way of reforming Indeed that which comes neerest to it and that which is the saddest peece in all the Scriptures is in that example of Josiah Hee set upon the work of Reformation yet God held up his purpose of destroying that people You shall read it 2 King 23.26 27. Notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fiercenesse of his great wrath wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah c. Notwithstanding all that Reformation as you may see in that Chapter Yet the anger of the Lord was not turned back but his hand was stretched out still First to cut off that godly King and afterwards to cut down that ungodly people 1. But first I must tell you That Gods decree was then past against them And God had pronounced it long before as you see in his message to Hezekiah 2 King 20.17 and I hope there is yet no Decree gone out against England 2 And secondly Though he would not revoke what he had Decreed yet this good act of Josiah procured the Deferring of Gods Judgements all his days 2 King 22.18 19 20. But to the King of Judah thus shall yee say to him Behold I will gather thee to thy Fathers and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace and thine eyes shall not see all the evill that I will bring upon this place So that this is yet strong God did never destroy a Nation at any time when his People were about the Reforming of that Nation And it hath pleased God at this time to set us up a choice Assembly An Assembly chosen by Prayer brought together by Prayer and held together and preserved to this day by the might of Prayer And their spirits have been held up amidst many difficulties and strong oppositions to Hazard themselves their lives and estates for the good of our souls our bodyes nad estates And I say it was never heard of nor read of It is an untracted case that God should destroy a Nation whilest they are such whom hee hath himself singled out and set up for the Reforming of a Nation If hee would have destroyed us hee would never have been at the pains to Reform us One cannot stand with the other 3 A third Argument from our selves And that is taken from the beginnings of mercy You know what our Condition hath been before the remembrance of it is fresh God at that time did hear the cry of our souls and pittyed us in our low estate and did go forth in the beginnings of mercy to us And may wee not Reason if God would have destroyed us he would never have done thus much for us That which God hath done is an earnest unto us and an ingagement upon God To go on in the finishing of what he hath begun to do for us already Shall wee think hee hath brought us out of Egypt to destroy us in the Wildernesse Shall wee think the Sun of Mercy hath shined on us but only to warm our heads against a storm shall wee think hee hath exalted us thus high that hee might lay us the lower in the end Indeed thus God hath done with the wicked But wee never read that hee hath so done with his own people Shall wee think hee hath delivered us from lesser to reserve us to greater Judgements Freed us from Rods to whip us with Scorpions delivered us from lesser evils to ruine us at once this cannot bee I think though the appearances were greater against us than they are Thus God may do with wicked men but thus God did never do with his own A fourth Argument taken from our selves to induce us to Hope that God will do a wonder for us is There is a stock of Prayers going out and laid up for the good of this Church and Nation Many Prayers have been made And I tell you all the praying spirits in the World are now at work for England Who hath a tongue and doth not speak who hath a hand and doth not stretch it out and I tell you this is something considerable If the Prayer of one Moses could do so much what will the prayers of so many thousands What hath God heard England for Scotland and England for Ireland and will hee not hear England for it self that were strange Shall they save all others but their own souls Indeed wee sometimes read that praying spirits could not prevail to save others but yet they saved their own souls As God said Though Noah Daniel and Job were in Jerusalem they should not deliver Son nor Daughter they should only bee delivered themselves Ezek. 14.20 But wee never read that they should prevail to save others and yet not bee able to save their own souls Will God then hear us for others not for our selves would a friend grant you a request for another and deny the same to your self No certainly Nor will God A fifth Argument is This hath been a time wherein God hath drawn out the Graces of his People which perhaps had they been supprest and not discovered wee had been in no hazard And do you think that God will draw out the graces of his People for the destruction of his people Indeed nothing is more ordinary than to draw out the sins and corruptions of wicked men for their own ruine to bee Cart-ropes to binde themselves But wee never heard God did draw out the graces of his people for their ruine Wee read hee hath hardened wicked men to destruction but never made the heart tender sensible to destruction