Jacobs trouble Lam. 1.17 The Lord hath commanded concerning Jacob that the Adversaries shall be round about c. therefore by Jacob here is meant only Judah that is the two Tribes that did not depart from God in the Revolt and Apostacy of the ten Tribes and that those of Israel that for conscience sake did leave their Habitations and went and dwelt in Judah and Jerusalem yet there 's a time of trouble for them also 2. What 's meant by the time of trouble It 's in the Original Hab. 3.16 tempus augustiae a time of straits which is called a day of straits when the Lord did come up upon them and invade them with his Troops for so the Army of the Babylonians is called when they should be led into Captivity by the will and command of others for their Persons and Estates to be made use of as a prey to serve the wills and ends of strangers and servants For strangers Jer. 30.8 Strangers shall no more serve themselves of them And for servants Lam. 5.8 Servants rule over us and there 's none to deliver us out of their hands Now when the walls of the City were broken down the Temple destroyed the Worship of God prophaned and all the Ordinances of God trampled under foot all Order Authority deposed and all things subjected unto the wil and lusts of a conquering Army now it was a time of straits great straits in point of conscience for they would now be working them about to their way and perswading them to worship their Gods Jer. 10.11 Now to be under the power of men and not to be subjected to their lusts and serve the lusts of men it 's a great strait and straits also in respect of the affliction having their lives alway hanging in doubt having their bread by weight and their water by measure and in respect of succour in a great strait also for there was no deliverer Lam. 1.3 All her Persecutors overtook her between the streights that there was no escaping no way to avoyd them and therefore 2 Tim. 3.5 These shall be difficult times in which men should meet with great and variety of straits that they should not know which way to turn themselves c. Thirdly it 's called a great day magnum pro formidabile Cal. Terribilis aut mire calamitosa à magnitudine supplicii magnus nominatur Theodor. And we doe read of five Great Dayes in the Scripture First the day of the Lord spoken of in Malach. 4.6 I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the great and terrible day â—f the Lord that is interpreted Luk. 1.17 of John Baptist who was to be the forerunner of Christs coming And this is called a great day for the great manifestations of God wherein life and immortality should be brought to light by the Gospel the great changes of Ordinances and the great destruction of the Enemies the terrible Judgements that should then be poured out for Mal. 4.1 The day cometh that shall burn as an Oven and all that do wickedly shall be stubble that is when the Sun of Righteousness doth arise with healing in his wings c. And for the terrible Judgements that under the Gospel the Lord would pour out upon the world and that is meant Acts 2.28 Joel 2.3 The Sun shall be turned into darkness the Moon into blood before that great day of the Lord come It 's spoken of the great Judgements that the Lord Christ would pour out upon the world and thereby make way for the receiving the Gospel publickly for he doth shake Heaven and Earth and thereby makes way for the coming of the desire of all Nations for out of the Throne when Christ is exalted comes thunderings and lightnings and voices Rev. 4.5 Secondly there 's the great day of Jezreel Hos 1. last That is when the Lord shall call home his antient people and gather together the outcasts of Israel Which shall be a day in which the Lord shall appear in his glory for when he doth build Zion he doth appear in his glory a day of the restitution of all things a day of enriching of the world a day when new Jerusalem shall come down from God out of heaven and a day in which the kingdoms of the earth shall be given to the Lord and his Christ and there shall not be any more any pricking bryer or any grieving thorn in all the land there shall be no more a Canaanite in the land forever all persecuting Powers shall be subdued Thirdly there 's a great day when the battel Armageddon shall be fought Rev. 16.14 When all the Powers of the earth shall rally and gather together their broken Troops against the Church of God they shall be the greatest combination that ever hath been and in which all the opposite Powers shall be utterly and finally broken and thereby way shall be made for the vial poured upon the air which brings in the binding of Satan chap. 20. Now this battel with the issue of it we have chap. 19.19,20,21 Now from the great preparations that the enemies do make and the great destruction which then they shall be sure to find and the great things which shall follow upon this and that in this day the Lord will make way for therefore it 's called the great day of God Almighty when the Lord shall fulfil all his promises and prophecies and Christ shall be cloathed with a garment dipt in blood and his name shall be called the Word of God Fourthly the day of Judgement is a great day also the Angels are said to be reserved in chains of darkness unto the Judgement of the great day for then shall the son of man sit upon the throne of his glory and all Nations shall be gathered together before him and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepheard divides his Sheep from the Goats c. and he shall then passe a finall sentence an eternall judgement upon the eternal estates of men and set a gulph between them for ever which they shall never pass when he hath so done he shall resign or give up his kingdom unto God the Father and then all the present wayes of administration shall cease Fifthly when the Lord brings any speciall judgement or affliction upon his people that also is called a great day Zeph. 1.14 the great day of the Lord is near it 's a day of darkness and gloominess a day of clouds and thick darkness that Trumpet and Alarum against the fenced Cities and against the high Towers it 's a threatning of the same Judgement there which here the Prophet speaks of the captivity of Babylon and it s called the great day of the Lord and so it 's here called also Fourthly it 's said that it 's such a day that there is none like to it that is First it is the greatest evil that ever befell that people they had been smitten with Pestilence with scarcity
