Amos 5.11 12. as your treading is upon the Poore and ye take from him Burdens of wheat ye have built Houses of hewen stone but ye shall not dwell in them ye have planted pleasant Vine-yards but ye shall not drink Wine of them For I know your manifold Transgressions and your mighty sins they afflict the just they take a Bribe and they turn aside the poore in the Gate from their right And what follows * v. 16 17. Therefore the LORD the God of Hosts the Lord saith thus wailing shall be in all streets and they shall say in all the High-wayes Alas Alas For I will pass through thee saith the LORD Well then may the Apostle call the Rich men of the World who have been the Oppressors of the Poor to weeping and mourning and bitter Lamentation †Jam. 5 1-6 Go to now ye rich men weep and howle for your miseries that shall come upon you Your Riches are corrupted and your Garments moth-eaten Your Gold and Silver is Canker'd and the Rust of them shall be a witnesse against you and shall eat your Flesh as it were Fire ye have heaped Treasure together for the last Dayes Behold the hire of the Labourers which have reaped down your Fields which is of you kept back by Fraud crieth and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the eares of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * the Lord of Sabaoth Ye have lived in pleasure on the Earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the LORD of Hosts and been wanton ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter Ye have condemned and killed the just and he doth not resist you Bloody Tyrants Thus do Wolves devoure the harmlesse Sheep But the Mighty God will at length roll down heavy Judgements upon the heads of such wicked worldlings Deceit and Violence are the two maine Pillars in the House of OPPRESSION wherein bloody Tyrants and Insolent Usurpers dwell They lay snares for the Lives of men that they may take them by Deceit and then drag them with Violence to a bloody Death or unjustly deprive them of the Comforts of Life Such is the State of things when Oppression reignes in a Land Thus doth the Prophet describe these bloody and deceitful men who seek to oppresse the Righteous and lie in waite for Innocent Blood and shews how high a Provocation this is of the great God to execute his Judgements upon such a sinful Nation For among my People saith the LORD by the Prophet †Jer. 5.26 are found Wicked men they lay wait as he that setteth snares they set a Trap they catch men * Jer. 9.8 9 Their Tongue is as an Arrow shot out it speaketh deceit one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth but in heart he layeth wait for him Shall I not visit them for these things saith the LORD Shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this †Jerem. 5 27-29 As a Cage is full of Birds so are their Houses full of Deceit therefore are they become great and waxen rich They are waxen fat they shine yea they overpass the Deeds of the wicked they judge not the cause the Cause of the Fatherless yet they prosper and the right of the Needy do they not judge Shall I not visit for these things faith the LORD Shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this some passages of another Prophecy we shall select to the same Purpose * Ezek. 22 3-22 Thus saith the Lord GOD The City sheddeth Blood in the midst of it that her Time may come Thou art become guilty in thy Blood that thou hast shed thou hast caused thy Dayes to draw near and art come even to thy years therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the Heathen and a mocking to all Countreys Those that be neare and those that be far from thee shall mock thee which art infamous and much vexed Behold the Princes of Israel every one were in thee to their Power to shed Blood In thee have they set light by Father and Mother in the midst of thee have they dealt by Oppression with the Stranger in thee have they vexed the Fatherlesse and the Widow Thou hast despised my holy things and hast profaned my Sabbaths In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood In thee have they taken gifts to shed Blood Thou hast taken Vsury and Increase and thou hast greedily gained of thy Neighbours by Extortion and hast forgotten me saith the Lord GOD. Behold therefore I have smitten my hand at thy dishonest Gaine which thou hast made and at thy Blood which hath been in the midst of thee Can thine Heart endure or can thine Hands be strong in the Days that I shall deal with thee I the LORD have spoken it and will do it Now therefore thus saith the Lord GOD Because ye are all Become Drosse behold therefore I will gather you as they gather Silver and Brass and Iron and Lead and Tin into the midst of the Furnace to blow the Fire upon it to melt it so will I gather you in my Anger and in my Fury Yea I will gather you and blow upon you in the Fire of my Wrath and ye shall be melted as Silver is melted in the midst of the Furnace and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out my Fury upon you This is the portion of the wicked from the Lord. Thus doe Presumptuous men exalt themselves †Ps 55.23 But thou O God shalt bring them downe into the Pit of Destruction Bloody and Deceitfull men shall not live out half their Dayes The fourth Sin Swearing and Cursing WHen the fearful sins of swearing and Cursing are growne common the Times are Perillous When these Black sins these Ill-boading Fowles that are wont to feed upon the Brinks of the bottomless Pit do abound it s a Signe the Winter of Gods Judgements is at hand When men Thunder out Oathes and Curses on Earth as alas how often are our ears pierc't with these Hellish sounds in the open streets it's time for God to Thunder down his Judgements from heaven Doubtlesse men may curse away all the Lords Blessings and by their abominable Oaths sweare down Vengeance from heaven upon their own Heads yea soon swear their own souls into Hell Yea cruel Curses and bloody Oaths may soon fill the Land with Cruelty and Blood * Jer. 23.10 Hos 4.2 3. Because of Swearing may God justly cause the Land to mourne This sin we finde in the holy Scripture strictly forbidden and severely punished I say unto you sayes our Saviour †Mat 5 34-37 swear not at all neither by Heaven for it is Gods Throne nor by the Earth for it is his Foot-stoole neither by Jerusalem for it is the City of the great King Neither shalt thou swear by thy Head because thou canst not make one haire white or black But let your
their Immodesties by setting as many Spots in their Faces as they have received Blots to their Honour till their Faces are almost cover'd with these Badges of their Infamy O degenerate Gentry O ignoble Nobility How foolish are you become in these fantastical Fashions How weak how wicked are you to pride your selves in such ridiculous Vanities and to account these signes of your baseness â—o be Badges of your Honour Are you so stupid and senslesse as not to observe that â—od hath been tumbling down the greatnesse of the world staining the Pride of â—an and rolling his glory in the Dust And will you by your Pride and Vanity pluck down greater Judgements on the Land and plunge your selves into everlasting miseries Surely these Badges of your Pride are but the Presages of your Punishment Tertullian calls painted women * Ancillas Diaboli the Devâ—ls Chamber-maids or Waiting-women But then surely those who prostitute their painted Beauties to these wanton Blacks are the chiefest Ladies in the Kingdome of Lucifer And his Pride you know cost him a flaming fall 't was the fore-runner of his Destruction What then shall become of those of his Houshold Surely these painted plaister'd spotted Vanities will end their dayes in Vexation How justly may God punish their shamel sse Pride as he hath doâ—e many with shameful Poverty on earth and their wanton Pleasures with woful Paines in Hell Surely these Luxuriancies in lustful Vanities provoke God to plague the Land with dreadful Judgements and so speak these dayes wherein they abound to be perillous Times Thus we have seen what sins do in a special Manner provoke the Lord to wrath and sollicit vengeance against such a sinning People Surely where these seven Abominations are found especially where they are predominant they presage sore Plagues fore-run heavy Judgements on such a place or People For shall not the Lord visit for these things and shall not his soul be aveng'd on such a People as this that provoke him to Anger with so many fearfull Abominations Surely God may justly poure out all the †Rev. 16.1 seven Vials of his flaming wrath upon such a sinful Nation These â—ins therefore must needs be sad Symptomes of Perillous Times Come we now to consider in what Cases these sinnes are thus Symptomaticall The second Enquiry In what Cases the foremention'd Sins are Symptomes of Perillous Times ADAM in Innocency liv'd in * Gen. 2.8 EDEN a Place prepar'd by God himselfe to be the Mother of Plenty the Nurse of Pleasure and Queen Regent of Divine Delight Happy man had he not by the Losse of his Innocence the Palladium of Paradise lost his Happinesse Yea the World was an Universal Paradise whereof Eden was the Eye the Beauty of its Beautieâ— till sin committed a Rape upon its Virgin Purity and cast a defilement upon its Primitive Glory Then did its flowring Beauties fade in its Face and stinging Mâ—series sprang up apace in its Bosome Thus did the world once a Garden of Delights become a Wildernesse of â—hornes before a Palace Royal of pure unmixed Pleasures now a bloody Stage of sufferings and sorrows Thus is sinne the procuring cause of all Miseries and so the too certain Prognostick of Perillâ—us Times Was it not for s nne how should England be as Eden the Garden of God crown'd with the smiles of Heaven and cloath'd with the Virgin-Mantle of Peace and endow'd with the choicest Blessings on Earth and so admir'd by all its Sister Islands its Neighbour Nations for Beauty Riches and Renown But sin it is which spreads a black cloud upon it's Glories which threatens the Thunder of some dreadful Judgements The sinnes of England are many and what can we expect but that the sufferings of England should be great The sins of men are wont to draw downe the Judgements of God and so they are the Symptomes of Perillous Times to the People of God especially in such Cases as these that follow The first Case The Commonness of Sinne. WHen grosse Sinnes are commonly committed the Times must needs be Perillous When Lying Swearing Sabbath-breaking Stealing Cheating Deceiving Cruelty Oppression Drunkennesse Adultery and all manner of Uncleannesse does abound the Dayes are evil and full of Danger These sins are as so many Cords to pluck down Judgements upon the Heads of such a People Thus did sinne abound in the Old World before God destroy'd all Flesh with the Flood For it s said †Gen. 6.11 12 13. The Earth was corrupt before Goâ— and the Earth was filled with Violence And God looked upon the earth and behold it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the Earth And God said unto Noah The end of all flesh is come before me for the Earth is filled with Violence through them and behold I will destroy them with the Earth The Scriptures do abound with comminations of Judgement