Camps the Tribes and Decuries the Palaces Senate Pleading-places It took possession of the Learned and the Wise the greatest and noblest Wits of the Eastern and Western Nations It raised up Philosophers to confound the Philosophy and noble Orators to confound the Rhetorick wherewith it was opposed Against Celsus it excited Origen against Porphyrie Apollinarius and Methodius against Porphyrie and Hierocles Lactantius and Eusebius besides what was written sparsim Jerom Augustine Cyril c. It set up Chrysostom against Libanius Prudentius against Symmachus and the Rhetoricians And as it spread it self large and high so where it took possession it took a deep possession Quantum vertice tantum radice Those that received it truly received it in the love thereof it took possession of their hearts It penetrated their spirits and took its lodging in the inmost recesses of the soul. The Contents of these Books was their most precious Pearl and they hid it in their heart The Books themselves were their greatest worldly treasure and rather than they would deliver them to be burned they chose to suffer the loss of Honour Liberty Estate Wives and Children nay even Life it self When Di oclefian required the Scriptures that they might be burned In one Province Egypt in one Month 17000 persons chose rather to dye than to deliver them In comparison of these they counted not their lives dear to them the love of them was stronger than Death many waters could not quench it neither could the flouds drown it This was Testimonium Rei and an advantage above all other Histories or Writings in the World 2. Moreover they had Testimonium Dei Indeed all that is already spoken is an evidence of a Divine assistance But more particularly God gave Testimony to these Books by 1. Their operation upon Believers of them 2. His co-operation with Believers of them 1. The Gospel which they contein was the power of God to every true Believer That which no Institution in Philosophy nor Initiation in the Mysteries of any of the Gods was ever able to accomplish that was every where atchieved by the belief of the Gospel in a moment Like a charm from Heaven it stilled the passions and mortified the lusts of men What a Beadroll doth Paul reckon up in the Corinthans But ye are washed saith he but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God Notwithstanding all the calumnies thrown upon Believers and the prejudice wherewith they were loaded the unpropitious and relucting world were forcibly convinced that the Believers of these Books were effectually taught to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world through the cloud of ignominy wherewith they were encompassed their innocency broke forth as the light and their just dealing as the noon day the piety loyalty justice charity magnanimity patience meekness and purity of believers of these Books convinced the unbelieving world that God was in them of a truth for they taught as having Authority and Power and not as the writings of other Scribes 2. But beside the operation of these Books upon the Believers God was pleased to give testimony to them by his co-operation with them in signs and wonders and mighty deeds The History of the Gospel tells us that when Christ was even now leaving the world he left this Legacy to believers for confirmation of the truth of the Gospel These signs said he shall follow them that believe In my name they shall cast out Devils Speak in new tongues Take up Serpents If they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them They shall lay hands on the Sick and they shall recover Now that this was made good and that these signs so long as there was need were continued among Believers we have as good assurance as we can have of any thing beyond our own memory or experience They have been delivered to us by a Cloud of Witnesses by men of the greatest Wisdom and Learning in their Generations by persons of such Integrity that they laid down their lives in testimony of their veracity delivered not by hear-say but upon their certain knowledge delivered in their Disputations with and apologies to the Adversaries of Christianity with a challenge to the examination of the truth or a conviction of the falshood of them Instances are very numerous I shall produce only a very few Justin the Martyr who suffered Anno 165 affirms to Trypho the Jew that these supernatural gifts were found in his time among Christians Irenaeus an Auditor of Polycarp who was a disciple of St. John suffered circa 206 affirms upon his own knowledge that the gift of Prophesie was then frequent in the Church that many had the gift of tongues ipsi audivimus Others cast out Devils Others healed Diseases Others raised the dead and those raised persons continued many years amongst them pro certo Tertullian in his Apologetica adversus Gentes affirms that Jam de vobis Daemonas ejiciunt Origen against Celsus saith that he himself had seen by invocation of God and the name of Jesus very many that