the Sabbaths another sinne causing their captivity and much reproved and threatned by the Prophets of God Moreover the land was full of bloudie crimes by reason of murder man slaughter quarrelling fighting Also polluted with all manner of carnall uncleannesse adulterie and fornication assembling themselves by troopes in harlots houses and they were as fed horses in the morning every one neighed after his neighbours wife Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord and shall not my soule be avenged on such a nation as this Yea this was so common a sinne that he called them all adulterers yea they committed incest humbling their owne sisters and defiling their daughters in law yea humbling such as were set apart for pollution Likewise they did oppresse defraud and wrong one another by false weights and measures and devoure one another by cruell usurie and unjust gaine and did even set traps and snares to catch men building houses by unrighteousnesse and chambers by wrong using their neighbours service without wages and not giving him for his worke taking usurie and increase and greedily gaining by extortion And all this was spent in sumptuous buildings setting their nests on high and making glorious houses in pride of apparell taking up every vaine foolish and new fangled fashion And when Gods Prophets did most threaten vengeance and they should have humbled themselves in sackcloth and ashes loe then did they most give themselves to garishnesse tricking pranking and painting themselves in scorne of God Wherefore the Lord threatned them that he would punish the Princes and Kings children and all such as were clothed with strange apparell Also they gave themselves to maintaine excesse in diet drinking and making one another drunke which one of the Prophets thus threatned Woe to him that giveth his neighbour drinke that putteth the bottle unto him and maketh him drunken Moreover they were most unthankfull for blessings received never said Let us feare the Lord our God that giveth raine both the former and latter raine in his season he reserveth to us the appointed weekes of the harvest Neither did they amend by gentle corrections the Prophet bewailed it O Lord are not thine eyes upon the truth Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder than a rocke they have refused to returne Loe these are the maine linnes which reigned in Iudah and Ierusalem before their captivitie which God sent his Prophets to reprove and threaten but all in vaine for they did trust because they had the Temple and worship of God no evill should happen unto them and therefore answered their threatnings with these words of vaine confidence The temple of the Lord The temple of the Lord The temple of the Lord. Wherefore the Lord assured the Prophet he would cast them out of his sight they should goe into captivitie and he would doe to that house wherein they so vainly trusted as he had done to Shiloh in the dayes of their forefathers As these were their sinnes for kinde so had they long continued in them notwithstanding they had had such faire warning in the captivitie of their brethren for the same which did not a little adde to the measure of their sinne which being full vengeance must needs come and the harvest of their iniquitie being ripe the sickle of Gods iudgement must needs cut them downe and God will not heare his Prophet intreat for them Now to come to our selves and make Application of all we have heard I beseech you with all godly feare and reverence receive and consider well these foure propositions First that we in England by Gods mercy yet are and for many yeeres have beene as happie as ever Iudah and Ierusalem were in our Kings and Queenes Iudges Magistrates Ministers peace plentie prosperitie deliverances from dangers fatherly corrections for amendment but above all for advancing and continuing of his glorious Gospell to be so generally professed in such safetie for making of our kingdome to become an harbour and sanctuarie to Gods afflicted servants of other countries and for many other blessings wherein it hath beene so enriched and preferred that with Capernaum it hath beene exalted to heaven and made the wonder of the world Secondly that we are at this time nothing sound but all swellings and sores a sinfull nation and loaded with iniquitie You have heard what were the sinnes of Iudah and Ierusalem doe you not see them to be our owne Shall I goe over them againe and search for them with candle-light It needeth not they are written in such Capitall letters as he that runneth may reade them Whosoever shall with reverence and conscience reade the writings of those worthy Prophets and compare our times thereto shall finde they doe so lively picture out the iniquities of our daies as if they had beene sent unto us and had prophesied against us and therefore their writings are ours either to admonish us and turne us away from all our evill waies and to prevent the like judgements or to make our condemnation the more just and our plagues the more terrible if in his justice he shall execute them upon us It may be some exception may be taken against one sinne and indeed one of the greatest viz. that we cannot be charged with Idolatry as Iudah was I answer it is true God be blessed that Romish Idolatry is by our Christian and wholesome Lawes suppressed and his Excellent Majesty both by peerelesse labours and exquisite writings hath throughly discovered the Antichrist and by godly Edicts and Proclamations advanceth pure Religion to the utmost wherein the Lord enable him to persist that he and his may be blessed for ever Amen But give me leave to make a few Quaeres Have we not too many Chemarims Seminaries Priests and Iesuites sacrificing to Baal Have we not too many that sweare by the Lord Malcom as all our Church-Papists that professe religion in Gods house and have also their close chambers of Imagerie at home Is not the number of Idolatrous Recusants greatly increased even since that most hellish powder-treason for which no name can ever be devised able to set forth the nature of it which a man would have thought would have beene the bane of Poperie thorow the world it being a fruit of their Religion and practise of their positions and principles oh how fearefull that Idolatrie even since that time should so increase Thirdly as we have many enemies so are they most fierce barbarous truculent and sanguinarie plotting and devising most cruell and unnaturall proiects and stratagems and where they prevaile executing such murders and massacres as were never read nor heard of witnesse our powder-plot the mercilesse French massacre
Abraham so am I are they the Prophets of God I am more in labours more abundant in stripes above measure in prisons more frequent in deaths often So much concerning his name His Tribe Levi his father Hilkiah a Priest his countrie Anathoth one of the Cities allotted to the Levites in Beniamin his Prophesie one of the greatest and his continuance long for the space of forty yeares But that which is precisely registred and most materiall for you to take knowledge of is the time when he prophesied which is said to begin in the thirteenth year of Iosiah King of Iudah and to hold on in the dayes of Iehoiachim and Zedekiah to the carrying away of Ierusalem into captivitie So then this Prophet was raised of God and sent to Iudah and Ierusalem after that the ten Tribes were carried away into captivity in a loving desire to save that Citie and Temple yet withall to reprove them for their sinnes yea to threaten them with captivitie also if they repented not In which his Ministerie he was seconded by Ezechiel Ioel Sophonie Habacuk and others who also labored in the same argument with him Oh see the goodnesse of God that by so many his Prophets did thus plainly foreshew their miserie reprove their sinnes the cause thereof that by repentance they might have repented and prevented it But see the obstinacie of the Iewes who being thus fairely and roundly dealt withall and warned by the example of Gods judgement on their brethren the ten Tribes now carried into captivity they would take no warning nor be reformed but proceeded from evill to worse extremely abusing Gods Prophets and specially our Prophet Ieremie wherefore at the last God sware he would make them desolate revealed unto Ieremie and bade him prophesie their carrying into captivity that God would do to Ierusalem as he had done to Shiloh and serue Iudah as he had done Ephraim in the verse immediately before yea and to assure him that it should be to remove the peoples odiū from him and to prevent discouragement in him in the words of my text he giveth a strait and expresse charge not to pray for them Therefore pray not for them for I will not heare thee q. d. Oh my servant sonne of man thou seest how wicked and sinfull this people is how neither my judgements on their brethren nor thy Ministery doth them any good but they grow worse and worse I