and Sporting and making Merry then does the Lord bring his judgements upon them even sudden destruction For sayes the holy Ghost When they shall say Peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as Travail upon a woman with childe and they shall not escape * 1 Thes 5.3 Do you know or have you consider'd what was the carriage of the men of the old world when the Lord brought the Flood upon them and of the children of Israel a little before they were carryed captive into Babylon Why the Scripture tells you that in the Dayes of Noah that were before the Flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in Marriage until the day that Noah enter'd into the Ark and knew not untill the Flood came and took them all away †Mat. 24.38 39. They knew not that is they considered it not regarded it not For they had been warned of the coming of the Flood by the Preaching of Noah for the space of one hundred and twenty years and by his preparing an Ark for the preservation of himself and his own Family So the careless posture of the people of Israel in a free indulgence of their sensual Delights did but a little precede that cruel Captivity and bitter bondage which they so long sustained in Babylon * See Am. chap. 6. Now are not the people of the Land in these our Dayes generally senslesse of the crying sins and fearlesse of the following Judgements which may justly fall upon us Is it not time then for them that feare the Lord to lay these things to heart and to weep and mourne before the Lord for these Abominations Does it not both well become and neatly concerne the people of God in the Land to call one another to Fasting and Mourning and bitter Lamentation lest the Lord should kindle a fire in his wrath so that none can quench it O Christians can you sit still and be secure in such Times as these What do you not care how soone the Gospel the glory departs from England Do you not care what becomes of Religion what befalls the Church how soon you loose your Opportunities of enjoying the blessed Ordinances of the Gospel Oh are not these Opportunities precious are not the Ordinances of God precious are not the Ministers of the Gospel and the People of God precious in your Esteeme How then will your hearts bear it to see these Ministers of the Gospel murther'd these people of God led as sheep to the slaughtâ—r Alas you know not how near the Dayes may be wherein you may say Time was when we enjoy'd the Ordinances of God and had many opportunities of seeking the Face of God in the Assemblies of his Saints but alas now we aâ—e deprived of these enjoyments And oh will you not yet lay these things to heart so as to mourn before the Lord for those Evils whereby we have provoked the Lord to plague the whole Land with his Judgements and utterly to deprive us of these precious Priviledges Do you see no cause of Feare no signes of Danger Are not Sabbaths profan'd Ordinances contemn'd the Word despis'd the Sacraments slighted Ministers reviled Scriptures rejected the Spirit resisted Christ crucifi'd afresh and the Name of God blasphem'd amongst us Now are not these fearful Provocations of the most high God May not the despised Manna be restrained and God give us Quailes meat for our Lusts in wrath May not God justly punish mens wearinesse of his Worship with a Famine of his Word when men prize the World above the Word of God may not the Lord justly take away his Word and Gospel from such an unworthy people May not he suffer the seales of his Covenant the Pledges of his love to be taken away from us or polluted to us May not our Teachers be removed into a corner May not the Holy Scriptures the Well-springs of our Comforts and Joy be sealed up from us May not God take away his Holy Spirit from us that he may no more †Gen. 6.3 strive with a people devoted to destruction May not God charge upon the Land the guilt of his Sonnes Blood and revenge upon a rebellious people the wrong done to his owne Name Is it not then high time for us to * Am. 4.12 meet the Lord by Repentance and to humble our selves before him for the sins of the Land lest his indignation break forth upon us as a Breach of the Sea and there be no means left to escape Come then Christians and let us weep and mourne before the Lord. It may be he may regard our Tears and hear the voice of our weeping †Psal 6.8 and put on Bowels of Compassions towards us and spare our Land Who knows but the whole Land may fare the better for the sakes of a few Mourners in Zion Oh let 's every one labour to become one of that number So when the Lord shall arise and have mercy upon Zion we shall be called to partake of her Joy Rejoyce for joy with her saith the Lord * Isa 66.10 all ye that have mourned for her However Christians go into your Closets and weep before the Lord in secret for the sinnes whereby God is openly dishonour'd This was the holy resolution of the Prophet Jeremy upon the pride and stubbornnesse of the people of Judah the sad Symptomes of approaching Judgements Heare ye sayes he †and give eare * Jer. 13.15 16 17. be not proud for the LORD hath spoken Give glory to the LORD your God before he cause darknesse and before your feet stumble upon the dark Mountaines and while ye look for light he turne it into the shadow of Death and make it grosse Darknesse But if ye will not hear it my soul shall weep in secret places for your Pride and mine eye shall weep sore and run down with teares because the LORDS Flock is carried away captive Now if you be of the number of those that mourn and sigh for the Abominations of the Times if the Lord shall bring his Judgements in your dayes upon the Land he will prepare his secret Chambers of providence for your preservation Thus the Lord sent his Angel to set a Mark upon the fore-heads of the men that mourn'd for the sinnes of Jerusalem that they might be spared when all the rest of the City by an impartial stroke were to suffer an inevitable destruction * See Ezek. 9 4-7 Thus Lot living in Sodom †2 Pet. 2.7 8. a lustful City vexed his righteous soul from day to day with a holy sorrow for the sins of the filthy Sodomites and so the Lord preserved him in the dreadful overthrow of that sinful City O then Christians mourne and weep for the sinnes of the Times the Abominations of the Age wherein you live and it may be you may by this means save the City save a Kingdome from destruction however you shall be sure to save your own
Zion is left as a Cottage in a vineyard as a Lodge in a garden of Cucumbers as a besieged City Thus though justice have leaden feet and be slow in coming yet it hath iron hands to crush the rebellious and break in pieces a provoking people Impunity is a sad signe of God's implacable wrath against a people that notwithstanding many warnings are become stubborne in their sinnes Hereby they are but reserved for some greater Judgement fitted for a sorer punishment God never spake with a more wrathful voice to the people of Israel and to the children of Ephraim then when he said * Hos 4.14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredome nor your Spouses when they commit Adultery for themselves are separated with whores and they sacrifice with Harlots therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall or be punished †Margin And again * v. 17. Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone When God thus permits particular persons especially such as are set in high places and so are the more Exemplary in their abominations to proceed without punishment in their sins it s a fearful presage of some General Judgement to be inflicted upon the whole Land Thus it was in the case of Ephraims and Israels sin I know Ephraim sayes the Lord †Hos 5.3 4 5. and Israel is not hid from me for now O Ephraim thou committest whoredome and Israel is defiled They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God for the spirit of whoredomes is in the midst of them and they have not known the LORD And the pride of Israel doth testifie to his face therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their Iniquity Judah also shall fall with them When great persons escape punishment from God in the guilt of flagitious enormities and fearful Provocations let the whole Land tremble for fear of Gods judgements The eighth Symptome Toleration of Errors in Religion THe Prediction of perillous Times is certainly accomplish't When the simplicity of the TRUTH and true WORSHIP of God is out-fac't by the impudency of ERROUR false WORSHIP and profanenesse When Errour shall set up its Throne in the Temple of God a Christian Church and Truth shall be set at the footstoole When false worship shall lift up its head and true worship shall hang the Wing When Profanenesse shall proudly presse into the Sanctuary and humble Piety shall either be excluded or derided When the ancient and venerable Truth and true Religion shall grow out of Credit and Errour false worship and Profanenesse as a new upstart clad in a glorious Disguise and waited on by his insolent Atendants on either hand shall be all in Fashion and favour When the latter shall be suffer'd to brow-beat and justle out the former in many places of the Land When the Vultures shall drive the Doves from their Houses and the Wolves shall contend with the Sheep for the Fold they must needs be perillous Times When false Teachers the Captaines of the Train-bands of the Prince of Darkness who for the carrying on of this designe transformes himself into an Angel of Light * 2 Cor. 11 14 shall by their Satanical stratagems so far prevaile against the Kingdome of Christ as to carry away Captive many of his Subjects who in their Baptisme receiv'd their Press-money to fight under his Banner the perillous Times prophecy'd of by the Apostle are come †See 2 Tim. 3. v. 1. with v. 6 Doubtlesse the Times are perillous when Saints shall be rejected as sinners and Seducers shall be received as Saints though they daily grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived * 2 Tim. 3.13 When Religion shall be derided as superstition and humane inventions shall be obtruded upon seduced Christians as the Ordinances of Christ When the proud Philistines shall defie the Army of the Israelites the Hosts of the Living God and Saul with his men of War shall stand and look on if David or rather the sonne of David come not to succour us we must needs be in a dangerous condition When Dagon is brought into the Temple of God and set above the Ark when Jeroboams Calves have more Worshippers and Followers then the God of Israel when Christ in his Ministers is set at naught by Herod and his men of War When true Christianity is crucifiâ—d betwixt two thieves Erâ—or on the one hand and Profanesse on the other do not the People of God know and feel that these are evil and perillous Times When Idolatry shall justle out true Christianity the Times must needs be perillous To set up Iâ—ols in the Temple of God what is it but the Abomination which maketh desolate Now error and Heresie is a kinde of spiritual Idolatry Multi haeretici cum Paganis alios alios Deos ipsi sibi finxerunt alios alios Deos sibi ipsi fecerunt eos etiamsi non in Templis tamen quod est pejus in suo corde posuerunt falsorum ridendorumque simulacrorum Templa ipsi facti sunt †Aug. in Enarrat Psal 80. Many Hereticks sayes Augustine as well as Pagans have themselves feigned and formed many Gods unto themseves and though they have not set them up in Temples yet which is worse they have enshrined them in their own hearts and so they themselves have become the Temples of false and foolish Images Now when Christians that have been consecrated by Baptisme to be Temples of the Holy Ghost shall turn themselves into Temples of such phantastick Idols of their own Invention this must needs be a sinne highly provoking the Lord to Jealousie and so speak the Times perillous But for the further clearing up of this Symptome I shall do these two things viz. 1. Lay down the Characters of Erroneous Persons 2. Shew the Cases which upon this Account constitute perillous Times The Characters of Erroneous Persons ERroneous persons when they appeare do as Comets portend great Calamities to the Church of God the Kingdome of Christ And if we search the Prophecies of the New Testament we shall finde that the arising and abounding of false Teachers Hereticks and Seducers is expresly foretold to be in the last dayes when the Apostle hath told us perillous Times shall come False-Fires are not wont to appear till the approach of Night and these misguiding New-lights shall appear in the evening of the world and great is the danger of those that are misled by them Our Saviour in his discourse of the end of the world and Prophecy of those things which should come to passe in the last dayes forewarns us of such deceivers Then sayes he * Mat. 24.23 24 25. if any man shall say unto you Loe here is Christ or there believe it not For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect. Behold I
What dreadful Dayes may we yet live to see if the Lord should deal with us according to our Deservings How soon may the Clouds of heaven which were wont to drop down Blessings on our heads be dissolv'd into showers of Blood Ah my Beloved have you not read in the holy Scriptures what dreadful Judgements the Lord hath executed upon Cities Nations Kingdomes his own People yea the whole World Know you not that God turn'd the whole Earth into a Sea and destroy'd all Flesh save the Family of Noah with a Flood How he pour'd a Flood of Fire and Brimstone upon the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and consum'd them with Flames and turn'd that pleasant plain that was as the Garden of God * Gen. 13.10 into a noisome Lake How that God was wroth with his own people the children of Israel whom he had chosen to himself out of all the kindreds of the earth and slew them in the VVildernesse so that onely Joshua and Caleb of all those that came out of Egypt entred into Canaan And how often after they were possest of the Land of Canaan he sold them into the hands of their enemies that opprest them in the Time of the Judges How in the dayes of Eli he deliver'd them into the hands of the Philistines who slew them with a great slaughter insomuch that in one battel there fell of Israel thirty thousand Foot-men †2 Sam. 4.10 How the Lord sent a Pestilence amongst them in the dayes of David which raged so exceedingly that in three dayes space there dy'd of the people seventy thousand men * 2 Sam. 24 15 How the Lord brought the King of Babylon into Jerusalem who burnt the Temple of the Lord the Palace of the Prince and the Houses of the Nobles with Fire brake down the Wall thereof and utterly destroy'd the City carry'd both Princes and People Captives into Babylon where they endur'd a hard Bondage for threescore and ten years †2 Hing 25. and 2 Chro. 36.14 ult Now know you not that all these things happened unto them for ensamples unto us and that they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come * 1 Cor. 10 6 11. Oh do but consider seriously with your selves what were the Causes of all these fearful Judgements which God who is the Father of Mercies brought upon the men of the world yea upon his own People Were they not the sinnes of the Times whereby men pluckt down upon their own heads these Plagues and Punishments Now pause a little and consider seriously Are not the same sinnes that drew down Judgements upon them to be found amongst us Is not the Pride Luxury Lasciviousness Licenciousness Atheism Impieties of the old World to be found amongst us Are there not †Gen. 6.4 Mighty men Giants in worldly Greatness who employ their might in fighting against God in these our Dayes Are not the sins of Sodom to be found amongst us Is not the City and Land polluted with the vilest Impurities and Pollutions Are not the Murmurings Cruelties Injustice Oppressions Falshoods Covenant-breakings Revoltings neglect of Gods Worship Contempt of his Ordinances Hypocrisies of Israel to be found amongst the people of England Have we not then cause to tremble in the Apprehension of the judgements which hang over our heads especially if we seriously consider that those sinnes which severally in them drew down such dreadful judgements are to be found jointly in us and that notwithstanding the Light of the Gospel and the Meanes of grace plentifully enjoyed by us which are most fearful Aggravations of this dreadful guilt Nay is not the guilt of many horrid Blasphemies and hellish Impieties which have not been heard of in former Ages to be found amongst us Does it not make your hearts to tremble to consider that so many crying sins so many provoking impieties so many bloody Abominations should abound and reigne amongst us when for any one of them so reigning so abounding the whole Land might be involv'd in miseries and Confusion and Blood Are not these then perillous Times Surely it is of the LORDS mercies we are not consumed and because his compassions faile not * Lam. 3.22 But who knows how soon the Lord in his Justice may proceed to the execution of his Judgements upon us and so turne our Chephzibah a Land of Beauty the Lords Delight into an Acheldama a Field of Blood What then is to be done by us Christians for the Prevention of the Lords Judgements on a sinful Land O come and bring every one your two Buckets and pour them out before the Lord for the quenching of the Fire of the Lords wrath which is kindled against a sinful Nation Fasting and Weeping and Mourning hath been a way which hath proved very effectual for the turning away the sorest Judgements the diverting of the nearest Destruction Thus was the destruction of Jerusalem delay'd in the time of Josiah †2 King 22.19 20. the destruction of Nineveh in the Days of the Prophet Jonah * Jon. ch 3 This is that to which God calls at such a time as this in a Day of Danger and Distresse When the Lord had threatned terrible Judgements against Zion this was the duty to which by his Prophet he call'd the Inhabitants of Jerusalem †Joel 2 12-19 Therefore also now saith the LORD Turn ye even to me with all your Heart and with FASTING and with WEEPING and with MOURNING And rent your Hearts and not your Garments and turne unto the LORD your God for he is Gracious and Merciful sloâ— to Anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the Evil. Who knoweth if he will returne and repent and leave a blessing behind him even a meat-Offering and a drink-Offering to the LORD your God Blow the Trumpet in Zion sanctifie a FAST call a solemne Assembly Gather the People sanctifie the Congregation Assemble the Elders Gather the children and those that suck the Breasts Let the Bride-groom go forth of his Chamber and the Bâ—ide out of her closet Let the Priests the Ministers of the LORD weep between the Porch and the Altar and let them say Spare thy People O LORD and give not thine Heritage to reproach that the Heathen should rule over them Wherefore should they say among the People Where is their God Now mark what follows Then will the LORD be jealous for his Land and pity his People Yea the LORD will answer and say unto his People Behold I will send you Corn and Wine and Oyle and ye shall be satisfi'd therewith and I will no more make you a reproach among the Heathen Now how great an encouragement should this be to us in perillous Times to seek the Lord solemnly seriously with Fasting and Prayer Do you ever remember that the Judgements of the Lord came upon his people while they were Fasting and Weeping and Mourning No when sinnners are Feasting
