that proud and blasphemous Senacherib and his huge Armie when the Angâ—ll of the Lord slue an hundred and fouresâ—ore thousand of the enemies in one night upon which considerations and the like in former times the Holy Ghost faith that God is well knowne in Iudah his name is great in Israel All the world talked of his name and feared Because as his Tabernacle was there so there he brake the arrowes the bowe There he shewed his puissance and his power restrayning the rage of the enemies and turning it unto his praise and so there made himselfe terrible to the Kings of the earth To conclude this point likewise This is a principall part of that glory of the Church in the earth which is so foretold by the Prophet Esay to be in the Churches of God in the flourishing estate thereof in the dayes of the Gospell That when the Lord should wash away the filthines of his people by his word and Spirit he would create upon every place of Mount Sion and upon the assemblies thereof a cloud and a smoake by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory should be a defence and a covering should be for a shadow in the day from the heat and a place of refuge and a covert from the storme and from the raine In which words all these parts of the Lords glory upon his Church are comprized evidently foretelling that as he would adorne and glorifie his Church then with abundance of knowledge and holinesse so his protection should shelter it from all danger as the coverings did the Tabernacle And this indeed was the glory of the Primitive Church according as it was spoken of by Esay Yea every wicked man whose conscience is not utterly scared when he commeth into any such a Congregation where these three shine bright is inforced to acknowledge such a place to be a glorious and blessed place and God to be there untill that men have by their disobedience to the word and by their maliciousnesse put out the eye of their soule and conscience altogither To applie all this And first to this people of Iudah If wee marke well wee may cleerely see how God had wonderfully withdrawne from them that outward glory which formerly they had enjoyed and had also shewed them evident tokens of his departure in every one of these respects before he went away utterly And first for holy knowledge when they daily waxed more blind and senselesse by all the paines of their Teachers and all other their forewarnings so that they were worse therein then the oxe and the asse as the Prophet Esay complained many yeeres before Secondly for holinesse of life the abominations following will evidently demonstrate for reverence of the Lords messengers in that they misused them untill there was no remedy So for peace and unitie when Ephraim was against Manasseh Manasses against Ephraim and both against Iudah when all the godly who followed the true Prophets and cleaued only to the word and the covenant of the Lord were generally hated made as signes and wonders like as the Prophets were whose word they obeyed And lastly for protection when as the glory was almost gone in Ezechias dayes when he himselfe and Ierusalem were in that danger by Senecharib and cleane gone by Manasses at what time he was carried away captive into Babylon Afterwards also was Iosiah their shelter cut downe by the enemie which was the next most manifest forerunner of the finall departure and of their glory So they had after this overthrow after overthrow untill this plague was utterly come upon them and their glory also departed without hope of recovery till Gods anger was fully accomplished upon them Thus we have seene this point at large wherein the outward glory of the Church consists how all this was fully verified amongst them according to the vision That God had indeed made all these removals of their glory before his finall departure But now let us in the second place returne home from Iudah unto our selves and lay it neere unto our hearts considering well first whether the Lord have not begun as sensible removals of all this glory even amongst our selves in every one of these kindes sundry wayes and at sundry times proceeding by degrees And whether he doe not thereby threaten manifestly that he is purposed utterly to remove and to take away all his glory and his gratious presence from us and to leave us to the will of our enemies to be made a reproch and a shame when he is departed from us unlesse we prevent and retaine him by our speedie amendment To begin and apply in order as in the presence of the Lord. Where is that delight of ours in most places that we were wont to take in his word our inciting and incouraging one another Come let us goe up to the house of the Lord our talking of it and our rejoycing in it as of our chiefe glory Do we not in steed hereof waxe weary of it very generally hearing it commonly for a fashion or for satisfying of the law or some like respect Are we not growne to this passe for the most part to be ashamed of talking or reasoning of it Yea what is more common than in steed hereof to discourage one another from being forward in following after it and those holy assemblies of his people where he hath promised his presence for ever Are not our people in steed hereof set rather to flocke to all kinds of vanities and places of the worse resort to dishonour and provoke the Lord even to those places where is open profession of all impietie and schooles of all lewdnesse and ungratiousnesse Let the ordinarie frequenting of so many profane and lascivious playes fitter for Sodome than the Church of God be witnesse Where is that holy sound and powerfull knowledge of God amongst the people become which in regard of the long and quiet time of the Gospell that thorow the riches of the Lords mercy we have enjoyed should have growne to ripenesse that which was wont so to abound amongst us in many goodly Congregations whereby the Popish sort were ashamed of themselves for their ignorance specially as was said that love which hath bin so declared in hungring after the word in delighting in it as our felicitie Nay what is become for most part of that singular commendation for readinesse in the Scriptures and soundnesse of judgement in the word of the Lord wherein many of our Gentry and cheifer sort in many places did sometimes excell for which they were much to be commended and indeed it was their dutie far so to excell for they of all other have the most meanes for all good helps and leysure to get the knowledg of the Lord and also are most bound thereunto
but the glory was remooved the Lord gave him no answere any more from thence The like might be shewed still in the story further as we shall see after in the particulars but this may suffice for the present to manifest this point To returne therefore to our selves we are first to inquire what are the most evident signes of Gods glorious presence in his Church especially in the daies of the Gospell and heereby we are to judge of our estate and whether in regard heereof we have not just cause to feare the Lords departure without speedy repentance and all to give our selves to watch and pray Like as the word sincerely preached and the Sacraments administred according to our Saviours institution are the most infallible marks of the true visible Churches of Christ amongst which he hath promised his presence so long as these are duly observed maintained and reverenced so we may marke also thorow the booke of God fowre most lively evidences of his glorious presence in his Church amongst his people One whereof is more inward felt chiefly in the soules and consciences of men to wit the Spirit of the Lord accompanying the word and the powerfull operation thereof in mens hearts in and by the same word to cause all men to acknowledge the Lord to be there The other three are more outward and apparant to the view of the world although they be nothing but the fruits and effects of the same spirit The first of which three is when the Lord gives to his people abundance of saving and sanctifying knowledge of his heavenly word The second when together with this knowledge he worketh in them true holinesse of life and conversation and obedience to