day of their deliverance shall come to the astonishment and amazement of the Nations and there are many great reasons that it must be a great day but I cannot insist upon them Seventhly the time of their calling shall be when the fulness of the Gentiles is come in blindness so long is happened unto them when the four Monarchs are cast down to dust in the period of them Dan. 7.12.13.14 after the destruction of Antichrist when the little horn is slain and his body given unto the burning flame now he comes to receive a Kingdom of the ancient of days and it shall be when the seventh Angels Trumpet shall sound then the Kingdoms and Nations under the whole Earth become the Kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ Rev. 11.16 which is from the setting up the abomination of desolation the 1290. days which shal be the year of the Iews redemption Dan. 12.11 which is to be finished four thousand year after which is 1335. daies but these are times â—hat I cannot now speak to Eighthly then shall be amongst them a glorious Church in which the presence of the Lord shall dwell Ezek. 37.27 I will set my Tabernacle among them for ever more And elsewhere Ezek. 48. ult the name of the City shal be Jehovah shammah the Lord is there Rev. 21.3 The Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and it is not in Heaven for it is new Jerusalem that comes down from God out of Heaven and the Kings of the earth shall bring their glory to it and the glory of the Lord and of the Lamb shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the light of it and Rev. 21.12 twelve Angels at the gates and there shall be no use of the service of the Angels in Heaven they are sent forth as ministring spirits for the good of the Elect. But when they are gathered in as their Kindom begins with the Kingdom of Christ so shall it end also for he will put down all rule authority and power it is to be understood Etiam de principatu Angelico as well as of any other And they shall have the purest Ordinances Rivers of water of Life that is clear as Christal not running blood not mixed with fire Rev. 22.1 Not blood as is the Doctrine of Antichrist nor mixt with Fire either of affliction or contention as are the doctrines of the reformed Churches and then shall be the exactest discipline all that love and make a lye shall be without and the more of Gods order the more of his presence and his blessing for they shall see his face and his name shall bee written upon their foreheads c. Ninthly this Church of the converted Jewes shall be the Mother Church and shall be exalted above all the Gentile Churches the mountain of the Lords house exalted above the tops of the mountains Ezek. 16.61 then shalt thou be ashamed when I shall give thee thy sisters for daughters all the Gentile Churches shal know that they do receive as the Law from them at the first so now aboundance of light and nourishment great discoveries of God and of his grace for the light of the Moon shall be as that of the Sun and the light of the Sun seven-fold and the Temple shall be opened in Heaven and you may see into the Ark of the Testament all vailes shall be taken away both from the hearts of men and the mysteries of God and the Abdita the hidden things of God revealed the which should then be made fully manifest For he did not write the Word for the World to come but for the Life that now is and therefore there is nothing there hid that shall not be made manifest it shall appear unto the world that he wrote none of those divine mysteries in the word in vain Tenthly Then shall follow great peace and prosperity in the world all persecutions either from Enemies without or Tyrants within shall come to an end Ezek. 34.25.26 I wil make with them a Covenant of peace and wil cause evil beasts to cease out of the Land they shall dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods Esa 66.12 I will extend peace to her like a River that shall never be dryed up that when the enemies shall look when it will be dry it may be expected in vaine Labitur labetur Zach. 14.11 Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited persecutions from without for the four Monarchs shal bee destroyed and Satan shall be bound that he shall not stir them up to make war against the Saints Rev. 20. Ezek. 45.8 because their Princes before did slay them and not hold themselves guilty make nothing of oppression but now he saith my Princes shall oppresse my people no more a wall 12000 furlongs high Rev. 21.16 and for prosperity Esa 60.16.17 c she shall suck the milk of the Gentiles and the brests of Kings Eleventhly Over this people Iesus Christ shall in a glorious manner reign and that in a more eminent manner then he hath done over the Churches of the Gentiles for it is the Kingdom of David his Father which he is to sit on a Kingdom which he is yet to receive Ezek. 34.23.24 â—zek 37.25 Ezek. 21.26 David my servant he shall