin to bring evill on the citie which is called by my name and shall ye be unpunished ye shall not be unpunished And againe They whose iudgement was not to drinke of the cup have assuredly drunken and art thou he that shall goe altogether unpunished thou shalt not goe unpunished but thou shalt surely drinke If iudgement first begin at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospell of God And if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appeare Grievous was the calamitie of Gods people the Iewes by the Westerne Babylonians and so affected the Prophet to whom the Lord revealed it that he wished his head were waters and his eyes a fountaine of teares that he might weepe day and night and on which occasion he did write his booke of Lamentations so full of passion but it was nothing to the miserie of Babylon Theirs was a captivitie for 70. yeeres which being finished they were gloriously delivered but Babylon came to perpetuall ruine In the Prophecies of their captivitie many consolations were mixed and they made their miserie the greater through their obstinacie because they did not beleeve nor would obey the counsell of the Prophet bidding them yeeld themselves assuring them they that did so should have their lives given for a prey yea if the King would have done so the citie had not beene burnt with fire But the Prophecies against Babylon are altogether fearefull let me give you a taste thereof When seventie yeeres shall be accomplished I will punish the King of Babylon and the land of the Caldeans and make it perpetuall desolations And againe Every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished and hisse at her plagues And againe Babylon hath beene a golden cup in the Lords hand and all the earth hath beene drunken and the nations mad with her wine but she is suddenly fallen and destroyed her iudgement reacheth to Heaven howle for her Yea he spendeth those two whole large chapters in prophesying the severe judgements of God against Babylon in revenge of Israel and that with such words as who can reade them and not tremble Adde hereunto the prophecie of Esay Babylon the glorie of kingdomes the beautie of the Caldees excellencie shall bee as when God overthrew Sodome and Gomorrha it shall never bee inhabited nor dwelt in from generation to generation the Arabian shall never pitch his tent there nor Shepherds make folds there but wilde beasts of the desert shall lie there their houses shall be full of dolefull creatures Owles shall dwell there and Satyrs dance And againe I will cut off from Babylon the name and remnant sonne and nephew I will make it a possession for the Bitterne and pooles of water and I will sweepe it with the besome of destruction saith the Lord of hosts And lastly Come downe and sit in the dust ô virgin daughter of Babylon sit on the ground there is no throne ô daughter of Caldeans for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate Take the mill-stones and grinde meale uncover thy locks make bare the leg I will take vengeance and thou shalt no more be called the Ladie of kingdomes All which prophesies have long since beene fulfilled by the Medes and Persians But wherefore hath the Lord brought such destruction upon her the Lord telleth her plainly I was wroth with my people and gave them into thine hand and thou shewedst no mercie upon the ancient hast thou verie heavily laid the yoke Oh see what a dangerous thing it is even to be the rod of Gods wrath though his people have well deserved to be scourged if they thinke not so but exercise all manner of crueltie Farre greater is the miserie which the westerne Babylon hath brought upon Gods Church and most cruell instruments are they of Gods anger to his people and for many hundreds of yeeres have oppressed Gods people with the iron yoke of captivitie never more barbarous and bloudie acts heard of than executed by Papists heretofore in this land oh how doe they shew themselves to be the sonnes of that father who was a murtherer from the beginning and of that mother the great whore who is drunke with the bloud of the Saints But that God who by his Prophets foretold and fulfilled the Easterne Babylons destruction hath as plainly fore-told by his Apostle the destruction of this Westerne Babylon and hee hath a Cyrus the Lord of hosts hath a chosen shaft in his quiver wherewith to wound it wee leave the time and meanes to God but doe stedfastly beleeve that the great whore which hath in her forehead a name written Mysterie Babylon the great the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth so long drunken with the bloud of the Saints and with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus Shee shall be hated and made naked and desolate yet they shall eat her flesh and burne her with fire that bloudie and
for their sins they should be carried into captivitie and with an oath affirmed it it must needs be granted the decree and sentence were absolute and that according to the letter of the prohibition the Prophet must not pray for them in this neither did hee but submitted himselfe to Gods holy will and pleasure The maine objection which I know of that may be made either against this sense delivered or the practice of our Prophet is a like Prohibition to Moses which yet was but conditionall for he presently prayed and prevailed so we reade that in Moses absence the people causing Aaron to make a golden calfe which they worshipped God told Moses what a great sinne they had committed and addeth Now therefore let me alone that I may consume them and I will make of thee a great nation and Moses besought the Lord and he repented of the evill which he thought to doe to his people I answer that betwixt that to Moses and this to Ieremie there is a great difference for howsoever that be delivered to Moses in the Imperative as well as this yet that carrieth the face of a milde instruction and intimateth that it was in Moses power to give leave or to let God so as Moses receiveth thereby encouragement to pray What is it for God to say Let me alone but to make him bold to pray but this charge is with waightie words Thou shalt not pray nor crie nor make intercession for I will not heare thee Secondly Moses was but once bid let God alone but our Prophet was thrice expresly forbidden to pray for them Now if Ioseph told Pharaoh his dreame was doubled because the thing was established of God he will bring it to passe how much more may I say this charge is tripled to his Prophet to signifie that he meaneth good sooth their captivitie is decreed and established of God and he will bring it to passe Thirdly and lastly God threatned to Moses he would utterly consume the people yea and blot out their name from under heaven that God could not doe but much dishonour his name and therefore Moses urgeth in his prayer wherefore should the Aegyptians speake and say For mischiefe did he bring them out to slay them in the mountaines and to consume them from the face of the earth Againe to doe so were to breake promise and oath which he had made with their fathers and therefore Moses doth specially urge that Remember Abraham Isaack and Israel thy servants to whom thou swarest by thine owne selfe and saydst unto them I will multiply your seed as the starres of heaven and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed and they shall inherit it So that what face soever it carried Moses saw well enough God did not meane he should not pray for them But the case is here altered first Gods glorie is no way endangered no more than it was by the captivitie of the ten Tribes nay this was greatly for his glorie first that all nations might see what a just God he is who will not forbeare to punish sinne no not in his owne people for many nations shall say Wherefore hath the Lord done thus to this great Citie and they shall answer Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and worshipped other Gods and served them but his deliverance of them out of captivitie should be much more for his glorie for hee meant that should be more eminent and glorious than their deliverance out of Aegypt was so as after that time it should be no more said The Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel out of Aegypt but the Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the North and from all the lands whither he had driven them See how greatly their captivitie should be for his glorie Neither was this against any promise or oath for hee had already performed them he had cast out the Heathen and planted Israel in Yea rather herein God was as good as his word for hee had threatned them if they were rebellious and disobedient he would give them into the hands of their enemies and they should reigne over them Thus I hope by conference of Scriptures I have sufficiently cleared the sense of this viz. that it was an absolute prohibition and therefore howsoever the Prophet was exceedingly afflicted to foresee in spirit and afterwards to see with the eyes of his bodie the captivitie of the Iewes and desolation of the Citie and Temple neither was hee ever wanting to give them good counsell and pray in other cases for them yet in this he might not in this he did not Now it followeth to build doctrines for Instruction Consolation and Reprehension and by application to make them usefull unto us which doctrines naturally arising are many and namely these First God commonly giveth warning before he bring any judgement upon any place or persons specially on his Church or people or on any place where his people are This doctrine will be sufficiently proved both from positive and exemplarie Scriptures Thus saith the Prophet Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but hee revealeth his secrets unto his servants the Prophets Before God brought the floud God revealed it to Noah who by word of mouth and building the Arke gave warning to the old world for 120. yeeres before hee sent fire and brimstone to consume the Cities in the plaine hee revealed it to Abraham and then to Lot and his children before the judgements were executed on Pharaoh and Aegypt God revealed it to Moses and Aaron before he destroyed Ninivie he gave knowledge thereof to Ionah and he proclaimed Yet fortie dayes and Ninivie shall be destroyed The Iewes shall not be destroyed but the day and time shall be first proclaimed that Gods people may betake themselves to fasting and prayer Before the captivitie of the ten Tribes God revealed it to many of his Prophets as Isaiah Iehu Eliah Michaiah Obadiah Hosheah Amos Ioel that as before a great storme the cocks crow loud and thicke so before this great judgement the Prophets threatned and cried loud and shrill before the captivitie of Iudah and Beniamin many other Prophets knew of it and were sent to threaten it as Esay Ezechiel Zephanie and our Prophet who most plainly told them for how long it should continue How were the Iewes abundantly warned before their finall destruction and dispersion how is Babylon fore warned how those golden Churches in Asia Minor how are wee all forewarned of the destruction of the world by fire how are we all forewarned of the destruction of the wicked in hell fire yea what judgement can befall us but our consciences must needs testifie that some way or other yea many wayes God hath given us warning All which doe sufficiently confirme our