therefore let thee know that I am stedfastly purposed to punish them and in the same kind I haue done their brethren and lay this house waste wherein they so vainly trust and lest thou shouldest thinke this sentence mutable I bid thee goe not about to hinder me or crosse me by thy prayer for it shall stand yea lest they should conceive a great fault in thee that thou art wanting in love and the testification thereof by prayer let them know and write it downe that I have forbidden thee to pray for them yea lastly lest thou shouldest poure out many prayers and supplications and cry to me for them with sighes and grones and teares and be discouraged because I heare thee not for these considerations and to prevent all these inconveniences take knowledge of it I charge thee pray not nor cry nor make intercession for them for I will not heare thee Oh an heavie charge I know not how it moved them but I am sure to reade it is enough to cast us all into a Balthazar 's fit make our countenance pale loose the joynts of our loynes and make our knees knocke one against another For doth it not concerne us as much as them Doth not the Apostle say All holy Scriptures are written for our learning and Are not examples of old written to admonish us on whom the ends of the world are come Assuredly it may be your owne case if England will not repent but provoke the Lord trust in vaine and lying words and not be warned by the fearfull judgements of God upon Bohemia Palatinate and other places hee may sweare in his just anger to be avenged and not heare his servants though they pray and cry for it I am no Ieremie no Prophet to threaten the like calamitie to you that is fallen upon your brethren but as one of Gods poore servants desirous to be faithfull and to be free from the blood of all men and to finde mercy in time of judgement I come unto you in the name of the Lord and from this Scripture to acquaint you with what I have received from the Lord not by vision or dreame but by revelation from the Word written plainly to lay before you your sinnes and to call upon you earnestly for repentance and a Christian use of Gods just judgements both abroad and at home lest in the end it be too late to pray and cry for you and the more to move your attention let mee tell you this is one of the fearfullest charges that we reade in all the Scriptures of God and a preparing of way to execution of one of the heaviest judgements of God upon his Church and people yea it is at least in appearance contrary to as many comforts as there are words in it As first call on me in the day of thy trouble and I will heare and deliver thee Oh what a comfort is that that though many troubles may befall Gods people and servants yet he hath commanded them to call on him and hath promised to heare and deliver them But this is fearfull God forbiddeth now pray not David saith that all flesh shall come to God by prayer that there is no respect of persons with God but the poore may as confidently pray to God as the rich and the base as well as the noble but this is fearefull that now his Prophet his sanctified Prophet may not come to him by prayer but is expresly forbidden pray not thou No prayers so acceptable unto God as those that are made unto him for his Church and people David biddeth us pray for the peace of Ierusalem and for encouragement saith they shall prosper that love it and therefore presently falleth to practise peace be within thy wals But here hee expresly forbiddeth his Prophet to pray for Iudah and Ierusalem pray not thou for this people The King of Ninivie commanded both man and beast to put on sackcloth and cry mightily unto God and was perswaded God would heare even the cry of bruit beasts and he did so A most comfortable story But here the Prophet is expresly forbid to lift up any cry for them Oh that is fearfull that God will heare no prayers though made with sighes and groanes which was Moses crying nor with lamentation and teares which was Davids crying no cry will now be heard yea no cry must now be made that is fearefull The Lord sometime did complaine
for their sins they should be carried into captivitie and with an oath affirmed it it must needs be granted the decree and sentence were absolute and that according to the letter of the prohibition the Prophet must not pray for them in this neither did hee but submitted himselfe to Gods holy will and pleasure The maine objection which I know of that may be made either against this sense delivered or the practice of our Prophet is a like Prohibition to Moses which yet was but conditionall for he presently prayed and prevailed so we reade that in Moses absence the people causing Aaron to make a golden calfe which they worshipped God told Moses what a great sinne they had committed and addeth Now therefore let me alone that I may consume them and I will make of thee a great nation and Moses besought the Lord and he repented of the evill which he thought to doe to his people I answer that betwixt that to Moses and this to Ieremie there is a great difference for howsoever that be delivered to Moses in the Imperative as well as this yet that carrieth the face of a milde instruction and intimateth that it was in Moses power to give leave or to let God so as Moses receiveth thereby encouragement to pray What is it for God to say Let me alone but to make him bold to pray but this charge is with waightie words Thou shalt not pray nor crie nor make intercession for I will not heare thee Secondly Moses was but once bid let God alone but our Prophet was thrice expresly forbidden to pray for them Now if Ioseph told Pharaoh his dreame was doubled because the thing was established of God he will bring it to passe how much more may I say this charge is tripled to his Prophet to signifie that he meaneth good sooth their captivitie is decreed and established of God and he will bring it to passe Thirdly and lastly God threatned to Moses he would utterly consume the people yea and blot out their name from under heaven that God could not doe but much dishonour his name and therefore Moses urgeth in his prayer wherefore should the Aegyptians speake and say For mischiefe did he bring them out to slay them in the mountaines and to consume them from the face of the earth Againe to doe so were to breake promise and oath which he had made with their fathers and therefore Moses doth specially urge that Remember Abraham Isaack and Israel thy servants to whom thou swarest by thine owne selfe and saydst unto them I will multiply your seed as the starres of heaven and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed and they shall inherit it So that what face soever it carried Moses saw well enough God did not meane he should not pray for them But the case is here altered first Gods glorie is no way endangered no more than it was by the captivitie of the ten Tribes nay this was greatly for his glorie first that all nations might see what a just God he is who will not forbeare to punish sinne no not in his owne people for many nations shall say Wherefore hath the Lord done thus to this great Citie and they shall answer Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and worshipped other Gods and served them but his deliverance of them out of captivitie should be much more for his glorie for hee meant that should be more eminent and glorious than their deliverance out of Aegypt was so as after that time it should be no more said The Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel out of Aegypt but the Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the North and from all the lands whither he had driven them See how greatly their captivitie should be for his glorie Neither was this against any promise or oath for hee had already performed them he had cast out the Heathen and planted Israel in Yea rather herein God was as good as his word for hee had threatned them if they were rebellious and disobedient he would give them into the hands of their enemies and they should reigne over them Thus I hope by conference of Scriptures I have sufficiently cleared the sense of this viz. that it was an absolute prohibition and therefore howsoever the Prophet was exceedingly afflicted to foresee in spirit and afterwards to see with the eyes of his bodie the captivitie of the Iewes and desolation of the Citie and Temple neither was hee ever wanting to give them good counsell and pray in other cases for them yet in this he might not in this he did not Now it followeth to build doctrines for Instruction Consolation and Reprehension and by application to make them usefull unto us which doctrines naturally arising are many and namely these First God commonly giveth warning before he bring any judgement upon any place or persons specially on his Church or people or on any place where his people are This doctrine will be sufficiently proved both from positive and exemplarie Scriptures Thus saith the Prophet Surely the Lord