feed them and rule over them I will be their God and David my servant as a Prince amongst them when the dry bones are risen David my servant shall be their Prince for ever remove the Diadem c he will overturn overturn overturne and then will he come whose right it is The Scepter shal depart from Judah and they shall be many days without a King Any form of government of their own Hos 34. and what then they shall seek the Lord and David their King unto whom the Father hath committed all judgement Joh. 5.22 and in a special manner the Kingdoms and Nations over this people that from his presence their judgement is to go forth and therefore he shall in a more special manner be be King of the Jews as being his own people unto whom he hath a right of inheritance more then he has over any people of the world besides and yet I do confesse I do not see light from the Scripture to assert the personal reign of Christ upon Earth over them and the Saints reigning with him in his person I know Aliud est ChristuÌ„ regnare in Sanctis Aliud Sanctos regnare cum Christo both shall be in this life in some sense but yet whether Christ shall rule them by a personal residence upon earth is unto me still a doubt but this I say the Lord Iesus Christ hath a peculiar right unto the Kingdom of the Jews as he is of the seed of David And God will give him the Throne of his father David Twelfthly The people shall be exceeding holy in this Church walking in truth and sincerity there is a form of Godliness but there is little of the
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and doth arise meerly from the compacts and agreements betwixt men Rex debet esse sub Deo sub lege quia Rex Regem facit Bracton Bracton 4ly It is a Judgement God threatens on Magistrates Zach. 11.16 that their right arm shall wither they may lose their ruling power amongst men and that justly both in reference to God and men Fifthly in all difficult cases it is best to go the safest way that a whole Nation perish not through their own wilfulness I shall add no more When the Lord riseth when the Lord is raised out of his holy habitation then as all unregenerate men let them silence their murmurings silence their slanderings and censurings So all you that fear God for you are but flesh silence your doubtings silence your srettings before the Lord. And so much now shall serve for this Text The Lord give you understanding in all things THE Duty and Dignity OF Magistrates A Sermon Preached at Laurence Iury Sep. 29. 1651. at the Election of the Lord Maior ZACH. 10. ver 4. Out of him shall come forth the Corner Out of him the Nail Out of him the Battle bow Out of him every Oppressor together LAws are in Scripture called the foundations of the Common-wealth Psal 11.3 Magistrates also they are the Pillars when the Lord intendeth to go fotth in Judgement against any people he goes forth against them in both these he gives them Laws that are not good and â—udgements by which they shall not live Ezek. 20.25 And he doth send them Magistrates also that shall establish iniquity by these Laws Psal 94.20 But when the Lord returns unto a people in mercy he doth give them righteous Laws and gracious Rulers In this Chapter you have the Lord returning unto his own people in mercy There is a double visitation of God One of his enemies in wrath the other of his people in mercy His enemies in wrath in the former verse before the Text. I was angry with the Shepherds and I did punish the Goats it is spoken of those former tyrannical Governors that ruled over them sometimes called Shepherds in the 11. Chap. ver 5. their possessors slay them and hold not themselves guilty and their own Shepherds pitty them not Sometimes stiled Goats oppressing Governors are commonly so called in the Scripture Isa 14.9 All the Rulers of the earth it is the same word in the Original all the Goats of the earth for Goats feed high they are of all creatures most lustful and yet amongst the creatures very unuseful nec ad bellum prosunt nec ad aratrum a fit resemblance of Oppressors This was the Lords visitation now of his enemies in wrath Secondly he visiteth his people in mercy and though the appearances of God in this visitation were glorious for he was mightily seen in their deliverance yet he makes themselves to be the instruments to effect it God doth it but he doth it by themselves I will make Iudah as a goodly horse in the battle the excellency of the horse is in the battle Iob 39.21 he meets he goes forth to meet the armed man he doth mock at fear and he turneth not back from the sword for thou hast clothed his neck with thunder such a goodly horse now doth the Lord make his own people to be in the battle it is ordinary in Scripture for God to resemble his people to all sorts of war-like instruments Zach. 9.13 I will bend Judah for me and fill the bow with Ephraim Iudah is the bow Ephraim the arrows as there they are resembled to a bow in the battle so here they are Gods charging horses they are my goodly horses It is true indeed the Lord is the rider the motions of these horses are ordered by him and when the victory is now it is not the horse wins it is not the horse conquers but the rider yet notwithstanding they are my goodly horses for the battle Thus you see the Visitation of God First of his enemies in displeasure Secondly of his people in mercy Now the words that I have read to you set forth a glorious promise that God makes unto his people when they were delivered Out of Iudah shall come forth the corner for I should not read it as it is in your books out of Iudah came forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the original is in futuro out of Judah shall come forth