of God and he beginnes with jealousy l Aquinas 1ma 2dae Quaest 28. Art 4. Jealousy is an affection proceeding frō strength and intensnes of love and that which stirres it up is somewhat that would rob a man of the quiet and sole enjoyment of what he desires God loves himselfe and his own glory above all and good reason for it he being the highest and most supreme good Sin in its proper nature and intention goes about to rob him of what is nearest to him and therefore no wonder if he be jealous This jealousy of his is manifested in the next wordes The Lord revengeth the Lord revengeth the Lord taketh vengeance m Cum vero ait Dominus semper est in Heb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut intelligant Deum verum omnipotentē sibi esse iratum qui nullins potentiâ prohiberi aut impediri possit Ribera The name of Jehovah is thrice repeated in this one verse this he doth to shew that it is the true and living God he that is omnipotent whose power and wrath none can resist that was fallen out with them and become their enemie And n Ter autem ulciscens sive ultor dicitur quod asseverationem magnam habet maximamque in dicat certissimam ultionem etenim Ternarius magnam vim habet ad amplificandum Ribera the name of vengeance is as oftē attributed to him the Lord revengeth revengeth will take vengeance which shewes the terriblenesse of his wrath and the certainty of it There are also two other expressions that set forth the greatnesse and certainty of his wrath he is furious or as the Margin hath it that hath fury which best suits with the Originall which hath it o Dominum irae vocat ira indignatione praeditum q.d. nonnunquam ostendit se esse iratum quū infligit graves poenas Vatabl. the Lord of Anger that is one that is armed with wrath and indignation against his enemies shewes himself to be angry by inflicting grievous punishments on thē p Ego 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non Simpliciter accipio pro irâ sed pro efectu irae Calv. in loc This is intimated in the other expression he reserveth wrath for his enemies The word wrath is not againe repeated in the originall but is taken from that which went before to make the sense compleat He is the Lord of wrath he hath plagues punishmēts enough at his cōmand these he reserves keepes by him for a fit time then be sure he will execute them to the utmost 3. The third Particular By what wayes and meanes hath this wrath of God been manifested to men Answ These two waies 1. By naturall light 2. By the light of the word 1. By the light of nature or of conscience There is such a power left in all mens hearts which is called conscience that upon q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sic Hie ocles in versum sin commited or good omitted summons men to the tribunall of the supreme Majesty telling them that they owe punishment to that soveraigne justice for the commission of the one and the omission of the other The Gentiles who had nothing but the light of nature had this court of r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellat idem Hieroc judicature erected in them Rom. 1. last Who knowing the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of Death c. This was a principle rivetted and seated in all their hearts this they knew full well they ſ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vid. Bez. in textum acknowlegd it as true though they were ignorant of and denied many other truths that they which committed such and such sinnes were worthy of Gods wrath for that is meant by Death that bearing the name of death here which is called wrath in the 18. verse Hence it was that many of the Heathens spake of a t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. adv Col. golden eye a revengefull eye an eye of justice that saw all and would be revenged for all the wickednesse that men committed This is farther set forth in that famous text Rom 2.15 where the apostle speaking of the Gentiles sayes their conscience also bearing witnesse and their thoughts the meane while accusing or els excusing one another When they had sin'd their consciences accused them and told them this they ought not to have done and there was one that saw and would take vengeance for this the t Neque enim sensus esse videtur cogitationes se mutuò i.e. aliam aliam accusâsse aut excusâsse sed inter se quasi alternatim aciper vices eum in quo reperiebantur prout nempe unus idemque nunc òene nunc male ageret operaque virtutum ac vitiorum vices quasdam inter se obtinerent similiter cogitationes inter se vices nunc excusa ndi nunc accusandi habu isse Ladov de Dieu meaning is not so much as the letter of the word seems to import as if so be the thoughts themselves did grate one upon another one thought allowing it self when it was good and condemning it self when it was evill but the plainer sense seems to be that they had accusing thoughts when they did evill and excusing thoughts when they did well the man or person acquitting or accusing himselfe in his own thoughts according to the difference of his actions his own thoughts which is no more then the exercise of conscience justifying him when he did well and condemning him when he did otherwise Most men if not all especially when they fall into some grosse sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. de his qui sero à numine puniuntur they have this warning or remembrance from Conscience thou hast sinned thou wilt be damned for this another day Now God by this meanes discovers his hatred against sin and his wrath hanging over the sinner Conscience is Gods officer it is his Herald to proclaime his wrath to men If one Prince send his Herald at armes to another Prince or a Generall of an Army sends his challenge by drum or trumpet there is then open warre and all men know it God hath set up this light in men by which he proclaimes open warre to them in case they sin against him Wouldest thou know whether God be angry yea or no look within doest thou feel no gripes or prickings there doth not thy heart secretly x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem sink and fall after such a sin Oh miserable man what have I done certainly I have brought my y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hiercel self under the displeasure of the Almighty If thy conscience be not stupid or seared there are such secret remembrances as these are z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem And this is one way by which God instructs the sons of men what the nature of sin is and what they must expect if
also who continuest in thine abominations Tophet is ordained of old yea Isai 30.33 for the King it is prepared he hath made it deep and large the the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a streame of brimstone doth kindle it There is elbow roome enough in hell for all the drunkards swearers Atheists in the world He hath made it deepe and large it will hold them all there is no feare of it this is the place prepared for thee Be thou a great sinner or little sinner it matters not if so be thou be an unrepenting sinner it may be thy sin is soe secret way of ū just gain it may be it is wilfull ignorance constant neglect of holy duties be it what it will be if thou be an unrepentant sinner if thou keep thy sin in thy bosome if thou hide it as a sweet morsell under thy tongue the wrath of the Lord is gone out against thee Oh how great how dreadfull is that wrath Jerem. 10. v. 10. The Lord is the true God he is the liveing God and an everlasting King at his wrath the earth shall tremble and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation Revel 6.14 15 16 17. And the heaven departed as a scrole when it is rolled together every mountain Island were moved out of their places And the Kings of the earth and the great men the rich mē the chiefe captaines the mighty men and every bond-man and every free-man hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountaines And said to the mountaines and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Thou mayest mock at the word now and despise the messengers of the Lord and make a light matter of sin hell wrath and judgment and every such thing Yea but then shalt thou cry to the rocks mountaines to fall on thee to shelter thee from the wrath of the Lord and the siercenesse of his anger The wrath of the King is as the roaring of a Lyon but what is the wrath of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords when the Almighty shall strech forth his owne hand against a poore rebellious creature one that had wallowed in his filthinesse and took his swinge in his base and swinish lusts and he shall set his owne almightynesse on worke to make him miferable Oh how great must that misery bee Revelation 1.7 Behold He commeth and every eye shall see him all kindreds of the earth shal wail because of him There is a mighty emphasis lies on it it is he that commeth who is that look back at the 5. verse and you will see it is Jesus Christ the faithfull witnesse the first begotten of the dead the prince of the Kings of the earth unto whom glory and dominion is due for ever and ever Behold he commeth it is ushered in with a note of astonishment and amazement it is not a poore despised Christ it is not a carpenters sonne that now appeares he commeth not in that meane low abject way as once he did no it is the glorious Lord Jesus it is the the faithfull witnesse one that hath received publique testimony in heaven of his truth and faithfullnesse in his fathers worke it is he that was raised up by the glory of the Father whom he hath set at his owne right hand Far above all principality and