the same word and withall peace and unitie among his people arising from the same The third is in protection when he declares himselfe to be present amongst his people in shielding and protecting them and overthrowing all the plots of the enemies or casting a feare upon the enemie that they dare not rise up against his Church and chosen flocke For the first of these which is more inward viz The Spirit of the Lord speaking and working powerfully in the word It is not the word alone nor the Spirit alone but the word and Spirit going together The Spirit accompanying the word and speaking to the hearts and consciences of men out of the mouthes of his servants This is the Tenor and the very substance of Gods covenant with his Church for the infallible demonstration of his presence in it and with it And I will make this my covenant with them saith the Lord to his Church My spirit which is upon thee my word which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seede nor out of the mouth of the seed of thy seede from henceforth for ever To make this more plaine As in the time of the law not the Arke alone nor the mercie seate covered with the Cherubims but the answeres from the Arke given immediatly from God were were the undoubted evidences of his most glorious presence amongst them so this must needs be acknowledged of all That not the Gospell alone nor the bare ministry thereof but the powerfull working of the spirit thereby speaking to every mans soule and conscience is the most evident demonstration of the same glorious presence in the dayes of the Gospell As for example when the word is lively and mighty in operation powerfull in converting mens soules and drawing the people of God after it This is the true presence and arme of the Lord. As it was when the Holy Ghost was sent downe appearing in forme of cloven tongues like fire to shew the heavenly fire that should accompany the word and inflame the hearts of the elect like as it then wrought wonderfully upon the consciences of the hearers and that very worke was an infallible witnesse of the presence of the Lord so is it now according to the manner of the working and measure thereof When by the same spirit some are pricked at their hearts with remorse for their sinnes and made to cry out Men and brethren what shall we doe as those who were so pricked at the hearts at Peters sermon When other have their hearts burning within them as the two Disciples going toward Emaus at the opening applying of the Scriptures unto them When as others are smitten downe to the earth in the sense of their own vilenesse and the Majestie of Iesus Christ as persecuting Saul who was made thereby a preaching Paul And when others are compelled to confesse That they neuer heard men speake so as those who came of purpose being sent by the Pharises to catch our Saviour Or as the poore simple man who comming in and hearing the word so Preached is made thereby to fall upon his face and enforced to acknowledge That God is in these men of a truth when others also shall receive such a strong assurance of the truth of God taught unto them being indeed his very word as they cannot be drawne away from it by any violence or feare no nor yet by any perswasions though an Angell should come from heaven and teach them otherwise And to conclude this point This must needs be confessed of all to be the most cleere and invincible testimony of his most gratious and glorious presence and of his spirit powred plentifully upon his Church when by the power of the word the blinde eyes are opened the deafe heare the stonie hearts are bruised the dead in sinne are raised to a new and holy life for this is not a a worke of flesh and blood but of the Spirit of the Lord onely This was a principall part of that lively presence whereby he was so wonderfull and after a sort visible in the primitive Church when the same day were added to the Church about three thousand soules by the preaching of Peter and the other Apostles and after when the Church increased so admirably And by this he hath promised to be with his faithfull ones teaching his truth sincerely unto the end of the world This finally is the full accomplishment of that promise To powre downe his Spirit upon his people in the dayes of the Gospell when he would gather his Church in any place as we may see thorow all the Historie of the Acts. And even as it was then so is it now according to the measure of grace whereby he sends downe his holy Spirit upon any Congregation And in some Congregations under faithfull Ministeries all these blessed be God are apparent thus graciously manifesting his presence thereby And therefore the more generally that this operation appeares in Preachers and people the more visibly doth the glory of the Lord shew it selfe and the more
Pet 3. 20. Hebr 11. 7. 2. The captivitie of the ten Tribes 2 King 17. 3 6. 2 King 17. 14 15 16. 3. Before this Captivitie Zeph 3. 1 2 3 5. 2 Chron 36. 15 16 17. 4. Before the last and utter subversion of the Iewish nation Matth 3. 10. Matth. 21. 33 44 24. 23 24. Luc 19. 41. 20. 9. Iosephus de bello Iudaico Euseb. lib. 3. c. 3. Before the final destruction the signes are plainly foretold This the Lord hath done to the wickedst places where any of his servants have bin Gen 18. 7. Gen 19. 14. Yea to the Infidels themselves in coÌ„miseration as to Ninive Ion 4. 10. And even to Babylon that his own people may get out from her Râ—v 18. 2 3 4. He will not doe any thing but he will first reveale it to his servants Amos 3. 7. Reasons hereof 1. For his owne peoples sake To shew his care for them That they may prepare to meet him Seeke to save others 2. For the cause of the wicked Though they willingly blind their own eyes To declare the riches of his mercy if they will turne Ier 17. 7 8. As 〈◊〉 Ninivie Ion 4. 9 10 11 12. Nâ—h 3. That all may be inforced to acknowledge him righteous Conclusion Application to our selves To try whether the Lord have not warned us of some such a judgement Amos 3. 8. The Lion hath roared upoÌ„ us 1. By the proud Armado 2. The long threatned day 3. The Babylonish furnace 4. The insurrection about throwing downe inclosures 5. Treasonable practises against our late Queene And since against our Iosiah 6. Vengeance thundred out by the mouthes of all Gods servants 7. Threatned by the Lord from heaven from yâ— fiery tent By strange lights flashings in the heavens How terrible they were to us at the first our owne hearts can beare witnesse Our Chronicles have recorded them Ann. Eliz 17. Novemb 14. Theprodigious star Eliz 15. Novemb 18. Actâ— 2. 19 20. Eliz 17. Nov 6. The dreadfull threatnings of the Seas Acknowledged by all to be an evidence of yâ— Lords anger The insolent over-flowing of the lesse rivers The sword of the destroying Angel drawne out so long togither Ezek 14. 19 21. Ezek 5. 17. The sword of the bloody enemie devouring about us And at length set to our very hearts The deadly winter threatning all creatuâ—es The grievous dearth of all things following upon it so long Though the Lord stâ—yed some of these for a season yet what is that to us so long as our sinnes remaine Israel smitten with the flesh betweene their teeth The prints of Gods displeasure left on euery peece of bread with us after plenty sent Ierusalem had divers yeeres prosperity before her last desolation See the Centuriâ—s God hath not left us without witnesse since then for many yeeres togither every yeere some new warning The grievous snow The long scorching drought The dearth scarsity of fodder with the difficulty to preserue the Cattle alive The famishmeÌ„t since for bread if God had not supplyed from other countries The uâ—â—er undoing of so many poore The Prophets threatning vengeance every where God striving with us by his spirit as with the old world by the Ministerie of Noah All convinced wondring that he should forbeare us considering our sins And as plainely pâ—esaging some terrible judgement Many of Lots minde The Lord himselfe in stead of Ionah manifesting the neerenesse of dâ—struction unto us Staid till this day at the instance of his sonne to see if we wil turne at length We growing far worse for all meanes vengeance must needes be hard at hand And our hearts considering it cannot but tremble in an expectation of vengeance Conclusion All these former considerations proclaime that our visitation draweth neere The glory remoouing from the Cherub to the threshold of the Temple shewes God redy to depart unlesse they repent The withdrawing the lively tokens of Gods preseÌ„ce a signe of his departure and of vengeance at hand God well pleased with his people wont to witnesse his presence by some apparant signe As in the Iorney towards Canaan Exod. 33. 