Oh what a Combination is there at home and abroad of Papists and Atheists to rout out the Name of Israel and to banish the God of Israel and cause him to cease from amongst us Oh what crafty Councels and potent Confederates animated with devilish hatred may we espy in this our Native Country Antichrist makes many furious Assaults with a Design to kill the poor Witnesses after they have been Prophesying in Sackcloth Rev. 11.3 7. Yea among our selves Is there not some that are indifferent whether the Ark or Mass Gospel-preaching or dumb Idols take place Yea some say unto God Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of his waies Men are scorched with the glorious Rayes of the Gospel-Sun and blaspheme God rather than kindly melted by its warm and benign Influences How many Ahabs hate Micaiah's or Felix's at best that adjourn the Court of Conscience and Plain-Preaching Or Gadarens that prefer their Swine-Sty to God's Sanctuary and desire blessed Jesus to depart out of our Coasts God's Ark is a troublesom Guest to graceless Philistins Some that received not the Truth in love are in danger to be given up to Popish Delusions and the mixt multitude that fell a lusting or longing for the Onions of Aegypt If the Gospel may be sinned away surely it is in hazard now to depart If prodigious lusts daring Heaven unfruitfulness decay of Zeal loss of first Love carnal confidence of Priviledges and contempt of the Power of Godliness neutrality empty Formality have robbed People of this Pearl surely without a prerogative add of mercy we cannot keep it long 2. Where are the Souls that stir up themselves to take hold of a withdrawing God Some I hope there are that stand in the gap but oh how few and how faintly Where is there a Moses to hold up his hands a Joshua to fall at God's feet a Phinehas to execute Justice God sees that there is no man and may wonder that there is no Intercessor Strange That there should be none to guide her among all the Sons she hath brought forth What! none to take her by the hand of all the Sons that she hath brought up What! Is there no Rod strong enough for bearing such a weight Well this is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation But may not the Innocent deliver the Island May not the poor wise man deliver the City Are not Saints Prayers effectual Ans Yes But where are they The old Stock is worn out and few new ones come in for a supply Strong Torrents are carried by the dead Sea into the Ocean of Eternity and new Springs are yet rare and faint Where shall we find Elijah's Spirit doubled on succeeding Elisha Though a Kingdom may have much Treasure in it yet if Trade cease no Bullion or Merchandise be imported it will decay because it spends upon the old Stock This is our case old Saints are worn away few Converts fit to plead with God come in their room And this is the Devils design to wear out the Saints of the most High and extirpate the genuine Seed of Jacob. But alas By whom shall Jacob arise for he is small His face waxeth pale having of late lost so much good blood And doth not our Lord sometimes withdraw the Spirit of Prayer which is an interpretative saying Pray not for this People Doth not stupidity and sleepiness seize on the Disciples even when Jesus is in his Agony Doth not this bode evil Is there not in them even in them sins enow to weaken and evacuate their own Prayers Alas What Divisions what Decaies Deadness Unprositableness The Old Puritan-Spirit is gone we are wofully degenerated Professors are grown like the world How unlike are we to Primitive Saints Abraham is ignorant of us Israel would not acknowledge us for their genuine Seed But may we not think our disease is grown so stubborn and inveterate that no Doses will conquer the Disease though ultimi conatus these hard struglings of Nature may maintain Life for a season Judgments have been prorogued upon the Vine-dressers interposing importunity three years longer but beware the forth God's Patience hath bounds his Spirit will not alwaies strive We look like a people ripe for ruine However Noah Dantel and Job may deliver their own Souls though none besides by their righteousness God can make those few Names in Sardis to walk in white though he come against her as a Thief and leave her in Aegyptian darkness He can find harbour for his Children though he pull down the house upon the heads of formal Hypocrites And if there be not cause of lamenting after the Ark when its removal is feared to be sure men will see cause to lament when this evil is felt The Anger of the Lord shall not return until he hath executed and till he hath performed the thoughts of his heart In the latter daies ye shall consider it perfectly Jer. 23. v. 20. 