slaughter to have Christ become glorious and excellent unto them And 2. That the issue of all those dreadful destroying Judgements that shall break forth in the world shall be the putting of glory upon the head of Christ and that glory upon Christ shall be to the good and benefit of those of Israel that shall escape the slaughter I shall begin with the first namely That it is a good issue of Slaughtering-Judgements upon them that out-live such calamities that Christ is become glorious and excellent in their accounts The Words do certainly relate to a Time of great slaughter such a slaughter that Jerusalem which was once a very populous City and the places of the greatest concourse in it which were the Gates for in the Gates Justice was executed and thither was a confluence of persons from all parts but such should be the slaughter that her Gates should lament and mourn and become desolate at this time there were some should escape God useth to have a remaining Remnant when his displeasure is at highest and what should this sad Judgement work upon them that should remain The Branch of the Lord should become glorious among them You read in the 78 Psalm vers 34 35. When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God and they remembred that God was their Rock and the high God their Redeemer When he slew them that is when he came forth with slaughtering Judgements as he did sometimes against Israel and particularly God smote them with Plagues more then once now what did they that remained and were left alive do they began to have more high and awful thoughts of the Lord then before the esteem of him was a little raised in their hearts they remembred he was their Rock and the high God their Redeemer thus far they went well onely that which followeth spoiled all in vers 36 37. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth and they lied unto him with their tongues for their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant if really the esteem of the Lord had been raised in their hearts they had been an excellent People and the Lords Judgements had wrought kindly You shall find the Lord complains for the want of such a spirit in Hos 11.7 God called there to the People and how He called by mercy I drew them with the cords of a man with the bands of love vers 4. that is I treated them kindly he called them by Judgements as you see in vers 6. The Sword shall abide on his Cities and shall consume his Branches and devour them what did God expect should be the answer unto his Call and the fruit of all his Dispensations it was that they should have exalted him honoured him and admired him at a greater rate then before but because they did not God took it ill and reckoned that his Providences had not a kindly reception among them Psal 2.6 Yet says he have I set my King upon my holy Hill of Sion which words are not onely a Prophecy concerning that Kingdom Christ shall have but declarative of that Kingdom he hath viz. his Providential Kingdom by which he manages and governs affairs in the World now in the management of it what doth he do sometimes as in vers 9. he rules them with a Rod of Iron and dashes in pieces like a Potters Vessel but what should they do that should out-live such Providences you shall see the Fruit that should grow upon this Root Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way Christ expects when he is abroad with his Iron Rod and dashing Earthen Vessels to pieces as he hath this day they that stand on their feet not dashed to pieces as others of the same mould he expects higher thoughts of himself and to be more esteemed by them and if he fail of his expectation let them remember that they are but Clay and therefore in the way not out of danger Jer. 51.50 Ye that have escaped the Sword go away stand not still remember the Lord afar off and let Jerusalem come into your mind God was abroad with the Sword it may be the material Sword and it may be with such a Sword of the Angel as he hath lately been cutting withall what should the Escaped do Remember the Lord Remember him you will say what is that Give me leave to open it unto you a little because I shall use the term again anon To remember the Lord implies two things among others 1. To have the heart wrought up into the fear of the Lord to sanctifie his Name Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy that is sanctifie the Sabbath so remember the Lord that is fear him let his Name be great his honour be dear unto thee Remember thy Creator what is that it is Give up thy self unto the Lord remember who he is and what he is and what he calls for from thee when a People sin against the Lord they are said to forget him many times so suitably to remember him is to fear him to honour him and lift up his Name 2. To remember the Lord is to love and delight in him to have a great esteem of him as the Lord saith Jer. 31.20 Is Ephraim my dear Son is he a pleasant Child since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him Gods remembring Ephraim was his love to and delight in Ephraim so our remembring the Lord is our loving of and delighting in him and this is the frame that should be found upon the hearts of them that escape sore Calamities To fear and magnifie to love and delight in him This indeed is a right Spirit and it is called for elsewhere Ezek. 6.9 And they that escape of you shall remember me among the Nations whither they shall be carried Captives Time was when Israel had few and slight thoughts of God their Redeemer but when GOD had been at work among them by severe strokes those that did escape of them their Spirits should be much amended much altered for the better they should come and love him and fear him so as they did not before So Isa 10.20 And it shall come to pass in that day what day was that a day of great slaughter for vers 19. The rest of the Trees of his Forrest shall be few that a Child may write them a Child that is but a bad Arithmetician should be able to number them that should remain the smallness of them should be such It shall come to pass that the Remnant of Israel and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob shall no more again stay upon him that smote them but shall stay upon the Lord the holy One of Israel in truth staying upon the Lord is an Act of Faith and Acts of Faith do greatly glorifie Christ and speak the Heart much delighted in him if thou be'st not taken with him thou
People may be frustrated Jer. 8.15 We looked for peace but no good came and for a time of health but behold trouble they did look for it but such an expectation must not be called by the name of Faith Let me tell you That nothing is Faith but that that is grounded upon a Word Psal 119.49 Remember thy Word unto thy Servant on the which thou hast caused me to hope It is very hard to find any word in Scripture where God doth absolutely assure unto his People exemption in a slaughtering-Calamity especially until Christ shall come forth to execute Judgement upon the Earth Therefore there not being a word for such Faith there cannot be a Faith of such a distinction Though men may call their vain expectations by the name of Faith they shall never find it to have Faiths Efficacy Obj. 5. If it be further said That by the falling of Gods Israel the Lord crosses and hinders his own design he hinders the effect of the Judgement upon the Hearts of sinners their hearts come by this means to be the more hardned and they thence conclude it is not intended and directed specially against them for say they The Good fall as well as the Bad and we are not intended more then others Answ To that I answer What if God will for the hardning the hearts of Sinners let some of his own fall What if that shall be one part of Gods design in it that their hearts may be hardened and thereby they may be the more ripened for their utter ruine and destruction If God have this design in his heart and will therefore be content to let some of his fall in a Calamity who are we that we should reply against God Obj. 6. If in the sixth place you should ask me But what shall we say concerning those of Gods Israel that are fallen must we conclude them all fallen in their trespasses and cut off because of some notable provocation that they stood guilty of Answ I answer No in no wise notwithstanding all that hath been said But my poor thoughts are these That some of the Lords own Israel may have had too great a hand in and may have stood under too much guilt with respect to some of the provocations of this day and so may be fallen in their trespasses God may have cut them off from the Earth in some displeasure for some Abominations in which they have been found though he may receive them to himself in glory but I must say concerning others of the Lord's People this day fallen and some of them have this witness in my soul that surely the hand of God went not out against them for any speciall provocation upon them but upon account of the accomplishing and bringing about some notable things that are in the heart of God which time must manifest therefore though the falling of many Saints may speak that the Lord is displeased with his People yet I would even say concerning many of them and it may be a caution unto us as Christ Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things I tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish or those eighteen upon whom the Tower in Shiloe fell and slew them think ye that they were sinners above all others that dwelt in Jerusalem I tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish though many of the Saints may possibly have fallen through great provocations yet surely for others we must not reckon them sinners above the rest of the Saints that remain Obj. 7. If it be asked May we conclude that all the Israel of God that have escaped and may escape through Grace that they do therefore escape because they have been found walking uprightly with God in a constant exercise of Grace do they therefore escape because they are found in right and good frames of soul To that I answer Let us not be high-minded but fear Though possibly some of the Saints that stand God hath found them in a right Spirit and is therefore pleased to spare yet for many of us we must put our preservation upon some other score I would rather place it where the Spirit of God doth sometimes place the preservation of Israel Psal 78. But he being full of compassion forgave their iniquities yea many a time turned away his Anger and did not stir up all his Wrath. I do rather suppose that most of us that live live through the grace and indulgence of a tender-hearted God because he doth not stir up all his Wrath rather than because we have been found in this right and excellent Spirit which this day calls for and which of right should have been found upon us And thus I have shewed that in dayes of slaughter all of Israel may not escape and why I proceed now to the second Branch for prosecution of this Doctrine to shew that whoever stand or fall Christ will lose none of his glory that all slaughtering-providences shall end in the making Christ glorious In that day shall the Branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious that is in that day when some great and dreadful Slaughters are brought to a conclusion as is evident if you consider and compare it with what goes before in the third chapter Certainly a little light into Scripture is enough to satisfie us that God hath brought forth many great things for his own glory and the good of his People by slaughters it were easie to observe unto you that most of the great things that God hath done for his Name and People have been effected and brought about by great distresses Israel were set free from their oppression which was an eminent mercy and how Slaughters were made to bring that about Exod. 14.13 Moses said unto the People Fear ye not stand still and see the Salvation of the Lord which he will shew unto you to day for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day ye shall see them again no more for ever And you shall finde they were possessed of Canaan setled in that good Land but which way it was by and through great slaughters the Canaanite was dispersed and driven out and it was by cutting them off yea I do suppose that one of the means and wayes by which God made way for Israel to set them in Canaan was by the Pestilence I gather it from that Exod. 23.23 My Angel shall go before thee and bring thee in unto the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perrisites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites and I will cut them off God saith he would send his Angel to do it The Angels of God work many wayes but that that is eminently called in Scripture the stroke of the Angel it is that stroke by the Pestilence as many instances might make it good and I the rather judge it to be the intent of the expression because it
yet the Blessings of Israel stand open for thee and the Door of Grace is wide open be confident if thou dost enter in close with and accept of Grace it will be as well with thee as with any of the Israel of God Consider thy hearty closing with Christ will not onely let thee into Mercy and Blessing of the present Day but it will let thee into Blessings of all kinds it will bring a Blessing upon thee in every Work and Way it will let thee into a part and share in the highest Priviledges that the Children of Men are capable of it will let thee into Sonship and Friendship with the great and holy God it will make thee blessed for Time and for Eternity Therefore fight not against thy own Mercies mind really and heartily what freeness and heartiness there is in the great God in setting before sinners all the Grace of the Covenant and what gladness it doth produce when poor Souls are willing to kiss the Son it will not onely produce Joy in thy own Soul it will not onely make glad the hearts of many of thy Relations and of thy Friends for possibly thou hast Relations and Friends that long to see Christ formed in thee that in every petition at the Throne of Grace their hearts are working for thy Soul and begging that thou mayst be a plant of Righteousness of the Lords own planting and nothing would glad them more then to see thee a Son and Heir of the Kingdom of God but also there will be Joy in Heaven Father Son and Spirit are gladded to see the designs of the death of Christ graciously accomplished upon the hearts of poor sinners Remember therefore I do this day in the Name of Christ invite thee to partake of all the Mercies which be the Mercies of Gods Israel And truly the Mercies of Israel are many there is Pardon there is Purging there is Adoption Sonship there is the Spirit to comfort you to lead you in every work and way there be the Promises made over to them there is mercy now and for ever A Kingdom the Lord has prepared for them that love him I invite thee to take a part in these things this day and forget it not that thou hast had a Call from the Lord at this time Soul I tell thee if thou dost stand it out against this Call of God truly though thou art escaped and thy life is given thee for a prey yet thou maist possibly be sealed up unto destruction thou maist be left to dye in thy sins and to fall for ever under the weight of divine displeasure for thy neglect and contempt of Gospel-Grace Be confident as Jesus Christ is now waiting upon poor Souls and offering Mercy to poor Sinners so when he comes to the glory that is reserved for him he will be found of power sufficient to recompence all that have trodden under foot the Blood of the Son of God and made light of those overtures of Mercy that have been tendred to them The Light is now with thee and the Lord is calling of thee therefore make peace while thou art in the way lest the Lord come forth against thee in his hot displeasure VSE IV. SOme methinks there are that are of trembling hearts and they cry It is true I am escaped but I fear I am none of the Israel of God My Use therefore would be to such as are of trembling spirits When they consider how good God has been to them they may possibly tremble lest at last they should lose the Mercy of this Mercy because they are not found among the Israel of God Many a Soul there is possibly cries out Israels Priviledges are too great for me to hope to have a part in them and Israels Spirit is a Spirit more excellent then ever I have been found in and therefore though I am escaped this day yet I want that which is the best piece of the Mercy of an Escape I would answer Know this O Soul that among the Israel of God there are many that are of fearful Spirits although they are really among the number of the Lords precious Ones they have not an Eye to see it nor Faith to believe it and so may possibly go mourning many days But what are thy Objections What makes thee fear Do not fear thou know'st not what nor why As we are to give a reason of our Hope so I would not have you fear without a reason Objection 1. Methinks the Soul says Gods Israel are a chosen People and the Election of God lies deep it is a secret lock'd up in his Bosom and I fear I have no part in the Election of God I fear the eternal thoughts of God did not concern themselves about such a weak and worthless Worm as I am Answer It is true the Election of God is a secret in the heart of God and secret things belong unto God things written and revealed belong to us It is not for me or thee to climb Heaven to search Records and at first dash to turn over the leaves of the Book of Life and to see whether we may find our Names therein written It is a great mistake upon which many run that would think to prove the truth of their being called by finding out whether they are elected or no it is an endless it is an impossible work This therefore know is thy work and mine to consult what effects of Electing Love we can finde upon our Souls if any thing of that be in thy heart thence thou mayst safely conclude thou wast in the heart of God from Eternity There is a Scripture that answers fully I think whatever the Soul can say in this matter 1 Thes 1.4 5. Knowing Brethren beloved your Election of God for our Gospel came not unto you in word but also in power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake Consider whether the Gospel hath had its work upon thy heart whether it hath come with power upon thy Soul and if so others may know and thou mayst know from thence thine Election Election is an act of God that he passeth from Eternity but Calling is a work and Fruit of Election upon the Soul of a poor Sinner by which it may come to discover that it was in the thoughts of God before the foundation of the World was laid If therefore thou canst trace the footsteps of Gods going upon thy Soul and of his working in a Gospel-way upon thy heart thy Soul is safe and the thoughts of God thou mayst conclude were towards thee before thou hadst a being But Objection 2. The Soul objects I fear God hath not been at work upon me I could conclude Gods election of me if I could find a work of the Gospel passed upon my Soul I know the work of the Gospel is to cleanse and purifie the heart but sin and filthiness