this is the promise when God hath delivered them Out of Judah shall come forth the Corner Out of him the Nail Let us look into the meaning and the difference of these words a little surely all Scripture was written for our learning First then the promise is Out of him shall come forth the Corner what is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the original is and is commonly a Metaphor used for Magistrates and Governors I shall give you several places Look into Iudg. 20 2. and all the chief of the peeople came together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All the corners of the people came together 1 Sam. 14.38 draw neer hither all the Corners of the people all the chief of the people that is all the corners of the people Isa 19.13 the Princes of Zoan are become fools they have seduced Egypt even they that are the stay of their tribes you read it is in the original they that are the corners of the Tribes Then by the Corner is here meant Magistrates And there are three great Reasons thereof or three things wherein the Analogy doth lie why the Magistrates should be called the corners of the people First the corner-stone laid in the foundation aedificium sustinet it upholds the building the main weight of the building lies in the corner-stone so you shall find it used Isa 28.16 behold I will lay in Sion a precious Corner-stone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a foundation the Lord Jesus Christ is made the foundation upon which the building of the Church stands and there is the main stress in the corner-stone 1 Pet. 2.6 Secondly the corner-stone doth not uphold the building only but parietes conjungit the corner-stone joyns and coupleth the wall it is a uniting stone so you shall see the Metaphor used Eph. 2.20,21 Christ is said to be the Corner-stone in which all the building is fitly framed together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fitly framed together Thirdly and lastly the corner-stone aedificium ornat it adorneth the building so you shall find the Metaphor used Psal 144.12 Your daughters shall be as corner-stones polished after the similitude of a Palace because there is more labour spent in polishing the corner-stone then in the ordinary stones of the building Anguli prae aliis aedificiorum partibus exornari solent Meller Meller Now in all these respects see how fitly Magistrates are called the corner the weight of the building they uphold The several parts of the building they unite And the whole building in both
is much alike the one will never convert a soul and truly the other will never subdue a people Nay mark what the Lord saith to convert souls and to subdue hearts is his work David acknowledgeth it Psal 18.47 Thou art he that subdueth the people under me saith he truly if a man in his person neglect Religion he lives without God in the world and if a Magistrate in his Government neglects Religion he rules without God in the world That is the first argument and I never expect to have it answered I look upon it as an unanswerable consideration The second is this and pray mark it for you had need endeavour to strengthen your thoughts against such delusions as these are that are everywhere suggested I wish it were not in men in high places In the second place A Magistrate ought so to rule as that God may not break in in Judgement upon a people Pray mark it you ought to rule so as God may rule with you Secondly you ought so to rule as that God may not in Judgement break in upon the people my beloved you that are Magistrates you are the shields of the earth called so Psal 47. ult the shields of the earth Now consider I humbly pray you a Shield is a defensive weapon that the main protection of the people lies in you are not only to protect them from injuries among men but you are to protect them also from Judgements from God and therefore when wrath goes out from the Lord Moses stands in the gap when a plague is gone forth from the Lord David intercedeth Hezekiah prayes for the people the Magistrate is to be a Shield to them But let the Magistrate in his Government neglect Religion what then the Judgement of God breaks in upon the people immediatly look into Ezek. 10.2 Go saith the Lord take fire from between the Cherubims scatter over the City here is a fire now to burn the City whence comes it out of what Ordinances neglected the fire is taken from between the Cherubims it is taken from off the Incense Altar it will not only serve to offer the sacrifices but the same fire will serve to burn the City too that is a Scripture that I desire you much to observe 2 Chron. 7.19,20 If you forsake my statutes and serve other Gods saith he be negligent in matters of Religion once and what then saith the Lord I will pluck you up by the roots out of the Land that I have given you there be some men now that think to root you by the neglect of godliness and to root you by the neglect of Religion this it not the way to establish you no consider this is the way to pluck you up by the roots even your Common-wealth before it hath scarce taken root In the third place I beseech you consider Magistrates ought so to rule as they destroy not the foundations of their authority You will say he is a foolish man that puls down his own house with his own hands then certainly Magistrates must so rule as that they destroy not the foundations of their own Authority My Beloved if you uphold not Religion you do so Rom. 13.5 you must be subject saith the Apostle not only for fear of wrath but for conscience sake why all Divines give this as a rule conscientia immediate Deo tantum subsicitur Conscience is subjected immediately to God only then we are to obey the