Jus Gentium must be rendered to him He doth not examine Pilate's power in case of Blasphemy or Treason but acknowledges it and submits He falls not upon sifting or examining the power of the Sanhedrim either their original power or the power left them by the Romans They sit in Moses Chair c. Whatsoever therefore they bid you do do it Matth. xxiii 2 3. And so likewise the Apostles they seem to be unconcerned as it were in the governing part of Civil Policy No word is found in all their Writings enquiring into the Rights of the Roman Emperours who were sovereign or limiting the Exercise of their Power Only thus much they take for certain such as they were they were ordained of God And they spend all their labour in founding deeply and firmly establishing that other part which concerns Obedience From this Observation it will follow That whatever Things or Persons were not before the times of Christ and his Apostles exempt from the power of the Magistrate are not by the Foundations and Principles of Christianity exempted Non eripit mortalia qui regna dat coelestia And it will only remain for us to enquire what was the manner of the Nations of the World and of God's peculiar people in reference to these Particulars before and at the times of Christ and his Apostles To which if we shall add the practice of the best and most ancient Christian Emperors I know not what more can be desired to clear the present Argument I suppose it needless to put in a Caution that while we speak of the Magistrate's power to order matters of Religion we do not entitle him to the Priest's Office the Spiritual Function or the Execution of it in preaching the word administring the Sacraments exercising the power of Ordination or of the Keys c. Blessed be the Lord God of our Fathers who hath put it into our Sovereign's heart to be tender of the rights of the Church as of the Apple of his Eye This is a Calumny insisted on generally by almost all our Adversaries but it is too rude and gross to be spoken to in this place Rather let us see whether the Sovereigns among all people Heathen Jews Christians have not claimed and exercised power in all Causes over all Persons as well Ecclesiastical as Civil 1. For Causes The New Testament sometimes divides the Gentiles into Greeks and Barbarians sometimes into wise and unwise according to which division the Romans are I suppose reckoned under the Greeks from whence they were mostly extracted and with whom they contended in Civility Briefly 1. the Greeks 2. the Romans 3. the Barbarous Nations did always exercise such a power 1. Aristotle the greatest among the Greeks tells us that the first and principal thing in a Common Wealth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And accordingly if we consult the Fragments which are left us of the Laws of the most antient Grecian Common-Wealths we shall find nothing so frequent as the Ordinances concerning their Religion 2. Amongst the Romans Cicero the wisest saith that Religion is the Foundation of Humane Society as in truth it is To say nothing of the Ordinances of Numa the Jus Pontificium c. the Titles of the Twelve Tables are many of them concerning Religion 3. As for the Barbarous Nations I shall not multiply Testimonies nor go beyond the line of Scripture In the third of Daniel we find an Edict of the King of Babylon enjoyning all People Languages and Tongues to commit Idolatry Vers. 4. 5. And by and by another Edict that no man should speak amiss of the God of Shadrach Mesech and Abednego Vers. 29. In the sixth we find Darius the Persian by the advice of his Council signing a Decree against petitioning for thirty days any God besides himself Verse 9. and shortly another that all men should tremble and fear before the God of Daniel Verse 26. In the third of Jonah the King of Nineveh and his Nobles proclaim a publick Fast. In the first of Ezra Cyrus puts forth an Edict to build the Temple at Hierusalem In the fourth Artaxerxes reverseth it In the sixth Darius re-inforceth it I suppose it is now evident that Greeks and Barbarians did exercise this power To think to elevate the force of these Instances because all these were Strangers from God and aliens from the Common-Wealth of Israel is to mistake the purpose for which they are alledged However it was not thus among the Kings of the Nations only but among the holiest and wisest of the Governours and Kings of Israel and Juda who for abolishing false Worship and ordaining the true are often highly commended by the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures The time would fail me to speak distinctly and particularly of the Ordinances concerning Religion which were made by Moses Joshua David Solomon Asa Jehoshaphat Hezekiah Manasses also and Josiah concerning whom the Scripture gives these Characters Moses was the man of God Joshua the servant of the Lord. David