Obs 4. Idolaters are no understanding people Page 165 Applyed to our times Page 167 Obs 5. It is a fearful judgement of God to leave men to perplexed councels Page 170 Obs 6. When wicked men are fallen they shal be so perplexed that they shall not know what to do Page 170 VERS XV. Obs 1. Ministers should especially look to those whom they are bound unto by office yet so as to labor to do good to others Page 171 Obs 2. When we see our labor lost to some we should try to do good to others ibid Obs 3. To be neer Idolaters is very dangerous Page 172 Obs 4. The neerer a false worship comes to a true one the more dangerous it is Page 174 Obs 5. Those that enjoy Gods Ordinances in a true way should take heed of doing as other people do Page 175 Obs 6. We must not do as others do in point of Gods worship Page 177 Obs 7 It goes neerer the heart of God when his People offend than when others do Page 178 Reas 1. There is more unkindness in their sins Page 179 2 There is more unfaithfulness in them ibid 3 Gods Name is more polluted by them ibid 4. The excellency of their graces makes their sins worse ibid 5. They go neerer the heart of the Saints than the sins of others Page 180 Application to our times ibid Obs 8. We must not come neer places that are dangerous to draw us to sin Page 186 Obs 9. Places corrupted lose their honor Page 188 VERS XVI Opened Page 192 Obs 1. Liberty may prove to be ones misery Page 195 VERS XVII Opened Page 196 Obs 1. Wicked children are great dishonors to their parents Page 197 Obs 2. Governors are usually the causes of the evils of the people Page 198 Obs 3. Idolaters hearts are strangely glued to the waies of Idolatry Page 200 Use Joyn your selves to Jesus Christ Page 201 Obs 4 We must take heed of communicating with Idolaters in their false waies Page 202 Obs 5. It is a heavy judgment upon a people when the Saints withdraw from them ibid Obs 6 God hath a time to give men over to themselves Page 205 1 Because he hath no need of them Page 206 2 He hath another way to fetch glory from them ibid Obs 7 It is the most woful judgment upon a people or person when God lets them alone in sin ibid 1 It is a testimony of disrespect in God Page 207 2 These are going apace into misery ibid 3 They are in the midst of abundance of dangers Page 208 4 God intends to make way for some fearful wrath to come upon them ibid 5 He will not vouchsafe to hear them speak to him ibid 6 It is a dreadful sign of Reprobation Page 209 7 It is greater than all earthly judgments Page 210 8 It is worse than to be given up to the Devil Page 211 9 It is worse than to be sent to Hell presently Page 212 10 Though he be without grace he must answer for it as though he had it Page 212 11 All means of grace are made improfitable to him Page 213 Use 1 See what poor creatures men are ibid Use 2 Let us fear and tremble at this judgment ibid Object I fear God hath laid this judgment upon me Answer 1 It is a good sign that thou art troubled with such a fear Page 214 Answer 2 It is a good means to keep thee from being let alone ibid Answer 3 If thou hast not a heart to let God alone God hath not a heart to let thee alone ibid Use 3 Blesse God that he hath not inflicted this judgment upon thee Page 215 2 Blesse God that he hath not inflicted it upon the Kingdom ib. VERS XVIII Opened Page 217 Obs 1 Rulers should be shields to the people where they live Page 219 Application to our times Page 220 VERS XIX Obs 1 Such as are superstitious look upon Gods Ordinances as vile and their own inventions as glorious Page 325 Obs 2 The judgments of God upon wicked men who have been spared a long time come violently ibid Causes of shame 1 Disrespect from those we desire honor from Page 326 2 When a man takes a great deal of pains and it comes to nothing Page 327 3 Disappointment of hope ibid 4 When God discovers that to be vile which a man glorieth in ib. Use Admonition to the superstitious to take shame to themselves Page 328 Obs 3 God hath a time to make all Idolaters ashamed of their sacrifices Page 332 Obs 4 Duties performed with a carnal heart are mixed with base ends ibid Obs 5 Our sacrifices are defiled by the foulnesse of our hearts ibid Question What are those sacrifices we should render to God and not be ashamed of Answer 1 Be sure they be his own Page 333 Answer 2 Let them come from faith Page 334 Answer 3 Let your ends be high ibid Answer 4 Let your whol strength be taken up in them ibid Answer 5 Offer up your selves a sacrifice to God ibid Answer 6 Be humbled after all your best services Page 335 Answer 7 Tender up all in Christ Page 336 CHAP. V. VERS I. Opened Page 337 Obs 1 When God comes in judgment he expects we should seriously mind what he is doing Page 338 Obs 2 Generallity in sins is no way to escape judgment ibid Obs 3. The Priests have usually been the causes of wickednesse in and judgments on a nation Page 339 Obs 4 The people will go the way the King and Priests go ibid Obs 5 Kings and Princes must have sin charged upon them as well as others Page 342 Obs 6 Though they are to be reproved for sin some due respect ought to be given them Page 344 Obs 7 When God pleadeth against us let not neglect ibid VERS II. Obs 1 It is a dangerous thing to venture upon the beginnings of false worship Page 354 Obs 2 It is a dangerous thing to be deeply rooted in superstitious waies Page 355 Use This should teach us to deny our selves Page 357 Obs 3 The hearts of Apostates are most deeply rooted in wickednesse ibid Application to our times Page 358 Obs 4 Idolaters are profound and deep ibid Obs 5 Idolaters are deep in pollicy ibid Use Let us labor to be wise in the worship of God ibid Obs 6 The Ministers of God must rebuke sin Page 361 Obs 7 When Ministers rebuke in the way of God then God doth rebuke Page 362 Obs 8 Idolaters hearts are stubborn ibid Use Let not us be troubled at the stoutnesse of Idolaters Page 363 Obs 9 It is a greater evil to stand out against Gods displeasure than against his commands ibid Use Let us charge this sin upon our spirits Page 364 Obs 10 Prophets rebukes must be impartial rebukes Page 365 Obs 11 It is a hard thing for a few men to stand out against a State in matters of Religion ibid VERS III. Opened Page 366 Obs 1 Gods eye is upon the
