but the glory was remooved the Lord gave him no answere any more from thence The like might be shewed still in the story further as we shall see after in the particulars but this may suffice for the present to manifest this point To returne therefore to our selves we are first to inquire what are the most evident signes of Gods glorious presence in his Church especially in the daies of the Gospell and heereby we are to judge of our estate and whether in regard heereof we have not just cause to feare the Lords departure without speedy repentance and all to give our selves to watch and pray Like as the word sincerely preached and the Sacraments administred according to our Saviours institution are the most infallible marks of the true visible Churches of Christ amongst which he hath promised his presence so long as these are duly observed maintained and reverenced so we may marke also thorow the booke of God fowre most lively evidences of his glorious presence in his Church amongst his people One whereof is more inward felt chiefly in the soules and consciences of men to wit the Spirit of the Lord accompanying the word and the powerfull operation thereof in mens hearts in and by the same word to cause all men to acknowledge the Lord to be there The other three are more outward and apparant to the view of the world although they be nothing but the fruits and effects of the same spirit The first of which three is when the Lord gives to his people abundance of saving and sanctifying knowledge of his heavenly word The second when together with this knowledge he worketh in them true holinesse of life and conversation and obedience to the same word and withall peace and unitie among his people arising from the same The third is in protection when he declares himselfe to be present amongst his people in shielding and protecting them and overthrowing all the plots of the enemies or casting a feare upon the enemie that they dare not rise up against his Church and chosen flocke For the first of these which is more inward viz The Spirit of the Lord speaking and working powerfully in the word It is not the word alone nor the Spirit alone but the word and Spirit going together The Spirit accompanying the word and speaking to the hearts and consciences of men out of the mouthes of his servants This is the Tenor and the very substance of Gods covenant with his Church for the infallible demonstration of his presence in it and with it And I will make this my covenant with them saith the Lord to his Church My spirit which is upon thee my word which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seede nor out of the mouth of the seed of thy seede from henceforth for ever To make this more plaine As in the time of the law not the Arke alone nor the mercie seate covered with the Cherubims but the answeres from the Arke given immediatly from God were were the undoubted evidences of his most glorious presence amongst them so this must needs be acknowledged of all That not the Gospell alone nor the bare ministry thereof but the powerfull working of the spirit thereby speaking to every mans soule and conscience is the most evident demonstration of the same glorious presence in the dayes of the Gospell As for example when the word is lively and mighty in operation powerfull in converting mens soules and drawing the people of God after it This is the true presence and arme of the Lord. As it was when the Holy Ghost was sent downe appearing in forme of cloven tongues like fire to shew the heavenly fire that should accompany the word and inflame the hearts of the elect like as it then wrought wonderfully upon the consciences of the hearers and that very worke was an infallible witnesse of the presence of the Lord so is it now according to the manner of the working and measure thereof When by the same spirit some are pricked at their hearts with remorse for their sinnes and made to cry out Men and brethren what shall we doe as those who were so pricked at the hearts at Peters sermon When other have their hearts burning within them as the two Disciples going toward Emaus at the opening applying of the Scriptures unto them When as others are smitten downe to the earth in the sense of their own vilenesse and the Majestie of Iesus Christ as persecuting Saul who was made thereby a preaching Paul And when others are compelled to confesse That they neuer heard men speake so as those who came of purpose being sent by the Pharises to catch our Saviour Or as the poore simple man who comming in and hearing the word so Preached is made thereby to fall upon his face and enforced to acknowledge That God is in these men of a truth when others also shall receive such a strong assurance of the truth of God taught unto them being indeed his very word as they cannot be drawne away from it by any violence or feare no nor yet by any perswasions though an Angell should come from heaven and teach them otherwise And to conclude this point This must needs be confessed of all to be the most cleere and invincible testimony of his most gratious and glorious presence and of his spirit powred plentifully upon his Church when by the power of the word the blinde eyes are opened the deafe heare the stonie hearts are bruised the dead in sinne are raised to a new and holy life for this is not a a worke of flesh and blood but of the Spirit of the Lord onely This was a principall part of that lively presence whereby he was so wonderfull and after a sort visible in the primitive Church when the same day were added to the Church about three thousand soules by the preaching of Peter and the other Apostles and after when the Church increased so admirably And by this he hath promised to be with his faithfull ones teaching his truth sincerely unto the end of the world This finally is the full accomplishment of that promise To powre downe his Spirit upon his people in the dayes of the Gospell when he would gather his Church in any place as we may see thorow all the Historie of the Acts. And even as it was then so is it now according to the measure of grace whereby he sends downe his holy Spirit upon any Congregation And in some Congregations under faithfull Ministeries all these blessed be God are apparent thus graciously manifesting his presence thereby And therefore the more generally that this operation appeares in Preachers and people the more visibly doth the glory of the Lord shew it selfe and the more
THE third part of THE TRVE-WATCH or The Call of the Lord to awake all sorts to meete him speedely with intreaty of peace to turne vnto him by true repentance shewing what causes we haue forthwith to betake orselu's to watching prayer Taken out of the vision of Ezekiel Chap 9. BY IO BRINSIEY The secâ—und edition Imprinted at LONDON for Thomas Pauier 1623. THE THIRD PART OF THE TRVE VVATCH Containing the call of the Lord to awake all sorts to meet him with intreatie of peace and to turne unto him by true repentance shewing what causes we have forthwith to betake our selves to Watching and Prayer Taken out of the Vision of EZEKIEL Chap. 9. By IOHN BRINSLEY IER 36. 2. Take thee a roule of a booke and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel and against Iudah and against all the Nations from the day I spake unto thee from the daies of Iosiah even unto this day VERSE 7. It may be they will present their supplication before the Lord and will returne every one from his evill way for great is the anger and the furie that the Lord hath pronounced against this people HAB. 2. 2. Write the vision and make it plaine upon tables that he may run that readeth it EZEK 18. 30. Repent and turne your selves from all your transgressions so iniquitie shall not be your ruine VERSE 32. For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith the Lord God Wherefore turne your selves and live you LONDON Printed by IOHN HAVILAND for THOMAS PAVIER and are to be sold at his shop in Ivie lane 1622. The summe of the whole Booke 1. How the Lord did long forewarne his people of Iudah calling them to repentance sundrie waies before he brought upon them the seventie yeeres captivitie in Babylon And withall the pâ—incipall abominations which provoked him to this heavie judgement 2. The wofull miseries which all sorts endured in that Captivitie when no warnings would preuaile to bring them to unfained repentance and more specially the plagues which came upon the wicked and impenitent 3. Particular application hereof unto our selves and of the manifold forewarnings which we have received chiefly from Babylon above all in the powder treason shewing evidently that the Lord is angrie with us for our sinnes and what use we are to make as of all our forewarnings so chiefly of that Powder-treason 4. How to appease the Lord so as to prevent the like judgements and all other plagues â—nd ever to â—emaine a most happie people unto the comming of Iesus Christ. Also how very one of us may attaine to true Christian boldnesse to be alwaies readie to appeare beâ—ore his Majestie See the more particular contents of the severall Chapters and heads after A Commendatorie Epistle THis Author Christian Reader having desired first my censure now sundrie yeeres agoe and since my joint testimonie touching this worke that by the mouth or two or three witnesses God might make it more effectuall for accomplishing all the good his heart desireth I could no way justly denie the same seeing as the ends which it propoundeth and wholly aimeth at are only to helpe to further the way to our unfained repentance for the generall happinesse of us all yea even of every soule and that our glory may be continued to us and to our posteritie so he hath long travelled in the same and used all holy meanes of triall and examination that there might be nothing in it but that which is necessarie to these ends and which might stand before the Lords Tribunall For the Author himselfe though I have knowne him from my childhood being borne neere unto him brought up in the same Grammar Schoole and after in the same Colledge in Cambridge and ever since beene most familiarly acquainted with him and therefore could speake more in this case then I take to be convenient yet I may wholly spare that paines seeing his owne faithfull and happy labours have so long agoe commended him and made him and his holy affection for the good of all so well knowne to the Church of God As first the first part of this True watch the Rule of Life so much approved of all religious Christians to whose hands it hath come that it hath now the ninth time seene the Presse and gone thorow the triall Wherein he hath set out to the view of all the holinesse and integritie of that way of life which we all jointly professe according to Gods sacred word and the good Lawes of our Christian Commonweale to the justifying of our Church against the Separatists to be the true Church of Iesus Christ and that whosoever so walketh shall undoubtedly finde eternall life and in the meane while all heavenly boldnesse peace and joy And not only against them but also against the superstitious and clamorous Papists who herein slander our Religion affirming it to be a religion of carnall libertie theirs of holinesse ours full of divisions and uncertaintie theirs of perfect unitie thereby to draw our people to a dislike of the eternall truth of our blessed God and to a liking of that popish way which is nothing but meere superstition in outward shews of devotion according to mens inventions and such as God never commanded or required nay such as God hath most expresly forbidden as tending to utter perdition both of soules and bodies So secondly the second part of this True watch the Rule of Praier in which he hath manifested his holy desire and unfained love to the Church of God and his native Countrie for a perfect peace and unitie with all happinesse in the same and hath so laboured to trace out the most sure and plaine way following the direction of our blessed Saviour as that whosoever striveth so to watch pray shall undoubtedly be amongst them that are as the Chariots and horsemen of Israel and helpe to save the Iland And in the third place in his Schoole labours for the benefit of our children and posteritie he hath fully witnessed his longing desire of the perpetuall flourishing of this our Church and Nation concerning which travell to omit all other that one testimonie of the learned Doctor Hall that worthie Deane of Worcester in his Commendatorie Preface before his booke called Ludus Literarius or the Grammar Schoole dedicated to Prince Henrie and Duke Charles speaking out of his owne experience and of sundry other learned many yeeres agoe may fully suffice And much more now of late that more then ordinarie witnesse by that learned Mr. Butlour of Oxford in his fourth Edition of his Rhetoricke who in stead of the commendations of many other of principall note which especially in Oxford are wont to be prefixed before any worke of speciall worth as that is taketh only the testimonie of this Author in a place or two in his Grammar-Schoole and sets it before his booke instead of many there commending him
enemies humbled by our unfained repentance p. 114 What we should doe seeing the Lords armies approaching p. 115 CHAP. X. The mourners marked then comes the vengeance p. 117 Our comfort in the remainder of the mourners and the preservation of the Lords Anointed p. 119 120 The account we are to make of the mourners p. 121 It is for the godly that the Gospell with our blessings continue p. 122 CHAP. XI The charge to the destroyers to destroy without pittie and why p. 124 125 Causes in generall provoking the Lord to so fierce a wrath the hainousnesse of the abominations and that no meanes would serve p. 125 The abominations committed by all sorts p. 125 126 The Prophets to be read to behold the sins which brought the vengeance p. 127 In the abominations of Iudah we may see our owne sinnes and estate portraied p. 127 Little hope of any such search to be made by us in these daies of securitie The authors endevour thereupon to help herein for the good of all p. 128 129 God hath ordainâ—d the faithfull discoverie of the iniquitie as a last and principall meanes to turne away a judgement p. 130 147 CHAP. XI Section 2. Cautions in reading these abominations p. 132 133 How their sinnes were increased p. 132 The principall sinnes specially mentioned after Hezekiahs reformation for which this judgement is chiefly denounced p. 134 The same punishment or a beavier must needs belong to us if we be guiltie of the same or the like sinnes p. 136 CHAP. XI Section 3. The vengeance must begin at the Sanctuarie because from thence chiefly all the wickednesse proceeded p. 137 168 169 CHAP. XI Abomination 1. The horrible wickednesse of the Priests and Prophets generally angring the Lord and hastening the Captivitie p. 138 139 What holinesse the Lord required of the Priests and Prophets p. 138 Abomination 2. The blindnesse of the Priests and Prophets hastening the Captivitie p. 141 The Priests and Prophets ought to be Seers and watchmen p. 141 Blinde and senslesse men not giving warning of Gods judgements termed dumbe dogs p. 143 The blindnesse and sleeping of the shepherds calls for the beasts of the forest upon their flockes p. 145 Abomination 3. Flatterie of the Priests and Prophets hardning the people to destruction p. 146 148 c. The faithfulnesse required in Gods watchmen messengers p. 146 Dawbers must looke for a storme to cause their worke to fall on them and all who trust in it p. 151 Abomination 4. Preaching mens devices in stead of Gods word hastening the Captivitie p. 152 153 c. Gods ministers ought to preach his word sincerely and faithfully p. 152 153. and p. 156 All inventions of 〈◊〉 but vaine and foolish in regard of Gods word and to seeke out such things is to seeke out causes of desolation p. 154 Preaching mens devices the high way to cause men to forget Gods word p. 155 The power of Gods word sincerely handled p. 157 Good Arts and learning grations helps though set in place of Gods word they bring a plague p. 158 They that preach their owne devices steale his word from his people and bring no good to them p. 159 State of such teachers when their consciences shall be awaked p. 160 Abomination 5. Want of compassion in the Priests and Prophets hastening the Captivitie p. 160 Gods faithfull ministers full of compassion towards their people 161 Pastors without due regard of their flockes are butchers and wolues to their flockes p. 162 Pastors without commiseration of their flockes the greatest enemies to Gods faithfull messengers and servants p. 163 When the watchman is the snare of a fowler he is then hatred in the house of his God p. 166 Gods terrible and most just denuntiation against all carelesse Pastors and Idoll shepherds for his flocke especially for his faithfull servants p. 167 Application to our selves p. 169 Abomination 6. The sinne of the people in approving the wicked Priests hastening the Captivitie p. 170 172 The meanes which the Lord had provided that his people should not be deceived by false Prophets p. 171 The Lord cannot but be avenged for approving of false prophets p. 172 The severitie of the Lords most righteous judgement fitting a sinfull people with Preachers to their hearts p. 173 174 How God will answer hypocrites comming to inquire of him p. 17â— Deceivers and deceived punished alike p. 176 Antichrists delusions follow the contempt of the Gospell p. 176 Why God sends false teachers and seducers p. 177 How God punished in the Gentiles the abusing of the very light of nature p. 178 How the people comming to the Prophets with a desire to know the truth yet may be notably deceived p. 179 How the Prophets themselves may be justly deceived and so deceive p. 179 181 How fearefull it is after a man hath received his resolute answer from God to goe upon carnall respects to enquire the second time p. 181 The punishment of the false Prophet and of him who asketh of him alike p. 183 Abomination 7. The sinnes of the people against Gods faithfull Prophets sent to them in mercie to bring them to repentance p. 184 The duties and affections of Gods people towards his faithfull messengers p. 184 The people grieving the Prophets by an extreme dulnesse and untowardnesse to learne Gods word hastening the Captivitie p. 186 The word of the Lord is in vaine to a rebellious people p. 188 They that cast away Gods word have no wisdome p. 188 How God punisheth the not profiting by his word with more blockishnesse p. 189 The just judgement of God to cause 〈…〉 servants to learne by his enemies p. 189 Application to our selves p. 190 Abomination 8. Refusing to heare Gods faithfull servants more 〈…〉 hastening the Captivitie p. 191 The Lords complaint for this sinne and how it must be 〈…〉 in a booke for the last day p. 192 The just vengeance for this sinne p. 194 195 For the contempt of Gods servants he makes their tongues cleave to the roofe of their mouthes p. 194 Abomination 9. Mocking and abusing Gods true Prophets and all the godly hastening the Captivitie p. 196 The custome of false Prophets to harden men in the contempt of Gods threatnings p. 197 God will make unbeleevers know the truth of his word by feeling it p. 197 The word in the mouthes of Gods messengers shall be as a fire to consume all wicked gainesaiers p. 198 Abomination 10. Discouraging Gods true Prophets by threatnings hastening the Captivitie p. 198 Vengeance for this sinne p. 199 Abomination 11. Slandering and falsly accusing Gods messengers hastening the Captivitie p. 200 Incensing the Magistrates against Gods faithfull messengers hasteâ—ing the Captivitie p. 200 Ordinarie with Gods true Prophets to be railed upon p. 201 Abomination 12. Secret conspiracies against Gods true Prophets and servants to take away their lives or credit hastening the Captivitie p. 202 The Lord in due time revealeth the most secret plots against his
servants p. 203 The depth of Sathan to smite Gods messengers with the tongue that none may be warned by their preaching to escape Gods vengeance p. 203 Ieremies familiars watch for his halting p. 203 How fearefull it is against conscience to practise mischiefe against Gods servants p. 204 Abomination 13. Striking and imprisoning Gods servants hastening the Captivitie p. 206 Pashur the Priest attempts to smite and imprison Ieremie hastening the Captivitie p. 207 The Princes by meanes of the Priests are against Ieremie and labour the king to put him to death p. 207 Zedekiah against his conscience leaves Ieremie into the hands of the Rulers p. 207 Cause of all Ieremies troubles p. 208 Abomination 14. Shedding the bloud of the Prophets and other of Gods servants hastening the Captivitie p. 209 What that bloud was which brought the Captivitie p. 209 How the cry of the bloud of Gods servants ascends into heaven p. 211 Vengeance for abusing the house and servants of the Lord. p. 211 How good it had beene for Iudah to have beene awaked at the admonition of the true Prophets p. 212 How necessary to stop such evils in the beginning p. 21â— Those who were so vilely accounted of were the dearest servants of God and chiefe meanes to stay his wrath so long p. 213 Of all other sinnes God can least endure the wronging of his messengers and dearest servants p. 213 From the disgracing of Gods servants all impietie flowes p. 214 What wisdome it is to prevent all indigâ—â—â—ies against Gods messengers p. 214 Our nation as fearfully defiled with the bloud of Gods servants in the daies of Queene Mary as Ierusalem in the time of Manasses p. 214 Apparant signes that our Land is not yet purged of that bloud p. 214 God cals upon us to search out this sinne if we will escape his search and the search of the bloudy enemie p. 215 Abomination 15. The unfruitfulnesse of the Lords vineyard laying it waste p. 216 What God had done for Iudah to make her fruitfull and so for us and our Covenant thereupon p. 216 The Lords complaint against his vineyard in Iudah and how it concernes us p. 217 Scarse any true godlinesse viz men truly sincere to be found among them before the Captivitie p. 218 What the Church is to doe in times desperatly evill p. 218 The Lords righteous vengeance for the unfruitfulnesse of his vineyard p. 219 Application to us with the Lords appeale for it to every ones conscience p. 219 The Papists principall argument and loud exclamations against us for our unfruitfulnesse p. 220 Complaints of the dressers of the vineyard for it p. 222 Sighes of the poore witnessing it p. 222 Vnfruitfulnesse of the Ministerie p. 222 How wee may justly lament for our negligence and time mispent p. 223 The Magistrates fruit p. 224 The accusation of the conscience in the carelesse Magistrate p. 224 The private mans fruit p. 225 Mr. Bradfords complaint for his owne unfruitfulnesse to be well noted of all p. 226 Each of us to acknowledge particularly our unfruitfulnesse p. 227 Abomination 16. Corruptions crept into all places and callings that almost all was become as drosse hastening the Captivitie p. 230 Only a few reserved in every calling p. 231 Vengeance proportionall to be melted together in the midst of Ierusalem p. 23â— Application to trie whether we have no need of such a melting 232 How neere we were to the furnace p. 232 England could not have filled the furnace p. 233 The furnace proclaimed to all people that we are corrupt and what God is about to doe unlesse we repent p. 233 Our corruptions instanced in the cry of many sinnes p. 234 The truth hereof as of the rest to be inquired of amongst the most conscionable and painfull Ministers p. 234 This should never passe out of our hearts how neere we have beene unto the melting p. 235 Abomination 17. Hypocrisie angring the Lord hastening the Captivitie p. 235 Their Covenant concerning the sinceritie of Gods worship p. 236 Wherein their hypocrisie chiefly consisted p. 236 The outward service without the inward is a wearinesse unto the Lord so the Ceremonie without the Morall commandement p. 237 To trust in outward observations is to trust in lying words p. 237 Hypocrisie in observing the traditions of men more then Gods commandements p. 238 Hypocrisie in serving God by the commandements of men and not of any conscience to God p. 238 Hypocrisie causeth the Lord to loath all our service and to take away his Religion p. 238 Application for our hypocrisie in performing a bare outward service p. 239 Hypocrisie in retaining still the dregs of Poperie p. 239 Many of our people doe all principally for the commandements of men as ready to receive any other religion p. 240 How few of whom we may justly hope that they are soundly religious p. 240 If so how can we looke to escape Ierusalems vengeance or a heavier p. 240 The sinnes of the chiefe men of all sorts from whom wickednesse descended to all the rest and the meanes how p. 241 The Lord will require all his sheepe of the pastors and why p. 242 Abomination 18. Covenant of the Magistrates and Rulers p. 242 Magistrates ought to be as God in his place p. 242 Magistrates ought to be fathers to all under them p. 243 Magistrates ought to be most temperate and fearing God p. 243 Magistrates as lights and patternes to the rest p. 244 Their great men in stead of being as God were most rebellious against God p. 244 In stead of fathers lions p. 244 The Lord compares cruell Rulers to Butchers and Cookes p. 245 Their great men gave themselves over to all licentiousnesse p. 246 Instead of being lights they became most vile ensamples p. 246 Their vengeance proportionall on them p. 247 Application in all humble reverence how neere the vengeance was to us in each particular p. 248 What the Popish conspirators pretended in blowing up the Parliament house p. 249 Great men are to remember the honour laid upon them and the end why God hath done it p. 250 Nehemiahs ensample to be set before the face of all worthy Rulers p. 252 Abomination 19. Taking up the evill fashions of other countries hastening the Captivitie p. 253 Gods people to observe the manners prescribed by him p. 253 They might not conforme themselves to Gods enemies but were to destroy every thing that might teach them their manners p. 253 They tooke up the odious fashions of other Countries and this was a chiefe cause why the Lord did forsake them p. 254 255 They fell to doat upon the guises of the Babylonians whom God had ordained to be their scourge p. 255 Vengeance for this to be cast off as they had cast off the Lord for these p. 256 All to be caried into Babylon on which they had so doated where they should execute Gods vengeance on them p. 256 The Lord sanctified the Babylonians for his ghuests against
