we shall agree amongst our selves Lamenting together would clear up our eye-sight and beget an harmony of hearts 5. Other persons in all other cases do lament after the Objects that their hearts are set upon David followed his dead Friend Abner with sorrow and bitterly lamented his dead Son Absalom The Companions of Jephthah's Daughter yearly lamented her Yea David much lamented Saul though his Enemy while living and his sworn Brother Jonathan Jeremiah lamented for Josiah and all the singing-men singing-women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day Yea they made them an Ordinance in Israel 2 Chron. 35.25 And which of you are so hard-hearted but you would lament a dead Friend or Brother Sister Wife Child Parent And canst thou not find in thy heart to spend some sad thoughts on thy departing Lord or follow the sad Hearse of deceased Ordinances Ah carnal hearts Ah hard hearts Wo be to stupid wretches Shall a poor Idolatrous Micah cry out after his Teraphim And shall we let the only true God go with silence and dry eyes Is not our God worth lamenting after Will even careless women lament at last for the teats for the pleasant fields for the fruitful vine And shall not Gods Children lament for those full breasts of Gospel ordinances Shall not Children cry and long for the sincere milk of the word that they may grow thereby If you were sensible you would cry out my Father a little bread to an hungry Soul my Mother let me suck those breasts of consolation I am pining languishing famishing to death let me be nourished to eternal life 6. If we lament not after the Lord and his Ark he will go yet further from us if not totally leave us There was never such symptoms of Gods taking away the Candlestick and leaving us to the Idolatry and Cruelties of Popery in this Kingdom since the Reformation as there is at this day horrible Abominations and Atheism preparing for it our ingratitude for prevention thus long the general Antipathy to a Sound Ministry a Spirit of giddiness to entertain the most senseless fopperies a mincing some grosser Popish doctrines by pretended Protestants humane Inventions coyned in darkest times of Popery retained Courts Fees Officers Ceremonies Popish names places Customs defended Want of Sympathy with our suffering brethren abroad in that kind attempts for Reformation not succeeding opposed Instruments reserved prepared for Scourges denying plots as clear as the Sun Preferring Popish Tyranny before Christs Government most debauchery in some that should be best Popish Emissaries swarming Popish Families increasing Honest Ministers much laying aside Weapons Antidotes fearlesness in many unpreparedness of all for such a dispensation impressions on many of Changes Freedom of Ordinances to lay in for a storm unprincipled professors must pass an Ordeal-Tryal judgment beginning at God's house Choyce stakes taken out of the hedg transplanted to Heaven Witnesses prophecying in Sackcloth must be slain the Whore must sit as a Queen and see no loss of Children Antichrist must render himself more cruel and odious to stir up Kings hearts against the Church indifferency of great potentates in the cause of Religion Policy for outward security the compass that most stear by Christ's interest is low in Protestant Countries God's laying them under severe rebuke by his immediate hand Little notice taken of providences no publick fastings and humiliations former guilt of blood unwiped off Such things as these speak black showrs of Popish darkness and barbarous showrs of blood God almighty prevent But certainly these things call for bitter lamenting after the Lord either to prevent them or prepare our hearts for them or both I shall add 7. There is no way to bring our Lord or his Ark back to us but this course of lamenting after him God hath withdrawn himself purposely to make us follow him mourning And he seems to stand still and hearken what we do in this case Jer. 8.6 I hearkened and heard saith God but they spake not aright What was that certainly repenting of their sins lamenting inquiries after God And Jer. 31.18 19. If God can but hear persons bemoan themselves follow God desire the Lord to turn them and turn to them see what kind language he gives them ver 20. Is Ephraim my dear Son Is he a pleasant Child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. God doth carry in this case as a loving Father being provoked to Whip or leave his offending Child looks back on his sobbing broken-hearted lamenting Child saying Alas my Child what ails thee What 's the matter with thee What wantest thou Dost thou want an heart to repent friendship with me Dost thou lament so sadly after reconciliation with me and return to thee I am glad of it that was all I aimed at I have attained mine end come come thou art welcome to me come my dear my lovely Child let me wipe