powers and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come 'T is he commeth he comes not in a poore meane and abject manner no he commeth with clouds he shall come in the glory of his father and all the holy Angells with him Behold he commeth Or else we may refer this to the following verse v. 8. I am Alpha and Omega the beginning the ending saith the Lord which is which was which is to come the Almighty It is that Eternall that Almighty one Behold he comeeth So in the Epistle of Jude v. 14. Behold the Lord commeth Here we have a behold too The Lord commeth with ten-thousands of his Saints To see ten thousand Saints and thousand thousandes of Angells comming to Judgment Oh what a dreadfull sight would this bee but it is the Lord that commeth in the front and head of these they are but his followers attendants The Lord he whom thou hast hated scorned opposed all this while it is the Lord that cōmeth whose cōmands thou hast made bold withall and regarded no more then the dust under thy feet The Lord commeth to execute vengeance v. 15. who said expressely thou shouldst not be drunken riotous unjust abuse his mercies and the like this glorious mighty Lord he himselfe commeth he whom thou hast dishonoured provoked blasphemed so many yeares together and yet he let thee alone but now thou shalt pay for all he comes to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly amongst them he will spare none high nor low rich nor poore all shall stand before the judgement seat But is that all it followes he will convince them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed Thou canst be tipsy in a corner and commit filthinesse in secret and reserve some hidden close haunts of sin which are remote from the eyes of men but thou shalt not carry it so the Lord will convince all that are ungodly among them as subtill and as cunning an hypocrite as thou art thou shalt be unmasked the Lord will lay thee open before men and Angells thy basenesse and underhand dealing thy dodging and dawbing in matters of religion shall be brought to light at that day Thou sayest as those mockers did wher is the promise of his comming What is this day of Judgment hell and wrath that ministers tell us so much off Tush these are but Bug-beares to fright little children with and Preachers are grown so proud now a daies as they will have all men come to their bowes and have an awe and reverence of them but let us not be so weak to hearken to such tales But what followeth He will convince them of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Alas for thee poore man It is not the minister thou speakest against those thy wicked thy accursed thy hard speeches they are against him The Lord will not be mocked neither will he suffer his creatures to laugh him to scorne He will convince thee one day that sin hell and wrath are not dreames fancies and idle tales when thou hast lyen some millions of yeares in those insufferable torments and hast eternity for ever lying before thee to think what thou hast still to endure then thou wilt see whether sin be sin
yea or no whether the wrath of God be a rediculous thing yea or no. Oh feare and tremble at the thoughts of these things that which hath been said might make the heart of every unrepentant sinner shake and his joynts to tremble This is the first use The second use and all the use in the generall that shall be made of the point in hand Usâ— 2. is an exhortation to Repentance Is the wrath of God gone out against all the ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men Oh Repent Repent betimes ere this wrath come upon you I have lately exhorted you to repentance by the mercies of God by his love and goodnesse and the sweet provision that he hath made he hath raised up his son the Lord Jesus to give that blessing to you You need not say the work is too hard it is a thing impossible for us to repent You have heard where your strength lies I must now goe another way to worke and exhort you to repentance by the Judgments of the Lord the text which I am handling calls for it and the providences of the Lord they call for it also Knowing the terror of the Lord we perswade men saith the Apostle so must we do likewise Let me speak to every soul of you that belongs to this place be thy rank or condition whatsoever it bee be thou in higher or meaner place Repent and that speedily before the indignation of the Lord come upon you to the uttermost I remember what John Baptist said to the Pharisees and Sadduces that came to his baptisme it may bee looked upon as a kind of argument to presse the doctrine of repentance more closely on them Math. 3.7 who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come I may say concerning you of this place the wrath of God is already come it hath already appeared it is revealed from heaven in the face of the open sun that all that passe by you cannot but take notice of it Oh repent repent lest this wrath come upon you to the uttermost Luke 13 4.5 Suppose yee those eighteene upon whom the tower in Siloam fell slew them thinke yee that they were sinners aboue all men that dwell in Jerusalem I tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish He doth not say that they which suffered those things were no sinners at all or that they were little sinners but he would not have them that escaped that danger put off the businesse from themselves as if so be they that were slaine and made the immediate examples of Gods displeasure were the onely sinners in Jerusalem no he tels them their sins might be as great as any of the rest and therefore he advises them to look about themselves for unlesse they repented they likewise should perish Do not thinke my bretheren that the poore children that were crushed to death the men and women that had their armes and legs broken or disioynted their bodyes sorely bruised were sinners above all the people in Witney or that there are no other sinners but theÌ„ amongst you Nay I tell you all except yee repent ye shall all likewise perish Vnlesse thou ô man or woman who ever thou art repent of thy drunkennesse lying covetuousnesse of thy coldnesse and indifferency in religion thou shalt one day perish the word saies it conscience tels thee so the damned in Hell they feele it to be so Oh what a strange passe are men come unto the wrath of God is revealed from heaven and yet they will not believe God hath testifyed it from heaven that every drunkard and swearer and prophane person shall certainly be damned and yet men will not believe 1. Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that the unrighteous c. why This is a plaine thing an evident a manifest thing a man may say it is dark at noone day if he will but this is cleare and beyond all doubt it selfe Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God The gate of heaven shall never be opened to any unrighteous soule no uncleane thing shall ever enter there No if the holy and righteous God be in heaven-thou which art an unholy and an unrighteous soul shalt never get there and if the Saints and Angells stay in heaven thou which art so unlike them shalt never come there Oh think on this for the Lords sake From heaven thou art pointed out to destruction all the leaves in the Bible make against thee all the Judgments that ever God hath executed are cleare and plaine before thine eyes and yet men will not believe What will become of this Atheisticall generation There is no man feares there is no man considers his way Though the blessed God from heaven tell men that their ungodlinesse unrighteousnes doth bring his wrath upon them wil damne theÌ„ in the end they wil not believe it they will not lay it to heart The word that threatneth wrath the JudgmeÌ„ts of God they reveale make known this wrath the devils in hell they believe tremble at it the damn'd they feel it yet the stout hearted sonnes of men they care not for it 1. Cor. 10.22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy are we stronger then he Do we incense p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pha. exasperate and put the Lord himselfe to it to shew what he can do are we content the Lord should doe his worst doe we q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesâ—ch equall and compare our selves with him dare we justle and contend with him for mastery Oh fearefull are you come to this point let the Lord do his worst we shall deale with him and his wrath well enough Oh desperate forlorn man It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God Oh repent repent Heb. 10.1 It was one of the dying words of a famous Martyr Repent O England repent repent so say I to you O Witney repent repent otherwise I feare some more dreadfull plagues will befall you You that have ungodly neighbours servants or friends go to theÌ„ ask them what meane you to lie in your ignorance prophanenesse neglect of God and holy things still What do you love to be damned and are you well pleased to be sent packing to hell as soone as you dye For the Lords sake set upon this work speedily if you do not I feare some worse thing will come next Certainely my Brethren the hand of the Lord is gone out against you in this late Tragedy for so it should be called it was not a Comedy no no it was a Tragedy a dolefull Play it had a dolefull end a bloudy a sad end Those of you that heard the screekings and bitter complaints the fearfull heart-piercing cries that saw the broken bones the disioynted armes the dead carcasses of so many children will say it was a Tragedy indeed a dolefull play and the wrath of God hath been
