bee The same admonitions of our Saviour are related totidem dem verbis Marke 13. v. 14. to the 20. and by S. Luk. 21. 21. to the 26. with some additions Then let them which are in Iudea fly unto the mountaines and let them which are in the midst of it depart out and let not them which are in the countrey enter thereinto For these bee the dayes of vengeance that all things which are written may be fulfilled and they shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall bee led away captive into all Nations And Ierusalem shall bee trodden downe of the Gentiles untill the times of the Gentiles bee fulfilled After Gods wrath had once seyzed upon them the execution of it was so nimble quicke that if it had continued but some few weeks or many dayes as it had begun all Isaacks seed according to the flesh had utterly perished But for the elect's sake or such as God had chosen out of that Nation to propagate the Kingdome of his sonne these dayes of tribulation were shortned And however the persecution of both Iewes and Christians did not determine with the destruction of Ierusalem yet the number of Christians did multiply faster then the seed of Abraham according to the flesh had done in Egypt Now all these signes which our Saviour had given of Ierusalem's destruction were fulfilled within forty yeares after his resurrection and ascension and the dissolution of the Temple of the city which these signes or abominations did portend was accomplished in the Autumne following Now after the exhibition of these signes and the tribulation of those dayes the fearefull signes here mentioned in my text were immediatly to follow But how immediatly without any delay or inter position of time of dayes of monthes or yeares this wee may not say this wee cannot safely collect from our Saviour's words These signes were to follow immediatly non immediatione tēporis sed immediatione signorum that is they were to follow immediatly not with reference to the next times ensuing but with reference to the next remarkable signes of the times of which the world as well the Christians then encreased as the reliques of the Iewish Nation as the Gentiles who were the greatest part of the world after the destruction of Ierusalem were to take warning In this sense wee say that one King is another's immediat successor if there be no King betweene them albeit their bee an interregnum either of weekes or moneths betwixt them The vacancy of an Episcopall see for one or two yeares or more doth not make the next succeeding Bishop not to be the others immediat successor albeit there bee an intermediat time betwixt the ones death or removall and the others election or consecration Thus albeit the signes in my text did immediatly succeed the former signes of Ierusalem's destruction yet the world as well the Iewes and Christians as the Romans had a convenient time allotted to pause or meditate upon the strange desolation of Ierusalem and Iudea before the second ranke of signes here in my text were to bee exhibited for they were not exhibited untill the second yeare of Titus his raigne For seeing the Nations would take no notice of Christ's Kingdome or of Gods judgements by the prodigious destruction of Ierusalem it was shall I say his will yea an act of his mercy to give them a second a more solemne publique warning of that great and terrible day wherein that Iesus whom the Iewes had crucified whom the Romans had strangely sleighted and grievously persecuted in his members will come with glory and power to execute judgement upon all ungodly men upon all unbelievers or rebels against his Kingdome But before I come to shew you the particular manner how this phophecy was fulfilled within that age current wherein it was uttered it will be expedient to acquaint you with the strange manner how the Iewes first and the Romans after them did misconstrue or pervert the signes of the time which God had given them for their good The Heathen writers themselves acknowledge there was a constant fame or received opinion throughout the East that the land of Iury in this age should bring forth one who was to be Lord and King over the whole world This generall fame and opinion tooke its originall from the prophecies of the old testament concerning our Saviour's birth and resurrection And unto these propheticall predictions all the signes of the time did fully accord yet seeing our Saviour's Kingdome was not of this world though more universall seeing the authority which hee excercised was meerely spirituall not temporall seeing he would not take upon him to imprison to put to death or to divide inheritances or to manage warres against the enemies of this people they sleited him then as most part of the world have done his true Embassadors since For who is there almost that feares the edge of the spirituall sword unlesse it be backed with the temporall But did the Iewish Nation then take notice of the former constant fame throughout the East concerning the great Lord of Lords