were delivered from grievous maladies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alienatione mentis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not to mention others St. Augustine in his Book de Civitate Dei begun about 410 but many years in writing l. 22 c. 8. gives an account of very many Miracles done at Hippo Carthage and other places of no great distance noting times places persons occasions appealing to the Countrey delivering them under terms of the greatest assurance Scio ego cognosco ego nos interfuimus oculis nostris aspeximus And in his Retractations Ea quae cognoscimus neque referre neque enumer are possimus Other Histories and Writings and the Authors and Believers of them canpretend no higher than to the testimony of men these have the testimony of God also If we believe the testimony of men the testimony of God is greater I conclude therefore that there is greater Reason to believe the History of the New Testament than any other History in the world The sum of all is this The Divine Authority of the Scriptures is the great fundamental and comprehensive Principle of Christianity which being admitted it stands and being removed it presently falls to the ground Against this therefore the great Enemy of Religion in these later days under pretence of Reason and Philosophy directs his Forces and is said to have found a success very pernicious and deplorable I humbly conceive that the Resolution of the belief of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures into the Decrees of Popes or Determinations of Councils with those who call themselves Roman-Catholicks into private impulses and dictates of the Spirit with the Enthusiasts and into the Laws and Edicts of Princes and Magistrates with our new pretenders to Reason and Philosophy is that engine
Vision of the most holy God Fruition of the Life to come I say that the man that firmly and stedfastly and actually believes these things will not nay indeed that he cannot neglect so great Salvation That he will not trample upon the blood of the everlasting Covenant or despise the Spirit of Grace or crucifie afresh the Lord of Glory and put him to an open shame But that for his continual cleansing from his past transgressions he will daily resort to the fountain which Christ hath opened for sin and for uncleanness offering and presenting his head and his heart his minde and his affections to the blood of sprinkling And that for the obtaining of preventing and following Grace to preserve him from lapsing for the time to come He will throw himself daily at the feet of that High-Priest which is sensible of his Infirmities and which sits at Gods Right hand making Intercession for him and with sighs and unutterable groans he will implore the Assistance of that Spirit which helpeth our infirmities And that continuing and persevering in this Course by the Grace of God which never faileth them that seek him he will certainly conform himself to the Commands of Christ and compose himself to his Example till at length he be transformed to his Image He will add to his Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowledge and so onwards He will goe on from strength to strength untill he appear before God in Glory I say that such a man by denying ungodliness and worldly Lusts and living Soberly and Righteously and Godly in this present world will work out his Salvation with fear and trembling and in the end of his dayes will certainly and infallibly attain to the end of his hopes namely the Salvation of his Soul So that the Gospel is indeed the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation to all men It is the power of God to Salvation to every one that believeth TO come therefore to a Conclusion Judge now in your selves Brethren and judge Righteous Judgement Is this a Gospel which is to be despised A Dispensation whereof a Minister or a Christian ought to be ashamed Are the Mysteries of this Gospel to be derided and drolled upon To be travestied or turned into Burlesque or Macaronique Is this to be a Brave and a Gallant person A Spark and a Wit Or is it indeed to have never a spark of Wit or Gallantry Men Brethren and Fathers If the time and your patience and my strength would bear it I would take unto me boldness and freely speak unto you concerning the Gospel of our Saviour I would Reprove Rebuke Exhort I would severally and distinctly address my self to every sort and every Degree of those that hear me Ecclesiastical and Civil Young and Old Wise and Unwise Noble and Ignoble I would speak unto you young men of the Clergy that you would not be offended at the Mysteries of the Gospel or think it a matter of Wit or of Learning either to despise or to go about to mend them That you will neither be Drolled nor Disputed Cajoled nor faced out of your Religion or suffer the Mauvais hont the evil shame to be put upon you That you will not believe that it hath been only dull formality a want of the smartness of your Wit or depth