great mourning there shall be a fountaine opened for sin Zach. 13.1 and for uncleannesle Mourne you must mourne greatly mourne bitterly yea but it is the fountaine that must wash away sin it must be the fountaine of the Lord Christs blood that must wash away the fowle and horrible sins of Witney Come then wash in this fountaine wash and you shall be cleane In the 16 of Numbers we read of great wrath no sooner had God executed that fearfull judgment upon Korah and his rebellious compāy but the people fell to murmering immediately v. 41. But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmered against Moses and against Aaron saying ye have killed the people of the Lord. Oh desperate and adventrous sinners that when they saw the judgment of God executed the very day before yet they fell into the same sins which they were guilty of which had been so plagued How angry is the Lord for this v 44 45. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying get you up from among this congregation that I may consume them as in a moment But what doth Moses do in this case v 46. And Moses said unto Aaron Take a censer and put fire therein from off the Alter and put on incense and go quickly unto the congregation and make an atonement for them for there is wrath gone out from the Lord the plague is begun This represented the mediation of Jesus Christ Isa 53.12 who is said to make intercession for the transgressors He is that Angell in the Revelation that stands at the Alter having a golden censer and much incense given to him that he should offer it with the prayers of thee Saints chapt 8.3 Now Moses saies to Aaron go quickly or as it may be read make to go with speed that is as the Chaldee and Greeke translateth it carry quickly or in haste 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Make haste to the Lord Jesus away to him every soule of you all you that have not known what the worth of the Lord Jesus is till this houre know now how to prize him it is he that must pacify the wrath of God that is gone out against thee for thy prophanenesse and thine uncleannesse and thy neglect of the word and thine Atheisme Oh fall in love with the incomperably pretious Lord Jesus this day as soon as ever thou commest home fall upon thy knees beg thou mayest have a Christ given to thee the wrath of the Almighty is gone out against thee and will otherwise certainly consume thee There is no dealing with a sin-revenging Majesty but only in by a Mediator As for you that have interest in this pretions Name O make use of it present the righteousnesse and satisfaction of the Lord Jesus Christ unto the father It is he that must stand betweene the dead and the living some are cut off already and the wrath of the Lord is not yet appeased If you interpose not the Lord Jesus you may expect more wrath and more plagues This I commend to you as the chiefe and maine direction of all the rest it is not all thy carelesnesse and security it is not all thy sleighting and despising the judgments of God that will be able to keep off the wrath of the Lord in the end No this will bring on thee so much the more wrath and heavyer vengeance Get into the Lord Jesus hide your selves in the clefts of that rock till this indignation be over past If ever Christ be worth having now is the time You that cared not for Christ when you were at ease and when you lived in pleasure my thinkes you should long after Christ and be restlesse till you have gotten him now judgment is come upon you Oh Brethren if the Judgments of God in this world be so terrible that they are enough to abash and appale the stoutest sinners how terrible and how dreadfull will that last and great day of judgment bee If thou canst not stand before an angry God now without a Saviour without an advocate to plead thy cause when he doth but manifest a little of his displeasure and gives but a gentle touch of his finger how wilt thou stand before him without a Saviour and an advocate when he shall come with millions of Saints and Angells when the Bookes must be opened and every mans life ripped open and it shall be said There wast thou drunk in such a corner there hadst thou thy wanton dalliances upon such a bed at such a time didst thou revile at the Ministers of God and mock at his waies and the professors of them so many yeares thou livedst in the world and yet never didst study how thou mightest come to the knowledge of God or the way to life and happinesse when all this and much more shall be said and then the Lord shall not come to let in a veine of his wrath only but he will pluck up all the sluces open all the floud-gates of his wrath and vengeance when that dismall place of torment shall be set before thee where those unquencheable flames are where thou shalt heare the devills roaring the damned yelling and see all this prepared for thee how wilt thou be able to hold up thy head at such a day Make sure of Christ betimes They were the last and dying words of one who in his life time was the Jewell and Paragon of Religion and piety in the country where he lived Make sure of Christ He is better then all the gold and treasures in the world better then the Rubies or the Onyx stone Thou art eternally happy if thou get him and Eternally miserable if thou come short of him 3. The next thing that is to be studied and endeavoured after is Reformation It is Reformation that the Lord looketh after Do you think that the Lord delighteth in the death of your children that he taketh pleasure in the breaking bruising of your bones is it matter of joy to him to see the hurts and heare the dolefull complaints of your wives servants and neere relations No no God is love as you have many times heard had not your sinnes put him upon it there had not been so sad a spectacle found amongst you Put away therefore that evill thing which is in the middest of you When the children of Israel had fallen before their enemies Achan who had taken the accursed thing and been the occasion of the misery and distresse that fell upon them must be found out and stoned You have seene already some of the Achans that have troubled your peace stone them now and put them to death You have heard it was the prophanenesse the ūcleannesse the contempt of the Gospell the Atheisme and irreligion that is among you that hath caused all your trouble put away these accursed things And here let me speake more fully to you under these foure heads 1. To the looser and prophaner sort 2. To them
be in the whole towne Away now with all your sinfull sports and merriments away with all your cards and dice singing dancing and such like vanityes Insteed of these things set up Catechizing praying in the family morning and evening and let one neighbour come to another and say come let us go to heaven together and seek the Lord together Jerem. 50 4.5 In those dayes and in that time saith the Lord the children of Israel shall come they and the children of Judah together going weeping they shall ge seek the Lord their God They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward saying come and let us joyne our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall covenant that shall not be forgotten Oh what a blessed change would this bee if young and old rich and poor husbands and wives parents and children masters and servants would all joyne together if they would come weeping together and seek the Lord if all the people in this place would set their faces towards Heaven and toward Religion and say Come let us joyne our selves in a perpetuall Covenant we will strike in with the Lord this day and we will never alter our choice more it shall be a Covenant that shall never be forgotten If you would all resolve this day Come we will goe to Zion with our faces thitherward We will go where the word is preached and where the ordinances are set up and where the worship of God is celebrated oh we will neglect the word no more we will neglect the ordinances no longer This is one of the last requests I have to leave with you oh do not neglect the opertunityes of hearing the word and comming to the Ordinances as you have done For the Lords sake you that are masters of families come your selves and bring your children and servants along with you you that have friends bring your friends with you Go weeping as they did and say oh we have neglected the word and neglected Christ and neglected salvation but we will neglect them no more Let that prophecy be fulfilled of you which was spoken Isai 2.3 And many people shall goe and say Come ye and let us goe up to the mountaine of the Load to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his paths for out of Zion shall goe forth the Law and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem Redeeme an houre in the week day to heare the word your callings will not prosper ever the worse 4 The last thing I have to propound to you by way of direction is the Duty of Remembrance Forget not the Wonderous workes which the Lord hath wrought When mercyes or Judgements are new and fresh we are apt to speak of them and to be affected with them but a little time weares them out of our minds and blots them quite out of our Remembrance Oh take heed of this Bind this sad Providence for a signe upon your hands and let it be as Frontlets between your eyes Set it down in your Almanacks and keep a Register of the Day oh this was the black and dismall day of Gods visitation on poor Witny It were good if you kept some solemne day every yeare as a remembrance of this sad and heavy stroke For as great mercyes require great and and solemne praises so do great judgments require great aed solemne humiliation They speake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day and made them an Ordinance in Israel and behold they are written in the Lamentations 2. Chron. 