THE Best of Remedies FOR THE VVorst of Maladies OR Spiritual Receipts and Antidotes for the Preservation of a Plague-sick Sinfull Soul Wherein is shown Sin is the Cause and Repentance the Cure of the Pestilence Seasonably Published by a Lover of Peace and Truth and one that desireth that all would though the Lords hand seems to be withdrawn as to the late universally raging Pestilential Disease forsake those Provoking Sins which call for Vengeance and Judgements on the Sons of Men. R. A. LONDON Printed Anno 1667. THE CAUSES CURE OF THE Pestilence THe first Sin which I shall insist upon so highly provoking unto the Lord to send the destroying Pestilence among a people is the sin of Oppression When the Supream Powers and Authorities of a Nation do exercise a Usurpation or Oppession over the Bodies and Consciences of the people of God This was the sin of Pharoah who tyrannized not onely over the Bodies but over the Consciences also of the Children of Israel He sets Task-masters over them to afflict them with their burdens And the Egyptians made the Children of Israel to serve with rigour and made their lives bitter with hard bondage in Morter and in Brick and in all manner of service in the field all their service wherein they made them serve was with rigour By reason of which bondage the Children of Israel sighed and cryed and their cry came up unto God Exod. 1.11 13 14. comp with Chap. 2.23 So Chap. 3.7 The Lord said I have surely seen the afflictien of my people which are it Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of their Task-masters for I know their sorrows And in the 9th Verse Behold the cry of the Children of Israel is come up unto me and I have also seen the Oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them This was an oppression that Pharoah and his cruel Task-masters did exercise over their bodies The oppression that he exercised over their souls and consciences did evidently appear in this The Lord he called and commissionated Moses to go unto Pharoah and he with the Elders of Israel were to say unto him The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us and now let us go we beseech thee three days journey into the Wilderness that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God Exod. 3.18 This they often prest upon him And the reason wherefore they so much urged it is very observable in the 3d. Vers of the 5th Chap. Let us go we pray thee three days journey into the Desart and sacrifice unto the Lord our God lest he fall upon us with Pestilence or with the Sword That is Lest he slay us and destroy us with Pestilence and with the Sword as in Judges 8.21 Pharoah he hardens his heart and is disobedient unto the word of the Lord. And Pharoah said who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go They be idle saith he therefore they cry saying Let us go and Sacrifice unto our God Exod. 5.2 8 17. But the Judgments of God pursuing him at the very heels and the greivous swarm of Flies coming into his house and into his servants houses and into all the Land of Egypt so that the Land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of Flies then he calls for Moses and Aaron that they might go and Sacrifice to God but where in the Land that is in his own Land the Land of Egypt But what said Moses It is not meet so to do for we shall sacrifice the abominations of the Egyptians to the Lord our God Lo shall we Sacrifice the abominations of the Egyptians before their eyes and will they not stone us We will go three days journey into the Wilderness and Sacrifice unto the Lord our God as he shall command us It is not meet or it is not right so to do as being not so appointed of God who called into the Wilderness to Sacrifice Exod. 3.18 Shall we Sacrifice the abominations of the Egyptians That is The Beasts which the Egyptians do worship and do abhor to kill or to see killed for Sacrifice And the Sentence twice repeated may imply two senses 1. Shall we Sacrifice to our God such things as the Egyptians Sacrifice that would be an abomination to the Lord Or 2. Shall we Sacrifice such things as God requireth that would be an abomination to the Egyptians The Scripture often calling the Gods and Services of the Heathens Abominations As Deut. 7.25 and 12.30 31. 2 King 23.13 Ezra 9.1 Isa 44.19 Now the principal Sacrifices of the Hebrews were Oxen and Sheep Gen. 15.9 And all Shepherds or Sheep-keepers were an abomination to the Egyptians Gen. 46.34 For the Egyptians abstained from Sheep and Sacrificed Goats By all which it is very evident that Pharoah denying the Israelites to Worship as God had appointed them did oppress them not only in their bodies but in their Consciences likewise which drew down the dreadful Judgments of God upon him and his Land among which this of the destroying Pestilence For proof whereof see Exod. 3.19 20. I am sure saith the Lord that the King of Egypt will not let you go no not by a mighty hand And what follows I will stretch out my hand and smite Egypt with all my wonders c. So Exod 9.13 14 15. Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews Let my people go that they may serve me for I will at this time send all my plagues upon thy heart c. and especially in the 15. Vers For now will I stretch out my hand that I may smite thee and thy people with Pestilence and thou shalt be cut off from the Earth And in the 12. Chap. and 29. Vers See what a dreadful slaughter the Lord made accordingly in the Land of Egypt And it came to pass that at Mid-night the Lord smote all the first-born in the Land of Egypt from the first-born of Pharoah that sat on his Throne unto the first-born of the Captive that was in the Dungeon and all the first-born of Cattel and there was a great cry in Egypt for there was not a House where there was not one dead See further the severity of God in punishing this sin of Oppression Jer. 34.17 Therefore thus saith the Lord ye have not hearkened unto me in proclaiming liberty every one to his brother and every man to his neighbour Behold I proclaim a liberty for you saith the Lord to the Sword to the Pestilence and to the Famine and I will make you to be removed into all the Kingdoms of the earth So highly displeasing it is unto the Lord for a people to be oppressed either in their civil or spiritual liberties and enjoyments according to that in Psa 12.5 For the oppression of the poor for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him at safety from him that puffeth at him And
unmortified corruptions Ephes 6.18 By it Crosses are prevented removed or sanctified yea all things are sanctified unto us and we are so kept and preserved that we fall not into temptation 1 Tim. 4.5 Mat. 26.41 Yea often times we obtain much more good then we desire or expect Solomon begged onely of the Lord an understanding heart and God gave him both riches and honour which he asked not 1 King 3.13 So able is the Lord to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think Ephes 3.20 So that of Prayer we may say it is a Key to open the door of Gods treasure house a present remedy for an oppressed mind a giver of strengh to the weak and an especial means to make a man fit to live knowingly fruitfully and serviceably to God in every state and condition Col. 1.9 10. What shall I say of it but as one saith well and truly It is Consolatio flentium cura dolentium sanitas aegrotoraem A Comfort for them that mourn the joy of the sorrowful and health for those that 〈…〉 force and efficacy what will 〈…〉 hath it not done It goes through the 〈◊〉 and ceaseth not until it come unto the Lord and if entreaties will not do it will with reverence be it spoken lay commands upon him Isa 45.11 Yea it doth as it were bind up the hands of the Lord and hinder him from executing his judgements overcoming him that overcometh all things Let me alone saith the Lord to Moses or suffer me that my wrath may wax hot against them to wit the Israelites that I may consume them Exod. 32.10 Abrahams prayer had saved Sodom from being destroyed had there been found ten righteous persons therein Gen. 18. Yea it is very observable that the Lord did not leave granting till Abraham left off petitioning By prayer Jacob was delivered from the wrath and fury of his Brother Esau Gen. 32.11 Jonah out of the Fishes belly Jonah 2.10 The three Children from the fiery Furnace Daniel from the Lions Den Dan. 3.6 Jonahs and Pauls Mariners from the danger of the Seas and Joseph and Paul and Silas and Peter and others out of Prison Act. 5.16 By Prayer Eliah stayed the Rain three years and six months and again obtained Rain so that the earth yeilded her fruit James 5.17 By Prayer Elisha had the spirit of Eliah doubled upon him and procured Bears to destroy the mocking Children 2 King 2. raised from death to life the Shunamites Son So Chap. 4. Had the eyes of his Servant opened so that he saw Mountains full of Horses and Chariots of fire round about him and smote the Syrians with blindness which came to take him Chap. 6. By Prayer Joshua commanded the Sun to stand still in the midst of Heaven until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies Josh 10.12 13. By Prayer Isaiah brought back the Sun ten degrees in the Dial of Ahaz 2 King 20 11. By Prayer David frustrated the wicked counsel of Achitophel and often put his enemies to flight 2 Sam. 15.31 and 16.23 and Psa 56.9 by Prayer Hezekiah was delivered from the King of Assyria and his health restored unto him again Isa 37. and 2 King 18. The Ninevites were delivered from the judgements threatned against them Jonah 2. Peter raised Tabitha and Paul Eutichus that had fallen down by sleeping Act. 9.40 and 20.10 The Centâ—rians Servant the Cananites Daughter and Lunatick persons were healed men blind received their sight the stammering and deaf were made to hear and speak Lepers were clensed and certain persons being dead were restored to life again So much availeth Prayer with the Lord if it be servent But to bring it a little more close as to the present visitation of the Lord See of what force and efficacy it hath been with the Lord to appease his wrath and stay the execution of his judgments When the Children of Israel fell a murmuring and had greatly provoked the Lord by their unbelief insomuch that the Lord threatned to smite them with Pestilence and disinherit them Moses falls a pleading and interceeding with the Lord for them Pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy and as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even until now And the Lord said I have pardoned according to thy word Numb 14.12 19 20. So that only those men who brought up the evil report upon the land dyed by the Plague before the Lord vers 37. So in the case of Korah Dathan and Abiram when the Congregation of the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron saying they killed the people of the Lord This so greatly incensed the Lord that he bad them go up from the congregation that he might consume them in a moment Hereupon the Text saies they fell upon their faces and Aaron according to the command of Moses takes his Censer and puts fire therein from off the Alter and put on Incense and made an attonement for the people for there was wrath gone out from the Lord the Plague was begun And Aaron stood between the dead and the living and the Plague was staid Numb 16 45 46 47. This sheweth how greatly the Prayers and actions of Gods Servants do prevail with him when they are faithful fervent and according to his will Jam. 5.16 1 John 5.14 and foreshewed also the power and efficacy of Christs meditation for poor sinners who is represented by the Angels standing at the Altar having a golden Censer and much Incense given unto him to offer it with the prayers of all Saints Rev. 8.3 For God heareth him always John 11.40 And he it is that makes intercession for the transgressors Isa 53.12 and is the attonement or propitiation for our sins 1 John 2.1 and for his sake God before whom the Pestilence goeth in wrath remembreth mercy Hab. 3.2 5. And as the blood of the Paschal Lamb figuring the blood of Christ 1 Cor. 5.7 stayed the Angel which destroyed the Egyptians from touching the Israelites Exod. 12.23 Heb. 11.28 So the smoke of Aarons incense figuring the meditation of Christ Psa 141.2 Rev. 8.4 Stayed the Plague here from the Israelites which survived That as it is written of the Pestilence in Davids time The Lord repented him of the evil and said to the Angel that destroyed the people It is enough stay now thy hand 2 Sam. 24.16 So in this verse the further efficacy and effect of faithful fervent prayer for the removal of this sore visitation of the Lord is clearly held forth in that Prayer of Solomon at the Temples dedication If there be in the Land Famine if there be Pestilence whatsoever Plague whatsoever Sickness there be what Prayer and Supplication soever be made by any man or by all thy people Israel which shall know every man the plague of his own heart and spread forth his hands towards this house Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place and
