Thus he shewred his displeasure against good Iosiah for thrusting himselfe into battell without warrant And against Moses for not sanctifying the Lord at the waters of strife Among the Corinthians also for their unreverent receiving the Lords supper And thus may he suffer his owne deerest servants to endure the common calamities with the rest at such times either for a just correction of their former sinnes as hath beene shewed or only for the tryall of their faith and constancy or for an exercise of their faith and repentance and to make them more fervent in praier or to further their sanctification to conforme them more more to Christ or it may be to increase the vengeance against the enemies through their cruelty against them or some other like cause as we shall see more after Yet neverthelesse The marking teacheth us thus much That though such goe into Captivity yet there the Lord will be with them his holy hand will there be over them as a buckler There he will so protect them that he will turne all the evils that come unto them still to doe them good He will thereby further their salvation and increase their glory in the heavens And when they are killed all the day long and accounted as sheepe for the slaughter yet in all that which they indure they are more then conquerours thorough him who hath loved them He chastiseth them thereby to make them to walke more holily and more humbly in his presence and so teacheth them more sound obedience by the things which they suffer then ever they learned in all their lives before that they shall in time acknowledge that to have beene the best schoole that ever they came into By this fire he fineth them from much of the drosse of their sinnes and corruptions and specially of their unbeleife to make them to come forth more pure then the gold For First he at such times taking from them the meanes and staies that they were wont to leane upon in their prosperitie maketh them to see their carnall and vaine confidence upon what propts they formerly relied and what unbeleife is in their hearts And then raysing up for them such meanes as they never knew as he did for his people Israel in the wildernesse and in other their distresses he teacheth them to looke up higher then to earthly meanes even to his owne heavenly hand to depend upon him for all and to give him all the glory making him their only stay and comfort At such times in the very greatest extremities he hath ever beene wont to reveale himselfe far more familiarly to his in the gratious works of his fatherly providence and extraordinary favours then ever in former time and that even outwardly in things belonging to the necessity comforts of this life But above all for the inward comforts of his Spirit supporting and chearing up the hearts of all his elect they ordinarily finde them more true and heavenly joy with certaine assurance of Gods favour and love in Christ then ever they felt before And heereby doth he most fully manifest to the very enimies their faith in his promises their patiēce hope obedience love to his Majestie and what they are ready to suffer for his name Heereby he is wont also to kindle in his people a greater fervency in prayer smitting them to the end to prepare their hearts thereby that he may incline his eare unto their cries To make them able in all things to give thanks and to rejoyce in their most grievous afflictions and so to be able to sing with a holy melody when the fetters are about their feet He waines them from the earth and makes them long after the heavens to be ever in his presence where all teares being wiped away is fulnesse of joy for ever more He then also useth these his poore servants as a special meanes of the conversion saving of the rest of his elect and in these to reserve a holy seed by which to renew and in large his Church againe And which is well worthy our carefull observation Some who could never attaine to any grace at all under the best meanes in the daies of their prosperity but did run riot as the prodigall sonne being most rebellious against the Lord and his word yet when he hath brought them into the fetters and chaines of afflictions then have they set themselves to seeke him and then the word which before they despised hath begun to worke in them to life A notable president of his mercy herein he hath caused to be registred in his Booke for all posteritie even in Manasseh who though he had so good a father as that worthy Ezechiah and was so vertuously brought up yea and had seene his fathers reformation yet as the Holy Ghost saith he went backe and builded up that iniquitie which his father had destroyed He never had grace to bethinke himselfe nor to hearken to the word of the Lord untill he brought upon him the Captaines of the hoast of the King of Asshur who put him in fetters bound him in chaines and caried him to Babel But when he was in tribulation he began to seeke unto the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers and so God was intreated of him heard his prayer and brought him againe into Ierusalem into his Kingdome Then saith the Holy Ghost Manasseh knew that the Lord was God and then he destroyed all the Idolatry and abhominations which he had bin the cause of and restored that religion which he had before defaced And to shut up all By these the Lord doth exceedingly advance his owne glory in the midst of his enemies as here he did by Daniel and his companions and makes himselfe and his truth evidently knowne by their constancie and leaves the wicked enemies the more without excuse As for those whom he takes away by death in such times their death is unto them but as the gate of life It is a finall deliverance from all their sinnes and from all feare of every kinde of enemie and miserie It is unto them a more speedie entrance into the full possession of their fathers joy and of their glorious inheritance than otherwise nature would have afforded them And thus much for the godly which goe into Captivitie or fall by the sword or endure any calamitie with the rest what the marking avayleth them how happy their estate is whatsoever come to passe But on the other side for the wicked who in such generall calamities escape the sword or the like cruell death it is cleane contrary with them For the Lords anger revenging hand ever followeth them whithersoever they goe untill they be destroyed from off the face of the earth All these miseries are but the beginnings of the powring out of the viols of Gods wrath upon them to the increase