doctrine that commonly God doth give warning before hee bring any great judgement upon his people or any place where his people are Only this is to be lamented that people will take no warning As it was in the dayes of Noah so shall it be at the end of the world Matth. 24. The men of the old world had warning faire enough and yet knew nothing would know nothing wee have warning enough but most will take no warning but walke on still and will know nothing till the heavens be all on a flaming fire the trumpet sound yea hell fire seaze upon them and then it is too late You will aske me by what meanes doth God give people such warning I answer the meanes are of two sorts viz. ordinarie and extraordinarie the ordinarie meanes is the ministerie of his servants as of Noah to the old world Lot to Sodome Moses and Aaron to Aegypt Prophets to Iudah and Israel Christ and his Apostles to the Iewes Ionah to Ninivie as you have heard Meanes extraordinarie are divers as terrible signes in Sunne Moone and Stars earth-quakes thunders flashes of lightning raging windes roaring of seas of all which though some naturall reasons may bee probably rendred yet being extraordinarie they doe proclaime in their kinde Gods anger and threaten some judgement So Christ said before his comming to judgement there should be signes in Sunne Moone Stars Aire Earth Sea so as mens hearts should faile with feare Luc. 21. 25. Iosephus and others report strange things before the finall destruction of Ierusalem as a dreadful blazing star fearfull sights of armies of men chariots and horses in the aire a voice heard in the Temple Migremus hinc Let us goe hence But of all presages that is most remarkable which Iosephus hath De bello Iudaico lib. 7. cap. 12. De prodigijs praesagijs One Iesus the sonne of Ananus foure yeeres before the Romanes came when the Citie was in great peace and opulencie hee began to cry up and downe in the Citie and specially in the Temple and that upon their most solemne festivities Woe woe to Ierusalem and being privately by many and afterwards publikely by Magistrates both rebuked punished and threatned to hold his peace yet he held on so long as he was able day and night till in the end the enemies came and hee walking upon the wals and crying as before Woe to the people woe to Ierusalem and woe to the Temple at the last he also cryed out And woe to me At which words lapis tormento missus a stone being throwne by some warlike instrument then in use it hit him in the head so ended he his life and presage which some accounted to proceed from divine instinct God often gave them into the hands of their enemies and often delivered them and everie deliverance was as a warning-peece to sinne no more lest he would deliver them no more Everie mercie abused is a warning-peece and threatneth judgement Woe to Capernaum which had beene exalted to heaven Likewise lesser judgements when people doe not repent doe threaten greater as everie lesser plague in Aegypt did threaten a greater in the heele of it according to Gods threatning If for these things thou wilt not repent I will punish thee seven times more Levit. 26. Now Iudah and Ierusalem must to it because they would not be warned by the calamitie of their brethren Deliverances from evils not thankfully received nor godly use made of them threaten judgements yea mercies abused threaten judgement and the greater mercies abused the greater judgements threatned loe these are the meanes besides many others for it is not possible to reckon up all Thirdly would you know the Reasons of this the Lords manner of dealing why he doth commonly warne and threaten before hee bring a judgment The reasons are principally these three First in regard of himselfe Secondly in regard of the godly Thirdly in regard of the wicked For the first This he doth to declare the riches of his mercie how slow to judgement and loth to avenge himselfe he is and therefore will not smite any before he discharge a warning-peece that all the world may give him glorie for his mercie goodnesse and when no meanes will serve most righteous judgements Secondly for his peoples sake that being threatned and warned they testifying their faith and repentance by fasting and prayer may either turne away Gods wrath or finde comfort in the day of calamitie The third last reason is in regard of the wicked that they being threatned and warned and taking none but flattering themselves lulling themselves asleepe in securitie winking with their eyes because they will not see Gods judgements perswading themselves there is no such matter esteeming the Prophets words but as winde accounting of all signes from heaven and earth but as proceeding from naturall causes laughing at those as silly fooles that make any divine use or are afraid of Gods anger and judgements Put the evill day farre off say peace peace having made a covenant with death and are at an agreement with hell that all such wickednesse may be cut off and perish without excuse Lo these are the reasons Now if wee make Application who seeth not that the hand of God is verie heavie upon divers of the reformed Churches abroad in famine war and all the miseries that accompanie it But I demand with the Apostle Have they not heard were they not warned did these judgements come upon them like a flash of lightning no foreknowledge of them Yes yes they had the faithfull servants of God who zealously reproved their profanation of Sabbaths taking of Gods name in vaine drunkennesse whoredome pride covetousnesse and foretold the judgements of God without repentance They saw that terrible blazon and heard that stately tongue of Heaven which preached these things to them that had eares to heare To come to our selves we Gods Ministers have told you of these things before What have wee told you When and how God will punish this land No we could not tell you so but we have faithfully told you the sinnes of this land crie unto God for vengeance God is a just God and if sinne be not repented of hee will punish there is no corner of the land but for many yeeres hath rung with these warnings We saw also that prodigious starre we heard that Lecture I feare you will forget it God hath most marvellously delivered us from forraine Invasion and fierie furnace of Gunpowder treason The windes have roared and sea broken in to the destruction of whole valleyes and dispeopling of many parishes the last winter hath beene long and extreme the present spring backward the fruits of the earth in great measure destroyed a famine suddenly come upon us are not all these as warning peeces And unto them all adde this as the greatest of all that by the calamitie of our neighbours he doth admonish us
and appearance of Gods anger Who saith Moses considereth the power of his wrath Psal 90. Oh it is a powerfull wrath indeed as Hezekiah and David say It crusheth and breaketh the bones it woundeth and killeth If the wrath of a King who is but a mortall man be as messengers of death what is the wrath of the King of Kings Oh saith David when thou turnedst away thy face I was troubled and Solomon said A wounded spirit who can beare Oh it is the sense of Gods anger troubleth woundeth killeth is the hell on earth at the appearance whereof Gods children are so affected mourne and cry The second reason is because next unto God Gods Church and people are dearely beloved of all the true members thereof as being the people that God hath redeemed with his bloud entred into perpetuall league and covenant with yea the spouse of Christ Ephes 5. 32. and therefore it wonderfully affecteth Gods servants with griefe and maketh them cry when they foresee any judgement or miserie befall them the rather because in the miserie of Gods Church Gods glory seemeth to be stained whereof they are so zealous that rather than that should happen Moses wished to be blotted out of the booke and S. Paul to be separated from Christ Oh how father Eli was afflicted at the report of heavie newes when one told him that Israel was fled before the Philistims his two sonnes slaine and the Arke of God taken It strucke him dead at heart he fell backward from his seat and broke his necke and his daughter in law hearing the same newes presently fell into the throwes of travaile and being delivered of a sonne called his name Ichabod When zealous Nehemiah heard how the people of God were in great affliction Ierusalem broken downe and the gates burnt with fire he could not containe himselfe but sate downe and wept and being the Kings Cup-bearer and as much as his office and life was worth to appeare sad and hee never had beene so before yet now he could not hide it his countenance bewrayed it the King tooke notice of it and asked him Why is thy countenance sad seeing thou art not sicke this is nothing else but sorrow of heart Oh the ruines of Ierusalem lay at his heart which also made the people of God so imprecate themselves If I forget Ierusalem let my right hand forget her cunning yea let my tongue cleave to the roofe of my mouth if I preferre not Ierusalem to my chiefestioy The third and last reason whereof flesh and bloud are more sensible than the two former is That the godly may be wrapped with the wicked in the same temporall punishment and therefore when they see it comming they are much affected and labour to prevent it I say againe howsoever God is marvellous in commonly providing for his children before a judgement come as we shall heare more hereafter yet many times even the godly are