3. Moses urgeth the Lord so to goe before theÌ„ For that it was the cheife tokeÌ„ of his favour Secondly in the daies of Iesuah because of Achans sinne Ios. 7. 6. Vers. 12. 3 When hee will cast of Saul he will shew him no signe of his presence nâ—r answere him any way 1 Sam 16. 14. 2 Sam. 28. 6. The signes of the Lords presence in the dayes of the Gospell where by to judge of our estate Foure principally The first inward viz the spirit of God The other three outward Abundance of sanctyfied knowledge Holinesse with peace and unity 3. Protection The spirit and the word going togither are the tenour of the Lords covenaÌ„t Isay. 59. 11. As the answers from the Arke then So the spirit speaking to mens soules now For exaÌ„ple when it is Powerfull in converting and drawing men after it Hâ—b 4 12. As at Penâ—ecost luk 24. 31. When mens harâ—es burne at the hearing of it Acts 9. 4 5. Others smitten downe at the voice of Christ. Ioh. 7. 46. 1 Cor. 14. 24. 25. 1 lâ—h 2. 27. Hâ—br 11. 35. Gal. 1. 8. When the blinde see deaf heare dead raised up by it luk 4. 18. Matth 16. 17. Ioh 1. 12 13. Acts 16. 14. 2. 37. This a principall part of the visible presence in the Primitive Church Acts 2. 16 17. Matth 28. 20. And of the promise to be with his to the end of the world The contrary a token of Gods departure and of judgements approching Esâ— 6. 9 10 11. When the word shall be without power When â—en â—ecome rather worse by it Onely hearing not doing Ezec 33 31 32. Thus before this Captivitie Isai 6. 9 10 11. Ever more sensible the neerer the vengeance Matth 13. 14. Marc 4. 12. Luc 8. 10. Ioh 12. 40. Acts 28. 26. Rom 11. 8. Ioh 12. 39. Whence this sentence so oft beaten on by our Saviour the Prophet The most dredfull signe of the Lords departure when he shall begin to plucke away â—hem that stand â—n the breach 〈◊〉 3. 25 26 27. Exod 32. 10. Psal 106. 23. Ezec 22. 30 31. Ier 36. 5. 37. 38. Ezec 3. 25. 2 Cor 10. 4. 1 Cor 2. 1 4. Or when the Prophets shall smite with the weake arme of flesh To consider whether the Gospell hath yâ— same powerfull operation as formerly Except in some few places and removing Whether the Lord speake so sensibly to mens soules as heretofore Whether it be not with all the licentious as with Saul that God speaks to them no more That men be not generally more voyde of feeling feare Nor any more moved as formerly Hearing heare not and seeing see not Whether God doe not hereby threaten his departure and it be not full time to seeke him The Lord makes sundry removes before he depart all which were tokens and
In the third verse is shewed how and where the Lord appeared to give his commissions both to the destroyers and to the saving Angell 1. The glory of the Lord appeares removes from the Cherubins where he had promised to dwell for ever and stands upon the threshold of the dore of the Temple as now departing from them Afterwards is set downe vers 4 5 6. how the Lord gave two strait commissions or charges The first is to the saving Angell for his faithfull ones The second to the destroyers concerning all the rest In the first commission to the saving Angell is plainely expressed 1. what his charge or commission was namely to goe thorow the midst of the Citie even thorow the midst of Ierusalem and to set a marke upon the foreheads of sundry to be knowne from the rest in the destruction 2. who they are that must be marked That is the godly abhorring all abominations of the wicked who are also described by two properties First that they mourne and sigh in themselues Secondly that they cry out for all the abominations of the time wherein they liued 3. Why they are marked that when the destroyers came they might not touch any of them In the second commission to the destroyers is conteyned 1. The summe of their commission To follow hard after the saving Angell and to smite all whom they found unmarked without any respect of old or young maydes or children 2. To take carefull heede that they touched not any upon whom the marke was 3. Where they should begin to destroy And that was at the Sanctuarie at the wicked Priests and Levites which ministred there as being the causes of the sinnes of the rest 4. How they should proceed in the slaughter from the Sanctuarie to defile the whole Temple to fill the Courts with the slaine of them who liuing so wickedly had yet a vaine confidence in the Temple of the Lord thinking that the Temple could shelter them from his vengeance 5. The speedie execution of their commission that as they were commanded so they began at the Ancients which were before the House destroying them first and then the rest untill they had made a finall dispatch thorow the whole Citie And this is continued unto vers 8. Vers. 8. In the third place is set downe how the Prophet was affected with this terrible vision of this slaughter of Gods people though himselfe should escape amongst them who were marked That he fell upon his face crying unto the Lord and making humble intercession for them That the Lord would spare them being but a poore remainder of the people of Israel left after so many destructions Vers. 9 10. To which there followeth in the fourth place the answer and full resolution of the Lord thereby to stay the servent prayer and importunacie of the Prophet and also to manifest his owne iustice in that his most righteous proceeding That he would not be intreated for them any longer partly bicause their land was full of blood by their cruell oppressions of all sorts and partly for that the Citie where justice should have bin had for releeving the oppressed was now become full of corrupt judgement and of all perversenesse falling away more and more without hope of returning But principally for that they were generally become Atheists shamelesly saying in their liues The Lord saw them not it was no matter how they liued and making but a scoffe at all the Lords messengers and warnings therefore his eye should not spare them neither would he have any more pitie of them Vers. 11. In the last verse is set downe the returne of the answer and commission of the marking Angell That he had done according to his commission marked and made safe all the godly that mourned for all the abominations and so had fully prepared and made the way to the present execution of this finall destruction CHAP. II. Certaine directions to be observed in reading hereof to teach us to make our right use of this vision and forewarning to our selves AS this vision was first given by the Spirit of God unto Ierusalem to warne them of the neerenesse and greatnesse of this destruction which came vnto them for our ensample so is it written to admonish us upon whom the ends of the world are come And is therefore our vision to awaken us and to fore-warne us at this day setting before our faces what causes we have to watch and pray continually to prevent the like judgements and by all meanes to seeke to pacifie the Lords wrath before it be thus powred out upon us and also to helpe to stirre us up hereunto For the better understanding whereof and the more fruitfull applying of it to our selves to move us to unfeigned repentance and speedie seeking the Lord we must carefully observe these rules and directions following 1. That we read it and attend to it not as to a bare historie or an ordinarie discourse but as to a divine message and gratious fore-warning sent from the Lord of heaven and earth in the riches of his mercy to every one of us both high and low rich and poore to admonish us to meet him presently with intreatie of peace 2. Not to looke at the messenger by whom the Lord now sends it but wholly