against that People that Land wherein such Abominations do abound Take notice of some of them and Oh that you would sadly lay them to heart * Jer. 7.8 16. Behold sayes the Lord to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem ye trust in lying words that cannot profit Will ye steale murder and commit Adultery and swear falsely and burn incense unto Baal and walk after other Gods whom ye know not i. e. maintaine diversities of Religion amongst you and come and stand before me in this House which is called by my Name and say we are deliver'd to do all these abominations q. d. This is the Liberty for which we adventur'd our Lives in the High-Places of the Field Is this House which is called by my Name become a Den of Robbers in your Eyes q. d. Is this the fruit of your Victories and the glorious Deliverances whereof you speak to cast contempt upon my House Worship and Ordinances Behold even I have seen it saith the LORD But go ye now unto my Place which was in Shiloh where I set my Name at the first and see what I did to it for the Wickednesse of my People Israel And now because ye have done all these works saith the LORD and I spake unto you rising up early and speaking but ye heard not and I called you but ye answered not Therefore will I do unto this House which is called by my Name wherein ye trust and unto the place which I gave to you and to your Fathers as I have done to Shiloh And I will cast you out of my sight as I have cast out all your Brethren even the whole seed of Ephraim Therefore sayes the LORD to the Prophet Pray not thou for this People neither lift up Cry nor Prayer for them neither make Intercession to me for I will not hear thee Thus multiply'd sinnes do at length bring down upon a sinful stubborn and rebellious People manifold miseries and remedilesse extremities Thus does the Lord proclaime Warre against his People Israel by the Prophet Hosea for their
What dreadful Dayes may we yet live to see if the Lord should deal with us according to our Deservings How soon may the Clouds of heaven which were wont to drop down Blessings on our heads be dissolv'd into showers of Blood Ah my Beloved have you not read in the holy Scriptures what dreadful Judgements the Lord hath executed upon Cities Nations Kingdomes his own People yea the whole World Know you not that God turn'd the whole Earth into a Sea and destroy'd all Flesh save the Family of Noah with a Flood How he pour'd a Flood of Fire and Brimstone upon the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and consum'd them with Flames and turn'd that pleasant plain that was as the Garden of God * Gen. 13.10 into a noisome Lake How that God was wroth with his own people the children of Israel whom he had chosen to himself out of all the kindreds of the earth and slew them in the VVildernesse so that onely Joshua and Caleb of all those that came out of Egypt entred into Canaan And how often after they were possest of the Land of Canaan he sold them into the hands of their enemies that opprest them in the Time of the Judges How in the dayes of Eli he deliver'd them into the hands of the Philistines who slew them with a great slaughter insomuch that in one battel there fell of Israel thirty thousand Foot-men †2 Sam. 4.10 How the Lord sent a Pestilence amongst them in the dayes of David which raged so exceedingly that in three dayes space there dy'd of the people seventy thousand men * 2 Sam. 24 15 How the Lord brought the King of Babylon into Jerusalem who burnt the Temple of the Lord the Palace of the Prince and the Houses of the Nobles with Fire brake down the Wall thereof and utterly destroy'd the City carry'd both Princes and People Captives into Babylon where they endur'd a hard Bondage for threescore and ten years †2 Hing 25. and 2 Chro. 36.14 ult Now know you not that all these things happened unto them for ensamples unto us and that they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come * 1 Cor. 10 6 11. Oh do but consider seriously with your selves what were the Causes of all these fearful Judgements which God who is the Father of Mercies brought upon the men of the world yea upon his own People Were they not the sinnes of the Times whereby men pluckt down upon their own heads these Plagues and Punishments Now pause a little and consider seriously Are not the same sinnes that drew down Judgements upon them to be found amongst us Is not the Pride Luxury Lasciviousness Licenciousness Atheism Impieties of the old World to be found amongst us Are there not †Gen. 6.4 Mighty men Giants in worldly Greatness who employ their might in fighting against God in these our Dayes Are not the sins of Sodom to be found amongst us Is not the City and Land polluted with the vilest Impurities and Pollutions Are not the Murmurings Cruelties Injustice Oppressions Falshoods Covenant-breakings Revoltings neglect of Gods Worship Contempt of his Ordinances Hypocrisies of Israel to be found amongst the people of England Have we not then cause to tremble in the Apprehension of the judgements which hang over our heads especially if we seriously consider that those sinnes which severally in them drew down such dreadful judgements are to be found jointly in us and that notwithstanding the Light of the Gospel and the Meanes of grace plentifully enjoyed by us which are most fearful Aggravations of this dreadful guilt Nay is not the guilt of many horrid Blasphemies and hellish Impieties which have not been heard of in former Ages to be found amongst us Does it not make your hearts to tremble to consider that so many crying sins so many provoking impieties so many bloody Abominations should abound and reigne amongst us when for any one of them so reigning so abounding the whole Land might be involv'd in miseries and Confusion and Blood Are not these then perillous Times Surely it is of the LORDS mercies we are not consumed and because his compassions faile not * Lam. 3.22 But who knows how soon the Lord in his Justice may proceed to the execution of his Judgements upon us and so turne our Chephzibah a Land of Beauty the Lords Delight into an Acheldama a Field of Blood What then is to be done by us Christians for the Prevention of the Lords Judgements on a sinful Land O come and bring every one your two Buckets and pour them out before the Lord for the quenching of the Fire of the Lords wrath which is kindled against a sinful Nation Fasting and Weeping and Mourning hath been a way which hath proved very effectual for the turning away the sorest Judgements the diverting of the nearest Destruction Thus was the destruction of Jerusalem delay'd in the time of Josiah †2 King 22.19 20. the destruction of Nineveh in the Days of the Prophet Jonah * Jon. ch 3 This is that to which God calls at such a time as this in a Day of Danger and Distresse When the Lord had threatned terrible Judgements against Zion this was the duty to which by his Prophet he call'd the Inhabitants of Jerusalem †Joel 2 12-19 Therefore also now saith the LORD Turn ye even to me with all your Heart and with FASTING and with WEEPING and with MOURNING And rent your Hearts and not your Garments and turne unto the LORD your God for he is Gracious and Merciful sloâ— to Anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the Evil. Who knoweth if he will returne and repent and leave a blessing behind him even a meat-Offering and a drink-Offering to the LORD your God Blow the Trumpet in Zion sanctifie a FAST call a solemne Assembly Gather the People sanctifie the Congregation Assemble the Elders Gather the children and those that suck the Breasts Let the Bride-groom go forth of his Chamber and the Bâ—ide out of her closet Let the Priests the Ministers of the LORD weep between the Porch and the Altar and let them say Spare thy People O LORD and give not thine Heritage to reproach that the Heathen should rule over them Wherefore should they say among the People Where is their God Now mark what follows Then will the LORD be jealous for his Land and pity his People Yea the LORD will answer and say unto his People Behold I will send you Corn and Wine and Oyle and ye shall be satisfi'd therewith and I will no more make you a reproach among the Heathen Now how great an encouragement should this be to us in perillous Times to seek the Lord solemnly seriously with Fasting and Prayer Do you ever remember that the Judgements of the Lord came upon his people while they were Fasting and Weeping and Mourning No when sinnners are Feasting
bands they snap them in two like * Judg. 16.9 threads of Flax when they touch the Fire As the Demoniack which was bound with Chaines and Fetters but he brake all the bands wherewith he was bound †Luk. 8.22 You may call such LEGION for many Devils are surely entred into them to try their strength in them The Laws of men are chaines of Iron the commands of God are chaines of Gold Oaths and Covenants added thereunto are chaines of Adamant If Satan once be so strong in men as that they break all these chaines we may well expect perillous Times For what desperate wickednesse will not such men attempt What horrid and unheard of Villanies will not such men commit as bid defiance to God in the breach of the most sacred bands of Duty and solemne Obligations to obeObedience Woe be to the Inhabitants of the Earth when such Furies of Hell shall be let loose upon them This sin of Perjury and Perfidiousnesse of false-hood and lying unto God in the violation of Vowes and Covenants is a sinne which exceedingly incenses Heaven and provokes the Lord of Hosts the King of glory whose sacred name is hereby profan'd to execute his fiercest judgements upon such a People and therefore is a sad Symptome of perillous Times and fearfull Presage of following Judgements Thus when Saul out of his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah as the Scripture tells us sought to destroy the Gibeonites as being strangers to the Common-wealth of Israel God punisht the Violation of that League which Joshuah had * About four hundred years long before made with them †Josh 9.3 16 17. by bringing a Famine upon the Land for three years uncessantly in the dayes of David * 2 Sam. 21 1 2 Though the Gibeonites deceit was the foundation of this Covenant and Sauls Zeal the principle of the prosecution of them contrary to it yet is the violation hereof severely punisht by the plague of Famine Though it be the Fire of Zeal that burns in two these sacred bands yet will the Fire of Gods wrath be kindled against them that shall voluntarily violate them So the LORD threatned Captivity and very sore Judgements against the Princes and People of Israel for their violation of their Covenant of granting a Manumission to their Hebrew servants and the Punishment answer'd the Prognostick Observe the Lords Charge and Commination the sting of that Prophecy wherewith Jeremiah was sent unto them †Jer. 34 13-22 Thus saith the LORD the God of Israel I made a COVENANT with your Fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of Bondmen saying At the end of seven yeares let ye go every man his Brother an Hebrew which hath been sold unto thee and when he hath served thee six years thou shalt let him go free from thee But your fathers hearkened not