further in Isa 49.25 26. A dreadful place to all cruel Oppressors of Gods people saith the Lord there I will contend with him that contendeth with thee and I will save thy Children And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh and they shall be drunken with their own blood as with sweet wine And Amos 2.6 Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Israel and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof Why Because they sold the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of shoes So Isa 52.4 5 6. Thus saith the Lord my people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause Now therefore what have I here saith the Lord that my people is taken away for nought they that rule over them make them to bowl saith the Lord and my name continually every day is blasphemed Therefore my people shall know my name therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak behold it is I. By which it is very evident that the Lord does not onely intimate unto us how sorely he plagued the Egyptians because they had grievously afflicted and oppressed his people which voluntarily and of their own accord went down into Egypt but also that he will much more grievously plague the Assyrians that carried them away out of their own Land the Land of Canaan which he had given them for an Inheritance and there dealt so cruelly and unmercifully with them So sorely displeasing is it unto the Lord when those that rule over his people shall make them to howl that is to cry bitterly to mourn and lament so ely as it is rendred Jer. 4.8 and Ezek. 21.12 To this agrees that in the 50th Chap. of Jeremiah and the 33 and 34. Verses Thus saith the Lord of Hosts The Children of Israel and the Children of Judah were oppressed together and all that took them Captives held them fast they refused to let them go Their Redeemer is strong the Lord of Hosts is his name he shall throughly plead their cause that he may give rest unto the Land and disquiet the Inhabitants of Babylon What we may understand by the Lords pleading of the cause of his people here and disquieting the inhabitants of Babylon that oppressed them that of Jerem. 51.35 36. doth evidently declare The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon shall the Inhabitants of Sion say and my blood upon the Inhabitants of Chaldea shall Jerusalem say Therefore thus saith the Lord behold I will plead thy cause and take vengeance for thee and I will dry up her Sea and make her Springs dry When the Lord shall plead the cause of Sion then will he take vengeance for her that is he will avenge himself of his and her cruel oppressing enemies According to that which the Lord of Hosts the mighty one of Israel speaks in Isa 1.24 Ah I will ease me of mine Adversaries and avenge me of mine Enemies This is the time when he will make his Arrows drunk with blood and his Sword to devour flesh And then what follows Rejoyce O ye Nations with his people for he will avenge the blood of his Servants and will render vengeance unto his Adversaries and will be merciful unto his Land and to his people As it is in Deut. 32.42 43. This is that time which is called by the Prophet Isaiah The day of the Lords vengeance and the year of recompenses for the controversies of Sion Isa 34.8 called by Jeremiah the vengeance of the Lord our God the vengeance of his Temple Jer. 50.28 And take notice then how severe the Lord will be He tells us that his Sword shall be bathed in Heaven and it shall come down upon Idumea and upon the people of his curse to Judgement By Idumea we are to understand Edom or the Edomites who were the highest Kindred of the Israelites but notwithstanding they were their greatest enemies and oppressors And therefore said the Lord by the Prophet Obadiah Vers 10. For thy violence meaning the Edomites against thy Brother Jacob shame shall cover thee and thou shalt be cut off for ever And these are a Type and Figure of all the enemies of the Church of God who indeed do boast and brag that they are descended and born of the Church crying up the Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord setting up a Worship of their own devising and are in the practise of Sacraments and Ordinances as the true Church and Spouse of Christ yet indeed and in truth do hate persecute and oppress the true spiritual and sincere worshippers of Jesus Whereby it is very evident what dreadful plagues and punishments the sin of oppression doth bring upon a Land and Nation 2. The second Pestilential sin is the sin of Persecution and hatred against God and his people As God hath his Arrows of his deliverance for the preservation of his people against their enemies 2 King 13.17 So he hath the Arrows of his Indignation and wrath which Job being under a spirit of desertion and temptation apprehended were within him the poison whereof he said did drink up his spirit Job 6.4 So David in the like condition That the arrows of the Lord did stick fast in him and his hand pressed him sore Psal 38.2 And the Prophet Jeremy in his Lamentations He hath bent his bow saith he and set me as a mark for the Arrow He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins Lam. 3.12 13. I say whatever might be the apprehensions of these holy and righteous men yet surely the Lord has his arrows of his sore displeasure and wrath which as the instruments of death he hath prepared and ordained against the Persecutors Psal 7.13 And this of the destroying Pestilence is one of the sorest and sharpest of them as reckoned amongst his four sore judgements Ezek. 14.21 And as the wicked do bend their bow and make ready their arrows upon the string that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart Psal 11.2 So the Lord he has his bow and arrows and his Bow is bent also and his arrows he hath ready Psa 7.12 which he sends out and scatters his enemies with Psal 18.14 With these he breaks their bones and pierces them through Num. 24.8 yea makes them drunk with their blood Deut. 32.42 These are sharp in the heart of the Kings enemies Psal 45.5 The Instruments and means that the Lord makes use of against his enemies are piercing yea so piercing that the heart the closest and strongest part even that wherein life consisteth shall be peirced thereby The arrows of the Lord are like the swords of Saul and Jonathan which did execution and returned not empty 2 Sam. 1.22 You think by flying away and hiding your selves in the thickets of the forrest you shall be secured from the stroke of these arrows of Gods vengeance but know if
come near to you to Judgement and I will be a swift witness against the Sorcerers and against the Adulterers and against False-swearers O that these things were seriously laid to heart by the prophane Cursers and Swearers and False-swearers and the Damme-creatures of our times O that they would consider how their cursed hellish hideous new-invented unheard of Diabolical oaths do now make the Land mourn and those that dwell therein to languish and how near the Lord is come unto them in the terribleness of his judgment Is it not very evident that the Lord for these things hath a controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land 7. The seventh Pestilential destroying sin is the sin of Adultery Fornication and such like corporal uncleanness See this in that 25. of Num. 1 6 7 8. verses When Israel abode in Shittim it is said the people began to commit Whoredome with the daughters of Moab And Zimri and Cosbi being taken in the very act of uncleanness Phinehas the Son of Eleazar the Son of Aaron the Priest when he saw it he rose up from amongst the Congregation and took a Javelin in his hand and he went after the man of Israel into the Tent and thrust both of them through the man of Israel and the woman through her belly So the Plague was stayed thereupon from the Children of Israel yet those that died in the Plague as was mentioned before was no less then Twenty and four Thousand So in the 12. of Gen. 14 15 17. When Abraham came into Egypt with Sarai his wife a fair woman to look upon and she was no sooner beheld by the Egyptians and the Princes of Pharaoh but they commended her before Pharaoh and saith the Text the woman was taken into Pharaohs house that is she was taken away from Abraham into the Royal Seraglio or Palace to be fitted and prepared there according to the Custome of those Countries that the King might take her to Wife as Hest 2.9 In the mean time God provided for Abrahams entertainment and his Wives chastity together for Pharaoh entreated Abram well for her sake And in the 17. verse is is said The Lord plagued Pharaoh and his House with great Plagues because of Sarai Abrams wife What kind of plagues those were is uncertain but doubtless they served as well to hinder and obstruct the abusing of Sarai's body as to punish the King and his Domesticks and Courtiers trespass This great deliverance David celebrateth in Psal 105.14 When they went from one Nation to another from one Kingdom to another People He suffered no man to do them wrong yea he reproved Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm But this is observable that if the Lord was so severe to punish this filthy sin of Adultery or Uncleanness when it was but designedly or intentionally committed and Pharaoh knew not that Sarai was Abrams wife with what severity may we think will he proceed against such who deliberately knowingly delightfully and impudently live in the perpetration and commission of it and when did this sin of Whoredom Adultery and Fornication ever walk upon down so brazen-faced with such an imperious worish forehead as in the men and women of our generation so unsatiable they are in their filthiness and uncleanness Upon which account may not the Lord say to this City of London yea to the Land and Nation in general as he did to Jerusalem in the Prophet Jeremy's time How shall I pardon thee for this thy children have forsaken me and sworn by them that are no gods When I had fed them to the full they then committed Adultery and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots houses They were as fed horses in the morning every one neighed after his neighbours wife Through lustfulness like wanton horses And mark what follows Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord and shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Go ye up upon her walls and destroy but make not a full end take away her battlements for they are not the Lords c. Jer. 5.7 8 9 10. And may we not think the Lord may justly have a controversie with the inhabitants of this Land as he had with the children of Israel in the Prophet Hosea's time And wherefore Because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the land But by swearing and lying and killing and stealing and committing Adultery they break out and blood toucheth blood Therefore shall the land mourn and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish c. Hos 4.1 2 3. So that good Prophet Jeremy Mine heart saith he within me is broken because of the Prophets all my bones shake I am like a drunken man and like a man whom wine hath overcome because of the Lord and because of the words of his holiness For the Land is full of Adulteries Jer. 23.9 10. And in Jer. 13.27 I have seen thine Adulteries and thy neighings the lewdness of thy Whoredoms c. What then Wo unto thee O Jerusalem This though it may have reference to their sin of Idolatry as before which may be called spiritual Adultery yet it cannot exclude that which is corporeal which God will severely punish For Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge as such who shall have no inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God Heb. 13.4 and Eph. 5.5 Thus we see how highly provoking this sin of uncleaness is for the bringing down of National judgements even this of the Pestilence among a people 8. The Eighth Sin that provokes the Lord to send the Pestilence among a people is the sin of Infidelity distrust and murmuring against God notwithstanding the great and marvellous works which the Lord hath wrought for the salvation and deliverance of his people See to this purpose the 13 and 14. chapters of Numbers There were certain men the heads of the children of Israel who by the commandment of the Lord was sent to search and spie out the land of Canaan and being returned they made a rehearsal thereof to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation and brought an evil report upon the land which they had searched saying The land through which we have gone to search it is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature And there we saw the giants the sons of Anak which come of the giants and we were in our own sight as Grashoppers and so were we in their sight This evil report caused all the congregation to lift up their voyce and cry and to murmure against Moses and Aaron saying Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt or would God we had died in this wilderness And wherefore hath the Lord brought us into this land to fall by the sword that our wives and our children should be a prey were it not better
