branch in me that bears no fruit my father takes away that is he is cast out of the vine of which he did seem to be a branch and he withers and is thereby prepared for to be fuel for the fire its true if there were the least fruit or the least hope and expectation of it it would be reprieved for if there be but a cluster Isa 65 8. the Lord saith spare it for there is a blessing in it but when Christ comes to expect fruit and findeth nothing but leaves no fruits thereon then there is a curse neer Never fruit grow on thee henceforth for ever And by such a curse the man withers at the root immediatly Chrysost de poenit doth allude to the manner of men Chrysost Romanae leges poenam praegnanti deferunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the Laws of men spare for the fruits sake how much more will the goodness and the mercy of God do it if there be but a cluster but where there is no fruit there is nothing now between that and the fire there is nothing so much as to defer the judgement There is a double curse upon a barren tree not only the original curse which is the ground and cause of barrenness but there is a particular curse when the Lord pronounceth a sentence of perpetual barrenness to this very end that the soul being cut off may wither and may thereby be prepared for the fire and it is said they are withered and men gather them they are cast into the fire and they burn the fire of Hell burns so fiercely upon none as upon them that are cast out as withered branches in judgment for their unfruitfulness Fourthly why will the Lord give men over to a perpetual barrenness that they shall never more bear fruit but as it is said Iude 12. They are without fruit twice dead and pluckt up by the roots as there is no fruit for the present so there is no hope of fruit for the future for the Tree is pluckt up by the roots these are men given up to perpetual barrenness and the grounds of it are such as these First if any thing would make them fruitful the gospel would for we see that if the waters that issue out of the sanctuary run out into the dead sea the waters shall not be healed and that there is as little hope of fruit from such as there is of the dead Sea that it should be yet fruitful and therefore Zach 14.8 Living waters shall go out from Ierusalem towards the first sea this mare primum is nothing else but mare mortuum or the dead sea and why are they called living waters not only formaliter or as they are aquae perennes such as do always flow but effective because they do beget life where they come and all things where the waters come do live and there are trees for fruit on every side because the waters do come thither yea even when there was as little hope either of life or fruit as there it now in respect of the dead sea Secondly there is no other use to be made of them they must be either for fruit or else for fuel for men that live unprofitably under the Ordinances are good for nothing as it is with a vine if it be not fruitfull it is usefull for nothing else in the world for a man cannot take a pin from it Ezek. 15.3 those that are branches in the vine fruitfulness doth prepare it for pruning and soiling for every branch in me that bears fruit the father purgeth that it may bring forth more fruit so barrennes unfruitfulnes doth prepare it for lopping that it be cut down that it may be profitable one way for all the garden of Paradise the Lord hath reserved for one of these ends some of them because he would not have them all perish he hath reserved for fruit and some when he hath a long time expected fruit and indured with much long patience and suffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destructâ—on now he cuts them down and lays them up for fuel for Prov. 16.4 he made all things for himself and he will make some advantage of all the creatures to his own glory they shall be some way or other serviceable either as vessels of mercy or as vessels of wrath either to honor or to dishonor Thirdly the Lord doth this because therein are several provocations that they are unto him First he hath bestowed much labour upon them for the father is the husband-man and his eye is in reference unto fruit Isa 49 45. I have laboured in vain and spent my strength in vain When he hath dunged and digged about it not only the barrenness but the loss of his labour then is a provocation then the Lord lays a man out of his hand Ier. 6.29 Then reprobate silver shall men call them when the Lord hath rejected them I would have formed you I would have purged you but now you shall never be formed or purged Secondly the Lord expects fruit Isa 5. I looked for grapes for though nothing is hid from God yet he speaks after the manner of men through his patience and long suffering waiting upon them that never bring forth fruit now it is a dangerous provocation to deceive his expectation Isa 5.12 I looked for mourning but there was rejoycing with the harps c. This iniquity shall not be purged from you till you die Thirdly they dishonor the Lords vineyard that there should be found fruitless trees and therefore the Lord is provoked against them to take them away which he doth by giving them up to perpetual barrenness this Judgement is that which the Saints fear and bewail as Beza saith Beza Tanquam monstrum inter filios Dei sto inutile lignum to serve for nothing but to fill up a room to the dishonour of the vineyard and that is very dreadfull Culcate me salem insipidum good for nothing neither for the land nor for the dunghil and upon these grounds the Lord gives up men to live under the Ordinances of the Gospel unprofitably that they have no saving effect upon them he gives them up a perpetual barrenness they are given to salt Vse Use Ye that live under the Gospel and glory in it as the Jews did under the Law fear lest the Lord give you over to this Judgement for many are called but few are chosen A very dangerous thing it is to live under spiritual Ordinances and influences with carnal hearts and to this end let me exhort you to fear the several steps and degrees by which commonly God doth give men up to it and they are such as these First men miss of Christ who is the only fruitfull Root for it is in him only that you bring forth fruits Joh. 15.5 without him you can do nothing when men begin their Religion with duties and performances without a work of regeneration which tends unto Union
when this Treasure is brought in so that the time in which men fill up the measures of sin and the treasure of wrath this is that which I call an appointed time of sinning Now as some men and some Nations measures and treasures are greater then others so God gives them an appointed time to fill it up and being considered in it self the greatest Iudgement that can befall a man is for the Lord to give unto a man or a Nation a long time of sinning as the time that man hath to sin is but small only during the time of the body for he shall only give an account of the things done in the body not those that are done in statu separato 2 Cor. 5.10 and to a man in the body there is an appointed time under heaven Iob. 7.1 a short time appointed for his being and therefore a short time for his sinning But the Devil hath a large time from the beginning of the world unto the end of it to the day of Iudgement which argues that there is much wrath reserved and prepared for him that must have so long time to enlarge the vessel and fit it to receive it for as gray hairs are a Crown if they be found in the way of righteousness Pro. 16.31 that is it is a special mercy to live long to add to a mans Crown so it is a special curse for a man to go on in evil and yet his daies to be prolonged Eccl. 8.12 Secondly a time of patience when the Lord holds his peace and reproves not Psal 50.21 indeed God is angry with the wicked every morning Psal 7.11 there is not a day that he riseth but a cloud of Gods displeasure riseth over him but yet he deferrs his Iudgement holds his hand there is a time when he is prest under their abominations as a Cart is prest under sheavs Amos 2.13 for to have men go on to sin against him and because Iudgement is not executed speedily therefore to have their hearts fully set in them to do evil and the patience of God to be made the ground and the encouragement of sinning cannot be but a great and a heavy burthen to the patience of God and yet there is a time when the Lord bears and doth not by and by ease himself of his adversaries as he saith in Iudgement he doth Isa 1.24 and it is an ease to him Ier. 32.31 the