thy blubbered cheeks and kiss thee again I am glad my rod and anger work so kindly I will return to thee with love and sweetest embraces Thus doth our Lord return with loving kindness and mercies and they shall be as if he had not cast them off There 's no way probable or possible to bring God or his Ark back but this and shall we not take this course It 's true its a doubtfull and dangerous case we are not certain he will return but yet there 's a May-be a who can tell in it We are sure running from him and sinning against him with an hard-heart will undoubtedly rob us of him and ruine us but we have lost more labour to less purpose therefore let us turn to the Lord with all our heart with fasting with weeping with mourning c. Joel 2.12 13. and then say as Gods directs them v. 14. Who knoweth if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him even a meat-offering and a drink-offering unto the Lord our God Oh how well doth God take such a carriage How willing is he to return back to us Only he expects we should be sensible of his withdrawing and bitterly lament after him 8. If we do not lay to heart the loss of God's Presence and Ordinances God will make us to lament upon other accounts If he design us good he will pinch us till we feel and cry out if not we shall be left to lament hopeless and helpless in Hell torments If we will not lay to heart spiritual Judgments God threatens to send a Curse upon us and to curse our blessings Mal. 2.2 How why if men prize not their Temple Priviledges God can blast the fruits of the Earth Hag. 1.9 We looked for much and loe it came to little and when ye brought it home I did blow upon it or blow it away why saith the Lord of Hosts because of mine house that is
Jerusalem and on the Cities of Judah against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years And the Lord answered the Angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words That this may be the Issue of this Dispensation Intercession Lamentation is the hearty Prayer of Thy Soul-Friend O. H. Aug. 22. 1682. Israel's Lamentation after the Lord. 1 Sam. 7.2 And all the House of Israel lamented after the Lord. THe whole series of the History of the Times in which this Scripture was writ take in short thus After the Judges in the preceding Book so called God raised up Eli who was both a Judg and Priest who though he was a good man himself yet his Sons were prophane and oppressed the People by requiring both boyled-flesh and raw for roasting abusing the women that came to the door of the Tabernacle so that their sin was very great and of bad consequence for men abhorred the offering of the Lord. Eli being informed of his Sons profligate courses too much indulged them or too mildly rebukes them Why do you such things too soft words for such hard and hainous acts there wanted deeds he being a Magistrate ought to have punished or removved them if not put them to death well God sends a man of God to Eli Whether Elias or an Angel or Phinehas or Elkanah I dispute not to rebuke and threaten him and his house but he not reforming God inspires and commissions young Samuel to give him a Sound admonition and warn him as immediately from the Lord the good old man falls under the Admonition though by a Child but now the disease was grown past his curing his counsel did no good and he could not correct them no doubt he acknowledged his fault and since it will be no better he puts the matter over into Gods hands let him do what seemeth him good God can by his grace curb and cure them or by his power he can crush and confound them let him use his pleasure I give my children into his hands let my Lord get to himself a name of Glory by them or upon them I freely submit a speech becoming a man of God and religious Priest well God himself undertakes to deal with them in the 4th Chapter the Israelites and Philistins joyn battel four thousand Israelites are slain the Ark is sent for into the Camp the Tables of the Law within it are broken yet the Ark must be their Palladium They doted on the Ark but provoked the God of the Ark they repent not of their corrupt manners or defiling Gods Worship they neither used outward means by recruiting their Army which was a tempting of God nor do they use proper religious means to get reconciliation with God but fondly presume upon Gods lenity and indulgence to them because of the meer presence of the Ark the Ark comes Hophni and Phinehas carry it Israel shouts for joy the Philistines animate one another imagining if they now prevailed they conquered the God of Israel looking on the Ark to be Israels Idol or at least that Gods power was tyed to it after the conceit of Idolaters they fight prevail kill thirty thousand Hebrews Hophni Phinehas take the Ark prisoner the tidings whereof broke Elies heart then his neck brought pangs on Phinehas wife