the true practise of Christianity consisting in a holy endevour to walke conscionably in every commandment of the Lord and in being zealous for his Gospell which is our cheife honour become far more vile and reproachfull except in some small remnant then to live in drunkennesse daily in swaggering and blaspheming in scorning and jesting at all religion and in making but a sport of sinne namely of those sins which are directly against the Lord in the first table which yet will one day be found the most heinous and intollerable of all sinnes yea which may make the whole land to tremble Hath not that glorious name of a Christian become a nick-name a name of reproach with too many This was well beseeming Italie and Rome it selfe the throne of the Beast as that worthie Doctor Fulk shewed long agoe but for any of us to take it up from them or for that it had beene abused by any to use it scornefully and against those chiefly who most unfainedly beleeve and shew forth the power of the Gospel this may make our flesh to quake and our very bones to shiver And yet also to proceed a little further Are not the lewdest commonly in credit and reputation for the only goodfellowes but for a man to make conscience to shun the forenamed and all other sinnes and not to runn with all sorts to all excesse of vanity doth not every one see that this is the only matter of generall obloquie To come unto the Lords owne messengers whom he hath sent to us in kindnesse and compassion as David sent his seruants to the king of Ammon and to the end that he might turne us from our evill way and spare us if they be such as are faithfull as the Lords owne mouth and will tell us of these and all other our sinnes who seeth not although they be never so formall how welcome their feete are to all sorts who have set themselves to run after Popery and all profanenesse or to live in their evill courses though amongst all the sinnes of the land there be no one which the Lord can lesse indure Oh is this now become our thankfullnesse to him that hath beene so kind unto us to be ashamed of him his word messengers and seruants who notwithstanding hath not beene ashamed to countenance and to shelter us and who hath so honoured us before all the world in such admirable deliverances fighting as from heaven for us unto this day But to leave the Lords messengers where is that unity become that hath beene formeâ—ly amongst us when diversity of judgment for ceremonies which may fall upon the deerest servants of the Lord could not hinder our love and holy agreement in Christ Did not all joyne cheerefully as one man of one heart and of one soule for the building up the Temple of the Lord yea were not those most truly reverenced who were the painfullest faithfullest and most powerfull builders and all those most rightly had in honor who walked most conscionably and uprightly in all the good waies of God to the stoppings of the mouthes of all the aduersaries Hath not the glory of the Lord made a sensible remove in this behalfe Let us see what we can answere him herein Have not our dissentions and our violent inuectives and courses one against another made not onely the Lord his glory to be reproached as if there were no unity nor certainty in our religion and that therefore we are none of the Lords but have they not caused moreover the enemie to insult over us as now surely falling and overcome by our selues And are they not heartened hereby to our destruction when we have begun to fall by the hands of one another and every one to make way for the common enemie to invade And yet to proceed a little further where is that countenance and love that was wont to be shewed to the lovers of the Gospell even for the Gospels sake which we professe doe not the Popish sort put us to continuall shame heerein in shewing ordinarily more countenance and kindnesse to the most contemptible of their profession the basest runnagate or most ignorant priest for their very religion which they professe then we commonly to the faithfullest preachers of the Gospell or the deerest seruants of the Lord for the love of him and his most sacred truth In a word where is that submission in the greater sort to yeeld to the word of the Lord brought us by his messengers for his honour whose message it is for the reverence of the word it selfe being the eternall truth of Iesus Christ Must not all needs acknowledge that our glory is much departed in these respects But to come to the third part of our glory The Lords gracious protection Hath he not sundry times threatned most manifestly the utter removing of it so as all of us have oft feared his final departing and leaving of us Most true it is That never nation was eyther recorded or heard of to have the glory of the Lord more brightly shining upon it in admired peace wonderfull deliverances and even miraculous overthrowes of the enemies and discoveries of their secretest plots then England hath had That we may truly say as the Psalmist did of Iudah The Lord hath heerein beene well knowne amongst us his name hath beene great in England yet we cannot forget how many a time the glory hath beene almost gone from us and how certainly it had gone if ever the bloudy Antichrist or any of his marked souldiers had prevailed in any one of their desperate designes Nor that it was ever more neerely gone from any nation with whom it remained after then it hath beene from us Did not they themselues account all dispatched and the glory quite removed in their triumphs which they had for their navy inuincible and that therein they should have carried all utterly away Did not many an English heart tremble for feare therof And what could we looke for in all mans reason considering their long threats mischievous designes when ever the eies of our tender nursing mother should be laid but either a finall taking it away or a fearefull eclipsing or obscuring of it What heart wished not that it might never see that day Did not other nations wonder at the most incredible inthronizing of our dread Soveraigne and liege Lord in such an unexpected peace were we not all become as men that dreame when the Lord so turned away our captivitie in a moment even before it came Could we for many daies thinke that it was so indeed or rather that we were but as in a dreame untill that we perceived the Lord ratifying and confirming it in so strangely continuing our admired peace beyond all hope and not a dogg to move his tongue against us were not our mouthes at that time
servants p. 203 The depth of Sathan to smite Gods messengers with the tongue that none may be warned by their preaching to escape Gods vengeance p. 203 Ieremies familiars watch for his halting p. 203 How fearefull it is against conscience to practise mischiefe against Gods servants p. 204 Abomination 13. Striking and imprisoning Gods servants hastening the Captivitie p. 206 Pashur the Priest attempts to smite and imprison Ieremie hastening the Captivitie p. 207 The Princes by meanes of the Priests are against Ieremie and labour the king to put him to death p. 207 Zedekiah against his conscience leaves Ieremie into the hands of the Rulers p. 207 Cause of all Ieremies troubles p. 208 Abomination 14. Shedding the bloud of the Prophets and other of Gods servants hastening the Captivitie p. 209 What that bloud was which brought the Captivitie p. 209 How the cry of the bloud of Gods servants ascends into heaven p. 211 Vengeance for abusing the house and servants of the Lord. p. 211 How good it had beene for Iudah to have beene awaked at the admonition of the true Prophets p. 212 How necessary to stop such evils in the beginning p. 21â— Those who were so vilely accounted of were the dearest servants of God and chiefe meanes to stay his wrath so long p. 213 Of all other sinnes God can least endure the wronging of his messengers and dearest servants p. 213 From the disgracing of Gods servants all impietie flowes p. 214 What wisdome it is to prevent all indigâ—â—â—ies against Gods messengers p. 214 Our nation as fearfully defiled with the bloud of Gods servants in the daies of Queene Mary as Ierusalem in the time of Manasses p. 214 Apparant signes that our Land is not yet purged of that bloud p. 214 God cals upon us to search out this sinne if we will escape his search and the search of the bloudy enemie p. 215 Abomination 15. The unfruitfulnesse of the Lords vineyard laying it waste p. 216 What God had done for Iudah to make her fruitfull and so for us and our Covenant thereupon p. 216 The Lords complaint against his vineyard in Iudah and how it concernes us p. 217 Scarse any true godlinesse viz men truly sincere to be found among them before the Captivitie p. 218 What the Church is to doe in times desperatly evill p. 218 The Lords righteous vengeance for the unfruitfulnesse of his vineyard p. 219 Application to us with the Lords appeale for it to every ones conscience p. 219 The Papists principall argument and loud exclamations against us for our unfruitfulnesse p. 220 Complaints of the dressers of the vineyard for it p. 222 Sighes of the poore witnessing it p. 222 Vnfruitfulnesse of the Ministerie p. 222 How wee may justly lament for our negligence and time mispent p. 223 The Magistrates fruit p. 224 The accusation of the conscience in the carelesse Magistrate p. 224 The private mans fruit p. 225 Mr. Bradfords complaint for his owne unfruitfulnesse to be well noted of all p. 226 Each of us to acknowledge particularly our unfruitfulnesse p. 227 Abomination 16. Corruptions crept into all places and callings that almost all was become as drosse hastening the Captivitie p. 230 Only a few reserved in every calling p. 231 Vengeance proportionall to be melted together in the midst of Ierusalem p. 23â— Application to trie whether we have no need of such a melting 232 How neere we were to the furnace p. 232 England could not have filled the furnace p. 233 The furnace proclaimed to all people that we are corrupt and what God is about to doe unlesse we repent p. 233 Our corruptions instanced in the cry of many sinnes p. 234 The truth hereof as of the rest to be inquired of amongst the most conscionable and painfull Ministers p. 234 This should never passe out of our hearts how neere we have beene unto the melting p. 235 Abomination 17. Hypocrisie angring the Lord hastening the Captivitie p. 235 Their Covenant concerning the sinceritie of Gods worship p. 236 Wherein their hypocrisie chiefly consisted p. 236 The outward service without the inward is a wearinesse unto the Lord so the Ceremonie without the Morall commandement p. 237 To trust in outward observations is to trust in lying words p. 237 Hypocrisie in observing the traditions of men more then Gods commandements p. 238 Hypocrisie in serving God by the commandements of men and not of any conscience to God p. 238 Hypocrisie causeth the Lord to loath all our service and to take away his Religion p. 238 Application for our hypocrisie in performing a bare outward service p. 239 Hypocrisie in retaining still the dregs of Poperie p. 239 Many of our people doe all principally for the commandements of men as ready to receive any other religion p. 240 How few of whom we may justly hope that they are soundly religious p. 240 If so how can we looke to escape Ierusalems vengeance or a heavier p. 240 The sinnes of the chiefe men of all sorts from whom wickednesse descended to all the rest and the meanes how p. 241 The Lord will require all his sheepe of the pastors and why p. 242 Abomination 18. Covenant of the Magistrates and Rulers p. 242 Magistrates ought to be as God in his place p. 242 Magistrates ought to be fathers to all under them p. 243 Magistrates ought to be most temperate and fearing God p. 243 Magistrates as lights and patternes to the rest p. 244 Their great men in stead of being as God were most rebellious against God p. 244 In stead of fathers lions p. 244 The Lord compares cruell Rulers to Butchers and Cookes p. 245 Their great men gave themselves over to all licentiousnesse p. 246 Instead of being lights they became most vile ensamples p. 246 Their vengeance proportionall on them p. 247 Application in all humble reverence how neere the vengeance was to us in each particular p. 248 What the Popish conspirators pretended in blowing up the Parliament house p. 249 Great men are to remember the honour laid upon them and the end why God hath done it p. 250 Nehemiahs ensample to be set before the face of all worthy Rulers p. 252 Abomination 19. Taking up the evill fashions of other countries hastening the Captivitie p. 253 Gods people to observe the manners prescribed by him p. 253 They might not conforme themselves to Gods enemies but were to destroy every thing that might teach them their manners p. 253 They tooke up the odious fashions of other Countries and this was a chiefe cause why the Lord did forsake them p. 254 255 They fell to doat upon the guises of the Babylonians whom God had ordained to be their scourge p. 255 Vengeance for this to be cast off as they had cast off the Lord for these p. 256 All to be caried into Babylon on which they had so doated where they should execute Gods vengeance on them p. 256 The Lord sanctified the Babylonians for his ghuests against
fetcht directly from it p. 385 386 A Syllogisme demonstrating plainly that Poperie especially the Iesuited Papists Religion is in a speciall manner of the devill teaching lying and murder for the supporting of it p. 386 Proofe of the Proposition p. 386 Proofe of the Assumption That Poperie teacheth lying and murdering for the supporting and advancing of it p. 386 Helpes and preservatives which God hath provided for those who would be kept from Poperie the scourge that followes the contempt of the Gospell As p. 387 1. Notable confutations of Poperie to keepe us p. 388 2. Notable discoveries of the bloudy cruelties and vilenesse of Poperie and contrarily The perpetuall witnesses of the truth which we professe p. 388. 3. Speciall helpes for sanctification whereby to be kept from declining from God and so from this scourge p. 389 4. Helpes for praier because we cannot be kept except we pray nor stand in these evill daies without the speciall sustaining hand of our God p. 390 5. Helpes for fasting to humble us and to make our praiers more powerfull and effectuall that we may be kept p. 390 Abomination 33. Atheisme of Iudah angring the Lord to the uttermost and bringing the Captivitie p. 390 The day of vengeance wished by desperate scoffing Atheists p. 391 What a day that will be when it commeth p. 392 Atheists scoffing at the threatnings of the Prophets p. 392 This sinne cannot be purged till they die p. 392 All were at a covenant with death and hell p. 392 Atheists of all others most timorous when the vengeance comes p. 393 Abomination 34. Divisions of Iudah angring the Lord and bringing the Captivitie p. 394 Their divisions flowing from all their abominations and chiefly from the Apostasie so generally p. 394 All were given to covetousnesse and spreading nets p. 395 No man could trust other p. 395 The greater spoiling the poorer p. 395 All against the true Prophets and against all that feared the Lord and why p. 395 Their owne familiars waiting to have matter against them p. 396 Not one left with Gods faithfull servants to be seene to stand for them p. 396 The Church had none to looke to but to the Lord. p. 397 The number of the godly exceeding small at that time amongst them as the grapes after the vintage p. 397 How the Church comforts her selfe against the insulting of the enemie p. 397 A question answered viz. In so many divisions to whom to joine p 398 399. Application to our owne soules concerning our divisions and the rest of the heads herein p. 399 CHAP. XII The meanes whereby the Lord had striven with them to bring them to repentance that he might spare them and how in stead of repenting their sinne was increased by them all p. 400 Meanes by calling them by his word and how he had thereby striâ—â—n with them in all sorts p. 401 402 How he had called them by the continuall voice of his mercies p. 402 How he had called them by the voice of his rods both bodily and spirituall p. 403 The Lord weary with smiting inforced to give them up to their owne hearts lust and to this induration p. 404 The highest step of their induration that they were given over to scoffe at the Lords warnings whereby he called them to repentance p. 405 This sinne could not be purged p. 405 Some causes of their induration and why they profited not by all the meanes which the Lord used p. 406 Why the Lord would spare them no longer after he had used all these meanes to reclaime them p. 407 Application to our selves p. 408 CHAP. XIII The severitie of the Lords vengeance when no other meanes could serve p. 410 The Lamentations of Ieremie written to set out this miserie p. 411 Their carnall confidence in Iosiah seemeth one cause to have provoked the Lord to take him away after whose death began their miseries immediatly p. 412 The wofull miseries which at that time they endured As p. 412 1. Famine in the most lamentable kindes p. 412 2. Destruction by the sword p. 413 3. The desolations of the Temple p. 414 4. The finall desolation that came upon them p. 414 5. The shame cast upon the Lord and his people p. 414 6. The people that escaped caried captives p. 415 The miseries of their Captivitie p. 415 7. In their Captivitie the Church acknowledgeth all this justly come upon her for rebelling against the word of the Lord. p. 415 Despising Gods word and misusing his messengers caused that 〈◊〉 could be no more remedie p. 416 Application why the Lord should not execute as heavie a judgement upon us as on Iudah p. 416 How neere we have beene unto it and how oft p. 416 The mourning of the Lord for his people before this execution p. 417 The Lords expostulation after a sort mourning over us for our foolish impenitency and unkindnesse p. 417 The changing of our danger into such a joyfull day p. 419 Our unthankefulnesse in forgetting our wonderfull deliverances and mercies p. 420 The Lords expostulation further urged bemoaning our unkindnesse and wilfulnesse p. 421 Whether the Lord may not justly thus speake unto us especially having so many ready to receive our most bloudy enemies into our bosomes p. 421 422 424 Our answer to the Lords expostulation taken away p. 424 Application to all notorious sinners who are the men that hale on the vengeance of the Lord. p. 425 Warning to all obstinate sinners howsoever the Lord deale with us at the cries of his servants p. 427 Their miserable state at death most at Christs appearing p. 427 How each may come to the certaine knowledge of the truth hereof viz. by inquiring of his owne heart awaked p. 428 CHAP. XIIII How Gods faithfull servants are wont to be affected seeing his anger kindled against his people p. 430 How they are wont in such cases to use all meanes to pacifie his Majestie p. 431 The meanes which they have beene wont to use to this end p. 431 1. Gods faithfull servants have beene wont to intreat the Lord in secret to pacifie him thereby towards his people p. 433 2. They have beene wont to forewarne Gods people of their sinnes and his vengeance comming on them for the same p. 434 3. Gods servants have beene wont to direct his people to the meanes whereby he may be pacified p. 436 The principall meanes publike humiliations p. 436. Examples hereof p. 436 c. The example of Iehosophat is to be beholden of all religious rulers who would see the like experience of the Lords presence and mercie towards them and therefore set downe at large p. 438 The way to ouerthrow and daunt the enemies of the Church p. 439 Our owne practise and experience p. 441 Reason hereof All having provoked the Lord all must seeke to pacifie him by humbling themselves p. 442 The office of forewarning and calling to fasting belongs to Gods Ministers p. 443 446 The supreme Magistrates to appoint publike
specially at death most at the dreadfull judgement p. 532 533 Reasons of their horrour p. 533 State of them then who have neglected their callings and that which hath beene commanded them p. 534 How fearefull the condition of all those men is who have not gained with their talents nor increased them and more of those who have used them against the Lord and for Sathan p. 534 Their case of all other most fearefull to whom most hath beene committed p. 535 How their horrour shall be increased p. 535 No impenitent sinner can possibly looke to stand before the Lord. p. 535 Application to all who have neglected to doe as the Lord hath commanded them p. 536 Application to the chiefe to put them in remembrance as their answer must be the greatest for their place and charge p. 536 The Magistrates Commission and what the Lord will call for at his hards p. 537 The Iudges commission p. 538 The Ministers commission p. 538 The account of each Governour of a family for every soule within his gates p. 539 The account of every one to whom he hath committed any talent p. 539 How the Lord will reply to all sorts beginning to excuse themselves untill their mouthes be stopped p. 540 How he will reply to all for imploying their talents by trying their advantage p. 542 Objection of the weake Christian viz. who can be able to appeare before the Lord p. 543 Every one who hath unfainedly striven hereunto shall be able to stand before the Lord and reasons of it p. 544 Object 2. The cry of all sorts of sinners whose consciences shall be awaked when they shall bethinke themselves of this appearing p. 545 The Lords answer to all such p. 545 What the Lord commands the poore sinner in the first place p. 546 The endevour of Sathan to drive all such poore sinners to endlesse despaire p. 547 How to comfort the poore humbled sinner against Sathans assaults and temptations p. 547 The second terrour of Sathan that the time of mercie is past p. 549 The time is never too late whilst the Lord calls us to repent if we can obey p. 549 Generall comfort never repentant sinner but found mercie p. 550 The Lord still stretcheth out his hands to all to come to him p. 550 The terrible voice of the Lord to all despisers of mercy now offered p. 551 The Lord will one day bring all that belong unto him to say Lord I will doe as thou commandest at least he will bring them by strong hand p. 552 God purposeth their destruction whom he suffereth to goe on perpetually in their impenitencie p. 553 Application to us all in generall what securitie we have to escape the vengeance so long threatned from Babylon untill we doe as God commands p. 553 The Lords reply to us if we answer that we have repented and therefore shall have peace p. 554 555 God threatneth us as sensibly from Rome as he did them from Babylon p. 556 Conclusion of all how to trie the certaintie hereof and when we may have securitie and boldnesse p. 557 Comfort to all the meeke who can say that they have truly endevored to doe as the Lord hath commanded them These only have the promises p. 557 The Lord hath given most comfortable answers against each feare of his servants in such cases p. 558 Against the feare of being left into the enemies hand p. 558 The second feare for the wrongs and provocations of the enemies answered p. 559 Our third feare for that we are but poore wormes and nothing in regard of our enemies which are the mightie men of the earth p. 560 The fourth feare of Gods people for the miseries we may come into in the meane time amongst our enemies answered p. 561 A fift answer of the Lord against the feare of want of necessary comforts p. 562 A sixt comfort against feare of fainting in the long continuance of the troubles of the Church p. 563 The seventh the Lords answer to the faithfull soule mourning for feare of the dangers of the Church p. 565 What every faithfull servant of God should doe for the Church and this nation that would never see 〈◊〉 feele their miseries p. 565 All to hearken what the Lord calleth and crieth for at our hands moaning our estate p. 566 What he will doe for us and against our enemies if we will yet hearken unto him p. 567 A holy praier according to the Contents of the booke p. 569 TO ALL ESTATES AND DEGREES WHO truly tender their owne Soules the Church of God and their natiue COVNTREY IT is now many yeares Christian Reader since by reading those holy Prophets which liued next before the Captiuitie of Iudah who denounced the same to be ready to come vpon Gods people for their sinnes and by considering and comparing the same with the times wherein we liue I haue euer feared the life plague or a heauier to be hanging ouer this our sinfull Nation Neither haue I feared without iust cause for how neere indeed such a iudgement hath bin vnto vs and how the same threatnings haue bin ready to be verified vpon vs the world is witnesse euen all they who haue but onely heard the report of our dangers and of our wonderfull and euen miraculous deliuerances And euer the later perils and preseruations haue bin the more wonderfull as that one of the Powder furnace was aboue all that euer former age heard of In the due meditation and regard whereof I haue taken it to be my dutie and of all the faithfull Ministers of Christ to follow the example of Noah and of all those faithfull Prophets in giuing warning aforehand keeping within the limits and compasse of our calling to helpe to open the eyes of all to foresee and to cause all to tremble for the anger of the Lord also to contend with all our power to turne euery soule from his euill way that so his wrath may be appeased and we deliuered from the dreadfull execution of his heauiest vengeance Herevpon in my former feare amongst other causes I was chiefly emboldned and that not long before the time of that bloudie Powder-treason as the Lord had so directed it to endeuour to set downe truly and after to publish to all the first part of this watch viz The rule of life contayning the couenant which we haue all entred into with our God To the end to helpe to keepe all his people from the generall declining from that his blessed couenant to profanesse and iniquitie and from the outragious wickednes of the rest that we also might all learne to watch to be preserued in the euill day And since then likewise the second part of the same watch viz The rule of prayer to awaken vs the better and to stirre vp all the Lords faithfull seruants the more speedily and instantly to betake our selues wholly to watching and prayer not onely to be