of your Learning which hath retained your Fathers and Predecessors in the belief and the Profession of the plain and simple Articles of the Catholick Faith Be not deceived Brethren Vixerunt fortes ante Agamemnona Be not seduced by those who pretending to remove the Scandal of the Cross of Christ which thing St. Paul counted an absurdity in Christianity would rob you of a most divine and excellent Religion and substitute in its place a rotten and depraved Philosophy Those I mean who never have been able with all their Wit Reason and Learning to explicate or comprehend the Mysteries or Mechanies of a Mite or of a Flea of a Plant or Stone or any one of the innumerable things which are before them and yet they take upon them to controul the plain literal designed and reiterated Declarations of Christ and his Apostles concerning the Mysteries of the Godhead Those who Grammaticizing pedantically and Criticizing spuriously upon a few Greek Particles or words would cozen the World of the benefit of the blood of Christ and Christ himself of his Divinity and put him off with a fantastical and Poetical Apotheosis I would speak unto you Fathers because ye have known the Father and the Son ye understand the effect and consequence of the Mysteries of the Gospel to the Salvation of men that ye will continue to strive earnestly to retain that faith which is thought by some to be upon the wing that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints I would speak unto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wise men or Philosophers Paul speaking to the men at Athens puts them in minde of a saying of a Poet of their own I would call to your Remembrance a Saying of a Philosopher of our own a Philosopher of great renown which is to this effect That a profound consideration of the reason and comprehension of the circumstances of things a deep dose of Philosophy will make a man Religious And that the contempt of Religion is an infallible argument of one that is a smatterer only and half-witted I would speak unto ye Nobles that ye would be Noble as the Beraeans were That ye will search examine and consider whether the case of the Gospel be such as hath been represented yea or no And then I am sure ye will continue zealously and vigorously to support the Gospel I would take heart and courage and improve in an humble confidence so far as to prefer a Petition to King Lords and Commons the Noble the Mighty and the Wise that at this time especially they will be carefull of Religion and tender of the Interests of the Gospel I would humbly endeavour to bring to remembrance who it is by whom Kings Reign and Princes decree Justice And what it is to be Defender of the truly Antient Catholick and Apostolick Faith I would endeavour to Demonstrate that neither Forts nor Castles Armies nor Navies Arms nor Ammunition Money nor Men to say nothing of Allies or Confederates or the Staff of Egypt are so powerfull a support of the Crowns of Princes as the Gospel Nay not as a few lines of this one Epistle of our High nosed Galilean as the Scoffers have been wont to call him duly imbibed into the Souls and Consciences of men namely that saying at the beginning of Chap. 13. Let every soul be subject to the Higher Powers for there is no power but of God the Powers that be are Ordained of God And they that Resist shall receive to themselves Damnation the belief of this would be sure to compose the mindes of all Dissenters so as to keep peace and obedience at home And the belief
hardness of Pharaoh's heart the cruelty of the bondage the weakness of the Egyptians by Plagues the numbers of Israel six hundred thousand and three thousand five hundred and fifty fighting men above twenty years old besides the Tribe of Levi yet he would not lead them into the promised Land without Pharaoh's positive and express consent to their departure 2. As for the Prophets in the third Chapter of Daniel we find three of Gods Children put to the trial the fiery trial of this Doctrine by Nebuchadnezzar an Idolater and a Tyrant acting highly under both those Capacities together They were cast into the fiery Furnace because they would not worship the Golden Image which he had set up And in the sixth we find Daniel thrown into the Lions Den only for praying to the God of Israel Let us consider their Behaviour did they resist or mutiny or labour to alienate or discontent or by denouncing threats or terrours to discourage Subjects from Obedience How had they been instructed by their Prophets Jeremy 2 Chron. xxxvi 13. had taught them that Zedekiah had turned from the Lord God of Israel in rebelling against Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear by God and that they ought to seek the peace of the City whither they were carried Captives and to pray unto the Lord for it Jer. xxix 7. And therefore the three Children in the third of Daniel only refer themselves to God for deliverance and Daniel in the midst of the Lions Den prays heartily for Darius O King live for ever Dan. vi 21. 