and though she was a mother yet full of grief which she bequeathed to the world in the name of her surviving child Ichabod Well the Philistins now lead Israels God in triumph as they judg they bring it to Dagon they God in Ashdod in reproach of the true God but the triumphing of the wicked is short though Israel be a loser yet Dagon and his Worshippers are no gainers by the Ark of Gods presence Dagon falls on his face prostrated in homage thereto beaten on his own dunghil being crected again his head hands were knockt off by another fall So that now he had neither wit nor strength to help himself the fair Venus or womanish part was gone the fishy part only is left but this was but a sport in comparison of what befell Dagons Worshippers for Gods hand was heavy on them all Ashdod or Azotus as the Spartan Boy carryed the Fox in his bosom till he stopt his vitals so these the Ark that was salutiferous to its observers was mortiferous to its contemners even as the Lords Supper is profitable to due partakers but unworthy receivers find it to turn to their judgment here and damnation hereafter Carnal hearts pretend a fond respect to ordinances but find the Lord a jealous God upon their perverting his institutions or unsuitable carriage Ashdod was soon weary of Gods Ark they hold a councel of their Lords they post it away to Gath which was their Metropolis thinking belike that to be a better air or under a more benign influence of the stars But here also Gods hand was upon them with a very great destruction they had painful and incurable Emerods in their secret parts being weary of the Ark they would shift it off to Ekron but the Ekronites were wise by others harms and a consultation was had to carry back the Ark into its place for all the five citys of the Philistins were sharply punished those seven months it was in their country And they were weary of it only consulted the Diviners how to send it back they advised to send it with a trespass offering i. e. five golden Emrods and five golden Mice give glory to the God of Israel upon a new cart drawn by two milch Kine and by their motion they might know whether it was Gods hand or a chance and peradventure they might be healed they did so the Kine went straight to Bethshemesh a city of the Levites they rejoyced to see it coming but though they offered a burnt-offering to the Lord yet looking into the Ark the Lord smote fifty thousand threescore ten men with death and they lamented it cryed out Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God But alas they lament not their Sacriledg injury to the Ark but the death of their People imitating the Philistine qui propter culpas non dolebant sed propter paenas ululabant they houled for the punishment not kindly mourning for their offences they reflect not on their own miscarriages but transfer the cause to Gods holiness And now they also would be glad to be rid of so chargeable a Guest and send messengers to Kiriath-jearim to fetch it to them who came and fetcht it Qu. Why did they not send it to Shilo where it was before Ans 1. That was far off this near they in hast to get delivered of that burden 2. Divine providence removes from Shilo for the impiety thereof Jer. 7.12 you see ordinances are not perpetually entailed on one place the Gospel is a flitting Gospel God sometimes breaks up
and preaching 2. God thinks good sometimes to abscond and hide these tokens of his presence from a professing people 3. This with drawing may be continued a long time 2 Chron. 13.3 so in Babylon Zoch 1.13 in latter days Hos 3.4 4. God takes particular notice of the duration of his Churches affliction in Egypt 400. years so Rev. 11.11 5. Peoples Priviledges may be long removed before they be kindly sensible of their loss long before they recover themselves 6. When Gods Ordinances are but privately dispensed it 's a great loss to the body of a People such as need them most have then least of them 7. Continuance in sin prolongs deliverance and absence of the Ark or Ordinances is an occasion of continuing in sin Men do withdraw their hearts from God that 's sinful God withdraws helps from them that 's poenal men repent not ordinarily without helps God denies helps and is just therein 8. Attendance on Ordinances raiseth the envy of wicked men this hath been the quarrel from the daies of Cain and Abel successively to this day Gen. 4.5 Exod. 9.1 Ezra 4.12 13. Gal. 4.29 Esther 3.8 Dan. 3.12 6.13 9. One stirring active Instrument for God may by God's blessing promote Repentance and Reformation amongst a people Oh what hurt may one sinner do So what good may one useful man do when God stirs up their hearts Samuel sets things a working so Ezra 5.1 2. Hag. 5.12 10. When God designs a Reformation and Restitution of his Ordinances he orders an harmonious concurrence of providences for that end The accomplishment of God's threats affright awaken Samuel comes in the nick of time speaks words upon the wheel God moves things go on apace 2 Chron. 