vengeance Thorow out haue I striuen to shew my loue and earnest desire not onely to the whole but also to saue euery soule from these plague Yet haue I not indeuoured any more herein than the Angell for Lot in labouring to pull vs out of the destruction remayning for the impenitent nor any more than Esay Ieremie Ezechiel with other the Prophets and faithfull men of Iudah did before the Captiuitie in seeking to turne away that calamitie and all other their miseries from them nor going past the bounds of the word of the Lord deliuered by those Prophets Nor yet any more at all than I take to be the dutie of euery faithfull Minister and Man of God so far as the Lord shall offer him opportunitie to seeke to preserue all from Gods wrath and to plucke euery soule out of the fire of his vengeance And this by shewing all sorts their sinnes to bring them to repentance thereby by haling drawing to get euery Lot out of Sodom before the destruction come If any one shall be offended for the discouerie of his sinne amongst the generall without the knowledge and sight whereof he cannot be saued and that onely because he would still liue in it or would not be awaked his displeasure therein is no more to be regarded than if one in an heauy sleep in the midst of an house all on fire about him now ready to fall vpon his head to burne him to ashes whom God shall enable to pull forth any such when he shall awake them and cause them to see their danger wherein they were and their gracious deliuerance then will they magnifie his great name that those did so aduenture themselues for them and esteeme such aboue all other of the earth And as for the displeasure of men better is it ten thousand times to haue all the world offended with vs for our labouring in loue and dutie in our place to saue and pull men from vnder Gods wrath and forth of the very pit of hell so much as he shall vouchsafe vs mercy than to haue the Lord angry with vs for being vnfaithfull in that which hath beene committed vnto vs and for neglecting to saue his people from destruction Oh what extreme foolishnes is it to feare man whose breath is in his nostrils and whose heart is in the Lords hand to turne as the boates in the waters to incline as pleaseth him who cānot moue a finger at vs but by his permission nor do any more than he wil turne to 〈◊〉 good and not to feare him who if he be angry with vs neuer so little all our dayes are gone Who would haue killed Moses for omitting the circumcising of his childe who brought the tempest on the sea and would not suffer it to cease vntill that Ionah was throwne into it because he prouided for his owne peace with neglect or at least through feare of performance of that dutie inioyned him which was to goe to Niniue to preach vnto them That within fortie dayes Niniue should be destroyed Who finally threatneth Ieremie to destroy him before the people if he feare their faces and will certainely whip his dearest seruants vnto his worke if they begin to loyter We therefore who are Gods messengers had neede to looke vnto it to indeuour so far as we may keeping within our limits to pull all sorts of sinners with violence out of the fire and to striue to set their sinnes before their faces in their natiue colours And the rather that so all of vs seeing the heynousnesse of our owne sinnes and of the sinnes of our Land may come to some more due consideration of the infinitenesse we did not vnderstand them I take and hold it to be necessarie still to try further all holy meanes we know not which the Lord will blesse Surely for the greatest part the most plaine is the most profitable But if it shall be obiected that the applications to the particular kindes of sinnes and sinners are ouer plaine and come too neere the quicke I answer againe Blessed man is he who can finde them to come neere to his owne corruption and sinne Is not this the onely way to driue vs to behold the true brasen serpent when we feele our selues stung at our hearts Can euer any wretched sinner cry out Men and Brethren what shall I doe that I may be saued vntill he haue his soule thus pierced Or can any fornicator adulterer blasphemer or any other notorious sinner finde the soueraigne cōfort which is in Christs bloud but only such a one Yet this I say vnto euery soule that if any thing doe seeme to pierce which is not the word of the Lord or is any way misapplied that it is not any more to be feared than darts of stubble But so far as it is his blessed word following necessarily out of the same it will one day certainely wound vs and better here whilest we may haue our wounds cured againe by applying that soueraigne remedie of the bloud of the Son of God than to be smitten thorow with it when all hope of cure is past and so to haue our hearts galling vs and vexing vs eternally I therefore here doe also humbly beg of all the worthy and faithfull seruants of the Lord as I haue in my former labours to helpe me to bring euery peece of this worke to the tryall for the full assurance of euery soule who is desirous to see his euill way and would escape the day of the Lords wrath or who would seeke to helpe to pacifie his wrath kindled against vs. If there be in it any one sentence which is not either the word of the Lord or not arising out of it and agreable thereto that it may be reformed or if it bewray the least partiall affection in leaning to any side but to the Lord and to his manifest truth agreed vpon by vs all who soundly professe Christs Gospell or the least false testimonie Our most holy and blessed God infinite in wisdome power needes not our lye to bring any of his to repentance nor for setting forth of his glory No no his owne word is inough and shall be found aboundantly sufficient to saue all his elect to destroy all his enemies to deliuer his Church to get himselfe the victorie I dare not wittingly affirme one vntruth no not against the bloudie enemie nor against Sathan himselfe no nor yet wrong any creature vnder heauen farre be it from me to giue the Accuser that aduantage How then may I doe it for the cause of the Lord who abhorreth the very least iniquitie and with whom no euill can dwell Moreouer sith all this wholly tendeth to helpe towards the making and establishing our peace with our God by seeking to recall vs all vnto his obedience that we may euery one renew our vow and couenant with him
we shall finde it thus That these and all other signes mentioned are in great measure come upon us let us answer unfaynedly whether the Lord doth not sensibly threaten and proclaime to depart and leave us altogither unlesse we repent having thus far already withdrawne himselfe from us And to conclude this point whether it be not full time to seeke to pacifie and stay him amongst us if we be not weary of his abode with us and of our happinesse thereby But of this more in the next Chapter where we shall have cause to inquire of the outward tokens of the Lords glorious presence and what a removall he hath made thereof as likewise we see that he hath of this inward Thus much therefore shall suffice to have spoken of this second cause which we have all to watch pray yea even to weepe and cry after him to returne unto us againe in shewing amongst us the power of his Spirit as ever in former time and to abide with us for ever that he never leave us to our bloodie enemies CHAP. V. How the Lord is most unwilling to depart from his Church so long as there is any other remedie which he manifesteth in his oft threatning to take his leave before he goe indeed And of the outward tokens both of his glorious presence in his Church and of his departure from it And what cause we have thereupon to watch and pray continually ANd the Glory of the God of Israel was removed c. A third point specially to be observed is this That the Glory of God removed not once onely but five severall times in this vision before it departed and that it removed not all at once but so oft going away by degrees and that most sensibly By which he would cause the Prophet most clearely to behold his holinesse and justice that he must needs depart from them for their iniquities wherewith they grieved him and that he was now taking his farewell and yet withall also to see his mercy and tender compassion and how he was as we may so speake most unwilling to depart and leave his people to so many miseries even Ierusalem his owne Citie to such a desolation if any remedie would have bin found This he makes knowne unto them to see if it would worke to stir them up to seeke to retaine his presence amongst them For the evident manifestation hereof First the Glory removes from the Cherub and stands upon the threshold as ready to depart Secondly it removes higher and stands over the dore of the house Thirdly it removing from above the dore and standing againe upon the Cherubims the Cherubims mounted upward from the earth towards heaven as ready to take their flight and leave the Temple altogither Fourthly after this the Glory removes to the midst of the Citie thereby seeming to warne the Citie of the Lords departure Lastly from thence it removes out of the Citie unto the Mount of Olives as utterly taking leave of them and giving them a last farewell untill their Captivitie was accomplished and his anger appeased These were the removes Here we are all againe to inquire yet more carefully whether he hath not made as many and as sensible removes of his glory amongst us of this our Nation and thereby given us as many plaine evidences of his departure not now in a vision but so as all men must needs see and confesse it and also whether withall he hath not as clearely and tenderly manifested as I may so say his unwillingnesse to depart from us if any thing can serve to reforme us This is a point of most serious consideration and such a one as it were an exceeding mercy of the Lord and a token of his gratious purpose toward us if he would but vouchsafe us hearts generally to consider of aright as in his presence and as we must all know it one day To the end we may conceive it the better we are first to consider wherein the glory of the Lord appeareth outwardly in his Church so as it may be beholden of all round about it even of the very enemies As for the former evidence it being more inward is to be perceived chiefly of the inward man the soule and conscience when God so speaks unto them This outward Glory consists in three things principally as was said whereby not only the Lord himselfe is magnified amongst his owne people yea to be seene acknowledged of others but also by which he makes his people to be glorious in the eies of others and to be honoured and feared of their enemies The first is when he bestoweth upon his people such aboundance of heavenly and sanctified knowledge of his worde with an hungring after the same as that the earth seemeth to be filled with the knowledg of the Lord like the waters that cover the Sea as the Prophet Esay speaketh This he promiseth to doe in his Church when he will shew his glory in it in the dayes of the Gospell At what time the Church being exalted as upon the topps of the mountaines there shal be such a hungring and thirsting after the word of the Lord that men shal incite and provoke one another saying Come let us goe up to the house of the Lord for he will teach us his waies and we will walke in his pathes Where he thus puts his lawes into the mindes of his people at least in a vehement desire of it That they all seeme to know him from the least to the greatest of them this is a visible token of Gods covenant with such a people and the pardon of their sinnes that he is their God and this is his glory upon them A second visible token is this when this knowledge is accompanied with obedience and holinesse of life when he thus writes his law in their hearts creating in them new hearts and new spirits Thus the Lord promiseth to be sanctified in his owne people before the eyes of their enemies when he shall clense them from all their filthy sinnes as with pure water when he puts his spirit so upon them as to cause them to walke in his statutes to keepe his judgments and to do them when he puts his feare so generally into their hearts as to cause them not to depart from him Then he makes this covenant for himselfe that he wil not depart from them And chiefly when togither heerewith he gives peace unity amongst them that they have one heart and one way That the Lambe may lodge with the Wolfe without danger the poore harmelesse Christian with them who have beene by nature as bloudy as Wolues when the little child may lead the Lion even a child bringing the word of the Lord may perswade and lead them who were otherwise as proude and fierce as Lyons And when the sucking childe may play upon the hole of the Aspe when the poore seruants of
for the abundance of Gods blessings which they injoy principally to that end to buy wisdome as Solomon saith Whereas heretofore many of them were able to put to silence the proudest Papists amongst us in displaying the abominations of Poperie and in maintayning the Gospell of Christ committed unto us in trust to that end is it not to be feared our swaggering courses considered and our generall neglect of religion that we are in the greatest part by far become unable to maintaine the one or to confute the other or so much as to speake with any lively feeling of the truth of the Lord or yet as having any sound love of the one or dislike of the other And how should it be otherwise when we for most part give over our selves wholly to our pleasures with all licentiousnesse or to follow after the honours and riches of the world and which is yet far worse and more to be feared as an evident forerunner of vengeance when we are so generally ashamed to be noted for being forward or zealous in the profession of the Gospell of Christ On the other side are not many of the Popish sort growne to be exceeding cunning in the mysterie of Antichrists iniquitie and the depths of Sathan whereby they deceive themselves and others for that is all the glory that can justly be given them seeing in the first principles of the knowledge of our blessed God out of his heavenly word they are commonly knowne to be far more ignorant than our litle children which are but catechized in the faith of Christ Are not even ordinarily the simpler sort of them waxen generally so perfect in the cheife points of their religion by their paines which they take though alas to their perdition for setting up the throne of the Beast againe as that they are able therein to goe about the greatest part of the cheife among us and put us to silence We can many of us be the best companions for them that may be and can talke with them of any matter of vaine pleasure and commoditie and happily in scorning at all them who shew any more love to the word and more dislike of their abominations than we do and who is so good a fellow as one of them though a deadly enemie to the Gospell and all that sincerely professe the same but hardly a word either for Christ and his truth or against Antichrist and his iniquitie Though we have as good cause to be armed against him with all possible meanes especially with the armour of the word of the Lord as ever Nation had before having had so many faire warnings from him Oh that this may be well thought of for sundry parts of our Land But here it may be some will say That there was never more knowledge in the Land To whom I answer Far be it off from me from obscuring any gift or blessing of the Lord amongst us Nay I magnifie him for them but that which I have spoken hath bin of a sanctified and powerfull knowledge wherein the kingdome of God and our glory consists and that amongst our people And secondly of such I would demand as before the Lord whether in many a Congregation there be not a sensible decay as in all places where the meanes have failed and for the rest what is our knowledge generally in regard of our meanes and the long continuance of them Have we not very many places where within sundry miles there are not two to be found in a Towne which have any sound substantiall and saving knowledge even of matters of salvation and the wayes of God And of those who seeme to have knowledge doe not many of them as it were grope for the wall like the blinde stumbling at noone day as in the twilight making no conscience at all of their wayes no not of monstrous sins wherein they live not fearing any judgement towards the Land or themselves Is not the very day darke over them as we may so speake for seeing their owne sinnes or the fearfull sins of the Land And may not the Lord therefore as he threatneth cause the Sunne to goe downe at noone and darken the earth in the cleare day And where is that holinesse become whereby the Lord should be sanctified of us and honoured of all about us with that obedience and submission to his most sacred word Are we not in very great numbers come to this passe to make such a fearefull revolt from all holy conscience of our wayes which many began to make to open impietie profanenes as that certaine who were of us have departed from us although not without their owne fearefull sinne in that behalfe The old Serpent hath undoubtedly used this as one first and principall provocation hereunto Even the very dishonors done to the Lords Sacred Majestie amongst us by our heynous sinnes and lest they should be polluted by our intolerable impieties whereof they can see no hope of redresse and also for feare of the vengeance of the Lord hanging over us for the same whereby they have made a most grievous rent in the Church of God to the indangering of their owne soules and the advantaging of the bloudie enemie against us all though they observe not so much Doe not the Popish sort blaspheme the religion of the Lord established among us for the extreme irreligiousnesse of the lives of too many of us Do they not hereupon thinke that no crueltie can be devised sufficient for us no not the butchering or blowing us up all at once Though indeed it be not our wickednesse which they so deadly malice for therein many of them far surpasse us Let Italie and Spaine be witnesses hereof for from them chiefly hath our iniquitie come as will appeare heereafter but it is Christ and his Gospell which they so maligne to the death doe not sundry make fresh revoults unto them for some shewes of holinesse that are amongst the devouter sort accounting it much safer to live in filthy Babylon the cage of every uncleane and hatefull bird under that abominable slavery and and drudgery of Antichrist then to communicate with us at his table in the true service of Iesus Christ Is not all true devotion waxen so odious amongst very many of us as that it hath beene thought ordinarily a disgrace for the cheifer sort men of note to kneele unto the Lord in the congregation at the publike prayers And must not their private devotion be sutable in all reason Though it be not or at least have not beene any disgrace for too many of them to kneele in the most reverend sort as doing a most solemne service though not to Bacchus Ceres and Venus yet to their owne bellies Certainely our Land of late yeeres hath beene grievously polluted herewith whether it be yet left or at least repented of I leave it to our consciences Is not
filled with laughter and our hearts with ioy for this so wonderfull a remaining of our glory In a word as Ezekielâ—aw â—aw that the Cherubims mounted vpward flew from the Temple from the midst of the Citie to the mount of Olives as departing cleane away so to demand of the conscience of the most notoriovs scorner was not all our glory ready visibly to mount upward from us at once were we not as it were within a minute of the execution nothing wanting in effect but putting fire to the match to have blowne up and utterly carried away all our glory every part of it altogither did not our desperate rebels make their certaine account of it did they not exalt themselves against the Lord of Hosts in it as his vengeance taken upon some of the cheife of them openly did notably declare could all the pollicie in the world have preuented it or ever so much as have suspected such a hellish device if our gracious God had not yet once againe from heaven declared the riches of his glory amongst us and his pitifull compassion over us and that in a more immediate and sensible working than at all former times when he first made themselves the beginners of this discoverie then so mightily wrought upon the heart of our Soveraigne Lord casting such a carefull feare upon him as that he suffered him not to rest untill he had disclosed it yea we may truely say in thankfulnesse to our blessed God that he never gave over untill he had againe the second time wrought the deliverie and preservation of Great Britaine and of his Church by the hand of his Royall Servant and withall had granted the staying of his glory that it should yet remaine amongst us that thereby all our hearts might be more firmely linked to his Annoynted and unto his Seed for ever and that we might all the dayes of our life send forth more hearty thanks and powre out more fervent and instant prayers for his Sacred Majestie and for all his Royall Progenie What soule did not for the present extoll the Lord of glory for it as being his onely worke Who can be so voyde of sense or so brutish as yet to have lost the fresh remembrance of it Or who can now here denie but that this was first as sensible a danger and threatning from the Lord to remove his glory from amongst us as ever was in any Nation or Church since the beginning of the world Yea who must not of necessitie be inforced to acknowledge that this was as miraculous a stay or rather a returne of the glory againe and withall as evident a forewarning of a finall departure as ever was read or heard of before unlesse we doe yet speedily humble our selves and give him better entertainment And to shut up this point likewise what part have we now remayning of all the outward glory which they had not in the dayes of worthy Iosiah the times being considered or which they had not at the beginning of all those miseries following which entred and seized upon them within three moneths after the death of holy Iosiah save onely this one That the Lord to accomplish his worke on them and to make a way to his wrath suffred their Iosiah to be taken in the nets of the enemie whereas he hath so graciously and above all former mercies yet preserved our Iosiah unto us when there was but a haires bredth betweene him yea betweene us all and death though yet of late he hath so fearfully shaken his rod in taking away that worthiest hope that ever our eyes did see before and in whom we did so pride and secure our selves But alas if our holy God shall now come and examine these things among us what we have done since in token of our thankfulnesse for this incredible deliverie and for this so gratious a returne above all other yea above all that almost ever the world heard of how we have demeaned our selves in token of our unfeigned humiliation for this so dreadfull a threatning of his departure what desire we shew to retaine him how we extoll his great name for it by advancing his religion that he might be the better knowne and feared amongst us what zeale we shew to put out that execrable and murthering religion with all the monuments and perillous remembrances of it that which thus teacheth and inciteth men to expell the Lord and his glory from among them and with all to destroy all his people at once from the face of the earth what greater hatred and detestation of it is wrought in us than heretofore what can we answer to any one of these must we not needs be compelled to lay our hand upon our mouthes or rather to confesse will we nill we That this is the humiliation and thankfulnesse of the greatest part among us that we doe many times more rebelliously lift up our faces sinning most impudently against his glorious Majestie and so far grieve and quench his Spirit as that we seeke utterly to extinguish all feare of his name And in steed of growing in detestation of that bloodie religion for the utter rooting it out according to the just indignation then presently had against it as some good lawes thereupon provided will ever witnesse against us to the end of the world doe not very many begin afresh to grow in admiration of it and to dote after it and the professors thereof much more than before casting away the Lord and his truth May not then the Lord most justly make a finall remove May he not righteously forsake and leave us into their hands as he left Iudah unto the Babylonian May he not say unto his servants when they are humbled upon their faces in secret for these and the like tokens of his heavy displeasure and for those who are inchanted as by the sorcerers of Egypt so that they put their hands to the execrable thing as he said to Iosuah in the like case I will not be with you any more unlesse you will give me my glory but I will utterly strip you of all my glory taking away both religion and protection at once I will leave you to be made a prey and a desolation for ever unlesse you will search out the execrable thing even all your abominations whereby you have made your selves odious and execrable unto me and unlesse you will doe your uttermost indevour to purge and clense your Land of them all Not onely so many of us as run a whoring after Poperie or favour it but even all of us for that thorow our generall negligence and securitie it reviveth and groweth up againe so freshly among us after he had given such just occasion to seeke to roote it utterly out of our Land Yea after that he had so above all former times set before our faces the cruell rage of that
Lamentations This their good King had also sundry sonnes and sonnes sonnes as may appeare in the historie alledged before As for Gods tender love and care shewed for us in our continuall preservations and in all our former deliverances the abuse of them cannot but increase the wrath against us considering our grievous unthankfulnesse Besides that they had also then as just cause to boast hereof as we have now or much more both in that continuall preservation of their Land through a feare cast on their enemies that none durst invade them so long as they obeyed the Lord in any good sort of which we spake and by their great deliverances as that in the dayes of Ezechiah and others mentioned Whereas this may be yet further imagined for our vaine securing our selves that we live in the dayes of the Gospell wherein the judgements of God are more spirituall and therefore having received so many strange deliverances it is more like that he intends to punish us more spiritually which is indeed the heaviest judgement of all other We answer That true it is That we may as yet certainely expect an increase of the spirituall judgement of blindnesse of minde and hardnesse of heart to fill up the measure of our iniquities and to make the condemnation of all the reprobate and our plagues the more just thereby yet these things following thought of and well weighed with the former may cause us to dread some temporall plague and that heavier than all which have gone before As first the outward and temporall judgements which God hath been wont to bring for the contempt of the Gospell like as in the last finall destruction and scattering of this Nation of the Iewes over the face of the earth after the preaching of Christ and his Apostles and sundry other where the Gospell hath come as the judgements accomplished in removing those seven golden Candlesticks of Asia and in many other famous Churches with the afflictions upon them which must needs be very grievous in all reason before the Gospell could be utterly taken away And secondly if we call to minde how many forewarnings we have had of such a sharpe scourge and withall how often it hath bin so neere to our backs Thirdly that we have had as I take it all the fore-runners of the greatest temporall calamitie which is the very sword it selfe That we have felt both dearths and pestilences and also heard the cryes of the poore for mercilesse oppressors ravening and devouring almost in every part of our Land Besides the taking from us so many of the Royall issue and principally Him upon whom all the eyes of our Land were bent for continuance of our shelter yea of our life and all our blessings to cause all the godly to droope in fearing continually some greater judgement and giving all the enemies such cause to lift up their heads afresh as now expecting their day againe Fourthly the implacable malice of our bloudie enemies against us either to destroy us utterly or to bring our Nation by strong hand under that Babylonish yoke againe which cruell rage of theirs doth threaten such a plague every houre but that the Lord in mercie stayeth it This fiftly may terrifie us all so oft as we thinke of it for that as I take it under submission to better judgements we cannot be any more assured that our Land is as yet purged more of the abominable Idolatrie committed in former times and of the bloud of Gods servants the faithfull Martyrs of Iesus Christ in the dayes of Queene Marie with innumerable moe abominations committed both before and since and increased also to this day to anger the Lord than Ierusalem was in the dayes of Iosiah If God remembred against Iudah all the Idolatrie bloodshed and other like abominations of former dayes and in the day of his visitation visited them for all what can we looke for or how can we secure our selves And yet above all these That if the Lord doe love us and purpose to continue his religion and presence with us as we have great cause of hope that he doth then he will deale with us as kinde and wise fathers are wont to doe with their disobedient children he will double and treble his fatherly strokes upon us untill he amends us and makes us stoope to him He hath already corrected us very sharply with all his other rods over and over and continually one or other upon our backs and most thicke of late time whence we must needs expect a more sharpe scourge to awaken and amend us than any of the former or than all of them togither And what can that be we take not upon us to divine But let every one bethinke himselfe and looke into the booke of God and he will easily see by the course of Gods former proceedings what cause we have to feare especially if the same abominations be found amongst us or rather greater than these for which the Lord threatned and brought this wofull judgement for if he spared not the naturall branches then neither will he spare us now being but wilde Olives and having so far greater light than they and other meanes to reclaime us And therefore this is our lesson in this our day and left to admonish us now as it was given first for them For other prerogatives If any can be found wherein we doe excell them they will but rather serve to increase and hasten our judgement As the Gospell for example offring more grace and power of obedience must needs more kindle the Lords wrath Because so many of us making profession of it doe yet denie the power thereof so far as that we make the very enemies to blaspheme and doe moreover proceede not onely to hate but also to scorne all who labour to bring forth the fruit of it by a holy conversation For as it is with the most gracious and munificent Princes that they will shew most severitie to such of their Subjects whom no patience nor benefits can winne but that they rather waxe more rebellious by the mercy and bountie of their Prince so we must know certainely that it is with the Lord that his mercies so abused must needs provoke him to the heaviest indignation which if it be but the removing of our candlesticke how dreadfull it is yea whether it be not far worse than any bodily plague let all the wise-hearted judge Thus much likewise for this point That no favour or priviledges can give any securitie to a sinfull people professing Gods religion if they begin to cast off his yoke and to waxe worse and worse to make his name to be blasphemed but the moe their priviledges are the greater is their sin and the more grievous their punishments shall be And secondly what causes we have hereupon to give our selves more instantly to watching and