a man after Gods own heart There was none like unto Solomon Asa his heart was perfect with the Lord. The Lord was with Jehoshaphat Hezekiah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. Manasseth was heard of God Josiah did that which was right and his Goodness was recorded Now the Acts of every one of these concerning the Worship of God and matters of Religion are recorded and applauded in the Scriptures For these all ordered and regulated Services and Sacraments and Covenants with God they erected Altars and Tabernacles and Temples and dedicated them unto the Lord they destroyed Idolatry reformed abuses in Gods Worship settled both the standing Worship of God and occasional Thanks-givings and Humiliations to omit other matters The whole Aaronical Ministery which consisted in ceremonies and Sacrifices Typical and Carnal Ordinances was not ordered by the hand of Aaron but of Moses who was King in Jesurun The Tabernacle and Temple-service which beside the Mosaical Institutions consisted of Spiritual abiding Ordinances was instituted by David who being the sweet Singer of Israel and acquainted more then ever any man for ought appears with the ways and helps of listing up the Heart to spiritual intercourse with God to that end appointed the use of Musick in the Church and without fear of stinting the Spirit he prescribed Set-forms of Praise and Prayers for the use of the Temple and ordered the service for every day A Psalm consisting partly of the one hundred and fifth ninety sixth and one hundred and eighteenth he first delivered to Asaph and his Brethren at the reduction of the Ark from the house of Obed-Edom 1 Chron. xvi 7. And divers other Psalms were composed by him for the Service of the Church And what he had ordained Solomon put in practice In the fifth Chapter of the second Book of Chronicles we find the pattern of the Service of this Time and Place
that these things have been punctually foretold by Christ and his Apostles Christ hath given warning of grievous Wolves in Sheep's cloathing More particularly Saint Paul hath told us that in the last days perilous times should come that there should be heady high-minded Traytours having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof Saint Peter that there should be false Teachers which should privily bring in damnable heresies presumptuous self-willed not afraid to speak evil of Dignities Now if all this be not sufficient Saint Jude hath taken up this Prophesie of Saint Peter and given us two clear Characters of these Persons whereby they might be known He tells us 1. That they shall be Separatists from the Church and 2. false-pretenders to the Spirit These are they which separate themselves being sensual having not the spirit I shall say no more to the Pretences relating to that Head which concerns the matter of Religion 2 ly Neither shalll I enlarge upon that other Head referring to matters Civil where I instanced in two Pretences taken from I. Harsh Administration in the Magistrate II. Competition as to power in Subjects I. Neither the Time nor the Design which I have propounded nor indeed my Profession nor Abilities do allow me to enter into the depths of the Politicks or to discourse of the limitations of Sovereign Powers Thus much is obvious to every man That there is no Cruelty so great as laxness of Government nor any Tyrany in the World like the rage of Subjects let loose and that the little Finger of Licentiousness is harder then the Loyns of the severest Laws and strictest Government I shall briefly shew that the Scripture foreleeing the easiness by reason of the Self-love and partiality of men of this Pretence and the danger of it hath directly opposed it self against it I shall not mention particular Commands let us have recourse to the main Foundations the Body and Substance of Christianity the MISHPATHAMELEK the Jus Regium the Fundamental Law of the Kings of Israel 1. Christianity obligeth us to believe not only that Christ is God and that the Gospel is from God but that all the Circumstances of the Ministery of Christ and his Apostles were ordered by his Providence Why then were the times of Tiberius and Caligula and Claudius and Nero out of the Series of the Time spun out from the Creation chosen and selected for the promulgation of the Doctrine of Obedience If harsh Administration of Power will exempt men from Obedience at that time when Claudius or Nero was Roman Emperour why should the Holy Ghost move Saint Paul to write to the Romans They that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation So much briefly for the Gospel 2. As for the Jus Regium in the eighth of the first Book of Samuel we find the Israelites desiring a King and God though rejected by this motion commands Samuel to hearken to their voice Yet that they might know what they did and not be surprized believing they might cast of