unto me neither inclined their eare And ye were now turned and had done Right in my sight in proclaiming every man Liberty to his Neighbour and ye had made a COVENANT before me in the House which is called by my Name But ye turned and polluted MY NAME and caused every man his servant and every man his Hand-maid whom he had set at Liberty at their pleasure to returne and brought them into subjection to be unto you for Servants and for Handmaids Therefore thus saith the LORD Ye have not hearkened unto me in proclaiming Liberty every one to his Brother every man to his Neighbour behold I proclaime a Liberty for you saith the LORD to the Sword to the Pestilence and to the Famine and I will make you to be removed into all the Kingdoms of the Earth And I will give the men that have transgressed my COVENANT which have not performed the words of the COVENANT which they had made before me when they cut the Calfe in twaine a Rite signifying so let it be done to him that shall violate his Covenant and passed between the Parts thereof the Princes of Judah and the Princes of Jerusalem the Eunuchs and the Priests and all the People of the Land which passed between the Parts of the Calfe I will even give them into the hand of their Enemies and into the hand of them that seek their Life and their dead Bodies shall be for meat unto the Fowles of the Heaven and to the Beasts of the Earth And Zedekiah King of Judah and his Princes will I give into the hand of their Enemies and into the Hand of them that seek their Life and into the Hand of the King of Babylons Army which are gone up from you Behold I will command saith the LORD and cause them to return to this City and they shall fight against it and take it and burne it with Fire and I will make the Cities of Judah a Desolation without an inhabitant Thus for this sinne of Covenant-breaking may God break in pieces a perfidious People with the Iron Rod of War and lay a flourishing land desolate For this sinne does the Lord by the Prophet Amos draw up a Charge likewise against Tyrus * Am. 1.9 10 Thus saith the LORD For three transgressions of Tyrus and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof because they delivered up the whole Captivity to Edom and remembred not the BROTHERLY COVENANT which was formerly made between David and Solomon Kings of Judah and Hiram King of Tyre who being Brethren by identity of Office as Kings and mutual Amity as Friends did hereby knit the Bands of Brotherhood with a faster knot †2 Sam. 5.11 1 King 5.1 and 9.13 But I will send a Fire on the Wall of Tyrus which shall devoure the Palaces thereof God himself takes an Oath and solemnly swears by his Life that he will punish the King of Judah with Death and his People with Destruction for his violation of his Oath and Covenant with the King of Babylon See how severely the Lord proceeds against him for this Sin Say now to the Rebellious House sayes the LORD to the Prophet Ezekiel * Chap. 17 12-21 Know ye not what these things mean Tell them Behold the King of Babylon is come to Jerusalem and hath taken the King thereof and the Princes thereof and led them with him to Babylon And hath taken of the Kings seed and made a COVENANT with him and hath taken an OATH of him he hath also taken the Mighty of the Land that the Kingdome might be base that it might not lift it self up but that by keeping of his COVENANT it might stand But he rebelled against him in sending his Ambassadours into Egypt that they might give him Horses and much People Shall he prosper shall he escape that doth such things Or shall he BREAK THE COVENANT and be delivered As I live saith the Lord GOD surely in the place where the King dwelleth that made him King whose OATH he
Righteousness and true Religion amongst us And Oh! †Esay 62.6 7 Let the Watchmen that stand upon the Wals of the City of God never hold their peace O ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence And givâ— him no Rest till he establish England and make his Church in this Land a Praise in the Earth Oh let all the Children of God unite their Forces with Faith and Fervour to present unto the Lord that excellent Prayer of the Church with which I shall conclude this Direction and may they have the same gracious Answer of Peace O then lift up your hearts and say * Psal 85.4 ult Turn us O God of our Salvation and cause thine Anger towards us to cease Wilt thou be angry with us for ever Wilt thou draw out thine Anger to all Generations Wilt thou not revive us again that thy People may rejoyce in thee Shew us thy Mercy O LORD and grant us thy salvation I will hear what God the LORD will speak for he will speak peace unto his People and to his Saints but let them not turn again to Folly Surely his Salvation is nigh them that fear him that Glory may dwell in our Land Mercy and Truth are met together Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other Truth shall spring out of the Earth and Righteousness shall look down from Heaven Yea the Lord shall give that which is good and our Land shall yield her encrease Righteousness shall go before him and shall set us in the way of his steps The fourth Duty Taking Sanctuary in God ARE you fallen into Perillous Times And do you desire preservation Then Make God your Refuge till these dangers be overpast God is a Hiding place for his Saints their Rock and Refuge in times of Trouble their Fortress and strong Tower in times of Danger and Distress So hash he revealed himself in his Word and so have his Saints found him to be by sweet Experiences in the Times of their sad Extreâ—ities The Lord saith David * Psal 18.2 is my Rock and Fortress and my Deliverer my God my Strength in whom I will trust my Buckler and the Horn of my salvation and my high Tower Thus under various expressions he sets forth Gods Power as engaged for his Saints Preservation So saith he elsewhere †Ps 27.1 The Lord is my Light my Salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Then to fortifie his Confidence he produces his experience * v. 2. When the wicked even mine Enemies and my Foes came upon me to eat up my flesh they stumbled fel. And then upon this Experience he builds his Confidence †v. 3. Though an Host should encamp against me my heart shall not fear though War should rise against me in this will I be confident And the ground hereof was this that God was his Refuge and Preserver For saith he * v. 5. In the Time of Trouble he shall hide me in his Pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle the most inviolable Sanctuary shall be hide me he shall set me up upon a Rock And again saith he †Psal 32.7 Thou art my hiding place thou shalt preserve me from Trouble thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance Yea It s the Priviledge of every Saint that he hath an Interest in this preserving Power and Mercy of God in times of Distress and Danger So saith the Psalmist * Psal 9.9 The Lord also will be a Refuge for the oppressed a Refuge in Times of Trouble And therefore this is the ground of the Churches confidence in the Times of the greatest Trouble and Confusion †Psal 46.1 2 3. God is our Refuge and Strength a very present help in Trouble Therefore will not we fear though the Earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea Though the waters thereof rore and be troubled though the mountains spake with the swelling thereof God is both a * Ps 84.11 Sun and a Shield to his Saints their Light in Darkness and Defence in Danger They are dear to him and he †Isa 49.2 hides them in the shadow of his hand He wears them as * Mal. 3.17 Jewels in his bosom he †Deut. 32 10 keeps them as the Apple of his eye * Zec. 2.8 He that toucheth you saith the Lord concerning the Children of Zion toucheth the Apple of mime eye He hath secret Chambers of Providence for the Preserving his People in Times of Danger by publick Calamities Come my people saith the Lord †Isa 26.20 21. enter thou into thy Chambers and shut thy Doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment untill the Indignation be over past For behold the Lord cometh out of his Place to punish the Inhabitants of the Earth for their Iniquity the Earth also shall disclose her Blood and shall no more cover her slain The glorious Attributes of God are as it were a Tower of Defence to the truly godly in Times of Danger The name of the Lord saith the Wise man * Prov. 18.10 is a strong Tower The Righteous runneth to it and is safe When Peril pursues a Saint he runs to God as his Refuge Yea †Pro. 22.3 A prudent man fore-seeth the Evil and hideth himself but the simple pass on and are punshed This Prudence doth well become the Pious in Times of Peril But that you may with Boldness and Comfort have Recourse to God in Times of Distress and Danger as your Refuge in the storm your hiding Place in Times of Trouble Do these three things The first Work CLear your Interest in God If you think to have Recourse to God for safety in Danger and have no Interest in God your Hope may deceive you and you may â—ail of this special priviledge of Divine Preservation and instead thereof fall and perish by a just Destruction If a man pursu'd by his Enemies in the Times of War shall have Recourse to those for Refuge of whom he hath no assurance that they are his Friends he may but fly from one Danger and fall into the mouth of another Yea though you should have an Interest in God yet if you have no Evidence of this Interest you cannot with that Boldness and Confidence wherewith otherwise you might fly to God for Refuge in Daies of Danger Be it your care therefore not only to get an Interest in God but to clear it up by undeceiving Evidences to your soul and Conscience Then may you triumph with David in the very Face of Danger †Psal 27.1 The LORD is my Light and my Salvation whom shall I fear The LORD is the strength of my Life of whom shall I be afraid So again saith he * Psal 28.7 The LORD is my strength my Shield my heart trusted in him and I