THE third part of THE TRVE-WATCH or The Call of the Lord to awake all sorts to meete him speedely with intreaty of peace to turne vnto him by true repentance shewing what causes we haue forthwith to betake orselu's to watching prayer Taken out of the vision of Ezekiel Chap 9. BY IO BRINSIEY The secâ—und edition Imprinted at LONDON for Thomas Pauier 1623. THE THIRD PART OF THE TRVE VVATCH Containing the call of the Lord to awake all sorts to meet him with intreatie of peace and to turne unto him by true repentance shewing what causes we have forthwith to betake our selves to Watching and Prayer Taken out of the Vision of EZEKIEL Chap. 9. By IOHN BRINSLEY IER 36. 2. Take thee a roule of a booke and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel and against Iudah and against all the Nations from the day I spake unto thee from the daies of Iosiah even unto this day VERSE 7. It may be they will present their supplication before the Lord and will returne every one from his evill way for great is the anger and the furie that the Lord hath pronounced against this people HAB. 2. 2. Write the vision and make it plaine upon tables that he may run that readeth it EZEK 18. 30. Repent and turne your selves from all your transgressions so iniquitie shall not be your ruine VERSE 32. For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith the Lord God Wherefore turne your selves and live you LONDON Printed by IOHN HAVILAND for THOMAS PAVIER and are to be sold at his shop in Ivie lane 1622. The summe of the whole Booke 1. How the Lord did long forewarne his people of Iudah calling them to repentance sundrie waies before he brought upon them the seventie yeeres captivitie in Babylon And withall the pâ—incipall abominations which provoked him to this heavie judgement 2. The wofull miseries which all sorts endured in that Captivitie when no warnings would preuaile to bring them to unfained repentance and more specially the plagues which came upon the wicked and impenitent 3. Particular application hereof unto our selves and of the manifold forewarnings which we have received chiefly from Babylon above all in the powder treason shewing evidently that the Lord is angrie with us for our sinnes and what use we are to make as of all our forewarnings so chiefly of that Powder-treason 4. How to appease the Lord so as to prevent the like judgements and all other plagues â—nd ever to â—emaine a most happie people unto the comming of Iesus Christ. Also how very one of us may attaine to true Christian boldnesse to be alwaies readie to appeare beâ—ore his Majestie See the more particular contents of the severall Chapters and heads after A Commendatorie Epistle THis Author Christian Reader having desired first my censure now sundrie yeeres agoe and since my joint testimonie touching this worke that by the mouth or two or three witnesses God might make it more effectuall for accomplishing all the good his heart desireth I could no way justly denie the same seeing as the ends which it propoundeth and wholly aimeth at are only to helpe to further the way to our unfained repentance for the generall happinesse of us all yea even of every soule and that our glory may be continued to us and to our posteritie so he hath long travelled in the same and used all holy meanes of triall and examination that there might be nothing in it but that which is necessarie to these ends and which might stand before the Lords Tribunall For the Author himselfe though I have knowne him from my childhood being borne neere unto him brought up in the same Grammar Schoole and after in the same Colledge in Cambridge and ever since beene most familiarly acquainted with him and therefore could speake more in this case then I take to be convenient yet I may wholly spare that paines seeing his owne faithfull and happy labours have so long agoe commended him and made him and his holy affection for the good of all so well knowne to the Church of God As first the first part of this True watch the Rule of Life so much approved of all religious Christians to whose hands it hath come that it hath now the ninth time seene the Presse and gone thorow the triall Wherein he hath set out to the view of all the holinesse and integritie of that way of life which we all jointly professe according to Gods sacred word and the good Lawes of our Christian Commonweale to the justifying of our Church against the Separatists to be the true Church of Iesus Christ and that whosoever so walketh shall undoubtedly finde eternall life and in the meane while all heavenly boldnesse peace and joy And not only against them but also against the superstitious and clamorous Papists who herein slander our Religion affirming it to be a religion of carnall libertie theirs of holinesse ours full of divisions and uncertaintie theirs of perfect unitie thereby to draw our people to a dislike of the eternall truth of our blessed God and to a liking of that popish way which is nothing but meere superstition in outward shews of devotion according to mens inventions and such as God never commanded or required nay such as God hath most expresly forbidden as tending to utter perdition both of soules and bodies So secondly the second part of this True watch the Rule of Praier in which he hath manifested his holy desire and unfained love to the Church of God and his native Countrie for a perfect peace and unitie with all happinesse in the same and hath so laboured to trace out the most sure and plaine way following the direction of our blessed Saviour as that whosoever striveth so to watch pray shall undoubtedly be amongst them that are as the Chariots and horsemen of Israel and helpe to save the Iland And in the third place in his Schoole labours for the benefit of our children and posteritie he hath fully witnessed his longing desire of the perpetuall flourishing of this our Church and Nation concerning which travell to omit all other that one testimonie of the learned Doctor Hall that worthie Deane of Worcester in his Commendatorie Preface before his booke called Ludus Literarius or the Grammar Schoole dedicated to Prince Henrie and Duke Charles speaking out of his owne experience and of sundry other learned many yeeres agoe may fully suffice And much more now of late that more then ordinarie witnesse by that learned Mr. Butlour of Oxford in his fourth Edition of his Rhetoricke who in stead of the commendations of many other of principall note which especially in Oxford are wont to be prefixed before any worke of speciall worth as that is taketh only the testimonie of this Author in a place or two in his Grammar-Schoole and sets it before his booke instead of many there commending him
Remember 1. The danger we stand in because of the Lords displeasure for our sin 2. The meanes how we may yet pacifie and prevent the same if we be not wanting to our selues 3. That we are all to be helpers hereunto 4. The comfort and happinesse of the true helpers whatsoeuer come to passe with the misery of the rest are the briefe and scope of all Esa. 65. 24. Before they call I will answer and whiles they are yet speaking I will heare Hos. 12. 4. He had power over the Angell and prevailed he wept and praied vnto him In wrastling and weeping is our victorie I. B. Errours to be corrected thus PReface Page 1. l. 5. marg write hying on us p. 5. l. 36. thus p. 9. l. 14. as was said p. 15. l. 19. to our good In the Contents b. 3. l. 2. too indifferently l. 4. The light esteeme of the great c. c. 2. l. 5. put out sometime l. 12. through ignorant In the vision p. 1. l. 1. marg Al In the booke p. 1. l. 32. should endure p. 44. l. 25. worst p. 45. l. 8. marg able p. 65. l. 28. grandfather p 79. l. 4. and is l. 6. Apo. 2. l. 23. shewed p. 111. l. 23. disgrace p. 114. l. 8. humbled p. 123. l. 22. seduced brethren p. 127. l. 18. portraid out p. 244. marg l. 1. Luc. 10. 13. p. 264. l. 10. enow l. 36. of her torment p. 304 l. 7. marg uncutablenesse p. 370. l. 27. witnesse p. 375. put out Italian p. 377. marg l. 16. Mat. 7. p. 389 l. 9. Tetrastylon p. 398 marg l. 1. A question p. 433. l. 25. the holy Prophet p. 468. l. 13. Together with the helpes herein contained and the reading p. 514. l. 26 in many places p. 515. l. 5. many p. 516. l. 17. put out the number of p. 517. l. 17. put out 〈◊〉 p. 535. for their carkases write they p. 543. l. 2. all that feare A TABLE OF THE chiefe things contained in each Chapter thorow out the whole booke in order either handled more at large or briefly pointed at CHAP. I. THe resolution and opening of the vision in the 9. chapter of Ezekiel pag. 1 CHAP. II. Directions to make a right use of this forewarning to our selves with Rules to be observed to this end p. 5 6 The sinnes of the wicked are in some sort the sinnes of us all p. 8 Hainous and impudent sinners helpe to draw downe Gods vengeance p. 8 Every soule that turneth not to God seeking withall to cause others to turne must perish p. 9 CHAP. III. God not wont to bring any not able judgement on his Church but to foreshew it first and then to bring it when no repentance hath followed to prevent p. 10 Reasons of the Lords forewarnings of his Church p. 14 Application hereof to our selves how the Lord hath forewarned us p. 15 16 17 c. CHAP. IIII. The withdrawing the lively tokens of Gods presence a signe of his departure and of vengeance at hand p. 26. 31 God being well pleased with his people is wont to witnesse his presence by some apparant signe p. 27 Signes of the Lords presence in the daies of the Gospell whereby to judge of our estate p. 28 29 c. Signes of his withdrawing himselfe p. 31 CHAP. V. The Lord makes sundrie removes of his glory from his Church before he depart from it to shew his unwillingnesse to depart p. 35 36 The outward glorie of the Lord in his Church wherein it consists p. 37 Abundance of sanctified knowledge a speciall part thereof p. 37 Holinesse and unitie make Gods people glorious in the eies of their enemies p. 38 The Lords glorious protection of his people a principall outward signe of his presence p. 40 41 c. Application of the removall of Gods glory first to Iudah before the Captivitie p. 42 Secondly to our selves p. 43 The true practise of Christianitie more reprochfull to many then to live in any sinne p. 48 How welcome the Lords messengers are unto many p. 49 Our unitie much departed p. 49 Fruits of our dissentions p. 50 Countenance to the true lovers of the Gospell much gone p. 50 Our protection oft indangered to be removed p. 50 51 All our glory ready to mount up at once in the powder furnace a fearefull forewarning unlesse we repent p. 52 53 God may justly leave us into the enemies hand for suffering Popâ—rie so to revive and grow up after he had given us so just occasion to seeke to root it out utterly p. 52 53 CHAP. VI. God will not spare Ierusalem if it rebell against him p. 59 No priviledges can secure a people from Gods judgements if they increase in thâ—ir iniquitie p. 58 59 Priviledges wherein we secure our selves p 59 60 66 〈◊〉 priviledges p. 59 60 61 Iudah in the beginning of her miseries not inferiour to us in prerogatives to secure her p. 67 The Gospell contemned can be no freedome no not from a temporall scourge p. 69 We cannot be more secured that our land is purged of the Idolatrie of former dayes and the bloud of Gods servants then Ierusalem in Iosiahs dayes p. 70 214 God purposing to remaine with us must needs deale as a kinde Father to bring us to obedience p. 71 CHAP. VII The Lord hath ever a speciall care of his in the greatest destructions and marketh them before the judgement come p. 73 Why the Lord oft lets his feele the smart with the rest in generall destructions p. 79 What the marking profiteth Gods servants suffering with the rest p. 80 State of the godly whom God takes away at such times p. 82 State of the wicked in such calamities p. 82 What the marke was wherewith the godly were marked p. 84 CHAP. VIII The godly mourne for the sinnes of the wicked amongst whom they live p. 85 The godly wont not only to mourne but to cry for the abominations of the wicked according to their calling p. 89 Reasons why the godly so mourne and cry for all the abominations p. 90 For one notorious sinner unpunished all the place is in danger of Gods wrath and much more for many p. 91 92 93 Comfort to true mourners though the Lord should execute his judgement for the sinnes of the wicked p. 96 State of all contemners of Gods mercifull forewarnings p. 100 Iust cause of feare for the small number of true mourners p. 102 CHAP. IX The enemies by which the Lord threatneth or afflicteth his Church are his souldiers p. 104 105 Application to our selves to behold the Lords enemies p. 109 All of them are fearefull denuntiations of vengeance untill we repent and why p. 111 112 Ioyning hands with Gods enemies is a calling them in to avenge his quâ—rrell p. 112 113 How righteous with God to bring in the enemie to be avenged and the day of the spend-thrifts p. 113 We cannot be assured to be delivered from them till we abhorre their wayes p. 113 Our
the time of this sacrifice when hee would visit all who delighted in these vanities p. 257 Application to examine our odious fashions of divers sorts as charging with healths whorish plaies and the like p. 257 258 Private reading Scriptures left off by such p. 259 Filthie and scurrilous Pamphlets received in place p. 260 Babylonish policie by corrupting our manners first to overthrow our Religion p. 260 Having prevailed with the greater they make sure account of the rest p. 260 The device of old Balaam as the surest stratageme worthy our best consideration p. 261 There is no sorcerie against Israel abiding in obedience p. 262 Application of the Historie of Balaams stratageme to our selves p. 264 A mystery whereby to bring Italy into England and so to obtaine their purposes p. 264 A just lamentation for that no warning will serve but we must do at after them and be weary of the Lord. p. 264 265 Abomination 20. Oppression of the poore hastening the Captivitie p. 265 Our covenant with the Lord for justice and mercy to the poore p. 265 A patterne for great men in Iob. p. 265 Their transgression that instead thereof they were most cruell extortioners and oppressors p. 266 267 The Lord compares extortioners to Apothecaries Millers 268 They joined house to house till there was no place for the poore p. 269 Vengeance proportionall p. 269 Abomination 21. Oppression by ingrossing and inhancing the prizes of things to swallow up the poore hastening the Captivitie p. 270 What God requires of rich men in time of dearth p. 270 The rich were become as cormorants to the poore p. 270 The Lord will never forget this sinne it makes the land to tremble p. 271 Application to unsatiable corne-mungers p. 272 Gods warning forgotten in the levellers insurrection p. 273 Abomination 22. Oppression to raise their houses hastening the Captivitie p. 274 To build by oppression is to consult shame to their houses p. 275 Abomination 23. Oppression to support their pride hastening the Captivitie p. 275 The attire of gracious women what it ought to be p. 276 Their women helpt to flea the poore to support their pride p. 276 They minded nothing but pride when God threatned them most p. 276 The plagues which all such bring on themselves and theirs p. 277 A glasse for proud women to view themselves in p. 278 What this would worke rightly practised p. 278 Our pride though exceeding theirs so as cannot be expressed yet must one day be set in open view before the faces of all who doe not repent p. 279 Vengeance proportionall for this sinne p. 279 This sinne and the sighes of the poore for it cry continually for vengeance to be taken on such a monster p. 280 Abomination 24. Pride in sumptuous buildings causing oppression hastening the Captivitie p. 280 A glasse for them who build their houses by oppression p. 281 The unmercifulnesse of ambitious builders p. 282 The way for great men to prosper p. 282 The case of all oppressours how they live and what they provide for their children p. 283 Application p. 284 Abomination 25. Oppression to maintaine riot and excesse hastening the Captivitie p. 284 What the Lord requires for all his mercies chiefly of rich men p. 284 How they requited the Lord and used his benefits never thinking of the worke of the Lord. p. 285 286 A glasse for all given over to their pleasures p. 286 Men given over to pleasures forget the affliction of Ioseph p. 287 The seers given up to wine and good fellowship can see nothing amisse till the vengeance of God come p. 287 The fruits of excesse and idlenesse p. 288 They became to be impudent in uncleannesse to shew their filthinesse openly like the Sodomites p. 288 Men giving themselves over to carnall pleasures have no knowledge p. 288 Such prepare captivitie temporall or eternall or both p. 288 Hunger and thirst remaine for all belly-gods p. 289 Neither Gentrie nor greatnesse will save from Gods vengeance hell gapes for such p. 289 The proudest must be brought downe to the depth of hell and goe captives with the first p. 289 God abhorres the excellencie and haughtinesse of all such and the palaceâ— where their sinnes are most practised p. 290 Desperation the portion of all proud belly-gods when Gods vengeance comes p. 290 God must needs visit for such things and his soule be avengedon such a nation p. 290 Application to every conscience p. 291 Abomination 26. Vnsatiable covetousnesse causing oppression hastening the Captivitie p. 291 The studie and covetousnesse of the Lords people p. 291 All before the Captivitie generally given to covetousnesse p. 292 The fruit of covetousnesse in the Prophets to speake only to please p. 292 The manner of healing with faire words as the Prophets did before the Captivitie p. 292 293 Covetous men can see nothing but for their owne advantage p. 293 Vengeance proportionall p. 293 The wretched estate of all covetous Prophets p. 294 The difference of the preaching of the true Prophets and the covetous worldlings p. 295 The power of the true Prophets shewed forth chiefly in the time of abounding of all iniquitie and approching of judgement p. 295 A perpetuall night came upon the false Prophets at the Captivitie p. 296 Covetousnesse dumbnesse blindnesse sleeping goe together in the false Prophets p. 296 Iust vengeance on all for their unsatiable greediness p. 296 Application to all sorts of spoylers of the poore p. 297 Application to those who oppresse to make themselves great p. 297 Application to the haughtie on whose garments is found the bloud of the poore p. 297 Application to sumptuous builders oppressing p. 298 Application to them that oppresse to pamper themselves saucing all their dainties with the bloud of the poore p. 299 Application to the mightie ingrossers whose houses are filled with the spoiles of the poore p. 299 Application to all who have set up the world in their hearts to worship p. 300 How to be beautifull and glorious indeed p. 301 How to set our nests on high and to build them for eternitie p. 301 How to give our selves to all delights and to be prodigall therin p. 302 How to hoord up and ingrosse p. 302 How to covet a holy covetousnesse p. 303 Abomination 27. The generall Apostasie of Iudah hastening the Captivitie that they were ever starting away and departing from the Lord. p. 304 305 Their zeale in the beginning of the daies of Ezekiah Iosiah against Idolatry for reforming religion how soon it was gone 305 306 Abomination 28. Falling from their forwardnesse in Religion to all profanenesse hastening the Captivitie p. 307 The sum of Gods Covenant with them to magnifie and obey his word p. 307 They cast away the word of the Lord in regard of making any conscience of it p. 308 The plague which is upon them that cast away Gods word to set up their own imaginations they shal see they have had no wisdome
309 The Lord will reject all them that reject his word as reprobate silver is rejected p. 310 All they forsake the Covenant who doe not obey it though they seeme in word to embrace it p. 310 Application to all sorts whose hearts tell them they are such p. 311 Abomination 29. Scorning the word of the Lord and all true profession hastening the Captivitie p. 314 How pretious Gods word ought to be to his people p. 314 They loathed Gods word and counted it a burden p. 314 315 They made the word matter enough of the vilest reproch to every one truly professing it p. 315 The fearfull extremities that Gods servants are oft driven to through the hatred which they endure for the word p. 316 317 The very scornes and taunts against Gods word and servants shall be one day a heavie burden to every scorner p. 318 God will visit every scorner and his house and reward them with an everlasting shame p. 318 319 Application of this sin and denunciation to our selves p. 319 320 Scorning Gods word and faithfull messengers cannot scape unpupunished p. 321 Abomination 30. Pollution of the Lords Sabbaths hastening the Captivitie p. 322 Covenant for the Sabbath p. 322 He is a blessâ—d man that endevoureth truly to keepe the Sabbath and to such a one only the Covenant and promises belong p. 322 They despised and polluted Gods Sabbath and how p. 323 They put no difference betweene the holy and prophane p. 323 Their Priests hid their eies from Gods Sabbath p. 324 The Lord complaines that he is profaned by them that willingly suffer his holy things to be polluted p. 324 The Lord chargeth them with carying and recarying upon the Sabbath p. 325 The commandement for the Sabbath belongs as well to us as to them p. 325 The Lords anger and message sent unto them for this sinne chiefly to their King and Rulers p. 325 The cvill ensample of our forefathers is no example for us but rather increaseth the wrath p. 326 344 The Lords gratious promise to the reformation of the Sabbath VIZ. continuance of their Kings dignitie and prosperitie p. 326 All desiring the establishing of the throne of the Lords Anointed and prosperitie of their nation to looke to it p. 326 What good friends they are to Prince State Church and Commonwealth who call into question the time of the Sabbath p. 327 Vengeance for pollution of the Sabbath viz kindling a fire in the gates of Ierusalem and their 70. yeeres Captivitie p. 327 The feeling of such a plague as was towards us but one day would make us most willingly to stoope unto the Lord. p. 328 Nehemiah after the Captivitie acknowledgeth Gods righteous vengeance in it for polluting the Sabbath and laboureth thereon the redresse of that sinne p. 328 Al the sins which rulers might redresse are accounted their sins 328 Former examples of Gods vengeance should warne us p. 329 In Nehemiah is the lively picture of a worthy ruler who had seene the miseries of a Captivitie for sinne p. 329 Three ensamples in Nehemiah never to be forgotten of tender-hearted and worthy governours p. 329 1 Nehemiah lookes forthwith to the particular state and miseries of the people to be more affected therewith p. 330 2. His willing and compassionate hearing of the cries and grievances of the poore p. 330 The happie way to redresse the evils of Gods people p. 330 How good governours may prevaile when they wish nothing to be done but what themselves doe first p. 331 3. Nehemiah himselfe seeth the reformation of the evils especially of the Sabbath p. 332 Application to our selves concerning the Sabbath p. 332 333 To remember here the consuming fire wherwith the Lord threatned us p. 334 Our land made well-neâ—re as a desolate widow p. 334 We are they on whom God now complaines for despising his holy things as he then did upon Iudah p. 335 For putting no difference betweene the holy and prophane p. 336 Our sinne in admitting all indifferently to the table of the Lord. p. 337 This sin enough to bring Gods plagues upon the whole land p. 338 The 〈…〉 that great censure of ExcoÌ„munication p. 338 Hiding our eies from Gods Sabbath from seeing the most weightie duties of the Sabbath to performe them p. 339 To consider whether we be not they who have thought the Sabbath overlong p. 341 Sabbath profaned by carying and recarying p. 342 Our pretended necessities cannot excuse us more then them p. 342 Reserving journies ordinarie for the Sabbath p. 342 Concourse to plaies and the vilenesse of them p. 343 The inevitable danger to frequenters of plaies p. 343 Frâ—quenting Tavernes and Alehouses where nothing is more common then scorning all pietie upon the Sabbath p. 344 God hath only warned us hitherto p. 344 The speech turned to all who have the chiefe charge of the house of the Lord and his Sabbath p. 345 Abomination 31. Sundrie degrees of their profanenesse angring the Lord and hastening the Captivitie p. 346 Opposing themselves against all power of religion and godlinesse when they gloried in his outward ceremoniall worship p. 346 They bent their tongues and workes against the Lord and against all true pietie and conscience of his waies using all devices to put out all feare of his name p. 347 They spake good of evill evill of good glorying in their most shamefull sinnes p. 347 They justified and loved the wicked condemned and hated the good p. 348 They sought to cast all shame on the godly p. 348 Thence they proceeded to spoiling and all violence p. 348 They used to make shewes of religion when they were as Sodome 349 They would make shewes of seeking God in fasting and leane on the Lord even then when they were so vile p. 349 The vengeance for their outragious profanenesse viz. the spoiling them by the Caldean which they should not beleeve till it came who should dâ—ale with them accordingly as they had done with the Lord and his people p. 350 Application to us to search our sinne before 〈…〉 to search us p. 351 Our swaggerers in each place walke usually in the steps of their profanenesse especially against the Lord and his servants p. 351 These the only good fellowes men of renowne as before the floud p. 353 The speech turned to these if but to save some of them p. 353 The terrible anger of God upon all profane despisers of the Gospell not to beleeve any judgement towards us though never so plainly denounced and manifested nor towards themselves p. 354 355 The case of prophane persons in the day of Gods vengeance p. 355 Their case in the day of death and of the last judgement p. 356 Their happinesse who can take the time of mercy p. 357 Abomination 32. The Idolatrie of Iudah hastening the Captivitie p. 357 Their Covenant with God to have worshipped him only according to his word without retaining the least shew or occasion of Idolatrie p. 358 He had enjoyned them