Men have perished by their fear deserting the cause of God but never any who perished by their courage and standing to it Did Esther lose any thing by her Obedience did Daniel did the three Children It brought them into the fire but preserved them in the fire nothing was consumed but their bands not one hair was singed Though God do draw out the sins of wicked men to their destruction as Pharaoh Haman c. yet hee never draws out the graces of his People to their destruction I say no more but this If God should not preserve us if hee should not do a wonder for us at this time it is an untracted peece of Providence wee have not a president of the like since God had a Church Hee doth with us so as hee never did with any of his people since the beginning of the World 4. Arguments from our enemies 4 From our enemies 4 The fourth head of Arguments is taken from our enemies which may induce us to Hope that God will do a wonder for us Consider then 1 Their former wickedness which shall hunt them and finde them out 2 Their present sinfulness such as these 1. Their Pride 2. Their Prophaneness 3. Their scorn and contempt of God and his wayes 4. Their Cruelty 5. Their Blasphemies and Bloody-hell-born-Oathes All which induce mee to hope That God will never give a blessing to the means nor yet to the men They have but escaped the
Deliverance then will God perform his whole work upon Zion and will punish the fruit of the proud Doer 7. When the glory of God is mightily concerned His worship his Truth his Cause Then is the time God will do wonders Though God will not do it for us yet hee will do it for his own Names sake Hee will not suffer his glory to bee polluted And this was the Argument Joshua had Josh 7.8 9. When Israel had sinned and God had delivered them up to their enemies hee pleads with God Lord what will become of thy great Name Though Israel deserve not that thou shouldest stand out for them yet let not thy glory suffer for their sin but let thy Name which is so much concerned draw thee out to relieve and help The like you have Isa 48.9 10 11. For my Names sake I will defer my anger and for my praise will I refrain for thee that I cut thee not off For my own sake even for my own sake will I do it For how should my Name bee polluted And I will not give my glory to another 2 King 18.35 Who are there among the Gods of the Countries that have delivered their Country out of my hand that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand Here you see now was Gods Glory concerned and therefore to preserve his own Glory hee shews a wonder to help them And happy are they whose deliverance is joyned with Gods Glory Though God will not alway deliver for our sake yet will hee deliver for his Glory for his own Name-sake As hee tells them in Ezek. 36.32 Not for your sakes do I this saith the Lord God bee it known unto you bee ashamed and confounded for your own wayes Oh house of Israel But though hee would not do it for their sâ—kes yet hee did it for his own sake even for the Glory of his own Mercy as you see in that place 5. Quere 5. How shall wee know that God will work a wonder for us Wee are now in sad and distressed conditions and a wonder must bee wrought for the helping and relieving of us But whether God will work a wonder for us or no There is the great question This I am sure of If God do not work a wonder for us wee shall bee made a wonder Nay three Wonders to all Nations 1. Wee shall bee made a wonder of folly a wonder of madness Who because none else could therefore we would with our own hands ruine our selves Which should wee effect it would bee the grief of our friends the joy of our enemies the Popes Holy-day Germanies tears Irelands ruine Scotlands hazard and our own overthrow 2 Wee shall bee made a wonder of scorn a hissing and a by-word to all Nations That England that was Compendium Mundi Of which I may say as did the Historian of Ormus that if the whole World were a Ring England were the Diamond that England should ruine her self and with the foolish Woman in the Proveâ—bs pull down her house with her own hands 3 And a wonder of misery For all the World were not able to bring that misery upon us that wee shall bring upon our selves In which combustion if wee preserve our Jewels though wee lose the rest it 's well But wee may fear all will bee indangered if those who were the first movers of our trouble such who Viper-like would eat out the heart of their common Parent bee not taken away Well then The case is so with us As a wonder must bee done or wee shall bee made a wonder a wonder of folly scorn misery But whether or no God will now do wonders for us Here is the Question And I must confess there are many sad presages of evil amongst us many things which speak that God will rather make us a wonder than do a wonder for us 1 Grounds of Fear I will first give you the grounds of my Fears and then give you the grounds of my Hopes that God will not desert us at this time The Grounds of Fear are 1 Either Spiritual 2 Or Natural 1 Spiritual grounds of Fear 1 Spiritual and they are 1 The Universality of sin 2 The Impudency 