more taken with the sweetnesse of honey then with the Royal Eagle that Embleme of Noblenesse with the Brightnesse of the Sun God is the * Summum Bonum Chiefest Good the most Amiable Object to an Intellectual Eye and yet more Amiable to a Spiritual Eye as he discloses his Beauties in the Face of Christ Sensual Pleasure is a soon vanishing smile a tickling of the Senses causing †Eccl. 7.6 the Laughter of Fools What Fools are those that prefer a vanishing shadow before a never fading Beauty And besides these transitory Pleasures thus inordinately pursu'd end in eternal Paines Momentaneum quod delectat Aeternum quod cruciat The Delight of an Epicure like the †Job 20.5 joy of an hypocrite is but for a moment but his torment is everlasting And yet do these foolish Epicureans love their pleasures more then God as appears in this that they forsake God to follow their pleasures and while they are taken up with the entertainment of their pleasures they say to God depart from us we care not for the knowledge of thy Wayes * Job 21.10 11. Such are they of whom the Prophet speaks †Amos 6.4 5 6. That lie upon Beds of Ivory and stretch themselves upon their couches and eat the Lambs out of the Flock and the calves out of the midst of the Stall That chant to the sound of the Vial and invent to themselves Instruments of Musick like David That drink Wine in Bowles and anoint themselves with the chief oyntments but they are not grieved for the Affliction of Joseph They banish sorrow from their hearts and sink in downy Delights They regard not the State of the Church nor care for the Commands of God They live in a Paradise of Pleasures and so pass into a Purgatory of Paines a place where their Flowers are all faded and where that Fire is kindled which shall burne for ever Thus the Apostle James reproves the Rich men of his Dayes who were great Oppressors of the Poore * Jam 5.1 4 5 Ye have lived in Pleasure saith he on the earth and been wanton ye have nourisht your hearts as in a Day of slaughter The words in the Orignal are more Elegant and Emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ye have been luxurious and lascivious But what 's the end of these irreligious and wanton Epicures They are but fatted with the swine to the slaughter A Voluptuous man cannot be a Virtuous man Vertue can finde no Place much lesse hope for Preferment in the Kingdom of Pleasure In the Deluge of Pleasure the Dove of Piety can finde no place where to set the sole of her Foot But punishment will take place where Piety can finde none The nineteenth Character 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Habentes speciem quidem Pietatis Virtutem autem ejus abnegantes †Vetus Vel habentes Formam Pietatis sed qui Vim ejus abnegarint * Beza Vel quibus est species Reverentiae Dei a Virtute Dei longe discedunt †Syr. Interp Trem. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 autem significat inane Pietatis simulacrum * Bez. in loc 19. Having a form of godlinesse but denying the power thereof These are Hypocritical Professours of Religion who make a faire shew outwardly but there 's no substance there 's nothing but Emptynesse within They set up an Image of godliness which was never enlivened with Grace They make a shew of Devotion without any Truth of Affection They have an outward Forme but they want that inward Fâ—rvour which should give Life and Heate to all their exercises of Religion and godlinesse The †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Word here used signifies not an Essential but an Accidental form the Visor or Mask not the Beauty or Lineaments of true godlinesse They weare Christs Livery but never learn that Lesson which he taught his Disciples * Mat. 10.38 Luk. 9.23 To deny themselves to take up their Crosse and follow Christ. They are like those that weare anothers Picture when they care not for his Person They content themselves with the shell of Religion without the Kernel the shadow without the Substance the forme without the Power They deny the power of godlinesse that is they are utterly void of it altogether strangers to it They neither feel nor exercise the Vigour and Life of true Godlinesse solid Christianity They do not experiment the Efficacy of it upon their Hearts nor expresse the Beauty of it in their Lives They are acquainted it may be with the Letter but strangers to the Spirit of the Gospel They are as so many Bull-rushes growing in the waters of the Sanctuary smooth without but spungy and non-substantial within Their Religion is but a Body without a Soul a Cage without a Bird a painted Cabinet without the Jewel a very Picture without Life strength or motion They are in a word no better then painted Pageants of pretended Piety To compleat the number of these Characters we shall draw one more from the thirteenth Verse of this Chapter where these Persons before so largely describ'd by their several Properties are further called The twentieth Character 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mali homines seductores †Vetus Vel Improbi homines Impostores * Beza 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dictus significat aliquid amplius quam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nempe eum qui sit in omni scelere exercitatus ad injuriam cuivis inferendam totus comparatus †Bez. in Mat. 5.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est homo de industria malus malignus ad male agendum exercitatus * Cornel. a Lap. Diabolus per quandam Antonomasiam vocatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Drus Obs Sac. l. 13. c. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praestigiatorem seu Prestigiis Incantatione Imposturis fallentem apud Veteres * Platonem sc Herodot Alios Graecos significat 20. Evil men and Seducers Sinne and Seduction go hand in hand together These two fitly concur to make up one Character of a wicked man The greater sinner a man is the sooner will he become a Seducer The greater the sinner the nearer to Satan the nearer to Satan the sooner a Seducer Now they are called evil men from their setting themselves to work wickednesse so the word imports Hence they are elsewhere called * Psal 6.8 Mat. 7.23 Workers of iniquity They are such as are desperately determinately wicked thoroughly exercised in wicked works They are such as trouble and vex the truly godly by their wickednesse They are such as being made up of mischief do make a Trade yea a Sport of sin It is saith the Wise man †Prov. 10.23 a sport to a Foole to do mischief Hence is the Devil whose onely Delight is in sin and Mischief sometimes in Scripture called by this very Name * Mat. 13.19 1 Joh.
the Times which is properly applyable to them that shall live in them For properly time is not capable of any impressions of Good or Evil it can neither be priviledg'd with safety nor opprest with Difficulty nor exposed to Danger But those are called hard and perillous times wherein those that live in them are exercised with difficulties and exposed to Dangers Tempori tribuuntur ejusmodi Epitheta Metonymicè propter ea quae in tempore contingunt maximè propter hominum Mores ac studia †Estius And therefore are the Times here called Perillous because of those things which should fall out in those Times especially because of the perillous Practises of the men of the Times So likewise the Apostle elsewhere calls the * Eph. 5.16 Days evil because of the Evil men that liv'd in those days and the Evil things that were done by those men as Chrysostome well notes What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Chrysost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes he is the evil of the Day The Evil of the Day must needs be something about the Day What is the Evill of the Body Sicknesse What 's the Evil of the Soul Vitiousness How then does he call the dayes evil how does he call the time evil He calls them not so for their Nature or Essence or as they are Creatures but for the things that are done in them So that men are Authours of the Evils that fall out in the Times and for this Cause are they called evil Times They are indeed bad men that make the Times bad hard Hearts that make hard Times perillous Undertakings difficult Designes troublesome and tyrannical Intrusions Actings Impositions of men of proud daring and ambitious Spirits that make these perillous difficult and troublesome Times So the same Father determines upon this very Text. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Chrysost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perillous Times shall come He speaks not this to accuse the Dayes or finde fault with the Times but the men that should then be For we are wont to call the Times good or bad from the Things that are done by men in such Times And indeed those are the worst Times that do produce the worst men and wherein these men do accomplish their worst Designes and execute their most mischievous Intentions That 's the worst ground which is most overgrown with weeds especially if such weeds as neither any good Graine nor wholesom Herbs nor Fragrant Flowers will grow amongst them And such are the Times whereof the Apostle here Prophecies so that we may truly say of him as Casaubon of Taciâ—us Ejusmodi tempora descripsit quibus nulla unquam aut Virtutum steriliora aut Virtutibus in imicitiora He hath describ'd such times as never were any more barren of Vertues or more pregnant with Enmity and opposition to all Goodnesse Those Times that are most barren in Virtues are ever most fruitful in Vices Evils do most abound when Goodnesse is banisht Sin then reignes upon Earth when †Ultima Caelestum Terras Astraâ—a reliquit Ovid. Righteousnesse flies up to Heaven The Flowers are choaked when the Weeds grow tallest Thus was the * Mat. 13.7 good Seed stifled amongst the thriving Thornes When the Plague of sin Errour and Profanenesse reigns the Times must needs be Perillous Thus we see what these Times here predicted shall be even evil and perillous Times The Prediction COme we now in the next Place to enquire When these Times shall be This the Apostle tells us in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in ultimis Diebus seu in Diebus novissimis instabunt * Vet. Beâ— They shall come they shall press upon us and as it were instantly overtake us in the last Dayes Now the Times of the Gospel in respect of the four thousand years that went before even the whole space of Time from Christs first to his second Coming from his Ascention into Heaven to his Return to Judgement at the end of the world is in the Scripture-Phrase called the last Dayes So sayes the Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrews †Chap. 1. ver 1 2. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken to us by his Son So the Apostle applies to his Times the Prophetick Prophecy of the Old Testament * Act. 2.16 17 Joel 2.28 This is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel And it shall come to passe in the last Dayes saith God I will poure out my Spirit upon all Flesh Of the same Import is that which the same Apostle speaks in his Epistle to the believing Jews †2 Pet. 3.3 knowing this that there shall come in the last Dayes scoffers walking after their own lusts The whole time therefore of the Evangelical Administration is here to be understood by the last Dayes yet so as the later the time the darker the dayes unlesse in some lucid Intervals and when those Illustrious Prophecies and Promises of the Old Testament concerning glorious Gospel-times shall be fulfill'd As that * Isa 30.2 6 The Light of the Moon shall be as the Light of the Sun and the Light of the Sun shall be sevenfold as the Light of seven dayes Yea that †Isa 24.23 Then the Moon shall be confounded and the Sunne ashamed when the LORD of Hosts shall reigne in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his Ancients gloriously And that * Hab. 2.24 The Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the Sea Such may we expect the times to be when the Lord shall fulfill his Promises concerning the †Rev. 18.2 Fall of Babylon and * 2 Thes 2.8 destruction of Antichrist the †Rom. 11 25 26. Call and Conversion of the Jews and the bringing in of the Fulnesse of the Gentiles But otherwise the last Age we may expect according to this and * 2 Pet. 3.3 1 Joh. 2.18 Jude v. 18. Mat. 24 9 12 29. Rev. 8. and 9. and 20. other Predictions in the New Testament to be the worst Age the last Dayes to be the worst Dayes Thus we see how the last Dayes respect the whole time of the Gospel-Church from the Apostles times to the End of the World This is the Evening of the World as the time before was the Morning The nearer Night the greater darknesse till the Glory of the Lord like Lightning shall break out of the Clouds The nearer the Bottomâ— the more Dregges The Absence of the Sunne makes Night in the World And the longer the time is it hath left us the greater is our darknesse till its Return shall make a new Day Such is Christs Absence from his Church yet as we have seen some Beames of Glory shall be scatter'd upon Earth before the King of Glory shall return from Heaven Thus the Dawne
Communication be Yea yea Nay nay For whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil The Apostle James * Chap. 5. ver 12. further backs this Injunction and earnestly presses this Prohibition But above all things saith he my Brethren Sweare not neither by Heaven neither by the Earth neither by any other Oath but let your Yea be yea and your Nay nay lest ye fall into Condemnation How strange it is that men should delight to pollute their own soules and pull down judgement on the Land by the Customary Commission of a sin so strictly prohibited under the Pain of Damnation This is a sin which hath in it no Profit no pleasure no not sensual sweetnesse enough to bait a temptation How does this argue a Devilish Disposition in men that they will do a thing so much abhord of God so strictly forbidden in the Word so certainly Destructive to their souls when they cannot tast so much as a seeming sweetnesse nor see so much as an appearing Goodnesse in it to be any ground of their Allurement thereunto or occasion of their frequent Commission thereof when such a fin abounds must not God needs be provokt to plague and punish such a desperately wicked People So for the sin of cursing a sin of the same Hellish nature a fruit of the same root of bitternesse how hath the Lord manifested his Displeasure against it by the punishment which he ordained to be inflicted on such as were guilty of it in his holy Word We reade †Lev. 24 10-16 of the Son of an Israelitish woman whose Father was an Egyptian that went out among the Children of Israel in the Camp And this Son of the Israelitish woman blasphemed the Name of the LORD and cursed And they brought him unto Moses And they put him in Ward that the mind of the LORD might be shew'd them And the LORD spake unto Moses saying Bring forth him that hath Cursed without the Camp let all that heard him lay their hands upon his Head and let all the Congregation stone him And hereupon the LORD made it a Statute in Israel that whosoever should be found guilty of this sin whether Israelite or Stranger he should surely be put to Death And therefore however amongst men this sin may go unpunished yet seeing the Name of God is hereby profan'd the LORD will not hold them guiltlesse * Exo. 20.7 that are guilty of it nor suffer them to escape his Righteous judgement That Imprecation of the Psalmist is Prophetical and hath the force of a Commination †Psal 59.12 13. For the sin of their Mouth and the words of their Lips let them even be taken in their Pride and for Cursing and Lying which they speak Consume them in wrath consume them that they may not be and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the Ends of the Earth Doubtlesse the Curse of God hangs over the Heads of those that are given to Cursing Dreadful is that Jmprecation of David of the same Nature with the former * Psal 109 17 18 19. As he loved Cursing so let it come unto him as he delighted not in Blessing so let it be far from him As he cloathed himself with Cursing like as with his Garment so let it come into his Bowels like Water and like Oyle into his Bones Let it be unto him as the Garment which covereth him and for a Girdle where with he is girded continually Woe be to him whose Body Belly Bones are thus cloath'd fill'd consum'd with Cursing This is doubtlesse worse then the most deadly Disease and will prove more intolerable then the torturing Wracks of the terriblest Tyrants in the World Cursing will surely fill the awaken'd Conscience of the guilty sinner with tormenting Agonies which shall last to Eternity Oaths and Curses are as Arrows shot up against heaven which at length fall down upon the Heads of them that shot them Yea they are sparks of Hell-fire or rather Firebrands of Hell which are thrown into the Aire and may if timely Repentance with speedy Reformation and infinite mercy