35.25 It seemes they had a constant remembrance of that judgment the losse of good Josiah they speak of him to this day It was a constant practise amongst them to remember that sad stroke and they had a solemne Book of Lamentations appointed to mourne for this judgment Luke 17.32 Remember Lots wife We have not many such Remembers in all the Book of God upon so speciall an occasion they may easily be all reckoned up and therefore here is some speciall thing hinted to us Here was a speciall monument of Gods judgment on a woman that was hankering after her old pleasures she had been used to the delights and contentments of Sodom and she was loath to part with these she lookt back to the Sodom of her former pleasures and contentments and whilst she is looking back she became a Pillar of salt Oh remember this saith our Saviour Remember Lots Wife There is an accent put on this You of this place have been hankering after sports and merriments you have been mightily set on these things and the Lord hath shewen his displeasure by an Eminent hand and a streched out arme Oh remember this remember the Tragicall story at the White Hart. You have heard now at large what your duty is in generall it is to fall upon the work of Repentance You have likewise been directed particularly how to carry your selves in that work and what the particular Duetyes are which are to be done by you and what the Lord expects from each of you in your severall rankes and places That which remaines is only in the close of all to adde a motive or two to that which hath been already said to presse that which is your duety on you 1. If you do not repent some worse thing will come upon you It may be the Lord may send a Fire next to consume all your houses it may be he may send the pestilence among you to devoure you or if not that a famine the Lord hath wayes enough to punish unrepentant sinners Read over that 26. of Leviticus there you will see what the Lord threatens in such a case v. 23.24 If ye will not be reformed by these things but will walk contrary unto me then will I also walk contrary unto you and will punish you yet seaven times for your sinnes v. 27 And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me but walk contrary unto me then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury and I even I will chastise you seaven times for your sinnes If you think to wax stout and stubborne against the Lord he will be as stout against you if you walk contrary to him he will doe so to you and if one judgment will not do it he will follow you with a second a third and if you still harden your hearts against him he will cōe against you in Fury he will summon up all his wrath and vengeance and if he be able to break and ruine you to be sure he will do it Oh it is a dreadfull word v. 17. I will set my face against you and that in the 28. verse I even I will chastise you As much as if he should say I the great God I that made heaven and earth and can turne the foundation of it upsidedown whē I please I will set my selfe against you I will engage all my
Tragi-Comaedia BEING A BRIEF RELATION OF THE STRANGE AND Wonderfull hand of God discovered at WITNY in the Comedy Acted there February the third where there were some Slaine many Hurt with severall other Remarkable PASSAGES Together with what was Preached in three Sermons on that occasion from Rom. 1.18 Both which May serve as some Check to the Growing Atheisme of the Present Age. By JOHN ROWE of G. C. C. in Oxford Lecturer in the Towne of WITNY It is time for thee Lord to work for they have made voyd thy Law Psal 119.126 Verily he is a God that judgeth in the Earth Psal 58.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onatus apud Stobaeum OXFORD Printed by L. LICEFIELD For HENRY CRIPPS Anno Dom. 1653. TO MY HONOVRED and much beloved Friends the Inhabitants of the Towne Parish of WITNY Dearely beloved in the LORD THE publishing of these few Papers both the precedent Narrative and the ensuing Sermons of right belong to You and you may challenge them as your owne Among you it was that these wonders of the Lord were seen and upon you it was that the Lord hath shewen himselfe marvelous Doe not quarrell with the Almighty for setting you up as the publik Theatre whereon he would manifest his holynesse justice other Attributes to the world We are his Creatures and it were enough if we could say no more but It is his pleasure to have it so Yet there is other reason why we should quiet and compose our selves and shake off all thoughts and reasonings that are apt to arise saying as the Church doth We will beare the indignation of the Lord because we have sinned against him Though you are the people that doe only suffer yet you are not they that are only aymed at The Lord hath spoken from heaven to the whole Nation by what he hath done amongst you and testified by a clear and eminent stroake against the monstrous unparraleld Atheisme irreligion profanesse which is walking up and downe in all places Though the Lord hath began with you yet he may not end with you If his dealing with you make not others wise their plagues may be farre greater then yours have been and if so it will be a mercy that you were corrected so soone and not suffered to goe on in your sinnes which would have brought heavier sorrowes in the end Amongst you it was that these meane Sermons had their rise which were not in the least intended for the Presse when first they were Preached But the desires of some amongst you to have written Coppies of them the longings and importunity of others to have them published the good of the Towne in generall which might seeme to require a stāding lasting remēbrance of these things seemed to be some call to me for the publishing of them To which I may adde the consideration of some little good the Lord I hope was pleased to doe by these plain and meane Sermons the hearts of some being a little awakened and the affection of others stirred and raised and some provoked to attend on the word thereby Which sparks being of the Lords owne kindling I thought it my duty to keep them alive as much as lay in me I hope you will beare with my rudenesse of speech and plain speaking the Lord being my witnesse that it is not a pleasure to me to make bare your nakednesse or discover your shame my ayme only being that you may lay to heart your sinnes seek pardon for them and reformation of them My care hath been as much as may be to abstain from all personall reflections and not to make use of any ones Name that I might not grieve the spirits of any by making them publike to the world although if I had insisted on some particulars the story might have been set forth with more advātage in the eyes of some Some enlargments there have been in the Sermons some larger explications of a few Scriptures it being not possible within such a scantling of time as is allotted to speake fully to all things Yet this you will find you have scarce any materiall passage omitted of what was Preached and the Additions which are I hope not altogether unprofitable or unnecessary Some Notes are put into the Margin which need not trouble the lesse skilfull Reader all obscurity being avoyded in the body of the Sermons themselves My humble desire and request to you is that you will not lay aside this little Book as soon as it comes into your hands though the things are mean and contemptible if you consider the person parts and years of him that brings them unto you and the manner of his delivering them yet are they great and of moment if you consider him that sends them to you so farre forth as the mind of God is revealed in them and his particular will made known concerning you Some few houres will serve to Reade over the whole Book and if at leasure times you put your Children or Servants to reade but a little it may be better then to let it lye moulding in your Windows Possibly you may meet with such a remembrace if the Lord work with it by his Spirit as you may blesse him for all your dayes I can only say as the Apostle doth with a little change Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for the people of Witny is that they may be saved I trust the Lord hath some of his election yet scattered amongst you sure I am there are some of his called and faithfull ones already to be found in the middest of you How long I may be left to speak to you I know not This I can asure you I pray and sigh at the throne of Grace for you as well as I can And I could wish I had better prayers and more sighs and groanes then my poore barren heart can afford There could not be a greater joy to me then to see the Kingdome of our Lord Jesus taking place in greaer power in your soules to see that high valuation and eager thirsts in the hearts of many of you after a poore despised neglected forsaken Christ whom the world but it may break our hearts to speak it begins to grow weary of though the world be not worthy of such a one Now the God and Father of our Lord Jesus blesse you with the knowledge of himselfe and this his deare Sonne and grant that the savour of his knowledge may be spread amongst you more abundantly These are the constant prayers of Your unworthy Friend and Servant in the Gospell John Rowe A BRIEFE NARRATIVE OF The Play Acted at Witny the third of February 1652. Together with its sad and Tragicall End IT may not seem so proper nor be so pleasing to every Reader to set down all the Circumstances about this Play forasmuch that somewhat might be said touching the rise and originall of it the nature of the Play it self and the book from whence it