the time of this sacrifice when hee would visit all who delighted in these vanities p. 257 Application to examine our odious fashions of divers sorts as charging with healths whorish plaies and the like p. 257 258 Private reading Scriptures left off by such p. 259 Filthie and scurrilous Pamphlets received in place p. 260 Babylonish policie by corrupting our manners first to overthrow our Religion p. 260 Having prevailed with the greater they make sure account of the rest p. 260 The device of old Balaam as the surest stratageme worthy our best consideration p. 261 There is no sorcerie against Israel abiding in obedience p. 262 Application of the Historie of Balaams stratageme to our selves p. 264 A mystery whereby to bring Italy into England and so to obtaine their purposes p. 264 A just lamentation for that no warning will serve but we must do at after them and be weary of the Lord. p. 264 265 Abomination 20. Oppression of the poore hastening the Captivitie p. 265 Our covenant with the Lord for justice and mercy to the poore p. 265 A patterne for great men in Iob. p. 265 Their transgression that instead thereof they were most cruell extortioners and oppressors p. 266 267 The Lord compares extortioners to Apothecaries Millers 268 They joined house to house till there was no place for the poore p. 269 Vengeance proportionall p. 269 Abomination 21. Oppression by ingrossing and inhancing the prizes of things to swallow up the poore hastening the Captivitie p. 270 What God requires of rich men in time of dearth p. 270 The rich were become as cormorants to the poore p. 270 The Lord will never forget this sinne it makes the land to tremble p. 271 Application to unsatiable corne-mungers p. 272 Gods warning forgotten in the levellers insurrection p. 273 Abomination 22. Oppression to raise their houses hastening the Captivitie p. 274 To build by oppression is to consult shame to their houses p. 275 Abomination 23. Oppression to support their pride hastening the Captivitie p. 275 The attire of gracious women what it ought to be p. 276 Their women helpt to flea the poore to support their pride p. 276 They minded nothing but pride when God threatned them most p. 276 The plagues which all such bring on themselves and theirs p. 277 A glasse for proud women to view themselves in p. 278 What this would worke rightly practised p. 278 Our pride though exceeding theirs so as cannot be expressed yet must one day be set in open view before the faces of all who doe not repent p. 279 Vengeance proportionall for this sinne p. 279 This sinne and the sighes of the poore for it cry continually for vengeance to be taken on such a monster p. 280 Abomination 24. Pride in sumptuous buildings causing oppression hastening the Captivitie p. 280 A glasse for them who build their houses by oppression p. 281 The unmercifulnesse of ambitious builders p. 282 The way for great men to prosper p. 282 The case of all oppressours how they live and what they provide for their children p. 283 Application p. 284 Abomination 25. Oppression to maintaine riot and excesse hastening the Captivitie p. 284 What the Lord requires for all his mercies chiefly of rich men p. 284 How they requited the Lord and used his benefits never thinking of the worke of the Lord. p. 285 286 A glasse for all given over to their pleasures p. 286 Men given over to pleasures forget the affliction of Ioseph p. 287 The seers given up to wine and good fellowship can see nothing amisse till the vengeance of God come p. 287 The fruits of excesse and idlenesse p. 288 They became to be impudent in uncleannesse to shew their filthinesse openly like the Sodomites p. 288 Men giving themselves over to carnall pleasures have no knowledge p. 288 Such prepare captivitie temporall or eternall or both p. 288 Hunger and thirst remaine for all belly-gods p. 289 Neither Gentrie nor greatnesse will save from Gods vengeance hell gapes for such p. 289 The proudest must be brought downe to the depth of hell and goe captives with the first p. 289 God abhorres the excellencie and haughtinesse of all such and the palaceâ— where their sinnes are most practised p. 290 Desperation the portion of all proud belly-gods when Gods vengeance comes p. 290 God must needs visit for such things and his soule be avengedon such a nation p. 290 Application to every conscience p. 291 Abomination 26. Vnsatiable covetousnesse causing oppression hastening the Captivitie p. 291 The studie and covetousnesse of the Lords people p. 291 All before the Captivitie generally given to covetousnesse p. 292 The fruit of covetousnesse in the Prophets to speake only to please p. 292 The manner of healing with faire words as the Prophets did before the Captivitie p. 292 293 Covetous men can see nothing but for their owne advantage p. 293 Vengeance proportionall p. 293 The wretched estate of all covetous Prophets p. 294 The difference of the preaching of the true Prophets and the covetous worldlings p. 295 The power of the true Prophets shewed forth chiefly in the time of abounding of all iniquitie and approching of judgement p. 295 A perpetuall night came upon the false Prophets at the Captivitie p. 296 Covetousnesse dumbnesse blindnesse sleeping goe together in the false Prophets p. 296 Iust vengeance on all for their unsatiable greediness p. 296 Application to all sorts of spoylers of the poore p. 297 Application to those who oppresse to make themselves great p. 297 Application to the haughtie on whose garments is found the bloud of the poore p. 297 Application to sumptuous builders oppressing p. 298 Application to them that oppresse to pamper themselves saucing all their dainties with the bloud of the poore p. 299 Application to the mightie ingrossers whose houses are filled with the spoiles of the poore p. 299 Application to all who have set up the world in their hearts to worship p. 300 How to be beautifull and glorious indeed p. 301 How to set our nests on high and to build them for eternitie p. 301 How to give our selves to all delights and to be prodigall therin p. 302 How to hoord up and ingrosse p. 302 How to covet a holy covetousnesse p. 303 Abomination 27. The generall Apostasie of Iudah hastening the Captivitie that they were ever starting away and departing from the Lord. p. 304 305 Their zeale in the beginning of the daies of Ezekiah Iosiah against Idolatry for reforming religion how soon it was gone 305 306 Abomination 28. Falling from their forwardnesse in Religion to all profanenesse hastening the Captivitie p. 307 The sum of Gods Covenant with them to magnifie and obey his word p. 307 They cast away the word of the Lord in regard of making any conscience of it p. 308 The plague which is upon them that cast away Gods word to set up their own imaginations they shal see they have had no wisdome
309 The Lord will reject all them that reject his word as reprobate silver is rejected p. 310 All they forsake the Covenant who doe not obey it though they seeme in word to embrace it p. 310 Application to all sorts whose hearts tell them they are such p. 311 Abomination 29. Scorning the word of the Lord and all true profession hastening the Captivitie p. 314 How pretious Gods word ought to be to his people p. 314 They loathed Gods word and counted it a burden p. 314 315 They made the word matter enough of the vilest reproch to every one truly professing it p. 315 The fearfull extremities that Gods servants are oft driven to through the hatred which they endure for the word p. 316 317 The very scornes and taunts against Gods word and servants shall be one day a heavie burden to every scorner p. 318 God will visit every scorner and his house and reward them with an everlasting shame p. 318 319 Application of this sin and denunciation to our selves p. 319 320 Scorning Gods word and faithfull messengers cannot scape unpupunished p. 321 Abomination 30. Pollution of the Lords Sabbaths hastening the Captivitie p. 322 Covenant for the Sabbath p. 322 He is a blessâ—d man that endevoureth truly to keepe the Sabbath and to such a one only the Covenant and promises belong p. 322 They despised and polluted Gods Sabbath and how p. 323 They put no difference betweene the holy and prophane p. 323 Their Priests hid their eies from Gods Sabbath p. 324 The Lord complaines that he is profaned by them that willingly suffer his holy things to be polluted p. 324 The Lord chargeth them with carying and recarying upon the Sabbath p. 325 The commandement for the Sabbath belongs as well to us as to them p. 325 The Lords anger and message sent unto them for this sinne chiefly to their King and Rulers p. 325 The cvill ensample of our forefathers is no example for us but rather increaseth the wrath p. 326 344 The Lords gratious promise to the reformation of the Sabbath VIZ. continuance of their Kings dignitie and prosperitie p. 326 All desiring the establishing of the throne of the Lords Anointed and prosperitie of their nation to looke to it p. 326 What good friends they are to Prince State Church and Commonwealth who call into question the time of the Sabbath p. 327 Vengeance for pollution of the Sabbath viz kindling a fire in the gates of Ierusalem and their 70. yeeres Captivitie p. 327 The feeling of such a plague as was towards us but one day would make us most willingly to stoope unto the Lord. p. 328 Nehemiah after the Captivitie acknowledgeth Gods righteous vengeance in it for polluting the Sabbath and laboureth thereon the redresse of that sinne p. 328 Al the sins which rulers might redresse are accounted their sins 328 Former examples of Gods vengeance should warne us p. 329 In Nehemiah is the lively picture of a worthy ruler who had seene the miseries of a Captivitie for sinne p. 329 Three ensamples in Nehemiah never to be forgotten of tender-hearted and worthy governours p. 329 1 Nehemiah lookes forthwith to the particular state and miseries of the people to be more affected therewith p. 330 2. His willing and compassionate hearing of the cries and grievances of the poore p. 330 The happie way to redresse the evils of Gods people p. 330 How good governours may prevaile when they wish nothing to be done but what themselves doe first p. 331 3. Nehemiah himselfe seeth the reformation of the evils especially of the Sabbath p. 332 Application to our selves concerning the Sabbath p. 332 333 To remember here the consuming fire wherwith the Lord threatned us p. 334 Our land made well-neâ—re as a desolate widow p. 334 We are they on whom God now complaines for despising his holy things as he then did upon Iudah p. 335 For putting no difference betweene the holy and prophane p. 336 Our sinne in admitting all indifferently to the table of the Lord. p. 337 This sin enough to bring Gods plagues upon the whole land p. 338 The 〈…〉 that great censure of ExcoÌ„munication p. 338 Hiding our eies from Gods Sabbath from seeing the most weightie duties of the Sabbath to performe them p. 339 To consider whether we be not they who have thought the Sabbath overlong p. 341 Sabbath profaned by carying and recarying p. 342 Our pretended necessities cannot excuse us more then them p. 342 Reserving journies ordinarie for the Sabbath p. 342 Concourse to plaies and the vilenesse of them p. 343 The inevitable danger to frequenters of plaies p. 343 Frâ—quenting Tavernes and Alehouses where nothing is more common then scorning all pietie upon the Sabbath p. 344 God hath only warned us hitherto p. 344 The speech turned to all who have the chiefe charge of the house of the Lord and his Sabbath p. 345 Abomination 31. Sundrie degrees of their profanenesse angring the Lord and hastening the Captivitie p. 346 Opposing themselves against all power of religion and godlinesse when they gloried in his outward ceremoniall worship p. 346 They bent their tongues and workes against the Lord and against all true pietie and conscience of his waies using all devices to put out all feare of his name p. 347 They spake good of evill evill of good glorying in their most shamefull sinnes p. 347 They justified and loved the wicked condemned and hated the good p. 348 They sought to cast all shame on the godly p. 348 Thence they proceeded to spoiling and all violence p. 348 They used to make shewes of religion when they were as Sodome 349 They would make shewes of seeking God in fasting and leane on the Lord even then when they were so vile p. 349 The vengeance for their outragious profanenesse viz. the spoiling them by the Caldean which they should not beleeve till it came who should dâ—ale with them accordingly as they had done with the Lord and his people p. 350 Application to us to search our sinne before 〈…〉 to search us p. 351 Our swaggerers in each place walke usually in the steps of their profanenesse especially against the Lord and his servants p. 351 These the only good fellowes men of renowne as before the floud p. 353 The speech turned to these if but to save some of them p. 353 The terrible anger of God upon all profane despisers of the Gospell not to beleeve any judgement towards us though never so plainly denounced and manifested nor towards themselves p. 354 355 The case of prophane persons in the day of Gods vengeance p. 355 Their case in the day of death and of the last judgement p. 356 Their happinesse who can take the time of mercy p. 357 Abomination 32. The Idolatrie of Iudah hastening the Captivitie p. 357 Their Covenant with God to have worshipped him only according to his word without retaining the least shew or occasion of Idolatrie p. 358 He had enjoyned them
to make open protestation against all Idolatrie even in the very enemies land p. 358 There was in them notwithstanding a very generall inclination to run a whoring after Idols p. 359 Hezekiah and Iosiah raised up to destroy deface Idolatry p. 359 The zeale of the people in destroying Idolatrie in Ezekiahs daies Gods admirable favour to Ezekiah Iudah therupon p. 359 Their relaps to Idolatrie with Manasseh falling to be worse then the heathen p. 359 Manasseh led captive for this his repentance and destroying Idolatrie againe p. 359 Iosiah raised up to worke a thorow reformation and with a most strange detestation of Idolatrie in the hearts of the people p. 360 Iosiah solemnly renues the Covenant with the Lord to worship him only according to his will and compelleth all to stand to it so by all meanes convincing them before the Captivitie p. 360 The Lord sent them moe Prophets and with more power before the Captivitie then ever in former time p. 360 Idolatrie was usually one sinne whereof they did ever warne the people p. 361 Idolatrie practised secretly in all Iosiahs daies p. 361 The remnant of Baall with the Chemarims and those who sware by the Lord and Malcom still remaining in his daies p. 361 Idolaters compared to shamelesse strumpets sending for their lovers viz. Priests to teach them the worship of their Idols p. 362 The Rulers fell to most horrible Idolatrie in secret hard before the Captivitie as the Lord shewes Ezekiel p. 362 The outward forme of Gods religion may seeme to have continued even unto their very last desolation without any publike Idolatrie p. 362 A publike fast proclaimed by Iehoiakim hard before the Captivitie but not performed as it ought p. 363 Vengeance denounced for this sinne of Idolatrie To cause them to run into the holes to hide them and to curse their Gods p. 363 The Lord threatneth to raise their lovers against them who should use them as strumpets for this and cause their fornications to cease p. 364 To plague them from Egypt and Babylon p. 364 The Covenant ours as well as theirs p. 364 The Lord as much detests Idolatrie now as then p. 364 The Lord hath raised up sundrie of his worthie servants to destroy Idolatrie as well with us as with them p. 365 The Lord may complain of us herein as much as upon Iudah p. 365 In this sin we seeme farre to exceed them in the daies of Iosiah p. 366 367 Yet the vengeance came on them presently after the death of Iosiah and principally for this sinne amongst others p. 366 Certaine points to be seriously thought of by all the favourers of Poperie amongst us and by all who stand in suspence p. 367 1. The occasion and manner of casting Poperie out of our land p. 367 2. The bloud of so many learned and most holy Martyrs as Cranmer c. witnessing against it p. 367 Answer concerning their pretended Martyrs p. 369 3. So many worthie Preachers in each part of our land convincing all ever since then p. 369 4. So many learned writers unanswerable confuting it and every peece of it p. 369 5. The discoverie of their Index Expurgatorius for their wicked dealing against the Gospell and for upholding Poperie p. 370 6. So many discoveries of their unnaturall cruelties the fruits of their religion and for the supporting thereof p. 370 The chiefe of them made trumpetters of the abomination of their religion p. 370 Our Saviours argument most strong against that religion to prove it to be a principall religion of Sathan under a shew of holinesse especially the Iesuited Papists religion p. 371 7. Their religion teacheth these things witnesse those evidences which follow in the end of this Abomination viz. p. 371 Abomination 32. This alone sufficient to cause all not utterly given up to flie out of Babylon p. 372 8. Miraculous deliverances and preservations of our Princes religion and us all at the Spanish invasion the death of Queene Elizabeth and so wonderfully bringing in the Lords Anointed amongst us and at the gunpowder treason p. 372 9. The wonderfull bringing the Gospell againe after Queene Mary with the admirable preservation of the Lady Elizabeth p. 372 10. The wonderfull continuance of the Gospell since notwithstanding so innumerable stratagems against it p. 372 These as infallible arguments of Gods favour and love towards us as theirs were towards Iudea and ought as much to knit our hearts to the Lord and his truth and to a detestation of that bloudie Religion p. 373 Our happinesse if wee have hearts to meditate of these things p. 373 374 To thinke what it is to take the marke of the Beast chiefly after these convictions p. 373 11. The relenting of most hearts for the present in sundrie discoveries of their wickednesse p. 373 12. Exhortation to thinke of these things and to compare our way of life with theirs whether is more equall and whether is more agreeable to the word of the Lord. p. 374 To reade the French massacre and the Spanish Inquisition p. 375 What they long for who seeke to bring in Poperie againe p. 375 Answer to the vaine perswasion of our professed Papists concerning their owne safetie if God should leave us into the hand of the enemie p. 375 All the rich should be made Hugonotes as in Paris at the French massacre p. 375 What they may looke for who looke to bee enriched by such a day p. 375 Warning to all who foreseeing these evils doe not their uttermost endevours to turne them away p. 376 God speakes to each as Mordecay to Hester p. 376 Three necessarie questions 1. How so many have and doe daily fall to Poperie notwithstanding all these things 2. How to be resolved of the truth 3. How to be kept from backesliding from the truth p. 376 For answer to the first to consider 1. Who they have beene that have fallen p. 377 2. Reasons why such have and doe so fall in Gods justice p. 378 All are contemners of the truth who never so received the love of it as by all holy meanes to search the knowledge of it and to obey it p. 379 The reasons why some of Gods deare servants have and may fall for a time p. 381 God may thus leave up his owne for a time but he will fetch them againe at least by strong hand if they be his elect indeed p. 382 Answer to the second question viz. How those who stand in doubt may be resolved which is the Religion of the Lord. p. 382 Answer to the third Question viz. How to be kept from declining to Poperie and from falling from the Lord. p. 385 For those with whom no other meanes can prevaile to cause them to be afraid of Poperie First to consider as before Christ of the former reasons p. 385 2. To ponder our Saviours reason against the malicious lewes Iohn 8. 44. to prove they were of the devill and so one reason against Poperie
fetcht directly from it p. 385 386 A Syllogisme demonstrating plainly that Poperie especially the Iesuited Papists Religion is in a speciall manner of the devill teaching lying and murder for the supporting of it p. 386 Proofe of the Proposition p. 386 Proofe of the Assumption That Poperie teacheth lying and murdering for the supporting and advancing of it p. 386 Helpes and preservatives which God hath provided for those who would be kept from Poperie the scourge that followes the contempt of the Gospell As p. 387 1. Notable confutations of Poperie to keepe us p. 388 2. Notable discoveries of the bloudy cruelties and vilenesse of Poperie and contrarily The perpetuall witnesses of the truth which we professe p. 388. 3. Speciall helpes for sanctification whereby to be kept from declining from God and so from this scourge p. 389 4. Helpes for praier because we cannot be kept except we pray nor stand in these evill daies without the speciall sustaining hand of our God p. 390 5. Helpes for fasting to humble us and to make our praiers more powerfull and effectuall that we may be kept p. 390 Abomination 33. Atheisme of Iudah angring the Lord to the uttermost and bringing the Captivitie p. 390 The day of vengeance wished by desperate scoffing Atheists p. 391 What a day that will be when it commeth p. 392 Atheists scoffing at the threatnings of the Prophets p. 392 This sinne cannot be purged till they die p. 392 All were at a covenant with death and hell p. 392 Atheists of all others most timorous when the vengeance comes p. 393 Abomination 34. Divisions of Iudah angring the Lord and bringing the Captivitie p. 394 Their divisions flowing from all their abominations and chiefly from the Apostasie so generally p. 394 All were given to covetousnesse and spreading nets p. 395 No man could trust other p. 395 The greater spoiling the poorer p. 395 All against the true Prophets and against all that feared the Lord and why p. 395 Their owne familiars waiting to have matter against them p. 396 Not one left with Gods faithfull servants to be seene to stand for them p. 396 The Church had none to looke to but to the Lord. p. 397 The number of the godly exceeding small at that time amongst them as the grapes after the vintage p. 397 How the Church comforts her selfe against the insulting of the enemie p. 397 A question answered viz. In so many divisions to whom to joine p 398 399. Application to our owne soules concerning our divisions and the rest of the heads herein p. 399 CHAP. XII The meanes whereby the Lord had striven with them to bring them to repentance that he might spare them and how in stead of repenting their sinne was increased by them all p. 400 Meanes by calling them by his word and how he had thereby striâ—â—n with them in all sorts p. 401 402 How he had called them by the continuall voice of his mercies p. 402 How he had called them by the voice of his rods both bodily and spirituall p. 403 The Lord weary with smiting inforced to give them up to their owne hearts lust and to this induration p. 404 The highest step of their induration that they were given over to scoffe at the Lords warnings whereby he called them to repentance p. 405 This sinne could not be purged p. 405 Some causes of their induration and why they profited not by all the meanes which the Lord used p. 406 Why the Lord would spare them no longer after he had used all these meanes to reclaime them p. 407 Application to our selves p. 408 CHAP. XIII The severitie of the Lords vengeance when no other meanes could serve p. 410 The Lamentations of Ieremie written to set out this miserie p. 411 Their carnall confidence in Iosiah seemeth one cause to have provoked the Lord to take him away after whose death began their miseries immediatly p. 412 The wofull miseries which at that time they endured As p. 412 1. Famine in the most lamentable kindes p. 412 2. Destruction by the sword p. 413 3. The desolations of the Temple p. 414 4. The finall desolation that came upon them p. 414 5. The shame cast upon the Lord and his people p. 414 6. The people that escaped caried captives p. 415 The miseries of their Captivitie p. 415 7. In their Captivitie the Church acknowledgeth all this justly come upon her for rebelling against the word of the Lord. p. 415 Despising Gods word and misusing his messengers caused that 〈◊〉 could be no more remedie p. 416 Application why the Lord should not execute as heavie a judgement upon us as on Iudah p. 416 How neere we have beene unto it and how oft p. 416 The mourning of the Lord for his people before this execution p. 417 The Lords expostulation after a sort mourning over us for our foolish impenitency and unkindnesse p. 417 The changing of our danger into such a joyfull day p. 419 Our unthankefulnesse in forgetting our wonderfull deliverances and mercies p. 420 The Lords expostulation further urged bemoaning our unkindnesse and wilfulnesse p. 421 Whether the Lord may not justly thus speake unto us especially having so many ready to receive our most bloudy enemies into our bosomes p. 421 422 424 Our answer to the Lords expostulation taken away p. 424 Application to all notorious sinners who are the men that hale on the vengeance of the Lord. p. 425 Warning to all obstinate sinners howsoever the Lord deale with us at the cries of his servants p. 427 Their miserable state at death most at Christs appearing p. 427 How each may come to the certaine knowledge of the truth hereof viz. by inquiring of his owne heart awaked p. 428 CHAP. XIIII How Gods faithfull servants are wont to be affected seeing his anger kindled against his people p. 430 How they are wont in such cases to use all meanes to pacifie his Majestie p. 431 The meanes which they have beene wont to use to this end p. 431 1. Gods faithfull servants have beene wont to intreat the Lord in secret to pacifie him thereby towards his people p. 433 2. They have beene wont to forewarne Gods people of their sinnes and his vengeance comming on them for the same p. 434 3. Gods servants have beene wont to direct his people to the meanes whereby he may be pacified p. 436 The principall meanes publike humiliations p. 436. Examples hereof p. 436 c. The example of Iehosophat is to be beholden of all religious rulers who would see the like experience of the Lords presence and mercie towards them and therefore set downe at large p. 438 The way to ouerthrow and daunt the enemies of the Church p. 439 Our owne practise and experience p. 441 Reason hereof All having provoked the Lord all must seeke to pacifie him by humbling themselves p. 442 The office of forewarning and calling to fasting belongs to Gods Ministers p. 443 446 The supreme Magistrates to appoint publike
specially at death most at the dreadfull judgement p. 532 533 Reasons of their horrour p. 533 State of them then who have neglected their callings and that which hath beene commanded them p. 534 How fearefull the condition of all those men is who have not gained with their talents nor increased them and more of those who have used them against the Lord and for Sathan p. 534 Their case of all other most fearefull to whom most hath beene committed p. 535 How their horrour shall be increased p. 535 No impenitent sinner can possibly looke to stand before the Lord. p. 535 Application to all who have neglected to doe as the Lord hath commanded them p. 536 Application to the chiefe to put them in remembrance as their answer must be the greatest for their place and charge p. 536 The Magistrates Commission and what the Lord will call for at his hards p. 537 The Iudges commission p. 538 The Ministers commission p. 538 The account of each Governour of a family for every soule within his gates p. 539 The account of every one to whom he hath committed any talent p. 539 How the Lord will reply to all sorts beginning to excuse themselves untill their mouthes be stopped p. 540 How he will reply to all for imploying their talents by trying their advantage p. 542 Objection of the weake Christian viz. who can be able to appeare before the Lord p. 543 Every one who hath unfainedly striven hereunto shall be able to stand before the Lord and reasons of it p. 544 Object 2. The cry of all sorts of sinners whose consciences shall be awaked when they shall bethinke themselves of this appearing p. 545 The Lords answer to all such p. 545 What the Lord commands the poore sinner in the first place p. 546 The endevour of Sathan to drive all such poore sinners to endlesse despaire p. 547 How to comfort the poore humbled sinner against Sathans assaults and temptations p. 547 The second terrour of Sathan that the time of mercie is past p. 549 The time is never too late whilst the Lord calls us to repent if we can obey p. 549 Generall comfort never repentant sinner but found mercie p. 550 The Lord still stretcheth out his hands to all to come to him p. 550 The terrible voice of the Lord to all despisers of mercy now offered p. 551 The Lord will one day bring all that belong unto him to say Lord I will doe as thou commandest at least he will bring them by strong hand p. 552 God purposeth their destruction whom he suffereth to goe on perpetually in their impenitencie p. 553 Application to us all in generall what securitie we have to escape the vengeance so long threatned from Babylon untill we doe as God commands p. 553 The Lords reply to us if we answer that we have repented and therefore shall have peace p. 554 555 God threatneth us as sensibly from Rome as he did them from Babylon p. 556 Conclusion of all how to trie the certaintie hereof and when we may have securitie and boldnesse p. 557 Comfort to all the meeke who can say that they have truly endevored to doe as the Lord hath commanded them These only have the promises p. 557 The Lord hath given most comfortable answers against each feare of his servants in such cases p. 558 Against the feare of being left into the enemies hand p. 558 The second feare for the wrongs and provocations of the enemies answered p. 559 Our third feare for that we are but poore wormes and nothing in regard of our enemies which are the mightie men of the earth p. 560 The fourth feare of Gods people for the miseries we may come into in the meane time amongst our enemies answered p. 561 A fift answer of the Lord against the feare of want of necessary comforts p. 562 A sixt comfort against feare of fainting in the long continuance of the troubles of the Church p. 563 The seventh the Lords answer to the faithfull soule mourning for feare of the dangers of the Church p. 565 What every faithfull servant of God should doe for the Church and this nation that would never see 〈◊〉 feele their miseries p. 565 All to hearken what the Lord calleth and crieth for at our hands moaning our estate p. 566 What he will doe for us and against our enemies if we will yet hearken unto him p. 567 A holy praier according to the Contents of the booke p. 569 TO ALL ESTATES AND DEGREES WHO truly tender their owne Soules the Church of God and their natiue COVNTREY IT is now many yeares Christian Reader since by reading those holy Prophets which liued next before the Captiuitie of Iudah who denounced the same to be ready to come vpon Gods people for their sinnes and by considering and comparing the same with the times wherein we liue I haue euer feared the life plague or a heauier to be hanging ouer this our sinfull Nation Neither haue I feared without iust cause for how neere indeed such a iudgement hath bin vnto vs and how the same threatnings haue bin ready to be verified vpon vs the world is witnesse euen all they who haue but onely heard the report of our dangers and of our wonderfull and euen miraculous deliuerances And euer the later perils and preseruations haue bin the more wonderfull as that one of the Powder furnace was aboue all that euer former age heard of In the due meditation and regard whereof I haue taken it to be my dutie and of all the faithfull Ministers of Christ to follow the example of Noah and of all those faithfull Prophets in giuing warning aforehand keeping within the limits and compasse of our calling to helpe to open the eyes of all to foresee and to cause all to tremble for the anger of the Lord also to contend with all our power to turne euery soule from his euill way that so his wrath may be appeased and we deliuered from the dreadfull execution of his heauiest vengeance Herevpon in my former feare amongst other causes I was chiefly emboldned and that not long before the time of that bloudie Powder-treason as the Lord had so directed it to endeuour to set downe truly and after to publish to all the first part of this watch viz The rule of life contayning the couenant which we haue all entred into with our God To the end to helpe to keepe all his people from the generall declining from that his blessed couenant to profanesse and iniquitie and from the outragious wickednes of the rest that we also might all learne to watch to be preserued in the euill day And since then likewise the second part of the same watch viz The rule of prayer to awaken vs the better and to stirre vp all the Lords faithfull seruants the more speedily and instantly to betake our selues wholly to watching and prayer not onely to be