He be never so blessed so glorious in himself and worthy of all honor yet so vile is mans heart that it will deal treacherously with God Himself To deal treacherously but with a friend with a fellow creature is an evil but to deal treacherously with the infinite and blessed God is a far greater evil Use When others therefore deal treacherously with you and you are vexed at them and you go to your friends and complain was ever any dealt so with as I am Oh consider how treacherously God is dealt withal in the world Thou thinkest none was ever so dealt with ever so wronged as thou art God is more wronged more contradicted more treacherously dealt withal than ever any was And how many are there that think it a dishonor to them to be suspected to deal treacherously and will often say what deal treacherously with my friend I were not worthy to live if I should yet these men deal treacherously with God every day Thus much for this charge For they have dealt treacherously against the Lord. Next he shews wherein They have begotten strange children Expos That is a further agravation that they have not only sinned themselves but they have sought to propagate their sin and their wickedness For it might otherwise be said It is true Israel hath sinned very grievous against the Lord but may there not be hope of another generation coming on No for they bring up their children in the same way of superstition Idolatry and wickedness that they themselves walk in That is the meaning They have begotten strange children they should beget children unto God but they beget them unto Idols and so this wickedness this treachery against God is propagated from one generation to another there is a succession of it as are the old so are the young When any draw others to evil waies they are said in Scripture to make them children of the Devil to beget them as children of the Devil Mat. 23.15 Ye compass Sea and Land to make one Proselyte and when he is made ye make him twofold more the child of the Devil than your selves you beget him to the Devil So parents first by way of natural generation they beget children to themselves and then by educating their children in waies of wickedness they beget them the second time to the Devil â—eas And they are called strange children because God will not own them they are none of mine saith God they are strangers from me I will have nothing to do with them The words being thus opened the Notes are these Obser First Parents have by God committed to them the charge of their children That is implyed here That is it is their duty to look to beget their children unto God and to take heed that their children be not begotten to the Devil For Ephraim here the ten Tribes are charged that whereas they should have brought forth their children for God and so they should belong to Gods Inheritance and God should have owned them now they beget them to their Idols and they are strange children God certainly doth not give you children to beget them for the Devil and for Hell It should be a sad thing to parents to think here is a child coming from my loyns conceived in my womb and what shall an enemy unto God come out of my loyns shall a firebrand of Hel be conceived in my womb Certainly it should go to the heart of a parent to see his child to be estranged from God though he were not the cause of it But much more when a parent shall come to be convinced this child is thus wicked and ungodly and as he hath received the seedâ— of his corruption from me at the first so those seeds were nourished up by my example and encouragement I have led him to such wickedness Wo to such parents and such children may even curse the time that they were born of such parents and rather wish they had been of the generation of Dragons and off spring of Vipers than begotten of such parents God when he gives you children expects that you should labour that there may be a succession of godliness in the world that not only you should be godly but that you should bring up your children to be so too Psal 78.5 He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a Law in Israel which â—e commanded our fathers that they should make them Known to their children that the generation to come might Know them even the children which should be born who should arise and declare them to their children This is the way of God He commandeth you to make known His Statutes and Laws to your children that the generation to come might know them and not that you should bring up your children in waies of wickedness and superstition I have read of the Romans Roman Custoro that it was wont to be their way to sue such parents as were not careful of the education of their children The educating of children amiss bid bear an Action amongst the heathen Romans Therefore Cicero inveâ—ghâ—ng against Verres hath this expression Quod filium tuum c. You have not only done thus and thus your self saith he but you have educated your son amongst those that were intemperate in riotousness in feasting in drinking amongst wantons and unclean persons and by this means saith he you have not only wronged your child but the Common-wealth Thus he laid his action against him Now how might Heathens shame us in this thing they account those men to deserve punishment not only from God but from men that are not careful of the education of their children There is a great deâ—â— of reason for it and it were very good now that there might be a Law enacted to that purpose upon this ground because the Common-wealth hath a part in the children as well as the parent and the parent not being careful to bring up the child in the fear of God he wrongs the Common-wealth as well as the child therefore to be punished by the Common-wealth The second is this That Obser 2. Children usually are as their parents are and as their education is The parents they were Idolaters they were ungodly and strangers from God their children are so too In many families we see that the father is an enemy unto God and the son an enemy unto God and his son is an enemy unto God and his son after him is an enemy unto God and so there goes a line and a succession of wickedness and profaness and enmity unto God It is usually so Use for those that are well educated Therefore let those children that are born of and brought up under godly parents bless God that they were not born and brought up by wicked parents It may be if thou hadst been born and brought up of Papists thou wouldst have been a Papist thy self If thou hadst been born of one that is a