not neither doth he consider good and evill are all one to him and he regards it not or as they which are described in Job chap. 21. v. 14.15 They say unto God depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy waies what is the almighty that we should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him Now when men are come to this passe he will make them acknowledge him whether they will or no. The Lord is marvelous patient and long-suffering he knowes how to right himselfe and to be even with the sinner in the end but if men will breake all bounds if they will deny the majesty above if they will soff at his word and make a mock of sin if they will pluck up all religion by the very roots he will not he cannot any longer endure it it stands him upon to keep up his authority in the world he will be own'd and acknowledged as God among his creatures If nothing else will make the proud sturdy hearts of men to stoop and yeeld to him his Judgments shall Psal 46.10 Be still and know that I am God It is the voice of the Lord to the proud ones of the world It seems they would not know that there was a God or at least that the God of Israel was he that was the true God therefore was it that they were so mad against his people v. 6. the Heathen raged but what is the next newes that we heare He uttered his voice the earth melted As proud and as stout as they are no sooner doth He speak but their spirits flag faint those great and mighty ones who feared none and car'd for none they became as dead men he uttered his voice or as some read it he gave his voice Who is this He look back upon the former verse and you will quickly see 't is God that utters his voice No sooner doth God speak a word but their hearts faile them Let him but shew himselfe of whom they made a mock but a little before and question'd whether there was any such one and then they feare and tremble they shrinke and dare not hold up their heads And why doth the Lord doe all this Why doth he drive them to such a stand The end is set down at the 11. verse He will be known as God amongst the worst of men Be still and know that I am God and then it followes I will be exalted among the heathen I will be exalted in the earth That wicked Pharaoh one of the worst of mē who blasphēed against heavē said who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel goe I know not the Lord neither wil I let Israel goe Exod. 5.2 This bold this proud wretch after he had seene the hand of the Lord lifted up and felt his plagues he is forced to know who the Lord was and to let Israel goe 2. 2 Reason The Lord doth this to render men in excusable Rom. 2.1 Therefore thou art inexcusable O man whosoever thou art that judgest Judgest how is that that judgest men worthy of death by sin that was Gods verdict and sentence touching sinners and this all men knew by the light of nature and had the same judgement and apprehention of it in themseves as it is c. 1. v. 32 when as a man knowes by the light and checks of his own conscience that the wrath of God is due unto him by reason of sin when he sees all the curses that are revealed in the Law and the fearfull vengeance denounced in the gospell against all unbelieving and unrepenting sinners this makes him greatly inexcusable but when he shall see the judgments of God executed before his eyes and many of the same ranck and kind of sinners struck dead in the midst of their abominations if yet he goe on in the same sins this makes him beyond measure inexcusable If a man should see an hundred theeves or robbers hung up one after another at severall assises and yet after this this man himselfe should play the theefe who would pity that man if he came to the same end he knowes thee very to be an unwarrantable dangerous thing the law if against it and many have been punished for it from time to time before his eyes this makes him inexcusable so it is in this case If God take other men in the midst of their sins if he take them in the midst of their drinking quaffing and carousing as he did Belshazzar in the midst of his cups or strike them with some secret and sudden blow in the midst of their chambering and wantonesse as he did the young man in the proverbs who when he went to the harlots house had a dart struck through his liver Chap. 7.23 or by an immediate hand from heaven and an Angell sent to that purpose shall punish them in the midst of their pride tyranny and persecution as he dealt with Herod If after all this when a man hath seen such cleare and manifest Judgments from heaven on the persons of others he shall live in the same or worse sins if he shall continue a drunkard an adulterer a persecutor and opposer of the saints and of religion after all this who can say this man is not justly punished The word is plaine and expresse against such and such sinnes the end and issue of them is there revealed and the judgments of God have ratifyed it and confirmed it this man is left without all excuse Now God will have every mouth to be stopped and all the world become guilty before God Rom. 3.19 3. Reas 3. The Lord inflicts judgments upon some that they might be for examples unto others 2. Peter 2.6 Turning the citties of sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemning them with an overthrow makeing them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly Here is both the judgment and the reason of it expressed He turned them into ashes and he condemned them with an overthrow he had condemned their wickednesse before in his owne thoughs and adjudg'd them worthy of some severe plague 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phav and that plague must be nothing lesse then a totall destruction a totall overthrow he would so destroy them as to make an utter end of them for that is the meaning of the word And why would he do so it was to make thē an example he set them up as an example he had prepar'd thē for an example in his own thoughts before he had fitted and designed them for it now this is the edition and setting forth as it were of what he had fram'd and contriv'd before Saint Peter had mentioned two great editions of the wrath of God before one was in the Angels that fell He cast them down to hell v. 4. Here was wrath indeed Another was in the old world He brought in the floud upon a whole world v. 5. here was
revealed from heaven it is revealed from heaven against thee O Witny If there be any mockers or scoffers in the congregatioÌ„ that are come to deride the word I say if there be any such though I hope better things of the most of you yet if there be any secret scoffer in a corner I shall say to him as Job did to his friends when they had made light of his calamity and said it was just Job 11.3 Suffer me that I may speake and after that I have spoken mock on You that make so light of the hand of God laugh at all his judgements heare the message which the Lord sent if after that ye have a mind to mock then mock ye on take your fill of laughter and it may be you may have your belly full of mocking another day Brethren mistake me not my aime is not to make you sad though it is fit indeed you should be humbled for your sins Alas what pleasure can it be to the proor servants and messengers of the Lord to make any one sad No no it is your good and happinesse it is the welfare and happinesse of this place I aime at and I hope by that time you have heard all I have to say you will be convinced that it is so indeed Let me speak to you as the Apostle doth to his Corinthians 2. Cor. 11.1 Would to God you could bare with me a little in my folly and indeed beare with me And then at the 20 verse for ye suffer if a man bring you into bondage if a man devoure you if a man take of you if a man exalt himselfe if a man smite you on the face Many I feare are apt to plead for their lusts and corruptions for their games and sports which have devoured them and consumed them and brought them low and is there not as much reason they should beare with the word which comes in all plainnesse and faithfulnesse to doe them good Certainly my brethren the hand of the Lord is lifted up the great and dreadfull God the King of the whole earth hath shewen himselfe in the midst of you I could have hoped there would not be found a man in this place that was come to that height of Atheisme as to say this not was the hand of God this was not a judgement it was only a chance a mis-fortune such a thinge might fall out the house was weak the beam was not strong enough to support such a multitude I could here cease speaking to such a man and desire a corner to turne aside weep in even power out rivers of teares in his behalf It was that which made the Prophet cry out in the like case Isai 26.11 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see How was the Lords hand lifted up Do but read the former verses and you will find in the 9. verse we heare of his judgements being abroad and in the 10. verse we heare of favour shewen to the wicked Let favour be shewen to the wicked yet will he not learne righteousnesse The Lords hand was lifted up in a way of judgment and in a way of mercy it was his righteous judgment that some were cut off and it was his mercy that others were spared and yet when his hand was lifted up so Emenently they would not see The Lord hath shewen both his severity and his goodnesse amongst you severity to them that sufferred and goodnesse to you that were preserved Is it not the Lords goodnesse or to returne to the Prophets expression is it not a favour shewen to thee that thou hast thy life giventhee when others were crushed to death is it not a favour that thou