fasts in such cases and to see them practised by all and give ensample hereof p. 443 The Ministers to call upon the Magistrate to this end and to warne all the people p. 444 Otherwise the bloud of every soule must be required at their hands p. 444 A generall president for all posteritie p. 446 The Lord then cals to fasting when his vengeance is comming for the abominations increased p 446 2. Gods Ministers are to labour that the humiliation of his people may be unfained and availeable and to set before their faces the meanes hereof p. 447 Fasts performed hypocritically more increase the vengeance p. 447 Nature of hypocriticall fasting p. 447 The outward humiliation availeth nothing without the inward and without the other parts of a true fast p. 448 The true humiliation must be both outward and inward p. 448 The outward humiliation and wherein it is p. 448 449 Exercises of Religion to be adjoined to the outward humiliation p. 449 The publike humiliation must be in a great assembly p. 450 The people are to be warned hereof and called on to prepare themselves p. 450 Meanes to be used in these assemblies for working sound humiliation with faith and repentance p. 450 451 The inward humiliation and wherein it is p. 452 Time of the continuance of such solemne humiliations p. 453 Things to be done after our humiliation as reforming all the abominatiâ—ns p. 454 The fruit and happy successe of such humiliations p. 455 Particular experiences of the power and fruit of such like humilâ—ations in Gods servants privately 456 If God be so easily intreated sometimes by one of his poore servants only how much more at the cries of so many of his children at once p. 457 Till the time that the meanes be used for appeasing Gods Majestie we can never have any comfortable hope of escaping a more terrible judgement p. 457 Publike humiliations failing Gods messengers are to stirre up his owne servants to seeke him privately p. 457 What manner of men they are who must be called on to seeke God privately when the publike meanes faile viz. meeke ones and who have wrought his judgements p. 458 These in all ages have beene the only men in favour and preservers of the rest p. 458 In such desperate casâ—s all are to intreat the meeke ones to cry unto the Lord for them p 459 The Lord seekes such to stand in the breach and when he findes none viz. very few in respect of that they ought then comes the vengeance p. 459 The godly in such times must labour to be more righteous and so more meeke that their praiers may more prevaile and so must seeke the Lord privately as Moses Nehemiah and Daniel p. 459 460 The manner hâ—w to importune the Lord. p. 460 The godly shall thus helpe either to pacifie the Lord for all the people or be hid themselves p. 461 The cry of the Prophet Zephany to the faithfull is ever to sound in all our eares when all other meanes faile p. 461 462 1. Complaint of the weake Christian for his unabilitie thus to seeke the Lord privatâ—ly answered p. 462 To follow the example of Daniel in our private fasts p. 462 We are to be provoked to this dutie by these holy men viz. Daniel Nehâ—miâ—â—â— c. the acceptance and successe which God gave them p. 463 The second complaint of the weake Christian of unabilitie to confesse our sinnes and beg the things which concerne our peace answered and so how to seeke God thus privately p. 464 The fruit and blessing of this labour p. 466 Gods messengers are not only to be carefull to save and pull a people from Gods wrath but also to keepe them from comming under it againe p. 468 The meanes to preserve a people from backesliding and to keepe them ever under Gods favour p. 469 The causes of the evils being removed so will also the evils flowing from them p. 470 The fountaines of obedience and grace to be heedfully looked to to be kept pure p. 471 The happy estate of a people living under a holy Ministerie countenanced by a godly Magistracy and contrarily the miserable estate of people destitute thereof p. 471 Experience of both amongst our selves p. 473 The schooles of good learning to be regarded above all things for a perpetuall supplie and succession of such Magistrates and Ministers p. 473 The best meanes of learning to be sought out established and strictly put in practise in them p. 474 A last dutie of the faithfull messengers of God to comfort and confirme the hearts of all the godly living amongst the wicked in such times p. 474 The Prophets never to leave importuning the Lord all other meanes and hopes failing p. 475 Application to all who succeed in the place of the Prophets to trie whether we finde at this day the same affections in us which they had p. 475 476 Our sinnes as great as theirs all circumstances considered and Gods anger accordingly p. 475 Our wonted humiliations in pestilence dearth and other signes of Gods anger p. 476 What we have done lately for our so many and 〈◊〉 of Gods anger kindled against us p. 477 Why God hath so tried many of his faith full servants by 〈◊〉 and the like extremities and temptations p. 477 478 The dolefull harvest An. 1609. p. 478 The Lords complaint and threatning against us for our sensâ—esnesse and not hearkning to his call neither by his word judgements nor mercies p. 481 If God by such things called Iudah to fasting and praier then he hath and doth so to us p. 481 He needeth no other witnesses but our owne consciences p. 482 CHAP. XV. The sinne of Gods people may be so great that he will not spare them no not at the praiers of his dearest servants though their presence and praiers may wonderfully prevaile p. 484 485 c. Quest. Whether the Lord will not ever spare his people upon a generall humiliation and repentance rightly performed answered p. 486 487 How publike fasts may be made uneffectuall to save viz. when men turne not from their evill way or are not soundly humbled p 488 We have no one example to the contrarie in Gods booke but all witnessing hereunto that Gods people humbling themselves and turning from their sinnes God will turne from his fierce wrath p. 489 The Lord proclaimes his mercy herein to all the world p. 489 The servants of God humbling themselves though severally and at the same time may much prevaile as in the daies of Hester p. 490 If one Moses may doe so much much more so many p. 490 Objection answered concerning the feare of the Lords decree come forth and then too late to seeke p. 490 So long as the Lord gives a people hearts to use the right meanes to pacifie him so long there is great hope that he will be appeased p. 491 Objection answered concerning David who feeles the temporall scourges notwithstanding his unfained repentance p. 491
The Lord hath beene wont to inflict some lesser judgement when the humiliation hath not beene unfained though he have saved his people from the greater and why p. 492 When the time is that the Lord will not spare his people any longer no not at the private praiers of his dearest servants p. 493 Three principall signes hereof 1. When a land is full of bloud 2. When it is full of declining and perversnesse 3. When it is overgone with Atheisme p. 494 For the first what that bloud was whereby their land was so dâ—filed that God would not spare them p. 494 c. The second maine sinne for which God would not spare them their generall all perversnesse and defection increased without hope of returning p. 499 Neither word judgements nor mercies would doe them any more good p. 500 There was also amongst them a marvellous corruption of judgement both in misjudging of the good waies of God and also in wresting of judgement p. 500 Perversnesse in judgement cause of their perversnesse in manners p. 501 Their last and principall sinne a senslesse Atheisme growing upon all that they did not acknowledge God in his judgements as they had beene wont p. 501 Reasons why the Lord cannot spare when these sinnes come to this height as theirs were p. 502 Application to our selves whether we be come to this height of sin and have these tokens thereof p. 504 God hath manifested his love as much to our nation as to any other and that he is most unwilling thiu to enter into judgement with us p. 504 505 He spreadâ—th out to us both his white and his blacke tent together p. 50â— To trie what we can answer the Lord if he charge these things on us as first that our land is full of bloud p. 505 The crie of violence and oppression goeth up to heaven for the crueltie of Landlords Vsurers and men void of commiseration p. 506 The like crie amongst us as was in the daies of Nehemiah p. 506 The crie of the poore in dearths p. 507 The holy law of God for the care to be had for all the poore of the land p. 509 We must sometime lend looking for nothing againe p. 509 How the Lord will blesse such a care for the poore and contrarilie p. 510 Vumercifulnesse crieth loud for vengeance and will bring judgement without mercy p. 510 The generall crie of the poore that they and theirs must be brought to perpetuall beggery p. 511 The husbandman cannot pay his rent but by selling his corne at high prizes and according to the same must usually all other commodities bee that the poore must live in miserie p. 512 What we are growing to hereby p. 512 The cause of all our unmercifulnesse and spoiling commonly viz. to maintaine those sinnes of Sodome Ezek. 16. 49. p. 513 Our land defiled with the bloud of Gods servants in Queene Maries daies p. 513 Deadly malice against all who make conscience to walke in the waies of God by all those who have chosen to live in their owne evill waies p. 514 The advice that a mans wisest friends will give to any noted for profâ—ssion rather to put up all wrongs then in most places to seeke redresse p. 515 Our land full of the bloud of soules p. 515 What our state must needs be herein through the multitude of ignorant and unconscionable Ministers p. 516 Multitudes destroyed by evill ensamples and through the generall neglect of superiours for the soules committed to them p. 517 Application of the second cause why the Lord could not spare them viz. That they fell away more and more p. 517 The word in many places become unfruitfull and without power p. 518. Gods mercies have made us so insolent as to say we will not heare p. 518 Gods judgements have made us to fall away more and more especially since our deliverance from our so long feared day p. 518 Pestilence famine and wilde beasts next forerunners of the sword p. 519 All Gods strokes so multiplied to make us to seeke him have made us more senslesse and to walke more stubbornly against him p. 520 This of all other a most infallible for erunner of vengeance when men wax uncurably worse by smiting p. 520 The manner of the Lords proceeding in judgement against Israel before her Captivitie is recorded for a president to us p. 520 Application to our selves of Gods manner of proceeding with us in judgements p. 521 We almost overthrowne as Sodome being as a firebr and pluckt out of the burning p. 521 God threatneth us with whatsoever he hath denounced seeing we amend not p. 522 God threatneth to smite us seven times more to bring one plague in the end seven times greater then any of the former unlesse we repent p. 522 God having shewed such tokens of his love and compassion towards us will be magnified accordingly p. 522 The third signe of Gods anger and for which he threatneth he cannot spare to wit Atheisme and how it declareth it selfe openly amongst us p. 523 If we had beene rightly perswaded that all our judgements had been sent by the Lord for our sinne we had repented long agoe in sackcloth and ashes p. 523 Our timorousnesse to manifest our love to the Lord and our hatred of sinne p. 524 Our generall leaving off to mourne for all our sinnes and tokens of Gods wrath or to tremble before him p. 524 Whence come these menâ—â—â—ned but from some spice of close Atheisme that we thinke at least that God is not so angry against sinne or so regardeth it p. 524 Cause of our drowsie professing in many for that iniquitie hath â—â—gotten the upper hand that it seemes unpossible that ever pietie should looke up againe therefore best to frame our selves to the time p. 525 CHAP. XVI What brings true boldnesse to appeare before the Lord. p. 526 The assurance and safetie of the mourners before the destruction come being sure marked by our Saviour repeated againe for our further comfort p. 526 To be put in minde ever to beare his marke in our foreheads that so we may alwaies have boldnesse before him p. 527 The boldnesse of the marking Angell appearing againe before the Lord and giving up his Commission p. 527 This only can bring boldnesse to appeare before the Lord when we can say Lord I have done as thou hast commanded me p. 528 Our obedience is chiefly in our willingnesse and unfained endevour mourning for our wants and this doth our God accept p. 528 Two notable ensamples of boldnesse hereupon to appeare before the Lord. p. 529 530 Reasons why they only who have done as the Lord hath commanded can be bold to appeare before him p. 531 When all nations shall tremble and shrike they alone shall lift up their heads for joy because of that their happiest day p. 532 The contrary horrour of all who have not done as the Lord hath commanded them whensoever their consciences shall be truly awaked more
accounted worthy to escape the euills approching but also that ech of vs may still helpe to preserue the Island like as our most compassionate Father hath in the riches of his mercy vouchsafed to accept vs vntill this day And this likewise he in his wisdome directed to come forth at the very instant yea in the midst of the last apparant danger which we in our parts were in for the insurrection about inclosures which howsoeuer it might seeme nothing or small to them who dwelt far from it yet to vs who expected the approching of the rebells euery houre and heard how the hearts of the people were generally bent it was no lesse terrible than any of the former but so much more fearefull the neerer it was Now therefore in the third place forasmuch as all men may behold all kinde of wickednesse and impietie still increasing fearefully without hope of redresse so that vnlesse we will put out our owne eyes we must see the iudgement of God hasting faster vpon vs and being at the very dore I haue taken it my bounden dutie and my best seruice that I could doe and possibly performe to his heauenly Maiestie his Church and my Country to adde this third part to the end to set before the faces of euery one of vs the heynousnesse of our sinnes in euery degree and so the equitie of the Lords proceeding against vs that we may all be inforced to iustifie his Maiestie though he come to execute whatsoeuer he hath so often threatned when no kinde of forewarning can doe vs any good And also to try if yet at length he will vouchsafe to recall vs againe to his couenant and put new life into vs to meet him falling vpon our faces in fasting and prayer to pacifie his wrath and that ech of vs may begin to put that in practise which was intended and sought in the two former parts that is to watch and pray continually not in words any longer but in deed and truth for the preseruation and lasting welfare of vs and our posteritie That the heauiest iudgement must needs be feared to be so much the neerer as the anger of the most High is more kindled against vs no man can doubt and that his wrath is incensed to the vttermost is most apparent to all whose eyes he hath opened or who doe but beleeue his heauenly word for that in stead of hauing any of our greeuous abhominations which we may behold set before our faces in the Treatise following euen by the Prophets themselues and forwhich he hath so often threatned us yet vnfeignedly repented of we haue indeed increased them many times more The couenant of our God which the whole land professeth and ech of vs in our Baptisme haue solemnely entred into we haue most grieuously transgressed And this many of vs haue done with so high a hand as that we haue caused that his heauenly Gospell to be blasphemed inforcing him to threaten to take his couenant with all his blessings from vs yea to leaue vs to be made a prey and a spoyle vnto our enemies which thirst after our bloud continually This all confessed when they so despightfully and proudly came against vs as being ready to swallow vs vp quicke and ech of vs then acknowledged that his wrath was most iustly kindled against vs for the same so as if he should then haue cast vs off vtterly for euer being his people or a nation any more that yet we had most righteously deserued it This we haue in like manner many a time since acknowledged in all our dangers and plagues which we haue had vpon vs plague after plague as those ten plagues of Aegypt More especially in the grieuous dearths and chiefly in that most poysoned plague of pestilence as the sundry confessions of sinnes then made and still extant doe and shall euer beare witnesse But aboue all other times when we were all ready to be consumed in the hot fierie furnace at once yea this we ordinarily and daily euery one confessed whilst we liued in imminent danger euery houre before the Lord so miraculâ—â—sly and graciously set vp his Anointed ouer vs. Euery one then could say Our sinnes are so â—heynous as that we must needes haue some terrible vengeance without speedie repentance This wrath therâ—fore we must needs acknowledge to be farre greater now than euer heretofore not onely for that in stead of repenting our sinnes are so growne vp in euery kinde but also because we are now so generally and so much further off from repentance or any purpose of amendment yea of so much as of any sense of our sinnes or feare of any iudgement to be toward vs for the same than euer we were in former time notwithstanding all the meanes which he hath so long vsed to awaken vs and to bring vs to repentance How then can this fire of the Lords anger be euer quenched we deliuered from the violence thereof that we should not be consumed of it but onely by seeking out the principall causes of it to wit our maine transgressions against the couenant of our God by which he hath bin so prouoked and also by confessing and acknowledging them and turning backe ioyntly to the humble obedience of that his most holy Couenant againe Israel cannot stand before their enemies vntill Achans sacriledge be found out and punished neither can the dearth be stayed in the dayes of Dauid vntill the causes of it be found out and the Lord pacified by taking away the iniquitie Nor yet can the storme vpon the Seas be quieted so long as Ionah lyeth asleepe in his sinne How much losse now when so many Achanâ— be in euery corner and Ionah asleepe euery where in the eyes of all As it is with a particular man so is it with a whole Nation That like as there must be first a searching out of his sinne with confession of it and turning againe vnto the Lord before his anger can be appeased so must it be for a whole Nation so far as we can iustly conceiue before any sound assurance can be giuen that his wrath is turned away This seemes euery where most euident thorow all the booke of God How Poperie is growne vp againe the late proclamation for preuenting it and the furie of that bloudie Religion and for the preseruation of his Royall Maiestie and his Seede set forth vpon the occasion of the cruell murther of the French King doth sufficiently witnesse And likewise the generall vrging the Oath of Allegeance inforced therevpon besides so many lamentable experiments and our ouer-iust feares for their trecheries expected ech howre How Atheisme also with all kinde of outragious iniquitie and scorning at all true pietie doe ouerflow in euery place aboue all former times no man can denie Indeed some sinnes haue bin odious heretofore and especially when they began first to spring vp
Yea we haue neede of Ionah to proclaime vnto vs Yet fortie dayes and England shall be destroyed for her sin And finally when preaching will not serue to awake vs we haue neede of Ieremie or Baruck to write the sinnes of vs all with the plagues which God hath praepared and denounced against vs for the same That euery one euen running by may read them as written in capitall letters vpon tables to try if yet at length by this meanes we may see the greatnes of the anger that is kindled against vs and so repent and retùrne euery one from his euill way that he may forgiue our iniquitie and sin and deliuer vs from the imminent and all like future plagues To this very end that we may behold the Lord himselfe discouering vnto vs our iniquities and so may haue â—o more pretence nor cloakes for our sinnes nor yet surmize the least partialitie here we may all see and that in the very sins of Iudah for which God brought vpon them that terrible captiuitie the Lord himselfe and not men setting before our faces both our sinnes in generall and the transgressions of ech of vs as in particular and how we haue thereby deserued such a iudgement These I haue laboured to set out more fully and to apply them more particularly vnto vs because of the degrees acknowledged by all to be necessarie vnto sound repentance in euery one who lookes to get full assurance of Gods mercy As first a true search sight and sense of his sinne and Gods anger for it 2. Humble confession of it 3. Griefe of heart with detestation of the same 4. Crying for pardon 5. A lowly offering our selues to his Maeiestie to wâ—lke with him all our dayes 6. A faithfull performance of our vowes For this cause haue I bent my chiefe studie to helpe somewhat herevnto that all these parts of true repentance may be wrought in vs and the same made vnfeigned And to this end I haue prepared first as 〈◊〉 and sent before the Couenant of our God with vs in the fiâ—st part of this watch that it might be throughly tryed like as it hath bin approued for many yeares by sundry learned professors of the Gospell euen by all to whom it hath come so far forth as I know to be that truth of God wherein we all agree and the summe of that which the Lord requires of vs generally without which we cannot be established and of euery one particularly if we will be saued In this part I haue likewise set the seuerall branches of the same Couenant before sundry of our heynous sinnes that by comparing them togither we may more liuely behold our transgressions and provocations Yea I haue striuen thorow the whole to helpe that euery one of vs might returne to that his blessed Couenant for the happinesse of vs all and of euery particular soule and to saue vs both from the temporall and eternall vengeance And first in regard of the whole Nation because we all stand continually in danger of that anger of God to be powred out vpon vs which had formerly almost ouerwhelmed vs all and for ought we can imagine must needs ouertake vs in the end vnlesse we more generally repent and turne vnto his Maiestie No policie of man nor humane meanes can euer secure vs from the furie of Babylon and that he should not suffer them to execute their malice vpon vs and leaue them to be executioners of his plagues so often and so neerely accomplished but this our more generall turning All that euer they haue done or doe intend are nothing but the Lordsthreatnings denouncing by them to pluck vs vp to root vs out and destroy vs as we shall see at large in this vision of Ezechiel They are onely Gods axe his souldiers his executioners though themselues know not so much It is true indeed he may deferre his plagues or lessen them at the prayers of his faithfull seruants as he hath done many a day and saued vs in the imminent perils but there is nothing so far as we can perceiue out of the word of the Lord to giue vs any securitie that can cause him to repent of that great plague and destruction which he seemeth to haue denounced so plainly and directly from Heauen against our Realme and Nation so to turne it away but onely our turning from our wickednesse We may all behold our prâ—sent estate in the 18 of Ieremie written as in great letters for euery one to read and that so plainely as none can pretend ignorance but it must of necessitie convince euery conscience in all the Land for to vs it is directed both to vs all in generall and to euery soule particularly At the 5th verse of that Chapter first he sends Ieremie to the Potters house that there he might see the Potter breake the pots in his hand at his pleasure Then the word came vnto the Prophet at that very instant saying O house of Israel cannot I doe with you as this Potter saith the Lord Behold as the clay is in the Pottershand so are yee in my hand oh house of Israel And after he adds these words vers 7. I will speake sodeinly against a Nation to plucke it vp and to roote it out and destroy it vers 8. But if this Nation against whom I haue pronounced turne from their wickednesse I will repent of the plague which I thought to bring vpon them vers 9. And I will speake sodeinly concerning a Nation concerning a Kingdome to build it vp to plant it vers 10. But if it do euill in my sight heare not my voyce I will repent of the good which I thought to doe for them vers 11. Speake now therefore vnto the men of Iudah and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem saying Thus saith the Lord Behold I prepare a plague for you and purpose a thing against you Returne now therefore euery one from his euill way and make your wayes and your workes good To apply this to our selues Did not the Lord shew this vnto vs much more visibly than he did vnto Ieremie That we were all as the clay in his hand that he had not onely power to dash vs in peeces but had in effect done it already saue that he did as it were create and forme vs againe of such a sudden that we did all wonder at it and all Nations shall haue cause to wonder to the end of the world How many wayes yea how sensibly and suddenly God hath spoken vnto vs all both proclayming by most infallible tokens that his anger is kindled against vs to the vttermost and that he is ready to powre out vpon vs the full viols of his vengeance and also on the other side declaring in all his long forbearance and admirable dâ—liuerances how vnwilling he is to proceede to the execution if any
for the wealth of vs and our posteritie I haue strictly kept my selfe within the limits of the first part of this Watch which conteyneth the Summe of the Couenant of our God wherein we all agree in outward profession and vnto which whosoeuer returneth vnfeignedly to walke in the sincere obedience of it shall vndoubtedly haue eternall life like as euery impenitent transgressor against it is certainely condemned by the generall verdict of all the true Churches of Christ. In all this worke I haue and doe instantly desire of the Lord that I may be a faithfull and true witnesse both for his heauenly Maiestie and for his people and also that I may shew in euery part a right demonstration of an vnfeigned loue to the Church of Christ and towards my Nation euen to euery soule for the sauing of ech from the wrath to come and withall that I may preserue the honour due to all in autoritie chiefly to the highest to binde all hearts to their superiours ech to others and all of vs to Iesus Christ That he may euer remaine our Captaine Protector King and Sauiour euen he who will one day manifest all the secrets of the hearts of men who haue bin with him and who against him who will come quickly and reward euery one as their workes shall be Amen euen so come Lord Iesus CONTENTS OF THE seuerall Chapters particularly as they arise out of the Vision Ezechiel 9. 1. THe Vision giuen to Ezechiel with the occasion and opening of it 2. Certaine directions to be obserued in our reading hereof to teach vs to make right vse of the Vision to our selues 3. The Lord is not wont to bring any terrible iudgement on his Church but euer before hand to giue some euident warning That he neuer warned without cause or in vaine and what iust matter we haue for all our manifold gratious forewarnings to betake our selues to watching and prayer 4. The withdrawing of the Lords glorious presence from his Church is both an euident signe of his displeasure and a manifest threatning of his departure And what causes we haue therevpon to watch and to pray to pacifie the Lord so to hold him still amongst vs. 5. How the Lord is most vnwilling to depart from his Church so long as there is any other remedie manifested in his oft threatning to depart before he goe and of the outward tokens both of his glorious presence in his Church and of his departure from it And what causes we haue in respect thereof to watch and pray continually 6. No priuiledges can doe a people any good if they grow in their iniquitie but the mo their mercies haue bin the greater is their sinne and the heauier shall their iudgement be when it commeth what cause we haue thence to watch and to pray for the fearefull increase of the transgressions amongst vs. 7. The marking of the mourners That is how Gods owne people are marked in the midst of the greatest confusions before the destruction come And so what cause euery one hath to watch and to pray that he may be so marked 8. The propertie of the godly liuing amongst the wicked in a sinfull age is to mourne and cry for all the abominations and tokens of Gods anger Also what cause all Gods seruants haue to watch and pray for the fewnesse of such and that ech of vs may be found of that litle number 9. The enemies by which the Lord threatneth or afflicteth his Church are his soldiers and therevpon what cause we haue to giue our selues to watching and prayer because of the increase of them in number pride and malice 10. The mourners being once marked made sure then comes the vengeance for the destroyers follow at the heeles of the marking Angell What neede we had therefore to watch and pray bicause we know not whether this worke be not already accomplished or how neere it is 11. The principall abominations for which the godly so mourned and which moued the Lord to so seuere a vengeance first in generall after more particularly And therein what causes we haue to watch and pray both to be kept pureâ— from them and to obteyne pardon and redresse of them or at least that we may escape the plagues due vnto them 12. The meanes which the Lord had vsed to bring them to repentance that he might spare them and how their sinne was increased thereby Also the cause why the meanes could doe them no good And what neede we haue therevpon to watch and pray continually 13. The seueritie of the Lords vengeance and the miseries which all sorts indured in that captiuitie when no other meanes could serue to reclaime them And thence what neede we haue all to watch and pray continually to turne away the like and also to be thankfull for all our former deliuerances from as great calamities so neere vnto vs. 14. How Gods true messengers and all his faithfull seruants are wont to be affected when they perceiue the Lords anger to be kindled and his iudgements ready to rush vpon his people Also the meanes which in this their holy affection they vse to preuent the euils and to pacifie his Maiestie And herein likewise what cause we haue to watch and pray for the want of these affections and for the generall neglect of the state of the people and of pacifying the Lords wrath 15. The sinnes of a people may be so heynous as that the Lord will not be pacified at the prayers of his deerest seruants Also when that time is and what cause we haue therevpon to watch and pray continually 16. The true obedience of Gods faithfull messengers and seruants will bring them boldnesse to appeare before him and this alone when they are able to say in a good conscience Lord I haue done as thou hast commanded me And what great cause all of vs haue to watch and pray continually that we may be alvvayes able to say so to haue boldnes euermore hereby vvhatsoeuer come to passe THE VISION given to EZECHIEL before the great Captivitie of IVDAH set downe in the ninth Chapter of Ezechiel with the occasion and opening thereof 1. HE cryed also in mine eares with a loud voyce saying Cause them that have charge over the Citie to draw neere even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand 2. And behold six men came from the way of the higher gate which lyeth toward the North and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand and one man among them was clothed with linnen with a writers inkehorne by his side and they went in and stood beside the brazen Altar 3. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the Cherub whereupon he was to the threshold of the house and he called to the man clothed with linnen which had the writers inkehorne by his side 4. And the Lord said unto