City of Ierusalem the Lord saith had been a provocation to him from the day that it was built which was many hundred years and yet the Lord had born it and had not removed it out of his sight according as he threatned for to do for there is a season for God to glorifie all his attributes he will make them all exceeding glorious in their time now after this life there shall be time to glorifie Iustice Mercy and Truth but the patience of God can have no place in heaven nothing that shall burthen Gods patience and in hell he will shew forth no patience nothing but wrath to the vessels of wrath it is the breath the fury of the Lord that is a River of Brimstone burning in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa 30. ult therefore there must be a time for the Lord to glorifie his patience and a time for Christ to rule in the midst of his enemies and a time for him to rule over them when they shall be made his foot-stool there must be a time for the decree to conceive and to bear before it bring forth Zeph. 2.1 The truth is we consider not what a precious time even the time of patience is to have a poor soul that expects to be executed at last but to have two or three years added to his life by way of a reprival how great a favour doth he esteem it So for a man or a people to have deserved death for the Lord to cut ten or twenty years out of eternity but to respit the Iudgement and give a man but so much time of ease it is a special and extraordinary favour It is not time of slackness but time of patience 2 Pet. 3.9 Thirdly there is a time of repentance when God doth defer and respit the Iudgement after sinning of purpose that man may return and come in Rev. 2.21 I gave her space to repent and she repented not the words are Emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he gave it and the principal and proper intent that God had in it was this that they might have time to repent come in and make their peace in a time wherein the Lord calls men to repentance by the ministery of the word stretching out his hands all the day long Ier. 32.33 when the Lord calls to weeping mourning baldness and sack-cloath Isa 22.7 a time when the Lord strives inwardly with the spirit of a man to bring him to a sight of sins and sorrow for them a time when if men seek him he will be found Isa 55.6 and when though the Lord do threaten never so severely it is but with condition of repentance and if then they will come forth and take hold of his strength and make peace with him they shall make peace according to his promise Isa 27 5. when though there be a cloud of blood hang over a people and grievously threaten danger but yet it is but conditional and if they return and repent they shall make their peace and God will be again reconciled and the judgement shall not come as we see in Nineveh for that only I call time of repentance when there is hope of mercy else repentance will not profit for it comes too late Fourthly the time of patience and repentance have their periods indeed these times are not of the same length to all to some God shew◠but a little patience and to others a great deal riches of patience and forbearance that though they do evil a hundred times yet their daies are prolonged so for repentance some have but a winters and others a summers day but when these are longest yet there is a time when they will expire and time shall be no more they have their fixed and set bounds that they cannot pass First time of repentance for though the spirit may strive and strive long yet he saith he shall not alwaies strive Gen. 6.3 and though if in the day of repentance men do come in he will turn from his fierce wrath Isa 55.6 Yet if this time be past there is a time when the Lord will not be found Ierusalem had the day of her visitation wherein she might have known the things belonging to her peace but a great while before the Iudgement came they were hid from her eyes Luke 19.42 Secondly it is true the time of patience may last longer then the time of repentance for God may with-hold his hand even when Judgement is determined against a people but yet the time of patience will not alwaies last the longest day
of meekness and forbearance c. but what was this for to what end did the Lord do all this was it for their spiritual good no it was in Judgement that they might fall baâ—kward be broken and ensnared there are no people liable unto such terrible Judgements as they that live under Ordinances and whose plagues flow from them Heb. 6.6,7,8 There are many that live under the Gospel and by the grace of it they come unto the highest pitch of common works they are inlightned and taste of the heavenly gift and are made partakers of the holy Ghost taste of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come yet afterward they fall away and that with a malitious and final Apostasie with despight and revenge the reason is given of it For the ground that drinks in the rain and brings not forth fruit answerable is nigh unto cursing for the curse is answerable unto the blessing and therefore they that live under the offers of the greatest spiritual blessings if they be neglected and are unfruitfull under them they are neerer to cursing then other men which is the reason why in judgement they are given up after such great and common works to apostasie and final impenitency because they have drunk in the rain of Ordinances and influences and have not brought forth fruit meet for him that dressed it as it s said of Christ Luk. 2. it is true of the Gospel also it is set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the fall as well as the rising of many in Israel and let me tell you the more spiritual Ordinances are the more spiritual shall the judgments be as we see it in the Ordinances of the Gospel as they were more spiritual so were the judgements that were executed by them more spiritual as the more spiritual any mans light grows the more spiritual will his temptations grow so the more spiritual Truths grow in any Age the more spiritual Judgements grow for answerable to the measure of spiritual blessings such shall be the measure of spiritual plagues and as the more spiritual Ordinances are the more desirable so the more spiritual they are if abused the more dangerous Secondly there are no Judgements of God like unto spiritual Judgements those are of all other the most dreadfull Isa 13. Why should you be smitten any more ye will revolt more and more Hos 4.14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom nor your Spouses when they commit adultery c. Impunity in sinning is the greatest punishment that can befall a sinner but the people that do not understand shall fall that is shall sin without restraint without controul Drusius He that is filthy let him be so Drusius And the grounds of it are these First because every spiritual Judgement is in it self a sin it is a judgement as from God but in us they are sins also now as there is not a worse evil then sin for sin is the greatest evil so it cannot be punished with any thing worse then it self the Apostle cannot call it by a worse name then it self Rom. 13.7 sinful sin and God cannot inflict a greater punishment then it self and therefore after this life though the demerit of sin shall cease the obligation of the Law ceasing as binding unto further punishment when a man is actually under the sentence of condemnation yet there is an obligation to the precept of the Law still for thou art bound to the precept as thou art a creature and to the curse only as thou art a sinner now the nature of sin shall remain though the demerit of sin hath an end after this life and yet in Hell pertinet ad damnationis poenam As all holiness and obedience in heaven pertinet ad beatitudinis praemium The one is a part of a mans torment as the other is part of a mans reward Secondly because of the subject on which it lights is the soul the soul is far more precious then the body and as any mercy to the soul is far beyond any blessing unto the body so if the soul prosper and the inward man be renewed it is no great matter what become of the outward man though there be crus in nervo si animus in coelo for it is in the soul that the Lord dwells and in the excellency of the soul that he doth delight therefore let the hidden man of the heart be adorned there is no adorning like it Tertul. Bernard Aliter pigmentatae sunt vestes Indutus purpura cum conscientia pannosa And if the beauty of the inward man be so glorious then there is no defilement like to that of the inward man