live in and of no other world but that wherein it lives So do the Atheists of the world wallow in their sins and sensualitie never thinking of the Author or end of their life that there is any other world or that this world serveth for any other end but for their life After they have lived as Atheists when they are constrained sometimes to think that there is a God they become Atheists in their desire and affection wishing that there were not a God to be avenged upon them for their wickednesse and in end the Lord giveth them up to Atheisme in their judgement and opinion As they did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate mind Rom. 1.28 Being stricken with his judgement they have no serious thought of the House of God or his glory but all their care is about their own houses and honour And ordinarily the Lord befools them in their deepest Policies sweeping down their cob-webs which they have been for a long time twisting making their own wits a snare unto them and turning the means which they did use for their standing and rising to be the meanes of their fall and ruine The other Reason is from common equity amongst men which was the ground of that Decree Esth. 1.22 That everie man should beare rule in his own house The Temple of Jerusalem was the House of God and now under the Gospel the Church of Christ is the House of the living God where he hath promised his presence his face is seen and he is found of them that seek him which therefore may be called Surely God is in thee Isa. 45.14 And Jehovah Shammah The Lord is there Ezek. 48.35 And therefore the Lord should beare rule in his Church and his Commandment ought to be obeyed According to this ground hath the Lord given the precepts of his holy just and good Law For if he be our God what more equitable then that we have him and no other for our God that he direct his own service and worship that his Name be reverently used by us that we observe the times wherein he will have us to appeare before him and that we do duty to every one with whom we live under him This consideration may be very usefull For it may first serve to be a Cure of two great ills in this Land One is of such as conceive that the Law of God belongeth not to Christians They may as well say that Common and Naturall Equitie belongeth not to Christians Is it not written in the heart of man by nature Is it not confirmed by Jesus Christ Is it not recommended to Christians by the Apostles Is it not established by faith Is not the observing of it a testimonie of our communion with God Is not the end of it love from a pure heart a good conscience and faith unfained Is it thankfulnesse to God because we are delivered from the condemnation coaction and rigour of the Law not to acknowledge the obligation of the Law Shall not the domesticks of the house of God observe the Commandments of God or shall they not be grieved when they transgresse and observe them not It is too common an errour to turn the grace of God into wantonnesse The other evill is on the other hand when men give themselves to will-worship the one sort neglects the Commandments of God the other addeth the commandments of men to the Commandments of God which is that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that Epiphanius speaketh of a superfluous will-worship of which there is too palpable an example and practise in this Kingdom at this time in the observation of dayes No Church or Kingdome on earth hath greater reason to take heed to it then the Church and Kingdome of England 1. Because the house and service of God hath been pestered beside a multitude of superstitious observations and Ceremonies with a greater number of dayes then the Church of the Jews had in the time of their Ceremoniall worship 2. Because the Christian Sabbath or Lords day hath been profaned and what hath been added to other dayes hath been added with derogation to the Lords day They have forsaken the fountain of living waters and have digged unto themselves cisterns which hold no water 3. Because God hath called this Land to mourning and fasting as we professe this day and I pray God that the unseasonable keeping of this festivitie which God hath not commanded be not more prevalent for evil then the humiliation of this day for good and yet the keeping of this day of humiliation in such a time of festivitie is a presage that by the blessing of God upon the proceedings of the Honourable Houses of Parliament and Assembly this superstition shall shortly expire and that it is now at the last gaspe Secondly It may teach us what reason the Lord of heaven hath to be angry when his Commandment is not obeyed in his own house Kings will be obeyed in their kingdoms Majors Magistrates in their Cities every man in his own house The Church of God is the Kingdom the City the House of God which we must either deny or resolve to have his will done There is yet a third point to be considered the conjunction of these two or the inference of the effect from the cause For why should there be wrath c. It is expressed in an interrogatory way to shew the necessitie of the consequence and that the wrath is certain and inevitable unlesse what is commanded be done and to shew the foolishnesse and wickednesse of man in bringing upon himself this wrath which by his obedience he might prevent like unto that in the Prophet Why will ye die O house of Israel The prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself but the simple passe on and are punished Whence we learn that it is a speciall wisdom in these that have place and power to prevent or turn away the wrath of God from the present and future generation by establishing true Religion and ordering the house of God aright I confesse it is a higher point of wisdom to have a care of Religion that thereby ourselves and others may be brought to spirituall and eternall happinesse and thereby to prevent everlasting wrath yet even in relation to the blessings and miseries of this present life this kind of piety is the best policy I will honour them that honour me saith the Lord and those that despise me shall be lightly esteemed Men may expect honour by dishonouring of God and despising of Religion but the Word of the Lord abideth sure and their honour shall be turned into shame More particularly to this purpose and text the Prophet Haggai speaketh A heavie judgement was upon the people for the neglect of the worship and service of God Why saith the Lord of hosts because of mine House that is waste and ye run every