the Lord who are for harmelesnesse as little children may be without perill in the presence of them who were sometimes as venemous as the Aspe and the Viper When they shall feed communicate together cheerefully and lovingly in the word and Sacraments and in all the religion and service of the Lord and none to hurt in all the mountaine of the Lords holinesse within the bounds and limits of his Church By this all must needs see that such are indeede the Disciples of Christ when they love one another And when in regard hereof the feet of them who bring the glad tidings of peace to wit of all the faithfull preachers of the Gospell publishing life and salvation and working this obedience and love are beautifull when their comming among a people is most acceptable as of the messengers of the Lord of hosts Now both these are such evident demonstrations of the glory of the Lord upon a people that they make them amongst whom they are conspicuous and eminent to be a glorious people and cause them to be had in honour and to be feared of all nations round about them This Moses sheweth plainly in Deut. 4. Where he thus speaks to the people of Israel Behold I haue taught you ordinances lawes as the Lord my God commanded mee that you should doe even so in the Land whether you goe to possesse it Keepe them therefore and do them for this is your wisdome and vnderstanding in the sight of the people which shal heare al these ordinances and shall say Onely this people is wise of understanding and a great nation for what nation is so great unto whom the Gods comes so neere unto them as our God is neere to us in all that we call unto him for The Lord himselfe also hath bidden all his people to glory in this That they know and feare him not in their wisdome strength or riches declaring all the glory of these earthly things to be nothing to that and all the true outward glory of a people to consist in their holinesse and peace among themselves and in the right knowledge and sincere profession of his heavenly word As the kingdome of heaven which is inwardly felt in every one of Gods Servants is in righteousnesse peace and heavenly joy so when these abound amongst any people there is the kingdome of heaven truly begun Christ reigning visibly Such were those worthy congregations mentioned in the Acts and those to which Paul writ his Epistles and such are all Churches which are like unto them at this day And even as these things also doe more abound and are more apparant among them so are they still more glorious and Christ more evidently holding up his scepter there Thus much for the two first parts of the outward glory The third principall thing whereby the Lord is wont to declare his glory in his Church so brightly as that it may be beholden of all about is in the protection and defence thereof And this is more visible also when he doth miraculously deliver it plaguing and overthrowing all the enemies with all their wicked devises which they plot against his people To omit the carefull protection of Abraham Isaac and Iacob with all theirs in all places wheresoever they went the smiting of their enemies and that herein stood a chiefe part of their honour was not this that glory whereby he did so grace his Church in Egypt when he sheltered his people and made them to grow notwithstanding the cruel oppressions of their enemies when they were as the bush in the midst of the fire that yet consumed not And secondly when he plagued the Egyptians and still kept his people safe in the midst of all those miraculous judgements Thirdly when he went before them out of Egypt and thorow the wildernesse towards Canaan in the piller of fire and of the cloud so conducting them that the enemies could not come at them neither by day nor night In regard whereof he being angry with them for the golden calfe had threatned that he would not goe up with them because they were a stiffe-necked people as they sorrowed and wept for this so Moses in particular saith If thy presence goe not with us carry us not hence And wherein saith he shall it be knowne that I and thy people have found favour in thy sight Shall it not be when thou goest up with us So I and thy people shall have preheminence before all the people of the earth for which importunitie of his the Lord condescended thus still to continue his happy presence in that apparent manner Fourthly the Lord declared this his glorious presence in the miraculous keeping of their land that no enemie should invade it nor so much as once dare to attempt the same or thinke of any such matter no not then when all their men went up generally thrice in the yeere at their solemne feasts to Ierusalem from all the parts of their land and none left at home to keepe their frontiers from invasion or houses from spoiling but a few poore women and children As he had promised this unto them so he faithfully performed it so long as they continued to know and feare him So long as they made any conscience to retaine those two former parts of his glory in knowledge and obedience so long also continued this their gracious preservation yea so long as they would but humble themselves under his hand at those his threatnings and at the shaking of his rods against them promising amendment and would then beleeve and obey his Prophets so long abode this glory with them This the Lord wrought moreover in such strange deliverances of them from all that did offer to assaile them and in such great overthrowes of their proud enemies as never were heard of before in any nation As in their delivery in the sea with the overthrow of the proud Egyptian many a time in the wildernesse in setting them also in Canaan by Iosuah no man being able to resist them so long as they obeyed him So likewise in the dayes of the Iudges though they provoked him by their rebellions yet ever usually when they sought him againe humbling themselves he shewed himselfe their deliverer fighting for them both from heaven and earth with haile and thunder and all his hosts causing the very Sunne to stand still until the people avenged themselves upon their enemies And yet more specially in their famous victories in the dayes of Samuel against the Philistims In Iehosaphats victorie against the Ammonites the Moabites and them of mount Seir causing their enemies to turne their swords upon themselves and every one to fall upon another But above all in that wonderfull deliverance of Ierusalem in the dayes of Ezekiah and that notable overthrow of
