for himself He hath set an hedge about it Remember to keep holy the Sabbath Day But how is this enclosure made common This blessed day which is made purposely for communion with God is become a day of perambulation People frequent the Fields or Taverns more than the holy assemblies O that our head were waters and our eyes a fountain of tears That we might weep To see men pollute what God himself hath consecrated If they are to take Physick it must be on the Lords Day if they are to make Feasts or Visits it must be on this day And so in a prophane sense they call the Sabbath a delight Sabbath-breaking is Sacriledge 't is a robbing God of his due People take that time which should be dedicated wholly to the Lord and spend it in the service of the Devil and their lusts and hath not this sin brought us low God threatens Jer. 17.27 If ye will not hearken to me to hallow the Sabbath Day then will I kindle a fire I observe the devouring Fire which brake out in London began on the Sabbath Day as if God would tell us from Heaven he was now punishing us for our prophaning his day 3. The third sin which hath brought us low is neglect of Family-worship Religion in mens families is brought low No reading of Scripture they look oftner upon a pair of Cards than a Bible No praying 't is made the note of a reprobate He calls not upon God Psalm 14.4 The Atheist will be sure his prayer shall not be turned into sin for he never prayes at all The Graecians asked counsel of their feigned Gods by their Oracles the Persians by their Magi the Galls by their Druides the Romans by their Augures Shall Ethnicks pray and not Christians Creatures by the instinct of nature cry to God Psal. 147.9 The young Ravens which cry Prayer hath no enemies unless infernal spirits and such as are near of Kin to them Keyes that are often used are bright but if they be laid aside and never used they grow rusty so it is with mens hearts if they are not used to family-prayer they will be rusted over with sin For this God hath brought us low Why did he pull down many houses in this City but because they were unhallowed houses there was no prayer in them How do we think to have a blessing from God if we never ask it Then God should do more for us than he did for his own Son Heb. 5.7 In the dayes of his flesh he offered up prayers with strong cryes and tears 4. Another sin which hath brought us low is Covenant-violation Psal. 78.10 They kept not the Covenant of God Ver. 50. He made a way to his anger he spared not their souls from death The Carthaginians were noted for Covenant-breaking O that this sin had dyed with them Doth not this poisonful Weed grow in our soil Did not we make a vow in Baptism to fight under Christs banner against world flesh and Devil Did not we solemnly covenant to be the Lords people to shine in sanctity going each one before another in an exemplary Reformation Deut. 5.28 29. They have well said in all that they have spoken O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep my commandments We have much conforming but where is reforming Is not Jesus Christ opposed in his Kingly Office This is the great Controversie who shall reign Sin or Christ for this God hath been as a Moth to us and we may fear lest he make good that commination Levit. 26.25 I will bring a Sword that shall avenge the quarrel of my Covenant 5. Another sin which hath brought us low is the abuse of the Gospel We are sick of Israels disease they despised Manna Num. 21.5 Our soul loatheth this light bread We did nauseate the bread of life The Gospel is the visible token of Gods presence it is the sacred Conduit-pipe that empties the golden Oyle of mercy into us it is the Glass in which we see the face of Christ it is the Celestial banquet wherewith God doth chear and refocillate the souls of his people But was there not a Gospel surfeit in England People had itching ears and knew not who to hear and hath not our curiosity brought us to scarcity God had no better way to raise the price of the Gospel than by abating the plenty God surely did bring us low when darkness did overspread our Horison and the Lord suffered so many hundred Lights to be at one time put under a bushel The Aegyptian Priests of old told the people when any Eclipse happened that the Gods were angry and great miseries would follow What sad catastrophies have ensued this spiritual Eclipse is not unknown 6. Another sin which hath brought us low is Covetousness When mens Spirits are low and with the Serpent they lick the dust then God layes them in the dust Isa. 57.17 For the iniquity of his Covetousness I was wroth and smote him Covetousness is the Dropsie of the soul men are set upon the world when God is plucking it from them Covetousness is a Key that opens the