Magistrates only because it is an Ordinance of God can any man rationally imagine that men will obey the Magistrate for conscience sake who is an Ordinance of God and to be obeyed immediately that neglects this Ordinance of God in which this authority immediately is can any man rationally imagine I say that men will obey the Magistrate for God that do not obey God for himself my Beloved this is the way to destroy and to pluck up by the roots I say all authority it destroies the foundation of all authority it is the most destructive opinion to Government that ever came into the world and yet notwithstanding it is observable too see how the Jesuites and some others meet in this thing though upon different grounds Mariana he saith Mariana Princeps nihil statuat de Religione Princes and Magistrates have nothing to do with matters of Religion saith he why because there he would establish the authority of the Pope now say some others the Magistrate he hath nothing to do in matters of Religion because though he will cry out against the Pope yet notwithstanding he will make himself one he will take such a licentiousness that he will take to himself the Papal authority thus I intreate you then to Consider this is the first thing wherein the Magistrate should shew himself the corner indeed to support the Common-wealth let him uphold Religion That is the first I shall be more brief in the rest Secondly the Magistrate is to be the corner to support the Common-wealth in upholding the Laws the Laws are the foundations of the earth they be so called Psa 11.3 if the foundations be cast down what can the righteous do the Laws are the foundations it is a note of ignominie set upon Oppressors Dan. 7.25 that they labour to change times and Laws they labour to change the times and Laws the Law is the Rule between the Subject and the Magistrate that the one may know how to rule and the other know how to obey it is the standard between a man and his neighbour by which all differences are to be tryed therefore they that are in supreme authority they ought to take special care to observe the Laws and they that are in subordinate authority they ought to take special care to execute the Laws for this cause Magistrates they ought to be well acquainted make it their business to study the Laws by which they are to rule the truth is my Beloved a Magistrate without the Law and a Minister without the Bible they are equal absurdities a Magistrate unskilful in the Law and a Minister ignorant in the Scripture Job saith I was an eye to the blind and feet to the lame and a father to the poor I diligently searched out the cause saith he Job 29.15 I diligently searched out the cause it may be he had more sense to complain then he had skill to explain but I searched it out saith he he that shall do so must be skilled in the Laws there are in waies of sin many cunning conveyances David tells us Psal 58.2 that there are men that weigh violence in the earth that weigh violence that commit sin by measure they know how far they may go and yet how far they incurr danger by this means an unskilful Magistrate many times justifies the guilty and condemneth the innocent therefore it s your duty I say to preserve the Laws it is your duty to be well skilled in those Laws this is certain an ignorant Ministery
hath its evening there is indeed a long time sometimes of whetting the sword and bending the bow and making it ready Psal 7.12,3 But there will be a time of smiting also no souldier doth alwaies whet his sword but because he hath a purpose to cut at last though the decree bear long in its womb yet it will not bear alwaies there is a time when it will bring forth Zeph. 2.1 so that the time of patience hath its period Fifthly when the time of patience is expired there is then a time for Iudgement a day of recompence a year of vengeance a time for the expending of those Treasures of wrath that have been so long laying in because there was by sinning a time of treasuring and so there shall also come a time of spending Rom. 2.4,5 a time for the wall that is swelled out to hang but there will come a time also when it will fall Isa 30.13 husbandmen expect with much patience the ripening of the grapes there is a time of ripening and there is a time of pressing and treading the winepress Rev. 14.10 The Butcher stayes till the cattle be fat there is a fatting-time and there is a killing time and then they shall be plucked out as sheep for the slaughter Ier. 12.3 Lastly when this time doth come the Lord will forbear a people no longer this determinating of Iudgement in the time of it is exceedingly set before us in the word and that under divers expressions First the Lord doth express it by a full and a peremptory resolution that he will do it Ezek. 21.27 I will over-turn over-turn over-turn and it shall be no more I the Lord have spoken it Chap. 24.14 It shall come to pass I will do it I will not go back neither will I spare neither will I repent but according to thy waies and according to thy doings shall they judge thee saith the Lord God they are the expressions of a great and a full and peremptory resolution that will not be turned Secondly it is called a decree or the bringing forth the decree Zeph. 