at him who sends it and to hearken to his lively voyce speaking unto us herein and to the evidence and demonstration of his Spirit applying it unto us 3. To consider seriously that we have herein to deale onely with the holy and mightie God before whom all the wicked of the world shall one day be speechlesse howsoever they are now most bold and wittie in excusing all their sins and in speaking against every one who shall admonish them And to this end to set our selves as in his presence at whose appearing all the proudest of the earth who dare now out-face his Majestie shall in the guilâ—inesse of their consciences creepe into the holes of the rocks and wish the hills mountaynes to fall upon them to hide them from his face And withall to remember that we must certainely appeare before him and then be sure to answer for all our contempts and not profiting by his fore-warnings 4. Herein also ech of us are yet further to testifie our religion and reverence to the Lord in receiving this so far forth as it is his expresse word or agreable thereunto and belonging to us as that worthy patterne of true godlinesse that holy Iosiah though a King did receive the discoverie of the abominations of Iudah and the threatnings of the Lord whose heart melted so that he powred out teares at the same And also so to humble our selves turning to the Lords Covenant and doing our endevour to cause others to turne as he did at the Lords message sent unto him though by so
securitie may such a people have for the certaintie of the Lords presence continued amongst them Every man may discerne and know it hereby But contrarily this is as evident a signe of Gods departure from a people and of some heavy judgement hasting upon them when either the preaching shall become generally cold and fruitlesse except in some small remnant which evermore the Lord doth reserve in his Church or though it be powerfully preached by some few yet men shall become generally more obstinate blinde hard-hearted and without feeling given up to follow their lusts with greedinesse when by it they shall have their hearts as hard as the nether mill-stone or the Smithes stithie that the oftner they are smitten the harder they are And further also this is so palpable that it may be felt when men shall come to this height of prophanenesse that hearing the most excellent Prophets of God they shall heare them onely as those who have pleasant voyces listening to their words but not doing any thing in effect which they teach as the people heard the Prophet Ezechiel Thus it went with them very generally before this Captivitie according as the Lord had bidden the Prophet Isaiah to denounce threescore yeeres and more before it came that by hearing they should heare and not understand and seeing they should see and not perceive but have their hearts made more fat least they should convert and be healed And ever the neerer the vengeance approched the more apparent this judgement was as appeareth in the Prophets untill their Land was laid desolate like as the Lord had threatned them before So was it also before that last utter desolation of that Nation of the Iewes whereupon we may observe this that no one Scripture is oftner alledged by our Saviour and by Paul and cited by all the Evangelists than that of Isaiah is against them to shew how that was fulfilled in their obstinacie which was so long before denounced by the Prophet and that the fulfilling of it was a cleare evidence that the Lord intended their ejection and subversion Thus saith our Saviour plainely Therefore could they not beleeve because Esaias saith againe He hath blinded their eyes and hardned their hearts that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts and should be converted and I should heale them But of all other this is the most dreadfull signe of the Lords removing from any place when he shall begin to take those his servants away or to cause their tongues to cleave to the roofes of their mouthes by whom he was wont to speake ordinarily in this powerfull manner and to whom he usually gave this testimonie in the consciences of them that heard them That the Lord spake in them indeed when he shall plucke away those whom formerly he kept as Moses in the breach to stay his vengeance what doth he else but say Let me alone that I may destroy them at once Thus he dealt with the most faithfull Prophets before the Captivitie shutting up Ieremie in prison letting Ezechiel be in bonds afterwards removing him frō them Or when the Prophets in steed of miting at sin with the mightie arme of the spirit of the Lord viz his own word powerfully preached shall begin to smite with the weake arme of flesh namely the inticing words of mans wisdome and with the ostentation of humane learning and eloquence and this as shouldering forth the pure word of the Lord sincerely preached as being too weake and meane The more sensible this judgement groweth in any Church the more is the glory of the Lord removed to the very threshold the more also is his utter departure to be feared and the finall leaving of such a people without unfeyned and speedie seeking to pacifie him Now to returne to our selves and hereby also to discerne of our estate Let us all who ever have had any true feeling of this working of the Spirit of the Lord in us and whose consciences are not utterly feared or who have used to observe the manner of Gods working in his Church enter into a due consideration hereof Let us examine this betweene the Lord and our owne consciences whether the preaching of the Gospell have still that operation amongst us which sometimes it hath had to convert mens soules to draw multitudes after it in the love of it selfe unlesse it be happily to heare some man of fame or for his rare and singular gifts or for some like by-respects And whether this power of it be not fearefully abated except in some very few places and those for most part where formerly it hath not bin as in some rude countryes towards the Northerne parts whither it is daily observed to remove as ready to take the farewel when it hath gathered forth Gods chosen of them and convinced the rest And whether Satan Antichrist and this evill world with the pleasures and pompe of it doe not draw men wonderfully from Iesus Christ to follow after them whether multitudes rush not violently to all licentious profanenesse in steed of the zealous profession of the Gospell of Christ others to Poperie and superstition againe which was so far rooted out of our Land and by the most abhorred and this after the time that God hath more discovered the abomination of that bloodie religion than ever heretofore Let us but call to minde how it hath bin formerly with us in those places where God was wont to speake unto us by his messengers and how it is now for most part whether in many places where the Arke of God still remaines I meane the Word and Sacraments whether I say the glorious and lively voyce of the Spirit that piercing of our hearts that burning in our soules with those unspeakeable comforts which we were wont to finde therein be not decayed exceedingly whether it be not with all who are fallen to fashion themselves to the extreme licentiousnesse and loosenesse of the time even as it was with Saul That the Lord speaks to them no more tho they have happily the same Preachers and the booke of the Law and heare the curses against their sinnes yet they neither feele nor feare them any more whether that lively presence which did shake their hearts be not utterly gone yea whether we do not see this generally that men are every where more voyde of all feeling of sinne and of the feare of any judgement whereby that spirituall judgement doth daily seize upon us most evidently That by hearing the threatnings against us we heare but understand no more and seeing the signes and tokens of his wrath for our sinnes we see them indeed but we are moved no longer with them but as they so we have our hearts more fat our eares more deafe and our eyes still more blinded And if