Use of this may be two-fold One is against the wicked since in these three respects there is no wrath comparable to the wrath of God no wrath is so much to be feared as his wrath Vengeance belongeth to me I will recompence saith the Lord and againe the Lord shall judge his people It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God p although it be much better for the Godly to fill into the hands of God whose mercies are great and who in judgement remembreth mercy then into the hands of men whose mercies are cruell and it were more tolerable for them to have the pestilence then the sword raging in the Land q yet the wicked shall find that it had beene more easie for them to fall into the hands of men then into the hands of God who both killeth the body and destroyeth their temporall being casteth both soul and body into the fire of hel For the Lord whose name is jealous is a jalous God r and which is very proper for such as at this time flatter themselves in their owne wickednesse The Lord will not spare him but the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoake against that man and all the curses that are written in this booke shall lye upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under Heaven s To which that of the Prophet is very agreeable Then shall mine anger be accomplished and I will cause my fury to rest upon them and I will be comforted t The wicked amongst the people of God who blesse themselves in their owne hearts saying We shall have peace though we walk in the imaginations of our owne hearts are the naturall element for the curses and judgements of God which are moving to and fro to lye and rest in and when the curses and judgements of the Lord come upon them the Lord is at rest and is comforted and his people that feare his name and tremble at his judgements are also at rest and are comforted Another use is for the Godly who in some similitude and conformity with the wrath of the jealous God should stirre up in themselves their zeal and just indignation against false worship and the contempt of the true worship of his name When Moses did behold the Idolatry of the people in the golden Calfe his Zeale was so strong and he so impatient that he brake the Tables written with Gods owne hand u I have beene very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts saith Elias x For the Children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant thrown down thine Altars and slaine thy Prophets with the sword When Paul came to Athens and saw the City wholly given to Idolatry his spirit was stirred in him and a Paroxisme like a fit of a feaver did take him y And when Lot was at Sodome he vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawfull deeds his soule was tormented within him z You must not any longer be lukewarme like Laodicea neither hot nor cold a but according to the fervent anger ascribed here to God fervent in spirit serving the Lord b When we are lukewarme in the matters of God then doth the wrath of God wax hot and when we are fervent and zealous then doth his anger cease and the fire of his wrath is extinguished The second is the object of his wrath or the bredth unto which it is extended The Realme of the King he saith not upon the King or upon the King of the Kingdome but upon the Kingdome of the King and thus he expresseth himselfe upon two grounds or for two reasons The one is because he knew that for his fault the people might suffer The other is that he looked more to the suffering of the people then to any thing that could befall himselfe No question he had learned from Ezra and others of his spirit so good and necessary a thing is it that Ezraes and Nehemiahs be about Kings such prove indeed as their names imply helpers and comforters both to King and people that Kingdomes suffers sometimes for the sins of their Kings and Rulers c a truth not unknowne unto naturall men It is also true that Kings sometimes suffer for the sinnes of the people For the transgression of a Land many are the Princes therof d If you shall still doe wickedly saith Samuel to the people e yee shall be consumed both you and your King But all the debate is in the application for Kings many times justifie themselves that the people suffer not for their sinnes but for their owne and the people are as ready to justifie themselves that Kings suffer not for their sinnes but for their owne and when wrath is upon both both are ready to stand to their owne defence and to plead their innocency But the true determination is that no man or multitude suffereth but for that sinne which some way is their owne sinne and whereof they themselves are guilty When David numbred the people the people were punished the people were punished for their owne sinnes both their former sinnes which the Lord at this time did take occasion to call to