that thus fears his Name believes his Word trusts in his Power and waits for his Mercy according to his Promise shall be priviledg'd with a comfortable Security on Earth or which is much better admitted into the inviolable Sanctuary of Heaven For to such do the Promises of Divine Protection pertain They may be for a time afflicted and distressed through the Pride and prevalency of the wicked †Psal 37.39 40. But the salvation of the Righteous is of the LORD He is their strength in the Time of Trouble And the LORD shall help them and deliver them He shall deliver them from the wicked and save them because they trust in him And therefore he is said to be a * Pro. 30.5 Shield and †Ps 18.30 Buckler to them that trust in Him He is their * Psal 71.3 strong Habitation whereunto they may continually resort He is their Rock and Fortress for their Defence against all the Assaults of their Enemies And therefore †Ps 125.1 They that trust in the LORD shall be as Mount Zion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever For * Nah. 1.7 The LORD is good a strong hold in the day of Trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him The third Work BE much in Communion with God The Lord is the Preserver of his Saints in Perillous Times And who are they that are interested in this special protection but those that are raised into this spiritual Communion Communion with God is a Saints sweetest and safest Sanctuary in Times of Danger And therefore did David so much desire of God that he might * Psal 27.4 Dwell in the house of the LORD all the dayes of his Life to behold the beauty of the LORD and to enquire in his Temple that is that he might live in Communion with the true Church in the Use of holy Ordinances to enjoy a constant Communion with God all the Time of his continuance in the world For saith he †v. 5. giving you the Reason of this his Request In the Time of Trouble he shall hide me in his Pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide me he shall set me up upon a Rock As if he should say He shall keep me in Secresie preserve me in Security advance me to Dignity and Glory As he saies elswhere * Psal 3.3 Thou O LORD art a Shield for me my Glory and the Lifter up of my head A Saint never rests so securely as when he dwels in the same Pavilion with God when God himself hides him under the Ark in the most secret Place of his holy Sanctuary The further from God the nearer to danger as a sheep that is gone astray from the Fold But the nearer to God the further from Danger As a Child under the Arm of the Father Gods special preserving Providence is as a Pavilion to that Saint that lives in Communion with God There 's no such place of safety for a Subject in times of Peace as in the Presence-Chamber of the King nor in Times of War as in the Royal Tent. Noah was safe in the Ark though tost with the Waves and Billows of an universal deluge when all the World besides was drown'd with water A Saint in communion with God is kept safe in the Ark of his holy Covenant Upon this account it s more safe for a Saint to dwell in Gods House in Times of Danger then to flie to the strongest Fortresse for safety I had rather sayes David †Ps 84.10 be a Door-keeper in the House of my God then to dwell in the Tents of Wickednesse Why so He gives you the Reason * v. 11. For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield He is a Help at hand a strong Defence to his Saints in time of Danger †Psal 91.1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty He that dwells in the secret of communion with God shall be safe under the shadow of the Protection of his power In communion with God a Saint * Isa 40.31 mounts up as with the wings of an Eagle and so sores above the Difficulties and Dangers of the lower world Communion with God is a garden enclosed As no stranger can enter into it so a Saint hath most safety while he dwells in it Communion with God is a Saints peculiar Priviledge heighten'd with this that it interests him in a special Protection O then Christians be much in communion with God Be much in those Duties of Religion wherein gracious souls do maintaine this holy Communion Be much in †Mat. 6.6 Closet-Prayer much in * Gen. 24..63 Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dâ—vout-Meditation much in †Psal 4.4 Communing with your own Heart as an excellent help to communion with God Stir up your graces and set all the Powers of your soule on work in these spiritual Duties for otherwise you may spend much Time daily in Reading Praying Meditating and yet enjoy no communion with God Leave not a Duty till you can get your heart warm'd by it till you can feel it melting burning within your breast melting with * Psal 119 136 sorrow for sin and Joy in God burning with a holy Anger and an ardent †Psal 119 139 Zeal for Gods Glory suffering by the sinnes of the Times Cease not till you can finde your very soul going out to God and God by the powerful Influences and Operations of his holy Spirit coming in to your heart in holy Duties This is to maintain communion with God and this is to live in Heaven on Earth This will be to you a Spring of living Comforts in a dry and barren Wildernesse You shall have no cause to be disconsolate in your Desert-condition while the Manna of spiritual Mercies drops down from Heaven upon your soule in Communion with God Hereby you shall be able to fetch Waters of Comfort out of the Flinâ—y Rocks of Affliction and Persecution And which may be sufficient to revive your drooping Spirit in the greatest dangers from this Holy Mount of Communion with God you may take a faire Prospect of the Heavenly Canaan Yea he that lives in communion with God on earth does already dwell in the Suburbs of Heaven The fift Duty Longing to leave the Earth and live in Heaven IS it your lot to live in the last Dayes and to experiment the evil of perillous Times Then take off your hearts from things on earth and long to live in heaven O Christians here are Perils below but there 's Peace above you finde troubles on earth but you have Treasures in heaven It 's time for you to be dead to the world if you are indeed risen with Christ †Col. 3.1 2 3 4. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Set your
the Times which is properly applyable to them that shall live in them For properly time is not capable of any impressions of Good or Evil it can neither be priviledg'd with safety nor opprest with Difficulty nor exposed to Danger But those are called hard and perillous times wherein those that live in them are exercised with difficulties and exposed to Dangers Tempori tribuuntur ejusmodi Epitheta Metonymicè propter ea quae in tempore contingunt maximè propter hominum Mores ac studia †Estius And therefore are the Times here called Perillous because of those things which should fall out in those Times especially because of the perillous Practises of the men of the Times So likewise the Apostle elsewhere calls the * Eph. 5.16 Days evil because of the Evil men that liv'd in those days and the Evil things that were done by those men as Chrysostome well notes What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Chrysost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes he is the evil of the Day The Evil of the Day must needs be something about the Day What is the Evill of the Body Sicknesse What 's the Evil of the Soul Vitiousness How then does he call the dayes evil how does he call the time evil He calls them not so for their Nature or Essence or as they are Creatures but for the things that are done in them So that men are Authours of the Evils that fall out in the Times and for this Cause are they called evil Times They are indeed bad men that make the Times bad hard Hearts that make hard Times perillous Undertakings difficult Designes troublesome and tyrannical Intrusions Actings Impositions of men of proud daring and ambitious Spirits that make these perillous difficult and troublesome Times So the same Father determines upon this very Text. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Chrysost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perillous Times shall come He speaks not this to accuse the Dayes or finde fault with the Times but the men that should then be For we are wont to call the Times good or bad from the Things that are done by men in such Times And indeed those are the worst Times that do produce the worst men and wherein these men do accomplish their worst Designes and execute their most mischievous Intentions That 's the worst ground which is most overgrown with weeds especially if such weeds as neither any good Graine nor wholesom Herbs nor Fragrant Flowers will grow amongst them And such are the Times whereof the Apostle here Prophecies so that we may truly say of him as Casaubon of Taciâ—us Ejusmodi tempora descripsit quibus nulla unquam aut Virtutum steriliora aut Virtutibus in imicitiora He hath describ'd such times as never were any more barren of Vertues or more pregnant with Enmity and opposition to all Goodnesse Those Times that are most barren in Virtues are ever most fruitful in Vices Evils do most abound when Goodnesse is banisht Sin then reignes upon Earth when †Ultima Caelestum Terras Astraâ—a reliquit Ovid. Righteousnesse flies up to Heaven The Flowers are choaked when the Weeds grow tallest Thus was the * Mat. 13.7 good Seed stifled amongst the thriving Thornes When the Plague of sin Errour and Profanenesse reigns the Times must needs be Perillous Thus we see what these Times here predicted shall be even evil and perillous Times The Prediction COme we now in the next Place to enquire When these Times shall be This the Apostle tells us in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in ultimis Diebus seu in Diebus novissimis instabunt * Vet. Beâ— They shall come they shall press upon us and as it were instantly overtake us in the last Dayes Now the Times of the Gospel in respect of the four thousand years that went before even the whole space of Time from Christs first to his second Coming from his Ascention into Heaven to his Return to Judgement at the end of the world is in the Scripture-Phrase called the last Dayes So sayes the Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrews †Chap. 1. ver 1 2. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken to us by his Son So the Apostle applies to his Times the Prophetick Prophecy of the Old Testament * Act. 2.16 17 Joel 2.28 This is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel And it shall come to passe in the last Dayes saith God I will poure out my Spirit upon all Flesh Of the same Import is that which the same Apostle speaks in his Epistle to the believing Jews †2 Pet. 3.3 knowing this that there shall come in the last Dayes scoffers walking after their own lusts The whole time therefore of the Evangelical Administration is here to be understood by the last Dayes yet so as the later the time the darker the dayes unlesse in some lucid Intervals and when those Illustrious Prophecies and Promises of the Old Testament concerning glorious Gospel-times shall be fulfill'd As that * Isa 30.2 6 The Light of the Moon shall be as the Light of the Sun and the Light of the Sun shall be sevenfold as the Light of seven dayes Yea that †Isa 24.23 Then the Moon shall be confounded and the Sunne ashamed when the LORD of Hosts shall reigne in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his Ancients gloriously And that * Hab. 2.24 The Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the Sea Such may we expect the times to be when the Lord shall fulfill his Promises concerning the †Rev. 18.2 Fall of Babylon and * 2 Thes 2.8 destruction of Antichrist the †Rom. 11 25 26. Call and Conversion of the Jews and the bringing in of the Fulnesse of the Gentiles But otherwise the last Age we may expect according to this and * 2 Pet. 3.3 1 Joh. 2.18 Jude v. 18. Mat. 24 9 12 29. Rev. 8. and 9. and 20. other Predictions in the New Testament to be the worst Age the last Dayes to be the worst Dayes Thus we see how the last Dayes respect the whole time of the Gospel-Church from the Apostles times to the End of the World This is the Evening of the World as the time before was the Morning The nearer Night the greater darknesse till the Glory of the Lord like Lightning shall break out of the Clouds The nearer the Bottomâ— the more Dregges The Absence of the Sunne makes Night in the World And the longer the time is it hath left us the greater is our darknesse till its Return shall make a new Day Such is Christs Absence from his Church yet as we have seen some Beames of Glory shall be scatter'd upon Earth before the King of Glory shall return from Heaven Thus the Dawne
Communication be Yea yea Nay nay For whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil The Apostle James * Chap. 5. ver 12. further backs this Injunction and earnestly presses this Prohibition But above all things saith he my Brethren Sweare not neither by Heaven neither by the Earth neither by any other Oath but let your Yea be yea and your Nay nay lest ye fall into Condemnation How strange it is that men should delight to pollute their own soules and pull down judgement on the Land by the Customary Commission of a sin so strictly prohibited under the Pain of Damnation This is a sin which hath in it no Profit no pleasure no not sensual sweetnesse enough to bait a temptation How does this argue a Devilish Disposition in men that they will do a thing so much abhord of God so strictly forbidden in the Word so certainly Destructive to their souls when they cannot tast so much as a seeming sweetnesse nor see so much as an appearing Goodnesse in it to be any ground of their Allurement thereunto or occasion of their frequent Commission thereof when such a fin abounds must not God needs be provokt to plague and punish such a desperately wicked People So for the sin of cursing a sin of the same Hellish nature a fruit of the same root of bitternesse how hath the Lord manifested his Displeasure against it by the punishment which he ordained to be inflicted on such as were guilty of it in his holy Word We reade †Lev. 24 10-16 of the Son of an Israelitish woman whose Father was an Egyptian that went out among the Children of Israel in the Camp And this Son of the Israelitish woman blasphemed the Name of the LORD and cursed And they brought him unto Moses And they put him in Ward that the mind of the LORD might be shew'd them And the LORD spake unto Moses saying Bring forth him that hath Cursed without the Camp let all that heard him lay their hands upon his Head and let all the Congregation stone him And hereupon the LORD made it a Statute in Israel that whosoever should be found guilty of this sin whether Israelite or Stranger he should surely be put to Death And therefore however amongst men this sin may go unpunished yet seeing the Name of God is hereby profan'd the LORD will not hold them guiltlesse * Exo. 20.7 that are guilty of it nor suffer them to escape his Righteous judgement That Imprecation of the Psalmist is Prophetical and hath the force of a Commination †Psal 59.12 13. For the sin of their Mouth and the words of their Lips let them even be taken in their Pride and for Cursing and Lying which they speak Consume them in wrath consume them that they may not be and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the Ends of the Earth Doubtlesse the Curse of God hangs over the Heads of those that are given to Cursing Dreadful is that Jmprecation of David of the same Nature with the former * Psal 109 17 18 19. As he loved Cursing so let it come unto him as he delighted not in Blessing so let it be far from him As he cloathed himself with Cursing like as with his Garment so let it come into his Bowels like Water and like Oyle into his Bones Let it be unto him as the Garment which covereth him and for a Girdle where with he is girded continually Woe be to him whose Body Belly Bones are thus cloath'd fill'd consum'd with Cursing This is doubtlesse worse then the most deadly Disease and will prove more intolerable then the torturing Wracks of the terriblest Tyrants in the World Cursing will surely fill the awaken'd Conscience of the guilty sinner with tormenting Agonies which shall last to Eternity Oaths and Curses are as Arrows shot up against heaven which at length fall down upon the Heads of them that shot them Yea they are sparks of Hell-fire or rather Firebrands of Hell which are thrown into the Aire and may if timely Repentance with speedy Reformation and infinite mercy prevent not kindle a deadly burning in that City or Nation wherein they abound unpunished And yet is not this the sinne not onely of the basest sort but of many of the great Gallants of the Times Oathes are the Sause of their Mirth and Curses are the Stings of their Anger Oathes are in Fashion amongst them and to rap them out roundly is a piece of their Gallantry Curses still wart upon their commands and whosoever or whatsoever doth but a little crosse them they wish all the Plagues of hell to light upon them Surely the Devil himself cannot speak more desperate language and utter more damnable speeches then these horribly Profane Gallants If any where there be a Hell upon Earth 't is where these Children of Hell these first-born sonnes of the Devil that have Damnation written in their Foreheads are met together and sit the Devil being doubtlesse in the Head of the Company Bowzing Swearing Storming Cursing Blaspheming as if they would tear Heaven to let down flaming Vengeance and rend the earth to the Bottom of Hell that they might go down quick into that fiery Prison fall down headlong into the burning-Lake A wonder it is of the Divine Patience that when they are rending the Sacred Name of God with Oathes Blasphemies Cursings God doth not give them up into the hands of the Devil to tear them instantly in pieces as we read he hath dealt with some and carry them Body and Soul into Hell But God in Justice lets them live for the Aggravation of their sins and the encrease of their Torments in Hell-fire to Eternity For how can they hope for any salvation by Christ or benefit by his Blood who desperately wrap up his wounds and blood in their Oathes and Curses and so as it were throw them in God Almighty's Face whence is it he doth not with some dreadful Thunderbolt instantly smite them into Hell How should they expect that God should save them in the Day of their Death who disperately bid God damne them every day How can they escape Hell and Damnation who are still bidding the Devil take them upon every slight occasion O desperately Profane Wretches O Devilish wicked Creatures Is it possible there are such to be found under the Sunne Is it possible there should be such Monsters found within the Pale of the Church such Incarnate Devils in a Land enlightned with the Gospel of Christ and honoured with the glorious Profession of Christianity O that the tingling Ears and trembling Hearts of many of Gods children who have occasionally heard this Language of Hell though never privy to the thousandth Part of these Hellish Impieties were not too sad an evidence of these Abominations abounding in the Land Now shall not the Lord visit for these things Shall not his soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Is it not a wonder Heaven