set up for these stand in opposition to each other it must be the fall of the one that must raise the other the Dispensations of God are directed unto the destruction of Sin in the hearts of his People if he correct it is a Rod to whip out the Folly bound up in their Hearts and he hath said that the fruit of such Providences should be the taking away of sin Isa 27.9 By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his Sin If he shew kindness it is to destroy sin to purge that out of the Heart Ezek. 36.25 26. Then will I sprinkle clean Water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you a new Heart also will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you and take away the stony heart and give you a heart of flesh It relates unto them that should escape publick Calamities which should be attended with the purging away of Sin and if you can say that sin is fallen in your love it is to be hoped Christ is raised It is between Sin and Christ as it was between the House of David and Saul 2 Sam. 3.1 There was long war between the House of Saul and the House of David but David waxed stronger and stronger and the House of Saul weaker and weaker as the House of Saul weakened so the House of David strengthened as Sin weakens in the Soul Christ getteth ground I may say of the lusts that are in the Soul as God sometimes said concerning Amalek 1 Sam. 15.3 Go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have and spare them not but slay both Man and Woman Infant and Suckling Camel and Ass the Lusts in the heart are destined unto utter destruction God would have them killed and not one spared not an Agag left alive I would put the question unto you the Lord help you to put it home to your Souls You that are escaped is all slain in your Souls that is wont to stand up against Christ is there not an Agag spared I wish if you say that Sin is killed the Lord may not say unto you as Samuel said to Saul vers 14. What then means the bleating of the Sheep and the lowing of the Oxen in mine ears What means that pride passion earthly-mindedness in the heart of the People of God if Sin be not brought down Christ is not exalted if Sin be where it was Christ is where he was the Branch of the Lord is not made beautiful and glorious though his kindness should have had that effect upon you 3. If you can say that are escaped That the Saints are become more precious unto you it is to be hoped that Christ is become so also Many Souls have had very precious thoughts of Saints great esteem of them much love for them Psal 16.1 My goodness extends not to thee but unto the Saints and to the Excellent in whom is all my delight Now love to Saints increaseth according as your love to Christ encreaseth thou canst not love a Saint until thou hast first loved Christ Col. 1.4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love that ye have to all Saints love to Saints followed faith in Christ I remember a good Soul that hath been lately telling me that this was his constant experience According as my Soul grows in love to Christ so it grows in love to Saints Even as when the Springs grow higher you may conclude a fulness of water in the place from whence they are fed so if the Saints are more precious then they were wont to be he that is the Fountain of all grace it is to be presumed hath let in more of himself into thy Soul Many of you that read these things possibly have been wont to be the Companions of them that fear the Lord and have met and conversed with them but how have they been in your hearts have they been dear have they lodged in your Bosom it may be some will complain Our Souls have not been so knit unto them as they should have been but can you say That fault is somewhat amended since the Lord hath shown you kindness and not onely mark'd you for but blest you with preserving-mercy 4. Thou mayst hope thy Soul is growing in its love unto Christ if thou canst say since thy Escape thy Soul hungers more after Communion with him then it was wont to do The natural issue of Love is to desire Enjoyment and according as thy desires of enjoyment of communion with Christ are so is thy love unto Christ of this thou mayst be confident Many Souls that go up and down from one Duty to another have not their hearts inflamed with holy desires to meet with Christ in ways of Duty and therefore it is said of some Their Oblations were vain that is because not directed unto their proper ends The Lord Isa 64.5 hath promised that he would meet with them that rejoyce and work Righteousness that remember Him in their ways They that would see the Lord meet with him and hold fellowship with him they shall be delighted in his Approaches unto them How is thy heart if the Branch of the Lord be more glorious unto thee thou wilt more desire and breathe after communion with God Says the Spouse I sought him whom my Soul loveth I hope I write to some that know what communion with Christ means it is that that all understand not it is a Riddle to many I fear to some professing Ones If thou art taught of God and Christ hath to do with thy spirit and thou art really a gainer by thy escape thou dost encrease in longings after communion with Christ 5. Hereby it will appear that the Branch of the Lord is become beautiful and glorious unto thee who art escaped in this day of Distress if there be a great care upon thy heart to be found living up unto every Duty which Christ requires and calls for at the hands of them that are escaped every Mercy is a Call to Duty lays an obligation upon the heart to some Duties or other so this eminent Mercy of Preservation in the midst of slaughtering-Providences hath a loud Call from Christ to live in an hearty respect unto some especial Duties that are enjoyned thee which are such as these 1. It is the requirement of Christ That after thou art escaped a Calamity thou consider seriously and seriously lay unto heart and mourn for whatever provocation might cause him to shake the Rod over thee this is certain that the time of our escape as well as our distress should make us seriously to consider and having considered to mourn over whatever abominations may have occasioned the Lord to come forth at such a rate Scripture hath more then a little to say for this Ezek. 36.31 Then shall you remember your
and thus to do will be a proof of your love to and esteem of this Branch of the Lord as more excellent to you then he was wont to be Saith David Psal 116. I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications that is I will love him better then ever I did if he had but a little he shall now have more and what proof doth he give of it vers 14. I will pay my Vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his People here was a proof it The Lord help us that have the Vows of God upon us to evidence that Christ is become glorious unto us by performing our Covenant God is known to be a Covenant-keeping-God and his People should be like their heavenly Father But again 3. A third thing required from them that escape a day of Calamity is this That Christ be owned in the Escape that he have the glory of it put it not upon your natural Fortitude and Courage your natural hardiness and boldness as some vaunting spirits are apt to do and to conclude thence was their preservation God doth not fear to strike the most fearless and sometimes the most fearless are in the greatest danger Put not thy escape upon the score of thy own Wisdom that thou hast acted thus and thus prudently for thy preservation if the Lord would he could easily have out-witted thee and if he had not been with thee in the acting the best of thy Wisdom would not have been useful take heed of boasting in Means if Means have been successful look up to that God that hath been pleased to bless them unto that end Psal 116.8 David puts the matter upon its proper Basis Thou hast delivered my Soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling Gracious hearts desire to cry as Moses and the Children of Israel did when they saw Pharoah and his Host sunk as Lead in the Sea and themselves preserved to their great amazement Exod. 15.2 The Lord is my Strength and my Song and He is become my Salvation He is my God and I will prepare him a Habitation my Fathers God and I will exalt him According to this time it shall be said said Balaam in his Prophecy What hath the Lord wrought This must you and I say What hath the Lord wrought The truth is Christ suffers much in the World and suffers much from his own People they rob him of his glory we are apt to give that honour that is due to him unto some one else but it should be our care to be found in the frame with them Jer. 50.28 The voice of them that flee and escape out of Babylon to declare in Sion the vengeance of the Lord our God the vengeance of his temple it is the work of escaping Ones to praise the Lord and declare his works Would you all have some token for good that the interest of Christ is promoted in you see whether it be your care to give Christ the glory of this Salvation of which you have been partakers 4. This is the requirement of Christ from them that are escaped That the sence of this Mercy should long rest upon our Spirits our goodness in every respect is apt to be like the morning-cloud and the early dew that soon passeth away and in this respect more then in many other things the sence of our deliverance is very apt to wear off the Soul but it is a frame that Christ much mislikes