Yea we haue neede of Ionah to proclaime vnto vs Yet fortie dayes and England shall be destroyed for her sin And finally when preaching will not serue to awake vs we haue neede of Ieremie or Baruck to write the sinnes of vs all with the plagues which God hath praepared and denounced against vs for the same That euery one euen running by may read them as written in capitall letters vpon tables to try if yet at length by this meanes we may see the greatnes of the anger that is kindled against vs and so repent and retùrne euery one from his euill way that he may forgiue our iniquitie and sin and deliuer vs from the imminent and all like future plagues To this very end that we may behold the Lord himselfe discouering vnto vs our iniquities and so may haue â—o more pretence nor cloakes for our sinnes nor yet surmize the least partialitie here we may all see and that in the very sins of Iudah for which God brought vpon them that terrible captiuitie the Lord himselfe and not men setting before our faces both our sinnes in generall and the transgressions of ech of vs as in particular and how we haue thereby deserued such a iudgement These I haue laboured to set out more fully and to apply them more particularly vnto vs because of the degrees acknowledged by all to be necessarie vnto sound repentance in euery one who lookes to get full assurance of Gods mercy As first a true search sight and sense of his sinne and Gods anger for it 2. Humble confession of it 3. Griefe of heart with detestation of the same 4. Crying for pardon 5. A lowly offering our selues to his Maeiestie to wâ—lke with him all our dayes 6. A faithfull performance of our vowes For this cause haue I bent my chiefe studie to helpe somewhat herevnto that all these parts of true repentance may be wrought in vs and the same made vnfeigned And to this end I haue prepared first as 〈◊〉 and sent before the Couenant of our God with vs in the fiâ—st part of this watch that it might be throughly tryed like as it hath bin approued for many yeares by sundry learned professors of the Gospell euen by all to whom it hath come so far forth as I know to be that truth of God wherein we all agree and the summe of that which the Lord requires of vs generally without which we cannot be established and of euery one particularly if we will be saued In this part I haue likewise set the seuerall branches of the same Couenant before sundry of our heynous sinnes that by comparing them togither we may more liuely behold our transgressions and provocations Yea I haue striuen thorow the whole to helpe that euery one of vs might returne to that his blessed Couenant for the happinesse of vs all and of euery particular soule and to saue vs both from the temporall and eternall vengeance And first in regard of the whole Nation because we all stand continually in danger of that anger of God to be powred out vpon vs which had formerly almost ouerwhelmed vs all and for ought we can imagine must needs ouertake vs in the end vnlesse we more generally repent and turne vnto his Maiestie No policie of man nor humane meanes can euer secure vs from the furie of Babylon and that he should not suffer them to execute their malice vpon vs and leaue them to be executioners of his plagues so often and so neerely accomplished but this our more generall turning All that euer they haue done or doe intend are nothing but the Lordsthreatnings denouncing by them to pluck vs vp to root vs out and destroy vs as we shall see at large in this vision of Ezechiel They are onely Gods axe his souldiers his executioners though themselues know not so much It is true indeed he may deferre his plagues or lessen them at the prayers of his faithfull seruants as he hath done many a day and saued vs in the imminent perils but there is nothing so far as we can perceiue out of the word of the Lord to giue vs any securitie that can cause him to repent of that great plague and destruction which he seemeth to haue denounced so plainly and directly from Heauen against our Realme and Nation so to turne it away but onely our turning from our wickednesse We may all behold our prâ—sent estate in the 18 of Ieremie written as in great letters for euery one to read and that so plainely as none can pretend ignorance but it must of necessitie convince euery conscience in all the Land for to vs it is directed both to vs all in generall and to euery soule particularly At the 5th verse of that Chapter first he sends Ieremie to the Potters house that there he might see the Potter breake the pots in his hand at his pleasure Then the word came vnto the Prophet at that very instant saying O house of Israel cannot I doe with you as this Potter saith the Lord Behold as the clay is in the Pottershand so are yee in my hand oh house of Israel And after he adds these words vers 7. I will speake sodeinly against a Nation to plucke it vp and to roote it out and destroy it vers 8. But if this Nation against whom I haue pronounced turne from their wickednesse I will repent of the plague which I thought to bring vpon them vers 9. And I will speake sodeinly concerning a Nation concerning a Kingdome to build it vp to plant it vers 10. But if it do euill in my sight heare not my voyce I will repent of the good which I thought to doe for them vers 11. Speake now therefore vnto the men of Iudah and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem saying Thus saith the Lord Behold I prepare a plague for you and purpose a thing against you Returne now therefore euery one from his euill way and make your wayes and your workes good To apply this to our selues Did not the Lord shew this vnto vs much more visibly than he did vnto Ieremie That we were all as the clay in his hand that he had not onely power to dash vs in peeces but had in effect done it already saue that he did as it were create and forme vs againe of such a sudden that we did all wonder at it and all Nations shall haue cause to wonder to the end of the world How many wayes yea how sensibly and suddenly God hath spoken vnto vs all both proclayming by most infallible tokens that his anger is kindled against vs to the vttermost and that he is ready to powre out vpon vs the full viols of his vengeance and also on the other side declaring in all his long forbearance and admirable dâ—liuerances how vnwilling he is to proceede to the execution if any
other meanes might reclaime vs will euidently appeare to euery one who with any conscience or due consideration shall read that which followeth in this vision And for that other maine point That nothing else can truly secure vs from the execution so as to giue vs true comfort but our turning to the Lords Couenant aske of all the booke of God of all the places conteyning promises and theeatnings to whole Nations whether all the promises be not made vnto our turning and obedient walking in his Couenant and all the threatnings after this manner That if we walke more stubbornely against him he will increase his vengeance accordingly and plague vs yet seuen times more So that all holy meanes are to be vsed to helpe to recall vs to the true obedience of that his holy Couenant that ech may renew the oath of our obedience to Iesus Christ for the happinesse of the whole and of euery soule For God will haue vs all to know That whatsoeuer soule will not returne to his Couenant must dye it must die eternally Yea though we liue not in a wilfull reiecting of all the Couenant but in any one abomination wittingly on rary to the same and much more doing it presumptuously that is both wittingly and willingly being warned and convinced thereof as the word is most direct Yea if we doe not turne and seeke to cause others to turne chiefly all those committed to our charge we must dye Onely that man is a iust man who doth iustice and endeuours to walke in all Gods statutes and to deale truly turning and seeking to cause others to turne that man onely shall liue Neuer any soule shall haue any assurance to escape Gods vengeance or haue true boldnesse to appeare before the Lord but only such a man Aske of the holy Scriptures whether this be not the tenour of them all whether any other be a liuing member of Christ or haue any part in his bloud or in that redemption wrought by him But aboue all this is yet more dreadfull that whosoeuer they be that liue in a wilfull breach of any part of the Couenant of God and chiefly those who wallow in any one of those abominations which brought this captiuitie of Iudah doe not onely destroy their owne soules without vnfeyned repentance but also doe helpe so much as one mans sinne can doe to draw downe the vengeance of God vpon the whole Land to the ruinating both of Church and Common-wealth that bred them Euery of our blasphemers drunkards whoremongers Idolaters profane Sabaoth-breakers despisers of the word of the Lord with all other notorious sinners haue their hands therein Therefore the Lord from heauen speaks vnto vs all and cryes loud vnto vs to turne â—nto him that we may escape his vengeance He hath here in this vision set such a glasse before our faces as wherein we may behold our selues most liuely both our present and future estate what he threatneth to doe vnto vs. Oh thoâ— the vineyard of the Lord he shewes vnto thee that for thy vnfruitfulnes he is about to make thee waste You who are the fruitlesse branches behold your condition either you must bring forth fruit speedily or else be cut downe and throwne into the euerlasting fire You who draw neere vnto God with your lips in an outward profession but your hearts are so far from him that by your lines you giue occâ—â— to his enemies to blaspheme his name he shewes you here thâ— iâ—dgement that he hath prepared for you Open your eyes you cruell oppressors you that flea the poore and needie and behold here what the Lord is prouiding for you and what a destruction you are pulling vpon your owne heads You who spend all your time in pride belly cheere and all excesse of ryot with abundance of idlenesse neuer regarding to strengthen the hands of the poore and needie but still to weaken them by plucking from them violently see whether you are rushing forward bethinke your selues before it be too late You who cast away the word of the Lord scorning and hating to be reformed by it here the Lord forewarnes you what he is bringing vpon you You that pollute his Sabaoths after the manner of the Gentiles to you he himselfe speakes that if you will not obserue his rest he will make the land to rest when it lyeth desolate and no man to passe thorow it Or that at the least your selues shall be thrust forth from his eternall rest into the place of horrour and crying where you shall neuer haue rest day nor night All you who are outragious in your courses and make the euill fashions of all Countries about you euen of the enemies of Christs Gospell and murtherers of his Saints to be your glory you may here behold how you call in continually these wicked enemies to auenge the Lords quarrell and to be the executioners of his most righteous iudgements vpon you Oh you that are turning backe or hastning apace to the vile Idolatrie of former dayes which sometimes very children abhorred in seeing the abomination of it and all you who would so faine be in Babel againe you may here take a view of the terrible vengeance of God vpon your selues in such extreme blindnesse and how you are drawing in the bloudy Babylonian vpon your selues and posteritie and euen the whole Land so far as you are able with as ill or a worse captiuitie than euer came vpon Iudah which how neerely you had effected your owne hearts are witnesses Here you may see how that one day alone of Babels crueltie one of their powder furnace dayes shall be inough for you at least when you shall nish to stand a far off for feare of her torment whereof you are sure to haue your parts if you will needs be partakers of her sinnes And you that by your intolerable profanenesse and Atheisme doe seeme after a sort to challenge the Lord to his face to darè him if he be a God to shew himselfe and to hasten his vengeance and so make your selues merry with scoffing at all who feare his name you may in this heare the Lord himselfe telling you as from heauen that you are the men for whose cause he cannot spare for whom he can haue no more pittie and that he will make you especially to feele whether he be a God a iust and terrible God or no. Here finally we may all see the Lord himselfe setting before vs both our generall and particular estate with the meanes which he hath vsed to reclaime and spare vs the terrour of his anger and plagues when no other meanes will serue And lastly the way how yet we may be deliuered and not onely be set free out of the danger but also remaine a glorious Nation vntill his second comming and how euery one may escape his
vengeance Thorow out haue I striuen to shew my loue and earnest desire not onely to the whole but also to saue euery soule from these plague Yet haue I not indeuoured any more herein than the Angell for Lot in labouring to pull vs out of the destruction remayning for the impenitent nor any more than Esay Ieremie Ezechiel with other the Prophets and faithfull men of Iudah did before the Captiuitie in seeking to turne away that calamitie and all other their miseries from them nor going past the bounds of the word of the Lord deliuered by those Prophets Nor yet any more at all than I take to be the dutie of euery faithfull Minister and Man of God so far as the Lord shall offer him opportunitie to seeke to preserue all from Gods wrath and to plucke euery soule out of the fire of his vengeance And this by shewing all sorts their sinnes to bring them to repentance thereby by haling drawing to get euery Lot out of Sodom before the destruction come If any one shall be offended for the discouerie of his sinne amongst the generall without the knowledge and sight whereof he cannot be saued and that onely because he would still liue in it or would not be awaked his displeasure therein is no more to be regarded than if one in an heauy sleep in the midst of an house all on fire about him now ready to fall vpon his head to burne him to ashes whom God shall enable to pull forth any such when he shall awake them and cause them to see their danger wherein they were and their gracious deliuerance then will they magnifie his great name that those did so aduenture themselues for them and esteeme such aboue all other of the earth And as for the displeasure of men better is it ten thousand times to haue all the world offended with vs for our labouring in loue and dutie in our place to saue and pull men from vnder Gods wrath and forth of the very pit of hell so much as he shall vouchsafe vs mercy than to haue the Lord angry with vs for being vnfaithfull in that which hath beene committed vnto vs and for neglecting to saue his people from destruction Oh what extreme foolishnes is it to feare man whose breath is in his nostrils and whose heart is in the Lords hand to turne as the boates in the waters to incline as pleaseth him who cānot moue a finger at vs but by his permission nor do any more than he wil turne to 〈◊〉 good and not to feare him who if he be angry with vs neuer so little all our dayes are gone Who would haue killed Moses for omitting the circumcising of his childe who brought the tempest on the sea and would not suffer it to cease vntill that Ionah was throwne into it because he prouided for his owne peace with neglect or at least through feare of performance of that dutie inioyned him which was to goe to Niniue to preach vnto them That within fortie dayes Niniue should be destroyed Who finally threatneth Ieremie to destroy him before the people if he feare their faces and will certainely whip his dearest seruants vnto his worke if they begin to loyter We therefore who are Gods messengers had neede to looke vnto it to indeuour so far as we may keeping within our limits to pull all sorts of sinners with violence out of the fire and to striue to set their sinnes before their faces in their natiue colours And the rather that so all of vs seeing the heynousnesse of our owne sinnes and of the sinnes of our Land may come to some more due consideration of the infinitenesse we did not vnderstand them I take and hold it to be necessarie still to try further all holy meanes we know not which the Lord will blesse Surely for the greatest part the most plaine is the most profitable But if it shall be obiected that the applications to the particular kindes of sinnes and sinners are ouer plaine and come too neere the quicke I answer againe Blessed man is he who can finde them to come neere to his owne corruption and sinne Is not this the onely way to driue vs to behold the true brasen serpent when we feele our selues stung at our hearts Can euer any wretched sinner cry out Men and Brethren what shall I doe that I may be saued vntill he haue his soule thus pierced Or can any fornicator adulterer blasphemer or any other notorious sinner finde the soueraigne cōfort which is in Christs bloud but only such a one Yet this I say vnto euery soule that if any thing doe seeme to pierce which is not the word of the Lord or is any way misapplied that it is not any more to be feared than darts of stubble But so far as it is his blessed word following necessarily out of the same it will one day certainely wound vs and better here whilest we may haue our wounds cured againe by applying that soueraigne remedie of the bloud of the Son of God than to be smitten thorow with it when all hope of cure is past and so to haue our hearts galling vs and vexing vs eternally I therefore here doe also humbly beg of all the worthy and faithfull seruants of the Lord as I haue in my former labours to helpe me to bring euery peece of this worke to the tryall for the full assurance of euery soule who is desirous to see his euill way and would escape the day of the Lords wrath or who would seeke to helpe to pacifie his wrath kindled against vs. If there be in it any one sentence which is not either the word of the Lord or not arising out of it and agreable thereto that it may be reformed or if it bewray the least partiall affection in leaning to any side but to the Lord and to his manifest truth agreed vpon by vs all who soundly professe Christs Gospell or the least false testimonie Our most holy and blessed God infinite in wisdome power needes not our lye to bring any of his to repentance nor for setting forth of his glory No no his owne word is inough and shall be found aboundantly sufficient to saue all his elect to destroy all his enemies to deliuer his Church to get himselfe the victorie I dare not wittingly affirme one vntruth no not against the bloudie enemie nor against Sathan himselfe no nor yet wrong any creature vnder heauen farre be it from me to giue the Accuser that aduantage How then may I doe it for the cause of the Lord who abhorreth the very least iniquitie and with whom no euill can dwell Moreouer sith all this wholly tendeth to helpe towards the making and establishing our peace with our God by seeking to recall vs all vnto his obedience that we may euery one renew our vow and couenant with him
In the third verse is shewed how and where the Lord appeared to give his commissions both to the destroyers and to the saving Angell 1. The glory of the Lord appeares removes from the Cherubins where he had promised to dwell for ever and stands upon the threshold of the dore of the Temple as now departing from them Afterwards is set downe vers 4 5 6. how the Lord gave two strait commissions or charges The first is to the saving Angell for his faithfull ones The second to the destroyers concerning all the rest In the first commission to the saving Angell is plainely expressed 1. what his charge or commission was namely to goe thorow the midst of the Citie even thorow the midst of Ierusalem and to set a marke upon the foreheads of sundry to be knowne from the rest in the destruction 2. who they are that must be marked That is the godly abhorring all abominations of the wicked who are also described by two properties First that they mourne and sigh in themselues Secondly that they cry out for all the abominations of the time wherein they liued 3. Why they are marked that when the destroyers came they might not touch any of them In the second commission to the destroyers is conteyned 1. The summe of their commission To follow hard after the saving Angell and to smite all whom they found unmarked without any respect of old or young maydes or children 2. To take carefull heede that they touched not any upon whom the marke was 3. Where they should begin to destroy And that was at the Sanctuarie at the wicked Priests and Levites which ministred there as being the causes of the sinnes of the rest 4. How they should proceed in the slaughter from the Sanctuarie to defile the whole Temple to fill the Courts with the slaine of them who liuing so wickedly had yet a vaine confidence in the Temple of the Lord thinking that the Temple could shelter them from his vengeance 5. The speedie execution of their commission that as they were commanded so they began at the Ancients which were before the House destroying them first and then the rest untill they had made a finall dispatch thorow the whole Citie And this is continued unto vers 8. Vers. 8. In the third place is set downe how the Prophet was affected with this terrible vision of this slaughter of Gods people though himselfe should escape amongst them who were marked That he fell upon his face crying unto the Lord and making humble intercession for them That the Lord would spare them being but a poore remainder of the people of Israel left after so many destructions Vers. 9 10. To which there followeth in the fourth place the answer and full resolution of the Lord thereby to stay the servent prayer and importunacie of the Prophet and also to manifest his owne iustice in that his most righteous proceeding That he would not be intreated for them any longer partly bicause their land was full of blood by their cruell oppressions of all sorts and partly for that the Citie where justice should have bin had for releeving the oppressed was now become full of corrupt judgement and of all perversenesse falling away more and more without hope of returning But principally for that they were generally become Atheists shamelesly saying in their liues The Lord saw them not it was no matter how they liued and making but a scoffe at all the Lords messengers and warnings therefore his eye should not spare them neither would he have any more pitie of them Vers. 11. In the last verse is set downe the returne of the answer and commission of the marking Angell That he had done according to his commission marked and made safe all the godly that mourned for all the abominations and so had fully prepared and made the way to the present execution of this finall destruction CHAP. II. Certaine directions to be observed in reading hereof to teach us to make our right use of this vision and forewarning to our selves AS this vision was first given by the Spirit of God unto Ierusalem to warne them of the neerenesse and greatnesse of this destruction which came vnto them for our ensample so is it written to admonish us upon whom the ends of the world are come And is therefore our vision to awaken us and to fore-warne us at this day setting before our faces what causes we have to watch and pray continually to prevent the like judgements and by all meanes to seeke to pacifie the Lords wrath before it be thus powred out upon us and also to helpe to stirre us up hereunto For the better understanding whereof and the more fruitfull applying of it to our selves to move us to unfeigned repentance and speedie seeking the Lord we must carefully observe these rules and directions following 1. That we read it and attend to it not as to a bare historie or an ordinarie discourse but as to a divine message and gratious fore-warning sent from the Lord of heaven and earth in the riches of his mercy to every one of us both high and low rich and poore to admonish us to meet him presently with intreatie of peace 2. Not to looke at the messenger by whom the Lord now sends it but wholly at him who sends it and to hearken to his lively voyce speaking unto us herein and to the evidence and demonstration of his Spirit applying it unto us 3. To consider seriously that we have herein to deale onely with the holy and mightie God before whom all the wicked of the world shall one day be speechlesse howsoever they are now most bold and wittie in excusing all their sins and in speaking against every one who shall admonish them And to this end to set our selves as in his presence at whose appearing all the proudest of the earth who dare now out-face his Majestie shall in the guilâ—inesse of their consciences creepe into the holes of the rocks and wish the hills mountaynes to fall upon them to hide them from his face And withall to remember that we must certainely appeare before him and then be sure to answer for all our contempts and not profiting by his fore-warnings 4. Herein also ech of us are yet further to testifie our religion and reverence to the Lord in receiving this so far forth as it is his expresse word or agreable thereunto and belonging to us as that worthy patterne of true godlinesse that holy Iosiah though a King did receive the discoverie of the abominations of Iudah and the threatnings of the Lord whose heart melted so that he powred out teares at the same And also so to humble our selves turning to the Lords Covenant and doing our endevour to cause others to turne as he did at the Lords message sent unto him though by so