filled with laughter and our hearts with ioy for this so wonderfull a remaining of our glory In a word as Ezekielâ—aw â—aw that the Cherubims mounted vpward flew from the Temple from the midst of the Citie to the mount of Olives as departing cleane away so to demand of the conscience of the most notoriovs scorner was not all our glory ready visibly to mount upward from us at once were we not as it were within a minute of the execution nothing wanting in effect but putting fire to the match to have blowne up and utterly carried away all our glory every part of it altogither did not our desperate rebels make their certaine account of it did they not exalt themselves against the Lord of Hosts in it as his vengeance taken upon some of the cheife of them openly did notably declare could all the pollicie in the world have preuented it or ever so much as have suspected such a hellish device if our gracious God had not yet once againe from heaven declared the riches of his glory amongst us and his pitifull compassion over us and that in a more immediate and sensible working than at all former times when he first made themselves the beginners of this discoverie then so mightily wrought upon the heart of our Soveraigne Lord casting such a carefull feare upon him as that he suffered him not to rest untill he had disclosed it yea we may truely say in thankfulnesse to our blessed God that he never gave over untill he had againe the second time wrought the deliverie and preservation of Great Britaine and of his Church by the hand of his Royall Servant and withall had granted the staying of his glory that it should yet remaine amongst us that thereby all our hearts might be more firmely linked to his Annoynted and unto his Seed for ever and that we might all the dayes of our life send forth more hearty thanks and powre out more fervent and instant prayers for his Sacred Majestie and for all his Royall Progenie What soule did not for the present extoll the Lord of glory for it as being his onely worke Who can be so voyde of sense or so brutish as yet to have lost the fresh remembrance of it Or who can now here denie but that this was first as sensible a danger and threatning from the Lord to remove his glory from amongst us as ever was in any Nation or Church since the beginning of the world Yea who must not of necessitie be inforced to acknowledge that this was as miraculous a stay or rather a returne of the glory againe and withall as evident a forewarning of a finall departure as ever was read or heard of before unlesse we doe yet speedily humble our selves and give him better entertainment And to shut up this point likewise what part have we now remayning of all the outward glory which they had not in the dayes of worthy Iosiah the times being considered or which they had not at the beginning of all those miseries following which entred and seized upon them within three moneths after the death of holy Iosiah save onely this one That the Lord to accomplish his worke on them and to make a way to his wrath suffred their Iosiah to be taken in the nets of the enemie whereas he hath so graciously and above all former mercies yet preserved our Iosiah unto us when there was but a haires bredth betweene him yea betweene us all and death though yet of late he hath so fearfully shaken his rod in taking away that worthiest hope that ever our eyes did see before and in whom we did so pride and secure our selves But alas if our holy God shall now come and examine these things among us what we have done since in token of our thankfulnesse for this incredible deliverie and for this so gratious a returne above all other yea above all that almost ever the world heard of how we have demeaned our selves in token of our unfeigned humiliation for this so dreadfull a threatning of his departure what desire we shew to retaine him how we extoll his great name for it by advancing his religion that he might be the better knowne and feared amongst us what zeale we shew to put out that execrable and murthering religion with all the monuments and perillous remembrances of it that which thus teacheth and inciteth men to expell the Lord and his glory from among them and with all to destroy all his people at once from the face of the earth what greater hatred and detestation of it is wrought in us than heretofore what can we answer to any one of these must we not needs be compelled to lay our hand upon our mouthes or rather to confesse will we nill we That this is the humiliation and thankfulnesse of the greatest part among us that we doe many times more rebelliously lift up our faces sinning most impudently against his glorious Majestie and so far grieve and quench his Spirit as that we seeke utterly to extinguish all feare of his name And in steed of growing in detestation of that bloodie religion for the utter rooting it out according to the just indignation then presently had against it as some good lawes thereupon provided will ever witnesse against us to the end of the world doe not very many begin afresh to grow in admiration of it and to dote after it and the professors thereof much more than before casting away the Lord and his truth May not then the Lord most justly make a finall remove May he not righteously forsake and leave us into their hands as he left Iudah unto the Babylonian May he not say unto his servants when they are humbled upon their faces in secret for these and the like tokens of his heavy displeasure and for those who are inchanted as by the sorcerers of Egypt so that they put their hands to the execrable thing as he said to Iosuah in the like case I will not be with you any more unlesse you will give me my glory but I will utterly strip you of all my glory taking away both religion and protection at once I will leave you to be made a prey and a desolation for ever unlesse you will search out the execrable thing even all your abominations whereby you have made your selves odious and execrable unto me and unlesse you will doe your uttermost indevour to purge and clense your Land of them all Not onely so many of us as run a whoring after Poperie or favour it but even all of us for that thorow our generall negligence and securitie it reviveth and groweth up againe so freshly among us after he had given such just occasion to seeke to roote it utterly out of our Land Yea after that he had so above all former times set before our faces the cruell rage of that