which was then to arise out of Iury or had they no apprehension of the signes of the time which did confirme or seale the truth of the prophecies which occasioned this fame Yes the signes of those times did worke very strange though very bad effects even in the very worst of this people Their hearts were so overgrowne with pride vaine-glory and hypocrisy that the abundance of these and the like bad humours did turne good Physicke even the foode of life it selfe into deadly poyson For out of this undoubted prenotion that this was the very time wherein the Lord had promised to deliver this people from the hands of their enemies they became so prone as the event proves they were to take armes and rebell against the Romans partly about the time of our Saviour's birth but especially after his resurrection when his Kingdome began to bee propagated through the world There was no man of greater might or potency amongst them which did not take upon him to promise this peoples deliverance from the Roman yoke with which the more they strugled the sorer it crushed them and the multitude were as prone to believe every one that would take upon him the name or title of a Saviour or deliverer The fore-sight of this pronenesse in great ones to promise salvation to this people and the peoples promptnesse to believe them did occasion our Saviour to give these admonitions to his Disciples Beware of false Christs Mat. 24. v. 4. Mark 13. v. 6. Luk. 21. v. 6. which would arise in Iury before the destruction of Ierusalem with such faire inticeing promises and pretences of deliverance that if it had beene possible the very elect should have beene deceived by them And no question but many of our Saviour's Disciples had followed these false Christs unlesse their master the true Christ had expressely forewarned them to
joynt or member of the body wherein the Gangrene or other deadly spreading sore hath got possession or roote From this internall imbred corruption he proceeds unto more publique and grievous wounds or diseases usually made by causes externall as when Israel shal be overthrowne before their enemies v. 25. When the heavens shall be shut up and the earth be without raine v. 26. When there shal be Famine Pestilence mildew Grashoppers or Caterpillers When the enemy shall besiege thee in the Cities When they shal be afflicted by any Plague or sicknesse v. 28. The soveraigne remedy for all and every one of these and the like is the very same and it is this v. 20. 21. Then heare thou from heaven from thy dwelling place their prayer and their supplications and maintaine their cause and forgive thy people which haue sinned against thee v. 29. But what if this people should be led captive into a foraigne land not permitted to repaire unto this house where the Lord had placed his name This Solomon foresaw as a matter not impossible how ample soever his promises unto his father David and his seed might in ordinary construction seeme to be is there any possible salve for this possible fore or can this house which he had consecrated to be an house of prayer afford them in this case any remedy when they could not come to pray in it yes the remedy is prescrib'd v. 38. 39. If they returne to thee with all their heart and with all their soule in the land of their captivity whither they haue caryed them captives and pray toward their land which thou gavest unto their fathers and towards the city which thou hast chosen and towards the house which I have built for thy name Then heare thou from heaven c. Soe then both Prince and people were to pray in this house whilst they possest this land and city wherein it stood to pray towards it when they soiourned in forraigne Coasts or were detained in the land of their captivity to pray towards the place wherein it had stood in case it should be demolished So did Daniel after this house which Solomon built was burnt to the ground 3 The prerogatives which he petitions might be bestowed upon this house of prayer were you see exceeding great Was it then any part of his intention in the suite or of Gods purpose in the grant to have this house endowed with such ample priviledges for the use or benefit of Israel only or of Abrahams seede according to the flesh surely Solomon did conceive his prayers out of a perfect and speciall faith yet the specialty of his faith in Gods promises made unto Israell or to Abrahams seede did no way extinguish his charity or abate his good affectiō towards others for he expressely consecrates his house to be an house of prayer for the use benefit of all the nations under heaven though in the first place for Israel Moreover as touching the stranger which is not of thy people Israel but is come from a farre country for thy great names sake and thy mighty hand and thy streched out arme if they come and pray in this house then heare thou from heaven even from thy dwelling place and doe according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for that all people of the earth may know thy name and feare thee as doth thy people Israell and may know that this house which I haue built is called by thy name 32. 