weake meanes as might seeme but by a woman to wit Huldah the Prophetesse because he knew it to be the word and message of the Lord. And that not onely to so much as shall be pleasing unto us but even to that part of it that shall most directly touch us As indeed it shall be most happy for that man who shall so receive it and shall so humble himselfe before his divine Majestie Therefore we are every one to be so affected the Lords High Priest as was old Ely who disdeyned not to receive a most grievous and dredfull message by the hand of yong Samuel a boy brought up under him but chargetâ— him in the name of the Lord to tell him every word which the Lord had spoke unto him not to hide a word from him And afterwards having heard it in stead of being offended he saith It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good Yea we shall most truely declare our homage and obedience to the word of the Lord by submitting our selves wholly unto him and ech acknowledging our particular sinnes as David did at the admonition of Nathan That thereupon we may ech receive that comfortable answer The Lord hath put away thy sinne And that we may all thus helpe to pacifie him that he may not proceed to his heavy resolution howsoever he shall humble us for the manifold dishonours which we have done to him by all our sins and for causing his enemies to blaspheme his great name Gospell which he hath vouchsafed us the profession and libertie of above most other people of the earth 5. Ech of us are to apply every part as spoken to us by the Lord particularly and as making one bodie for even the sinne of the Atheist Idolater Drunkard and so of every wicked man may be said in some sort to be the sinne of ech of us and we are all lyable to the punishments thereof even those of us that thinke our selves most innocent and free from them As the sinne of Achan is counted the sinne of all Israel for so doth the Lord tell Iosua plainely when he punished them all That Israel had sinned they had taken of the excommunicate thing they had done that which Achan did Even so the sinnes of all the notoriously wicked are the sins of us all chiefly their open abominations All of us are guiltie and endangered by the same if at the hearing and seeing them we have not mourned as we should for the dishonour done to the Lord and his anger kindled thereby Or if we have not cryed for pardon sought to turne away the vengeance yea and done our vtmost endevour ech of us in our places and callings to stop them and the course of sinne reigning amongst us None of us can justifie our selves but God might for this very sin depart from us as he threatneth Ioshuah for Achans sacriledge and might leave vs to be wrapped in the same judgement 6. We are to consider that ech of our particular grievous sinnes doe not onely hinder the power of our prayers whereby we should help to pacifie the Lords wrath but also in steed thereof helpe to draw downe the anger of God not onely vpon our selves but vpon the whole Land more specially and principally the notorious and outragious sinnes of our most horrible transgressors as of blasphemers scorners of God and of his truth oppressors drunkards filthy persons and all impudent sinners who hale on the vengeance of God as it were with cart ropes That it is his infinite mercy that it hath bin kept off hitherto And therefore howsoever such men may imagine and boast of themselves to be friends to their country yet in truth they will be found the principall enemies first to Iesus Christ doing as much as lyeth in them thereby to drive him out and to set vp Sathan in his roome and doe not onely murther their owne soules without repentance but also as much as such sins can to betray the Lords Anointed his Church their native Country with all our happinesse into the hands of the bloudie enemie Because for the sinnes of these principally Gods vengeance comes upon his people as here in this lamentable captivitie may plainely be seene And therefore ech of us are to finde out our owne particular sinnes and in the reading and hearing hereof to say This is my sinne which the Lord reproves threatneth us all for and me especially by name So ech of us are to begin to reforme our selves or else we shall never be able to judge of the sinnes of others much lesse have a right feeling of them so as to be helpers to pacifie the wrath by our prayers and to turne away the like plague from our selves 7. Every one of us are to resolve with our selves that whatsoever the Lord shall say unto us we will doe it as the people made profession to the Prophet Ieremie to doe if they had had hearts to haue performed it accordingly and ech to cast away our deerest sins rather than they shall beat backe our prayers and much more helpe to pull downe vengeance upon us Because of that which God threatneth that every soule who turnes not to all his Covenant so far as he shall manifest it to his conscience to be his Covenant and that seeks not also with all his power to cause others to turne shall perish That same sinne wherein any one continueth shall be his destruction and the endangering of all so far as lyeth in him And this may serue for the generall directions in reading this vision to make right use of it to our selves for pacifying the wrath Now to the Vision CHAP. III. The Lord is not wont to bring any terrible judgement upon his Church but usually ever aforehand to give warning thereof neither at any time to waâ—ne in vaine And what cause we have for our manifold forewarnings to give our selves to watching and praier HEe cried in mine eares with a loud voice saying Cause them that have charge over the City to draw neere or the visitations of the City draw neere c. To come to the words of the vision The Lord so plainely foreshewing this dreadfull captivitie not only heere in this Vision but also so many other wayes and denouncing it by his Prophets so long before it came declaring also the causes of it sheweth in the first place That he hath not beene wont to bring any notable judgements upon a people especially upon his Church or where his Church hath beene but he hath ever used to make the same manifestly knowne before at least to his owne faithfull servants amongst them and after as he foreshewed it so to bring it to passe unlesse his anger hath beene some way pacified This we may see in sundry of the most fearefull destructions that ever he
securitie may such a people have for the certaintie of the Lords presence continued amongst them Every man may discerne and know it hereby But contrarily this is as evident a signe of Gods departure from a people and of some heavy judgement hasting upon them when either the preaching shall become generally cold and fruitlesse except in some small remnant which evermore the Lord doth reserve in his Church or though it be powerfully preached by some few yet men shall become generally more obstinate blinde hard-hearted and without feeling given up to follow their lusts with greedinesse when by it they shall have their hearts as hard as the nether mill-stone or the Smithes stithie that the oftner they are smitten the harder they are And further also this is so palpable that it may be felt when men shall come to this height of prophanenesse that hearing the most excellent Prophets of God they shall heare them onely as those who have pleasant voyces listening to their words but not doing any thing in effect which they teach as the people heard the Prophet Ezechiel Thus it went with them very generally before this Captivitie according as the Lord had bidden the Prophet Isaiah to denounce threescore yeeres and more before it came that by hearing they should heare and not understand and seeing they should see and not perceive but have their hearts made more fat least they should convert and be healed And ever the neerer the vengeance approched the more apparent this judgement was as appeareth in the Prophets untill their Land was laid desolate like as the Lord had threatned them before So was it also before that last utter desolation of that Nation of the Iewes whereupon we may observe this that no one Scripture is oftner alledged by our Saviour and by Paul and cited by all the Evangelists than that of Isaiah is against them to shew how that was fulfilled in their obstinacie which was so long before denounced by the Prophet and that the fulfilling of it was a cleare evidence that the Lord intended their ejection and subversion Thus saith our Saviour plainely Therefore could they not beleeve because Esaias saith againe He hath blinded their eyes and hardned their hearts that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts and should be converted and I should heale them But of all other this is the most dreadfull signe of the Lords removing from any place when he shall begin to take those his servants away or to cause their tongues to cleave to the roofes of their mouthes by whom he was wont to speake ordinarily in this powerfull manner and to whom he usually gave this testimonie in the consciences of them that heard them That the Lord spake in them indeed when he shall plucke away those whom formerly he kept as Moses in the breach to stay his vengeance what doth he else but say Let me alone that I may destroy them at once Thus he dealt with the most faithfull Prophets before the Captivitie shutting up Ieremie in prison letting Ezechiel be in bonds afterwards removing him frō them Or when the Prophets in steed of miting at sin with the mightie arme of the spirit of the Lord viz his own word powerfully preached shall begin to smite with the weake arme of flesh namely the inticing words of mans wisdome and with the ostentation of humane learning and eloquence and this as shouldering forth the pure word of the Lord sincerely preached as being too weake and meane The more sensible this judgement groweth in any Church the more is the glory of the Lord removed to the very threshold the more also is his utter departure to be feared and the finall leaving of such a people without unfeyned and speedie seeking to pacifie him Now to returne to our selves and hereby also to discerne of our estate Let us all who ever have had any true feeling of this working of the Spirit of the Lord in us and whose consciences are not utterly feared or who have used to observe the manner of Gods working in his Church enter into a due consideration hereof Let us examine this betweene the Lord and our owne consciences whether the preaching of the Gospell have still that operation amongst us which sometimes it hath had to convert mens soules to draw multitudes after it in the love of it selfe unlesse it be happily to heare some man of fame or for his rare and singular gifts or for some like by-respects And whether this power of it be not fearefully abated except in some very few places and those for most part where formerly it hath not bin as in some rude countryes towards the Northerne parts whither it is daily observed to remove as ready to take the farewel when it hath gathered forth Gods chosen of them and convinced the rest And whether Satan Antichrist and this evill world with the pleasures and pompe of it doe not draw men wonderfully from Iesus Christ to follow after them whether multitudes rush not violently to all licentious profanenesse in steed of the zealous profession of the Gospell of Christ others to Poperie and superstition againe which was so far rooted out of our Land and by the most abhorred and this after the time that God hath more discovered the abomination of that bloodie religion than ever heretofore Let us but call to minde how it hath bin formerly with us in those places where God was wont to speake unto us by his messengers and how it is now for most part whether in many places where the Arke of God still remaines I meane the Word and Sacraments whether I say the glorious and lively voyce of the Spirit that piercing of our hearts that burning in our soules with those unspeakeable comforts which we were wont to finde therein be not decayed exceedingly whether it be not with all who are fallen to fashion themselves to the extreme licentiousnesse and loosenesse of the time even as it was with Saul That the Lord speaks to them no more tho they have happily the same Preachers and the booke of the Law and heare the curses against their sinnes yet they neither feele nor feare them any more whether that lively presence which did shake their hearts be not utterly gone yea whether we do not see this generally that men are every where more voyde of all feeling of sinne and of the feare of any judgement whereby that spirituall judgement doth daily seize upon us most evidently That by hearing the threatnings against us we heare but understand no more and seeing the signes and tokens of his wrath for our sinnes we see them indeed but we are moved no longer with them but as they so we have our hearts more fat our eares more deafe and our eyes still more blinded And if
we shall finde it thus That these and all other signes mentioned are in great measure come upon us let us answer unfaynedly whether the Lord doth not sensibly threaten and proclaime to depart and leave us altogither unlesse we repent having thus far already withdrawne himselfe from us And to conclude this point whether it be not full time to seeke to pacifie and stay him amongst us if we be not weary of his abode with us and of our happinesse thereby But of this more in the next Chapter where we shall have cause to inquire of the outward tokens of the Lords glorious presence and what a removall he hath made thereof as likewise we see that he hath of this inward Thus much therefore shall suffice to have spoken of this second cause which we have all to watch pray yea even to weepe and cry after him to returne unto us againe in shewing amongst us the power of his Spirit as ever in former time and to abide with us for ever that he never leave us to our bloodie enemies CHAP. V. How the Lord is most unwilling to depart from his Church so long as there is any other remedie which he manifesteth in his oft threatning to take his leave before he goe indeed And of the outward tokens both of his glorious presence in his Church and of his departure from it And what cause we have thereupon to watch and pray continually ANd the Glory of the God of Israel was removed c. A third point specially to be observed is this That the Glory of God removed not once onely but five severall times in this vision before it departed and that it removed not all at once but so oft going away by degrees and that most sensibly By which he would cause the Prophet most clearely to behold his holinesse and justice that he must needs depart from them for their iniquities wherewith they grieved him and that he was now taking his farewell and yet withall also to see his mercy and tender compassion and how he was as we may so speake most unwilling to depart and leave his people to so many miseries even Ierusalem his owne Citie to such a desolation if any remedie would have bin found This he makes knowne unto them to see if it would worke to stir them up to seeke to retaine his presence amongst them For the evident manifestation hereof First the Glory removes from the Cherub and stands upon the threshold as ready to depart Secondly it removes higher and stands over the dore of the house Thirdly it removing from above the dore and standing againe upon the Cherubims the Cherubims mounted upward from the earth towards heaven as ready to take their flight and leave the Temple altogither Fourthly after this the Glory removes to the midst of the Citie thereby seeming to warne the Citie of the Lords departure Lastly from thence it removes out of the Citie unto the Mount of Olives as utterly taking leave of them and giving them a last farewell untill their Captivitie was accomplished and his anger appeased These were the removes Here we are all againe to inquire yet more carefully whether he hath not made as many and as sensible removes of his glory amongst us of this our Nation and thereby given us as many plaine evidences of his departure not now in a vision but so as all men must needs see and confesse it and also whether withall he hath not as clearely and tenderly manifested as I may so say his unwillingnesse to depart from us if any thing can serve to reforme us This is a point of most serious consideration and such a one as it were an exceeding mercy of the Lord and a token of his gratious purpose toward us if he would but vouchsafe us hearts generally to consider of aright as in his presence and as we must all know it one day To the end we may conceive it the better we are first to consider wherein the glory of the Lord appeareth outwardly in his Church so as it may be beholden of all round about it even of the very enemies As for the former evidence it being more inward is to be perceived chiefly of the inward man the soule and conscience when God so speaks unto them This outward Glory consists in three things principally as was said whereby not only the Lord himselfe is magnified amongst his owne people yea to be seene acknowledged of others but also by which he makes his people to be glorious in the eies of others and to be honoured and feared of their enemies The first is when he bestoweth upon his people such aboundance of heavenly and sanctified knowledge of his worde with an hungring after the same as that the earth seemeth to be filled with the knowledg of the Lord like the waters that cover the Sea as the Prophet Esay speaketh This he promiseth to doe in his Church when he will shew his glory in it in the dayes of the Gospell At what time the Church being exalted as upon the topps of the mountaines there shal be such a hungring and thirsting after the word of the Lord that men shal incite and provoke one another saying Come let us goe up to the house of the Lord for he will teach us his waies and we will walke in his pathes Where he thus puts his lawes into the mindes of his people at least in a vehement desire of it That they all seeme to know him from the least to the greatest of them this is a visible token of Gods covenant with such a people and the pardon of their sinnes that he is their God and this is his glory upon them A second visible token is this when this knowledge is accompanied with obedience and holinesse of life when he thus writes his law in their hearts creating in them new hearts and new spirits Thus the Lord promiseth to be sanctified in his owne people before the eyes of their enemies when he shall clense them from all their filthy sinnes as with pure water when he puts his spirit so upon them as to cause them to walke in his statutes to keepe his judgments and to do them when he puts his feare so generally into their hearts as to cause them not to depart from him Then he makes this covenant for himselfe that he wil not depart from them And chiefly when togither heerewith he gives peace unity amongst them that they have one heart and one way That the Lambe may lodge with the Wolfe without danger the poore harmelesse Christian with them who have beene by nature as bloudy as Wolues when the little child may lead the Lion even a child bringing the word of the Lord may perswade and lead them who were otherwise as proude and fierce as Lyons And when the sucking childe may play upon the hole of the Aspe when the poore seruants of
the Lord who are for harmelesnesse as little children may be without perill in the presence of them who were sometimes as venemous as the Aspe and the Viper When they shall feed communicate together cheerefully and lovingly in the word and Sacraments and in all the religion and service of the Lord and none to hurt in all the mountaine of the Lords holinesse within the bounds and limits of his Church By this all must needs see that such are indeede the Disciples of Christ when they love one another And when in regard hereof the feet of them who bring the glad tidings of peace to wit of all the faithfull preachers of the Gospell publishing life and salvation and working this obedience and love are beautifull when their comming among a people is most acceptable as of the messengers of the Lord of hosts Now both these are such evident demonstrations of the glory of the Lord upon a people that they make them amongst whom they are conspicuous and eminent to be a glorious people and cause them to be had in honour and to be feared of all nations round about them This Moses sheweth plainly in Deut. 4. Where he thus speaks to the people of Israel Behold I haue taught you ordinances lawes as the Lord my God commanded mee that you should doe even so in the Land whether you goe to possesse it Keepe them therefore and do them for this is your wisdome and vnderstanding in the sight of the people which shal heare al these ordinances and shall say Onely this people is wise of understanding and a great nation for what nation is so great unto whom the Gods comes so neere unto them as our God is neere to us in all that we call unto him for The Lord himselfe also hath bidden all his people to glory in this That they know and feare him not in their wisdome strength or riches declaring all the glory of these earthly things to be nothing to that and all the true outward glory of a people to consist in their holinesse and peace among themselves and in the right knowledge and sincere profession of his heavenly word As the kingdome of heaven which is inwardly felt in every one of Gods Servants is in righteousnesse peace and heavenly joy so when these abound amongst any people there is the kingdome of heaven truly begun Christ reigning visibly Such were those worthy congregations mentioned in the Acts and those to which Paul writ his Epistles and such are all Churches which are like unto them at this day And even as these things also doe more abound and are more apparant among them so are they still more glorious and Christ more evidently holding up his scepter there Thus much for the two first parts of the outward glory The third principall thing whereby the Lord is wont to declare his glory in his Church so brightly as that it may be beholden of all about is in the protection and defence thereof And this is more visible also when he doth miraculously deliver it plaguing and overthrowing all the enemies with all their wicked devises which they plot against his people To omit the carefull protection of Abraham Isaac and Iacob with all theirs in all places wheresoever they went the smiting of their enemies and that herein stood a chiefe part of their honour was not this that glory whereby he did so grace his Church in Egypt when he sheltered his people and made them to grow notwithstanding the cruel oppressions of their enemies when they were as the bush in the midst of the fire that yet consumed not And secondly when he plagued the Egyptians and still kept his people safe in the midst of all those miraculous judgements Thirdly when he went before them out of Egypt and thorow the wildernesse towards Canaan in the piller of fire and of the cloud so conducting them that the enemies could not come at them neither by day nor night In regard whereof he being angry with them for the golden calfe had threatned that he would not goe up with them because they were a stiffe-necked people as they sorrowed and wept for this so Moses in particular saith If thy presence goe not with us carry us not hence And wherein saith he shall it be knowne that I and thy people have found favour in thy sight Shall it not be when thou goest up with us So I and thy people shall have preheminence before all the people of the earth for which importunitie of his the Lord condescended thus still to continue his happy presence in that apparent manner Fourthly the Lord declared this his glorious presence in the miraculous keeping of their land that no enemie should invade it nor so much as once dare to attempt the same or thinke of any such matter no not then when all their men went up generally thrice in the yeere at their solemne feasts to Ierusalem from all the parts of their land and none left at home to keepe their frontiers from invasion or houses from spoiling but a few poore women and children As he had promised this unto them so he faithfully performed it so long as they continued to know and feare him So long as they made any conscience to retaine those two former parts of his glory in knowledge and obedience so long also continued this their gracious preservation yea so long as they would but humble themselves under his hand at those his threatnings and at the shaking of his rods against them promising amendment and would then beleeve and obey his Prophets so long abode this glory with them This the Lord wrought moreover in such strange deliverances of them from all that did offer to assaile them and in such great overthrowes of their proud enemies as never were heard of before in any nation As in their delivery in the sea with the overthrow of the proud Egyptian many a time in the wildernesse in setting them also in Canaan by Iosuah no man being able to resist them so long as they obeyed him So likewise in the dayes of the Iudges though they provoked him by their rebellions yet ever usually when they sought him againe humbling themselves he shewed himselfe their deliverer fighting for them both from heaven and earth with haile and thunder and all his hosts causing the very Sunne to stand still until the people avenged themselves upon their enemies And yet more specially in their famous victories in the dayes of Samuel against the Philistims In Iehosaphats victorie against the Ammonites the Moabites and them of mount Seir causing their enemies to turne their swords upon themselves and every one to fall upon another But above all in that wonderfull deliverance of Ierusalem in the dayes of Ezekiah and that notable overthrow of