wrapped with the wicked in the same temporall punishment and therefore are so affected Shall we condemne all that perished in the waters and all that were consumed with fire God forbid If yee doe yet know that though all were not guiltie of the sinne of making and worshipping the golden Calfe yet it endangered all Let mee alone saith God and I will utterly consume them and blot out their name from under Heaven for Achans sinne Iosuahs armie is put to flight and many slaine for Sauls sinne in killing the Gibeonites there came a famine upon the land for three yeeres together and you know for that great villanie committed by the inhabitants of Gibeah in abusing the Levites Concubine not only vengeance came upon the Citie wherein it was committed but upon all the Tribe of Beniamin because they delivered them not up to be punished but rather would seeme to defend them yea not only upon that Tribe which might seeme justly accessarie but upon the inhabitants of Iabesh Gilead because they came not up to the warre to see Gods judgements executed upon those wicked men Let him that readeth that story consider how farre the judgements of God may extend themselves towards all such as are not affected with Gods anger and doe not to the uttermost of their power endevour to punish sin This was it made all the people of Israel so much afraid when they heard how the Reubenites Gadites and halfe the Tribe of Manasseh had erected an Altar on the other side Iordan and supposed it had beene to offer sacrifice on their Commissioners told them if they did so rebell against the Lord the next morrow the Lord would be wroth with all the Congregation of Israel If then the zeale of Gods glorie and love to Gods people will not move yet the love to ourselves and estates may move us to mourne for sinnes and abominations of the land and to take greatly to heart the tokens of anger and threatnings of judgements because wee also may be wrapped up in them But mee thinketh I heare some say such is Satans malice and bloudie murtherous desire to have Gods judgements generall and therefore dulleth the spirits of Gods children thus Alas what profit will it be for me to mourne and afflict my soule if the judgement come I and mine all we are and have shall be wrapped up in it as well as those who take nothing to heart but live joyfully and therefore let us even eat and drinke and let God doe his will Oh fainting soule be not abused and deceived step up for thy part into the breach to stay Gods wrath seeke the Lord amongst the meeke of the earth for Sions sake hold not thy tongue and for Ierusalems sake give God no rest bee one of his remembrancers day and night in all thy supplications and prayers hold up thy hands against Satan and Antichrist and bee thou to the uttermost of thy power an enemie to all the enemies of the Church and helpe the Lord and his people against them with prayer prease and push of pike if thou beest thereunto called and crie mightily unto God for helpe in this that God would generally open the eyes of all men to see our sins and the judgments thereby deserved that all mens hearts may melt into teares as Iosiahs did in the like case and that all as one man may goe out and meet the Lord by repentance before his decree bee executed upon us Yea if none shall joyne with thee but in this case thou mayest complaine with Eliah that thou art left alone yea so farre from helping as that they doe mocke and discourage thee as David complained For thy sake I have borne reproach and shame hath covered my face when I wept and chastened my soule with fasting that was my reproach I put on sackcloth and became a proverbe they that sate in the gate spake against
judgement afarre off and like faithfull watchmen from the wall give warning to the City as soone as ever they descry the Lord comming against his people Secondly they must labour by their Ministery to bring the people to repentance that so Gods wrath may be pacified and judgements prevented and to that end they must faithfully reprove them for their sinnes and let them see the hainousnesse of their transgressions and call earnestly upon them for repentance Thus did Noah before the floud Lot before the burning of Sodom the Prophets Isay Ieremy Ezechiel Ioel before the Captivities Rent your hearts and not your garments and turne to the Lord your God thus did Christ and Iohn Baptist before the finall destruction of the Iewes Repent repent Except yee repent yee shall all perish Now is the axe laid to the root of the tree and O generation of vipers who hath forewarned you to flee from the anger to come bring forth fruits worthy amendment of life yea thus have all Gods servants done that desire to be free from the bloud of all men for if they give not warning the bloud is required at their hands and therefore it behoveth them to bestirre themselves that if it be possible they may save Gods people from the wrath to come or at least deliver their own soules and be found a sweet savour unto God even in them that perish Thirdly it is the faithfull Ministers duty to be very tenderly affected towards all such as mourne in Sion and with David are afraid of Gods judgements they must be sure to speake a word in due season to such as are weary God gave the Prophet Isay a charge to speake comfortably to the heart of Ierusalem And hence it is that the Prophets Christ Iohn Baptist and the Apostles did ever interlace reproofes and threatnings with heavenly comforts to prepare them for times of triall and tentations that howsoever they lived amongst the wicked and some great judgement and generall might come yet come what will it should goe well with them yea let vs Ministers be assured the Lord will require as strict an account of us how we have cheared and comforted the godly as that we have reproved and threatned the wicked And I say upon this occasion in the word of the Lord Be of good comfort all godly Magistrates and Governors if your hearts be set aright to advance Gods Religion and holy Gospell of Christ and to suppresse and beat downe Atheisme Poperie and all wickednesse whereby Gods anger is kindled and heavie judgements procured Be of good comfort yee Ministers of Christ that watch and warne Gods people having continuall sorrow and heavinesse to see their sinnes and being farre off from serving the time and flattering them saying Peace peace when there is no peace but faithfully reproving them for all their sinnes and earnestly calling on them for repentance And be of good comfort all yee people whose hearts are broken with godly sorrow to see the sinnes of the Land and you that strive to keepe your selves unspotted of the world and to walke worthy the Gospell and such great mercies as God vouchsafeth and humble your soules before God privately in fasting and praiers and so farre as you can and is lawfull labour to draw on others in the like practise of piety know that you are sealed and maintained of God assure your selves the eie and hand of God are on you for good his compassions shall not faile the hils shall sooner remove out of their places than his mercy can be removed from you his covenant with day and night shall sooner be broken than with you you are written upon the palmes of his hands and are ever in his sight and either God will be pacified and spare for your sakes or as he knoweth best will provide for you either take you to himselfe that you shall not see the evill to come or whatsoever evill come his good Angels shall guard you his spirit support you his grace be sufficient for you he shall enrich you with peace patience and joy and in good time make an end of all misery and set the crowne of immortall glory on your head The second duty particular is for the chiefe Magistrate to command such as are subordinate and inferiour to see execution these are to testifie how greatly they are affected with tokens of Gods wrath and appearance of judgements by labouring to reforme sinne and enjoyning fasting and humiliation for pacifying of Gods anger and preventing of judgements Thus did Moses Ioshuah David Iehoshaphat Nehemiah Hesty King of Ninivie It would aske too long a time to shew you how wonderfully God hath beene appeased and how strangely judgements have beene prevented by this most godly and Christian exercise the Scriptures are plentifull in this point Yea it is registred that even Ahab only thereunto moved with a base feare of judgement threatned and but fasting and wearing sackcloth in hypocrisie God deferred the judgement untill his sonnes daies Oh what a blessing did this Land receive hereupon in Ann. 1588. I am perswaded never any did humble themselves before the Lord in true fasting and praier but found a blessing from heaven thereon Oh that I could but perswade you to make triall hereof and to prove the Lord herein I assure my selfe God is the same loving God as ready now as ever most graciously to answer the soule that setteth it selfe aright to seeke God by such waies and meanes as he hath prescribed Now let us come and make application of these things to ourselves That God hath many waies testified his anger and displeasure and not only threatned but also in some measure executed his judgements who so blinde as seeth not But how are men and women affected herewith Doe we in the conscience of our sinnes judge our selves unworthy of any common blessing peace food sleepe apparell and most worthy of all those heavie judgements which either he hath threatned or executed on any others Are we afraid of Gods judgements and specially of those that are spirituall I say againe of those that are spirituall and most dreadfull Doe we grieve exceedingly and mourne in our soules that we have so justly offended God and purchased his anger and displeasure and to have the very floudgates and all the sluces of his judgements drawne up to our utter overthrow and destruction Doe we bend our selves with all our strength to pacific God and prevent his judgements And to that end doe we with full purpose of heart resolve to forsake our owne knowne sins and to put in practise all holy purposes and vowes to reforme presently whatsoever we know to be amisse in us and to shew forth more true zeale of Gods glory and the power of godlinesse in our lives than we have done