the Lords lawful Governours and Government whether Civil or Ecclestastical in Church or Commonwealth This was the sin of Corah Dathan and Abyram and their copartners mentioned in Num. 16. God had chosen Moses and Aaron to be the cheif Leaders and Governors of his people and placed the Government in their hands both as to the Civil and Religious administration thereof Korah and his companions gather themselves together against them and told them they took too much upon them seeing all the Congregation was holy every one of them and that the Lord was among them wherefore then should they lift up themselves above the Congregation of the Lord But see how highly incensing and provoking was this unto the Lord Separate your selves saith he to Moses and Aaron from among the congregation that I may consume them in a moment and now the Lord he will shew who are his and who are holy and a strange work will he do these men must not dye the common death of all men nor be visited after the visitation of all men but a new thing will the Lord make The earth must open her mouth and swallow them up with all that appertain unto them and they must go down quick into the pit and so they did and the earth closed upon them and they perished from among the Congregation Nor did the punishment of this Insurrection end here but the Lord causes a grievous Plague to break in upon the Congregation And Moses said to Aaron in the 46. verse Take a censer and put fire therein from off the Altar and put on Incense and go quickly unto the Congregation and make an attonement for them and why all this haste For there is wrath gone out from the Lord the Plague is begun And Aaron did so and stood between the dead and the living and the plague was staied Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred besides them that died in the matter of Corah So highly displeasing is it unto the Lord for persons to oppose his lawful Authority and Government which he hath put into the hands of his faithful Ministers and Servants Under which consideration undoubtedly must those Scriptures be comprehended that enjoyn subjection and obedience whether to the Lords Civil or Ecclesiastical Rulers and Governors Rom. 13.1 Tit. 3.1 1 Pet. 2.13 14 15. 1 Thess 5.12 13. Heb. 13.7 17. O that this were seriously and timously considered and laid to heart by all such who flye in the face of Christ and carry themselves contemptuously against his lawful Governours and Government which he hath set in his Churches I mean the Churches of Christ making unjustifiable and dishonorable rents schisms and divisions in the body whereof they are members which should be as the seamless coat of Christ woven from top throughout Joh. 19.23 Of such who despise the Lords Government or Dominion I may say without wronging or injuring of them as Peter of some scandalous backsliding Professors in his time who were spots and blemishes in their feasts of Charity Presumptuous are they and self-willed they are not afraid to speak evil of Dignities 2 Pet. 2.10 13. And while they promise themselves liberty they themselves are the servants of corruption vers 19. They despise Dominion The word it seems signifieth a removing of a thing from its place with some scorn and indignation They would remove the Lords Governors or Rulers over them with scorn and indignation And whereas they are said to despise dominion that is more then to despise their Rulers for they despise not only the Lords Governors but the Government it self And to speak evil of Dignities or to reproach Dignities is in the Original it see us to blaspheme Glories to speak reproachfully of Dominions which are placed in glory amongst men or which are set over them by the Lord in eminency power honour and authority Hence it is that lawful Magistrates ruling in the fear of the Lord are said to be Gods Psal 82.6 And the Lords Ministers and Messengers of Churches are said to be the Glory of Christ 2 Cor. 8.23 And as stars in his right hand are the Angels of the seven Churches Rev. 1.20 All holding forth that Glory and Dignity which the Lord hath conferred upon them And for any persons to rise up as Korah and his complices did against Moses and Aaron though it be in a presumption of their own holiness Numb 16.3 Such are like to perish in the gainsaying of Core as Jude expresseth vers 11. of his Epistle It being very observable how the Psalmist does express this act of Korah's Insurrection or rising up against Moses and Aaron to be no less then an envying of them They envied Moses also in the camp and Aaron the Saint of the Lord. The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the company of Abiram And a fire was kindled in their company the flame burnt up the wicked Psa 106.16 17 18. That example also of Miriam and Aarons speaking against Moses is not to pass without its due observation neither Numb 12.1 7 8 9 10. The Lord giving that testimony of Moses his servant that he was faithful in all his house Wherefore then saith he were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them and Miriam became leprous as white as snow Let such therefore who are guilty in this matter consider how provoking a sin this is unto the Lord and whether they may not have a hand in pulling down this sore visitation among us 14. A Fourteenth Pestilential and highly provoking sin is the sin of Prophanation of Gods holy things and an Over-curious presumptuous speculation and prying unwarrantably into the Secrets of God This was the sin of the men of Ashdod for which the hand of the Lord was so heavy upon them visiting them with greivous plagues when they took the Ark and brought it into the house of Dagon the Temple of their Idol-god and set it by Dagon so sore was the hand of God on them that he smote them with Emrods and destroyed them and such a deadly destruction there was throughout all the City insomuch that the cry of the City went up to heaven 1 Sam. 5. The Ark was a Chest or Coffer which was made of Shittim or Cedar wood overlaid round about with gold whose cover called the Mercy-seat was also of pure gold on which was two glorious Cherubs of gold from whence God gave his oracle Numb 7.89 These Cherubims were placed at the the two ends of the Mercy-seat and they spread out their wings on high which covered over the Mercy-seat with their face one to another Exod. 37.1 2 6 7 8 9. In this were the two Tables of the Law or Testimony put written with the finger of God Exod. 25.16 21. Deut. 10.3 4 10. Between the Cherubims God was said to sit Psal 80.2 There will I meet with thee saith the Lord and
will commune with thee from above the Mercy-seat between the two cherubims which are upon the Ark of the Testimony verse 22. Now this Mercy-seat on which God did thus sit between the wings of the Cherubims was a figure of Christ by whom our transgressions of the law are forgiven and covered who is the propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 2.2 And therefore called the Propitiatory Rom. 3.15 To this glorious seat where Gods presence with his Church was manifested the Throne of God is answerable in the Christian Church in the presence of which Throne his people are and serve him day and night in his Temple Rev. 7.15 17.8.3.21.3 5. Now this Ark being thus a type or figure of Christ and of his Church and of his glorious presence with the same it s no wonder if the Lord shall so severely punish the prophanation of it when men shall set it in the Temple of Dagon Surely if the Ark stand there Dagon must fall yea and it shall fall before the Ark of the Lord which is called the Ark of his strength Psal 132.8 And when the Ark set forward then Moses said Rise up Lord and let thine enemies be scattered and let them that hate thee flee before thee God cannot endure to have his holy things prophaned that the abomination of desolation shall stand in his holy place that men shall set their thresholds by Gods thresholds and their posts by Gods posts by defiling his holy name with their abominations Wherefore saith the Lord I have consumed them in mine anger No surely the place of the soles of his feet where he will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever and his holy name he will not suffer to be defiled but he will beautifie the place of his sanctuary and make the place of his feet glorious Isa 60.13 comp with Ezek. 43.7 8. Let men take heed then of offering strange fire before the Lord which he commandeth them not lest there comes out fire from the Lord and devoureth them as in the case of Nadab and Abihu the sons of Aaron who for this cause died before the Lord. And what said Moses to Aaron thereupon This is that that the Lord spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me and before all the people I will be glorified Lev. 10.1 2 3. So likewise when men will be presumptuously and unwarrantably prying into the secrets of God see how severely the Lord hath punished this evil as in the case of the men of Beth-shemesh said whom the Lord sorely smote because they looked into the Ark of the Lord even he smote of the people Fifty thousand and threescore and ten men and the people lamented because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter And the men of Beth-shemeth said Who is able to stand before the holy Lord God 1 Sam. 6.19 20. So dangerous a thing it is to be over-curiously presumptuous in looking into the Areana Dei the secret and hidden things of God which he hath not revealed Therefore it was that the Lord had commanded that Aaron and his sons even they and not others should take down the covering vail and cover the Ark of the Testimony with it And thus do unto them saith the Lord that they may live and not die when they approach unto the most holy things Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered lest they dye Numb 4.19 20. See also Levit. 8.35 So exact was the Lord for the keeping of his charge It is sad to consider how wise some men have seemed to be above that which is written calculating persons and things and times for the meridian of their own brain like those lying Prophets which the Lord sent not nor spake unto wherefore he complained that they prophesied unto the people a false vision and divination even a thing of nought and the deceit of their heart Jer. 14.14 So in Ezek. 13.6 7 8 9. They have seen vanity and lying divination and they made others to hope that they would confirm the word See now the severe punishment of the Lord against such Behold I am against you saith the Lord God and mine hand shall be upon the Prophets that see vanity and that divine lies they shall not be in the Assembly of my people neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel neither shall they enter into the land of Israel But setting aside such gross lying Prophets it is sad to think how many professing the fear and knowledge of God have been over-curiously prying into Gods secret counsels and the hidden purposes of his minde limiting and prescribing the holy one of Israel advancing and extolling the idle phantasies and enthusiasmes of their own brains more then the declarative mind and will of God contained in the Scriptures of truth But whatever may be mens pretensions to high inward unscriptural revelations of God let us not be believing every such spirit but trying the spirits whether they are of God or no and for this reason Because many false Prophets are gone out into the world 1 Joh. 4.1 And what saith Peter We have also a more sure word of prophesie more sure then the voice which they heard to come from Heaven when they were in the Holy Mount whereunto ye do well saith he that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the Day dawn and the Day-star arise in your hearts 2 Pet. 1.19 Ever remembring that in Deut. 29.29 That secret things belong unto the Lord our God but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever 15. The fifteenth and last thing that I shall briefly speak of as a Pestilential destroying sin is that of Adding or Diminishing from the Word of God for which the Lord Jesus hath threatned such dreadful plagues and punishments For I testifie saith he unto every man that heareth the words of the Prophesie of this Book If any man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this Prophesie What solloweth then God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy City and from the things which are written in this book That man may be said to add that shall mix other things besides what the Lord Jesus hath revealed by his Angel He addeth that adjoyneth a lye For whatsoever is patched to the Scriptures of mens inventions that it might be accounted as divinely revealed or the pure Oracles of God is a lye Such are the Papal unwritten traditions or other writings of men whatsoever which are made with them of like Authority with the written word of God and which added