2. Is not the God of Ordinances much removed from amongst us And is not he worth lamenting after God makes gradual removes It 's true sometimes the Sun sets at noon-day yet ordinarily the Sun leaves the Horizon by sensible declinings The glory of the Lord goes up from the Cherub to the Threshold of the house thence to the middle of the City thence to the Mountain I shall briefly mention four Removes which our Lord hath taken from us By way of Query 1. Is not restraining grace much gone from amongst us Some persons in former times were wont to be civil orderly and in many things conformable to the letter of the Word but now God hath cast the Reins in their necks and they get the Bit of Conscience betwixt the teeth of sensual affections and obstinate sinning and there 's no hoe with them they run mad in their own waies petty Oaths of Mass or Troth are commence to Dam me and full mouth'd blasphemies tippling to down-drive Drunkenness and open reeling wanton dalliances to defended Adulteries squibbing Strictness to open persecution of all that looks like seriousness from questioning Divine Providence men advance to avowed Atheism and open defiance of Heaven Some men are given up to such sins as are not fit to be named and which themselves formerly would have blusht at the mention of and if any had predicted their committing them would have said as Hazael Is thy Servant a Dog Sinners that used to walk under a Vail or Mask now go bare-fac'd and men glory in their shame Many abhor Sobriety Justice Temperance We overpass the deeds of the wicked the Moral Heathens would be ashamed of us Men work all uncleanness with greediness Yea if they court God in a few formal Prayers they think they are delivered to do all these abominations as though they had got a Popish Indulgence and Dispensation to sin As Breerwood in his Enquiries tells us The common people think they do
as Sampson I will go out as at other times before and shake my self But he wisteth not that the Lord is departed from him When he reflects on himself and finds it so will he not see sad cause to lament And have not some Godly Souls cause to say as Gideon Judg. 6.13 Oh my Lord if the Lord be with us why then is all this befallen us And where be all his miracles which our Fathers told us of But now the Lord hath forsaken us 1. In point of quickening exciting and actuating their graces May not that sad complaint be taken up Isa 64.7 There is none that calleth on thy name that stirreth up himself to take hold on thee For thou hast hid thy face from us hast consumed Heb. melted us because of our iniquities Where is that flaming love that working faith Gospel-repentance that lively hope that filial fear that spirit of adoption that found mind tender conscience and working affections as in former days It 's much to be feared there 's a general decay of grace or damp in point of exercise on the Spirits of living Christians it 's well if the Bridgroom find not even the wise Virgins asleep 2. As to strength and assistance against the assaults of temptation and out-breakings of corruption many Thorns in the flesh Messengers of Satan do too prevalently push forwards Gods Children to sin and they find not his grace sufficient for them as sometimes but stumble and fall and are broken snared and taken Yea sometimes to the breaking of their bones dishonouring of God scandal of their profession and endangering of their precious Souls Oh let not such things be told in Gath or published in Askelon lest the uncircumcised Philistins triumph over Gods People and be hardened in their sinful ways Alas where shall Gods tender Spirited Children hide their faces when their brethren prophane Gods holy Name and men shall say These are the People of the Lord and are gone forth out of his land Ezek. 36.20 These are your Praecisians and scrupulous Zealots that will not do as others now they shew that they are a pack of Hypocrites This cuts deep and wounds to the heart 3. As to communion with God Gods People of old could assert it with a truely however carnal men scorn it now 1 Joh. 1.3 Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ Not only in that secret essential fundamental communion whereby grace is maintained in its being and life but that sweet sensible Soul-refreshing fellowship that gives grace its activity maintains intercourse betwixt God and the Soul in duty But alas have not Gods Children cause to complain as the Church that God withdraws himself She seeks him but finds him not in publick Ordinances in secret Duties in communion of Saints Gods Children complain with Job chap. 23.8 9. Behold I go forward but he is not there and backward but I cannot perceive him c. He looks East West North South but in vain This is strange that God who is every where should be found no where but though the Child of God be aware of Gods general Omnipresence and feel his common Providence yet is not satisfied without his special presence and gracious influence And missing this he hath reason to lament after the Lord when he hides himself 4. As to assurance settlement and comfort sometimes Gods Children are left to a sad unsatisfyed and doubting frame full of fears troubles jealousies are much in the dark in point of state this is a very general complaint at this day Many have blurred their evidences by sins or carelesness and cannot give any distinct account how their principles are stated what condition their Souls are in are damped and daunted as to their interest in Christ title to the promises hopes of Heaven Have not these great cause to lament after the Lord And surely these must say as David Psal 51.8 12. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit O my God! My Soul is cast down within me one while I argue with my own heart communing expostulating challenging charging my Spirit and alas I can do no good with it other whiles turning me to God but still I am restless cannot be quiet but am tossed with tempests and not comforted Well I am determined to look towards Gods holy temple and cast my self at Gods feet in the vertue of that promise Hos 6.3 Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord his going forth is prepared as the morning and he shall come unto us as the rain as the latter and former rain unto the earth Thus much for the Doctrinal part and the clearing of an objection All the Application I shall make of this point shall only be of Exhortation to put us all upon this so seasonable and needful a duty of lamenting after the Lord the Ark of the Lord and the Lord of the Ark. In prosecuting this I shall do these four things 1. Propound some Motives and Arguments to press this duty upon our Spirits 2. Discover what sort of Persons are concerned thus to lament after the Lord. 3. Lay before you some Helps to carry on this work of serious lamenting 4. Propound some Cordials to incourage our hearts till we overtake the Lord. 1. For Motives to persuade prevail with our hearts to practice this duty once at last and indeed it 's a very sad consideration that this People of Israel were twenty years before they began to feel their feet or come to themselves This shall be the First Argument That a professing People may lye long under dreadful Spiritual judgments without a sensible Spirit It was so with them here it 's well if it be not so with us And this sensless frame is greater evil than any other judgments Qu. But how comes it to pass that men may be so long senseless and not lament after the Lord all this while Ans 1. From the nature of sin sin is of an hardening stupifying brutifying nature when men fall into sin their hearts are hardened by it Heb. 3.13 Sin is of a cold congealing nature it freezeth the Soul rocketh conscience asleep and like the Fish Torpedo that diffuseth its benumming poison through the hand arm and creeping at last to his heart kills him so doth sin It 's not to tell how David's sin rockt him asleep and led him on to other sins till it indangered his Soul's sleeping the sleep of death 2. From the worldly enjoyments men have in room of Ordinances as the Captives in Babylon being well settled in their conveniences forget God's Appointments and Jerusalem comes not into their mind while their enjoyments afford contentment Yea though some returned they can sleep quietly in their Cieled houses while the House of God lies waste Hag. 1.4 God's Ark
through the corruption of mens hearts it stirs up opposition occasionally 2. But the chief blessings are spiritual as Conversion of the Soul to God Regeneration effectual Vocation so that it may oft be said as of Zion This and that man was born there Psal 87.5 So also increase of grace 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a Glass this broader Glass of Ordinances and the secret Glass of private Duties the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory i. e. from grace to grace as by the Spirit of the Lord or of the Lord the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Besides Ordinances discover and help to cure those foul spots that are in the face of the Soul Jam. 1.23 24. Sanctuarydiscoveries resolve many intricate cases in the providences of God See Psal 73. v. 17. Here also the hearts of God's People may be abundantly satisfied Psal 36.8 for here 's goodness from God to do it Psal 65.4 Ordinances are Canales gratiae Channels through which Divine Grace and Influences flow to Souls Zech. 4.12 These display Christ open Gospel-priviledges Promises Terms of Salvation are as the gate of Heaven well then may and must the observant believing Soul lament after both the Ordinances of God and God in his Ordinances 4. Head is an Objection which may be framed against all I have said You 'l say What 's all this Canting for How doth it concern us Have we not publick Ordinances Doth not the Gospel flourish Is there not excellent Preaching in Publick Places The generality have no reason to complain since we have Christian Magistrates a glorious Church Learned Preachers nay others that pretend Tenderness of Conscience these do complain before they are hurt Have they not their Separate Meetings in a Publick way without disturbance Little reason have any to make this ado in lamenting What cause have you to lament I answer as Cleophas Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem in England and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days If you ask what things Do I need to inform you or rub up your memories by telling you that twenty years ago two thousand Ministers then found in peaceable possession of their publick places were dispossessed and ejected by the Act of Uniformity commencing Aug. 24. 1662. and shortly after 1665. were prohibited meeting together above four for Religious Worship and another Act prohibited them from coming or being within 5 miles of any such place where they had preached or a Corporation and were severely menaced and punished by a Second Act against Conventicles with Sharper penalties and though the Kings Majesty set them at liberty for a season yet that was quickly retracted and many could have little benefit by it and whether the silencing of Ministers be not an obstructing of the Gospel and of Ordinances judge you and if you say you are not concerned in this case I shall not speak to you but turn my discourse to others Only I shall briefly propound some Questions 1. About the Ordinances of God 2. The God of Ordinances and leave it to you to judge whether there be not some cause to lament after the Lord. 1. Are all congregations supplyed with able faithful Ministers God forbid I should condemn all or censure any blessed be God there are some gracious men in publick station whose main design is to win Souls to God but Oh how small is their Number I would rather you read an account of this in Ichabod or five groans of the Church writ by a conformable Minister A. Dom. 1663. lamenting 3000 raw young heads that teach before they have learned 1500 debauched Ministers many factious men some illiterate trades-men Simonists Pluralists and Non-Residents particularly described God knows whether these things be true but it 's well if many have not cause to complain as our Lord Matth. 