prevent not kindle a deadly burning in that City or Nation wherein they abound unpunished And yet is not this the sinne not onely of the basest sort but of many of the great Gallants of the Times Oathes are the Sause of their Mirth and Curses are the Stings of their Anger Oathes are in Fashion amongst them and to rap them out roundly is a piece of their Gallantry Curses still wart upon their commands and whosoever or whatsoever doth but a little crosse them they wish all the Plagues of hell to light upon them Surely the Devil himself cannot speak more desperate language and utter more damnable speeches then these horribly Profane Gallants If any where there be a Hell upon Earth 't is where these Children of Hell these first-born sonnes of the Devil that have Damnation written in their Foreheads are met together and sit the Devil being doubtlesse in the Head of the Company Bowzing Swearing Storming Cursing Blaspheming as if they would tear Heaven to let down flaming Vengeance and rend the earth to the Bottom of Hell that they might go down quick into that fiery Prison fall down headlong into the burning-Lake A wonder it is of the Divine Patience that when they are rending the Sacred Name of God with Oathes Blasphemies Cursings God doth not give them up into the hands of the Devil to tear them instantly in pieces as we read he hath dealt with some and carry them Body and Soul into Hell But God in Justice lets them live for the Aggravation of their sins and the encrease of their Torments in Hell-fire to Eternity For how can they hope for any salvation by Christ or benefit by his Blood who desperately wrap up his wounds and blood in their Oathes and Curses and so as it were throw them in God Almighty's Face whence is it he doth not with some dreadful Thunderbolt instantly smite them into Hell How should they expect that God should save them in the Day of their Death who disperately bid God damne them every day How can they escape Hell and Damnation who are still bidding the Devil take them upon every slight occasion O desperately Profane Wretches O Devilish wicked Creatures Is it possible there are such to be found under the Sunne Is it possible there should be such Monsters found within the Pale of the Church such Incarnate Devils in a Land enlightned with the Gospel of Christ and honoured with the glorious Profession of Christianity O that the tingling Ears and trembling Hearts of many of Gods children who have occasionally heard this Language of Hell though never privy to the thousandth Part of these Hellish Impieties were not too sad an evidence of these Abominations abounding in the Land Now shall not the Lord visit for these things Shall not his soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Is it not a wonder Heaven
not long behind For Pride goeth before Destruction * Prov. 16.18 Have you not read of the Judgement threatned against Israel Ephraim and Judah for their Pride The Pride of Israel saith the Lord †Hos 5 5. doth testifie to his facâ— therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity Judah also shall fall with them O remember when you are decking your selves with your excellent Ornaments you are but as it were sticking a Corpse with curious Flowers which when God gives the Word must be rumbled into the Grave and turned into Dust And as for the souls of such Proud Persons they must be for ever shut up in the flaming Prison of Hell For if God turned proud Angels out of Heaven certainly he will never suffer proud women to enter in David would not suffer a Proud person to dwell in his House * Ps 101.5 and surely God will not suffer a Proud Peacock to alight in Heaven O consider when you are priding your selves in your Beauty and Ornaments you are plucking of Judgements down upon the Land Your Pride makes you the Spots of the Church the plagues of the City and the procurers of a thousand Miseries to the whole Nation What is it Ladies that is the ground of your Pride Is it the conceit of your Beauty And Alas What 's Beauty but a little shining Dust and that which is the best that many of you can boast of to the world no better then painted Clay And yet there is a generation O how lofty are their eyes and their eye-lids are lifted up †Prov. 30.13 Or is it the rich Apparrel wherewith you set off your Beauty that foments your Pride O vaine Minds Can you be proud of Dust and Clay and the Excrements of Beasts or other more contemptible Creatures And yet you would be accounted Christians and some of you perhaps would be thought to be forward Professors But is this think you to live according to the Rule of the Gospel Can you by these proud Deckings of your Bodies adorn the Doctrine of God your Saviour * Tit. 2.10 If your Bodies are indeed the Temples of the Holy Ghost you cannot surely think it acceptable to God that you should adorn them with such foolish and fantastick Ornaments But perhaps you think Christ hath taken no care given no order in the Gospel concerning such matters But know God in the Gospel hath given command to women professing Christianity not so much to minde these outward Ornaments as to take care of beautifying and adorning their souls with inward excellencies Whose adorning sayes the Scripture †1 Pet. 3.3 4 5. let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the Hair and of wearing of Gold or of putting on of * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vero vestes superiores majoris pretii denotat Chemnit Casaub costly Apparel but let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great Price For after this manner in the old Time the Holy women also who trusted in God adorned themselves And sayes the Apostle Peter * 1 Pet. 5.