that proud and blasphemous Senacherib and his huge Armie when the Angâ—ll of the Lord slue an hundred and fouresâ—ore thousand of the enemies in one night upon which considerations and the like in former times the Holy Ghost faith that God is well knowne in Iudah his name is great in Israel All the world talked of his name and feared Because as his Tabernacle was there so there he brake the arrowes the bowe There he shewed his puissance and his power restrayning the rage of the enemies and turning it unto his praise and so there made himselfe terrible to the Kings of the earth To conclude this point likewise This is a principall part of that glory of the Church in the earth which is so foretold by the Prophet Esay to be in the Churches of God in the flourishing estate thereof in the dayes of the Gospell That when the Lord should wash away the filthines of his people by his word and Spirit he would create upon every place of Mount Sion and upon the assemblies thereof a cloud and a smoake by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory should be a defence and a covering should be for a shadow in the day from the heat and a place of refuge and a covert from the storme and from the raine In which words all these parts of the Lords glory upon his Church are comprized evidently foretelling that as he would adorne and glorifie his Church then with abundance of knowledge and holinesse so his protection should shelter it from all danger as the coverings did the Tabernacle And this indeed was the glory of the Primitive Church according as it was spoken of by Esay Yea every wicked man whose conscience is not utterly scared when he commeth into any such a Congregation where these three shine bright is inforced to acknowledge such a place to be a glorious and blessed place and God to be there untill that men have by their disobedience to the word and by their maliciousnesse put out the eye of their soule and conscience altogither To applie all this And first to this people of Iudah If wee marke well wee may cleerely see how God had wonderfully withdrawne from them that outward glory which formerly they had enjoyed and had also shewed them evident tokens of his departure in every one of these respects before he went away utterly And first for holy knowledge when they daily waxed more blind and senselesse by all the paines of their Teachers and all other their forewarnings so that they were worse therein then the oxe and the asse as the Prophet Esay complained many yeeres before Secondly for holinesse of life the abominations following will evidently demonstrate for reverence of the Lords messengers in that they misused them untill there was no remedy So for peace and unitie when Ephraim was against Manasseh Manasses against Ephraim and both against Iudah when all the godly who followed the true Prophets and cleaued only to the word and the covenant of the Lord were generally hated made as signes and wonders like as the Prophets were whose word they obeyed And lastly for protection when as the glory was almost gone in Ezechias dayes when he himselfe and Ierusalem were in that danger by Senecharib and cleane gone by Manasses at what time he was carried away captive into Babylon Afterwards also was Iosiah their shelter cut downe by the enemie which was the next most manifest forerunner of the finall departure and of their glory So they had after this overthrow after overthrow untill this plague was utterly come upon them and their glory also departed without hope of recovery till Gods anger was fully accomplished upon them Thus we have seene this point at large wherein the outward glory of the Church consists how all this was fully verified amongst them according to the vision That God had indeed made all these removals of their glory before his finall departure But now let us in the second place returne home from Iudah unto our selves and lay it neere unto our hearts considering well first whether the Lord have not begun as sensible removals of all this glory even amongst our selves in every one of these kindes sundry wayes and at sundry times proceeding by degrees And whether he doe not thereby threaten manifestly that he is purposed utterly to remove and to take away all his glory and his gratious presence from us and to leave us to the will of our enemies to be made a reproch and a shame when he is departed from us unlesse we prevent and retaine him by our speedie amendment To begin and apply in order as in the presence of the Lord. Where is that delight of ours in most places that we were wont to take in his word our inciting and incouraging one another Come let us goe up to the house of the Lord our talking of it and our rejoycing in it as of our chiefe glory Do we not in steed hereof waxe weary of it very generally hearing it commonly for a fashion or for satisfying of the law or some like respect Are we not growne to this passe for the most part to be ashamed of talking or reasoning of it Yea what is more common than in steed hereof to discourage one another from being forward in following after it and those holy assemblies of his people where he hath promised his presence for ever Are not our people in steed hereof set rather to flocke to all kinds of vanities and places of the worse resort to dishonour and provoke the Lord even to those places where is open profession of all impietie and schooles of all lewdnesse and ungratiousnesse Let the ordinarie frequenting of so many profane and lascivious playes fitter for Sodome than the Church of God be witnesse Where is that holy sound and powerfull knowledge of God amongst the people become which in regard of the long and quiet time of the Gospell that thorow the riches of the Lords mercy we have enjoyed should have growne to ripenesse that which was wont so to abound amongst us in many goodly Congregations whereby the Popish sort were ashamed of themselves for their ignorance specially as was said that love which hath bin so declared in hungring after the word in delighting in it as our felicitie Nay what is become for most part of that singular commendation for readinesse in the Scriptures and soundnesse of judgement in the word of the Lord wherein many of our Gentry and cheifer sort in many places did sometimes excell for which they were much to be commended and indeed it was their dutie far so to excell for they of all other have the most meanes for all good helps and leysure to get the knowledg of the Lord and also are most bound thereunto
for the abundance of Gods blessings which they injoy principally to that end to buy wisdome as Solomon saith Whereas heretofore many of them were able to put to silence the proudest Papists amongst us in displaying the abominations of Poperie and in maintayning the Gospell of Christ committed unto us in trust to that end is it not to be feared our swaggering courses considered and our generall neglect of religion that we are in the greatest part by far become unable to maintaine the one or to confute the other or so much as to speake with any lively feeling of the truth of the Lord or yet as having any sound love of the one or dislike of the other And how should it be otherwise when we for most part give over our selves wholly to our pleasures with all licentiousnesse or to follow after the honours and riches of the world and which is yet far worse and more to be feared as an evident forerunner of vengeance when we are so generally ashamed to be noted for being forward or zealous in the profession of the Gospell of Christ On the other side are not many of the Popish sort growne to be exceeding cunning in the mysterie of Antichrists iniquitie and the depths of Sathan whereby they deceive themselves and others for that is all the glory that can justly be given them seeing in the first principles of the knowledge of our blessed God out of his heavenly word they are commonly knowne to be far more ignorant than our litle children which are but catechized in the faith of Christ Are not even ordinarily the simpler sort of them waxen generally so perfect in the cheife points of their religion by their paines which they take though alas to their perdition for setting up the throne of the Beast againe as that they are able therein to goe about the greatest part of the cheife among us and put us to silence We can many of us be the best companions for them that may be and can talke with them of any matter of vaine pleasure and commoditie and happily in scorning at all them who shew any more love to the word and more dislike of their abominations than we do and who is so good a fellow as one of them though a deadly enemie to the Gospell and all that sincerely professe the same but hardly a word either for Christ and his truth or against Antichrist and his iniquitie Though we have as good cause to be armed against him with all possible meanes especially with the armour of the word of the Lord as ever Nation had before having had so many faire warnings from him Oh that this may be well thought of for sundry parts of our Land But here it may be some will say That there was never more knowledge in the Land To whom I answer Far be it off from me from obscuring any gift or blessing of the Lord amongst us Nay I magnifie him for them but that which I have spoken hath bin of a sanctified and powerfull knowledge wherein the kingdome of God and our glory consists and that amongst our people And secondly of such I would demand as before the Lord whether in many a Congregation there be not a sensible decay as in all places where the meanes have failed and for the rest what is our knowledge generally in regard of our meanes and the long continuance of them Have we not very many places where within sundry miles there are not two to be found in a Towne which have any sound substantiall and saving knowledge even of matters of salvation and the wayes of God And of those who seeme to have knowledge doe not many of them as it were grope for the wall like the blinde stumbling at noone day as in the twilight making no conscience at all of their wayes no not of monstrous sins wherein they live not fearing any judgement towards the Land or themselves Is not the very day darke over them as we may so speake for seeing their owne sinnes or the fearfull sins of the Land And may not the Lord therefore as he threatneth cause the Sunne to goe downe at noone and darken the earth in the cleare day And where is that holinesse become whereby the Lord should be sanctified of us and honoured of all about us with that obedience and submission to his most sacred word Are we not in very great numbers come to this passe to make such a fearefull revolt from all holy conscience of our wayes which many began to make to open impietie profanenes as that certaine who were of us have departed from us although not without their owne fearefull sinne in that behalfe The old Serpent hath undoubtedly used this as one first and principall provocation hereunto Even the very dishonors done to the Lords Sacred Majestie amongst us by our heynous sinnes and lest they should be polluted by our intolerable impieties whereof they can see no hope of redresse and also for feare of the vengeance of the Lord hanging over us for the same whereby they have made a most grievous rent in the Church of God to the indangering of their owne soules and the advantaging of the bloudie enemie against us all though they observe not so much Doe not the Popish sort blaspheme the religion of the Lord established among us for the extreme irreligiousnesse of the lives of too many of us Do they not hereupon thinke that no crueltie can be devised sufficient for us no not the butchering or blowing us up all at once Though indeed it be not our wickednesse which they so deadly malice for therein many of them far surpasse us Let Italie and Spaine be witnesses hereof for from them chiefly hath our iniquitie come as will appeare heereafter but it is Christ and his Gospell which they so maligne to the death doe not sundry make fresh revoults unto them for some shewes of holinesse that are amongst the devouter sort accounting it much safer to live in filthy Babylon the cage of every uncleane and hatefull bird under that abominable slavery and and drudgery of Antichrist then to communicate with us at his table in the true service of Iesus Christ Is not all true devotion waxen so odious amongst very many of us as that it hath beene thought ordinarily a disgrace for the cheifer sort men of note to kneele unto the Lord in the congregation at the publike prayers And must not their private devotion be sutable in all reason Though it be not or at least have not beene any disgrace for too many of them to kneele in the most reverend sort as doing a most solemne service though not to Bacchus Ceres and Venus yet to their owne bellies Certainely our Land of late yeeres hath beene grievously polluted herewith whether it be yet left or at least repented of I leave it to our consciences Is not
the true practise of Christianity consisting in a holy endevour to walke conscionably in every commandment of the Lord and in being zealous for his Gospell which is our cheife honour become far more vile and reproachfull except in some small remnant then to live in drunkennesse daily in swaggering and blaspheming in scorning and jesting at all religion and in making but a sport of sinne namely of those sins which are directly against the Lord in the first table which yet will one day be found the most heinous and intollerable of all sinnes yea which may make the whole land to tremble Hath not that glorious name of a Christian become a nick-name a name of reproach with too many This was well beseeming Italie and Rome it selfe the throne of the Beast as that worthie Doctor Fulk shewed long agoe but for any of us to take it up from them or for that it had beene abused by any to use it scornefully and against those chiefly who most unfainedly beleeve and shew forth the power of the Gospel this may make our flesh to quake and our very bones to shiver And yet also to proceed a little further Are not the lewdest commonly in credit and reputation for the only goodfellowes but for a man to make conscience to shun the forenamed and all other sinnes and not to runn with all sorts to all excesse of vanity doth not every one see that this is the only matter of generall obloquie To come unto the Lords owne messengers whom he hath sent to us in kindnesse and compassion as David sent his seruants to the king of Ammon and to the end that he might turne us from our evill way and spare us if they be such as are faithfull as the Lords owne mouth and will tell us of these and all other our sinnes who seeth not although they be never so formall how welcome their feete are to all sorts who have set themselves to run after Popery and all profanenesse or to live in their evill courses though amongst all the sinnes of the land there be no one which the Lord can lesse indure Oh is this now become our thankfullnesse to him that hath beene so kind unto us to be ashamed of him his word messengers and seruants who notwithstanding hath not beene ashamed to countenance and to shelter us and who hath so honoured us before all the world in such admirable deliverances fighting as from heaven for us unto this day But to leave the Lords messengers where is that unity become that hath beene formeâ—ly amongst us when diversity of judgment for ceremonies which may fall upon the deerest servants of the Lord could not hinder our love and holy agreement in Christ Did not all joyne cheerefully as one man of one heart and of one soule for the building up the Temple of the Lord yea were not those most truly reverenced who were the painfullest faithfullest and most powerfull builders and all those most rightly had in honor who walked most conscionably and uprightly in all the good waies of God to the stoppings of the mouthes of all the aduersaries Hath not the glory of the Lord made a sensible remove in this behalfe Let us see what we can answere him herein Have not our dissentions and our violent inuectives and courses one against another made not onely the Lord his glory to be reproached as if there were no unity nor certainty in our religion and that therefore we are none of the Lords but have they not caused moreover the enemie to insult over us as now surely falling and overcome by our selues And are they not heartened hereby to our destruction when we have begun to fall by the hands of one another and every one to make way for the common enemie to invade And yet to proceed a little further where is that countenance and love that was wont to be shewed to the lovers of the Gospell even for the Gospels sake which we professe doe not the Popish sort put us to continuall shame heerein in shewing ordinarily more countenance and kindnesse to the most contemptible of their profession the basest runnagate or most ignorant priest for their very religion which they professe then we commonly to the faithfullest preachers of the Gospell or the deerest seruants of the Lord for the love of him and his most sacred truth In a word where is that submission in the greater sort to yeeld to the word of the Lord brought us by his messengers for his honour whose message it is for the reverence of the word it selfe being the eternall truth of Iesus Christ Must not all needs acknowledge that our glory is much departed in these respects But to come to the third part of our glory The Lords gracious protection Hath he not sundry times threatned most manifestly the utter removing of it so as all of us have oft feared his final departing and leaving of us Most true it is That never nation was eyther recorded or heard of to have the glory of the Lord more brightly shining upon it in admired peace wonderfull deliverances and even miraculous overthrowes of the enemies and discoveries of their secretest plots then England hath had That we may truly say as the Psalmist did of Iudah The Lord hath heerein beene well knowne amongst us his name hath beene great in England yet we cannot forget how many a time the glory hath beene almost gone from us and how certainly it had gone if ever the bloudy Antichrist or any of his marked souldiers had prevailed in any one of their desperate designes Nor that it was ever more neerely gone from any nation with whom it remained after then it hath beene from us Did not they themselues account all dispatched and the glory quite removed in their triumphs which they had for their navy inuincible and that therein they should have carried all utterly away Did not many an English heart tremble for feare therof And what could we looke for in all mans reason considering their long threats mischievous designes when ever the eies of our tender nursing mother should be laid but either a finall taking it away or a fearefull eclipsing or obscuring of it What heart wished not that it might never see that day Did not other nations wonder at the most incredible inthronizing of our dread Soveraigne and liege Lord in such an unexpected peace were we not all become as men that dreame when the Lord so turned away our captivitie in a moment even before it came Could we for many daies thinke that it was so indeed or rather that we were but as in a dreame untill that we perceived the Lord ratifying and confirming it in so strangely continuing our admired peace beyond all hope and not a dogg to move his tongue against us were not our mouthes at that time
blood-thirstie religion in the cheife professors thereof against his own heavenly Majestie his true religion glory against his Annoynted all his liege people professing his name to destroy all at once though with the inevitable hazarding of themselves both soules and bodies their owne native Countrie their children and houses And also after that he had caused us to beare such evidence against that Romish iniquitie in those so good lawes then enacted against it and as it were to give sentence upon it having delivered it into our hands May he not justly say unto us all even unto our whole Nation for this very sin as he said to the King of Israel for letting Benadad goe when he spake thus unto him Because thou hast let goe out of thine hand a man whom I appointed to dye thy life shall goe for his life and thy people for his people So may he not speake and threaten us much more especially all of us both Magistrates Ministers and people into whose hands he hath committed the holy meanes to restraine and withdraw men from that murthering religion so many wayes convicted and condemned and to bring them to Christ and principally the spirituall meanes of the word of the Lord Yea above all other may he not speake so to those to whom he hath committed the charge of providing a holy learned and faithfull Ministerie which may tenderly seeke the winning and saving of every soule and also of causing all sorts to submit themselves thereunto as unto the Lords ordinance to that end for these meanes are first and principally to be used in tender compassion when as he hath so manifested the power thereof by so much gracious experience in sundry worthy Congregations where under such painfull and conscionable Ministers the people have bin brought from Poperie and profanenesse to embrace and obey the Gospell so as hardly one Papist or notoriously profane or disordered person have bin to be found there but all cheerefully submitting themselves to the Gospell of Christ. May he not most righteously speake thus unto us therefore Because through they negligence and carelesnesse thou hast suffered to grow up and spread in the midst of thee that execrable bloudie and Antichristian religion whereby my glory is so desperately oppugned whereby I my selfe am so openly sought to be driven out and with so high a hand the soules and bodies of all my people so endangered every houre yea that which I put into thy power and commanded thee to seeke by all holy meanes utterly to destroy out of thy land that against which thou hast so voluntarily made so good lawes for the sure ratifying of the speedie execution of my Commandement thy religion therefore shall goe for it and all thy glory shall be trampled under foote by them untill thou know whom thou hast dishonoured and provoked hereby And to conclude this point Hath not the Lord as good cause to complaine of us and to plead against us for the small account which we make of him for grieving his Spirit and driving him from amongst us by this and all other our fearefull sinnes as ever he had to complaine of the unkindnesse of Iudah and even to take up the same complaint against us which he did against them when he spake thus unto them by the Prophet Micha before their Captivitie Oh my people what have I done unto thee or wherewith have I grieved thee come testifie against me Surely I brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt and redeemed thee out of the house of servants I sent before thee also Moses Aaron and Miriam O my people remember now what Balak King of Moab had devised and what Balaam the sonne of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal that yee may know the righteousnes of the Lord. This is the Lords plea and complaint against Israel for their unkindnesse calling the hills and mountaines to witnesse the equitie of it before that he would depart from them and bring upon them that strange and terrible judgement which he so long before threatned by his Prophets But we will defer this complaint against us untill we shall have seene of our iniquities to provoke and anger the Lord thereby to be above the abominations of Iudah considering that we live in this glorious light of the Gospell with our extraordinarie mercies and meanes of all sorts Because that then if God shall give us hearts in reading to consider of these things aright we shall justifie the like complaint of the Lord against our selves and shall admire his patient stay and his abiding still amongst us Thus much therefore shall suffice in like manner for this third cause wherein yet let ech of us aske of our owne soules whether in such a decay both of the love of the truth and also of holinesse peace and unitie in the Church yea in such danger of our protection to be utterly taken away to passe over that it is so far departed That he that absteineth from evill makes himself a prey and in steed thereof in such an increase of Poperie of licentiousnesse and of all profanenesse such an enmitie against all true pietie with the insolencie of the enemie the Lord doe not call loude upon us all to watch and to pray for the severall removes of the glory amongst us and the evident tokens of the Lords threatned departure which he sheweth in the same CHAP. VI. No priviledges can doe a people any good if they increase in their iniquitie but the moe their mercies have bin the greater is their sinne and the heavier shall their iudgement be when it commeth of what sort soever And what causes we have hence to watch and to pray Vers. 4. And the Lord said unto him Goe through the midst of the Citie even through the midst of Ierusalem and set a marke upon the foreheads of them that sigh and cry for all the abominations which are done in the midst thereof IN the doubling of the speech Goe thorough the midst of the Citie even through the midst of Ierusalem where the Lord adds Ierusalem to make the speech more significant not content to say Goe thorow the Citie but even thorow Ierusalem He would have all to take notice That though Ierusalem was the deerest unto him of all the Cities of the world yet having broken the Covenant on her part and also cast him off and defiled his Sanctuarie he will spare her no longer he will have no more pitie of any save onely of his faithfull ones in her But contrarily he will forsake her cast her off leave her to be destroyed untill the remnant left of her learne to seeke him and to be reconciled to him againe For the Lords speech is thus much in effect Goe through the midst of the city even through Ierusalem which though it be unto me the deerest of all the places in the world the Citie which I had chosen to
dwell in for ever and be as the signet upon my right hand yet seeing it now casteth me off and despiseth to heare my voyce any longer or to be reformed I will not spare it neither shall mine eye have pitie on it save onely of my remnant in it but I will leave it to be destroyed and desolate at least for seventie yeeres Whence the Lord would have all his people to learne That no priviledges promises mercies deliverances no nor any profession of religion can doe a people any good at all to secure them from his vengeance if once they begin to cast him off and his Covenant But when they fall to be stubborne against him and his word sent unto them in his mercy he will cast them off and leave them This also is a matter to be well thought of by us Because as they of Iudah were wont to secure themselves in their prerogatives even so doe we ordinarily First therefore to begin with them Were not these and the like the things whereby they were wont to think themselves safe and to make their boast of so that they could not repent Sometimes because they had the Lords Temple of which they so gloried saying The Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord. Sometimes they used to flatter themselves depraving Gods word thus The Law shall not depart from the Priest nor counsell from the wise nor the word from the Prophet And commonly all singing this song which their children learned of them We have Abraham to our father and by these and the like did they grow so extremely impenitent that they could not be moved by any warnings And is it not even so with us That whensoever we are admonished of the Lords anger either by his word or judgements on us or by any other signes or threatnings against us to move us to seeke to pacifie his wrath is not this usuall with us to harden our hearts and still to lull our selves asleepe in our securitie thinking that we are in no such danger and all for some speciall priviledges which we imagine that we have Although it be acknowledged by all that there are most grievous sinnes amongst us yea most horrible contempt of God and his word with dreadfull signes of his departing and that we have had many strange and terrible warnings yet the Lord must needs still continue with us and there is no such danger or cause of feare as some imagine and why so Because we have Gods true religion established by law maintayned by authoritie and sincerely professed by many The Lord hath also shewed us such manifest tokens of his favour and love in our sundry and most admirable deliverances He hath taken such vengeance on our enemies He still discovers and overthrowes their plots And which is above all other his blessings for that he hath given us such a worthy Head and Governour such a hopefull Issue so established the Scepter and concluded such a peace with other Nations on every side as hencforth we cannot have any such cause of feare as formerly we have had Are not these and the like the things whereby we are commonly waxen so strong and safe in our owne conceit And are we not hereupon become so secure from any dreadfull judgement as that no warnings from heaven nor earth words corrections threats nor yet any mercies can do the greatest part any more good but that they desperately proceed from evill to worse as though no hurt could come unto us Let us to this end consider a litle of the priviledges of this Citie and people and then if the Lord open our eyes we shall easily see what causes we have of this our confidence and securitie First for Ierusalem The Lord chose it to dwell in for ever and Sion to be an habitation for himselfe yea he after a peculiar manner tyed his residencie to that place whereas now it is no more tyed to any one place than unto another but one Country now being unthankfull he removes his Church and abode to another There Salomon by the appointment of the Lord himselfe built a house for his glorious Majestie as the place wherein he would be specially worshipped of all the places in the world Such promises also were made by him unto that place as never unto any other That the people praying there because the Temple was a speciall figure of Iesus Christ he would heare those their petitions made in that place Or when they could not come thither if they did but turne their faces towards Ierusalem in prayer that he would heare their supplications made in faith and obedience as he heard Daniel in the Captivitie It was so famous for visions and revelations of the Lord by meanes of the Arke of the Testimonie there the Priests with the Vrim and Thummim the Prophets and messengers of the Lord that it was called the valley of visions yea it was so far preferred before all other places as that all must pray for the peace of Ierusalem So that the Prophet David prayes for the prosperitie of all them who love Ierusalem It is called for the excellencie of it The perfection of beautie The ioy of the whole earth and by our Saviour it is named The holy Citie and at that time when it did grow towards the very worst It was then so deere unto him as that he wept over it to thinke of the sinnes of it with the miseries that were to come upon it for the same And to shut up this point when our Saviour will set out unto the Church the glory of the kingdome of heav'n in the first flourishing estate thereof in earth and fully in heav'n he finds no fitter resemblance to expresse it by than by Ierusalem calling it the new Ierusalem and holy Ierusalem because Ierusalem was the type thereof These are some of the priviledges of the Citie For the prerogatiues of the people they are far more surpassing if we will beleeve the commendations which holy Paul gives of them in the 9. chapter to the Romanes vers 4. where he so highly esteemes of them that he could have wished himselfe accursed yea cast away utterly and seperate from Christ for evermore from eternall joy to perpetuall miserie even for his brethren that were his kinsmen according to the flesh if it had beene possible therby to turne away the Lords anger from them and to reconcile them unto his Majestie againe that so he might have beene glorified in saving of them These particular prerogatives are there moreover ascribed unto them 1. They were Israelites that is A people descended of the most noble stock of all the world Israels posteritie who prevailed with God discending lineally from faithfull Abraham the father of all the faithfull the freind of God and with