him Go through the middst of the Citie through the midst of Ierusalem and set a marke upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof 5. And to the others he said in my hearing Go yee after him through the Citie and smite let not your eye spare neither have yee pittie 6. Slay utterly old and young both maides and litle children and women but come not neere any man upon whom is the marke and begin at my Sanctuarie then they began at the auncient men which were before the house 7. And he said vnto them Defile the house and fill the Courts with the slaine goe yee forth and they went forth and slew in the Citie 8. And it came to passe while they were slaying them and I was left that I fell upon my face and cryed and said Ah Lord God wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in the powring out of thy furie upon Ierusalem 9. Then said he unto me The iniquitie of the house of Israel is exceeding great and the land is full of bloud and the Citie full of perversenesse for they say the Lord hath forsaken the earth and the Lord seeth not 10. And as for me also mine eyes shall not spare neither will I have pittie but I will recompence their way upon their head 11. And behold the man clothed with linnen which had the inkehorne by his side reported the matter saying I have done as thou hast commanded me CHAPTER I. The resolution and opening of the Chapter BEfore the last and most grievous Captivitie of Iudah and the destruction of Ierusalem by the Babylonians the Lord used all ordinarie meanes to bring the people to repentance that he might spare them because he pitied them being his owne chosen people and peculiar inheritance Amongst other he stirred up divers of his faithfull servants the Prophets as Isay Ieremie Micah Zephanie Ezechiel and others some of them long before the same others of them he continued unto the very day still by them fore-warning and calling them to repentance To these Prophets he revealed both the particular iniquities whereby he was so provoked and also the speciall judgements and plagues which he had prepared for them unlesse they repented That they might lift up their voyces as trumpets declaring these things unto them at least hereby to awaken them to move them to turne and seeke unto him before his wrath was wholly powred out upon them This Chapter is part of a vision revealed to Ezechiel concerning the destruction of Ierusalem now hard at hand conteyned in the foure Chapters togither to wit in the 8. 9. 10. 11. And it consisteth of foure parts according to the number of the Chapters First in the 8 Chapter is shewed the wickednesse of those who still remained in Ierusalem Secondly In the ninth Chapter the slaughter and destruction is declared which the Lord would bring upon all in the Citie except those which were marked Thirdly In the 10 Chapter is set downe a vision of the fire of Gods vengeance which was throwne upon the Citie to consume many of them with pestilence and famine before the taking of the Citie and also in burning both the Citie and the Temple when the glory of the Lord was departed from it Fourthly In the 11 Chapter is fore-shewed the most grievous persecution which should follow all those who should escape the sword and that fire of Gods vengeance the pestilence and famine and so the miseries which they shall endure whereunto are annexed the promises of the Gospell for the comfort of Gods servants Now in the 8 Chapter the Lord having shewed unto the Prophet some secret abominations and that in the Temple it selfe whereby his anger was inflamed to the present execution of his vengeance in this he declareth that he will be avenged forthwith and the manner of his proceeding The Chapter divideth it selfe into five parts 1. The Lords denuntiation of this most grievous visitation now at hand 2. The manner of the Lords proceeding in two Commissions The first for the marking and making sure of all the godly before the destruction come The second for the destruction of all the rest 3. How the Prophet was affected with this grievous denuntiation and how he intreateth the Lord for Ierusalem 4. The answer and resolution which the Lord gives unto the Prophet That he will not spare and why 5. The returne of that Angell whom God had sent to marke the faithfull giving up his answer for the execution of his commission In the manner of the denuntiation of this so terrible a destruction is set out First how the Lord himselfe did denounce it crying with a loude voyce in the eares of the Prophet both to assure him of the certaintie of it and also to stir him up to a more due consideration of the dreadfulnes of the same Secondly the Lord shewes unto him the neereness of the execution thereof saying Cause them that have charge over the Citie to draw neere meaning the enemies whom he had appointed to be executioners of his wrath upon it every one armed with a weapon in his hand as being ready to destroy it For the manner of the execution of this slaughter it is also set forth First by declaring how many they were who came to destroy that is six men representing the chiefe Captaines of the Caldeans or the Angels appointed for conducting the Armie And these six are according to the number of the chiefe gates of Ierusalem To signifie that the enemies should come in so great multitude and so mightily that they should besiege the Citie on every side so as none should escape out and should rush upon them so furiously in every street that they should fill all with the slain and cause the chanels to flow with bloud Secondly it is set forth by shewing from whence these six came which was from the way of the upper gate looking toward the North signifying thereby that these enemies should come from Caldea or Babylon which was northward from Ierusalem Thirdly by declaring how they were prepared every one in armes with his weapon in his hand as ready to destroy Fourthly by setting downe whither these six came which was to the great brazen Altar in the Temple To shew thereby that God sent these destroyers chiefly for the pollution of his holy things his sacred worship and religion Fiftly how amongst these destroyers the Lord sends one speciall Angell for the marking and preservation of his faithfull ones in the Citie to wit the Angell of the Covenant the onely Author of the preservation and salvation of his servants And he appeares clothed with linnen attired like to the High Priest prepared to make an atonement with an inkehorne also by his side as ready to marke all his elect
weake meanes as might seeme but by a woman to wit Huldah the Prophetesse because he knew it to be the word and message of the Lord. And that not onely to so much as shall be pleasing unto us but even to that part of it that shall most directly touch us As indeed it shall be most happy for that man who shall so receive it and shall so humble himselfe before his divine Majestie Therefore we are every one to be so affected the Lords High Priest as was old Ely who disdeyned not to receive a most grievous and dredfull message by the hand of yong Samuel a boy brought up under him but chargetâ— him in the name of the Lord to tell him every word which the Lord had spoke unto him not to hide a word from him And afterwards having heard it in stead of being offended he saith It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good Yea we shall most truely declare our homage and obedience to the word of the Lord by submitting our selves wholly unto him and ech acknowledging our particular sinnes as David did at the admonition of Nathan That thereupon we may ech receive that comfortable answer The Lord hath put away thy sinne And that we may all thus helpe to pacifie him that he may not proceed to his heavy resolution howsoever he shall humble us for the manifold dishonours which we have done to him by all our sins and for causing his enemies to blaspheme his great name Gospell which he hath vouchsafed us the profession and libertie of above most other people of the earth 5. Ech of us are to apply every part as spoken to us by the Lord particularly and as making one bodie for even the sinne of the Atheist Idolater Drunkard and so of every wicked man may be said in some sort to be the sinne of ech of us and we are all lyable to the punishments thereof even those of us that thinke our selves most innocent and free from them As the sinne of Achan is counted the sinne of all Israel for so doth the Lord tell Iosua plainely when he punished them all That Israel had sinned they had taken of the excommunicate thing they had done that which Achan did Even so the sinnes of all the notoriously wicked are the sins of us all chiefly their open abominations All of us are guiltie and endangered by the same if at the hearing and seeing them we have not mourned as we should for the dishonour done to the Lord and his anger kindled thereby Or if we have not cryed for pardon sought to turne away the vengeance yea and done our vtmost endevour ech of us in our places and callings to stop them and the course of sinne reigning amongst us None of us can justifie our selves but God might for this very sin depart from us as he threatneth Ioshuah for Achans sacriledge and might leave vs to be wrapped in the same judgement 6. We are to consider that ech of our particular grievous sinnes doe not onely hinder the power of our prayers whereby we should help to pacifie the Lords wrath but also in steed thereof helpe to draw downe the anger of God not onely vpon our selves but vpon the whole Land more specially and principally the notorious and outragious sinnes of our most horrible transgressors as of blasphemers scorners of God and of his truth oppressors drunkards filthy persons and all impudent sinners who hale on the vengeance of God as it were with cart ropes That it is his infinite mercy that it hath bin kept off hitherto And therefore howsoever such men may imagine and boast of themselves to be friends to their country yet in truth they will be found the principall enemies first to Iesus Christ doing as much as lyeth in them thereby to drive him out and to set vp Sathan in his roome and doe not onely murther their owne soules without repentance but also as much as such sins can to betray the Lords Anointed his Church their native Country with all our happinesse into the hands of the bloudie enemie Because for the sinnes of these principally Gods vengeance comes upon his people as here in this lamentable captivitie may plainely be seene And therefore ech of us are to finde out our owne particular sinnes and in the reading and hearing hereof to say This is my sinne which the Lord reproves threatneth us all for and me especially by name So ech of us are to begin to reforme our selves or else we shall never be able to judge of the sinnes of others much lesse have a right feeling of them so as to be helpers to pacifie the wrath by our prayers and to turne away the like plague from our selves 7. Every one of us are to resolve with our selves that whatsoever the Lord shall say unto us we will doe it as the people made profession to the Prophet Ieremie to doe if they had had hearts to haue performed it accordingly and ech to cast away our deerest sins rather than they shall beat backe our prayers and much more helpe to pull downe vengeance upon us Because of that which God threatneth that every soule who turnes not to all his Covenant so far as he shall manifest it to his conscience to be his Covenant and that seeks not also with all his power to cause others to turne shall perish That same sinne wherein any one continueth shall be his destruction and the endangering of all so far as lyeth in him And this may serue for the generall directions in reading this vision to make right use of it to our selves for pacifying the wrath Now to the Vision CHAP. III. The Lord is not wont to bring any terrible judgement upon his Church but usually ever aforehand to give warning thereof neither at any time to waâ—ne in vaine And what cause we have for our manifold forewarnings to give our selves to watching and praier HEe cried in mine eares with a loud voice saying Cause them that have charge over the City to draw neere or the visitations of the City draw neere c. To come to the words of the vision The Lord so plainely foreshewing this dreadfull captivitie not only heere in this Vision but also so many other wayes and denouncing it by his Prophets so long before it came declaring also the causes of it sheweth in the first place That he hath not beene wont to bring any notable judgements upon a people especially upon his Church or where his Church hath beene but he hath ever used to make the same manifestly knowne before at least to his owne faithfull servants amongst them and after as he foreshewed it so to bring it to passe unlesse his anger hath beene some way pacified This we may see in sundry of the most fearefull destructions that ever he
among them that he may shew his love to his and the care that he hath for them in the greatest confusions to the end that they may gather themselves unto him before and prepare to be accounted worthy to be hid by him or else delivered or certainely some way finde comfort in the evill day That hereby their love and care may better appeare unto the world in their seeking by all meanes to save and pull others from the vengeance to come More specially that their faith and obedience may be seene to all how they beleeve and feare the Lord and the tokens of his wrath And that they may set themselves to become suters unto the Lord for the rest as Abraham Moses Ieremie and others that so he may either spare all at their supplications and that thereby the world may take notice in what high favour such are with his Majestie even all they who make conscience to walke in his Covenant and endevour to be righteous in their generations when he spares so sinfull a people at their prayers or at least that their prayers may returne into their owne bosomes Secondly the Lord doth use to manifest his judgements aforehand even unto the wicked as we heard and for their causes also howsoever they for the most part use all devises to flatter and harden themselves yea to lull themselves asleepe in their securitie and to blinde their owne eyes left they should see the judgements of God comming upon them and so still perswade themselves that there shall be no such matter And this he doth also to declare the riches of his mercy towards the most wretched sinners and how unwilling he is to take vengeance so long as there is any other remedie or if they will turne unto him in any time This is most apparent in the Lords infinite compassion in sparing Ninivie that proud Citie after Ionah had proclaimed Yet fortie dayes and Ninivie shall be destroyed And also in reproving Ionah for his impatience saying Thou hast had pitie on the gourd for which thou labouredst not neither madedst it to grow which came up in a night and withered in a night and should not I spare Ninivie that great Citie wherein are six score thousand persons which cannot discerne betweene their right hand and their left and also much catâ—le And hereupon it was that God spared it at that time though after when having forgotten that great deliverance they fell into their old sins he tooke vengeance for all as may appeare by the Prophet Nahum executing most severely whatsoever he had formerly threatned He dealeth thus moreover with the very wickedest that every mouth may be stopped and all the world compelled to acknowledge his judgements to be most righteous thus to justifie him therein when no admonition at all will serve So we see how he hath set downe this point most clearely and also the reasons of it and that he hath not bin wont to give any such warnings in vaine or without most dreadfull execution of his wrath where his warnings have not bin regarded Now then to apply this point to our selves we are first wisely to inquire whether the Lord hath not likewise forewarned us that most plainly of some terrible judgments towards this our Nation That if we finde it so we may then all know for certaine that it is full time to look to our selves to betake us all forthwith to such a course as whereby we may either altogither appease his anger or at least in some sort mitigate and asswage it To come to our very consciences Must we not all be inforced to acknowledge and say with the Prophet Amos The lion hath roared who shall not then be afraid The Lord God hath spoken who can but prophecie Hath not the lyon roared upon us sundry times as being ready to crush our bones in sunder or to devoure us at once but principally within our fresh memorie when the proud enemie came against us in their Navie invincible And more also when that long threatned day came whereof the insolent enemie had so much triumphed and for feare whereof the whole Land had trembled for so many yeeres togither But most of all in that more than Babylonish and unnaturall furnace that hellish crueltie from which we were so marveilously delivered in a moment before we felt or so much as feared any such thing at all To omit the insurrection by the rude multitude about the throwing downe of the inclosures the danger whereof all who are wise-hearted did manifestly see if any bloodie enemie had set it on foote to have bin a Leader unto them which issue all neere unto them did very greatly feare had not the Lord so graciously prevented that perill in an instant quencht that fire when the flame was now ready to have brust forth so high that getting above our heads it would have bin hard to overcome it without much blood to have quenched it And to passe over in silence all other the treasonable devises against that our worthy Deborah both before her comming to the Crowne and after that almost never yeere was without some new plot though continuing constant with our God they were never able to touch one haire of her head and since also against our Iosiah the breath of our nostrills of whom we have gloried as Iudah of Iosiah that under his shadow we should be preserved 〈◊〉 amongst our cruellest enemies as we have bin untill this day thorough the endlesse mercy of our God had they not almost taken him in their nets to have made him and all his a perpetuall prey if the watchfull eye of our gracious God had not wonderfully preserved and delivered them But to leave all these Hath not the Lord moreover thundred out vengeance by his heavenly word in the mouthes of all his faithfull servants thorough the whole Land for the abounding of iniquitie and that for many yeeres togither Hath he not besides spoken unto us from heaven as he did to Ierusalem seeming to have inclosed us all in that dreadfull tent spred directly over all our heads and compassing us in round on every side which was so terrible to behold with pillers of horrible darknesse pillers of fire and pillers of blood about some twelvemoneth before the powder-furnace At the beholding of w th most fearfull sight all whose hearts were not utterly sensles could not but tremble for feare of the Lords dreadfull anger for mine owne selfe I remember it well and hope I shall never forget it Did he not also for a long time togither heretofore send most strange lights and flashings in the heavens and even at that very instant of that threatned powder-destruction in a terrible manner Which howsoever they are taken now that they were but ordinarie matters thorough the long continuance of them and
his forbearance of us as the like forewarnings were unto Ierusalem have bin to other places which he hath destroyed for their sinnes yet let this be seriously thought of how we generally stood then affected with them whether since the time that the Lord hath begun in a most speciall manner to threaten destruction unto us from Rome they have not beene farre more usuall till of very late yeeres and much more dreadfull than formerly Let us but call to minde how fearfull these sights were unto us when they began in our remembrance to be so seene in this our Nation Most who are of any yeeres must needs remember the time with the terrour upon mens hearts that was thereupon Besides that our Chronicles have specially recorded those first most dreadfull apparitions of them as of things not knowne before in our Nation or at least very rarely or that the former were nothing in comparison of these When such strange impressions of fire and smoke were seene in the ayre and the heavens from all parts seemed to burne over our heads as the historie doth mention We cannot have forgotten that wonderfull starre which appeared about two yeeres before these began continuing for almost six moneths togither which as it was found by the learned was in place celestiall far above the Moone otherwise than ever any Comet hath bin seene or can naturally appeare So wonderfull was it as the learned did affirme that the like was not read of to have bin since the beginning of the world And therefore it was then accounted of amongst the learned to have bin of signification not naturall but divine as sent from God to warne the world of some strange worke Let us but call these things to minde and withall the perpetuall danger that the Church of God and our Nation have bin in in a more speciall manner from Rome since about that time or not much before togither with all our judgements and great deliverances since and then thinke whether they may not justly seeme to foretell that the Lord hath yet some greater worke to worke Howsoever this cannot hurt us to be warned by them and to make better use of them than Ierusalem did â—ith they are undoubted fore-runners of the great and notable day of the Lord. And to passe over all other former tokens as the two great tydes recorded to have bin one within an houre after the other and in the same moneth when these grievous flashings so appeared the dreadfull earth-quakes at that time since and the like hath not the Lord since then caused the seas to roare and rush in upon us as ready and threatning to have overwhelmed us all at once At the very tidings whereof and of the cry and scritching of all neere unto them and the perishing of so many what heart was so flintie which either did not powre ouâ— teares or at least quake and tremble at that terrible approching of the vengeance of the Lord Hath he not also spoken unto us since then even in the yeere next after by so many strange and sodaine overflowings of the lesse rivers in the midst of the Land as if seas and flouds and all had offered their service unto the Lord to execute his fierce wrath and most just judgement in overflowing purging such a sinfull Land to have swept away all of a sodaine Yea and this many times when no such thing was feared at all and in such places where never feare of waters had bin heard of before And yet to proceede Hath he not proclaymed his vengeance in every part of our Land by his undaunted Heralt the consuming pestilence so many yeeres togither yeere after yeere as this Nation hardly ever knew before What place is there against which the sword of the destroying Angell hath not bin shaken and stretched out in most fearefull manner as ready to be avenged presently Can there be a more visible messenger of the Lords anger Is it not one of the foure chiefe plagues of God sent for the sinnes of a people by which he threatneth to destroy and a principall sore-runner of the most dreadfull even of the bloodie sword of the enemie And hath not that sword of the blood-thirstie enemie beene drawne oft upon us Hath it not consumed and devoured about us and made most grievous slaughters and desolations as it were before our faces and at our very dores for many yeeres togither heretofore First in the Low Countryes after in Ireland laying it in many places as a desolate wildernesse when in the meane time our selves have bin free at home though all was principally aymed at us And did not the Lord after all these in that desperate rebellion treason unmatchable set the sword to the hearts of us all Yea did he not in that so extreme and deadly winter following soone after some prints whereof remaine unto this day proclaime denounce to the consciences of all men that he hath a controversie with our Land when he began with the fowles of the ayre smiting the fish in the rivers with very many of the creatures and destroyed the most sweet and pleasant flowres and herbes which grew upon the earth wherein we tooke chiefe delight so as they are hardly yet repayred againe threatning withall the utter famishing of the cattle as if he had determined to destroy all things from off the earth Did he not also by reason of the same afterward cause amongst us a greater dearth of all victuals and other things than ever in any mans remembrance all sorts of things being considered togither and the continuance thereof so long whereby so many of our poore were brought into so extreme povertie And howsoever he in pitie looking upon the poore restored bread unto them having both increased the corne upon the ground after by that lamentable rayne in the beginning of the harvest when the corne was ready to be brought into the barne made it so as it could not be kept in long or hoarded up by cormorants and unfit to be transported yet did not the dearth of all other victuals grow grievously for a long time togither Yea and albeit for a litle time after this he withdrew some of the former tokens of his fierce wrath and turned the dearth into plentie againe yet what was that so long as our sinnes not onely remained but were and are daily multiplyed so that the cry of them goeth up to heaven Did not the Lord send his people Quayles to satisfie their lust and yet for their grudgings and tempting of him smit them while the flesh was betweene their teeth And did he not in like manner amongst us that yeere through that unseasonable raine leave an evident print of his displeasure upon all or the chiefe kinde of graine to be remembred almost in every peece of bread Yea that we may not deceive our selves