be uncloath'd of this Mortal Body before they can enter into that Region of Light to put on the Robes of Immortal Glory For Induci in Nubes penetrare in plenitudinem Luminis irrumpere claritatis Abyssos lucem habitare inaccessibilem nec temporis est hujus nec corporis * To be taken up into the Clouds to pass into the fulnesse of light to break into the Abysses of Claritude and to dwell in the Light which is inaccessible †Bern. sup Cant. Ser. 38. is neither consistent with this state of Body nor competible to this present Time But why should we not be wiling that God should cast down our * 2 Cor. 5.1 Tabernacle of Clay when we are assur'd he will raise us up a †1 Cor. 15 43 glorious Temple in the roome of it a fit Mansion for an immortal soul ally'd to God array'd with Glory We are indeed incompast with Mercies on Earth but we shall be surrounded with Glories in heaven Mercy speaks a state of Imperfection and Misery but Glory speaks a state of perfect Felicity Ah Christians Your Enemies will pursue you till you are entred into the Sanctuary of God The Avenger of blood will pursue you untill you have taken the City of Refuge Who are these Enemies but your Sins with those Troops of Miseries which they lead up against you to destroy you Who is the Avenger of blood but Satan who seeks the Life of your souls to destroy it Now what is this Sanctuary What is this City of Refuge 'T is Heaven the place of the Saints Rest and Peace Joy and Glory Ah Christians Why are your affections like ravenous Vultures seeking their Prey upon Earth when with the Royal Eaglâ— they should be mounting up to Heaven to seek their Rest in Glory Ah Christians What amiable Objects can you behold upon Earth which make you so loth to be going hence at least to long so little to leave this World that you might live for ever in the Contemplation of the Glorious Beauties of Heaven Surely it grieves your Hearts here to see Christ in his Blood as he is daily * Heb. 6.6 crucifi'd afresh by the sinnes of men but then oh how will it joy your soules to behold the †Is 33.17 King in his Beauty Christ at his Fathers right hand in glory where he shall sit till all his Foes are made his Footstoole * Ps 110.1 Heb. 1.13 Oh me thinks if Christ be indeed the dearly beloved of your souls and infinitely more precious in your esteeme then all these earthly enjoyments you should extreamly long to be dissolved that you may live with him for ever in Heavenly Glory Ah Christians What can you find or expect but Troubles and Miseries on Earth What then should your desires and longings be but to be at †Heb. 4.9 Rest with Christ in Heaven Why does it please the Lord who by his powerful Providence and Government orders all things that come to pass in the World to suffer these stormes and tempests to arise and so sorely shake the * Isa 61.3 Trees of Righteousnesse of his own planting but to loosen their Roots from the Earth and so to prepare them to be transplanted into Paradise It s the Priviledge of the Saints of God that * Rom. 8.28 all things work together for their good And it 's a considerable advantage that the people of God have by perillous Times that thereby they are weaned from the world made willing to be dissolv'd and desirous to leave the Earth to live for ever in Heaven Oh labour Christians to fetch this honey out of the Carkass of the Lion to make this good use of bad Times Let your hearts sit loose to all your earthly Contentments and let your souls daily long more and more to be uncloath'd of your mortal Bodies and to live in immediate communion with Christ in heavenly Glory Oh long and labour to get out of this Wilderness of Thornes and to enter into that Flowry Paradise of everlasting Delights which God hath prepared for his children when this life is ended O long to see an end of these evil Dayes that those glorious Dayes whereof the Pious Father speaks may at length begin which never shall have an end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Basil in Psal 33. Now sayes he indeed our Dayes are evil but there are other Dayes that are good Dayes whose light shall never be cut off by darknesse Dayes that shall never be severed by the dark Curtaines of Night For God himself shall be their eternal Light crowning them with the resplendent Raies of his own glory O the difference betwixt our Dayes on Earth and these Days of Heaven Here we have often cloudy stormy Dayes but there 's an everlasting Calm an everlasting Sunshine of Love and Glory These are oftimes days of Trouble and Torment but those above are alwayes Dayes of Triumph and Joy These are Dayes of Sin and Labour of suffering and sorrow but those are all holy Sabbaths of Rest and sacred Festivals of Divine Delights So the same Father stiles them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Delicious Holy Everlasting Sabbaths Dayes of eternal Delight So sayes the Apostle also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Heb. 4.9 There remaineth therefore a Rest an everlasting glorious Sabbatisme for the People of God Oh how should the Saints long and labour to enter into this glorious Râ—st Happy are you Saints if all the Waves of afflictions and rolling Billows upon which you are tost in the troublesome Sea of this World set you daily hourely nearer to the faire Havens of everlasting Happinesse But O then be sure you steer your Course by the sacred Compass of the Word of God Oh be daily preparing your selves by a holy Life for a happy Death if you desire to enter into a glorious eternity In vaine shall you long for Heaven if you still live in sinne which is but to walk in the way that leads to Hell Unlesse the Image of God be renew'd upon your soules in the Beauties of holinesse while you are yet on Earth never shall you see the Face of God in Heaven For †Heb. 12.14 without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. Oh then be daily crucifying your Corruptions exercising your Graces * 2 Cor. 7.1 perfecting holinesse in the Feare of God and so preparing your selves for heaven that you may be †Col. 1.12 meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Then may you with comfort look for Christs coming who will receive you up into his Kingdom and Glory True believers are such as * 2 Tim. 4.8 love the appearing of Christ such as may with confidence †2 Pet. 3.12 look for and hasten unto the coming of the Day of God But then consider * 2 Pet. 3.11 What manner of Persons ought you to be in all holy Conversation and
against 291 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Error Seculi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12. v. 11. A SYNOPSIS of the foregoing TREATISE in six TABLES The first Table JN unfolding the Prophecy of perillous Times we are to consider the Parts of the 1. TEXT the Subject of the Discourse These are The Page of the Book 1 two for herein we have a 1. Prediction of Danger wherein we are to consider the 1. Termes wherein it is exprest Perillous Times shall come The Page of the Book 5 2. Time when it is to be expected in the last Dayes The Page of the Book 9 2. Premonition of Duty directed to Timothy and in him to every faithful Minister and good Christian This KNOW also that in the last Dayes perillous Times shall come The Page of the Book 14 2. TREATISE or the Discourse upon the Subject which answerable to the Parts of the Text are two sc the I. DANGER to be discovered Here are two things to be considered sc the 1. Means of the Demonstration when these Times are come This by the 1. CHARACTERS of pernicious Persons Tab. 2. 2. SYMPTOMES of perillous Times which as to the main intent of them are 1. Morall Tab. 3. 2. Political Tab. 4. 2. Ground of the Denomination why these Times are so called sc because of the Evils and Dangers of them Tab. 5. II. DUTY to be discharged Tab. 6. The second Table The CHARACTERS of pernicious Persons are drawn Pag. 25 from their Properties and Practices and are 1. Positive and absolute as 1. Lovers of their own selves Pag. 26 2. Covetous Pag. 28 3. Boasters Pag. 28 4. Proud Pag. 29 5. Incontinent Pag. 37 6. Fierce Pag. 38 7. Heady Pag. 44 8. High-minded Pag. 45 2. Relative in Reference to 1. God as 1. Unholy Pag. 33 2. Lovers of Pleasures more then Lovers of God Pag. 47 3. Having a forme of godlinesse but denying the power therâ—of Pag. 49 2. Men as 1. Disobedient to Parents Pag. 31 2. Without Natural affection Pag. 33 3. Truce-breakers Pag. 34 4. False-Accusers Pag. 35 5. Despisers of those that are good Pag. 39 6. Traytors Pag. 40 3. Both God and men as 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blasphemers Revilers Pag. 30 2. Unthankful Pag. 32 3. Wicked men and Seducers Pag. 51 The third Table The Morall SYMPTOMES of perillous Times are these 1. Prevalency of Impiety wherein are some Pag. 54 1. Special sinnes making the Times perillous as Pag. 57 1. Atheisme and Irreligion Pag. 58 2. Murmuring against God Pag. 62 3. Injustice Cruelty Oppression Pag. 65 4. Swearing and Cursing Pag. 76 5. Adultery Fornication Uncleannesse Pag. 83 6. Gluttony and Drunkenness Pag. 86 7. Phantasticalnesse Vanity and Pride of Apparel Pag. 103 2. Special Cases wherein the Times by reason of these sinnes are in a special manner perillous as in case of Pag. 122 1. Commonnesse of sin Pag. 124 2. Generality of Offendours Pag. 128 3. Obstinacy and Impudency in sinning Pag. 132 4. Remissnesse of Magistrates and Officers in punishing Pag. 138 5. Incorrigiblenesse and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 142 2 Formality in Religion Pag. 151 3. Security in a state of uncertainty Pag. 321 4. Divisions in the Church and Union of her Adversaries Pag. 307 The fourth Table The Political SYMPTOMES of perillous Times are these 1. Impiety vail'd with hypocrisie Pag. 160 2. Iniquity cloâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Authority Pag. 190 3. Peâ—jury and Covenant-breaking Pag. 208 4. Practical Atheisme Pag. 226 5. Impiety acted with Impunity Pag. 231 6. Toleration of Errours in Religion Here we are to consider the Pag. 246 1. Characters of erroneous persons which are these Pag. 249 1. Pride and self-conceitedness Pag. 253 2. Self-separation from the true Church Pag. 257 3. Railing upon Magistrates and Ministers Pag. 266 4. Covetousnesse Pag. 277 5. Uncleanness ibid. 2. Cases which upon this account constitute perillous Times These are Pag. 281 1. Licentiousnesse colour'd with Liberty of Conscience Pag. 281 2. Protection of Errour and False-worship Pag. 287 3. Misusing Gods Ministers Pag. 292 4. Contempt of God's Ordinances countenanc't Pag. 299 5. Sinners sedulity and sloth in Saints Pag. 304 7. Perill of Plain-dealing Pag. 329 The fifth Table The Evils of perillous Times are to be considered as the 1. Causes thereof as the 1. Provocation of God Pag. 339 2. Perversion of men Pag. 340 3. Pollution of the Land Pag. 341 2. Consequents thereof as the 1. Infliction of Judgement on the Land Pag. 342 2. Persecution of the Church Pag. 345 3. Destruction of mens souls Pag. 347 The sixt Table The DUTY of the Saints in perillous Times is Pag. 348 1. Mourning for the Abominations of the Times Pag. 349 2. The serious practice of true Piety This Duty consists of five Branches which are these Pag. 361 1. To keep themselves from the corruptions of the Times Pag. 366 2. To take heed of active compliance with those that are the chief causers of the evils of the Times Pag. 367 3. To consider one another to provoke unto Love and Good Works Pag. 370 4. To live in the Exercise of their most excellent Graces Pag. 371 5. To appear boldly in their places against the Evils of the Times Pag. 373 3. Earnest Prayer to God for the amendment of the Times Pag. 381 4. Making God their refuge till the Dangers are overpast For this end there is a threefold Work required sc Pag. 389 1. To clear up their Interest in God Pag. 390 2. To act all the Powers of their souls upon God Pag. 393 3. To be much in communion with God Pag. 396 5. Taking off their hearts from Earth and longing after Heaven Looking and longing for the coming of Christ Pag. 400 Rev. 22.20 21. He which testifieth these Things saith surely I come quickly Amen Even so Come Lord Jesus The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen FINIS