is not all in flames over our heads and the Earth all staind with blood under our Feet for this sin long before now Surely this deserves sadly to be laid to heart as a fearful Presage of some very dreadful Judgement I shall close this fourth Instance with the Excellent counsel of the Son of Sirach Accustome not thy selfe sayes he †Eccl. 23 9-13 to Swearing neither use thy self to the Naming of the Holy One. For as a servant that is continually beaten shall not be without a blew mark so he that sweareth and nameth God continually shall not be faultless * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man that useth much swearing shall be fill'd with iniquity and the Plague shall never depart from his House If he shall offend his sinne shall be upon him and if he acknowledge not his sinne †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he maketh the offence double And if he swear in vaine he shall not be innocent but his House shall be full of Calamities There is a Word that is cloathed about with Death God grant that it be not found in the Heritage of Jacob for all such things shall be farre from the godly and they shall not * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wallow in their sinnes Use not thy mouth to †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intemperate swearing for therein is the word of sin The fifth Sin Adultery Fornication Uncleanness VVHen the Land is defiled with Adultery Fornication and Vncleanness the Times are Perillous and Evil. God is a God of infinite Purity and Holiness When a Land therefoâ—e is polluted with these Impurities and Abominations what can be expected but that the Lord should abhor it When the Lord hath e poused a Nation to himself and it hath * Hos 1.2 committed great Whoreâ—omes what can be expected but that the Lord should give it a Bill of Divorce When the Lord's Mercies are turned into the Fewel of Uncleannesse what may we expect but Wrath and Judgement Dreadful are the Judgements which the Lord hath executed for the Punishment of these sinnes Yea so dreadful that never hath the world seene more terrible Demonstrations of the Wrath and Vengeance of an angry God an incens'd Majesty 'T was for the Punishment of this Sin that God drown'd the whole world and burnt up the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with Fire and Brimstone For the Old World burn'd in Lust and Wantonness before it was drown'd with Water and Sodom was drown'd in Luxury and Filthinesse before it was burnt with Fire In the former the Sonnes of God doted on the Beauty of the Daughters of men †Gen. 6.2 and in the latter the Sons of men sought to commit Folly with the Angels of God * Gen. 19 4 5 Desperate Pollution that would attempt the Violation of Angelical Purity But their unnatural Lusts received a supernatural punishment God sending down upon them Hell out of Heaven But now these sins amongst us are worse by a thousand Degrees then they were amongst them For a Christian by profession whose Body hath been consecrated by Baptisme for a Temple of the holy Ghost to abuse himself by filthy Lusts is to do an Act beyond all the Abominations of the Heathens even to turn the Sanctuary into a Stews The Apostle therefore uses this Argument to take off the too lascivious †Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scortari Chil. Eras Corinthians from this sinne Flee Fornication sayes he * 1 Cor. 6.18 19. Every sin that a man doth is without the Body But he that committeth Fornication sinneth against his own Body What know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your own Now where the Lords Temples are thus profan'd may not he justly abhor them and utterly forsake that Land Yea if for this sin especially the Lord †2 Pet. 2.5 6 brought in the Flooâ— upon the World of the Ungodly And turning the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into Ashes * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemn'd them with an overthrow making them an Example to these that afterwards should live ungodly who are †Jude v. 7 suffering the Vengeance of Eternal Fire of how much sorer Punishment think you shall they be thought worthy who under the Light of the Gospel Profession of Christianity and Meanes of Grace commit these horrid Abominations Surely it 's a wonder the flaming Vengeance of God is not before now broken forth against the provoking People of this Land But we know * Heb. 13.4 Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge For this sin does God complaine of his ungrateful People the Jews When I had fed them to the full saith the Lord * Jer. 5.7 8 9. 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 Shall I not visit for these things saith the LORD and shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this So the Prophet complaines as of one of the great Evils of his Time †Jer. 23 10 the Land is full of Adulterers And when the Lord found the Land full of such filth he came and swept it with the Besome of Desolation in the Babylonish Captivity The committing of Adultery is one of those sins for which the LORD hath said * Hos 4.2 3. The Land shall mourne The sixth Sin Gluttony and Drunkennesse WHen Gluttony and Drunkennesse are those Idols to which men sacrifice the Marrow and Fatnesse of the Land together with their Time and Strength the Dayes are evil the Times are Perillous When these two appear together as Castor and Pollux promise safety in the Sea they presage a storme in the State These two Monsters are enough to devoure a whole Land and they provoke God to destroy the Place where they prevaile Men were eating and drinking as if that had been the end of their Creation when God brought the Flood and drown'd the world †Mat. 24.38 whereby they were involv'd in a sudden Destruction And we know there is a Day a coming which shall steal upon men as a Thief in the Night wherein the World shall be destroy'd with Fire * 2 Pet. 3.10 And sayes our Saviour †Luk. 21.34 35. Take heed to your selves lest at any Time your Hearts be overcharg'd with surfeiting and drunkennesse or * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vinum Gourmandise Yurongnerie Gallic Genev. Gluttony and Fulness of Wine and cares of this Life and so that day come upon you unawares For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the Face of the whole Earth However though the Day of the General Judgement which yet cannot be far off should not surprize the present Generation they may be suddenly overtaken with the black and
gloomy day of some Particular Judgement When the good Creatures of God are abused to Excesse God may justly plague that Land with War and Want So of the Israelites its said †Exo. 32.6 1 Cor. 10.7 The People sate down to eat and to drink and rose up to play They minded neither the God that gave them their blessings to be thankful nor the end for which he gave them that they might serve the LORD their God with joyfulnesse and gladnesse of heart for the abundance of all things * Deut. 28.47 But what followed The Scripture tells you †Exod. 32 28 There fell of the People that Day by the edge of the Sword in the hands of their Brethren by the Order and Appointment of God about three thousand men Thus may God take occasion when the people are guilty of this sin of * Jude 12. feeding themselves without Fear to reckon with them for all the rest of their sins and abominations Thus did the Lord afterwards cause his People Israel to be carried into Captivity for the Punishment of their self-indulgence in this sin of Luxury For thus saith the Lord in Amos †Chap. 6. v. 4-8 They lie upon Beds of Ivory and stretch themselves upon their Couches Or as the Margin hath it abound in superfluities They eat the Lambs out of the Flock and the Calves out of the midst of the Stall They were so fine fed that they could digest nothing but Delicacies They chant to the sound of the Viol and invâ—nt to themselves Instruments of Musick like David Their Meat would not down without Musick like true Epicures they must at once feast all their Senses They Drink Wine in Bowles They drank by Measure without Measure Thus they transgrest in the quantity as well as in the quality of their Provisions And anoint themselves with the chief Oyntments Feasting is usually attended with Effeminacy But they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph Gluttony and Drunkennesse harden the heart to an Insensiblenesse of Sions sufferings In Riots and Revels men are never affected with the Churches Concernments Therefore now shall they go Captive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * in the very Head and Front of the Captives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or with the first that go Captive and the â—anquet of them that stretched themselveâ— straining their Estates to satisfie their Lusts in maintaining their Luxury Or that stretched themselves upon their Couches †ver 4. shall be removed This latter part of the Verse hath various Versions For thus do some render the Original Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tunc cessabit amovebiturque Designatio Redundantium * Jun. Trem. vide Annot. in Locum Et recedet Luxus luxuriantium †Buxt Et recedet vel amovebitur Convâ—vatio luxuriosorum * R. Salom. Et auferetur Factio lasâ—ivientium †Vulg. Lat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * LXXII Interp. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Justin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Paraph. Chald. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et recedet Convâ—vium Funeris extensorum * Ar. Mont. Et approâ—â—nquaâ—â— Luctus se extendentium Lectis * Sant Pagnin And all the Preparation of Exceedings shall cease Or All the costly delicacies prepared for the riotous Feasters by those that are by appointment to give Order for the furnishing out of the Feast shall cease and be removed The Luxuriancy of their Feasting shall be lopt off and their exquisite Dainties shall be taken away from their Table by the hand of Justice The Vulâ—ar Translation usually ascrib'd to Hierâ—me renders it The Faction of the wanâ—ons shall be taken away The Seventy though in termes more remote are thought in sense to concur with this Vulgar Version For they render it The neighing of the horses shall be taken away out of Ephraim So likewise is it rendred in the Arabick Translation Now the sense which is generally given of it is this The lasciousnesse of Ephraim whereby they are become like fed Horses in the morning as the Prophet speaks †Jer. 5.8 every one neighing after his neighbours Wife shall be made to cease by their sufferings And this sense is not unsuitable to the scope of this Scripture which is to represent the Sin and Punishment of Excesse in Feasting whereby men become guilty of Riot and Drunkenness which are proper Parents of L sciviousnesse and beget many Acts of Uncleannesse For Luxury is the Fewel of Lust and Wine which the Poets call * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristoph The milk of Venus is the Food of Wantonnesse Whence it s said by the Father Ventâ—r aestuans mero facile â—espâ—mat in Libidinem †Hieron Et * Idem in Epâ—st ad Titum In vino Luxuria est ubicunqâ—e saturitas uâ—i Eâ—rietas ibi Libido dominatur When the body is inflam'd with Wine Wantonnesse is the Froth of Drunkennâ—sse And againe there is Luxury in Wine where â—ver thâ—re is Saturity and Luâ—â— gets Dominion by Drunkenn sse To this of the Sep â—agint another Gâ—eâ—k Translation addes And the habitation of Evâ—l doâ—rs shall bâ— removed Thus Drunkennesse leads to VVâ—n oâ—â— ssâ— and VVantonnâ—sse ends in VVoful â—esse when their Luxury is punish't by their being carry'd into Captivity The Châ—lde Paraphrase speaks to this Purpose Then shall the â—or of thâ—ir Hearts depart and the costly and curious Furniture of their Houses shall be taken away from them The Impoâ—t of this Version answers the scope of the Text and sense of the words which is this Thâ—ir Festiâ—al joy and gladnesse together with all their rich Furniture for Feasting shall be utterly lost when they shall be carryed awaâ— Captives And because such sumptuous Feasting such splendid Magnificence was principa ly found amongst great men as being proper to Princes the Syriack Translates it The Exultation or Exuberancy of Joy shall be taken away from th ir Princes It imports their Bondage under the Babylonian Captivity should be so bitter that their joyful Feasts should be turn'd into afflicting Faâ—s and their wanton Mirth nto woful Mourning And hence some â—ave rendred the Words †Genev. Trans Sic Pagn ut supra alii The sorrow of â—hem that have stretched out themselves is at hand But now the literal Translation answering most exactly to the Hebrew Origiâ—al is this And the Funeral-Feast of hose that are stretched out as suppose lying down upon their Beds the Posture of Feastâ—ng among the Jews is removed For it was a custom among the Jews to make a Feast at â—he Funerals of the Dead to comfort the â—riends of the deceased And therefore the Prophet Jeremy represents the great distress and C lamity of the Jews by the ceasing of these Funeral-Feasts Neither says he †Jer. 16.7 See the Margin shall men break bâ—ead for them in mourning to comfort them for the Dead neither
shall men give them the Cup of Consolation to â—rink for their Father or for their Mother Now the Word used by the Prophet Amos when he saith their banquet shall be removed properly signifies such a Funeral-Feast And therfore though hence it may be transferr'd to signifie any Feast or Banquet if the Feasting here spoken of was upon such an Occasion it was no small Aggravation of their sin of Luxury For was Feasting upon Delicacies and excessive Drinking represented by their drinking Wine in Bowles seasonable or suitable for such an Occasion Nay was it not more excessively siâ—ful at such a time as this when they were call'd to attend such a sorrowful Solemnity But whether this were their sin or not sure I am it is a Sinne too common in the grea City of this Land and no small Stain to its Glory For upon such occasions as these of our Funeral Solemnities it is too ordinary a thing for Women of the lower rank I am asham'd to speak it and yet afraid to be silent let so horrible a Sinne should passe unreproved not onely to drink wine in Bowles but o drink off Bowles of wine to a manifest Exceâ—s a beastly Drunkennesse Neither can it be deny'd when sometimes their shameful spewing in the open Congregation testifies against them How horrible a thing is this that women professing Christianity and who would take it in foule scorne that anâ— should say of them they were strangers 〈◊〉 Religion and godlinesse should be guilty of such an abominable Excesse such a filthâ— scandalous damnable Drunkennesse Is it not a shame if those may be Judges that have not utterly renounc't all Sobriety that some one Woman should at one Time drink several quarts of Wine one after another upon such an Occasion This me thinks should seeme incredible to strangers which manifest and too frequent evidence amongst us makes altogether undenâ—able O horrid vitiousnesse and worse then brutishnesse of such intemperate womâ—n the shame of their Sex the scum of our City however some of them may seem to be of good fashion and in the eyes of all sober Persons more loathsome then the Dung in the streets May not the Lord justly * Jer. 13.9 mar the Pride and staine the Glory of a City polluted with such foule Abominations May not the Lord say concerning such a People as here of Israel for his Epicurisme and Excesse The Lord GOD hath sworn by himself saith he LORD the God of Hosts I abhor the excellency of Jacob and hate his Palaces therefore will I deliver up the City with all that is therein Strange it is that any should seek to themselves a Name and affect Glory by so shameful a sin so ignominious an Abuse of Gods Creatures as they are guilty of who sacrifice them to their Luxury and in a fearful excesse of Prodigality consume them upon their Lusts Yet many such abominable Epicures there have been and doubtlesse still are in the World Thus we reade of that Luxurious and Lascivious Queen of Egypt Cleopatra that to give the more Noble Reception and Honourable Entertainment to Mark Anthony she order'd at a Banquet One Dish to be prepared at the Expence of two Hundred and fifty Pieces of Gold to be served up to the Table in the second Course And further to express as she thought the Love and Honour she bore to Mark Anthony her Wanton Paramour having dissolv'd a Pearle of fifty thousand pounds price she drank it off to his Health at one draught Oh infamous Excesse O Licentious Lady of Luxury worthy of no greater Honour in all after Ages then this to be stil'd the Grand Patronesse of Prodigality But what think you was the end of this great Epicure When Mark Anthony to requite this Honour was resolv'd to make her Emperesse of the World and to that end attempted the ravishment of the Romane Scepter he was vanquish't by Octavious Augustus at Actium whence he fled to Alexandria and there in Despair of Life Disdain of Death from the Hand of an Enemy he fell upon his own sword and dy'd Hereupon Cleopatra that she might not become the Matter of the Roman Triumph inclosed her selfe in a Tomb and there setting two Serpents to her Breast she ended a Luxurious Life with a miserable Death Thus at length the Pleasure of Luxury expires in Paine and the Glory of Prodigality is buried in shame and covered with everlasting Ignominy and Contempt But I needed not to have travell'd into Egypt for an Example of Luxury while I might have produc't one in England hardly to be parallel'd in the whole Empire of Epicurus But when I consider the quality of the Person and the Place that he held I am afraid lest by the Relation of it I should give an Occasion to the Churches Enemies to cast Reproach upon the most Honourable calling in the World which is that of the Ministry of the Gospel But when I consider that surely the most enraged Malice of men cannot but be satisfi'd by the severity of the Judgements of God in punishing the Pride and Vanity of men of that Order and Degree wherein he was placed I conceive the Report of it may bring in some Profit without any Prejudice or Danger For this man of whom I speak was in his Time an Arch-Bishop in the Church of England And it s sufficiently known to the World that God hath of late years been pouring out the full Vialls of his just Wrath upon this glittering Sun of Englands Glory This man then George Nevil by Name brother to the Earle of Warwick in the dayes of King Edward the fourth made a Prodigious Feast for the Nobility prime Clergy and chief Gentry at his Installment into the Arch-Bishoprick of York He rifled the Aire Earth and Sea for all soâ—ts of Provisions and costly varieties for this pompous and magnificent Entertainment †See his Bill of fare in Godwin his Catalogue of the Bishop of York p. 65. And Fullers Church-History l. 4 p. 193. Above twenty thousand Fowles Peacocks Pigeons Capons Cranes c. Above six thousand Cattel and Land-creatures Oxen Sheep Dear c. Above six hundred Fishes Porpaises Pikes Seales and Breames lost their Lives to maintaine the Luxury of this one Feast besides which five thousand Dishes of Gelly with other Palate-pleasing Delicacies were prepared And to digest these Dainties he provides three hundred and thirty Tuns of Ale and above foure hundred Tuns of Wine besides a Pipe of spiced Wine to please the more curious Palates and for a stronger Provocation to Excesse Thus he exceeded the * 1 King 4.22 23. Magnificence of Solomon by the Excesse of his Prodigality O prodiga Rerum Luxuries nunquam contenta paratu Et quaesitorum Terra Pelagoque ciborum Ambitiosa Fames lautae Gloria Mensae †Lucan l. 4. Pharsal O Prodigal Luxury and Luxuriant Prodigality O Ambitious Appetite that cannot be content except it stretch its Dominion over all the