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Instead of knots of Gold and Silver put on the rare Ornament of Humility For God resisteth the Proud but giveth grace to the humble these shall finde Favour when he comes against the other in Fury But it s much to be feared that you that so much minde these Vanities do very little regard the Gospel However as for you that would disdaine not to be called and accounted Christians and think your selves the onely true Protestants methinks you should blush to see the Folly and Vanity of your Pride both of Beauty and Apparel so lively represented to you by the elegant Pen of that Popish Jesuite with whose Writings it is but too certain you are many of you far more familiarly acquainted then with the Holy Scriptures You will therefore I hope take Acquaintance of this Passage which speaks fully to this Purpose To boast the Beauty of Body is to have a great defect in the Judgement which is the Beauty of the Soul It 's verily a desperate Vanity when a Lady under the Colour that some scribling Rimer hath given her the Locks of Aurora the Eyes of Venus the Port of Juno the Feet of Thetis makes her self the Queen of Antioch and glorifies her self many times with a Beauty meerly imaginary Queen Stratonica the Wife of Selâ—ucus had not one Haire upon her Head yet notwithstanding gave six hundred Crowns to a Poet who had celebrated her in his Verse and sung that her Haire had the tincture of the Marigold I know not how this soothing Flatterer meant it but this Queen became very Proud which made her so much the more Ridiculous Although this Beauty were true it is but white and vermillion skin distended over a Carkasse which covereth many Ordures it is a Dunghill blanch't with snow an Idol of Fooles a Flower of the Field which hath as it were for Horizon the instant of its Birth We may well give it the Epitaph of the Rose Mirabar celerem fugitivâ aetare ruinam Et dum nascuntur consenuisse Rosas Here lies the Rose in one day come From the first Blossome to a Tomb. A much more notorious Folly it also is to boast and brave it in Apparel which are Plaisters of the Scars of sinne to wit Nakednesse borrowed Feathers from all kinde of Birds unpunished Thefts Witnesses of our Poverty which causeth us to beg the Assistance of all creatures to cover our shame What an indignity is it to be desirous to brave it above our State Quality or Port and to arrive at this Height often times to bear the Fat and Marrow of the Poor in the Plaits of Garments Nay these many Rapines are not sufficient to entertain this enraged Prodigality Debts must grow which cannot be discharged Silk must be dragg'd at your Heeles and a Serjeant ready behinde you to shew Gold and hide Misery and Sinne to adorne a Body as if it were a Temple of Egypt with all possible splendor and to Lodge within it the Soul of a Rat. What Infamy is it to behold in a Banquet a Roman Lady called Lollia Paulina Plin. l. 1. c. 35. carry about her in Chaines Carcanets and precious Stones a Million of Gold and her Father who had dispoyl'd all the Roman Provinces to cloath this onely daughter drink afterwards Poyson overwhelm'd in the Despaire of his own affaires Is not the Chamlet coat of the greatest of all our Kings †Lewis of France of power to confound all Courtiers of both Sexes who having nothing worthy of Praise in them would dignifie themselves with Apparel shewing they have like a Peacock a little Head little Brain Beautiful Feathers and a long Tail It s doubtlesse
anothers use who can deprive him of them without Intrenchment upon his just Right to whom they are given And then is not he guilty of †Mal. 3.8 Robbing of God which shall take away that and turn it to a secular Use for his own advanrage which was consecrated to Gods holy service Yea though a man that dedicates any thing to God should not do it with a Right intention yet is it the Lords Right after it is consecrated to a Religious Vse And therefore Christ calls the Temple built by Herod for vain glory his Fathers HOUSE and whips out them that profan'd it * 1 John 2.15 16. Much more will God scourge with his judgements those that under the pretence of Religion commit Sacriledge 'T was one of the Laws of the twelve Tables in Rome Sacrum Sacrove commendatum qui clepserit rapseritve Parricida esto †Cic. pro Rosc Let him that stealeth or violently taketh away holy things or things dedicated to a holy Use be reputed and punished as a Parricide And should Sacriledge be esteemed a lesse Crime amongst Christians then it was amongst Heathens shall we think it a lesse sinne to rob the true God the * Gen. 1.1 Ps 124.8 Creator of Heaven and Earth whose †Eph. 2.10 Workmanship we are for his * Psal 119.73 hands have made and fashion'd us then they did to rob their false gods which were so created by men to defraud their Idols which were the †Ps 115.4 work of mens hands being but * Ezek. 20.32 Wood and Stone or at the best but †Psa 135.15 Silver and Gold Surely if they to expresse the heinousnesse of this sin reckon'd it amongst the vilest murders of Bodies we shall want a sin with which to match it which is in effect a murder of souls It 's sad to think how many thousand souls were murder'd at one stroke when the Revenues of the Church were alienated in many places in England an act then which the Infernal Powers could hardly have decreed any thing more Diabolical and Destructive to the Kingdome of Christ however pretended for the purging of the Land from Superstition and spiritual Tyranny For have not many thousand souls by this means eternally perisht in their sinnes who for want of a competent maintenance for