the Times which is properly applyable to them that shall live in them For properly time is not capable of any impressions of Good or Evil it can neither be priviledg'd with safety nor opprest with Difficulty nor exposed to Danger But those are called hard and perillous times wherein those that live in them are exercised with difficulties and exposed to Dangers Tempori tribuuntur ejusmodi Epitheta Metonymicè propter ea quae in tempore contingunt maximè propter hominum Mores ac studia †Estius And therefore are the Times here called Perillous because of those things which should fall out in those Times especially because of the perillous Practises of the men of the Times So likewise the Apostle elsewhere calls the * Eph. 5.16 Days evil because of the Evil men that liv'd in those days and the Evil things that were done by those men as Chrysostome well notes What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Chrysost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes he is the evil of the Day The Evil of the Day must needs be something about the Day What is the Evill of the Body Sicknesse What 's the Evil of the Soul Vitiousness How then does he call the dayes evil how does he call the time evil He calls them not so for their Nature or Essence or as they are Creatures but for the things that are done in them So that men are Authours of the Evils that fall out in the Times and for this Cause are they called evil Times They are indeed bad men that make the Times bad hard Hearts that make hard Times perillous Undertakings difficult Designes troublesome and tyrannical Intrusions Actings Impositions of men of proud daring and ambitious Spirits that make these perillous difficult and troublesome Times So the same Father determines upon this very Text. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Chrysost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perillous Times shall come He speaks not this to accuse the Dayes or finde fault with the Times but the men that should then be For we are wont to call the Times good or bad from the Things that are done by men in such Times And indeed those are the worst Times that do produce the worst men and wherein these men do accomplish their worst Designes and execute their most mischievous Intentions That 's the worst ground which is most overgrown with weeds especially if such weeds as neither any good Graine nor wholesom Herbs nor Fragrant Flowers will grow amongst them And such are the Times whereof the Apostle here Prophecies so that we may truly say of him as Casaubon of Taciâ—us Ejusmodi tempora descripsit quibus nulla unquam aut Virtutum steriliora aut Virtutibus in imicitiora He hath describ'd such times as never were any more barren of Vertues or more pregnant with Enmity and opposition to all Goodnesse Those Times that are most barren in Virtues are ever most fruitful in Vices Evils do most abound when Goodnesse is banisht Sin then reignes upon Earth when †Ultima Caelestum Terras Astraâ—a reliquit Ovid. Righteousnesse flies up to Heaven The Flowers are choaked when the Weeds grow tallest Thus was the * Mat. 13.7 good Seed stifled amongst the thriving Thornes When the Plague of sin Errour and Profanenesse reigns the Times must needs be Perillous Thus we see what these Times here predicted shall be even evil and perillous Times The Prediction COme we now in the next Place to enquire When these Times shall be This the Apostle tells us in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in ultimis Diebus seu in Diebus novissimis instabunt * Vet. Beâ— They shall come they shall press upon us and as it were instantly overtake us in the last Dayes Now the Times of the Gospel in respect of the four thousand years that went before even the whole space of Time from Christs first to his second Coming from his Ascention into Heaven to his Return to Judgement at the end of the world is in the Scripture-Phrase called the last Dayes So sayes the Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrews †Chap. 1. ver 1 2. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken to us by his Son So the Apostle applies to his Times the Prophetick Prophecy of the Old Testament * Act. 2.16 17 Joel 2.28 This is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel And it shall come to passe in the last Dayes saith God I will poure out my Spirit upon all Flesh Of the same Import is that which the same Apostle speaks in his Epistle to the believing Jews †2 Pet. 3.3 knowing this that there shall come in the last Dayes scoffers walking after their own lusts The whole time therefore of the Evangelical Administration is here to be understood by the last Dayes yet so as the later the time the darker the dayes unlesse in some lucid Intervals and when those Illustrious Prophecies and Promises of the Old Testament concerning glorious Gospel-times shall be fulfill'd As that * Isa 30.2 6 The Light of the Moon shall be as the Light of the Sun and the Light of the Sun shall be sevenfold as the Light of seven dayes Yea that †Isa 24.23 Then the Moon shall be confounded and the Sunne ashamed when the LORD of Hosts shall reigne in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his Ancients gloriously And that * Hab. 2.24 The Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the Sea Such may we expect the times to be when the Lord shall fulfill his Promises concerning the †Rev. 18.2 Fall of Babylon and * 2 Thes 2.8 destruction of Antichrist the †Rom. 11 25 26. Call and Conversion of the Jews and the bringing in of the Fulnesse of the Gentiles But otherwise the last Age we may expect according to this and * 2 Pet. 3.3 1 Joh. 2.18 Jude v. 18. Mat. 24 9 12 29. Rev. 8. and 9. and 20. other Predictions in the New Testament to be the worst Age the last Dayes to be the worst Dayes Thus we see how the last Dayes respect the whole time of the Gospel-Church from the Apostles times to the End of the World This is the Evening of the World as the time before was the Morning The nearer Night the greater darknesse till the Glory of the Lord like Lightning shall break out of the Clouds The nearer the Bottomâ— the more Dregges The Absence of the Sunne makes Night in the World And the longer the time is it hath left us the greater is our darknesse till its Return shall make a new Day Such is Christs Absence from his Church yet as we have seen some Beames of Glory shall be scatter'd upon Earth before the King of Glory shall return from Heaven Thus the Dawne
2.13 and 5.18 The wicked One Seducers are here so called from their subtile Impostures flattering Illusions and †Eph. 4.14 cunning craftinesse to deceive according to the Import of the word here used They have something of the * Gen. 3.1 Rev. 12.9 subtilty of the old Serpent whose seed and spawn they are The word signifies also a Delusion by means of Witchcraft or Incantation Seducers are a kinde of Sorcerers and Seduction is a kinde of spiritual Witchcraft and Inchantment O foolish Galatians sayes the Apostle †Gal. 3 1. who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth before whose Eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucifi'd among you These are they that draw men off from the Waies of Truth into the By-paths of Errour that lead to Destruction * ver 6. These are they which creep into houses and leade captive silly women laden with sinnes led away with diverse Lusts These are they which using a kinde of spiritual sorcery do with Simon Magus †Act. 8.9 10 11. bewitch the People who being taken with their Delusions are ready to cry out These men are the great Power of God Thus they carry as it were in one hand a flaming light and in the other an impoyson'd Cup and so the multitudes that follow them for the one hey cause to drink of the other which causing a spiritual drunkennesse carries them headlong to Eternal Destruction For * 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. Because they received not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved even for this cause doth God send them strong Delusion the Energie of Error †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believed not the Truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse These are the Foxes to which Satan hath ty'd his Fire-brands which if not speedily apprehended and suppressed will soon set all in a flame and cause a fearful combustion both in Church and State When these fiery Comets do appear they usually portend great changes in the Common-wealth and great Calamities to the Church of God These therefore we may well look upon as the Messengers of evil Tidings and the Marks of perillous Times Thus we have seen the persons decipher'd by their several Characters which make the Times perillous Now by a serious survey and a deliberate consideration hereof every soberly wise Christian may easily discerne when these Dayes are come which the Scripture hath foretold shall be perillous Times especially if the State of things also be but duly considered when such persons as these do abound From the Characters therefore of men and the Consideration of the state of things we may drawe the Scripture-Symptomes of Perillous Times and such are these that follow The SYMPTOMES of Perillous Times The first Symptome Prevalency of Impiety THey are Perillous Times Dayes of great Danger When those impieties do exceedingly abound which are high Provocations of Gods Anger This is a Conclusion which may be clearly drawn from all the forementioned Characters When those sins are daily multiply'd against God whereby God is provoked to execute his Judgements upon men When Sin and Wickednesse abounds amongst a people professing true Religion and Godlinesse Thus our Saviour speaking of the last Dayes wherein these Perillous Times should be tells us that then Iniquity should abound * Mat. 24.12 They were evil Dayes perillous Times with the People of Israel when their prevailing Impieties brought down prevailing Judgements When the Land is polluted with sin it 's time it should be purged with Judgement When the iniquity of the Amorites was full †Gen. 15.16 God cut them off and planted the Israelites in their land When the sins of Sodom were come to their height * Gen. 18.20 Fire and Brimstone was rained down upon them from heaven †Gen. 19.24 When the Jews had fill'd Jerusalem with their manifold sins and multiply'd Abominations God caused them to be carry'd away Captives to Babylon * See Jer. Chap. 5. to 16 When men draw iniquity with Cords of Vanity and sin as it were with a Cart-rope †Isa 5.18 they do but pluck down Judgements upon their own Heads Crying-sins are wont to bring down cutting Judgements VVhen the Field is overgrowne with Thornes its time to set it on Fire Mens sins are but Fewel to the Fire of Gods Judgements The Seed of sin brings forth the Fruit of Death 'T is so in a Person 't is so in a Nation This Observation is very often verifi'd by sad Experience Even as I have seen saies Eliphaz in Job * Chap. 4. v. 8 9. They that plow iniquity and sowe wickednesse reap the same The thornes of tribulation grow up from the seeds of sin Though sin at the first bear a sweet Flower it at length grows up to a sharp Thorne VVhen a whole land is sow'n with wickednesse what can we expect the Harvest-Time to be but a Day of Destruction VVhen the Harvest of sinne is ripe God sends forth an Angel with a sharp Sickle to reap the Earth †Rev. 14.14 15. When the Lord of the whole earth hath fenc't a Land about for a Vine-yard to himself and gather'd out the stones thereof and planted it with the choicest Vine and built a Tower in the midst of it and also made a Wine-presse therein and yet notwithstanding all this cost and care when God expects it should bring forth Grapes it shall bring forth wilde Grapes * â—sa 5.2 what do you think will he do to this Vine-yard Let God himself tell you who is as True in his Threatnings as Just in his Iudgements Go to now saith the LORD †Isa 5.5 6 I will tell you what I will do to my Vine-yard I will take away the hedge thereof and it shall be eaten up and break down the wall thereof and it shall be troden down And I will lay it wast It shall not be pruned nor digged but there shall come up Briars and Thornes I will also command the clouds that they raine no raine upon it Thus will God suspend his mercies from an unthankful People and inflict his Iudgements upon a sinful Nation Yea further God will at length send his Angel with a sharp sickle to gather the Clusters of these wilde Grapes So shall they be cast into the great Wine-presse of the wrath of God So is his dealing with sinners Prophetically represented to us in the Holy Scriptures * Rev. 14 â—8 19. when they have filled the earth with the cursed Fruits of sinne And upon the execution of this sentence what follows And sayes the Scripture †Rev. 14.20 the Wine-presse was troden without the City and Blood came out of the Wine-presse even unto the Horse-bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred Furlongs Thus when a land is polluted with over-flowings of sin it may soon be punished