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies decretum or statutum scriptum from the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scripsit and so it is commonly used in the Scripture and so I conceive it to be understood non de occulto consilio sed de decreto promulgato It s true in that the word of God by the ministery of the Prophets there were many threatnings and judgements denounced but faetus adhuc in utero latet there is a time when all these threatnings will take place for they shall not be in vain there is not a word that goes forth but it shall accomplish the thing that I speak Isa 55.11 Now it is called a decree in a double respect First decrees are acts of authority Secondly they are established and firm they shall not be altered or disannulled therefore every judgement is a decree and though it may be long hid that a man doth not know what is in the womb of it yet there will come a time for the Decree of God to be delivered and then there is no hope men shall be as chaff and pass away in that day Thirdly it is called swearing in his wrath Psal 9.11 It is true that the word of God is as firm and sure as his oath for Heaven and Earth shall pass away rather then one jot of it shall pass away but yet in the word there may be and commonly is an implicit and a tacit condition as we see Ier. 18.18 If I speak concerning a a Nation or a Kingdom to pluck it up and destroy it if that Nation turn from their evil I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them but the oath of God shuts out all secret and tacit conditions whatsoever that nothing shall arise de novo that shall hinder the accomplishment thereof which must not be conceived as if it were peculiar unto that time or unto this people but that the Lord doth constantly the same against other people and in other times also as the Apostle plainly manifests to us Heb. 3.11,12 Fourthly those means that do usually prevail with God and turn away Iudgement when it is threatned In the time of Iudgement they prevail nothing with the Lord and they are these First repentance comes too late so much the Prophet doth intimate Zeph. 2.1,2 gather your selves that is by repentance and publike humiliation but what is the season it must be before the decree come forth implying otherwise it would not avail many there were no doubt in Iudah that were the Basket of good figs that did repent and humble themselves but yet it came too late to keep off the Iudgement they must be carried into captivity as well as the bad indeed repentance never comes too late if it be true to prevent the curse but many times it may come too late to keep off the cross Secondly but if that to their repentance they add prayers will not the Lord hear them Prov. 1.28 they shall call but I will not answer for there is a time when that the Lord will not be found Isa 55.6 Thirdly but what if to their prayers they add fasting will not the Lord hear them then No Ier. 14.12 When they fast I will not hear their cry but I will consume them by the sword by the famine and by the pestilence Fourthly but if God will not do it for their own sakes yet it may be he may for some other godly mans sake if the godly pray for them they may stand in the gap as we know Moses did and did hinder the breaking in of Iudgement upon the people No then the Lord will not hear them Jer. 7.16 Pray not for this people neither lift up a cry or a prayer for them for I will not hear thee Fifthly but yet if he will not hear one of the Saints apart yet the united prayers of the godly may prevail far with him and that may overcome but the Lord names the most powerful men with God that ever were Ezek. 14.14 Noah Daniel Job and Moses and Samuel Jer. 15.1 and yet the Lord saith if they did stand before him an expression of prayer and intercession yet his mind could not be towards that people There is therefore a set and appointed time for judgement and if that be once come the Lord will forbear a people no longer it will be easier to weigh the fire to measure the winds to recall the day that is past to change the Ordinances of heaven and to restore the verdure of the withered grass then to reverse the Sentence and Decree gone forth against a sinful Nation for as Samuel said to Saul he is not a man that he should repent Doctrine This time of Judgement may and must be known for why are they blamed if they might not and how justly could they be blamed if they ought not to have known it
 13 26 2 5 91 1 Thessalonians 2 6 271 5 12 101 2 Thessalonians 2 7 477 3 1 10  14 124 1 Timothy 1 15 329 3 10 96  16 694 2 Timothy 2 26 30 Titus 2 16 330 Philippians 3 2 195  19 ibid Hebrews 1 5 92  6 ibid. 9 12 See p 247 after p. 248 10 27 18 12 14 31 38  27 377 13 5 57 Iames. 1 18 696 1 Peter 1 12 35 2 5 743 4 7 271 2 Peter 1 5 44 3 16 11 194 1 Iohn 2 16 529   545  18 206   271 5 19 42  21 483 2 Iohn 5 10 54 Iude.  3 189 192  4 191  6 550 Revelation 1 13 682  20 686 2 1 685  4 582  5 ibid.  21 452 579 3 8 716 4 00 579  3 682  6 567 6 22 669  2 683  12 to 14 723 8 27 688 9 1 196  2 ibid.  10 197  14 718 10 7 288 12 15 196 13 00 190 378 16 9 11 80 17 12 73 18 2 to 13 63 70 78 19 1 84 358 21 22 3 4 22 1 282 FINIS Books Printed for and sold by Francis Tyton at the three Daggers neer the Inner Temple Gate THE several following books of Mr. Richard Baxters Aphorisms of Justification with their explication annexed wherein is opened the nature of the Covenants satisfaction righteousness faith works c. in 12o. The Saints everlasting rest or a Treatise of the blessed state of the Saints in their enjoyment of God in glory in 4 o. Plain Scripture proof for Infant-Baptism in 4 o. The right method in 32. directions for getting and keeping spiritual peace and comfort in 12 o. The unreasonableness of Infidelity manifested in four discourses the subject of which follows viz. 1. The Spirits Extrinsick witness to the truth of Christianity on Gal. 3.1,2,3 With a determination of this Question Whether the miraculous works of Christ and his Disciples do oblige those to believe who never saw them 2. The Spirits internal witness to the truth of Christianity on 1 John 5.10 3. For prevention