a sound and able Ministry have never enjoy'd the Means of Grace and Salvation but have sat down in Darknesse and the shadow of Death under an ignorant unprofitable and scandalous soul-murthering Ministry maintain'd by some broken reversions of those rich Revenues which were cut off from the Church by that cursed Sacriledge Doubtlesse the Blood of thousands of soules will give Testimony to the truth hereof at the Day of Judgement to the eternal confusion of such damned Sacrilegists who if they escap't punishment in this present Life shall be overtaken with the Wrath and Vengeance of God in the world to come Of this great evil does Calvin complain upon account of the Alienation of Abby-Lands and other depredations made upon the Churches revenues here in England in his Epistle to Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Canterbury as a mighty obstruction to the prosperous successe of the Gospel and Hindrance of the flourishing of the Christian Religion For sayes he Id quo minus fiat occultis quidem artibus obsistit Satan Unum tamen apertum obstaculum esse intelligo quod praedae expositi sunt Ecclesiae Reditus Malum sane intolerabile That this might not be Satan by his secret slights prevailes to the raising of a strong resistance But one thing I understand is an open Obstacle and that is that a Sacrilegious Rape is committed upon the Churches Revenues This is indeed a mischief intolerable And therefore it was both wise and holy Counsel and worthy of a Christian Prince which Christopher of Wittenberg gave to Andrew an eminent Divine in his Dominion when he was sent for by Lodwick Count of Oeting for his advice in some special concernments in the Church that if Count Lodwick should set upon a REFORMATION that under the Pretence of Religion he might rob God and by seizing upon the Revenues of the Church under the pretence of suppressing SUPERSTITION because they were anciently given for the maintenance of Monasteries turn them to his own private use and advantage he should presently leave him as a SACRILEGIOUS Person and come back to his own Countrey How strange is it that such Sacrilegious Persons should go on secure in their sins without fearing the judgement of God which is at their heeles in pursuit of them What a sad end befel Cardinal Woolsey that first began to enrich himself by Lands given to Monasteries And what a revenging hand pursu'd his five chief Agents that were most serviceable to him in that Sacrilegious Enterprize One of them kill'd his fellow in a Duel and was hang'd for it a third drowned himself in a Welâ— a fourth fell from a great estate to extreame Beggery Dr. Allen the last and chiefest of them being made Arch-Bishop of Dublin was cruelly slaine by his Adversaries Whereupon sayes the * Scultâ—t Relator of this sad Story Utinam his similibus Exemplis edocti discant homines res semel Deo consecratas timidè attrectare O that these and such like Examples might teach men to be afraid to meddle with such things as have at any time been consecrated unto God But judgement does not alwayes fall upon the Person but is sometimes reserv'd for the Posterity of those who have stain'd their hands with the guilt of Sacriledge Dionysius of Syracuse was wont to make a Mock of Sacriledge a sinne he thought he might boldly jest with as having made it his Familiar Amongst the rest he took a golden Vestment from the statue of Jupiter Olympius and instead thereof put a Cloak of cloth upon it saying Gold was too heavy for Summer and too cold for Winter but this would suit well with either Season Some have pretended the Churches good in taking away her Gâ—â—ments of Gold as if while her cloathing is of wrought Gold she can never be all glorious within †Ps 45.13 Now might not all men expect some remarkable judgement should be inflicted upon this Sacrilegious Tyrant Yet herein were mens expectations frustrated For sayes Valerius he underwent not the punishment he deserved But take notice for its worthy our observation of the Divine Conclusion which the Heathen Historian makes hereupon Qui tametsi debita supplicia non exolvit Dedecore tamen Filii mortuus Poenas rependit quas vivus effugerat Lento enim gradu ad Vindictam sui Divina procedit Ira tarditatemque supplicii gravitate compensat * Val. Max. l. 1. c. 1. Though sayes he he suffer'd not the punishment due to his insolency during his Life yet was the DISGRACE of his SON a punishment of his pride and stain to his glory after his Death Thus Divine Justice
is fearfully and continually provok'd to arme himself with vengeance and come forth to the Punishment of a rebellious People * See Isa 59 12-19 He hath lightening in his eyes and thunder in his hands if once he be provoked to anger he can in a moment burn up a sinful Nation in an instant break in pieces a rebellious People II. Men are perverted When the minds of men are perverted by the Doctrines of Deceivers all their paths are full of darknesse and danger For the Minde is the eye of the soul And the Light of the soul as of the Body is the eye if therefore thine eye be single sayes our Saviour thy whole body shall be full of Light But if thine eye be evil thy whole body shall be full of darknesse †Mat. 6.22 23 He whose eyes are blinde walks in darknesse at noon-day And when men walk in Darknesse they are continually exposed to Danger When damnable Doctrines are publickly preach'd and multitudes are baptiz'd into the Belief of them and so the souls of men are perverted and impoyson'd by them these must needs be Dayes of Danger perillous Times When the Power of Truth failes and the Plague of Errour and Heresie reignes When the Glory of true Christianity is eclipst and the Mystery of Iniquity is mightily working in the mindes of men such Times must needs be perillous and pernicious III. The Land is polluted Reigning sinnes prevailing abominations especially when patronized by those by whom they should be punished whereby they become National sinnes do exceedingly pollute a Land Now when the Land is polluted what can be expected but that God should depart from it and bring in a Deluge of Judgement or kindle a dreadful burning to purge it Is not this then a sad presage of perillous Times After the House of the Lord in Jerusalem was polluted by the Abominations of the people of Judah both the City and the Temple was destroy'd * 2 Chron. 