whom God entred into covenant to be his God and the God of his seed forever 2. The Adoption belonged to them God freely chose them and them only of all the people of the earth to be his owne peculiar people He carried them forth of Egypt into Canaan the garden of the earth as upon Eagles wings plaguing Kings for their sakes and expelling mighty nations to plant them in Never ceasing untill he had setled them and his Tabernacle the place of his rest in this City They were moreover so deare unto him as that he cannot content himselfe to call them his sonnes but he stiles them his first borne his pretious ones in whome his soule delighted So tender he was over them as when he was compelled to chastise them for their stubbornesse his soule was troubled for them as a deere father striking his childe with a heavy heart And above all dignities he cals them a thing hallowed the first fruits of all nations unto him Thirdly the glory belonged unto them that is the honour of all the earth He gave them his owne name to call upon and himselfe to be called their God He vouchsafed them his presence to dwell among and in the midst of them to shew unto them his glorious Majestie by such visible signes as never any other people saw specially by the Arke which was therefore called the glory of God and the glory of Israell Yea they had all that glory spoken of before belonging only unto them of all other people both inward in his presence most sensibly and also outward in knowledge holinesse and protection as we have heard Their fourth prerogative was That they had the covenant that is Gods covenant made with them in solemne words to be their God and they alone his people and Canaan to be theirs for an everlasting possession Fiftly the giving of the law was their prerogative The law of God was given unto them first and immediatly upon mount Sinai out of the midst of the fire The Lord there so spake to them as never people heard him Besides all their judiciall lawes whereby they were governed passing Solons lawes and the lawes of all people besides were given unto them by the Lord himselfe Sixtly The worship was theirs Gods owne true worship according to his appointment to be performed by the priests and Levites in a most excellent order was committed unto them alone which was continued for the outward manner and forme though not without some corruptions untill the very time that this captivity began and yet the same corruptions also graciously reformed by that holy Iosiah Seventhly The promises were theirs both the promises of this life and that to come were specially and chiefly made to them and to those who should joyne unto them Eightly The fathers were theirs those chiefe fathers of the Church the Ancient Patriarcks Abraham Isaack and Iacob to whom the promises were made first confirmed againe and againe to thousand generations So that they might seeme the sole heires of the promises as they are called the children of the Prophets and of the covenants which God made unto the fathers Ninthly which is the chiefest and highest degree of all their excellencie Of them Christ came he was of their stock and kinred He who hath so honored all mankind in taking on him the nature of man must needs honour them much more with whom he entred into so neere a bond to be of their flesh even he who is God himselfe blessed for evermore To conclude all this their dignitie The Lord had so preferred both them and their city and so declared his love unto them in his manifold and most miraculous preservations and deliverances of Ierusalem that untill the very time of this lamentable captivitie neither the kings of the earth nor all the inhabitants of the world would have beleeved that ever the enemie could have entred within the gates of Ierusalem Thus have we had in some sort the priviledges of the City and the people Out of which we may most cleerely see that if ever people might promise unto themselves security in regard of outward prerogatives it was certainly they Yet when they proceed so farre to dishonour the Lord by abusing his religion which he had committed in trust unto them alone to magnifie him by and by committing all the abominations which follow after to make his name thereby to be blasphemed among the heathen and when all other his rods and meanes can do them no more good to reclaime them and reforme them he will spare them no longer But when there is no other remedie the destroyers must come they must spare none but execute the Lords most terrible vengeance according to all that which in his law he had threatned long afore for presently within three moneths after the death of their worthy king Iosiah whom Ieremie so much bewaileth in his lamentations calling him the breath of their nostrills began all those plagues of this people For Iehoahaz the eldest son of Iosiah was taken captive of Pharaoh Necho and carried into Egypt which could not be done without much bloudshed There land also became tributary to the king of Egypt and that tribute which was very great was to be levied upon every man of the land according to their estimation whereby all of them became servants unto him In the place of Iehoahaz did the king of Egypt set up Eliakim his brother whom he named Iehoiakim So he and his people remained servants to the king of Egypt untill they were soone after conquered againe by the king of Babylon who prevailing against the king of Egypt they all became tributaries to the king of Babylon Afterward Eliakim rebelling against Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar came against him with great power tooke him bound him with chaines carried him into Babel with many of the vessels of the house of the Lord. In his place did the king of Babel set up Iehoiakim his sonne to raigne in his stead who reigned but three moneths but he also is carried away into Babylon with other pretious vessels of the house of the Lord and Zedechiah his uncle set in his place who rebelling in like manner against Nebuchadnezzar who had caused him to sweare by God and not humbling himselfe at the commandement of the Lord by the Prophet Ieremie but hardening his neck and making his heart obstinate that he might not returne to the Lord God of Israell the cheife also of the priests and of the people sinning wonderfully and not harkening to Gods messengers he likewise was taken his sonnes slaine before his eyes his owne eyes put out he bound in chaines and caried into Babel and all this desolation foreshewed was fully accomplished All this came upon them as the Lord himselfe saith plainly partly for the sinnes committed long before the
prayer for the innumerable mercies and priviledges bestowed upon our Land on the one side and the increase of our sinnes with the tokens of Gods vengeance and our deep securitie on the other side Lest our plagues doe prove greater than the plagues of all other people as much as we seeme to have bin lifted up above most if not all others in blessings in this last and most sinfull age of the world if all our blessings temporall and spirituall be compared togither and considered aright Oh Lord at length open our eyes and then we shall so cleerly see our estate that it will not be any more needfull to cry unto us to awake to watch and to pray CHAP. VII The marking of the godly that is How Gods owne people are marked in the midst of the greatest confusions before the destructions come and what causâ—s every one hath to watch and to pray that he may be so marked Vers. 4. And set it marke on the foreheads of all that mourne IN this Commission to the marking Angell to set a marke on the foreheads of all that mourne The Lord giving such a charge to his holy Angell thus carefully to preserve his chosen from this destruction to goe thorow the Citie and set a marke upon every one of them to overpasse none and also the destroying Angels to follow after the marking Angell so as they hurt none till all the faithfull be marked he would have all to know thus much That he never casts off the care of his people no not then when all things seeme most confused in the earth And secondly when they are so mingled amongst the wicked as that they can hardly be knowne amongst themselves much lesse to the eyes of the world that yet he still tendreth them and watcheth over them continually Thirdly that he will at length make his fatherly care and watchfull providence known unto them and that by some gracious and wonderfull deliverance even in this world if it be so best for them and for his glory And lastly that they evermore must be surely marked before the destruction come The Lord hath bin very carefull to set downe this point also most clearely in every of those great destructions which are recorded in Scriptures for examples and warnings to all posteritie That hereby his owne faithfull servants may receiue comfort against the greatest afflictions that can come upon the world As first in that terrible overflowing in the generall destruction of the old world The waters came not untill Noah had first prepared and finished the Arke and also God himselfe had shut up both him and his in the same so locking and sealing up the dores with his owne hand as that all the waters rage they never so horribly and hoyse him up above the highest mountaines yet cannot hurt him And why dealeth the Lord thus carefully with Noah Thee saith he have I seene righteous before me in this generation that is I have seene they heart sincere and thy purpose and indevour ever to please me not following the course of the times but crying out of the iniquitie thereof beleeving my threatnings and preparing the Arke according to my commandement to save thy selfe and familie from the vengeance to come Secondly in that dreadfull overthrow of Sodome and Gomorrha before the fire and brimstone came upon those filthy Cities Lot must not onely be marked but also gotten forth safe from the destruction The Angels have such a charge of him as that they get him by the hand pull and hale him for haste being far more carefull for him than he is for himselfe and they never leave him till they have safe conducted him out and then bid him hie for his life get him into Zoar. They tell him plainely that the Lords care was so great for him that they can doe nothing in this destruction their hands were tyed untill he be there safe out of all the danger The reason of it also is carefully set downe by the Lord himselfe why he accounted him worthy to escape for that he was a just and righteous man grieved with the uncleane conversation of the wicked his righteous soule was vexed from day to day with all their abominable deeds Thirdly before this destruction the Lord foretold to Ieremie particularly That he would give him his life for a prey in all places wheresoever he came because of his faithfulnesse in sticking to his word and commandement and for his warning the people And so indeed it came to passe that the Lord did not onely preserve him with sundry others fearing his name but gave him also speciall favour in the eyes of the enemies who led them captives So as Nebuchadnezzar himselfe gives charge to Nebuzaradan his chiefe steward to look well to Ieremie to doe him no harme but to doe for him as himselfe would whether to goe home with them into Babylon and there to receive kindnesse or to tarry still in the land of Iudah with the people which should be left there behinde And this mercy did the Lord shew not onely unto Ieremie but unto others also that had bin kinde unto his Prophet As to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian who had spoken for Ieremie to the King of Iudah to get him out of the dungeon to whom also the Lord gave his life for a prey because he put his trust in the Lord. And Gedaliah whose father Ahikam had formerly delivered Ieremie out of danger and from the rage that was against him he is made Governour of them that remained in the Land howsoever he was trecherously slaine not long after So to Baruch in like manner who was Ieremies Scribe and had stucke so close to him in all his troubles God promiseth to give him also his life for a prey in all places wheresoever he came We have likewise the ensamples of Daniel and of his three companions called the three children unto whom besides their preservation from the common destruction in the first Captivitie of Babylon the Lord granted that extraordinarie favour both to be brought up by the King of Babylon himselfe and by his speciall appointment in all excellent learning and so far to surpasse all others as to be most meet for their singular knowledge and understanding to stand with high favour in the presence of that mightie Monarch though otherwise a cruell oppressor of the Church of God who had caried them away captive He gave unto them moreover divine testimonies of his fatherly care and protection in the presence of all his enemies in those miraculous deliverances out of the fierie furnace and from the Lions den because they did cleave so fast unto the Lord that they would not suffer themselves to be polluted with the least part or shew of the Idolatrie of the Heathen The like favour for preservation he granted to Ezechiel and sundry
Thus he shewred his displeasure against good Iosiah for thrusting himselfe into battell without warrant And against Moses for not sanctifying the Lord at the waters of strife Among the Corinthians also for their unreverent receiving the Lords supper And thus may he suffer his owne deerest servants to endure the common calamities with the rest at such times either for a just correction of their former sinnes as hath beene shewed or only for the tryall of their faith and constancy or for an exercise of their faith and repentance and to make them more fervent in praier or to further their sanctification to conforme them more more to Christ or it may be to increase the vengeance against the enemies through their cruelty against them or some other like cause as we shall see more after Yet neverthelesse The marking teacheth us thus much That though such goe into Captivity yet there the Lord will be with them his holy hand will there be over them as a buckler There he will so protect them that he will turne all the evils that come unto them still to doe them good He will thereby further their salvation and increase their glory in the heavens And when they are killed all the day long and accounted as sheepe for the slaughter yet in all that which they indure they are more then conquerours thorough him who hath loved them He chastiseth them thereby to make them to walke more holily and more humbly in his presence and so teacheth them more sound obedience by the things which they suffer then ever they learned in all their lives before that they shall in time acknowledge that to have beene the best schoole that ever they came into By this fire he fineth them from much of the drosse of their sinnes and corruptions and specially of their unbeleife to make them to come forth more pure then the gold For First he at such times taking from them the meanes and staies that they were wont to leane upon in their prosperitie maketh them to see their carnall and vaine confidence upon what propts they formerly relied and what unbeleife is in their hearts And then raysing up for them such meanes as they never knew as he did for his people Israel in the wildernesse and in other their distresses he teacheth them to looke up higher then to earthly meanes even to his owne heavenly hand to depend upon him for all and to give him all the glory making him their only stay and comfort At such times in the very greatest extremities he hath ever beene wont to reveale himselfe far more familiarly to his in the gratious works of his fatherly providence and extraordinary favours then ever in former time and that even outwardly in things belonging to the necessity comforts of this life But above all for the inward comforts of his Spirit supporting and chearing up the hearts of all his elect they ordinarily finde them more true and heavenly joy with certaine assurance of Gods favour and love in Christ then ever they felt before And heereby doth he most fully manifest to the very enimies their faith in his promises their patiēce hope obedience love to his Majestie and what they are ready to suffer for his name Heereby he is wont also to kindle in his people a greater fervency in prayer smitting them to the end to prepare their hearts thereby that he may incline his eare unto their cries To make them able in all things to give thanks and to rejoyce in their most grievous afflictions and so to be able to sing with a holy melody when the fetters are about their feet He waines them from the earth and makes them long after the heavens to be ever in his presence where all teares being wiped away is fulnesse of joy for ever more He then also useth these his poore servants as a special meanes of the conversion saving of the rest of his elect and in these to reserve a holy seed by which to renew and in large his Church againe And which is well worthy our carefull observation Some who could never attaine to any grace at all under the best meanes in the daies of their prosperity but did run riot as the prodigall sonne being most rebellious against the Lord and his word yet when he hath brought them into the fetters and chaines of afflictions then have they set themselves to seeke him and then the word which before they despised hath begun to worke in them to life A notable president of his mercy herein he hath caused to be registred in his Booke for all posteritie even in Manasseh who though he had so good a father as that worthy Ezechiah and was so vertuously brought up yea and had seene his fathers reformation yet as the Holy Ghost saith he went backe and builded up that iniquitie which his father had destroyed He never had grace to bethinke himselfe nor to hearken to the word of the Lord untill he brought upon him the Captaines of the hoast of the King of Asshur who put him in fetters bound him in chaines and caried him to Babel But when he was in tribulation he began to seeke unto the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers and so God was intreated of him heard his prayer and brought him againe into Ierusalem into his Kingdome Then saith the Holy Ghost Manasseh knew that the Lord was God and then he destroyed all the Idolatry and abhominations which he had bin the cause of and restored that religion which he had before defaced And to shut up all By these the Lord doth exceedingly advance his owne glory in the midst of his enemies as here he did by Daniel and his companions and makes himselfe and his truth evidently knowne by their constancie and leaves the wicked enemies the more without excuse As for those whom he takes away by death in such times their death is unto them but as the gate of life It is a finall deliverance from all their sinnes and from all feare of every kinde of enemie and miserie It is unto them a more speedie entrance into the full possession of their fathers joy and of their glorious inheritance than otherwise nature would have afforded them And thus much for the godly which goe into Captivitie or fall by the sword or endure any calamitie with the rest what the marking avayleth them how happy their estate is whatsoever come to passe But on the other side for the wicked who in such generall calamities escape the sword or the like cruell death it is cleane contrary with them For the Lords anger revenging hand ever followeth them whithersoever they goe untill they be destroyed from off the face of the earth All these miseries are but the beginnings of the powring out of the viols of Gods wrath upon them to the increase
of their torment and their fearefull expectation of further vengeance Their calamities which they endure are nothing else but preparatives and fore-runners of the damnation of hell Hereby they also become more senselesse and impenitent they waxe more hardned and enraged to murmure and blaspheme against the Lord. And ordinarily they are alwaies chased in their owne consciences as Cain having a sound of feare in their eares the worme beginning to gnaw and their sinne to sting them to the very hearts and consequently to become runnegates to the grave and to eternall confusion Or let the best be supposed that ever can befall any of them they are but in a lethargie or sleepie sicknesse without sense untill the vengeance of God light wholly upon them to send them to the place of their destruction where they shall never finde any rest after But for their wretched estate we shall see it further in another place And thus we may behold the estate of all both good and bad in such generall calamities Now who is there that beleeves the word of the Lord whom the due consideration of this one point alone must not needs drive to watching and prayer and to cause him to seeke to be prepared aforehand in these dayes of our peace that he may be thus undoubtedly marked and under this protection yea that he may be thus hid in the evill day and finde all the comforts belonging to the godly and that he may be sure to escape those certaine and dreadfull miseries of the wicked what judgements soever it shall please him to exercise us withall for A wise man as Salomon saith foreseeth the plague and hideth himselfe but a foole goeth on still and is punished This therefore may serve as a first cause to enforce us all to betake our selves more instantly to watching and prayer then ever we have done if we would be so marked as to finde the Lord to be a Sanctuarie and a hiding place unto us in the evill day how soone soever he shall bring it upon us for all our sinnes and provocations and in the meane time to get boldnesse thereby and peace of conscience against all assaults whatsoever And more also unlesse we will strip our selves wilfully of his most gratious providence and protection and desperately expose our selves and all ours to all kinde of miserie and unhappinesse both in this life present and that which is to come If any shall demand further what this marke was we must remember That this Vision was given according to the capacitie of man to shew this unto the Prophet that he might make it knowne to all sorts what care the Lord hath for his faithfull ones in the greatest confusions and when they seeme to be utterly neglected and forgotten and to this end he hath caused it to be written for us This moreover seemeth evidently to be an allusion to the custome of men who use to set a marke on such things as they have a speciall care to preserve heedfully Or rather an alluding to the marking of the houses of his owne people in Egypt with the bloud of the Lambe that the destroying Angell might not touch any of them when he destroyed the Egyptians Or else at least to the marking of Rahabs house in the Citie of Iericho before the destruction came for the saving her selfe and hers But if it be demanded whether they had not indeed some speciall marke of difference to be discerned from the rest we may answer truly That there is no question but they were marked indeed both inwardly and outwardly Inwardly by the bloud of Christ sprinkling them and by the Spirit sanctifying them making them to cry Abba oh Father Outwardly by a bold and constant outward profession of the truth of God in word and deed and more specially by mourning and crying out for all the abominations which were practised daily to anger the Lord as followeth after But this is not that marking here spoken of much lesse is it any marking with any outward marke or signe as some doe vainely and very fondly conceit but only to make them sure that they might be preserved from the destroyer The words signifying nothing else but marke them with a marke or signe them with a signe That is marke them surely and carefully doubling the word according to the manner of the Hebrew phrase And thus much also shortly for answering those doubts Now to our next cause which every soule hath to watch and to pray CHAP. VIII The propertie of the godly living amongst the wicked in a sinfull age is To sigh and cry for the abominations and tokens of Gods anger So what cause all Gods servants have to watch and pray for the fewnesse of such and to labour to be of that litle number TO proceed to a sixt cause which yet more neerely concerns ech of us cals on us all to watchfulnes and prayer We are all who desire to finde true assurance and comfort to consider who and what ones these servants of God are which are thus marked They are described in these words which sigh and cry for all the abominations They were those who were so far off from framing themselves to the wickednesse of that evill time as that they contrarily abhorred with a vehement indignation all those sinnes whereby Gods anger was so kindled and their destruction hastned so fast Insomuch as that thereby they did not onely mourne in themselves in secret but being inforced with a zeale of Gods glory and indignation against all the abominations cryed out against them according to their places and callings and sighed in secret for mercy and redresse Here we must observe The Lord setting before our eyes the condition of the true children of God living in evill times and amongst a people voyde of the sense of sinne and of the feare of Gods judgements That their manner is not to approve of the wicked wayes of the ungodly much lesse to sooth and flatter them in their evill courses nor to give over themselves to any jollitie or carnall delights as others doe but they use to have continually much heavinesse in themselves sighing for the grievous sinnes which are committed An example hereof the Lord hath set forth to all posteritie in holy Lot who living amongst the filthy Sodomites was thus grieved with their ungodly conversation for so saith the holy Apostle Peter That he being righteous and dwelling among them in hearing and seeing vexed his righteous soule from day to day with their unrighteous deeds He was so disquieted with their beastly manners provoking the Lords most holy eyes that his whole life for the time that he dwelt amongst them was but wearinesse and a continuall mourning This holy man the Lord would have set forth as an example to all succeeding ages to shew the condition of all his true and faithfull servants living amongst wicked and ungodly men To
