you can in a little time For when the Dayes are Evil you know not how little time you may have how few Opportunities of well-doing you may enjoy * Eph. 5.15 16. See then that ye walk circumspectly not as Fooles but as Wise Redeeming the Time because the Daies are evil The fourth Branch LIve in the exercise of your most excellent graces Let the Lustre of them appear in the eyes of the World that so you may diminish the Darknesse of an evil Generation When the Nights are darkest every one should be careful to hang out their Lights When the Sun the Chariot of Light hath carried the Day to another World the Night comes forth deckt with all her Jewels Search your Cabinets put on your Jewels exercise your Graces your Faith Love Patience Humility Zeale Hope Confidence and so labour to preserve a Day of Light and Holinesse in spight of all the encroachments of the darknesse of Sin and Vice Labour to be every whit as Good as others are Evil. Stir up your selves especially to the exercise of those Graces which stand in opposition to the reigning Vices of the Times Study to shew your selves as Active for God as others are for the World as truly Content with your condition as others are Covetous Oppressive Ambitious as Faithful as others are False as Pious as others are Profane as much to excel in Charity Moderation Humility as others exceed in Cruelty Censoriousnesse and Pride It well becomes Saints to be best when the Times are worst So Fire burnes hottest in the coldest weather and Stars shine brightest in the darkest Nights So shall you lift up the Name and Glory of God in the World and your lives shall be illustrious Testimonies for the cause of God against a wicked world Beg Grace of God therefore that in evil and perillous Times you may live to his Glory * Phil. 2.15 That ye may be blamelesse and Harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation among whom ye shine as Lights in the World The fifth Branch DAre to appear in your places for the Cause of God against the Evils of the Times Why should not every pious Christian dare to do more for God and the interests of his Glory then any profane Politician dares to do against him Why should you be afraid to appear on the stronger side It is indeed desperate Folly and Madnesse in impotent man to presume upon any action or undertaking which carries in it an apparent or consequential Opposition to an Omnipotent God upon whose Providence he hath a continual dependance insomuch as without some concurrence thereof he cannot move a Hand nor stirre a step Alas This Almighty God can with the least Finger of that glorious Hand by which he governes this All in one moment crush the greatest Armies of the mightiest men upon earth as a †Job 4.19 Moth and crumble them into dust But for the Saints that are guarded with an Omnipotent Arme they may with a holy confidence appear in the Cause of God against the most potent adversaries in the world For greater and stronger is he that is with us then they that are with them For as the good King Hezekiah said to the Captaines of his Army at the approach of the King of Assyria * 2 Chron. 32.7 8. with them is an Arme of Flesh but with us is the LORD our God to help us And †Rom. 8.31 if God be for us who can be against us Fear not then ye sonnes of the mighty ye children of the most high to appear for God and his cause against the impieties and iniquities of evil and perillous times Remember * Rev. 21.8 the fearful are set in the Front of that Troop of Rebels that shall be sent to Hell Know you not that in this case when Gods Cause and Glory suffers He that is not for God is against him Take heed then lest while you fear a lesser danger you fall into a greater 'T is then your greatest wisdome and safety to take the strongest side and that is to appear for God So may you say with David †Ps 118.6 The LORD is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me And again * Ps 56.11 In God have I put my trust I will not be afraid what man can do unto me †Psal 118 8 9. It is better to trust in the LORD then to put confidence in man It is better to trust in the LORD then to put confidence in Princes Dare to appear for God therefore in your places and to plead his Cause against wicked and unreasonable men with more Courage Resolution and Boldnesse then they have to oppose it Stand up therefore in Dayes of Danger and appear for the Truth and Glory of God that made you for the Honour and Interests of the Lord Jesus Christ that redeem'd you with his own precious blood appear for his Word and Worship his Ordinances and Ministers his Sabbaths and Sacraments his Church and Saints and all the just Rights Dues and Priviledges thereof against a wicked Generation of men that dare openly deny the Truth and profane the Name of God that are not afraid to cast Contempt and Reproach upon his Word and Worship to scoff at his Sabbaths and Sacraments and slight his holy Ordinances to abuse revile and vilifie his Ministers his Ambassadours seeking to pluck their meat from their mouths desiring to imbrue their hands in their blood endeavouring their utter extirpation out of the Church of God that dare to lay sacrilegious hands upon the Rights and Revenues of the Church which she holds by a firmer Title then the greatest Lord in the Land does or can do his inheritance and thereby seek to turne her children out of their Possession that they may enrich themselves as too many have done by the Churches Ruines Now Christians will you be afraid or asham'd to appear in so just a cause against such wretched men such wicked Adversaries as these Shall these come under the Name of Religion and rob you of the thing while you sit still and do nothing Shall the Interests of Christ and Glory of God fall to the ground rather then you will rise up and appear for the maintenance of the one and defence of the other How will you answer it to God at the great day of account O therefore be not afraid to appear for the Cause of God against the Evil of the Times in the Places and Stations wherein God hath set you This will be your Crown of Glory and Cause of Rejoycing at the great Day of the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ And oh that those that are Highest in Place and Power would seriously lay these things to heart and quitting all self-interests inconsistent with the Cause and Interests of the Kingdome of Christ sincerely study and endeavour the advancement of Gods Glory in
and Sporting and making Merry then does the Lord bring his judgements upon them even sudden destruction For sayes the holy Ghost When they shall say Peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as Travail upon a woman with childe and they shall not escape * 1 Thes 5.3 Do you know or have you consider'd what was the carriage of the men of the old world when the Lord brought the Flood upon them and of the children of Israel a little before they were carryed captive into Babylon Why the Scripture tells you that in the Dayes of Noah that were before the Flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in Marriage until the day that Noah enter'd into the Ark and knew not untill the Flood came and took them all away †Mat. 24.38 39. They knew not that is they considered it not regarded it not For they had been warned of the coming of the Flood by the Preaching of Noah for the space of one hundred and twenty years and by his preparing an Ark for the preservation of himself and his own Family So the careless posture of the people of Israel in a free indulgence of their sensual Delights did but a little precede that cruel Captivity and bitter bondage which they so long sustained in Babylon * See Am. chap. 6. Now are not the people of the Land in these our Dayes generally senslesse of the crying sins and fearlesse of the following Judgements which may justly fall upon us Is it not time then for them that feare the Lord to lay these things to heart and to weep and mourne before the Lord for these Abominations Does it not both well become and neatly concerne the people of God in the Land to call one another to Fasting and Mourning and bitter Lamentation lest the Lord should kindle a fire in his wrath so that none can quench it O Christians can you sit still and be secure in such Times as these What do you not care how soone the Gospel the glory departs from England Do you not care what becomes of Religion what befalls the Church how soon you loose your Opportunities of enjoying the blessed Ordinances of the Gospel Oh are not these Opportunities precious are not the Ordinances of God precious are not the Ministers of the Gospel and the People of God precious in your Esteeme How then will your hearts bear it to see these Ministers of the Gospel murther'd these people of God led as sheep to the slaughtâ—r Alas you know not how near the Dayes may be wherein you may say Time was when we enjoy'd the Ordinances of God and had many opportunities of seeking the Face of God in the Assemblies of his Saints but alas now we aâ—e deprived of these enjoyments And oh will you not yet lay these things to heart so as to mourn before the Lord for those Evils whereby we have provoked the Lord to plague the whole Land with his Judgements and utterly to deprive us of these precious Priviledges Do you see no cause of Feare no signes of Danger Are not Sabbaths profan'd Ordinances contemn'd the Word despis'd the Sacraments slighted Ministers reviled Scriptures rejected the Spirit resisted Christ crucifi'd afresh and the Name of God blasphem'd amongst us Now are not these fearful Provocations of the most high God May not the despised Manna be restrained and God give us Quailes meat for our Lusts in wrath May not God justly punish mens wearinesse of his Worship with a Famine of his Word when men prize the World above the Word of God may not the Lord justly take away his Word and Gospel from such an unworthy people May not he suffer the seales of his Covenant the Pledges of his love to be taken away from us or polluted to us May not our Teachers be removed into a corner May not the Holy Scriptures the Well-springs of our Comforts and Joy be sealed up from us May not God take away his Holy Spirit from us that he may no more †Gen. 6.3 strive with a people devoted to destruction May not God charge upon the Land the guilt of his Sonnes Blood and revenge upon a rebellious people the wrong done to his owne Name Is it not then high time for us to * Am. 4.12 meet the Lord by Repentance and to humble our selves before him for the sins of the Land lest his indignation break forth upon us as a Breach of the Sea and there be no means left to escape Come then Christians and let us weep and mourne before the Lord. It may be he may regard our Tears and hear the voice of our weeping †Psal 6.8 and put on Bowels of Compassions towards us and spare our Land Who knows but the whole Land may fare the better for the sakes of a few Mourners in Zion Oh let 's every one labour to become one of that number So when the Lord shall arise and have mercy upon Zion we shall be called to partake of her Joy Rejoyce for joy with her saith the Lord * Isa 66.10 all ye that have mourned for her However Christians go into your Closets and weep before the Lord in secret for the sinnes whereby God is openly dishonour'd This was the holy resolution of the Prophet Jeremy upon the pride and stubbornnesse of the people of Judah the sad Symptomes of approaching Judgements Heare ye sayes he †and give eare * Jer. 13.15 16 17. be not proud for the LORD hath spoken Give glory to the LORD your God before he cause darknesse and before your feet stumble upon the dark Mountaines and while ye look for light he turne it into the shadow of Death and make it grosse Darknesse But if ye will not hear it my soul shall weep in secret places for your Pride and mine eye shall weep sore and run down with teares because the LORDS Flock is carried away captive Now if you be of the number of those that mourn and sigh for the Abominations of the Times if the Lord shall bring his Judgements in your dayes upon the Land he will prepare his secret Chambers of providence for your preservation Thus the Lord sent his Angel to set a Mark upon the fore-heads of the men that mourn'd for the sinnes of Jerusalem that they might be spared when all the rest of the City by an impartial stroke were to suffer an inevitable destruction * See Ezek. 9 4-7 Thus Lot living in Sodom †2 Pet. 2.7 8. a lustful City vexed his righteous soul from day to day with a holy sorrow for the sins of the filthy Sodomites and so the Lord preserved him in the dreadful overthrow of that sinful City O then Christians mourne and weep for the sinnes of the Times the Abominations of the Age wherein you live and it may be you may by this means save the City save a Kingdome from destruction however you shall be sure to save your own
the Times which is properly applyable to them that shall live in them For properly time is not capable of any impressions of Good or Evil it can neither be priviledg'd with safety nor opprest with Difficulty nor exposed to Danger But those are called hard and perillous times wherein those that live in them are exercised with difficulties and exposed to Dangers Tempori tribuuntur ejusmodi Epitheta Metonymicè propter ea quae in tempore contingunt maximè propter hominum Mores ac studia †Estius And therefore are the Times here called Perillous because of those things which should fall out in those Times especially because of the perillous Practises of the men of the Times So likewise the Apostle elsewhere calls the * Eph. 5.16 Days evil because of the Evil men that liv'd in those days and the Evil things that were done by those men as Chrysostome well notes What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Chrysost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes he is the evil of the Day The Evil of the Day must needs be something about the Day What is the Evill of the Body Sicknesse What 's the Evil of the Soul Vitiousness How then does he call the dayes evil how does he call the time evil He calls them not so for their Nature or Essence or as they are Creatures but for the things that are done in them So that men are Authours of the Evils that fall out in the Times and for this Cause are they called evil Times They are indeed bad men that make the Times bad hard Hearts that make hard Times perillous Undertakings difficult Designes troublesome and tyrannical Intrusions Actings Impositions of men of proud daring and ambitious Spirits that make these perillous difficult and troublesome Times So the same Father determines upon this very Text. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Chrysost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perillous Times shall come He speaks not this to accuse the Dayes or finde fault with the Times but the men that should then be For we are wont to call the Times good or bad from the Things that are done by men in such Times And indeed those are the worst Times that do produce the worst men and wherein these men do accomplish their worst Designes and execute their most mischievous Intentions That 's the worst ground which is most overgrown with weeds especially if such weeds as neither any good Graine nor wholesom Herbs nor Fragrant Flowers will grow amongst them And such are the Times whereof the Apostle here Prophecies so that we may truly say of him as Casaubon of Taciâ—us Ejusmodi tempora descripsit quibus nulla unquam aut Virtutum steriliora aut Virtutibus in imicitiora He hath describ'd such times as never were any more barren of Vertues or more pregnant with Enmity and opposition to all Goodnesse Those Times that are most barren in Virtues are ever most fruitful in Vices Evils do most abound when Goodnesse is banisht Sin then reignes upon Earth when †Ultima Caelestum Terras Astraâ—a reliquit Ovid. Righteousnesse flies up to Heaven The Flowers are choaked when the Weeds grow tallest Thus was the * Mat. 13.7 good Seed stifled amongst the thriving Thornes When the Plague of sin Errour and Profanenesse reigns the Times must needs be Perillous Thus we see what these Times here predicted shall be even evil and perillous Times The Prediction COme we now in the next Place to enquire When these Times shall be This the Apostle tells us in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in ultimis Diebus seu in Diebus novissimis instabunt * Vet. Beâ— They shall come they shall press upon us and as it were instantly overtake us in the last Dayes Now the Times of the Gospel in respect of the four thousand years that went before even the whole space of Time from Christs first to his second Coming from his Ascention into Heaven to his Return to Judgement at the end of the world is in the Scripture-Phrase called the last Dayes So sayes the Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrews †Chap. 1. ver 1 2. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken to us by his Son So the Apostle applies to his Times the Prophetick Prophecy of the Old Testament * Act. 2.16 17 Joel 2.28 This is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel And it shall come to passe in the last Dayes saith God I will poure out my Spirit upon all Flesh Of the same Import is that which the same Apostle speaks in his Epistle to the believing Jews †2 Pet. 3.3 knowing this that there shall come in the last Dayes scoffers walking after their own lusts The whole time therefore of the Evangelical Administration is here to be understood by the last Dayes yet so as the later the time the darker the dayes unlesse in some lucid Intervals and when those Illustrious Prophecies and Promises of the Old Testament concerning glorious Gospel-times shall be fulfill'd As that * Isa 30.2 6 The Light of the Moon shall be as the Light of the Sun and the Light of the Sun shall be sevenfold as the Light of seven dayes Yea that †Isa 24.23 Then the Moon shall be confounded and the Sunne ashamed when the LORD of Hosts shall reigne in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his Ancients gloriously And that * Hab. 2.24 The Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the Sea Such may we expect the times to be when the Lord shall fulfill his Promises concerning the †Rev. 18.2 Fall of Babylon and * 2 Thes 2.8 destruction of Antichrist the †Rom. 11 25 26. Call and Conversion of the Jews and the bringing in of the Fulnesse of the Gentiles But otherwise the last Age we may expect according to this and * 2 Pet. 3.3 1 Joh. 2.18 Jude v. 18. Mat. 24 9 12 29. Rev. 8. and 9. and 20. other Predictions in the New Testament to be the worst Age the last Dayes to be the worst Dayes Thus we see how the last Dayes respect the whole time of the Gospel-Church from the Apostles times to the End of the World This is the Evening of the World as the time before was the Morning The nearer Night the greater darknesse till the Glory of the Lord like Lightning shall break out of the Clouds The nearer the Bottomâ— the more Dregges The Absence of the Sunne makes Night in the World And the longer the time is it hath left us the greater is our darknesse till its Return shall make a new Day Such is Christs Absence from his Church yet as we have seen some Beames of Glory shall be scatter'd upon Earth before the King of Glory shall return from Heaven Thus the Dawne