remembrance and their present sinne in consenting to the numbering of the people for had they beene all unwilling as Joab was and had not consented they had not sinned Kings should not be permitted to commit such publike sinnes but Councell Parliament People and every one according to his place and power should hinder them It may displease them for the present but afterward it shall be no griefe nor offence of heart unto them either that they have shed blood causlesse or have avenged themselves as Abigail said to David f yet David said truely it was his sinne both because it did beginne at him and he was the principall Agent in it and because he gave the provocation at this time and his sinne was the match that set on fire the wrath of God which was ready before to be kindled against the people for their sinnes It is a miserable debate betwixt a King and a people when in the time of a publike judgement both of them stand to their owne innocency and the one accuseth the other of guiltinesse But it is a sweet contest and promiseth much mercy and comfort when the Prince saith I have sinned and done wickedly but what hath the people done and when the people say we have sinned and done wickedly and thereby have drawne wrath upon out selves Although at this time the Kings Majesty when he sees so many of the poore people fall to the ground so much blood spilt should be moved in his heart to say as David said I have sinned Yet yee that are his Subjects each one in his owne place should confesse your owne sinnes and justifie the Lords doing for yee are guilty first of many sinnes before this
time especially that you have not called and endeavoured so earnestly as yee ought for Reformation of Religion that every thing might have beene done in the house of God according to his own wil but have pleased your selves with and have rested in the beginnings of a Reformation yee have been for the greater part more pleased with things which were not reformed then the things which were reformed in the worship of God and this sinne hath beene the cause of many other sinnes for where God is not served aright all other duties are but neglected or performed without sincerity Secondly for the present this is the sinne of the Land that the people have not according to their power stayed the King from shedding of blood but many have joyned their Counsels and endeavours to begin and encrease the common misery and others have not resisted the evill but suffered the sword to rage which may make the people justly to say We have sinned and done wickedly The third is the length of this wrath for it reaches to the Kings Sonnes and so to the Posterity The wrath of God endeth not at the persons that have sinned but is extended to others that descend of them without respect of persons and especially for sinnes about the house and worship of God For the horrid and blasphemous murmuring of Israel when they repented themselves of their comming out of Egypt and said one to another let us make a Captaine and let us returne into Egypt not onely their own carkasses fel in the Wildernes but their Children which had not murmered yea which were not yet born must wander in the Wildernesse forty yeers and beare their whoredomes g In like manner in the seventy yeeres of the captivity of Babylon the Children that were borne in Babylon or were carried from their owne Land suffered in that captivity a world of miseries for the sinnes of their Parents The examples of the Children of Dathan and Abiram of the first borne of Egypt of the young ones in Sodome that had not sinned after the similitude of the transgression of Adam and many other judgements of God plucking up root and branch prove this to be the manner of the Lords proceeding against sinners and that without respect of persons The greater the persons be the more grievous in the justice of God is the punishment because the sinnes of great ones are not onely sinnes but examples of sinning and proclamations of liberty to inferiours and therefore I will be glorified in Pharoah and in his servants h saith the Lord For the sinne of Saul in slaying the Gibeonites there was not onely a famine in the dayes of David three yeers yeere after yeere but seven of his sonnes also were hanged up in Gibea David himselfe was not spâ—red but because he had slaine Vriah the Hittite with the sword of the Children of Ammon Nathan said the sword shall not depart from thine house because thou hast despised me i And afterward when his sinne was pardoned because he had given great occasion to the Enemies of God to blaspheme the Child also that is borne unto him shall surely dye This course the Lord doth after a speciall manner follow in sinnes about his house and worship and therefore in the second command and no other doth the Lord threaten to visit the sinnes of the Fathers upon the Children The reasons why the Lord doth so are first that all the world may know how much the Lord abhorreth sinne especially in matters of his worship To this purpose it is observable what he saith Exod. 32.34 In the day when I visit I will visit their sinne upon them So often as he punished the people and their posterity for other sinnes he remembred their sinne of Idolatry which gave occasion to the saying That in every plague of Israel there was one ounce of the golden Calfe Secondly that men may abstaine from sinnes of this sort not onely for respect to themselves but to their posterity whom they love so â—enderly and of whom they are often more carefull then of themselves And this he doth to the third and fourth generation that both the Parents themselves and others who are witnesses to the sinnes of the Parents may be