29.36 31.21 These I pass briefly and pass on to the main Point from the last clause of the verse And all the House of Israel lamented after the Lord. They did not lament so much under their pressing burdens grievous oppressions by the Philistins but after the Lord i. e. for the Ark of the Lord and the Lord of the Ark for the recovery of God's gracious presence and the visible tokens thereof lachrymis deplorarunt summam miseriam Religionis Reipublicae they bitterly lamented the calamities of Church and State Religion and Polity This say Interpreters is an admirable place by reason of the general Conversion and Repentance of the whole People we have scarce the like in all the Scripture except Acts 2. From the words then results this Doctrine That when God's Ark is long obscured or Ordinances obstructed it becomes God's Israel or professing People to lament after the Lord. Serious lamenting after God is well becoming those whom God afflicts in the loss of Priviledges The Text presents to us 1. The Persons lamenting God's peculiar People these only love and mind God's presence when the Lords and Cities of the Philistins are weary of him and send him away yea and the Bethshemites though a city of the Levites belonging to the Church of God through their ill management of matters send to get a release yet Gods Israel will look after their God 2. Here 's the object they lament after not peace plenty victory over enemies but after the Lord Jehovah is the object of their affections 't is him they love and long for communion with Psal 63.1 2. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee to see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary 3. Here 's the Universality of these all Israel the whole house of Israel come they that had wofully degenerated and were gone after their Idols what a wonderful act of Gods power and soveraignty was this upon their spirits by this he manifests that he is the true God and that Samuel was his Servant the like see in Elijahs prayer preaching Sacrifice and success of all 1. Kin. 18.21 37 39. 4. Here 's the manner and nature of the Peoples repentance they lamented after the Lord which is a very comprehensive word and I shall open it anon In prosecuting this point I shall proceed in this method 1. Shew how ordinances are obstructed obscured 2. What 's implyed in lamenting after the Lord. 3. How and why Gods Israel thus lament 4. Answer an objection So make application 1. What is it for ordinances to be either 1. Obstructed or 2. obscured both which may be a great affliction to Gods People and oft occasion a lamentation 1. For Ordinances to be obstructed is a prevention of the liberty of dispensation of them and suppression of its dispensers by imprisonment banishment inhibition or suspension as in Ahab's daies Jezabel cut off the prophets of the Lord the rest werehid by fifty in a Cave and fed with bread and water 1 Kin. 18.4 yea such scarcity was there at that day that Elijah thought he was left alone 1 Kin. 19.10 Such as were left were latent and had indeed their lives not liberties to proclaim the Word or to celebrate God's Ordinances openly It 's true Truth seeks not corners yet publishers of Truth may be driven into corners God's Candles may be put under a Bushel the Church's pleasant things may be taken away Sabbaths and solemn Assemblies may be forgotten in Zion and the waies of Zion mourn Lam. 1.4 7. The Church complains Psal 74.9 We see not our signs there is no more any Prophet The Church may flee into a wilderness of obscurity and persecution her witnesses may be slain by a natural or civil death some time or other these prophecies have an accomplishment Jeremah and Ezekiel may both have their mouths stopped by their brethren and God himself may be a little Sanctuary to such as want the open Sanctuary-priviledges Ezek. 11.15 16. Gospel-course may be stopped obstructed so that Paul is putting believers on to pray for him that the word of the Lord may have free course 2 Thes 3.1 intimating that it had met with a stop by what by mens rage or the Devils subtilty or both 1 Thes 2.16 forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles and v. 18. Satan hindred us Some times the Devil stirs up men to obstruct the course of the Gospel The histories of the Church in all ages will offer their Service to bear witness to this truth that liberty of Ordinances is sometimes infringed and so the Ark is retired into private for where God hath a people they must and will worship God and attend his Institutions if they cannot do it openly they act more privately as Christs Disciples frequently met in houses in the night the doors being shut and that for fear of the Jews Joh. 20.19 And it may be that word in Isa 8.16 refers to such a day Bind up the Testimony seal the Law among my Disciples 2. The Ark Ordinances may somtimes be obscured as well as obstructed this refers to the Purity as the former to the liberty of God's Appointments The light may