God will doe nothing but hee revealeth his secrets unto his servants the Prophets Before God brought the floud God revealed it to Noah who by word of mouth and building the Arke gave warning to the old world for 120. yeeres before hee sent fire and brimstone to consume the Cities in the plaine hee revealed it to Abraham and then to Lot and his children before the judgements were executed on Pharaoh and Aegypt God revealed it to Moses and Aaron before he destroyed Ninivie he gave knowledge thereof to Ionah and he proclaimed Yet fortie dayes and Ninivie shall be destroyed The Iewes shall not be destroyed but the day and time shall be first proclaimed that Gods people may betake themselves to fasting and prayer Before the captivitie of the ten Tribes God revealed it to many of his Prophets as Isaiah Iehu Eliah Michaiah Obadiah Hosheah Amos Ioel that as before a great storme the cocks crow loud and thicke so before this great judgement the Prophets threatned and cried loud and shrill before the captivitie of Iudah and Beniamin many other Prophets knew of it and were sent to threaten it as Esay Ezechiel Zephanie and our Prophet who most plainly told them for how long it should continue How were the Iewes abundantly warned before their finall destruction and dispersion how is Babylon fore warned how those golden Churches in Asia Minor how are wee all forewarned of the destruction of the world by fire how are we all forewarned of the destruction of the wicked in hell fire yea what judgement can befall us but our consciences must needs testifie that some way or other yea many wayes God hath given us warning All which doe sufficiently confirme our
to repent who for any thing that I know are as great sinners as they so as if God should bring upon us a heavier judgement than he hath done upon them yet were it most just our consciences must needs witnesse we have had warning abundantly But above all blessed be God who hath given and doth daily give us such faire and full warning of the last judgement and destruction of all the Reprobate in hell fire oh beware of them The second Doctrine is that all Gods true servants when they see by evident signes that the Lords anger is kindled against his people for their sinnes and perceive some fearefull judgements to come upon them they are wonderfully affected therewith take it to heart and labour by all good meanes to pacifie and prevent it This doctrine ariseth from this word Doe not lift up a crie unto mee which noteth that hee would not in a cold and senslesse manner have prayed but as being wonderfully affected to foresee the miserie of Gods people for their sinnes he would with sighes and groanes yea and bitter teares have prayed to God for them if he had not bid him hold his peace for to cry in the Scriptures when it is referred to praying noteth to pray unto God in most earnest and vehement manner as where God asked Moses Why criest thou unto mee and David complaineth O my God I crie by day and thou hearest not and the Apostle saith That our Saviour in the dayes of his flesh did offer up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares In all which and many other places which might be alledged to this purpose crying doth rather signifie mournfull intention of heart zeale and fervencie of spirit rather than any loud vociferation and contentions of words And from this word our Doctrin ariseth which would first bee confirmed and backed with some other Scriptures And to begin with Moses when hee saw imminent destruction to the people of God at the red sea he cried unto God little did any know the bitter affliction of his soule but God who saw it and revealed it Moses why criest thou How was David moved when he saw the Angell that smote the people and said Lo I have sinned and dealt wickedly but these sheepe what have they done Holy King Iosiah when hee heard from reading the Booke of the Law that was found what great wrath of God was kindled against the people for their sinnes to make them a desolation and a curse he rent his cloathes his heart melted and his eyes poured out abundance of teares How did godly Mordechai and Hesther take to heart the decree gone out for the destruction of the people of God and humble themselves with sack-cloth fasting weeping and praying crying with loud and bitter cries When Ezrah heard of the great sinnes of the people and foresaw some imminent judgement hee rent his garment plucked off the haire of his head and beard and did neither eat bread nor drinke water but mourned exceedingly The Prophet Esay foreseeing the captivitie of Gods people said Turne away from me I will weepe bitterly labour not to comfort me because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people Our Prophet exceeded in this who thus complained My bowels my bowels I am pained at the very heart mine heart maketh a noise in mee I cannot hold my peace because I have heard the sound of the trumpet and alarum of warre destruction upon destruction is cried and wished Oh that mine head were waters and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of my people And againe Let mine eyes run downe with teares night and day and let them not cease for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach and a very grievous blow The Prophet Ezechiel upon the same occasion seeing the Angels destroying Gods people feil on his face and cried Oh Lord God wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in pouring out thy furie on Ierusalem Our blessed Saviour wept when hee prophesied the destruction of Ierusalem The blessed Apostle protesteth the continuall heavinesse and sorrow of heart for the miserie of Gods people and forewarned the Philippians with teares of the evill to come By which cloud of witnesses out of the old and new Testament our doctrine is sufficiently confirmed viz. That when Gods anger is seene and some great judgement to befall Gods people is foreseene Gods true servants are greatly affected therewith and labour to prevent it It being then most cleere that it is so let us now proceed to consider the reasons thereof why it is so and why they are thus affected The first is because there is nothing so sweet and deare unto them as Gods love and favour nothing doth so much affect them with joy as the sense thereof I say againe Gods children are men and women and subject to passion as others and are glad of the comforts of this life but this is the glorious and unspeakable joy wherefore David prayeth Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon us and thrice in one Psalme the Church prayeth Cause thy face to shine and wee shall be saved Yea the greatest blessing the Priest could pronounce was The Lord blesse thee and keepe thee the Lord make his face to shine on thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee And no marvell for David saith that in Gods favour is life And if Salomon say The favours of an earthly King be as a cloud of the latter raine what is Gods Prov. 16. 15. What more urged by the Apostle than this pleasing of God as Offer up your bodies a living sacrifice holy and pleasing unto God and he saith this is a maine thing wherein the happines of single life consisteth the unmarried careth how he may please the Lord and S. Paul prayed for the Colossians that they might walke worthie of the Lord to all pleasing of him and biddeth children obey their parents in all things in the Lord for this is well-pleasing to the Lord and calleth almes a sacrifice acceptable and well-pleasing unto God and beseecheth the Thessalonians so to walke as they may please God Oh doe good children finde such comfort and content in the good favour and pleasure of their parents wives of their husbands servants of their masters and subjects of their Kings how much more true joy content and comfort doe Gods children finde in Gods favour and good pleasure So as if hee be well pleased they care not though all the world be offended And as nothing is so sweet and joyfull and highly esteemed and prized as Gods favour and doth even ravish the heart with joy unspeakable and glorious so there is nothing so bitter and grievous as sense