3 The obstinacy of sin amongst us 1 Universality of sin 1 The Universality of sins All persons all places are fill'd with all kinds of sins The Land is full of Adulteries full of Oathes full of Oppression full of Injustice of Pride Prophanation of the Sabbath contempt of the Ordinances full of Drunkenness the whole land is defiled with blood Prince and People Magistrates and Ministers great and small poor and rich Wee are all defiled with sin Wee may take up the complaint of the Prophet Isa 1.6 from the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores they have not been closed nor bound up nor mollified with ointment But there are four sins especially that threaten evil to us and those are such as do more immediately concern God and his worship 1 Idolatry 1 Idolatry 2 Prophanation of his Ordinances 3 Prophanation of his Sabbath 4 Contempt and abuse of his Ministers Any of which are enough to sink a Nation though guilty of no more 2. But secondly Adde unto this The impudency of sin 2 Impudency of sin Sin hath gotten a Whores-forehead without modesty or restraint Men are not ashamed to publish sin as Sodom and their iniquities like unto Gomorrah Not ashamed to swear to drink to prophane the Sabbath to contemn Ordinances Many are more ashamed to pray than others are to swear 3 And thirdly Adde to this The obstinacy of sin 3 Obstinacy of sin Sin is not only universal and impudent but it is grown obstinate stubborn and incorrigible Insomuch that neither Mercy nor Judgement Word nor Works Promises nor Threats will bee powerful to perswade with men Then indeed may sin bee said to bee incorrigible when it is grown too strong for that means God hath set up to keep it down When sin is too strong for the Ordinances and Offices God hath set up for the suppressing and keeping down of sin Then it is incorrigible Jer. 6. ult The Bellows are burnt The Prophets lungs consumed Besides these diverse others might bee named 1 Too much fleshly confidence 2 Our unanswerable walking to the means and mercies wee injoy 2 Natural grounds of Fear 2 Natural grounds of Fear 1. The great opposition of wicked men and unsound spirits against the indeavours of Reformation Too many there are who hate to bee reformed Old bottles will never brook with new Wine Nor will old hearts close with a spiritual way It is now with us as the Lord complained of Ephraim Hos 7.1 When I would have healed Israel then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered All the while before their corruptions did lye a sleep they little thought there were any such spirits in them But when the
Physician comes then they appear 2 The Schismes and Divisions among us which threaten evil upon us If wee had joyned our mutual strength against the common adversaries and not turned the heat of contention upon our selves wee had not now been so weak nor our adversaries so strong But I hope wee shall bee like sheep that though a fair day hath scattered us all over the field one from another yet a storm will drive us together again seeing herein our concernments are mutual and reciprocal 3 The wilful blindness and security among us That men will not see how much their Religion their Liberties and Priviledges are concerned Or if they do yet with Gallio they care for none of these things At least not so much as to hazard and adventure any thing for the securing and upholding of them 4 Missing of Opportunities O Jerusalem Jerusalem Hadst thou known even thou at least in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace But now they are hid from thine eyes Luk. 19.41 42. There are some special times when God doth put advantages into the hands of his people the loss whereof is never recovered again It is not here as with Tides that if wee miss this wee may go with the next but if wee miss this perhaps wee shall never have another And these are the chief grounds of my fear that cause cross thoughts in mee and give way to suspition that God will not do wonders for us 2 Grounds of Hope Yet to these let mee adde the grounds of my hope That even at this time God will do wonders for England Now then the Arguments that may perswade with us and the Reasons which may induce us to beleeve that God will do wonders are these five 1 From God 1 From God 1 Such as are taken from God and that 1 From the goodness of his Nature Hee is gracious and mercifull Gracious in himself and exceeding gracious to his Saints Though wee have never a Promise for a particular deliverance at this time yet wee may venture our selves upon the good nature of God That hee will not deliver us up into the hands of cruel merciless and bloody men who seek our ruine Though our sins bee many and God might scourge us sharply as wee deserve yet hee loves his People so well as not to put them into the hands of such cruel men to bee punished You have some ground for this suggestion in Deut. 32.27 When God was highly displeased with Israel and threatned to destroy them yet hee feared the wrath of the enemy Hee feared they would deal too hardly that they would destroy them rather than scourge them Hee knew not how to put