nor no punishment I ke to that upon the soul as the Schoolmen say of Spiritual it is to be preferred before corporal Aquinas Eleemosyna cordis major quam corporis spirituales Elcemosynae sunt corporalibus simpliciter praeferendae So may we say of Spiritual Judgements there are no judgements of God so much to be feared as Spiritual Judgements as there are no mercies so much to be desired as spiritual mercies the prosperity of the soul should be unto a Saint the measure of all prosperity and the misery of the soul and judgements upon it should be the measure of all miseries and Judgements whatsoever Thirdly Spiritual Judgements are an argument of the greatest wrath and displeasure of God its true its a judgement that God doth sometimes inflict upon his own people Isa 63.17 Why hast thou caused us to erre from thy ways and hardened our hearts from thy fear but yet it is a greater testimony of his displeasure then God doth shew towards the men of his good will there is no such evidence of his wrath in the world as this is and so it is to wicked men also for God to give them up unto their own hearts lust and to deliver them to Satan as we see Christ did Judas Austin Parcit iratus iratus Deus dat amanti quod male amat Austin Jerome Magna est ira Dei quando peccantibus non irascitur Deus Jerom. In the afflictions of his people Emendationi instat Deus It is to restrain us and reclaim us c. But in spiritual Judgements the Lord doth give a man up to sin and leave him in the power of sin and under the dominion of sin as if he did never intend to do him good more Fourthly it s the saddest evidence of a mans reprobation and a most dreadfull earnest of a mans damnation First it s a sad evidence of a mans reprobation for there are three consequents of reprobation and both of them are spiritual Judgements 1. Permissio peccati the permission of sin 2. In peccato derelictio the being left in sin 3. Traditio Satanae to leave a man in the power of Satan to give him over unto Satan to carry him captive at his will and all these are spiritual
of the world Now if men be under the hand of God in wrath and one judgement doth make way for another God will punish them seven times more surely they must be utterly destroyed at the last so it was with Rome one Judgement makes way for another and one vial doth prepare and fit the subject for another So that as unto the Saints one mercy doth but prepare the subject and open the door unto another so also to ungodly men one judgement makes way for another and their hearts are hardned unto their own destruction Fifthly it is the expectation of Christ and all the Saints and all their prayers have been poured out this way First it is the expectation of Christ he is sate down at the right hand of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expecting the rest which God hath promised him that all his enemies shall be made his footstool and Christs prayers shall be heard and his expectation shall not be frustrated nor made void and all the Saints have laid up prayers for it for Rev. 16.1 the vials come out of the Temple there is a double voice in this book a voice from the throne quod immediate a deo prosiciscitur and out of the Temple cum precibus sanctorum Impetratur Brightman Brightman Therefore all the degrees of wrath that Rome hath had upon her hath been from the prayers of the Saints and not by their Power and it hath been their expectation long ago that Rome should be utterly ruined Lactantius Horreo dicere dicam tamen quia futurum est Romanum nomen de terra amovebitur Now God that hath raised this expectation in the hearts of his people and drawn out this supplication he will not frustrate their expectations he will fulfill their petitions Doct. 2. All the Roman Power shall utterly fall they shall be destroyed with double destruction Jer. 17.18 and the sword shall be double upon them Ezek. 21.14 Babylon is fallen is fallen First the destruction of Babylon as from God it shall be pure wrath without mixture Rev. 14.10 they had a cup of fornication with which they made all Nations to drink Now God hath a cup of indignation also that which they must all drink and it is poured out without mixture if water be mixed with wine it breaks the force of the wine so that it doth not so soon bring a man to drunkenness as pure wine does this notes summum poenae severitatem judgement without mercy Here the judgements of God that he executes upon men have mercy mixed with them there is a mixture of light with all their darkness non dantur puraetenebrae but in Hell there shall be judgement without mercy and fury without compassion and truly the judgement that shall come upon Rome shall have a great resemblance of the Torments of Hell with it and therefore their judgement is very terrible Secondly it shall be an utter destruction which shall be the more Tormenting because it shall be in the height of their hopes Rev. 18.7 when she shall say I set as a Queen and am no widdâ—w and shall see no sorrow the thoughts of Babylon have been and still are high and are eminently confident of victories and successes and yet ver 8. her plagues come in one day as Sodoms with fire and brimstone Rev. 14.10 they shall be tormented with fire and brimstone God will as it were rain Hell out of Heaven upon them he hath fire and brimstone for this spiritual Sodom that they shall not know it till it comes upon them when they think themselves safe then shall judgement come and Babylon shall fall into the Sea like a mill-stone suddenly and irrecoverably Thirdly the judgement shall come upon all parties and upon all degrees and conditions of men that joyn with them all those that do partake of their sins shall have a share of the plagues there is a vial upon the earth that is upon the common people Secondly upon the Sea also there is a vial the jurisdiction of Rome Thirdly upon the rivers their ministers and Instruments that advance this authority all the ministerie of Rome that carry abroad this power over the world Fourthly upon the Sun all Princes and Magistrates and all powers so far as they hold of Rome Fifthly there will be a vial also upon Rome it self the throne of the Beast in the Lords time all this will be accomplished and the day hastens apace and there is no degree from the highest to the lowest that shall escape no place shall protect a man for the vial is poured out by the Lord and there is no escaping Fourthly there is an utter desolation described it shall become an habitationfor Devils which love to be in solitary and desolate places and it shall be a cage for every unclean and hateful bird as Sodom was it shall be a monument of wrath unto all the world Isa 13.19,20 Rev. 18.22,23 The voice of Harpers and Trumpeters shall be heard no more in thee c. and the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee c. Fifthly God will stir up the Instruments of vengeance to do their utmost to destroy them as he had before put it in the hearts of the 10. Kings to set her up so shal he also put it into their hearts to cast her down they shall make her desolate and naked and eat her flesh and burn her with fire Rev. 17.16 and Rev. 18.6 reward her as she rewarded you double upon her double and if the Lord put a principle of vengeance into the hearts of men and command them to do it surely the destruction may be exceeding fearful when the Lord does bid and command men to be cruel Lastly it shall make way for their eternal destruction For a man to undergo Temporal afflictions though they be grievous yet it were not so much so his soul might be saved in the day of the Lord but when death goes before and Hell follows after this is the greatest misery Now this is the condition of all that follow the Beast and receive his mark whose names are not written in the Book of the Lamb and therefore Rev. 19.20 the Beast was taken and the false Prophet and they were cast alive into a Lake that did burn with fire and brimstone Truly then it is terrible when judgements do make way for a mans everlasting destruction and eternal ruine Doct. 3. The destruction of Rome and every degree of it the Saints of God do look upon as matter of joy and triumph the righteous shall be glad when he sees the vengeance that shall come upon Rome and shall with a holy scorn say as they do upon the fall of litteral Babylon Isa 14. How art thou fallen from Heaven O Lucifer son of the morning Rev. 19.1 There is a voice of much people in Heaven Heaven that is put for the Church saying Amen Hallelujah because the Lord had judged the great whore c.