precedes the Day but it s usually darkest immediately before the Dawne Now for our interpretation of the last dayes in this latitude we have the general concurrence of the best Expositors who all conclude the same thing with one consent For to instance in some thus they speak upon this Text. Sub extremis Diebus comprehendit universum Christianae Ecclesiae statum †Calvin in loc Under the last days sayes the judicious Calvin the Apostle comprehends the whole state of the Christian Church Now the last Days Novissimi autem vel ultimi Dies numerandi sunt ab Adventu Christi ad Finem Mundi Nam Tempus illud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur respectu Initii Medii Initium ab Adamo ad Mosen numeratur Medium Temporis à Mose ad Christum Ultimum igitur esta Christo ad ejus Reditum * Aret in locum sayes Aretius are to be reckoned from the coming of Christ to the End of the World For that Time is called the last Time in respect of the Beginning and the Middle-time The Beginning is reckon'd from Adam to Moses The Middle-time from Moses to Christ And so the last Time is from Christ to his second Coming or his return to judgement Dicuntur autem Novissima Tempora Hebraico More non quae circa Mundi finem proximè erunt sed Posteriora quaeque suis Temporibus Novissima nominantur Quanquam tanto pejora futura sunt Tempora quanto fini hujus Mundi extremo Judicio fuerint proximiora †Pelicanus in locum But now sayes Pelican they are called the last Times after the manner of the Hebrews not only which are nearest to the End of the World but all the times succeeding their owne Age are stil'd the last times Although the times shall be so much the worse by how much the nearer they are to the last Judgement and the End of this World * Mat. 24.24 Luk. 21.12 And that the last Dayes must in this Text be necessarily understood in this Latitude may yet more clearly appear if we consider that they were already begun when the Apostle wrote this Prophecy and that they are still continu'd to this Age wherein we live That they were then already begun is manifest in that the Apostle describing the Persons by several Properties who by their ungodly Practises should make the Times so perillous concludes his Description with this Cautionary Premonition to Timothy †Verse 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From such turne away Or turn such away Authoritatively admonish reprove reject them hold no familiar Converse or Correspondency with them And that these times are to be intended to the following Ages and are continu'd to this present Age wherein we live is it not sufficiently manifest in that these very Times are an evident Commentary upon this Text and shew the Accomplishment of this Prophecy Thus we have seen when these Times shall be and how long these last dayes shall last even from the Apostles Time to the End of the World The Premonition NOw come we in the last Place to consider of what concernment this Prediction of perillous Times was to Timothy And the Apostles words upon his first entrance upon this Discourse do plainly declare that it concern'd him to know this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This know also It much concerns Christians especially Ministers of the Gospel to know what perillous Times shall come upon the Church of God and when they shall come All Christians are concern'd herein It 's profitable for them to know before hand what perillous times shall come that so they may not be unawares surprized by them but duly prepared for them For Praemoniti Premuniti Fore-warn'd Fore-arm'd And therefore it hath pleased the Lord for the manifestation of that special Care which he hath of his Church to reveal to his Servants by the Spirit of Prophecy in all Ages what evils his Saints should be exercised withal and what perillous Times they should passe thorough to their Rest and Glory It is he that brings Judgements upon his people for their sinnes and yet reveales his Purpose to his Prophets that they might call his People to Repentance for the Prevention of his Judgements As it is said * Am. 3.6 7. Shall a Trumpet be blown in the City and the People not be afraid Shall there be Evil in a City and the LORD hath not done it Surely the LORD God will do nothing but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the Prophets So we read when God had a purpose to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah those lustful and licentious Cities with †Gen. 19.24 Fire and Brimstome from heaven * Gen. 18.17 the LORD said shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I do No he presently reveal'd it to him and sent his holy Angels also to his servant †Gen. 19.12 -16. 2 Pet. 2 6-9 Lot to forewarne him of the near-approaching danger and to deliver him by leading him out of that wicked City destin'd to a dreadful Destruction from it's inevitable overthrow So God foretold the Israelites their * Jer. 25.9 and 34.21 Ezek. 12.11 c. Captivity in Babylon and Christ hath foretold Christians †Mat. 10.22 23. Joh. 15.20 Mark 10.30 2 Tim. 3.12 their Persecution in the World Praevisa minus laedunt Evils fore-seen do less afflict Though Afflictions are the appointed Portion of the Saints on Earth yet by the Fore-knowledge of these afflictions they may be the better prepar'd to bear them with Patience And therfore God hath never left his Church without a Prophetick Representation of her future condition So to the History of his Church in the Old Testament he hath adjoyned sundry Prophecies and to the Doctrine of Christ in the New Testament he hath annext a Revelation And if God have been pleased thus to reveale in his Word the evils that shall come upon his Church and Saints and the perillous Times through which they shall pass in the World they are doubtlesse much concern'd to take notice thereof How else shall they prepare themselves for the Lords Visitations or make a right Improvement of his holy Providences How else shall they provide * Mat. 25.4 Oyle in their Vessels that they may have their †Luke 12 35. Lamps burning when a Night of darknesse shall overcome them How else shall they make such due Provision for perillous Times that they may hold up their Heads in a Day of distresse Doubtlesse as the Saints may loose a Harvest of Mercy for want of improving a Day of Grace so may they fall into a Furnace of Affliction for want of fore-seeing a Day of Wrath. And therefore Christ justly taxes the Pharisees that they could * Mar. 16.3 discerne the Face of the Skie but not the Signes of the Times Yea the Lord brings in the Fowles of the Heaven to give in evidence against his own
People for their clearer conviction of their Folly and Stupidity in not discerning the Time of his Judgements For sayes the Lord in Jeremy †Chap. 8. ver 7. Yea the Stork in the Heaven knoweth her appointed Times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the Time of their Coming but my People know not the Judgement of the LORD Hence it comes to passe that as some of the more foolish Birds they are oft taken unawares in the snares of Gods judgements as the Wise man observes * Eccl. 9.12 For man also knoweth not his Time as the Fishes that are taken in an evil Net and as Birds that are caught in the snare so are the sons of men snared in an evil Time when it falleth suddenly upon them How pathetically did the Lord Jesus Christ lament and bewaile the deplorable state and condition of Jerusalem upon this very account that they knew not they consider'd not their great danger but were senslesse and secure notwithstanding all Warnings and Premonitions at the very brink of their threatned destruction For thus is it recorded of him in the Gospel that * Luke 19.41 -44. When he was come neere he beheld the City and wept over it Saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy Day the Things which belong unto thy Peace But now they are hid from thine eyes For the Dayes shall come upon thee that thine Enemies shall cast a Trench about thee and compass thee round and keep thee in on every side and shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another because thou knewest not the Time of thy Visitation And the Event we know fully answer'd the Prediction Thus for want of a due Fore-sight of future Dangers and a right Improvement of the Prophetical Discoveries of Perillous Times a sinful and secure people may be suddenly swallow'd up into an inevitable Destruction Thus it nearly concerns all Gods people to take special notice of these Predictions of perillous Times that they may make a good improvement thereof for their spiritual advantage But now the Ministers of the Gospel are in a special manner concern'd herein They are to search know and consider what perillous Times shall befal the Church according to the Prophecies of the holy Scriptures This that they may give Warning to the People that they may meet the Lord by Repentance and that those that feare the Lord may keep themselves pure from the Pollutions of the World that so they may be preserv'd by his special Providence when he shall come forth for the Execution of his Judgements Thus the Lord warned the Old World by Noah †2 Pet. 2.5 a Preacher of Righteousness and the Israelites by sundry Prophets before the Destruction of the one and Captivity of the other Thus did the People of * Jona 3.4 5 10. Nineveh prevent the Destruction threatned by turning to the Lord by †Mat. 12.41 Luk. 11.32 Repentance upon the Preaching of Jonah I may say of Preachers what the Noble Verulam * Bacons Essayes spake of Princes Shepherds of People had need know the Kalendar of Tempests in State which are commonly greatest when things grow to Equality as natural Tempests are greatest about the Equinoctials This that they may house the Lords Flock as the Servants of Pharaoh did their Cattel †Exo. 9.20 till the storme be over-past The Ministers of the Gospel are the Watchmen of the City of God They that stand upon the Watch-Towers of the Holy City should blow the * Isa 58.1 Trumpet of Gods holy Word and discover the danger which they see threatned and the Designes which they see managed against the Church and People of God It s their Duty to warne the People of their sins lest they perish in them in the day of Gods Judgements How strict is the Charge which the Lord hath given to every Minister of his Word in the Person of the Prophet Ezekiel and how sore is the Penalty how dreadful is the danger of failing through unfaithfulnesse in the discharge thereof It surely concerns us especially in these perillous Times very seriously to consider it us I say whom the Lord hath called forth to dispense his sacred Oracles and hath committed to our charge the souls of his People Sonne of man saith the LORD to Ezekiel †Ezek. 33.1 -9. Speak to the Children of thy People and and say unto them When I bring the sword upon a Land if the People of the Land take a man of their Coas s and set him for their Watchman If when h seeth the Sword come upon the Land he blow the Trumpet and warne the People Then whosoever heareth the sound of the Trumpet and taketh not Warning if the Sword come and take him away his Blood shall be upon his own Head He heard the sound of the Trumpet and took not warning his Blood shall be upon him but he that taketh warning shall deliver his Soul But if the Watchman see the sword come and blow not the Trumpet and the People be not warned if the sword come and take any person from among them he is taken away in his iniquity but his blood will I require at the Watchmans hand So thou O sonne of man I have set thee a Watchman unto the House of Israel and therefore thou shalt heare the Word at my Mouth and warn them from me When I say unto the wicked O Wicked man thou shalt surely die if thou doest not speak to warne the wicked from his way that wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his Blood will I require at thine Hand Nevertheless if thou warne the wicked of his way to turne from it if he do not turne from his Way he shall die in his iniquity but thou hast delivered thy soul * Ezek. 3.20 21. Again when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousnesse and commit iniquity and I lay a stumbling-block before him he shall die because thou hast not given him warning he shall die in his sin and his Righteousnesse which he hath done shall not be remembred but his Blood will I require at thine hand Nevertheless if thou warn the Righteous man that the righteous sin not and he doth not sin he shall surely live because he is warned also thou hast deliver'd thy soul Thus will the Lord call the Ministers of his Word to account for the losse of those Souls which through their unseasonable silence have perisht in their sins O how much guilt then shall we draw down upon our own heads if we do not warn our People of those sins whereof they are in danger in perillous Times and do what lies in us to keep off guilt from their souls O how much doth it concern us to be Faithful to God in the discharge of this Duty It s a fearful thing to be charged with
2.13 and 5.18 The wicked One Seducers are here so called from their subtile Impostures flattering Illusions and †Eph. 4.14 cunning craftinesse to deceive according to the Import of the word here used They have something of the * Gen. 3.1 Rev. 12.9 subtilty of the old Serpent whose seed and spawn they are The word signifies also a Delusion by means of Witchcraft or Incantation Seducers are a kinde of Sorcerers and Seduction is a kinde of spiritual Witchcraft and Inchantment O foolish Galatians sayes the Apostle †Gal. 3 1. who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth before whose Eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucifi'd among you These are they that draw men off from the Waies of Truth into the By-paths of Errour that lead to Destruction * ver 6. These are they which creep into houses and leade captive silly women laden with sinnes led away with diverse Lusts These are they which using a kinde of spiritual sorcery do with Simon Magus †Act. 8.9 10 11. bewitch the People who being taken with their Delusions are ready to cry out These men are the great Power of God Thus they carry as it were in one hand a flaming light and in the other an impoyson'd Cup and so the multitudes that follow them for the one hey cause to drink of the other which causing a spiritual drunkennesse carries them headlong to Eternal Destruction For * 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. Because they received not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved even for this cause doth God send them strong Delusion the Energie of Error †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believed not the Truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse These are the Foxes to which Satan hath ty'd his Fire-brands which if not speedily apprehended and suppressed will soon set all in a flame and cause a fearful combustion both in Church and State When these fiery Comets do appear they usually portend great changes in the Common-wealth and great Calamities to the Church of God These therefore we may well look upon as the Messengers of evil Tidings and the Marks of perillous Times Thus we have seen the persons decipher'd by their several Characters which make the Times perillous Now by a serious survey and a deliberate consideration hereof every soberly wise Christian may easily discerne when these Dayes are come which the Scripture hath foretold shall be perillous Times especially if the State of things also be but duly considered when such persons as these do abound From the Characters therefore of men and the Consideration of the state of things we may drawe the Scripture-Symptomes of Perillous Times and such are these that follow The SYMPTOMES of Perillous Times The first Symptome Prevalency of Impiety THey are Perillous Times Dayes of great Danger When those impieties do exceedingly abound which are high Provocations of Gods Anger This is a Conclusion which may be clearly drawn from all the forementioned Characters When those sins are daily multiply'd against God whereby God is provoked to execute his Judgements upon men When Sin and Wickednesse abounds amongst a people professing true Religion and Godlinesse Thus our Saviour speaking of the last Dayes wherein these Perillous Times should be tells us that then Iniquity should abound * Mat. 24.12 They were evil Dayes perillous Times with the People of Israel when their prevailing Impieties brought down prevailing Judgements When the Land is polluted with sin it 's time it should be purged with Judgement When the iniquity of the Amorites was full †Gen. 15.16 God cut them off and planted the Israelites in their land When the sins of Sodom were come to their height * Gen. 18.20 Fire and Brimstone was rained down upon them from heaven †Gen. 19.24 When the Jews had fill'd Jerusalem with their manifold sins and multiply'd Abominations God caused them to be carry'd away Captives to Babylon * See Jer. Chap. 5. to 16 When men draw iniquity with Cords of Vanity and sin as it were with a Cart-rope †Isa 5.18 they do but pluck down Judgements upon their own Heads Crying-sins are wont to bring down cutting Judgements VVhen the Field is overgrowne with Thornes its time to set it on Fire Mens sins are but Fewel to the Fire of Gods Judgements The Seed of sin brings forth the Fruit of Death 'T is so in a Person 't is so in a Nation This Observation is very often verifi'd by sad Experience Even as I have seen saies Eliphaz in Job * Chap. 4. v. 8 9. They that plow iniquity and sowe wickednesse reap the same The thornes of tribulation grow up from the seeds of sin Though sin at the first bear a sweet Flower it at length grows up to a sharp Thorne VVhen a whole land is sow'n with wickednesse what can we expect the Harvest-Time to be but a Day of Destruction VVhen the Harvest of sinne is ripe God sends forth an Angel with a sharp Sickle to reap the Earth †Rev. 14.14 15. When the Lord of the whole earth hath fenc't a Land about for a Vine-yard to himself and gather'd out the stones thereof and planted it with the choicest Vine and built a Tower in the midst of it and also made a Wine-presse therein and yet notwithstanding all this cost and care when God expects it should bring forth Grapes it shall bring forth wilde Grapes * â—sa 5.2 what do you think will he do to this Vine-yard Let God himself tell you who is as True in his Threatnings as Just in his Iudgements Go to now saith the LORD †Isa 5.5 6 I will tell you what I will do to my Vine-yard I will take away the hedge thereof and it shall be eaten up and break down the wall thereof and it shall be troden down And I will lay it wast It shall not be pruned nor digged but there shall come up Briars and Thornes I will also command the clouds that they raine no raine upon it Thus will God suspend his mercies from an unthankful People and inflict his Iudgements upon a sinful Nation Yea further God will at length send his Angel with a sharp sickle to gather the Clusters of these wilde Grapes So shall they be cast into the great Wine-presse of the wrath of God So is his dealing with sinners Prophetically represented to us in the Holy Scriptures * Rev. 14 â—8 19. when they have filled the earth with the cursed Fruits of sinne And upon the execution of this sentence what follows And sayes the Scripture †Rev. 14.20 the Wine-presse was troden without the City and Blood came out of the Wine-presse even unto the Horse-bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred Furlongs Thus when a land is polluted with over-flowings of sin it may soon be punished
with a Deluge of Blood The Times are ever perillous during the Reigne of sinne But for the further opening of this first Proposition I shall do these two things 1. Shew what those special sins are which are Signs of Perillous Times 2. Consider the cases wherein such sinnes have in a special manner this Symptomatical significancy The first Enquiry What special sins make perillous Times FOr the Discovery of this What sins they are that speak the Times to be Perillous I shall not presume to make a Particular enumeration of all those sinnes which are Symptomes of evil Times or signes of approaching Judgements This would be a task perhaps too difficult and occasion a Discourse too tedious But onely instance in some of those special sinnes which I find in the holy Scriptures have been the procuring causes of those Calamities which have made the Times Perillous to Gods people Several other sins which have plentifully poured out the same malignant influence upon the Places and people under their Regency and dominion we shall have occasion to speak of in the following Symptomes For the present then take we notice of these subsequent sins as sad Symptomes and Presages of Perillous Times viz. The first Sin Atheisme and Irreligion THe Times are evil and perillous When Atheisme and Irreligion abounds When there is no * Hos 4.1 knowledge nor †Rom. 3.18 feare of God to be found in multitudes of People especially where the Preaching of the Word and the Means of Grace are plentifully afforded it s a sad sign of some sore judgement If God will poure out his Fury upon the Heathens that know him not and the Families of those Heathen Kingdoms that call not upon his Name * Jer. 10.25 with Psal 79.6 how much more upon those that are called Christians and yet are grosly ignorant of God and live in the constant neglect of this great Duty of Prayer For the more are the Means that are vouchsaft to any People and the greater the Obligations are that are laid upon them to any Duty the more heinous is their sinne the higher is their Provocation if they neglect it and the greater shall the Judgements be the heavier the punishments wherewith the Lord will at length plague such a sinning People And therefore does the Lord Jesus pronounce such a terrible woe against Corazin and Bethsaida and threaten them with such a dreadful Destruction because they were not amended notwithstanding the Mighty works he had wrought amongst them †Mat. 11.20 21. But sayes he * v. 22 23 24 I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the Day of Judgement then for you And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto heaven shalt be brought down to Hell For if the Mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom it would have remained until this Day But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom in the Day of Judgement then for thee The greatest outward Priviledges will not exempt a sinning People from the sorest Judgements †1 Cor. 10 1-11 Nay the greater the Priviledges are we do enjoy the sorer shall our Punishments be if we improve them not if we abuse them Now how may we tremble with a just Fear of some fearful Judgement when we consider how much Darknesse there is in a Land of Light how Ignorance Atheisme and Ungodlinesse abounds amongst a People which may plentifully enjoy the Meanes of Grace How many thousands are there that know not Jesus Christ nor care to know him Yea how many thousand Families are there in a Land blest for above a thousand years with the Gospel that call not upon God! How many Millions of People may be seen every Lords Day in the streets of Cities in the Fields and Villages that make it their constant Practice to profane the Sabbath by Vanity and idlenesse besides those Children of Darknesse which are already in the Suburbs of Hell who are then at their Pots and Pipes in their Dens of Iniquity Now * Jer. 5.9 shall not the Lord visit for these things and be avenged on such a People as this When such a black cloud of Darknesse hath overspread the Land that men see not the Light of the Sunne at Noon-day how may we justly fear that the Thunder of Gods judgements will suddenly break out against us We read that when the King of Asyria brought in strangers into Samaria that feared not the LORD nor knew the manner of his worship the LORD sent Lions among them that destroy'd them †2 Kin. 17 24 25 26. Atheism and Irreligion in a Holy Nation a Nation call'd and consecrated to Gods Worship and Service is more provoking and sooner plucks down Judgement then in a Heathen Land Wilde Beasts may be secure and live long in a Large Forrest but they are soon taken and slain when once found in a Tilled Field This was part of the Charge which the Lord drew up against his people Israel before he cast them to be melted from their drosse in the Furnace of Babylon * Jer. 9.3 They proceed from evil to evil and they know not me saith the LORD And therefore saith he to his Prophet †Jer. 9.6 7 Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit through Deceit they refuse to know me saith the LORD Therefore thus saith the LORD of Hosts Behold I will melt them and try them For how shall I do for the Daughter of my People Ignorance is a damning sin◠a soul-destroying Evil It is a People of no understanding saith the Lord * Isa 27.11 therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them aad he that formed them will shew them no favour And againe †2 Thes 1 7 8 9. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his Mighty Angels in flaming fire to take vengeance as well on them that know not God as on them that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ And these also as well as the other shall be punisht with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his Power But now when ignorance is joyn'd with obstinacy as in those that refuse to know God or to learn the Mysteries of the Gospel it s a sinne more inexcusable and the punishment of it more intolerable Certainly if the knowledge and worship of God do open a gate for the bringing in of all manner of Blessings into a land Ignorance and Irreligion must needs open a wide doore to Destruction Before the first destruction of Rome by Brennus and his Gaules its observed by the Heathen Writers themselves that the People were grown altogether Carelesse and negligent in the matters of Religion The ancient Britans it 's the Observation of Bede a little before their Destruction by the Saxons were arriv'd at such a pitch of profanenesse as Odium