but upon the rule according to what God had required They understood not this They were led away meerly with the fair shews and pomp of Religion but they did not understand that al the acceptation of divine worship cometh from having a divine rule Most people at this day understand not this and that is a great evil Thirdly They did not understand this That their safety did more depend upon the true worship of God than upon all the politick wisdom that possibly could be They understood not that their protection depended upon Gods service and worship but they thought to go politickly on to provide for their own safety and they thought their safety depended upon their wise men that understood better than they And then Fourthly They did not understand that whatsoever was commanded by their Governours or taught by their Priests yet if it was against the mind of God it would not excuse them from judgment and deliver them from the wrath of God though their Migistrates did command it and their Priests did teach it They did not understand these four things and for not understanding these four things they shall fall This was that which brought them down and did ruin this people There are divers degrees of not-understanding First When people do not understand meerly for want of the means of knowledg This excuseth not wholly but they shall even fall though they have no means Secondly When men have means yet thorough their negligence in the use of the means they do not understand Thirdly When they are not only guilty of negligence but they oppose and shut their eyes wickedly against that means of knowledg Then they shall fall indeed Fourthly When having knowledg heretofore now they lose it by their often resisting of knowledg and so come to fail in their understanding Lastly When they so provoke God as that he hath given them up unto a sottish spirit soâ—â— at they shall not understand Now these people fall deepest Where all these five are as they are in many places surely that people must needs fall My brethren have we not cause to fear our not understanding at this day in these five degrees Applic. And in a great part even in those four Generals The not-understanding the vain pretences of our adversaries of what our Cavaliers say First That they fight for Religion and they make such and such kind of protestations and they intend nothing but the liberty of the subject many people are led away with these pretences and understand not that their design is to bring them under slavery and to take away their Religion And this want of understanding is like to cause us to fall Secondly People understand not that the worship of God must have the word of God to be the rule and that the government of the Church must be according to the word They think what shall be most sutable to the reasons of understanding men that is best Because men understand not this we are in danger to fall Thirdly People at this day think there is too much to do about Religion and let us rather go in a way of policy to provide for our selves as for that why should we injure or trouble our selves so much we have troubled our selves too much already People think not their safety is in Religion therefore they shall fall Fourthly people think if they be taught so by their Ministers that's enough for them Is it not so with us now Therefore we have cause to fear that the Lord intendeth us a grievous fall Yea as those four Ojects so the four degrees of want of understanding In many places they have no means many Towns and Countries have scarce a Sermon in half a yeer In many places where there is most means there they are negligent of it they rebel and shut their eyes against it and are weary of it And others that have had knowledg heretofore have resisted their light are grown sottish yea it is to be â—eared that God hath delivered many amongst us over to a sottish spirit it is impossible they should remain so ignorant as they are if God in his just jugment had not delivered them up unto a sottish spirit To instance in this Is it not a sottish spirit of men that after all their oppression and misery that they have suffered yet they will not understand but joyn with those that have opprest them and lay all the blame upon them that venture their lives to deliver them Surely this is most gross sottish ignorance that when men shall come and spoil them of their goods and ravish their wives and children yet in the mean time they rather cry out of those that venture their lives to do them good as if the cause of their misery was from them Surely these people do not understand can it be expected but that these people should fall themselves and their posterity into the depth of misery to be made slaves for ever They shall fall Idolatrous people shall fall that 's the next note An Angel proclaimeth this Babylon is fallen is fallen It is fallen already my brethren how ever Idolaters seem to lift up their heads high yet they are falling and fal they shal God hath pronounced it and the time is at hand they have fallen off from God and fall they shall by the hand of God and the prouder they grow the nearer they are to their fall Pride goes before a fall while the Gospel of Christ and his pure Ordinances that are now so opposed they shall stand and all superstitious waies and persons they shall fall That is observable that place before named Revel 14.6 Rev. 14.6 Opened An Angel flyeâ— in the midst of Heaven and preacheth the everlasting Gospel and within a vers or two another Angel cryes out Babylon is fallen is fallâ—n When Babylon with all their Idolatrous wayes shall be fallen then shall the everlasting Gospel be preached the Gospel and the Ordinances of Christ shall be everlasting shall continue for ever when all superstitious vanities shall fall We find it so how ever they thought to bear up all their superstitious waies by all the means that ever the devil or wicked men could devise to keep them up to perpetuity yet have we not found that God hath blasted them and many of them are fallen and though God bring his people into affliction yet they shall rise the wayes of God shal rise Zion shall rise Babylon shal fall the people that understand not they shall fall A word or two about the meaning of the word in the original The word is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is nor often in scripture very rare and I find divers translations of it Shall be beaten so some Shall be brought into captivity so others And others again give this the meaning of the word and so it doth properly signifie Shall be perplexed The word signifies to be