art safe and sound when others had their limbes broken their bodies grievously bruised Oh this was that which so moved the Prophet or the church her selfe that is brought in speaking in that chapt that she knew not well how to beare it Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see It is a patheticall speech and it savours of somewhat a grieved and troubled spirit Oh the hard-heartednesse the pride and stoutnesse that is in men not to see when the Lords hand is so lifted up What is thy heart flint and thy Bowels made of brasse will not wrath from heaven great wrath affect thee Read what followes in the same verse They will not see but they shall see Thou winkest with thine eyes now but the Lord will open them at last thou wilt not believe this is the wrath of God thou wilt believe it to purpose another day and it may be that day is not far off That I may shew you the wretchednesse of this disposition not to see and acknowledge the Lord in such great things but to lay them upon chance misfortune second causes and the like Consider 1 This is a meer heathenish temper the Heathens could not do worse then so the Philistines they said if the matter fell not out so and so as they had cast it it was not the hand of the Lord that smote them but it was a chance that happened 1. Sam. 6.9 shall we make our selves Philistines shall we compare our selves with the worst of the heathens Nay some of the heathens have acknowledged the r Vide Lipsium Physiolog Stoic l. 1. Dissert undecimá et seq Arrian lib. 1. cap. 6. 12 mo Jamblich de vitâ Pythag. cap. 28. Stobaeum Eclog. Physic lib. 1. cap. 3. Providence of God in such Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hieroâ—l in aur carm paulo post 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 matters t Nec Homerus hoc nescivit qui de Graecis adflictis causam reddit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lips diss 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip. apud Sâ—obaeum in Phys they lookt upon evills befalling them as the just punishments of their sinnes they have feared and trembled at the things that have come to passe as acknowledging a Divine Power that was the cause of them u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hieroc in Aur. Car. The x Circa religiâ—nâ—â— talem accepimâ—â— Tomtrua sulgura paulo â—nâ—â—rmius eâ—pavescchat Suct in Augustâ— Roman Emperours yea those among them who have been most y Ausus interdum non solum vultum attollere sed etiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Refert Casaub de Caligula ex Dione prophane wicked and at sometimes have contemned God religion it selfe and have lookt the judgments of God in the face with pride scorne at other times they have been surprized with a Panick feare If they heard but z Nam qui De os tantopere contemneret ad minima tonitrna fulgura connivere caput obvolvere advero majora proripere se estrato sub lectuque condere solebat Sue Calig thundering lightning they would croutch under their bedds and hide their heads fearing that some plague from heaven was comming upon them The Historian reports of
bring astonishing judgments Some sins of this nature were they that destroyed Sodom and caused fire to come down from heaven upon it viz the sin of uncleannesse and unnaturall lusts These things are too fowle to be named these things are enough to make the sun in the firmament to blush and be ashamed and the light of the day to hide and couer it selfe in which there is mention made of such things 3. A third sin which is too visible and apparent is Neglect of the word and ordinances Some of them that did attend upon the ordinances have turned their back upon them and the generality amongst you doe apparently sleight them Formerly what flockinge hath there been to sermons how hath this place been filled every Alley corner crowded No people so famous for readinesse diligence in hearing the word as the people of Witny Ministers that have occasionally preached among you have observed it your Name hath been famous amongst others How thin are your Congregations grown upō the lords day how small an handfull there are upon Lecture dayes I am to sad a witnesse Brethren suffer me to speak my feares I feare one of the great sins that bath pluct down this judgment was the neglect of the Gospell It was not long since the last time that ever I preacht amongst you on the Lords day in a full assembly I beseeched you I intreated you by all the arguments of love gentlenesse sweetnesse that possibly I could to attend upon the word I beseecht you by the love of God by the mercies of the Lord by the bowells of his goodnesse that you would not sleight the word The Text was from that of St. John 1 Iohn 4.8 9. God is love and the poynt from it was that the Love of God monifested to the world in the dispensation of himselfe by Jesus Christ it was the most peerelesse matchlesse incomperable love that ever was Hence were you called upon in such exhortations as these in the Applciation Oh do not grieve such a Love doe not sleight it doe not abuse it Oh unkind sinner Oh hard-hearted sinner worse then the blackest divell in hell that canst be drunk that canst sweare that canst laugh at holinesse in the face of that very Love which is come to save thee to pardon thee that hath sent the only begotten sonne that thou might'st have life through him Do not sin against this love do not grieve it suffer this love to attaine its ends to accomplish its desires The designe of love is to bring thee unto life and it hath cost it deare to bring about that designe the sonne of God must come downe from heaven to bring this to passe and is that so small a matter why should any of us be willing to stop this love in its workings to hinder it in its aimes and intentions all the designe of this love is to bring us unto life and is there any harme in that Ah my Brethren is Death spirituall Eternall death such a sweet such a pleasant thing that we should be in love with it Is wrath the wrath of the Almighty everlasting wrath a thing to be desired that we should refuse to accept of the offers of eternall love when it comes to offer life and salvation With many more Reasonings in this kind After this you were exhorted to make use of the meanes of life and of salvation in some such words as these If you are willing to come to the Lord Jesus for life you cannot be unwilling to attend upon those meanes and that word that holds forth Christ and salvation Will any one say that that man prizes a pardon that will not vouchsafe so much as to look upon it nor to read it when it is sent unto him Oh my Brethren the Gospell is the word of life the word of peace of pardon and of salvation can he be said to prize salvation and Christ that will not come to that word which brings Christ salvation and all Is that man willing in good earnest to be saved however all men say they are willing God forbid els but is he so in good earnest that will not step over his threshold to heare a Sermon where this gospell is brought the meās of salvation tēdred I beseech you suffer me to speake to you in the name of the Lord I beseech you in the name of Jesus Christ I beseech you in the bowells of Jesus Christ if you think this loue of God the greatest love that revealeth pardō life happinesse salvation do not think it much to wait upon the word that reveales it and makes it manifest Faith commeth by hearing and hearing is the ordinary meanes to beget Faith and so to bring to Christ and to salvation I beseech you do not sleight this Exhortation if you do I must tell you though I am loath so to do yet I am constrained this Sermon will rise up in judgment against you at the last day and I must come in as a witnesse against you These were some of the arguments wher-withall you were pressed yet not-with-standing all these beseechings and entreaties to my griefe I observed it scarce were there any that did the more frequent the word preached hath not the Lord shewen his hand severely whereas there are scarce many Scores that wil cōe to hear the word there are some Hūdreds will go to see a wicked an ungodly play Certainly the Lord hath bin avēged for this Do but read that 10. of Lu. frō the be ginning so on at the 5. verse it is said Into whatsoever house you enter first say Peace be to this house but what followes in the 10 verse it is said But into whatsoever citty ye enter and they recieve you not goe your waies out into the streets of the same and say even the very dust of your citty which cleaveth on us we do wipe off against you And then there is a sad close in v. 12. But I say unto you that it shall be more tollerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment then for you 4. Another provoking sin is the sin of Atheisme and irreligion Do but read what the Lord Jesus speakes to the Church of Pergamos Rev. 2.14 I have a few things against thee why what is the matter Thou hast there them that hold the Doctrine of Balaam and then againe at the 15. ve So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans The doctrine of Balaam is expressed He taught Balaack to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed unto Idolls and to commit fornication The Doctrine of the a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiphanius de Nicolao Nicolaitans was much of the same nature and I blush to tell you what it was they did not onely hold a liberty of uncleannesse but a necessity of it Now what was the quarrell which Christ had with this church thou hast