we shall finde it thus That these and all other signes mentioned are in great measure come upon us let us answer unfaynedly whether the Lord doth not sensibly threaten and proclaime to depart and leave us altogither unlesse we repent having thus far already withdrawne himselfe from us And to conclude this point whether it be not full time to seeke to pacifie and stay him amongst us if we be not weary of his abode with us and of our happinesse thereby But of this more in the next Chapter where we shall have cause to inquire of the outward tokens of the Lords glorious presence and what a removall he hath made thereof as likewise we see that he hath of this inward Thus much therefore shall suffice to have spoken of this second cause which we have all to watch pray yea even to weepe and cry after him to returne unto us againe in shewing amongst us the power of his Spirit as ever in former time and to abide with us for ever that he never leave us to our bloodie enemies CHAP. V. How the Lord is most unwilling to depart from his Church so long as there is any other remedie which he manifesteth in his oft threatning to take his leave before he goe indeed And of the outward tokens both of his glorious presence in his Church and of his departure from it And what cause we have thereupon to watch and pray continually ANd the Glory of the God of Israel was removed c. A third point specially to be observed is this That the Glory of God removed not once onely but five severall times in this vision before it departed and that it removed not all at once but so oft going away by degrees and that most sensibly By which he would cause the Prophet most clearely to behold his holinesse and justice that he must needs depart from them for their iniquities wherewith they grieved him and that he was now taking his farewell and yet withall also to see his mercy and tender compassion and how he was as we may so speake most unwilling to depart and leave his people to so many miseries even Ierusalem his owne Citie to such a desolation if any remedie would have bin found This he makes knowne unto them to see if it would worke to stir them up to seeke to retaine his presence amongst them For the evident manifestation hereof First the Glory removes from the Cherub and stands upon the threshold as ready to depart Secondly it removes higher and stands over the dore of the house Thirdly it removing from above the dore and standing againe upon the Cherubims the Cherubims mounted upward from the earth towards heaven as ready to take their flight and leave the Temple altogither Fourthly after this the Glory removes to the midst of the Citie thereby seeming to warne the Citie of the Lords departure Lastly from thence it removes out of the Citie unto the Mount of Olives as utterly taking leave of them and giving them a last farewell untill their Captivitie was accomplished and his anger appeased These were the removes Here we are all againe to inquire yet more carefully whether he hath not made as many and as sensible removes of his glory amongst us of this our Nation and thereby given us as many plaine evidences of his departure not now in a vision but so as all men must needs see and confesse it and also whether withall he hath not as clearely and tenderly manifested as I may so say his unwillingnesse to depart from us if any thing can serve to reforme us This is a point of most serious consideration and such a one as it were an exceeding mercy of the Lord and a token of his gratious purpose toward us if he would but vouchsafe us hearts generally to consider of aright as in his presence and as we must all know it one day To the end we may conceive it the better we are first to consider wherein the glory of the Lord appeareth outwardly in his Church so as it may be beholden of all round about it even of the very enemies As for the former evidence it being more inward is to be perceived chiefly of the inward man the soule and conscience when God so speaks unto them This outward Glory consists in three things principally as was said whereby not only the Lord himselfe is magnified amongst his owne people yea to be seene acknowledged of others but also by which he makes his people to be glorious in the eies of others and to be honoured and feared of their enemies The first is when he bestoweth upon his people such aboundance of heavenly and sanctified knowledge of his worde with an hungring after the same as that the earth seemeth to be filled with the knowledg of the Lord like the waters that cover the Sea as the Prophet Esay speaketh This he promiseth to doe in his Church when he will shew his glory in it in the dayes of the Gospell At what time the Church being exalted as upon the topps of the mountaines there shal be such a hungring and thirsting after the word of the Lord that men shal incite and provoke one another saying Come let us goe up to the house of the Lord for he will teach us his waies and we will walke in his pathes Where he thus puts his lawes into the mindes of his people at least in a vehement desire of it That they all seeme to know him from the least to the greatest of them this is a visible token of Gods covenant with such a people and the pardon of their sinnes that he is their God and this is his glory upon them A second visible token is this when this knowledge is accompanied with obedience and holinesse of life when he thus writes his law in their hearts creating in them new hearts and new spirits Thus the Lord promiseth to be sanctified in his owne people before the eyes of their enemies when he shall clense them from all their filthy sinnes as with pure water when he puts his spirit so upon them as to cause them to walke in his statutes to keepe his judgments and to do them when he puts his feare so generally into their hearts as to cause them not to depart from him Then he makes this covenant for himselfe that he wil not depart from them And chiefly when togither heerewith he gives peace unity amongst them that they have one heart and one way That the Lambe may lodge with the Wolfe without danger the poore harmelesse Christian with them who have beene by nature as bloudy as Wolues when the little child may lead the Lion even a child bringing the word of the Lord may perswade and lead them who were otherwise as proude and fierce as Lyons And when the sucking childe may play upon the hole of the Aspe when the poore seruants of
blood-thirstie religion in the cheife professors thereof against his own heavenly Majestie his true religion glory against his Annoynted all his liege people professing his name to destroy all at once though with the inevitable hazarding of themselves both soules and bodies their owne native Countrie their children and houses And also after that he had caused us to beare such evidence against that Romish iniquitie in those so good lawes then enacted against it and as it were to give sentence upon it having delivered it into our hands May he not justly say unto us all even unto our whole Nation for this very sin as he said to the King of Israel for letting Benadad goe when he spake thus unto him Because thou hast let goe out of thine hand a man whom I appointed to dye thy life shall goe for his life and thy people for his people So may he not speake and threaten us much more especially all of us both Magistrates Ministers and people into whose hands he hath committed the holy meanes to restraine and withdraw men from that murthering religion so many wayes convicted and condemned and to bring them to Christ and principally the spirituall meanes of the word of the Lord Yea above all other may he not speake so to those to whom he hath committed the charge of providing a holy learned and faithfull Ministerie which may tenderly seeke the winning and saving of every soule and also of causing all sorts to submit themselves thereunto as unto the Lords ordinance to that end for these meanes are first and principally to be used in tender compassion when as he hath so manifested the power thereof by so much gracious experience in sundry worthy Congregations where under such painfull and conscionable Ministers the people have bin brought from Poperie and profanenesse to embrace and obey the Gospell so as hardly one Papist or notoriously profane or