in Religionis Professores tanquam in Adversarios serre To hate the Professors of Religion as if they had been their profest Enemies When men are become not onely Strangers but Enemies to Religion its Time for God to depart from such a People and instead of the Gospel the Ensigne of Peace to send some grievous Plague as a Besome of destruction to sweep the Land of its Inhabitants The second Sin Murmuring against God THose are evil and Perillous Times wherein People murmure against God his Providences Judgements Ministers Mercies This was the sinne of Israel for which God slew them in the Wilderness * See Exo. 1-12 with Psal 78.17 -31 and 1 Cor. 10.10 For sayes the Scripture †Psal 106 25 26 27. They murmured in their Tents and hearkened not unto the Voice of the LORD Therefore he lifted up his hand against them to overthrow them in the Wildernesse To overthrow their seed also among the Nations and to scatter them in the Land Yea saies the Psalmist * Psal 78 17-21 they spake against God They said can God furnish a Table in the Wildernesse Behold he smote the Rock that the Waters gushed out and the streames overflow'd can he give bread also Can he provide flesh for his People Therefore the LORD heard this and was wroth so a Fire was kindled against Jacob and Anger also came up against Israel Because they believed not in God and trusted not in his salvation To murmure against present Providences notwithstanding former Experiences is a very provoking sinne Murmuring against the God of our Mercies because he does not answer our desires in the satisfaction of our lusts is grand Ingratitude and speaks a high Degree of Wickednesse Justly may the Lord throw down his heaviest Judgements upon the heads of such a provoking People Yea though men do not directly speak against God yet when they speak against his Messengers murmure against Ministers against their Maintenance they do in effect murmure against God himselfe He that repines at the Reception of Embassadors and the charge of their entertainment is guilty of a Crime of State which will cast such a reflection upon the King that sent them as will receive but an ill Resentment And therefore in this Case we may say with Moses of the Israelites * Exod. 16.7 8. What are we that ye murmure against us Surely the LORD heareth your Murmurings which you murmure against him For what are we your murmurings are not against us but against the LORD And do you thus requite the LORD for his great Mercy in giving you the Gospel O foolish people and unwise †Deut. 32 6. May not he justly punish you for so great a Provocation by depriving you of so rich a Mercy by taking away his Gospel So when men murmure at their great Plenty the sin of thousands in the Land do they not provoke the Lord to plague the Land with Famine when men murmure against God in Times of Peace and liberty how just is it with God to scourge them with bloody Wars and chastise them with a cruel Bondage When men are impatient under their losses and afflictions and murmure at those sufferings wherewith they are corrected for their sins but yet neither take notice of the sins which have caused those sufferings nor the Hand of God which chastises them with such Afflictions as the Dogge which flies at the stone but regards not the Hand that threw it how do they provoke God to load them with heavier Fetters and chastise them with smarter Rods more cutting calamities when murmuring grows up from a bitter root of Atheisme and brings forth the cursed Fruit of Rebellion it 's time for God to take the Axe of his Judgements and cut down such a provoking People Surely murmuring against God is the fore-runner of many miseries amongst men and so a sad presage of Perillous Times The third Sin Injustice Cruelty Oppression RIghteousnesse exalteth a Nation but sin is a reproach to any People †Prov. 14.34 And especially Injustice Cruelty Oppression sins which make the Times evill and Perillous This complicated Iniquity is in the Law of God Interpretative murder And therefore the LORD stops his Ears to the Prayers of his People and casts all their Sacrifices as dung in their Faces saying * Isa 1.11 15. To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices and solemnities They are a trouble to me I am weary to bear them And when you spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when you make many Prayers I will not hear Why so Your hands are full of Blood But how did they contract this guilt Surely by their Injustice Cruelty Oppression as appears by those Precepts which the Lord gives them in opposition to their present Practise †Isa 1.17 Learne to do well seek Judgement relieve the Oppressed judge the Fatherlesse plead for the Widow Now hence it appears that Persons guilty of these sins are in Gods Account Murderers men that are guilty of Innocent Blood which cries aloud to heaven for vengeance to be executed upon such bloody wretches covetous cruel and oppressing Tyrants And this is yet more clear from the following Complaint and Commination For thus the Prophet proceeds * Isa 1.21 -24. How is the faithful City become a Harlot It was full of judgement Righteousnesse lodged in it but now murderers Thy Silver is become Drosse thy Wine mixt with Water Thy Princes are Rebellious and Companions of Thieves Every one loveth gifts and followeth after rewards they judge not the Fatherlesse neither doth the Cause of the widow come unto them Therefore saith the Lord the LORD of Hosts the Mighty one of Israel Ah I will ease me of mine Adversaries and avenge me of mine Enemies For this Sinne the Lord threatned to lay wast his Vineyard †Isa 5.5 6 even to lay the Land of Israel and Judah open to Destruction For the Vine-yard of the LORD of Hosts is the House of Israel and the men of Judah his pleasant Plant and he looked for Judgement and behold Oppression for Righteousness but behold a cry * Isa 5.7 This made their solemne Fasts abominable to God Behold sayes the Lord †Isa 58.4 ye fast for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickednesse ye shall not fast as ye do this Day to make your voice to be heard on high These are the sins which obstruct the Lords saving Mercies and draw down his sorest Judgements upon a sinful Nation A large and lively Representation hereof which calls for our sad and serious thoughts in a timely Reflection upon our sins and sufferings in these distracted Times that we may wisely bethink our selves before it be too late of the most effectual means for the Prevention of the Lords sorer Judgements upon our Land we have set before us in the Prophecy of Isaiah * Chap. 51. v. 1-19 in these
words Behold the LORDS hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither his Eare heavy that it cannot hear But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his Face from you that he will not hear For your hands are defiled with Blood and your fingers with Iniquity your Lips have spoken Lies your Tongue hath uttered Perverseness None calleth for Justice nor any pleadeth for Truth They trust in Vanity and speak Lies they conceive Mischief and bring forth Iniquity They hatch Cockatrice Egges and weave the Spiders Web he that eateth of their Egges dieth and that which it crushed breaketh out into a Viper Their Webs shall not become garments neither shall they cover themselves with their works their Works are works of Iniquitie and the Act of Violence is in their Hands Their feet run to evil and they make hast to shed innocent blood Their thoughts are thoughts of Iniquity Wasting and Destruction are in their paths The way of Peace they know not and there is no judgment in their goings they have made them crooked Paths whosoever goeth therein shall not know Peace Therefore is Judgement far from us neither doth Justice overtake us We wait for Light but behold obscurity for Brightnesse but we walk in Darknesse We grope for the Wall like the Blinde and we grope as if we had no Eyes We stumble at Noon-day as in the Night we are in desolate Places as dead men We roar all like Bears and mourn sore like Doves We look for Judgement but there is none for salvation but it is far off from us For our Transgressions are multiply'd before Thee and our sinnes testifie against us for our Transgressions are with us and as for our iniquities we know them In transgressing and lying against the LORD and departing away from our God speaking Oppression and Revolt conceiving and uttering from the heart Words of falsehood And Judgement is turned away backward and Justice standeth afar off for Truth is fallen in the street and Equity cannot enter Yea Truth faileth and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a Prey and the LORD saw it and it displeased him that there was no Judgement And he saw that there was no man and wondred that there was no * Or Interposer Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so rendred Job 36.32 Intercessor Therefore his Arme brought salvation unto him and his Righteousnesse it sustained Him For he put on Righteousnesse as a Breast-plate and an Helmet of Salvation upon his Head and he put on the Garments of Vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeal as a Cloke According to their Deeds accordingly he will repay Fury to his adversaries Recompence to his Enemies to the Islands he will repay Recompence So shall they fear the Name of the LORD from the West and his glory from the Rising of the Sun when the Enemy shall come in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a Standard against him Thus we see how miserable the State of that Nation is which is full of Unrighteousnesse Oppression and Cruelty and how dreadful the condition of that People who are guilty of these sinnes shall be when the LORD of Hosts arm'd withVengeance shall come forth in Wrath and Fury for the Execution of his Judgements These are usually the sinnes of the great men of the world The Psalmist thus describes them †Psal 73 6-10 Pride compasseth them about as a chaine Violence covereth them as a Garment Their Eyes stand out with Fatnesse they have more then heart could wish They are corrupt and speak wickedly concerning Oppression they speak loftily They set their Mouth against the Heavens and their tongue walketh through the Earth Therefore his People return hither and waters of a full Cup are wrung out to them But when their Insolencies are grown intolerable God takes down their Pride with deserved Punishments When they are come to the Zenith of their glory the least touch of the Almighty's hand sends them down into the lowest Centre of wretchednesse and infelicity That may be the very moment of their Destruction wherein they think to put a Period to the Churches Peace by their bloody Tyranny and Oppression For the oppression of the Poore for the sighing of the Needy NOW will I arise saith the LORD I will set him at safety from him that puffeth at him * Psal 12.5 Oppressors are wont to prey upon the Poor as the stronger Beasts upon the weaker the greater Fowles and Fishes upon the lesser They are the Leeches of the Common-wealth which suck the Blood out of its Veines the Suckers which spring from the roots of the Trees and draw away the Sap from the otherwise fruitful Branches The Oppressor is a most cruel Chymist for he distills Silver out of the sweat of poor mens Brows and Gold out of the tears of Widows and Orphans The very Laws are made use of by such as Keys to open their Coffers as Buckets to draw all the water out of their Wells Aperi Bursam ego aperiam Buccam Let me finger my Fee sayes the greedy Lawyer and I will canvase thy Cause Thus Justice runs upon Silver-wheels while Oppression rules with an Iron Rod. The Poor are dasht in pieces by the Proud like Potters Vessels Then is it time for the Judge of the World to come forth and execute Judgement Then shall they feel the strength of his strokes as well as others have felt the Power of their Pride †Isa 30.12 13 14 Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel Because ye despise this Word and trust in Oppression and perversenesse and stay thereon Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall swelling out in a high Wall whose breaking cometh suddenly at an Instant And he shall break it as the breaking of the Potters Vessel that is broken in pieces he shall not spare so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take Fire from the Hearth or to take water withall out of the Pit Oppression when it is become a reigning sin precedes some sore Visitation of that City presages the utter Desolation of that Land wherein it reignes We shall not doubt of the Truth of this if we do believe the Word of God * Jer. 6.6 7 8. For thus hath the LORD of Hosts said Hew ye down Trees and cast a Mount against Jerusalem This is the City to be visited she is wholly Oppression in the midst of her As a Fountain casteth out her waters so she casteth out her Wickednesse Violence and spoile is heard in her before me continually is Griefe and Wounds Be thou instructed O Jerusalem lest my soul depart from thee lest I make thee desolate a Land not Inhabited The Riches gained by Oppression shall not prosper in the hand of Oppressors nor prefit them in the Day of wrath Forasmuch therefore saith the LORD â€
Amos 5.11 12. as your treading is upon the Poore and ye take from him Burdens of wheat ye have built Houses of hewen stone but ye shall not dwell in them ye have planted pleasant Vine-yards but ye shall not drink Wine of them For I know your manifold Transgressions and your mighty sins they afflict the just they take a Bribe and they turn aside the poore in the Gate from their right And what follows * v. 16 17. Therefore the LORD the God of Hosts the Lord saith thus wailing shall be in all streets and they shall say in all the High-wayes Alas Alas For I will pass through thee saith the LORD Well then may the Apostle call the Rich men of the World who have been the Oppressors of the Poor to weeping and mourning and bitter Lamentation †Jam. 5 1-6 Go to now ye rich men weep and howle for your miseries that shall come upon you Your Riches are corrupted and your Garments moth-eaten Your Gold and Silver is Canker'd and the Rust of them shall be a witnesse against you and shall eat your Flesh as it were Fire ye have heaped Treasure together for the last Dayes Behold the hire of the Labourers which have reaped down your Fields which is of you kept back by Fraud crieth and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the eares of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * the Lord of Sabaoth Ye have lived in pleasure on the Earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the LORD of Hosts and been wanton ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter Ye have condemned and killed the just and he doth not resist you Bloody Tyrants Thus do Wolves devoure the harmlesse Sheep But the Mighty God will at length roll down heavy Judgements upon the heads of such wicked worldlings Deceit and Violence are the two maine Pillars in the House of OPPRESSION wherein bloody Tyrants and Insolent Usurpers dwell They lay snares for the Lives of men that they may take them by Deceit and then drag them with Violence to a bloody Death or unjustly deprive them of the Comforts of Life Such is the State of things when Oppression reignes in a Land Thus doth the Prophet describe these bloody and deceitful men who seek to oppresse the Righteous and lie in waite for Innocent Blood and shews how high a Provocation this is of the great God to execute his Judgements upon such a sinful Nation For among my People saith the LORD by the Prophet †Jer. 5.26 are found Wicked men they lay wait as he that setteth snares they set a Trap they catch men * Jer. 9.8 9 Their Tongue is as an Arrow shot out it speaketh deceit one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth but in heart he layeth wait for him Shall I not visit them for these things saith the LORD Shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this †Jerem. 5 27-29 As a Cage is full of Birds so are their Houses full of Deceit therefore are they become great and waxen rich They are waxen fat they shine yea they overpass the Deeds of the wicked they judge not the cause the Cause of the Fatherless yet they prosper and the right of the Needy do they not judge Shall I not visit for these things faith the LORD Shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this some passages of another Prophecy we shall select to the same Purpose * Ezek. 22 3-22 Thus saith the Lord GOD The City sheddeth Blood in the midst of it that her Time may come Thou art become guilty in thy Blood that thou hast shed thou hast caused thy Dayes to draw near and art come even to thy years therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the Heathen and a mocking to all Countreys Those that be neare and those that be far from thee shall mock thee which art infamous and much vexed Behold the Princes of Israel every one were in thee to their Power to shed Blood In thee have they set light by Father and Mother in the midst of thee have they dealt by Oppression with the Stranger in thee have they vexed the Fatherlesse and the Widow Thou hast despised my holy things and hast profaned my Sabbaths In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood In thee have they taken gifts to shed Blood Thou hast taken Vsury and Increase and thou hast greedily gained of thy Neighbours by Extortion and hast forgotten me saith the Lord GOD. Behold therefore I have smitten my hand at thy dishonest Gaine which thou hast made and at thy Blood which hath been in the midst of thee Can thine Heart endure or can thine Hands be strong in the Days that I shall deal with thee I the LORD have spoken it and will do it Now therefore thus saith the Lord GOD Because ye are all Become Drosse behold therefore I will gather you as they gather Silver and Brass and Iron and Lead and Tin into the midst of the Furnace to blow the Fire upon it to melt it so will I gather you in my Anger and in my Fury Yea I will gather you and blow upon you in the Fire of my Wrath and ye shall be melted as Silver is melted in the midst of the Furnace and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out my Fury upon you This is the portion of the wicked from the Lord. Thus doe Presumptuous men exalt themselves †Ps 55.23 But thou O God shalt bring them downe into the Pit of Destruction Bloody and Deceitfull men shall not live out half their Dayes The fourth Sin Swearing and Cursing WHen the fearful sins of swearing and Cursing are growne common the Times are Perillous When these Black sins these Ill-boading Fowles that are wont to feed upon the Brinks of the bottomless Pit do abound it s a Signe the Winter of Gods Judgements is at hand When men Thunder out Oathes and Curses on Earth as alas how often are our ears pierc't with these Hellish sounds in the open streets it's time for God to Thunder down his Judgements from heaven Doubtlesse men may curse away all the Lords Blessings and by their abominable Oaths sweare down Vengeance from heaven upon their own Heads yea soon swear their own souls into Hell Yea cruel Curses and bloody Oaths may soon fill the Land with Cruelty and Blood * Jer. 23.10 Hos 4.2 3. Because of Swearing may God justly cause the Land to mourne This sin we finde in the holy Scripture strictly forbidden and severely punished I say unto you sayes our Saviour †Mat 5 34-37 swear not at all neither by Heaven for it is Gods Throne nor by the Earth for it is his Foot-stoole neither by Jerusalem for it is the City of the great King Neither shalt thou swear by thy Head because thou canst not make one haire white or black But let your