blood-thirstie religion in the cheife professors thereof against his own heavenly Majestie his true religion glory against his Annoynted all his liege people professing his name to destroy all at once though with the inevitable hazarding of themselves both soules and bodies their owne native Countrie their children and houses And also after that he had caused us to beare such evidence against that Romish iniquitie in those so good lawes then enacted against it and as it were to give sentence upon it having delivered it into our hands May he not justly say unto us all even unto our whole Nation for this very sin as he said to the King of Israel for letting Benadad goe when he spake thus unto him Because thou hast let goe out of thine hand a man whom I appointed to dye thy life shall goe for his life and thy people for his people So may he not speake and threaten us much more especially all of us both Magistrates Ministers and people into whose hands he hath committed the holy meanes to restraine and withdraw men from that murthering religion so many wayes convicted and condemned and to bring them to Christ and principally the spirituall meanes of the word of the Lord Yea above all other may he not speake so to those to whom he hath committed the charge of providing a holy learned and faithfull Ministerie which may tenderly seeke the winning and saving of every soule and also of causing all sorts to submit themselves thereunto as unto the Lords ordinance to that end for these meanes are first and principally to be used in tender compassion when as he hath so manifested the power thereof by so much gracious experience in sundry worthy Congregations where under such painfull and conscionable Ministers the people have bin brought from Poperie and profanenesse to embrace and obey the Gospell so as hardly one Papist or notoriously profane or disordered person have bin to be found there but all cheerefully submitting themselves to the Gospell of Christ. May he not most righteously speake thus unto us therefore Because through they negligence and carelesnesse thou hast suffered to grow up and spread in the midst of thee that execrable bloudie and Antichristian religion whereby my glory is so desperately oppugned whereby I my selfe am so openly sought to be driven out and with so high a hand the soules and bodies of all my people so endangered every houre yea that which I put into thy power and commanded thee to seeke by all holy meanes utterly to destroy out of thy land that against which thou hast so voluntarily made so good lawes for the sure ratifying of the speedie execution of my Commandement thy religion therefore shall goe for it and all thy glory shall be trampled under foote by them untill thou know whom thou hast dishonoured and provoked hereby And to conclude this point Hath not the Lord as good cause to complaine of us and to plead against us for the small account which we make of him for grieving his Spirit and driving him from amongst us by this and all other our fearefull sinnes as ever he had to complaine of the unkindnesse of Iudah and even to take up the same complaint against us which he did against them when he spake thus unto them by the Prophet Micha before their Captivitie Oh my people what have I done unto thee or wherewith have I grieved thee come testifie against me Surely I brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt and redeemed thee out of the house of servants I sent before thee also Moses Aaron and Miriam O my people remember now what Balak King of Moab had devised and what Balaam the sonne of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal that yee may know the righteousnes of the Lord. This is the Lords plea and complaint against Israel for their unkindnesse calling the hills and mountaines to witnesse the equitie of it before that he would depart from them and bring upon them that strange and terrible judgement which he so long before threatned by his Prophets But we will defer this complaint against us untill we shall have seene of our iniquities to provoke and anger the Lord thereby to be above the abominations of Iudah considering that we live in this glorious light of the Gospell with our extraordinarie mercies and meanes of all sorts Because that then if God shall give us hearts in reading to consider of these things aright we shall justifie the like complaint of the Lord against our selves and shall admire his patient stay and his abiding still amongst us Thus much therefore shall suffice in like manner for this third cause wherein yet let ech of us aske of our owne soules whether in such a decay both of the love of the truth and also of holinesse peace and unitie in the Church yea in such danger of our protection to be utterly taken away to passe over that it is so far departed That he that absteineth from evill makes himself a prey and in steed thereof in such an increase of Poperie of licentiousnesse and of all profanenesse such an enmitie against all true pietie with the insolencie of the enemie the Lord doe not call loude upon us all to watch and to pray for the severall removes of the glory amongst us and the evident tokens of the Lords threatned departure which he sheweth in the same CHAP. VI. No priviledges can doe a people any good if they increase in their iniquitie but the moe their mercies have bin the greater is their sinne and the heavier shall their iudgement be when it commeth of what sort soever And what causes we have hence to watch and to pray Vers. 4. And the Lord said unto him Goe through the midst of the Citie even through the midst of Ierusalem and set a marke upon the foreheads of them that sigh and cry for all the abominations which are done in the midst thereof IN the doubling of the speech Goe thorough the midst of the Citie even through the midst of Ierusalem where the Lord adds Ierusalem to make the speech more significant not content to say Goe thorow the Citie but even thorow Ierusalem He would have all to take notice That though Ierusalem was the deerest unto him of all the Cities of the world yet having broken the Covenant on her part and also cast him off and defiled his Sanctuarie he will spare her no longer he will have no more pitie of any save onely of his faithfull ones in her But contrarily he will forsake her cast her off leave her to be destroyed untill the remnant left of her learne to seeke him and to be reconciled to him againe For the Lords speech is thus much in effect Goe through the midst of the city even through Ierusalem which though it be unto me the deerest of all the places in the world the Citie which I had chosen to