where he findes it an instance or two may serve to convince us of it Psal 78.10 11. They kept not the Covenant of God possibly by this may be intended the Covenants they made with God in distress they did not keep them why not it was because they forgot his Works and Wonders that he had shewed them and one sin draws many more after it oft times they forgot the Works of God and so their Covenant with God both are taken ill and the latter as ill as any that God should shew abundance of kindness to a People whilst they slight and dis-esteem and let the sence of that kindness slip out of their minds and therefore he complains of the same thing Psal 106.13 They soon forgat his Works they waited not for his Counsel They were the delivering-Works of God and all the wonders he had shewed them they soon forgot the sence thereof was crept out of their hearts in a little time All of us alive may say we have seen much of the goodness of God to us but if we should be of the number of them that soon forget his goodness we do very evilly requite the Lord. 5. This is the requirement of Christ from them that are escaped in the day of Calamity That we should be dedicated consecrated and given up to his Use and Service in our whole Course This is the obligation that Christ hath laid on our Souls by carrying us through the distresses of this day That the rest of the time we spend in the flesh should not be spent according to the will of the flesh but according to the will of God that the rest of the time of our sojourning here might be spent in fear It is a kind of a new life that every one of us have received and this new Life should have Newness of Life going along with it saith the Apostle I beseech you by the mercies of God that you give up your selves Body and Soul as a Sacrifice to God which is but your reasonable service and such a mercy as this doth call for it that your Souls should be for God and your Bodies for God the Body hath received a great deal of mercy at this time that is preserved and kept the Clay-Cottage kept from tumbling to dust and ashes now all the members of the Body as well as the powers of the Soul ought to be for the Lord this the Lord expects and it is but your reasonable service which in common Justice should be given unto Christ Psal 116.8 9. For thou hast delivered my Soul from death mine Eyes from tears and my Feet from falling I will walk before the Lord in the land of the Living that is I will walk as in his sight and presence I will look to maintain a good frame of Life and Conversation in the rest of the time I have to spend in the World And thus may you testifie unto your selves and others that Christ gains on you by your Escape this day if you be found in the discharge of those Duties which are expected from you And thus I have dispatched the Doctrinal part VSE I. If this be a proper effect of your Escaping in a day of slaughter to have the Branch of the Lord become lovely know this kindness hath been shewed us therefore it concerns us narrowly to see how this effect is wrought out Every Soul should turn his Eyes inward I would hope your Souls have been a little thus
engaged I have not long since met with a People that would eagerly make it their business to compare themselves and a Word together and see where their guilt was and get what light they could into their hearts this be confident of the God of Heaven is considering diligently Jesus Christ this Branch of which we are speaking is observing what is the Fruit of every Mercy as Deut. 32.15 But Jesurun waxed fat and kicked thou art grown thick thou art covered with fatness then he forsook God which made him and lightly esteemed the Rock of his Salvation when God had done much for him he considers how he had carried it but he found sad effects of all Jesurun waxed fat and kicked I would the goodness of God to us should have some more kindly reception and entertainment Now that which I shall do for the present shall not be to clear it up to you that Christ hath gotten ground upon you for as to that I shall refer you to what is spoken already but to lay some few things before you that may convince you if really you are short and wanting in this blessed issue af your Escape If really this effect be not wrought upon your hearts it will appear by these four or five things and I beg you to consider them seriously 1. If in the day when the Rod of God hung more eminently over your heads you were not considering and pondering what effect it should work and if the Spirit of God were not teaching and instructing your Souls that it was to produce a greater esteem of Christ in your hearts then I fear it is not done I fear Christ hath no more of you then he was wont to have You know this that God with his Correction is wont to give Instruction therefore saith the Psalmist Psal 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou Chastenest and Teachest out of thy Law God is wont to tell the Soul where it is wanting what he calls for and what he would have wrought in the heart So Job 36 9 10. Then he sheweth them their Work and their Transgressions that they have exceeded he openeth also their Ears unto Discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity He speaks here about a Day of Affliction and truly if the Lord hath not been teaching you and shewing you that you were wanting in your esteem of Christ it is much to be questioned he is not become glorious David Psal 119.67 said Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy Word how came he to be brought in unto God to walk with him and keep his Word and his Way better then he was wont to do God had been shewing him that he was out of the way and where he should be and so brought him in again Commune with your own hearts my Friends faithfully have you sat like Stocks and Stones under the Visitations of God when his Rod was upon others and threatned you Had you any of the Visits of God Were your Souls exercising themselves at a spiritual rate Did God make any approaches unto you Or did you live in that time without God If you did I fear you are without him still 2. If your souls have not been pressing after Christ and longing for a better frame towards him longing for an higher esteem of him it is doubtful the esteem of him is not raised in your souls such an esteem of Christ is not a frame that useth to steal upon the heart it knows not how It is for the most part the issue of much care and pains and great diligence and if thy soul hath been wanting herein it is to be feared that the interest of Christ is not to any great degree promoted in thee Some souls find sin very apt to creep in do they what they can and that it is a work a hard work to keep it down nor is it less difficult to encrease in our esteem of Christ Phil. 3. Paul would know more of Christ and the power of his Resurrection what course did he take in order to it saith he I go forward and I press on to the mark for the price of the high Calling of God in Christ Jesus He set himself unto the work with great diligence How have you been exercising your selves have you been crying unto the Lord in secret wrestling and pleading with him that he would carry on the Love of his Son in you What was it you asked of the Lord was it meerly to be kept from the evil of the day or that the work of Christ might be promoted in you by your escape If your hearts have not been exercised this way I fear the Branch of the Lord is not become glorious unto you though you are escaped 3. If in your Escape your great care is how to repair and piece up those outward dammages that you have sustained by this Visitation the Interest of Christ I fear hath not much gained in you possibly many of you may be sensible you have sustained outward dammages by this day if your hearts are only contriving how you may make up those breaches made upon your outward concerns you are not where you should be I fear many this day will be like to the Seamen and Mariners who after a storm when a calm comes they are busie in patching up their tackling and repairing the dammages the Vessel hath sustained by the storm but not so carefull to consider who hath preserved them in the storm and brought them to a calm but this is a bad frame if thou beest gained upon by Christ thou wilt say What shall I render unto the Lord for all his kindness To which add 4. If thy heart in this time of thy Escape be not affected w th that unkind usage which Christ meets with from many escaping-ones I shall fear that thou thy self also dost not use him kindly nor prize him much the more though thou hast an Escape from his goodness doubtless Christ meets with much unkindness from some that have escaped How many in an Atheistical spirit this day live as if there were no after-state nor eternal judgment as they 1 Cor. 15. cry Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye they have learned to know that Death hangs over their heads therefore what will they do why serve their lusts as much as they can make use of their time as they call it though it be to abuse time and turn the grace of God into wantonness Now when thou hast heard things how is it with thee If Christ hath gotten ground within thee these things will pierce thine heart The evil of wicked men is a great grief unto the Saints therefore it is said 2 Pet. 2. Righteous Lot was vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked his righteous soul was vexed in hearing and seeing the dishonour that was done unto the Lord it was a burthen to him And so David saith Wo is me that I