judgement afarre off and like faithfull watchmen from the wall give warning to the City as soone as ever they descry the Lord comming against his people Secondly they must labour by their Ministery to bring the people to repentance that so Gods wrath may be pacified and judgements prevented and to that end they must faithfully reprove them for their sinnes and let them see the hainousnesse of their transgressions and call earnestly upon them for repentance Thus did Noah before the floud Lot before the burning of Sodom the Prophets Isay Ieremy Ezechiel Ioel before the Captivities Rent your hearts and not your garments and turne to the Lord your God thus did Christ and Iohn Baptist before the finall destruction of the Iewes Repent repent Except yee repent yee shall all perish Now is the axe laid to the root of the tree and O generation of vipers who hath forewarned you to flee from the anger to come bring forth fruits worthy amendment of life yea thus have all Gods servants done that desire to be free from the bloud of all men for if they give not warning the bloud is required at their hands and therefore it behoveth them to bestirre themselves that if it be possible they may save Gods people from the wrath to come or at least deliver their own soules and be found a sweet savour unto God even in them that perish Thirdly it is the faithfull Ministers duty to be very tenderly affected towards all such as mourne in Sion and with David are afraid of Gods judgements they must be sure to speake a word in due season to such as are weary God gave the Prophet Isay a charge to speake comfortably to the heart of Ierusalem And hence it is that the Prophets Christ Iohn Baptist and the Apostles did ever interlace reproofes and threatnings with heavenly comforts to prepare them for times of triall and tentations that howsoever they lived amongst the wicked and some great judgement and generall might come yet come what will it should goe well with them yea let vs Ministers be assured the Lord will require as strict an account of us how we have cheared and comforted the godly as that we have reproved and threatned the wicked And I say upon this occasion in the word of the Lord Be of good comfort all godly Magistrates and Governors if your hearts be set aright to advance Gods Religion and holy Gospell of Christ and to suppresse and beat downe Atheisme Poperie and all wickednesse whereby Gods anger is kindled and heavie judgements procured Be of good comfort yee Ministers of Christ that watch and warne Gods people having continuall sorrow and heavinesse to see their sinnes and being farre off from serving the time and flattering them saying Peace peace when there is no peace but faithfully reproving them for all their sinnes and earnestly calling on them for repentance And be of good comfort all yee people whose hearts are broken with godly sorrow to see the sinnes of the Land and you that strive to keepe your selves unspotted of the world and to walke worthy the Gospell and such great mercies as God vouchsafeth and humble your soules before God privately in fasting and praiers and so farre as you can and is lawfull labour to draw on others in the like practise of piety know that you are sealed and maintained of God assure your selves the eie and hand of God are on you for good his compassions shall not faile the hils shall sooner remove out of their places than his mercy can be removed from you his covenant with day and night shall sooner be broken than with you you are written upon the palmes of his hands and are ever in his sight and either God will be pacified and spare for your sakes or as he knoweth best will provide for you either take you to himselfe that you shall not see the evill to come or whatsoever evill come his good Angels shall guard you his spirit support you his grace be sufficient for you he shall enrich you with peace patience and joy and in good time make an end of all misery and set the crowne of immortall glory on your head The second duty particular is for the chiefe Magistrate to command such as are subordinate and inferiour to see execution these are to testifie how greatly they are affected with tokens of Gods wrath and appearance of judgements by labouring to reforme sinne and enjoyning fasting and humiliation for pacifying of Gods anger and preventing of judgements Thus did Moses Ioshuah David Iehoshaphat Nehemiah Hesty King of Ninivie It would aske too long a time to shew you how wonderfully God hath beene appeased and how strangely judgements have beene prevented by this most godly and Christian exercise the Scriptures are plentifull in this point Yea it is registred that even Ahab only thereunto moved with a base feare of judgement threatned and but fasting and wearing sackcloth in hypocrisie God deferred the judgement untill his sonnes daies Oh what a blessing did this Land receive hereupon in Ann. 1588. I am perswaded never any did humble themselves before the Lord in true fasting and praier but found a blessing from heaven thereon Oh that I could but perswade you to make triall hereof and to prove the Lord herein I assure my selfe God is the same loving God as ready now as ever most graciously to answer the soule that setteth it selfe aright to seeke God by such waies and meanes as he hath prescribed Now let us come and make application of these things to ourselves That God hath many waies testified his anger and displeasure and not only threatned but also in some measure executed his judgements who so blinde as seeth not But how are men and women affected herewith Doe we in the conscience of our sinnes judge our selves unworthy of any common blessing peace food sleepe apparell and most worthy of all those heavie judgements which either he hath threatned or executed on any others Are we afraid of Gods judgements and specially of those that are spirituall I say againe of those that are spirituall and most dreadfull Doe we grieve exceedingly and mourne in our soules that we have so justly offended God and purchased his anger and displeasure and to have the very floudgates and all the sluces of his judgements drawne up to our utter overthrow and destruction Doe we bend our selves with all our strength to pacific God and prevent his judgements And to that end doe we with full purpose of heart resolve to forsake our owne knowne sins and to put in practise all holy purposes and vowes to reforme presently whatsoever we know to be amisse in us and to shew forth more true zeale of Gods glory and the power of godlinesse in our lives than we have done
pray heartily for the welfare of Ierusalem and then stand still and see the salvation of God who hath meanes that we see not to accomplish his act his strange act and to bring to passe his worke even his strange worke A second use is to love honour and make much of such as are so gracious and powerfull with God as to stand in the breach and to withstand and remove threatned judgements Oh let Noah the Preacher of righteousnesse have double honour let Lot be loved that doth grieve his righteous soule let us make great reckoning of Moses that standeth in the breach to stay the Lords anger for as was said of Elijah These these are the chariots and horsemen of Israel These these are the protection of the Church and fortification of the Land These are to us as Paul was unto them in the ship with him the saving of houses and goods lives and liberties it is for the godlies sake that dwell amongst us that the Gospell and our gracious King and Governor peace and prosperity with all other our blessings are continued unto us if it had not beene for their sakes we may well assure our selves the full viols of Gods wrath as in the Powder Treason or otherwise had long since beene powred downe upon us And here give me leave upon so just occasion to reprove the unthankfulnesse of the world towards such as under God are a singular meanes of our preservation Never were Noah or Lot more mocked scorned and derided than the godly in these daies disgraced and loaded with all indignities as the men unworthy to live in the world who if they humble their soules with fasting and put on sack cloth they that sit in the gate speake against them and the drunkards make songs of them Psal 69. And when it pleaseth God to take them away by death they are as glad thereof as the inhabitants of the earth were for the death of the two witnesses who reioiced and made merry and sent gifts one to another Alas that this foolish world should be such an enemy to its best friends and from whom it receiveth most good Oh little doe wicked men know what a treasure they lose in the death of a good man how open then they lie to the lash of Gods judgements when he is gone that used to stand in the breach It was said of Elijah as you heard that he was the chariots and horsemen of Israel And it was said of godly S. Ambrose Bishop of Millaine and of whom Theodosius the Emperour pronounced That hee onely knew Ambrose worthy to be called a Bishop That he was the wals of Italy and Stilico the Earle said his death did threaten destruction to Italy And indeed how Italy hath beene harrowed and brought to desolation by the fire and sword of barbarous Nations the Goths Hunnes and Vandals and made the Theater of most lamentable Tragedies Histories doe report In places where enemies are up in Armes chariots and horses are in great request and when enemies besiege there is great regard had to the wals if they have breaches made in them and none to defend or fall downe flat as the wals of Iericho did those Cities must needs be surprised Now good men are as the wals of the Common-wealth City or Towne where they dwell if it were not for them the judgements of God would breake in and destroy them How are such to be esteemed Noah was as a wall