qualifications see the evil of it in these particulars I wil but name them First you abuse a Gospel-priviledge a power of Election that is put into your hands Secondly in the end you will find the misery of it by putting your selves into the power of men who shall not use their power for your edification but for their own honour and advantage making Church-power to serve their pride and lusts which hath been the common abuse of it in all ages of the Church Communion with GOD Good in Bad Times Preached at Pauls Octob. 14. 1647. before the Lord Maior Aldermen PSAL. 73. ver the last the former part But it is good for me to draw neer to God WHen dangers are eminent all men begin to look out for a refuge that they may be able to make a certain and an honourable retreate that they may in an universal deluge provide an Ark in a common conflagration a Zoar and in a common Shipwrack that they may have tabulam post naufragium that they may have something that when danger hath done its worst they may be able to lift up their heads and say Terram video I yet see an Haven to anchor in I yet see an Haven to make to a safe harbour All natural and unregenerate men they have their refuges to which they retreate the rich mans wealth is his strong Tower and his high wall is his own conceit But the Holy-Ghost hath told us that when God shall lay judgement to the line and righteousness to the Plumet the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lyes and the storm shall over-flow their hiding place Isa 28.17 But a godly man he hath his refuge also grace makes a man partaker of the divine nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Athen. Nazianzen expresseth it it doth wholly resolve the creature into God God is to him allin all God is his provision for he is a Sun His protection is from him for he is a Shield His perfection lies in him for he himself is his exceeding great reward Thus the name of the Lord is a strong Tower and the righteous flye thither and are safe when the Branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low specially if we consider the time into which God hath cast us As I know there is no duty so I know not of any Doctrine more necessary then for the people of God those that have an interest in him to be stir'd up at this time in a special manner to keep close to him that they may put on Davids resolution in the Text It is good for me to draw neer to God In this Psalm you shall find David lie under a great affliction and a great temptation an affliction for he saith that he was plagued every day and chastened every morning and the temptation rose from his observation of the contrary prosperity of the wicked Here was a dispensation of Providence that David could notunderstand here was a Temptation of Satan that David could not overcome thereupon he goes into the Sanctuary of God Truly whatsoever men may think the holyest men and the ablest men will sometimes stand in need of the Ministry of the word David went into the Sanctuary of God and then the passage of Providence was clear to him his mind was quiet there is a pacifying vertue in the word and the temptation vanished and this the Lord did by discovering unto David the ground of this differencing dispensations in outward things in regard of the different Covenants under which men stand and that both towards unregenerate men and towards his own people Towards unregenerate men the Lord in his Sanctuary did discover to David these Three things First of all their outward prosperity was but like a dream but an Image an appearance an outside 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth please men no longer then while they are asleep it was but as a dream when a man waketh that all their outward prosperity would certainly die Secondly the Lord discovered to him all this glory should end in their utter destruction in time and that this Jordan of content did but carry them down to the dead Sea the Lord will say they had their portion in this life Son remember that in thy life time thou hadst thy good things In the third place the Lord discovered to him that this common love should end in an eternal hatred so in these outward mercies there was a judgement their Table was made a snare and to ripen their sins and by this means highten their judgement and so all the prosperity of the wicked to be an act of wrath and not of mercy and the Lord did advance them that they stand upon slippery places In all Gods dispensations towards unregenerate men there is a judgement even in those things that are mercies outward blessings in themselves but curses to the men because this is a rule Sine summo bono nil bonum there is nothing good to a man that hath not an interest in God that is the chiefest good These things being discovered unto David he understood the end of these men but in the Sanctuary also God taught David something of his own people and they were these three things First that notwithstanding their sufferings yet they had Gods presence in them though the Lord be present with his people at all times yet especially in the worst times when the Bush is in the fire then in an especial manner is the good pleasure of him that dwels in the Bush there Thou art with me saith David thou holdest me with thy right hand And as he had Gods presence So he learned in the Sanctuary that they had Gods guidance as he did not bear the affliction alone by his own power so he did not go through it with his own wisdom thou shalt guide me with thy counsel And Lastly he had Gods glory for these light afflictions work for us a more exceeding excessive eternal weight of glory thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterwards receive me to glory and this sowing in tears shall make way for a joyful harvest Now David having understood these things in the Sanctuary hence he begins again to lay claim to God and that he had made the best choice Whom have I in Heaven but thee and who do I desire upon earth in comparison of thee surely it is good for me to draw neer to God Thus Gods people are gainers by all their afflictions and they grow the stronger by all their temptations This being the Connection The Observation then that I shall desire to handle without any division of the words is plainly in the Text. Doctrine In evil times it is good for the people of God to draw neer to God The best course a godly man can take in calamitious times is to keep close to God In the handling of this truth there are two things that I shall desire to clear for Explication and then we shall
in an afflicted condition He went mourning all the day long for the oppression of his enemies and the Lord hid his Face And his soul was dejected within him but yet he had hope in God For I shall yet praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God The Saints do comfort themselves in their saddest condition with their Interest in things to come that the Lord will wait on them and be gratious and will not keep his anger for ever Consider these Eight thiâ—gs Secondly But how shall things to come become the Saints In respect of good and evil things to come 1. They are delivered from temptations to come A man shall be delivered from them and not left unto them and there is a great deal of mercy in the preventing grace of God this way in being freed from temptations The Lord will not lead his People through the Land of the Philistines Exod. though it was the neerest way to the Land of Canaan lest the people see it and their hearts turn back again into Egypt c. And indeed the Lord doth strangely order things in his Providence that temptations may be hid from his Peoples Eyes Satan desires continually to winnow the Saints but the Lord rebukes him and all his temptations 2. If Temptations sometimes assault them yet he doth make provision for them against Temptation Satan hath desired to winnow thee saith our Lord to Peter Luk. 23.31 but I have prayed for thee The Lord lays in consolation for the future tryals of the Saints and as the Temptation was fore-appointed so also is the Consolation Jer. 10.11 When the children of Israel were in Babylon and should have temptations to worship other Gods they were bid to make this Answer The Gods that have not made the Heavens and the Earth shall perish from the Earth and from under these Heavens And 't is very observable that one Answer God puts into their mouths is wrote in the Chaldee Tongue c. So the Saints shall be able to withstand them by vertue of the Intercession of Christ c. 3. Afflictions to come either they shall be delivered from them as Hezekiah thou shalt saith God be gathered into thy grave in peace God had an Ark for Noah and a Grave for Methusalah The Floud was appointed to come upon all the Earth well at the time appointed it comes But first Methusalah must be delivered for he lived until that very Year the Flood came and God provides him a Grave takes him away from the evil to come him does God deliver from it But Noah