again their King at pleasure he charges him to protest solemly and shew them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our Translation renders it The manner of the King The Septuagint and all ancient Eastern and Western Translations render it by words of signifying the Law or the Right of the King Jus Regium This saith Samuel shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shall take your Sons and Daughters your Vine-yards your Fields and your Flocks c. He tells them of harsh Administrations Was it the meaning of the Holy Ghost that de Jure Princes ought to do or that it was lawful for them to do after the manner there described In the seventeenth Chapter of Deuteronomy we find the Duty of the Kings of Israel described in a way directly contrary to this they were to fear the Lord and not to turn aside to the right hand or to the left from his Commandments Bewise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the Earth serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Was it a Prediction of what would be their condition what would be the manner of their Kings Not that neither We do not read of any of the Kings of Judah or Israel that proceeded to the height there expressed Even Abab who sold himself to work wickedness did not take Naboth's Vinyard by force he would not seise on it till Jezebel had brought about the pretence of a Legal Forfeiture What then is the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Surely it imports thus much that if all this hard usage should come upon them they might cry unto the Lord Verse 18. but that it would not dissolve Jus Regium the right of Sovereignty or enable them to resist their Kings or rebel against them II. There remains yet one Pretence to speak to it concerns Competition of Power either on I. Pretences of Succession into the Magistrate's place in case of failour of Duty or upon supposals of forfeiture of Power 2. Pretences of the last resolution of Power into the people the diffused multitude or the peoples Representative and the like Concerning which kind of Pretences I must repeat what hath been said of the other If they be admitted they are distructive to Magistracy If they be encouraged by Religion there will be reason that Magistrates be jealous over it But now is the Spirit of the Scriptures and the tendency of it entirely bent another way The New Testament affords no Instance in this kind As to the Old I shall desire that two Instances may be considered 1. The Case of David and Saul 2. The Case of Corah and Moses which two Instances if the time would bear it would take in the Substance of all that may be alledged in this kind 1. It is I conceive impossible to carry the first sort of Pretences higher then they were stated in the Case of David and Saul Saul was at first declared and constituted King by Samuel acting in the Name of the Lord and when he had reigned two years the same Samuel in the Name of the same God before the same people denounces publickly that his Kingdom should not continue and that God had sought a man after his own heart because he invaded the Priests Office After this he limits a certain day he tells him This day the Lord bath rent the Kingdom of Israel from thee and given it to thy neighbour because of his rebellion against God in the Case of Amalek The pretence of Failour and Forfeiture can go no higher Now for the pretences of David to step into his Government and wrest it from him He was anointed by Samuel for ought appears without reservation for the life of Saul He was qualified for Government a valiant man a man of War prudent in matters a comely Person and the Lord was with him He had received Testimony from God of his
of that which follows would defend us from our enemies abroad this would raise Taxes and Contributions Subsidies and Royal Aids procure all things necessary for the maintenance of Just Wars abroad For for this cause also pay ye tribute because they are Christs Ministers c. So powerfull and usefull is the Gospel where it is believed to maintain all the parts and Interests and to command all the succours and necessary supplies of Government to bring fear to whom fear honour to whom honour tribute to whom tribute belongeth Wherefore I would not fear humbly to make an Application in the words of King David Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be learned ye that are Judges of the Earth serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce unto him with reverence kiss the Son left he be angry and so ye perish from the right way But I can only be permitted to make one common and promiscuous Application to high and low rich and poor one with another namely To charge upon your memory and pray that it may rest upon my own one saying of Christ himself that dreadfull saying in Mark 8. If any one shall be ashamed of me or of my words in this adulterous and sinfull Generation Of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the Glory of his Father with his holy Angels And without any Apology for my boldness or indiscretions to conclude in the words of the Text For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ For it is the Power of God to Salvation to every one that believeth FINIS Rules and Directions for Prayer and Meditation Written by the late Right Reverend Father in God Bryan Duppa Lord Bishop of Winton Sold by James Collins at the Kings Arms in Ludgate-street * Psal. ii 2 Expl. Object Sol. Heb. 10. 