out-live a day of sad Calamity yet Christ is become more contemptible in their eyes who instead of being brought near unto Christ are at a greater distance from Christ It is verily a sad consideration that such should be the conclusion of such a Providence upon the hearts and spirits of any but yet I fear thus it is with more then a few Paul 2 Tim. 3.13 tells us that evil men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse It is the doom that passeth oft times upon evil men that let the dealings of God with them be what they will they are the worse under them wanting the help of the Spirit of Grace to manage and improve them for good they grow into a worse and more evil frame by them All the goodness the gracious dealings of God they are peculiarly directed to win upon the heart to bring Christ and Souls nearer together this is hinted in Rom. 2.4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance We are to interpret the end of Gods kindness to be for the bringing the heart to bow and stoop and fall at the Foot of Jesus Christ in case it have not this issue what issue else it produces will certainly be very sad namely the setting Souls at a greater distance from Christ and plunging them into a condition worse then they were in before and so it is added vers 5. Thou treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath thou by this means raisest up greater displeasure between him and thy Soul If you say Are there any that really have lower thoughts of Christ after they have escaped a day of Distress then before I answer it is to be feared too many and where you find one or more of these marks I shall lay down you may conclude that such persons though Christ hath dealt very tenderly with them and not swept them away in a day of destruction as he might have done yet Christ is become more contemptible in their accounts then he was before 1. Where you find a spirit more senceless and stupid more sottish and secure then before such a one is really set at a greater distance from Christ then before Some there are it is much to be feared that having survived this day of distress begin now to look upon themselves as out of reach as if no future danger could possibly attend them growing hard hearted and exceeding secure after those dealings of the Lord under which they have fallen such Souls and Christ are farther apart then they were wont to be Isa 57.15 the Spirit of God tells you Christ dwells in the humble heart and with a broken Spirit Now according as you find a heart melted and broken and said low put into a tender frame so far Christ makes his approaches towards the Soul and comes to be esteemed by it but according as you find the spirits of men grow into a hardness insensibility and security by so much you may conclude Christ is set at a distance from and dis-esteemed by such Souls and O that there were not many sensible proofs of a very insensible Spirit in many poor Creatures who yet are allowed a being upon the Earth If that be allowed to be a sign of security which Christ himself tells us was a sign of it Mat. 24.38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the Ark and knew not till the flood came and took them all away so shall also the coming of the Son of man be observe it Noah was in his days a Preacher of Righteousness he warned the People of Judgement to come the People were exceeding stupid not in the least prevailed upon and what was a proof of it They were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage then at a more then ordinary rate therefore it was an argument what ever was said unto them or whatever God intended they were not much awakened If that were a sign of stupidity then so it is now surely and gives a great deal of reason to conclude that Christ hath not gotten but rather lost upon many of the hearts of those that have escaped 2. Where persons are more desperately and eagerly set upon their lusts there you may conclude Christ is become more contemptible then he was There is such a direct contrariety between sin and Christ that by how much the more a man grows in love with sin by so much the more he must grow out of love with Christ Rom. 8.7 The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject unto the Law of God neither indeed can be Now by how much the more men grow more carnal by so much their enmity against Christ is increased and improved Sinne doth not onely harden mens hearts but it also blinds and shuts mens eyes and by how much the more a man plungeth himself in sin and gives up himself to the service of it by so much you may conclude his mind is blinded and his eyes shut from seeing that glory and beauty that is eminently found in the Lord Jesus Christ The more a man sets himself in the way of sin the more he is under the power of Satan and where Satan rules as a Prince what doth he 2 Cor. 4.4 the Apostle saith The God of this World he blinds the minds of men And from this you may gather if you can observe that men that are preserved this day their hearts are not in the least taken out of those ways of sin in which they did walk but are rather set with greater eagerness to fulfil the desires of the flesh and of the mind you may without breach of Charity conclude those persons are more blinded and less able to see any beauty and excellency in this Branch of the Lord then before Onely we will hope if this spirit be found upon any that it is but as the Apostle saith sometimes concerning the Jews Rom. 11.7 What then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the Election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded We will hope that if there be any that are the more hardened and blinded by this gracious Dispensation of Preservation it is not the Elect that are blinded but those that are given up which the Lord intends not to look after in any gracious way We will hope for any that have any interest in the Lord Jesus that he hath not nor will leave them to such a spirit 3. If you find any more at enmity with the People of Christ then before you may conclude Christ is more contemptible in their eyes then he was before Mind not what men talk do not heed mens grasping after the name of Christians and talking of Christ as a Saviour but know that men may speak of Christ as the whole Nation
hath not Thus if really thou wouldest have Christ become more glorious unto thee thou mayst be accepted in this which thou hast and it shall not be charged upon thee that thou art wanting in that which thou yet hadst not Under the Law when a Thank-Offering was to be returned and the Soul to admire the Lord in some kindness received he that could bring but two Turtle Doves and two young Pigeons if that were the most they had and the best they could bring it was accepted as well as those that brought the greatest Offerings their hearts were enlarged it is like to bring more So though thou hast but little if thou desirest more thy little will be accepted though but two Turtle Doves or two young Pigeons 5. Thou that wouldest prize Christ more know this That the Lord will increase that Grace in thee and thou shalt be able to prize him at a greater rate The Lord direct your hearts into the Love of God 2 Thes 3.5 it is the Lord that must direct thee into the Love of Christ and he will do it if thy heart be really working that way if thou dost prize him as much as thou canst he will help thee to prize him more Prov. 3.9 10. Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine increase so shall thy barns be filled with plenty and thy presses shall burst with new Wine If thou dost with the first and best of thy strength endeavour to honour the Lord he will encrease thy strength and communicate unto thee abundantly And that is what I shall say to the fourth Use VSE V. To any such Soul as can say it is escaped and the Branch of the Lord is become glorious unto it I fear these Souls go into a little room there are but few of that sort yet here and there some I confidently believe there are I would all to whom this Book may come might say they find their Escaping-Mercy hath been seconded with such an effect In a word and but a word or two to this sort of persons Ah what is thy mercy O Soul an Escape and the good of it too this is Mercy indeed to be delivered from the pit of Corruption and to be delivered in love to thy Soul What is thy Duty Truly 1. To admire the faithfulness of the Lord in keeping Covenant with thee It is a special Blessing and Promise of the New Covenant That God will not shew his People kindness onely but will also give them the good of that kindness that he sheweth to them To be saved in a day of Distress and thy spirit bettered also look on it as a mercy more then Preservation without which thy Preservation might have been imbittered unto thee O celebrate his praises as a God that keeps Covenant and Mercy and will not alter the good word that he hath spoken to thee 2. Let this incourage thee to press after prizing Christ more as Paul speaking of the Corinthians You love the Lord Jesus see you abound yet more and more so say I O labour to abound more and more Let this goodness by which you are brought to prize him engage you to prize him more and more 3. Communicate thy Experience unto trembling Saints speak to them of his gracious dealings unto thee that their hearts may be incouraged to trust in him Come saith David and I will tell you what the Lord hath done for my Soul We have experience every one of us of what God hath done upon our Bodies O let us be careful to shew forth his praise That is what I shall say