disordered person have bin to be found there but all cheerefully submitting themselves to the Gospell of Christ. May he not most righteously speake thus unto us therefore Because through they negligence and carelesnesse thou hast suffered to grow up and spread in the midst of thee that execrable bloudie and Antichristian religion whereby my glory is so desperately oppugned whereby I my selfe am so openly sought to be driven out and with so high a hand the soules and bodies of all my people so endangered every houre yea that which I put into thy power and commanded thee to seeke by all holy meanes utterly to destroy out of thy land that against which thou hast so voluntarily made so good lawes for the sure ratifying of the speedie execution of my Commandement thy religion therefore shall goe for it and all thy glory shall be trampled under foote by them untill thou know whom thou hast dishonoured and provoked hereby And to conclude this point Hath not the Lord as good cause to complaine of us and to plead against us for the small account which we make of him for grieving his Spirit and driving him from amongst us by this and all other our fearefull sinnes as ever he had to complaine of the unkindnesse of Iudah and even to take up the same complaint against us which he did against them when he spake thus unto them by the Prophet Micha before their Captivitie Oh my people what have I done unto thee or wherewith have I grieved thee come testifie against me Surely I brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt and redeemed thee out of the house of servants I sent before thee also Moses Aaron and Miriam O my people remember now what Balak King of Moab had devised and what Balaam the sonne of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal that yee may know the righteousnes of the Lord. This is the Lords plea and complaint against Israel for their unkindnesse calling the hills and mountaines to witnesse the equitie of it before that he would depart from them and bring upon them that strange and terrible judgement which he so long before threatned by his Prophets But we will defer this complaint against us untill we shall have seene of our iniquities to provoke and anger the Lord thereby to be above the abominations of Iudah considering that we live in this glorious light of the Gospell with our extraordinarie mercies and meanes of all sorts Because that then if God shall give us hearts in reading to consider of these things aright we shall justifie the like complaint of the Lord against our selves and shall admire his patient stay and his abiding still amongst us Thus much therefore shall suffice in like manner for this third cause wherein yet let ech of us aske of our owne soules whether in such a decay both of the love of the truth and also of holinesse peace and unitie in the Church yea in such danger of our protection to be utterly taken away to passe over that it is so far departed That he that absteineth from evill makes himself a prey and in steed thereof in such an increase of Poperie of licentiousnesse and of all profanenesse such an enmitie against all true pietie with the insolencie of the enemie the Lord doe not call loude upon us all to watch and to pray for the severall removes of the glory amongst us and the evident tokens of the Lords threatned departure which he sheweth in the same CHAP. VI. No priviledges can doe a people any good if they increase in their iniquitie but the moe their mercies have bin the greater is their sinne and the heavier shall their iudgement be when it commeth of what sort soever And what causes we have hence to watch and to pray Vers. 4. And the Lord said unto him Goe through the midst of the Citie even through the midst of Ierusalem and set a marke upon the foreheads of them that sigh and cry for all the abominations which are done in the midst thereof IN the doubling of the speech Goe thorough the midst of the Citie even through the midst of Ierusalem where the Lord adds Ierusalem to make the speech more significant not content to say Goe thorow the Citie but even thorow Ierusalem He would have all to take notice That though Ierusalem was the deerest unto him of all the Cities of the world yet having broken the Covenant on her part and also cast him off and defiled his Sanctuarie he will spare her no longer he will have no more pitie of any save onely of his faithfull ones in her But contrarily he will forsake her cast her off leave her to be destroyed untill the remnant left of her learne to seeke him and to be reconciled to him againe For the Lords speech is thus much in effect Goe through the midst of the city even through Ierusalem which though it be unto me the deerest of all the places in the world the Citie which I had chosen to
of their torment and their fearefull expectation of further vengeance Their calamities which they endure are nothing else but preparatives and fore-runners of the damnation of hell Hereby they also become more senselesse and impenitent they waxe more hardned and enraged to murmure and blaspheme against the Lord. And ordinarily they are alwaies chased in their owne consciences as Cain having a sound of feare in their eares the worme beginning to gnaw and their sinne to sting them to the very hearts and consequently to become runnegates to the grave and to eternall confusion Or let the best be supposed that ever can befall any of them they are but in a lethargie or sleepie sicknesse without sense untill the vengeance of God light wholly upon them to send them to the place of their destruction where they shall never finde any rest after But for their wretched estate we shall see it further in another place And thus we may behold the estate of all both good and bad in such generall calamities Now who is there that beleeves the word of the Lord whom the due consideration of this one point alone must not needs drive to watching and prayer and to cause him to seeke to be prepared aforehand in these dayes of our peace that he may be thus undoubtedly marked and under this protection yea that he may be thus hid in the evill day and finde all the comforts belonging to the godly and that he may be sure to escape those certaine and dreadfull miseries of the wicked what judgements soever it shall please him to exercise us withall for A wise man as Salomon saith foreseeth the plague and hideth himselfe but a foole goeth on still and is punished This therefore may serve as a first cause to enforce us all to betake our selves more instantly to watching and prayer then ever we have done if we would be so marked as to finde the Lord to be a Sanctuarie and a hiding place unto us in the evill day how soone soever he shall bring it upon us for all our sinnes and provocations and in the meane time to get boldnesse thereby and peace of conscience against all assaults whatsoever And more also unlesse we will strip our selves wilfully of his most gratious providence and protection and desperately expose our selves and all ours to all kinde of miserie and unhappinesse both in this life present and that which is to come If any shall demand further what this marke was we must remember That this Vision was given according to the capacitie of man to shew this unto the Prophet that he might make it knowne to all sorts what care the Lord hath for his faithfull ones in the greatest confusions and when they seeme to be utterly neglected and forgotten and to this end he hath caused it to be written for us This moreover seemeth evidently to be an allusion to the custome of men who use to set a marke on such things as they have a speciall care to preserve heedfully Or rather an alluding to the marking of the houses of his owne people in Egypt with the bloud of the Lambe that the destroying Angell might not touch any of them when he destroyed the Egyptians Or else at least to the marking of Rahabs house in the Citie of Iericho before the destruction came for the saving her selfe and hers But if it be demanded whether they had not indeed some speciall marke of difference to be discerned from the rest we may answer truly That there is no question but they were marked