36.14 15 c. When the Land of Canaan was polluted by the sinnes of the Canaanites God deliver'd both them and their Land into the hand of the Israelites and when it was polluted by the Israelites he deliver'd them up into the hand of the Canaanites as we read in the Book of the Judges †See also Psal 106 38-42 When the Land is polluted by its sinnes it 's just with God to * Lam. 2.2 pollute it by his Judgements And what then can we expect but perillous Times in a polluted Land The third Question Quest 3 WHat is the peril of these Times Answ The evils to be feared in these Times are such as these Answ 1 I. The judgement of God on the Land God may justly bring the Sword and Famine and Pestilence for the punishment of such a provoking People These three Arrows are ever ready in Gods Quiver to be discharg'd against his Enemies God may sweep that Land with the besome of Desolation wherein men under pretences of Gods glory seek their own interests and establishment He may punish spirituall Abominations with temporal Judgements Persecution with War the plague of Errours with the Pestilence the Contempt of the heavenly Manna of his holy Word with Famine and want of necessary food He may wash that Land with Blood that hath been defiled with Oppression and Murder He may sweep that house with the Pestilence that hath been defiled with Pride and Perjury He may scourge that people with Famine that have sin'd through Fulnesse of Bread He may break that land in pieces by the thunder of his Judgements that hath not taken warning by the lightening of his Threatnings in the preaching of his Word So for spiritual Judgements for the Abominations of his People the Lord may go far from his Sanctuary †Ezek. 8.6 When a Church hath left its first love God may come speedily and remove its Candlestick out of his Place * Rev. 2.4 5 When men shall abuse the servants of the Lord sent forth to gather the Fruits of his Vineyard he may justly destroy them and give the Vineyard unto others †Mark 12.9 When men are grown greedy of the gain of Oppression and weary of the Ordinances of God when Covetousnesse is become cruel in grinding the faces of the Poore * Isa 3.25 and Profanesse bold in slighting of Sabbaths and sacred Solemnities of Divine Worship God may justly cause that Land to tremble for the horrour of his Judgements and plague that peoples contempt of his Worship by a Famine of his Word And so hath the Lord threatned to punish these sinnes in his people Israel by his Prophet Amos saying †Amos 8 4-12 Heare this O ye that swallow up the needy even to make the Poor of the Land to faile saying When will the New Moon be gone that we may sell Corne and the Sabbath that we may set forth Wheat making the Ephah wherewith they measured their Grain small and the Shekel wherewith they weighed the money which they received for payment great and falsifying the Balances by deceit That we may buy the poore for silver and the needy for a paire of shooes yea and sell the refuse of the wheat The LORD hath sworne by the excellency of Jacob surely I will never forget any of their Works Shall not the Land tremble for this and every one mourn that dwelleth therein and it shall rise up wholly as a flood and it shall be cast out and drowned as by the flood of Egypt And it shall come to passe in that day saith the Lord GOD that I will cause the Sunne to go down at noon and I will darken the earth in the clear day And I will turn your Feasts into Mourning and all your Songs into Lamentation and I will bring up sackcloth upon all Loynes and baldnesse upon every Head and I will make it as the mourning of an onely sonne and the end thereof as a bitter Day Behold the dayes come saith the Lord GOD that I will send a FAMINE in the Land not a Famine of Bread nor a Thirst for Water but of hearing the Words of the LORD And they shall wander from Sea to Sea and from the North even to the East they shall runne to and fro to seek the Word of the LORD and shall not finde it When the Lord shall bring these judgements upon a Land or Nation professing the true Religion the Church may call her Children * 1 Sam. 4.21 ICHABOD for the Glory is departed Thus for the sinnes of Judah did the †Ezek. 9.3 and 10.4 18 19. Glory of the Lord an illustrious pledge of his gracious presence depart from Jerusalem and sad were the Calamities which ensued thereupon Thus the Times are perillous when the sinnes of men are grown to that height that we may justly expect the Judgements of God upon the Land II. Persecution of the Church When Clouds of Darknesse are spread over the City of God