unto the fifth Use Again VSE VI. I might speak a word to another sort of persons If escaping a Day of Calamity should cause a Soul to see a greater Beauty in Christ what should it work upon them on whom the Calamity is fallen and yet are escaped There are many such if you that read what I have written meet with them and know them you may do well to give them a little account of what may be spoken in such a case How should that kindness be admired when poor Creatures have had Bodies full of pain Spirits full of fear looking the King of Terrours in the face every moment poor Creatures that it may be would have given had they had it all the world to have been assured they should have been raised from their Bed and set upon their Feet poor Creatures that it is like were sequester'd from company whose case was like that of David Psal 38.11 My Lovers and my Friends stand aloof from my sore and my Kinsmen stand afar off Now that the Lord should be with and look after them in such a time and raise them this should have such effects as such a mercy had once upon Hezekiah Isa 38.15 I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my Soul that is I shall retain a sence of the bitterness that was upon my Soul and in that sence I shall go softly the man that walks softly step by step he goes heedfully and carefully and mindes every step he takes so should such poor Souls walk that have been delivered from such hazard and bitterness of Soul they should walk warily the rest of their time To which two things may much engage 1. That certainly the Escape in such a case is thorow Christ I am satisfied in this That this Judgement of the Plague as other Diseases hath in it natural Causes and natural Means are helpful to deliver from it but as it is in other cases whatever natural Causes there are to further any Disease upon the Body of Man the Lord hath a hand in it and makes use of those natural Causes and so whatever Means are useful for recovery in any case the blessing and efficacy of it depends upon the Lord so it is in this case also very eminently that a Soul may say as it is said Isa 38.16 O Lord by these things men live and in all these things is the life of my Spirit some read the words They shall live for whom the Lord is which is a great variation from our Translation They shall live for whom the Lord is that is whose protection he is and whom he stands by 2. If Christ be not glorious to such a Soul he can bring a worse evil upon them John 5.14 Go away sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee God can bring a worse thing upon a Creature then the Plague he can make death to be chosen rather then life as you have it Jer. 8.3 And death shall be chosen rather then life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family c. VSE VII Should a souls escaping publick Calamity render Christ the more glorious Surely it should have this effect upon those into whose Walls it came into whose House it entered and yet it may be their Persons not touched but have been preserved though Death was
thee a Soul in its natural condition seeth no Glory and Beauty in Christ it is the work of Faith that opens the Eyes to see Christs Glory and Excellency 1 Pet. 2.7 To you that believe he is precious Though it be thy Duty thou canst not live up to it thy Eyes are blind fast closed and the Glory of Christ is not discerned by thee this therefore is thy misery thou hast not answered the Lords expectation in this eminent preservation Sinners cry as they Isa 53.2 We see no form nor comliness in him nor Beauty for which we should desire him the Sinners Eyes are fast closed that though this be thy Duty thou canst not see it Nor 2ly Canst thou interpret thy Preservation to be out of good will to thee Rom. 8.28 All things shall work together for good unto them that love God but thou dost not love the Lord nor art thou the Called of the Lord thou art still in thy sin and for the present canst not interpret this dispensation to be in kindness what may be in the heart of God what secret purpose he may have how he may design hereafter to bring thee near unto himself thou canst not tell it is hidden for the present and yet thou canst not see there is any good intended thee in thy preservation and this is sad it exceedingly robs the Soul of the sweetness of such a dispensation when it cannot be took to be in kindness And 3ly If thou art a Sinner thou wilt use thy preservation to a wrong end Sinners if they ask mercy it is usually to wrong ends and if they receive mercies they improve them sinfully Psal 78.18 They tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust they asked a mercy but it was for their lust and they did as sadly improve it vers 28 29 30. And he let it fall in the midst of their Camp so they did eat and were well filled for he gave them their own desire they were not estranged from their lust but while their meat was yet in their mouths the wrath of God came upon them c. Thus it will be with thee Soul if thou art yet in thy Sin it is true thou art preserved but it will be to a farther misery thou hast asked it to sinful ends and wilt use it sinfully and so bring a curse upon thy self This is the misery of a poor Soul in sin he spoils his Mercies and brings down the wrath of God upon himself To which add 4ly If thou remainest in sin the time is coming when thou wilt certainly give a sad accompt of this mercy thou hast received and wilt really fall under a dispensarion much more sad then that from which thou art now delivered Christ will come in flaming fire and render vengeance unto them that know not God nor obey the Gospel of Christ the great intent of which is the exalting of Christ Now when by all means thou hast not been provoked to answer this end what will the result and issue of all be but the rendring vengeance unto thee and the wrapping thee up in eternal misery I would therefore say unto a Soul in sin What wilt thou do thou art a dying creature though thou hast escaped this storm and art in safety to day Eternity will soon come upon thee Ah what wilt thou do Soul thy great work lyeth in two things I will but even name them First Go unto the Lord that he would open thy eyes to see thy own misery and Christ in his glory that he would anoint thine Eyes with his Eye-salve that may cause the scales of ignorance to fall from them so as that thou mayst see thy self and Christ aright Secondly Beg that thou mayst have a heart to give up thy self to Christ that the glory thou seest in him may make thee restless until thou hast taken hold of him without which thou canst not walk comfortably though thou art preserved nor canst thou cheerfully look another time of trouble in the face and much less that time when thou shalt be going to thy long home USE XI One Use more Should the Branch of the Lord be glorious unto Escaping Ones It then adviseth all earnestly to press after such a Spirit I have two or three things to say by way of motive and so proceed to the second Note or Doctrine 1. Consider what a Preservation it is thou hast it is not thy Estate thy Liberty thy Name but thy Life and Skin for Skin and all that a man hath will he give for his Life If thou sayest as Job What is my life that I should hope If I live I may live in trouble Distress is like to attend the Servants of God therefore why should I make such reckoning of my life To that I say It is true distress may be the portion of the Lords People yet thy Life is a mercy thou mayst out-live or live above the distresses of the People of God or at least while thou hast life thou hast hope and time and an opportunity to get into more intimate acquaintance with Jesus Christ to be at work about thy everlasting concernments for which reason mainly life is to be valued It is thy Life that is given thee for a prey and this should make thee greatly to value and prize the Lord Jesus that gives thee such preservation 2. Consider how many of Spirits more excellent of Hearts more enlarged of greater use in their places that have been more serviceable unto Christ and his Interest then thou hast been have yet fallen and thou preserved Should not this mercy wonderfully affect thine heart Yea 3. Take this that the more thou seest of the Glory of Christ and the more he gains in esteem upon the Soul the more the Soul doth gain it is gain yea great gain great riches for the Soul to improve in its esteem of Christ Is not Christ the great thing the Gospel presents that every Soul should be seeking after Now the more thou hast of him in thy heart the more thou hast of true Treasure of Riches that are truly so called To which add 4. That if Christ do not become glorious unto us the time is hastening when he will be glorious in the esteem of others He will have glory no thanks unto us Certainly it is not long but Christ will make himself glorious and get himself a Name and Praise and all these slaughtering Providences they do but tend to that end Christ is at work though in the dark as to us and we cannot see his out-goings yet he is really working out his own advancement and will make all these end in his own glory Which leads me unto the second Doctrine from the Words The Second Doctrine That the Issue of all Slaughtering-Judgements shall be the making Christ glorious and that glory that shall be put upon the Head of Christ shall tend to the Good and Benefit of those of Israel that shall escape the