29. Obj. Sol. Matth. 26. 53. Apolog. § 37. Mat. xii 25. 1 Cor. xiv 33. Rom. i. 14. Polit. lib 7 cap. 8. Ephes ii 12. Deut. 33. 1. Josh. xxiv 29. 1 Sam. xiii 14. 2 Chron. ix 22. 1 Kings xv 14. 2 Chron. xvii 3. 2Cron 20. 2. 2 Chron. xxxiii 13 2 Chron. xxxv 26. Deut. xxxiii 5. Vers. 12. Vers. 13. Vers. 14. 2 Chron. xxix 25. 2 Chron. xxxv 15. Novel Coastit 131. Kings ii 7. Ibid. 35. Mat. xix 8. Joh. iv 12. Rom xiii 1. 2 Cor. xii 2 3. Heb i. 3. Matt xxii 21. Matth. vii 15. 2 Tim. iii. 1. Ibid. Verse 4. 5. 2 Pet. ii 1. Ibid. Verse 10. Jude 19. Verse 9. Verse 11 12. c. Verse 14. Verse 19. Psal. ii 10. 11. 1 Kings xxi 25. 1 Sam. xiii 14. Chap. xv 12. Chap. xvi 13. Ibid. Vers. 18. Chap. xviii 5. 2 Sam. i. 21. Exod. iv 16. Acts vii 35. Deut. xxxi i. 4. Num. xvi Psal. cvi 16. Numb xvi 31. Application Rom. iii. 31. Lam. ii 9. Matth. xviii 7. Ibid. Verse 6. Ezek. xxiv 2. Gal. 1. 23. 3. 25. Rom. 12. 6. Tit. 1. 4. Jud. 3. Luk. 24. 44 Joh. 5. 46. Joh. 5. 39. Luk. 10. 26. Luk. 16. 29 Mar. 14 49. Joh. 10. 35. Mat. 3 31. Mar. 5. 18. Luk 24. 17. Verse 44. Mat. 1 22. Mat. 2. 15. Mat. 2. 23. 4. 14. 21. 4. Mat. 26. 56. 27. 35. Joh 19. 24. Joh 19. 29. Vers. 37. 36. Mat. 8. 17. Mat. 13. 15 Mat. 2. 17. Act. 13. 33. Gal. 3. 10. Act. 7 42. Act. 1. 22. 13. 33. Rom. 43. Gal. 3. 24. Acts 18. 24. 28. Jam. 4. 5. Rom. 2. 12. Rom 3.21 Act. 13. 18. 10. 43. Act. 24. 14. Act. 26. 28. Rom. 7 12 Act 3. 21. Tim 3. 15. Rem 3. 2. Act. 7. 38. Act. 3. 21. 2 Pet. 1. 26. 2 Tim. 3. 15. Matth. 21. 23. Mar. 11. 27. Joh. 14. 6. Joh. 6. 63. John 14. 10. Joh. 7. 16. Joh. 8. 28. John 12. 49. John 12. 50. Matth. 24. 24. Pet. 5. 1. Pet. 1. 5. 1 John 1. 3. 1 Joh. 1. 1. Apoc. 1. 9. 10. Ibid. 19. Gal. 1. 1. Rom. 1. 1. 2 Tim. 11. Phil. 1. 17. Eph. 3. 1. 2Cor 13. 3. 1 Cor. 14. 37. Col. 4. 16. Ibid. 2 Thes. 3. 14. Eph. 4. 11. 3. 5. Porphyr Hier. Prooem Galat. in c. 2. Celsus Gal. 2. 2 Pet. 3. 15. Joh. 15. 26. Joh. â—â—â— 14. 26. 16. 13. 14. 26. 16. 13. Act. 1. 5. Joh. 11. 11. 4. 17. Joh. 4. 29. Joh. 6. 61. 64. 16. 16. Luk. 9. 47. Mat. 12. 15. 25 Mat. 2. 8. Luk. 6. 8. Luk. 11. 17. Joh. 2. 24. 25. Mat. 17 21. Mat. 17. 21. Mat. 17. 27. Joh. 18. 4. 11. 11. 13. 11. Mat. 20. 18. Mat. 10. 23. Mat. 16. 21. Joh. 14. 28. Luk. 19. 44. Mat 26. 34. 31. Luk. 21. 20. John 12. 32. Matth. 24. 14. Matth 13. 31. Luke 10. 18. Matth. 24. 15. Matth 14. 19. 15. 36. Matth. 15. 30. 9. 27. 4. 23. Mat. 8 14. Mat. 14. 4. Mat. 4. 13. Mat. 17. 12. Mat. 4 23. Luk. 22. 51 Mat. 9. 20. John 5. 5. Mulios Mat. 9 20. Mat. t. 6. John 5. â— Mar. 5. 41. Luk 7. 11. John 11. 39. Matth 27. 52. Eus. Eccl. H l. 4. c. 3. 3 37. Annct p. 8 Mat. 17. 18 Mar. 16. 9. Luk. 8. 27. Mat. 10. 7. Luk 9. 3. Luke 10. 1 -9 Mat. 16. 17. Mattb. 16. 21. Mat. 28. 2. John 16. 16 28. 20. 17. Luke 24. 57. Acts 2. 4. Acts 9. Act 10. 10. 22. 17. Acts 16. 9. 16. 6 7. 1Cor 12. 9 Ap. 4. 1. Acts 27. 10 22. 2 Cor. 121 2 Thes. 2. 2 Tim. 31. Act. 11. 8. 21. 10. Act. 5. 13 Marc. 16. 20. Arist. polit l. 7. c. 8. Ob. sol 1 Joh. 1. 1. 1 Cor. 5. 8. 6. 4. 8. Phil. 4. 8. Jam. 3. 14. Eph. 4. 25. Apoc. 21. 8. 27. 22. 15. 2 Pet. 1. 16. 2 Cor. 2. 17 2 Cor. 11. 31. 1 Thes. 2. 3. 4. Mat. 9. 9. Mat. 4. 20. 22. Act. 1. 6. Luk. 1. 5. Luk. 3. 1. Mat. 14. 3. Vide Joseph Ant. 18. c. 9. 10. Luk 2. 1. Mat. 4. 6. Mic. 5. 2. Luk. 3. 23. Joh. 2. 1. 11. Mat. 9. 18. Mat. 8. 6. Luk. 7. 2. Joh 11. 18. Act 9. 33. 40. 10. 1. 13. 6. 14. 13. Cyrill c. 10. c. Jul. Orig. c. C. Euseb. Tertio Historiarum Citat à Julio Afr. 3. Chronogr Orig c. C. l. 3. 15. 44. Annalium Athanas. Synops. Const. ad p. p. Nicco vide Theodoret l. 1. c. 5. Gr. Lat. Pan Joh 11. 48. Matth. 27. 46. Acts 4. 6. Acts 7. 58. Acts 9. 2. Act. 13. 45. 14. 2. 13. 50. Eus l. 4. 15 Deut. 7. Orig c C. l. 1. Plin. Ep. 10. 97. Act. 2. 41. 1 Pet. 1. 1. Acts 15. Lih. 10. Epist. 10. Adv. Judeos c7 8. Act. 19. 20. Pliny Prophy Tert. Ap. 37. Eus. l. 8. c. 3. Vide Orig. C. Ceis l. 3. 1 Cor. 6. 9. Lact. de fals sap l. 3. c 26. Mar. 16. 17 Dial. cum Tryphone Iren. l. 22. c. 56. Euseb. 5. c 7. item c. 20. L. 3. Vide Philos Essay 5. 6. 7. 8. 3. 1. 6. 4. 2. C. W. Mat.