to have need of stirring up like unto that elegant metaphoricall decomposite of the Apostle unto Timothie Stir up the gift of God The graces of God being like fire must ever and anon be russled and stirred up else will grow cold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh stirre up your selves Secondly being stirred up by prayers faithfull and fervent men lay hold on God And againe I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land that I should not destroy it Our Saviour speaketh of offering violence to the Kingdome of Heaven and the violent taking it by force wherein prayer hath a speciall part for woe were it with many if bodily strength carried it away but the poorest and weakest Christian sicke in bed and scarce able to breathe yet by sighes and groanes may offer violence and take Gods kingdome by force and S. Paul beseecheth the Romanes For the Lord Iesus Christs sake and for the love of the Spirit that they would strive with him in their prayers to God for him He would have them pray but not coldly and negligently as the Papists mumbling and tumbling over their beads when their mindes are wandring about earthly occasions but hee would have them strive with God and put all their strength to it yea to strive to the shedding of bloud as the word signifieth Christ being in an agonie his sweat was as it were great drops of bloud Thus for confirmation of this Doctrine you have God and his Prophets in the old Testament and Christ and his Apostles in the new To this purpose sweet are the sentences of some of the Fathers An ancient one saith When prayers joyne together in devotions they doe as it were even band themselves together to encounter God And another saith The Saints have God so bound that he cannot punish without their permission and licence Loe loe the incomprehensible mercie and loving kindnesse of God towards such as truly feare and serve him making them in his goodnesse in his bottomelesse goodnesse I say so powerfull and mightie with him that their prayers are as it were bands to tie his hands and as a wall against him that hee cannot execute his anger though most justly deserved unlesse they will suffer him and as it were stand out of his way How may the consideration hereof make us exclaime O Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou regardest him or as Iob hath it That thou doest set thine heart upon him Iob 7. 17. Will you see how powerfull Gods Saints are with God by their prayers I meane not to obtaine great blessings and doe great works the Scripture is so full in this I should finde no end but according to the Text and Doctrine raised in preventing threatned judgments to themselves or the Church of God Take a few selected out of many for instance When Iacob soresaw destruction threatned to himselfe and wives and children by his cruell and bloudie brother Esau comming out against him with 400. men then saith the Text was Iacob greatly afraid and distressed and falleth to prayer unto God for deliverance yea and with that fervencie that hee is said to wrestle with God and told him hee would not let him goe till hee had blessed him and in the end by his prayers and teares he prevailed and thereupon was his name changed from Iacob into Israel which signifieth a Prevailer with God the evill he feared was removed his brother that came out against him as fierce as a Lion when they met was as meeke as a Lambe yea hee confesseth hee saw his face as the face of God When the Amalekites came out against Israel and threatned their destruction Moses went up into the mountaine and prayed and when hee held up his hands in prayer unto God Israel prevailed but when he let downe his hands Amalek prevailed which sheweth that the push of Moses prayers did more than the pikes of all Israel besides When againe for that great sinne of worshipping the golden Calfe God before hee signified to Moses his purpose to consume them and blot out their names from under Heaven bade him let him alone yet Moses by prayer prevailed with God for pardon of their sinne and continuance of his favour whereof David speaketh thus He said he would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach to turne away his wrath where he compareth Moses to a valiant Captaine who when besieging enemies have made a breach in the wall the Citie is like to be lost steppeth up into the breach and defendeth it which Moses did by the power of his prayer and turned away Gods wrath from his people Againe for the children of Israels murmuring against Moses and Aaron the plague beganne amongst them and there died foureteene thousand and seven hundred wherefore Moses commanded Aaron quickly to take fire from the Altar and put on incense and stand betwixt the living and the dead and so the plague ceased whereof in the Wisdome of Solomon we have an excellent paraphrase and fitting our purpose the blamelesse man made haste and stood forth to defend them and bringing the shield of his Ministerie even praier the propitiation of incense he set himselfe against the wrath and overcame the destroyer the words in the Greeke Text are verie significant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propugnavit hee fought valiantly hee brought forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arma Ministerij the weapons of his Ministerie and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he resisted wrath non vi sed precibus all the created powers in heaven and earth cannot resist God yet may a poore man by the power of his prayers turne away Gods wrath and procure an undeserved blessing and remove a most just deserved punishment As the young infant more prevaileth with the father or mother by a teare than the strength of arme so God pitieth us as a father hath more compassion than a mother he cannot but fulfill the desires of such as feare him David saw the Angell stretching his hand out upon Ierusalem to destroy it and yet by praier prevailed with God to spare it who said to the Angell It is enough stay now thine hand In that great tempest by sea when there was no hope of life yet Paul prayed and God gave him the lives of all that passed being to the number of two hundred threescore and sixteene soules so as though they made shipwracke and with the violence of the sea the ship was broken to peeces yet not one soule was lost all came safe to shore And if the praiers of one be so powerfull with God how much more the praiers of many being united Let Hesther and Mordechai and the Iewes fast and pray and then commeth most wonderfull deliverance to
pray heartily for the welfare of Ierusalem and then stand still and see the salvation of God who hath meanes that we see not to accomplish his act his strange act and to bring to passe his worke even his strange worke A second use is to love honour and make much of such as are so gracious and powerfull with God as to stand in the breach and to withstand and remove threatned judgements Oh let Noah the Preacher of righteousnesse have double honour let Lot be loved that doth grieve his righteous soule let us make great reckoning of Moses that standeth in the breach to stay the Lords anger for as was said of Elijah These these are the chariots and horsemen of Israel These these are the protection of the Church and fortification of the Land These are to us as Paul was unto them in the ship with him the saving of houses and goods lives and liberties it is for the godlies sake that dwell amongst us that the Gospell and our gracious King and Governor peace and prosperity with all other our blessings are continued unto us if it had not beene for their sakes we may well assure our selves the full viols of Gods wrath as in the Powder Treason or otherwise had long since beene powred downe upon us And here give me leave upon so just occasion to reprove the unthankfulnesse of the world towards such as under God are a singular meanes of our preservation Never were Noah or Lot more mocked scorned and derided than the godly in these daies disgraced and loaded with all indignities as the men unworthy to live in the world who if they humble their soules with fasting and put on sack cloth they that sit in the gate speake against them and the drunkards make songs of them Psal 69. And when it pleaseth God to take them away by death they are as glad thereof as the inhabitants of the earth were for the death of the two witnesses who reioiced and made merry and sent gifts one to another Alas that this foolish world should be such an enemy to its best friends and from whom it receiveth most good Oh little doe wicked men know what a treasure they lose in the death of a good man how open then they lie to the lash of Gods judgements when he is gone that used to stand in the breach It was said of Elijah as you heard that he was the chariots and horsemen of Israel And it was said of godly S. Ambrose Bishop of Millaine and of whom Theodosius the Emperour pronounced That hee onely knew Ambrose worthy to be called a Bishop That he was the wals of Italy and Stilico the Earle said his death did threaten destruction to Italy And indeed how Italy hath beene harrowed and brought to desolation by the fire and sword of barbarous Nations the Goths Hunnes and Vandals and made the Theater of most lamentable Tragedies Histories doe report In places where enemies are up in Armes chariots and horses are in great request and when enemies besiege there is great regard had to the wals if they have breaches made in them and none to defend or fall downe flat as the wals of Iericho did those Cities must needs be surprised Now good men are as the wals of the Common-wealth City or Towne where they dwell if it were not for them the judgements of God would breake in and destroy them How are such to be esteemed Noah was as a wall to the old world and no sooner in the Arke but the floud came and destroyed them all Lot was as a wall to Sodome and no sooner in Zoar but fire and brimstone fell and consumed them all The Christians were as the wall to Ierusalem and no sooner in Pella but Ierusalem was surprised and sacked No sooner had Iosiah his eies closed that he might not see the vengeance but be taken to rest as God had promised but straightway the wofull tragedy of Iudah and Ierusalem beganne Wherefore the Prophet complaineth that good and mercifull men are taken away and men doe not take it to heart as a great losse and fearefull prognostication of evill For conclusion seeing Gods servants are so powerfull with God and that only by praier and we doe not know how to pray as we ought ourselves but it is the Spirit which helpeth