He then is the greatest Drunkard in Gods sight who is able to drink most without Distemper For what 's Drunkennesse but Excesse in Drinking though no Distemper of Body or Braine should follow thereupon But he is the greatest Drunkard of all who not onely drinks to Excesse himself but labours also to draw on others to Drunkennesse enforcing more upon them then they would otherwise receive Such a devilish Drunkard deserves no lesse then double Damnation A dreadful Woe hangs ever his Head and a Cup of Wrath shall be put into his Hand and the Lord shall cause him to drink up the Dregges of it Woe unto him saith the LORD †Hab. 2.15 16. that giveth his Neighbour drink that puttest thy Bottle to him and makest him drunken also that thou mayest look on their Nakednesse Thou art filled with shame for glory drink thou also and let thy Fore-skin be uncovered the Cup of the LORDS right hand shall be turned unto thee and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory Neither does this sin of Drunkennesse draw down a Woe upon the drunkards head onely but also brings in a Deluge of Judgements upon the whole Land which is defiled by it And therefore sayes the Lord * Isa 28 1-4 Woe to the Crown of Pride to the drunkards of Ephraim whose glorious beauty is a fading flower which are on the head of the fat Valleys of them that are overcome with VVine Behold the Lord hath a mighty and strong one which as a tempest of Haile and a destroying storme as a flood of mighty waters overflowing shall cast down to the earth with the Hand The Crown of Pride the drunkards of Ephraim shall be troden under feet And the glorious beauty which is on the head of the Fat Valley shall be a fading Flower and as the hasty fruit before the Summer which when he that looketh upon it seeth it while it iâ— yet in his hand he eateth it up Thus may a Land which is as a flourishing Field for the sinnes of those that live in it be turn'd into a barren Desert a Wildernesse of Thornes Thus Gluttony and Drunkenness when they abound in a Land are the Causes Presages and Symptoms of Perillous Times The seventh Sin Fantasticalnesse Vanity and Pride of Apparel VVHen Fantasticalnesse Vanity and Pride of Apparel is a Predominant sin it speaks Perillous Times It pleased God to bestow a singular Honour upon man at his first Creation in imprinting upon him the Beauty of his own Image For †Gen. 1.27 God Created man in his own Image in the Image of God created he him The Soul of man was indeed the Principal Subject of this glorious Impression but yet the Body of man was by the Wisdome of God * Psal 139 15 curiously compos'd to such a comelinesse of shapâ— as that it might be a fit Cabinet for so inestimable a Jewel embellisht with so Divine a Portraicture Then was naked Innocency mans most glorious cloathing But since the defacement of this Image of God and the defilement of the Nature of man miserable man hath been forc't to begge Relief of the other Creatures for the covering of the shame of his Nakednesse But alas vain man How foolishly does he abuse this second Benefit How does he bewray the Nakednesse of his Minde by the Apparel of his Body How vainly does he turne the covering of his shame into the displaying of his Pride How shall we now know the â—â—ape of a man or where shall we behold the Comlinesse of his first Composure when he is now daily â—ransforming himself Proteus like into a strange Variety of Fantastick Fâ—sâ—ious And how strangely is he bewitcht with this Vanity that whereas he should in Reason shape his Apparel to his Body hâ— seemes to go about to shape his Body to his Apparâ—l How ridiculous world it be to see a man stick his Body with Peacockâ— Plume and Ostrich Feathers and then Pride himselfe in the pleasing variety of their curious colours And is it not every whit as absurd and beggarly for a Person of quality to carry a Pedlers Shop about the streets of the City leading as it were his Pride in Triumph and making an open show of the spoiles of the silk-worme And as if the costlinesse of the matter did contend with the Curiosity of the Fashion how do the Gallants of the Times lay out their Riches and Revenues for the maintenance of their Pride of Apparel How do they trample with disdaine upon the Poore of the Countrey treading them under feet as they would a Worme into the mire while they walk like Monsters of Pride with whole Orchards Fields Woods upon their Backs bearing at once in the costlinesse of their Garb the revenues of a whole Lordship Such was the luxuriant Pride and Gallantry of a Roman Emperour †Heliogabalus who jug'd it a piece of state to weare sumptuous Apparel and an unworthy basenesse to appear twice in the same suit though never so rich and splendid His shooes were embellish't with Pearles and Diamonds his Seats strew'd with Musk and Amber his Bed covered with Gold and Silver and inchac't with the costliest Gemmes and his Way strew'd with the Powder of Pearles But the Female Sex hath ever beene more generally guilty of a strange Excesse in Apparel and Ornaments How strange is the Vanitie of the Mindes of VVomen especially of those accounted of the better Rank in the affectation of Variety of Fashions in their Cloaths and Deckings Proud women have a * Mundus maliebris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. 2. de Rep. VVorld of Ornaments and Dum moliuntur dum comuntur Annus est †Terent. A Yeare is spent in their tricking and trimming themselves with them yea scarcely will an Age suffice them to runne all the Stages of their still-changing Fashions The Prophet Isaiah being himselfe conversant in the Court had diligently observ'd the Gallantry of the Proud Dames of those dayes whom he does as faithfully reprove opening a full Pack of their Toyes and Vanities the Ensignes of their Pride which they it seemes much pleased themselves in as very decent and well-becoming Ornaments But he declares unto them their sin and in the Name of the Lord pronounces the Doome of such proud self-Idolizing Vanities as the Daughters of Zion were then become through a strange affectation of multiplicity of Ornaments and singularity in Carriage and Behaviour For thus does he deliver his Message to them from the Lord. * Isa 3 16-26 Moreover the LORD saith because the Daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with stretched forth Necks and wanton eyes walking and mincing or tripping it neatly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Plaudendo Ar. Mont. tripudiando Pagn as they go and making a tinkling with their Feet as if they walked in Fetters or had Bells or Rattles ty'd to their Feet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Tinniebant A. M. pedibus
suis compeditas agunt Jun. Trem. Calceamenta habebant cum crepitaculis Pagn Therefore the Lord will smite with a Scab the Crown of the Head of the Daughters of Zion and the LORD will discover their secret Parts In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling Ornaments about their Feet and their Cauls or Ornaments of Net-work or Needle-work wrought with Eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Reticula Ar. Mont. Vittas instar retis Pagn Opera Oculata Jun. Trem. and their round Tires like the Moon The Chaines or sweet Balls or Boxes of perfuming Ointments their Golden Boxes of rich Gummes and precious Balsome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Myrothecidia Jun. Vascula aurea in quibus ponebatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stacte aut Balsamum juxta Kimch R. Levi. Buxt Lexic and the Bracelets and the Mufflers or thin Veiles or Head-Ornaments glittering with waving gold or starry Spangles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Velamina Ar. Mont. Bracteolae quae Collaribus Vittis ac Peplis muleribus addi solent sic dictae à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tremere quod semper tremulae appareant Buxt The Bonnets and the Ornaments of the Legges and the Head-bands or Haire-laces or Neck-laces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Vittae A. M. Redimicula Jun. Ornamenta Colli fuerunt Buxt and the Tablets or the Boxes of Aromatical Confections for the perfuming of the Breath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * i. e. Domus Animae seu Halitus q. d. Breath-Boxes Pagninus Pectoralia Junius Bucculas vertit exponitque superba illa Aulicarum Instrumenta quibus os suum contegunt velut pastomidibus est enim os meatus animae sive anhelitus cujus obex propterea Hebraeis Domus Animae appellatur and the Ear-rings or Amulets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Amuleta Jun. Golden or Silver Plates engraven with certain Characters against Enchantment Aben Ezra The Rings and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Jewels which hung down from the Fore-head to the Nose Nose-jewels or Jewels for the Face The changable Suits of Apparel and the Mantles and the Wimples Aprons or embroyder'd Vestures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Ventralia Jun. Buxt Linteamina Pagn Pepla Ar. Mont. Sic Kimchi and the Crisping-Pins or Cushnets Purses Pin-pillows Needle-Cases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Loculi Aciaria Pagn Ar. Mont. Crumenas vertunt Junius vero Aciaria sive ut Graeci vocant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quibus Acus aciculae infigi aut includi solent The Glasses and the fine Linnen and the Hoods and the Vailes And it shall come to passe that instead of sweet smell there shall be Stink and instead of a Girdle a Rent and instead of well-set Haire Baldnesse and instead of a Stomacher a Girding of Sackcloth and Burning instead of Beauty Thy men shall fall by the Sword and thy Mighty in the War And her Gates shall lament and mourn and being desolate shall sit upon the Ground Thus we see Vanity Fantasticalness and Pride of Apparrel brings down the Judgements of God upon a Land For this may God cloath the Land with Confusion and fill the City with Fears and stain the Beauty of these proud Gallants with Blood For this may God scourge the City with the Plague and chastise the Country with Wars and lay the whole Land desolate How dolefull is the Representation of Gods dreadfull Judgements upon the Land of Judah whereby he threatned to punish the Pride of Jerusalem How may it make the stoutest heart to tremble to see the LORD of Hosts leading up an Army of enraged and implacable Enemies against his own People To see Destruction in the Van and Desolation in the Rear of a terrible and because arm'd with Divine Justice invincible Army of Aliens Behold how the Prophet was affected with the Visionary Representation of it My Bowels says he * Jer. 4.19 ult My Bowels I am pained at my very heart my heart maketh a noise in me I cannot hold my peace because thou hast heard O my soul the sound of the Trumphet the Alarm of War Destruction upon Destruction is cry'd for the whole Land is spoiled suddenly are my Tents spoiled and my Curtains in a Moment How long shall I see the Standard and hear the sound of the Trumphet For my people is foolish they have not known me they are sottish Children and they have none understanding they are wise to do Evil but to do good they have no knowledge I beheld the Earth and lo it was without form and void and the Heavens and they had no Light I beheld the Mountains and loe they trembled and all the Hills moved lightly I beheld and loe there was no man and all the Birds of the Heavens were fled I beheld and loe the fruitfull place was a Wilderness and all the Cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD and by his fierce Anger For thus hath the LORD said The whole Land shall be desolate yet will I not make a full End For this shall the Earth mourn and the Heaven above be black because I have spoken it I have purposed it I will not repent neither will turn back from it The whole City shall flee for the Noise of the Horse-men and Bow-men they shall go into Thickets and climb up upon the Rocks Every City shall be forsaken and not a man dwell therein And when thou art spoiled what wilt thou do Though thou clothest thy self with Crimson thou deckest thee with Ornaments of Gold though thou rentest thy face with Painting in vain shalt thou make thy self fair thy Lovers will despise thee they will seek thy life For I have heard a voice as of a woman in Travell and the Anguish as of hâ—r that bringeth forth her first Child the Voice of the Daughter of Zion that bewailâ—th her self that spreadeth her hands saying woe is me now for my soul is wearied because of Murderers O ye proud Gallants ye fantastick Ladies how long will ye provoke the Lord by your Pride and Wantonness to stain your Glory to strip you of your Ornaments and to plague the whole Land for your sakes with his sorest Judgements Hath not the Lord threatned to punish your Pride and to break those Pillars of Power that sustain your Glory Hath not the Lord said †Jer. 13.9 After this manner even as Jeremiah's linnen Girdle was rotted in the earth * Ver. 7. Will I marre the Pride of Judah and the great Pride of Jerusalem You set off your Beauty by these fantastick Ornamens to the eyes of men but know you not that your Pride in the mean time makes you odious in the sight of God Know you not that Pride is ever attended with shame and shall at length be over-taken with Destruction For When Pride cometh then cometh Shame †Pro. 11.2 and Destruction stayes
their Immodesties by setting as many Spots in their Faces as they have received Blots to their Honour till their Faces are almost cover'd with these Badges of their Infamy O degenerate Gentry O ignoble Nobility How foolish are you become in these fantastical Fashions How weak how wicked are you to pride your selves in such ridiculous Vanities and to account these signes of your baseness â—o be Badges of your Honour Are you so stupid and senslesse as not to observe that â—od hath been tumbling down the greatnesse of the world staining the Pride of â—an and rolling his glory in the Dust And will you by your Pride and Vanity pluck down greater Judgements on the Land and plunge your selves into everlasting miseries Surely these Badges of your Pride are but the Presages of your Punishment Tertullian calls painted women * Ancillas Diaboli the Devâ—ls Chamber-maids or Waiting-women But then surely those who prostitute their painted Beauties to these wanton Blacks are the chiefest Ladies in the Kingdome of Lucifer And his Pride you know cost him a flaming fall 't was the fore-runner of his Destruction What then shall become of those of his Houshold Surely these painted plaister'd spotted Vanities will end their dayes in Vexation How justly may God punish their shamel sse Pride as he hath doâ—e many with shameful Poverty on earth and their wanton Pleasures with woful Paines in Hell Surely these Luxuriancies in lustful Vanities provoke God to plague the Land with dreadful Judgements and so speak these dayes wherein they abound to be perillous Times Thus we have seen what sins do in a special Manner provoke the Lord to wrath and sollicit vengeance against such a sinning People Surely where these seven Abominations are found especially where they are predominant they presage sore Plagues fore-run heavy Judgements on such a place or People For shall not the Lord visit for these things and shall not his soul be aveng'd on such a People as this that provoke him to Anger with so many fearfull Abominations Surely God may justly poure out all the †Rev. 16.1 seven Vials of his flaming wrath upon such a sinful Nation These â—ins therefore must needs be sad Symptomes of Perillous Times Come we now to consider in what Cases these sinnes are thus Symptomaticall The second Enquiry In what Cases the foremention'd Sins are Symptomes of Perillous Times ADAM in Innocency liv'd in * Gen. 2.8 EDEN a Place prepar'd by God himselfe to be the Mother of Plenty the Nurse of Pleasure and Queen Regent of Divine Delight Happy man had he not by the Losse of his Innocence the Palladium of Paradise lost his Happinesse Yea the World was an Universal Paradise whereof Eden was the Eye the Beauty of its Beautieâ— till sin committed a Rape upon its Virgin Purity and cast a defilement upon its Primitive Glory Then did its flowring Beauties fade in its Face and stinging Mâ—series sprang up apace in its Bosome Thus did the world once a Garden of Delights become a Wildernesse of â—hornes before a Palace Royal of pure unmixed Pleasures now a bloody Stage of sufferings and sorrows Thus is sinne the procuring cause of all Miseries and so the too certain Prognostick of Perillâ—us Times Was it not for s nne how should England be as Eden the Garden of God crown'd with the smiles of Heaven and cloath'd with the Virgin-Mantle of Peace and endow'd with the choicest Blessings on Earth and so admir'd by all its Sister Islands its Neighbour Nations for Beauty Riches and Renown But sin it is which spreads a black cloud upon it's Glories which threatens the Thunder of some dreadful Judgements The sinnes of England are many and what can we expect but that the sufferings of England should be great The sins of men are wont to draw downe the Judgements of God and so they are the Symptomes of Perillous Times to the People of God especially in such Cases as these that follow The first Case The Commonness of Sinne. WHen grosse Sinnes are commonly committed the Times must needs be Perillous When Lying Swearing Sabbath-breaking Stealing Cheating Deceiving Cruelty Oppression Drunkennesse Adultery and all manner of Uncleannesse does abound the Dayes are evil and full of Danger These sins are as so many Cords to pluck down Judgements upon the Heads of such a People Thus did sinne abound in the Old World before God destroy'd all Flesh with the Flood For it s said †Gen. 6.11 12 13. The Earth was corrupt before Goâ— and the Earth was filled with Violence And God looked upon the earth and behold it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the Earth And God said unto Noah The end of all flesh is come before me for the Earth is filled with Violence through them and behold I will destroy them with the Earth The Scriptures do abound with comminations of Judgement against that People that Land wherein such Abominations do abound Take notice of some of them and Oh that you would sadly lay them to heart * Jer. 7.8 16. Behold sayes the Lord to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem ye trust in lying words that cannot profit Will ye steale murder and commit Adultery and swear falsely and burn incense unto Baal and walk after other Gods whom ye know not i. e. maintaine diversities of Religion amongst you and come and stand before me in this House which is called by my Name and say we are deliver'd to do all these abominations q. d. This is the Liberty for which we adventur'd our Lives in the High-Places of the Field Is this House which is called by my Name become a Den of Robbers in your Eyes q. d. Is this the fruit of your Victories and the glorious Deliverances whereof you speak to cast contempt upon my House Worship and Ordinances Behold even I have seen it saith the LORD But go ye now unto my Place which was in Shiloh where I set my Name at the first and see what I did to it for the Wickednesse of my People Israel And now because ye have done all these works saith the LORD and I spake unto you rising up early and speaking but ye heard not and I called you but ye answered not Therefore will I do unto this House which is called by my Name wherein ye trust and unto the place which I gave to you and to your Fathers as I have done to Shiloh And I will cast you out of my sight as I have cast out all your Brethren even the whole seed of Ephraim Therefore sayes the LORD to the Prophet Pray not thou for this People neither lift up Cry nor Prayer for them neither make Intercession to me for I will not hear thee Thus multiply'd sinnes do at length bring down upon a sinful stubborn and rebellious People manifold miseries and remedilesse extremities Thus does the Lord proclaime Warre against his People Israel by the Prophet Hosea for their