and partly at the instant intreatie of the dressers of his Vineyard who have obteyned of him to spare us yet one yeere longer to see if we will bring forth meete fruit in any time and if no time nor warning will serve then to cut us downe Now we in steed of amending by all these fore-warnings with all the admirable deliverances and blessings which this Land doth injoy waxing every day much worse and the cry of our sinnes with the malice and number of our bloodie enemies being daily increased how can we thinke but that his vengeance must needs be at the doores either that any peace can possibly be so much as hoped for from him so long as our heynous sinnes still remayne heaped up euery day more more What heart therefore having any feare of the Lord considering how his anger must needs be kindled and remembring that implacable hatred of the blood-thirstie enemies but wayting their day doth not tremble in a certaine expectation of some imminent and farre more dreadfull vengeance than ever we felt in former times unlesse our hearts be some way stirred up to pacifie his heavenly Majestie by turning unto him to prevent the same And therefore to conclude this point All these things being laid togither and set as it were in one view before our faces principally that above all other signes the Lord hath given us that our third so terrible and infallible an admonition in the hellish powder-furnace sith none of his warnings shall be in vaine who can denie but that he daily cryeth in the eares of every one of us with a loude voyce as he cryed to Ezechiel Thy visitation oh England draweth neere Therefore repent watch and pray lest I come upon thee of a sodaine and make thee as Ierusalem because no warning will serve neither wilt thou know the time of thy visitation nor be awaked out of thy deepe securitie But of this more fully hereafter when we shall come to see the sinnes of our Land written by the Lord himselfe in the abominations of Iuda before her Captivitie and that in such capitall letters that he that runns by may read them And how we doe iustifie rebellious Iudah living in these dayes of the shining light of the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ under such a shelter as the Lords Annoynted and also under so good lawes commanding obedience thereunto whereby our sinnes must needes be farre more heynous and inexcusable than theirs or than ever they were in former time And this may serve for a first cause which we have to watch and pray because the Lord cryes so loud unto us all That our visitation draweth neere and that he will come on us suddenly unlesse we repent speedily CHAP. IIII. The withdrawing of the Lords glorious presence from his Church is both an euident signe of his displeasure and amanifest threatning of his departure And what cause we have thereupon to watch and to pray to pacifie his Maiestie and to hold him still amongst us Verse 3. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the Cherub whereupon he was to the threshold of the house A Second principall point which the Lord would have us all to obserue to this purpose is out of this third verse In which he revealed to the Prophet how the visitation of the City or the executioners of the vengeance determined upon it did draw neere this is given as an evident token thereof That the glorious presence of the Lord named the glory of God the God of Israel was gone from the Cherub that is from that place in the Temple where the Lord had promised to dwell for ever and from whence he was wont to shew his presence most sensibly for from thence he used to give answers and now it stood on the threshold of the Temple as ready to depart and utterly to leave that house and his people for their sinnes In this therefore God would have all men to take notice That it is a most certaine signe of his purpose to leave a people and of his vengeance hard at hand when he begins to withdraw the most lively and sensible tokens of his presence from those places where he was wont to dwell and shew himselfe most familiarly As heere for example Although the Temple remaine with the Arke and mercy feate from whence he was wont to speake immediatly from betweene the Cherubims yet the glory is removed the signes are there still but not the lively presence as had beene in former time which was indeed the true glory For further confirmation of this point This we may observe in the booke of God That when he hath beene well pleased with his people and purposed to remaine with them he then hath beene wont ordinarily to shew his presence and that under the law by some such visible or audible signes as whereby al might behold and heare him or at least perceive him some way As in all the iourny towards Canaan he went uisibly before them in the pillar of fire and the piller of the cloude But when they had angred him by the golden calfe he threatneth that he would not goe with them that is he would not goe before them in that visible manner as he had beene wont to bring them to the land flowing with milke and hony because they were a stiffenecked people He would send his Angell with them but in his owne glorious presence he would not goe before them as in former time whereupon Moses is importunate with him that he would never carry them thence if his presence went not with them And that it could not be knowne otherwise that he and his people had found favour in his sight but when he went visibly with them Thus Moses never leaves him vntill he hath prevailed that he will go with them as he was wont The same we may see in the dayes of Iosua where the Lord having withdrawne his lively preâ—ence and suffered his people to be overthrowne before the men of Ai Iosua falleth upon his face before the Arke fasting and mourning and after a sort expostulating with his Majestie for that he would suffer his great name to be dishonored Whereupon God telleth him plainely that he had indeede withdrawne himselfe from them because they were execrable for Achans sinne neither would he be with them any more unlesse they destroyed the excommunicate from amongst them So likewise when he was angry with Saul that he would cast him off he doth not only take his good spirit of wisdome and government from him and sends an evill spirit upon him to disquiet and to vex him but moreover when he asked councell of him in his extremity he answeres him not neither by dreames nor by Vrim nor yet by the Prophets Saul had the Priests with the Vrim before the Arke from whence the Glory was wont to appeare from the Cherubims
the Lord who are for harmelesnesse as little children may be without perill in the presence of them who were sometimes as venemous as the Aspe and the Viper When they shall feed communicate together cheerefully and lovingly in the word and Sacraments and in all the religion and service of the Lord and none to hurt in all the mountaine of the Lords holinesse within the bounds and limits of his Church By this all must needs see that such are indeede the Disciples of Christ when they love one another And when in regard hereof the feet of them who bring the glad tidings of peace to wit of all the faithfull preachers of the Gospell publishing life and salvation and working this obedience and love are beautifull when their comming among a people is most acceptable as of the messengers of the Lord of hosts Now both these are such evident demonstrations of the glory of the Lord upon a people that they make them amongst whom they are conspicuous and eminent to be a glorious people and cause them to be had in honour and to be feared of all nations round about them This Moses sheweth plainly in Deut. 4. Where he thus speaks to the people of Israel Behold I haue taught you ordinances lawes as the Lord my God commanded mee that you should doe even so in the Land whether you goe to possesse it Keepe them therefore and do them for this is your wisdome and vnderstanding in the sight of the people which shal heare al these ordinances and shall say Onely this people is wise of understanding and a great nation for what nation is so great unto whom the Gods comes so neere unto them as our God is neere to us in all that we call unto him for The Lord himselfe also hath bidden all his people to glory in this That they know and feare him not in their wisdome strength or riches declaring all the glory of these earthly things to be nothing to that and all the true outward glory of a people to consist in their holinesse and peace among themselves and in the right knowledge and sincere profession of his heavenly word As the kingdome of heaven which is inwardly felt in every one of Gods Servants is in righteousnesse peace and heavenly joy so when these abound amongst any people there is the kingdome of heaven truly begun Christ reigning visibly Such were those worthy congregations mentioned in the Acts and those to which Paul writ his Epistles and such are all Churches which are like unto them at this day And even as these things also doe more abound and are more apparant among them so are they still more glorious and Christ more evidently holding up his scepter there Thus much for the two first parts of the outward glory The third principall thing whereby the Lord is wont to declare his glory in his Church so brightly as that it may be beholden of all about is in the protection and defence thereof And this is more visible also when he doth miraculously deliver it plaguing and overthrowing all the enemies with all their wicked devises which they plot against his people To omit the carefull protection of Abraham Isaac and Iacob with all theirs in all places wheresoever they went the smiting of their enemies and that herein stood a chiefe part of their honour was not this that glory whereby he did so grace his Church in Egypt when he sheltered his people and made them to grow notwithstanding the cruel oppressions of their enemies when they were as the bush in the midst of the fire that yet consumed not And secondly when he plagued the Egyptians and still kept his people safe in the midst of all those miraculous judgements Thirdly when he went before them out of Egypt and thorow the wildernesse towards Canaan in the piller of fire and of the cloud so conducting them that the enemies could not come at them neither by day nor night In regard whereof he being angry with them for the golden calfe had threatned that he would not goe up with them because they were a stiffe-necked people as they sorrowed and wept for this so Moses in particular saith If thy presence goe not with us carry us not hence And wherein saith he shall it be knowne that I and thy people have found favour in thy sight Shall it not be when thou goest up with us So I and thy people shall have preheminence before all the people of the earth for which importunitie of his the Lord condescended thus still to continue his happy presence in that apparent manner Fourthly the Lord declared this his glorious presence in the miraculous keeping of their land that no enemie should invade it nor so much as once dare to attempt the same or thinke of any such matter no not then when all their men went up generally thrice in the yeere at their solemne feasts to Ierusalem from all the parts of their land and none left at home to keepe their frontiers from invasion or houses from spoiling but a few poore women and children As he had promised this unto them so he faithfully performed it so long as they continued to know and feare him So long as they made any conscience to retaine those two former parts of his glory in knowledge and obedience so long also continued this their gracious preservation yea so long as they would but humble themselves under his hand at those his threatnings and at the shaking of his rods against them promising amendment and would then beleeve and obey his Prophets so long abode this glory with them This the Lord wrought moreover in such strange deliverances of them from all that did offer to assaile them and in such great overthrowes of their proud enemies as never were heard of before in any nation As in their delivery in the sea with the overthrow of the proud Egyptian many a time in the wildernesse in setting them also in Canaan by Iosuah no man being able to resist them so long as they obeyed him So likewise in the dayes of the Iudges though they provoked him by their rebellions yet ever usually when they sought him againe humbling themselves he shewed himselfe their deliverer fighting for them both from heaven and earth with haile and thunder and all his hosts causing the very Sunne to stand still until the people avenged themselves upon their enemies And yet more specially in their famous victories in the dayes of Samuel against the Philistims In Iehosaphats victorie against the Ammonites the Moabites and them of mount Seir causing their enemies to turne their swords upon themselves and every one to fall upon another But above all in that wonderfull deliverance of Ierusalem in the dayes of Ezekiah and that notable overthrow of
that proud and blasphemous Senacherib and his huge Armie when the Angâ—ll of the Lord slue an hundred and fouresâ—ore thousand of the enemies in one night upon which considerations and the like in former times the Holy Ghost faith that God is well knowne in Iudah his name is great in Israel All the world talked of his name and feared Because as his Tabernacle was there so there he brake the arrowes the bowe There he shewed his puissance and his power restrayning the rage of the enemies and turning it unto his praise and so there made himselfe terrible to the Kings of the earth To conclude this point likewise This is a principall part of that glory of the Church in the earth which is so foretold by the Prophet Esay to be in the Churches of God in the flourishing estate thereof in the dayes of the Gospell That when the Lord should wash away the filthines of his people by his word and Spirit he would create upon every place of Mount Sion and upon the assemblies thereof a cloud and a smoake by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory should be a defence and a covering should be for a shadow in the day from the heat and a place of refuge and a covert from the storme and from the raine In which words all these parts of the Lords glory upon his Church are comprized evidently foretelling that as he would adorne and glorifie his Church then with abundance of knowledge and holinesse so his protection should shelter it from all danger as the coverings did the Tabernacle And this indeed was the glory of the Primitive Church according as it was spoken of by Esay Yea every wicked man whose conscience is not utterly scared when he commeth into any such a Congregation where these three shine bright is inforced to acknowledge such a place to be a glorious and blessed place and God to be there untill that men have by their disobedience to the word and by their maliciousnesse put out the eye of their soule and conscience altogither To applie all this And first to this people of Iudah If wee marke well wee may cleerely see how God had wonderfully withdrawne from them that outward glory which formerly they had enjoyed and had also shewed them evident tokens of his departure in every one of these respects before he went away utterly And first for holy knowledge when they daily waxed more blind and senselesse by all the paines of their Teachers and all other their forewarnings so that they were worse therein then the oxe and the asse as the Prophet Esay complained many yeeres before Secondly for holinesse of life the abominations following will evidently demonstrate for reverence of the Lords messengers in that they misused them untill there was no remedy So for peace and unitie when Ephraim was against Manasseh Manasses against Ephraim and both against Iudah when all the godly who followed the true Prophets and cleaued only to the word and the covenant of the Lord were generally hated made as signes and wonders like as the Prophets were whose word they obeyed And lastly for protection when as the glory was almost gone in Ezechias dayes when he himselfe and Ierusalem were in that danger by Senecharib and cleane gone by Manasses at what time he was carried away captive into Babylon Afterwards also was Iosiah their shelter cut downe by the enemie which was the next most manifest forerunner of the finall departure and of their glory So they had after this overthrow after overthrow untill this plague was utterly come upon them and their glory also departed without hope of recovery till Gods anger was fully accomplished upon them Thus we have seene this point at large wherein the outward glory of the Church consists how all this was fully verified amongst them according to the vision That God had indeed made all these removals of their glory before his finall departure But now let us in the second place returne home from Iudah unto our selves and lay it neere unto our hearts considering well first whether the Lord have not begun as sensible removals of all this glory even amongst our selves in every one of these kindes sundry wayes and at sundry times proceeding by degrees And whether he doe not thereby threaten manifestly that he is purposed utterly to remove and to take away all his glory and his gratious presence from us and to leave us to the will of our enemies to be made a reproch and a shame when he is departed from us unlesse we prevent and retaine him by our speedie amendment To begin and apply in order as in the presence of the Lord. Where is that delight of ours in most places that we were wont to take in his word our inciting and incouraging one another Come let us goe up to the house of the Lord our talking of it and our rejoycing in it as of our chiefe glory Do we not in steed hereof waxe weary of it very generally hearing it commonly for a fashion or for satisfying of the law or some like respect Are we not growne to this passe for the most part to be ashamed of talking or reasoning of it Yea what is more common than in steed hereof to discourage one another from being forward in following after it and those holy assemblies of his people where he hath promised his presence for ever Are not our people in steed hereof set rather to flocke to all kinds of vanities and places of the worse resort to dishonour and provoke the Lord even to those places where is open profession of all impietie and schooles of all lewdnesse and ungratiousnesse Let the ordinarie frequenting of so many profane and lascivious playes fitter for Sodome than the Church of God be witnesse Where is that holy sound and powerfull knowledge of God amongst the people become which in regard of the long and quiet time of the Gospell that thorow the riches of the Lords mercy we have enjoyed should have growne to ripenesse that which was wont so to abound amongst us in many goodly Congregations whereby the Popish sort were ashamed of themselves for their ignorance specially as was said that love which hath bin so declared in hungring after the word in delighting in it as our felicitie Nay what is become for most part of that singular commendation for readinesse in the Scriptures and soundnesse of judgement in the word of the Lord wherein many of our Gentry and cheifer sort in many places did sometimes excell for which they were much to be commended and indeed it was their dutie far so to excell for they of all other have the most meanes for all good helps and leysure to get the knowledg of the Lord and also are most bound thereunto
blood-thirstie religion in the cheife professors thereof against his own heavenly Majestie his true religion glory against his Annoynted all his liege people professing his name to destroy all at once though with the inevitable hazarding of themselves both soules and bodies their owne native Countrie their children and houses And also after that he had caused us to beare such evidence against that Romish iniquitie in those so good lawes then enacted against it and as it were to give sentence upon it having delivered it into our hands May he not justly say unto us all even unto our whole Nation for this very sin as he said to the King of Israel for letting Benadad goe when he spake thus unto him Because thou hast let goe out of thine hand a man whom I appointed to dye thy life shall goe for his life and thy people for his people So may he not speake and threaten us much more especially all of us both Magistrates Ministers and people into whose hands he hath committed the holy meanes to restraine and withdraw men from that murthering religion so many wayes convicted and condemned and to bring them to Christ and principally the spirituall meanes of the word of the Lord Yea above all other may he not speake so to those to whom he hath committed the charge of providing a holy learned and faithfull Ministerie which may tenderly seeke the winning and saving of every soule and also of causing all sorts to submit themselves thereunto as unto the Lords ordinance to that end for these meanes are first and principally to be used in tender compassion when as he hath so manifested the power thereof by so much gracious experience in sundry worthy Congregations where under such painfull and conscionable Ministers the people have bin brought from Poperie and profanenesse to embrace and obey the Gospell so as hardly one Papist or notoriously profane or disordered person have bin to be found there but all cheerefully submitting themselves to the Gospell of Christ. May he not most righteously speake thus unto us therefore Because through they negligence and carelesnesse thou hast suffered to grow up and spread in the midst of thee that execrable bloudie and Antichristian religion whereby my glory is so desperately oppugned whereby I my selfe am so openly sought to be driven out and with so high a hand the soules and bodies of all my people so endangered every houre yea that which I put into thy power and commanded thee to seeke by all holy meanes utterly to destroy out of thy land that against which thou hast so voluntarily made so good lawes for the sure ratifying of the speedie execution of my Commandement thy religion therefore shall goe for it and all thy glory shall be trampled under foote by them untill thou know whom thou hast dishonoured and provoked hereby And to conclude this point Hath not the Lord as good cause to complaine of us and to plead against us for the small account which we make of him for grieving his Spirit and driving him from amongst us by this and all other our fearefull sinnes as ever he had to complaine of the unkindnesse of Iudah and even to take up the same complaint against us which he did against them when he spake thus unto them by the Prophet Micha before their Captivitie Oh my people what have I done unto thee or wherewith have I grieved thee come testifie against me Surely I brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt and redeemed thee out of the house of servants I sent before thee also Moses Aaron and Miriam O my people remember now what Balak King of Moab had devised and what Balaam the sonne of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal that yee may know the righteousnes of the Lord. This is the Lords plea and complaint against Israel for their unkindnesse calling the hills and mountaines to witnesse the equitie of it before that he would depart from them and bring upon them that strange and terrible judgement which he so long before threatned by his Prophets But we will defer this complaint against us untill we shall have seene of our iniquities to provoke and anger the Lord thereby to be above the abominations of Iudah considering that we live in this glorious light of the Gospell with our extraordinarie mercies and meanes of all sorts Because that then if God shall give us hearts in reading to consider of these things aright we shall justifie the like complaint of the Lord against our selves and shall admire his patient stay and his abiding still amongst us Thus much therefore shall suffice in like manner for this third cause wherein yet let ech of us aske of our owne soules whether in such a decay both of the love of the truth and also of holinesse peace and unitie in the Church yea in such danger of our protection to be utterly taken away to passe over that it is so far departed That he that absteineth from evill makes himself a prey and in steed thereof in such an increase of Poperie of licentiousnesse and of all profanenesse such an enmitie against all true pietie with the insolencie of the enemie the Lord doe not call loude upon us all to watch and to pray for the severall removes of the glory amongst us and the evident tokens of the Lords threatned departure which he sheweth in the same CHAP. VI. No priviledges can doe a people any good if they increase in their iniquitie but the moe their mercies have bin the greater is their sinne and the heavier shall their iudgement be when it commeth of what sort soever And what causes we have hence to watch and to pray Vers. 4. And the Lord said unto him Goe through the midst of the Citie even through the midst of Ierusalem and set a marke upon the foreheads of them that sigh and cry for all the abominations which are done in the midst thereof IN the doubling of the speech Goe thorough the midst of the Citie even through the midst of Ierusalem where the Lord adds Ierusalem to make the speech more significant not content to say Goe thorow the Citie but even thorow Ierusalem He would have all to take notice That though Ierusalem was the deerest unto him of all the Cities of the world yet having broken the Covenant on her part and also cast him off and defiled his Sanctuarie he will spare her no longer he will have no more pitie of any save onely of his faithfull ones in her But contrarily he will forsake her cast her off leave her to be destroyed untill the remnant left of her learne to seeke him and to be reconciled to him againe For the Lords speech is thus much in effect Goe through the midst of the city even through Ierusalem which though it be unto me the deerest of all the places in the world the Citie which I had chosen to
prayer for the innumerable mercies and priviledges bestowed upon our Land on the one side and the increase of our sinnes with the tokens of Gods vengeance and our deep securitie on the other side Lest our plagues doe prove greater than the plagues of all other people as much as we seeme to have bin lifted up above most if not all others in blessings in this last and most sinfull age of the world if all our blessings temporall and spirituall be compared togither and considered aright Oh Lord at length open our eyes and then we shall so cleerly see our estate that it will not be any more needfull to cry unto us to awake to watch and to pray CHAP. VII The marking of the godly that is How Gods owne people are marked in the midst of the greatest confusions before the destructions come and what causâ—s every one hath to watch and to pray that he may be so marked Vers. 4. And set it marke on the foreheads of all that mourne IN this Commission to the marking Angell to set a marke on the foreheads of all that mourne The Lord giving such a charge to his holy Angell thus carefully to preserve his chosen from this destruction to goe thorow the Citie and set a marke upon every one of them to overpasse none and also the destroying Angels to follow after the marking Angell so as they hurt none till all the faithfull be marked he would have all to know thus much That he never casts off the care of his people no not then when all things seeme most confused in the earth And secondly when they are so mingled amongst the wicked as that they can hardly be knowne amongst themselves much lesse to the eyes of the world that yet he still tendreth them and watcheth over them continually Thirdly that he will at length make his fatherly care and watchfull providence known unto them and that by some gracious and wonderfull deliverance even in this world if it be so best for them and for his glory And lastly that they evermore must be surely marked before the destruction come The Lord hath bin very carefull to set downe this point also most clearely in every of those great destructions which are recorded in Scriptures for examples and warnings to all posteritie That hereby his owne faithfull servants may receiue comfort against the greatest afflictions that can come upon the world As first in that terrible overflowing in the generall destruction of the old world The waters came not untill Noah had first prepared and finished the Arke and also God himselfe had shut up both him and his in the same so locking and sealing up the dores with his owne hand as that all the waters rage they never so horribly and hoyse him up above the highest mountaines yet cannot hurt him And why dealeth the Lord thus carefully with Noah Thee saith he have I seene righteous before me in this generation that is I have seene they heart sincere and thy purpose and indevour ever to please me not following the course of the times but crying out of the iniquitie thereof beleeving my threatnings and preparing the Arke according to my commandement to save thy selfe and familie from the vengeance to come Secondly in that dreadfull overthrow of Sodome and Gomorrha before the fire and brimstone came upon those filthy Cities Lot must not onely be marked but also gotten forth safe from the destruction The Angels have such a charge of him as that they get him by the hand pull and hale him for haste being far more carefull for him than he is for himselfe and they never leave him till they have safe conducted him out and then bid him hie for his life get him into Zoar. They tell him plainely that the Lords care was so great for him that they can doe nothing in this destruction their hands were tyed untill he be there safe out of all the danger The reason of it also is carefully set downe by the Lord himselfe why he accounted him worthy to escape for that he was a just and righteous man grieved with the uncleane conversation of the wicked his righteous soule was vexed from day to day with all their abominable deeds Thirdly before this destruction the Lord foretold to Ieremie particularly That he would give him his life for a prey in all places wheresoever he came because of his faithfulnesse in sticking to his word and commandement and for his warning the people And so indeed it came to passe that the Lord did not onely preserve him with sundry others fearing his name but gave him also speciall favour in the eyes of the enemies who led them captives So as Nebuchadnezzar himselfe gives charge to Nebuzaradan his chiefe steward to look well to Ieremie to doe him no harme but to doe for him as himselfe would whether to goe home with them into Babylon and there to receive kindnesse or to tarry still in the land of Iudah with the people which should be left there behinde And this mercy did the Lord shew not onely unto Ieremie but unto others also that had bin kinde unto his Prophet As to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian who had spoken for Ieremie to the King of Iudah to get him out of the dungeon to whom also the Lord gave his life for a prey because he put his trust in the Lord. And Gedaliah whose father Ahikam had formerly delivered Ieremie out of danger and from the rage that was against him he is made Governour of them that remained in the Land howsoever he was trecherously slaine not long after So to Baruch in like manner who was Ieremies Scribe and had stucke so close to him in all his troubles God promiseth to give him also his life for a prey in all places wheresoever he came We have likewise the ensamples of Daniel and of his three companions called the three children unto whom besides their preservation from the common destruction in the first Captivitie of Babylon the Lord granted that extraordinarie favour both to be brought up by the King of Babylon himselfe and by his speciall appointment in all excellent learning and so far to surpasse all others as to be most meet for their singular knowledge and understanding to stand with high favour in the presence of that mightie Monarch though otherwise a cruell oppressor of the Church of God who had caried them away captive He gave unto them moreover divine testimonies of his fatherly care and protection in the presence of all his enemies in those miraculous deliverances out of the fierie furnace and from the Lions den because they did cleave so fast unto the Lord that they would not suffer themselves to be polluted with the least part or shew of the Idolatrie of the Heathen The like favour for preservation he granted to Ezechiel and sundry