Delicacies of Earth and Sea O the Pride of Epicurism The Glory of Gluttony But alas what is it but a shining but soon-vanishing Meteor exhaled from the Fumes of a pompous Feast brighten'd a little with the Beams of the Royal Favour which in the Revolution of a few years we may see with Astonishment in the Eclipse Even so it fell out here For not long after the King out of some Jealousies of State caused this Bacchanalian Bishop to be apprehended seized upon his whole Estate to the value of twenty thousand pounds and sent him over Priâ—oner to Callis in France where suffering a strict Imprisonment he lay languishing in Misery and Want †Victus jacuit in summa inopia Godw. Thus were the Plumes of his Pride pluckt off by the Power of his Prince and his excessive Prodigality was punisht by extreame Poverty by the Justice of God Punishment still follows at the Heeles of sin and yet sinners will be still following their sinful Pleasures until they are overtaken by their justly deserved Punishments How desperately wicked a wretch was that rich Citizens sonne presented to us in * Part. 2. p. 110 111 the Theatre of Gods Judgements who to please all his five senses at once allow'd to the delight of every several sense an Hundred Pounds For which purpose he provided a Roome richly hung and beautifi'd with the most curious Pictures to please his Eye There he had the rarest Musick to delight his Eare the richest Perfumes to ravish his Smell and the choicest Dainties to content his Tast and to gratifie his Feeling Sense he wanted not a beautiful Harlot for his wanton Embraces All this sensual Pleasure he drunk as it were at one draught while he thus feasted all his five senses in one day Neither was he herewith satisfi'd but three years did he spend in the pursuit of his sensual Pleasures and loose Delight wherein he wasted his Estate having in this short time spent no lesse then thirty thousand pounds And yet after all this he swore that if he had three times more then ever he had he would spend is all to live one weâ—k like a God as he accounted it though he was sure to be damn'd to Hell the next day after Desperate Profanenesse But to what Extremity of Torments will men at length be carry'd by such an unbridled Excesse Dives fared deliciously every day while he was here on Earth but he could not get one Drop of water to coole his flaming tongue in Hell †Luk. 16 19-26 Now this sin is one of the Cords by which a Nation plucks down Judgement upon it self The fiercest and cruellest Plagues are often let loose for the Punishment of the sinne of Luxury It was the Gate of Intemperance by which Death at first entred into the World with his whole Army consisting of many Millions of Miseries which are continually warring against miserable man-kinde Through Intemperance Adam lost his Paradise and cast his Posterity in an undone condition Fulnesse of Bread was one of the Sins of Sodom for which God destroy'd that wicked City with a dreadful destruction * Ezek. 16 49 And to this Day Fulnesse of Bread is the ordinary forerunner of Cleannesse of Teeth A Glutton is an extreamly pernicious Person He ruines himself and his Posterity and besides contributes much to the ruine and Destruction f the whole Nation For the Glutton entombes his Ancestors in his Bowels and devoures his Posterity as Saturn was said to do his Sons and by his provoking of God becomes a Plague to the present Generation Slanderers make a sword of their Tongue and Gluttons dig their Grave with their Teeth †Adag Gallic yea hereby also they dig a Pit for the Destruction of the whole Land And is not this among many others the Sin of these our Dayes surely some there are that with the Sea-Asse * Arist Hist Animal l. 9. c. 17. have their Hearts in their Bellies yea some that with the gormandizing Cretians †Tit. 1.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per Aphaeresin pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Poet. pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gulosi helluones Ventri ad Insaniam usque indulgentes Pas Phavorin Drus Praeterit in loc make their Belly their God to which they sacrifice the best part of their precious Time and Treasure These are they of whom the Apostle tells us weeping * Phil. 3.18 19 that they are the Enemies of the Crosse of Christ whole End is Destruction whose God is their Belly and whose glory is in their shame who minde earthly things How many are there that will needs live above their Ranck and spend above what their estates will bear till they have at once undone themselves and many others If they have but occasion of Feasting their Friends every thing must be set off with such a Princely Magnificence as if they were Lords of such an Ocean of wealth as knew neither Bounds nor Bottome Thus Nabal upon whose Name that Folly was engraven which was rooted in his Nature upon the Occasion of shearing his sheep †1 Sam. 25 36 held a Feast in his house like the Feast of a King wherein he himself was as drunk as a beggar Thus Luxury halted not in his House but went upon both its legges Gluttony and Drunkennesse But whoever they are that take this course will at length find that Riot is the Road to Ruine and that Poverty is the next neighbour to Prodigality It s therefore the Wisdome of such to hearken betimes to the Counsel of the Wise man * Prov. 23.19 20 21. Hear thou my Sonne and be Wise and guide thine heart in the way Be not amongst Wine-bibbers amongst Riotous Eaters of Flesh For the Drunkard and the Glutton shall come to Poverty and Drowsinesse the ordinary companion of Drunkenness shall cloath a man with ragges Dreadful are the Woes which the Lord in his Word hath pronounc't against Drunkards Woe unto them sayes the Lord by the Prophet †Isa 5.11 12. that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong Drink and continue until Night till Wine inflame them And the Harp and the Viol the Tabret and the Pipe and Wine are in their Feasts But they regard not the Work of the LORD neither consider the operation of his Hands And no wonder For * Hos 4.11 Whoredom and Wine and new Wine take away the heart Drunkennesse makes men so sottish and senselesse that they take no notice of Gods Dispensations till they are overtaken with his Judgem nts Thus it s said of Nabal after his Drunkennesse †1 Sam. 25 37 38. that his Heart died within him and he became as a stone And it came to passe about ten dayes after that the LORD smote Nabal that he died Again sayes the LORD * Isa â— 22 Woe unto them that are Mighty to drink Wine and men of strength to mingle strong Drink
He then is the greatest Drunkard in Gods sight who is able to drink most without Distemper For what 's Drunkennesse but Excesse in Drinking though no Distemper of Body or Braine should follow thereupon But he is the greatest Drunkard of all who not onely drinks to Excesse himself but labours also to draw on others to Drunkennesse enforcing more upon them then they would otherwise receive Such a devilish Drunkard deserves no lesse then double Damnation A dreadful Woe hangs ever his Head and a Cup of Wrath shall be put into his Hand and the Lord shall cause him to drink up the Dregges of it Woe unto him saith the LORD †Hab. 2.15 16. that giveth his Neighbour drink that puttest thy Bottle to him and makest him drunken also that thou mayest look on their Nakednesse Thou art filled with shame for glory drink thou also and let thy Fore-skin be uncovered the Cup of the LORDS right hand shall be turned unto thee and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory Neither does this sin of Drunkennesse draw down a Woe upon the drunkards head onely but also brings in a Deluge of Judgements upon the whole Land which is defiled by it And therefore sayes the Lord * Isa 28 1-4 Woe to the Crown of Pride to the drunkards of Ephraim whose glorious beauty is a fading flower which are on the head of the fat Valleys of them that are overcome with VVine Behold the Lord hath a mighty and strong one which as a tempest of Haile and a destroying storme as a flood of mighty waters overflowing shall cast down to the earth with the Hand The Crown of Pride the drunkards of Ephraim shall be troden under feet And the glorious beauty which is on the head of the Fat Valley shall be a fading Flower and as the hasty fruit before the Summer which when he that looketh upon it seeth it while it iâ— yet in his hand he eateth it up Thus may a Land which is as a flourishing Field for the sinnes of those that live in it be turn'd into a barren Desert a Wildernesse of Thornes Thus Gluttony and Drunkenness when they abound in a Land are the Causes Presages and Symptoms of Perillous Times The seventh Sin Fantasticalnesse Vanity and Pride of Apparel VVHen Fantasticalnesse Vanity and Pride of Apparel is a Predominant sin it speaks Perillous Times It pleased God to bestow a singular Honour upon man at his first Creation in imprinting upon him the Beauty of his own Image For †Gen. 1.27 God Created man in his own Image in the Image of God created he him The Soul of man was indeed the Principal Subject of this glorious Impression but yet the Body of man was by the Wisdome of God * Psal 139 15 curiously compos'd to such a comelinesse of shapâ— as that it might be a fit Cabinet for so inestimable a Jewel embellisht with so Divine a Portraicture Then was naked Innocency mans most glorious cloathing But since the defacement of this Image of God and the defilement of the Nature of man miserable man hath been forc't to begge Relief of the other Creatures for the covering of the shame of his Nakednesse But alas vain man How foolishly does he abuse this second Benefit How does he bewray the Nakednesse of his Minde by the Apparel of his Body How vainly does he turne the covering of his shame into the displaying of his Pride How shall we now know the â—â—ape of a man or where shall we behold the Comlinesse of his first Composure when he is now daily â—ransforming himself Proteus like into a strange Variety of Fantastick Fâ—sâ—ious And how strangely is he bewitcht with this Vanity that whereas he should in Reason shape his Apparel to his Body hâ— seemes to go about to shape his Body to his Apparâ—l How ridiculous world it be to see a man stick his Body with Peacockâ— Plume and Ostrich Feathers and then Pride himselfe in the pleasing variety of their curious colours And is it not every whit as absurd and beggarly for a Person of quality to carry a Pedlers Shop about the streets of the City leading as it were his Pride in Triumph and making an open show of the spoiles of the silk-worme And as if the costlinesse of the matter did contend with the Curiosity of the Fashion how do the Gallants of the Times lay out their Riches and Revenues for the maintenance of their Pride of Apparel How do they trample with disdaine upon the Poore of the Countrey treading them under feet as they would a Worme into the mire while they walk like Monsters of Pride with whole Orchards Fields Woods upon their Backs bearing at once in the costlinesse of their Garb the revenues of a whole Lordship Such was the luxuriant Pride and Gallantry of a Roman Emperour †Heliogabalus who jug'd it a piece of state to weare sumptuous Apparel and an unworthy basenesse to appear twice in the same suit though never so rich and splendid His shooes were embellish't with Pearles and Diamonds his Seats strew'd with Musk and Amber his Bed covered with Gold and Silver and inchac't with the costliest Gemmes and his Way strew'd with the Powder of Pearles But the Female Sex hath ever beene more generally guilty of a strange Excesse in Apparel and Ornaments How strange is the Vanitie of the Mindes of VVomen especially of those accounted of the better Rank in the affectation of Variety of Fashions in their Cloaths and Deckings Proud women have a * Mundus maliebris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. 2. de Rep. VVorld of Ornaments and Dum moliuntur dum comuntur Annus est †Terent. A Yeare is spent in their tricking and trimming themselves with them yea scarcely will an Age suffice them to runne all the Stages of their still-changing Fashions The Prophet Isaiah being himselfe conversant in the Court had diligently observ'd the Gallantry of the Proud Dames of those dayes whom he does as faithfully reprove opening a full Pack of their Toyes and Vanities the Ensignes of their Pride which they it seemes much pleased themselves in as very decent and well-becoming Ornaments But he declares unto them their sin and in the Name of the Lord pronounces the Doome of such proud self-Idolizing Vanities as the Daughters of Zion were then become through a strange affectation of multiplicity of Ornaments and singularity in Carriage and Behaviour For thus does he deliver his Message to them from the Lord. * Isa 3 16-26 Moreover the LORD saith because the Daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with stretched forth Necks and wanton eyes walking and mincing or tripping it neatly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Plaudendo Ar. Mont. tripudiando Pagn as they go and making a tinkling with their Feet as if they walked in Fetters or had Bells or Rattles ty'd to their Feet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Tinniebant A. M. pedibus
suis compeditas agunt Jun. Trem. Calceamenta habebant cum crepitaculis Pagn Therefore the Lord will smite with a Scab the Crown of the Head of the Daughters of Zion and the LORD will discover their secret Parts In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling Ornaments about their Feet and their Cauls or Ornaments of Net-work or Needle-work wrought with Eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Reticula Ar. Mont. Vittas instar retis Pagn Opera Oculata Jun. Trem. and their round Tires like the Moon The Chaines or sweet Balls or Boxes of perfuming Ointments their Golden Boxes of rich Gummes and precious Balsome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Myrothecidia Jun. Vascula aurea in quibus ponebatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stacte aut Balsamum juxta Kimch R. Levi. Buxt Lexic and the Bracelets and the Mufflers or thin Veiles or Head-Ornaments glittering with waving gold or starry Spangles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Velamina Ar. Mont. Bracteolae quae Collaribus Vittis ac Peplis muleribus addi solent sic dictae à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tremere quod semper tremulae appareant Buxt The Bonnets and the Ornaments of the Legges and the Head-bands or Haire-laces or Neck-laces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Vittae A. M. Redimicula Jun. Ornamenta Colli fuerunt Buxt and the Tablets or the Boxes of Aromatical Confections for the perfuming of the Breath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * i. e. Domus Animae seu Halitus q. d. Breath-Boxes Pagninus Pectoralia Junius Bucculas vertit exponitque superba illa Aulicarum Instrumenta quibus os suum contegunt velut pastomidibus est enim os meatus animae sive anhelitus cujus obex propterea Hebraeis Domus Animae appellatur and the Ear-rings or Amulets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Amuleta Jun. Golden or Silver Plates engraven with certain Characters against Enchantment Aben Ezra The Rings and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Jewels which hung down from the Fore-head to the Nose Nose-jewels or Jewels for the Face The changable Suits of Apparel and the Mantles and the Wimples Aprons or embroyder'd Vestures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Ventralia Jun. Buxt Linteamina Pagn Pepla Ar. Mont. Sic Kimchi and the Crisping-Pins or Cushnets Purses Pin-pillows Needle-Cases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Loculi Aciaria Pagn Ar. Mont. Crumenas vertunt Junius vero Aciaria sive ut Graeci vocant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quibus Acus aciculae infigi aut includi solent The Glasses and the fine Linnen and the Hoods and the Vailes And it shall come to passe that instead of sweet smell there shall be Stink and instead of a Girdle a Rent and instead of well-set Haire Baldnesse and instead of a Stomacher a Girding of Sackcloth and Burning instead of Beauty Thy men shall fall by the Sword and thy Mighty in the War And her Gates shall lament and mourn and being desolate shall sit upon the Ground Thus we see Vanity Fantasticalness and Pride of Apparrel brings down the Judgements of God upon a Land For this may God cloath the Land with Confusion and fill the City with Fears and stain the Beauty of these proud Gallants with Blood For this may God scourge the City with the Plague and chastise the Country with Wars and lay the whole Land desolate How dolefull is the Representation of Gods dreadfull Judgements upon the Land of Judah whereby he threatned to punish the Pride of Jerusalem How may it make the stoutest heart to tremble to see the LORD of Hosts leading up an Army of enraged and implacable Enemies against his own People To see Destruction in the Van and Desolation in the Rear of a terrible and because arm'd with Divine Justice invincible Army of Aliens Behold how the Prophet was affected with the Visionary Representation of it My Bowels says he * Jer. 4.19 ult My Bowels I am pained at my very heart my heart maketh a noise in me I cannot hold my peace because thou hast heard O my soul the sound of the Trumphet the Alarm of War Destruction upon Destruction is cry'd for the whole Land is spoiled suddenly are my Tents spoiled and my Curtains in a Moment How long shall I see the Standard and hear the sound of the Trumphet For my people is foolish they have not known me they are sottish Children and they have none understanding they are wise to do Evil but to do good they have no knowledge I beheld the Earth and lo it was without form and void and the Heavens and they had no Light I beheld the Mountains and loe they trembled and all the Hills moved lightly I beheld and loe there was no man and all the Birds of the Heavens were fled I beheld and loe the fruitfull place was a Wilderness and all the Cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD and by his fierce Anger For thus hath the LORD said The whole Land shall be desolate yet will I not make a full End For this shall the Earth mourn and the Heaven above be black because I have spoken it I have purposed it I will not repent neither will turn back from it The whole City shall flee for the Noise of the Horse-men and Bow-men they shall go into Thickets and climb up upon the Rocks Every City shall be forsaken and not a man dwell therein And when thou art spoiled what wilt thou do Though thou clothest thy self with Crimson thou deckest thee with Ornaments of Gold though thou rentest thy face with Painting in vain shalt thou make thy self fair thy Lovers will despise thee they will seek thy life For I have heard a voice as of a woman in Travell and the Anguish as of hâ—r that bringeth forth her first Child the Voice of the Daughter of Zion that bewailâ—th her self that spreadeth her hands saying woe is me now for my soul is wearied because of Murderers O ye proud Gallants ye fantastick Ladies how long will ye provoke the Lord by your Pride and Wantonness to stain your Glory to strip you of your Ornaments and to plague the whole Land for your sakes with his sorest Judgements Hath not the Lord threatned to punish your Pride and to break those Pillars of Power that sustain your Glory Hath not the Lord said †Jer. 13.9 After this manner even as Jeremiah's linnen Girdle was rotted in the earth * Ver. 7. Will I marre the Pride of Judah and the great Pride of Jerusalem You set off your Beauty by these fantastick Ornamens to the eyes of men but know you not that your Pride in the mean time makes you odious in the sight of God Know you not that Pride is ever attended with shame and shall at length be over-taken with Destruction For When Pride cometh then cometh Shame †Pro. 11.2 and Destruction stayes