was impaired Behold then a greater then Solomon even Adam in his full strength when he was newly made after the similitude of God a little lower then the Angels God several times appeared to him in the Garden Yet he fell through unbelief and drew all his posterity into his ruine 4. But Adam though he had perfection of Nature yet he wanted Grace whereby he might have held communion with God which having been once enjoyed would for ever have kept him from infidelity or deliberate sin which always proceeds from it Consider then the case of David of whom it is said that the Spirit of the Lord God came upon him That God himself made a Covenant with him and Sware unto him by his holiness that he would not fail him And as for David who was like unto him for Devotion and Zeal for spiritual Communion and intercourse with God He was the sweet singer of Israel and how often do we find his Spirit inebriated and transported in the Celebration of his divine and ravishing enjoyments Yet we find him falling from all this height and great and terrible was his fall he went mourning for it all his days and bowed down his head continually 5. But perhaps it may be thought that though David was an Excellent man yet seeing his Eminency lay not in the gift of Faith but in Zeal or in some other Grace the danger may not yet be so very considerable Behold then even Abraham the Darling of the almighty who conversed with God as a man converseth with his Friend to whom God communicated his presence in Dreams in Visions in Apparitions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was imbued with the Habit of Faith he exerted it in the noblest exercise he manifested it in the heroical degree so that he became the Father of the Faithful Yet once we find him offending tripping at this stone of stumbling Equivocating through unbelief 6. But all these instances were during the Ancient Dispensation when the Communication of the presence of God was more Obscure before the fulness of time was come when the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst men and they saw his glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of God Besides we do not find that they were particularly and distinctly warned of their danger which may lessen the Wonder of the fall Consider then the Case of Peter the first of the Apostles He had been closely conversant with Christ during all the time of his Ministry Was a witness of his miracles saw his Transfiguration heard the Voyce which came to him from the Excellent glory saying this is my beloved Son As for his faith he it was that made that confession upon which the Christian Church is founded And Christ had prayed for him that his faith should not fail He was a Valiant man and he undertook that though he died he would neither forsake nor deny his Master When Christ forewarns him plainly and punctually that his faith would fail him that very night before a certain hour So that it was impossible he should be surprised You know his Undertakings and of his Failings it is unnecessary to speak 7. I know nothing now that can be alledged against the general propensity of all men to Unbelief but this that Peter was now single and alone that he failed only this time when he was invironed with Bills and Staves and in Danger of his Life Wherefore let us call to mind the Case of all the Apostles in the great Foundation of our Faith the Article of Christs Resurrection when these temptations were away The resurrection of hte dead was in those times so commonly believed that it was conceived of Christ that he was one of the Old Prophets risen from the Dead and Herod said he was John the Baptist risen from the dead Of the resurrection the Apostles had seen Experiments in Lazarus and in the bodies of the Saints which arose Concerning Christs resurrection how plainly and often were they forewarned After he was risen how often were they told of it Yet how grossely and often did they fail In they 8 of Mark 31 Christ tells his Disciples that he should be killed and the third day he would rise again He spake this saying Openly So Openly that the Jews took no-of it this deceiver said that the third day he would rise again moreover he promised them plainly that after he was risen he would go before them into Galilee and appointed them a certain Mountain where they should see him Yet after he was risen Mary Magdaten told them that he had appeared to her But they believed not Mary Magdalen Joanna and Mary the Mother of James told them the same But their Speech seemed to them as Idle tales The two Disciples told the rest that he had appeared to them going to Emmaus but they believed them not He appeared in the midst of ten of them at once shewed them his hands and his side But they believed not for joy Christ when he appeared to the Women bade them tell the Disciples and Peter that according to his promise they should see him in Galilee And the eleven Disciples went into Galilee to a mountain which Jesus had appointed them And when they saw him they Worshipped But some doubted So that Christ almost in his last words Upbraided them with their Unbelief because they believed not them