it who had all an adventure in that bottome nay were themselves imbarqued in it And so were like to swim or sink with it As it was with Babylon being the head City of the Persian Monarchy the peace of the whole Kingdome and all the subjects in it depended upon that And therefore the Prophet adviseth the Jewish captives to seek the peace of that City and to pray unto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace Jer. 29. 7. Even thus was it with Ierusalem Yet again in the fifth place This City it was the City of the great King so called by the Psalmist 48. 2. The great King but what king why not onely the City of David as it is sometimes called Luk. 2. 4. 11. the Emperial City where David and his successours had sate upon the throne for many Generations almost five hundred years together before the Captivity of Babylon There are set thrones of judgement saith the Psalmist the throne of the house of David Psal. 122. 5. Not onely so but it was the City of the great King of the King of heaven the City of God So our Saviour meaneth it Matth. 5. 35. where forbidding to swear by Hierusalem he giveth this reason for it for it is the City of the great King i.e. of God So the Psalmist explains himself in the 8. verse of that psalme Psal. 48. As we have heard so have we seen in the City of the Lord of Hosts in the City of God As also in the first verse God is greatly to be praised in the City of our God So was Hierusalem There God dwelt The Lord hath chosen Sion he hath desired it for his habitation This is my rest for ever here will I dwell Psal. 132. 13 14. This was the place the onely place upon earth where God manifested his presence in a fixed and constant way Here formerly was the Ark of the Covenant the pledge and token of Gods presence The glory of Israel and of the world and therefore called The glory Rom. 9. 4. Here was the Sanctuary where God dwelt betwixt the Cherubins and from whence the light of salvation went forth unto all the world This was urbs sacris dicata as Grotius saith of it a place dedicated to the worship and service of God a place which God had chosen to put his name there the place whither the tribes came up to worship Psal. 122. 4. where the Ordinances of God were set up in their glory majesty and held forth in a publick way So as this place miscarrying it could not but go ill with the Churches of God and with the Religion of God And this it was as Gualter and Calvin note it upon the Text which above all other things our blessed Saviour took to heart The other considerations might move him but this above all to think that that place which God had made choice of to put his name in where he had dwelt where his Temple the place of his publick worship was that that should be brought to such a miserable desolation as he by the eye of his divinitie saw to hang over the head of it this this it was that pierced his heart and stirred up his compassions in him drawing tears from his eies When he beheld the City he wept over it Wept over it There is the expression of his compassion Let me touch upon that also and I shall put the application of both these together He wept This Passion some look upon as unsutable to the person of Christ. And thereupon as both Beza and Grotius take notice of it from Epiphanus in divers of the ancient Copies this passage was left out But without any just cause To hear of Christs weeping is not such a rarity that any should boggle at it Four several times saith one Writing upon the Text we read hereof The first at his Nativity his Birth For this he citeth that Apochryphal Text Wisd. 7. 3. Where wisedome whereby he understandeth Christ who is so called Prov. 8. saith that she was Borne crying and weeping as all other do Thus Infants are commonly born crying whether weeping or no I will not say And thus that pretended Solomon is conceived to set forth the birth of Christ who was therein conformed to the rest of the sons of men But that being Apocryphal I leave it as I find it uncertain so as it may be believed or rejected without any prejudice to the faith The three other are clear The first at the raising up of Lazarus where we read Joh. 11. 53. And Iesus wept The second here in this his Procession to Hierusalem as he calleth it He wept over it The third and last in his Passion in the Garden concerning which the Author to the Hebrews tels us that he offered up prayers and supplications with strong cryings and tears Heb. 5. 