our infirmitie and maketh us cry Abba Father And God hath promised to give his Spirit to them that aske it As every good gift commeth downe from the Father of lights so specially this most excellent proper and peculiar gift of praier I pray you observe that whereas the Lord by his Prophet promiseth I will destroy all the Nations that come against Ierusalem he presently addeth in the next words as the meanes whereby so great a favour is procured I will poure upon the house of David and upon the Inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication Where note first what is the lot and condition of all the persecutors of Ierusalem that first or last they shall be destroyed Secondly that the meanes whereby destruction is procured of the enemies of Ierusalem Gods Church and people is praier Lastly that this gift of praier commeth downe from God it is his gift he will poure out the spirit of supplications and verily as there is no gift more necessary and usefull none more rare how poore are some in this that are rich in some other graces I know God giveth this in measure to some more and some lesse according to his good pleasure And God forbid I should discourage any and specially novices and younglings for it is most cleare that even the sighs and groanes of a faithfull penitent soule are loud and shrill cries in the eares of God short ejaculations God be mercifull unto me God blesse his Church God prosper his Gospell God convert or confound the enemies of his Church and Truth even these uttered not for forme fashion vse custome but fervently heartily are most excellent and powerfull praiers yet herein we are not to rest but to seeke after a growth in this as in other graces of the Spirit and never to cease begging of God till in good measure according to the Scripture phrase even in the language of Canaan we be able to expresse our owne wants and the wants of his Church and in his owne words to crave such blessings and graces as we or his people doe stand in need of Standing in the breach with his owne weapons of gracious Covenant and Promise and Oath in one hand and urging his owne Arguments of truth grace glory Oh this is an excellent gift indeed and this is the way to bring destruction upon the enemies of Ierusalem and whosoever seeketh this grace shall in good measure obtaine it and as any receive let them use it and they shall to their great comfort see a blessed increase of
it Oh most gracious good God wee humbly thanke thee that though our sinnes be many great and grievous yet thou hast not suddenly rooted us up and destroyed us as we have deserved but hast for many and many yeares from thy word and workes of mercy and justice on our selves and others warned us Thou never gavest greater and fairer warning to any people than thou hast done to us But seeing thou art a God of justice and when thy patience is long abused and no meanes will serve thou visitest indeed and in dreadfull manner Lord give us grace to take to heart thy threatned judgements and stirre up all thy faithfull servants that they may stand in the breach to turne away thine anger from us yea Lord give to all us that have heard thee this day the spirit of praier and supplication that by our lips and lives we may cry unto thee And because Atheisme and Popish Idolatry are the common plagues wherewith thou dost scourge a people who doe not receive the love of the truth nor walke worthy the glorious Gospell vouchsafed unto them Lord deliver us from these plagues grant thy Gospell a free and powerfull passage and increase every where the love and obedience of it that such judgements as are threatned for contempt of it may be removed and thou maiest continue a good God to us and ours to the comming of Christ Amen For I will not heare thee It is very common in the Scriptures of Old and New Testament to promise and threaten the grant or deniall of mens praiers in this forme of hearing or not hearing One place of Scripture selected out of a great multitude may serve for proofe of this Wee know that God heareth not sinners but if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth So then the meaning of not hearing is God will denie what the Prophet should thus begge of God If the Prophet contrary to his charge should make his suit unto God to spare his people and preserve them from captivitie hee would not heare hee would not grant his desire he should but sinne against God himselfe and doe the people no good God was now unchangeably resolved Iudah should into captivitie as well as their brethren the ten Tribes he was resolved to cast them out of his sight as he had done the whole seed of Ephraim and it were bootlesse for the Prophet to pray against this which he signifieth thus I will not heare thee Indeed it is true that the judgements of God are commonly conditionall as God himselfe hath said At what time I shall speake concerning a nation and concerning a kingdome to plucke up to pull downe and destroy it if that nation against whom I have pronounced turne from their evill I will repent of the evill which I thought to doe unto them And in threatnings sometimes the condition is expressed as divers times God threatneth his people thus If ye walke contrary to me and will not hearken unto me I will punish you seven times more Sometimes the condition is not expressed but necessarily understood as when Ionah threatned Ninivie Yet fortie dayes and Ninivie shall be destroyed the fortie dayes came and Ninivie was not destroyed God changed his revealed will because the concealed condition was kept for Ninivie repented and therefore must not be destroyed Yea the same judgement which at the first threatning may be conditionall yet afterwards may become absolute and unavoidable as the destruction of Sodome was at the first conditionally threatned and therefore Abraham so farre prevailed with God that if there were but ten righteous persons found in it he would spare them for those tens sake but that condition failing it was in the next place absolutely threatned the Angels said to Lot The Lord hath sent us to destroy this City and we will destroy it It might be the case of this people if when Gods servants reproved them for their sinnes and threatned them with captivity they had repented in sackcloth and ashes peradventure the Lord would have heard them and repented of the evill But seeing they would not be reformed but grew worse and worse and unto all their other sinnes adding this crying one of evill entreating yea most shamefully abusing Gods servants who dealt faithfully with them to bring them to the sight of their sinnes and repentance honouring and esteeming none but the false Prophets who preached peace and pleasing things God is now resolved to bring a heavie judgement even the sword of the enemie upon them and to give them over into captivity revealeth this purpose to his Prophet Ieremy The Land shall be desolate the earth shall mourne and the heavens above be blacke I have spoken it I have purposed it and will not repent neither will I turne backe from it Yea to make it if it were possible more sure he told him He had sworne by himselfe that house wherein they so trusted should become a desolation And to adde yet more waight thereunto expresly forbiddeth the Prophet to pray cry or make intercession to him in behalfe of the people in this kinde assuring him if he should he would not heare him or grant his request The sense being given and that which might be said against it prevented now I raise your fourth and last lesson for instruction viz. That such may be the sinnes of Gods deare Church and people in generall and of his faithfull servants in particular that he will bring some temporall judgement upon them and he will not heare themselves nor others for them in this kinde This being a Doctrine which doth so exceedingly concerne us even as much as all our lives and livelihood bodies and goods come to is not sleightly to be regarded but in the holy feare of God to be advisedly considered of and taken to heart In the handling whereof I purpose to spend all my labours here and elsewhere this day For method and order wherein and helpe of memory there being so much now to be delivered I will first sufficiently prove it from both positive and exemplary Scriptures that all of us may see and acknowledge the truth of it Secondly declare the reasons thereof that we may see how just and true God is therein Thirdly search what are those sinnes which doe so exasperate and provoke God that he will not spare that so we may take heed of them Fourthly and lastly I will make application to our selves and search whether those sinnes be found amongst us and remove such objections as may be made against it and accordingly presse the use unto you And all these I will deliver with such plaine evidence as I have received from the word which hath onely power over the soule and conscience First then let us see how the word of God maketh this doctrine good First take knowledge that the Scriptures are most