mine Indignation upon them I have consumed them with the Fire of my Wrath their own way have I recompenced upon their heads saith the Lord GOD. Thus we see the Generall Corruption of the Inhabitants may soone bring upon the whole Land an utter and inevitable Destruction It 's as easie with God to cut down Cedars as to stock up Shrubs yea if the Fire of his wrath be once kindled 't will easily suddenly irresistibly consume the whole †Jer. 21.14 Forrest of People both small and great If some Branches of the great Tree of a Kingdom or Nation be barren or bear evil Fruit God may in mercy prune it with some smaller Judgements to make it the more fruitful but if both the Body and Boughs be corrupt and rotten God may justly destroy it both Root and Branch The third Case Obstinacy and Impudency in Sinning VVHen Sinners are obstinate and shamelesse in sinning the Dayes are evil the Times are perillous Such was the state of the People of Israel before their utter Destruction Moreover saith the Lord to the Prophet Jeremy †Jer. 8 4 5 6. thou shalt say unto them Thus saith the LORD shall they fall and not arise shall he turn away and not return q. d. If men do fall will they lie still and not rise again If a man be gone out of the Way when he perceives it will he proceed and not rather turn back again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quare rebellis refractarius * Ar. Mont. est populus iste Jerusalaim Rebellione forti †Pagnin Aversione pertinaci * Ar. Mont. pervicacissima †Jun. Trem. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Septuag Why then is this People of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual Back-sliding Or why is this People of Jerusalem this my People become refractory and Rebellious and have turned away from me with such a stubborn and obstinate impudent and pertinacious Aversion so stout and stiff-necked a Rebellion They hold fast deceit they refuse to return I hearkened and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of his wickednesse saying what have I done Every one turned to his course as the Horse rusheth into the Battel And further saith the LORD †v. 12-16 Were they ashamed when they had committed Abomination Nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush And what follows Therefore shall they fall among them that fall in the Time of their Visitation they shall be cast down saith the LORD I will surely consume them saith the LORD there shall be no Grapes on the Vine nor Figs on the Fig-tree and the Leaf shall fade and the Things that I have given them shall passe away from them Why do we sit still Assemble your selves and let us enter into the defenced Cities and let us be silent there for the LORD our God hath put us to silence and given us water of Gall to drink because we have sinned against the LORD We looked for Peace but no Good came and for a time of health or healing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * and behold trouble Medelae The snorting of his Horses sc of the Chaldean Army was heard from Dan the whole Land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones for they are come and have devoured the Land and all that is in the City and those that dwell therein Thus when men will not forbear sinning God will not spare them in punishing when they will not be reclaim'd from their Wickednesse they shall be consum'd by his just Judgements When the Preaching of the Word by the Prophets and Ministers of the Lord will not prevaile with men to forsake their sins and seriously to engage in the service of God then Punishment is at hand and the sword of the Lord is ready drawn to cut off such an obstinate and rebellious people Thus it s said †2 King 57 13-20 The LORD testified against Israel and against Judah by all the Prophets and by all the Seers saying Turne ye from your evil wayes and keep my Commandments and my Statutes according to all the Law which I commanded your Fathers and which I sent to you by my servants the Prophets Notwithstanding they would not heare but hardened their necks like to the neck of their Fathers that did not believe in the LORD their God And they rejected his Statutes and his Covenant that he made with their Fathers and his Testimonies which he testified against them and they followed vanity and became vain and went after the Heathen that were round about them concerning whom the LORD had charged them that they should not do like them And they left all the Commandments of the LORD their God and made them molten Images even two Calves and made a Grove and worshipped all the Host of Heaven and served Baal And they caused their Sons and their Daughters to pass thorough the Fire and used Divination and Enchantments and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to Anger Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed thâ—m out of his sight there was none left but the Tribe of Judah onely Also Judah kept not the Commmandments of the LORD their God but walked in the Statutes of Israel which they made And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hand of spoilers until he had cast them out of his sight Thus the multipli'd Abominations of a pertinaciously wicked People provokes the Lord to an utter extirpation of them out of the Land Justly may the Lord give their Land to Strangers who are continually provoking the eyes of his glory by their sins Custome in sinning takes away the Conscience of sinne and so do men confirme themselves in their evil wayes and with Pharaoh harden their hearts to their own Destruction For sayes the LORD by the Prophet * Jer. 13.23 24. Can the Ethiopian change his skinne or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the winde of the Wildernesse How severely will the Lord deal with stubborne sinners that wilfully walk in their own wicked wayes Take heed therefore lest there should be among you saith the LORD to his people Israel †Deut. 29 18 19 20. a root that beareth Gall and wormwood and it come to passe when he heareth the words of this Curse that he blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination or stubbornnesse * So the Marg. Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secundum cogitationem Pagn In Obstinatione Ar. Mont. of mine Heart to adde Drunkennesse to Thirst The LORD will not spare him but then thâ— Anger of the LORD and his Jealousie shall smoke against that man and all the Curses that are
for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supreame or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the Punishment of evil Doers and for the Praise of them that do well Subjection and obedience then is due to every lawful Magistrate by the Word of God yea and every Christian ought out of conscience to yeeld it to him †Rom. 13.4 5. For he is the Minister of God a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil Wherefore sayes the Apostle ye must needs be subject not onely for wrath i. e. for feare of punishment but also for CONSCIENCE sake Yet is not the conscience herein to be subjected to any Law of man but onely to the Law of God requiring this subjection and obedience to the Civil Magistrate for the preservation of Order and good Government in the world For as it is the highest degree of Spiritual Tâ—ranny for any to lay the * Act. 15.10 Yoke of any humane Laws or Constitutions whether Civil or Ecclesiastical upon the Neck of the Consciences of men so is it no lesse then the sin of Idolatry for any to subject their Consciences to any such Laws or Constitutions seeing it is Gods Prerogative Royal to be the LORD of the CONSCIENCE He onely can give a Law to binde the heart and conscience who can discerne when that Law is broken or kept and accordingly give forth a righteous Punishment or a Reward of grace The Conscience then is not may not be subjected to the Will of Man but onely to the Law of God his Will revealed in his Word But now when the Law of God the onely adequate Rule of the Conscience is declar'd his Will is reveal'd in his Word it 's altogether absurd to imagine that the conscience of man which in this respect †Quoad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu prout Conservatrix Principlorum unde oritur Obligatio is but the * Custos Rotularum Keeper of Gods Court-Rolls should oblige to any thing that is contrary to it or should absolve a man from an Obligation to yeeld obedience thereunto To plead Liberty of Conscience therefore for the divulging of wicked Opinions contrary to the clear and manifest truths of the Word of God and for the Praâ—tâ—se of grosse Impieties as in decrying the Ordinances and worship of God commanded in his Word and the setting up a false worship in the roome of it contrary to the expresse Rules of the Gospel this must needs be a sore Evil and a very great Provocation of the most high God especially when such wretched men shall be favour'd protected encourag'd in so unjust a claime to this sinful Liberty by those that are in Authority or Power who ought to take care that the Law of God be kept that they might set a Crown of Praise upon the head of them that do well and be a †Rom. 13 3 Terror to evil Doers by whom it is violated When this Liberty is thus granted and used the times must needs be perillous To plead Liberty of Conscience for an Exemption from any Obliâ—ation to the embracement of the Truth revealed the attendance upon the Ordinances instituted the discharge of the Duties enjoyned in the Word of God is to break open a wide gap to all manner of Licentiousnesse which is the ready way to pluck the Judgements of God down upon the Land This is to make the Conscience which is a Court wherein the Laws of God are to be pleaded to become a Consistory wherein a man shall be impowered to absolve himself from any of Gods Laws and shall take the freedom to act in all things according to his own Prescriptions What can be imâ—gin'd to be more Irrational and Atheistical then this This must needs be an Inlet to all manner of Abominations Even they that blaspheme God pluck the Lord Jâ—sus as much as in them lies from the Throne of his Deity beâ—y the Holy Ghost in charging the vilest Errours upon the holy Spirit of Truth trample upon the precious Ordinances of the Gospel and pretend to be above them revile reproach and curse the children of God and when they have opportunity persecute them to the death even these will for these wicked Opinions and Practices plead Liberty of Conscience Intolerable Impudence Damnable Impiety Now such weeds as these grow apace under the favourable Influences of the higher Planâ—ts This Liberty once indulg'd will soon become abundantly fruitful in the worst of Evils Let this Jubile the year of General Release be but once proclaim'd and the Church of God shall soone feele the sad and woful effects thereof Leave every man but to walk in his own way and we shall soone see the Vineyard of God troden down while its continually traverst in a thousand crosse and crooked paths Thus when there was no King in Israel every one did that which was right in his own eyes * Jud. 17.6 and 21.25 And what was this but every one might be as wicked and licentious as he list These were perillous Times in Israel But when the Bounds of sinne are removed the Banks of the Sea of Gods Wrath shall be broken up and his Judgements shall break forth as mighty Waters upon such sinners So sayes the Lord by the Prophet Hosea †Hos 5.10 The Princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound therefore I will poure my Wrath upon them like Water Thus when that liberty is contended for which tends to Licentiousnesse when Impiety is grown so impudent as to plead for Impunity the Dayes are evil the Times are perillous But if the Opinion favour'd be so perillous the Practice allow'd must needs be extreamly pernicious If the Seed be so bitter what fruit can we expect it should bring forth but Gall and Wormwood This Provocation therefore is capable of a higher Degree which must needs be productive of the greater Peril as in the next case The second Case Protection of Errour and false-Worship VVHen Errour and False-worship hath as much Countenance and Protection from men in Authority as Truth and the true worship of God the Times must needs be perillous When the Harlot hath equal favour with the Queen and the Stews as strong a guard as the Palace When Thieves and Robbers shall be as quietly permitted and as fully protected in stealing and robbing as the faithful Shepheard in watching his Flock and painful Labourer in working in the vine-yard When Mad-men shall be suffer'd to go up and down with naked swords in their hands to kill and slay all that are not able to resist them When Plague-sick men shall have freedome to walk the streets and our Enemies full liberty to impoyson our Springs When a Guard shall be granted to them that come to throw Baits of Wild-fire into the City of God for the kindling of those fires that cannot be quenched When men shall be protected in their undermining the foundations
made the state of the Jews desperate and deplorable This the Lord charges upon them as a higher Provocation then their Idolatries for which therefore he visited them with remedilesse punishments This this was that sin of the Jews for which God deliver'd them up into Captivity and brought an utter destruction upon the City Jerusalem For thus does the Lords charge stand upon perpetual Record against them in holy Scripture * 2 Chron. 36 14-20 Moreover all the chief of the Priests and the People transgressed very much after all the Abominations of the Heathen and polluted the House of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem And the LORD God of their Fathers sent to them by his Messengers rising up betimes †That is saith the Margin continually carefully and sending because he had compassion on his People and on his dwelling place But they MOCKED the MESSENGERS of God and despised his words and MISUSED his PROPHETS until the wrath of the LORD arose against his People till there was no REMEDY Therefore he brought upon them the King of the Chaldees who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their Sanctuary and had no compassion upon young man or maiden old man or him that stooped for age he gave them all into his hand And all the vessels of the House of God great and small and the Treasures of the House of the LORD and the Treasures of the King and of his Princes all these he brought to Babylon And they burnt the House of God and brake down the wall of JERUSALEM and burnt all the Palaces thereof with Fire and destroy'd all the goodly Vessels thereof And them that had escaped from the Sword carry'd he away to Babylon where they were servants to him and his sonnes until the Reigne of the King of Persia Thus great were the calamities sore were the Judgements with which God plagued the people of Judah for the contempt reproach and scorne which they cast upon his Prophets and Messengers which he sent in his mercy to them Abuse of Ambassadours is a high Crime of State a barbarous villany violating the LAW of NATIONS Princes are wont to write such Crimes in the Blood of the guilty unlesse where an Arme of Power is wanting to weild the Sword of Justice The contempt and reproach which is cast upon Ambassadours reflects upon the King that sent them Abuse of the Lords Ambassadors is a high offence a fearful Crime committed against the LAW of GRACE The contempt and reproach cast upon them reflects upon God himself He that despiseth them despiseth CHRIST despiseth GOD * Luk. 10.16 Now it 's just with God in this case to call home his Ambassadours and to denounce WAR against those his †Luk. 19.27 ENEMIES which have abus'd them or being in place and Power have suffer'd the abuse to go unpunisht When David thought to shew kindnesse to Hanun and sent his Ambassadours to comfort him after the Death of his Father and they were shamefully treated and villanously abused by him David raised WAR against him and his people to destroy them * 2 Sam. 10 The Gospel is a Letter of Comfort which God the King of Heaven sends by the hands of his Ambassadours the Ministers of the Gospel to poore miserable sinners involv'd in manifold sufferings and sorrows upon the Death of their Father ADAM with Commission to comfort them and to this end to invite them to a sumptuous †Isa 25.6 FEAST richly furnish't with the choicest Dainties which he hath provided for them But now when these unthankful wretches shall abuse and vilifie the Lords Ambassadours how do ye think will he deal with them But perhaps you 'l think this is so high a degree of Basenesse and Ingratitude that it s not to be imagin'd that any men should be found so void of all virtue and humanity as to be guilty of it Hear then a true Relation from the Lords own mouth of that Reception which some of these sinners gave the Lords Ambassadours and of the sad effects and consequents thereof The first messengers being shamefully repulsed * Mat. 22 4-7 Again he sent forth other servants saying Tell them which are bidden Behold I have prepar'd my Dinner my Oxen and my Fatlings are killed and all things are ready Come unto the †Marriage FEAST but they made light of it and went their wayes one to his Farme another to his Merchandise and the Remnant took his servants and entreated them spitefully and slew them But when the King heard thereof he was wroth and he sent forth his ARMIES and destroy'd those MURDERERS and burnt up their City Thus ill do men requite the Lord for his love thus severely does the Loâ—d revenge the reproach and wrong offer'd to his Servants the Ministers of the Gospel When the Lord of the Vineyard sends his servants to the Husbandmen to whom he hath left his Vine-yard and they abuse them how will he deale with these Husbandmen He will miserably destroy those wicked men and will let out his Vineyard unto other Husbandmen which shall render him the fruits in their Season * See Mat. 21 33-14 For this sin after the return of the rebellious Jews from the Babylonish Captivity wherewith God had severely scourg'd them for full †2 Chro 34.21 threescore and ten years for this sin did the Lord utterly and finally destroy the City Jerusalem and lay the whole land desolate Heare the Lord Jesus Christ for this making that most pathetical Lamentation over this rebellious City and foretelling its ruine O Jerusalem Jerusalem sayes he * Mat. 23.37 38 39. thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not Behold your house is left unto you desolate For I say unto you ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. When King Philip had besieged Athens and put the City into much distress he promised to raise his siege if they would give him in hostage ten of the ablest Athenian Orators But Demosthenes to divert the Athenians from answering his desire by closing in with this Overture made use of this Apologue The Wolves said he desired a League with the Shepherds upon this condition that the cause of their strife might be taken away which was the Shepherds Mastiffs This granted and the sheep deprived of their Guard the ravenous Wolves feasted their cruel hunger and satisfi'd their thirst of blood at the shepherds cost by a fearlesse preying upon the poore slaughter'd sheep Just thus said he would Philip deal with you if once you should yeeld to deliver unto him your vigilant Watchmen your faithful Orators Alas we are taught by a more certaine Oracle that if the Shepherds be smitten the