to the Scriptures are lies So he takes away that not onely derogates from the Divine Authority of Gods book but he also that any ways changeth or maliciously perverteth or contradicteth any thing therein written Christ will have the integrity sincerity and sacred Authority of this Prophesie to be faithfully preserved in the Churches and that the contemners falsifiers and corrupters thereof be no way suffered under the pain of Anathema or dreadful curse For if falsifyers of Coin are lyable unto the civil curse of the law much more shall the Anathema of eternal damnation be inflicted upon the corrupters of the Scriptures which are the words of God These with the Beast and the false Prophet shall the Lord cast into the Lake of fire burning with brimstone Rev. 19.20 This is a dreadful sin drawing down the Lords severest plagues and punishments Therefore take we heed that we add not unto the word which God commands us nor diminish ought from it but that we keep the Commandments of the Lord our God which he commandeth us Deut. 4.2 And mark well the reason that Solomon giveth Every word of God saith he is pure he is a shield to them that put their trust in him And consider what follows Add thou not unto his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a lier Prov. 30.5 6. Having now spoken of the several Sins which so highly provoke the Lord to pour down his sore Judgements even this of the Plague or Pestilence among a people I shall now come to speak of some special spiritual Remedies which may be fitly applied and made use of as Soveraign Antidotes and Preservatives to prevent the further spreading of this pestilential contagious disease among us 1. THe first spiritual Receipt that I shall then prescribe unto thee who ever thou art that gettest in thy hand and readest this little tract Consider seriously and let thy thoughrs dwell long upon those Sins that I have insisted on as such which are the procuring Cause of this so sore a visitation from the Lord and entring into a diligent scrutiny and examination of thine own heart and ways Consider how far thou hast been or art a partaker of those sins which have so highly provoked the Lord to send down this National Judgement of the Plague and Pestilence among us For if we stand guilty of the same Sins how then shall we think to escape the like punishment This was the way and course the Apostle took when speaking of Gods displeasure against the Israelites whereby many of them were overthrown in the Wilderness how does he bring it home by way of special application Now these things saith he were our Examples to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted Neither be ye Idolaters as were some of them c. Neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed and fell in one Day three and twenty thousand Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of Serpents Neither murmure ye as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the Destroyer Now all things happened unto them for enamples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come 1 Cor. 10.5 6 to the 11 and 12. ver So say I as from the Lord. As to the first Pestilentiall sin of Oppression Did the Lord plague Pharaoh and his Land with sore and dreadful plagues even this of the destroying Pestilence for his cruel oppressions which he exercised over the bodies and consciences of Gods people Take heed then that thou art not found an Oppressor of the true worshippers of Jesus the spiritual Israel of God Take heed of exalting thy self against God in seeking still to hold the spiritual Seed under Egyptian captivity and bondage See that thou lets them go to sacrifice to the Lord God as he has commanded them Take heed of ruling over them with rigour and making their lives bitter with hard bondage Take heed ye rich men that ye do not oppress the poor Know that the Lord surely looks upon the afflictions of his people and hears their cry by reason of their Task-masters and will come down to deliver them Exod. 3.7 8. So to those that are the Bishops Elders and Overseers the Spiritual Rulers and Leaders of the flocks of Christ Take heed that ye be not Lords over Gods heritage but examples to the flocks See that ye feed the flocks of God taking the oversight of them not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind 1 Pet. 5.2 3. Take heed that ye do not exercise a dominion over their faith but are helpers of their joy 2 Cor. 1.24 Take heed that ye do not eat the fat and cloath you with the wool and kill them that are fed Take heed that with force and cruelty ye rule not over them So then to all that oppress whether in one kind or another see that ye undo heavy burdens and let the oppressed go free and break every yoke else surely the Lord will visit for these things and his soul will be avenged on such a Nation as this 2. So for the Sin of Persecution and Hatred against God and his people Hath the Lord ordained the Arrows of his Indignation even the Instruments of Death against the Persecutors and will he strike them into the hearts of his Enemies O then take heed that thou art not found a hater of God and a Persecutor of the people of God lest the Arrow of the destroying Pestilence that flyeth at noon day do light upon thee and the Angel of the Lord persecute thee 3. So for the Sin of Murder and Bloodshed Hath the Lord threatned his sore plagues against the Destroyers of his heritage and will he avenge the blood of his Servants at the great whore of Babylons hands and is there a time when the Lord will make inquisition for blood Then beware that thou hast not a hand in killing and destroying the Saints of the most high God And take heed that thou partake not of Babylons sins lest thou receive of her plagues For the Lord will avenge the blood of his Servants and will render vengeance to his Adversaries and will be merciful unto his land and to his people Deut. 32.43 4. So for the fourth Pestilential and highly provoking Sin of Idolatry Was the anger of the Lord so kindled against Israel when Israel had joyned himself to Baal-peor that no less then four and twenty thousand died in the plague And did the Lord plague the people because of the Calf they had made Then beware that ye be not Idolaters as were some of them and provoke the Lord to anger with your inventions For surely the Lord our God is a jealous God his glory he will not give to another neither his praise to Graven Images Isa 42.8 5. So for the Sin of Covetousness and a greedy desire after gain Is
it a sin so abhorring unto the Lord does the wrath of the Lord come upon the Children of disobedience because of it Has the Lord denounced so many woes against it and threatned to smite with his plagues and punishments for it O then beware of Covetousness and being greedy of gain lest thou be a troubler of thine house Prov. 15.27 6. So for the Sin of Cursing and Swearing and False-swearing Is it that because of Swearing the Land mourns and the Lord had a Controversie with the Land because of it And that the Curser shall be cloathed with his Cursing as with a Garment and it shall come into his bowels like water and the Curse shall enter into the house of the False-swearer O then beware that thou art not found in these sins lest these dreadful Judgments of God fall upon thee 7. So for the seventh Pestilential destroying Sin namely the sin of Adultery Fornication and such like corporeal filthiness and uncleanness Did the Lord so severely punish the sin of Zimbri and Cosby who were taken in the act of uncleanness that no less then twenty four thousand died in the plague And did the Lord plague Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abrams wife Then beware thou beastly Adulterer thou filthy Fornicator and unclean Liver lest the like severity of God take hold of thee Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to Fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire Jud. 7. 8. So for the Sin of Infidelity Distrust and Murmuring against God the eighth provoking Pestilential sin Did those men that brought up an evil report upon the good Land distrusting God for all the Signs that he had shewed among them dye by the plague before the Lord And did the Carcasses of those who murmured against the Lord fall in the Wilderness so that that they could not see the promised Land O then take heed how thou cherish a murmuring distrusting and unbeleiving heart against God Take heed of rasing up an evil report upon the good land thereby weakening the hands and discouraging the hearts of those who would be found walking in the beautiful paths of the Lord and be faithful in their generation 9. So for the Sin of Discontent loathing Gods blessings and his provisions and lusting after evil things to satisfie their inordinate desires the ninth provoking Pestilential sin Did the Lord smite the people with a very great Plague for this very evil Then take we heed that we lust not after evil things as they also lusted 10. So for the Sin of Pride Ambition and Vain-glory trusting in an arm of flesh and not relying on the mighty power and faithfulness of God Did the Lord for this sin of David send a Pestilence among the Children of Israel so that there dyed of the people Seventy thousand men O then take we heed of a proud vain-glorious spirit and that we trust not in an arm of flesh 11. So for the Sin of Apostacy Back-sliding and Revolting from God Did the Lord often threaten that for this sin he would consume them by the Sword the Famine and the Pestilence O then take we heed that we do not Apostasie and Back-slide in our spirits from the Lord. 12. So for the Sin of Rebellion and Obstinate Disobedience against God and his Commandments Did the Lord for this sin threaten that he would send the Pestilence among them and make it cleave unto them until he had consumed them O then beware that thou sin not against God and his Commands with an Obstinate Rebellious and disobedient heart 13. So for the Sin of Insurrection and rising up against the Lords lawful Governours and Government Did the Lord so severely deal with Corah Dathan and Abiram and their Complices and Co-partners for this evil not visiting them after the common visitation of men causing also the Plague to break in among them so that there died thereof Fourteen thousand and seven hundred O then take we heed of this so highly provoking Pestilential sin 14. So for the Sin of Prophanation of Gods holy things and an Over-curious Presumptuous speculation and prying unwarrantably into the secrets of God Was the hand of the Lord so heavy upon the men of Ashdod and also upon the men of Beth-shemish for this sin so that he smote them with a deadly destruction even of the people Fifty thousand and threescore and ten O then see that we are not guilty of this so highly provoking Pestilential sin 15. So for the last Pestilential destroying Sin of Adding or Diminishing from the word of God for which the Lord hath threatned such dreadful plagues and punishments O take thou heed of this so highly provoking sin lest the Lord add unto thee his plagues and take away thy part out of the Book of Life Having now seriously considered what those sins are that so highly provoked the Lord to send down this sore visitation of the Plague or Pestilence among a people see I say that thou enter then into a diligent search and examination of thine own heart and ways to find out the sin or sins which thy Conscience shall tell thee thou standest guilty of before the Lord Whether it be the sin of Oppression Persecution Murder Idolatry Adultery Covetousness Cursing or Swearing Infidelity Discontent Pride Apostacy Disobedience or any other of the forementioned provoking evils And see that thou art very exact and not slight and superficial in this manner of self-examination This is the exhortation of the Lord by his Prophet Zephaniah Chap. 2.1 2. Gather your selves together yea gather together O Nation not desired thus is it rendred in our Translation but other Traslations read it thus Search your selves narrowly yea search your selves narrowly O people not worthy to be desired Before the Decree bring forth before the day pass as the chaff before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you I finde the Hebrew word signifies thus much First To gather your wits together that was before dispersed upon vanity Secondly To frame your selves to purge away your spiritual chaff Thirdly To search narrowly as for a lost jewel or hid mine The true sence is Enter into your selves search try and examine all your ways and doings that ye may rightly understand how heavily and greivously God must needs be offended with your great and manifold sins And mark the reason why they should be so diligent and industrious in this work Before the Decree bring forth That is before that doth come to pass which is decreed by God against you Gods Decree is then said to bring forth when it cometh to be executed As the bringing forth of a woman doth not follow presently after the conception but in the appointed due time So also is the Decree of God not brought to light by the execution of it until the time determined and appoined by
treacherous and vile put up Davids prayer unto the Lord. in Psal 139.23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts And see if there be any way of wickedness in me and lead me in the way everlasting If there be any pernicious hurtful or oppressing way in me and lead me upod the way of eternity upon that way which may lead me to eternal life But know that if thou wilt be careless and neglectve still of this so necessary a work and put the Lord upon it he will then make a very strict and diligent search and see what will be the sad event and consequent of it Zeph. 1.12 And it shall come to pass at that time that I will search Jerusalem with candles and punish the men that are settled on their lees that say in their heart The Lord will not do good neither will he do evil And what follows Therefore their goods shall become a booty and their houses a desolation they shall also build houses but not inhabit them and they shall plant vineyards but not drink the wine thereof Then the mighty man shall cry bitterly And God wyll bring distress upon men that they shall walk as blind men because they have sinned against the Lord and their blood shall be poured out as dust and their flesh as the dung and at that time neither their their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lords wroth but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousie For he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land And when is this time that the Lord will make this strict and diligent search as with candles ver 7. declares it It is in the day of the Lord when he prepareth a sacrifice and shall bid his guests And in that day of the Lords sacrifice then will be punish the Princes and the Kings children and all such as are cloathed with strange apparel that leap on the threshold and fill their Masters houses with deceit O England then be exhorted to consider thy ways that thou mayst find out thy hideous provoking abominations before the Lord make a speedy riddance This is the first spiritual Receit I would prescribe unto thee The Second Receit Having made this diligent search lnto thine own heart and found out thy soul-pestilent sores then the next spiritual Receit I shall prescribe unto thee Is a good draught of a sound and sincere Repentance Which if sound and sincere will operate these four things