stranger to God of a Malignant of a contemner of God thou wouldst have been so too And seing this is ordinary for children to be as their parents Oh then what a mercy is it for any child that is born of wicked parents 2. to those that are born of wicked parents yet that God should work His grace in him This is not any ordinary mercy There are some that are born of godly parents that do bless God that they are kept from wickedness that way but there are some that are born of wicked parents and so brought up by them in the family yet so gracious is God unto them that in a more than ordinary way He goes further in mercy to them and works grace in their hearts notwithstanding This is His extraordinary mercy a mercy that thou art to admire at unto all eternity that notwithstanding thy birth and education yet God should reveal himself unto thee But how vile are they that being born of good parents are wicked It is ordinary for such as are born of wicked parents and have wicked education for them to be wicked to be strange children but for those that have godly parents and godly education for them to be wicked and strange children this noteth a notorious height of wickedness The third Note is this That It is a dangerous thing for children to follow the Example of their parents in wickedness Obser It is from hence that they are called strange children they are strangers to God It is not enough for them to plead I did as my father or as my mother taught me No if thy parents be wicked and superstitious and they bring thee up in wickedness and superstition and so thou art wicked and superstitious thy self know that notwithstanding this excuse God looks upon thee as a strange child thou hast no part nor porâ—ion in God thou art an Alien thou art estranged from God Children therfore had need to examin their parents waies and actions And above all Use the children of superstitious people for there is nothing more natural in succession in a line than Idolatry and superstition Never plead thus then we do but as our forefathers have done That place we have in Peter one would think should be a Scripture for ever to stop the mouth of that plea 1 Pet. 1.18 19. We are not redeemed by gold and silver nor such kind of things from our vain conversation received by tradition from our fathers but by the blood of Jesus Christ that imaculate Lamb. Mark the text that the being redeemed from our vain conversation received by tradition from our fathers is so great a mercy that it cost the blood of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.18 applied If God accounteth it such a mercy as that He is willing to lay down the blood of His Son to purchase that mercy for a poor creature shall not this creature prize this mercy And yet you think it rather to be a mercy to go on in these waies that you have received by tradition from your fathers and you think it a great plea because you have this by tradition from your fathers Mark what you do I say those men or women whether young or old that shall plead for any superstitious way upon this ground because they had it from their forefathers they do in effect say we look upon the blood of Jesus Christ as a common as a worthless thing He shed His blood to redeem thee from that which thou thinkest is worth nothing to be redeemed from Thou thinkest it a good thing to go the way of the traditions of thy fathers and Christ saith I account it so great an evil that rather than any that doth belong to Me shall go on in that way I will lay down My blood My life to deliver him from it The fourth Note is this That Obser When the succeeding generation is wicked there is little hope of such a people of such an Nation I have withdrawn my self saith God I have done with them and afterward he telleth us that they shal be desolate and this is the reason they have begot strange children The children the generation that is coming after they are idolaters too they go as their fathers did and what hope is there of them simile When in a Vineyard or an Orchyard not only the old trees are rotten but the young trees they likewise come to be corrupted and blasted by them then there is little hope of any great cost to be bestowed about it but it is likely to be digged up for the beasts to be let in up on it Use Much care is to be had therefore of the succeeding generation And there is no better argument whereby we may come to divine as we may say what God intendeth to do with a Nation The way to divine what shal become of a Nation than this look how the children are how the yong ones are that are coming up in that Nation and by that you may come to divine what God intendeth to do with the next We have much cause to bless God for His mercy toward us herein in that He hath in a great measure we hope taken away that sign of His dreadful wrath upon us in this particular I say in a great measure though the truth is we have a great many of the young generation extream rude abundance of Apprentises and others that are fit prepared and ready to make riots and tumults to maintain their Fathers their Masters old superstitions and if ever there be any stirs in a Kingdom about such things as seldom superstition and idolatry can be banished from a Kingdom but some stirs will be usually they are begun by the young ones What stirs upon the putting down of superstiâ—ion they are begun by young ones usually if you take away their Holy-daies from them you take away their lives I make no question but so far as is fit times of recreation will be allowed them and there is good reason for it though such kind of superstitious daies be taken from them But because they find liberty in those daies and their masters and many of their parents stick to the old waies of superstition therfore many young ones they do accordingly and had almost rather lose their lives than lose them and being heady and naught they wil soon be brought to raise tumults and make seditions for them But though there are many that are very vile that way and such as they are are the saddest Omen of Godâ— displeasure against a Nation yet on the other side we should wrong the grace of God if we should not observe His goodnesse towards us in the workings of His Spirit upon Young ones Yea many whose parents have been superstitions wicked and ungodly and their masters have bin so too yet we find that the Lord hath delivered a great number of the young generation from those old superstitions and they are not