sheep must needs be scattered †Zec. 13.7 Nahash the Ammonite would make a Covenant of Peace with the men of Jabesh-Gilead upon no other terms then these that he might thrust out all their right eyes and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel * 1 Sam. 11 1 2 If those persons that wicked Generation of men that will never be satisfi'd with any Propositions of Peace unless the Seers may be put out of their Places the Priests as they reproachfully call them may be cast out of their Possessions well may it be laid as a lasting REPROACH upon our English ISRAEL If such persons as these shall have liberty to plead against the Pastors of the Church the Shepherds of the Lords Flock shall we not judge these to be perillous Times What then shall we say to these things †2 Thes 3.1 2 Finally Brethren pray for us that the Word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified even as yet it is with you and that we may be deliver'd from such absurd * Marg. Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unreasonable and wicked men The fourth Case Contempt of Gods Ordinances Countenanc't WHen men under the Countenance and Protection of the higher Powers can securely cast contempt upon the Ordinances and worship of the most high God the dayes must needs be evil the Times perillous If when the Ministers of the Gospel are despised Iniquity does abound surely when the Ordinances of God the very means of grace are contemned sinne must needs superabound And superabounding sinne will certainly at length bring the overflowing scourge When the Beasts of the Field shall defile the Waters of the Sanctuary and the filthy swine shall trample down the green Pastures wherein the shepherds of Israel are wont to feed their Flocks When the Courts of the Lord shall be covered with the Filth of Reproach and the Gold of the Sanctuary shall be trampled under feet When men shall cast dirt into the Galleries of the great King and disgrace the Throne of his glory When men shall vilifie the Lords Tabernacles and spit in the face of the Beauties of Holinesse When men shall cast stones at the Windows of the Sanctuary by which the Sun of Righteousnesse sheds forth his beames of light upon the children of Zion When men shall cut in two those golden Pipes by which the Waters of Life are convey'd from the Wells of Salvation for the refreshment of the City of God When men presume to act these Impieties and are therein countenanc't by the higher Powers the Times are sad and perillous Contempt of Gods holy Ordinances is a very provoking sin 'T was a high charge against Judah †Eze. 22.8 Thou hast despised my Holy things and hast profaned my Sabbaths To cast reproach upon Divine institutions is to blaspheme the Name of God So sore an evil must needs make sad Times Of this does the Psalmist complaine and expostulate with God O God sayes he * Ps 74.10 how long shall the adversary reproach shall the enemy blaspheme thy Name for ever He reproaches Caesar that vilifies the coine that beares his Image and Superscription The Ordinances of the Gospel are that Gold of Sion which bears the Royal stamp When men shall reject this Gold and call it Drosse surely †Jer. 6.30 Reprobate silver shall men call them because the LORD hath rejected them The dayes are evil when vile sinners who yet account themselves the onely Saints shall contemptuously trample upon the precious Ordinances of Jesus Christ When those blessed Gospel-Ordinances of INFANT-BAPTISME by which onely the children of Believers are admitted into the Church and Sacramentally washt from their sins in the blood of their Saviour ORDINATION OF MINISTERS by which onely fit persons are authoriz'd to preach the Gospel and dispense the Seales of the Covenant SINGING OF PSALMES wherein the Church on earth becomes a lively Image of Heaven and the Saints of God have a kinde of Pre-possession of Paradise when these blessed Ordinances I say shall be slighted vilifi'd contemn'd by a company of hypocritical Professors who have taken up a shew of Religion onely to delude men and dishonour God the times must needs be perillous especially when such ungodly Ones shall be protected and promoted by the higher Powers by whom they ought rather to be punish't for their Irreligion and Profanesse in their open contempt of God his Authority Worship and Honour in these his holy institutions Yea when they shall be countenanc't not onely in the contempt of these Divine Institutions but also in the Introduction of sundry humane Inventions instead of these and other Ordinances of God to the utter exclusion of Gods true Worship and the setting up of a false worship founded in their own Will in the World As when they shall introduce into their Schismatical Societies falsely called Christian Congregations the REBAPTIZATION OF BELIEVERS which is nothing else but an actual Renunciation of their former Baptisme and so consequently of the Covenant of their God and a †Heb. 10.29 counting of the blood of the Covenant wherewith they were sanctifi'd an unholy thing Horrid Impiety Also the constant PREACHING OF GIFTED BRETHREN who are so farre from being called to the work of the Ministry that they wickedly scoff at the onely Gospel-Call thereunto Ministerial Ordination yea which is yet worse when these proud Intruders presumptuous Usurpers of the Ministerial Office shall be accounted the onely Gospel-Ministers such as will preach the Gospel freely to poore Creatures This is a very sore evil for as much as under this pretence of exercising their GIFTS the vilest Hereticks in the world shall have an opportunity of poysoning the people of God with their damnable Doctrines by publick preaching in the open Assemblies Horrid stratagem of Hell for the subversion of soules Moreover when BREAKING OF BREAD by the pretended Pastors of Churches shall be introduc't in stead of the Supper of the Lord which is indeed no better then a mock-Sacrament being administred by them that are no Ministers of the Gospel and so have no authority at all to administer any of the Ordinances of God For if the changing of the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper from a common and ordinary to a sacred Sacramental Use be an act of Ministerial Authority as doubtlesse it is then this their breaking of Bread is no better then a mocking of God in an Apish imitation of the sacred actions of one of his holy Ordinances So when instead of singing of Psalmes they shall introduce into their Assemblies the singing of silly HYMNES of vulgar Composure which whether for Rime or Reason are not much to be prefer'd before those which the common Ballad-mongers sing in the streets under the Name of Godly Ballads When Gods holy Ordinances shall be contemn'd and these fearful Corruptions in his worship and service shall be introduc't and allow'd needs must the Times be
animos * Livy d. 1. l. 3. Civil Dissentions animate Forraigne Foes to a hostile Invasion It s the Devils maxime in the Church and a principle of Machiavillian Policy in the State Divide Impera Rend and Rule Divide a People into Fractions and then they are easily subdu'd by a forraigne Power who are already weaken'd by their own Divisions Woe be to the godly when they are divided amongst themselves and the wicked are combin'd against them When Herod and Pilate who before were at enmity between themselves †Luk. 23.12 were made Friends Christ was soon after condemn'd and crucifi'd Certainly for the Divisions of Brethren there is cause of great Thoughts great searchings of Heart and the Combinations of the Churches Enemies are by all good Christians to be resented as the sad Symptomes of perillous Times The tenth Symptome Security in a State of Uncertainty THe Times are then least free from perill When there is a general Security upon the Spirits of men without any regular settlement of Church or State When all things are much out of Order and yet all sorts of men sit down secure in their present state and condition When notwithstanding the great changes wrought by the Divine Providence in the world men are generally so secure as if they had never seene or were sure they never should see any change Strange it is that a ship newly tost with a Tempest and very lately like to have been swallow'd up by the Seas should saile securely among the yet unquiet Waves when the cloudy heavens threaten a new storme Though the storme be past it 's no wisdome while men are yet at sea to be secure in a Calme Men are oft in most Danger when they are in least fear of Danger Do not your Mariners observe that the greatest Calme is oft the Forerunner of the greatest Storme And have not the most dangerous Earth-quakes come unawares after a still and quiet season and suddenly swallow'd up men and beasts Houses and Cities â—owever security especially in an unsetled state of things is a Symptome of great Danger a Prognostick of perillous Times How easily may a sleeping man be slaine as Alexander slew him whom he found asleep on the watch and well he deserved so sudden a Death who was so secure in a Time of Danger Strange it is that men should sit still in a mindlesse security notwithstanding the great mutations unexpected emergencies various turnings of the wheeles of the Divine Providence which call aloud upon them to minde what great works God is doing in the world and to meet him by Repentance lest he should suddenly destroy them in his wrath Strange it is that men should be secure when contrary winds blow hard upon the great Sea of the world and the mighty Waves dash themselves in pieces one against another When twins do strangely struggle together in the teeming womb of Time and Providences seeme to carry in them Contradictions to the beholders eye When the Times are such as that which the Father describes if we take his Observations in a Political sense For sayes he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Greg. Naz. Orat. 53. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Time is full of Contrarieties of Births and Deaths of the flourishing and plucking up of Plants of curing and killing of building up and breaking down of Houses of weeping and laughing of mourning and dancing Now when the Times are such that the Rise of some is the Fall of others the Glory of some is the Disgrace of others the Joy of some is the Grief of others is it not strange that men should be secure Yea when the Rising of a few shall be the Ruining of many the Enriching of a few shall be the Undoing of many and the Rejoycing of a few shall cause the Lamenting of many are not the Times perillous and is it not strange that men can be secure When the Strong shall be made Weak and the Rich shall become Poore and the Honourable shall be esteemed Base while those that were poore and weak and base shall become Rich and Strong and great in the World are not the Times perillous May we not then say †1 Cor. 10 12 Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall Is it not strange that at such a Time men can be secure But then does Security much encrease the Danger and make the Times the more perillous How oft have great Armies and Cities living in security been suddenly surprized and destroy'd by a small handful of men Thus Gideon with three hundred men weary hungry and faint went up against the two Kings of Midian Zebah and Zalmunna and their Hosts about fifteen thousand men and vanquisht them and took the two Kings prisoners Thus they discomfited the whole Host for it s said The Host was secure * Judg. 8.11 12. Thus when the Danites spies came to Laish and saw the People that were therein how they dwelt carelesse after the manner of the Zidonians quiet and secure and there was no Magistrate in the Land that might put them to shame in any thing †Judg. 18 7 they made the Report hereof to their brethren that sent them and encouraged them to attempt the Invasion of them saying Arise that we may go up against them for we have seen the Land and behold it is very good and are ye still Be not slothful to go and to enter to possesse the Land When ye go ye shall come unto a People secure and to a large Land for the Lord hath given it into your hands a Place where there is no want of any thing that is in the Earth * Judg. 18 9 10. So six hundred men of the Danites took to them their Armes and came unto Laish unto a People that were at quiet and secure and they smote them with the Edge of the Sword and burnt the City with Fire †Judg. 18 11 27. and so they took their Land unto themselves for an Inheritance Thus security exposes men naked to Danger and opens a wide door to destruction For when they shall say Peace and Safety then sudden Destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with Childe and they shall not escape * 1 Thes 5.3 And therefore sayes the Lord Woe to them that are †So the Marg. Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SECURE in Zion and trust in the mountaine of Samaria which are named chief of the Nations to whom the House of Israel came as to places of Worship Seats of Justice Courts of their Kings Passe ye unto Calneh and see and from thence go ye unto Hemath the great then go down to Gath of the Philistines all of them once great and mighty Cities but now for their sinnes destroy'd and ruin'd so that whatever they sometimes were behold them now and see be they better then these Kingdomes of Judah and Israel or their Border greater
then your Border ye that in your carnal security put far away the Evil Day the Day wherein God will call you to account for all your miscarriages and severely punish you for all your provocations though you now that you may the more securely continue in your sinnes put the Thoughts thereof far from you and cause the Seat of Violence to come neare * Amos 6.1 2 3. That is sayes Diodate You Chieftains who put away far from you all thought and fear of Gods Judgements and in the meane while joyne with and draw near to Publick Tyranny as if sinnes and their punishments could go the one without the other But Gods Judgements will for certaine at length surprize secure sinners The Danger must needs be great when men live secure in the guilt of those sinnes and Provocations whereby they have made God himself to become their Enemy When men presume of safety meerly because they prosper in their sinnes and are settled on their Lees because they are not yet empty'd from vessel to vessel in the execution of the Lords Judgements that think with themselves because God hath hitherto let them alone he will neither meddle nor make in any thing that concernes them Dreadful is the day of the Lords Wrath which is at hand when he will narrowly search out these secure sinners and severely punish them for all their Provocations For sayes the Lord †Am. 1.12 18 It shall come to pass at that time which is prefixt for their punishment 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 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 The GREAT DAY of the LORD is near and hasteth greatly even the Voice of the DAY of the LORD the mighty man shall cry there bitterly That Day is a DAY of WRATH a Day of trouble and distresse a Day of Wastness and Desolation a Day of Darknesse and Gloominesse a Day of Clouds and thick Darkness a Day of the Trumpet and Alarme against the fenced Cities and against the high Towers And I will bring distress upon men that they shall walk like blinde men because they have sinned against the LORD and their Blood shall be poured out as Dust and their Flesh as the Dung Neither their SILVER nor their GOLD shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORDS WRATH but the whole Land shall he devoured by the fire of his Jealousie for he shall make a speedy Riddance of all them that dwell in the Land Thus presumptuous and secure sinners may at length pluck down dreadful Judgements both upon themselves and the whole Land When such sinners are to be found in Zion the Times must needs be perillous Before the persecution in Bohemia the Churches there having had a long continued calme of Peace in the plentiful enjoyment of the Gospel and means of grace men began to grow extreame loose in their Lives and very secure in their sinnes though they were guilty of many and great Provocations insomuch as many pious and prudent men began to presage that some horrible storme would suddenly arise and some fearful tempest would fall upon them And the Event answer'd the Expectation Now how perillous are those Times wherein the Judgements of God are ready every moment to fall upon the Heads of a secure People When every man minds his own private concernments and little regards the Publick when no man duly lays to heart the sinnes of the Times or mournes for those Abominations whereby the Lord is provoked to destroy the Land when no man * See Isa 64.6 7. stirs up himself to take hold on the LORD and call upon his holy Name When Gods own people do not so take notice of the †Psal 28.5 Isa 5.12 Operation of his hands do not so seriously minde his Providential Dispensations and lay to heart the distracted condition of his Church as they ought when there is not that watchfulness that care and zeale for the cause of Christ that frequency and seriousness in seeking of God that there ought to be but an universal slumber and security is fallen upon the children of men it 's a sad Symptome of perillous Times Thus I have given you the Symptomes of perillous Times and have now completed the Number I intended But I shall adde one more by way of Corollary and Conclusion which carries in it a respect to all the rest The last but not least Symptome The Perill of Plain-dealing THe Times are then perillous When it s a perillous thing for a man to lay down the Symptomes of perillous Times They are the sins of men that make the Times perillous and thence must we draw the Symptomes of perillous Times Now the more obdurate men are in their sinnes the more Impatient they are of reproofs the more enraged they are at their Reprover hating him for telling them the Truth and persecuting him for warning them of the wrath to come the more perillous are the times Thus when the wicked and rebellious Jews were faithfully reproved by Stephen for those fearful sins whereof their own consciences told them they were deeply guilty as when he plainly told them to their faces that however they would be thought the onely people of God they were no better then Persecutors and Murderers persecutors of the best of men Murderers of the Sonne of God they were cut to the heart and gnashed upon him with their teeth and stoned him with stones to death * Acts 7.52 54 59. And who knows not that these were perillous Times to the People of God Yea these are perillous Times both to the Reprover and to the Reproved the one is in danger of Persecution from men the other is in Danger of Destruction from God Of such Times does the Lord speak by the Prophet Amos saying †Am. 5.10 they hate him that rebuketh in the Gate the place of Publick Conventions where wisdom cryeth to the simple * Pro. 1.21 and they abhorre him that speaketh uprightly not dealing deceitfully with them in the matters of the greatest concernment But what follows hereupon Forasmuch therefore saith the Lord †v. 11 12 13 as your treading is upon the Poore and ye take from him burdens of Wheat ye have built Houses of hewen stone but ye shall not dwell in them ye have planted pleasant Vineyards but ye shall not drink Wine of them For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sinnes they afflict the just they take a Bribe and they turne aside the poore in the Gate from their Right Therefore the Prudent shall keep * Nam sub Tyranno dicere quod velis periculosum quod nolis miserum est Plin. Ep. 14. l.