3. In the next place let us consider the case of Christ and his Apostles and see whether any such Tenet may be collected from their Doctrine or Practice their Speeches or their Actions As for what concerns our Lord Christ I have had the Honour formerly in this place more at large to vindicate him from such aspersions He paid Tribute at the expence of a Miracle Mat. xvii 27. He submitted himself to all the Powers that were over him to the Sanhedrim and their Delegates to Herod to Pontius Pilate he submitted himself to death by an unjust sentence even to the bitter and accursed death upon the Cross Philip. ii 8. This was his Practise as for his Doctrine He taught men to render to Caesar the things that were Caesars Mat. xxii 21. He acknowledged Pilate's power to be from above John xix 11. He rebuked Peter for smiting with the Sword and told him that Those that take the Sword shall perish by the Sword Mat. xxvi 52. He taught his Difciples to pray for them which should persecure them Mat. v. 44. And the utmost permission which he gave them was when they were persecuted in one City to flee unto another Matth x. 23. 4. As for the Apostles They taught men to obey them that have the rule over them Hebr. xiii 17. To submit themselves to every Ordinance of man 1 Pet. ii 13. To do all things without murmuring or disputing Philip. ii 14. To pray for Kings and all that are in Authority 1 Tim. ii 2. Saint Peter hath told us that such as despise Dominion and speak evil of Dignities are in an especial manner reserved to Judgment 1 Pet. ii 9 10. and Saint Paul in my Text that they shall receive damnation This Doctrine they Sealed with their blood Saint Peter according to Ecclesiastical Tradition was crucified and Saint Paul beheaded James the Son of Zebedeus slain with the Sword c. Now as for the Powers to which all these Instructions and Behaviours did refer they were for Idolatry and Tyranny and Persecution Humani generis portenta If it be objected That all these submitted because thev were not able to resist the Answer upon Christian Principles might be That He which restrained the Flames and stopped the mouths of Lions could have given his Servants power to resist that Christ could have prayed his Father who would have given him more than twelve Legions of Angels for his relief that the Apostles who wrought mighty signs and wonders could have rescued themselves had it not rather pleased the great Ordainer of Powers by their submission to ratifie and establish the Doctrine of Obedience 5. But the belief and practise of the Primitive Christians will satisfie this Objection even to common Sense and Reason The Instances in this kind are infinite where Christians abounding in numbers being in Arms and abundantly able to make resistance have chosen with the expence of their lives to yield obedience to Idolaters persecuting them for their Religion I shall name but two Examples Tertullian tells the Emperour that his Cities Islands Castles Councils Armies Regiments and Companies the Palace the Senate the Courts of Judicature were filled with Christians and yet they submitted to persecution And we read that the Thebean Legion consisted of six thousand six hundred sixty and six persons every man Christian when they submitted to the Decimation of Maximinian for Religion I shall say no more to the first Pretence II. Now the second is like unto it alike prejudical to Government alike false and scandalous to Religion An House or Kingdom divided cannot stand and God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace and that especially in Religion If none have this power to order matters of Religion there must be Confusion if any other beside the Supreme Magistrate there will be Division The inevitable Inconveniences of the exemption of religious Things and religious Persons from the power of the Magistrate are abundantly set forth by such as would improve them to the disadvantage of Religion And indeed to go about to deny or to diminish the dismal Consequences of such Pretences were to endeavour to put out the eyes of all the men of Reason and Experience in the world My present Duty is to enquire what relation these Pretences have to the Principles of Christianity and that First As to religious Causes Secondly As to Ecclesiastical Persons Thirdly As to holy or gifted Brethren as they style themselves Now in order to a resolution in these Enquiries I shall as a Lemma humbly propose one Observation It is this That whereas there are two things whereon all Political administration doth depend 1. Concerning the Rights and Bounds and regulation of Sovereign Powers 2. Concerning the Duties and Obedience of Subjects we find both Christ and the Apostles frequently labouring to settle in the Consciences of men that part which concerns Obedience but no where restraining or limiting or particularly regulating the Office of Sovereign Powers but leaving them to those general Rules which concern the Account and Duty of all men in their several stations and to the terms whereupon the Providence of God was wont to settle the Princes and Governours of the World Let the rights of Caesar be what they will in reference to Tribute or other matters Christ will not determine them This he will those things which belong to Caesar according to