of the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost a Demonstration that the Spirit and works of Christ were the finger of God or the Holy war between Christ and Satan on Mat. 12.22,23 A Postscript against Mr. Lyfords exceptions 4. The arrogancy of reason against divine revelation repressed or proud ignorance the cause of Infidelity in 8 o. Christian concord or the agreement of the associated Pastors and Churches of Worcestershire with Mr. Baxters explication and defence of it and his exhortation to unity 4 o. A defence of the Worcestershire petition for ministery and maintenance 4 o. The Quakers Catechize 4 o. An Apology against the modest exceptions of Mr. T. Blake and the digression of Mr. Kendal whereunto are added animadversions on a late dissertation of Ludiomeus Colvinus alias Lodovicus Molineus M. D. Oxon. and an admonition of Mr. W. Eyre of Salisbury with Mr. Crandons anatomy in 4 o. A confession of faith especially concerning the interest of repentance and sincere obedience to Christ in our Justification and salvation in 4 o. Parliamenti Declaratio 23. May 1649. Duke Hambletons case argued by Mr. Steel now Lord chief Baron of the Exchequer in 4 o. The Levellers design discovered by Henry Denn in 4 o. The Collection of Orders of Chancery with the alterations and additions agreed on by the Lords Commissioners of the great Seal and Mr. of the Rolls in 8 o. The anatomy of Iohn Lilburns spirit and pamphlets in 4 o. A short discourse between Monarchical and Aristocratical Government in 4 o. The grand Case of Conscience stated in 4 o. A discours concerning the engagement or the northern subscribers plea in 4 o. Heart-bleedings for professors abominations in 4 o. An English translation of the Scottish Declaration in 4 o. A discovery of some thoughts wherewith many precious souls are burdened by Daniel King in 4 o. English Law or a survey of the houshold of God on earth with an Essay of Christian Government folio The false Brother in 4 o. The rise growth and fall of Antichrist together with the much desired and waited for succession of our Lord Jesus Christ by Edward Haughton Minister of the Word A vindication of Infant-Baptism and singing Psalms by Mr. Sydenham Minister at Newcastle Gospel-mysterie Gospel-life and light by Dorneford A Commemoration Sermon on the fith of November before the Parliament in 4 o. A Commemoration Sermon on the fifth of November before the Lord Maior called a Voice from Heaven in 4 o. Heavenly Treasure or mans chiefest good in 12 o. Communion with God in Ordinances the Saints priviledge and duty in 12 o. XXXI Select Sermons on special occasions in 4 o. All by William Strong Minister of the word of God The horrid bloody Spanish Inquisition in 12 o. Spiritual Barrenness EZEK 47.11 But the myrie places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed but be given to salt THey are great things which the Lord hath spoken of the latter days which are called by the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The ends of the world so you render it but Grotius renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 1.10 The fulness and perfection of times Grotius Deus in omnibus actionibus prisci seculi semper ob oculos habebat tempâ—r a Messiae c. In which there shall be a perfection of Ordinances and of Churches and of Prophesies for the mysterie of God is in the latter days to be finished Rev. 10.7 There is a Kingdom of God which the Lord will set up or cause to arise Dan. 2.44 Which though it shall begin in the days of those Kings in the times of the Roman Monarchies yet it shall be the great Instrument in the hand of God to destroy the Monarchies for Iacob is in the hand of the Lord as a threshing instrument in the middle of the Nations either as dew from the Lord or as a Lyon amongst the Beasts of the Forest the Angels they poured out the seven vials full of the wrath of God which are the seven last plagues they came out of the Temple Rev. 15.6 And this Kingdom of God shall not come to perfection it shall not arise unto its greatness till judgement sit and dominion be taken away from the fourth beast to consume and destroy it unto the end Dan 7.26,27 It s true that the Church of Christ hath a mighty efficacy upon the world but it is secret invisible and comes not under humane observation Nisi oratione doctrina sustentaret Ecclesia mundum uno momento perirent omnia Luther on Gen. 30 But there will come a time when the power and glory of the Church shall be visible The mountain of the Lords house shall be exalted on the top of the mountains Lactantius when the prophesie of Lactan. p. 579. shall be
sense of the Gospel I will give you six rules briefly I beseech you carry theâ— home with you and the Lord carry them to your hearts First a man that i truly holy according to the sense of the Gospel is truly affected with the honor and dishonor of God for holiness exalts God I say holiness exalts God in Joshua 7.9 Israel had fallen before the men of At their enemies what is it now that troubles Joshuah most Israel flyes before their enemies Lord what wilt thou do for thy great name truly though we should perish and our names be rooted out from under heaven our names rot in the earth it were no great matter but thy name Lord saith he I am not able to bear the thought of it what wilt thou do to thy great name so likewise David The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me he could have born any thing better then that God should have been dishonored my cyes gush out with Rivers of water because men keep not thy Law malo in nos murmur hominum quam in Deum Bernard I remember it is Bernards expression rather saith he let men vent their