Sam. 4.21 2. Because the obscuring and obstructing of Ordinances is an heavy Judgment worse than all other Plagues both absolutely considered in it self and comparatively if it be compared with other Judgments God threatens to do by Jerusalem as he did by Shilo Jer. 7.14 How that was this context shews And Ezek. 24.21 I will prophane my Sanctuary the excellency of your strength Many other threats speak God's hot displeasure in this case and the evil is greater because it reacheth to the Soul which is the best part of man Hence Amos 8.11 12. Behold the daies come saith the Lord that I will send for a Famin in the Land which surely is a dreadful Judgment worse than the Sword Lam. 4.9 But what a Famin Not a Famin of Bread or a Thirst for Water but of hearing the Words of the Lord This this is the forest Judgment this Judgment on the Soul is the Soul of Judgments when poor sinners are in danger inevitably to die and be damned in Hell without means or remedy Where no Vision is the people perish Prov. 29.18 Hos 4.6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge 3. Because there 's much advantage in the injoyment of Ordinances Herein consists the Kingdom of Heaven so is the Preaching of the Gospel frequently called and this Word is the Word of the Kingdom and Gospel of the Kingdom because it is an introduction or means to enter Persons into the Kingdom of Grace and so of Glory and that 's a dreadful Threatning Matth. 21.43 Therefore shall the Kingdom of God be taken from you and be given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof If any ask me as Rom. 3.1 2. What advantage hath the Jew so the professing Christian under the Gospel-dispensation or what profit is there of Circumcision or of Spiritual Priviledges I answer much every way chiefly because that unto them were committed the Oracles of God and so Salvation is of the Jews as our Lord faith even so those that have Gospel-Ordinances have great helps for the conversion edification and salvation of their Souls for Christ hath set up his Ensign among them for Souls to flock unto These are Wells of Salvation a Feast of fat things breasts of consolation where Souls may milk out and be abundantly delighted here are the Keys of the Kingdom by which Heaven-gates stand open continually the door of Faith the ministration of the Spirit the day of Salvation c. And is not all this worth lamenting after the Lord to enjoy then what is 4. Because this is the character and property of a Child of God to lament after the Ark and Ordinances of God I have saith David loved the habitation of thy house Psal 26.8 Therefore makes this his unum magnum one Thing which he desires of the Lord to dwell in the house of the Lord Psal 27.4 Two things put on a Christian Spirit to lament after God for the Ark 1. His Principles 2. His Experiences 1. He hath a gracious Principle an enlightened Eye to see what others cannot discern the Christian calls such places and waies Beer-la-hai-roi as Hagar Gen. 16.14 The Well of him that liveth and seeth me So the Christian sees God's way in the Sanctuary there he beholds the beauty of the Lord. They have seen thy goings O God even the goings of my God my King in the Sanctuary Yea the devout Soul hath a stomach and tast suitable to what he meets with in the Ordinances of God Faith Love Desire Joy as new-born Children have a natural instinct to their Mothers Milk for conservation of life so 1 Pet. 2.2 The Saints as new-born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that they may grow thereby The Law of God ingraven in his heart bears proportion to the Word he hears opened by Ministers Christ within him by his Spirit and Graces as the hope of Glory prompts him to a love and longing to Christ in the holy Supper and all other his Institutions 2. Add to this the frequent Experiences the believing Soul hath had of the sweetness of Divine Grace in Ordinances which cannot but set him a longing for the like Experiments again Psal 63.1 2. My Soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no water is to see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary So Song 2.3 4. I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my tast yea he brought me into his banquetting house and his banner over me was Love No wonder if she was so sick when she wanted him This leads me to the next Head 2. That Christians must lament after the God of Ordinances or God in Ordinances so saith the Text The House of Israel lamented after the Lord. Why 1. Because God is infinitely more worth than all Ordinances his presence is prizable for it self The Ark