them into their hands Though Israel had sinned yet hee was loath to make use of sinners to punish sin He knew the Mercyes of the wicked were cruel mercys 2 A second Argument from God is Because Gods glory is now much concern'd It is not alone our good but his own glory that is concerned and hee will have a care of that Though hee will not do it for us yet hee will do it for his own Names sake There are many things which hee will not do for our sakes yet will hee for his own sake You see in Ezek. 36.32 Not for your sakes do I this O house of Israel But though hee would not do it for their sakes yet he would do it because his glory was concern'd Hee would do it for his own Names sake you have the like expressions Exod. 32.12 Deut. 9.28 Isa 48.9 10 11. Though Israel had provoked God yet for his own Glory sake he would deliver them And if wee do not look with two partiall eyes I cannot see that Ever the glory of God was more neerly and closely concern'd in all the stories I have read than it is at this time Gods Glory in his Truth in his worships in his Saints in his Ordinances they are all neerly concern'd at this Time And how would wicked men triumph how would our enemys insult and glory What pious heart could indure to hear those Blasphemies they would cast up against heaven and those contempts cast upon the People of God 2. Arguments from the Church 2. There are some Arguments taken from the Church of God in generall And that is 2 From the Church in general that The good of most of the reformed Churches in the Christian world doth depend upon the welfare of England And in a great measure Upon the good successe of this present Parliament If it should not go well with us Scotland would be hazarded Ireland ruinated Germany irrecovered And all the reformed Churches in the Christian world would feel the smart of our stripes And therefore seeing the preservation and deliverance of England is of such publick concernment it may much perswade with us That God will rather do a wonder than England shall not be preserved 3. Arguments from our selves 3 Arguments from our selves 3. There may be some Arguments taken from our selves to induce us to hope that God will do a wonder for us 1. Though it bee true wee have many fearful sins and abominations among us And those are publick too such as have overspread the whole land yet these sins are not national they have not yet been countenanced by a Law There is prophanation of the Sabbath But there are good Laws against it and for the strict observing of it There hath been Idolatry among us But there have been Laws against it Swearing yet Laws for the punishing of them Which affords mee this comfort 1. That though these sins bee in our Nation and do abound among us yet they are not the Sins of our Nation There have been Laws against them and so long they are not national And it hath been 1. Either the Corruption 2. Or the cowardise of our Magistrates That sin hath not been punished I say the corruption of many who have strengthned the hands of evil doers either conniving at them siding with them or abetting of them in their way And so those who should have been the bolts to have kept out sin have been the Latches to draw in sinne let in sin Or it hath been the Cowardise of them that they durst not appear for the punishing of sinne Ezek. 22.30 I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before mee for the land that I should not destroy it I sought for a Phineas that might stand up to execute Judgement and what was there none Certainly there were many but they were Cowards and durst not appear against sin 2. Though these sins were in a kind National as indeed the Corruption and connivance of them in Authority gives too much largenesse to them increaseth the latitude of them makes them of greater extent and guilt yet now wee are about reforming them And wee never read that ever God did ruine a Nation when a Nation was in a
ears See what followes vers 7 8 13.14 Then the Earth shook and trembled The Lord thundred in the Heavens and the highest gave his voice Hailstones and coals of fire Hee sent out his arrows and scattered them hee shot out his lightenings and discomfitted them And an excellent place you have Isa 54.15 When the enemy shall come in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him That is shall both defend from his violence and put him to flight And it is an observable phrase The Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard That is saith one The Spirit of Prayer is lift up When trouble and evil are threatned the enemie comes like a flood irresistably then the Spirit of the Lord stirring up Prayer in his peoples hearts shall lift up a standard against them bee your defence and chase them away When God doth intend to bestow great things on his People first hee gives them the Spirit of Prayer the Harbinger and Forerunner of mercy Jer. 3.19 But I said How shall I put thee among the Children and give thee a pleasant land As if hee had said I have purposes of mercy to thee I have thoughts of deliverance I think to bring thee into thy own land again and do wonders