for a time they shall be dealt withall according to the violence done to the Saints of God The violence done to me and to my Flesh be upon Babylon shall the Inhabitants of Zion say Isa 51.22 23. I have taken the cup of trembling out of thy hand that is out of Zions hand even the dregs of the cup of my fury thou shalt no more drink it again but I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee which have said to thy Soul Bow down that we may go over and thou hast laid thy Body as the ground and as the street to them that went over They shall suffer too according to the contempt of the Gospel and the dishonour done to Christ that way for he shall come to deal with all them that do not know him and obey not the Gospel and also according to the sin of despising the forbearance of Christ Indeed this day you are escaped and the patience of Christ is exercised towards you but let me tell you if you stand and abide in your sinful state you shall find that the abusing of the patience of Christ is but treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath 5. Those that have escaped and not Israel they shall be compassed about with eternal Sorrows and shall never rise out of them Says the Church Though I fall I shall arise again and though I sit in darkness yet the Lord shall be a light to me Then shall she be confounded that is the Enemies of the Church shame shall cover her That will be the portion of every sinner though he may escape for a season shame shall cover him misery and distress shall abide him for ever VSE III. HAving dispatch'd the Second I come now to a Third Use which the former Uses necessarily lead unto It is a little to encourage the hearts of poor Sinners that possibly may be full of thoughts and desires that they might yet be brought into the number of Israel Methinks I do even hear some poor heart say If it be so well with them that are Gods Israel and so ill with them that are not Gods Israel What is there no hope for me though I am yet none of that number Must I for ever stay in that state of misery in which I am Must an eternal doom of Misery be entaild upon me I acknowledge my state is exceeding desperate and sad but is there no hope in Israel concerning this matter To that I answer If there be any poor sinner sensible of the misery of his condition that would gladly make an escape out of it Soul be not discouraged thy condition is not hopeless but be encouraged for there is a possibility that as thou hast escaped the dread and misery of this present day so thou mayst be delivered from that Christless state wherein thou art There are two Scriptures I would commend to you for this purpose the first is in Isa 44.5 One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the Name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and sirname himself by the Name of Israel The words are both a Prophecy and a Promise and they do respect the Gentile-World that were at that time and long after in their sins in their state of estrangement from God here it is prophesied that yet there should be a flocking into Israel the number of Gods Israel should be greatly augmented and encreased It is promised that God would so prevail upon the hearts of some poor Sinners that they shall come and say I am the Lords and shall come and subscribe their hands to the Lord and shall sirname themselves by the Name of Israel that God would conquer them so far that they should see the need they had to be of that number that they shall resign and give up themselves to be of the Israel of God This is an encouraging word to the Sinner there is a possibility for them that were strangers to come and to name themselves by the Name of Jacob and subscribing to the Lord to take up that Name and so partake of the Priviledges of the Israel of God Take another Scripture Isa 19.24 25. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria even a Blessing in the midst of the Land whom the Lord of Hosts shall bless saying Blessed be Egypt my People and Assyria the Work of my hands and Israel my Inheritance The import of the words is this Egypt and Assyria were some of the Enemies of God and his People at a very great distance from him but here is a Promise that they should come to be conquered and brought into subjection to the Lord and to be baptized into the Spirit of Israel to be blessed with the Blessing of Israel they shall speak the Language of Canaan they shall be of one Heart and one Lip with the Lords People Souls were you as Egypt and were you as the Assyrians Enemies to God and his People were you at the greatest distance from God that could be supposed Egypt had neither Ordinances nor Priviledges nor ought else that good was more then the creatures of the Earth and such-like things yet the Lord intimates here to us that they shall come to share in and divide a Blessing with Israel If thy estate were as one of them yet mayest thou as and according to the promise made to them be brought into the number that shall share in the Blessing of the Israel of God Therefore Soul though now thou art not of Israel yet it may be said to thee They have obtained Mercy which had not obtained This is the kindness of God that he is pleased to make blessed overtures of Mercy unto poor vile and unworthy Sinners But more then this for the encouragement of any Soul that may yet be in his Sins I would speak four or five things Thy condition is not desperate but thou mayst be brought into the number of the Israel of God and so partake of the same Mercy with them in thy escaping this day if thou dost consider 1. That Gods Israel came to be the People of God by choice and through the Grace and Goodness of God Israel were not born the People of God He chose Abraham and his Seed from the rest of the World to be a peculiar People to himself Hence it is that Israel often-times are called in Scripture Israel my CHOSEN so Psal 105.4 The Lord hath CHOSEN Jacob for himself and Israel to be his peculiar Treasure and in Isa 44.1 Israel is called there the Chosen of the Lord Yet now hear O Jacob my Servant and Israel whom I have CHOSEN They were chosen meerly from the good pleasure of God Choice it is a free Act in which there is no necessity and constraint so it was in God a free Act to pitch upon Israel to make them his People This account the Lord gives of it Deut.
expects thy great work should be to give him the glory of that mercy to improve it to his praise Satan would possibly divert thee and cause thee to make it thy work to perplex thy self about thy state by raising infinite questions in thee whether thou art yet of the Israel of God or no. Be not easily thus deluded but if thou hast ought that may be really a solid ground of hope to thee do not easily cast away thy confidence but having got a little hold keep it that thou art spared in mercy and shalt find mercy when Christ shall appear glorious VSE V. THe Fifth Use will be to them that are the Israel of God to comfort their hearts and this Doctrine that is under consideration is exceeding comfortable unto such I may truly say to them I do bring them glad tidings of great Joy What! shall all the sad and dismal Slaughters made in the World work to such a blessed issue as the Exaltation of Christ And shall all his glory be for your good What can you wish for more When David had been speaking of the Kingdom of Christ and his Glory under the Person of Solomon in Psal 72. it is said The Prayers of David the Son of Jesse are ended The sum of all that a gracious heart can desire is That Christ may be glorified when that is done he knows not what more to pray for If you are Israel and your hearts are as they should be the great thing about which your Spirits are working is that Christ may be set upon his Throne and that his Name may be exalted If this work go forward and be in hand the work that is in hand and goes on is that which lies most upon your hearts and in which your Souls have greatest occasion to rejoyce Let the consideration of this comfort you 1. Against whatever Breaches may have been made upon you by this day of slaughter it will be strange if some of you have not lost Friends and Relations Remember all these Breaches made upon you onely serve to repair the interest of Christ and work for his glory and if your hearts be right what would you not part with so the work of God may be furthered If your hearts be right you will say Let all go and come what will if Christ may but be a Gainer I will be willing all things should be lost 2. Let it comfort you under those perplexities and troubles and dread that it may be hath been upon your Spirits in such a day Doubtless Times of slaughter are Times of great sorrow and grief of heart but who would not sustain a little grief for the working out of greater comfort The first sight that you shall have of Christ in his glory will wipe away these Tears and will suppress all those Fears it will make them be as if they had never been 3. Let it comfort you if you should see worse things then ever yet you have seen I do believe many Souls do this day think that nothing can be more terrible then what they have already seen and heard but if they should be mistaken and you should see things more dreadful be comforted Christs work is going forward his glory and Israel's mercy is upon the wheel It is not unusual in Scripture and experience that one Judgement goes not alone but it is followed by others closely at the heels Jer. 14.12 When they fast I will not hear their cry and when they offer Burnt-Offering an Oblation I will not accept them but I will consume them by the Sword and by the Famine and by the Pestilence Not one single Judgement onely but others were to go in hand along