of their torment and their fearefull expectation of further vengeance Their calamities which they endure are nothing else but preparatives and fore-runners of the damnation of hell Hereby they also become more senselesse and impenitent they waxe more hardned and enraged to murmure and blaspheme against the Lord. And ordinarily they are alwaies chased in their owne consciences as Cain having a sound of feare in their eares the worme beginning to gnaw and their sinne to sting them to the very hearts and consequently to become runnegates to the grave and to eternall confusion Or let the best be supposed that ever can befall any of them they are but in a lethargie or sleepie sicknesse without sense untill the vengeance of God light wholly upon them to send them to the place of their destruction where they shall never finde any rest after But for their wretched estate we shall see it further in another place And thus we may behold the estate of all both good and bad in such generall calamities Now who is there that beleeves the word of the Lord whom the due consideration of this one point alone must not needs drive to watching and prayer and to cause him to seeke to be prepared aforehand in these dayes of our peace that he may be thus undoubtedly marked and under this protection yea that he may be thus hid in the evill day and finde all the comforts belonging to the godly and that he may be sure to escape those certaine and dreadfull miseries of the wicked what judgements soever it shall please him to exercise us withall for A wise man as Salomon saith foreseeth the plague and hideth himselfe but a foole goeth on still and is punished This therefore may serve as a first cause to enforce us all to betake our selves more instantly to watching and prayer then ever we have done if we would be so marked as to finde the Lord to be a Sanctuarie and a hiding place unto us in the evill day how soone soever he shall bring it upon us for all our sinnes and provocations and in the meane time to get boldnesse thereby and peace of conscience against all assaults whatsoever And more also unlesse we will strip our selves wilfully of his most gratious providence and protection and desperately expose our selves and all ours to all kinde of miserie and unhappinesse both in this life present and that which is to come If any shall demand further what this marke was we must remember That this Vision was given according to the capacitie of man to shew this unto the Prophet that he might make it knowne to all sorts what care the Lord hath for his faithfull ones in the greatest confusions and when they seeme to be utterly neglected and forgotten and to this end he hath caused it to be written for us This moreover seemeth evidently to be an allusion to the custome of men who use to set a marke on such things as they have a speciall care to preserve heedfully Or rather an alluding to the marking of the houses of his owne people in Egypt with the bloud of the Lambe that the destroying Angell might not touch any of them when he destroyed the Egyptians Or else at least to the marking of Rahabs house in the Citie of Iericho before the destruction came for the saving her selfe and hers But if it be demanded whether they had not indeed some speciall marke of difference to be discerned from the rest we may answer truly That there is no question but they were marked indeed both inwardly and outwardly Inwardly by the bloud of Christ sprinkling them and by the Spirit sanctifying them making them to cry Abba oh Father Outwardly by a bold and constant outward profession of the truth of God in word and deed and more specially by mourning and crying out for all the abominations which were practised daily to anger the Lord as followeth after But this is not that marking here spoken of much lesse is it any marking with any outward marke or signe as some doe vainely and very fondly conceit but only to make them sure that they might be preserved from the destroyer The words signifying nothing else but marke them with a marke or signe them with a signe That is marke them surely and carefully doubling the word according to the manner of the Hebrew phrase And thus much also shortly for answering those doubts Now to our next cause which every soule hath to watch and to pray CHAP. VIII The propertie of the godly living amongst the wicked in a sinfull age is To sigh and cry for the abominations and tokens of Gods anger So what cause all Gods servants have to watch and pray for the fewnesse of such and to labour to be of that litle number TO proceed to a sixt cause which yet more neerely concerns ech of us cals on us all to watchfulnes and prayer We are all who desire to finde true assurance and comfort to consider who and what ones these servants of God are which are thus marked They are described in these words which sigh and cry for all the abominations They were those who were so far off from framing themselves to the wickednesse of that evill time as that they contrarily abhorred with a vehement indignation all those sinnes whereby Gods anger was so kindled and their destruction hastned so fast Insomuch as that thereby they did not onely mourne in themselves in secret but being inforced with a zeale of Gods glory and indignation against all the abominations cryed out against them according to their places and callings and sighed in secret for mercy and redresse Here we must observe The Lord setting before our eyes the condition of the true children of God living in evill times and amongst a people voyde of the sense of sinne and of the feare of Gods judgements That their manner is not to approve of the wicked wayes of the ungodly much lesse to sooth and flatter them in their evill courses nor to give over themselves to any jollitie or carnall delights as others doe but they use to have continually much heavinesse in themselves sighing for the grievous sinnes which are committed An example hereof the Lord hath set forth to all posteritie in holy Lot who living amongst the filthy Sodomites was thus grieved with their ungodly conversation for so saith the holy Apostle Peter That he being righteous and dwelling among them in hearing and seeing vexed his righteous soule from day to day with their unrighteous deeds He was so disquieted with their beastly manners provoking the Lords most holy eyes that his whole life for the time that he dwelt amongst them was but wearinesse and a continuall mourning This holy man the Lord would have set forth as an example to all succeeding ages to shew the condition of all his true and faithfull servants living amongst wicked and ungodly men To
Lord howsoever it shall please him to visit us Give me leave therefore if it were to digresse a little to turne my speech to speake to your soules and consciences for the confirming and strengthening of all our hearts who are such The Lord heere sets before your faces the care which he hath for you You are surely sealed whatsoever plagues he shall smite the earth withall whether you be rulers from the greatest to the meanest to begin with you If your consciences beare you witnesse that your hearts are set to advance Gods true religion and all prety and by all holy meanes to suppresse iniquity and so to turne away the judgements threatned And much more also if to this end you study to procure what good you can to the Church of Christ. If you mourne with Ezra for the grievous transgressions of the people for defiling themselves with the abominations of other nations and especially with Popery Atheisme and all irreligious licenciousnes Of if that your hearts do melt with holy Iosiah for the former and present provocations and to see how the word of the Lord is despised If you use to lament and sigh in beholding the intollerable frowardnesse of men against the Lord that they cannot be brought to submit themselues to his glorious Gospell and in observing such a strange turning backe of many of our people in their hearts as who will needs returne into Egypt and Sodome againe and so strive to provoke the Lord yet more therby and by all other their sinnes And if moreover in seeing that you cannot doe that good that you would in reforming the evils you are not only daily humbled before the Lord upon your faces privately but doe also shew your griefe openly in your places as occasion is offered as this is an euident demonstration of your unfeigned religion before the world so it is a most strong bulwark to your own soules against all feare of the miseries that can any way come upon us Or secondly If you be those that succeed in the place of the Prophets being set to watch over and to warne the people committed to you thereby to turne away the plagues which are tiying upon them and doe finde in your selves the affections of Ieremie in heavinesse and lamentation when you see your paines to doe so litle good that you people generally grow rather worse and worse that you labour in vaine spend you strength in vaine and for nothing as Esay complaineth that although the bellowes be burnt yet you melt but in vaine the wickednesse is not taken away so that you may seeme to have just cause to deeme them to be but reprobate silver and such as the Lord hath weighed as Ieremie bewayleth them in his time this may comfort you that you are of this number that are marked And if furthermore for this cause you find your life to be a wearines that with Paul you have a continual sorrow in your hearts for your people and that you could be content to indure any miserie for them to save them from the Lords wrath this is a demonstration that the same spirit of Paul resteth upon you And yet further also to comfort you If you be such as are so far off from serving the time or flattering them to whom you are sent in crying peace peace That you have set your selves in all faithfulnesse to discover their iniquities and to cry out against all their sinnes and that no feare can stop your mouth from doing your duties in your places this testimonie of your consciences shall be as a strong brazen wall unto you whatsoever shall come to passe And to speake generally If you be private Christians as Lot and these mourners here marked and in steed of having a confederacie with the wicked in their evill wayes you finde your selves vexed every day for the evils which you heare and see it may minister unto you much assurance and heavenly consolation And more specially if your hearts be troubled for these dreadfull sinnes As first for our monstrous unthankfulnesse for the Gospell with all our blessings accompanying it and for that we are most of us so weary in living in obedience unto it and so many on the other side ready to live rather under that slaverie of Antichrist or service of sinne and Sathan Or secondly If you feele your soules continually grieved in beholding how many of us there are which make a profession of the Gospell in word yet denie utterly all power of it in our lives And withall how ready many amongst us who have heretofore made conscience of our wayes are now to joyne hands and run to all excesse with the Atheist and with every profane and filthy person And if aboue all this your hearts beare you witnesse that you strive to keepe your selves unspotted in this last and sinfull generation and neither by Schisme run forth of the Church and communion of the Saints so condemning the generation of his children on the one hand nor leave your places and callings so long as with a good conscience you can enjoy them to cast your selves upon the rocks of innumerable evils neither yet on the other hand to decline to the coldnesse hypocrisie and loosenesse of the time this shall be your comfort perpetually And yet to proceed a litle further If you thus staying your selves from these extremes doe use to speake every one to his neighbour as the godly did in Malachies dayes to incourage one another to walke more heedfully and cheerefully in the wayes of the Lord ech in his ranke and within the bounds of his calling this shall be your witnesse before the Lord. Or finally If yet now at least at the view of our transgressions which follow the Lords threatnings against us you can feele your hearts so affected as those mourners and set to continue so to walke with your God then this shall be unto you a gratious assurance that you are indeed the Lords owne servants as these mourners were The same Spirit of the Lord resteth upon you you are surely sealed therewith and singled out for his Majestie His care is as well for you as ever it was for Noah Lot Eliah or any of these mourners for he is still the same to all who tread in their steps his compassions faile not This is written now to comfort you Heaven and earth shall passe but not one jot or title of his word untill every thing be accomplished He may sooner breake his covenant concerning the day and the night than he can with you The hills may sooner remove out of their places than his mercy can from you Let none of your hearts therefore faint who have this witnesse that you indevour hereunto But come whatsoever will God will provide such a deliverance for you if he see it good Or if he send you into Captivitie yet he
than the Heathen whom the Lord had plagued the Holy Ghost saith That first the Lord spake unto him and to his people but they would not regard And when that would not serve he saith expresly That the Lord brought upon them the Captaines of the hoast of the King of Asshur who tooke Manasseh and put him in fetters and bound him in chaines and caried him to Babel And that then when he was in tribulatior he prayed to the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers and God was intreated of him and heard his prayer and brought him againe into his kingdome in Ierusalem then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God So that it was God especially that brought the Assyrian upon Manasseh and fettred him and caried him into Babylon and there heard his prayer and brought him backe and set him againe in his kingdome it was God that did it Thirdly for this Captivitie as the Prophet here foresaw it and the Lord said he would doe it and like as he bids the enemies which are represented by these Angels to goe and smite so the Holy Ghost saith plainely using the very same phrase of speech that is used concerning Manasseh That God brought upon them the King of the Caldeans who slew their young men with the sword and spared neither young nor old but made this havocke of them all They came not meerely of themselves but God sent them as his executioners This Ieremie confesseth in his Lamentations That the Lord did it acknowledging thus in the person of all Iudah and Ierusalem Thou hast called as in a solemne day my terrours round about meaning that the Lord had called their terrible enemies on every fide to compasse them in that none might escape his wrath wherein he shewes how the Lord mustered the enemies to revenge these abhominations And thus hath it ever bin when enemies have come against the Church as we may see cleane thorow the booke of God and especially in the booke of the Iudges it was principally because the Lord had stirred them up he had mustered and brought them For if he but lift up his ensigne or but hisse or whistle for them as the Prophet speaketh they come amaine from all the ends of the earth They sleepe not nor faint unlesse the Lord himselfe stay them or plucke them backe putting his hooke into their nostrils and his bit into their jawes as he did to that proud Senecharib when he came so fiercely against Ierusalem Although as we heard the enemies themselves doe not know so much And when is it that the Lord brings them Even then when his people whom he hath put in trust with his most holy religion through long peace ease and prosperitie become utterly unthankfull and grow to loath the heavenly Manna when once they begin to be haughtie against the Lord and rebellious against his word and messengers sent unto them and they will obey it no further than it doth like themselves when they doe waxe so senselesse and indurate as all his fatherly rods of scarsitie famine pestilence and other sicknesse signes and tokens from heaven and earth no nor the continuall warnings of his servants can doe them any more good to move them any longer And finally when in steed of repenting and meeting him with intreatie of peace they proceede to mock his servants to misuse his messengers despising his word sent in mercy to warne them for then he can beare no longer but sets up his ensignes and calls for the sword of the enemie to avenge his quarrell thereby to take away religion and all the comforts of this life in one day for that their intollerable contempt of all his bounty long suffering and compassion This is that which he hath threatned in his law That he will punish such a people yet seven times more the sword and captivity being the last and heaviest outward plague and oft accompanied with all the rest chiefly with famine most cruell and savage beasts to devoure the rebellious people This he did fearefully verifie in the ensamples mentioned both in the captivity of Israell and Iudah chiefly in this latter as the holy Ghost plainely sheweth declaring the causes of it How when after their former lesse captivities and sundry plagues begun they in generall still increased their trespasses wonderfully according to all the abominations of the heathen and withall mocked and misused his messengers which he had sent unto them in compassion to call them to repentance then there was no remedie But he brought upon them the King of the Caldeans to execute all his fierce wrath and vengeance upon them all God gave all into his hands And this as he saith was to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Ieremie untill the Land had her fill of Sabaoths So all the dayes that shee lay desolate shee kept Sabaoth to fulfill seventie yeeres In which words it is most evident that the whole Captivitie both for the manner and continuance was altogither appointed and directed by the Lord. Whence we may most plainely conclude with that of the Prophet Esay where he brings in the Lord thus speaking of himselfe Behold I have created the Smith that bloweth the coales in the sire and him that bringeth forth an instrument for his wâ—rke I have created the destroyer to destroy If any man shall yet doubt of any part hereof let him read with reverence the 26 chapter of Leviticus and there he shall see all this set downe in order especially from the 14 verse to the end To apply this now to our times and to our selves it being now our lesson to awaken us and to make us to looke at the Lord levying his Armies against us if any thing can stir us Did that proud Nebuchadnezzar of Rome sound out his bellowing Bulls to move all the Lords people to rebell against his Annoynted Or hath he so often practised our destruction both openly and secretly altogither without the Lord Or did any of that bloudie League being Antichrists sworne servants so band themselves as of themselves without the Lords command to threaten so far forth the ruinating of Christs kingdome and the rooting out of his Gospell Or those that came against us in the yeere eightie eight in their mightie Armada which the enemie in the pride of his heart had named the Navie invincible purposing nothing else but the utter desolation both of this Church and Kingdome and to massacre the mother with the children to satiate themselves with the bloud of every one of us as their burcherly instruments of crueltie did proclaime to all the world Did these I say come only of themselves in the malice and hautinesse of their hearts and without the Lord so disposing and threatning us by them Could they or durst they ever have
attempted those things of themselves alone No no The Lord will have us all to know hereby that these were his own soldiers it was he that mustered them he lift up his ensigne unto them he bad them so to threaten us to goe and smite He onely brought the insolent Babylonian towards our Ierusalem he shewed us the edge of his axe he shak'd the sword at us to cause us to seeke him And so at our humiliation and prayers which we then powred out so vehemently with fasting mourning and confession of our sinnes through the whole Land his owne holy hand plucked them backe againe He armed both windes and waters to take vengeance of that most insolent and cruell attempt whereof so many records shall beare witnesse to the end of the world And although the Lord wrought this our deliverance with their overthrow so wonderfully by his owne mightie arme and so evidently with his owne right hand that we might justly have hoped that they durst never have once so much as thought of attempting to rise up against us after yet doe we not see how they have since exceeded the insolencie of all former ages How they have not onely contrived and practised sundry most bloudie treasons since against the Lords Annoynted thereby to make way for the butchering of us all but even so lately devised so new so strange so desperate a stratagem against our dread Soveraigne with our noble Queene our gratious young Prince and all that Royall Progenie yea with the Right Honorable Councell and Nobilitie the whole state and bodie of our Nation to consume all at once by that most hideous and infernall furnace For what could they intend but to have made us all as flesh for the cauldron and that very day to have bin the dismall day both of our flourishing Realmes and also of the Church and Gospell of Christ so far as they were able Of which most execrable fact never shall future age keep silence to the branding of that bloudie Religion with the perpetuall infamie of lying and murther the two principall workes of the Devill and brands of his servants as our Saviour directly witnesseth so as none can pretend ignorance thereof except they will wilfully blinde their owne eyes And to draw towards the conclusion of this point what meanes that increase of outrage for Popery and all profanenesse what is that so deadly malice in all those who are so bent to that Romish Idolatrie and impiety I meane their hatred against both the Gospell and all the true professors of it How is it that they are not afraid to shew this openly by all devices which they can invent to discharge the religion of the Lord and to divide us utterly amongst our selues to fall by one another and that after so many and so late and strange discoveries of their barbarous cruelties and Machivillian plots above all of all other religions that the world hath heard of with such notable testimony given from heaven of Gods wonderfull protection in all the admirable deliverances of the professors thereof among us What are all these with our ungratefull abusing of them by our impenitency I beseech you and herein I appeale to the consciences of all men what are they but infallible denunciations of the hasting of the Lords most terrible vengeance unlesse we repent speedily Or what can they with all the former prognesticate if we may make a particular construction of them but threatâ—â—ngs of the bringing in indeed of that dreadful scourg which he in mercy still keepe from us which formerly he hath but shaken towards us and frighted us withall â—ogive us either wholy into the hand of that bloudy whore of Babylon and so to bring our necks againe under that cruell yoake the common vexation of all the people of the Lord or at least that they should come to 〈◊〉 and tyrannize among us and setting up their cursed Idolatrie againe to pollute the Lords holy religion and in the end to thrust forth his sacred truth and our selves to live ever in horror and shame having alwaies the sword at our throats as in France and other countries where they have so prevailed they have had too fearfull experience Were not this most righteous for our abusing that his heavenly treasure committed to us beside all other our sinnes which yet I instantly pray day and night that he may prevent by our most speedy and unfeigned repentance And may not this be a just cause why he hath suffered these so to increase because howsoever we can be content with an outward forme name of his holy religion which by the good lawes of our land we doe truly professe yet few of us can indure the power and practise of it in our selves or others We cannot denie but that the true practise of religion is the very life and soule of all religion and yet how many doe seeke to destroy it in whomsoever it appeares if all scornes and contempt of it can possibly doe it for is it not an usuall thing with many in most places to like much better of the profane man that hath cast all religion and conscience behind his backe then of those in whom the seedes or the least beginning of grace doth appeare Or which is yet worse are not many of us in too many places growne to this to like much better of the Papist and ungodly pre â—rring them to be our companiâ—â—s and accounting them far honester men then such 〈…〉 feare the Lord making conscience to 〈◊〉 before him in that good way wherein we al except the Popish sort agree in word and generall profession Let common experience testifie how few they are who can brooke that man who is a diligent frequenter of the word of the Lord a strict observer of the Sabboth carefull to teach and instruct his family that cannot like of oathes and blasphemies filthy speeches and excesse of drinking or other vanities And what may this seeme to be but to joyne hands with the enemies of God and by these and the like to proclaime a kind of defiance against him that such will not have him to rule over them yea even to challenge him or at least to provoke him to bring in the enemies to avenge his quarrell If therefore the Lord of hoasts doe call for them to rise up against us in new conspiracies or open violence and with them all the crew of wicked and ungodly men in whom we have so delighted to take part with those to our destruction as they it is to be feared will be as outragious as the other against all soundly fearing God is it not just Yea if he should let them to make it Bellum prodigorum the day of all the spend-thrifts of al the vile persons of the land to have their fingers in every mans coffers and their hands washen in the blould of