door to further wickedness opes irritamenta malorum 1 Tim. 6.10 The love of money is the root of all evil A covetous man wil stick at no sin This made Absolom attempt to dethrone his Father this made Ahab stone Naboth And what is one the better for all his wealth at death 1 Tim. 6.10 We brought nothing into the world and it is certain we can carry nothing out When the rich Miser dies what scrambling is there his friends are scrambling for his goods the worms are scrambling for his body and the Devils are scrambling for his soul. This sin is most uncomely in those that profess better They pretend to live by faith and yet are as worldly and griping as others These are spots in the face of Religion Jer. 45.5 Seekest thou great things for thy self For this sin God hath brought us low he hath made our Fig-tree to wither and suffered the Palmer-worm to eat our Vine 7. Another sin which hath brought us low is Barrenness under the Means of Grace Hos. 10.1 Israel is an empty Vine his juice runs out only into leaves We have had much pruning and dressing the silver drops of Heaven have fallen upon us but we have not brought forth the fruits of humility and repentance we can discourse of Religion but this is only to bring forth leaves not fruit non-proficiency hath laid us low and we may fear will lay us waste God may pull up the hedge and let in a forraign Wild-Boar Ursin tells us that those who fled out of England in Queen Maries dayes acknowledged that that calamity befell them for their great unprofitableness under the Means of Grace in King Edwards dayes What man will sow seed in barren ground
15.24 Hell beneath Hesiod saith Hell is as far under the Earth as Heaven is above it If sin then brings a man to Hell it brings him low Consider 1. The plurality of Hell torments In bodily sickness seldom above one Disease at a time troubles the Patient the Stone or Gout but in Hell there is a diversity of torments There is 1. Darkness Jude 13. Hell is a dark Region 2. There are bonds and chains 2 Pet. 2.4 God hath Golden cords which are his Precepts tying men to duty and Iron chains which are partly his decree in ordaining men to destruction and partly his Power in bridling and chaining them up under wrath The binding the wicked in chains notes that the damned in Hell cannot move from place to place which might perhaps a little alleviate and abate their misery but they shall be tyed to the stake never to stir The wicked could go from one sin to another but in Hell they shall not move from one place to another 3. The Worm that never dyes Mar. 9.44 This is a self-accusing mind which is so torturing as if a Worm full of poison were gnawing at a mans heart Such as would not hear the voice of conscience shall be made to feel the worm of conscience 2. The severity of Hell torment It is expressed by a lake of Fire Rev. 20.15 Fire is the most torturing Element Nebuchadnezzars fiery Fornace was but painted fire to this It is called Fire prepared Matth. 25.41 as if God had been sitting down to devise some exquisite torment Dives cryes out O I am tormented in this flame Luke 16.24 3. The torments of Hell shall be in every part both of body and soul. 1. The body shall be tormented That body which was so tender and delicate that it could not bear heat or cold shall suffer in every part The eyes shall be tormented with sights of Devils the ears with the hideous shrieks of the damned the tongue that was fired with passion shall now have fire enough Luke 16.24 Send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue 2. All the powers of the soul shall be tormented The mind to apprehend Divine displeasure the memory to remember what mercies have been abused what means of Grace have been slighted and what an Heaven is forfeited the conscience shall be tormented with self-accusations the sinner shall arraign himself for stifling and resisting the motions of the blessed Spirit 4. The wicked shall not only be forced to behold the Devil but shall be shut up in the Den with this roaring Lion and he shall spit fire in their faces 5. The wicked shall hear the language of Hell Revel 16.9 Men were scorched with heat and blasphemed the Name of God To hear reprobates cursing God and have ones ears chained to their Oaths and Blasphemies what an Hell will this be 6. The torments of Hell have no period put to them Origen fancied a fiery stream in which the souls of sinful men yea Devils and all were to be purged and then pass into Heaven but the Scripture asserts that whosoever are not purged from sin by Christs blood are to lye under the Torrid Zone of Gods wrath to all eternity Revel 14.11 The smoak of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever This word ever burns hotter than the Fire At death all our