who had seen him after he was risen So prone are even the best of men after their highest attainments under the best advantages to fall sometime into Infidelity So great is the danger of Unbelief It is true indeed that all these might say with the Prophet Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy for though I fall I shall arise again Yet all these things are written for our learning that he that thinketh he standeth may take heed lest he fall If these things have been done to the green tree what may be done to the dry If the worthies and the mighty have fallen how have the mighty fallen ought not the feeble to take care Yes certainly they ought III. And to use all means to prevent their falling which is the third thing supposed in the Caveat and expressed in the words following Take heed brethren least c. Exhort one another daily Now the Means to prevent the falling into Infidelity are the Arguments evincing the truth of the Gospel which are very numerous Whereof I cannot now speak particularly The Apostle in this Epistle makes use of two sorts viz. From 1. Scriptures of the Old Testament 2. Common Reason where-of I shall speak a little The Argument from Reason is delivered in the 2. Chap. v. 3. 4. The Gospel was delivered by the Lord and confirmed to us by them that heard him God also bearing them Witness with Signs and wonders and divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost God bare witness to Christ the Author of the Gospel And to
purer eyes than to behold iniquity that he will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such an one as goes on still in his wickedness If a man will not turn he will whet his sword and bend his bow If a Nation will not repent then smite with thy hand stamp with thy foot and say alas for it shall fall by the sword by the famine and by the pestilence Now the general inference of all these is still the same this is still the Logick of the Scriptures Our God shall come and shall not keep silence wherefore consider this ye that forget God We must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade To this end we find the Lord sometimes disputing logically to convince and sometimes with divine and noble Oratory endeavouring to perswade sometimes by signal instances of pardoning mercies and of avenging judgements to induce men to repentance He speaks to their reason to their affections to their very senses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord if ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the land if ye rebel ye shall be devoured Are not my ways equal are not your ways unequal Again He expostulates with them sometimes upon the principles of ingenuity Thus saith the Lord What iniquity have your fathers found in me that they are gone away from me O my people what have I done unto thee wherein have I wearyed thee Testifie against me O Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee Sometimes he expostulates upon the point of interest How long shall vain thoughts lodge in your hearts How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity what will ye do in the end thereof Again he sets before us a multitude of glorious instances to shew that never any penitent was rejected however heinous however numerous were their sins The prodigal devoured his substance with harlots Mary Magdalen had seven Devils Peter denyed his Master with horrid oaths and imprecations Saul was exceedingly mad against him yet upon their repentance were accepted He had delivered Israel seven times and they forsook him and he said he would deliver them no more but they repented and his soul was straight-way grieved and he delivered them Instead of many consider that one instance of Manasses the evil son of good King Hezekiah He set up altars for Baalim and worshipp'd all the host of heaven Altars in the court of the temple an idol in the very temple he caused his sons to pass through the fire he observed times used inchantments dealt with familiar spirits and with wizards made Judah and Jerusalem to do worse than the heathen And the Lord spake to him and he would not hear After all this in his afflictions he humbled himself and then God was intreated and heard his supplication His ways are not as our ways He forgave Nineveh and Jonah was displeased exceedingly he taxes him with easiness in relenting he charges him as if he had an ancient known infirmity of flexibility to his veracity and the honour of his Prophets Lord saith he was not this my saying and therefore I prevented it to flee to Tarshish for I knew that thou art merciful therefore take I beseech thee my life from me His thoughts are not as our thoughts when Nathan had told David a story of a poor man who had his ewe Lamb ravished from him then David was exceeding wroth and he swore As the Lord liveth the man that hath done this thing shall surely dye But