prayer for the innumerable mercies and priviledges bestowed upon our Land on the one side and the increase of our sinnes with the tokens of Gods vengeance and our deep securitie on the other side Lest our plagues doe prove greater than the plagues of all other people as much as we seeme to have bin lifted up above most if not all others in blessings in this last and most sinfull age of the world if all our blessings temporall and spirituall be compared togither and considered aright Oh Lord at length open our eyes and then we shall so cleerly see our estate that it will not be any more needfull to cry unto us to awake to watch and to pray CHAP. VII The marking of the godly that is How Gods owne people are marked in the midst of the greatest confusions before the destructions come and what causâ—s every one hath to watch and to pray that he may be so marked Vers. 4. And set it marke on the foreheads of all that mourne IN this Commission to the marking Angell to set a marke on the foreheads of all that mourne The Lord giving such a charge to his holy Angell thus carefully to preserve his chosen from this destruction to goe thorow the Citie and set a marke upon every one of them to overpasse none and also the destroying Angels to follow after the marking Angell so as they hurt none till all the faithfull be marked he would have all to know thus much That he never casts off the care of his people no not then when all things seeme most confused in the earth And secondly when they are so mingled amongst the wicked as that they can hardly be knowne amongst themselves much lesse to the eyes of the world that yet he still tendreth them and watcheth over them continually Thirdly that he will at length make his fatherly care and watchfull providence known unto them and that by some gracious and wonderfull deliverance even in this world if it be so best for them and for his glory And lastly that they evermore must be surely marked before the destruction come The Lord hath bin very carefull to set downe this point also most clearely in every of those great destructions which are recorded in Scriptures for examples and warnings to all posteritie That hereby his owne faithfull servants may receiue comfort against the greatest afflictions that can come upon the world As first in that terrible overflowing in the generall destruction of the old world The waters came not untill Noah had first prepared and finished the Arke and also God himselfe had shut up both him and his in the same so locking and sealing up the dores with his owne hand as that all the waters rage they never so horribly and hoyse him up above the highest mountaines yet cannot hurt him And why dealeth the Lord thus carefully with Noah Thee saith he have I seene righteous before me in this generation that is I have seene they heart sincere and thy purpose and indevour ever to please me not following the course of the times but crying out of the iniquitie thereof beleeving my threatnings and preparing the Arke according to my commandement to save thy selfe and familie from the vengeance to come Secondly in that dreadfull overthrow of Sodome and Gomorrha before the fire and brimstone came upon those filthy Cities Lot must not onely be marked but also gotten forth safe from the destruction The Angels have such a charge of him as that they get him by the hand pull and hale him for haste being far more carefull for him than he is for himselfe and they never leave him till they have safe conducted him out and then bid him hie for his life get him into Zoar. They tell him plainely that the Lords care was so great for him that they can doe nothing in this destruction their hands were tyed untill he be there safe out of all the danger The reason of it also is carefully set downe by the Lord himselfe why he accounted him worthy to escape for that he was a just and righteous man grieved with the uncleane conversation of the wicked his righteous soule was vexed from day to day with all their abominable deeds Thirdly before this destruction the Lord foretold to Ieremie particularly That he would give him his life for a prey in all places wheresoever he came because of his faithfulnesse in sticking to his word and commandement and for his warning the people And so indeed it came to passe that the Lord did not onely preserve him with sundry others fearing his name but gave him also speciall favour in the eyes of the enemies who led them captives So as Nebuchadnezzar himselfe gives charge to Nebuzaradan his chiefe steward to look well to Ieremie to doe him no harme but to doe for him as himselfe would whether to goe home with them into Babylon and there to receive kindnesse or to tarry still in the land of Iudah with the people which should be left there behinde And this mercy did the Lord shew not onely unto Ieremie but unto others also that had bin kinde unto his Prophet As to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian who had spoken for Ieremie to the King of Iudah to get him out of the dungeon to whom also the Lord gave his life for a prey because he put his trust in the Lord. And Gedaliah whose father Ahikam had formerly delivered Ieremie out of danger and from the rage that was against him he is made Governour of them that remained in the Land howsoever he was trecherously slaine not long after So to Baruch in like manner who was Ieremies Scribe and had stucke so close to him in all his troubles God promiseth to give him also his life for a prey in all places wheresoever he came We have likewise the ensamples of Daniel and of his three companions called the three children unto whom besides their preservation from the common destruction in the first Captivitie of Babylon the Lord granted that extraordinarie favour both to be brought up by the King of Babylon himselfe and by his speciall appointment in all excellent learning and so far to surpasse all others as to be most meet for their singular knowledge and understanding to stand with high favour in the presence of that mightie Monarch though otherwise a cruell oppressor of the Church of God who had caried them away captive He gave unto them moreover divine testimonies of his fatherly care and protection in the presence of all his enemies in those miraculous deliverances out of the fierie furnace and from the Lions den because they did cleave so fast unto the Lord that they would not suffer themselves to be polluted with the least part or shew of the Idolatrie of the Heathen The like favour for preservation he granted to Ezechiel and sundry