in the least degree Lastly Because then all services are rejected and God will Reas 7 be no more intreated for them now conscience smites and torments the spirits and al the miseries that come upon them are but the beginning of eternal sorrows and this is a most sad case therefore let us pray with David Psal 6.1 Lord rebuke us not in thy wrath And as the Prophet in Jer. 17.17 Use Be not a terror unto me O Lord. But now because tender consciences are ready to think when God rebukes them or lays any affliction upon them that it is to ruin and destroy them as the Israelites said in Deut. 1.27 Because the Lord hated us therefore he brought us out of Egypt In every strait they were in they conceited God hated them in it though God had done them good so many times And hath not this been the reasonings of our unbeleeving hearts and the murmuring of our spirits in our afflictions Oh take heed of such unbeleeving reasonings they are very much displeasing unto God There is a great difference between the rebukes of God upon the godly and the wicked though perhaps rebuked both in one and the same affliction as the Apothecary breaks Bezar stones to pouder but is very careful of it simile and will not lose the least grain of it So the Lords people even in the fornace are as dear to him have the most experience of Gods love to them then that ever they had Jacob when he lay upon the ground and had the stone for his pillow even then he had that heavenly vision from God But now the question is Quest How shall we know whether those rebukes that are upon us are intended for our good or our hurt our desolation or our restoration It may be known thus If Gods displeasures be such Answ that we find Him more set against our sins than our persons 't is an arument He intends our good not our hurt in His rebukes upon us But you will say This is as difficult as the other How shall we know God aims at our sins and not our persons Thus If His rebukes work us to a humiliation for our sins a resignation of our selves up unto Gods dispose and to accept of the punishment of our iniquities this is an argument God aims at our sins and not at our persons in His rebukes and so in them our good and not our hurt But 't is usual for wicked men in their rebukes to cry out of their sins 't was their sins that brought this upon them But here the difference is thus discerned First They cry out of their sins but per accidence but of the judgement per se as we use to say the judgement troubles them more than their sins the cause of the judgment but the godly cry out of their sinâ— per se and of the judgment per accidence their sin troubles them Secondly A child of God more desires the sanctification of an affliction than the removing of it but the wicked care not for removing the cause of judgment even sin so the smart the correction may be taken off It follows Expos 1 Among the Tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be Some conceive that these words are spoken as the aggravation of this peoples misery and if so the Notes from them are Obs 1 That God smites not a people with judgment before he wâ—â—ns them off judgment Among the Tribes of Israel have I made known this Obs 2 When God threatens He is real in His threatnings That which shal surely be Ephraim thinks that God intends not him Sinners think that when God warns them he is not in good earnest it shall not be but God saith it shall be God esteems more of His Word than Heaven and Earth besides nay Heaven and Earth shall pass away before the least jot or tittle of it shall fail and cursed be that peace that hath no other ground or foundation than this hope that those things are not true which the Ministers of the Word from the Word threaten against sinners And yet this is the condition of many people which doth mightily provoke God as you may see in Deut. 29.19 20 21. If notwithstanding what is written in this book he bless himself saying He shall have peace the anger of the Lord shall smoke against such a man Oh the bitter aggravating circumstances in this Scripture against such a sinner as this Use Now if God will be so punctual in His threatning word that it shall be made good how much more His promising word for God hath not done so much to make His threatning word good as His promiâ—ing word For 1. God hath not cal'd such witnesses to His threatning word as to His promising word there are Three in Heaven and Three on Earth who are Witnesses but not to the threatning word sometimes in the general he calls the Heavens to witness to His threatning Hear oh heavens and hearken oh earth I have nourished up a people and they rebel against me 2. To the verifying of a promise there is not only Gods faithfulness but 't is His faithfulness in Christ all the promises are in Him yea and Amen there is in Gods promising word not only His faithfulness but His faithfulness in Christ all the promises are made in Christ so are not the threatnings Judgments have not such immediate relation to Christ 3. More sure because promises are not only Gods Covenant with His people but His Testament and so more sure than a Covenant for a Covenant may be broken on the one party but a Testament cannot it being confirmed by the death of the Testator the promise on our part may be broken but when we look upon them as confirmed by the death of the great Testator Jesus Christ we have stronge consolation as 't is a great evil not to beleeve the threats of God so 't is also a great evil not to credit the promises of God Christians you wonder when wicked men beleeve not Gods threatnings and His judgments to tremble at them Know Oh Christian that not only men but Angels stand and wonder when thou dost not beleeve the promises of God when they be so confirmed that we might beleeve them and walk comfortably The revealing of sin before a judgment comes aggravates Obs 3 both the sin and the judgment the punishment will be so much the heavier it aggravates the sin because then there is the greater contempt against God If a father should desire his child not to do such a thing nay not only desire him but forbid him yea threaten him with punishment if he doth it now if he shall after all this gainsay his fathers will he puts a greater contempt upon his father for now he breaks through hedges and fences which should have kept him in so when God shall forbid yea threaten if we will break out it puts a great contempt upon God 1. The