manifold Provocations †Hos 4.1 2 3. Hear the Word of the Lord ye children of Israel for the LORD hath a controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land because there is no Truth nor Mercy nor Knowledg of God in the Land By Swearing and Lying and Killing and Stealing and committing Adultery they break out and Blood toucheth Blood Therefore shall the Land mourne and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish with the Beasts of the Field and with the Fowles of Heaven yea the Fishes of the Sea also shall be taken away Thus the Commonnesse of sinne is the Ground of Gods entring a Controversie against a Land Thus the Land of Israel was become a sink of sinne before God empty'd out upon it his Vials of Wrath. And so does our English Prophet * De Excid Britan. Gildas shew us how England was overspread with sins Adultery Drunkennesse Oppression c. before it was overwhelm'd with Judgements When men flie far from God in the commission of all sorts of sinnes then does God come near to them in the Execution of his sorest Judgements Such was the carriage of the Rebellious Jews towards God and thus did the Righteous God deale with his People the Jews I will come near to you sayes the LORD to them †Mal. 3.5 to Judgement and I will be a swift witnesse against the Sorcerers and against the Adulterers and against false Swearers and against those that oppresse the Hireling in his Wages the Widow and the Fatherlesse and that turn aside the stranger from his Right and fear not me saith the LORD of Hosts It s sin thus abounding which changes the Countenance and Constitution of the Times whence of sound and good they become distemper'd and evil Hence is it that the smiling Face of Time is alter'd and beholds us with a languishing Look Hence it is that the most fruitful Seasons are punisht with a barren womb Hence it is that the most joyful Dayes which almost continually appear'd in Festival Garments come forth drooping in a mourning Dress hanging down the Head both for shame and sorrow Much to this purpose does the Father speak as it were with a sigh to his Children his Auditors in his Sermon upon the the Famine and Drought * Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold sayes he how our abounding sinnes our multiply'd Abominations have chang'd the Temper of the Times striping them naked as it were of their proper natures and have drawn strange lineaments upon the Face of the Seasons altering the very Native temperament and fixt constitution thereof 'T is indeed nothing but sin that furrowes the beautiful Face of Time with the frownes and wrinkles of affliction and sorrow 'T is sinne which often alters the Seasons changing Summer into Winter Calms into storms the Summer of Peace Plenty Prosperity into the Winter of Affliction Scarcity and Warre When sinne thus casts its Spawne into the Waters of Time it produces a numerous off-spring of sufferings and sorrows Miseries and Calamities to the Children of men The second Case The Generality of Offendours WHen all sorts of men transgresse both Great and Small Rich and Poore Princes and People Noble and Obscure the Times must needs be perillous Thus before God brought the Flood upon the World †Gen. 6.12 all Flesh had corrupted â—his way upon the Earth Thus not onely were the Common People of Israel * Isa 1.3 4 Ignorant and Profane but their †ver 23. Princes were rebellious and companions of Thieves and then the LORD comes forth to * ver 24. execute Judgement on his Adversaries and to avenge himself on his enemies The Prophet Jeremy knowing that unlesse the righteous stand in the Gap the Judgements of God would soon break out upon a Rebellious People having in the Name of the Lord call'd upon others to run to and fro to seek such out he himself runs from one sort of men to another to find them but when he finds none he denounces the Judgements of God against a people so Generally corrupt and wicked Behold herein the justice and goodnesse of God with the complaint and carriage of the Prophet For sayes the Lord †Jer. 5 1-6 Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem and see now and know and seek in the broad places thereof if ye can finde a man if there be any that executeth Judgement that seeketh the truth and I will pardon it And though they say the LORD liveth surely they swear falsely O LORD are not thine eyes upon the Truth Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive Correction they have made their Faces harder then a Rock hey have refused to returne Therefore I said Surâ—ly these are poore they are foolish for they know not the way of the LORD nor the Judgement of their God I will get me unto the Great men and will spâ—aâ— unto them for they have known the way of the LORD and the Judgement of their God but these have altogether broken the Yoke and burst the Bonds Wherefore a Lion out of the Forrest shall slay them and a Wolfe of the Evenings shall spoile them a Leopard shall watch over their Cities Every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces because their Transgressions are many and their Backslidings are increased So likewise does the Lord by the Prophet Ezekiel complaine of the Corruption of the Priests Princes Prophets and People of Judah and Jerusalem for which he severely punisht them in the fiercenesse of his Wrath and fiery Indignation Sonne of man saith the LORD * Ezek. 22 24-31 say unto her Thou art the Land that is not cleansed nor rained upon in the Day of indignation There is a conspiracy of her Prophets in the midst thereof like a roaring Lion ravening the prey they have devoured souls They have taken the treasure and precious things they have made her many Widows in the midst thereof Her Priests have violated my Law and have profaned my holy Things they have put no difference between the Holy and Profane neither have they shew'd difference between the uncleane and the cleane and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths and I am profaned among them Her Princes in the midst thereof are like Wolves ravening the prey to shed Blood and to destroy soules to get dishonest Gain And her Prophets have daubed them with untemper'd Mortar seeing Vanity and Divining Lies unto them saying Thus saith the Lord GOD when the LORD hath not spoken The People of the Land have used Oppression and exercised Robbery and have vexed the Poore and Needy yea they have oppressed the Stranger wrongfully And I sought for a man among them that should make up the Hedge and stand in the Gap before me for the Land that I should not destroy it but I found none Therefore have I poured out
Corrections for sin are Instructions to Righteousness But now when men are Incorrigible under Gods Corrections these are but the Fore-runners of their utter Destruction For this doth the Lord complain of his People the Jews * Jer. 2.30 In vain have I smitten your Children they received no Correction And saith the Prophet †Jer. 5.3 Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive Correction They have made their faces harder then a Rock they have refused to return And Oh! how terrible are the Punishments of this Stubbornness in sin how dreadfull the Judgements ordained for this Incâ—rrigibleness under Correction The people saith the Prophet Isaiah * Isa 9 13-17 turneth not unto him that smiteth them neither do they seek the LORD of Hosts Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail branch and rush in one day The Ancient and Honourable he is the Head and the Prophet that teacheth lyes he is the Tail For the Leaders of this People cause them to err and they that are led of them are destroyed Therefore the LORD will have no joy in their young men neither shall have Mercy on their Fatherless and Widows for every one is an Hypocrite and an evil Doer and every mouth speaketh folly for all this his Anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still For this Stubbornness and Incorrigibleness notwithstanding Instruction by his Word and Correction by his Rod doth the LORD threaten one Judgement after another against his People Israel by the Hand of Moses If ye walk in my Statutes saith the Lord †Lev. 26.3 4. and keep my Commandments and do them then will I give you Rain in due Season and the Land shall yield her encrease and the Trees of the Field shall yield their Fruit. * v. 6. And I will give you Peace in the Land and ye shall lie down and none shall make you afraid c. †v. 11 12. And I will set my Tabernacle amongst you and my soul shall not abhor you And I will walk among you and will be your God and ye shall be my People * v. 14-29 But if ye will not hearken unto me and will not do all these Commandments and if ye shall despise my Statutes and if your soul abhor my Judgements so that ye will not do all my Commandments but that ye break my Covenant I also will do this unto you I will even appoint over you Terrour Consumption and the burning Ague that shall consumâ— the Eyes aad cause sorrow of Heart and ye shall sow your seed in vain for your enemies shall eat it And I will set my Face against you and ye shall be slain before your Enemies they that hate you shall reign over you and ye shall flee when none pursueth you And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me then I will punish you seven times more for your sins And I will break the Pride of your Power and I will make your Heaven as Iron and your Earth as Brass and your strength shall be spent in vain for your Land shall not yield her Encrease neither shall the Trees of the Land yield their Fruits And if ye walk contrary unto me and will not hearken unto me I will bring seven times more Plagues upon you according to your sins I will also send