generall or of his owne deare servants in particular that God will not heare themselves nor others for them but will bring such a temporall punishment as he hath purposed upon them But now me thinketh I heare some say Oh this is an heavie and comfortlesse doctrine indeed and seemeth to checke all devotion and humiliation for will not men hearing this doctrine delivered say If the case be so that for sinnes yea even small sinnes as the sinnes of Moses and David in speaking unadvisedly and numbring the people seeme to be God will be so farre provoked as no praying fasting crying teares of their owne or others for them can prevaile but God will bring a temporall punishment to what end then should we weepe and mourne fast and pray and afflict our soules Let us eat and drinke and be merry as we may we must beare that punishment which God hath purposed to lay upon us let us therefore never make two evils of one but take that which God hath appointed and there an end Gods will be done Oh God forbid that any should hearken and give way to such subtill and malicious suggestions of Satan so seeking to pervert and abuse even the best things Marke therefore and from Gods booke thou shalt learne that the doctrine doth not abrogate but establish the meanes of pacification Dost thou dwell in a nation Countrey or Citie and dost thou feare the sinnes of the people are such as God will bring some judgement upon them Now marke what God requireth of thee even to seeke the Lord to turne to God by fasting weeping and mourning to stand for the land and if the Lord will not heare thee for them yet thou shalt save thine owne soule The Lord is not more marvellous in any thing than in preserving his in some generall judgement and calamitie that have mourned and wept and sought his face as wee see in the deliverance of Noah Lot Iosiah and the marking of those in the forehead that mourned for the abominations of Ierusalem Thou dost not know what good thou maist doe to others even to the whole Church of God wherein thou livest but thou shalt be sure to doe thy selfe good Or dost thou feare that thine owne sinnes are such as God will bring a judgement yet humble thy soule and if thou canst not by repentance fasting and praier alter the decree yet thou maist alter the manner of execution Let Moses repent that he did not sanctifie God and let him begge leave to enter and if that will not be granted yet see with what favour the sentence shall be executed he shall have leave to goe up to the top of Pisgah and see it and if he goe not into the land flowing with milke and honey he shall be translated into heaven which is best of all Let David fast and pray and if the childe die God will give him a Solomon in stead of it Let the people repent and if God will not heare them nor any other for them but they must into captivitie yet God will make even those that lead them away captive to pitie them Oh religion never lost it reward never did any serve God for nought Wherefore Gods will be done but lèt us doe our duties it shall one way or other be requited us and if God heare us not according to our desire he will heare us to our profit Now let us proceed to consider the reasons wherefore the Lord sometimes will not be intreated but will bring some temporall judgement upon his Church and people and they are principally these First to declare the justice of God for if God did threaten and at every intreatie should forbeare to execute this were great mercy but where were justice Wherefore God sometimes will not pardon in regard of temporall punishment no not his deare servants upon repentance and intreatie that thereby he might proclaime to all the world the severitie of his justice and thereby men be warned to take heed of sinne it being a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of God And verily if we had grace the remembrance hereof would be a notable bridle to restraine us from sinne if when Satan tempteth us and wee are in danger of falling wee would say as Ioseph did to his impudent mistresse How shall I commit this great sinne against God It may be this sinne will adde so much to the measure of my former sinnes that God will not be intreated to pardon it but bring some heavie temporall judgement upon me Would not God heare his Prophet Ieremie no nor Moses and Samuel Noah Iob and Daniel though praying for his owne people but cast them off a prey to the pestilence famine and sword Yea would not God heare his deare servants Moses and David praying for themselves but even for small sinnes in comparison brought heavie temporall calamities and chastisements upon them Oh what am I a worme of the earth that I should commit such and such sinnes and presume of impunitie O ye sonnes of men stand in awe and sinne not The second reason is for declaration of his truth for if God should threaten judgements by his servants and upon every humiliation and intreatie revoke the same his Prophets would be found liers and light fellowes and no credit given to their words This was it that displeased Ionah so exceedingly that having threatned Ninivie Yet fortie dayes and Ninivie shall be destroied yet upon their repentance he also repented of the evill and did it not And indeed some of the wicked have in this respect bolstered up themselves in their sinnes against the Prophets of God saying Let us eat and drinke for to morrow wee shall die but the Prophets words are but winde tomorrow shall be as to day and much more abundant yea desperately call for the execution of their threatnings Let the Lord bring to passe and hasten his great worke that we may see it but the dayes are prolonged and every vision faileth Ezech. 12. 22. For this cause both to maintaine the credit of his Prophets and to make the wicked to tremble at his word howsoever sometimes upon repentance he altered the sentence yet sometimes he would not be intreated but executed judgements as he had threatned Which Iehu observed when having strucken Ioram dead the King of Israel and sonne of Ahab he said to Bidkar his Captaine Take and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth for remember how that when thou and I rode together after Ahab his father the Lord laid this burden upon him And againe being told that the dogs had eaten Iezabel he said This is the word of the Lord which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite saying In the portion of Iezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Iezabel Thus hath God made good his threatnings But me thinketh I heare some insult and
and the incredible havocke of thousands and millions where Romanists have prevailed Oh cruell and bloudy Rome how are thy children every where knowne by their red liverie Fourthly England hath had as many and faire warnings as ever Iudah and Ierusalem had by strange tokens signes and wonders The captivitie of the ten Tribes was not a fairer warning to them than the calamitie of the Churches abroad is unto us But above all for these many yeeres he hath most powerfully reproved sinne and thundred out vengeance by his heavenly word in the mouthes of his holy servants greater than Ieremie or Ezechiel yea by the testimonie of Christ greaterthan Iohn who was also greaterthan any of the Prophets thereby declaring to all the world how unwilling he is to enter into judgement with us of all other people though wee have provoked him above all people professing his holy and heavenly truth and to this end whereas his hand is so heavie on our neighbours he sendeth us his Ministers unto you as on the one side both to set your sinnes before your faces whereby you anger him and the meanes how to pacifie and appease him that he may perpetually continue a good God to you and yours so on the other side to threaten you that he will make you a spectacle of wrath and misery to all people as he made Ierusalem without speedy and unfained repentance Lastly and which is most fearefull generally men live in security and presumption Yea doe not men and women every where grow in senslesnesse and harden themselves against all signes and tokens and warnings putting farre from them the evill day and say tush we shall neither see sword nor famine Yea are not too many come to that height of impiety as to scorne and deride such as are affected with the threatnings of Gods judgements and will not runne into the same excesse of ungodlinesse they have done Is it not more safe to commit sinne than reprove it Nay is not the practise of piety and zeale for the Gospell in many companies more reprochfull than to lie speake filthily swagger and blaspheme to scorne and jest at Religion and make a sport of sinne Yea that which is worse than all this are not the Ieremies and Ezechiels sent unto them hated mocked scorned and derided and even loaded with malicious slanders as the vilest men on earth and not worthy to live Who so blinde as seeth not these things and who so simple as from them cannot conclude therefore surely God must needs be avenged on such a Nation unlesse we repent speedily and whilst there is time we all meet him with entreaty of peace Oh England at the last know the time of thy visitation and awake out of thy deepe security watch fast and pray But I foresee many objections will be made against this conclusion As first some like the proud Pharisie may say I thanke God I am not an Atheist Idolater blasphemer murtherer adulterer nor such a sinner as you have named and reproved out of the Prophet therefore I need not so take things to heart and humble my selfe I shall escape well enough I answer though thou wertest as just and righteous as thou braggest for yea as righteous as Noah Iob or Daniel yet thou knowest these sinnes doe every where reigne and abound and thou maist be wrapped in a generall judgement The Scriptures afford us memorable examples of great and generall judgements procured by the sinnes of some few and indeed all make but one body quilibet homo est pars communitatis and the sinnes of the wicked are in some sort the sins of all them where they dwell but specially their open and knowen abominations If thou seest an Atheist Idolater a murtherer a drunkard and dost not to the uttermost of thy power seeke to stop and reforme the same or if that way thou canst doe but little yet if thou dost not mourne in thy soule to see Religion thereby disgraced God dishonoured and his anger kindled and dost not pray to God for pardon how just soever thou art in thine owne person yet those sinnes are in some sort thine and the judgements temporall may wrap thee in them Let it never be forgotten that when Achan had stollen the excommunicate thing for which God was angry and Ioshuah lamented saying Oh Lord God what shall I say when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies God answered Israel hath sinned and they have also transgressed my covenant they have taken of the accursed thing and have stollen and dissembled and have put it even amongst the stuffe See how God challengeth and punisheth all Israel for Achans sinne and at his execution Ioshuah asked him Why hast thou troubled us Oh Lord if this were remembred and beleeved it would justly cause a great deale of feare to see or heare of the sinnes of the Land or Countrey much more of the City Towne or Parish wherein we live and therefore how innocent soever we thinke our selves let us be grieved for the sinnes of others and labour to prevent such judgements as may justly wrap us in them of which more was said from the second Doctrine this being said to be one of the reasons why the godly are so exceedingly affected when they perceive his anger and heare his threatnings Secondly say some we see such as are professed Idolaters and most corrupt in doctrine and profane in conversation in whom all the forenamed sinnes doe reigne yet live and thrive and prosper in the world why should we then be so affected for our sinnes I answer That small sinnes of such a people as have entred into league and covenant with God and have received the knowledge of his truth and make profession of his feare are more grievous and displeasing unto God than great rebellions of professed Atheists and Idolaters God is more offended with the sinnes of Iudah and Ierusalem than ten thousand times greater in Babylon If his children observe not his Lawes nor keepe his Commandements he will be sure to visit their offences with the rod and their sinnes with scourges Hence it is that the Apostle saith Iudgement beginneth at Gods house If a man have a stranger yea an enemy come to him yet he will make him welcome carve to him liberally and of the best beare with his talke and manners though very absurd and displeasing whereas his childe is set at lower end and served with leavings and if hee offend but in looke is rebuked but the stranger goeth his way and commeth no more the sonne abideth in the house and enjoieth the inheritance The wicked whose portion is in this present life are filled with Gods hidden treasure and fatted as against the day of slaughter whereas his children for whom he hath provided better things in the next life are cut short and chastened that they be not condemned with the