day this iniquity is also discovered A wanton erronious spirit such opinions as were never known before doubting of the Immortallity of the soul that there is no visible Church upon the face of the earth and all this under the Name of Christ and free grace Now what doth all this but shew thus much that when God would have healed us then our iniquities did appear what sad passages are these of our miseries approaching What an unmerciful spirit is there among us Every one seeking his own and how he may make him and his great in the world and neglecting the poor and those that are in distress we have cause to say Oh Lord what shall become of us Know this that I may not altogether discourage you though our times are miserable yet are they not like unto Israel altogether it cannot be denied but that our Court hath seconded Ephraim which was their Court Court and though the City of Samariah did joyn with Ephraim yet the Citie City with us hath not joyned with Ephraim but the bulk of it hath kept faithful with their God for which mercy the children He lived not to see the late dissention which yet was not total blessed be God though prevailing long yet unborn will have cause to bless God A fift observation is this That when a people grow worse upon the means of healing it is a sign that their condition is desperate Isa 1.15 why should you be smitten any more Ye will revolt yet more and more Jer. 51.9 We would have healed Babylon but she would not forsake her In thy filthiness is lewdness because I have purged thee and thou wouldest not be purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more untill I have caused my fury to rest upon thee Now certainly had not God found a party in this Kingdom which closed with him when he would have healed us we might have had occasion to make use of this Scripture how just were it with God to leave such a people as we are in our healing because we are so impatient under the rod and oppose him even in our healing Arius Montanâ—s quotes it out of Hippocrates that the Physitians in his time Ar. Mont. were bound by an Oath to leave such under their wounds to perish by them that were incorrigable and would not endure the Chirurgions to cure them When a man is engaged in a bad cause and means is used for the convincing of him and yet oft times he will proceed and fly out the worse Oh the vileness of mens spirits in this thing we had need take heed what we engage our selves in that the thing be good the cause warrantable how many men are there which break their consciences rather than yeild to take shame to themselves for their sin Oh what cause have we to fall down and be humbled for our iniquity and to say as they in Jer. 14.18 19 20. So for particular Towns and places where God sends the Gospel the means of grace and that people is the worse for it they have cause to tremble at it do not cry out against the preaching of the Word as if that were the cause of it wheÌ„ men are worse for preaching an evil sign this were most wicked and abominable it was thus in Christs time we never read of any possessed with Devils before Christ came now shâ—ll we say it had been better that Christ had not come Oh blame not the Ministry but your own hearts and consider of this you that God is working upon the Lord comes close by the Ministry of his Word to heal you and then you discover your wickedness and rotten hearts the Lord he stirs such a conscience and begins to heal the soul now 't is the Devils policy to spoil such beginnings now thinks the Devil if I can make such a soul to commit a sin against conscience or live in the omission of any known duty the word then will never work more to do such a man good I have heard of a man who being troubled in conscience for committing that great sin of uncleanness the Devil tempting him to commit it again and told him if he would he should never be troubled more for it the poor man yeilding to do it and venturing upon it again after he had done it he was never tempted again nor troubled more but presently lay in a wanzeing languishing senceless condition and so died Oh take heed of this you that are convinced in your consciences of the evil of such and such courses for it is the great policy of the Devil to make thee who art convinced in conscience to sin against conscience and then he thinks the work is lost the Devil doth not much fear the Words working upon him whom he hath prevailed over to live in secret known sins and to venture upon the commission of sins against conscience you who are under Gods hand of cure be silent and submit quietly under Gods hand and be not froward as many are in their troubles of conscience but hearken for a word from God Troubled Consciences as the men of Benhadad did from that King in 1 King 20.33 hearkened diligently whether any words of comfort fel from him and they catched at them hastily Know that it were just with God to make you as that people Isa 6.10 that your hearts should be made fat This concerns all people but especially those that are in trouble of conscience those that God begins to stir and work upon take heed I say doth Christ himself begin to work upon you doth he desire to heal you is he willing to offer his blood to cure you by applying it to your wounded consciences Let not the corruptions of your hearts now break forth now take heed of sins against conscience lest he let you to perish in your lusts be willing to let God alone to do his work in you lie quiet and still take heed of murmuring and repining speeches but follow on the work begun and beseech him not to leave you till the work be compleated in you and the great hazard of your miscarrying over little do you imagine the wait and burden of those sins will be upon conscience which now you commit against conscience what a torment will it be to thy conscience to think that at such a time I felt Jesus Christ coming to heal my soul in the Ministry of his Word Oh happy had it been for me if I had lain under his hand and to have kept his salve upon my sore but because it was for the present troublesom and smart I cast it off and went into such company and listened unto such temptations and by this means have wounded my soul anew most desperately and now what can I expect but that the Lord should for ever forsake me and leave me to die in my sins and wallow in my blood and his eye not pity me make me to inherit