7. Thus saith he did our blessed Saviour who was the fountain of life water the world with his tears which he compareth to the four Rivers which went out of Paradise to water the earth But letting that passe as more witty then weightie Weeping we see was no new or strange thing with our Saviour That ever he laughed that we read not that he wept we meet with it more then once Q. But it may be said Wherefore should our Saviour here weep over Hierusalem what ever calamities he saw impending hanging over the head of it he could have prevented them if he had pleased And why then doth he lament that which with a word he was able to have remedied A. To this it is answered First This he did to shew the truth of his humanity Taking upon him our nature he took upon him also all Passions and Affections common to that nature Being made like unto us in all things sin onely excepted as the Apostle hath it Heb. 4. 15. subjected to all our not sinful infirmities Thus he slept eat and drank which the nature of man requireth And thus we read that he was weary hungry thirsty and thus he wept All to shew himself truly man and that together with our nature he had also taken our Infirmities as the Evangelist Saint Mathew hath it Matth. 8. 17. But secondly Hereby he testified his affection towards those for whom he was made man and for whose sake he came into the world This he did first for the Jew I am not sent save onely to the Lost â—â—eepe of the house of Israel so he tells the woman of Canaan Matth. 15. 24. His arrand was first to the Iewes to seek and save them And hereby he expressed his indeared affection unto them This was the contrition which the Jewes made of his weeping over Lazarus his grave Behold how he loved him say they Ioh. 11. 36. And the same construction may we make of this his weeping over Hierusalem Hereby he shewed that tender affection which he bare unto them
so long as the Sun and Moon endureth Thus I have done with the substance of this Complaint come we now to the circumstances the Aggravations of this Evil. Which as I shewed you are two the Persons and Time Begin with the former If thou hadst known even thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si vel tu nosses Si cognovisses tu Not If thou hadst even known as the former Translation renders it putting the Emphasis upon the word Known but if even thou hadst known with reference to the Persons or Place Even thou Thou also say some thou Ierusalem as well as others as well as this poor troop of my Apostles and Disciples or as divers other lesser Cities and Villages have done or as this company now doth which acknowledgeth me to be what I am crying Hosanna or as some other places heretofore have done some of which have been so happy as timely to take notice of what belonged to their peace So did that great City Nineveh at the preaching of Ionah they repented John 3. 5. whose example elsewhere we finde propounded by our Saviour to the Jews Mat. 12. 41. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment against this generation and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Ionah And the like had some other places and persons done And O that Ierusalem had also done the like If thou also hadst known Thou as well as others Or Secondly Thou rather then others So Calvin and divers other Expositors here conceive of it As if our Saviour did here compare Ierusalem with other Cities of Iudea Yea with all other Cities of the whole world All which Ierusalem excelled in respect of many priviledges This was the City of David the Emperial City yea the City of the great King the City of God a City beloved of God above all other places upon the earth Coeleste in terris Sacrarium as Calvin saith of it a heavenly Sanctuary upon earth where God had betrusted his Oracles his Ordinances where he had manifested his presence after a special manner dwelling between the Cherubins according to that of the Psalmist Psal. 132. 13 14. For the Lord hath chosen Sion he hath desired it for his habitation This is my rest for ever here will I dwell Such was Ierusalem Heavens favorite Earths Non-such a City paramount preferred and advanced above all other Cities and places upon earth in respect of spiritual priviledges And this our Saviour here taketh up as an Aggravation both of his Sorrow and her Sin Of his Sorrow Even thou As for other places other Cities suppose Chorazin Bethsaida Capernaum the Gadarenes or Samaria or the like for any of these to perish and miscarry as they did this were no other but a sad thing deserving to be lamented over But that Ierusalem should do so this went nearer our Saviours heart then any other Even as Brutus his stab did to Caesars which made him cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tu Brute what thou my son thou Brutus Even so did Ierusalems obstinacy and ingratitude here to our Saviour And thereupon he crieth out after the same manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Even thou Like as it is with a natural parent he cannot but be offended with the miscarriage of any of his children but that his darling the son of his delights whom he hath set his love upon and shewen most affection to that he should miscarry this goeth near him So was it with Iacob when he apprehended some sad disaster to have befallen his son Ioseph his dear son the son of his age to whom he had expressed more affection then the rest of his Brethren as appeared by his party coloured garment this went near his heart insomuch that he refused to be comforted resolving to go down to the grave to him mourning as we have the story Gen. 37. 