their Immodesties by setting as many Spots in their Faces as they have received Blots to their Honour till their Faces are almost cover'd with these Badges of their Infamy O degenerate Gentry O ignoble Nobility How foolish are you become in these fantastical Fashions How weak how wicked are you to pride your selves in such ridiculous Vanities and to account these signes of your baseness â—o be Badges of your Honour Are you so stupid and senslesse as not to observe that â—od hath been tumbling down the greatnesse of the world staining the Pride of â—an and rolling his glory in the Dust And will you by your Pride and Vanity pluck down greater Judgements on the Land and plunge your selves into everlasting miseries Surely these Badges of your Pride are but the Presages of your Punishment Tertullian calls painted women * Ancillas Diaboli the Devâ—ls Chamber-maids or Waiting-women But then surely those who prostitute their painted Beauties to these wanton Blacks are the chiefest Ladies in the Kingdome of Lucifer And his Pride you know cost him a flaming fall 't was the fore-runner of his Destruction What then shall become of those of his Houshold Surely these painted plaister'd spotted Vanities will end their dayes in Vexation How justly may God punish their shamel sse Pride as he hath doâ—e many with shameful Poverty on earth and their wanton Pleasures with woful Paines in Hell Surely these Luxuriancies in lustful Vanities provoke God to plague the Land with dreadful Judgements and so speak these dayes wherein they abound to be perillous Times Thus we have seen what sins do in a special Manner provoke the Lord to wrath and sollicit vengeance against such a sinning People Surely where these seven Abominations are found especially where they are predominant they presage sore Plagues fore-run heavy Judgements on such a place or People For shall not the Lord visit for these things and shall not his soul be aveng'd on such a People as this that provoke him to Anger with so many fearfull Abominations Surely God may justly poure out all the †Rev. 16.1 seven Vials of his flaming wrath upon such a sinful Nation These â—ins therefore must needs be sad Symptomes of Perillous Times Come we now to consider in what Cases these sinnes are thus Symptomaticall The second Enquiry In what Cases the foremention'd Sins are Symptomes of Perillous Times ADAM in Innocency liv'd in * Gen. 2.8 EDEN a Place prepar'd by God himselfe to be the Mother of Plenty the Nurse of Pleasure and Queen Regent of Divine Delight Happy man had he not by the Losse of his Innocence the Palladium of Paradise lost his Happinesse Yea the World was an Universal Paradise whereof Eden was the Eye the Beauty of its Beautieâ— till sin committed a Rape upon its Virgin Purity and cast a defilement upon its Primitive Glory Then did its flowring Beauties fade in its Face and stinging Mâ—series sprang up apace in its Bosome Thus did the world once a Garden of Delights become a Wildernesse of â—hornes before a Palace Royal of pure unmixed Pleasures now a bloody Stage of sufferings and sorrows Thus is sinne the procuring cause of all Miseries and so the too certain Prognostick of Perillâ—us Times Was it not for s nne how should England be as Eden the Garden of God crown'd with the smiles of Heaven and cloath'd with the Virgin-Mantle of Peace and endow'd with the choicest Blessings on Earth and so admir'd by all its Sister Islands its Neighbour Nations for Beauty Riches and Renown But sin it is which spreads a black cloud upon it's Glories which threatens the Thunder of some dreadful Judgements The sinnes of England are many and what can we expect but that the sufferings of England should be great The sins of men are wont to draw downe the Judgements of God and so they are the Symptomes of Perillous Times to the People of God especially in such Cases as these that follow The first Case The Commonness of Sinne. WHen grosse Sinnes are commonly committed the Times must needs be Perillous When Lying Swearing Sabbath-breaking Stealing Cheating Deceiving Cruelty Oppression Drunkennesse Adultery and all manner of Uncleannesse does abound the Dayes are evil and full of Danger These sins are as so many Cords to pluck down Judgements upon the Heads of such a People Thus did sinne abound in the Old World before God destroy'd all Flesh with the Flood For it s said †Gen. 6.11 12 13. The Earth was corrupt before Goâ— and the Earth was filled with Violence And God looked upon the earth and behold it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the Earth And God said unto Noah The end of all flesh is come before me for the Earth is filled with Violence through them and behold I will destroy them with the Earth The Scriptures do abound with comminations of Judgement against that People that Land wherein such Abominations do abound Take notice of some of them and Oh that you would sadly lay them to heart * Jer. 7.8 16. Behold sayes the Lord to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem ye trust in lying words that cannot profit Will ye steale murder and commit Adultery and swear falsely and burn incense unto Baal and walk after other Gods whom ye know not i. e. maintaine diversities of Religion amongst you and come and stand before me in this House which is called by my Name and say we are deliver'd to do all these abominations q. d. This is the Liberty for which we adventur'd our Lives in the High-Places of the Field Is this House which is called by my Name become a Den of Robbers in your Eyes q. d. Is this the fruit of your Victories and the glorious Deliverances whereof you speak to cast contempt upon my House Worship and Ordinances Behold even I have seen it saith the LORD But go ye now unto my Place which was in Shiloh where I set my Name at the first and see what I did to it for the Wickednesse of my People Israel And now because ye have done all these works saith the LORD and I spake unto you rising up early and speaking but ye heard not and I called you but ye answered not Therefore will I do unto this House which is called by my Name wherein ye trust and unto the place which I gave to you and to your Fathers as I have done to Shiloh And I will cast you out of my sight as I have cast out all your Brethren even the whole seed of Ephraim Therefore sayes the LORD to the Prophet Pray not thou for this People neither lift up Cry nor Prayer for them neither make Intercession to me for I will not hear thee Thus multiply'd sinnes do at length bring down upon a sinful stubborn and rebellious People manifold miseries and remedilesse extremities Thus does the Lord proclaime Warre against his People Israel by the Prophet Hosea for their
mine Indignation upon them I have consumed them with the Fire of my Wrath their own way have I recompenced upon their heads saith the Lord GOD. Thus we see the Generall Corruption of the Inhabitants may soone bring upon the whole Land an utter and inevitable Destruction It 's as easie with God to cut down Cedars as to stock up Shrubs yea if the Fire of his wrath be once kindled 't will easily suddenly irresistibly consume the whole †Jer. 21.14 Forrest of People both small and great If some Branches of the great Tree of a Kingdom or Nation be barren or bear evil Fruit God may in mercy prune it with some smaller Judgements to make it the more fruitful but if both the Body and Boughs be corrupt and rotten God may justly destroy it both Root and Branch The third Case Obstinacy and Impudency in Sinning VVHen Sinners are obstinate and shamelesse in sinning the Dayes are evil the Times are perillous Such was the state of the People of Israel before their utter Destruction Moreover saith the Lord to the Prophet Jeremy †Jer. 8 4 5 6. thou shalt say unto them Thus saith the LORD shall they fall and not arise shall he turn away and not return q. d. If men do fall will they lie still and not rise again If a man be gone out of the Way when he perceives it will he proceed and not rather turn back again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quare rebellis refractarius * Ar. Mont. est populus iste Jerusalaim Rebellione forti †Pagnin Aversione pertinaci * Ar. Mont. pervicacissima †Jun. Trem. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Septuag Why then is this People of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual Back-sliding Or why is this People of Jerusalem this my People become refractory and Rebellious and have turned away from me with such a stubborn and obstinate impudent and pertinacious Aversion so stout and stiff-necked a Rebellion They hold fast deceit they refuse to return I hearkened and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of his wickednesse saying what have I done Every one turned to his course as the Horse rusheth into the Battel And further saith the LORD †v. 12-16 Were they ashamed when they had committed Abomination Nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush And what follows Therefore shall they fall among them that fall in the Time of their Visitation they shall be cast down saith the LORD I will surely consume them saith the LORD there shall be no Grapes on the Vine nor Figs on the Fig-tree and the Leaf shall fade and the Things that I have given them shall passe away from them Why do we sit still Assemble your selves and let us enter into the defenced Cities and let us be silent there for the LORD our God hath put us to silence and given us water of Gall to drink because we have sinned against the LORD We looked for Peace but no Good came and for a time of health or healing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * and behold trouble Medelae The snorting of his Horses sc of the Chaldean Army was heard from Dan the whole Land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones for they are come and have devoured the Land and all that is in the City and those that dwell therein Thus when men will not forbear sinning God will not spare them in punishing when they will not be reclaim'd from their Wickednesse they shall be consum'd by his just Judgements When the Preaching of the Word by the Prophets and Ministers of the Lord will not prevaile with men to forsake their sins and seriously to engage in the service of God then Punishment is at hand and the sword of the Lord is ready drawn to cut off such an obstinate and rebellious people Thus it s said †2 King 57 13-20 The LORD testified against Israel and against Judah by all the Prophets and by all the Seers saying Turne ye from your evil wayes and keep my Commandments and my Statutes according to all the Law which I commanded your Fathers and which I sent to you by my servants the Prophets Notwithstanding they would not heare but hardened their necks like to the neck of their Fathers that did not believe in the LORD their God And they rejected his Statutes and his Covenant that he made with their Fathers and his Testimonies which he testified against them and they followed vanity and became vain and went after the Heathen that were round about them concerning whom the LORD had charged them that they should not do like them And they left all the Commandments of the LORD their God and made them molten Images even two Calves and made a Grove and worshipped all the Host of Heaven and served Baal And they caused their Sons and their Daughters to pass thorough the Fire and used Divination and Enchantments and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to Anger Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed thâ—m out of his sight there was none left but the Tribe of Judah onely Also Judah kept not the Commmandments of the LORD their God but walked in the Statutes of Israel which they made And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hand of spoilers until he had cast them out of his sight Thus the multipli'd Abominations of a pertinaciously wicked People provokes the Lord to an utter extirpation of them out of the Land Justly may the Lord give their Land to Strangers who are continually provoking the eyes of his glory by their sins Custome in sinning takes away the Conscience of sinne and so do men confirme themselves in their evil wayes and with Pharaoh harden their hearts to their own Destruction For sayes the LORD by the Prophet * Jer. 13.23 24. Can the Ethiopian change his skinne or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the winde of the Wildernesse How severely will the Lord deal with stubborne sinners that wilfully walk in their own wicked wayes Take heed therefore lest there should be among you saith the LORD to his people Israel †Deut. 29 18 19 20. a root that beareth Gall and wormwood and it come to passe when he heareth the words of this Curse that he blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination or stubbornnesse * So the Marg. Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secundum cogitationem Pagn In Obstinatione Ar. Mont. of mine Heart to adde Drunkennesse to Thirst The LORD will not spare him but then thâ— Anger of the LORD and his Jealousie shall smoke against that man and all the Curses that are
Corrections for sin are Instructions to Righteousness But now when men are Incorrigible under Gods Corrections these are but the Fore-runners of their utter Destruction For this doth the Lord complain of his People the Jews * Jer. 2.30 In vain have I smitten your Children they received no Correction And saith the Prophet †Jer. 5.3 Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive Correction They have made their faces harder then a Rock they have refused to return And Oh! how terrible are the Punishments of this Stubbornness in sin how dreadfull the Judgements ordained for this Incâ—rrigibleness under Correction The people saith the Prophet Isaiah * Isa 9 13-17 turneth not unto him that smiteth them neither do they seek the LORD of Hosts Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail branch and rush in one day The Ancient and Honourable he is the Head and the Prophet that teacheth lyes he is the Tail For the Leaders of this People cause them to err and they that are led of them are destroyed Therefore the LORD will have no joy in their young men neither shall have Mercy on their Fatherless and Widows for every one is an Hypocrite and an evil Doer and every mouth speaketh folly for all this his Anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still For this Stubbornness and Incorrigibleness notwithstanding Instruction by his Word and Correction by his Rod doth the LORD threaten one Judgement after another against his People Israel by the Hand of Moses If ye walk in my Statutes saith the Lord †Lev. 26.3 4. and keep my Commandments and do them then will I give you Rain in due Season and the Land shall yield her encrease and the Trees of the Field shall yield their Fruit. * v. 6. And I will give you Peace in the Land and ye shall lie down and none shall make you afraid c. †v. 11 12. And I will set my Tabernacle amongst you and my soul shall not abhor you And I will walk among you and will be your God and ye shall be my People * v. 14-29 But if ye will not hearken unto me and will not do all these Commandments and if ye shall despise my Statutes and if your soul abhor my Judgements so that ye will not do all my Commandments but that ye break my Covenant I also will do this unto you I will even appoint over you Terrour Consumption and the burning Ague that shall consumâ— the Eyes aad cause sorrow of Heart and ye shall sow your seed in vain for your enemies shall eat it And I will set my Face against you and ye shall be slain before your Enemies they that hate you shall reign over you and ye shall flee when none pursueth you And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me then I will punish you seven times more for your sins And I will break the Pride of your Power and I will make your Heaven as Iron and your Earth as Brass and your strength shall be spent in vain for your Land shall not yield her Encrease neither shall the Trees of the Land yield their Fruits And if ye walk contrary unto me and will not hearken unto me I will bring seven times more Plagues upon you according to your sins I will also send wild Beasts among you which shall rob you of your Children and destroy your Cattel and make you few in number and your High-wayes shall be desolate And if ye will not be reformed by these Things but will walk contrary unto me then will I also walk contrary unto you and will punish you yet seven times for your sins And I will bring a Sword upon you that shall avenge the Quarrel of my Covenant and when ye are gathered together within your Cities I will send the Pestilence among you and ye shall be delivered into the Hand of the Enemy And when I have broken the staff of your Bread ten women shall bake your Bread in one Oven and they shall deliver you your Bread again by weight and ye shall eat and not be satisfied And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me but walk contrary unto me then I will walk contrary to you also in fury and I even I will chastise you seven times for your sins And ye shall eat the Flesh of your Sons and the Flesh of your Daughters shall ye eat * v. 31 32. And I will make your Cities waste and bring your Sanctuaries unto Desolation and I will not smell the savour of your sweet Odours And I will bring the Land into Desolation and your Enemies which dwell therein shall be astonisht at it c. Thus Incorrigibleness under manifold Corrections will at length kindle implacable wrath and so procure inevitable Ruine When lesser Judgements have wrought no Reformation there 's just cause to fear God is preparing greater Judgements to lay that Land desolate When the Field that is often plow'd and sow'd brings forth nothing but Briars and Thorns we may expect shortly to see the Master of that Fiâ—ld set it on Fire Those proud Turrets that are neither shaken with the Wind nor soften'd with the Rain may soon be scatter'd with the Thunder Though they have long threatned Heaven one moment may throw them down to the Earth When men are not melted soften'd separated from their Dross by the Fire of Afflictions what may we expect but that the Lord should turn the whole Land into a Furnace of Judgement and heat it seven and yet seven times hotter till he hath utterly consumed them from off the Earth Surely Incorrigible Impiety shall at length be punisht with inexorable Fury The longer men have gone on in sin notwithstanding Instructions and Corrections the sooner shall they be overtaken with Judgement and the higher their Provocations the heavier their Punishment Thus we have seen what special sins make the Times perillous and in what cases these sins have in a speciall manner this evil Influence upon the times The second Symptome Formality in Religion THE Times are justly to be accounted perillous When the Generality of Professors take up in some outward Forms of Worship without pressing after the Life and Power of Godliness The Apostle in this Prediction of Perillous Times seems to wind up in the close of his Description of the Persons that should make the Times perillous all the Characters of them into this one they are men * 2 Tim. 3.3 Having a Form of Godliness but denying the power thereof And certainly there cannot be a surer Symptom of evil Times then Formality and Overliness in the matters of Religion and Worship of God amongst all sorts of Professors The Times must needs be evil and perillous when Religion is made but a matter of Faction and mens Zeal for Religion is estimated by their vehement
meeting Your New Moons and your appointed Feasts my soul hateth they are a trouble unto me I am weary to bear them And when ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of blood Why did the Lord thus disregard all their Ceremonial Services and sacred Solemnities which in the time of the Old Testament he had commanded them Surely for no other reason but because they rested in them and neglected the great and weighty Things of the Law Judgement Mercy and Faith these ought they to have done and not to leave the other undone †Mat. 23 23 So the Lord elsewhere reproves them for their formal Devotion and hypocritical Fasting because they were extreamly defective in that which was the principal Part of their expected Obedience and the choicest Fruit of all such Religious Performances namely Reformation Justice and Charity For sayes the Lord to the Prophet Isaiah * Isa 58.1 2 Cry aloud spare not lift up thy voice like a Trumpet and shew my People their Transgression and the House of Jacob their sins Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my wayes as a Nation that did Righteousness and forsook not the Ordinance of their God they ask of me the Ordinances of Justice they take Delight in approaching to God Who would not judge these to be a very Holy People that should but take notice of this their Diligence in Duties Desires of direction and Delight in drawing nigh unto God But alas how soon may we hear them murmuring against God for not having respect to their services nor regard to their Solemnities as if they had received wrong from God by his not granting what they conceived their Right to them so highly were these proud hypocrites conceited of their poore Performances †v. 3-7 Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest not Wherefore have we afflicted our soul and thou takest no knowledge But the Lord replies to their demand and reproves them for their Deceit and Hypocrisie and so instructs them in their Duty Behold sayes the Lord in the Day of your Fast you finde Pleasure and exact all your Labours Behold ye fast for strife and debate and to smite with the Fist of Wickednesse ye shall not fast as ye do this day to make your Voice to be heard on high Is it such a Fast that I have chosen a Day for a man to afflict his soul Is it to bow down his head as a Bul-rush and to spread sackcloth and Ashes under him Wilt thou call this a Fast and an acceptable Day to the LORD Is not this the Fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of Wickednesse to undoe the heavy Burden and to let the oppressed go free and that ye break every Yoke Is it not to deale thy Bread to the Hungry and that thou bring the Poore that are cast out to thy House When thou seest the naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy self from thine own flesh Thus without charity the Master-wheele of good Works the most specious Acts of Religion are unacceptable to God Formality in religion is a kind of spiritual Falshood and Dissimulation 'T is but a Mocking of God a presenting him Leaves for Fruits or Lies for Devotion To offer up unto God formal Performances is to become guilty of real Provocations When the heart is wanting in Duties of Divine Worship men do but offer dead sacrifices to the living God and so provoke the pure Eyes of his Glory When the Glory of the Lord leaves the inward Sanctuary it s a signe of his departure from Jerusalem and a sad Presage of its utter Destruction * See Ezek chap. 1. 11. When the Spirit of God is in a great measure gone from the Hearts of men in the duties of his Worship it s a sad Symptome of perillous Times with the Church of God Before the persecution of the Christians in Africa by the brutish Vandals the Church of God in those Countreys was much degenerated from its ancient Purity and declin'd as to the Power of Godlinesse as Salvian Bishop of Massilia complaines †Vict. Epist Utic So a little before the Massachre at Paris it was observ'd there was such a general stupidity seiz'd upon the Protestants that few of them seriously minded the things of God or were zealously affected with the matters of Religion but were wholely taken up with their worldly Businesses and secular Concernments If Religion amongst men be once degenerated into Farm as a fruitful into a barren Vine what can be expected but that the Righteouâ—nesse of God should be arm'd with Power for the punishment of such an unprofitable People We know The * Mat. 21.19 barren Fig-tree being curst by Christ presently withered away When a Nation flourishes in the Leaves of Formality without the Fruits of solid Piety who knows how soon it may be cast into a withering condition Surely Formal Services will at length procure real Sufferings The third Symptome Impiety vail'd with Hypocrisie THe Times are perillous When under glorious pretences of Religion and Gods glory men studiously prosecute secular designes When men seek themselves under plausible Pretences of doing Service to God When men that pretend Piety and a Publick Spirit are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †2 Tim. 3.2 * v. 4. Such as do in deed preferre their private Interests before the Publick Good with whom Silver is of more value then Sanctity and who pursue their own Honour and Advancement wherein they would seem to promote Gods Glory Hi sunt qui boni videri non esse Mali non videri sed esse volunt †Bernh Serm. 66. in Cant. Thâ—se are they who as Bernard speaks would be thought good but care not to be so who care indeed bad but would not be thought so They are such as in their Designes row towards Hell while in their Pretences their Faces are towards Heaven They speak of beautifying Sion when at the same time they are Building Babel But now the Times must needs be perillous when men thus pretend Godlinesse and Gods glory for the more easie accomplishment of their own works of Wickednesse to his Dishonour When men Prostitute Religion to their own base Lusts and so vitiate her Virgin-Honour When they cast a vaile of Hypocrisie over the vilest Acts of Impiety Hypocrisie is sin gilded with pretences of Sanctity This outward Gilding makes them not so glorious in the Eyes of men as their inward Guilt m kes them odious in the sight of God Thus the Cloud which arm'd with the Bowe challenges all the world to a Combate for the Beauty of Colours is not more bright to the Earth then its black to Heaven Simulata Aequitas non est Aequitas sed duplex Iniquitas quia Iniquitas est simulatio * August in Psal 23. Equity pretended or