he must abide the tryal for him God provides an Ark and safely carries him through it Isa 4.5 Upon all the glory there shall be a defence The great water Floods shall not come nigh unto thee or else if they be afflicted they shall be gratiously supported under them The grace of God shall be sufficient for he hath promised When thou goest through the fire I will be with thee Isai 43.2 There is gratia perveniens assisteus in suffering as well as in sins and duties Psal 43.46 We will not fear though the earth be removed for there is a River the streams whereof shall make glad the City of God 4. Mercies to come to the Saints shall prove Mercies indeed Saul hath a Kingdom as wel as David but it was a mercy to David and therefore the Lord did qualifie him for it and gave him Kingly graces and weaned hii soul from the Mercy before he had Bernard Bern. Ecce paratum est cor meum vis me constituere pastorem ovium aut regem populorum My heart is as a weaned child Psal 131.2,3 And therefore it 's sayd Isa 30.18 that the Lord waits to be gracious he doth not defer because he is unwilling to bestow mercies upon us but because we are not prepared to receive Mercie for Mercies to unprepared soules are like unto Cordials unto foul stomacks the which do but increase the peccant humours and therefore the Lord never gives them till the season of them and till he hath prepared the soul to receive them There is a double right that the people of God have to Mercy First there is jus haereditarium a right of Inheritance and that they have as soon as they are converted but yet they are but then as a child in its nonage Secondly there is a jus aptitudinarium a right of fitness that is wanting and the Lord doth not give any Mercy in Mercy till both be found in the soul till there is a right of fitness as well as an hereditary right Fifthly Sins to come If God leaves under any temptation that we are foyled by it as that the best of Gods people may for I know no sin but may overtake such but final impenitency and the sin against the Holy Ghost yet all things shall work together for good to them that fear God Et si omnia qui ni etiam peccata Aug. Aug. If all things then sin it self is not excluded God makes a strange use of sin to his peoples good and benefit either to discover unto a man what is in his heart and so to abate his carnal confidence as the Lord did let Hezekiah fall to that end that the work of Mortification may be perfected and the Sword of Godly sorrow may go the wider and the Plough of Repentance the deeper and that shall be the fruit of it that the man may be more vile in his own sight or else to make him the more instrumental in that kind to do good unto others being able to comfort them with the same consolation with which he himself was comforted of God And being himself converted he may be the better able to convert and strengthen the brethren Luk. 22.32 And the Saints of God do see great Mercy even in their sins to come as well as in their suffering that as some of the Antients have blessed God for the Falls of the Saints those Horrenda naufragia by reason of the comfort and support and admonitions that they had from them So they do see cause many times to bless God for that Grace that brings so much good out of their sins also and so much they may promise themselves from a principle of Faith in regard of sinning as well as suffering Sixtly in respect of the happy and glorious condition of the Church that is promised in the latter daies there is a time coming when all the kingdoms of the earth shall become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ Rev. 11.16,17 and unto the holy people of the most high Dan 17.27 And when the smoak out of the Temple shall vantsh and the Temple shall be opened in heaven and a man may see into the Court of the Testament which is within the vayl The darkness of the preâ—ent dispensation of God shall be done away and new Jerusalem shall come down from God out of heaven
against thee thou hast none to make answer for thee for thy Covenant admits no advocate Lastly if any services be required thou hast none to help thee but thy own might no Christ to strengthen thee no Spirit to help thy infirmities Rom. 8.26 as it is with the people of God in the Covenant of grace Secondly none to bear thy sins or sufferings and so wrath must needs come upon thee immediately it comes upon the godly under the second Covenant and Christ the Mediator stepped between he bare the curse being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 but when the Lord shall come to pour out his wrath upon thee thou maiest rather hope to prevail with the Rocks and the Mountains then with Christ he will not appear for thee but thou must wrastle it out with the wrath of the great God for ever and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10.30,31 there must needs be Iudgement without mercy and fury without compassion when the Lord will stir up all his wrath and none step in to bear one drop of this storm for thee for thy Covenant admits no Mediator Thirdly it is a Covenant under which unto man fallen there is no hope of reparation First it promiseth no repentance after sinning it belonâ—s to the second Covenant that Christ shall give repentance unto Israel Acts 5.31 Secondly it promiseth no space to repent but Gen. 2.17 the day thou eatest thou shalt dye and so they had had not Christ stept in Rev. 2.21 space to repent is not from the first Covenant Thirdly if a man did repent this Covenant promiseth no acceptation upon repentance it saith indeed Gen. 4.7 if thou dost well thou shalt be accepted but it faith not if thou dost evil thou shalt upon after repentance be accepted therefore this is a mans miserable condition and this it must be by this Covenant for ever therefore the Devils are in a hopeless Condition because the Covenant under which they stand offers them no mercy after sinning and God hath not revealed unto them any other Covenant and the same is the condition of every man by this first Covenant only men have this priviledge that they have a second Covenant offered unto them upon which they may lay hold with hope of mercy therefore neglect not these glorious offers seek the Lord while he may be found close with the grace in the new Covenant know the day of thy visitation for if thou be found at the last day under Adams Covenant and untranslated thou must expect no other but to bear thy own sin and shame for ever Let this awaken you to seek first for a change of thy Covenant and then afterward for a change of thine Image many men labour to change their waies and to abstain from many sins but whilest thou art under this first Covenant thy Covenant promiseth no grace to perform duties thy Covenant promiseth no acceptance therefore the first thing that a soul should set upon is to seek to God to be translated out of that Covenant that bondage under which by nature he stands FLESH SILENCED BY Gods arising A Sermon Preached before the Lord Maior Aldermen and Commons of London on a Thanksgiving day at Christ-Church London July 26. 1651. ZACH. 2. ver ult Be silent O all flesh before the Lord for he is raised up out of his holy habitation IT is the great honour of the Saints that they are made the Temples of the Holy-Ghost and the Priests of the most high God that they may offer to him spiritual sacrifices acceptable to him through Iesus Christ The sacrifices of the Jews were of two sorts Some were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Propitiatory Sacrifices for the obtaining of pardon and peace and reconciliation after sins committed there were other sacrifices that were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peace-offerings a returning unto God of thanks and praises for blessings received When God did put into the hands of his people a cup of consolation for that is the Prophets expression in Ier. 16. then did they take the cup of salvation the cup of benediction and returned unto God again Psal 116.13 You have both these sacrifices in the spiritual sense of them under the Gospel and the Lord delights in each of them in their seasons Sometimes the Lord calls his people to mourning and it is dangerous to deceive the expectation of God Sometimes he calls them to rejoice Consider in Heb. 12.23 you are by the Gospel taken into Communion with Angels and your Communion with the Angels in a great measure doth consist in bearing a part with them in your praises it is the action of heaven and requires hearts in heaven to joyn with it therefore the hearts of the Saints are so described Rev. 19.1 I heard a voice of much people in Heaven saying Amen Hallelujah it is spoken of the Saints upon earth it is usually in that book styled the Church of God in heaven but how when they praise God they are a great multitude in Heaven The Countries that have most staple commodities in them for exchange you know they have the freest and the fullest traffique The most glorious intercourses between