3. 35. And so was David affected with his Absolon He being his darling whom he had tendered and cockered when he understood what a fatal end he by his Rebellion had brought himself unto this makes David break forth into that passionate Lamentation O Absolon my son my son c. 2 Sam. 19. 4. Thus did Ierusalems carriage and miscarriage her sin and punishment which our Saviour saw and foresaw affect him more then if it had been any other place O if even thou hadst known This was an Aggravation of his Sorrow 2. And so secondly of their Sin This also our Saviour may well be conceived to insinuate in this passionate expression If Even thou Thou which hast enjoyed such means so many mercies that hast been lifted up to heaven preferred before al places in the world in respect of spiritual favours and Gospel priviledges that thou shouldest be thus stupid thus blinde as not to see not to regard the things which belonged to thy peace and happiness this renders thee of all others most miserable and maketh thy ingratitude most superlative So he here chargeth this upon them as a heinous aggravation of their Sin calling for an answerable Iudgment And so indeed it is as Calvin maketh the observation the more means the greater mercies a people enjoy the greater is their sin and the greater shall their punishment be in case they do not walk answerably to them and in some measure worthy of them Mark it this is the Observation which this passage naturally yieldeth Means and Mercies not regarded not improved not answered are dreadful aggravations both of Sin and Judgment For this express and full is that obvious Text Mat. 11. 20. where our Saviour breaketh forth into a like Exprobration against those Cities which he had honoured with his presence and doctrine as here he doth against Ierusalem Then saith the Text began he to upbraid the Cities wherein most of his mighty works were done because they repented not verse 20. In the verses foregoing he had taxed the general morosity and frowardness of that people upon whom no means could work neither Iohns austerity nor his own Comitie this he doth vers 16 17 18 19. But now he cometh more specially to deal with those particular places where he had been most conversant taxing them as being most faulty of all the rest Their sin was greater and so should their punishment be So it followeth vers 21. Woe unto thee Chorazin woe unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in sackcloath and ashes Chorazin and Bethsaida two Cities upon the Lake of Gennezareth where Christ conversed much taught often wrought many miracles yet they repented not they were not thereby wrought upon to imbrace the Gospel What followeth you have it in the next verse v. 22. I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment then for you At the day of general
presence with his Church Christ performeth the like offices to his Church that the Sun doth to the earth Inlightning it All light coming from Jesus Christ. Natural light of reason Reason Supernatural light of Grace Of Glory Inlivening Comforting Making fruitful Purifying Christ as the Sun to his Enemies how Branch 2. The face of Christ as the Sun shining Christ upon earth like the Sun under a cloud In his death Eclipsed In his Resurrection breaking forth Herein the members conformable to their head Partaking of the same glory for kind though not degree Branch 3. The face of Christ as the Sun shining in his strength The glory of Christ transcendent Etiam justi fulgebunt sicut sol in regno patris Christi verò corpus fulget ut Sol in vigore suo quo excellentia capitis prae membris significatur Pareus ad Text. His efficacious operations Dissipating and dispelling fogs and mists of Heresies and Errors Melting frozen and congealed hearts Warning and heating them with joy love zeal Drying up sinful corruption Applic. Seek we the face of Jesus Christ. Quest. How seek it Answ. That we may see it The Beatifical vision upon earth Quest. How Christ is to be seen upon earth Answ. 1. Neg. Not by way of vision Answ. 2. Affirm In the Glass of the Gospel In his Ordinances Answ. 2. Seek the face of Christ that we may feel it The operations of Christ to be felt in the soul. Illumination Light received is to be reflected how Vivification No life from Christ without union with him Spiritual life as begun so maintained and increased by Jesus Christ. Consolation True comfort not to be found in the creatures Nor in a mans self All true comfort to be sought from Christ Fructification Purification Christ to be felt as the Sun in his strength Dispelling mists of ignorance infidelity Thawing and melting of the heart Warming and heating it The appearing of Christ not to be feared by those who have felt these his powerful operations Which to others will be terrible Christs second coming to believers a joyful day Errata to the three Sacred Emblems The text upon what occasion takâ— up Declaration Novem. 