will there lead you his Angels shall conduct you his Spirit shall support you with joy unspeakable even in the midst of all your tryals untill that your testimonie be fulfilled your warfare accomplished and the crowne of glory set upon your heads you are written upon the palmes of his hands that you shall be ever in his sight And if he let you be taken away by death among the rest yet even death shall be unto you the greatest advantage It shall make an end of all your miseries that you shall not so much as see the evils to come Then will the Lord turne all your sorrowes and feares into abundant joyes and securitie giving you the reward of all your labours and whatsoever else you have hoped and longed after Then shall you finde the fulnesse of those joyes which never eye saw nor ever eare heard nor yet entred into mans heart to consider of And this shall you injoy in his glorious presence with all his blessed Angels and Saints with whom yee shall reigne for evermore But as for all the rest of wicked scoffers and profane contemners of the Lord and of all his mercifull fore-warnings if he in his justice should leave us up to such a judgement to be executed on us through the hellish devices of that bloudie Antichrist whose rage and furie still increaseth as our deliverances and prosperitie have done then must you all know from him be you Atheists Papists belly-gods worldlings that you must looke for your portion to be all alike that shift or flie whither soever you will yee shall never be able to flie from his vengeance Though you could dig to hell as the Prophet Amos speaketh yet his hand should fetch you thence although you could climbe up to heau'n yet thence also he would bring you downe yea though you could hide your selves in the most secret caves among the rocks yet even there should his vengeance finde you out and flying to the uttermost parts of the earth he will still there command the sword the pestilence and famine to pursue you with terrour of heart trembling of conscience untill you be destroyed from the face of the earth The Lord will ever set his face against you for evill and not for good and this is that that you must certainely expect And even for you likewise that thinke you shall doe well enough because you have beene knowne to be so devoted to the Catholike religion as you terme it and to suffer for it doe not imagine your cause shall be any thing the better for this If you beare false hearts to the Lords annointed and to your native country how can you looke that vengeance shall suffer you to live Or can you perswade your selves that a forreine enemie prevailing which evill the Lord still deliver us from should ever trust you whom they found so false to your Prince and countrey Be it so yet if you be knowne to be such as have any wealth if the Lord should for all our provocations permit such a day as they have long looked for have we not just cause to conceive that Papist and Protestant should be all alike and that tho all such should proclaime at each market crosse that they are Catholiques yet that there goods would be the goods of Hugonotes as it was at the French massacre in Paris would not then all such be made Puritanes of the Parliament house the desperatest ding-thrifts and sharpest swords slashing downe and carying all away And although the Lord shall still at the intercession of his most faithful and deere servants as sometimes of Abraham Moses Samuel these mourners preserve us from the bloudy hands of our deadly and most cruell enemies and from ever comming under the Babilonish yoake againe which we ever beg and cry for yet the estate of all you that are the provokers of his Majestie and grievers of his people by your horrible sinnes shall be nothing the better At death a heavier captivitie shall fall upon you when you shall be bound in everlasting chaines of darknesse and reserved unto the judgement of the great day to be tormented for evermore And thus if your sleepie hearts come once to be throughly awaked you shall be sure to live in continuall expectation of vengeance being chased of your owne wicked consciences as 〈◊〉 untill the Lords most just decree be accomplished upon you Then you that could not once sigh or cry to God at all for the abominations and dishonors done unto his Majestie or in fearing his anger but thought this foolishnesse shall have cause inough to call and cry continually in feeling and fearing his most just and heavie indignation with all his fierce plagues due unto you everlastingly But of this we shall speake yet more when we come to the severall miseries which they indured in the Captivitie And thus much may serve for the estate both of the godly mourning for all the abominations and for the rest It may suffice likewise for another most just cause to drive us to watching and prayer with continuall mourning seeing onely the mourners are commanded to be marked to be preserved from the vengeance to come and these are they principally that stay the judgement from rushing upon us at least untill they be so marked and made safe But alas have we not here a new cause to take up a dolefull complaint for the want hereof Where are they who lament for the abominations which we have received from all forreine Nations and wherewith we have so polluted our profession as after will appeare Where are those whose hearts melt to thinke how the law of God is troden under foote and his judgements hastned daily by all our provocations What is become of Moses Samuel Ieremie Paul and of that continuall heavinesse which they were in for the obstinacie of the people Where are the two Prophets prophesiâ—ng after the manner of mourners for the prevayling of that Antichrist and the delusions of Gods people That zeale of Lot for all our unlawfull deeds Are we not come very generally to cry Peace peace and all is well desiring to be at ease as they who trusted in the mountaine of Samaria of whom Amos speaketh and those who cryed the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord Are we not become I meane exceeding 〈◊〉 of us as they who said The Lord will neither doe good nor evill Doe not our lives proclaime it Or as those that spake against Ieremie to â—ull themselves and all others still asleepe saying we shall neither see sword nor famine In a word Is it not with us for the most part as with them that lived immediately before the floud and before the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrha Doe we not eat and drinke marrie and give in marriage as they every man giving up himselfe to follow his owne way and for his owne advantage never regarding