in thee First A kindly mourning in secret before the Lord 1. For thine own iniquities 2. For the sins and abominations of the times Secondly It will breed a hatred and abhorrency in thy heart against those evils together with an humble confession and acknowledgement of them Thirdly A willing forsaking and renunciation of them Fourthly A returning unto the Lord with all thy heart Surely as to this Receit we may write a Probatum est it s a tried Receit a sure Remedy a soveraign Plaister for this running sore Repent and turn your selves from all your trangressions saith the Lord so iniquity shall not be your ruine Ezek. 18.30 So in v. 32. Turn your selves and live ye for why will ye die O house of Israel But more particularly to the several branches of Repentance as they are laid down First then see that the true sense of thy sin does work thy heart to a kindly mourning and sorrowing for the same in secret before the Lord. This sorrow and contrition for sin will I say evidence the soundness and sincerity of thy Repentance when thou canst mourn before the Lord not onely in respect of the danger which thou hast incurred by reason of thy sins to wit the curses of this life temporal death and eternal plagues and torments in another world but also that thou hast so unkindly grieved and provoked so good a God so compassionate a Father so gracious a Redeemer so blessed a Sanctifier and incurred the loss of so great a God even the favour of so good and gracious a God that taketh no pleasure in the death of the wicked Ezek. 33.11 This is that godly sorrow that the Apostle Paul speaks of 2 Cor. 7.10 11. that worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of the notable effects whereof are there also demonstrated and declared which will be of such singular efficacy and force to quench the fire of the Lords indignation and wrath now broken out among us In the seventh of Ezekiel the Lord threatning the final desolation of Israel telling her that her end was come and that he would judge her according to her ways and recompence upon her all her abominations That the Sword was without and the Pestilence and Famine within and that he that was in the field should die with the sword and that he that was in the City Famine and Pestilence should devour him In verse 16. he tells us That they that escape of them meaning those that should escape the common calamity of the Sword Pestilence and Famine they shall be on the mountains like Doves of the valleys all of them mourning every one for his iniquity that is for his own iniquity shall every one mourn as Doves of the valleys The word signifieth a making a stir by sighing whining and howling So Hezekiah in the time of his sickness tells us That he did mourn as a Dove Isa 38.14 Such will be the gratious temper and disposition of soul of the Lords escaped ones They shall mourn every one for his own iniquity as Doves in the Valleys in their secret retirements with the Lord the sence and remembrance of their sins in dishonouring and grieving so good and gratius a God will make them to sob and sigh and even to howl before the Lord. So did Ephraim when he repented and turned unto the Lord. I have surely heard Ephraim saith the Lord bemoaning himself Jer. 31.18 In this spirit and temper will the Loeds escaped remnant be found in So in Israels restauration when the Lord shall gather them from the Coasts of the Earth in what spirit shall they then be found They shall come with weeping saith the Lord and with supplications will I lead them as in the 9th vers of the same Chap. with weeping for their sins and with supplications or petitions unto the Lord for mercy and pardon And suitable to this is that in the 3d. of Zephan 18. I will gather them that are sorrowful saith the Lord for the solemn assembly to whom the reproach of it was a burden Those that are sad and sorrowful because they are obstructed and hindered from meeting in the Temple of God in the Assemblies of his Saints for the solemn worship and service of God when they must converse with and among such scoffing Companions which make but a mock and derision of God and his Word In this gratious temper
were not carnal but mighty through God 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons which they used by the Gospel of Christ to convert men and to bring them under the Kingdome and obedience of Christ were not carnal that is such as natural and worldly men are wont to make use of either by eloquence or deceit or by force to bring others in subjection under them but mighty or powerful through God in moving and convincing of the hearts of men by his Spirit Act. 16.14 Surely if these things were seriously laid to heart we must needs acknowledge that the sins of professing people as well as others have been highly provoking unto the Lord as to the drawing down of this sore visitation of the Plague among us And this may put us to silence that we murmur not and will justifie the righteousness of God in the way of his severity as he now comes forth against many of his own people For we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 3.23 And what says the Lord by the Prophet Amos. All the sinners of my people shall dye by the sword which say The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us Amos 9.10 So the Lord by the Prophet Jeremy complains For among my people are found wicked men they lay waite as he that setteth snares they set a trap they catch men As a Cage is full of birds so are their houses full of deceit therefore they are become great and waxen rich They are waxen fat they shine they overpass the deeds of the wicked they judge not the cause the cause of the fatherless yet they prosper and the right of the needy do they not judge And mark what follows Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Jer. 25.26 27 28 29. And who gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the robbers Did not the Lord he against whom we have sinned for they would not walk in his ways neither were they obedient unto his law And consider well what follows Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger and the strength of battle and it hath set him on fire round about yet he knew not and it burned him yet he laid it not to heart Jsa 42.24 25. So Jeremy the 12.7 I have forsaken mine house I have left mine heritage I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hands of her enemies And what may we gather from all this Surely thus much That no near relations as to God or any external priviledges can yeild a protection from a sin-deserved correction Remember Lots wife Luk. 17.32 Vengeance closely waits on disobedience Punishment doth dog impiety For this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep saith Paul to the Church of Corinths speaking of eating and drinking unworthily at the Lords Table 1 Cor. 11.29 30. God is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity with any approbation or tolleration as to his own peculiar people If his children forsake my law speaking of David and his seed as a Type of Christ and the true spiritual seed and walk not in my judgments If they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments What then says the Lord Then will I visit their transgression with a rod and their iniquity with stripes Psal 89.30 The Lord hath laid righteousness to the rule and waighed his justice in a ballance and his judgments are right and in faithfulness he doth afflict Psal 119.75 His sentence is past forth and stands irrevocable Tribulation and anguish upon every soul that doth evil Rom. 2.9 If we sin we shall suffer How Aut a Deo vindicante aut ab ipso homine penitente as one says excellent well Either from God revenging or themselves repenting For he that repenteth himself of his sins doth punish himself for his sins And now O England if thou repent not let me say unto thee as the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 10.2 to the men of that generation What wilt thou do now in the day of thy visitation and in the desolation that shall come from far To whom wilt thou flee for help and where will ye leave your glory O then bethink thy self yet before it be too late before the wrath of the Lord break out so that their will be no remedy O gather thy self together O Nation not desirous before the Decree bring forth before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon thee before the whole Land be devoured by the fire of his jealousie before he make a speedy riddance of all that dwell in the land As the Lord by the Prophet Zephaniah exhorts Chap. 1.18 Chap. 2.1 2. O then return unto the Lord thy God for hou hast fallen by thine iniquity Take unto you words and turn unto the Lord say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us graciously Hosea 14.1 Suitable to which is the Churches exhortation Come and let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will bind us up Hosea 6.1 This is the way the Lord himself propounds for the removal of his sweeping devouring Judgments Turn ye even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning and rent your heart and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God who knoweth if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him Joel 2.12 13. Let the King lay his robe from him and cover him with sackcloth and sit in ashes let man and beast be covered with sackcloath let there be some demonstrative tokens of a more then ordinary sorrow and humiliation for each and every ones so highly provoking sins Let all cry mightily to God yea let them turn every one from his evil way and from the violence that is in their hands Who can tell if God will turn and repent and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not This will move Gods repentings towards us this will divert his wrath Jonah 3. and the latter end Jer. 31.20 And that you may not question the truth and certainty of it in the least will you consider that the Lord stands engaged by his unalterable word and promise to make it good If I shut up heaven saith he that there be no rain c. Or if I send Pestilence among my people if my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways What then will he do Then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land 2 Chron. 7.13 14. Wherefore let that counsel be acceptable to all which Daniel gave to King Nabuchadnezzar O King break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility Dan. 4.27 As if he had said If thou wilt follow the
counsel that I give thee then there is hope that God will have mercy upon thee and lengthen thy peace rest and prosperity And if thou wilt break off thy sins by righteousness then thou must not onely loose the bands of wickedness but thou must undo the heavy burdens also and let the oppressed go free and break every yoke Thou must deal thy bread to the hungry and bring the poor that are cast out to thy house when thou seest the naked thou must cover him and not hide thy self from thy own flesh Isa 58.6 7. And surely if this counsel be timously accepted O people of England O City of London though thou hast trespassed greivously against the Lord and broken the Covenant of thy God and the hand of the Lord is gone out against thee and death is come up into thy Windows yea even entred into thy Palaces Jer. 9.21 Yet know that if thou humblest thy self and repentest there is hope in Israel concerning this thing Ezra 10.2 And O that thou mayst know even in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace before they are hid from thine eyes And think not that your flying away can secure you his hand knows how to find you out Whether canst thou go from his spirit or whether canst thou flee from his presence Psal 139.7 And know assuredly that if thou art still an enemy and a hater of God and goodness his hand will find thee out Psal 21.8 Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee Thou shalt make them as a fiery Oven in the time of thine anger the Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath and the fire shall devour them And as Job saith His eyes are upon the ways of man and he seeth all his goings There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves Job 34.21 22. And though thou exalt thy self as the Eagle and though thou set thy nest among the stars thence will I bring thee down saith the Lord Obad. vers 4. And know whosoever thou art though thou rufflest it in thy gallantry and pride if yet thou puts far away from thee the evil day and causest the seat of violence to come near that liest upon thy bed of Ivory and stretches thy self upon thy Couch and chaunts to the sound of the viol and drinks wine in bowls and anoint thy self with the cheif oyntments but greivest not for the afflictions of Joseph that the judgment of God will pursue thee at thy very heels And if thou repentest not but shalt still bless thy self in thy heart saying Thou shalt have peace though thou walkest in the imaginations of thy own heart to add drunkenness to thirst The Lord will not spare thee but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against thee and all the curses that are written in the Book of God shall lye upon thee and the Lord shall blot out thy name from under heaven Deut. 29.19 20. The Third spiritual Receit When in the conscionable use of the former means thou findest that this bitter pill or potion of Repentance hath begun to operate upon thy heart so as to cause it to melt and mourn kindly before the Lord then in the next place take a good draught of Faith in the blood of Christ and put therein also a good quantity of Beleif in the power faithfulness and promises of