for thee But what way shall I go to effect and bring about this And I said thou shalt call mee my Father As if hee had said I have now bethought mee of a way I will poure a spirit of Prayer upon thee and thou shalt call mee Father and so I will put thee among my Children 3. Bee incouraged to hope as well as to pray Hope 3 Incouragement to hope in God Heb. 6.19 it is called the anchor of the soul sure and stedfast that takes sure hold and then breaks not in the greatest tempest at such an anchor wee may ride in the most overgrown storm They say Clement was cast into the Sea with an anchor fastened to him and could not drown wee shall not in the deepest Waters if wee bee fastened to this anchor for God delights in them who hope in his Mercy Psal 147.11 and whom God delights in enemies shall not delight over his mercy shall prevent their utterly undoing-misery Hope is the Daughter of Faith therefore when Faith hath brought forth the birth of Prayer let it bring forth the other Twin also of Hope And then also 4. To wait on God 4. Bee incouraged to wait For as long as we hope we will wait and no longer as long as you expect and hope your friend will come to you so long you will stay and wait for him but give over hoping once and then you will together give over waiting Hope hath two acts it expects that a Mercy will come and then it waits till it do come as it is confident of Gods goodness and truth that in his due time hee will shew mercy so it is conscious to its own duty and therefore humbly and patiently waits Gods leisure till that time come and this although many cross Providences and greatest dangers should come between yea in the way of thy Judgements O Lord have wee waited for thee saith the Church Isa 26.8 and well they may seeing by experience they ever finde that the Lord is good unto them that wait for him to the soul that seeketh him Lam. 3.25 And then when you have learned these lessons of trusting in God praying hoping and waiting on him Then you shall say with the Church Isa 25.9 Loe this is our God wee have waited for him and hee will save us This is the Lord wee have waited for him wee will rejoyce and bee joyful in his salvation There are many glorious wonders which God is now to do at the latter end of the World for his Church This time is reserved for a time of Wonders And who knows but this may bee one of the Wonders which God now doth for his Church at this time Could wee but remove 1. Our Unbeleef 2. Our Unthankfulness 3. Our Neglect of Duty 4. Our Unworthy Walking Could wee but 1. Beleeve more Strongly 2. Pray more Fervently 3. Live more Holily And God would do Wonders for us I tell you the way to ingage God to do Wonders for England is 1. To Beleeve more 2. To Pray more 3. To Reform more 1 Would you ingage God to do Wonders for England Beleeve Set Faith on work and you will work in the bowels of a Promise nay in the bowels of God pitch Faith upon God Let Faith have her full and perfect work And there is No Temptation so strong but Faith will conquer No Affliction so great but Faith will master No Prison so strait but Faith will open No Danger so great but Faith relieves us in No Misery so unsufferable but Faith will deliver us out Do but beleeve saith Christ and thou shalt see the wondrous works of God As if hee had said God will do no wonders John 6.4 if you will not beleeve Indeed God can do wonders as Christ said Hee could not do much because of their unbeleef Though unbelief take no Power no Wisdome from God For as the Apostle saith God is faithfull whether men beleeve or no So I may say God is Powerfull God is mercifull God â—â— Wise c. though wee beleeve not But though our unbelief do not weaken the Power of God yet it straitens and limits it Though it rob God of no mercy yet it robs us of all Though he hath mercy yet hath he none for us Well then that is the first Beleeve You have to deal with a God and this God is a God of Power and this God and this power is yours in Covenant And by vertue of that all for your good Let Faith now stirre Mark 9.23 If you can but beleeve all things are possible wonders are possible To Beleeve is difficult but to him that Beleeveth nothing is impossible If you had but faith as a grain of mustard-seed say to this mountain bee thou removed hence and bee cast into the sea and it shall bee done Though Faith bee but weak though but small A grain yet if it bee but lively if a grain of Mustard-seed Acris Fervida if it have Acrimonie and Vivacity in it as Mustard-seed hath one grain shall bee able to remove a mountain That is whatever may bee to the glory of God and the good of his Church be it never so difficult the least Faith if true Faith will effect it and bring it about You shall read in Heb. 11.33 what wonders Faith hath wrought It hath the same Power and the same God of power to deal with still Incouragements to Faith I have given you diverse in the former discourses from the Power from the love of God from all those former experiences that both ourselves and generations before have had of Gods goodnesse As I have shewed at large 2 Would you ingage God pray to