worldly sorrows dye but the torments of Hell are as long-liv'd as Eternity Rev. 9.6 They shall seek death and shall not find it Alwayes dying but never dead Here the wicked thought a Prayer long a Sabbath long Amos 8.5 But how long will it be to lye in Hell for ever Vestigia nulla retrorsum 7. The pains of Hell are without intermission If a man be in pain yet while he is asleep he doth not feel it There is no sleep in Hell What would the damned give for one hours sleep Rev. 4.8 They rest not day nor night In outward pain there is some abatement the burning fit is sometimes off and the sick Patient is more at ease than he was But the damned soul never saith I have more ease those infernal pains are alwayes acute and sharp no cooling fits in those inflammations 8. In Hell the wicked shall see the godly advanced to a Kingdom and themselves devoted to misery Luke 13.28 Then shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God and you your selves thrust out When sinners shall see those whom they hated and scorned to be set at Christs right hand and crowned with glory and themselves cast out to the Devils nay when the ungodly shall see those whom they censured and persecuted sit as their Judges and join with Christ in condemning them 1 Cor. 6.2 Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the world How will this aggravate the misery of those hellish Caitiffs and make them gnash their teeth for envy 9. In Hell the wicked shall have none to sympathize with them It is some comfort to have friends condole with us in our sufferings but the damned have none to compassionate them Mercy will not pity them mercy abused turns to fury God the Father will not pity them he will laugh at them Prov. 1.26 I will laugh at your calamity Is not this sad for a damned soul to lye roaring in flames and have God sit and laugh at him Jesus Christ will not pity the wicked they slighted his blood and now his blood cryes against them The Angels will not pity them it is a desirable sight to them to see Gods Justice glorified The Saints in Heaven will not pity them they were continually persecuted by them and they shall rejoyce when they see the vengeance Psalm 58.10 Nay such as were their nearest Relations on Earth will not pity them the Father will not pity his Child in Hell nor the Wife her Husband the reason is because the Saints glorified have their wills made perfectly subject to Gods will and when they see his will is done they rejoyce though it be in the damning of their near relations Doth not sin then bring men low when it brings them to Hell Ezek. 32.27 They are gone down to Hell they have laid their swords under their heads but their iniquity shall be upon their bones Thus I have shown you how many wayes sin brings one low 2. Why sin must needs bring a man low 1. Because sin is a Disease and that brings low Take the healthiest Constitution the most sanguine Complexion yet if sickness get into it it brings the body low the beauty withers the Silver Cord begins to be loosed So it is in spirituals the soul which was once of an Orient brightness the mind angelified the will crowned with liberty the affections as so many Seraphims burning in love to God yet by sin is become diseased and
this disease brings it low The soul is fallen from its pristine dignity it hath lost its noble and sublimated operations and lyes exposed without Grace to the second death 2. Sin must needs bring a man low because the sinner enters a contest with God invadunt Martem clypeis pugnamque lacessunt He tramples upon Gods Law crosseth his will if God be of one mind the sinner will be of another he doth all he can to spight God Jer. 44.16 As for the word which thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken to thee but we will do whatsoever thing proceedeth out of our own mouth to burn incense to the Queen of Heaven The same Hebrew word for sin signifies rebellion Now can the Lord endure to be thus sawcily confronted by proud dust God will never let his own creature rise up in arms against him he will pull down the sinners plumes and bring him low Psal. 18.26 With the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward In the Hebrew it is thou wilt wrestle and if God once wrestle with the sinner he will throw him to the ground When the Angel wrestled with Iacob he touched only the hollow of his thigh Gen. 32.25 But when God wrestles with a sinner he will rent the caul of his heart Hos. 13.8 The Apostle saith It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10.31 'T is good to fall into Gods hands when he is a friend but it is ill falling into his hands when he is an enemy 3. Sin must needs bring a man low because the sinner labours what he can to bring God low 'T is true God cannot lose any