heaven and earth is in mercy and the most glorious return between earth and heaven is in grace praises and the returning of mercies into themselves ad locum unde exeunt gratiae revertantur Bernard saith Bernard it is a returning of mercy into the same fountain the same bosom of love from whence it flows it is indeed the habitation of God that next to heaven he delighteth to dwell in he inhabiteth the praises of Israel These considerations I desire to premse that you may a little observe of what weight and importance the services that you now go about are For the words that I have read to you that you may find out the meaning and scope of the Holy-Ghost in them it is necessary that we look into the story the context and the connexion of the verse which I shall briefly give you and I intreate you diligently to mark The Babylonian Monarchie having trodden down the City of God the holy City and laid wast the Temple and worship of God for seventy years that time being expired the Lord according to his promise delivers his prisoners out of the pit in which there was no water Deliverance was proclaimed by Cyrus the first King of Persia this liberty some of the Jews undervlaued and they still chose rather to abide in the Land of their captivity to them is the speech directed in the 6. ver of this Chapter Ho saith God come forth and stie from the Land of the North they might have had liberty but they embraced their former bondage those that did accept of deliverance and returned into their own Countrie they were no sooner returned but there rose a Samaritan faction their neighbours those that were neither Gentiles by profession nor Jews by religion
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and doth arise meerly from the compacts and agreements betwixt men Rex debet esse sub Deo sub lege quia Rex Regem facit Bracton Bracton 4ly It is a Judgement God threatens on Magistrates Zach. 11.16 that their right arm shall wither they may lose their ruling power amongst men and that justly both in reference to God and men Fifthly in all difficult cases it is best to go the safest way that a whole Nation perish not through their own wilfulness I shall add no more When the Lord riseth when the Lord is raised out of his holy habitation then as all unregenerate men let them silence their murmurings silence their slanderings and censurings So all you that fear God for you are but flesh silence your doubtings silence your srettings before the Lord. And so much now shall serve for this Text The Lord give you understanding in all things THE Duty and Dignity OF Magistrates A Sermon Preached at Laurence Iury Sep. 29. 1651. at the Election of the Lord Maior ZACH. 10. ver 4. Out of him shall come forth the Corner Out of him the Nail Out of him the Battle bow Out of him every Oppressor together LAws are in Scripture called the foundations of the Common-wealth Psal 11.3 Magistrates also they are the Pillars when the Lord intendeth to go fotth in Judgement against any people he goes forth against them in both these he gives them Laws that are not good and â—udgements by which they shall not live Ezek. 20.25 And he doth send them Magistrates also that shall establish iniquity by these Laws Psal 94.20 But when the Lord returns unto a people in mercy he doth give them righteous Laws and gracious Rulers In this Chapter you have the Lord returning unto his own people in mercy There is a double visitation of God One of his enemies in wrath the other of his people in mercy His enemies in wrath in the former verse before the Text. I was angry with the Shepherds and I did punish the Goats it is spoken of those former tyrannical Governors that ruled over them sometimes called Shepherds in the 11. Chap. ver 5. their possessors slay them and hold not themselves guilty and their own Shepherds pitty them not Sometimes stiled Goats oppressing Governors are commonly so called in the Scripture Isa 14.9 All the Rulers of the earth it is the same word in the Original all the Goats of the earth for Goats feed high they are of all creatures most lustful and yet amongst the creatures very unuseful nec ad bellum prosunt nec ad aratrum a fit resemblance of Oppressors This was the Lords visitation now of his enemies in wrath Secondly he visiteth his people in mercy and though the appearances of God in this visitation were glorious for he was mightily seen in their deliverance yet he makes themselves to be the instruments to effect it God doth it but he doth it by themselves I will make Iudah as a goodly horse in the battle the excellency of the horse is in the battle Iob 39.21 he meets he goes forth to meet the armed man he doth mock at fear and he turneth not back from the sword for thou hast clothed his neck with thunder such a goodly horse now doth the Lord make his own people to be in the battle it is ordinary in Scripture for God to resemble his people to all sorts of war-like instruments Zach. 9.13 I will bend Judah for me and fill the bow with Ephraim Iudah is the bow Ephraim the arrows as there they are resembled to a bow in the battle so here they are Gods charging horses they are my goodly horses It is true indeed the Lord is the rider the motions of these horses are ordered by him and when the victory is now it is not the horse wins it is not the horse conquers but the rider yet notwithstanding they are my goodly horses for the battle Thus you see the Visitation of God First of his enemies in displeasure Secondly of his people in mercy Now the words that I have read to you set forth a glorious promise that God makes unto his people when they were delivered Out of Iudah shall come forth the corner for I should not read it as it is in your books out of Iudah came forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the original is in futuro out of Judah shall come forth this is the promise when God hath delivered them Out of Judah shall come forth the Corner Out of him the Nail Let us look into the meaning and the difference of these words a little surely all Scripture was written for our learning First then the promise is Out of him shall come forth the Corner what is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the original is and is commonly a Metaphor used for Magistrates and Governors I shall give you several places Look into Iudg. 20 2. and all the chief of the peeople came together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All the corners of the people came together 1 Sam. 14.38 draw neer hither all the Corners of the people all the chief of the people that is all the corners of the people Isa 19.13 the Princes of Zoan are become fools they have seduced Egypt even they that are the stay of their tribes you read it is in the original they that are the corners of the Tribes Then by the Corner is here meant Magistrates And there are three great Reasons thereof or three things wherein the Analogy doth lie why the Magistrates should be called the corners of the people First the corner-stone laid in the foundation aedificium sustinet it upholds the building the main weight of the building lies in the corner-stone so you shall find it used Isa 28.16 behold I will lay in Sion a precious Corner-stone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a foundation the Lord Jesus Christ is made the foundation upon which the building of the Church stands and there is the main stress in the corner-stone 1 Pet. 2.6 Secondly the corner-stone doth not uphold the building only but parietes conjungit the corner-stone joyns and coupleth the wall it is a uniting stone so you shall see the Metaphor used Eph. 2.20,21 Christ is said to be the Corner-stone in which all the building is fitly framed together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fitly framed together Thirdly and lastly the corner-stone aedificium ornat it adorneth the building so you shall find the Metaphor used Psal 144.12 Your daughters shall be as corner-stones polished after the similitude of a Palace because there is more labour spent in polishing the corner-stone then in the ordinary stones of the building Anguli prae aliis aedificiorum partibus exornari solent Meller Meller Now in all these respects see how fitly Magistrates are called the corner the weight of the building they uphold The several parts of the building they unite And the whole building in both