him through the Citie and smite let your eye spare none c. IN this next place we are to observe how the Lord bids the destroyers to goe after the marking Angell following him as it were hard at the heeles that so soone as ever the servants of God are marked and safe they should stay no longer but presently execute their charge which was Kill kill and spare none for so the words doe plainely import Herein the Lord would have us all to know yet further that so soone as ever he hath gathered forth those that bewaile the sinnes of the times that is his faithfull ones from among the rest or made sure provision for them then he will stay no longer but presently begin the execution of his vengeance on the rest which remaine This truth the Lord hath left unto us as cleare as any of the former that when we see him taking the godly away all may learne to prepare for themselves to escape or else be left more without excuse To shew this in order out of the former destructions as being in my understanding most fit as so set downe to this purpose and also most plainely for the simplest to conceive of 1. Noah is no sooner in the Arke fast lockt in by the Lord himselfe and so out of the danger but presently the sloud-gates of heaven are set open the fountaines of the great depths broken up destruction rusheth upon them that 〈◊〉 they or climbe they whithersoever they will the vengeance of God still followeth them at the heeles untill they be utterly swept away from the face of the earth without any more pitie and compassion 2. Lot is no sooner out of Sodom and gotten safe into Zoar past all the danger but though it was a goodly morning to see to the Sunne rising gloriously upon the earth as it was wont yet the fire and brimstone came powring downe The Holy Ghost saith that The Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrha brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven and overthrew all He turned all those filthy Cities into ashes making them most loathsome pits and a terrible monument of his most severe vengeance to all such beastly livers to the end of the world All perish togither in an instant as they were partakers togither in the same filthy sinnes Howling and crying then will do no more good no place is now lest to repentance nor to mercy any longer 3. The Christians are no sooner gotten out of Ierusalem to Pella according to the warning but presently Ierusalem is taken as Iosephus reports and then as great cruelties are exercised as ever upon any Citie or people before and as great miseries followed them according as our Saviour had foretold 4. And lastly that same holy Iosiah hath his eyes no sooner closed that he might not see the vengeance and himselfe taken to his rest as the Lord had promised him because his heart so melted at the hearing of the abominations and the judgements denounced for them but straight-way even within three moneths begins this wofull tragedie of Iudah and Ierusalem As the flying away of the Swallow is a signe of winter at hand so the departing and taking away of these mourners forth of any Church must needs be a fearefull threatning of some terrible winter if not a desolation to come upon that people especially when we consider what such are for the preservation of the place where they are And so much first for the evidence of this truth Now that we may againe returne home unto our selves Let us see whether hereby we have not just cause to be awakened ech to betake our sâ—â—ves to watching and prayer to stay the vengeance of God before it be come upon us and it be too late Have not many of our Noahs I meane many of Gods faithfull servants most famous both in Church and Common-wealth for helping to build and prepare the Arke bin taken away from us not many yeeres ago long before their time And amongst others Did not the Lord specially pluck unto himselfe in a short space togither sundry of our most worthily renowmed and victorious champions so approved against that proud Goliah of Rome Hath he not thus caried up these into the Arke not made with hands as accounting us thereby unworthy that they should remaine any longer amongst us upon the earth to helpe to stand betweene the Lords wrath and us What heart was so flintie which dissolved not into teares for sundry of them or which was not astonished at the apprehension of his manifest displeasure therein and in a fearefull consideration of that which he saith That the righteous are taken away from the evils to come This yet is some comfort That we have still some Noaâ—s carefully preparing and finishing the Arke and warning the secure and unthankfull world All our Lots are not yet pluckt from amongst us The Lord of hoasts hath as yet in mercy reserved us a remnant who unfeignedly feare the tokens of his wrath He hath some that stil lift up their voyces like trumpers to tel his people of their sins Some that lift up their hearts with their hands with Moses against Amaleck Some that made continuall intercession with faithful Abraham Some that mourne in secret who wrastle and weepe with Iacob and who will not let the Lord goe untill he shew us mercy and save us from the scourge which we have justly deserved Some I say for what are they compared with the rest or in regard of our time and meanes or that they have beene in sundry parts of the Land otherwise we had bin made long agoe as Sodome and like unto Gomorrha And we may further say by the infinite mercy of God That the Lords annointed is still preserved for our shelter and the breath of our nostrils by whom alone under the highest we hitherto enjoy our safety in the midst of the greatest furies of our implacable and bloud-thirsty enemies If the Lord had ever or yet should never so little take away his hand for all our provocations which evill of all other he ever turne from us like as hitherto he hath done sith the enemies hunt after his life and the lives of us all continually and our sinnes doe cry for it what then could we looke for Or if he should any way suffer the mouthes of all his faithfull messengers to be shut that there might be none to reprove much more if he once take from amongst us those that sigh and cry out for all the abominations and restrayn utterly that spirit of mourning and prayer what may we expect then And is not this the thing which the Atheist and belly-God with all the company of the wicked and ungodly do desire so much and which the I do latrous murthering enemies doe conspire continually And why Because these are they
that chiefly trouble all the wicked these will not suffer them to lye wallowing in their sinne but seeke to pull some of them with violence out of the fire others to save with feare as Iude speaketh These are continually watching upon their walls crying out of iniquity with 〈◊〉 and threatning the judgements of Gods approaching for all the crying sinnes so to turne away the plagues from us by turning us to the Lord. These are still in Christs place calling Gods people out of Babilon discovering the filthinesse of the whore and warning all to get far of froÌ„ her for feare of hir burning to beware of being partakers with her in her sinne lest they be partaker with her in her torment And to be briefe for that these are they who have stood principally in the way of the bloudie enemie that they could neither bewitch nor invade the Church and Sanctuarie of the Lord as otherwise they would have done Well all of us should yet consider in time that if these shall be once pluckt away from us as being unworthy of them and the Swallow having taken her flight howsoever some may conceit that then it would be well with us and we should have merry times yet then undoubtedly we may justly looke for the coldest and wofullest winter that ever the Church amongst us felt and endured for after that these are once marked and made sure what can be expected but the destroyers to follow after their heeles what but this terrible charge Smite spare none Then shall belly-god and worlding Papist and Atheist be all alike because they have joyned alike in angring the Lord and grieving his servants to make them thus to sigh and cry unto him And thus had it bin with them long ere this day if ever forraine enemie had prevayled or any of their treasonable practises and much more if that late infernall devise had taken effect yea if the Lord of hoasts had not in mercy at the cryes of these mourners saved us even miraculously froÌ„ that evill day This may teach us therefore to cry day and night that our shelter may never be taken away from us but that it may spread it selfe more largely and that the candle of Israel may never be put out but shine still more bright untill his glorious appearing This may also warne all of us who beleeve the word of the Lord to make more account of every Noah which is yet admonishing and finishing the Arke and of poore Lot whose righteous soule is vexed for the abounding of * Returne and cause others to returne away from all c. * Or others * See the Preface before it to the Christian Reader a Dr. Hali Commendatorie Preface The Iesuites have wonne much of their reputation and stollen many hearts with their diligence in this kinde we may outstrip them if wee want not to our selves Behold heere not feet but wings offered to us neither are these directions of meere specâ—lation but such as for the most part to the knowledge of my selfe and many abler judges have beene and are daily answered in his experience and practise with more then usuall successe What remaines therefore but that the thankfull acceptation of men and his effectuall labours should mutually reflect upon each other that he may be encouraged by the one and they by the other beneâ—ited c. b The Preface of Mr. Butlours Rhetoricke by I. M. to the Reader Si in Authoris opeâ—isve laudem studiose lector multorum hîc pro more suffragia requiras instar multorum sit hoc vnum literati illius ob exquisitam docendâ— methodum de bonis lâ—tâ—ru optimè meritâ— magistri Iohannis Brinflei cujus in suo Ludâ— literario or the Grammar Schoole cap. 16. hac sunt verba c. Ier. 5. 23. Occasion of this watch feare of Gods iudgements lying vpon vs. This feare hath not bin vvithout iust cause as euâ—nts haue declared Our later dâ—ngers and deliuerances still the greatest The duty of all Gods faithfull Ministers to be euer giuing warning 〈◊〉 3. 17 18. 18. 30. Iam. 2. 14. Ior. 23. 22. Iam 4 17. 5. 19 20. 2 Cor. 5. 9 10 11. A chiefe occasion of the first part of this watch as the title of it declareth So of the second part The Rule of Prayer to stir vs all vp to watching prayer as our sins dangers still increased The time of yâ— comming forth of the second part The dreadfulnesse of those tunes to many howsoeuernow forgotten The cause of this third part our sins increasing The heauiest iudgment iustly feared to be hard at yâ— dores All of vs hauing solemnly entred into couenant with our God haue caused him to threaten to take away his couenant by our transgression This confessed by all Anno 1588. And in all our dangers Anno 1602. 1603. 〈◊〉 euery one then Gods wrath must needs be greater now than euer before This can be no way appeased but by taking away our sins the cause of it and turning againe to his Couenant Examples Iosh. 7. 10. 2 Sâ—m 21. 1. 14. 24. Ionâ— 1. 15. As it is for â— particular man so for a whole Nation The increase of Popeâ—ie and all profanenosse notorious to all Some sins heynous heretofore now thorow custome commonnesse become as no sinnes No sinne truely repented of As our sins are mâ—ltiplied so his wrath 〈◊〉 34 7. Deâ— 18. 19 20. The crâ—ing sins caÌ„not be taken away vnlesse yâ— causes of them be first repented of We cannot repent vntill we know both the maine prouocations ech our owne sins with the iudgâ—ments belonging to them God hath ordeyned the discouerie of our iniquitie to turne away our captiuitie Ierem. 23. 22. And his Prophets standing in his counsell to turne vs froÌ„ our euill way This is yâ— bounden dutie of all his messengers and their chiefe seruice Because we will neuer search out our sinnes of our selues Dauid must haue Nathan to awaken him 2 Sam 12. Iob 33. 23. Men smitten with sicknesse drawing neere to the buriers must haue an interpreter one of a thousand They who had crucified our Sauiour We are they yâ— haue neede of Nathan if euer any Amos 3. â— Of all Gods faithfull messengers Of Peter Acts 2. 36. Of Ionah Ionah 1. 2. Of Ieremie or Baruch to write our sins when all other means faile Ier. 36. 2. 3. We may here seâ— our sins and iudgement set before vs in the sins of Iudah by the Lord himselfe These labored in more â—pecially bicause of the degrees in true repentance The Couenant sent before acknowledged by the learned The branches of the Couenant set here before our sins That we may all see turne to the CouenaÌ„t of the Lord. 1. For yâ— who le Nation No policie can secure vs but our more generall turning Ier. 18. 7. All their malice mischieuous deuises are the Lords denuntiations against vs. Isai. 106 15. FroÌ„
Pet 3. 20. Hebr 11. 7. 2. The captivitie of the ten Tribes 2 King 17. 3 6. 2 King 17. 14 15 16. 3. Before this Captivitie Zeph 3. 1 2 3 5. 2 Chron 36. 15 16 17. 4. Before the last and utter subversion of the Iewish nation Matth 3. 10. Matth. 21. 33 44 24. 23 24. Luc 19. 41. 20. 9. Iosephus de bello Iudaico Euseb. lib. 3. c. 3. Before the final destruction the signes are plainly foretold This the Lord hath done to the wickedst places where any of his servants have bin Gen 18. 7. Gen 19. 14. Yea to the Infidels themselves in coÌ„miseration as to Ninive Ion 4. 10. And even to Babylon that his own people may get out from her Râ—v 18. 2 3 4. He will not doe any thing but he will first reveale it to his servants Amos 3. 7. Reasons hereof 1. For his owne peoples sake To shew his care for them That they may prepare to meet him Seeke to save others 2. For the cause of the wicked Though they willingly blind their own eyes To declare the riches of his mercy if they will turne Ier 17. 7 8. As 〈◊〉 Ninivie Ion 4. 9 10 11 12. Nâ—h 3. That all may be inforced to acknowledge him righteous Conclusion Application to our selves To try whether the Lord have not warned us of some such a judgement Amos 3. 8. The Lion hath roared upoÌ„ us 1. By the proud Armado 2. The long threatned day 3. The Babylonish furnace 4. The insurrection about throwing downe inclosures 5. Treasonable practises against our late Queene And since against our Iosiah 6. Vengeance thundred out by the mouthes of all Gods servants 7. Threatned by the Lord from heaven from yâ— fiery tent By strange lights flashings in the heavens How terrible they were to us at the first our owne hearts can beare witnesse Our Chronicles have recorded them Ann. Eliz 17. Novemb 14. Theprodigious star Eliz 15. Novemb 18. Actâ— 2. 19 20. Eliz 17. Nov 6. The dreadfull threatnings of the Seas Acknowledged by all to be an evidence of yâ— Lords anger The insolent over-flowing of the lesse rivers The sword of the destroying Angel drawne out so long togither Ezek 14. 19 21. Ezek 5. 17. The sword of the bloody enemie devouring about us And at length set to our very hearts The deadly winter threatning all creatuâ—es The grievous dearth of all things following upon it so long Though the Lord stâ—yed some of these for a season yet what is that to us so long as our sinnes remaine Israel smitten with the flesh betweene their teeth The prints of Gods displeasure left on euery peece of bread with us after plenty sent Ierusalem had divers yeeres prosperity before her last desolation See the Centuriâ—s God hath not left us without witnesse since then for many yeeres togither every yeere some new warning The grievous snow The long scorching drought The dearth scarsity of fodder with the difficulty to preserue the Cattle alive The famishmeÌ„t since for bread if God had not supplyed from other countries The uâ—â—er undoing of so many poore The Prophets threatning vengeance every where God striving with us by his spirit as with the old world by the Ministerie of Noah All convinced wondring that he should forbeare us considering our sins And as plainely pâ—esaging some terrible judgement Many of Lots minde The Lord himselfe in stead of Ionah manifesting the neerenesse of dâ—struction unto us Staid till this day at the instance of his sonne to see if we wil turne at length We growing far worse for all meanes vengeance must needes be hard at hand And our hearts considering it cannot but tremble in an expectation of vengeance Conclusion All these former considerations proclaime that our visitation draweth neere The glory remoouing from the Cherub to the threshold of the Temple shewes God redy to depart unlesse they repent The withdrawing the lively tokens of Gods preseÌ„ce a signe of his departure and of vengeance at hand God well pleased with his people wont to witnesse his presence by some apparant signe As in the Iorney towards Canaan Exod. 33. 3. Moses urgeth the Lord so to goe before theÌ„ For that it was the cheife tokeÌ„ of his favour Secondly in the daies of Iesuah because of Achans sinne Ios. 7. 6. Vers. 12. 3 When hee will cast of Saul he will shew him no signe of his presence nâ—r answere him any way 1 Sam 16. 14. 2 Sam. 28. 6. The signes of the Lords presence in the dayes of the Gospell where by to judge of our estate Foure principally The first inward viz the spirit of God The other three outward Abundance of sanctyfied knowledge Holinesse with peace and unity 3. Protection The spirit and the word going togither are the tenour of the Lords covenaÌ„t Isay. 59. 11. As the answers from the Arke then So the spirit speaking to mens soules now For exaÌ„ple when it is Powerfull in converting and drawing men after it Hâ—b 4 12. As at Penâ—ecost luk 24. 31. When mens harâ—es burne at the hearing of it Acts 9. 4 5. Others smitten downe at the voice of Christ. Ioh. 7. 46. 1 Cor. 14. 24. 25. 1 lâ—h 2. 27. Hâ—br 11. 35. Gal. 1. 8. When the blinde see deaf heare dead raised up by it luk 4. 18. Matth 16. 17. Ioh 1. 12 13. Acts 16. 14. 2. 37. This a principall part of the visible presence in the Primitive Church Acts 2. 16 17. Matth 28. 20. And of the promise to be with his to the end of the world The contrary a token of Gods departure and of judgements approching Esâ— 6. 9 10 11. When the word shall be without power When â—en â—ecome rather worse by it Onely hearing not doing Ezec 33 31 32. Thus before this Captivitie Isai 6. 9 10 11. Ever more sensible the neerer the vengeance Matth 13. 14. Marc 4. 12. Luc 8. 10. Ioh 12. 40. Acts 28. 26. Rom 11. 8. Ioh 12. 39. Whence this sentence so oft beaten on by our Saviour the Prophet The most dredfull signe of the Lords departure when he shall begin to plucke away â—hem that stand â—n the breach 〈◊〉 3. 25 26 27. Exod 32. 10. Psal 106. 23. Ezec 22. 30 31. Ier 36. 5. 37. 38. Ezec 3. 25. 2 Cor 10. 4. 1 Cor 2. 1 4. Or when the Prophets shall smite with the weake arme of flesh To consider whether the Gospell hath yâ— same powerfull operation as formerly Except in some few places and removing Whether the Lord speake so sensibly to mens soules as heretofore Whether it be not with all the licentious as with Saul that God speaks to them no more That men be not generally more voyde of feeling feare Nor any more moved as formerly Hearing heare not and seeing see not Whether God doe not hereby threaten his departure and it be not full time to seeke him The Lord makes sundry removes before he depart all which were tokens and
forerunners of his departure The first remove Chap. 9. 3. Whether he hath not made as many sensible removes amongst us outwardly The outward glory consists in three things First in abundance of heavenly and sanctified knowledge Esa. 2. 2 3. Ier. 31. 33 34. 2 In holinesse of lâ—fe accompanying it Ezech 36. 23. 24. 25. 26. Chiefly when he gives peace and unitie one heart and one way Ier. 32. 39. 40. Isai. 11. 6. Holy unity the marke whereby all may know Christ Disciâ—ples Ioh 13. 53. Holinesse and unity make Gods people glorious in the eyes of their enemies Deut. 4. 5. 6. 7. c. The Lords people bidden to glory in these Iâ—r 9. 23. 24. Rom. 14. 17. The kingdome of heaven in holinesse peace and joy Christ visibly raigneth in such congregations 3. The Third principall outward signe is his glorious protection of his people As 1. of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Gen. 20. 16. 26. 9 10 11 12. 27. 42. 28. 29 31. 24. 32. 2. Church in Egypt 3. Going before them and protecting them in all the way towards Canaan Exod. 33 3 4. vers 15. This the most cleare testimonie of Gods presence 4. In miraculous keeping their land This continued so long as they were carefull to know obey him Exod. 23. 21 22. Psalm 107. 5. In their wonderfull deliverances overthrowes of their enemies As in the sea The wildernes Setting them in Canaan In the dayes of the Iudges Ios 10. 13. Of Samuel of Iehosaphat 2 Chron 20. 21 23. 2 Chr 32. 20 21. Ezekiah in the overthrow of Senacherib By 〈◊〉 Gods name was great in Israel Psal 76. 1 2 3 4. 12. A principall part of the glory foretold to be on yâ— Churches in yâ— dayes of the Gospell Esai 4. 4 5 6. These the glory of the Primitive Church So at this day Application First to Iudah How God had withdrawn the outward glory to foreshew his departure 1. All holy knowledge decayed Isai 6. 10. Isai 1. 2. 2 Holines gone 2 Chro 36. 15 16. So peace and unitie departed Isâ—i 9. 21. Isai 8. 18. 3 Protection oft almost gone Lost utterly in Iosiah Glory departed till Gods anger accomplished Application to our selves Whether God threaten not us by as sensible removals 1. Removing so generally our delight in his word Growing to be ashamed of talking of it Flocking to all vanities 2. Our sound knowledge of the word in many places Amongst the people Amongst most of our Gentry having most meanes most bound thereto Prov 17. 16. All formerly to silence the proudest Papist Now suffering the Popish sort to insult over us Chiefly thorow living in pleasure Popish sort growne cunning in their mysterie Though more ignorant than our children in the first principles of Christ. Many of us good companions for them Objection for abundance of knowledge answered Rom 14 17. 2. Holinesse submission to Christs Gospel much removed Falling daily to most horrible impieties and profanenesse Hence so many separating Popish sort blaspheming Though it be not our wickednesse they hate But the Gospell Sundry make revoults to the Apoc. 18. 3. Our devotion waxen cold Practise of Christianity more reproach full then to live in any sin The very name of a Christian become reproâ—chfull to many A matter fit for Italy Rhemish Testament Acts. 11. Sect. 4. Lewdest commonly in credit How welcome the Lords messengers are to the greatest part 2 Chron 26. 16. 2 Sam 10. 6. Notwithstanding his kindnesse to us Our unity much departed Our reverencing the most paynfull and holy much gone Fruites of our dissentions To cause the Lord and his religion to be reproached The enemie to insult and be hartned to our destruction Countenance to the true lovers of the Gospell gone Popish sort shame us herein Submission to the word much removed 3 Protection the third part of our glory oft threatned to be removed As never nation had Gods glory more apparant in protection Psal 76. 1. So never any from whom it was more nerely gone Accounted to be caried away in their navy invincible The generall feare for it wheÌ„ God should take away Qu Elizabeth Otâ—er nations wondered We like them that dreame Our hearts filled with joy All our glory ready to mouÌ„t up at once in the powder surnâ—ce Rebels exalâ—ing themselues against the Lord as if it had been accomplished No pollicie could have preuented The Lord only prevented By themselues working on the heart of his annointed Not ceasing untill our deliverance was effected againe To binde our hearts to his Majestie and his annointed for ever All did thus acknowledge it None can deny but that it was an evident warning of a finall departure unlesse we repent Our glory as neerely removed as theirs in the dayes of Iosiah Onely this is added to allour mercies that our Iosiah is still preserved from the bloudie enemie What we have done since in token of thankfulnes and humiliation in care to retaine him What zeale indignation we have shewed against yâ— murthering religion Our humiliation and thankfulnesse in sinning impudently To grieve and thrust him out In steed of detestation growing in admiration of Poperie That he may justly reject us and his â—ervants praying for us as he did Iosuah Ios 7. 12. He may â—orsake and leave us into their hands For suffering Poperie so â—o revive grow up amongst us againe after he had given us so just occasion to seeke to root it out utterly 1 Kings 20. 32. Whether hee may not say to us for this as to the King of Israâ—l for Benadad Choifly for neglecting yâ— holy means whereby they might have bin converted saved 〈…〉 How God may righteously speake unto all for neglect hereof Whether the Lord may not as justly plead against us as against Iudah Mich 6. 3. This complaint set downe after Conclusion In the doubling of the speech adding Ierusalem All to take notice that God will not spare Ierusalem if it rebell against him Summe of the Lords speech No priviledges can secure a sinnefull people from Gods wrath Things wherein they secured themselves The Temple Ier. 7. 4. The Law should not depart from the Priest Ier 18. 18. They AbrahaÌ„s children Matth 3. 9. Our custome alike Priviledges wherein we secure our selves Gods true religion Gods favour manifested in our great deliverances Overthrowes of our enemies Prince hopefull issue Ierusalems priviledges 2 King 23. 27. Chosen to be the place of Gods residencie 1. King 8. His Temple there Prayers heard there chiefly 1. King 8. 14. 2 King 8. 48 49. Valley of visions Dan 6. 10. Isaâ— 22. 1. All must pray for it Psal 122. 6. Perfection of beautie â—am 2. 15. Ioy of the earth Matth 4. 5. The holy Citie Luc 19. 41. Heb 12. 22. Revel 21. 10. The prerogatives of the people Rom 9. 4. Israelites Having the right of Adoption Called of God his sonnes his first borne his pretious ones Ier. 31. 20. Ier. 2 3. Thirdly
the glory was theirs 2 Sam 4. 22. The covenant The giving of the law The worship theirs The promises The Father 's theirs Acts 3. 25. Of them Christ came The Lord had so miraculously preserved them as all thought Ierusalem coulâ— never have beene invaded â—aâ— 4. 12. The Iewes if ever any had causes to secure themselues in regard of their prerogatiues Yet comming to a height of impiety Deut 28. 58. 63. There is no further remedy but destroyers must come 2 King 23 31. 32. 33. Their miseries begin within three moneths after Iosiahs death 2 King 23. 35. Bâ—t ceased not tiâ—l the desolaâ—on accomplished 2 King 14. 26. 2 Chron. 36. 10. 2 Chr. 36. 12. 13. The causes of the captivitie not the sinnes of a few yeeres but many of them committed long before 2 King 21. 15. 16. 2 King 24 3. 4. 21 1â— 20. 2 King 23 26. 2 King 21 17. 2 Cro 34. 27. Our principall prerogatives whereupon we secure our selues And are made unthankfull Answer to our securing upon our prerogatives Iudah in the beginning of her miseries nothing inferiour to us in such prerogatives They had that holy King Iosiah Puritie of Religion 2 King 23. 3 4 5 6. 12. 24 25. All abominations reformed Worthy Teachers according to that time Many good people Isai 8. 18. Dan 1. 3 4 5. Isai 8. 18. All open Idolatry and the monuments thereof taken away 2 Chron 34. 33. 2 King 23. 1 2 3. 25. Iâ—siah had peace with all about him 2 Chron 35. 20 21 22. Iudahs security then in regard of their Prince and princely progenie 2 King 23. 25. Lament 4. 20. 2 King 23. 24. Miraculous preservation The Gospell contemned can be no freedome from a temporall scourge Witnesse temporall judgements on sundry Churches and Nations Apoc 2. 5 10 12 13 2. 10 16. 2. Our neerenesse to such scourges besides what we have felt 3. That we have had all the fore-runners of it 4. The implacable malice of enemies with all the subâ—leties of hell 5. We cannot be more secured that our land is as yet purged of the Idolatry and blood of his servants than Ierusalem in Iosiahs dayes 2 King 21. 15 16. God purposing to remaine with us must needes deale as a kind father to bring us to obedience Rom 1â— 21. 1 Cor 10. 11. This our lesson now Other prerogatives more increaseth the wrath as the Gospell for our denying the power of it Tit. 1. 16. 2 Sam 12. 14. Isai 52. 5. 59. 15. Ier 15. 10. 20. 7 8. As the grace of a Prince abused Rom 2. 24. The removing of our Candlesticke the heaviest judgment Conclusion Maâ— 11. 21 22 23. The Lord hath ever a speciall care of his in the greatest coÌ„fusions 1. At the stood Gâ—n 11. 16. Hebr 11. 7. 2. At Sodomes destruction Gen 19. 16. 17. 22. 2 Pet 2. 7 8. 3. Before this destruction Ieremie sundry of those who favoured him Ier 40. 2 3 4. as Ebedmelech Ier 38. 8. to 13. Ier 39. 16 17 18. Gedaliah Ier 39. 24. 48. 5. 26. 24. Baruch Ierem. 45. 5. Daniel and his companions Dan 1. 3 4. 6. 7. â— 5 6 9. 13 15 17. Dan 3 27. Dan 1. 8. 6. 22. So to Ezekiel sundry others The Christians before the last destruction of Ierusalem For assurance hereof we have the Lords promise direction Isai 8. 11 12 13. How to behave our selves in such times as that we may be sure to have the Lord a Sanctuary to us in all places Iâ—zech 11. 14. 16. Obserue how the godly are excepted in the greatest denunciation of vengeance Ezek 24. 14. 16. 18 20. Isa 8. 18. 1 Pet. 4. 4. Zach. 2. 8. Isay. 44. 14 15 16. Isa 43. 1. 3. Mal 3. 16 17 18. Iob 22. 30. Objection The godly oft feele the smart of such calamities aswell as the rest Answ Why the Lord oft lets his feele the smart with the rest Apoc 1 2. 4 5. 15 16 20 3. 19. 2 Chro 35. 21 22. Num 20. 12. 1 Cor 11. 30. Apoc 3. 14. What the marking profits Gods â—eâ—uants suffering with the rest Isay 4â— 12 3. 41. 8. 9 10. Rom 8. 28. Rom 8. 36 37. Heb 5 8. Psal. 10. 1â— Psal. 107. â— 6. 11 12 13. 17 18. 19. 1 Thes 5. 16. 17 18. Acts 16 24. 25. 26. 19. Esai 6. end God hereby workes grace in some who could never be moved by other meanes 2 Chro 33. 1. 2. 3. ver 20. 11. 12. The state of the godly whom God takes away at such times State of the wicked in such calamities Amâ—s 9. 4. Conclusion Prov. 22. 3. What the mark was wherewith the godly were marked Exo. 12. 22 23. Iosh. 2. 18. Quest. They were marked both inwardly and outwardly What yâ— words signifie Ezech 9. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who are they yâ— are marked viz. the mourners The condition of Gods children living amongst the wicked to mourne cry for all the abominations As Lot 2 Pet 2. 7. Ieremie Ier 9. 1 2 3. Moses Ezra Ezra 9. 1 10. 6. 9. 2. 10. 9. Iosiah 2 King 22. 11. vâ—rs 19. 13. 2 King 22. 19 20. Our Saviour 〈◊〉 19. 41 42 43. Paul Rom 9. 3. The two Prophets in the dayes of Antichrist Apoc. 11. 3. The godly wont not only to sigh but to cry out for the abominations of the wicked according to their calling as Esay Ieremie Ezekiel Esa. 58. 1. Iohn Baptist. Matth. 3. 7. Our Saviour Matth. 23. Mat. 21. 45 46. Ioh. 7. 7. Lot a private man Gen. 19. 6 7. The Martyrs Confessors The godly have bin wont also to cry to God in such times Ier. 7. 16. 11. 11. 14. 11. Psal. 106. 23. 1 Sam. 7. 8 9 10. Reasons why the godly so sigh and cry for all the abominations Hating that with God hateth That they cannot indure the dishonours done to him The spirit of zeale in them Ioh 2. 17. Because of Sathan set up in Christs throne For that they are otherwise guiltie of the same sins 1 Cor 5. 2. 2 Cor 7. 11. For that for one notorious sinner unpunished all yâ— place is in danger of Gods wrath Evident in the law of inquisition for murder Dew 21 1 2 3 4 c. vers 8. vers 9. Num 35. 33 3â— God is more severe with his Church than any other Numb 35. 34. Exod 32 33. Leâ—â—â— 10. 3. Lev 18. 24 25 27 28. Lev 20 22 23 26. Every notorious sin defileth the Land to make it spue out the inhabitaÌ„ts as Canaaâ— The sinne of some few may indanger all As for the golden calfe The feare of Israel at the erecting the Altar of witnesse Ios 22. 18. vâ—r 28. The vengeance on Gibea and all the Tribes of Benjamin Iudg 19. 25. 20. 13 14. On Iabesh Gilead for not helping to avenge the vvickednesse Iudg 21. 4. The very sinne of one alone may indanger all as Achans Iâ—sh