with it Christ says Luk. 21.25 26. That a little before the day of his glory there shall be distress of Nations and mens hearts shall fail them for fear for looking after those things that are coming on the Earth It is a very probable conjecture that as we have seen the distress of a City we may see the distress of Nations and troubles may over-spread the face of the whole Earth Yet if these things should be remember Christs Counsel to his own Disciples vers 28. Look up and lift up your heads for your Redemption draweth nigh Remember the words of the wise man Prov. 3.25 26. Be not afraid with sudden fear neither with the desolation of the Wicked when it comes for the Lord shall be thy confidence and shall keep thy foot from being taken 4. Be comforted though you cannot understand the method of God and are not able to conceive how these Dispensations of God should work for Christs glory and the good of his People We are apt to be perplexed because we cann't see into the depths of the proceedings of God and understand the reason of them all But remember he that hath the management of these things knows his own ends and can tell how to accomplish his own designs and he will be sure to do his own work when all men have done what they can Things may and shall work for the good of the Saints though we cannot understand them Remember the case of Jacob Gen. 42.36 Says Jacob Me ye have bereaved of my Children Joseph is not and Simeon is not and will you take away Benjamin also All these things are against me To his apprehension all this made against him when in truth and when the issue was seen it made so for him as nothing could do more And thus it is in the great amazing Dispensations of God with which we are startled though we understand not the mystery and reason of Gods proceedings yet they make for the good of his People and will work out his glory though we cry these things are against us often-times 5. And lastly It will comfort you if you are Israel though you should not see all accomplished immediately though the Branch of the Lord should not forthwith become glorious Remember Faith and Patience they serve to help us to wait and stay Gods time and leisure God always keeps his Ends upon his Heart and in his Eye and never acts in any inconsistency with them This is abundantly certain that he will accomplish every good thing for his People Wait therefore on the Lord and keep his Way and he will exalt you in due time Though he answers your desires and expectations for the present by terrible things yet it is in Righteousness and it is for the bringing about whatever mercy he promised to his People VSE VI. THe last Use would be for a Word of Counsel You that are escaped this day and are the Israel of God what mercy is this that you share in how amazing and distinguishing are the dispensations of God to you-ward How should the sence of it over-come your Souls To be preserved and preserved in mercy to great and glorious ends what can you desire more had you been put to make your own terms with God Believe it
if you are the Lords People in truth you are much in the heart of God and your Good in the very next place to his own and his Sons Glory is designed however he deals with you If he lets loose men upon you it is not with a design to hurt you Psal 66.12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads we went through fire and water but thou hast brought us out into a wealthy place If he comes to thunder down Judgements upon the World it is with a design to do you good it is for your safety Isa 43.14 Thus saith the Lord your Redeemer the holy One of Israel For your sakes I have sent to Babylon and have brought down all their Nobles and the Caldeans whose cry is in the Ships Christ in all his Administrations and in all the Dispensations of his Kingly Power from first to last aims at the good of his People and it is for their benefit that he acts however we are apt through blindness and ignorance to interpret it If he cuts down his People it is to do them good if he spares them it is because he delights in them and will make them partake of sparing-mercy How admirable is the kindness of the Lord and what effect should it have But 1. To teach you to see the hand of Christ in all and to sing forth the praises of the Lord your preservation is through Christ When the Passeover was instituted of old God bid the Israelites to sprinkle the Blood of the Lamb upon the door posts and when the Angel passed by to slay the first-born of Egypt he would pass by their doors that were sprinkled If the destroying Angel hath passed by your Doors and hath not come in it is because your post was sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus the Blood of the Lamb It is to Christ that you own it and O that the praises of the Lord might be sounded forth by you in Psal 22.3 God is said to inhabit the Praises of Israel it is a remarkable expression O Thou that inhabitest the Praises of Israel our Fathers trusted in thee and were delivered Israel should be a praising People and God delights in their Praises He loves to be where his Praises are spoken forth O that your habitations might be the habitations where the Praises of God might dwell and where the goodness of God may be sounded forth 2. Sure your escaping should make 〈◊〉 to be Holiness unto the Lord Hath the Lord written you unto Life as the expression is in this 4th of Isaiah Are you by his appointment and counsel in the Land of the living O then see that you be a People walking with him He says in this 4th of Isaiah to them that do escape that they shall be a holy People vers 3. It shall come to pass that he that is left in Sion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called Holy even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem O that every one written among the living this day might also be called Holy that is might be so for God calls things as they are There be great engagements lie upon our Souls that we live up to this expectation of God 3. Surely your work is to help forward the glory of Christ and your own good by all ways you can Faith and Prayer are the great means by which you may be serviceable to this great end We are apt to be faithless and unbelieving when things succeed not according to our desire and expectation but the work of the Soul is to wait for the salvation of God and to believe for the accomplishment of all that the Lord hath spoken to beg earnestly that God would remember his Promise that he would do according to the Faith of his People Whatsoever God has engaged himself to his People that he will do for them he expects that they should enquire of him for it 4. How much ought it to be your care to be found in a spirit fit to meet Christ in his glory There is great talk in the World of what expectations are upon the hearts of the Saints O that we could see suitable preparations in every Soul putting off the works of darkness and pressing after a Spirit of Humility and Holiness that we might be crucified to the World and raised up to a spiritual frame the day of Christs glory will be exceedingly filled up with spiritual things and a carnal earthly spirit will be loathed and abominable O then shake off the filth of sin and the filth of this World and put on your beautiful Garments that so you may be prepared to meet the Lord in his glory 5. Do you much pity Sinners When Christ shall come in his glory with what shame and confusion will poor sinners stand every heart will tremble and the proudest spirit will then stoop O pity them now for then you will have no pity for them the Righteous shall rejoyce when he sees the vengeance they will then onely triumph in the righteous Dispensations of God O pity them now and mourn over them and pray for them and pray them into Christ if possible and walk so before them that thou maist make them in love with the ways of God This is your work the Salvation of Sinners should be much upon your hearts if you know the worth of your own Souls And the more there are brought into Christ the greater will the solemnity be and the glory of this glorious appearance To close all therefore It is a sad day for the present even with the Saints of God and though we are preserved yet we and all our mercies lie open to we know not how much misery we and our best Priviledges how they may be dealt with we cannot tell however of this be confident That all this time the Lord is at work graciously for his People As he says in this fourth of Isaiah when he had said in the Text The Branch of the Lord should be glorious for them that are escaped he addes vers 4. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the Daughter of Zion In the â—ean time before this glory the Lord is waâ—â—ing away the filth of his People and purging out their dross that yet is among them that when his glorious appearing shall be you and all your Mercies will at once be delivered and as he says in the fifth verse The Lord will create upon every dwelling place in Mount Zion and upon her Assemblies a Cloud and Smoak by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the Glory shall be a defence Now we have our Opportunities with hazard and little Communion with God in them but at that day there shall be upon the Assemblies of Mount Zion a Cloud The Cloud in the Temple was the token of Gods presence God will be among his People And upon their Glory shall be a defence They shall be safe from the fear of evil and God will bless his People with peace He will bless them out of Zion Laus Deo Opt. Max. FINIS