is but to be esteemed for his gracious presence In his favour is life Psal 30.5 His loving-kindness is better than life Psal 63.3 This is the marrow of Heaven the want of this is Hell Woe also be to them when I depart from them Hos 9.12 And this the Child of God knows 2. God purposely withdraws that men may lament after him as a Mother steps out of the Child's sight that it may see she 's gone and cry after her Hos 5.15 I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face in their affliction they will seek me early 3. Because due lamenting after the Lord may fetch him back he purposely hovers waits and expects that his people should call him back by their prayers intreaties moanings not as though God were moved or changed by mens pitiful complaints and out-crys but that such an earnest lamenting qualifies the subject capacitates for mercy and puts Souls into the condition of the promise Jer. 29.12 13. Then shall ye call upon me and shall go and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you and ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart 4. God blesseth his People usually in and by Ordinances with his best blessings Psal 133.3 There the Lord commanded the blessing Even life for evermore Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in heavenly places things means in Christ It would be needless to reckon up all the blessings that our dear Lord conveys to his People by Ordinances and that it becomes us to lament after the Lord for in his Appointments for now I joyn them together 1. Sometimes God gives outward blessings with his Ark. So the Lord had blessed the House of Obed-edom and all that pertained to him because of the Ark of God 2 Sam. 6.12 The Gospel of Peace oft brings outward Peace and Plenty though
Souls are without Christ being Aliens from the common wealth of Israel strangers from the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world Eph. 2.12 Ah poor sinners what will become of you if you live and dye without God You had better be without money trades credit ease house relations cloaths meat every thing all things in the world then without God what will your lives or any thing advantage you without God Alas have you lived thus long in the world without an interest in God! How know you but death is at the next door And what will you do in the day of visitation and in the desolation that shall come from far To whom will ye flee for help and where will ye leave your glory Isai 10.3 4. Without me saith God they shall bow down under the prisoners ' they shall fall under the slain Wo to you if death the King of terrours meet you and God the King of heaven be not on your side What a woful case was Saul in when the Philistins were upon him and God was departed from him Oh when sickness diseases death thy own conscience make war against thee and thou hast no God to flee to what a sad case wilt thou be in Alas friends estate honours or all that the world can do for thee will be insignificant If thou live and dye without God thou must be for ever banished from him And how canst thou in an ordinary way expect to have relation to God without the means of his appointment for obtaining that end The Ark of the convenant is the way of convenanting the preaching of the Gospel is the door of faith saving faith by which the Soul is intituled to God comes by hearing and if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost Little reason have the mad-frantick world to rejoyce over the slain witnesses to make merry and send gifts one to another because these Prophets tormented them i. e. would not let them go quietly to Hell but would be jogging them out of their security and summoning them to repentance No no their departure may be like Ezekiel's book written within and without with lamentation and mourning and wo Ah poor Soul God seems to stop Ministers mouths and saith thou shalt not be to him a reprover my Spirit shall strive no more with them feed them no more that that dyeth let it dye and that that is to be cut off let it be cut off q. d. I will concern my self no further about them they regarded not my Counsels and slept away the day of grace and refused the calls of God now they shall be given up as a branch cut off from the Tree I 'le prune it no more but take it away and lay it under that Gospel-curse Never fruit grow on thee from henceforth for ever Or like the flourishing vineyard of the Jewish Church Take away the hedge thereof break down the stone wall lay it wast it shall not be pruned nor digged but there shall come up briars and thorns I will also command the Clouds that they rain no rain upon it And have men cause to rejoyce in this Is it not rather ground of the greatest lamentatation as a prologue and pledge of damnation and a token of rejection Will any but Mad men rejoyce at the approach of calamity upon themselves