brought upon the world mentioned in his booke In all which he hath left this carefully recorded because he would have all his people to be well acquainted with it As first before the destruction of the old world besides the plaine evidence of Gods vengeance at hand being apparant and almost visible in the strange increase of the iniqvity many of them being become Gyants to set themselves impudently to fight against his Majestie and against all godlinesse contrary to the light of their owne consciences and for that all flesh had corrupted their wayes so as the earth was corrupted and filled with crueltie he also warned them himselfe in a speciall manner by the making of the Arke and by the preaching of Noah And this he did by the space of an hundred and twentie yeeres before which time he gave them to repent striving with them by his Spirit chiefly in the Ministerie of Noah to bring them to amendment Secondly before the Captivitie of the ten Tribes which were caried away by Salmanasar into Assyria from whence they never returned besides many other threatnings dangers warres overthrowes and plagues he also forewarned them long by sundry of his holy Prophets as Ahiah Iehu Eliah Michajâ— Elisha but more specially but even hard before by Obadiah Hosea Amos Ioel Ionah and others By all whom he foreshewed that judgement evidently unto them though they would not obey but hardned their necks and were worse and worse untill the vengeance caried them away Thirdly before this lamentable captivitie of Iudah besides this vision and many others he forewarned them likewise by sundry of his most worthy servants the Prophets raised up extraordinarily and sent unto them crying unto them early and late Prophet after Prophet and that for a long time togither But most plainely by the space of threescore yeeres and more by Esay Ieremie Mica Ezechiel Zephanie and others still proclayming this terrible desolation Although they likewise mocked his servants misused his messengers growing daily worse and worse untill there was no remedie Fourthly before that last and utter subversion of the Iewish nation he forewarned them sundry wayes but in a more speciall manner First by the preaching of Iohn the Baptist threatning them That the axe was then laid to the roote of the trees Afterwards by our Saviour himself over and over most evidently setting downe in plaine termes the manner of their destruction and the grievousnesse of it And to omit all other admonitions by the Disciples of our Saviour and his Apostles Iosâ—phus in his storie records That besides many terrible signes from heaven and earth strange lights in the nights a dreadfull blazing starre over the Temple fearefull sights of chariots and horsemen of fire and an Armie marching towards Ierusalem a hydeous voyce was also heard in the Temple at one of the Feasts saying Let us goe out of the Temple and depart hence There was moreover in a time of their greatest peace plenty foure yeeres before their warre began one of the ruder and meaner sort whose name was Iesus the sonne of Hanani who being come forth of the country to Ierusalem at the Feast of the Tabernacles and going into the Temple began of a sudden to cry out with a loud voyce in this manner A voyce from the East a voyce from the West a voyce from the foure windes a voyce against Ierusalem a voyce against the Temple a voyce against the bridegroome and the bride a voyce against all this people This he continued day and night going thorow all the streets of the Citie And although he was rated and cruelly beaten yet he never gave over going up and downe thâ— Citie thus woe to Ierusalem and the Sanâ—tuarie thereof woe woe to Ierusalem And thus he cryed out especially on their feast dayes and that for seven yeeres and five moneths togither neither was he ever thought to be hoarse or weary but went thus up and downe being taken as a mad man untill in the time of the siege going about upon the wall and crying out lowder than ever before woe woe to the Citie to the Temple and people and at last having added this voyce woe also to me he was smitten upon the head with a stone shot out of an engine that he dyed And last of all when they had suffred most grievous miseries by bloodie dissensions amongst themselves murthering one another and by most pitifull famine as ever was before that they were inforced to eat such things as their soules did abhorre and which bred a most terrible pestilence amongst them immediately before the taking and sacking of the Citie and putting them to the sword a voyce was heard among the Christians which spake to them thus Goe forth to Pella which so soone as the Christians had done the enemie brake in upon them and slaughtered the rest with a most lamentable destruction Fiftly before the last and finall destruction to come upon the world by fire the Lord hath foretold sundry signes and tokens which shall come to passe that none can plead ignorance or have any more excuse Thus the Lord hath bin wont to deale with the wickedest places of all other especially if any of his owne deere servants have bin amongst them As before the destruction of Sodome because his servant Lot was there he will doe nothing untill he hath revealed it to his faithfull servant Abraham Lots uncle that he may intreat for them Afterwards he makes it knowne to Lot himselfe who forewarnes his sonnes in law and daughters to have gotten them all forth of the burning if it had bin possible This he did to Ninivie that proud Citie before he would destroy it for he pittying the great multitude of poore ignorant and simple people which were amongst them in the bowels of his compassion he sends his servant Ionah first to proclaime thorow their Citie Yet fortie dayes and Ninive shall be destroyed And to conclude this point as he forewarned Babylon and other the cruell enemies of his Church of their destructions so he hath as plainely proclaymed his vengeance to come upon the spirituall Babylon which now holding so great a part of his Church in captivitie strives to captivate all the rest that all his owne people may by all means get out of her the rest be left utterly inexcusable This may sufficiently manifest his truth to every conscience that we may boldly conclude this point with the Prophet Amos That the Lord will do nothing in his Church in bringing in any destruction or terrible plague but he will first reveale it to his servants the Prophets He will make his owne faithfull ones to foresee it by one meanes or other so far as shall be for his glory and their good The reasons of it also are most cleare why he will doe it 1. For his chosen sake