who have good intentions good purposes aims and desires and yet have some secret warping which they know not of simile which may make them miscarry to all eternity A man may with a deceitful bow aim at a beast and yet kill a man so many may think they strike at sin and yet with that very goad may at the same time wound the Saints It follows Their Princes shall fall by the sword These were they who had the chief hand in the setting up of false worship and in oppressing those that would not joyn with them now God would reach these great ones In times of battel Princes stand by secured at a distance they have their Life guards they put on others and think to be safe themselves they will bring others into straights and miseries and care not though thousands of them be slain at a fight they shall do well enough but saith God they shall not so escape in battel Their Princes shall fall by the sword it shall not distinguish them from others For the rage of their tongue They raged against God his People and Ordinances and thought themselves too big to be contradicted we may note here Obs That when men grow very wicked they grow outragious like mad men there is no ruling of them there is such a world of wickedness in them they take a liberty to say what they please we find many strong expressions about the tongue in Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the 70. render the words As Job 5.21 it is called a scourge therefore the Saints are promised to be delivered from it 2. Psal 57.4 it is cal'd a sharp sword Prov. 12.18 there is that speaketh like the piercing of a sword Prov. 25.18 a man that beareth false witness against his neighbor Epethites of the tongue is a Mole and a Sword and a sharp Arrow 3. It is compared to fire yea unto the fire of hell James 3.7 8. To the coals of Juniper Psal 120.4 which are quickly kindled but abide long all these expressions with others we find about the tongue of the wicked But now see what is said of the tongues of the Saints Cant. 4.11 Thy lips Oh my Spouse drop as the hony comb hony and milk are under thy tongue And Prov. 10.20 The tongue of the just is as choice silver The heart of the wicked is little worth 4. An outragious tongue is such a poyson as poysons it self which no other poyson doth other poysons hurt no further than they are applied they cannot poyson at a distance but this is such a strange working thing that it will both hurt and so destroy men that they shall never recover themselves and this it wil do at a distance and come not neer these men have such dispositions that they will let none pass without a lash of their tongue Now the Lord he will not let these go in this manner he will scorn the scorners when these men are in their rage none are spared Magistrates Misiers Parents Ordinances no nor God Himself But Christ will convince them of their hard words Consider how in your families or in some companies you have been guilty of the rage of the tongue in these kinds It follows in the last words This shall be their derision in the Land of Egypt When they come to Egypt they think to find them their friends that they will help them and stick unto them no saith God instead of helping them they shall scorn them One part of the rage of their tongue was in speaking basely of the worship of God and of his people and now the Egyptians shal speak basely to them Why do you come to us for help where is your God become that you so boasted of Therefore just is it with God that those which forsake him and his help and go to men for succor that they by them should be made a scorn O it is a most grievous judgment for Gods people to be made a scorn by such the Egyptians And it should be our care and duty not to put our brethren into such straights that the poor Saints of God should be forced to go to the wicked for help least they should reproach them saying Why do you come to us What cannot your holy brethren releeve you do you expect help from us But in special this is their derision in the land of Egypt the rage of their tongue their fallings out one with another they could not agree but wrangled and jangled among themselves when the Egyptians shall see this they shall deride them and look upon them as the greatest objects of scorn that possibly can be The Lord deliver us from this judgment when was there such divisions amongst us as at this day Oh the rage of the tongue which abounds in every place the Devil himself hath a chief stroke in this rage and he laughs to see it prosper and encrease as well as our adversaries who laugh in their sleeves at us both and what should move us more to agree one with another than this The consideration of that woful scorn and derision we should be to them if God should deliver us up into their hands Now as this their rage was a symtom to them of their ruin so the Lord grant that we Prophet in time of destress Page 87 All All pretend to seek God Page 408 Ambition The ambition of Priests Page 103 Anathema Maranatha Anathema Maranatha what it means Page 903 Apes An Apes tooth worshiped for a god Page 200 Apostates The hearts of Apostates are rooted in wickednesse Page 357 Apostates seldom turn Page 384 Apostacy What the beginning of Apostacy is Page 425 Art What the art of Preaching is and wherein it consists Page 440 Avenged God will be avenged for breach of trust Page 29 Agravation Agravation of Englands wickedness Page 642 Application Application to the Parliament Page 580 Application to England in general ibid Application to private men ib. Assemblies Church assemblies are not alwaies safe Page 608 Arguments Arguments that mercy is coming Page 547 Arguments of a carnal heart Page 550 B Baseness The baseness of people discribed and whereon it consists Page 367 Beasts When the beasts are taken away our comforts are gone Page 65 Beda Beda his opinion of Austin the Monk Page 395 Best Best men not to be depended on Page 485 Beware Men ought to beware of secret sins Page 483 Blood Blood requires blood Page 48 Bribery Bribery in Magistrates is a curse of God upon a Nation Page 221 Beginnings It is grievous to God for men to let fall good beginnings and the reasons why Page 582 see Dangerous Body God is careful of the body Page 607 bound God is not bound to do for man Page 571 C Carnal men Carnal men shall be ashamed and why Page 331 Carnalists Carnalists portion is outward Page 434 Christ see Humble Christ see Duty Children Wicked children are a dishonor to their parents Page