Or will any but frantick Bedlams triumph that those are gone that stopt them from running into a pit fire or that kept them from dashing out their own Brains We think those young men fools that are glad their parents are dead that restrained their vicious courses If carnal mens eyes were open to know the advantages of a powerful Ministry or pure Ordinances they would lay it to heart as the dreadfullest evil that ever befel them and lament after the Lord with bitter crys for the return of the Means of Grace And say O Lord is light gone and my Soul left still in darkness is life gone and I dead still Are means of Salvation departed and my Soul left under a necessity of perishing Many tears did Ministers shed for me Oh what prayers to God! what beseechings of me to be reconciled to God! But I regarded not Woe is me these embassadours of peace are called home or have their mouths stopt what can I now expect but a Proclamation of war Lord have mercy on me and send those men of God to knock again at my door and I hope I shall give them and their message better entertainment Thus carnal Persons should say But alas such as most need do often least regard these things God knows and after twenty years lying in the grave we may fear they will not still believe tho we should arise from the dead And if after all this there be little or no hopes of these laying this matter to heart I will turn me to another sort 2. Ye gracious Souls lament you after the Lord though Israel play the harlot yet let not Judah offend Though wicked men will not understand nor lay any thing to heart yet let Gods People his Children lay to their hearts the displeasure of God and with bitter cries lament after their departing father Oh that it could be said in this case as Gods own testimony is Hos 11.12 Ephraim compasseth me about with lies pretending to worship God when they intend nothing less And the house of Israel with deceit cheating men thinking to deceive God himself but Judah yet ruleth with God i. e. keeps up his interest at the throne of grace and prevails with me and is faithful with the Saints in point of communion and repute or with the most holy Marg. Oh blessed Judah but doth not Gods Judah need stirring up to lament after the Lord Alas how senseless and slack are the best hearts in this work Who would have once imagined that such a Spirit of worldliness security neutrality would have seized on Gods own Children Ah friends Can you let God depart either from your spirits or from the Assemblies of his People and not stir up your selves to take hold of him Who would have thought that God himself or the tokens of his presence should go from you without weeping eyes or mournful complaints Who must hold him if you will not Who must fetch him back if you will not follow him and call after him You that have interest in him You that have given up your selves to him You that have had sweet experience of his presence And now pretend more love to him than any else You that he hath drawn with cords of Love will not you lament after him Have not you some reason to say as she Hos 2.7 I will go and return to my first husband for then it was better with me then now Especially considering how he hath hedged your way with hewn thorns disappointed you in your overtaking your other lovers
with this word repeated vers 7 11. The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge Selah And if God be for us who can be against us Rom. 8.31 Who would not follow after such a God with prayers tears groans and hearty lamentations that he would return to us continue with us Oh! who would not have an hand in bringing back the King such a King as by his presence can make us truly and eternally happy See what it is to have God with us Isa 42.13 14 15 16. Yea it becomes every one to study the usefulness of God's Ordinances that their hearts may be ingaged to and inlarged in lamenting after the Ordinances of God Both these are larger Subjects than I can prosecure to explain the advantages coming to a People by the presence of the Ordinances of God or the God of Ordinances You must look on the Ordinances as fruits and tokens of God's special favour for all have not the Ordinances of God Psal 147.19 20. He sheweth his Word unto Jacob his Statutes and his Judgments unto Israel he hath not dealt so with any Nation and as for his Judgments they have not known them That this Sun-shine of Gospel-Light is on one place and not on another proceeds from discriminating Providence who sent Embassadours for the Gospel to be brought to them Surely that 's preventing kindness But when it hath left some impression on hearts some Myrth upon the handles of the Lock such should yea will lament after him when he 's gone as the Church did For such have tasted how good the Lord is and look on the Ordinances as their Heritage and highest