to all his faithfull messengers to the end of the world to declare how they ought to carry themselves in such evill times according to their places and callings So Iohn Baptist cryes out against the hypocrites O generation of vipers who hath forewarned you to flie from the vengeance to come Our Saviour also among the Scribes and Pharisees being hypocrites thunders out nothing but woe woe This in like manner was the principall occasion of all the malice against him for that he testified in every place that their deeds were evill and also for denouncing Gods judgements to come upon them And to omit all other That righteous Lot in Sodome though a private man yet cryes unto them for that shamefull outrage I pray you my brethren deale not so wickedly In a word this hath beene the continuall behaviour of the Martyrs and Confessors of Gods truth as all Histories doe witnesse thus to cry against the sinnes of the times within the limits of their calling whence ordinarily they have suffred such bitter persecutions For crying also unto the Lord at such times it hath beene a most usuall thing with all the faithfull Prophets and other of his servants untill that he have forbidden some of them as he did Ieremie that he should not pray to doe that people any good when as they did grow obdurate and most extremely malicious against him and alwaies the neerer they have seene the wrath the more vehemently have they cried unto the Lord as Moses and Samuel stepping into the breach to stay the Lords hand that he should not destroy his people So that this point is likewise most cleare Yet to cause it to worke more effectually upon our consciences it shall not be unnecessarie a little to ponder some of the reasons why the godly doe so sigh and cry As First for that they who are the Lords indeed doe specially resemble their heavenly Father in hating those things which he hateth with a vehement indignation and what sinnes they cannot reforme nor restraine those they sigh and grieve for Secondly that they can no more endure the dishonors done unto his heavenly Majestie according to that measure of grace given unto them than the Angels which are in heaven doe according unto theirs and therefore they being subject unto these passions of griefe and sorrow must needs in seeing and hearing vex their righteous soules continually Thirdly because they have of the very â—ame spirit of zeale that was in our Saviour which was so fervent towards his fathers house that to see it defiled it did after a sort eat and consume him Fourthly how can it be but that they who are the children of God must needs be troubled to see Sathan set up and worshipped in the throne of their heavenly Father for so he is in all places where iniquitie hath the upper hand Or what childe is there except he be extremely unnaturall that is not cast downe in himselfe when he seeth his father angry Fiftly because not taking to heart such sinnes we become guilty of them for so Paul chargeth the Corinthians for the incestuous person that they were therfore guiltie of his sinne because they had not sorrowed for it and saith that they afterward by their sorrow and indignation testified so many wayes upon his letter sent unto them did shew themselves free from his wickednes Sixtly and lastly which is the principall because for the sinne of one notorious offender unpunished Gods anger may be kindled against all the place where he is and that therefore all of them are in danger of this vengeance with the rest even every one that doth not what he can within the compasse of his calling to reforme it at least by mourning for it and crying unto the Lord for pardon redresse This he shewes plainely in sundry places of his holy word although the contrary practise of the world declares evidently that very few beleeve this point Let us but observe two or three places the more to convince us and rouze our soules out of this our deepe securitie As first that of the case of inquisition for murder when one is found murdered if there be not the utmost endevour both in Ministers Magistrates and people to finde out the murtherer and to punish him by death according to the law against murther the land is defiled as is evident both by the strict manner of the inquisition that was to be made by all the people of Israel and by the protestation of the Rulers in the behalfe of all the people clearing themselves from it and also by the prayer that they were taught to make in this forme O Lord be mercifull unto us thy people Israel whom thou hast redeemed and lay no innocent bloud to the charge of thy people Israel and the bloud shall be forgiven them So saith he thou shalt take away the cry of innocent bloud from thee whâ—n thou shalt doe that which is right in the sight of the Lord. Whereby we may plainely see that the bloud of one man thus murthered defileth the bordering land and provoketh the Lords displeasure against the people if it be not carefully sought out and all holy meanes used for the avenging of it and taking away the cry thereof Secondly the Lord declares there evidently that the Land cannot be clensed and the sinne pardoned unto it but by the bloud of him that shed it or at least when no meanes is neglected to finde it out and to punish it Thirdly that innocent bloud cryes for vengeance from the earth continually as Abels did untill all the meanes be used for purging it A last reason of Gods severitie is because it is not with the Church of God as with the prophane Heathen for he dwels in the midst of his Church and therefore if any defile the Land where his Church is he will either punish them severely or utterly depart from them as appeares evidently in his threatning after the making of the Golden Calfe for he will be specially sanctified in them that draw neere unto him in such a holy profession He is very terrible in the assembly of his Saints Now as it is in this case of bloud so every notorious sin defileth the land and cryeth for vengeance against all the inhabitants the Land cannot beare it but will endanger all even to spue out that people in the end if it be not purged as their abominations did cause the Land of Canaan This we may see in sundry examples how somtimes the sin of some of the people hath indangered al the rest sometimes the sinne of one city and sometimes even the sin of one man when it hath not beene sought out and punished As to omit that sinne at the making of the golden calfe which although it was not
Lord howsoever it shall please him to visit us Give me leave therefore if it were to digresse a little to turne my speech to speake to your soules and consciences for the confirming and strengthening of all our hearts who are such The Lord heere sets before your faces the care which he hath for you You are surely sealed whatsoever plagues he shall smite the earth withall whether you be rulers from the greatest to the meanest to begin with you If your consciences beare you witnesse that your hearts are set to advance Gods true religion and all prety and by all holy meanes to suppresse iniquity and so to turne away the judgements threatned And much more also if to this end you study to procure what good you can to the Church of Christ. If you mourne with Ezra for the grievous transgressions of the people for defiling themselves with the abominations of other nations and especially with Popery Atheisme and all irreligious licenciousnes Of if that your hearts do melt with holy Iosiah for the former and present provocations and to see how the word of the Lord is despised If you use to lament and sigh in beholding the intollerable frowardnesse of men against the Lord that they cannot be brought to submit themselues to his glorious Gospell and in observing such a strange turning backe of many of our people in their hearts as who will needs returne into Egypt and Sodome againe and so strive to provoke the Lord yet more therby and by all other their sinnes And if moreover in seeing that you cannot doe that good that you would in reforming the evils you are not only daily humbled before the Lord upon your faces privately but doe also shew your griefe openly in your places as occasion is offered as this is an euident demonstration of your unfeigned religion before the world so it is a most strong bulwark to your own soules against all feare of the miseries that can any way come upon us Or secondly If you be those that succeed in the place of the Prophets being set to watch over and to warne the people committed to you thereby to turne away the plagues which are tiying upon them and doe finde in your selves the affections of Ieremie in heavinesse and lamentation when you see your paines to doe so litle good that you people generally grow rather worse and worse that you labour in vaine spend you strength in vaine and for nothing as Esay complaineth that although the bellowes be burnt yet you melt but in vaine the wickednesse is not taken away so that you may seeme to have just cause to deeme them to be but reprobate silver and such as the Lord hath weighed as Ieremie bewayleth them in his time this may comfort you that you are of this number that are marked And if furthermore for this cause you find your life to be a wearines that with Paul you have a continual sorrow in your hearts for your people and that you could be content to indure any miserie for them to save them from the Lords wrath this is a demonstration that the same spirit of Paul resteth upon you And yet further also to comfort you If you be such as are so far off from serving the time or flattering them to whom you are sent in crying peace peace That you have set your selves in all faithfulnesse to discover their iniquities and to cry out against all their sinnes and that no feare can stop your mouth from doing your duties in your places this testimonie of your consciences shall be as a strong brazen wall unto you whatsoever shall come to passe And to speake generally If you be private Christians as Lot and these mourners here marked and in steed of having a confederacie with the wicked in their evill wayes you finde your selves vexed every day for the evils which you heare and see it may minister unto you much assurance and heavenly consolation And more specially if your hearts be troubled for these dreadfull sinnes As first for our monstrous unthankfulnesse for the Gospell with all our blessings accompanying it and for that we are most of us so weary in living in obedience unto it and so many on the other side ready to live rather under that slaverie of Antichrist or service of sinne and Sathan Or secondly If you feele your soules continually grieved in beholding how many of us there are which make a profession of the Gospell in word yet denie utterly all power of it in our lives And withall how ready many amongst us who have heretofore made conscience of our wayes are now to joyne hands and run to all excesse with the Atheist and with every profane and filthy person And if aboue all this your hearts beare you witnesse that you strive to keepe your selves unspotted in this last and sinfull generation and neither by Schisme run forth of the Church and communion of the Saints so condemning the generation of his children on the one hand nor leave your places and callings so long as with a good conscience you can enjoy them to cast your selves upon the rocks of innumerable evils neither yet on the other hand to decline to the coldnesse hypocrisie and loosenesse of the time this shall be your comfort perpetually And yet to proceed a litle further If you thus staying your selves from these extremes doe use to speake every one to his neighbour as the godly did in Malachies dayes to incourage one another to walke more heedfully and cheerefully in the wayes of the Lord ech in his ranke and within the bounds of his calling this shall be your witnesse before the Lord. Or finally If yet now at least at the view of our transgressions which follow the Lords threatnings against us you can feele your hearts so affected as those mourners and set to continue so to walke with your God then this shall be unto you a gratious assurance that you are indeed the Lords owne servants as these mourners were The same Spirit of the Lord resteth upon you you are surely sealed therewith and singled out for his Majestie His care is as well for you as ever it was for Noah Lot Eliah or any of these mourners for he is still the same to all who tread in their steps his compassions faile not This is written now to comfort you Heaven and earth shall passe but not one jot or title of his word untill every thing be accomplished He may sooner breake his covenant concerning the day and the night than he can with you The hills may sooner remove out of their places than his mercy can from you Let none of your hearts therefore faint who have this witnesse that you indevour hereunto But come whatsoever will God will provide such a deliverance for you if he see it good Or if he send you into Captivitie yet he
our Noahs building the Arke and calling all to enter nor our Lots mourning crying to all Good brethren deale not so wickedly Doe we not daily increase in our senselesnesse and still more harden our selves against all warnings signes and tokens untill the floud-gates of heaven be open and the vengeance of God come powring downe And to goe yet one step higher and to adde this one demand more Are not very many amongst us come to that height of impietie to scorne and to abuse by all meanes all those that mourne for the evils and who will not run with us to all excesse of ungodlinesse And if any doe ever reprove such though in the griefe of their hearts with the greatest love and reverence are they not ready to say as those unto Lot Hence who made thee a Ruler and a Iudge so to thrust them away with all disgrace Or which is yet worse if worse may be Is not this too common in very many places to use them as Ieremie was used to load such with all opprobrious slanders as tho they were the vilest men that could live upon the earth and those that seeke not the good of the Land but the hurt and as if indeed there were none to be hated but they be they never so peaceable and obedient And finally are they not made such in many places as Ieremie saith of himselfe whom every bodie curseth though they have neither given nor taken upon usurie but lived without ofâ—ence or intermedling in the world Nay although they be such persons whom all the world cannot touch except for such infirmities as are incident to all the sonnes of Adam or the matters of their God as Daniâ—l was Doe we not thus adde to the increase of their sorrowes to kindle more the Lords anger for the injuries done unto them and by seeking to drive them out from amongst us or at least to cause them to cease crying to the Lord for us Which unkindnesse he can no way indure sith these I meane who make conscience of all his commandements are the deerest unto him of all the people of the earth and the onely preservers of the rest so long as they remaine amongst us And thus much shall serve for this in like manner what cause we have to watch and pray yea to tremble and cry for the small remainder of our mourners and also to the end that we our selves may be found to be of the number of them so to helpe to appease the wrath or so to escape in the evill day CHAP. IX The enemies by which the Lord threatneth or afflicteth his Church are his souldiers and what cause we have to give our selves to watching and prayer for the increase of them in number pride and malice IT remaineth now that we shall come to shew the abominations for the which the godly so sighed cryed what and how great they were But the handling thereof may be more profitably reserved unto the sixt verse where the Holy Ghost sets downe how fierce his wrath was and how grievous the plagues were which the Lord threatneth to inflict upon them that by the greatnes of the vengeance we may better consider the heynousnesse of the abominations Having therefore thus finished this first Commission which was to the marking Angell for the preservation of all the godly we will come to the second commission given to the destroying Angels how they should deale with all the rest conteyned in these words following Vers. 5. And to the other he said in my hearing Goe yee after him thorow the Citie and smite Let not your eye spare neither have pitie sâ—ay utterly olde and young c. Here the Lord delivering this Commission aloud and bidding these destroying Angels to goe and smite to spare none will have us all to consider this well That the enemies by which his Church is afflicted as the Babylonian here meant to whom he said Goe yee after him thorough the Citie and smite are the Lords soldiers They come not nor fight of themselves alone but at his comand they fight also his battels though they know not so much nor purpose any such matter but doe it in the pride and malice of their hearts No point is more necessarie for us to know becasue in the plots and conspiracies of wicked enemies and in all the rage against the Church of God it is so rare a thing for any man to looke at the Lord and how he sends and orders all but every man almost useth still to looke onely at the hand of the enemie Neither is any truth more cleerely set forth in the booke of God We will content our selves with two or three places which are past all exception in which he hath of purpose taught this point most fully First we may begin with the former great Captivitie of Israel of the Ten Tribes caried captive into Assyria by Salmanazar which was a good space before this captivitie of Iudah The Holy Ghost saith that the Lord in his wrath sent upon them the King of Asshur to destroy them Whom the Prophet â—say in speaking of both the Captivities joyntly and the like instruments and reasons of both calleth the rod of Gods wrath because he had in his wrath prepared the Assyrian as his rod to whip both Israel and Iudah for their rebellion He termes also their staffe meaning the weapons in their hands his indignation because all their weapons were cheifly prepared to execute his most fierce indignation He calls them moreover the Lords axe whereby he cut downe the Nations All were the Lords instruments He sent these Assyrians and gave them the charge to spoile and trample under foote the rebellious Israelites as the mire in the streets But did the proud Assyrian know thus much how God used him as his soldier or did he purpose in it to execute Gods wrath and his terrible judgement No saith the Lord he thinketh not so neither doth his heart esteeme it so as to avenge my quarrell but he imagineth to destroy not a few nations that is All that he doth he doth in pride and malice of his owne wicked heart and by his owne strength as he foolishly thinketh Therefore the Lord saith plainely That when he had used him as his rod to correct his people first Samaria and then Ierusalem first Israel and after Iudah that he would surely burne the rod in the fire He would visit the proud heart of the King of Asshur and bring downe his proud lookes and as a fire in his vengeance consume him utterly And secondly for Manasseh the sonne of that worthy Hezechiah when he went backe from the good wayes of his father and set up againe all the abominations that his father had taken away and had also destroyed that pietie and religion which his good father had so laboured to build up and finally when he caused his people to doe worse
than the Heathen whom the Lord had plagued the Holy Ghost saith That first the Lord spake unto him and to his people but they would not regard And when that would not serve he saith expresly That the Lord brought upon them the Captaines of the hoast of the King of Asshur who tooke Manasseh and put him in fetters and bound him in chaines and caried him to Babel And that then when he was in tribulatior he prayed to the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers and God was intreated of him and heard his prayer and brought him againe into his kingdome in Ierusalem then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God So that it was God especially that brought the Assyrian upon Manasseh and fettred him and caried him into Babylon and there heard his prayer and brought him backe and set him againe in his kingdome it was God that did it Thirdly for this Captivitie as the Prophet here foresaw it and the Lord said he would doe it and like as he bids the enemies which are represented by these Angels to goe and smite so the Holy Ghost saith plainely using the very same phrase of speech that is used concerning Manasseh That God brought upon them the King of the Caldeans who slew their young men with the sword and spared neither young nor old but made this havocke of them all They came not meerely of themselves but God sent them as his executioners This Ieremie confesseth in his Lamentations That the Lord did it acknowledging thus in the person of all Iudah and Ierusalem Thou hast called as in a solemne day my terrours round about meaning that the Lord had called their terrible enemies on every fide to compasse them in that none might escape his wrath wherein he shewes how the Lord mustered the enemies to revenge these abhominations And thus hath it ever bin when enemies have come against the Church as we may see cleane thorow the booke of God and especially in the booke of the Iudges it was principally because the Lord had stirred them up he had mustered and brought them For if he but lift up his ensigne or but hisse or whistle for them as the Prophet speaketh they come amaine from all the ends of the earth They sleepe not nor faint unlesse the Lord himselfe stay them or plucke them backe putting his hooke into their nostrils and his bit into their jawes as he did to that proud Senecharib when he came so fiercely against Ierusalem Although as we heard the enemies themselves doe not know so much And when is it that the Lord brings them Even then when his people whom he hath put in trust with his most holy religion through long peace ease and prosperitie become utterly unthankfull and grow to loath the heavenly Manna when once they begin to be haughtie against the Lord and rebellious against his word and messengers sent unto them and they will obey it no further than it doth like themselves when they doe waxe so senselesse and indurate as all his fatherly rods of scarsitie famine pestilence and other sicknesse signes and tokens from heaven and earth no nor the continuall warnings of his servants can doe them any more good to move them any longer And finally when in steed of repenting and meeting him with intreatie of peace they proceede to mock his servants to misuse his messengers despising his word sent in mercy to warne them for then he can beare no longer but sets up his ensignes and calls for the sword of the enemie to avenge his quarrell thereby to take away religion and all the comforts of this life in one day for that their intollerable contempt of all his bounty long suffering and compassion This is that which he hath threatned in his law That he will punish such a people yet seven times more the sword and captivity being the last and heaviest outward plague and oft accompanied with all the rest chiefly with famine most cruell and savage beasts to devoure the rebellious people This he did fearefully verifie in the ensamples mentioned both in the captivity of Israell and Iudah chiefly in this latter as the holy Ghost plainely sheweth declaring the causes of it How when after their former lesse captivities and sundry plagues begun they in generall still increased their trespasses wonderfully according to all the abominations of the heathen and withall mocked and misused his messengers which he had sent unto them in compassion to call them to repentance then there was no remedie But he brought upon them the King of the Caldeans to execute all his fierce wrath and vengeance upon them all God gave all into his hands And this as he saith was to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Ieremie untill the Land had her fill of Sabaoths So all the dayes that shee lay desolate shee kept Sabaoth to fulfill seventie yeeres In which words it is most evident that the whole Captivitie both for the manner and continuance was altogither appointed and directed by the Lord. Whence we may most plainely conclude with that of the Prophet Esay where he brings in the Lord thus speaking of himselfe Behold I have created the Smith that bloweth the coales in the sire and him that bringeth forth an instrument for his wâ—rke I have created the destroyer to destroy If any man shall yet doubt of any part hereof let him read with reverence the 26 chapter of Leviticus and there he shall see all this set downe in order especially from the 14 verse to the end To apply this now to our times and to our selves it being now our lesson to awaken us and to make us to looke at the Lord levying his Armies against us if any thing can stir us Did that proud Nebuchadnezzar of Rome sound out his bellowing Bulls to move all the Lords people to rebell against his Annoynted Or hath he so often practised our destruction both openly and secretly altogither without the Lord Or did any of that bloudie League being Antichrists sworne servants so band themselves as of themselves without the Lords command to threaten so far forth the ruinating of Christs kingdome and the rooting out of his Gospell Or those that came against us in the yeere eightie eight in their mightie Armada which the enemie in the pride of his heart had named the Navie invincible purposing nothing else but the utter desolation both of this Church and Kingdome and to massacre the mother with the children to satiate themselves with the bloud of every one of us as their burcherly instruments of crueltie did proclaime to all the world Did these I say come only of themselves in the malice and hautinesse of their hearts and without the Lord so disposing and threatning us by them Could they or durst they ever have
attempted those things of themselves alone No no The Lord will have us all to know hereby that these were his own soldiers it was he that mustered them he lift up his ensigne unto them he bad them so to threaten us to goe and smite He onely brought the insolent Babylonian towards our Ierusalem he shewed us the edge of his axe he shak'd the sword at us to cause us to seeke him And so at our humiliation and prayers which we then powred out so vehemently with fasting mourning and confession of our sinnes through the whole Land his owne holy hand plucked them backe againe He armed both windes and waters to take vengeance of that most insolent and cruell attempt whereof so many records shall beare witnesse to the end of the world And although the Lord wrought this our deliverance with their overthrow so wonderfully by his owne mightie arme and so evidently with his owne right hand that we might justly have hoped that they durst never have once so much as thought of attempting to rise up against us after yet doe we not see how they have since exceeded the insolencie of all former ages How they have not onely contrived and practised sundry most bloudie treasons since against the Lords Annoynted thereby to make way for the butchering of us all but even so lately devised so new so strange so desperate a stratagem against our dread Soveraigne with our noble Queene our gratious young Prince and all that Royall Progenie yea with the Right Honorable Councell and Nobilitie the whole state and bodie of our Nation to consume all at once by that most hideous and infernall furnace For what could they intend but to have made us all as flesh for the cauldron and that very day to have bin the dismall day both of our flourishing Realmes and also of the Church and Gospell of Christ so far as they were able Of which most execrable fact never shall future age keep silence to the branding of that bloudie Religion with the perpetuall infamie of lying and murther the two principall workes of the Devill and brands of his servants as our Saviour directly witnesseth so as none can pretend ignorance thereof except they will wilfully blinde their owne eyes And to draw towards the conclusion of this point what meanes that increase of outrage for Popery and all profanenesse what is that so deadly malice in all those who are so bent to that Romish Idolatrie and impiety I meane their hatred against both the Gospell and all the true professors of it How is it that they are not afraid to shew this openly by all devices which they can invent to discharge the religion of the Lord and to divide us utterly amongst our selues to fall by one another and that after so many and so late and strange discoveries of their barbarous cruelties and Machivillian plots above all of all other religions that the world hath heard of with such notable testimony given from heaven of Gods wonderfull protection in all the admirable deliverances of the professors thereof among us What are all these with our ungratefull abusing of them by our impenitency I beseech you and herein I appeale to the consciences of all men what are they but infallible denunciations of the hasting of the Lords most terrible vengeance unlesse we repent speedily Or what can they with all the former prognesticate if we may make a particular construction of them but threatâ—â—ngs of the bringing in indeed of that dreadful scourg which he in mercy still keepe from us which formerly he hath but shaken towards us and frighted us withall â—ogive us either wholy into the hand of that bloudy whore of Babylon and so to bring our necks againe under that cruell yoake the common vexation of all the people of the Lord or at least that they should come to 〈◊〉 and tyrannize among us and setting up their cursed Idolatrie againe to pollute the Lords holy religion and in the end to thrust forth his sacred truth and our selves to live ever in horror and shame having alwaies the sword at our throats as in France and other countries where they have so prevailed they have had too fearfull experience Were not this most righteous for our abusing that his heavenly treasure committed to us beside all other our sinnes which yet I instantly pray day and night that he may prevent by our most speedy and unfeigned repentance And may not this be a just cause why he hath suffered these so to increase because howsoever we can be content with an outward forme name of his holy religion which by the good lawes of our land we doe truly professe yet few of us can indure the power and practise of it in our selves or others We cannot denie but that the true practise of religion is the very life and soule of all religion and yet how many doe seeke to destroy it in whomsoever it appeares if all scornes and contempt of it can possibly doe it for is it not an usuall thing with many in most places to like much better of the profane man that hath cast all religion and conscience behind his backe then of those in whom the seedes or the least beginning of grace doth appeare Or which is yet worse are not many of us in too many places growne to this to like much better of the Papist and ungodly pre â—rring them to be our companiâ—â—s and accounting them far honester men then such 〈…〉 feare the Lord making conscience to 〈◊〉 before him in that good way wherein we al except the Popish sort agree in word and generall profession Let common experience testifie how few they are who can brooke that man who is a diligent frequenter of the word of the Lord a strict observer of the Sabboth carefull to teach and instruct his family that cannot like of oathes and blasphemies filthy speeches and excesse of drinking or other vanities And what may this seeme to be but to joyne hands with the enemies of God and by these and the like to proclaime a kind of defiance against him that such will not have him to rule over them yea even to challenge him or at least to provoke him to bring in the enemies to avenge his quarrell If therefore the Lord of hoasts doe call for them to rise up against us in new conspiracies or open violence and with them all the crew of wicked and ungodly men in whom we have so delighted to take part with those to our destruction as they it is to be feared will be as outragious as the other against all soundly fearing God is it not just Yea if he should let them to make it Bellum prodigorum the day of all the spend-thrifts of al the vile persons of the land to have their fingers in every mans coffers and their hands washen in the blould of