33. He knew the gracious goodnesse of his God to be in it selfe so great so truly infinite that it could not be a whit lessoned towards Israell how farre soever it were extended towards others as it is extended to all men without exception insensu divise though not in sensu composito it is thus far extended unto all to the end that they might come to the knowledge of the truth but not extended not communicated to such as love darknesse better then light and falshood then truth It was then well with Israell when their charity towards others was like their heavenly fathers love without factious partiality or respect of persons It was their seeking to ingrosse Gods promised blessings unto mankind which twice brought that greivous curse upon them under which at this day they sigh and groane Now if all the nations on earth had this interest in Solomons Temple shall we deny any one of what Nation soever the like interest in Abrahams seed concerning whom the Lord had sworne that in him should all the nations of the earth be blessed Thus much of the generall scope or view of this Chap to retire my selfe unto my text which is as the center or fittest Angle for taking the exact survey of this long and fruitfull field 4 To give you then a briefe comprehension of the principallest and most fundamentall truths either directly incident into or naturall emergent out of it First it is taken as granted by Solomon and it is to us a point of faith that as well the Calamities as the Prosperities of states and kingdomes are from the Lord It is he that giveth life as well to bodyes politique as to naturall It is he that woundeth and it is he that maketh whole Secondly no Calamity or wounds of state are in their nature incurable if this remedy be sought in time they grow incurable only by neglect of the medicines in Gods word prescribed Thirdly the only Soveraigne remedy for restoring states and kingdomes diseased and wounded by the hand of God unto their perfect health is prayer and Supplications to the King of Kings The last must be the conditions of the prayers or qualification of the Supplicants by whom such prayers as may prevaile with God must be made Vpon this point Solomon often toucheth in severall passages of this Chapter Such of the heathens as were alwayes ready to sacrifice unto their owne right armes for victory inbattle and unto their owne wit in policy for the sweet fruits of peace did often observe certaine surplusses of successe good or bad which they could not account to be the naturall issue either of their industry or contrivance and whatsoever fell without the mould of their hopes or feares was attributed to fates if it were disastrous to fortune or chance if it were good now whatsoever the heathens did ascribe to fortune to chance or fate or to any other supposed guide of nature or intermedling power in humane affaires all these the wise king ascribes wholy unto his God he is the God of peace and yet the God that maketh warre the Lord of hostes the God of plenty and yet the God that sendeth scarcity The God of our health and life and yet it is he which punisheth with plague and sicknesses Nor are we bound only to derive all extraordinary successe which the heathen gave to fortune and fate but ever even the usuall successe of ordinary endeavours be it good or bad from his providence That the
city of Ierusalem a curse to all the earth The Priests and Prophets contend that he was to be put to death and the people at the first concurre with them in this bloudy sentence but afterward comply with the Princes whose verdict was that he was not worthy to die because he had spoken to them in the name of the Lord their God And vpon this verdict the elders of the land giue judgment from a ruled case in the Prophet Micah who had spoken more terrible words against both citie and temple in more peremptory manner then Ieremy now had done and yet not therefore put to death but reverenced by Hezekiah as you haue it in the beginning of this 19. verse Did Hezekiah king of Iudah and all Iudah put Micah at all to death Did he not feare the Lord and besought the Lord Now if the solemne practise of so good a King as Hezekiah was could not moue them yet the happy successe of his practise should in reason allure them to deale more mildly with Ieremy then was intended by them For vpon Hezekia's prayers and repentance the Lord repented him of the euill which he had pronounced against Ierusalem and Sion and when they further adde thus might we procure great euill against our soules they imply thus much that if this present assembly doe not repent of their ill intentions against Ieremy the Lord would not repent of the euill which by his mouth he had pronounced against them The points which offer themselues to be discussed are but two The first in what sense God is said to repent The second in what case it