to reject them for want of such evidence is repugnant to the Reason of mankind I proceed therefore to my second assertion that the Belief of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures is most agreable to reason That the Divine Authority of all the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are undeniably concluded from supposition of the truth of the Relation or History of matters of fact in the New Testament I have already shewn And that the rejection of all History is against the Reason of mankind is evident because all mankind receive some History or other wherefore I shall briefly shew 1. That the History of the New Testament hath all those advantages whereof any History is capable 2. That it hath greater advantages than any other History 1. The Arguments inducing men to the belief of any historical Relation are all of them Either Ab intra Internal from the 1. Credibility and Scibility of the Object 2. The Knowledge and Integrity of the Writers 3. The way and manner of writing Ab extra External from the 1. Reception of it in the world 2. Concurrent testimonies of strangers 3. Concessions of Adversaries and the like In all which particulars no History in the world can justly pretend any advantage above that of the New Testament 1. For the credibility of the Object and Cognoscibility of it 1. To say that instances of supernatural Power and wisdom are impossible is to deny the power of God and his providence in governing the world And to say that such things are incredible as are and have been actually believed in all times and by all sorts of persons Jews and Gentiles Christians and Mahometans a few Atheistical persons only accepted is an absurdity The History that we speak of pretends to no intrigues or Cabalistick Counsels or Myisteries of State but conteins it self within the limits of things Visible and Audible things that were done or spoken so that no History can have advantage over it respectu objecti 2. As for Knowledge in the deliverers I shall shew it by a brief Induction The whole New Testament consists of the Books of the Revelation Epistles Acts of the Apostles and the Gospels The Authors of the Epistles and the Revelation in the Narrative parts of them deliver the things done or spoken to or by themselves and could not be ignorant of their own experiences The Book of the Acts contains some things done by or to the rest of the Apostles but chiefly the concernments of Paul and it was written by Luke who was an individual Companion of Paul and intimately conversant with the rest of the Apostles For the things Related in the Gospel of St. Luke he saith they were delivered to him by those who from the beginning were Eye witnesses of the works and Ministers of the Word and his History agrees with the other Evangelists The Gospel of St. Mark hath nothing which is not in St. Matthew or St. John and was dictated by St. Peter the Head of the Apostles St. Matthew was an Apostle and St. John the Bosom Apostle of Christ. The Apostles were chosen by him for Witnesses of his Words and Actions they were with him from the beginning of his Ministry continued with him till his death couversed with him till his ascension That which they had heard which they had seen with their Eyes which they had looked on which their hands had handled of the word of life that they delivered in writing to the World And more than this no Writer or Relater of History can pretend to 2. For Arguments of their sincerity they have left Precepts of Veracity and prohibitions of lying under pain of Hell torments the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone They have protested that they did not follow cunningly devised Fables that they did things sincerely as in the sight of God They have appealed to the searcher of hearts The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ knoweth that I lie not The things which I write unto you behold before God I lye not Gal. 1. 