21. 1655. Division Parts three Part 1. The occasion of this lamentation The eye lets in affection to the heart What Christ looked upon in Jerusalem that so affected him The City it seâ—f magnificent for structure The number of people devoted to destruction Magis tamen subversionem planxit animarum quam ruinas parietum Carthus â—d lot The qualitie of the people Gods people Qâ—um populum qui in spem vita aeâ—ernae adâ—pius 〈◊〉 suae ingratiâ—udine maâ—iâ—ia misere perire videret nihil mirum si lachrymâ—s non tenuit Cal. â—d loc Ierusalem the 〈◊〉 the head city upon which the whole Nation had a dependance Ierusalem the City of the great King the city of God Quum expenderet illam divinitus electam esse sacram sedem in quae resideret salutis aeternae foedus Sanctuarium unde prodiret salus salas toti mundo fieri non potuit quam ejus interitum graviter doleret Cal. ad loc Part 2. The expression of Christs compassion by weeping Lachrymae sunt legati doloris Cyprianus lib. Ep. 7. Weeping a passion not unsutable to Christ. Mutarunt homines temerarii delicati quibus flere Christo indignis videbatur Grotius at Text. Gorranus ad Text. alli Alii septies Chriâ—â—um flevisse aâ—â—erunt Gerhard Harm ad loc Why Christ lamenteth what he could have remedied To shew the truth of his humanity Carne humanacircundatus vere humanos induit affectus Cal. ad loc To testifie his affection to the Iews Hoc fletu testatus est fraterne se diligere eos in quorum gratiam fuerat homo factus Calvin ad Text. Viscera misericordiae suae per fletum osstendit Theophil ad loc Why did he not then help and save them Christ here in acteth as man Obs. Christians to be tenderly affected towards the Churches of God The Churches misery to be mourned over Christians to mourn for those who do not mourn for themselves Reas. Christians members of the same body Appli The present times to be mourned over In regard of the state of the Church abroad The presen state of England a matter of just lamentation Englands condition looked upon three waies What it hath been What it is Set forth in the late Declaration Iamaika Four particulars justly to be mourned over Tares of division Abominable blasphemies Dreadful apostacy The hindrance of settlement and reformation What like to be Part 3. The cause of Christs weeping Pathetica est ratio ideoque abrupta Calvin ad loc Passionate expressions often abrupt The defect here how supplied Obser. Christs affection to an unworthy people the Iews God not taking pleasure in the death of sinners How God willeth the death of the wicked Appli Gods grace not to be turned into wantonnesse Gods goodnesse leading to repentance Christ still retaining the same affection towards poor sinners The matter of this lamentation where the evil lamented Aggravations of it The evil lamented Expli Three things What here meant by peace viz. All kind of happinesse What were the things which belonged to their peace viz. Christ and his Gospel How they are said not to know these things viz. in not owning of Christ. To know God and Christ what Christ acknowledged by a small party By whom it was A party inconsiderable both for quality and number Obser. Not to receive Christ and his Gospel a most deplorable thing This is that which belongeth unto the peace of a people The rejecting of the Gospel the undoing of a people Applic. A just cause of mourning over this nation the sleight entertainment given to the Gospel Calling for deep lamentation Vse 2. What to be done for the preventing of judgment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hic est utinam Grotius ad loc The Aggravations of this complaint Aggravation 1. The Persons Thou as well as others Diodate Annot ad loc Thou rather then others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vel tu urbs illa suprâ— omnes terrae urbes Dco dilecta urbs David urbs Regia urbs sacris dicata Grotius ad loc Ierusalem a Non-such in respect of spiritual priviledges An Aggravation Of Christs sorrows Of her sin Obser. Means and mercies not answered great aggravations of sin and judgment Ad astra tolli Sublimi feriens sydera vertice The more light the greater sin R. Grace abused a high contempt Applic. Vse 1. Application to the nation in generall Jerusalem and England pararelled In respect of spirituall priviledges Temporall favours Unanswerable returnes A great Aggravation of Englands sin Threatning a proportionable judgment Application to the Town of Yarmouth in special Vse 2. Exhortation To indeavour an answerable return to mercies A sad thing for God to upbraid a people with his favours A thing which he is not ready to do Yet being provoked by ingratitude he will do