wild Beasts among you which shall rob you of your Children and destroy your Cattel and make you few in number and your High-wayes shall be desolate And if ye will not be reformed by these Things but will walk contrary unto me then will I also walk contrary unto you and will punish you yet seven times for your sins And I will bring a Sword upon you that shall avenge the Quarrel of my Covenant and when ye are gathered together within your Cities I will send the Pestilence among you and ye shall be delivered into the Hand of the Enemy And when I have broken the staff of your Bread ten women shall bake your Bread in one Oven and they shall deliver you your Bread again by weight and ye shall eat and not be satisfied And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me but walk contrary unto me then I will walk contrary to you also in fury and I even I will chastise you seven times for your sins And ye shall eat the Flesh of your Sons and the Flesh of your Daughters shall ye eat * v. 31 32. And I will make your Cities waste and bring your Sanctuaries unto Desolation and I will not smell the savour of your sweet Odours And I will bring the Land into Desolation and your Enemies which dwell therein shall be astonisht at it c. Thus Incorrigibleness under manifold Corrections will at length kindle implacable wrath and so procure inevitable Ruine When lesser Judgements have wrought no Reformation there 's just cause to fear God is preparing greater Judgements to lay that Land desolate When the Field that is often plow'd and sow'd brings forth nothing but Briars and Thorns we may expect shortly to see the Master of that Fiâ—ld set it on Fire Those proud Turrets that are neither shaken with the Wind nor soften'd with the Rain may soon be scatter'd with the Thunder Though they have long threatned Heaven one moment may throw them down to the Earth When men are not melted soften'd separated from their Dross by the Fire of Afflictions what may we expect but that the Lord should turn the whole Land into a Furnace of Judgement and heat it seven and yet seven times hotter till he hath utterly consumed them from off the Earth Surely Incorrigible Impiety shall at length be punisht with inexorable Fury The longer men have gone on in sin notwithstanding Instructions and Corrections the sooner shall they be overtaken with Judgement and the higher their Provocations the heavier their Punishment Thus we have seen what special sins make the Times perillous and in what cases these sins have in a speciall manner this evil Influence upon the times The second Symptome Formality in Religion THE Times are justly to be accounted perillous When the Generality of Professors take up in some outward Forms of Worship without pressing after the Life and Power of Godliness The Apostle in this Prediction of Perillous Times seems to wind up in the close of his Description of the Persons that should make the Times perillous all the Characters of them into this one they are men * 2 Tim. 3.3 Having a Form of Godliness but denying the power thereof And certainly there cannot be a surer Symptom of evil Times then Formality and Overliness in the matters of Religion and Worship of God amongst all sorts of Professors The Times must needs be evil and perillous when Religion is made but a matter of Faction and mens Zeal for Religion is estimated by their vehement
ut tota forensis ratio nihil aliud fit quam scelesta Conspiratio ad insontes damnandos * Calvin in Psal 94.21 It was indeed says he a sad and foule Example that wicked men should so reigne in a Lawfull Assembly that a Convention of Judges should be nothing else but a Company of Robbers For this is a double Indignity in the Oppression of Innocent persons that besides the Injury they therein sustain they should be loaded with the Reproach and Infamy of a false Charge And then againe what can be lesse consonant to a Court of Justice then that it should be nothing else but a wicked conspiracy for the condemning of the Innocent Now if the Times may be estimated from the state and condition of the Church and Saints who are ever the better though not the greater part of the World these must needs be accounted evil and perillous Times And doubtlesse they were so accounted by the Psalmist who thus poures out his Prayer and Complaint in the beginning of the Psalme †Psal 94 1-5 O LORD God to whom vengeance belongeth O God to whom Vengeance belongeth shew thy self Lift up thy self thou JUDGE of the Earth render a reward to the PROUD LORD how long shall the wicked how long shall the wicked triumph How long shall they utter and speak hard things and all the workers of Iniquity boast themselves They break in pieces thy People O LORD and afflict thine Heritage Now when this is the state of things in a Christian Common-wealth we need no longer doubt whether the Prophecy of Perillous Times be fulfill'd or no. When Violence is in the Throne and Iniquity bears the Sword these must needs be Times of great Danger and Distresse to the Righteous who have no way left to relieve themselves under the greatest Oppressions When any of the foure Pillars of Government sayes the Lord Verulam †Essayes chap. 15. are mainly shaken or weaken'd which are Religion Justice Counsel and Treasure men had need to pray for faire weather And sayes the Psalmist * Psa 11.3 If the foundations Law and Justice be destroy'd what can the Righteous do For what can be expected in this case but a cursed Toleration of all impieties So the Psalmist elsewhere complaines after a Representation of the Insolencies of ungodly Rulers †Ps 12.8 The Wicked walk on every side while the vilest men are exalted That is to say sayes a late Judicious Expositor * Diodati all manner of Licentiousnesse and Impunity reigneth when publick Offices are enjoy'd by unworthy and infamous Persons 'T was Cato's complaint and that not without cause having seen much Injustice in the Romane Senators that poor thieves oft-times sit in the stocks and are laid in cold Irons when great Thieves walk in Gold Chaines are cloath'd in Purple and sit in the seat of Judicature †Aul. Gel. Thus the Pirate told Alexander he did but that with a small company which himself did with his great Army Vice arm'd with violence and crown'd with successe is presently baptiz'd into the Name of virtue * Foelâ—x vitium virtus vocatur and if Authority be out of the way to answer for it Power will stand up and supply its place Now this Exaltation of the vilest of men to the highest Places of Power and Trust this Investiture of base and unworthy Persons with Honourable Offices of State is an evil whereof the wise Solomon complaines in his Political Observations There is sayes he * Eccl. 10.5 6 7. an evil which I have seen under the Sun as an error which proceedeth from the Ruler or a fruit and effect of Tyranny Folly is set in great Dignity or in great heights †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in excelsis and the rich sit in low place I have seen servants upon Horses and Princes walking as servants upon the earth Thus the worst and unworthiest of men are sometimes exalted to Places of the greatest Trust and Power They that proudly contemn God and trample under feet the Ordinances of his worship do sometimes by Power and Policy invade the Throne and make the necks of free-born Princes to become their Foot-stool This hath made some that before have had some Touch of Religion turn flat Atheists Such desperate wretches were those that presum'd to make an audacious Reply to the LORD' 's just Charge by the Prophet Malachi * Mal. 3.13 14 15. Your words have been stout against me saith the LORD yet ye say what have we spoken so much against thee ye have said It is vaine to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of Hosts And now we call the proud happy yea they that work wickednesse are set up yea they that tempt God are even deliver'd 'T was said of Augustus Ei gratius fuit Nomen Pietatis quam Potestatis He prefer'd Piety before Power But these are herein Antipodes to Augustus who prefer Power before Piety Nothing is more intolerable then a poor man that is extreame Proud a mean man that is very Ambitious a Servant that will dominere over his Lord a Subject that will dare to snatch the Scepter out of the hand of his Soveraigne Such are the men that make perillous Times We may see in their Faces several Lineaments of that Pourtraicture which the Apostle gives us of the persons that should make the Times perillous He tells us they are such as are Proud Fierce Traitors Heady High-minded †2 Tim. 3 2 3 4. When we see then these Properties legibly engraven upon mens Practices we may conclude the Prophecy is fulfill'd the perillous Times spoken of are come When men of low Estates are set in high Places and men of ambitious spirits are still contending for Priority it 's very prejudicial to the Common-wealth and of ill consequence to the Church of God Plato therefore who in his Political Discourses undertakes to give us the Model and Plat-forme of a well-govern'd Common-wealth judges none to be fit for the Government thereof but such as are men of good Estates as well as of great virtues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Plato de Rep. l. 7. For if men that are poore and want Estates of their own b ggarly and hunger-starv'd fellows shall come once to be set over the Common-wealth they 'l make account they may and must raise their private Estates out of the Publick Revenues This City this Community is not well constituted cannot be happy For hence will arise Contentions for the Principality which being a kinde of Domestick and Intestine War will both destroy the Competitors and the rest of the City 'T was observ'd of Varus Governour of Syria that he came poore into the Countrey and found it rich but departed thence rich and left the Countrey poore To prevent this Oppression of the Poore by proud Officers of State 't