20. saith St. Paul They have left behind them various instances of their simplicity and Godly sincerity in representing their failings to the world and of candour and ingenuity in distinguishing the dictates of their own Reason from the inspirations of the Holy Spirit I speak by permission not by commandment of the Lord This say I not the Lord Thus it is according to my judgment c. 1 Cor. 7. But besides all this let the matter be estimated according to common reason If these men did devise a Fable and impose it upon the world what end could they propound to themselves in so doing was there any profit in being destitute of all things or pleasure in being persecuted afflicted and tormented or honour in being counted Fools and Mad-men Before they began to publish the Stories whereof we speak their Master was gone and all worldly hopes were gone away with him If they were not bound in Conscience and in Spirit what obligation had he laid upon them to labour and suffer for his honour as they did To omit the severity of his behaviour to them He called them off from their Vocations Peter and Andrew James and John from their Fishing Mattbew from his Customers place the rest accordingly They forsook their Nets their Ships their Relations and all their interests and followed him And this they did clearly and plainly believing that he was to be a Great Temporal Prince and in hopes of preferment under him In this Expectation they continued to the last minute of his conversation with them upon Earth and he permitted them so to do Their last words to him were delivered in this question Lord wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdom unto Israel Of the thing it self they never doubted they only desire to be informed of the time Now after so long expectation Consider his Answer His Answer was this It is not for you to know the times c. but ye shall receive power when the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses of me unto the utmost parts of the earth and immediately he vanished away Was this an answer to their Question or a satisfaction to their expectation Was this an Obligation laid upon them If he had not sent down the Holy Ghost this would have moved them indeed but it would have been to rage and indignation this would have obliged them indeed but it would have been to detest and abhor the name and memory of him that had abused them But for the honour of his name not their own they did and suffered all things and gloried in it An irrefragable argument of their sincerity in the things which they delivered 3. Of the internal Arguments for the belief of History there remains only the Consideration of the way and manner of writing Histories then carry their own credentials in them when the principal parts
in his actions and if so he deserves either good or evil and if there be deserts there must be rewards and if there be rewards there must be a Judgment So then so sure as thou art an understanding creature so sure there is a Judgment to come Once more Reward is answerable to desert and desert is only in what is free and what is free in man is the ways of his heart wherefore they are to be brought to Judgment and if any then all for no reason can be fancied why some should be brought to Judgment and others not Wherefore if it be sure that God is in Heaven and that Man hath an understanding soul then it is also sure that for all these things God will bring thee to Judgment that God shall bring to judgment every secret thing And now how sure and evident are these things more sure and more plain if we will attend than any other truths in the world for there is not any known truth which doth not evict the truth of these things We know a truth because we plainly and evidently understand the composition or division of the notions in a Proposition or the Deduction of a Proposition from some others therefore if we know any truth we presuppose that we have souls which understand the notions of things and if souls which understand these notions then to be sure they are not bodies no combination of fire and air and earth and water no disposirion of insensible atomes can cause the subject to apprehend and judge to reason and discourse and if they be no bodies then they are not subject to corruption It is evident therefore that our souls are understanding and also immortal deserving and capable of future Judgment And as evident it is also that there is a soveraign Power a God that governs and will Judge the Earth This is not a Rhetorical undertaking but a just and measured truth there is not anything in the world from whence these two may not be plainly and evidently evicted viz. a Godhead from the Creature and thine own Immortality from the discovery of a Godhead The world which thou seest had it a beginning or had it not if it had a beginning he is thy God that made it if it had no beginning then there are past as many myriads of years as minutes of time which is infinitely more absurd to grant than to say thou hast as many hands as fingers as many wholes as parts If then at any time we find our selves to doubt of these things it is not because we are the beaux esprits or forts esprits our doubting proceeds from dulness and the want of that strong reason to which we do pretend the things are certain in themselves and evident He is not far from any one of us in whom we live and move and have our being and the Light of nature discovered our Immortality not only to Philosophers but even to the Heathen Poets to him that fung to us that We are also his off-spring So that now thy pretences are all taken off and every imposture of the heart discovered Return then once again into thy bosome and take account of