9.36 Who when he saw the multitudes he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no Shepherd you know what follows If all publick places were well supplyed there would be less need of us If there were no need we should be glad of a Supersedeas 2. Yet is there not work enough for all the Ministers in England if all were faithful conscientious and set themselves seriouslly to the work of God Oh how many thousand ignorant Souls to be instructed Obstinate to be admonished careless to be quickened weak to be strengthned wandring to be reduced surely they that know any thing of the worth of Souls of the work of the Ministry and of the importance of eternity cannot but bitterly lament that so little is done for saving of sinners and that there are so few to lay out themselves or that do actually or effectually the work of faithful Pastors for the conviction and edification of sinners Souls If every Minister in England were gracious and had an hundred persons under his cure and charge he would find it as difficult to manage as a Physician dealing with so many patients under several diseases hic labor hoc opus 3. Is not the liberty that some take in their dispensing Ordinances under many disadvantages Are they not subject to fines confiscations imprisonments banishments censures and all have not equal opportunity of feeding Christs flock where there is as much necessity What liberty is taken it 's but stoln and upon courtesie still they are exposed to the rage of malevolent spirits and under the lash of the Law and censures of being undiscreet Zealots that adventure further than their more prudent Brethren yet still the Candle is under a bushel and they that need it the most have least share in it and are glad they are out of the sound of it and are furnished with stones enow even from present constitutions to cast at such as would disturb them in their career of sin and posting to Hell and they whose Eyes are opened to see the blind running into a Pit cannot but lament that their hands are so bound that they cannot stop them 4. Are there not sad symptoms upon us of a departing Gospel It would not now be seasonable to enumerate the Prognosticks of God's taking away his Ark and Ordinances Mr. Jurnal speaking of the unkind welcom the Gospel hath found among us addeth Oh what will God do with this degenerate Age we live in O England England I fear some sad Judgment or other bodes thee If such glad Tidings as the Gospel brings be rejected sad news cannot be far off I cannot think of less than a departing Gospel God never made such a settlement of his Gospel amongst any People but he could remove it from them He comes but upon liking and will he stay where he is not welcom who will that hath elsewhere to go Read the rest Two words on this observe 1. Have there not been great Attempts made to quench the Light amongst us
the Priest a kindness to find him work by new sinning to get pardons Yea some think strange at others that they are not as bad as themselves And is not this matter of lamenmentation to see the Earth thus for saken by a righteous God and possessed by so many Bears Lions Tygers and Goats that men are grown Wolves yea Devils to each other Is it not time to lament after that God that gives up men to such profligate and prodigious courses as hasten their own damnation and England's desolation Is it not time to seek God till he come and Rain Righteousness upon us Hos 10.12 2. Is not converting grace much withdrawn from the Ordinances of God And doth not this call sensible Souls to lament after the Lord Time hath been that our Lord hath mounted his white Horse and hath bent his Bow and shot his Arrows of Conviction and made them sharp in the hearts of the King's Enemies and caused people to fall under him going forth conquering hath had his Crown set upon his head by the Daughters of Jerusalem But alas now the Church hath a miscarrying Womb and dry Breasts Ministers cry out Who hath believed our Report I have laboured in vain God doth not go forth with his Word as formerly The Apostles were Fishers inclosed many at a draught present Ministers Hunters shout and run all day and catch but one or two and well too It 's worth a whole lifes pains Though it cannot be denied God's despised Servants have now and then seals of their Ministry to God's glory their incouragement and the stopping of the mouths of slanderers Jerusalem is built even in troublesom times The Gospel is not bound though Ministers be Men civilly dead may convey spiritual life God hath not left his Servants without some Testimonies in the Consciences and Conversations of their Hearers that God is in his Ordinances of a truth But alas how few gleanings hath our dear Lord compared with the full Vintage Satan gets among men We take these first fruits thankfully till the full Harvest come Let Ministers and People lament after the Lord that he would fill his House with glory hasten the day of his Power to make People chearful Volunteers in the Lord's Warfare Oh that more might knock at our doors with a What must I do to be saved Where is the Lord God of Elijah Lord cloath thine Ordinances