The punishment first generally declared But now they are hid from thine eyes Then more particularly explained in the verses following These are the severals some of which I have now to deal with Begin with the first The occasion of this lamentation And when he was come near he beheld the City So he did and that Oculis tam animi quam corporis with the eye both of his body and mind With the eye of his body he beheld the place And beholding it wept over it Thus is the eye of the body oftimes as a window to let in affection and passion into the soul. Love and hatred joy and grief they often enter at this door Among other in this way is pity and compassion often let into the heart The good Samaritane he saw the man that was fallen among theeves And when he saw him saith the text he had compassion on him Luk. 10. 33. And thus our Saviour here saw the City of Hierusalem and when he saw it he was thus affected with it Seeing it as with his bodily eye so with the eye of his mind considering the state and condition of it Q. But what was it that he there saw or looked upon that did so affect and move him A. Why first with his bodily eye he took notice of the place the City it self where he beheld as goodly a prospect as the earth could afford A magnificent City beautiful for scituation Beautiful for scituation the joy of thâ— whole earth is mount Sion Psal. 48. 2. Beautiful for edifices and structures which were rich and stately Among which the Temple rebuilt by King Herod was the most sumptuous and magnificent pile that then the world was owner of So as had there been nothing else this alone had been enough to move compassion to think that so goodly a City as that should within a short time be ruined such stately edifices laid level with the grouâ—d This is conceived to have affected the Disciples of Christ as the story sets it forth Matth. 24. 1. His Disciples came saith the text to shew him the buildings of the Temple This they did as by way of admiration being much taken with the rich magnificence of the structure so also out of pity and commiseration in as much as their master had but a little before given them a hint of the destruction thereof cap. 23. 38. Behold your house is left unto you desolate intimating that both the City and Temple should be destroyed Hereupon they now shewed him the buildings thereof as pittying that sad fate that so stately a fabrick should be ruined This moved them And I will not say but it might also at the present affect their master when he had this goodly prospect in his eye to think what afterwards he speaks verse 44. that the enemy should lay that City and Temple even with the ground not leaving one stone upon another This possibly might move some compassion in him But this was but the least grain in the ballance There were divers other considerations besides this of greater importance which our Saviour might then have in his thoughts As viz. In the second place the number of people in that City which was great and populous All these generally he looked upon as destinated to ruin and destruction either by sword or famine or pestilence Gods three stringed whip or by exile or else miserable slavery And this questionlesse could not but much affect him So it did in another case as the Evangelist reports the story once and again Matth. 9. 36. When he saw the multitude he was moved with compassion in them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepheard And again â—ap 15. vers 32. he tells his Disciples I have compassion on the multitude because they continue with me now three dayes and have nothing to eat Thus did he pity the condition of the people having compassion both on their souls and bodies the one because they wanted instruction the other because they wanted refreshment How much more then might this stir the like affection in him when looking upon this populous City he considered how many were like to perish in that desolation which hung over the head of it As it is reported of that great Commander Xerxes that from a hill beholding his numerous Armies consisting of some hundreds of thousands of able fighting men and considering how that with in a short time 40. or 50. years not a man of them should be left alive he could not refrain from weeping And even alike consideration might here draw tears from the eyes of our blessed Saviour Which also himself gives a hint of in that 44. verse after the Text where speaking how the City should be laid level with the ground he adds and thy children within thee meaning that they also should perish the very little ones being as the Psalmist saith of the Babylonians Psal. 137. dashed against the stones Thirdly To this in the third place add the quality of the people which as they were numerous so also they were a select a choice people Gods people A people whom God had chosen out of all the nations in the world whom he had adopted and taken into Covenant with himself To whom belongeth the adoption and the Covenant saith that Apostle reckoning up the priviledges of the people Rom. 9. 