Zedekiah the King said Behold he is in your hand for the King is not he that can do any thing against you Then took they Jeremiah and cast him into the Dungeon of Malchiah the sonne of Hammelech that was in the Court of the Prison and they let down Jeremiah with cords and in the Dungeon there was no water but mire so Jeremiah sunk in the mire Thus wicked Rulers are wont to exercise their Rigours upon the Lords faithful Prophets and then needs must such Times be perillous to the People of God Thus when the Apostle fore-warnes us of perillous Times he plainly tells us that in those Dayes †2 Tim. 3.3 men shall be False-accusers Fierce Despisers of those that are Good Say the CAPTAINES of the Host to Jehu concerning a Prophet of the LORD * 2 King 9.5 11. Wherefore came this MAD fellow to thee Thus when Piety is banisht from the Court and Iniquity abounds in the Camp †Is 59.15 he that departeth from Evil is accounted MAD * So the Marg. and Jun. Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praedae exponit se sed secundum R. Salom. Aberrans vesanus stultus habetur and so hereby maketh himself a PREY When the Scepter is snatcht from the hand of VIRTUE and the Sword is put into the hand of VICE when AUTHORITY is stript of her Robes of State and POWER is cloathed and adorn'd with her Spoiles it 's high time for TRUTH and PIETY to fly to the Sanctuary of God and there to wait for the HONOUR of MARTYRDOME at his holy Altar When the Mines are made the Powder is laid and the Match is lighted for the blowing up of the House as the Danger is great to them that are therein so cannot the Discovery be made without Danger How sad is the state of things when Warning shall be given to men from God of their near approachings evils and Judgements which God is ready to execute upon them for their sinnes and they shall contemptuously reject all such Admonitions with many tart invectives at least and sharp reflections upon them that have thus warn'd and admonisht them in the Name of the Lord saying All this is but out of the Pride of their hearts the bitternesse of their spirit and their Disaffection to the Government Thus did the rebellious Jews reject the reproofs and premonitions of the Prophet Ezekiel immediately before they experimented the strength of Gods hand and the smart of his Rod in the Babylonish Captivity For thus sayes he unto them †Ezek. 33.26 Ye stand upon your sword ye work Abomination q. d. Now ye have the sword in your hand ye trust in your owne strength and are secure in your sinnes as if the Evils and Judgements whereof I have warn'd you in the Name of the Lord should never befal you But sayes he unto them * v. 33. When this comes to passe loe it will come then shall they know that a Prophet hath been among them Demosthenes the famous Athenian Oratour and illustrious Assertour of the Graecian Liberties against the injurious intrusions of the Macedonian Monarch being banisht by his ungrateful Citizens as he departed out of the City a company of the Athenian Youth coming to see him he gave them this counsel that if they were wise they should never meddle in matters of State all Activity in publick concernments being through the Malice of some and Envy of others continually attended with manifold Dangers and Disgraces And further to confirm his Counsel for his own part he assured them that if the Athenians would afford him the Liberty of Choice whether to go as he was wont into the Assemblies to make Orations to the People or to climb a Scaffold to receive the stroke of Death he now knew so much by his own experience of the Feares Envies Suspitions Slanders Accusations and Injuries that still attend him that shall interesse himself in the Affaires of the Common-wealth though out of a desire of the Publick Good he would rather chooâ—e the plaine Way to Death then that rough and dangerous Path to Honour †Plutarch in Vita Demosth What should be the ground of this Choice but that he thought one Death was rather to be chosen then many Thus we see how publick Persons are exposed to Danger in perillous Times especially when the Common-wealth is pester'd with Factious People There are two things which a Factious Ambitious People can never beare the Tongue of the Preacher and the Head of the Prince But beyond all colour of contradiction the peril of Gods Ministers in delivering his Message to a people professing Religion and godlinesse speaks the Times to be perillous But what shall I say more to this wicked Generation but with the Apostle * Gal. 4.16 Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth Be it so Neverthelesse sayes the LORD †Eze. 33.9 if thou warne the wicked of his way to turn from it if he do not turne from his way he shall aâ—â— in his iniquity but thou hast delivered thy soul Well then * Isa 49.4 I have not labour'd in vain I have not spent my strength for nought and in vaine For my judgement is with the LORD and both my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †WORK and REWARD is with my God Opus Metonym Operis Merces Buxt Thus we have largely resolved the first Question concerning the knowledge of those Times which the Apostle hath foretold us shall be perillous We shall now give a brief answer to the two remaining Questions and so proceed to the second principal Enquiry which was at first propounded for the prosecution of thâ— subject The second Question VVHy are these Times so perillous Quest 2 Answ Because I. God is provoked Answ 1 The loving Favour of a gracious reconciled God makes the Saints happy and the Times blessed and glorious But when the sinnes of men have provok'd the wrath of God what can we expect but perillous Times God is no lesse dreadful in his Judgements then he is gracious to his Saints in the distribution of his Favours Doubtlesse it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God †Heb. 10.31 And the Abominations of such Times are so many Provocations of the most high God If his Jealousie burn like fire * Ps 79.5 Zeph. 1.18 and 3.8 and his fierce wrath should once be kindled †Psal 2.12 Num. 11.33 Ps 106.40 against us how should the Inhabitants of the Land be as withered stubble before him What dreadful Judgements hath a provoked God thrown down from heaven upon a provoking people He drown'd the world with water and burnt up Sodom and Gomorrah with Fire and hath slaine many thousands of his Enemies with the edge of the Sword for those fearful Impieties wherewith they provoked the pure eyes of his glory Needs must those be perillous Times wherein the Lord of hosts
is fearfully and continually provok'd to arme himself with vengeance and come forth to the Punishment of a rebellious People * See Isa 59 12-19 He hath lightening in his eyes and thunder in his hands if once he be provoked to anger he can in a moment burn up a sinful Nation in an instant break in pieces a rebellious People II. Men are perverted When the minds of men are perverted by the Doctrines of Deceivers all their paths are full of darknesse and danger For the Minde is the eye of the soul And the Light of the soul as of the Body is the eye if therefore thine eye be single sayes our Saviour thy whole body shall be full of Light But if thine eye be evil thy whole body shall be full of darknesse †Mat. 6.22 23 He whose eyes are blinde walks in darknesse at noon-day And when men walk in Darknesse they are continually exposed to Danger When damnable Doctrines are publickly preach'd and multitudes are baptiz'd into the Belief of them and so the souls of men are perverted and impoyson'd by them these must needs be Dayes of Danger perillous Times When the Power of Truth failes and the Plague of Errour and Heresie reignes When the Glory of true Christianity is eclipst and the Mystery of Iniquity is mightily working in the mindes of men such Times must needs be perillous and pernicious III. The Land is polluted Reigning sinnes prevailing abominations especially when patronized by those by whom they should be punished whereby they become National sinnes do exceedingly pollute a Land Now when the Land is polluted what can be expected but that God should depart from it and bring in a Deluge of Judgement or kindle a dreadful burning to purge it Is not this then a sad presage of perillous Times After the House of the Lord in Jerusalem was polluted by the Abominations of the people of Judah both the City and the Temple was destroy'd * 2 Chron. 36.14 15 c. When the Land of Canaan was polluted by the sinnes of the Canaanites God deliver'd both them and their Land into the hand of the Israelites and when it was polluted by the Israelites he deliver'd them up into the hand of the Canaanites as we read in the Book of the Judges †See also Psal 106 38-42 When the Land is polluted by its sinnes it 's just with God to * Lam. 2.2 pollute it by his Judgements And what then can we expect but perillous Times in a polluted Land The third Question Quest 3 WHat is the peril of these Times Answ The evils to be feared in these Times are such as these Answ 1 I. The judgement of God on the Land God may justly bring the Sword and Famine and Pestilence for the punishment of such a provoking People These three Arrows are ever ready in Gods Quiver to be discharg'd against his Enemies God may sweep that Land with the besome of Desolation wherein men under pretences of Gods glory seek their own interests and establishment He may punish spirituall Abominations with temporal Judgements Persecution with War the plague of Errours with the Pestilence the Contempt of the heavenly Manna of his holy Word with Famine and want of necessary food He may wash that Land with Blood that hath been defiled with Oppression and Murder He may sweep that house with the Pestilence that hath been defiled with Pride and Perjury He may scourge that people with Famine that have sin'd through Fulnesse of Bread He may break that land in pieces by the thunder of his Judgements that hath not taken warning by the lightening of his Threatnings in the preaching of his Word So for spiritual Judgements for the Abominations of his People the Lord may go far from his Sanctuary †Ezek. 8.6 When a Church hath left its first love God may come speedily and remove its Candlestick out of his Place * Rev. 2.4 5 When men shall abuse the servants of the Lord sent forth to gather the Fruits of his Vineyard he may justly destroy them and give the Vineyard unto others †Mark 12.9 When men are grown greedy of the gain of Oppression and weary of the Ordinances of God when Covetousnesse is become cruel in grinding the faces of the Poore * Isa 3.25 and Profanesse bold in slighting of Sabbaths and sacred Solemnities of Divine Worship God may justly cause that Land to tremble for the horrour of his Judgements and plague that peoples contempt of his Worship by a Famine of his Word And so hath the Lord threatned to punish these sinnes in his people Israel by his Prophet Amos saying †Amos 8 4-12 Heare this O ye that swallow up the needy even to make the Poor of the Land to faile saying When will the New Moon be gone that we may sell Corne and the Sabbath that we may set forth Wheat making the Ephah wherewith they measured their Grain small and the Shekel wherewith they weighed the money which they received for payment great and falsifying the Balances by deceit That we may buy the poore for silver and the needy for a paire of shooes yea and sell the refuse of the wheat The LORD hath sworne by the excellency of Jacob surely I will never forget any of their Works Shall not the Land tremble for this and every one mourn that dwelleth therein and it shall rise up wholly as a flood and it shall be cast out and drowned as by the flood of Egypt And it shall come to passe in that day saith the Lord GOD that I will cause the Sunne to go down at noon and I will darken the earth in the clear day And I will turn your Feasts into Mourning and all your Songs into Lamentation and I will bring up sackcloth upon all Loynes and baldnesse upon every Head and I will make it as the mourning of an onely sonne and the end thereof as a bitter Day Behold the dayes come saith the Lord GOD that I will send a FAMINE in the Land not a Famine of Bread nor a Thirst for Water but of hearing the Words of the LORD And they shall wander from Sea to Sea and from the North even to the East they shall runne to and fro to seek the Word of the LORD and shall not finde it When the Lord shall bring these judgements upon a Land or Nation professing the true Religion the Church may call her Children * 1 Sam. 4.21 ICHABOD for the Glory is departed Thus for the sinnes of Judah did the †Ezek. 9.3 and 10.4 18 19. Glory of the Lord an illustrious pledge of his gracious presence depart from Jerusalem and sad were the Calamities which ensued thereupon Thus the Times are perillous when the sinnes of men are grown to that height that we may justly expect the Judgements of God upon the Land II. Persecution of the Church When Clouds of Darknesse are spread over the City of God
what can be expected to follow but showers of Blood For when the Sun shall be turn'd into Darknesse we well know the Moon shall be turn'd into Blood * Joel 2.31 When a storme is rais'd by the Prince of the power of the Air what can we expect but that the Ship wherein Christ is imbarked with his Disciples should be tost on the Waters and almost overwhelm'd with the Waves †Mar. 8.24 When Images of Gold are set up and ador'd by the men of the World what can the children of God expect but to be cast into a fiery Furnace * Dan. 3.1 21 When Gain is accounted Godlinesse and Oppression of the innocent is stiled Justice then whosoever will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution †2 Tim. 3.12 When the Wolves come in flocks to the Fold and Lions are the Lords of the Soile what can be expected but that the Sheep and Lambs should be worried When there is much Cockle amongst the Corne much Chaff amongst the Wheat we may conclude it shall not be long at least if the winde rises or turnes before it be winnow'd When we see every Shepherd in Israel is an abomination to the Egyptians * Gen. 46.34 we may expect the Egyptians should pursue the Israelites even into the heart of the Red Sea When the subtile Foxes are come into the Vineyard we may conclude their cruel Teeth will be soon dy'd red in the Blood of the Grapes If the Scarlet Whore be once brought into the House of God we shall soone see her drunken with the Blood of the Saints †Rev. 17.4 5 6. We still finde the Names of the Saints written in Red Letters in the Romish Calendar If the SWORD depose the SCEPTER and rule in its stead we may be sure it will eat flesh and drink Blood yea the blood of Kings and Princes and Prophets who leaving the Sword stain'd with the Guilt of Murder shall be themselves crown'd with the Glory of MARTYRDOM SIN is a cruel Monster if it once get the Supreme Power it will soon turne a Land of Beauty into a Sea of Blood III. Destruction of mens souls If the great red Dragon with his Taile draw down many of the Stars of Heaven and cast them to the Earth * Rev. 12.4 we may expect a dark night to follow If the Springs be impoyson'd it must needs be Death to men to drink of the waters If the Philistines carry away the Ark from Israel we must expect many thousands to be slaine and perish †1 Sam. 4 10 11. If God take away his abused Gospel call home his despised Ministers and so men loose the true Religion how many thousand souls must necessarily perish everlastingly The soul is exceeding precious it s a Jewel inestimable of more worth then the whole World * Mat. 16.26 its losse is irreparable a World of Gold cannot redeem one soul †See Psal 49.7 8. with 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Now when such a storme is risen that the souls of men are in danger of being ship-wrackt the state of that people is sad the Times are perillous Thus we have seen the Characters of the Persons that make the Times perillous and the several Symptomes of perillous Times with the Causes and Consequences thereof and so fully finisht our first Enquiry The second Enquiry How pious persons must demean themselves in perillous Times IT much concernes the people of God to consider with themselves what the Lord calls them unto and calls for from them in all conditions into which he is pleased to cast them that their Lives and Carriages may expresse a Responsiblenesse to the Divine Providence These are they whom the Lord hath selected from thousands to lift up his Name and Glory in the World They are therefore in a special manner to glorifie God by such Actings and Demeanours as may be suitable to all his Dispensations When God is most dishonour'd by the wicked the godly should most honour him Saints are Souldiers call'd forth to fight the Battels of the Lord of Hosts when the Enemies of the Lord do most abound and are most active the Souldiers of his army should be most valiant for his Cause most vigilant against their force and Politick Encroachments upon the interests of his Glory The Trees of righteousnesse of Gods own Planting should bring forth Fruit in all Seasons Times of Perill to the Church are Times of Tryal of the Piety of the Saints When sin appears in its highest Pride then should Grace shine forth in its greatest Glory As for you therefore my beloved brethren that truly fear the name of the Lord and desire to know what your Duty is in such Cases attend these Directions which I shall give you out of the Word of God When it is your Lot to live in perillous Times take notice of these Duties The first Duty Sorrow for the Sinnes of the Times DO you live in evil Times Then Bewaile before the Lord the Sinnes and Abominations of the Times Prevailing Impieties make the Times perillous The sins of the wicked call for the sorrows of the Saints because hereby the Name of God is dishonour'd and the souls of men are defiled Thus was Davids heart grieved and his eyes shed Tears for the sins of his Times I beheld the Transgressors sayes he and was grieved because they kept not thy Word * Psal 119 158 And again Rivers of waters runne down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law †Psal 119 136 When a Land is defiled by sin these Rivers of Teares are the best means to prevent a Deluge of Blood When the wrath of God is kindled against an ungodly Nation there is nothing more powerful to quench it then the Tears of the truly godly By this means shall you preserve your selves from Defilement by the sinnes of the wicked and happily prevent the Judgements which are ready to be executed on a sinfull Nation Now Christians is not this a duty you are very Defective in And yet is there not much cause for it When did you shed a Tear for all the Sins of the Times When did you ever look upon London as Christ upon Jerusalem a sinful City and weep over it * Luk. 19.41 What shall the streets of it run down with Rivers of Blood before you can shed a few drops of Teares for its preservation When did you meet together to weep over a sinful Nation When did you that can easily weep upon other occasions go apart and poure out Teares into the bosome of God for the Sinnes and Abominations of England and say Ah Lord In thy †Isa 63.9 Pity and in thy Mercy spare a sinful Nation Do you not see upon England many Symptomes of her Destruction except fervent Prayers steep'd in penitent Teares do prevent it O how many and how great are the Abominations of the Land the Provocations of the most high God!