with thy Power When shall Aaron's Rod bring forth ripe Almonds Lord let the Children of the Covenant own the God of their Fathers and be sprinkled with Covenant grace Lord break up that blessed Writ of Electing Love in converting grace Let Sermons be seconded with power Make thy Word the Arms of God unto Salvation 3. Doth not God much withdraw from the Societies of his Servants Is there to be sound that entireness singleness faithfulness amongst God's People to each other as in former daies Is there not much pride worldliness decay of love to God abating spiritual zeal for God such as was in the daies of old Alas we have reason to think the Spirit of Prayer is much withdrawn that close walking that distance from appearances of sin that entireness for God that endearedness and usefulness of Christians amongst themselves as is wont to be Yea hath not God seemed to take Peace from the Earth Is not Manasseâ— against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasseh and they together against Judah Papists against Protestants and Protestants against Papists and they together against zealous Worshippers and exact walkers according to pure and Primitive Institutions Are not some Members of the same Church that desire to keep close to the Rule rendred black while the Sun hath looked upon them with some malignant aspects and reflections of displeasure Yea even the same Mothers Children are angry with them Yea their own Shepherds pity them not Nay some Watchmen are so rigid and censorious that they find them out wound them take away their vail from them expose the Members of the same Church as if they were factious traiterous or heretical and will hold no communion with them that have much charity for them and pursue them with intreaties to beg their consent to walk with them towards Heaven and joyn in God's work for winning of Souls and alas they brow-beat them and seem to deny them liberty to worship the same God own the same Bible or partake of the same common Saviour If this be not for a lamentation what is Methinks some deal with their Brethren as Saul's Courtiers with honest David 1 Sam. 26.19 They have driven me out this day from abiding in the Inheritance of the Lord saying Go serve other gods Or as it is Ezek. 11.15 Son of Man thy Brethren even thy Brethren the men of thy kinred all the house of Israel wholly are they unto whom the Inhabitants of Jerusalem have said Get ye far from the Lord unto us is this Land given in possession Monopolies are dangerous in Spirituals What envy hath excluding others begot in these cases Lamentable is the Story here in England of the haughty carriage of Austin the Monk and petulant behaviour of the Brittish Bishops who neglected to joyn with the other upon private animosities to Preach the Gospel to the Idolatrous Saxons Austin predicted and menaced that if they would not have Peace with their Brethren they should have Wars with their Enemies Shortly after Ethelbert King of Northumberland being a Pagan went with a great Army against the City of Chester whether animated by Austin God knows overcame the Brittans slew eleven hundred Monks i.e. persons religiously devoted to God for praying for the Brittans only fifty escaped with Brockmail Mayor of Chester A Spirit of Aemulation in so good a work hath alwaies bad Effects and Pride hath dreadful consequences Church-Divisions are much to be lamented and very rarely issue without Civil Dissentions For the Divisions of Reuben there ought to be sad searchings and heavy thoughts of heart Lord when shall Conscience-racking Oaths be broken How long shall intangling Orders for decency rend the bowels of thy Church When shall Subscription to Christ's Laws suffice It 's sure a matter of lamentation that the Devil casts the Bone among Professing Christians and they snarl at each other about it How long shall the pride and wrath of men make and blow up that spark into a flame that Satan the great make-bait casts among them When will men see the hand of Joab is in all this and discern at last that among all these contending Clients none is gainer but that common Barreter Lord open mens Eyes heal our bleeding wounds and bring back that antient Christian Spirit of Love and Peace Charity Humility 4. Once more Is there no cause for Gods Children to lament after the Lord for his return to their Spirits Is not God much withdrawn from the hearts of his People If a Child of God say
we shall agree amongst our selves Lamenting together would clear up our eye-sight and beget an harmony of hearts 5. Other persons in all other cases do lament after the Objects that their hearts are set upon David followed his dead Friend Abner with sorrow and bitterly lamented his dead Son Absalom The Companions of Jephthah's Daughter yearly lamented her Yea David much lamented Saul though his Enemy while living and his sworn Brother Jonathan Jeremiah lamented for Josiah and all the singing-men singing-women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day Yea they made them an Ordinance in Israel 2 Chron. 