4. Now that they through their own ingratitude and obstinacy in refusing the offer and means of grace held forth to them should perish so miserably This as Calvin noteth upon it could not but exceedingly affect him who came into the world to seek and save them This thought exceedingly affected the blessed Apostle as he tells his Romanes Rom. 9. 1. 2. I say the truth in Christ I lie not c. That I have great heavinesse and continual sorrow in my heart viz. for his countreymen the Jews to think of their obstinacy and consequently their rejection So it followeth For I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh So was Paul affected with the miscarriage of that people that he could even have wished the greatest of evils to himself so as he might have prevented it in them And the like thought no question could not but exceedingly affect our blessed Saviour to think that such a people the hope of the world the onely people in Covenant with God at that time that they should miscarry they should perish Fourthly To this add in the fourth place that that City as it was the Metropolis the head City of the Kingdome of Iudaea so the whole Kingdome was concerned in it and depended upon it Yea the whole Nation of the Jews As it went with that City so it was like to go with the whole body of that nation If that miscarried it could not but prove fatal to that whole kingdome and to all the people of God in
Majestie of God and as a dreadful addition to all other offences so calling for a proportionable weight of Iudgment That it is so it cannot I presume it will not be denyed Bring we it home to our selves by way of Application Let that be directed onely two waies by way of Conviction by way of Exhortation 1. By way of Conviction Reflect we upon our selves we of this Nation we of this place in Ierusalâ—ms glass beholding our own face beholding our ingratitude our sin what mercies what favours whether temporal or spiritual was Ierusalem blessed with which England hath not been Was Ierusalem lift up to heaven in respect of Spiritual priviledges hath not England been so were the Oracles of God committed unto them and have they not been so to us was Christ clearly held forth unto them hath he not beene so unto us in the preaching of the Gospel even evidently set forth and crucified before our eyes as Paul tels his Galathians he was to them Gal. 3 was Ierusalems light greater and clearer then that which shone upon other Cities and hath not Englands light I may speake it without flatterie out shined the light of any other Nation in the world was God pleased to send a continued succession of Prophets and Apostles unto them and hath he not done the like to us in this Nation sent a succession of able and faithfull ministers to declare and make known his mind and will to us Thus hath England been exalted above other Nations in regard of special priviledges To which also adde temporall favours which how many how great what nation under heaven might compare with England upon that account what peace what plenty of all things what tranquillity and prosperity did England for many yeares together enjoy to the wonder if not envie of most other nations Thus was England for a long time the favourite and darling of heaven as Ierusalem But now what returne hath she made of these mercies these favours Is not that too like Ierusalems Have we not generally beene an ungratful and rebellious people as they were A people that have not known the things which belong to our peace Temporal and Eternall A people which have not given that intertainment to Christ and his Gospell that he expected and other nations probably would have done A people that have rather cast off the yoake of Christ not induring his goverment any Goverment that lookes like his And for our temporal mercies our peace our plenty have we not been even surfeited with them have we not waxed wanton by their Abusing our peace to the making of us secure setled upon our â—ees abusing our plenty as evill stomacks turne good meats into ill humours turning it into pride Luxurie riot and Excess Thus hath this nation under these long continued mercies been like unto a peice of ground which being overmanured grown too lustie runs wilde bringing forth a crop of weedes Thus hath this abundance of mercies amongst us through the abuse of them brought forth abundance of sinnes Neyther are we to this day hettered by all those sharpe rods those severe corrections wherewith of late yeares God hath corrected us but Israel like we even revolt more and more as it were hating to be reformed Such is the requitals such is the returne which England I speake as to the greatest part therein hath made unto her God And what an Aggravation of her sin is this That any nation should thus deal with their God to walk stubbornly and rebelliously against him it is inexcusable but that a people so favoured so honoured of God as England hath been should do this this is a thing which God cannot but take more heynously at our hands then at others So the Lord maketh his complaint concerning Israel Isaiah 1. 