thy apprehensions The day of the Lord is coming and stealing upon thee as a thief in the night the day of Judgment the great and terrible day A day of darkness and of gloominess a day of a whirlwind and a tempest a day of anguish and tribulation Where wilt thou hide thy self O that 's impossible Where shall we go then from his presence shall we call to the Mountains to fall upon us How wilt thou appear O that 's intolerable for our God is a consuming fire What wilt thou do when the day of Judgment comes and this may be the hour this minute thou mayest be smitten and hurried hence to Judgment Thousands have fallen besides us and ten thousands at our right hand and why may not we be next The time of our particular Judgment cannot be far away and why may we not reasonably apprehend the approach of the General Judgment either of this World or at leastwise of this sinful Nation Our Lord Christ indeed tells us that of the day and hour of the final Judgment Knoweth no man Yet he hath given us the signs of his coming The Apostles have left us Characters of the last days the Prophets have declared the manner and apparatus of the coming of the Lord to Judgment We read that when the Disciples admired the stones and the buildings of Herod's Temple at Jerusalem Christ told them That the day was coming when there should not be left one stone upon another upon this the Disciples ask him privately three Questions 1. When shall these things be 2. What shall be the sign of thy second coming And 3. of the end of the World As for the precise moment of these things he denies to tell it them Nay he professes that as he was the Son of Man he did not know it But for the other two he condescends to their curiosity he tells them the signs of his coming and of the end of the World and that they shall be such as these You shall hear saith he Matth 24. of Wars and rumours of Wars Nation rising against Nation and Kingdom against Kingdom There shall be Traytors and false Prophets Saying Lo here is Christ Behold a new Messias in the Wilderness Lo there is Christ Behold he is at a Conventicle in the secret Chambers He tells us that iniquity shall abound and the love of many shall wax cold that he shall hardly find faith on the earth as it was in the dayes of Noe they ate they drank till the floud came and swept them all away so shall the coming of the Son of Man be He tells us Luke 21. there shall be Famines and Earthquakes Pestilence and fearful sights great signs from Heaven in the Earth distress of Nations great perplexities the Sea and Waves roaring Mens hearts sailing them for fear looking after those things that are coming upon the Earth Concerning the last dayes St. Paul tells us that there shall be perilous times that on one hand there shall be a sort of men that shall be lovers of themselves Covetous Proud Boasters Ranters and Blasphemers On the other hand there shall be a Race of heady high minded Traytors having a form of godliness creeping into houses leading captive silly women They shall despise Dominion and speak evil of Dignities they shall be Separatists from the Church and false pretenders to the Spirit These saith St. Jude are they that separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit St. Peter tells us that in the last times there should be a loose prophane a bold Atheistical Gigantick race of scoffers walking after their own lusts saying Where is this God of Judgment let him make speed and hasten his work that we may see it Where is the promise his of coming since the fathers fell asleep all
things continue as they were before And for the manner and Apparatus of his coming Our God shall come saith the Psalmist and shall not keep silence there shall go before him a devouring fire and a mighty Tempest shall be stirred up round about him Behold the Lord will come with fire saith the Prophet and with his Chariots like a Whirlwind to render his anger with fury and his rebukes with flames of fire The streams of Zion shall be turned into Pitch and the dust thereof into Brimstone the Earth thereof shall be burning Pitch the smoke thereof shall ascend day and night and shall not be quenched compare Revel 6. with Esai 34. The Kings of the Earth shall tremble the Captains and the mighty shall be horribly asraid the great men and the rich men shall hide themselves all the bond-men and all the freemen shall fly to the Rocks of the Mountains And soon after all this The Heavens shall be rivel'd as a scrowl the Earth and the Elements shall melt away for God shall arise to judge terribly the Earth Have not all these things come upon us the men of this Generation Is it weakness is it a vain and superstitious scrupulosity to call these things to our remembrance Have we no reason at all to apprehend the approach of a General Judgment either upon the World or upon our sinful Nation Do we not now envy those despised souls which have made their accounts ready We thought it madness to see them pine away with poenitential