him through the Citie and smite let your eye spare none c. IN this next place we are to observe how the Lord bids the destroyers to goe after the marking Angell following him as it were hard at the heeles that so soone as ever the servants of God are marked and safe they should stay no longer but presently execute their charge which was Kill kill and spare none for so the words doe plainely import Herein the Lord would have us all to know yet further that so soone as ever he hath gathered forth those that bewaile the sinnes of the times that is his faithfull ones from among the rest or made sure provision for them then he will stay no longer but presently begin the execution of his vengeance on the rest which remaine This truth the Lord hath left unto us as cleare as any of the former that when we see him taking the godly away all may learne to prepare for themselves to escape or else be left more without excuse To shew this in order out of the former destructions as being in my understanding most fit as so set downe to this purpose and also most plainely for the simplest to conceive of 1. Noah is no sooner in the Arke fast lockt in by the Lord himselfe and so out of the danger but presently the sloud-gates of heaven are set open the fountaines of the great depths broken up destruction rusheth upon them that 〈◊〉 they or climbe they whithersoever they will the vengeance of God still followeth them at the heeles untill they be utterly swept away from the face of the earth without any more pitie and compassion 2. Lot is no sooner out of Sodom and gotten safe into Zoar past all the danger but though it was a goodly morning to see to the Sunne rising gloriously upon the earth as it was wont yet the fire and brimstone came powring downe The Holy Ghost saith that The Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrha brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven and overthrew all He turned all those filthy Cities into ashes making them most loathsome pits and a terrible monument of his most severe vengeance to all such beastly livers to the end of the world All perish togither in an instant as they were partakers togither in the same filthy sinnes Howling and crying then will do no more good no place is now lest to repentance nor to mercy any longer 3. The Christians are no sooner gotten out of Ierusalem to Pella according to the warning but presently Ierusalem is taken as Iosephus reports and then as great cruelties are exercised as ever upon any Citie or people before and as great miseries followed them according as our Saviour had foretold 4. And lastly that same holy Iosiah hath his eyes no sooner closed that he might not see the vengeance and himselfe taken to his rest as the Lord had promised him because his heart so melted at the hearing of the abominations and the judgements denounced for them but straight-way even within three moneths begins this wofull tragedie of Iudah and Ierusalem As the flying away of the Swallow is a signe of winter at hand so the departing and taking away of these mourners forth of any Church must needs be a fearefull threatning of some terrible winter if not a desolation to come upon that people especially when we consider what such are for the preservation of the place where they are And so much first for the evidence of this truth Now that we may againe returne home unto our selves Let us see whether hereby we have not just cause to be awakened ech to betake our sâ—â—ves to watching and prayer to stay the vengeance of God before it be come upon us and it be too late Have not many of our Noahs I meane many of Gods faithfull servants most famous both in Church and Common-wealth for helping to build and prepare the Arke bin taken away from us not many yeeres ago long before their time And amongst others Did not the Lord specially pluck unto himselfe in a short space togither sundry of our most worthily renowmed and victorious champions so approved against that proud Goliah of Rome Hath he not thus caried up these into the Arke not made with hands as accounting us thereby unworthy that they should remaine any longer amongst us upon the earth to helpe to stand betweene the Lords wrath and us What heart was so flintie which dissolved not into teares for sundry of them or which was not astonished at the apprehension of his manifest displeasure therein and in a fearefull consideration of that which he saith That the righteous are taken away from the evils to come This yet is some comfort That we have still some Noaâ—s carefully preparing and finishing the Arke and warning the secure and unthankfull world All our Lots are not yet pluckt from amongst us The Lord of hoasts hath as yet in mercy reserved us a remnant who unfeignedly feare the tokens of his wrath He hath some that stil lift up their voyces like trumpers to tel his people of their sins Some that lift up their hearts with their hands with Moses against Amaleck Some that made continuall intercession with faithful Abraham Some that mourne in secret who wrastle and weepe with Iacob and who will not let the Lord goe untill he shew us mercy and save us from the scourge which we have justly deserved Some I say for what are they compared with the rest or in regard of our time and meanes or that they have beene in sundry parts of the Land otherwise we had bin made long agoe as Sodome and like unto Gomorrha And we may further say by the infinite mercy of God That the Lords annointed is still preserved for our shelter and the breath of our nostrils by whom alone under the highest we hitherto enjoy our safety in the midst of the greatest furies of our implacable and bloud-thirsty enemies If the Lord had ever or yet should never so little take away his hand for all our provocations which evill of all other he ever turne from us like as hitherto he hath done sith the enemies hunt after his life and the lives of us all continually and our sinnes doe cry for it what then could we looke for Or if he should any way suffer the mouthes of all his faithfull messengers to be shut that there might be none to reprove much more if he once take from amongst us those that sigh and cry out for all the abominations and restrayn utterly that spirit of mourning and prayer what may we expect then And is not this the thing which the Atheist and belly-God with all the company of the wicked and ungodly do desire so much and which the I do latrous murthering enemies doe conspire continually And why Because these are they
that chiefly trouble all the wicked these will not suffer them to lye wallowing in their sinne but seeke to pull some of them with violence out of the fire others to save with feare as Iude speaketh These are continually watching upon their walls crying out of iniquity with 〈◊〉 and threatning the judgements of Gods approaching for all the crying sinnes so to turne away the plagues from us by turning us to the Lord. These are still in Christs place calling Gods people out of Babilon discovering the filthinesse of the whore and warning all to get far of froÌ„ her for feare of hir burning to beware of being partakers with her in her sinne lest they be partaker with her in her torment And to be briefe for that these are they who have stood principally in the way of the bloudie enemie that they could neither bewitch nor invade the Church and Sanctuarie of the Lord as otherwise they would have done Well all of us should yet consider in time that if these shall be once pluckt away from us as being unworthy of them and the Swallow having taken her flight howsoever some may conceit that then it would be well with us and we should have merry times yet then undoubtedly we may justly looke for the coldest and wofullest winter that ever the Church amongst us felt and endured for after that these are once marked and made sure what can be expected but the destroyers to follow after their heeles what but this terrible charge Smite spare none Then shall belly-god and worlding Papist and Atheist be all alike because they have joyned alike in angring the Lord and grieving his servants to make them thus to sigh and cry unto him And thus had it bin with them long ere this day if ever forraine enemie had prevayled or any of their treasonable practises and much more if that late infernall devise had taken effect yea if the Lord of hoasts had not in mercy at the cryes of these mourners saved us even miraculously froÌ„ that evill day This may teach us therefore to cry day and night that our shelter may never be taken away from us but that it may spread it selfe more largely and that the candle of Israel may never be put out but shine still more bright untill his glorious appearing This may also warne all of us who beleeve the word of the Lord to make more account of every Noah which is yet admonishing and finishing the Arke and of poore Lot whose righteous soule is vexed for the abounding of * Returne and cause others to returne away from all c. * Or others * See the Preface before it to the Christian Reader a Dr. Hali Commendatorie Preface The Iesuites have wonne much of their reputation and stollen many hearts with their diligence in this kinde we may outstrip them if wee want not to our selves Behold heere not feet but wings offered to us neither are these directions of meere specâ—lation but such as for the most part to the knowledge of my selfe and many abler judges have beene and are daily answered in his experience and practise with more then usuall successe What remaines therefore but that the thankfull acceptation of men and his effectuall labours should mutually reflect upon each other that he may be encouraged by the one and they by the other beneâ—ited c. b The Preface of Mr. Butlours Rhetoricke by I. M. to the Reader Si in Authoris opeâ—isve laudem studiose lector multorum hîc pro more suffragia requiras instar multorum sit hoc vnum literati illius ob exquisitam docendâ— methodum de bonis lâ—tâ—ru optimè meritâ— magistri Iohannis Brinflei cujus in suo Ludâ— literario or the Grammar Schoole cap. 16. hac sunt verba c. Ier. 5. 23. Occasion of this watch feare of Gods iudgements lying vpon vs. This feare hath not bin vvithout iust cause as euâ—nts haue declared Our later dâ—ngers and deliuerances still the greatest The duty of all Gods faithfull Ministers to be euer giuing warning 〈◊〉 3. 17 18. 18. 30. Iam. 2. 14. Ior. 23. 22. Iam 4 17. 5. 19 20. 2 Cor. 5. 9 10 11. A chiefe occasion of the first part of this watch as the title of it declareth So of the second part The Rule of Prayer to stir vs all vp to watching prayer as our sins dangers still increased The time of yâ— comming forth of the second part The dreadfulnesse of those tunes to many howsoeuernow forgotten The cause of this third part our sins increasing The heauiest iudgment iustly feared to be hard at yâ— dores All of vs hauing solemnly entred into couenant with our God haue caused him to threaten to take away his couenant by our transgression This confessed by all Anno 1588. And in all our dangers Anno 1602. 1603. 〈◊〉 euery one then Gods wrath must needs be greater now than euer before This can be no way appeased but by taking away our sins the cause of it and turning againe to his Couenant Examples Iosh. 7. 10. 2 Sâ—m 21. 1. 14. 24. Ionâ— 1. 15. As it is for â— particular man so for a whole Nation The increase of Popeâ—ie and all profanenosse notorious to all Some sins heynous heretofore now thorow custome commonnesse become as no sinnes No sinne truely repented of As our sins are mâ—ltiplied so his wrath 〈◊〉 34 7. Deâ— 18. 19 20. The crâ—ing sins caÌ„not be taken away vnlesse yâ— causes of them be first repented of We cannot repent vntill we know both the maine prouocations ech our owne sins with the iudgâ—ments belonging to them God hath ordeyned the discouerie of our iniquitie to turne away our captiuitie Ierem. 23. 22. And his Prophets standing in his counsell to turne vs froÌ„ our euill way This is yâ— bounden dutie of all his messengers and their chiefe seruice Because we will neuer search out our sinnes of our selues Dauid must haue Nathan to awaken him 2 Sam 12. Iob 33. 23. Men smitten with sicknesse drawing neere to the buriers must haue an interpreter one of a thousand They who had crucified our Sauiour We are they yâ— haue neede of Nathan if euer any Amos 3. â— Of all Gods faithfull messengers Of Peter Acts 2. 36. Of Ionah Ionah 1. 2. Of Ieremie or Baruch to write our sins when all other means faile Ier. 36. 2. 3. We may here seâ— our sins and iudgement set before vs in the sins of Iudah by the Lord himselfe These labored in more â—pecially bicause of the degrees in true repentance The Couenant sent before acknowledged by the learned The branches of the Couenant set here before our sins That we may all see turne to the CouenaÌ„t of the Lord. 1. For yâ— who le Nation No policie can secure vs but our more generall turning Ier. 18. 7. All their malice mischieuous deuises are the Lords denuntiations against vs. Isai. 106 15. FroÌ„
which nothing can cause him to turne but our turning to him Ier. 18. 5. vers 5. Application Our destructioÌ„ shewed and accomplished in effect Our deliuerance as a new creation How many wayes yea how sensibly suddenly God hath spoken vnto vs may appeare in this whole worke Nothing can secure vs so as to giue vs comfort but turning to yâ— Lords Couenant Leuit. 26. 3 23 24. That all holy meanes are to be vsed therto Euery soule who will not returne must die Ezec. 8. 10 11. Yea all who seeke not to câ—use others to tuâ—ne Iam 2. 10. Gal. 2. 10. Num. 15. 30 31. Heb. 12. 14. Ezech. 18. 30. Ezech. 18. 9. Who it is whoÌ„ God accounts a iust man which shal liue All obstinate sinners helpe to draw downe vengeance vpoÌ„ the whole land beside the destroying of their owne soules The Lord froÌ„ heauen cryes to vs all to turne speaking 3. To his vineyard 2 To all drawing neere to God with lips alone 3. To oppressors 4. To all giuen vp to all excess in pride and belly-cheere 5. All casting away the word of the Lord. 6. Polluters oâ— the Sabaoths Leuit. 26. 34. 7. Outragious in their courses euil fashions 8. All turning backe to the Idolatrie of former times 9. All challenging the Lord by their profanesse and Atheisme All of vs may see yâ— Lord setting before vs the meanes with he vsed to reclaime vs and spare vs. And how yet we may escape Here is no more but an endeuor to saue all within the bounds of the word and within the compasse of the calling of euery Man of God as God offereth opportunitie holy meanes Ezek. 18. 30 32. The offending of them who are asleepe in the midst of this perill not to be regardâ—d They plucked forth will magnifie God for vs. Better to haue all men offended with vs than the Lord. Foolishnesse to feare men Not to regard the horrour of Gods anger on Moses Exo. 4. 24. Ionah 1. 13. Threatned against Ieremie 1. 17. Therefore Gods messengers had neede to looke to themselues to help to saue all To cause all to see his mercy in sparing vs. Eccles. 12. 1. The applications so plaine to driue vs vnto Christ. Act 2. 36 37. Numb 21. 9. Iohn 3. 14 15. If any thing seem to pierce which is not Gods word or it misapplied it is no more to be feared than a dart of stubble The Authors humble desire to haue this brought to the tryall and so to more perfection as all other his laboâ—â—s God needs not our lye to bring his to repentance Iob 13. 7 8 9 10. The work tendeth to the renuing of our Couenant for the happinesse of vs and of our posteritie Limited within the bounds of the Watch wherein we all agree For the breach whereof each impenitent person stands condemned by the generall verdit of all the Churches of Christ. The desire of the Author to be a faithfull witnesse Apâ—c 22. 20. Vers. 1. vers 1. vers 3. vers 3. vers 4. 4. 4. v. 2. 5. v. 5. v. 4. 6. v. 4. v. 5 6 7. v. 8. vers 9 10. vers 11. * All the visitations of the Citie draw neere Occasion of the Vision The Lords using all means to spare his people Chiefly by his Prophets To whom he revealed their sins plagues To awake and bring them to repentance This Chapter a part of the vision The summe whereof is a forewarning of the destruction of Ierusalem Parts of the vision 1. Wickednesse of the people cap 8. 2. Their destruction cap. 9. 3. Famine and pestilence fore-running cap. 10 4. The miseries of those who should escape and goe into Captivitie chap. 11. Summe of this ninth Chapter A denunciatioÌ„ that the Lord wil be avenged presently and the manner of the execution v. 1 2. to 8. Division of this Chapter vers 8. 9. 10. An opening of the severall parts of the Chapter v 1. How the Lord himselfe denounceth it Shewing also the neernesse of the execution v 2. The manner of the execution In the number of the Executioners From whence they came How they were prepared Whither they came viz. to the Temple for the pollution of it The Angell of the Covenant sent amongst them for marking the Elect. Exod. 28 42 43. Levit 16. 4. Where the Lord appears How he gave two CoÌ„missions 1. To the saving Angell for the Elect and faithfull ones To set a marke upon them And how they are described The second CoÌ„mission to the destroyers to destroy all vnmarked without pitie Not to touch the marked To begin at the Sanctuarie How to proceed The speedie execution of their Commission 3. How the Prophet was affected hereâ—uth 4. The answer and resolution of the Lord. That he would not be intreated and why The returne of the coÌ„mission of the marking Angell The vision is written to admonish vs. And is our visioÌ„ at this day To stir us up to watch pray Rules to be observed in reading this visioÌ„ To receive it as a message sent us from the Lord. To looke wholly at the Lord in it 2 Cor. 2. 4. To remember with whom we have to deale herein â—sa 2. 19. Rev 6. 15 16. To shew our reverence to the Lord in receiving this message as Iosiah did 2 King 23. 19. To humble our selves and to turne and cause others to turne 2 King 23. 1 2 3 4. Ezek 18. 30. To be affected as old Eli was at the message of young Samuel 1 Sam. 3. 17 18. And David at the voyce of Nathan 2 Sam. 12. 13. That we may receive the like comfortable answer Ech to apply every part as spoken to our selves particularly Sith the sins of the wicked are in some sort the sins of vs all As Achans of Israel Iosu 7. 11 12. See 〈◊〉 upon Iosu. 7. 25. confirmed out of Austin If we haue not mourned for them Cryed for pardon And sought to stop the course of sinne Iosua 7. 12. Ech of our heynous sins hinder our prayers help to draw downe vengeance Chiefly of all impudent sinners Isa. 5. 18. Such are enemies to Christ seeking to drive him out set vp Sathan And do betray all to yâ— enemie As in the Captivitie Therefore ech to find out our particular sins and to reforme our selves Els we can neither judge of yâ— danger nor helpe to pacifie the wrath 7. Each to resolve to doe whatsoever God bids vs. Every soule yâ— seekes not to cause others to turne to the Covenant as well as himself must perish Ezâ—ch 18. 20 26 30 31 32. Deut. 29. 19. to 25. Happy man who hath grace to learne this lesson forthwith to practise it Vers. 1. God hath not beene wont to bring any notable judgemeÌ„t on his Church but to foreshew it first then to bring it wheÌ„ no repentance hath followed to prevent As first before the destruction of the old world Gen. 6. 4. Gen 5. 11 12. Gen 6. 3 13. 1
Pet 3. 20. Hebr 11. 7. 2. The captivitie of the ten Tribes 2 King 17. 3 6. 2 King 17. 14 15 16. 3. Before this Captivitie Zeph 3. 1 2 3 5. 2 Chron 36. 15 16 17. 4. Before the last and utter subversion of the Iewish nation Matth 3. 10. Matth. 21. 33 44 24. 23 24. Luc 19. 41. 20. 9. Iosephus de bello Iudaico Euseb. lib. 3. c. 3. Before the final destruction the signes are plainly foretold This the Lord hath done to the wickedst places where any of his servants have bin Gen 18. 7. Gen 19. 14. Yea to the Infidels themselves in coÌ„miseration as to Ninive Ion 4. 10. And even to Babylon that his own people may get out from her Râ—v 18. 2 3 4. He will not doe any thing but he will first reveale it to his servants Amos 3. 7. Reasons hereof 1. For his owne peoples sake To shew his care for them That they may prepare to meet him Seeke to save others 2. For the cause of the wicked Though they willingly blind their own eyes To declare the riches of his mercy if they will turne Ier 17. 7 8. As 〈◊〉 Ninivie Ion 4. 9 10 11 12. Nâ—h 3. That all may be inforced to acknowledge him righteous Conclusion Application to our selves To try whether the Lord have not warned us of some such a judgement Amos 3. 8. The Lion hath roared upoÌ„ us 1. By the proud Armado 2. The long threatned day 3. The Babylonish furnace 4. The insurrection about throwing downe inclosures 5. Treasonable practises against our late Queene And since against our Iosiah 6. Vengeance thundred out by the mouthes of all Gods servants 7. Threatned by the Lord from heaven from yâ— fiery tent By strange lights flashings in the heavens How terrible they were to us at the first our owne hearts can beare witnesse Our Chronicles have recorded them Ann. Eliz 17. Novemb 14. Theprodigious star Eliz 15. Novemb 18. Actâ— 2. 19 20. Eliz 17. Nov 6. The dreadfull threatnings of the Seas Acknowledged by all to be an evidence of yâ— Lords anger The insolent over-flowing of the lesse rivers The sword of the destroying Angel drawne out so long togither Ezek 14. 19 21. Ezek 5. 17. The sword of the bloody enemie devouring about us And at length set to our very hearts The deadly winter threatning all creatuâ—es The grievous dearth of all things following upon it so long Though the Lord stâ—yed some of these for a season yet what is that to us so long as our sinnes remaine Israel smitten with the flesh betweene their teeth The prints of Gods displeasure left on euery peece of bread with us after plenty sent Ierusalem had divers yeeres prosperity before her last desolation See the Centuriâ—s God hath not left us without witnesse since then for many yeeres togither every yeere some new warning The grievous snow The long scorching drought The dearth scarsity of fodder with the difficulty to preserue the Cattle alive The famishmeÌ„t since for bread if God had not supplyed from other countries The uâ—â—er undoing of so many poore The Prophets threatning vengeance every where God striving with us by his spirit as with the old world by the Ministerie of Noah All convinced wondring that he should forbeare us considering our sins And as plainely pâ—esaging some terrible judgement Many of Lots minde The Lord himselfe in stead of Ionah manifesting the neerenesse of dâ—struction unto us Staid till this day at the instance of his sonne to see if we wil turne at length We growing far worse for all meanes vengeance must needes be hard at hand And our hearts considering it cannot but tremble in an expectation of vengeance Conclusion All these former considerations proclaime that our visitation draweth neere The glory remoouing from the Cherub to the threshold of the Temple shewes God redy to depart unlesse they repent The withdrawing the lively tokens of Gods preseÌ„ce a signe of his departure and of vengeance at hand God well pleased with his people wont to witnesse his presence by some apparant signe As in the Iorney towards Canaan Exod. 33. 3. Moses urgeth the Lord so to goe before theÌ„ For that it was the cheife tokeÌ„ of his favour Secondly in the daies of Iesuah because of Achans sinne Ios. 7. 6. Vers. 12. 3 When hee will cast of Saul he will shew him no signe of his presence nâ—r answere him any way 1 Sam 16. 14. 2 Sam. 28. 6. The signes of the Lords presence in the dayes of the Gospell where by to judge of our estate Foure principally The first inward viz the spirit of God The other three outward Abundance of sanctyfied knowledge Holinesse with peace and unity 3. Protection The spirit and the word going togither are the tenour of the Lords covenaÌ„t Isay. 59. 11. As the answers from the Arke then So the spirit speaking to mens soules now For exaÌ„ple when it is Powerfull in converting and drawing men after it Hâ—b 4 12. As at Penâ—ecost luk 24. 31. When mens harâ—es burne at the hearing of it Acts 9. 4 5. Others smitten downe at the voice of Christ. Ioh. 7. 46. 1 Cor. 14. 24. 25. 1 lâ—h 2. 27. Hâ—br 11. 35. Gal. 1. 8. When the blinde see deaf heare dead raised up by it luk 4. 18. Matth 16. 17. Ioh 1. 12 13. Acts 16. 14. 2. 37. This a principall part of the visible presence in the Primitive Church Acts 2. 16 17. Matth 28. 20. And of the promise to be with his to the end of the world The contrary a token of Gods departure and of judgements approching Esâ— 6. 9 10 11. When the word shall be without power When â—en â—ecome rather worse by it Onely hearing not doing Ezec 33 31 32. Thus before this Captivitie Isai 6. 9 10 11. Ever more sensible the neerer the vengeance Matth 13. 14. Marc 4. 12. Luc 8. 10. Ioh 12. 40. Acts 28. 26. Rom 11. 8. Ioh 12. 39. Whence this sentence so oft beaten on by our Saviour the Prophet The most dredfull signe of the Lords departure when he shall begin to plucke away â—hem that stand â—n the breach 〈◊〉 3. 25 26 27. Exod 32. 10. Psal 106. 23. Ezec 22. 30 31. Ier 36. 5. 37. 38. Ezec 3. 25. 2 Cor 10. 4. 1 Cor 2. 1 4. Or when the Prophets shall smite with the weake arme of flesh To consider whether the Gospell hath yâ— same powerfull operation as formerly Except in some few places and removing Whether the Lord speake so sensibly to mens soules as heretofore Whether it be not with all the licentious as with Saul that God speaks to them no more That men be not generally more voyde of feeling feare Nor any more moved as formerly Hearing heare not and seeing see not Whether God doe not hereby threaten his departure and it be not full time to seeke him The Lord makes sundry removes before he depart all which were tokens and