2 3. I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me The oxe knoweth his owner c. But Israel doth not know my people doth not consider And may not he take up the like complaint against England God hath nourished and tendred us as children yet we have rebelled against him England hath not known England hath not considered Now this he cannot but take worse at our hands then at the hands of any other nation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thou O England that thou shouldest do this that thou shouldest make such a return to thy God for all his mercies and favours This is an heinous aggravation of Englands sin And aggravating the sinne what can we expect but that it should also aggravate thy Iudgment So it did Ierusalems here Her sin being uppon this account greater then the sin of any other place so was her Judgment as the verses following set it forth No one place that the hand of God fell so heavy upon as it did upon Ierusalem And have not we of this nation just cause to fear the like that in as much as our sins have exceeded the sins of other nations our judgments should exceed also And what is said of the Nation in general let it be applied to this place in special Upon which it cannot be denied but God hath bestowed many singular mercies both Spiritual and Temporal Among other preserving us in the midst of this late fiery furnace which hath burnt so hot in most parts of the nation to this day continuing our peace and liberty not suffering the sword though shakeÌ„ over us to break in upoÌ„ us in an hostile way as it hath don upon maÌ„y other Cities Townes Now shal we stil persist and go on in our sinful provocations in sleighting of Ordinances profaning Sabbaths abusing creatures c. what can we expect but that as our sinnes upon this account shall be greater then the sins of other places who have not enjoyed the like mercies so should our judgments be For the preventing of which suffer a word of Exhortation All of us be we excited to indeavour an answerable return to the mercies and favours bestowed upon us Publick mercies Private mercies Spiritual Temporal Take notice of all and study to answer all Looking upon these differencing and distinguishing mercies as so many obligations and Engagements upon us binding us to duty above others let it be our care to walk answerably In as much as God hath been pleased to exalt and prefer us above and before others let it be our endeavour to go before others in all grateful aâ—d exemplarie obedience That so these blessings which through the mercy and goodnesse of our God we have and do yet in so great a measure injoy may not be what otherwise they will as so many testimonies against us affording matter of a just Exprobration Which is a sad thing when God cometh to upbraid a people with his favours Mark it That is Ierusalems case the Text to whom our Saviour here speaketh as both Calvin and Beza taking it from Budaeus conceive of it
his servant Moses they hardened their hearts not regarding what was sayd to them But what was the issue Hereby they exceedingly provoked God against them This was a day of Provocation as the Apostle there calleth it Harden not your hearts as in the Provocation c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such was that day of Temptation in the wilderness the time where in the Israelites tempted their God by not hearkning to his voice it was a day of Exacerbation and Exasperation So it was not onely to Moses betwixt whome and the people there was a sharpe contention as we find it Exod. 17. 2. But also unto God who by that their not harkning to his voice was exceedingly greived as it there followeth Heb. 3. 10 yea so provoked and exasperated that he sware in his wrath that they should never enter into his rest v. 11. Now take you heede that it be not so with you that you doe not thus provoke God by hardning your hearts not receiving his word not imbracing his Gospel Which if you shall doe know that this will be a greater Provocation then that of theirs was So much you may learne from the Apostle Heb. 12. 