affection on things above not on things on the Earth For if true Believers ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God And when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appeare with him in Glory O with what pantings what thirstings what longings should your hearts be draw'n forth in these perillous Times after this appearing of Christ after these Participations of glory When you look downward to a world of Sinne and Misery full of wicked men defil'd with wicked works me thinks you should say with the Psalmist * Ps 120.5 Woe is me that I sojourne in Mesech that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar And when you look up to a Heaven of Blisse and Glory to a God of Grace and Mercy who fills Heaven with Divine Beauties and everlasting Delights being to all his Saints above an inexhaustible Fountaine of unexpressible pleasures Felicities Joyes me thinks you should cry out with holy David †Ps 42.1 2 As the heart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after Thee O God My soul thirsteth for God for the living God When O when shall I come and appear before God When you consider the frequent Changes which you see on earth with those many Dangers Feares Troubles and Calamities which are occasion'd thereby and do commonly ensue thereupon methinks you should grow weary of this World and extreamly long to leave the Earth that so you might for ever live where all the Saints enjoy an unchangeable Happinesse in Heaven But you 'l say It 's true we live in troublesome Times â—herein the Evils we feâ—l are many and those we fear are more and so we have no great Reason to be over in-love with this present World It 's true likewise that Heaven is a glorious Place wherein I do believe the Happinesse of the Saints is so great that they cannot desire it to be greater the Fruition exceeding the Expectation And therefore I know it is ten thousand fold bett r to live in Heaven then to abide still on Earth in the most prosperous and therefore much more in the most perillous Times But who can be willing to leave the Earth before he is first sure of Heaven And therefore I desire to be resolved how I may know that Heaven is mine To this I answer Dare you live on Earth without any evidence for eternal life in Heaven How is it you fear not every moment to drop into Hell What paines have you taken to attaine this evidence Have you ever spent one whole Day one serious Houre for the attainment of it O lazy Believers Is it not pity but you should want the Comfort of it who can so well content your selves without it Would you not readily take more paines for the attainment of a firme title to an earthly Inheritance to an estate of two or three thousand pounds a yeare then ever you have yet taken for the attainment of a well-grounded Evidence for the Kingdome of Heaven O carelesse and secure Christians How unworthy are you of the glorious things which God hath prepared for his Saints in the World to come Surely if God save you you shall feele the Flashings of Hell to fright you out of your security before you enter into the Joyes of Heaven And what are you resolved still to continue secure in this uncertaine condition not knowing what shall become of your souls to Eternity To what purpose should I direct you to the attainment of this most blessed Assurance of salvation and eternal blessednesse in heaven when you will scarce take the paines or think it worth the while to examine your consciences or to try your Evidences for an eternal * 1 Pet. 1.4 Inheritance reserved in Heaven for all the children of God Well then I shall spare my pains and speak no further to you but leave you to sleep on in your security till God by some sharp Dispensation shall awake you But yet to afford some Help to the poore trembling soul that would rather then all the World attain this comfortable Assurance of its salvation and is willing to deal seriously with it self in searching for those Evidences which may clear its title to this glorious Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven I shall give some Direction towards this Discovery Poore soul doest thou desire to know whether Heaven be thine Whether God hath instated so poore a Creature as thou accountest thy selfe to be in so rich an Inheritance Then tell me or rather ask thy own soul these Questions I shall put to thee and observe what Answer shall eccho from thy conscience thereupon Say then Is God thine Is Christ thine Is the Spirit of God and Christ given to thee If God have given thee himselfe his Sonne his sacred Spirit lift up thy heart with joy thy soul with praise Heaven with all the Beauties and Blisses all the Joyes and Glory of it is undoubtedly thine to all Eternity He that hath given the greater certainly will not deny the lesser Now if when God could give thee nothing greater he hath given himself with his Sonne and holy Spirit to thee certainly he will not with-hold the lesser he cannot deny thee Heaven He that hath God for his God must needs have Heaven for his Inheritance For God and Heaven are inseparable Where the King is there is the Court where God is there is heaven As none can possibly enjoy Heaven without God who is the Heaven of Heaven so neither can any possibly enjoy God without Heaven without a present Title to it sufficient to secure the future Possession of it to Eternity For these great †Rom. 11.29 Gifts of God are without Repentance Never did God give himself to any soul and afterwards cast that soul into Hell Well then poore soule see how rich and happy thou art Canst thou say to God my God and my Father Canst thou say to Christ * Joh. 20.28 My Lord and my God Canst thou say to the holy Spirit my Guide and my Comforter Look then up to heaven and say as thou truly mayst This is my Home and my Inheritance this when I leave the Earth must be my habitation for ever But thou wilt say unto me How shall I know this that God is my God and that he hath given his Son and holy Spirit to me This latter difficulty is as great to me as the former Thou sayest How shall I know that God is my God Why doest thou take him for thy God canst thou say the Lord is my God and him will I serve †Psal 144 15 Happy is the soul that is in such a case Doest thou give thy self up unto him as thy God and place thy happinesse in the enjoyment of him as the chiefest good Canst thou say * Ps 73.25 Whom have I in heaven O Lord but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Does thy heart close in with him
according to the Tenour of the Covenant of Grace Ye shall be my people and I will be your God †Jer. 30 2â— Does thy heart say Amen to this Covenant-promise Be it so Lord Wilt thou give thy self unto me Wilt thou indeed be my God Then will I be thine and onely thine for ever Behold here am I O Lord do what thou wilt with me for to thee do I give my self body and soul for ever Canst thou indeed say thus Then is God thine Heaven is thine Speak What sayest thou to this This I can truly say If these things be so the Lord is surely my God For I do freely with my whole heart and soul give my self wholly unto him I desire in all things to be obedient to his will I would not willingly for the gain of the whole world do any thing that might offend or dishonour him I desire that he would enable me more and more by his Grace to serve him For I desire not to live a day longer then I may live to his Glory And I am not onely willing to take him for my onely happinesse and freely to leave all the sweetest and dearest Comforts I have in this world for the enjoyment of him but I should look upon it as the ground of my highest joy and of everlasting thankfulness that though he should take away all from me he would yet be pleased to give himself unto me to be my God and * Gen. 15.1 exceeding great reward Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift †2 Cor. 9 15. If thou canst indeed speak thus Happy art thou God is thine and thou art his and shalt be happy in him and with him for ever in Heaven Blessed be the Name of the Lord who hath magnifi'd his Mercie to me and hath had compassion on me the chiefest of sinners the least of Saints I am willing upon this ground of the New Covenant to believe his Love to look up to him as my God But how may I know that Christ is mine Why If God be thine Christ is thine also If he have given thee himself to be thy God he hath given thee his Sonne to be thy Saviour 'T is in Christ that he is thy God The Covenant of Grace wherein God becomes thy God is founded in Christ his Mediation and Satisfaction And Christ in all his * Col. 1.19 Fulnesse of Grace and Glory is that great †Joh. 4.10 GIFT OF GOD which is promised in the Covenant of Grace Now then if God be thine and thou art his according to the Tenour of the New Covenant he hath given his Sonne unto thee as a Jewel from his bosome for a pledge of his glorious everlasting love and hath given thee to his Son as a part of his richest Treasure in the World to redeeme sanctifie and save Thee And if Christ be thine and thou art his Heaven the Inheritance which he hath purchast for Believers with his blood is thine also For thus hath he said * Joh. 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the Foundation of the World Moreover further to cleare it up to thy soul that Christ is thine let me ask thee Hath God ever shew'd thee what a poor lost undone Creature thou art in thy self by reason of thy sinnes Hath he made known to thee the Fulnesse and All-sufficiency of Christ with thy absolute necessity of him to justifie sanctifie and save thee or thou must perish forever Hast thou in the Glasse of the Law seen thy own Deformity and the incomparable Beauty of Christ in the Glasse of the Gospel Hast thou seen thy own †Rev. 3.17 18. Nakednesse and apprehended thy need of the Righteousnesse of Christ as glorious clothing for thy naked soul Hast thou been made sensible of thy * Mat. 5.3 spiritual poverty and have the †Eph. 3.8 unsearchable riches of Christ been unfolded before thee in the Gospel How have these things wrought upon thy heart Hast thou felt thy heart stirred within thee hereupon Hast thou felt God * Joh. 6.44 drawing thy heart out in desires and longings after Christ Hast thou been made willing to take Christ upon his own termes to be thy Soveraigne as well as thy Saviour To rule over thee as well as to save thee To save thee from thy lusts and †Mat. 1.21 sinnes as well as to save thee from Wrath and Hell Hast thou beene made willing to take his †Yoke upon thee * Mat. 11.29 30. and to bear his Burden Hath Christ beene welcome to thee when he hath come with his †Luk. 9.23 Crosse to lay it upon thee as well as when he hath come with his Cordials to refresh and comfort thee Speak seriously canst thou account thy self more happy in the presence of Christ in Prisons and Perecutions then in the midst of all worldly Pleasures and Prosperities without him Tell me truly if thou mightest certainly have thy wish and desire granted what wouldst thou wish for whom wouldst thou desire Ah None but Christ None but Christ What doest thou trust to on whom dost thou rest for salvation On thy own righteousnesse in thy own strength Oh no None but Christ None but Christ Art thou indeed Vile in thine own eyes and are all things in the World but vile in thy esteeme in comparison of Christ And is Christ above all things unto thee exceeding precious Truly if I know mine own heart I esteeme all the Riches of the world to be but * Phil. 4.8 losse and dung in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Well then thou art a Believer For unto them onely that believe is Christ precious †1 Pet. 2.7 And if thou art a Believer thou shalt certainly be saved thou shalt surely one day behold thy Saviour in Heaven and there live in the fruition of his glorious Loves unto all Eternity * Joh. 3.16 For God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life Now what sayst thou poore soule How does thy Heart eccho to these Questions Why through the Grace of God this I can say It hath plâ—â—â—ed the Lord so far to discover the emptynesse of self and sinfulness of sin unto me that sometimes when I look down upon my self I †Eze. 36 â—1 loath and * Job 42.6 abhor my self and cannot but wonder that ever the Lord should vouchsafe to look upon me and love me Yea I wonder he hath not thrown me into Hell And when the Lord first revealed Christ Jesus to me in his Gospel in his All-sufficiency and Readinesse to save me it even ovâ—rcame my Heart and my thoughts and reasonings were such as these Oh good