spirit against Judas Psal 69.8,9 and it took effect upon him many hundred years after he was dead and had seen corruption God hath promised to bring forth Judgement to victory and to present you without spot or wrinkle your prayers and endeavours for this shall add to your glory and these promises shall be accomplished in the Lords time and then your names shall be recorded in those mercies as those that were co-workers with God and preparing your own glory here for hereafter and then you shall rejoyce in them not only as Gods mercies but also as an answer to your prayers all the prayers of the godly are not for present fruit yet so as they bring a harvest many years after and then when it comes a man hath the sweetness of the mercy and the answer of the prayer all come in together if the Spirit that indites prayers doth so here in this life how will it do hereafter when he shall dwell in a man for ever without grievance how will a mans joy be great when his joy shall be as the joy of harvest oh how full will a mans joy be then Vâ—… Let it therefore stir us up to the practise of this duty which is here exhorted and that is perfect cleansing And now to awaken us to it the more I will give some Rules by which men may judge that they have great need of this exhortation and that the work of cleansing is very imperfect in them Consider these six particulars First To sin much against knowledge is an argument of a very unclean spirit whether it be against principles as Rom. 1. ult Who knowing the Iudgement of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them or against repeated admonitions as Judas and Pilate did or against the secret instructions of a mans own conscience the chastisement of his reins as Darius and Herod did against Iohn the Baptist Mark 6.22 or against truths professed as Saul against Witches and truths glorified in us the Apostle saith Thou art called a Iew and makest thy boast of God and gloriest in the Law through breaking the Law dishonourest thou God Secondly The more speedily lust takes away the man the more unclean that man is therefore the expression is A man soon angry Prov. 14 17. A man of a hasty spirit Eccl. 7.9 but on the other side a man of understanding that is a holy mortified man is of a cold spirit so that though the fire of corruption blown long by Satan may kindle at last yet it doth not speedily because he hath a cold spirit not a Gun-powder disposition unto evil Prov. 7.22 as soon as the harlot made the motion it is said he went after her strait-way or immediately without any more ado c. And as it argues a heart the more perfectly sanctified when it is sitted for a very good work Tit. 3.1 for any honourable use so it argues a heart more exceedingly unclean when it is fited to be used by Satan in any evil work when the heart is prepared as an Oven fit for any Batch Hos 7.6 fit to be led captive at the will of Satan 2 Tim. 2.26 And the truth is that makes a man stubble to judgement because he hath been stubble to sin first and therefore lust in a mans heart is not only compared to fire amongst men that must be fed with fewel and so it sooner burns but it is a fire that feeds it self without fewel and therefore called the fire of hell Iames 3.6 Thirdly the more sin passeth through the whole man without controul the more unclean the heart is as in the performance of duty the more the soul is subdued to the duty and every thought brought into subjection 2 Cor. 10.2 the more sanctified it is so on the contrary the more the heart is subdued by a lust and the less resistance it finds Iude 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. So Ezek. 16.36 Thy filthyness was poured out to all thy Lovers when shame which is a doom to some mens lusts prevails not when checks of conscience thoughts of death and Judgement keep not mens lusts from overflowing 2 Pet. 3.4 it shews a heart exceedingly defiled Fourthly the more unsatiable mens desires are in the commission of any sin the more unclean the man is Hab. 2.5,6 Nebuchadnezar for his covetousness is compared to a Drunkard for his unsatiableness for none cal faster for wine usually then they that have had too much before it is with greediness Eph. 4.19 who being past feeling have given themselves over to work all uncleanness 1 Pet. 4.4 with greediness excess of riot wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of riot Isa 5.14 As the grave and as hell they weary themselves Ierem. 9.5 the members are weary in obeying when the Law of the members is never weary exacting Balaams lust was too swift for the very beast and mens lusts are often too vast for their weakned and tyred ability to act them therefore they load themselves with thick clay Hab. 2.4,5 enough to load them but not to satisfie them Fifthly the more provision a man makes for lusts before and the more plots he hath going to accomplish his lusts the more unclean that man is Rom. 13.14 As Iudas sought opportunity to betray Christ Mat. 26.16 And some do provide themselves of nets and draggs before hand to catch men as Hab. 1.16 Hos 7.5 and 6.7 They have made ready their heart as an Oven it is conceived to be spoken of the Princes of Israel under some Idolatrous King the hearts of the Princes and the Counsellers were ready as an Oven they had prepared themselves to receive and bring in any wickedness or any Idolatry and they were ready to bring the people into it and they had their Agents went about to leaven the people that were not all of that mind presently in the mean time it is said the saker the King some say or else they that had the special hand in this he sleeps not at night but he observes how the plots take and where the lump is leavened and the people prepared to entertain the innovations that he did intend to bring in and if they miss an opportunity of sinning they be sorry for it 2 King 5.20 Sixthly and lastly The more lust doth disturb a man in holy duties it did shew indeed that Elyes sons were sons of Belial that lay with the women at the door of the Tabernacle 1 Sam. 2.22 It argued that Zimry was desperately set upon evil when in a day of humiliation he durst bring a woman where all the Congregation were humbling themselves before the Lord. So for a man to lead a lust through the whole soul in the special presence of God in his Ordinances shews a very unclean spirit if the heart of the people go after covetousness when they are hearing
soul to feed upon in the expectation of mercy he gave them to be meat to his people in the wilderness Psal 74.14 so former Judgements are meat also for the soul to feed upon in the expectation of future for the wrath of God breaking in upon a people is like a breach in awall where the enemy will be sure with all violence to break in if no man stand in the gap to make resistance impossibile a patente porta iram Dei non procedere For by a lesser Judgement God makes way for his anger for a perfect and an utter ruine Psaul 78.50 Let us see whether the same way be not made with us as it was with them First all Nations about them were against them Ier. 12.9 Mine inheritâ—nce is as a speckled Bird the Birds round about her are against her as a strange Bird seldom seen the Birds usually fall upon and set themselves against her if we did wisely consider the estate of this Kingdom how it is a speckled bird and how the Nations about her are against her as a strange bird it were easy to conceive and what expectations most of them have from the present state of things amongst us it is not hard to guess Secondly the general corruption and decay of truth and wisdom of men in places of greatest trust their silver becomes dross and their wine mixed with water Isa 1.22 their Judges and Officers and men in authority growing daily more and more corrupt the best of them is a Briar Mich. 7.4 that is a poor man flies to them for shelter as a sheep to a thorny hedge and instead of defending they do fleece him in and what follows the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh now shall be their perplexity what hath been the condition of this state we all know how servants have ruled over us and there was none to deliver us out of their hands men of servile birth and education and servile spirits in so much that there hath been no peace either to him that went out or to him that came in for God did vex us with all adversity 2 Chron. 