I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand up in the gap before me for the land that I should not destroy it but I found none Oh that is comfortable that though the sinnes of the people being great and God sayd he would destroy that yet he did even seeke for a good man to stand up by prayer in the gap to turne away his wrath and is sorry that he found not such an one but loe here is an holy Prophet ready to stand up in the gap and hee is expresly forbidden to doe so Make no intercession to me Againe Call on me and I will answer cry and I will say here I am Oh that is comfortable that God is more ready to heare and helpe than his people are to call upon him But here God telleth the Prophet he will not heare him oh this is fearefull As then Iacob awaking out of his dreame said How dreadfull is this place this is none other but the gate of Heaven so may I say when I muse upon these words Oh how dreadfull is this text this is none other but the gate of destruction Oh sinne oh sinne whither leadest thou how vile and odious a thing art thou that bindest Gods hands that he cannot helpe stoppest Gods eares that he cannot heare shuttest his eyes that he cannot see turnest compassions into cruelties smiling countenance into frownes promises into threatnings mercies into judgements and of a loving Father makest an angry Iudge Oh wofull the condition of Gods people now That it may not be yours be ware of their sins And this is the maine marke I aime at both in the choyce and handling of this Scripture which that I may the more orderly and profitably doe I will first give you the sense of the words and then raise the Doctrines with their severall Uses and Applications and because they are many and very usefull let me stand a little longer in the inlightning of this darke Scripture because upon the true understanding thereof as on an immovable foundation the ensuing Doctrines are raised and builded The question then is whether this be an absolute interdiction or no whether God meant as the words sound that indeed the Prophet must not pray for them if he did it were a sinne of disobedience against Gods revealed will or no I answer It was an absolute prohibition as the letters sound so as if hee had prayed for them hee had sinned yet with this qualification that he is forbidden to pray for them that they may not be carried into captivitie Their captivitie in Babylon was the burthen of his prophesie and against that he may not pray as a judicious Divine saith on the place hee might not pray for the state of the kingdome hee might and doubtlesse did pray for many blessings of God yea for greater blessings than this was or could be hee might pray to God to give them knowledge faith repentance remission of sinnes redemption from eternall captivitie he might pray to God to give them comfort and patience in their captivitie and to send them deliverance according to promise he might pray for deliverance from some other judgements as famine or pestilence but to pray for the state of the kingdome that it might stand and flourish and the enemie not prevaile so he might not pray God was resolved for their sinnes they should goe into captivitie as their brethren before them had done That this is the true sense seemeth to mee sufficiently confirmed by these foure Reasons First after this time we doe not reade that ever the Prophet did pray for them It may be some that are well acquainted with this prophesie will say I failed in memory for he prayed and prayed most earnestly for them saying We acknowledge ô Lord our wickednesse and the iniquitie of our fathers for we have sinned against thee doe not abhorre us for thy names sake doe not disgrace the throne of thy glory remember and doe not breake thy covenant with us Could there be a more powerfull and patheticall prayer made than this I answer that the very next words to that prayer the last verse of that chapter doth declare that at that time there was a great famine by reason of drought and for remove of that judgement and for the blessing of raine he prayed saying Is there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause raine or can the Heavens give showers art not thou he ô Lord our God therefore we will wait upon thee But I say againe he never prayed that the people might not goe into captivitie which proveth that this was an absolute prohibition Yea for further fortification of this Reason take notice that he was so farre from praying for their deliverance that occasioned from the great wrongs they offered him by the motion of Gods Spirit he doth most fearefully imprecate them Poure out their bloud by the force of the sword let their wives be bereaved of their children and be widowes let their men be put to death and their young men slaine by sword in battaile And againe Let me see thy vengeance upon them for unto thee have I opened my cause Thus humbly did the Prophet subscribe to Gods revealed decree and zealously pray for the execution of it though most contrary to his naturall desire neither did ever any thing so much grieve and afflict him as his Lamentations beare witnesse If any object that herein the Prophet was wanting in love No no we must love one another but it must be in God Abraham must but love his sonne Isaack in God if God command him to take and sacrifice him he must rise earely and go as chearfully about that as if he went to his marriage Eli must not love himselfe nor his sonnes but in God if hee crave such a message against him and his house as whosoever heareth it would make his eares to tingle It is the Lord saith Eli let him doe what seemeth him good Hath not Christ taught us to pray that Gods will may be done This Prophet loved Gods people dearely and appealeth unto God Remember that I stood before thee to speake good for them and to turne away thy wrath from them but when God forbiddeth him to pray he must either hold his peace or pray for execution of Gods judgements Secondly the Prophet ever perswaded the King Princes and people without any resistance to yeeld themselves to the King of Babylon saying Thus saith the Lord behold I set before you the way of life and way of death he that abideth in the Citie shall die by the sword by famine and by pestilence but he that goeth out and falleth to the Caldeans that besiege you he shall live and his life shall be unto him for a prey for I have set my face against this Citie for evill and not for good
and wonders in Israel Esay 8. 18. and generally wished they were taken out of the way as those that trouble the world and if it were not for them it would be well and we should have merry times Oh unthankfull world oh wretched and unthankfull world that wilt not acknowledge but hate and persecute such as stand in the breach and resist God! Well know if ever all the Noahs be is the Arke and all the Lots out of Sodome if all these swallowes have once taken their flight there will come the coldest and wofullest winter that ever the Church amongst us felt and endured But of this more anon Let us now proceed to the uses of this Doctrine whereof the first is Seeing Gods servants are powerfull with God to prevent judgements threatned to themselves and others and seeing Gods judgements are not only threatned to our selves and in fearefull measure executed specially on our brethren in other Countries let us practise this Doctrine stirre up our selves by most humble hearty and devout praiers to lay hold on God and as it were resist him in his course and not let him goe till his indignation be overpast Doe you professe your selves the servants of God and will you not doe this Doe you beleeve God will heare your praiers and yet will yee not pray Oh be not wanting to your selves and to the Church of God in this In some things Kings and Princes may doe the Church of God good wherein subjects cannot in other things Ministers may doe that good which common Christians cannot in other things rich men may doe that good that poore cannot in other things strong and able men may doe that good which weake and feeble and impotent cannot yea in many things men may doe that good which women cannot but in this all men and women may doe alike good by praier for the good of Gods Church What can we doe more easily or more fruitfully It may be we have not silver gold food raiment but none so poore of Gods Saints as have not praier If we were rich the poorer sort are only thereby releeved but by praier we doe good to all even the richest Againe whereas some other duties require the presence of friends and all of them season and opportunity it is never out of season to pray yea therewith even in the twinckling of an eie we may helpe such as are thousands of miles off Oh fie on our dulnesse then specially the members of Christ to whom we cannot otherwise doe good so greatly standing in need hereof that we should so seldome and coldly if at all helpe them with our praiers specially God so calling upon us for it and giving such comfortable assurance we shall be heard If an earthly Prince should make Proclamation to all his subjects that if they would come to the Court and make