according to the Tenour of the Covenant of Grace Ye shall be my people and I will be your God †Jer. 30 2â— Does thy heart say Amen to this Covenant-promise Be it so Lord Wilt thou give thy self unto me Wilt thou indeed be my God Then will I be thine and onely thine for ever Behold here am I O Lord do what thou wilt with me for to thee do I give my self body and soul for ever Canst thou indeed say thus Then is God thine Heaven is thine Speak What sayest thou to this This I can truly say If these things be so the Lord is surely my God For I do freely with my whole heart and soul give my self wholly unto him I desire in all things to be obedient to his will I would not willingly for the gain of the whole world do any thing that might offend or dishonour him I desire that he would enable me more and more by his Grace to serve him For I desire not to live a day longer then I may live to his Glory And I am not onely willing to take him for my onely happinesse and freely to leave all the sweetest and dearest Comforts I have in this world for the enjoyment of him but I should look upon it as the ground of my highest joy and of everlasting thankfulness that though he should take away all from me he would yet be pleased to give himself unto me to be my God and * Gen. 15.1 exceeding great reward Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift †2 Cor. 9 15. If thou canst indeed speak thus Happy art thou God is thine and thou art his and shalt be happy in him and with him for ever in Heaven Blessed be the Name of the Lord who hath magnifi'd his Mercie to me and hath had compassion on me the chiefest of sinners the least of Saints I am willing upon this ground of the New Covenant to believe his Love to look up to him as my God But how may I know that Christ is mine Why If God be thine Christ is thine also If he have given thee himself to be thy God he hath given thee his Sonne to be thy Saviour 'T is in Christ that he is thy God The Covenant of Grace wherein God becomes thy God is founded in Christ his Mediation and Satisfaction And Christ in all his * Col. 1.19 Fulnesse of Grace and Glory is that great †Joh. 4.10 GIFT OF GOD which is promised in the Covenant of Grace Now then if God be thine and thou art his according to the Tenour of the New Covenant he hath given his Sonne unto thee as a Jewel from his bosome for a pledge of his glorious everlasting love and hath given thee to his Son as a part of his richest Treasure in the World to redeeme sanctifie and save Thee And if Christ be thine and thou art his Heaven the Inheritance which he hath purchast for Believers with his blood is thine also For thus hath he said * Joh. 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the Foundation of the World Moreover further to cleare it up to thy soul that Christ is thine let me ask thee Hath God ever shew'd thee what a poor lost undone Creature thou art in thy self by reason of thy sinnes Hath he made known to thee the Fulnesse and All-sufficiency of Christ with thy absolute necessity of him to justifie sanctifie and save thee or thou must perish forever Hast thou in the Glasse of the Law seen thy own Deformity and the incomparable Beauty of Christ in the Glasse of the Gospel Hast thou seen thy own †Rev. 3.17 18. Nakednesse and apprehended thy need of the Righteousnesse of Christ as glorious clothing for thy naked soul Hast thou been made sensible of thy * Mat. 5.3 spiritual poverty and have the †Eph. 3.8 unsearchable riches of Christ been unfolded before thee in the Gospel How have these things wrought upon thy heart Hast thou felt thy heart stirred within thee hereupon Hast thou felt God * Joh. 6.44 drawing thy heart out in desires and longings after Christ Hast thou been made willing to take Christ upon his own termes to be thy Soveraigne as well as thy Saviour To rule over thee as well as to save thee To save thee from thy lusts and †Mat. 1.21 sinnes as well as to save thee from Wrath and Hell Hast thou beene made willing to take his †Yoke upon thee * Mat. 11.29 30. and to bear his Burden Hath Christ beene welcome to thee when he hath come with his †Luk. 9.23 Crosse to lay it upon thee as well as when he hath come with his Cordials to refresh and comfort thee Speak seriously canst thou account thy self more happy in the presence of Christ in Prisons and Perecutions then in the midst of all worldly Pleasures and Prosperities without him Tell me truly if thou mightest certainly have thy wish and desire granted what wouldst thou wish for whom wouldst thou desire Ah None but Christ None but Christ What doest thou trust to on whom dost thou rest for salvation On thy own righteousnesse in thy own strength Oh no None but Christ None but Christ Art thou indeed Vile in thine own eyes and are all things in the World but vile in thy esteeme in comparison of Christ And is Christ above all things unto thee exceeding precious Truly if I know mine own heart I esteeme all the Riches of the world to be but * Phil. 4.8 losse and dung in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Well then thou art a Believer For unto them onely that believe is Christ precious †1 Pet. 2.7 And if thou art a Believer thou shalt certainly be saved thou shalt surely one day behold thy Saviour in Heaven and there live in the fruition of his glorious Loves unto all Eternity * Joh. 3.16 For God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life Now what sayst thou poore soule How does thy Heart eccho to these Questions Why through the Grace of God this I can say It hath plâ—â—â—ed the Lord so far to discover the emptynesse of self and sinfulness of sin unto me that sometimes when I look down upon my self I †Eze. 36 â—1 loath and * Job 42.6 abhor my self and cannot but wonder that ever the Lord should vouchsafe to look upon me and love me Yea I wonder he hath not thrown me into Hell And when the Lord first revealed Christ Jesus to me in his Gospel in his All-sufficiency and Readinesse to save me it even ovâ—rcame my Heart and my thoughts and reasonings were such as these Oh good