there them that hold such and such things In thee O Pergamos are found such monstrous and abominable Doctrines in thee are found such as maintaine thē will stand for them with thee it is that they have their seat and residence Are there not to be found in thee O Witny corrupt licentious abominable Doctrines hast thou not also them that hold them that contend for them with might maine Are there none amongst you that make a mock of sin that make sin nothing that hold there is no such thing as sin Are there none amongst you that deny the great fundamentall Doctrines which are the very hinges pillars and foundations of all religion denying the resurrection the immortality of the soule election and reprobation Heaven and hell that deny the damnation of any and maintaine the salvation of all that can take away the scriptures the whole Bible and religion it selfe all at once are there none such as these are These are sad provocations black and dismall provocations I would feigne believe some poore soules are led aside through weaknesse and simplicity and are beguiled through the subtility of that old serpent whose wiles they are ignorant of The good Lord deliver them that they perish not It s a dangerous thing to stumble at the fundamentalls of religion and godlinesse although it be through weaknesse But if there be any such who obstinately and pertinatiously maintaine such Doctrines against cleare and convincing light formerly shining on them against the truth which sometimes they owned and professed they are in a sad and fearfull case Read the Epistles of St. Peter and Jude and there you will see the ends of those men 2. Pet. 2.1 They bring upon themselves swift destruction v. 3. Their Judgment now of a long time lingereth not and their damnation slumbereth not Ep. Iude v. 4. who were before of old ordained to this condemnation If a man out of despight make a mock of Preaching sabbaths ordinances if there be any worse place in hell it is reserved for that man You see what the sinnes are which are found amongst you I have now shewen you your wounds my next work is to endeavour the healing of them and indeed that was my maine intention it was not a pleasure to me to search and lance your your soares yet that was necessary to a cure The maine exhortation pressed on you hath been an exhortation to repentance to serious to speedy repentance And that which remaines is to give more particular direction what your carriage and deportment ought to be under the present hand of God There are these foure things you ought to set before you and to have in your eye 1. The work of Humiliation 2. The work of Reconciliation 3. The work of Reformation 4. The work of Remembrance for so it may be called laying it as a solemne charge upon your selves to keep in remembrance this strange and wonderfull providence 1. The first Duty to be set upon is the work of Humiliation I do not meane you should set upon it in your own strength but take the strength of Christ with you and the strength of the spirit with you and then you may go on You have sinned greatly oh humble your selves greatly before the Lord Manasseth did so after his great sinnes 2. Chron. 33.12 And when he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers Every particular soule should humble himselfe for his particular sinnes and say Good Lord what have my sinnes been that such wrath should come upon Witny in my dayes Every family should mourne and lament over the sinnes of that family Husbands should mourne apart and the Wives a part children a part and servants a part every one mourning for his owne personall sinnes and the family sinnes In the 12. Zachar. 11. we read of a great mourning a great mourning indeed as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon When was that When that good King Iosiah was slaine 2. Chron. 35.23.24.25 Oh that was a dreadfull a terrible Judgment to have such a Prince taken from them and this occasioned a great mourning the text saies all Iudah and Ierusalem mourned for Iosiah All were turned mourners then and there was no one but bare a part in these lamentations Ieremiah the Prophet he lamented for Iosiah and the singing men and the singing women spake of Iosiah in their lamentations unto this day Their singing was turned into mourning and their rejoycing into lamentation You have had a great many singing men and singing women in this place such as would goe frō doore to doore singing their songs and carolls to make themselves and others mirth Oh! it were well if your singers were turned into mourners if your harpers were turned into lamenters if insteed of al your songs carols dācings you would now come and weep together and say as Ieremiah doth Lament 3.1 How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger How hath the Lord covered poore Witney with a cloud in his anger and as it is in the 4. verse He hath bent his bow like an enemy he stood with his right hand as an adversary he powred our his fury like fire Complaine as the Church also doth in Lam. 3. with a little change in the expression We are the people that have seen affliction by the rod of his wrath v. 3. Surely against us is he turned he turneth his hand all the day v. 4. our flesh our skin hath he made old he hath broken our bones Thus I say cōe weep together every soule should weep every family should weep the whole Town should weep and indeed it were well if God would put it into your hearts to keep a day of weeping to set apart some solemne day to fast and pray and weep and humble your selves before the Lord. Say unto the Lord as it is Lam. 1 18. The Lord is righteous for we have rebelled against his commandements and as the Church bemoanes her selfe Lam 3.39 40 41 c. Wherefore doth a living man complaine a man for the punishment of his sins let us search and try our wayes and turne again to the Lord. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens We have transgressed and rebelled thou hast not pardoned Thou hast covered with anger and persecuted us thou hast slaine thou hast not pittied 2. Aime at Reconciliation The Lord is displeased he hath been highly provoked oh labour to get his anger removed and his wrath pacifyed Run apace to the Lord Jesus entreat him to stand betweene you and his fathers wrath go to him speedily go to him immediately before farther wrath breake forth It is not all our teares though we could poure out whole rivers of thē that can wash away one sin no no in that day 't is spoken immediately after the mention of that
old wayes I was trained up in by my parents and especially that which God had taught me by faithfull Ministers and soone was I poysoned with that Doctrine which my corrupt nature did soone close with to the great dishonour of the pretious Gospell to the grieving of the good spirit of God and the wounding of mine owne conscience which was not soon healed I began to try conclusions with God and and walked as a loose libertine and cast of the duty of prayer to God in private and so quickly I lost my communion with God and he withdraw himselfe from me and left me for a time and no sooner had God left me but Satan came in with his delusions and formed himself into an Angel of light and carryed me up into a fooles Paradise and lulled me asleep in security and carryed me on in that condition for the space of an yeare and halfe before the Lord awakenened me And no sooner had I left seeking of God in private but the Lord left me to publique shame for my heart and strength was let out in an eager persuit of the world and love of the creatures and a fearfull sleighting of the Sabbath which began to be a burthen to me and I had an odious sleighting esteeme of the Ministers of God and questioned their judgments in holding forth the word to the people and I was exceedingly perplexed with vaine thoughts and by degrees led into such thoughts as I aw ashamed to name and by this the Lord awakened me for I was exceedingly startled at it and began to consider with my self that I was out of Gods way and therefore out of Gods protection Then I began to remember from whence I was fallen but it was long ere I could do my first workes but I was resolved to turne to my first husband for then it was better with me then now But I found it a hard pluck before I found my God a reconciled father pardoning my sin of Apostacy though I sought it with bitter teares for the space of halfe an yeare And I thought to have kept it to my selfe and none should have knowen my trouble but the anguish of my spirit was so exceeding great that I could not hide it from God or man for I was afraid the Lord would have made me a publick example to all that knew me and that I should have been quite distracted and ran about the streets like one of those that children run after But when I saw there was no remedy I made my case knowen and got all the helpes I could to seek God for me When I made my approach to God I was beaten back by mine adversary and by mine owne accusing conscience which was more to me then a thousand witnesses And often those words were sounding in mine eares Him that draweth back my soule abhorreth and he that putteth his hand to the plough and looketh back is not fit for the kingdom of heaven and woe to you Scribes and Pharises hypocrites and that in the 6. of the Hebrews them that have tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come if they fall away it is impossible to renew them by repentance with many more places and when I would have prayed in private it was told me that God would not heare me then I replyed that I hoped God would heare him that sate at his right hand but it was replyed to me againe the Lord had said to him as he had to Jeremiah pray not for this people I was so lamentably tortured I could not sleep nor eat nor take any contentment