to the old world and no sooner in the Arke but the floud came and destroyed them all Lot was as a wall to Sodome and no sooner in Zoar but fire and brimstone fell and consumed them all The Christians were as the wall to Ierusalem and no sooner in Pella but Ierusalem was surprised and sacked No sooner had Iosiah his eies closed that he might not see the vengeance but be taken to rest as God had promised but straightway the wofull tragedy of Iudah and Ierusalem beganne Wherefore the Prophet complaineth that good and mercifull men are taken away and men doe not take it to heart as a great losse and fearefull prognostication of evill For conclusion seeing Gods servants are so powerfull with God and that only by praier and we doe not know how to pray as we ought ourselves but it is the Spirit which helpeth our infirmitie and maketh us cry Abba Father And God hath promised to give his Spirit to them that aske it As every good gift commeth downe from the Father of lights so specially this most excellent proper and peculiar gift of praier I pray you observe that whereas the Lord by his Prophet promiseth I will destroy all the Nations that come against Ierusalem he presently addeth in the next words as the meanes whereby so great a favour is procured I will poure upon the house of David and upon the Inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication Where note first what is the lot and condition of all the persecutors of Ierusalem that first or last they shall be destroyed Secondly that the meanes whereby destruction is procured of the enemies of Ierusalem Gods Church and people is praier Lastly that this gift of praier commeth downe from God it is his gift he will poure out the spirit of supplications and verily as there is no gift more necessary and usefull none more rare how poore are some in this that are rich in some other graces I know God giveth this in measure to some more and some lesse according to his good pleasure And God forbid I should discourage any and specially novices and younglings for it is most cleare that even the sighs and groanes of a faithfull penitent soule are loud and shrill cries in the eares of God short ejaculations God be mercifull unto me God blesse his Church God prosper his Gospell God convert or confound the enemies of his Church and Truth even these uttered not for forme fashion vse custome but fervently heartily are most excellent and powerfull praiers yet herein we are not to rest but to seeke after a growth in this as in other graces of the Spirit and never to cease begging of God till in good measure according to the Scripture phrase even in the language of Canaan we be able to expresse our owne wants and the wants of his Church and in his owne words to crave such blessings and graces as we or his people doe stand in need of Standing in the breach with his owne weapons of gracious Covenant and Promise and Oath in one hand and urging his owne Arguments of truth grace glory Oh this is an excellent gift indeed and this is the way to bring destruction upon the enemies of Ierusalem and whosoever seeketh this grace shall in good measure obtaine it and as any receive let them use it and they shall to their great comfort see a blessed increase of
cleare that such may be the sinnes of a people that God will not regard their owne praying and fasting Hearken how the Lord himselfe threatneth a rebellious people Because I have called and yee have refused I have stretched out mine hand and no man regarded but yee have set at nought all my counsell and would none of my reproofe I will laugh at your calamity and mocke when your feare commeth when your feare commeth as desolation and your destruction commeth as a whirlwinde Then they shall call upon me but I will not answer they shall seeke me earely but they shall not finde me Lo how the sinnes of a people may come to that height that in their greatest calamity and destruction and when they cry most fervently and seeke God earely yet God will be so farre from hearing and answering of them that he will laugh and mocke them And againe When yee spread forth your hands I will hide mine eies from you yea when yee make many praiers I will not heare And againe by our Prophet he saith When they fast I will not heare their cry but I will consume them by the sword by the famine and by the pestilence And againe I will bring evill upon them which they shall not be able to escape and though they shall cry yet will I not hearken unto them And againe I will deale in fury mine eie shall not spare neither will I have pitie and though they cry in mine eares with a loud voice yet will I not heare them Loe how plainly and plentifully this is proved though but by a few places in stead of many And as he hath threatned he will not heare themselves though they fast and pray and cry aloud so neither will he heare any others no not the best of his servants for them Marke your Text Ieremy an excellent man of God and sanctified in his mothers womb yet God telleth him if he pray against the peoples captivity he will not heare him yea and telleth him because he should not thinke that he was out of favour that if Moses and Samuel stood before him yet his minde could not be towards his people Cast them out of my sight and let them goe forth and if they say whither shall we goe forth thou shalt tell them Thus saith the Lord such as are for death to death and such as are for the sword to the sword and such as are for the famine to the famine and such as are for the captivity to the captivity See what persons God hath picked out of all the bunch of the Patriarches Prophets Judges and Kings Who ever prevailed more by praier with God for others than Moses and Samuel When the people had committed that foule Idolatry in worshipping the golden Calfe God said He would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood up in the gap But Moses he besought the Lord and prevailed The Lord repented of the evill and did it not And when the Philistims came up against Israel and they were exceedingly afraid Samuel Oh faithfull Samuel the Lords Priest cried unto the Lord for Israel and the Lord heard him and thundred with a great thunder and discomfited the Philistims But if Moses and Samuel did now stand before the Lord his minde cannot be won towards this people but they shall goe into captivity And againe by another Prophet he saith Sonne of man when the Land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously and I stretch out mine hand and breake the staffe of bread and send a famine and cut off man and beast though these three men were in it Noah Iob and Daniel they should deliver but their owne soules by their righteousnesse Or if I bring noisome beasts or bring a sword or a pestilence to cut off man and beast as I live saith the Lord though these three men were in it Noah Daniel and Iob yet should they deliver neither sonne nor daughter they should only deliver their owne soules but the Land shall be desolate Oh see againe what three Worthies he doth instance in Noah that upright man in the old World when all flesh had corrupted their waies Iob that upright man and fearing God in the Land of Vz and Daniel that man of Gods desire in Babylon Three men who could doe much with God for whom God did much yet if they had praied for this people God would not heare them they should not be able to deliver sonne nor daughter but only their owne soules And as such may be the sinnes of a nation or people so also of a particular person yea of Gods deare servants that he will not heare them but bring some temporall punishment upon them How great a favourite was Moses unto God to whom God spake mouth to mouth as a man talketh familiarly with his friend who obtained by his praier so many and great things at the hands of God for others so apparently honoured and graced of God that the Lord asked Aaron and Miriam Wherefore were ye not afraid to speake against my servant Moses Yet this great and good man for not sanctifying God at the waters of strife yea for once speaking unadvisedly with his lips and thereunto much provoked by that rebellious people was threatned he should not goe into the promised land An heavie judgement And though Moses made it his earnest suit unto God O Lord God thou hast begun to shew to thy servant great kindnesse I pray thee let me goe over and see the good land that is beyond Iordan that goodly mountaine and Lebanon yet the Lord would not heare him but cut him off saying Let it suffice thee speake no more to me of this matter David Gods deare servant and a man after Gods owne heart and for whose sake he did much to others how often have we these promises for my servant Davids sake yet he begetting a childe on Bethshebah the wife of Vriah the Lord strake the childe that it was very sicke and though David besought the Lord for the childe and fasted and went in and lay all night upon the earth yet God would not heare him but on the seventh day the childe died according to the word of the Lord by his Prophet Nathan Because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the childe that is borne to thee shall surely die And againe for his great sinne of numbring the people the Lord sent him a message by his Prophet Gad that he would send either pestilence famine or sword and though David repented and complained that he was in a great strait yet he could not obtaine freedome but according to his choice God sent a pestilence whereof in three dayes there died seventie thousand men Let all men and women then subscribe to this undoubted truth of God that such may be the sinnes of Gods Church in