exercises and macerate themselves with mourning We thought it folly which they called Conscience for which they denyed themselves the pleasures and enjoyments of the World We fools counted their life madness and their latter end to be without honour But the time is coming when they shall be comforted and we shall be tormented Because he hath called and we have refused he hath stretched out his hand and we have not regarded He will laugh at our calamity and mock when our fear cometh When our destruction cometh as a Whirlwind when distress and anguish comes upon us May we not therefore give up our selves to the torments of our hearts and surrender up our souls unto Despair so Israel said there is no hope we will follow every one the devices of his heart after 20 30 or 40 years continuance in our courses 't is in vain to think of turning from them Our arrears are so far gone that there is no hope to discharge them and why should we trouble our selves with the thoughts of our Account Nay that which must come let it come and what is a few days respite to Eternity Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye Let us go forth as at other times and shake our selves and scatter these troublesom apprehensions of future Judgment What if we should drink a little to drive away Melancholy Yes and fall perhaps and spew and rise no more Nay but I beseech you stay a little and consider consider at least in this your day the things which belong to your peace It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Who among us can dwell with a devouring fire Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings Such careless and desperate resolutions are the advantages which the Devil aims at that he may sear our Consciences and seal us up in a final obduration But there is another kind of advantage which God and our Lord Christ and the Holy Spirit and the Gospel and the Ministers aim at That advantage which I told you of in the beginning of my Discourse That knowing the terror of the Lord they may perswade men And now what is it that they would perswade us that we will be contented to part with the tormenting fears of Judgment that we will condescend not to be miserable to all Eternity That we will accept of deliverance from the wrath to come that we will not neglect so great salvation nor trample on the bloud of the everlasting Covenant Behold God calls upon us Turn you turn you at my reproof why will you dye O House of Israel As I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of sinners Our Lord Christ calls upon us Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you In the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles he stood and cried Saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink The Spirit sayes come and whoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely The Gospel assures us That God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life Behold I set before you this day life and death blessing and cursing and as an unworthy Ambassadour in Christ's stead I pray you be reconciled to God take his yoke upon you his yoke is easie and his burden light embrace now the tender of the Gospel only repent and believe in the Lord Jesus accept him for your Saviour and your Lord. Your Prophet to instruct you your King to govern you your Priest to save you and you shall be saved Saved from the fears and horrours of a Guilty Conscience condemned by it s own witness Saved from the wrath of God and of the Lamb. You shall meet the Lord with Confidence We shall be able to stand with boldness in the Judgment to lift up our heads with joy because our redemption draweth near This is the way of save our own souls from perishing which is the General design of all our Preaching And this is the way to appease the wrath which is gone out against us and to preserve our Nation from destruction which is the particular and more immediate end of our present Humiliation whereof I am yet to speak THe hand indeed of the Lord hath been heavy upon us his wrath hath been kindled it hath waxed hot against the Sheep of his pasture and he hath plagued our Nation very sore His Judgments have been multiplied his strokes have been redoubled and for all this his anger 〈◊〉 not turned away but his hand is stretched out still Wars and Pestilences and those other fore-runners of Christ's coming to Judgment have been seen and felt amongst us and now when these have not been able to prevail To awaken a drowsie people to rowse up a Lethargic Nation to ferment a people setled upon their Lees God has made a new thing in the midst of us he hath wrought a work in our dayes which makes the ears of all that hear it to tingle A work not to be parallel'd perhaps in all the circumstances since the Creation of the World How hath the Lord covered the Daughter of our Zion with a cloud in his anger and hath cast down from Heaven to Earth the beauty of Israel and remembred not his footstool in the Day of his Anger he hath swallowed