25. Where upon this ground he exhorteth his Hebrewes to give eare to the Gospel See saith he that ye refuse not him that speaketh viz. Christ speaketh to you his word For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth the Israelites who hearkened not unto Moses much more shall not we escape if we turn from him that speaketh from heaven viz from Iesus Christ who came from heaven and now speakes in and by his Gospel Ministeries And upon the same ground let me perswade you Take you heede how any of you turne away from Iesus Christ thus speaking unto you turn away your eares turn away your hearts so as not to receive not to imbrace the doctrine of the Gospel held forth unto you This if you shall do how know you but that God may justly retaliate and requite this contempt of yours by turning away his face from you for ever hiding from your eyes the things which belong unto your peace Which that he may not do Know you these things And that Now in this your day Now whilest it is called to day as the Apostle there hath it Heb. 3. 13. imbracing the present time Not putting off this work till the Morrow It is the Wisemans Councel Prov. 27. 1. Boast not thy self of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth And St. Iames speaking to men who lay out their businesse what they will do such a day and such a year not considering what crosse providence may happen Go too now saith he Ye that say to day and to morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain whereas ye know not what shall be to morrow Such is the uncertainty of mans life that no man can assure unto himself the succeeding day And therefore now whilest it is called to day now harden not your hearts Novv that God is pleased to knock at the doores of your hearts to call upon you in and by the Ministerie of his word do not send him away as Foelix did Paul with a complement that you will hear him again another time What know you whether ever he will vouchsafe to speak unto you again so much as to your eares Probably here are some present before the Lord at this time who shall never hear him speak unto them again after this manner not speaking to their eares in the Ministery of his word But if he do hovv knovv you whether ever he vvill knock at the dores of your hearts by his spirit again And therefore novv hear and hearken and set open those everlasting dores the dores of your hearts that the King of glorie the Lord Jesus may enter in and take a full possession of them henceforth to rule and reign in you and that for ever Obj. But what need such haste May not old age be soon enough Do we not read of some who came into the Vineyard at the eleventh hour the last hour of the day and yet received their pennie as well as those that came in at the sixth or third or first houre Matthew 20. 6. A. True there were so But who were they Such as had not been called before That is their excuse when they were questioned by the Lord of the vineyard why they stood all the day idle They say unto him because no man hath hired us v. 7. And so it may be with those who either have wanted the means of salvation or else have had no such workings upon their hearts at to awaken them and convince them Possibly God may have mercie upon them as he had upon that penitent thief upon the Crosse calling them home at the last houre of the day in their old age But let not others promise to themselves the like indulgence Those who were brought into the vineyard at the eleventh hour were none of those that had been called at the first third or sixt houre but such as had not been hired before What ever may happen to others who have not enjoyed the means of grace or have not been acquainted with the Motions of the Spirit of God It is not for you who have injoyed the former and have been acquainted with the latter and yet withstand both to promise the like unto your selves No you that have rejected the call of God again and again in your Childhood Youth Manhood you have no ground to hope that God should come unto you and bring you home to himself in your old age but you may rather fear that if he do not cut you off before he should then hide from your eyes those things which formerly you have refused to know Obj. But is there not still hope so long as there is life And is not the day of life and the day of grace of an equal latitude and extent Doth not the Apostle say Now is the Accepted time now is the day of salvation meaning the time of this life 2 Cor. 6. 2. doth not the one last as long as the other A. Yes in some sense they may be said so to do And these two may be looked on as of an equal extent 1. Because the one is the utmost limit of the other The day of grace is bounded by the day of life not extending beyond it When the one is ended the other is ended also 2. As to others they are so to judg of it Not being of Gods counsel not acquainted with his secret decrees they are to hope well of others so long as they live Not shutting the door of mercie against any while they are here So long as private Christians both may and ought to pray for them so the Ministers of Christ are to hold forth the tenders of grace and mercie to them