Priviledge Oh that you knew what helps Ordinances are to promote God's work in our hearts in begetting and increasing Faith Repentance Love new Obedience this is that clear Chrystal-glass through which we may see the face of God and be transformed into his Image that Glass in which we may see the face of our Souls and be humbled and ashamed Here you may have your doubts resolved fears dispersed hearts satisfied graces quickened fellowship with God promoted our Souls prepared for Heaven Oh that your eyes were opened to see the necessity excellency utility of God's Ordinances I am very confident that if your Souls be as new born Babes you will desire after the sincere Milk of the Word if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious 1 Pet. 2.2 3. As for others that want spiritual life and light to discover and feel the marrow of Ordinances no wonder if they slight or despise both the Appointments themselves and such as long for them and lament the want of them and therefore I urge this that you learn by your own experience the sweetness and advantage of enjoying the presence of God in the Ordinances of God 6. Get and maintain publick Spirits Oh take heed of private Spirits to look only after your own concerns and worldly Interests This hath been the Ruine of the Church and also of particular persons at last Hag. 1.4 Is it time for you O ye to dwell in your cieled Houses and this House lye waste therefore ye have sown much and bring in little q.d. You think to secure your personal and domestical comforts with neglect of my concernments but I will cross you in that which concerns you because you are heedless in what concerns me On the contrary David concern'd himself about God's House and God built his House 3 Sam. 7.2 11. So true is that of our Saviour that whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it Self-seeking is the way to self-undoing self-denying is the only way to self-advancing Scripture and Experience prove this Well then my advice is that you chiefly mind the Interest of our Lord in the World and put as great an accent on this in your prayers as if it were your own case and indeed it is your own Your little Boat hangs on the great Ship but all judge not so therefore there are few lamenters after the Lord But if you would look on Zion's case as your own and so carry it as having yours really involved in that bottom it would be both an help and spur in your lamentings The more gracious persons have been the more have they forgot themselves to think on the Church Upon me saith St. Paul cometh daily the care of all the Churches Upon Moses lay the burden of all the People Uriah will sympathize and suit himself to the Ark and Israel and Judah in the Camp and not suit himself to the delights of the City Nehemiah inquires after and condoles with his suffering Brethren Look through the Bible and you 'l find this gracious publick Spirit breathing in all the Servants of God Psal 137.5 6. If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my right hand forget her cunning If I do not remember thee let my Tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy Marg. the head of my joy q.d. I profess my self to be a Member of that Mystical Body the Church and how can a Member rejoyce when the whole Body mourns If the touching of one String of an Instrument make the rest move how can I forbear a sad Eccho to the Church's mournful Elegy Shall not her dewy Eyes cause mine Eyes to water How can it go well with me when it goes ill with the Church Oh that I could set self aside We have need saith one to be redeemed from our selves rather than from the Devil or World I should make a sweet bartering and give old for new if I could shuffle out self and substitute Christ my Lord in place of my self Oh wretched Idol when shall I see thee wholly decourted and Christ wholly put in thy room Oh that I had but gone as far yet as the Heathens Primar we are not born for our selves surely then I should not be so much taken up with my own matters but think on the Church Alas what 's my danger to Zion's damage if it go well with Zion it shall comfort my heart whatever my personal troubles be But I must hang my Harp on the Willows while the Church is in Captivity Lord do good in thy good pleasure to Zion build thou the Walls of Jerusalem though my broken bones be not set or though my heart still keep bleeding 7. Learn the right Art of praying and pleading with the Lord this lamentation is in the way of supplication that a gracious promise Zech. 12.10 I will pour upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem Princes and People the Spirit of grace and of Supplications And then follows a great mourning both in families and in closets Oh that this work were set forward Surely if all the People of England yea professing People could set forwards in this so needful