generall or of his owne deare servants in particular that God will not heare themselves nor others for them but will bring such a temporall punishment as he hath purposed upon them But now me thinketh I heare some say Oh this is an heavie and comfortlesse doctrine indeed and seemeth to checke all devotion and humiliation for will not men hearing this doctrine delivered say If the case be so that for sinnes yea even small sinnes as the sinnes of Moses and David in speaking unadvisedly and numbring the people seeme to be God will be so farre provoked as no praying fasting crying teares of their owne or others for them can prevaile but God will bring a temporall punishment to what end then should we weepe and mourne fast and pray and afflict our soules Let us eat and drinke and be merry as we may we must beare that punishment which God hath purposed to lay upon us let us therefore never make two evils of one but take that which God hath appointed and there an end Gods will be done Oh God forbid that any should hearken and give way to such subtill and malicious suggestions of Satan so seeking to pervert and abuse even the best things Marke therefore and from Gods booke thou shalt learne that the doctrine doth not abrogate but establish the meanes of pacification Dost thou dwell in a nation Countrey or Citie and dost thou feare the sinnes of the people are such as God will bring some judgement upon them Now marke what God requireth of thee even to seeke the Lord to turne to God by fasting weeping and mourning to stand for the land and if the Lord will not heare thee for them yet thou shalt save thine owne soule The Lord is not more marvellous in any thing than in preserving his in some generall judgement and calamitie that have mourned and wept and sought his face as wee see in the deliverance of Noah Lot Iosiah and the marking of those in the forehead that mourned for the abominations of Ierusalem Thou dost not know what good thou maist doe to others even to the whole Church of God wherein thou livest but thou shalt be sure to doe thy selfe good Or dost thou feare that thine owne sinnes are such as God will bring a judgement yet humble thy soule and if thou canst not by repentance fasting and praier alter the decree yet thou maist alter the manner of execution Let Moses repent that he did not sanctifie God and let him begge leave to enter and if that will not be granted yet see with what favour the sentence shall be executed he shall have leave to goe up to the top of Pisgah and see it and if he goe not into the land flowing with milke and honey he shall be translated into heaven which is best of all Let David fast and pray and if the childe die God will give him a Solomon in stead of it Let the people repent and if God will not heare them nor any other for them but they must into captivitie yet God will make even those that lead them away captive to pitie them Oh religion never lost it reward never did any serve God for nought Wherefore Gods will be done but lèt us doe our duties it shall one way or other be requited us and if God heare us not according to our desire he will heare us to our profit Now let us proceed to consider the reasons wherefore the Lord sometimes will not be intreated but will bring some temporall judgement upon his Church and people and they are principally these First to declare the justice of God for if God did threaten and at every intreatie should forbeare to execute this were great mercy but where were justice Wherefore God sometimes will not pardon in regard of temporall punishment no not his deare servants upon repentance and intreatie that thereby he might proclaime to all the world the severitie of his justice and thereby men be warned to take heed of sinne it being a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of God And verily if we had grace the remembrance hereof would be a notable bridle to restraine us from sinne if when Satan tempteth us and wee are in danger of falling wee would say as Ioseph did to his impudent mistresse How shall I commit this great sinne against God It may be this sinne will adde so much to the measure of my former sinnes that God will not be intreated to pardon it but bring some heavie temporall judgement upon me Would not God heare his Prophet Ieremie no nor Moses and Samuel Noah Iob and Daniel though praying for his owne people but cast them off a prey to the pestilence famine and sword Yea would not God heare his deare servants Moses and David praying for themselves but even for small sinnes in comparison brought heavie temporall calamities and chastisements upon them Oh what am I a worme of the earth that I should commit such and such sinnes and presume of impunitie O ye sonnes of men stand in awe and sinne not The second reason is for declaration of his truth for if God should threaten judgements by his servants and upon every humiliation and intreatie revoke the same his Prophets would be found liers and light fellowes and no credit given to their words This was it that displeased Ionah so exceedingly that having threatned Ninivie Yet fortie dayes and Ninivie shall be destroied yet upon their repentance he also repented of the evill and did it not And indeed some of the wicked have in this respect bolstered up themselves in their sinnes against the Prophets of God saying Let us eat and drinke for to morrow wee shall die but the Prophets words are but winde tomorrow shall be as to day and much more abundant yea desperately call for the execution of their threatnings Let the Lord bring to passe and hasten his great worke that we may see it but the dayes are prolonged and every vision faileth Ezech. 12. 22. For this cause both to maintaine the credit of his Prophets and to make the wicked to tremble at his word howsoever sometimes upon repentance he altered the sentence yet sometimes he would not be intreated but executed judgements as he had threatned Which Iehu observed when having strucken Ioram dead the King of Israel and sonne of Ahab he said to Bidkar his Captaine Take and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth for remember how that when thou and I rode together after Ahab his father the Lord laid this burden upon him And againe being told that the dogs had eaten Iezabel he said This is the word of the Lord which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite saying In the portion of Iezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Iezabel Thus hath God made good his threatnings But me thinketh I heare some insult and
say Tush this is no matter of feare unto us we have no Prophets in these dayes to foretell judgements or whose threatnings we need to regard I answer Though the gift of prophecie properly so called be ordinarily 〈…〉 Church neither doe the true Ministers of the Gospell now take upon them to foretell wherewith when and how the Lord will punish the sinnes of a people yet assuredly the providence of God is wonderfull to direct them in their ministerie what texts of Scripture to handle what Doctrines to raise what promises or threatnings comforts or reproofes to use If therefore thou art placed under the ministerie or hearest such an one as thy soule and conscience doth witnesse he is the true Minister of Christ know that the spirit of God doth wonderfully guide and direct his studie and meditation his Sermons and preaching and therefore if he be much in the promises of the Gospell reioyce if in reproofe of sinne be sorrie if in the threatning of judgements feare he speaketh not rashly and at randome the fictions of his owne braine or publish the suggestions of an evill spirit but undoubtedly he delivereth what he hath received from the Lord it is the good Spirit of God directeth his heart tongue and pen to thinke write and speake what he knoweth most needfull for his people and therefore receive it with reverence as from God and submit your selves to such as watch over your soules and must give account unto God for you And verily herein lieth no small part of our feare that as God hath many waies testified his anger so hath he stirred up his faithfull servants both here and elsewhere by word and writing 〈…〉 and presse zealously to reprove the great and monstrous sinnes of this age and as sonnes of thunder to cause every corner of the Land to ring with the