onely as it nourishes a secret Prejudice against the Divine Providence as suffering things to go out of Order but also as it unbridles unruly lusts and emboldens to walk in forbidden wayes while it banishes the fear of punishment and flatters the soul with promises of security in sinne This then must needs make the Times perillous Concerning this therefore does the Prophet expostulate with the Lord as the cause of many Calamities to the Land Righteous art thou O LORD sayes he * Jer. 12 1-4 when I plead with thee yet let me talk with thee of thy Judgements Or as the Margin reads it Let me reason the Case with thee concerning thy judgements Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper Wherefore are all they happy that deale very treacherously Thou hast planted them yea they have taken too t they grow yea they bring forth Fruit thou art near in their mouth and far from their reins But thou O LORD knowest me thou hast seen me and tryed mine heart towards thee pull them out like sheep for the slaughter and prepare them for the Day of slaughter How long shall the Land mourn and the Herbs of every Field wither for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein q. d. Wilt thou O Lord for ever suffer these wicked ones who are the cause that the whole countrey is ruin'd through thy just wrath †Diod. in loc The Beasts are consum'd and the Birds viz. by the drought and Famine brought upon the whole land for the punishment of the excesses of these wicked ones and their Atheistical contempt of the Divine Providence because they said he shall not see our last end q. d. We are so firmly rooted in our places of Power that notwithstanding the Judgements of God threatned against us we shall flourish for ever True * Engl. Annot. in loc this Jeremy telleth us what at length will befal us and that all our present prosperity shall end in extreame misery but his words are but winde he will never live to see any such matter befall us we shall sooner see an end of him then he any such end of us Thus do the worlds proud Potentates under pretences of Piety securely proceed in their wayes of wickednesse secretly slighting the Lords threatnings and contemning his Providence because they are not presently overtaken with their oft deserved punishments And does not this Prosperity and Immunity of such profane Politicians presumptuous Atheists speak the times evil and perillous But now it pleases God in his most holy and righteous providence to permit it thus to be that wicked men being hereby judicially hardened in their sinnes might more securely passe on and be punished and so at length be suddenly swallow'd up into an inevitable Destruction Thus there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt †Eccl. 8.9 For wickednesse shall not deliver those that are given to it * Eccl. 8.8 Yet because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to do evil †Eccl. 8.11 But at length God bringeth the wheele of his Providence over them and stretching forth his hand of Power arm'd with Justice against them he suddenly thrusts them down from the top of their earthly pomp and glory into a dreadful destruction This was the resolution which David received of his difficult question in this case which so much perplexed his spirit when he had sought the Lord in his Sanctuary When I thought to know this sayes he * Psal 73 16-20 it was too painful for me Vntil I went into the SANCTUARY of God then understood I their END Surely thou didst set them in slippery places thou castedst them down into Destruction How are they brought into Desolation as in a moment they are utterly consumed with terrors As a dreame when one awaketh so O Lord when thou awakest thou shalt despise their Image That is when thy PROVIDENCE which seemeth to sleep during the time of their Impunity shall awake to their just punishment then shall their earthly prosperity and all their worldly greatnesse and glory which is but an IMAGE of happinesse vanish away and give place to those afflicting miseries that everlasting igâ—ominy and contempt which shall suddenly and irresistibly come upon them So likewise does JOB excellently describe the flourishing state of these wicked men and fully resolves the Question and cleares the case of their present impunity by setting before us the triumphs of the Divine Justice in their future Punishment their final destruction The Tabernacles of the Robbers saith he †Job 12.6 prosper and they that provoke God are secure into whose hand God bringeth abundantly But * Job 21.7 20 Wherefore do the wicked live become old yea are MIGHTY IN POWER Their seed is established in their sight with them and their off-spring before their eyes Their houses are safe from Fear neither is the Rod of God upon them Their Bull gendreth and faileth not their Cow calveth and casteth not her Calfe They send forth their little ones like a flock and their children dance They take the Timbrel and Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ They spend their dayes in Wealth and Mirth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †and in a moment go down into the Grave Therefore they say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes What is the Almighty that we should serve him And what profit should we have if we pray unto him Loe their good is not in their hand the counsel of the wicked is far from me How oft is the Candle of the wicked put out And how oft cometh their destruction upon them God distributeth sorrows in his Anger They are as stubble before the winde and as chaff that the storme carrieth away God layeth up his Iniquity or the punishment of his iniquity * See the Marg. for his children he rewardeth him and HE SHALL KNOW IT His eyes shall see his destruction and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty Now what can be more pleasant and desirable then the Beginning of these wicked worldlings and what can be more dreadfull and formidable then their latter End And further sayes he †Job 24.1 Why seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty do they that know him not see his Dayes i. e. The time by him appointed for the punishment of the wicked * v. 2. Some remove the Land-marks They violently take away Flocks and feed thereof †v. 4. They turn the needy out of the way the poore of the earth hide themselves together * v. 7. They cause the naked to lodge without clothing that they have no covering in the cold †v. 12 13 Men groane from out of the City and the soul of the wounded cryeth out yet God layeth not Folly to them They are of
extreamly evil and perillous Yea when a wicked Generation of men shall be suffer'd with Impunity to cast Contempt upon all the Ordinances of Gods Worship to vilifie and reproach the Assemblies of the Saints calling them the Synagogues of Satan with many more vile reproaches which I think not meet to mention what shall we think are not the Dayes evil the Times perillous When those shall be countenanc't honour'd advanc't in the State being set in Places of Power and Trust who do what they can to cast an Odium upon the Ordinances of the Gospel are not the dayes evil the Times perillous These sacred Ordinances are the paths of Christ wherein he walks amongst his People and hereby do men * Ps 79.51 reproach the footsteps of Gods anointed Hereby do vile persons cast dirt at the Chariots of the King of glory Hereby is the Lord continually provoked to depart from such a people and therefore the dayes which are defil'd with these Abominations must needs be perillous Times The fift Case Sinners Sedulity and Sloth in Saints VVHen the spirit of Errour and Profanesse prevailes more and more in the World and the Spirit of Prayer and Zeale for truth and holinesse decayes more and more in the Church the Dayes are evil the Times perillous When false Fires appear and the Fire of the Altar goes out sure God is departing from his Temple When the Locusts and Caterpillars swarme in the Fields and the Frogs croak in every corner of the House the Judgement of God is already upon the Land When †2 Tim. 3.6 7 silly women are led captive in Troops by subtile Deceivers and soul-deluding Seducers * 2 Pet. 2.2 draw many Disciples after them the last Dayes which we are told shall be perillous Times are come upon us Activity of bad men in carrying on their wicked Designes and Lukewarmnesse in good men in promoting the Cause and Interest of Christ is a sad Symptome of some sore evil at hand When few are zealous for Truth and Righteousness multitudes are zealous for Errour and Impunity in the contempt of Gods holy worship we may justly feare God will shortly bring some fearful judgement on the Land When †Mat. 24.12 Iniquity abounds and the love of many waxes cold the Winter is come and stormes must be expected When the Spirit of Prayer departs the Spirit of Judgement comes in the roome of it When the Winde ceases presently the Rain falls When the hands of Moses fall down in Prayer and Amalek prevailes in battel we must needs expect it should go ill with Israel When Christians are fallen from their * Rev. 2.4 first Love and Professors are grow'n †Rev. 3.16 Lukewarm in Religion yea and many are become Key-cold in the Cause of Christ whilest others are very forward and zealous to promote the Honour and Adoration of the Deified IMAGES of their own Fancies they must needs be perillous Times ZEALE is the Pulse of the Church as JUSTICE is of the Common-wealth Now a wise Physician by feeling the Pulse may judge of the state of the Patient If it be violent and irregular the body is inflam'd and in a great distemper if it be very weak slow remiss and much interrupted it is a sad Symptome of approaching Death Apostacy in Religion is a fore-runner of Ruine and Destruction to such a particular Church and People * Jer. 8.5 15 Lukewarmnesse in Religion is a loathed temper I know thy Works sayes the Lord of the Church of Laodicea †Rev. 3.15 16. too true a Patterne of the Church of England that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou wert cold or hot So then because thou art Lukewarme and neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth In these cases all good Christians have cause to bewaile the sad condition of the Church of Christ The ninth Symptome Divisions in the Church and Union of her Adversaries THe children of the Church have experience of perillous Times When the Professors of the true Religion are divided and the profest enemies thereof are united When the Canaanites are combin'd against the Israelites and the Israelites are divided amongst themselves needs must they be distressed by their Enemies When Idolatrous Nations joyne in Confederacy against the People that professe the true Religion their State must needs be dangerous Of this does the Psalmist complain as speaking the sad state of the People of God and therefore he makes his earnest suit to God for redresse saying * Psal 83 1-8 Keep not thou silence O God hold not thy Peace and be not still O God For loe thine Enemies make a tumult and they that hate thee have lift up the head They have taken crafty COUNSEL against thy People and consulted against thy hidden ones They have said Come and let us cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance For they have consulted together with one CONSENT they are CONFEDERATE against thee The Tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites of Moab and the Hagarens Gebal and Ammon and Amalek the Philistines with the Inhabitants of Tyre Ashur also is joyned with them they have holpen the children of Lot Needs must those be perillous Times with the People of Israel when as a small Flock of sheep they were surrounded with so many troops of Wolves Lions and Bears thirsting after their blood and ready to teare them in pieces and devoure them When in the Dayes of Jehoshaphat †2 Chr. 20 Moab and Ammon and mount Seir conspired against Israel and came up against Jehoshaphat to battel both he and all the people of the Land were struck with feare in the apprehensions of their great danger And well might they fear when three Nations had arm'd themselves against that People that had provoked the Lord by their sinnes to give them up into their Enemies hands But behold a strange turne of Providence which affords a further illustration to the matter in hand These three great Armies by a wonderful stratagem of the Divine Providence were divided one against another and so now their great strength became the cause of their weaknesse and destruction for even without any stroke struck by Israel they themselves destroy'd one another insomuch that when Israel came against them they had none to encounter with but the * v. 24. dead Bodies of the slaine which were fallen to the earth and none escaped Thus as their Conjunction was their strength their Division became their overthrow Sad Divisions and bitter Contentions amongst Christians do not onely make them a scorn and Derision to their enemies but also expose them to the danger of an utter Destruction Such Christians as like Cranes fight amongst themselves do easily become a prey to others Their enemies like Eagles and Vultures will hasten to their Overthrow Thus did the Romane EAGLES prey upon the miserable Jews conflicting together in
then your Border ye that in your carnal security put far away the Evil Day the Day wherein God will call you to account for all your miscarriages and severely punish you for all your provocations though you now that you may the more securely continue in your sinnes put the Thoughts thereof far from you and cause the Seat of Violence to come neare * Amos 6.1 2 3. That is sayes Diodate You Chieftains who put away far from you all thought and fear of Gods Judgements and in the meane while joyne with and draw near to Publick Tyranny as if sinnes and their punishments could go the one without the other But Gods Judgements will for certaine at length surprize secure sinners The Danger must needs be great when men live secure in the guilt of those sinnes and Provocations whereby they have made God himself to become their Enemy When men presume of safety meerly because they prosper in their sinnes and are settled on their Lees because they are not yet empty'd from vessel to vessel in the execution of the Lords Judgements that think with themselves because God hath hitherto let them alone he will neither meddle nor make in any thing that concernes them Dreadful is the day of the Lords Wrath which is at hand when he will narrowly search out these secure sinners and severely punish them for all their Provocations For sayes the Lord †Am. 1.12 18 It shall come to pass at that time which is prefixt for their punishment that I will search Jerusalem with Candles and punish the men that are settled on their Lees that say in their heart The LORD will not do good neither will he do evil Therefore their Goods shall become a Booty and their Houses a Desolation they shall also build Houses but not inhabit them and they shall plant Vineyards but not drink the Wine thereof The GREAT DAY of the LORD is near and hasteth greatly even the Voice of the DAY of the LORD the mighty man shall cry there bitterly That Day is a DAY of WRATH a Day of trouble and distresse a Day of Wastness and Desolation a Day of Darknesse and Gloominesse a Day of Clouds and thick Darkness a Day of the Trumpet and Alarme against the fenced Cities and against the high Towers And I will bring distress upon men that they shall walk like blinde men because they have sinned against the LORD and their Blood shall be poured out as Dust and their Flesh as the Dung Neither their SILVER nor their GOLD shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORDS WRATH but the whole Land shall he devoured by the fire of his Jealousie for he shall make a speedy Riddance of all them that dwell in the Land Thus presumptuous and secure sinners may at length pluck down dreadful Judgements both upon themselves and the whole Land When such sinners are to be found in Zion the Times must needs be perillous Before the persecution in Bohemia the Churches there having had a long continued calme of Peace in the plentiful enjoyment of the Gospel and means of grace men began to grow extreame loose in their Lives and very secure in their sinnes though they were guilty of many and great Provocations insomuch as many pious and prudent men began to presage that some horrible storme would suddenly arise and some fearful tempest would fall upon them And the Event answer'd the Expectation Now how perillous are those Times wherein the Judgements of God are ready every moment to fall upon the Heads of a secure People When every man minds his own private concernments and little regards the Publick when no man duly lays to heart the sinnes of the Times or mournes for those Abominations whereby the Lord is provoked to destroy the Land when no man * See Isa 64.6 7. stirs up himself to take hold on the LORD and call upon his holy Name When Gods own people do not so take notice of the †Psal 28.5 Isa 5.12 Operation of his hands do not so seriously minde his Providential Dispensations and lay to heart the distracted condition of his Church as they ought when there is not that watchfulness that care and zeale for the cause of Christ that frequency and seriousness in seeking of God that there ought to be but an universal slumber and security is fallen upon the children of men it 's a sad Symptome of perillous Times Thus I have given you the Symptomes of perillous Times and have now completed the Number I intended But I shall adde one more by way of Corollary and Conclusion which carries in it a respect to all the rest The last but not least Symptome The Perill of Plain-dealing THe Times are then perillous When it s a perillous thing for a man to lay down the Symptomes of perillous Times They are the sins of men that make the Times perillous and thence must we draw the Symptomes of perillous Times Now the more obdurate men are in their sinnes the more Impatient they are of reproofs the more enraged they are at their Reprover hating him for telling them the Truth and persecuting him for warning them of the wrath to come the more perillous are the times Thus when the wicked and rebellious Jews were faithfully reproved by Stephen for those fearful sins whereof their own consciences told them they were deeply guilty as when he plainly told them to their faces that however they would be thought the onely people of God they were no better then Persecutors and Murderers persecutors of the best of men Murderers of the Sonne of God they were cut to the heart and gnashed upon him with their teeth and stoned him with stones to death * Acts 7.52 54 59. And who knows not that these were perillous Times to the People of God Yea these are perillous Times both to the Reprover and to the Reproved the one is in danger of Persecution from men the other is in Danger of Destruction from God Of such Times does the Lord speak by the Prophet Amos saying †Am. 5.10 they hate him that rebuketh in the Gate the place of Publick Conventions where wisdom cryeth to the simple * Pro. 1.21 and they abhorre him that speaketh uprightly not dealing deceitfully with them in the matters of the greatest concernment But what follows hereupon Forasmuch therefore saith the Lord †v. 11 12 13 as your treading is upon the Poore and ye take from him burdens of Wheat ye have built Houses of hewen stone but ye shall not dwell in them ye have planted pleasant Vineyards but ye shall not drink Wine of them For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sinnes they afflict the just they take a Bribe and they turne aside the poore in the Gate from their Right Therefore the Prudent shall keep * Nam sub Tyranno dicere quod velis periculosum quod nolis miserum est Plin. Ep. 14. l.