sensible of Gods dealing and know that the Lord is just and the avenger of sinne I leave the theologicall discourse in vindicating the justice of God onely I say first that the Lord punisheth no man with eternall wrath for his fathers sinnes but the soule that sinneth suffereth in that kind Secondly that the ungodly and wicked posterity cannot open their mouth against the justice of God since they continue in the iniquity of their fathers Thirdly that the Godly when they are visited in their bodies goods or estates which they have from their Fathers will find these visitations to be indeed indicia peccati non judicia propter peccatum and rather medicines and preservatives for their eternall happinesse then wrath for their destruction And I come to the use that in this nicke of time and joynture of affaires the great wisdome which God hath given you in your publike places be stirred up and exercised in taking heed that all the former sinnes of this Land committed by so many Progenitors be not brought upon this Generation according to that sore and sad sentence pronounced by the Sonne of God against Jerusalem Matth. 23.35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias Sonne of Barachias whom yee slew between the Temple the Altar and verse 36. Verily I say unto you all these things shall come upon this Generation Yee cannot preserve all particular persons from the judgements due unto them for their own and for their fathers sinnes nor can yee preserve every Family from the wrath which the present and preceding generations have been treasuring up It appeareth that the Lord hath decreed the destruction of some persons and the eâ—tirpation of some Families But it is in your hands to prevent the desolation of the Church and Kingdome The Jewes filled up the measure of their Fathers by crucifying the Sonne of God when he came amongst them and would have wrought a Reformation and therefore their habitation was left desolate and they are no more a Nation nor a Kingdome unto this day It is true the people were executioners but the Rulers were the prime Agents Doe therefore the worke unto which the Lord hath called You and Yee shall save the Kingdome from this wrath It is in Your hands as Instruments to make the posterity blessed and to blesse You for your faithfulnesse Woe to them that leave their Station in such an exigence they doe what they can to bring all the blood and all the sinnes of former times upon this Generation and to make the Posterity miserable Let others professe or pretend what they will I am assured that such
man into his own house Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew and the earth is stayed from her fruit like unto that in Deut. The heaven that is over thy head shall be brasse and the earth that is under thy feet shall be iron But afterward he speaks comfortably The glory of this latter house shall be greater then of the former saith the Lord of Hosts And in this place will I give peace saith the Lord of Hosts And again consider now from this day and upward from the foure and twenday of the ninth moneth even from the day that the foundation of the Lords Temple was laid consider it From this day will I blesse you Jehosophot and Hezekiah are two Witnesses of this truth The Lord was with Jehosophat because he walked in the first wayes of his father David and sought not to Balaam but sought to the Lord God of his father walked in his Commandements and not after the doings of Israel therefore the Lord established the Kingdome in his hand and all Judah brought 〈◊〉 Jehosophat presents he had riches and honour in abundance c. Hezekiah teacheth the Levits themselves this Lesson that for trespasses of this kind the wrath of the Lord was upon Judah Jerusalem he had delivered them to trouble to astonishment and to hissing There be as many pregnant examples of this truth in the book of God as of any other but he who desireth a full Commentary or Sermon upon this point of the Text let him read the 2 Chap. of the book of the Judges and he shall see the ebbing and flowing of prosperity peace and safety according to the course of Religion The reason of it is because where true Religion hath not place there is nothing but prophanenes uncleannesse excesse oppression violence deceit and falshood The lawes of men may doe some hurt for repressing outrages but how shall the floods be dried up unlesse the fountaines be obstructed There is great difference betwixt outward restraint from man and inward mortification from God Where Religion taketh place men neither dare nor will commit sinne and doth not the wrath of God for these things come upon the Children of disobedience Men need not in searching out the periods and fatalities of Kingdomes and States trouble themselves with the intricat numbers of Plato Predictions of Astrologers or particular Prophesies {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} impiety iniquity luxury which must needs have place where true Religion hath nor place are causes for which the Lord bringeth alterations upon Kingdomes By this we may easily discern who are Malignants and Enemies to the peace and prosperity of the Kingdome Religion is the touchstone Such as are mockers of the Reformation of Religion and of their owne lives have brought on and hold on this heavy wrath but they who desire endeavour the Reformation setling of Religion are in the right way to bring honor and happinesse upon the Kingdome of the King and his Sonnes It is a damnable and cursed policy by dispencing with any thing which God hath commanded to be done for his house to seek after peace and deliverance It was the policy of Jeroboam it turned to his ruine It was