15.6 Thirdly the subversion of fundamental Laws of the Kingdom which the Scripture calls the foundation upon which a Kindom stands which was a bitter complaint of the Church of God in this state all the foundations of the earth were out of course Psal 82.5 what invasions have been made upon us and our Laws hath been abundantly of late discovered and Solomon tells us that he that breaks a hedge a Serpent shall bite him Eccl. 10.8 he speaks it of this hedge by which a people are defended and kept several that all do not become first a Common and then a Wilderness Lastly private and intestine divisions amongst us the fore-running of Gods last and fiercest wrath upon that people Ephraim against Manassch and both against Iudah Isa 9. ult which the Lord saith is as if one member in the same body should be injurious to another as if a man should eate the flesh of his own arm and how far the wrath of God is at present stretched forth against this Nation we all know and complain of what secret whisperings and murmurings what jealousies and fears there are one of another and what parties and how for these divisions there do arise great thoughts of heart we can never sufficiently bewail which doth continnally threaten that the Lord will take us and dash us one against another as Potters Vessels These were the fore-runners of Judgement with this Nation which did show them that the time of Judgement was at hand and these are now the sins of the times which may justly occasion us to conceive that the time of Judgement is at hand let it not be our sin which is here reproved as theirs that we should not know the time of the Judgement of the Lord. Vse Use for direction only in five things First not to know the time is misery enough therefore men are taken suddenly unawares insnared in an evil time as birds in an evil share and as fishes in an evil net Eccl. 9.12 Secondly that you may know the time to improve this promise Whosoever keepeth the Commandment shall find no evil a wise mans heart shall discern time and Iudgement Eccl. 8 5. Thirdly a wise man foresees the evil and hides himself but fools pass on and are punished Prov. 22.3 First by a work of humiliation Hab. 3.16 When I heard my belly trembled rottenness entred into my bones I trembled in my self that I might rest in the evil day Secondly a work of reformation Zeph. 2.3 Seek righteousness seek meeknesâ— it may be you may be hid in the day of the Lords wrath Thirdly improve all the promises that perfection to which you are called Isa 26 ult come my people enter into your chambers the Promises and Attributes are the chambers of the godly but you must come into them else they will afford no shelter upon all the glory shall be a defence Fourthly be much in prayer to lay in for this time will be profitable for you for know prayer never proves ineffectual to a spiritual end it never in this respect comes too late because God never comes too late 1 King 18.45 Luke 21.36 Watch therefore and pray continually that you may be accounted worthy to escape all those things that shall come to pass fidelibus orationibus Deum ambimus coelum tundimus Fifthly betake thy self to the mediation of Christ Mich. 5.5 for this man shall be the peace when the enemy comes into the Land he is a refuge from the storm a defence from the wind a river of water in a dry place and the shaddow of a great Rock in a weary Land Isa 52.2 therefore return you to your strong holds you prisoners of hope Zach. 9.12 Remember his name is Shilo the peace-maker and he is so called everywhere when the Scepter departs from Judah Gen. 49.9 there must needs be nothing but trouble yet then he is the peace-maker then doth Shilo come
Mat. 16.3 It is that Christ reproves in the Pharisees they could discern the true face of the sky but could not discern the signs of the times one might have been done as wel as the other if they had applyed themselves to the like care and industry But may it be known as the Lord governs the world by the Sun Psal 19.1 Rom. 10.18 and in nature doth many times cause Comets and blazing Stars as tokens of some dangerous and dismal accidents approaching in nature so hath the Lord set forth by the Book of the Word some signs also hat are as so many Comets to the world if a man doth wisely behold them by a spiritual eye and a right judgement resulting from them for the waies of God are unchangable he is not wearied with process of time neither can he be ever won to give his blessing in one age which he hath cursed in another and therefore that which hath been a sign of Iudgement in one age must needs be so in another for the word of God is like to a well-drawn picture that casts an eye upon every person and every Nation alike It is necessary therefore to enquire what be the signs foregoing Iudgement which the Scripture doth set down I will only mention these two which I desire every one that is wise will lay to heart that so he may be able a little to discern the signs of the times First a fulness of sin that is made the sign when Iudgement was to come upon the Amorites Gen. 15.16 when their iniquity was full and this is made the ground of bringing Iudgement put in thy sikle and reap for the harvest is ripe Ioel 3.16 So Jer. 1.11,12 An Almond tree hath the first ripe fruit of any tree and it notes the hastening of them to ripen their sins and the Lord saith as they did hasten their sins to a ripeness so he would hasten to ripen his Iudgements so that this is a certain sign foregoing Iudgement But when is sin full when is it ripe in a Nation I know Divines commonly and truly set forth the fulness of sin by its universality impudency and obstinacy but I will not insist upon these But let us look into this Nation of Iudah of which our Prophet speaks here and see what did ripen their sins and brought them to that fulness that brought the Iudgement see what it was amongst them that filled the Epha and made way for the women with the wind in their wings to carry them away First when a people seeks to make void the Law then it is time for God to work that is to execute Iudgement so David saith Psal 119.126 the word in the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies irritum facere non palam ex professo sed oblique not by open opposing but by secret undermining it is fitly exprest by our Saviour Mat. 13.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye have unlorded taken away the ruling power of the Law by your Traditions how this hath been done in this Nation in these latter times is not unknown unto them that know any thing of the Doctrine of this Church sometimes by opposing Scripture to Scripture sometimes by subtile distinctions grounded upon Scriptures in a show by misinterpretations and frigid expositions put upon Scripture by false conclusions and Paralogismes drawn out of Scripture and by customs and Church traditions put upon it as the practise of the Primitive Church the Iudgement of the learned and all that the wisdom of men and not the Law of God might rule but when men come so far that they dare not only to change the Laws of men but to temper with and un-lord the Law of God it is time for the people of God to pray and then it is time for God to work Secondly corrupting the worship of God by humane inventions that have a show of wisdom and will-worship to hold correspondency with Idolaters Jer. 2.33 Why trimest thou thy way to seek love he speaks it of their correspondence with Idolaters sometimes with Egypt and sometimes with Assyria◠they did so order things in Gods worship as might best further their Politick ends now this triming did please and then another and all was to please their Lovers How much triming hath been used in this Nation of late years we must have Altars Crucifixes Copes Tapers Basons sometimes we have been taken with the French sometimes the Spanish and sometime the Italian fashion what is this but to trim our way to seek love Thirdly Confederacy with Idolaters of a contrary Religion Ier. 2.36 why gaddest thou about to change thy way sometimes they went down to Egypt sometimes they did slie to Assyria c. this is called the fornication of the Nations Ezek. 16. The gadding of this Nation of latter times in this kind I need not speak of that it is too well known unto most Nations in the Christian world but all that ever we are like to get by it is the same that was the gain of this people Ahaz made a confederacy with the King of Assyria 2 Chron. 28.20 and he came and distressed him but strengthened him not Fourthly abusing the Messengers of God 2 Chron. 36.16 They mocked his Messengers and they mis used his Prophets till the wrath of God rose up against them that there was no remedy How far this hath taken place in these latter daies is not unknown to all many of them imprisoned disgraced deprived and those that did enjoy their liberty for the most part Prophecied in Sackcloth Rev. 11. in much affliction and full of doubts and fears every one suspecting whether what he did would please or no. Fifthly not laying to heart the afflictions of our Brethren Amos 6.6.7 They drink wine in bowls and stretch themselves upon beds of Ivory therefore they shall go into Captivity with the first that go Captive how far we have been affected with the distresses of our bretheren in France formerly the desolations in Germany and the present unheard of cruelties in Ireland our hearts know very well and it will be well if in the day when the Lord makes in juisition for blood some of this blood be not found bound up in our own skirts These were the evils that ripened the harvest of sin with them and moved the Lord to say unto the Executioner of Judgement put in thy sickle and reap oel 3.13 and how can we expect but that it shall be so with us also for God measures all Nations with the same line and the same plumet Isa 28.17 Secondly the beginnings of Iudgement are an evident token that the time of Iudgement draws neer When the Fig-tree puts forth leaves you say summer is neer so when you se these things come to pass say it is neer even at the door Lu 2.30 3 For he saith in Judgement when begin I wil also make an end 1 Sam. 3.12 as former mercies be pledges of future and meat for the