when David who had taken Bathsheba and murthered Vriah said I have sinned Nathan said unto David The Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not dye On the other side we have instances of horrible judgements for Impenitency whereof I shall after take occasion to speak Now considering all these things is it not strange that men should not repent That no consideration of ingenuity or of interest should move them to it That neither the Law written in their hearts nor that which was delivered by the mediation of Angels nor the Gospel given us by the Son of God should bring them to it That neither reason nor experience neither mercies nor judgements neither the sweetness of a good conscience nor the torments of a bad the beauties of vertue nor the deformity of sin the shortness of life nor length of eternity the lightness of things present nor the exceeding weight of those which are to come That neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Trumpets nor things present nor thing to come nor height nor depth nor any other thing should be able to separate men from the love of sin Is it not strange The Apostles the Prophets were astonished at this nay God himself seems to be affected with wonder Hear Oheavens and give ear O earth Be astonished O ye heavens and be horribly afraid they have for saken me This is that wonder considered in it self according to common reason the object of our first observation drawn from the form and manner of the words by way of Epiphonema expressed by the particle yet yet they repented not II. The second Observation was taken from the matter of the words However such impenitency is very strange to common reason considered in the Theory yet it is too frequent in practice and in common experience The rest of the men repented not This is that grand contradiction that fatal paradox of the life of man His very being consists in rationality his acting is contrary to all the reason in the world Man only was created under the Law of Reason man only maintains a constant opposition to the law and reason of his creation He appointed the moon for certain seasons and the sun knoweth his going down The blustring winds the raging storms the unruly Ocean the Lyon the Tiger and the Bear these all pursue the law of their creation these all are obedient unto his word charmed to it by that powerful voice whereby they were created Man only stops his ears and refuses to hear the voice of this Almighty charmer charm he never so wisely so loudly or so variously The general ways and methods of his charming have been already mentioned I am now to lay before you the general success of those methods The success 1. Of his word and his messengers 2. Of his works of 1. Mercy 2. Judgement Single Intermixed 1. For the success or rather the unsuccessfulness of his word for the entertainment or rather the barbarous usage of his messengers how often do we find God and his Prophets Christ and his Apostles complaining and as it were fretting themselves with indignation As for the word sometimes they will not hear it More than seven times Jeremy complains almost in the very same words
Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel since the day that your fathers came forth of the land of Egypt until this day I have sent unto you all my servants the prophets daily rising early and sending them yet they hearkned not to me nor inclined their ear Whereunto shall I liken this generation I have piped Sometimes they hear it as a song Loe thou art unto them as a very lovely song Sometimes they refuse it positively They say to the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophefie not unto us As for the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee They endeavour to suppress and to destroy it When Jehudi had read three or four leaves in Jeremies roll he cut it with a pen-knife and cast it into the fire until all the roll was consumed in the fire Instead of faith and obedience it meets with infidelity and atheistical opposition and contradiction Who hath believed our report saith one All the day long have I stretch'd forth my hands to a gain-saying people is the complaint of another They say unto God depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of his ways Speak to them in the name of Lord they say Who is the Lord that I should fear him discourse to them of the Almighty they say What is the Almighty that we should serve him What can the Almighty do What profit shall we have if we pray unto him Speak to them of God's searching Eye Surely say they God sees it not Tush God cares not for it of his over-ruling Providence nay say they but all things come alike to all there is one event to the just and to the unjust Tell them they must appear before the Judgment-seat of God and of Christ they scoffingly reply Where is the Promise of his coming since the Fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were before Where is the God of Judgment let him make speed and hasten his work that we may see it This is the general entertainment of their message and for the persons of the Messengers they devise devices against them they smite them with the smiting of the tongue they threaten them they beat them sometime they take away their Liberty and sometime their Lives this was the portion of Jeremiah the men of Anathoth sought his life saying Prophesy not by the Name of the Lord that thou die not by our hand They charged him falsly they smote him they imprisoned him in the house of Jonathan they cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah they let him down with chords into the mire What do I instance in one particular since at once we read the general entertainment of the Prophets that were of old That they had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings yea moreover of bands and imprisonment they were stoned were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the sword they wandred about in sheep-skins and goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented Moreover they scourged and crucified the Lord of Glory they put him to an open shame Neither were the disciples above their master or the servants above their Lord after scourgings and bands and imprisonments and many a sad and barbarous usage St. James was knocked on the head S. Peter was crucified S. Paul was beheaded and the rest were used accordingly Behold saith God I send unto you Prophets and wise men and some of them ye shall scourge in your Synagogues and some of them ye shall kill and crucifie If we diligently search the Scriptures and histories of the Church we shall find this to have been generally the success of the Word of God and of his Messengers instead of trembling and penitence and reformation to be enterteined with scorn and contempt and persecution 2. But it may be the Works of God may have better success upon the hearts of the children of men his works of 1. Mercy or of 2. Judgment The Apostle tells us that God's patience and forbearance leadeth men unto repentance And the Prophet that when his judgments are abroad the inhabitants of the World will learn righteousness Indeed a Logical man reasoning upon Principles will be apt so to conclude But alas it is not so with men alas that so clear reasoning should be contradicted by evident experience and observation Nay they despise the riches of God's mercy and treasure up wrath against the day of wrath From the patience and longanimity of God they make perverse and Atheistical conclusions when thou sawest a thief thou consentedst unto him and hast been partaker with the adulterer these things hast thou done and I kept silence and thou thoughtest wickedly that I am such an one as thy self Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the Sons of men are fully set in them to do evil Solomon tells us that the prosperity of Fools shall destroy them and there are few so circumspect and wise as not to stumble at this stone of stumbling Neither Salomon's Wisdom nor his Father's Piety could preserve them upright amidst the snares of prosperity The danger as well as wickedness of this is intimated in Nathan's exprobration to David Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel I anointed thee King over Israel I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul I gave thee thy Masters house and thy Masters wives into thy bosom I gave thee the house of Israel of Judah wherefore hast thou killed Uriah and taken his wife to be thy wife This was a temptation which the Israelites never could withstand notwithstanding all the Caveats given them by Moses When the Lord shall bring thee into the good land and shall give thee cities and houses which thou buildedst not Vineyards and Olive trees which thou plantedst not when thou shalt have eaten and be full Then beware lest thou forget the Lord thy God But Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked as the Lord multiplied his mercies so they multiplied their transgressions his prodigious and wonderful deliverances were answered with prodigious and wonderful ingratitude for they sinned yet the more and lightly esteemed the God of their Salvation But if the mercies of God will not prevail to draw men to repentance surely his judgments cannot fail to drive them to it whether they are sent upon a city or upon a man only Shall the Lion roar and shall not the forest tremble shall a trumpet be blown in the city and the people not be afraid Behold therefore and tremble and be afraid all ye that look upon Repentance as a slight and an easie duty and that deferr it for that reason It is not every horrour and shaking that will bring a man to Repentance And the instances are many wherein the judgments of God instead of softning or breaking the