35.25 And which of you are so hard-hearted but you would lament a dead Friend or Brother Sister Wife Child Parent And canst thou not find in thy heart to spend some sad thoughts on thy departing Lord or follow the sad Hearse of deceased Ordinances Ah carnal hearts Ah hard hearts Wo be to stupid wretches Shall a poor Idolatrous Micah cry out after his Teraphim And shall we let the only true God go with silence and dry eyes Is not our God worth lamenting after Will even careless women lament at last for the teats for the pleasant fields for the fruitful vine And shall not Gods Children lament for those full breasts of Gospel ordinances Shall not Children cry and long for the sincere milk of the word that they may grow thereby If you were sensible you would cry out my Father a little bread to an hungry Soul my Mother let me suck those breasts of consolation I am pining languishing famishing to death let me be nourished to eternal life 6. If we lament not after the Lord and his Ark he will go yet further from us if not totally leave us There was never such symptoms of Gods taking away the Candlestick and leaving us to the Idolatry and Cruelties of Popery in this Kingdom since the Reformation as there is at this day horrible Abominations and Atheism preparing for it our ingratitude for prevention thus long the general Antipathy to a Sound Ministry a Spirit of giddiness to entertain the most senseless fopperies a mincing some grosser Popish doctrines by pretended Protestants humane Inventions coyned in darkest times of Popery retained Courts Fees Officers Ceremonies Popish names places Customs defended Want of Sympathy with our suffering brethren abroad in that kind attempts for Reformation not succeeding opposed Instruments reserved prepared for Scourges denying plots as clear as the Sun Preferring Popish Tyranny before Christs Government most debauchery in some that should be best Popish Emissaries swarming Popish Families increasing Honest Ministers much laying aside Weapons Antidotes fearlesness in many unpreparedness of all for such a dispensation impressions on many of Changes Freedom of Ordinances to lay in for a storm unprincipled professors must pass an Ordeal-Tryal judgment beginning at God's house Choyce stakes taken out of the hedg transplanted to Heaven Witnesses prophecying in Sackcloth must be slain the Whore must sit as a Queen and see no loss of Children Antichrist must render himself more cruel and odious to stir up Kings hearts against the Church indifferency of great potentates in the cause of Religion Policy for outward security the compass that most stear by Christ's interest is low in Protestant Countries God's laying them under severe rebuke by his immediate hand Little notice taken of providences no publick fastings and humiliations former guilt of blood unwiped off Such things as these speak black showrs of Popish darkness and barbarous showrs of blood God almighty prevent But certainly these things call for bitter lamenting after the Lord either to prevent them or prepare our hearts for them or both I shall add 7. There is no way to bring our Lord or his Ark back to us but this course of lamenting after him God hath withdrawn himself purposely to make us follow him mourning And he seems to stand still and hearken what we do in this case Jer. 8.6 I hearkened and heard saith God but they spake not aright What was that certainly repenting of their sins lamenting inquiries after God And Jer. 31.18 19. If God can but hear persons bemoan themselves follow God desire the Lord to turn them and turn to them see what kind language he gives them ver 20. Is Ephraim my dear Son Is he a pleasant Child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. God doth carry in this case as a loving Father being provoked to Whip or leave his offending Child looks back on his sobbing broken-hearted lamenting Child saying Alas my Child what ails thee What 's the matter with thee What wantest thou Dost thou want an heart to repent friendship with me Dost thou lament so sadly after reconciliation with me and return to thee I am glad of it that was all I aimed at I have attained mine end come come thou art welcome to me come my dear my lovely Child let me wipe thy blubbered cheeks and kiss thee again I am glad my rod and anger work so kindly I will return to thee with love and sweetest embraces Thus doth our Lord return with loving kindness and mercies and they shall be as if he had not cast them off There 's no way probable or possible to bring God or his Ark back but this and shall we not take this course It 's true its a doubtfull and dangerous case we are not certain he will return but yet there 's a May-be a who can tell in it We are sure running from him and sinning against him with an hard-heart will undoubtedly rob us of him and ruine us but we have lost more labour to less purpose therefore let us turn to the Lord with all our heart with fasting with weeping with mourning c. Joel 2.12 13. and then say as Gods directs them v. 14. Who knoweth if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him even a meat-offering and a drink-offering unto the Lord our God Oh how well doth God take such a carriage How willing is he to return back to us Only he expects we should be sensible of his withdrawing and bitterly lament after him 8. If we do not lay to heart the loss of God's Presence and Ordinances God will make us to lament upon other accounts If he design us good he will pinch us till we feel and cry out if not we shall be left to lament hopeless and helpless in Hell torments If we will not lay to heart spiritual Judgments God threatens to send a Curse upon us and to curse our blessings Mal. 2.2 How why if men prize not their Temple Priviledges God can blast the fruits of the Earth Hag. 1.9 We looked for much and loe it came to little and when ye brought it home I did blow upon it or blow it away why saith the Lord of Hosts because of mine house that is