from your own souls prevent the Dishonour of God and the Destruction of the Land This also would very much conduce to a Happy Change of the Times For never can we expect to see good Dayes till †Am. 5.24 Judgement run down as waters and righteousnesse as a mighty streame for the purging of the Land from its Impurities and Abominations The third Duty Prayer for Amendment IS it your Lot to live in Evil Times Dayes of Danger and Distresse Then Pray to the Father of Eternity for the Change and Amendment of the Times All our †Ps 31.15 Times are in his Hand he changes them from good to bad or bad to good as pleases him 'T is he that causes the Sun to shine or covers it from us with a Cloud as he pleases Our Dayes are clear or cloudy our Times are good or evil according to his Ordering and Government To whom then should we go but to him that orders all changes for the change of evil and perillous into good and prosperous Times He can take away evil men or make them good and so amend the Times When we see men continue in their sinnes and daily grow to a greater height of Wickednesse we have then cause to fear the Times will grow worse rather then better And therefore in this Case the People of God had need be very earnest and importunate with God in their Prayers lest the Provocations of the wicked should be more prevailing for the bringing down of the Judgements of God then the Prayers of his People for the Prevention of those Judgements and the Procurement of his Mercies upon the Land When the sins of the Land cry aloud for Judgment the Saints of God had need to cry aloud for Mercy The Prayer of Faith is the most effectual means by Gods own appointment for the Removal of evils felt the Prevention of evils feared and the Procurement of good things desired There is not therefore a more sad Symptome of the approach of some dreadful Judgement then the Restraint of the Spirit of Prayer in the People of God Thus when Israel had fearfully provoked God by customary commission of grosse sinnes after glorious deliverances as Theft Murder Adultery Perjury Idolatry and had extreamly aggravated these sins by pretences of Religion and godlinesse For they would come and stand before the LORD in his House as if they should say We are deliver'd to do all these Abominations as the Lord hath testifi'd against them by his Prophet * Jer. 7.9 10 and when thereupon God purposed to cast them off for their sins he forbad his Prophet to pray for them For sayes the Lord †Jer. 7.15 16 I will cast you out of my sight as I have cast out all your Brethren even the whole seed of Ephraim Therefore pray not thou for this People neither lift up Cry nor Prayer for them neither make Intercession to me for I will not hear thee This Prohibition of the Prophets Prayer for them was more terrible then the Commination of the sorest Judgement against them While a Praying Spirit is kept up in the hearts of Gods people there is hopes of prevailing with God for mercy for a sinful Nation Prayer does as it were binde up the hands of Omnipotency that an offended God cannot inflict a deserved Punishment upon a provoking People And therefore when the Israelites had made them a Molten Calf and worshipped it and the wrath of God was kindled against them to destroy them Moses by his Prayer prevented their Destruction And therefore did the Lord speak thus to Moses * Exod. 32.9 10. with Deut. 9.13 14 I have seen this people and behold it is a stiff-necked people Now therefore LET ME ALONE that my wrath may wax hot against them and that I may consume them and blot out their name from under Heaven And I will make of thee a great Nation even a Nation mightier and greater then they Thus we see God could not execute his fierce wrath upon his people unless Moses would let him alone by ceasing to pray for them But this Command being rather Declarative of Gods wrath against Israel then expressive of his Pleasure that Moses should cease Praying Holy Prayer being Gods Delight Moses still proceeds in his Intercession for Israel and joynes Fasting with his Prayer and so prevailed for Mercy For it is said †Exod. 32 11 12. Moses besought the LORD his God and said Lord why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people c. Turn from thy fierce wrath and repent of this evil against thy people And how gracious an Answer did he receive unto his prayer For it is said hereupon * ver 14. And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people And again when Moses had beheld their abomination in making and worshiping the molten Calf he thus relates his Carriage success †Deut. 9.18 19 And I fel down saith he before the Lord as at the first fourty daies and fourty nights and I did neither eat bread nor drink water bâ—cause of all your sins which ye sinned in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to Anger For I was afraid of the Anger and hot displeasure wherewith the Lord was wroth against you to destroy you But the Lord hearkened unto me at that time also And therefore is it recorded of him in the Holy Scripture that the Lord said That he would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the Breach to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them * Psal 106 23 And doth not the Lord such is his infinite Patience before he proceeds to the Execution of his Judgements upon a rebellious People for their unsufferable Provocations seek for a man among them that may make up the hedge and stand in the Gap before him for the Land that he may not destroy it †Ezek. 22 30 O then that some Moses might arise and plead with the Lord for his people that he might remove his Judgements and continue his Mercies to them and spare a sinfull Nation a defiled Land So Abraham brought down Gods Mercy by Steps in his * Gen. 18.23 ult Intercession for Sodom so far that if but Ten righteous persons had been sound in that whole sinfull City God would not have destroyed it Now how great an Encouragement should this be unto you Christians in Perillous Times to make your Addresses to God by fervent Prayers Oh! Is there none that will lift up a Prayer for a sinfull Nation before the Lord proceed to execute the fierceness of his wrath upon it O stir up your selves to wrestle with God in his own strength and resolve not to let him go till he bless the Land O Pray Pray Pray without ceasing that the Lord would turn away his Anger from us and after all our Shakings and Divisions settle Peace and Truth
Righteousness and true Religion amongst us And Oh! †Esay 62.6 7 Let the Watchmen that stand upon the Wals of the City of God never hold their peace O ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence And givâ— him no Rest till he establish England and make his Church in this Land a Praise in the Earth Oh let all the Children of God unite their Forces with Faith and Fervour to present unto the Lord that excellent Prayer of the Church with which I shall conclude this Direction and may they have the same gracious Answer of Peace O then lift up your hearts and say * Psal 85.4 ult Turn us O God of our Salvation and cause thine Anger towards us to cease Wilt thou be angry with us for ever Wilt thou draw out thine Anger to all Generations Wilt thou not revive us again that thy People may rejoyce in thee Shew us thy Mercy O LORD and grant us thy salvation I will hear what God the LORD will speak for he will speak peace unto his People and to his Saints but let them not turn again to Folly Surely his Salvation is nigh them that fear him that Glory may dwell in our Land Mercy and Truth are met together Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other Truth shall spring out of the Earth and Righteousness shall look down from Heaven Yea the Lord shall give that which is good and our Land shall yield her encrease Righteousness shall go before him and shall set us in the way of his steps The fourth Duty Taking Sanctuary in God ARE you fallen into Perillous Times And do you desire preservation Then Make God your Refuge till these dangers be overpast God is a Hiding place for his Saints their Rock and Refuge in times of Trouble their Fortress and strong Tower in times of Danger and Distress So hash he revealed himself in his Word and so have his Saints found him to be by sweet Experiences in the Times of their sad Extreâ—ities The Lord saith David * Psal 18.2 is my Rock and Fortress and my Deliverer my God my Strength in whom I will trust my Buckler and the Horn of my salvation and my high Tower Thus under various expressions he sets forth Gods Power as engaged for his Saints Preservation So saith he elsewhere †Ps 27.1 The Lord is my Light my Salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Then to fortifie his Confidence he produces his experience * v. 2. When the wicked even mine Enemies and my Foes came upon me to eat up my flesh they stumbled fel. And then upon this Experience he builds his Confidence †v. 3. Though an Host should encamp against me my heart shall not fear though War should rise against me in this will I be confident And the ground hereof was this that God was his Refuge and Preserver For saith he * v. 5. In the Time of Trouble he shall hide me in his Pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle the most inviolable Sanctuary shall be hide me he shall set me up upon a Rock And again saith he †Psal 32.7 Thou art my hiding place thou shalt preserve me from Trouble thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance Yea It s the Priviledge of every Saint that he hath an Interest in this preserving Power and Mercy of God in times of Distress and Danger So saith the Psalmist * Psal 9.9 The Lord also will be a Refuge for the oppressed a Refuge in Times of Trouble And therefore this is the ground of the Churches confidence in the Times of the greatest Trouble and Confusion †Psal 46.1 2 3. God is our Refuge and Strength a very present help in Trouble Therefore will not we fear though the Earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea Though the waters thereof rore and be troubled though the mountains spake with the swelling thereof God is both a * Ps 84.11 Sun and a Shield to his Saints their Light in Darkness and Defence in Danger They are dear to him and he †Isa 49.2 hides them in the shadow of his hand He wears them as * Mal. 3.17 Jewels in his bosom he †Deut. 32 10 keeps them as the Apple of his eye * Zec. 2.8 He that toucheth you saith the Lord concerning the Children of Zion toucheth the Apple of mime eye He hath secret Chambers of Providence for the Preserving his People in Times of Danger by publick Calamities Come my people saith the Lord †Isa 26.20 21. enter thou into thy Chambers and shut thy Doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment untill the Indignation be over past For behold the Lord cometh out of his Place to punish the Inhabitants of the Earth for their Iniquity the Earth also shall disclose her Blood and shall no more cover her slain The glorious Attributes of God are as it were a Tower of Defence to the truly godly in Times of Danger The name of the Lord saith the Wise man * Prov. 18.10 is a strong Tower The Righteous runneth to it and is safe When Peril pursues a Saint he runs to God as his Refuge Yea †Pro. 22.3 A prudent man fore-seeth the Evil and hideth himself but the simple pass on and are punshed This Prudence doth well become the Pious in Times of Peril But that you may with Boldness and Comfort have Recourse to God in Times of Distress and Danger as your Refuge in the storm your hiding Place in Times of Trouble Do these three things The first Work CLear your Interest in God If you think to have Recourse to God for safety in Danger and have no Interest in God your Hope may deceive you and you may â—ail of this special priviledge of Divine Preservation and instead thereof fall and perish by a just Destruction If a man pursu'd by his Enemies in the Times of War shall have Recourse to those for Refuge of whom he hath no assurance that they are his Friends he may but fly from one Danger and fall into the mouth of another Yea though you should have an Interest in God yet if you have no Evidence of this Interest you cannot with that Boldness and Confidence wherewith otherwise you might fly to God for Refuge in Daies of Danger Be it your care therefore not only to get an Interest in God but to clear it up by undeceiving Evidences to your soul and Conscience Then may you triumph with David in the very Face of Danger †Psal 27.1 The LORD is my Light and my Salvation whom shall I fear The LORD is the strength of my Life of whom shall I be afraid So again saith he * Psal 28.7 The LORD is my strength my Shield my heart trusted in him and I
of Gods gracious Dealings with thy soul in the Communications of his Spirit to thee whereby thou hast given me Occasion to review some sweet Passages of that soul-ravishing Communion which a poor Creature and a worse sinner then thy self hath sometimes had with the All-glorious and ever gracious God Now assure thy self I dare no more delude thee in these great Concernments these Matters of everlasting Consequence then I dare delude my own soul For should I dare to speak Peace to thee in an unsecure Condition and so flatter thy soul into Hell thy Life would God require at my hand in the Judgement day Know then dear Soul to thy present Comfort and everlasting Joy these are not the fruits of Corrupt Nature but of saving Grace and this Grace flows from the Spirit of Holiness which is given to thee and in respect of these blessed Fruits Effects Influences and Operations thereof dwelleth in thee and will certainly conduct thee to a Kingdom of Glory Fear not then the Evils that are or shall be upon Earth for thou hast an Eternal Inheritance reserved for thee in Heaven Thou art one of the small number of Christs ltttle Flock and it is thy Fathers good pleasure to give thee tht Kingdom †Luk. 12.32 Thus I have shewed thee O Believer how thou may'st clear thy Title to the Kingdom of Heaven thine Evidences for eternal Life How thou may'st know upon infallible Scripture-Grounds that Heaven is thine Inheritance What then remains but that living in Perillous Times on earth thou shouldst long to be possest of the Glorious Joyes of Heaven And therefore now we are here together in the Wilderness come Believer come along with me to the top of Pisgah and let us there take a Prospect of the Holy Land Seest thou there the * Isa 33.17 Land that is a far off Behold that 's the Land of Promise where after our wearisome Pilgrimage we shall have an everlasting glorious Rest There the Flourishing Vines are ever laden with full Clusters of the richest Grapes Oh! Happy shall we be when instead of the Waters of the Wilderness we shall come to drink of the Wines of Canaan There the Rivers do continually flow with †Exo. 3.17 Flumina jam Lactis jam Flumina Nectaris ibant Ovid. Aetas Aureâ— Milk and Honey Theâ—e shall we sit down by the Crystal streams of the purest Pleasures and drink our Fils of the fresh Fountains of glorious Joyes everlasting Delights Here we are encompast with Enemies but there we shall have a perfect Tranquillity an eternal Security an unchangeable Felicity Oh that we had but * Psal 55.6 Wings like a Dove that we might fly from this High Mountain to that HOLY LAND Come Believer why standest thou here gazing upon a tumultuous Throng of people that rush out of the Gates of Babylon to persecute and afflict the Children of Zion †Isa 33.20 21. Look upon Zion the City of our Solemnities Thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet Habitation a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down not one of the Stakes thâ—reof shall ever be removed neither shall any of the Cords thereof be broken But there the glorious LORD will be to us a place of broad Rivers and Streames wherein shall go no Gally with Oars neither shall gallant sâ—ip pass thereby No there shall be no Enemy to terrifie us with a threatned Invasion nor any to molest us with a bloody Persecution for our City shall be * Isa 26.1 wall'd with Salvation and our streets shall be pav'd with Peace Happy are the Inhabitants of the Heavenly Jerusalem There they that have wallowed in the Dust shall walk on †Rev. 21.21 Gold They that have been wrapt up in Darkness and buried in Disgrace shall wear Robes of Light and Crowns of Glory Were all the glittering Stars of Heaven turn'd into glorious Suns what glorious Robes of Light would their intermixed Beams weave for the Inhabitants of the Earth And yet all this would be but a shadow of the Glory of Heaven For were all these Suns in the highest Heavens they would be at once eclipst and disappear darkened with the All-transcending Brightness of the * Rev. 21.23 Glory of God Sure we are †Isa 24.23 The Moon shall be confounded and the Sun ashamed when the Lord of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his Antients gloriously Glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God * Psal 87.3 Incomparabiliter clara est Civitas aeterna ubi Victoria ubi Veritas ubi Dignitas ubi Sanctitas ubi Vita ubi Aeternitas †Aug. de Vita aeterna The Eternal City saith Augustine is of incomparable Claritude where there is Victory where there is Verity where there is Dignity where there is Sanctity where there is Life where there is Eternity Oh who would not long to live in that place where the Inhabitants are possest of so many inestimable Priviledges Come Christians what say you to these glorious things above now you experiment such perillous Times below Here you are wandering in the Wildernesse Do you not long to be possest of the Land of Promise to see the Beauties taste the Pleasures and enjoy the Priviledges of the Coelestial Canaan the supernal Jerusalem Here you are tost on a troublesome Sea should you not desire to arrive at the Haven of HAPPINESSE to Land in GLORY Here you sit by the Rivers of Babylon should you not weep when you remember Zion Even weep for sorrow that you are so long absent from it which is the Place of your Triumph and Joy Know you not that when once you are arriv'd at the * Psal 48.2 City of the great King your Waters of sorrow shall be all turn'd into the Wine of Joy For the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with Songs and everlasting Joy upon their Heads they shall obtaine Joy and Gladnesse and sorrow and sighing shall flee away †Isa 35.10 Theâ—e shall you see those Turtle Doves whose mourning voice you heard by the Waters of the Sanctuary having their * Psa 68.13 Wings cover'd with Silver and their Feathers with yellow Gold glassing their Eyes in the crystal Fountaines of Eternal Life The State of man may be distinguisht into three Regions there 's a lower Region which is the Region of Nature a middle Region which is the Region of Grace and the highest Region which is the Region of Glory There 's no true Tranquillity nor Safety in the first there are many Stormes and Tempests in the second there 's Rest and Joy a perfect Peace with the purest Pleasures in the third without intermission or end Oh how should the Saints who have been translated from the Region of Nature into the Region of Grace long to be translated especially in stormy and tempestuous Times from the Region of Grace into the Region of Glory True they must
Charity to his dear Brethren that they may cover the Infirmities of their poor weak Brother in Love and not seek to hurt him by that whereby he desires to do others Good Oh that thou wouldest be pleased to put it into their Hearts from the discoveries of thy poor servants Weaknesses to take an occasion to adore the Riches of thy free Grace and to exalt thy Name with Praises for that thou hast been pleased to intrust them with more excellent Abilities for thy service So shall thy servant have cause to glory in his Infirmities when thereby some Glory shall redound to thy Name But as for the Proud who make it their Glory to oppresse the Poor keep thy servant ever in that Resolution to which by thy grace thou hast raised his heart rather to perish by their Power then by any unworthy Compliance to seek his own Preservation or Advantage to thy Dishonour Fill his Heart and the Hearts of all thy faithful servants with a holy Contempt and Scorne of their Favour whose Friendship is flat Enmity with God Make thy servant one of them in whose Eyes a vile Person is contemned how Great or Glorious soever he be in the World's eye but let him ever honour them that feare the LORD Let not thy servant think it strange if he suffer Reproach from them that cast Dishonour upon Thee but rather rejoyce in their Reproaches as the Badges of his Faithfulnesse and weare them as his Crown and Glory Let him not study to please men lest he loose the Honour of being the servant of Christ Oh let thy servant behold Smiles in thy pleased Face and tast the sweetnesse of thy precious Promises and so shall he not fear the Frownes nor regard the Threats of Proud Perfidious and Presumptuous sinners Let him never desire to have them for his Friends who by their horrid Enormities have made God their Enemy Let him never seek to be esteemed by them whose Insolencies proclaime to the world that they contemne God Yet Oh that thou wouldest open their Eyes to see their sins before thou tumble them from their Earthly Glory into Hell Oh that in stead of accounting thy servant their Enemy for telling them the Truth they might see and consider that it is the highest act of Friendship to shew them their Danger before it be too late Oh that it would please thee by thy Spirit to convince them of those sins and fearful abominations which thy servant hath endeavour'd herein to represent as in a Glasse before their faces Oh give them to repent of their wicked Deeds and to humble themselves for their insolent Actings However Lord by thy powerful Providence restrain them in their wayes of wickednesse whose Ambitious and aspiring spirits prompt them to the most Audacious and illegal Actings for the securing of their own Interests and the Establishment of their own Glory and Greatnesse upon the Ruines of the Church and Common-wealth restrain them O Lord lost they pluck down Judgements not onely upon their own heads but also on the too guilty Nation And vouchsafe O God to look down from thy high and holy habitation upon this sinful Land but not with an Eye of Fury and Revenge but with an Eye of Mercy and Love Thou seest what fearful Abominations are committed amongst us Thou knowest what perillous Times are come upon us Thou seest how cruel enemies do rend the body of thy dear sonne the CHURCH which he hath redeemed with his own blood Thou hearest with what hellish Oaths and Blasphemies vile Creatures daily teare thy sacred and glorious Name Oh! If thou wast not infinite in Mercy and Patience thou hadst long ago rain'd down Fire and Brimstone upon our heads or involv'd the whole Land in Confusion and Blood It is of the Lords mercies we are not consumed because his compassions fail not But now O Lord hear O Lord have Mercy O Lord forgive the many and great sins and Provocations of this Land and do not forsake us utterly nor irresistibly destroy us as we have deserved We must needs confesse that we and our Princes have greatly sinned against thee and fearfully provoked the pure Eyes of thy Glory Lord humble us from the highest to the lowest give us a true Repentance for all our sins and Grace to turne to thee our God with our whole hearts and so spare us and heale our Land Oh stirre thy people up to those special Duties which are at this Time in a special manner incumbent on them Let this Warning and Call which thou givest them by the hand of thy servant become through thy Blessing effectual for the Awakening of thy servants out of their Security and the Engaging of them to those Duties whereby thy Wrath and Judgements may be prevented and a wide Door may be opened whereby thy Blessings may flow in abundantly upon us O Good God punish not this Land with a Famine of thy VVord Oh take not thy Gospel Ordinances from us Remove not thy golden Candlestick Oh never let it be said The Glory is departed from England It were better for us to see our streets runne downe with the Blood of the slaine and to behold the Bodies of thy Saints burnt in flames then to live in peace and grow cold in our love to thy Truth till we have utterly lost the Gospel Prayers put up in Flames and Blood might recall it againe when a general sloth and security in sinne may forfeit it for ever But O Lord continue thy Gospel preserve thy People and blesse thine Inheritance in the Land But if for our sinnes thou shalt suffer those stormes to arise whereby thy Church shall suffer Shipwrack Oh let this poor Plank cast out by the hand of thy unworthy servant be a Meanes to save some Soules Oh let this small Light direct some soules in the right Path for their eternal Salvation to the Glory of thy free Grace through the Lord Jesus our onely Mediator and Redeemer Amen FINIS Errata Typographica Some small Mistakes have escap't the Press whereof some few are amended with the Pen. Some few Mispellings Mispointings crave their Pardon of course as Things of such ordinary Incidency in Printing that the greatest Diligence can hardly prevent them Some of the most material Mistakes which offer'd themselves to Notice upon a swift Review are these that follow Errata Correcta Pag. Lin. intended extended 13 29 Premuniti Praemuniti 14 24 overcome overtake 16 20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 37 19 Vial Viol 48 6 Frevalency Prevalency 54 5 Excess Excess 93 13 he the 93 14 Octavious Octavius 94 16 victus vinctus 97 marg scatter'd shatter'd 150 22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 141 marg Corne Corke 257 5 thus there 263 11 Diabolos Diabolus 275 1 Name Doctrine 275 5 Baits Balls 287 23 Baldwin de Cas Conse Balduin de Cas Consc 289 marg he was proceeded against he was to be proceeded