threatning and denunciation of some judgement or other and to call and cry for repentance whereby the same may be prevented which cannot be without God who undoubtedly without repentance will in his good time make good their word when mens hearts shall breake within them to remember they were told so before And so much for the maine reasons why sometimes God will not be intreated to the contrary but will punish a people viz. The declaration of his justice and truth that he may be feared and beleeved when by his servants he doth threaten It now followeth according to my proposed method to declare what sinnes they are which then did now doe and for ever will so provoke God and exasperate him that he will not spare and namely what were the sinnes which brought this miserable and inevitable captivity upon this people and which threaten the like judgement wheresoever found And therein two things are to be considered viz. The sinnes for their kindes and the measure or proportion of them What their sinnes were will appeare from the Prophets sent unto them to reprove them and threaten their captivity which were our Prophet Ezechiel Nahum Zephany Habacuck and Ioel Wherefore from their Prophesies only and specially of those two great and worthy Prophets I will gather light to this purpose and from them prove what I shall deliver And that I and you may the more orderly proceed and better remember them I will range them in certaine rankes As first the sinnes of the Priests and then of the people the sinnes of the Priests either in regard of their Ministery or conversation the sins of the people were either the greater as against the first Table or lesser as against the second Table The laying open of these things will both declare the justice of God who would not be entreated to spare so sinfull a people and also admonish all people to beware of such sinnes for feare of a like judgement And first note that judgement beginneth at Gods Sanctuary And no marvell for there beganne the corruption of all sorts of men The Prophets did most reprove and cry out against the Priests who in their Ministery first were blinde and ignorant It is true they were wonderfully conceited of their learning and knowledge and like enough they had a great measure at least some of them of worldly wisdome and humane learning but they rejected the word of the Lord and then what wisdome was in them Whereby it appeareth that howsoever the Priests lips should preserve the knowledge of God and God made his Prophets Seers and Watchmen to preserve the people from judgements to come by declaring their sinnes and directing them in the waies of God yet before the captivity they generally rejected the word of God and were simple without any power to tell the people of their sinnes or give direction what course to take whereby to prevent ensuing judgements Secondly they dealt falsely in their Ministery which the Lord complaineth of saying If they had stood in my counsell and declared my words to my people then should they have turned them from their evill waies And the Prophet bewaileth this fault Thy Prophets have not discovered thine iniquity to turne away thy captivitie but gave themselves to serve the time and please men flattering and saying peace peace building and dawbing with untempered morter They told the people all was well and that they should see neither sword nor famine nor any evill And if any one dealt more faithfully with the people shewing their sinnes and labouring to touch their consciences and to humble them that so they might prevent the judgement as Ieremy Ezechiel and some others did those wicked Priests and Prophets were angry and assured the people they did but terrifie and discourage them without cause all was well Yea that false Prophet Hananiah tooke away the yoke which by Gods command Ieremy did weare whereby to signifie their captivity and brake it prophesied falsely Thus within two yeeres will God breake the yoke of Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babylon yea Pashur could not hold his hand but smote Ieremy and put him in the stocks And as they were corrupt in their Ministery and enemies to such as were faithfull so were they most prophane in their lives and conversations being carnall and earthly minded From the least to the greatest every one was given to covetousnesse and from the Prophet to the Priest every one did deale falsely And againe Both Prophet and Priest are prophane yea in mine house have I found their wickednesse saith the Lord Whereas God told Baruch that which I have built I will breake downe and that which I have planted I will plucke up even this whole Land and seekest thou great things for thy selfe seeke them not Ier. 45. 4. As this was the great corruption of the Priests and false Prophets so the people did exceedingly further it and increase it in them For first they approved and liked well of flattery so the Lord himselfe said
A wonderfull and horrible thing is committed in the Land The Prophets prophesie falselie and the Priests beare rule by their meanes and my people love to have it so Whereas a false Prophet is the very taile and a most vile person in the eies of the godly and as unsauoury salt yea and God had cast dung in their faces Mal. 2. 3. Now such as in their Ministery would not trouble them by telling them of their sinnes and threatning of judgements but preach pleasing things heale all with sweet words rocke the cradle and let them sleepe in security apply themselves to their humours and play the good fellowes with them oh these were Prophets for the nonst these were commended honoured admired nothing too good for them but such as God sent and in their ministerie dealt faithfully and truly with them they loved them not could not away with them whereas their feet should have beene beautifull unto them they should only have knowne their voices and obeyed have esteemed and loved them as their fathers submitted themselves with reverence given them double honour had them in singular love for their workes sake received them even as the Angels and Ambassadors of God yea as Christ Iesus to have encouraged them in their Ministerie that they might have performed their office with joy duties which God expresly requireth at the hands of his people Now before the captivity they heaped all manner of discontents discouragements and disgrace upon them they would not heare them or else it was but to talke of them when they came home as one that had a pleasant voice and could sing well if they reproved them for sinne or threatned them with judgement they regarded it no more than winde but said evill shall not come upon us we shall neither see sword nor famine They did but mocke and deride and reproch him for his Ministerie his owne countrey-men of Anathoth threatned him to preach no more unto them in the name of the Lord for if he did he should die by their hands yea at another time when he had in a publike and great assembly delivered what he had received from the Lord Priests and Prophets and all the people caught him and said Thou shalt die the death They grievously slandered and accused him as a man that discouraged the people by his preaching and weakned the hands of the men of warre and sought not the wealth of the people but their hurt and therefore the Princes besought the King to put him to death his enemies conspired against him and his owne familiar friends watched for his halting yea they did sinite and imprison him both and much endanger his life with the filth of the prison for he did sticke fast in the mire which made him so bitterly to complaine Woe is me my mother that thou hast borne me a man of strise and a man of contention to the whole earth I have neither lent nor borrowed an usury yet every one of them doth curse me Yea he was so discouraged that he meant verily to have given up his calling and to have preached no more unto them and certainly this he had done but that the word and Spirit of God were in his heart as fire shut up in his bones which made him weary of forbearing and he could not stay Thus have you seene the great corruption that was in the Priests and Prophets generally both in regard of their Ministery and conversation and how the people behaved themselves both towards the good and bad Now let us see what was the generall condition and the sinnes of the people As to beginne with such as were greatest First they were ignorant of God as he complaineth My people is foolish they have not knowne me they are sottish children and have no understanding they are wise to doe evill but to doe good they have not knowledge yea they were more blockish and senslesse than the bruit creatures For the Storke of heaven knoweth her appointed times the Turtle Crane and Swallow observe the time of their comming but my people know not the iudgement of the Lord Secondly Atheisme they professed The Lord hath forsaken the earth he seeth not Neither was this the sinne of the common