among them that he may shew his love to his and the care that he hath for them in the greatest confusions to the end that they may gather themselves unto him before and prepare to be accounted worthy to be hid by him or else delivered or certainely some way finde comfort in the evill day That hereby their love and care may better appeare unto the world in their seeking by all meanes to save and pull others from the vengeance to come More specially that their faith and obedience may be seene to all how they beleeve and feare the Lord and the tokens of his wrath And that they may set themselves to become suters unto the Lord for the rest as Abraham Moses Ieremie and others that so he may either spare all at their supplications and that thereby the world may take notice in what high favour such are with his Majestie even all they who make conscience to walke in his Covenant and endevour to be righteous in their generations when he spares so sinfull a people at their prayers or at least that their prayers may returne into their owne bosomes Secondly the Lord doth use to manifest his judgements aforehand even unto the wicked as we heard and for their causes also howsoever they for the most part use all devises to flatter and harden themselves yea to lull themselves asleepe in their securitie and to blinde their owne eyes left they should see the judgements of God comming upon them and so still perswade themselves that there shall be no such matter And this he doth also to declare the riches of his mercy towards the most wretched sinners and how unwilling he is to take vengeance so long as there is any other remedie or if they will turne unto him in any time This is most apparent in the Lords infinite compassion in sparing Ninivie that proud Citie after Ionah had proclaimed Yet fortie dayes and Ninivie shall be destroyed And also in reproving Ionah for his impatience saying Thou hast had pitie on the gourd for which thou labouredst not neither madedst it to grow which came up in a night and withered in a night and should not I spare Ninivie that great Citie wherein are six score thousand persons which cannot discerne betweene their right hand and their left and also much catâ—le And hereupon it was that God spared it at that time though after when having forgotten that great deliverance they fell into their old sins he tooke vengeance for all as may appeare by the Prophet Nahum executing most severely whatsoever he had formerly threatned He dealeth thus moreover with the very wickedest that every mouth may be stopped and all the world compelled to acknowledge his judgements to be most righteous thus to justifie him therein when no admonition at all will serve So we see how he hath set downe this point most clearely and also the reasons of it and that he hath not bin wont to give any such warnings in vaine or without most dreadfull execution of his wrath where his warnings have not bin regarded Now then to apply this point to our selves we are first wisely to inquire whether the Lord hath not likewise forewarned us that most plainly of some terrible judgments towards this our Nation That if we finde it so we may then all know for certaine that it is full time to look to our selves to betake us all forthwith to such a course as whereby we may either altogither appease his anger or at least in some sort mitigate and asswage it To come to our very consciences Must we not all be inforced to acknowledge and say with the Prophet Amos The lion hath roared who shall not then be afraid The Lord God hath spoken who can but prophecie Hath not the lyon roared upon us sundry times as being ready to crush our bones in sunder or to devoure us at once but principally within our fresh memorie when the proud enemie came against us in their Navie invincible And more also when that long threatned day came whereof the insolent enemie had so much triumphed and for feare whereof the whole Land had trembled for so many yeeres togither But most of all in that more than Babylonish and unnaturall furnace that hellish crueltie from which we were so marveilously delivered in a moment before we felt or so much as feared any such thing at all To omit the insurrection by the rude multitude about the throwing downe of the inclosures the danger whereof all who are wise-hearted did manifestly see if any bloodie enemie had set it on foote to have bin a Leader unto them which issue all neere unto them did very greatly feare had not the Lord so graciously prevented that perill in an instant quencht that fire when the flame was now ready to have brust forth so high that getting above our heads it would have bin hard to overcome it without much blood to have quenched it And to passe over in silence all other the treasonable devises against that our worthy Deborah both before her comming to the Crowne and after that almost never yeere was without some new plot though continuing constant with our God they were never able to touch one haire of her head and since also against our Iosiah the breath of our nostrills of whom we have gloried as Iudah of Iosiah that under his shadow we should be preserved 〈◊〉 amongst our cruellest enemies as we have bin untill this day thorough the endlesse mercy of our God had they not almost taken him in their nets to have made him and all his a perpetuall prey if the watchfull eye of our gracious God had not wonderfully preserved and delivered them But to leave all these Hath not the Lord moreover thundred out vengeance by his heavenly word in the mouthes of all his faithfull servants thorough the whole Land for the abounding of iniquitie and that for many yeeres togither Hath he not besides spoken unto us from heaven as he did to Ierusalem seeming to have inclosed us all in that dreadfull tent spred directly over all our heads and compassing us in round on every side which was so terrible to behold with pillers of horrible darknesse pillers of fire and pillers of blood about some twelvemoneth before the powder-furnace At the beholding of w th most fearfull sight all whose hearts were not utterly sensles could not but tremble for feare of the Lords dreadfull anger for mine owne selfe I remember it well and hope I shall never forget it Did he not also for a long time togither heretofore send most strange lights and flashings in the heavens and even at that very instant of that threatned powder-destruction in a terrible manner Which howsoever they are taken now that they were but ordinarie matters thorough the long continuance of them and