indeed both inwardly and outwardly Inwardly by the bloud of Christ sprinkling them and by the Spirit sanctifying them making them to cry Abba oh Father Outwardly by a bold and constant outward profession of the truth of God in word and deed and more specially by mourning and crying out for all the abominations which were practised daily to anger the Lord as followeth after But this is not that marking here spoken of much lesse is it any marking with any outward marke or signe as some doe vainely and very fondly conceit but only to make them sure that they might be preserved from the destroyer The words signifying nothing else but marke them with a marke or signe them with a signe That is marke them surely and carefully doubling the word according to the manner of the Hebrew phrase And thus much also shortly for answering those doubts Now to our next cause which every soule hath to watch and to pray CHAP. VIII The propertie of the godly living amongst the wicked in a sinfull age is To sigh and cry for the abominations and tokens of Gods anger So what cause all Gods servants have to watch and pray for the fewnesse of such and to labour to be of that litle number TO proceed to a sixt cause which yet more neerely concerns ech of us cals on us all to watchfulnes and prayer We are all who desire to finde true assurance and comfort to consider who and what ones these servants of God are which are thus marked They are described in these words which sigh and cry for all the abominations They were those who were so far off from framing themselves to the wickednesse of that evill time as that they contrarily abhorred with a vehement indignation all those sinnes whereby Gods anger was so kindled and their destruction hastned so fast Insomuch as that thereby they did not onely mourne in themselves in secret but being inforced with a zeale of Gods glory and indignation against all the abominations cryed out against them according to their places and callings and sighed in secret for mercy and redresse Here we must observe The Lord setting before our eyes the condition of the true children of God living in evill times and amongst a people voyde of the sense of sinne and of the feare of Gods judgements That their manner is not to approve of the wicked wayes of the ungodly much lesse to sooth and flatter them in their evill courses nor to give over themselves to any jollitie or carnall delights as others doe but they use to have continually much heavinesse in themselves sighing for the grievous sinnes which are committed An example hereof the Lord hath set forth to all posteritie in holy Lot who living amongst the filthy Sodomites was thus grieved with their ungodly conversation for so saith the holy Apostle Peter That he being righteous and dwelling among them in hearing and seeing vexed his righteous soule from day to day with their unrighteous deeds He was so disquieted with their beastly manners provoking the Lords most holy eyes that his whole life for the time that he dwelt amongst them was but wearinesse and a continuall mourning This holy man the Lord would have set forth as an example to all succeeding ages to shew the condition of all his true and faithfull servants living amongst wicked and ungodly men To
the sin of all yet it indangered all See the feare of the people of Israel for the suspition of the provocation by the two tribes and the halfe in the erecting of the altar of witnesse which the rest of the Tribes did thinke that they had done for sacrifice contrary to the commandement of the Lord. They al purposed to have gone immediatly to make war against their brethren for the punishment of that sin yet sent messengers to know the truth of the matter before with this message That if they did rebell against the Lord that day the morrow next he would be wrath with all the congregation of Israell The like we may behold in the feare of the people for the villany committed by some of the inhabitants of the City of Gibeah in abusing the Levites Concubine and the vengeance that came not onely upon the City wherein it was committed but also upon all the Tribe of Benjamin because they delivered them not to be punished but would seeme to defend them for as much as they were apart of their Tribe And not upon that Tribe alone which might seeme justly accessary but also upon all those who helped not to take vengeance for that wicked fact as on all the inhabitants of Iabesh Gilead becavse they came not to the war to see Gods judgements executed upon those wicked men To come to the sinnes of particular men Did we not heare before of the vengeance on Israell in the dayes of Ioshuah for the sin of Achan How that worthy Captaine with his valiant soldiers were not able to stand before their enemies untill Achans sinne was found out punished Yea the Lord tels them he will not be with them any more unlesse they destroy the excommunicate from amongst them which thereupon they were glad to doe And far be it from us to thinke the Lord to be unjust in this or any other of his judgements or to have diminished any part of his justice or holinesse unto this day Secondly we cannot forget that anger that was kindled against Israell and the famine that came upon them in the dayes of David for three yeeres together for the sinne of Saul in killing the Gibeonites to gratifie the people contrary to his fidelity Though they were but heathens of the cursed Amorites and had dealt deceitfully with the Israelites in making their covenant Yet the wrath could not be appeased or the Land purged untill vengeance was taken upon his bloudy house for that murther committed so long before And therfore sith his anger may breake forth so long after even for such sins much more for such notorious abominations as are committed daily by them who have given themselves over to all manner of profanenesse and impiety and whereof they can have no such colour or occasion This was the cheife reason of the solemne inquisition which was at the publicke fasts in Israell for the finding out both of notorious offenders and offences to have vengeance taken of them openly Hence was the pretence of Iezabell for the saving of Naboth under a shew of execution of this justice against a blasphemer to pacifie the Lords anger This also seemes to have bin one principall cause why the word was read and preached at those their solemne fasts that thereby the sins might be discovered and reformed as God bids Ieremie to indite and Baruch to write from his mouth and to declare to the people their sinnes with the plagues judgements due unto them that they might returne from their evill wayes and so pacifie his wrath by crying unto him and reforming all the abominations Thus we see this point also cleere That the sinnes of a people even of a few of them not punished do anger the Lord and provoke him against the whole land making the land uncleane neither can he be fully pacified any way but by the punishing and taking away of those sinnes Whereby it is most evident to the consciences of all men what just cause the godly have to sigh and to tremble for all the abominations that are committed amongst them and especially which being notoriously knowne do still remaine unpunished Now to apply this unto our selues And first for the generall humiliation of us all afterward for the comfort of those few that are such true mourners indeed First this may strike the hearts of all sorts who imagining that they are the servants of the Lord yet hearing and seeing the fearfull apostacy coldnesse and security of our age even in many of the better sort together with Atheisme Poperie and all outragious and profane licentiousnesse daily increasing in the rest are yet never troubled therwith And much more may it astonish all such who are so far off from the condition of these mourners as that they can solace themselues as freely when they heare of all excesse in iniquity and whatsoever can bee devised by Iewd men to anger the Lord and to grieve his Spirit as ever they were wont at other times Most of all may it affright and awaken those who use all devices to drive each thought of Gods anger or any judgement with every