of his essential glory he is so high that no strength of Mortals can reach him but a wicked man doth what in him lies to bring God low He hath low thoughts of God he slights his soveraignty questions his truth looks upon all Gods Promises as a forged deed The sinner therefore is said to despise God Numb 11.20 Again the sinner lessens God and brings him low in the thoughts of others Ezek. 8.12 They say the Lord seeth us not the Lord hath forsaken the earth Do but secure your selves from mans eye and as for Gods taking notice of sin you need not trouble your selves the Lord seeth you not he hath forsaken the earth Zeph. 1.12 They say the Lord will not do good neither will he do evil If you serve him you must not look for reward and if you do not serve him you need not fear punishment Mal. 2.17 Ye say every one that doth evil is good in the sight of the Lord and he delighteth in them or where is the God of judgement Here they blemish Gods Sanctity God is not so holy but he bears as much favour to the wicked as to the good and Where is the God of judgement Here they tax his justice as if they had said God doth not order things right he doth not weigh matters impartially in an equal ballance Where is the God of judgement Thus a sinner eclipseth the glory of the Godhead and labours to bring God low in the thoughts of others And besides he doth what in him lies to extirpate a Deity he wisheth there were no God he saith Cause the holy One of Israel to cease Isa. 30.11 A wicked man would not only unthrone God but unbee God if he could help it God should be no longer God Now if a sinner be thus impious as to endeavour to bring God low no wonder if God brings him low Nahum 1.19 I will make thy grave for thou art vile I will bring thee O Sennacherib from the throne to the tomb I will kick thee into thy grave Obad. ver 4. Though thou set thy nest among the Stars thence will I bring thee down saith the Lord. 4. Sin must needs bring a person low because sin is the only thing God hath an antipathy against The Lord doth not hate a man because he is poor or despised you do not hate your friend because he is sick but that which draws forth the keenness of Gods hatred is sin Jer. 44.4 Do not this abominable thing that I hate Now for any one to espouse that which Gods soul hates it must needs undo him at last Is that subject like to thrive whom his Prince hates The cherishing countenancing of sin makes the fury come up in Gods face Ezek. 38.16 And if his wrath be once kindled it burns to the lowest Hell The Psalmist saith Who can stand before his cold Psal. 147.17 But rather who can stand before his heat Isa. 33.14 5. Sin must needs bring the sinner low because it exposeth him to Gods curse and Gods curse blasts where ever it comes Deut. 28.15 16. If thou wilt not harken to the voice of the Lord all these curses shall come upon thee Cursed shalt thou be in the City and cursed shalt thou be in the field cursed shall be thy basket and thy store The curse of God haunts the sinner where ever he goes if he be in the City it spoils his Trade if he be in the Countrey it destroyes his Crop Gods curse drops poison into every thing It is a Moth in the Wardrobe Murrain among the Cattel Rot among the Sheep If the flying Roul of curses enters into a mans house it consumes the timber and walls of it Zach. 5.4 When Christ cursed the fig-tree it presently withered Mat. 21.19 Mens curses are insignificant they shoot without bullets but Numb 22.6 He whom thou cursest is cursed Gods curse kills Psal. 37.22 They that are cursed of him shall be cut off If all Gods curses are levelled against the sinner then he must needs be brought low Use 1. Informat 1. Branch See then from hence that Gods punishing either a person or a Nation is not without a cause A Father may chastise his Son out of an humour when there is no cause but God doth never punish without a just cause He doth it not purely to shew his Soveraignty or because he takes pleasure to bring his creature low Lam. 3.33 He doth not willingly afflict or as it is in the Hebrew from the heart but there is some impellent cause They were brought low for their iniquity Cyprian writes thus concerning the Persecution of the Church under the Emperour Valerian We must confess that this sad calamity which hath in a great part wasted our Churches hath risen from our own intestine wickedness whilst we are full of avarice ambition emulation c. Jer. 4.17 As keepers of a field are they against her round about Like as Horses or Deer in a field are so enclosed with hedges and so narrowly watched that they cannot get out So Ierusalem was so besieged with enemies and watched that there was no escape for her without danger of life Verse 18. Thy way and thy doings have procured these