the policy of the Jewes and it brought their City and Nation to desolation In this thou walkest contrary to God and therefore God will walk contrary to thee Thou thinkâ—st to turn away wrath by the neglect of Religion of the house of God but God hath said that wrath shall be upon the Kingdome unlesse what he hath commanded be done for his house Art thou wiser then he or art thou stronger then he will thou against the will of God against the experience of all ages against thy owne conscience run in a way contrary to Gods way Salvation shall come to the people of God and his house shall be built but thou thy house which thou makest an Idoll and preferrest to the house of God shall certainly perish God will not he mocked I must therefore take the boldnesse according to the charge and trust committed unto me at this time in the name of God to exhort in the bowels of Jesus Christ to intreat that the house of God be diligently looked unto and that first of all Religion be reformed and setled No man must be of Gallio's temper to care for none of those things as if they were but light matters in comparison of civill and secular affaires or as if they were impertinent for him Nothing in the world that doth concern thine owne private or the state and publike is of so great weight importance nothing so pressing pertinent as this of Religion No man must be of Gamaliels temper he was a grave learned and peaceable man of great esteem amongst the people yet his counsell was crafty corrupt unchristian somewhat in it was good he aimed at peace he laid this ground that the work was either of God or of man and what was of man would come to nought and what was of God could not be overthrowne But in this very corrupt that he would have us to judge of Religion by particular events and that we should do nothing for the advancement of a good cause but leave it to the providence of God His arguments were fitted to his purpose but true Religion is neither a matter of fancy as was that of Theudas nor of sedition as was that of Judas of Galile and therefore all men ought to bend themselves to the setling thereof by all good and lawfull means Nor must yee in this work linger or delay upon any consent or concurrence whatsoever It is true where matters are darke or doubtfull yee should seek for light and resolution and yee have to that end a learned and godly Assembly but where matters are clear manifest if yee lye still waiting for the consent of others yee are like to lose both the opportunity and the thing it selfe as many have done and repâ—â—ted themselves too late There be some things whâ—â—â—in we are subject to God alone and in thiâ—â— of this kind we are not to wait for counsell or câ—â—sent from others It was the saying of Dioclesian 〈◊〉 a good and wise Emperour is often-sold by his Couâ—ers who have a guard about his eares and traduce goâ—â—men forevill and commend evill men for good As Baâ—â—am dealt not faithfully with God so the messengers 〈◊〉 unto him did deale unfaithfully with King Balaaâ— It also true that as at Rome so in other places patres 〈◊〉 scripti are sometimes patres circumscripti Nor must feare opposition or enmity and thereby trouble to 〈◊〉 State while Yee are seeking after Reformation Whâ—â—Cassander one of the successors of Alexander was pâ—â—swading them to receive Alexander to be worshipped â—mongst their Gods and that if they refused he would â—â—nounce war against them Demades their Orator to them that it was to be feared while they were holdâ— the heavens they should lose the earth But I change 〈◊〉 words with Peter Martyr that it is to be feared ne 〈◊〉 Rempublicam terrenam curatis defenditis nimium 〈◊〉 lum amittatis while Yee stand for the State that Yâ—â— lose Religion If Zerubabell Ezra or Nehemiah had dâ—layed the building of the house of God upon the opposition of enemies or because there was Lyons and Forâ— in the way the worship of God had never bin set up 〈◊〉 Religion reformed but the builders with one of theâ—â— hands wrought in the worke in the other hand held weapon In this posture I leave you till the house of the Lord be built amongst you your swords be turned into plough-shares and your speares into pruning-hookâ— that is till truth peace be established in your borders The Zeale of the Lord of Hosts will performe it To him be praise for ever Amen FINIS The Lord worketh diversly upon the hearts of men a Dan. 4.4 5. b Dan. 5.5 c Num. 24.10 d John 11.49 50. e Gen. 37. Dan 2. 4 5. 7. c. f Acts 9. g Gen. 31. h Act. 4.27.28 i Gen. 33. k Joseph antq Judaic. lib. 11. c. 8. The Text divided l Ezra 10.2 The wrath of God laid open m Psal. 103. Rom. 1.18 Deut. 32.22 In the hight and depth thereof n Gen. 2.1 o Gen. 2.4 Vse 1. p Heb. 10.30.31 q 2 Sam. 24.14 r Exod. 34.14 s Deut 29 2â— t Ezek. 5.13 Vse 2. u Exod. 32. x 1 Kin. 19.10 y Acts 17.16 z Pet. 2.8 a Rev. 3.16 b Rom. 12.11 In the bredth thereof c 2 Sam. 24 1 Kin. 21. d Prov. 28.2 e 1 Sam. 12.25 f 1 Sam. 35.31 In the length thereof g Numb. 1â— h Exod. 14. i 2 Sam. 12.9.10 Vse Matth. 23.35 The meâ—nes to avert and prevent the wrath of God The first mean The second mean The third mean Jer. 34. Considerations about the third mean 1. The Rule of Reformation Vse 2. The extent of Reformation * 2 Chron. 15.7 * Isa 27.9 Isa. 1.26 27.28 Galat. 5.7 8 9. Vse 3. The manner of going about Reformation * Pro. 10 26. Pro. 27.8 Reasons hereof The first Reason Isa. 6.1 2 3 4. Isa. 46.1 Reason 2. Esth. 1.22 Isa. 45.14 Ezek. 48.35 Vse 2. The third part of the Text Pro. 22.3 Hag. 1.9 10. Deut. 28.23 Hag. 2.9 Hag. 2.18 19. 2 Chr. 17 3 4 5 6. 2 Chr. 29 6 7 8 9 10 11. Judges 2. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Acts 18.14 15 16 17.