occasion of humiliation and mourning utterly out of their hearts But of all other is their estate most fearfull who can make the beastly sinnes of others their chiefest sport Oh you that are such consider in your hearts Is this the spirit of Lot Moses Samuel Ieremie Ezra of these mourners heere marked Of our Saviour or Pavl Is this the Spirit of the Lord How deceive you your soules in a vaine imagination what will ye doe in the day of the Lords wrath if he let it come upon us as we justly deserue Or what have ye done to turne it from us Know know for certaine that this sinne of yours will one day undoubtedly bring you weeping enough you cannot tell whether even in this life as it did to them in the Captivity nay even whether this same uery day when you shall do nothing but weep day and night in remembrance of this one sinne that your hearts were so hard in the dayes of your prosperity that you could not mourne at all Besides all the other miseries that you are liable unto for all your sinnes chiefly if God should give you up for them when you shall be utterly destitute of comfort of the Lords mercy protection and-favour untill you shall have soundly bewailed all this your sencelesse security But on the contrary as this is given by the Lord for the comfort of all that mourne for the iniquities because they are surely marked before the vengeance come to be safe then so it may serue for the sweete consolation and cheering up even of all those of every estate and degree from the highest to the lowest who find their hearts thus affected in hearing of and beholding the abominations committed dayly to anger the
Lord howsoever it shall please him to visit us Give me leave therefore if it were to digresse a little to turne my speech to speake to your soules and consciences for the confirming and strengthening of all our hearts who are such The Lord heere sets before your faces the care which he hath for you You are surely sealed whatsoever plagues he shall smite the earth withall whether you be rulers from the greatest to the meanest to begin with you If your consciences beare you witnesse that your hearts are set to advance Gods true religion and all prety and by all holy meanes to suppresse iniquity and so to turne away the judgements threatned And much more also if to this end you study to procure what good you can to the Church of Christ. If you mourne with Ezra for the grievous transgressions of the people for defiling themselves with the abominations of other nations and especially with Popery Atheisme and all irreligious licenciousnes Of if that your hearts do melt with holy Iosiah for the former and present provocations and to see how the word of the Lord is despised If you use to lament and sigh in beholding the intollerable frowardnesse of men against the Lord that they cannot be brought to submit themselues to his glorious Gospell and in observing such a strange turning backe of many of our people in their hearts as who will needs returne into Egypt and Sodome againe and so strive to provoke the Lord yet more therby and by all other their sinnes And if moreover in seeing that you cannot doe that good that you would in reforming the evils you are not only daily humbled before the Lord upon your faces privately but doe also shew your griefe openly in your places as occasion is offered as this is an euident demonstration of your unfeigned religion before the world so it is a most strong bulwark to your own soules against all feare of the miseries that can any way come upon us Or secondly If you be those that succeed in the place of the Prophets being set to watch over and to warne the people committed to you thereby to turne away the plagues which are tiying upon them and doe finde in your selves the affections of Ieremie in heavinesse and lamentation when you see your paines to doe so litle good that you people generally grow rather worse and worse that you labour in vaine spend you strength in vaine and for nothing as Esay complaineth that although the bellowes be burnt yet you melt but in vaine the wickednesse is not taken away so that you may seeme to have just cause to deeme them to be but reprobate silver and such as the Lord hath weighed as Ieremie bewayleth them in his time this may comfort you that you are of this number that are marked And if furthermore for this cause you find your life to be a wearines that with Paul you have a continual sorrow in your hearts for your people and that you could be content to indure any miserie for them to save them from the Lords wrath this is a demonstration that the same spirit of Paul resteth upon you And yet further also to comfort you If you be such as are so far off from serving the time or flattering them to whom you are sent in crying peace peace That you have set your selves in all faithfulnesse to discover their iniquities and to cry out against all their sinnes and that no feare can stop your mouth from doing your duties in your places this testimonie of your consciences shall be as a strong brazen wall unto you whatsoever shall come to passe And to speake generally If you be private Christians as Lot and these mourners here marked and in steed of having a confederacie with the wicked in their evill wayes you finde your selves vexed every day for the evils which you heare and see it may minister unto you much assurance and heavenly consolation And more specially if your hearts be troubled for these dreadfull sinnes As first for our monstrous unthankfulnesse for the Gospell with all our blessings accompanying it and for that we are most of us so weary in living in obedience unto it and so many on the other side ready to live rather under that slaverie of Antichrist or service of sinne and Sathan Or secondly If you feele your soules continually grieved in beholding how many of us there are which make a profession of the Gospell in word yet denie utterly all power of it in our lives And withall how ready many amongst us who have heretofore made conscience of our wayes are now to joyne hands and run to all excesse with the Atheist and with every profane and filthy person And if aboue all this your hearts beare you witnesse that you strive to keepe your selves unspotted in this last and sinfull generation and neither by Schisme run forth of the Church and communion of the Saints so condemning the generation of his children on the one hand nor leave your places and callings so long as with a good conscience you can enjoy them to cast your selves upon the rocks of innumerable evils neither yet on the other hand to decline to the coldnesse hypocrisie and loosenesse of the time this shall be your comfort perpetually And yet to proceed a litle further If you thus staying your selves from these extremes doe use to speake every one to his neighbour as the godly did in Malachies dayes to incourage one another to walke more heedfully and cheerefully in the wayes of the Lord ech in his ranke and within the bounds of his calling this shall be your witnesse before the Lord. Or finally If yet now at least at the view of our transgressions which follow the Lords threatnings against us you can feele your hearts so affected as those mourners and set to continue so to walke with your God then this shall be unto you a gratious assurance that you are indeed the Lords owne servants as these mourners were The same Spirit of the Lord resteth upon you you are surely sealed therewith and singled out for his Majestie His care is as well for you as ever it was for Noah Lot Eliah or any of these mourners for he is still the same to all who tread in their steps his compassions faile not This is written now to comfort you Heaven and earth shall passe but not one jot or title of his word untill every thing be accomplished He may sooner breake his covenant concerning the day and the night than he can with you The hills may sooner remove out of their places than his mercy can from you Let none of your hearts therefore faint who have this witnesse that you indevour hereunto But come whatsoever will God will provide such a deliverance for you if he see it good Or if he send you into Captivitie yet he