8. silence in that time for it is an evil time This unlesse they had a Call from God as had the Prophets of the Lord to reprove these wicked ones for their sinnes and to give in their Testimony in the behalf of God against their irregular and unjust proceedings The times are unquestionably perillous when the Terrible one is in Power and the Scorner is in Favour and they that watch for iniquity are rewarded That make a man an Offendor for a †Sub Tyranno voces non sunt liberae multo minus in Tyrannum Drepan Paneg. c. 2. Word and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the Gate and turne aside the just for a thing of nought These are perillous Times to the People of God neither can the Church according to the Scripture-Calculation expect good Dayes till * Isa 29.20 21. the terrible one is brought to nought and the scorner is consumed and all that watch for Iniquity are cut off That make a man an offendor for a Word and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the Gate and turne aside the Just for a thing of nought In that day †v. 18 19 shall the meek encrease their joy in the LORD and the poore among men shall rejoyce in the Holy One of Israel Then * v. 24. they also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding and they that murmured shall learne Doctrine When the Great men of the Times shall become Terrible ones to the People of God and watch for opportunities to ensnare his Prophets and seek an occasion to persecute the Preachers of his Word who reprove them for their fearful Impieties and horrid enormities whereby they pluck down Judgements upon the whole Land the Times must needs be evil and perillous But yet let such know the Judgement of God is ready to fall upon their own heads who have thus laid snares for the life of others For Judgement is toward you saith the LORD †Hos 5.1 2 O House of the King O ye State-Robbers that have turned the Kings House into a Den of Thieves because ye have been a SNARE on Mizpah and a NET spread upon Tabor i. e. You have laid snares to entrap the Innocent in their Lives and Goods as Hunters and Fowlers do upon the Hills of Mizpah and Tabor * Diod. Annot. And the REVOLTERS are profound to make SLAUGHTER q. d. they are profound in making PLOTS to murther men though I have been a REBUKER of them all who have thus villanously conspired against them who have rebuked them for their sins in my Name Thus will the Lord at length finde out and punish proud and presumptuous Persecutors of his Prophets and People yet during the time of their Prevalency and Predominancy in Church and State the Dayes must needs be evill the Times perillous When Micaiah the Prophet of the LORD is rudely interrupted by false Prophets and smitten on the cheek for prophecying the Truth †1 King 22.24 When this Injury is protected by an ungodly Prince yea and seconded by a false Imprisonment it 's surely a perillous Time When a wicked Ruler rashly engaged in a destructive enterprize shall say concerning a Preacher of Gods Word that sought to reclaime him * ver 27. Put this fellow in the Prison and feed him with Bread of affliction and with Water of affliction until I come in Peace When if a Prophet of the Lord do but forewarne the People of following judgements some furious Captaine shall apprehend him and falsely †Accusandi frequens publica Rabies gravius togatam civitatem confecit Senec. l. 3. c. 26. de Benef. accuse him to the Princes of the people and these shall without Colour of Law or Justice smite him and cast him into prison Yea when this will not yet satisfie their malice and cruelty but they shall press hard upon him with their false Accusations saying He weakens the hands of the Souldiers and Citizens by preaching such things as these are at such a season as this is and so under these pretences seek to put him to Death these are manifestly perillous Times for the People of God and surely some great Judgement hangs over the Heads of such a Nation For just thus did the Princes of Judah deale with the Prophet Jeremy and what follow'd thereupon but the utter Ruine and Destruction of the City Jerusalem and the carrying Captive both of the Princes and of the People into Babylon as we read in the sacred Records of the Holy Scripture †See Jer. 37 38 and 39. ch Behold his usage the fore-running presage of these soon-following calamities on the Jewish Nation It came to passe says the sacred Story * Jer. 37 11-15 that when the Army of the Caldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaohs Army then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the Land of Benjamin to separate himself thence in the midst of the People And when he was in the Gate of Benjamin a CAPTAINE of the Ward was there whose name was Irijah the sonne of Shelemiah the son of Hananiah and he took Jeremiah the Prophet saying Thou fallest away to the Caldeans Then said Jeremiah It is false I fall not away to the Caldeans but he hearkened not to him so Irijah took Jeremiah and brought him to the Princes Wherefore the PRINCES were wroth with Jeremiah and smote him and put him in PRISON in the House of Jonathan the Scribe for they had made that the Prison But these wicked Princes are not yet satisfi'd herewith We have a further account of their injurious proceedings against him their false charge and bloody Petition prefer'd in an unjust Court with the Issue thereof suiting to their own Desires or rather though disguis'd in a Petitionary Way as appeares by the story their peremptory Demands so little Reverence did they beare to the Authority of their King For thus is it recorded †Jer. 38 1-6 Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan and Gedaliah the son of Pashur and Jucal the sonne of Shelemiah and Pashur the sonne of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the People saying Thus saith the LORD he that remaineth in the City shall die by the Sword by the Famine and by the Pestilence but he that goeth forth to the Caldeans shall live for he shall have his Life for a Prey and shall live Thus saith the LORD This City shall surely be given into the hand of the King of Babylon's Army which shall take it Therefore the Princes said unto the King We beseech thee let this man be put to DEATH for thus he weakneth the Hands of the men of War that remain in the City and the Hands of all the People in speaking such words unto them for this man seeketh not the PEACE * So the Marg. Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Welfare of this People but the HURT Then
Zedekiah the King said Behold he is in your hand for the King is not he that can do any thing against you Then took they Jeremiah and cast him into the Dungeon of Malchiah the sonne of Hammelech that was in the Court of the Prison and they let down Jeremiah with cords and in the Dungeon there was no water but mire so Jeremiah sunk in the mire Thus wicked Rulers are wont to exercise their Rigours upon the Lords faithful Prophets and then needs must such Times be perillous to the People of God Thus when the Apostle fore-warnes us of perillous Times he plainly tells us that in those Dayes †2 Tim. 3.3 men shall be False-accusers Fierce Despisers of those that are Good Say the CAPTAINES of the Host to Jehu concerning a Prophet of the LORD * 2 King 9.5 11. Wherefore came this MAD fellow to thee Thus when Piety is banisht from the Court and Iniquity abounds in the Camp †Is 59.15 he that departeth from Evil is accounted MAD * So the Marg. and Jun. Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praedae exponit se sed secundum R. Salom. Aberrans vesanus stultus habetur and so hereby maketh himself a PREY When the Scepter is snatcht from the hand of VIRTUE and the Sword is put into the hand of VICE when AUTHORITY is stript of her Robes of State and POWER is cloathed and adorn'd with her Spoiles it 's high time for TRUTH and PIETY to fly to the Sanctuary of God and there to wait for the HONOUR of MARTYRDOME at his holy Altar When the Mines are made the Powder is laid and the Match is lighted for the blowing up of the House as the Danger is great to them that are therein so cannot the Discovery be made without Danger How sad is the state of things when Warning shall be given to men from God of their near approachings evils and Judgements which God is ready to execute upon them for their sinnes and they shall contemptuously reject all such Admonitions with many tart invectives at least and sharp reflections upon them that have thus warn'd and admonisht them in the Name of the Lord saying All this is but out of the Pride of their hearts the bitternesse of their spirit and their Disaffection to the Government Thus did the rebellious Jews reject the reproofs and premonitions of the Prophet Ezekiel immediately before they experimented the strength of Gods hand and the smart of his Rod in the Babylonish Captivity For thus sayes he unto them †Ezek. 33.26 Ye stand upon your sword ye work Abomination q. d. Now ye have the sword in your hand ye trust in your owne strength and are secure in your sinnes as if the Evils and Judgements whereof I have warn'd you in the Name of the Lord should never befal you But sayes he unto them * v. 33. When this comes to passe loe it will come then shall they know that a Prophet hath been among them Demosthenes the famous Athenian Oratour and illustrious Assertour of the Graecian Liberties against the injurious intrusions of the Macedonian Monarch being banisht by his ungrateful Citizens as he departed out of the City a company of the Athenian Youth coming to see him he gave them this counsel that if they were wise they should never meddle in matters of State all Activity in publick concernments being through the Malice of some and Envy of others continually attended with manifold Dangers and Disgraces And further to confirm his Counsel for his own part he assured them that if the Athenians would afford him the Liberty of Choice whether to go as he was wont into the Assemblies to make Orations to the People or to climb a Scaffold to receive the stroke of Death he now knew so much by his own experience of the Feares Envies Suspitions Slanders Accusations and Injuries that still attend him that shall interesse himself in the Affaires of the Common-wealth though out of a desire of the Publick Good he would rather chooâ—e the plaine Way to Death then that rough and dangerous Path to Honour †Plutarch in Vita Demosth What should be the ground of this Choice but that he thought one Death was rather to be chosen then many Thus we see how publick Persons are exposed to Danger in perillous Times especially when the Common-wealth is pester'd with Factious People There are two things which a Factious Ambitious People can never beare the Tongue of the Preacher and the Head of the Prince But beyond all colour of contradiction the peril of Gods Ministers in delivering his Message to a people professing Religion and godlinesse speaks the Times to be perillous But what shall I say more to this wicked Generation but with the Apostle * Gal. 4.16 Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth Be it so Neverthelesse sayes the LORD †Eze. 33.9 if thou warne the wicked of his way to turn from it if he do not turne from his way he shall aâ—â— in his iniquity but thou hast delivered thy soul Well then * Isa 49.4 I have not labour'd in vain I have not spent my strength for nought and in vaine For my judgement is with the LORD and both my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †WORK and REWARD is with my God Opus Metonym Operis Merces Buxt Thus we have largely resolved the first Question concerning the knowledge of those Times which the Apostle hath foretold us shall be perillous We shall now give a brief answer to the two remaining Questions and so proceed to the second principal Enquiry which was at first propounded for the prosecution of thâ— subject The second Question VVHy are these Times so perillous Quest 2 Answ Because I. God is provoked Answ 1 The loving Favour of a gracious reconciled God makes the Saints happy and the Times blessed and glorious But when the sinnes of men have provok'd the wrath of God what can we expect but perillous Times God is no lesse dreadful in his Judgements then he is gracious to his Saints in the distribution of his Favours Doubtlesse it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God †Heb. 10.31 And the Abominations of such Times are so many Provocations of the most high God If his Jealousie burn like fire * Ps 79.5 Zeph. 1.18 and 3.8 and his fierce wrath should once be kindled †Psal 2.12 Num. 11.33 Ps 106.40 against us how should the Inhabitants of the Land be as withered stubble before him What dreadful Judgements hath a provoked God thrown down from heaven upon a provoking people He drown'd the world with water and burnt up Sodom and Gomorrah with Fire and hath slaine many thousands of his Enemies with the edge of the Sword for those fearful Impieties wherewith they provoked the pure eyes of his glory Needs must those be perillous Times wherein the Lord of hosts
is fearfully and continually provok'd to arme himself with vengeance and come forth to the Punishment of a rebellious People * See Isa 59 12-19 He hath lightening in his eyes and thunder in his hands if once he be provoked to anger he can in a moment burn up a sinful Nation in an instant break in pieces a rebellious People II. Men are perverted When the minds of men are perverted by the Doctrines of Deceivers all their paths are full of darknesse and danger For the Minde is the eye of the soul And the Light of the soul as of the Body is the eye if therefore thine eye be single sayes our Saviour thy whole body shall be full of Light But if thine eye be evil thy whole body shall be full of darknesse †Mat. 6.22 23 He whose eyes are blinde walks in darknesse at noon-day And when men walk in Darknesse they are continually exposed to Danger When damnable Doctrines are publickly preach'd and multitudes are baptiz'd into the Belief of them and so the souls of men are perverted and impoyson'd by them these must needs be Dayes of Danger perillous Times When the Power of Truth failes and the Plague of Errour and Heresie reignes When the Glory of true Christianity is eclipst and the Mystery of Iniquity is mightily working in the mindes of men such Times must needs be perillous and pernicious III. The Land is polluted Reigning sinnes prevailing abominations especially when patronized by those by whom they should be punished whereby they become National sinnes do exceedingly pollute a Land Now when the Land is polluted what can be expected but that God should depart from it and bring in a Deluge of Judgement or kindle a dreadful burning to purge it Is not this then a sad presage of perillous Times After the House of the Lord in Jerusalem was polluted by the Abominations of the people of Judah both the City and the Temple was destroy'd * 2 Chron. 36.14 15 c. When the Land of Canaan was polluted by the sinnes of the Canaanites God deliver'd both them and their Land into the hand of the Israelites and when it was polluted by the Israelites he deliver'd them up into the hand of the Canaanites as we read in the Book of the Judges †See also Psal 106 38-42 When the Land is polluted by its sinnes it 's just with God to * Lam. 2.2 pollute it by his Judgements And what then can we expect but perillous Times in a polluted Land The third Question Quest 3 WHat is the peril of these Times Answ The evils to be feared in these Times are such as these Answ 1 I. The judgement of God on the Land God may justly bring the Sword and Famine and Pestilence for the punishment of such a provoking People These three Arrows are ever ready in Gods Quiver to be discharg'd against his Enemies God may sweep that Land with the besome of Desolation wherein men under pretences of Gods glory seek their own interests and establishment He may punish spirituall Abominations with temporal Judgements Persecution with War the plague of Errours with the Pestilence the Contempt of the heavenly Manna of his holy Word with Famine and want of necessary food He may wash that Land with Blood that hath been defiled with Oppression and Murder He may sweep that house with the Pestilence that hath been defiled with Pride and Perjury He may scourge that people with Famine that have sin'd through Fulnesse of Bread He may break that land in pieces by the thunder of his Judgements that hath not taken warning by the lightening of his Threatnings in the preaching of his Word So for spiritual Judgements for the Abominations of his People the Lord may go far from his Sanctuary †Ezek. 8.6 When a Church hath left its first love God may come speedily and remove its Candlestick out of his Place * Rev. 2.4 5 When men shall abuse the servants of the Lord sent forth to gather the Fruits of his Vineyard he may justly destroy them and give the Vineyard unto others †Mark 12.9 When men are grown greedy of the gain of Oppression and weary of the Ordinances of God when Covetousnesse is become cruel in grinding the faces of the Poore * Isa 3.25 and Profanesse bold in slighting of Sabbaths and sacred Solemnities of Divine Worship God may justly cause that Land to tremble for the horrour of his Judgements and plague that peoples contempt of his Worship by a Famine of his Word And so hath the Lord threatned to punish these sinnes in his people Israel by his Prophet Amos saying †Amos 8 4-12 Heare this O ye that swallow up the needy even to make the Poor of the Land to faile saying When will the New Moon be gone that we may sell Corne and the Sabbath that we may set forth Wheat making the Ephah wherewith they measured their Grain small and the Shekel wherewith they weighed the money which they received for payment great and falsifying the Balances by deceit That we may buy the poore for silver and the needy for a paire of shooes yea and sell the refuse of the wheat The LORD hath sworne by the excellency of Jacob surely I will never forget any of their Works Shall not the Land tremble for this and every one mourn that dwelleth therein and it shall rise up wholly as a flood and it shall be cast out and drowned as by the flood of Egypt And it shall come to passe in that day saith the Lord GOD that I will cause the Sunne to go down at noon and I will darken the earth in the clear day And I will turn your Feasts into Mourning and all your Songs into Lamentation and I will bring up sackcloth upon all Loynes and baldnesse upon every Head and I will make it as the mourning of an onely sonne and the end thereof as a bitter Day Behold the dayes come saith the Lord GOD that I will send a FAMINE in the Land not a Famine of Bread nor a Thirst for Water but of hearing the Words of the LORD And they shall wander from Sea to Sea and from the North even to the East they shall runne to and fro to seek the Word of the LORD and shall not finde it When the Lord shall bring these judgements upon a Land or Nation professing the true Religion the Church may call her Children * 1 Sam. 4.21 ICHABOD for the Glory is departed Thus for the sinnes of Judah did the †Ezek. 9.3 and 10.4 18 19. Glory of the Lord an illustrious pledge of his gracious presence depart from Jerusalem and sad were the Calamities which ensued thereupon Thus the Times are perillous when the sinnes of men are grown to that height that we may justly expect the Judgements of God upon the Land II. Persecution of the Church When Clouds of Darknesse are spread over the City of God
What dreadful Dayes may we yet live to see if the Lord should deal with us according to our Deservings How soon may the Clouds of heaven which were wont to drop down Blessings on our heads be dissolv'd into showers of Blood Ah my Beloved have you not read in the holy Scriptures what dreadful Judgements the Lord hath executed upon Cities Nations Kingdomes his own People yea the whole World Know you not that God turn'd the whole Earth into a Sea and destroy'd all Flesh save the Family of Noah with a Flood How he pour'd a Flood of Fire and Brimstone upon the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and consum'd them with Flames and turn'd that pleasant plain that was as the Garden of God * Gen. 13.10 into a noisome Lake How that God was wroth with his own people the children of Israel whom he had chosen to himself out of all the kindreds of the earth and slew them in the VVildernesse so that onely Joshua and Caleb of all those that came out of Egypt entred into Canaan And how often after they were possest of the Land of Canaan he sold them into the hands of their enemies that opprest them in the Time of the Judges How in the dayes of Eli he deliver'd them into the hands of the Philistines who slew them with a great slaughter insomuch that in one battel there fell of Israel thirty thousand Foot-men †2 Sam. 4.10 How the Lord sent a Pestilence amongst them in the dayes of David which raged so exceedingly that in three dayes space there dy'd of the people seventy thousand men * 2 Sam. 24 15 How the Lord brought the King of Babylon into Jerusalem who burnt the Temple of the Lord the Palace of the Prince and the Houses of the Nobles with Fire brake down the Wall thereof and utterly destroy'd the City carry'd both Princes and People Captives into Babylon where they endur'd a hard Bondage for threescore and ten years †2 Hing 25. and 2 Chro. 36.14 ult Now know you not that all these things happened unto them for ensamples unto us and that they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come * 1 Cor. 10 6 11. Oh do but consider seriously with your selves what were the Causes of all these fearful Judgements which God who is the Father of Mercies brought upon the men of the world yea upon his own People Were they not the sinnes of the Times whereby men pluckt down upon their own heads these Plagues and Punishments Now pause a little and consider seriously Are not the same sinnes that drew down Judgements upon them to be found amongst us Is not the Pride Luxury Lasciviousness Licenciousness Atheism Impieties of the old World to be found amongst us Are there not †Gen. 6.4 Mighty men Giants in worldly Greatness who employ their might in fighting against God in these our Dayes Are not the sins of Sodom to be found amongst us Is not the City and Land polluted with the vilest Impurities and Pollutions Are not the Murmurings Cruelties Injustice Oppressions Falshoods Covenant-breakings Revoltings neglect of Gods Worship Contempt of his Ordinances Hypocrisies of Israel to be found amongst the people of England Have we not then cause to tremble in the Apprehension of the judgements which hang over our heads especially if we seriously consider that those sinnes which severally in them drew down such dreadful judgements are to be found jointly in us and that notwithstanding the Light of the Gospel and the Meanes of grace plentifully enjoyed by us which are most fearful Aggravations of this dreadful guilt Nay is not the guilt of many horrid Blasphemies and hellish Impieties which have not been heard of in former Ages to be found amongst us Does it not make your hearts to tremble to consider that so many crying sins so many provoking impieties so many bloody Abominations should abound and reigne amongst us when for any one of them so reigning so abounding the whole Land might be involv'd in miseries and Confusion and Blood Are not these then perillous Times Surely it is of the LORDS mercies we are not consumed and because his compassions faile not * Lam. 3.22 But who knows how soon the Lord in his Justice may proceed to the execution of his Judgements upon us and so turne our Chephzibah a Land of Beauty the Lords Delight into an Acheldama a Field of Blood What then is to be done by us Christians for the Prevention of the Lords Judgements on a sinful Land O come and bring every one your two Buckets and pour them out before the Lord for the quenching of the Fire of the Lords wrath which is kindled against a sinful Nation Fasting and Weeping and Mourning hath been a way which hath proved very effectual for the turning away the sorest Judgements the diverting of the nearest Destruction Thus was the destruction of Jerusalem delay'd in the time of Josiah †2 King 22.19 20. the destruction of Nineveh in the Days of the Prophet Jonah * Jon. ch 3 This is that to which God calls at such a time as this in a Day of Danger and Distresse When the Lord had threatned terrible Judgements against Zion this was the duty to which by his Prophet he call'd the Inhabitants of Jerusalem †Joel 2 12-19 Therefore also now saith the LORD Turn ye even to me with all your Heart and with FASTING and with WEEPING and with MOURNING And rent your Hearts and not your Garments and turne unto the LORD your God for he is Gracious and Merciful sloâ— to Anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the Evil. Who knoweth if he will returne and repent and leave a blessing behind him even a meat-Offering and a drink-Offering to the LORD your God Blow the Trumpet in Zion sanctifie a FAST call a solemne Assembly Gather the People sanctifie the Congregation Assemble the Elders Gather the children and those that suck the Breasts Let the Bride-groom go forth of his Chamber and the Bâ—ide out of her closet Let the Priests the Ministers of the LORD weep between the Porch and the Altar and let them say Spare thy People O LORD and give not thine Heritage to reproach that the Heathen should rule over them Wherefore should they say among the People Where is their God Now mark what follows Then will the LORD be jealous for his Land and pity his People Yea the LORD will answer and say unto his People Behold I will send you Corn and Wine and Oyle and ye shall be satisfi'd therewith and I will no more make you a reproach among the Heathen Now how great an encouragement should this be to us in perillous Times to seek the Lord solemnly seriously with Fasting and Prayer Do you ever remember that the Judgements of the Lord came upon his people while they were Fasting and Weeping and Mourning No when sinnners are Feasting