is said that God will not repent or that he is not as man or the sonne of man that he should repent Deus tunc poenitere dicitur quando non facit aut quod minatur aut quod permittit God as some giue out who take vpon them to resolue this point is then said to repent when he doth not effect the evill which he threatneth or the good which he promiseth All this is true yet no true definition no iust expression of repentance either as it is applyable in Scripture to God or man Most true it is that whensoeuer God is said to repent it must be conceived that he did not effect either the euill which he threatned or the good which he promised But it is not reciprocally true that whensoeuer God doth not bring that euill of punishment to passe which he threatneth it is rightly said or conceiued that he did repent A loving father may sometimes threaten to chastise sometimes promise to reward the sonne whom he loveth best and yet not be truly thought to repent albeit he neither chastise nor reward him For hee may thus mingle threatnings with incouragements with purpose only to try his present disposition Thus we read that God who is a most loving father to mankind did command Abraham to sacrifice his only sonne Isaac whom he loved This was a threatning command at least in respect of Isaac Now albeit the Lord did withhold Abraham's hand from executing this command yet doe we not read nor is it to be conceived that God did repent of that which he gave Abraham in charge The reason is because he charged Abraham thus to doe not with purpose to have Isaac then presently sacrificed but only to try the sincerity and strength of Abrahams ' faith and obedience and by this triall to gaine his assent unto the offring up of the seed promised from the beginning of the world which was from this time irreversibly ordained to be the seed of Abraham For seeing God from the beginning had determined to give his only sonne for the redemption of man it was his good pleasure to confirme this promise by oath unto a man that was ready to offer up his only sonne in sacrifice unto God and Abraham from this very intended worke as S. Iames tels us was called the friend of God the promise made to our first parents was now accomplished by way of contract or covenant betwixt God and Abraham that the sonne of God and seed of Abraham should bee offred up in sacrifice for a blessing unto all the nations of the earth This being the end or purpose of God in commanding Abraham to sacrifice his only sonne Isaac in whom his seed was called there is no semblance of repentance in God although he did withhold Abraham's hand from doing that which he had commanded him to doe They therefore come neerer unto the meaning of the Holy Ghost in this particular expression who tell us that Deus tunc poenitere dicitur quando non facit quod facturus erat God is then said to repent when he doth not that which he was about to doe or that which hee intended or purposed to have done For without a revocation or reversing of somewhat seriously purposed or intended there can be no true notion of repentance whether in God in man or Angels And this notion or expression of repentance as it is attributed unto God in scripture we have expressely delivered by the Prophet Ieremy Chap 18. from v. 7. to the 11. At what instant I shall speake concerning a nation and concerning a Kingdome to plucke up and to pull downe and to destroy it If that nation against whom I have pronounced turne from their evill I will repent of the evill that I thought to doe unto them And at what instant I shall speake concerning a nation and concerning a kingdome to build and to plant it if it doe evill in my sight that it obey not my voice then I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them This generall to my observation was first drawne into a rule or doctrinall forme by the Prophet Ieremiah yet the truth of the former part of it was experienced long before in the men of Nineveh though contrary to the mind and expectation of the Prophet Ionas not out of a nescience of this rule or Gods usuall dealing with men but out of a particular dislike or discontent that the sentence which God had commanded him to pronounce should not be put in execution The sentence was yet 40 dayes and Nineveh shall be destroyed Ionas 3. v. 4. This solemne proclamation the Lord did dictate unto him as it is v. 2. Did the Lord thus speake to try the Ninevites disposition only had he no intention or thought as the Prophet Ieremy speakes to overthrow or destroy the citie Certainly the Ninevites did thinke he had and yet this their thought or opinion is commended unto us by the Holy Ghost under the stile or title of beliefe for so it is said v. 5. The people of Nineveh believed God Wherein did they believe in him or what did they believe of him Surely they believed in the first place that hee meant as he spake that he had a purpose or intention to destroy them They knew their sinnes had deserved no lesse and they believed that God