God in Christ This through the blessing of God will make this bitter pill to work strongly and effectually to the expelling of all those virulent obnoxious and malignant humours that are such great enemies to a healthful and sound constitution of soul and body which if unexpelled that they grow to some head and strength they will have a very strong influence upon thy spirits to contract this sore Pestilential distemper to the endangering oftentimes of the loss and ruine of the whole man soul and body to all eternity First Then this Faith in the blood of Christ rightly applyed unto thy soul is and hath been always a very soveraign Receit and a precious Antidote to expell 1. All the fiery assaults of Satan 2. The venome and malignity of sin And therefore among all the several choise peices of our spiritual Armory laid down in the 6th of the Ephesians This is recommended as the most choise and principal peice among them all Above all taking the sheild of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked Some translate it in all as if he had said in all things whatsoever you do see that you use the sheild of faith to all as if he had said to all other Graces add this above all which is more emphatical for hereby all the imperfections of the rest of the Armes are covered and we are best defended against all the fiery darts and assaults of Satan that is his poysonous darts which by their venome inflame the soul The Apostle alludes to the custome of old in times of war who by their darts shot fire or else when they dipped the heads of their arrows in poison and shot them at their enemies they even fired their flesh To prevent which it is said that the Souldiers made them large sheilds of raw Neats-leather which might cover the whole body so that when the fiery venemous darts lighted upon them they were presently quenched All which agrees well with the nature of Satans temptations which as poison and fire do wound and pierce the soul if they be not stopped and quenched by the sheild of faith when they hit upon it So in the 1 Pet. 5.8 The Apostle directs to the making use of this most excellent peice of a Christians armour of proof speaking of our adversary the Devil who as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour This counsel he gives That we resist him stedfastly in the faith Resist the Devil saith James and he will flee from you Jam. 4.7 Resist him when he tempteth and enticeth thee to fullfil thy fleshly lusts and to seek after the freindship of the world And he will flee from thee he will run away if thou withstand him oppose him and set thy self as it were in battle array against him thou wilt find him as very a coward as ever any that handled a weapon thou wilt make him run away presently But that you may resist him and foil him you must be sure to resist him and that stedfastly in the faith if you make use of this weapon he will never be able to encounter with you Faith will foil him By this weapon the Saints always overcame him Rev. 12.11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. And how by the blood of the Lamb Satan will tell thee thou art a vile filthy polluted and abominable wretch a great and hainous sinner but faith in the blood of Christ will tell him that
furnace and he will deliver us out of thine hand O King They served God and they knew that God was able and of power sufficient to protect them in the service of him Dan. 3.1 11 16 17. To this purpose when our dear Lord would encourage his Apostles and the subsequent Ministers of the Gospel to be faithful in the execution of his commands and the trust committed unto them He tells them that all power was committed unto him in Heaven and in Earth And therefore go teach all Nations and Baptise them c And teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and loe I am with you allway even unto the end of the World Mat. 28.18 19 20. As if he had said Do you faithfully and couragiously execute the Commission I have given you and be assured you shall never want my all-sufficient power and presence to support you I will make all the power I have in heaven and earth concurring in a way of serviceableness unto you O come let us sing unto the Lord saith the Psalmist let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation Shall we fear to serve that God who is the Rock of our Salvation Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving c. Why For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all Gods in his hand are the deep places of the earth the strength of the hills is his also the sea is his and he made it and his hands formed the dry land If the Lord whom we serve is so great a God so great a King above all Gods above all Angels Princes and Potentates of the World and above all that is called God O then with what thankfulness and chearfulness of spirit should we come into his presence O come let us Worship and bow down let us kneel before the Lord our Maker Why for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hands whom he makes to lye down in green Pastures and leadeth besides the still waters Psa 95.1 to 7. So in Psa 96.6 it is said Honour and Majesty are before him strength and beauty are in his sanctuary Where is the beauty of Gods face seen and his power and strength displayed as in his Sanctuary to wit his Tabernacle his Temple the Congregations and Assemblies of his Saints God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence by all them that are about him and why why who in Heaven can be compared unto the Lord Who among the Sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord Psa 89.6 7. And therefore it is that the Lord hath spoken saying I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me Lev. 10.3 When a fire went out from the Lord and destroyed Nadab and Abihu the Sons of Aaron for offering strange fire before the Lord Lev. 10.1 2 3. To which I suppose that place in the Hebrews hath a special reference where the Saints being exhorted to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear urges this as a strong motive thereunto for our God saith he is a consuming fire Heb. 12.28 29. Thus you see how requisite it is to be acting Faith in the power and soveraignty of God when we draw nigh to him in the solemn duties of his Worship and service and what an encouragement it is to be fearing the Lord and serving of him in sincerity and truth with all our hearts considering what great things he hath done for us 1 Sam. 12.24 5. Act faith in the mighty power of God in times of suffering So the Apostle James speaking of the cruelties that were exercised against the Saints in those days how they had condemned and killed the just and they could not resist them He exhorts them to be patient to the coming of the Lord and why to the coming of the Lord Because when he comes he will come with power and great glory Mat. 24.30 When he comes hee 'l take to him his great power and reign Rev. 11.17 When he comes he will come with ten thousand of his Saints What to do To execute Judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed c. Jude vers 14 15. When he comes he will come with fire and with his chariots like a Whirlwind to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire Isa 66.15 When he comes he will come with vengeance even God with a recompence he will come and save you Isa 35.4 And then the hand of the Lord the power of God shall be known towards his servants and his indignation towards his enemies Isa 66.14 So the Author to the Hebrews when he exhorts the Saints to a patient suffering and undergoing of the Cross of Christ what Argument does he use even this For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Heb. 10.37 The Apostle would have all the suffering Saints to be acting faith in a powerful Redeemer even in him who is mighty to save That will tread down the people in his anger and make them drunk in his fury and will bring down their strength to the earth Isa 63.6 So the Apostles when the Priests and Rulers of the people had laid hands on them and put them in hold for teaching the People and Preaching through Jesus the resurrection from the dead and had further threatned them for speaking any more in the name of Jesus and had let them go what Arguments in Prayer do they use Lord thou art God which hast made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and all that in them is Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said why did the Heathen rage and the people imagine vain things The Kings of the Earth stood up and the Rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ For of a truth against thy holy Child Jesus whom thou hast annointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done And now Lord behold their threatnings Act. 4. Though they had to deal with great and potent Adversaries yet they well knew that God was above them and that their rage and fury was not so much against them as against the Lord Jehovah himself and against his Christ whom he had anointed to be the chief Priest and Prophet and King of his Church who could easily break them with his rod of Iron and dash them in peices like a Potters Vessel They knew that the Lord whom they served was able to deliver them as Daniel out of the Lions mouths So it is said of Moses and laid down as a singular act of Faith in him that he forsook Egypt and feared not the wrath of the King for
Gods faithfulness is engaged to make it good whence is that exhortation of the Apostle 1 Pet. 4.16 19. In the 16. verse he tells them That if any man suffer as a Christian and not as an evil doer let him not be ashamed saith he but let him glorifie God on this behalf And then in the 19. verse Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator God is not onely a powerful Creator 〈◊〉 also a faithful Creator a sure Preserver who will faithfully recompense all your hard services and sufferings you undergo for his sake He is as faithful as he is able according to that of Paul to Timothy encouraging him to be a partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel and speaking of his own sufferings upon the same account Nevertheless saith he I am not ashamed for I know whom I have beleived and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day 2 Tim. 1.12 And what was that which he had committed to Gods custody His Soul saith one himself which is all one saith another his works saith a third a fourth saith his sufferings a fifth his salvation All which put together he committed unto God his soul himself his doings his sufferings his salvation his all And he was perswaded he was as able as faithful and as faithful as able to keep that which he had committed unto his trust The Gospel that the Lord had committed to his keeping and his Soul he had committed unto Gods keeping And because the Apostle Peter knew that God was a faithful Creator therefore did he encourage the Saints suffering according to the will of God to commit the custody of their souls unto him who as he had created them immortal souls so he would not leave them as Masons and Carpenters leave their houses which they build but would faithfully keep and and preserve them As the Lord himself declares speaking of his Vineyard of red wine his Church whether red upon the account of the preciousness of its fruits or else of its bloody sufferings I the Lord do keep it saith he I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day Isa 27.2 3. Fourthly and lastly We are to act faith in the Promises of God whether they are such as are of a temporal or of a spiritual and eternal concernment and know for thine everlasting comfort thou beleiving Soul that as the promises of God are the ground of our hope and the object of our faith Psal 119.49 Heb. 10.35.36 and chap. 11.11 So are they all firm and irrevocable in Christ For all the promises of God in him that is in Christ are yea and in him are Amen unto the glory of God c. 2 Cor. 1.20 They are not yea and nay but in Christ they are yea that is true in the event and as to their performance And Amen that is stable and firm being made and performed in and for Christ For even as Christ is always the same in Gods promises which are unchangeable so are all Gods promises of our salvation firm and certain in Christ and as certain so are they general and indefinite and made to all that shall beleive excluding none but those that are finally impenitent Consider a few of them to this purpose Hee every one that thirsteth Come ye to the waters and he that hath no money Come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price Incline your ear and come unto me hear and your souls shall live and I will make an everlasting covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Isa 55.1 3. So Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Mark 16.16 He that beleiveth and is baptized shall be saved but he that beleiveth not shall be damned 1 Joh. 2.1 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely but also for the sins of the whole world Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever beleiveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 5.24 Verily verily I say unto you He that heareth my word and beleiveth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life Joh. 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out v. 40. And this is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and beleiveth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day vers 47. Verily verily I say unto you he that beleiveth on me hath everlasting life Act 40.43 To him meaning Christ give all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever beleiveth in him shall receive remission of sins 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the World to save sinners of whom I am chief who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time Isa 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins So Chap. 44.22 I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins return unto me for I have redeemed thee Heb. 8.8 Behold the days come saith the Lord when I shall make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah For this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days saith the Lord I will put my Laws into their mind and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people and in the 12. verse For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more These are some of those sweet soul-supporting promises which are made indefinitely to all and have their yea and Amen in Christ excluding none but the wilful and final impenitent and unbeleiving sinners But perhaps thou wilt say thou hast relapsed and fallen into sin again after repentance and thou thinkest thy relapses cannot be pardoned Remember that men who have not a drop of mercy in comparison of God are obliged to forgive the repenting offender though he offend seventy seven times God much more who is infinite in mercy hath bound himself by his most firme and faithful promises 1 Joh. 1.9 and 2.1 Upon true and renewed repentance often to forgive and forget the same sin iterated again and again Luk. 17.3 4. That though thy sins were as Crimson they shall be made as white
therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus a right and freedom to enter in with our persons hereafter and now by our Prayers let us draw neer with a true heart with full assurance of faith He hath given us two great friends of his for our Advocates the one at his own right hand in heaven moving and negotiating and always appearing for us the other seated in our breasts his holy spirit making intercession for us Yea the Fathers own heart is full of love brim full and running over and he loves to hear his children reason it out with him and he doth of set purpose delay to grant their requests sometimes because he loves to hear often from them to hear their voices and see their faces Cant. 2.14 to hear what they can say for themselves and so he dealt with the woman of Canaan in those several repulses he gave her Mat. 15.22 23. Acquaint thy self then with him and be at peace thereby good shall come unto thee Job 22.21 O the secret intimate and heavenly familiarity that is betwixt God and the gratious beleiving soul It is said of Moses that the Lord spake unto him face to face as a man speaketh unto his friend Exod. 33.11 That is plainly familiarly The like phrase is used of speaking mouth to mouth My servant Moses saith the Lord is not so who is faithful in all mine house With him will I speak mouth to mouth even apparently and not in dark speeches Numb 12.7 8. Well then if thou makest God thy habitation thou wilt not thou canst not be a stranger to God thou wilt have some intimacy with him some secret talk and communion with him thou wilt ever and anon be opening thy heart unto him and be pleading and expostulating the case with him Daniel could not be restrained from this though he knew the decree or writing was signed that whosoever should ask any petition of any God or Man for thirty days save of the King Darius he should be cast into the Den of Lyons But he goes into his House and kneels upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did aforetime Dan. 6.10 he would rather dye then omit his wonted Worship and that close intimate communion he had with the Lord in prayer And it must needs be so for howsoever natural men and worldlings out of their obnoxiousness and secret terror do slavishly retire and do not willingly neither dare they draw near to that God which to them is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 Yet all these who have truly tasted how gracious the Lord is shall find their hearts out of a secret sence of Gods love unto them first kindly inflamed with infinite desire to live under the comfortable influence of his pleased countenance to enjoy his holy Majesty with constant peace and an humble spiritual access and acquaintance continually His spirit of Prayer infinite love yea all his loving kindness protections preservations bounty patience divine illuminations spiritual blessings exercise of repentance temptations and troubles from Satan pressures and oppressions from the world loss of inward peace faintness of faith want of spiritual strength assault of some special sin sweetness of meditation daily favours showred down without number and above measure the forethought of the great and last account motions of the blessed spirit spiritual desertion c. but above all the unutterable and inexpressible blessedness goodness and excellency of that highest Majesty it self are and should be quickening and powerful motives to drive us frequently and incessantly unto God Object But perhaps thou wilt say It is true the righteous may be thus familiar with him plead with him and not be cast in their suit But where are those righteous ones And who are they for it is not so with me God be merciful to me a greivous sinner I dare not be so bold with him Mine iniquity stops my mouth Answ I answer Every one that hath a share in yea a sincere desire after the righteousness of Christ is righteous before him and may in that righteousness plead and prevail and as a Prince have power with God For this is his own righteousness of his own contrivance and appointment The righteousness which is of God by faith Phil. 3.8 9. A righteousness spun and woven out of his own bowels and the obedience of his dear Son a better then ever came upon the back of Angels for which the personal and legal righteousness of a Paul of an Angel is to be abandoned Evangelical being far better then Angelical righteousness Thou canst not miss a blessing in his garments who is not ashamed to be called thine Elder Brother who came to change cloaths and places with thee and to take all upon himself that thou mightest escape The Father cannot but be well pleased with the smell of his Sons raiment and he sits too upon a Seat of Judgement and must do thee right and Justice it self which will not be twice paid is as much for thee as much thy freind as Mercy Rom. 3.26 He is just and yet nay therefore a justifier of him that beleiveth in Jesus So that if thou art not utterly shut up in unbeleif if there be but the least spark of true faith alive in thy heart thou mayst go boldly and plead and prosper Object 2. But I have nothing to say for my self my heart is dryed up like a Potsheard and withered like grass I have sin'd away all arguments and must never open my mouth any more before him Answ True not to boast but to plead thou mayst And hast thou nothing to offer not a sigh nor the groanings of thy soul Let the sighings of the Prisoner come before thee saith David Psal 79.11 And for the oppression of the poor and for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord himself Psal 12.5 I will set him at safety from him that puffeth at him We own help from the spirit when we are enlarged He helps us even when we are straightned Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought no not Paul and the Apostle but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Rom. 8.26 with unutterable straightnings Our enlargements may be but the flowings of the Gifts of the Spirit but our inward pinchings and coarctations may be the Intercession of the Spirit it self the more immediate operations of the Spirit And we forget that there is such a Prompter behind the Hangings such an Interpreter as his Title signifies as well as a Comforter Ille suggerit vobis omnia He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance Joh. 14.26 such an Interpreter I say to make known the mind of God to us and ours to him and as he betrayes the secrets of God to the Saints so he rips up their hearts before God
self with the overflowing torrents of all pleasures and glory through all eternity But to bring it a little nearer to the thing in hand Consider a few of the Promises of God as a further provocation to this so pious and profitable a work and service for the Lord. Wouldst thou be in a thriving and prosperous state in this world whether as to the outward or inward man Surely to be compassionate this way is the very ready way If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry saith the Prophet and satisfie the afflicted soul then shall thy light rise in obscurity and break forth as the morning and thy darkness be as the noon-day and thy health shall spring forth speedily Mark that The Lord shall guide thee continually and satisfie thy soul in drought and make fat thy bones and thou shalt be like a watered Garden and like a sping of water whose waters fail not Isa 58.10 and 8.11 Thine horn shall be exalted with honour and thou shalt not want Psa 112.9 Prov. 28.27 Yea for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto Deut. 15.10 It will be then a profitable inquisition amongst others when a man finds himself to go backward in his estate whether upon the temporal or spiritual account and Gods secret displeasure to blow upon his wealth or afflict his body with painful diseases to examine well whether he was not ordinarily wont to shut up his bowels of compassion then to pour out his soul to the poor For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy Jam. 2.13 But with the merciful God will shew himself merciful Psa 18.25 Yea saith our Saviour Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy Mat. 5.7 Which brings to my remembrance that pious and most affectionate wish of Paul in 2 Tim. 1.16 18. The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus Why for he oft refreshed me said he and was not ashamed of my chain The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day and in how many things he ministred unto me at Ephesus thou knowost very well It seems he was a very charitable soul He did not as many professours of our times do talk much and do little have their mouths open but the bowels of their compassions shut fast enough his readiness to distribute and willingness to communicate did clearly and plainly demonstrate his care to lay up in store for himself a good foundation against the time to come that he might lay hold on eternal life According to the counsel that Paul gives to the worldly rich men of his time 1 Tim. 6.17 18 19. To which concurs that of Solomon Prov. 11.17 The merciful man doth good to his own soul but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh The merciful man the Hebrew it seems renders it a man of mercifulness of bounty liberality So a man of knowledge that is a knowing and understanding man a man of truth or faithfulness that is a true or faithful man Neh. 7.2 A man of peace that is one that is peaceable Men of holiness that is holy men Exod. 22.31 This man that is merciful to others that are necessitous and in distress or as James expresseth it that visiteth the Fatherless and Widows in their affliction and hides not himself from his own flesh Isa 58.7 For what is mercy but a pittying of others that are in misery Mercy and misery being relatives were there no want nor trespass there needed no mercy This man saith Solomon doth good to his own soul or as other translations have it he rewardeth his own soul he doth good unto himself as well as unto others for it pleaseth God to reward the good works of his poor Servants according to that of Solomon Prov. 11.25 The liberal soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered also himself And of that of our blessed Lord in Mat. 10.42 who brings it down to a cup of cold water onely that this merciful man shall give to drink to one of his little ones which Mark expounds to such as belong to him Mark 9.41 Verily I say unto you saith our dear Lord he shall in no wise loose his reward which gives us some light into that expression of Paul to Timothy in his advice as before to rich men Of laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come Some reads for in store laying up for a Treasure a good foundation that is a foundation of hope Not that the liberality of the rich does merit it but because it is a fruit of faith and God hath promised to reward the same grace for Christs sake It being a sacrifice with which he is well pleased Heb. 13.16 Or as Paul expresseth it in Phil. 4.18 An odour of a sweet and fragrant smell a sacrifice acceptable well-pleasing to God For as sweet odours are a refreshing of the senses so our refreshing of the Saints bowels is in a manner a refreshing of Gods own sense and Spirit A term borrowed from the perfumes which were made upon the Altar of Incense I shall add further but that in Psa 41.1 2 3. which I judge very pertinent to the thing in hand Blessed is he that considereth the poor the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive and he shall be blessed upon the earth And thou wilt not deliver him into the will of his enemies The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing thou wilt make his bed in his sickness David being now fallen into a heavy sickness or some other great distemper or streight he describeth here the happiness or blessing which they shall obtain at Gods hands that carry themselves piously and compassionately towards the afflicted Blessed is he that considereth the poor that judgeth wisely of the poor and will not rashly condemn him as a Malefactor whom God doth visit The poor here is taken for a miserable one one that is thinn exhausted of his abilities whither of the body and so a sick one or of goods and means and so a poor one The Lord saith he shall deliver him in time of trouble The Lord shall preserve him and keep him alive the Lord shall revive quicken heal him or make him whole and make him happy on the earth and will not deliver him or give him over into the desire or will of his enemies The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing or the bed of sorrow others read it The Lord shall under-prop him upon his sick bed upon his bed of faintness weakness feebleness yea make his bed in his sickness or change his bed which may admit of this two-fold sence As if he had said speaking in a prophetical manner Thou O God shalt as surely turn his sickness to the best as if I saw