in any relation I had and had not the Lord witheld me from that which the devill tempted me unto I had surely ended my life So low was this poore soule brought and so deep was the distresse in which the Lord left it before it was recovered indeed I cānot declare all least this relation should seeme too tedious But it pleased the Lordat last mercifuly to recover this poor distressed soule though it were long first that I may use some of its own expressions before the Lord did seale unto it its pardon many a bitter day and night it did undergoe to this very day it makes sad heavy complaints undergoes many a sharp conflict but the Lord is pleased to sanctify these and former dispensations in fuch a way as that there are few Christians in which there is so much humility mortifyednesse such sweet breathings after God such high prizings of his presence and humble attendance on the ordinances frequent use of holy duetyes to be found So famous an instance as this is might serve to poyse and ballance the loose and ficle spirits of such who begin to hang off from to be indifferent unto the good waies of God Beware of Apostacy Apostacy is a fearfull sin it is the high way to the sin against the Holy Ghost that sin which shall never be pardoned in this world or in the world to come Take heed how you medle with edge-tooles as the proverbe is Whoever falls on this stone it will grind him to powder Who ever shall clash with the great Fundamentall Doctrines the Doctrines about sin whether there be any such thing yea or no touching the resurrection Heaven hell the last Judgment he that shall play and dally with these things and take liberty to speak for them or against them such wantonnesse as this is will proove his ruine in the end Did you not once believe these things were they not once Articles of your faith how is it that you come to cast them off Oh it is the most dangerous thing in the world for a man to be medling and tampering with and at last come to a flat downright denying of the great fundamentall truths of religion the things which sometimes he beleeved and professed the beleife off this man is in a faire way to the unpardonable sin I do not say this is that sin but he that is come to this had need look to himself he is in the way thereunto without abundance of mercy to recover him Much have those to answer for and fearfull is their Judgment like to be who peremptorily and obstinately maintaine such desperate opinions that all men shall be saved alike that sin is nothing but only that men make it something by their own Melancholly fancies and timerous apprehentions b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repete ex superioribis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierocl This is the very Bane and cut-throat of all religion this is that which cuts the very sinewes of Godlinesse this is that which undermines the worship of God in the world and plucks it up by the very rootes Take away the name and notion of sin make it nothing who then will regard to worship feare obey the great God who will care for any of his commands Do you not think the Lord is Jealous for these things
Brethren my heart will hardly serve me to speake of these things it s even ready to dye and sink within me Good Lord what wilt thou doe for thy great Name how poor how sleight how contemptible a thing do men make of thee in the world men begin to forget that they are thy creatures and that thou hast made them I could even here break forth into teares and say Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weep day and night for the dishonour scorne and contempt that iscast vpon the blessed God by these things It is time for the Angells of the Churches the Ministers A briefe addition touching Atheisme and Messengers of Jesus Christ to carry that peece of the everlasting Gospell and to preach unto them that dwell on earth and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people Revel 14.6.7 saying with a loud voice Feare God and give glory to him worship him that made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountaines of water It was said in Athanasius his time that the world was become an Arrian and now it may be sayed that the world beginnes to turne Atheist Some there are that dareprofesse it One upon that passage The foole hath said in his heart there is no God was not afraid to utter such words That foole spake the truth Oh monster eternity will be a thing long enough to torment thee and make thee feele whether there be a God yea or no. But it is not all thy blasphemy can rid thee of thy folly Canst thou produce the records of the world for six or seaven thousand yeares agoe canst thou confute the book of Genesis and bring to light somewhat more ancient and authentique then it Canst thou tell who was Adams Father and what the generations of men were before him rise up as high in thy thoughts as thou canst wilt thou not at last come to some first man was this man made yea or no who was it that made him was it himself then he was before himselfe but was he made by some other who was that or was he from everlasting why then doth he not continue to everlasting will any thing destroy it selfe Durst thou trust thine own sense are there any such things as spirits if not why are there so many wretched creatures suffer for their familiar converse with them if thou do believe that there are such things as evill spirits who is it that keepes thē in order setts bounds to their mallice But such mōsters who deny the Principles of their being should be rather hissed out of the world with abhorrence thē disputed against As there are many that dare professe Atheisme so there are many that durst live it How peremtory and resolved are men in wayes of sin how light a thing do they make of the word commands and threats of God and of every thing thing that might keep them in awe and retaine them in their obedience to their acknowledgement and observance of the great God Men begin to think they are above the word above hell above damnation and in effect above God What a poor and contemptible thing is religion grown in the world Certainly if religion be the keeping of an awe of God upon a mans spiritt the religation and binding of the soule over to him the constant observance of him and strict conformity to his will there is little of this religion to be found in the world In all these respects it becommeth the servants of the Lord to bestirre themselves to contend zealously for God for the cause of religiō and not patiently to suffer the name of God his worship religion it selfe to dye and be forgotten in the thoughts lives of men 3. To you that feare the Lord and walk on in his wayes the exhortation to you is be more holy be more humble be more heavenly minded be more fruitfull in good workes Zeph. 2 3. Seek ye the Lord all ye meek of the earth which have wrought his Judgment seek righteousnesse seek meeknesse Ye that are meek already seek more meeknesse ye that have wrought righteousnesse be more righteous and abound in all the fruits of righteousnesse The Lords eye is more especially set upon you he observes in a more peculiar manner what your carriage will be the Lord expecteth you should not onely mourne for your own sinnes but for the sinnes of the place in which you live Brethren me thinkes there is not that growth amongst you which I could wish I could be glad to see more life more sweet breathings after God amongst you Me thinkes you do not love God and the Lord Jesus Christ enough you discourse of him but seldome and speak of him but coldly Ignatius had his heart so inflamed with the love of Christ that when he spake of him he would say My love was crucifyed Some are so full of love to him as that they are ravished when they think of him they break out and say oh that excellent that incomperable one how pretious is the Lord Jesus how pretious is he Men and Angels are too little to love him and admire him For the Lords sake stirre up your selves entertaine Christ better and entertaine the Gospell better When the Gentiles heard that the Gospell was sent to them and thatit appertained to them as well as to the Jewes it is said they were glad and glorifyed the word of the Lord. Acts. 13.48 Oh this was wellcome newes joyfull tidings to them indeed their hearts were even ravished and transported with such blessed tidings as these that Christ should become salvation to them as well to the Jewes for that was it which was made knowen to them in v. 47. They glorifyed the word they magnifyed and advanced the word Oh this was the best word that ever they heard an excellent and a sweet word I beseech you my brethren stirre up your selves and provoke one another to love and to good workes It is a great fault in the professors of this place that they maintaine such a distance and strangenesse one towards another The ancient Saints spake often one to another Malachy 3.16 The Primitive Saints in the Apostles times met often they prayed together and conferred together So it should be with you you should be often visiting one another and asking each other Oh my Friend what are your temptations what are your comforts what have the dealings of God been with your spirit since we mett last is grace kept alive or is it more dead This is the way to be a thriving people I would faine that you of this place should be patternes to all that are round about you for humility for heavenly-mindednesse for soundnesse in the faith for experience for holinesse 4. To all in generall the Exhortation is Labour to set up religion in this place set it up in your hearts set it up in your families set it up as much as may