people onely but the Princes like Atheists devised mischiefe gave evill counsell mocked the threatning of the Prophet and said Iudgement was not neere they might build houses Yea King Iehoiakim himselfe like an Arch-Atheist having heard some of Ieremies Prophesie read unto him he cut the roule in peeces with a pen-knife and cast it into the fire and consumed it Thirdly foule and grosse Idolatry both private in the houses of their imagery in the darke God let his Prophet through an hole in the wall see seventy of the Ancients worshipping Idols and also publike On every hill and under every greene tree playing the harlot saying to a stocke thou art my father and to a stone thou hast brought me forth yea in the Cities of Iudah and streets of Ierusalem offering cakes to the Queene of heaven and powring out drinke offerings to other gods yea they set their abominations in the house which is called by my name to defile it See how Idolatry groweth from chambers to hils from hils in the Country to streets in the Cities yea into the Temple This was that spirituall whordome which all the Prophets with open mouth cried out against and no marvell for as a man will beare with much frowardnesse and unkindnesse in his wife but by no meanes will endure her to commit whordome so God will beare with many sinnes in his people but cannot endure Idolatry spirituall whordome and adultery that never escaped heavie punishment Fourthly the taking of Gods name in vaine hearing the word but of fashion custome or sinister respects Behold saith God their eare is uncircumcised they cannot hearken behold the word of the Lord is to them a reproch they have no delight in it Adde hereunto their soule hypocrisie whereby they caused the name and religion of God to be blasphemed Will yee steale murther and commit adultery and sweare falsely and burne incense to Baal and come and stand before me in this house which is called by my Name Is this house become a denne of robbers in your eies behold I have seene it saith the Lord And he told his Prophet Ezechiel the people would say one to another Come let us heare what is the word that commeth forth from the Lord and they come and sit before thee and heare thy words but they will not doe them for with their mouthes they shew much love but their hearts goe after their covetousnesse And againe treacherous Iudah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart but fainedly saith the Lord Prophanation of
persecuting Citie which liveth so deliciously and saith I sit a Queene and shall see no sorrow Her purple flatterers vaunt that temporall felicite is a note of the Church and make a catalogue of the strange victories which the Catholikes have had and as one saith scarcely ever received the foile in a just warre yet the holy truth assureth us the Beast and false Prophet shall be taken and all the sowles of Heaven filled with the flesh of those Kings Captaines and mightie men which have fought against the Gospell Yea Babylon as a mill-stone cast into the sea shall be throwne downe and found no more and she rewarded double according to her works at whose destruction all the Kings and Merchants of the earth who have lived deliciously and committed fornication with her shall bitterly lament and cry Alas alas that great Citie bow in one boure is she made desolate So Heaven Prophets Apostles and all the Martyrs Saints shal praise God with many a ioyfull Alleluiah Therefore stumble not at it that for the sins of his people hee giveth them into the hands of such as are more wicked than themselves for when his people are sufficiently scourged their enemies shall for ever be destroyed But some object againe wee have continued long in our sinnes and have felt none evill why should wee now be so earnestly called upon and urged to repent and threatned with judgement If wee repent not God is not so hastie I wis as our Preachers would make us beleeve I answer It is the continuance in sinne doth increase our danger as Iudah and Ierusalem were not carried into captivitie for the sinnes of a few yeeres but for their sinnes wherein they had long continued even ever since they were brought up out of Aegypt the men of the old world were spared long even an hundred and twentie yeeres yet continuing in sinne were in the end drowned Iudah and Ierusalem were spared long after their brethren were carried captive even 130. yeeres but continuing in sinne in the end they were carried into captivitie too The Lord is patient and slow to anger yet if there will bee no end of sinne there will be an end of mercie and God may repent so often that hee will repent no more and as our Prophet saith he can no longer beare and as he saith in another place God is wearie with repenting this wee have in the Scriptures illustrated by two familiar and elegant metaphors The first is of a large vessell which by drops asketh a long time of filling so God told Abraham the iniquitie of the Amorites was not yet full and our Saviour bade the Scribes and Pharisies of his age Fill ye up the measure of your fathers The second is of an harvest Corne when it is sowen is not by and by ripe The husband-man saith S. Iames hath great patience Why did not men cut downe their corne at Easter because it was not then ripe why are they now in many places so busie with sithes and sickles because the harvest is come and corne is ripe So God calleth to the executioners of judgements when wickednesse is great as unto his reapers Put ye in the sickle for the harvest is ripe Oh then doe not say we have sinned often or long and what evill hath happened for a vessell at last may be filled with drops and corne may so long grow till fields be white to harvest and readie to be cut The last objection is Oh but England is a most happie and flourishing kingdome blessed with a most wise and prudent King a most hopefull issue wee have many learned and religious Preachers multitudes of godly and sincere professours Gods true religion established by Law and maintained by authoritie God hath heaped such temporall blessings upon us that it is another Canaan flowing with milke and hony God hath most wonderfully delivered it from matchlesse dangers and ruine intended it is a verie Sanctuarie of refuge for the Saints of God elsewhere persecuted Oh the consideration of these things makes many an one so secure that no warning fro heaven or earth word or works of mercie or justice will doe them good but they proceed from evill to worse as though no hurt could come unto them But give me leave as I doe most unfainedly acknowledge the great mercies of God so I would plucke away these pillowes from under their elbowes whereupon they sleepe in security I say then that the greater are the mercies of God unto any people the greater shall be their judgements if they abuse them The higher that Capernaum is exalted to heaven the lower shall it be cast downe into hell if it repent not And God threatneth Coniah As I live saith the Lord though Coniah the sonne of Iehoiakim King of Iudah were the signet upon my right hand yet would I plucke thee thence and I will give thee into the hands of them that seeke thy life Was there ever any people in the world could compare with Iudah and Israel for privileges and prerogatives yet could they not secure them but their sinnes comming to height God forsooke the house whereon his Name was called yea and gave the dearely beloved of his soule into the hands of her enemies or as some Translations reade his beloved soule Oh if God did not spare such a people as he acknowledgeth to be the dearely beloved of his soule who had such a good and religious King when Ieremy beganne to prophesie viz. Iosiah who reformed Religion destroied the monuments of Idolatry and strictly compelled all to serve the Lord according to his word such excellent Prophets and some learned and worthy Teachers and some good people that mourned for the abominations of Ierusalem yet when their sinnes came to be full he would not heare any for them but gave them over to a long and wofull captivity What have any people to presume on No no this Doctrine shall stand against all the subtill objections of Satan and of flesh and bloud against it That the sinnes of a people may come to that height that God will bring some temporall judgement upon them and not heare any that shall pray for them Now to come to ourselves that we may make good use of all that hath beene spoken and heard You hearken what I should say concerning our owne estate and that you shall doe first from the mouth of an enemy When Ieremie heard the false Prophet Hananiah prophesie much good to Iudah he answered feelingly Amen the Lord doe so Pererius the Iesuite writing on that you have heard in Genesis The sinne of the Amorites is not yet full saith If any doe marvell why England continueth to flourish notwithstanding the cruell persecution of the Catholikes there he doth answer thē with the words of the Text Because their sinne is not full