from your own souls prevent the Dishonour of God and the Destruction of the Land This also would very much conduce to a Happy Change of the Times For never can we expect to see good Dayes till †Am. 5.24 Judgement run down as waters and righteousnesse as a mighty streame for the purging of the Land from its Impurities and Abominations The third Duty Prayer for Amendment IS it your Lot to live in Evil Times Dayes of Danger and Distresse Then Pray to the Father of Eternity for the Change and Amendment of the Times All our †Ps 31.15 Times are in his Hand he changes them from good to bad or bad to good as pleases him 'T is he that causes the Sun to shine or covers it from us with a Cloud as he pleases Our Dayes are clear or cloudy our Times are good or evil according to his Ordering and Government To whom then should we go but to him that orders all changes for the change of evil and perillous into good and prosperous Times He can take away evil men or make them good and so amend the Times When we see men continue in their sinnes and daily grow to a greater height of Wickednesse we have then cause to fear the Times will grow worse rather then better And therefore in this Case the People of God had need be very earnest and importunate with God in their Prayers lest the Provocations of the wicked should be more prevailing for the bringing down of the Judgements of God then the Prayers of his People for the Prevention of those Judgements and the Procurement of his Mercies upon the Land When the sins of the Land cry aloud for Judgment the Saints of God had need to cry aloud for Mercy The Prayer of Faith is the most effectual means by Gods own appointment for the Removal of evils felt the Prevention of evils feared and the Procurement of good things desired There is not therefore a more sad Symptome of the approach of some dreadful Judgement then the Restraint of the Spirit of Prayer in the People of God Thus when Israel had fearfully provoked God by customary commission of grosse sinnes after glorious deliverances as Theft Murder Adultery Perjury Idolatry and had extreamly aggravated these sins by pretences of Religion and godlinesse For they would come and stand before the LORD in his House as if they should say We are deliver'd to do all these Abominations as the Lord hath testifi'd against them by his Prophet * Jer. 7.9 10 and when thereupon God purposed to cast them off for their sins he forbad his Prophet to pray for them For sayes the Lord †Jer. 7.15 16 I will cast you out of my sight as I have cast out all your Brethren even the whole seed of Ephraim Therefore pray not thou for this People neither lift up Cry nor Prayer for them neither make Intercession to me for I will not hear thee This Prohibition of the Prophets Prayer for them was more terrible then the Commination of the sorest Judgement against them While a Praying Spirit is kept up in the hearts of Gods people there is hopes of prevailing with God for mercy for a sinful Nation Prayer does as it were binde up the hands of Omnipotency that an offended God cannot inflict a deserved Punishment upon a provoking People And therefore when the Israelites had made them a Molten Calf and worshipped it and the wrath of God was kindled against them to destroy them Moses by his Prayer prevented their Destruction And therefore did the Lord speak thus to Moses * Exod. 32.9 10. with Deut. 9.13 14 I have seen this people and behold it is a stiff-necked people Now therefore LET ME ALONE that my wrath may wax hot against them and that I may consume them and blot out their name from under Heaven And I will make of thee a great Nation even a Nation mightier and greater then they Thus we see God could not execute his fierce wrath upon his people unless Moses would let him alone by ceasing to pray for them But this Command being rather Declarative of Gods wrath against Israel then expressive of his Pleasure that Moses should cease Praying Holy Prayer being Gods Delight Moses still proceeds in his Intercession for Israel and joynes Fasting with his Prayer and so prevailed for Mercy For it is said †Exod. 32 11 12. Moses besought the LORD his God and said Lord why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people c. Turn from thy fierce wrath and repent of this evil against thy people And how gracious an Answer did he receive unto his prayer For it is said hereupon * ver 14. And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people And again when Moses had beheld their abomination in making and worshiping the molten Calf he thus relates his Carriage success †Deut. 9.18 19 And I fel down saith he before the Lord as at the first fourty daies and fourty nights and I did neither eat bread nor drink water bâ—cause of all your sins which ye sinned in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to Anger For I was afraid of the Anger and hot displeasure wherewith the Lord was wroth against you to destroy you But the Lord hearkened unto me at that time also And therefore is it recorded of him in the Holy Scripture that the Lord said That he would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the Breach to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them * Psal 106 23 And doth not the Lord such is his infinite Patience before he proceeds to the Execution of his Judgements upon a rebellious People for their unsufferable Provocations seek for a man among them that may make up the hedge and stand in the Gap before him for the Land that he may not destroy it †Ezek. 22 30 O then that some Moses might arise and plead with the Lord for his people that he might remove his Judgements and continue his Mercies to them and spare a sinfull Nation a defiled Land So Abraham brought down Gods Mercy by Steps in his * Gen. 18.23 ult Intercession for Sodom so far that if but Ten righteous persons had been sound in that whole sinfull City God would not have destroyed it Now how great an Encouragement should this be unto you Christians in Perillous Times to make your Addresses to God by fervent Prayers Oh! Is there none that will lift up a Prayer for a sinfull Nation before the Lord proceed to execute the fierceness of his wrath upon it O stir up your selves to wrestle with God in his own strength and resolve not to let him go till he bless the Land O Pray Pray Pray without ceasing that the Lord would turn away his Anger from us and after all our Shakings and Divisions settle Peace and Truth
Righteousness and true Religion amongst us And Oh! †Esay 62.6 7 Let the Watchmen that stand upon the Wals of the City of God never hold their peace O ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence And givâ— him no Rest till he establish England and make his Church in this Land a Praise in the Earth Oh let all the Children of God unite their Forces with Faith and Fervour to present unto the Lord that excellent Prayer of the Church with which I shall conclude this Direction and may they have the same gracious Answer of Peace O then lift up your hearts and say * Psal 85.4 ult Turn us O God of our Salvation and cause thine Anger towards us to cease Wilt thou be angry with us for ever Wilt thou draw out thine Anger to all Generations Wilt thou not revive us again that thy People may rejoyce in thee Shew us thy Mercy O LORD and grant us thy salvation I will hear what God the LORD will speak for he will speak peace unto his People and to his Saints but let them not turn again to Folly Surely his Salvation is nigh them that fear him that Glory may dwell in our Land Mercy and Truth are met together Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other Truth shall spring out of the Earth and Righteousness shall look down from Heaven Yea the Lord shall give that which is good and our Land shall yield her encrease Righteousness shall go before him and shall set us in the way of his steps The fourth Duty Taking Sanctuary in God ARE you fallen into Perillous Times And do you desire preservation Then Make God your Refuge till these dangers be overpast God is a Hiding place for his Saints their Rock and Refuge in times of Trouble their Fortress and strong Tower in times of Danger and Distress So hash he revealed himself in his Word and so have his Saints found him to be by sweet Experiences in the Times of their sad Extreâ—ities The Lord saith David * Psal 18.2 is my Rock and Fortress and my Deliverer my God my Strength in whom I will trust my Buckler and the Horn of my salvation and my high Tower Thus under various expressions he sets forth Gods Power as engaged for his Saints Preservation So saith he elsewhere †Ps 27.1 The Lord is my Light my Salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Then to fortifie his Confidence he produces his experience * v. 2. When the wicked even mine Enemies and my Foes came upon me to eat up my flesh they stumbled fel. And then upon this Experience he builds his Confidence †v. 3. Though an Host should encamp against me my heart shall not fear though War should rise against me in this will I be confident And the ground hereof was this that God was his Refuge and Preserver For saith he * v. 5. In the Time of Trouble he shall hide me in his Pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle the most inviolable Sanctuary shall be hide me he shall set me up upon a Rock And again saith he †Psal 32.7 Thou art my hiding place thou shalt preserve me from Trouble thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance Yea It s the Priviledge of every Saint that he hath an Interest in this preserving Power and Mercy of God in times of Distress and Danger So saith the Psalmist * Psal 9.9 The Lord also will be a Refuge for the oppressed a Refuge in Times of Trouble And therefore this is the ground of the Churches confidence in the Times of the greatest Trouble and Confusion †Psal 46.1 2 3. God is our Refuge and Strength a very present help in Trouble Therefore will not we fear though the Earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea Though the waters thereof rore and be troubled though the mountains spake with the swelling thereof God is both a * Ps 84.11 Sun and a Shield to his Saints their Light in Darkness and Defence in Danger They are dear to him and he †Isa 49.2 hides them in the shadow of his hand He wears them as * Mal. 3.17 Jewels in his bosom he †Deut. 32 10 keeps them as the Apple of his eye * Zec. 2.8 He that toucheth you saith the Lord concerning the Children of Zion toucheth the Apple of mime eye He hath secret Chambers of Providence for the Preserving his People in Times of Danger by publick Calamities Come my people saith the Lord †Isa 26.20 21. enter thou into thy Chambers and shut thy Doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment untill the Indignation be over past For behold the Lord cometh out of his Place to punish the Inhabitants of the Earth for their Iniquity the Earth also shall disclose her Blood and shall no more cover her slain The glorious Attributes of God are as it were a Tower of Defence to the truly godly in Times of Danger The name of the Lord saith the Wise man * Prov. 18.10 is a strong Tower The Righteous runneth to it and is safe When Peril pursues a Saint he runs to God as his Refuge Yea †Pro. 22.3 A prudent man fore-seeth the Evil and hideth himself but the simple pass on and are punshed This Prudence doth well become the Pious in Times of Peril But that you may with Boldness and Comfort have Recourse to God in Times of Distress and Danger as your Refuge in the storm your hiding Place in Times of Trouble Do these three things The first Work CLear your Interest in God If you think to have Recourse to God for safety in Danger and have no Interest in God your Hope may deceive you and you may â—ail of this special priviledge of Divine Preservation and instead thereof fall and perish by a just Destruction If a man pursu'd by his Enemies in the Times of War shall have Recourse to those for Refuge of whom he hath no assurance that they are his Friends he may but fly from one Danger and fall into the mouth of another Yea though you should have an Interest in God yet if you have no Evidence of this Interest you cannot with that Boldness and Confidence wherewith otherwise you might fly to God for Refuge in Daies of Danger Be it your care therefore not only to get an Interest in God but to clear it up by undeceiving Evidences to your soul and Conscience Then may you triumph with David in the very Face of Danger †Psal 27.1 The LORD is my Light and my Salvation whom shall I fear The LORD is the strength of my Life of whom shall I be afraid So again saith he * Psal 28.7 The LORD is my strength my Shield my heart trusted in him and I
that thus fears his Name believes his Word trusts in his Power and waits for his Mercy according to his Promise shall be priviledg'd with a comfortable Security on Earth or which is much better admitted into the inviolable Sanctuary of Heaven For to such do the Promises of Divine Protection pertain They may be for a time afflicted and distressed through the Pride and prevalency of the wicked †Psal 37.39 40. But the salvation of the Righteous is of the LORD He is their strength in the Time of Trouble And the LORD shall help them and deliver them He shall deliver them from the wicked and save them because they trust in him And therefore he is said to be a * Pro. 30.5 Shield and †Ps 18.30 Buckler to them that trust in Him He is their * Psal 71.3 strong Habitation whereunto they may continually resort He is their Rock and Fortress for their Defence against all the Assaults of their Enemies And therefore †Ps 125.1 They that trust in the LORD shall be as Mount Zion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever For * Nah. 1.7 The LORD is good a strong hold in the day of Trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him The third Work BE much in Communion with God The Lord is the Preserver of his Saints in Perillous Times And who are they that are interested in this special protection but those that are raised into this spiritual Communion Communion with God is a Saints sweetest and safest Sanctuary in Times of Danger And therefore did David so much desire of God that he might * Psal 27.4 Dwell in the house of the LORD all the dayes of his Life to behold the beauty of the LORD and to enquire in his Temple that is that he might live in Communion with the true Church in the Use of holy Ordinances to enjoy a constant Communion with God all the Time of his continuance in the world For saith he †v. 5. giving you the Reason of this his Request In the Time of Trouble he shall hide me in his Pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide me he shall set me up upon a Rock As if he should say He shall keep me in Secresie preserve me in Security advance me to Dignity and Glory As he saies elswhere * Psal 3.3 Thou O LORD art a Shield for me my Glory and the Lifter up of my head A Saint never rests so securely as when he dwels in the same Pavilion with God when God himself hides him under the Ark in the most secret Place of his holy Sanctuary The further from God the nearer to danger as a sheep that is gone astray from the Fold But the nearer to God the further from Danger As a Child under the Arm of the Father Gods special preserving Providence is as a Pavilion to that Saint that lives in Communion with God There 's no such place of safety for a Subject in times of Peace as in the Presence-Chamber of the King nor in Times of War as in the Royal Tent. Noah was safe in the Ark though tost with the Waves and Billows of an universal deluge when all the World besides was drown'd with water A Saint in communion with God is kept safe in the Ark of his holy Covenant Upon this account it s more safe for a Saint to dwell in Gods House in Times of Danger then to flie to the strongest Fortresse for safety I had rather sayes David †Ps 84.10 be a Door-keeper in the House of my God then to dwell in the Tents of Wickednesse Why so He gives you the Reason * v. 11. For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield He is a Help at hand a strong Defence to his Saints in time of Danger †Psal 91.1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty He that dwells in the secret of communion with God shall be safe under the shadow of the Protection of his power In communion with God a Saint * Isa 40.31 mounts up as with the wings of an Eagle and so sores above the Difficulties and Dangers of the lower world Communion with God is a garden enclosed As no stranger can enter into it so a Saint hath most safety while he dwells in it Communion with God is a Saints peculiar Priviledge heighten'd with this that it interests him in a special Protection O then Christians be much in communion with God Be much in those Duties of Religion wherein gracious souls do maintaine this holy Communion Be much in †Mat. 6.6 Closet-Prayer much in * Gen. 24..63 Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dâ—vout-Meditation much in †Psal 4.4 Communing with your own Heart as an excellent help to communion with God Stir up your graces and set all the Powers of your soule on work in these spiritual Duties for otherwise you may spend much Time daily in Reading Praying Meditating and yet enjoy no communion with God Leave not a Duty till you can get your heart warm'd by it till you can feel it melting burning within your breast melting with * Psal 119 136 sorrow for sin and Joy in God burning with a holy Anger and an ardent †Psal 119 139 Zeal for Gods Glory suffering by the sinnes of the Times Cease not till you can finde your very soul going out to God and God by the powerful Influences and Operations of his holy Spirit coming in to your heart in holy Duties This is to maintain communion with God and this is to live in Heaven on Earth This will be to you a Spring of living Comforts in a dry and barren Wildernesse You shall have no cause to be disconsolate in your Desert-condition while the Manna of spiritual Mercies drops down from Heaven upon your soule in Communion with God Hereby you shall be able to fetch Waters of Comfort out of the Flinâ—y Rocks of Affliction and Persecution And which may be sufficient to revive your drooping Spirit in the greatest dangers from this Holy Mount of Communion with God you may take a faire Prospect of the Heavenly Canaan Yea he that lives in communion with God on earth does already dwell in the Suburbs of Heaven The fift Duty Longing to leave the Earth and live in Heaven IS it your lot to live in the last Dayes and to experiment the evil of perillous Times Then take off your hearts from things on earth and long to live in heaven O Christians here are Perils below but there 's Peace above you finde troubles on earth but you have Treasures in heaven It 's time for you to be dead to the world if you are indeed risen with Christ †Col. 3.1 2 3 4. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Set your
Godlinesse that you may with comfort look for the coming of Christ and with confidence hast to the Judgement day Remember that the †Tit. 2.11 12 13. Grace of God reveal'd in the Gospel which brings salvation to you teaches you that denying ungodlinesse and worldly Lusts you should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World So looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appea ing of the great God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ Let Prayer and Piety then be your daily Exercise during Life that though you live in perillous Times you may finish your Daies in Peace Be diligent in doing of good and * 1 Thes 5.22 23. Abstaine from all appearance of Evil. And the very God of Peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole Spirit and Soul and Body be preserved blamelesse unto the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ †Jude 24 25 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultlesse before the presence of his Glory with exceeding Joy to the onely wise God our Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power now and ever Amen FINIS The Authour's Advertisemâ—nt REader thou art now come to the End of this Book let me tell thee what was the End of the Author in publishing it God in the Scripture tells us that evil Dayes perillous Times shall come This is doubtlesse written for our Instruction It 's then surely the Duty of a Minister of the Gospel to give People WARNING of these perillous Times and after the Example of the Prophets and faithful Preachers of the Word in all Ages to give in his WITNES against the evil of the Dayes This out of Faithfulness to the great Interests of the Glory of God and the Salvation of souls The Author upon this Ground readily embraced what he judged his fittest Opportunity for the discharge of this Duty that so he might have a good conscience both towards God and towards men Moreover the Author observing with Griefe how the generality of men perceiving their Danger in such perillous Times are wont to study their safety by carnall Compliances with every rising Party whereby when a wicked Party prevailes it strengthens it selfe mightily to the carrying on and Accomplishment of those Designes which are destructive to the whole Nation in the Safety or Ruine whereof particular Persons and Societies must needs stand or fall Thus the Trees submit themselves to the scratching Bramble and put their Trust under its shadow till at length Fire coming forth from it to devoure the Noble Cedars consumes the whole Forrest Such is the Folly of men that oft-times by that very meanes whereby they seek for Safety they runne themselves into the greater Danger I judg'd it my Duty therefore to endeavour a Discovery of a more excellent Way Doubtlesse here lies our greatest Danger in our provoking God by our sins to punish us and the whole Land by his Judgements If he become our Enemy they are not men be they never so great and mighty in Power that can help or save us And by sinful compliances how soone may the whole Nation be involv'd in the guilt of those horrid Perjuries injurious Incroachments fearful Enormities and God-provoking Abominations which may pluck down the sorest Plagues and Punishments upon all the People of the Land Our onely safety then lies in making our Peace with God by humbling our selves for all our sinnes and turning to him with our whole Hearts and so in walking humbly with him in his holy wayes and keeping our selves cleare from the Evils and Abominations of the Times For if God be with us who can be against us If he that is Mighty to save be our Friend we need not care who are our Enemies nor feare what man can do unto us Now this is the Scope and Drift of the present Treatise and to give a timely Warning of this Danger and a seasonable Admonition of this Duty was the Designe and is the Desire of the Author For this Reason and end therefore was this Sermon first preached and afterwards by the Advice of many of his Reverend Brethren the Ministers of the Gospel in the City of London was this Discourse published If thou desirest to know what was at the first preached in the Sermon and hath been since added in the Discourse which hath swelled it to this Bignesse take this Account The Sermon mainly consisted of these two things the Symptomes of perillous Times and the Duty of the Saints in such Dayes of Danger For the former those seven Symptomes were laid down which according to the Order wherein now thou findest them are the third fourth fift sixt eighth ninth and last For the latter the first and second Duties onely were prest and therein principally the fift Branch of the second Duty Almost all the rest with sundry illustrative Enlargements of these are added in this Treatise that it might by the Blessing of God become of more General Usefulnesse This Advertisement I have added for thy satisfaction which I shall conclude with this Caution Take heed thou art not one of them that make the Times perillous By a serious Perusal of the fore-going Discourse and a Religious Reflexion upon thy selfe thou mayest come to know whether thou art on Gods side or against him But see thou do thy self no Hurt by what 's meant for thy Good Harden not thy selfe against the Admonitions given thee in the Name of the Lord. For Know the BOOK in thy hand however buried in Contempt will rise up in Judgement against many Great Ones many Guilty Ones in this Nation at the last Day whose guilt will be aggravated by their slighting of this timely Warning given them by A poor unworthy Servant of the Lord Jesus in the Ministry of his glorious Gospel THO. WILLES London Aug. 15. 1659. The Book commended to Gods Blessing GLORIOUS GOD This poor thing which thy unworthy servant hath finish't in thy strength is now prest for thy service And behold I have here brought it before thy Majesty that it may receive thy Blessing Thou who art the great God delightest to do great things by weak Means that thy Power may appear and thy Name may have the Glory O that it would please thee to make use of this poor thing as an Instrument in thine own hand for the Glory of thy great Name and the good of thy People in this sinful Nation Oh let not the Weaknesses and Infirmities of thy servant that herein disclose themselves hinder the success of this small service which he desires hereby to do thy distracted Church Lord own and accept what is Good in it for it is thine own but what is Evil pardon and cover as proceeding from the weaknesse of a poor Creature that would willingly do thee much better service and yet is willing to submit to thy Will though Thou shouldest subject him to the meanest employment And give O Lord so much