suit they should all of them have Lordships houses lands mannors offices imagine what riding and running there would be how would they thinke him most worthy to beg his bread yea to starve through want if he would not goe and aske But that the King of heaven hath commanded us to pray and promised whatsoever good thing we shall aske in his Sonnes name according to his will we shall have it for this life present or a better hereafter for our selves or others and we see how well others have sped yea our selves have had great experience of Gods goodnesse in this kinde and it may be God hath cut us and others short and threatned much evill and all because he would provoke us to pray as delighting to be importuned and wrestled with Yet all this will not serve to provoke us so to pray as we ought It may be sicknesse hunger thirst nakednesse temporall losses and crosses may make us sometimes cry unto God but who doth strive with God for the best things for themselves And to speake according to the nature of my Text How is Ierusalems good generally forgotten It may be we may beare her a good will and for fashion or custome as we walke and talke with others let good wishes fall rejoice when we heare good newes shake heads shucke the shoulders and sigh when we heare evill tidings and yet how few doe thus farre testifie their love but who even of her best friends frequently and fervently publikely and privately at least thrice a day with Daniel looketh toward Ierusalem and for Ierusalem whetting the edge of our zeale and devotion by premeditation of what an happinesse it were and how greatly to Gods honour and glory that Ierusalem should prosper and what a misery and dishonor to God that she should goe to wracke and ruine helping our weaknesse with abstinence and fasting as Nehemiah and Hesther and the Iewes did that so we may cry mightily unto God and resolved with the woman of Canaan to take no nay the Lord shall never be rid of us we will never cease knocking at heavens gate till he heare and helpe Oh where are these friends Why doth the Church of God suffer so much evill Why doth she lie open to the execution of such fearefull judgements Because Gods faithfull servants give way and doe not stand in the breach for her to resist God There was a curse yea a bitter curse laid upon the inhabitants of Meroz because they did not helpe the Lord against the mighty Iudg. 5. 23. And no lesse curse doth lie on the Inhabitants of any Place and Countrey when the Lord is in armes that doe not by their prayers helpe the poore weake Church against God that doe not lay hold on him and resist him but suffer him to crush and destroy The greatest victories and deliverances that ever we read of were obtained by fasting and prayer yea seldome if ever was the Church in any trouble and danger and delivered but it was procured by prayer and surely it is not without divine providence and grace that Gods Ministers doe so labour to stirre you up for even that sheweth God hath a great blessing in store for his Church if his servants would but aske it of him Wherefore I say againe Pray pray pray for the welfare of Ierusalem they shall prosper that love it Wherefore God hath sent me to you and to call on all that heare me this day Pray pray pray and to make you excuselesse if yee neglect it And that mine exhortation hereunto may bee the more waightie and powerfull I will deliver it in the words of the holy Prophet Zephanie our Prophets fellow-labourer who having in the first chapter threatned the heavie and severe iudgements of God against Iudah for her sinnes That the Lord would utterly consume all things from the land man and beast fowles and fishes and that the great day of the Lord is neere and hasteth greatly when the waightie man shall crie bitterly for it is a day of wrath a day of trouble and distresse a day of wastnesse and
desolation a day of darknesse and gloominesse a day of the trumpet and alarum against the defenced Cities and high towers bloud shall bee powred out as dust and flesh at dung neither shall silver nor gold bee able to deliver them in the day of the Lords wrath but the whole land shall bee devoured by the fire of his iealousie for hee shall make a cleane riddance of all them that dwell in the land I say after the Prophet had thus spent and concluded the first chapter in denunciation of severe judgements in that fearefull manner as might make the knees knocke and haire stand upright marke how he beginneth the second chapter with heavenly and good counsell Gather your selves together yea gather together ô nation not desired before the decree bring forth before the day passe as the chaffe before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you before the day of the Lords anger come upon you seeke yee the Lord all the meeke of the earth which have wrought his iudgement seeke righteousnesse seeke meeknesse it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger Where note that when Gods judgements are threatned men and women must not sit downe carelesly with hand over head Let God doe his will I shall escape aswell as others it concerneth mee the least of many thousands But God would have men to be exceedingly affected at the testimonies of Gods anger and to tremble at his judgements a Doctrine which hath beene raised and largely handled from this Scripture already Secondly note that hee would not have the faithfull content themselves to mourne and pray in secret but to gather together so farre as their callings and gifts will serve to draw on others to the practise of pietie and godlinesse Thirdly note who they are that God specially looketh should seeke him as being his favourites and such as are best able to resist him even such as are meeke on earth i. Such as are meeke to stoope to the instructions of the Word such as are meeke patiently to beare the corrections of his rod and such as are meeke to put up wrongs and injuries still crying to God for the good of his people even when they offer them greatest injuries Such a meeke man was Moses most earnest for the peoples good when they were readiest to stone him Moreover they must be such as have wrought his judgements i. Such as have kept themselves unspotted and specially from Idolatrie such as have still cleaved unto God his Word Law and Commandements doing such things as hee hath judged to be just and right still walking with God as Enoch did these are the men who in all ages have only beene in favour with God and most powerfull with their prayers wherefore Pharaoh intreated Moses and Aaron to pray for him and the people in their distresse runne to Samuel and pray him not to cease to one to God for them And verily how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wicked world esteeme of them all the hope and helpe of a people that can come from man remaineth in these and their prayers only Againe that their prayers may be the more available it must not suffice that they have beene meeke and have wrought right but they must seeke meeknesse and righteousnessei Labour everie day to be more and more meeke and righteous walking with such care and conscience in all the Commandements and Ordinances of God that the world cannot have the least matter against them except it be as against Daniel for the matters of their God for the more mortified sanctified and holy any are in the greater favour they are with God and the more powerfull are their prayers for themselves and others Whereas God will not heare sinners no not for themselves much lesse for others it being as dangerous for a sinner to come neare unto God as for the drie stubble to come neare the flaming fire Wherefore David would wash his hands in innocencie and so goe to his table and the Priests had their laver to wash hands and feet in before they went to minister to the Lord. Then lastly observe what shall be the comfortable issue of such seeking God viz. That if they cannot prevaile with Gods Majesty for the sparing of his people yet they shall save their owne soules and finde an hiding place in the day of the Lord. One of these two or both they shall be sure to finde and the very lesser of them is an abundant reward for all the labour any can take in seeking God though it were day and night An example whereof we have in our Prophet who taking exceedingly to heart the misery of Gods people which he foresaw and wishing his head were waters and his eies a fountaine of teares that he might weepe day and night for his people and protesting to God that he stood before him to speake good for them and to turne away his wrath howsoever therein he could not prevaile and in the end God forbade him to pray for them yet his praiers and teares were returned into his owne bosome for as God promised him Verily I will make the enemies to entreat thee well in the time of evill and in the time of affliction so God performed it For Ieremy being in prison when Ierusalem was taken Nabuzaradan the chiefe Steward according to the command which Nebuchad-nezzar had given him not only set him at liberty but gave him victuals and a reward with leave to goe whither he would so good a thing it is to be faithfull unto God how ever things goe with his Church Upon these grounds from Gods Word I renew mine exhortation againe Pray pray pray you shall at the least deliver your owne soules Yea let me yet speake a word of further comfort unto you I cannot finde one example in all the Booke of God wherein a people humbling themselves in sincerity in any measure according to the ordinance and word of the Lord but they were ever delivered from that temporall judgement threatned at the least for the present Oh therefore that it would please God that the Lords Ministers could stirre up all the meeke of the Land to seeke the Lord in repentance and praier to step up into the breach intercede and resist God I would not doubt but as to see judgements passe over us so to see peace on Gods Israel abroad There is helpe for Ierusalem in her God and when the Lord hath brought her on her knee and clothed her with sackcloth for her sinnes he will visit the fruit of the proud heart of the King of Ashur and the glory of his high lookes who doth not know that he is the rod of Gods wrath The stripes of Ierusalem shall be healed but the wounds of Babylon are incurable there is no Balme in Gilead for her Ierusalem may be shaken but it is Babylon shall fall and never rise againe Oh then pray and