forgive and do c. 1 King 8.37 38 39. And the Lord gave approbation to this prayer of his as you have heard Thus you see in what way the Lord hath usually been found for the diverting of his judgments and in which he hath ingaged himself to hear and to be entreated Shall we consider a little then what is the general spirit of the Nation at this time now that the hand of God lies so heavy upon it Is there any preparation now of meeting God in this way of humble and faithful supplication O England where are thy tears where are thy strong crys unto unto the Lord Will not the King of Nineveh rise up in judgment against thee and condemn thee He commanded that Man and Beast should be covered with sackcloth and cry mightily unto God and turn every one from his evil way and from the violence that was in their hand and God was entreated and turned away from his fierce anger that they perished not What thinkest thou O England of thy sins Have they not been crying sins May not the Lord speak unto thee and say as unto Cain Who slew his Brother what hast thou done The voice of thy Brothers blood cryeth unto me from the ground Gen. 4.10 Or as James in his time to the rich ungodly men of that generation Behold the hire of the Labourers which have reaped down your fields which is of you kept back by fraud cryeth and the cries of them which have reaped are entred into the ears of the Lord of Sabboth Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth and been wanton ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter Ye have condemned and killed the just and be doth not resist you James 5.4 5 6. May it not be said of thy sins as is said of the sins of Babylon That her sins have reached unto heaven and God hath remembred her iniquities Rev. 18.5 Surely thy sins have been crying sins they have entred into the ears of the Lord they have reached unto heaven God hath heard thy hideous Oaths thy new hellish invented Oaths thy horrid execrations and cursings thy revilings and blaspemings But whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high may it not be said of thee as of railing Rabshekah Even against the holy one of Israel And if thy sins have cryed so loud mayst thou not think that thy tears and crys for pardon should found as loud in the ears of God But where are thy repentings and mournings where are thy weepings and supplications Surely I tremble to think what still mine ears do hear and mine eyes see how few of those sins are left which cause the Land to mourn and the Lord to have a controversie with the inhabitants thereof May it not be laid to thy charge even now when thousands are swept away by this destroying judgement that when God calls to weeping and mourning to fasting and praying behold joy and gladness slaying oxen and killing sheep eating flesh and drinking wine playing and gaming ranting and roaring cursing and swearing pride and voluptuous living And what said the Lord Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye dye Isa 22.12 13 14. Nay is it not most sad and lamentable to consider as it is very credibly reported that some under the hand of Gods visitation do dye swearing and cursing in a most dreadful and desperate manner Well then consider this ye that forget God lest he tear you in peices and there be none to deliver before the whole land be devoured by the fire of his jealousie and that he make a speedy riddance of all such as dwell in the land But for you who have received an anointing from the holy one and are acquainted with the divine art of prayer and holy conference and familiarity with God be much in the exercise of this heavenly skill be now improving to the utmost your interest in God lift up your voice with strength stir up your selves and take hold of him And if your consciences tell you you have fallen by your iniquities even in the late Apostacy Take with you words and turn unto the Lord say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously Say unto him Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon horses neither will we say any more to the work of our hands ye are our gods Hosea 14.1 2 3. Say unto him O Lord though our iniquities testifie against us do thou it for thy names sake for our back-slidings are many we have sinned against thee O the hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in time of trouble why shouldst thou be as a stranger in the land and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night Why shouldst thou be as a man astonished as a mighty man that cannot save yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us and we are called by thy name leave us not Jer. 14.7 8 9. Say We are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousness are as filthy raggs and we all do fade as a leaf and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away But yet O Lord thou art our Father we are the clay and thou our potter and we all are the work of thy hand Be not wroth very sore O Lord neither remember iniquity for ever behold see we beseech thee we are thy people Isa 64.6 8 9. Thine enemies roar in the midst of the Congregation they set up their ensigns for signs They have east fire into thy Sanctuary they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground They said in their hearts let us destroy them together O God how long shall the Adversary reproach shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever Why withdrawest thou thy hand even thy right hand pluck it out of thy bosome Wilt thou refrain thy self for these things O Lord wilt thou hold thy peace and afflict us very sore Psal 74. And let the Preists the Ministers of the Lord weep between the Porch and the Altar and let them say Spare thy people O Lord and give not thy heritage to reproach that the heathen should rule over them wherefore should they say among the people Where is their God Then will the Lord be jealous for his land and pity his people Joel 2.17 18. Yea let the Lords Watchmen whom God hath set upon the Walls of Jerusalem never hold their peace day nor night even those who make mention of the Lord and are the Lords remembrancers let them not keep silence And give him no rest till he establish and make his Jerusalem a praise in the earth Isa 62.6 7. Till the heavens drop down from above and the skies pour down righteousness and the earth open and bring forth salvation and righteousness spring up together Isa 45.8 Till the Lord of Hosts be exalted in judgement and God
that is holy be sanctified in righteousness Isa 5.16 Thus much for the fourth soveraign Receipt The Fifth Spiritual Receipt 5ly The next Spiritual Receipt and especial preservative against this Pestilential sickness which I shall recommend unto thee is this Have thy dwelling now in the secret place of the most high Psal 91.1 or as it is further exprest in the 9. ver of the same Psalm Make the Lord thy refuge even the most high thy habitation In Pestilential and contagious times and when the sickness comes near to our own houses most men and womens thoughss are busied about their habitations and dwellings where they shall remove and have their beings so as they think they may be most safe and secure from the stroke of Gods Visitation and therefore they will chuse especially such as are more able and wealthy the best country where is the best aire and most healthful soil and the best company and food and such other accommodations as may probably conduce to the keeping of themselves in a sound and healthful constitution In some cases such provisions as these may be necessary expedient and lawful And therefore it is upon my heart now to direct thee where thou mayst take up a most secure and safe habitation and that is in God in the secret place of the most high under the shadow of the Almighty and let me tell thee whoever thou art that seekest security and protection elsewhere and takest not up thy dwelling in God thou wilt be frustrated in thy expectation Shouldst thou hid thy self in the top of Carmel Amos 9.3 Or take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea Psal 139.9 even there his hand will find thee out and the stroke of his indignation will light upon thee The only way then to secure thy self is not to be flying from but to be flying unto God to be living and dwelling in God God as he is a secret place so he is a secure place Every man would be there especially in times of danger where he may be most secret and secure But what may we understand by making God our habitation or by dwelling in the secret place of the most high The words are very comprehensive and of a large extent but I shall reduce them under some following heads after I have toucht a little by way of explanation or opening of them By the secret place of the most high we may understand Heaven the seat and throne of God which the Scripture holds forth under these three denominations or expressions To wit His high place his holy place his secret place His high place Psal 93.4 The Lord on high is mightier then the noise of many waters Psal 97.9 Thou Lord art high above all the earth above all people Psal 99.2 The Lord is high above all Nations and his glory above the heavens Who is like unto the Lord our God who dwelleth on high Psal 113.5 heaven is a high place So it is his Holy place in Psal 46.4 they are joyned both together The River the streams whereof make glad the City of God is said to be the holy place of the tabernacles of the most high So in Isa 57.15 Thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy And mark what follows I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit c. In Psal 68.5 A Father of the fatherless and a Judge of the widows is God in his holy babitation that is in heaven his holy habitation or the habitation of his holiness and of his glory as it is termed Isa 63.15 So here it is called his Secret place the secret place of the most high and heaven may very fitly be called Gods secret place as well as his high and holy place because God and Christ and the things of heaven and eternity they are secret hidden and mysterious things Great is the mystery of godliness 1 Tim. 3.16 So in Col. 1.26 The Apostle calls it The mystery hid from ages and generations but now saith he is made manifest to his Saints and the Saints themselves they have hut an imperfect sight of God We see but his back part Exod. 33.23 but as through a glass darkly We know but in part but when that which is perfect is come then that which is imperfect shall be done away 1 Cor. 13.9 10 12. Hence it is that God is said To dwell in that light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen or can see 2 Tim. 6.17 2. Jesus Christ may be said to be Gods Secret place 1. In that he is said as before To be the mystery which was kept secret since the world began Rom. 16.25 2. In respect of that incomprehensible union that is betwixt the Father and the Son Joh. 17.21 3. Because the declaration or revelation of the Father is from Christ who is in the bosome of the Father Joh. 1.18 and that 's a Secret place And the Apostle speaks of a life that is hid with God in Christ Col. 3.3 4. In respect of Christs eternity with the Father The Lord possessing him in the beginning of his way before his works of old Then was Christ by him as one brought up with him Prov. 8.22 30. 5. Christ himself is said to be A hidding place from the wind and a covert from the tempest Isa 32.2 3. The Church which was figured by the Tabernacle may be said to be Gods Secret place his dwelling place God hath desired it for his habitation This saith he is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it Psal 132.13 14. To which purpose is that in Psal 27.5 where we read of the secret of his tabernacle In the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me which hath reference to the Sanctuary or Ark the place of Gods abode or visible presence so to be hid in his pavilion the Prophet declares the assurance he had being shrouded under Gods protectio n hide me or keep me safe as in the most holy place of thy Sanctuary Where none might enter but the High Preist and that alone once every year and not without blood neither which he offered for htmself and for the errors of the people Heb. 9.7 And this is called Gods secret or hidden place Ezek. 7.22 As his Saints are called his hidden ones Psal 83.3 So Psal 31.20 Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence or thou hidest them in the hiding place of thy presence where thou always looks unto them in secret favour which the world knoweth not of So then to dwell in the secret place of the most high is to dwell in God in Heaven in Christ in his Church to have a conversation with God in the heavens As the Apostle expresseth it Phil. 3.20 For our conversation is in Heaven To have our affections on things above Col. 3.2 to live a