197 Cause A good Cause may be lost by too much depending on it Page 388 Comfort see beasts Commands Commands to superstition usually find obedience Page 473 Communion How communion is defiled by the presence of wicked men Page 373 Creature The good or evil of the creature depends upon man Page 67 Contend God contends not without cause Page 21 God contends not for little things Page 22 Condition The condition of the person offending aggravates the sin Page 118 The poor condition of such as are rich only in this world Page 434 Conscience How pride of conscience may be discerned Page 395 Contempt Contempt of the word a constant companion to Idolatry Page 363 Controversie Controversies between them that are neer are grievous controversies Page 2 The controversie of Gods with sinners is very grievous Page 5 Gods controversie against England Page 8 Gods controversie with Covenant-breakers is dreadfull Page 26 Covetousness The covetousness of Priests Page 93 Counsels Perplexed counsels are a fearful judgment to a Nation Page 170 Court see Evil Curiosity see Superstition Carnal see Agreements Carthaginians The Carthaginians Law concerning Magistrates Page 660 Christ Christ became miserable for our consolation Page 548 Christs speech of neglect of parents expounded Page 604 Choice see Spirits Clouds Clouds and dew passing what it implies Page 576 Communicative see Nature Consolation Consolation to those whose friends have perished in Gods Cause Page 589 Comfort see God Consideration What considerations move men best to turn to God Page 536 Correction see Means Court see Idolatry Church see Assemblies Courage Motives to courage Page 535 Covenant The Covenant which God hath made with man is three-fold Page 622 The portion of Covenant-breakers Page 686 Cut-down How to know when a man is cut down Page 595 D Danger The danger of forsaking the truth Page 386 The danger of depending upon duties Page 403 Dangerous It is dangerous to venture upon the beginnings of false worship Page 354 It is dangerous to be deeply rooted in superstition Page 355 Defiled Defiled worship defiles the soul Page 372 Defiled see Nation Defilement A twofold defilement Page 371 Deny We should deny our selves to promote the true worship of God Page 357 Disappointment Disappointment brings shame Page 326 Distinction There ought to be a distinction made between the children of wicked and of godly Ministers Page 130 Disrespect Disrespect breeds shame Page 325 Divination How the Heathens were wont to divine by staves Page 134 Dogs Wicked men are dogs Page 73 Duty What the duty of Ministers is Page 141 What the duty of Christians is Page 474 Dying What a dying and terrified conscience is Page 500 Danger Danger see Night Daies see Festival Difference Dangerous It is dangerous to men to let good beginnings fall Page 583 See Hypocrisie Daniels case in prayer opened Page 611 Deliverance All deliverance comes from heaven Page 566 Destruction see wilfulness Difference Difference between Gods setting daies apart and mans setting daies apart Page 661 Discovery see Morning Duties see Natural Drunkenness Drunkenness brings diseases Page 663 E Education The custom of the Romans concerning the education of their children Page 421 Emperor Emperors called and accounted the Popes Dogs Page 117 England England admonished Page 86 A warning for England Page 375 see Controversie End The end of duties is to find out God Page 411 Evil The reason why there was so much evil at Court Page 115 See Punishment Example The example of wicked parents is not to be followed by their children Page 429 Excellency The excellency of grace makes sin the worse Page 179 Experience Experience of our late Prelates Page 358 Emperor An Emperor may be kept from the Sacrament Page 577 England The men of England of perverse spirits Page 572 Englands superstition reproved Page 589 England guilty of blood by calling murder manslaughter Page 627 Englands wickedness Page 641 Evil see Slander Excuses Mens excuses Page 570 Exhortation Exhortations to mercy Page 615 Experience The Saints experience Page 564 Expostulation see Form Expressions Scripture expressions against formality Page 621 F False worship The evils false worship doth in a Nation Page 138 Families The families of wicked Ministers are many times forgotten Page 97 Failings God looks not at the particular failings of a State Page 382 Flower The glory of the world is but as a flower Page 64 Formal God delights not in formal professors Page 412 Framing Notes of framing ones heart to the will of God Page 381 Faith Faith makes God real in the saddest condition Page 542 An eminent prop of faith Page 548 See Unworthiness and Repentance False Prophets False Ptophets are not to be followed Page 588 False Worship False Worship is to be trembled at Page 633 Festival daies Festival daies are usually distempering daies Page 664 Form A form of expostulation with ones soul Page 570 G Gilgal Wherein Gilgal was famous Page 183 Given A dreadful thing to be given over of God and why Page 207 Glory see Flower God God is a God of truth Page 23 God is no respecter of person Page 118 We should seriously mind what God doth Page 338 Gods pleading with man is not to be neglected Page 345 How God rebukes men Page 363 God will deal with men according to their present waies Page 370 God is not engaged to any Page 402 God delights most in his second right Page 405 God will not alwaies be found Page 411 God never smites a people before he warns them Page 452 God is a moth and rottenness and how Page 477 See Real Controversy Contend Punish Wrath Holiness Good works The good works of the Saints shall return unto them Page 121 Governors Governors of families should be careful of their families Page 154 The Governors of the people are usually the causes of the evils of the people Page 198 See Rulers Grace see Excellency God God will have glory from men Page 516 Gods usual way of comforting his people Page 520 God works by contraries Page 540 God doth not willingly grieve men Page 669 See Heart Keep Leave Penitent Mercies bound Governors see Wicked Great-men Great men are not easily reformed Page 577 Grounded We must be well grounded in the cause we suffer for Page 540 H Hard Hard truths are hardly born Page 2 The signs of an hard heart Page 515 Heathens Why the Heathens sacrificed undrr trees Page 149 A notable speech of an Heathen Page 552 Heart The secrets of mans heart are known to God Page 367 The heart of man is knotty Page 593 See Framing Argument Hard Note Herod Herods mercy in time of famine Page 30 Holiness God putteth a stamp of holiness upon the places he chuseth Page 143 Hope There is little hope of private means when publick means fail Page 85 Humble An humble man knows much of the mind of Christ Page 396 Help We should help those that suffer for a good cause Page 574 Heal How God healeth Page 640 Hypocrites see