displeasure against us then against God bonum est mihi si dignetur Deus me uti pro clypeo if the Lord would please to make use of me to keep off reproaches and injuries from himself it would be satisfaction enough to me let my name be blotted never so much if Gods name be not spotted if his name be not profaned it is enough Now if I should put you to examine your hearts by this Is Gods glory dear to you and do you say profaned be my name so as Gods name be honored is there nothing better to you in this world like to this my conscience answers in the presence of God to such a question as this Truly my Brethren I am afraid few of you can say in truth that the Lord is thus exalted in your souls how is it that the dishonors done to God either we make matter of scoff or otherwise it doth but draw out our envies and invectives but it is not matter of drooping continually upon our Spirits there are few Ages that you shall read of wherein the name of God hath been higher in a more impudent way dishonored then in this Age I may say it with boldness with more open face a Whores forehead that cannot blush and yet notwithstanding where be the morners in Sion where be those that do say My estate doth me no good and my honor doth me no good nor never will while I enjoy it without God while I see God dishonored Well certainly suitable to the measure of holiness that is in any man so will his affections be to the honor of God and where this affection is not in truth there is no holiness in truth This is the first thing The second sign that I shall give you to examine your selves by is this Where holiness is in truth there the heart is mightily affected unto the truth of God which is the foundation of boliness sanctifie them by thy truth it is the expression in Joh. 17. then Truth is the foundation of sanctification whensoever holiness is in truth then the man is mightily affected to truth I do reuâ—ember it was an excellent rule that Virenencius gave long ago Virenenc quo quis sanctior co promptior novellis contraire the more holy any man is saith he the more his heart goes against all humane inventions contrary to the truths of God Why now should I put you upon the tryal by this have not you all Truths corrupt even to the very foundation those in this City that dispute whether there be a God or no to the very foundation that deny the God-head of Christ and of the Spirit deny the truth of the Scriptures why now how I pray you doâ—h this sit upon your spirits how are you affected with truth for truth is the mother of holiness and I say unto you it will bear a child-like affection thereunto my Brethren will you give me leave a little to speak plainly to you the great design that Satan hath I conceive in this present age the great design for he hath many but I say the Great design I look upon to be this So to dispute all things as that in matters of Religion men might look upon nothing as certain dispute all things that so you may be certain of nothing for this hath been the great business and truly I must though some of them go under the name of Saints I must say they are highly the instruments of the Devil in it I fay the great business of these latter years hath been this it hath been to dispute principles and overthrow foundations Augustine Augustine saith there are two waies by which the Devil draws men from Christ one in a time of peace and another in a time of persecution in a time of persecution coget homines negare Christum he compels men to deny Christ in the time of persecution But in the time of prosperity docet he teacheth men then to deny Christ he finds out such Doctrines as shall teach men handsomly to deny Christ and to defend it when he hath done O my Brethren how doth this sit upon your Spirits It was Luthers saying Luther Spiritus sanctus Scepticus non est the holy Spirit is not a Sceptical Spirit there is little of that Spirit in this Land Christianism is turned to Sceptism question every thing and dispute every thing and men look upon it as a great piece of Religion to maintain that there is no certainty in Religion and truly this is the way of the wise men of our times Why now consider two things are added hereunto One is to prosecute this design the Ministry must first be undervalued that by that means there may be way made that they may be suppressed for while these men live they do say in their own bosoms so much as Saul did of David to Ionathan while the son of Iesse liveth saith he thy Kingdom will never be established they do say so that these new waies of Religion will never be established so long as some of these men continue they do say that this is the Heir let us kill him and the inheritance will be ours we shall never be the great Preachers till then nor our lights and opinions will never be entertained for Gospel till then for so what was the advice of Consenus the Jesuite a great while ago and truly this is the very truth for as it is justly to be feared you have a great many among you so those that are acted among you are acted very much by a Jesuitical principle and what was his advice he wisheth them by all means to take away the Ministry but saith do it not all at once but take away some first and disgrace the rest and so by that means a way will
Babylon for that was destroyed many hundred years before Johns time but this is Babylon in a mysterie the City that now rules over the Kings of the earth and that was only Rome a woman that did sit upon many waters that is reigned over Kingdoms and Nations and people c and this woman is brought in riding which is an Emblem and expression of power and authority throughout this whole book Now what is the Beast that the woman rides upon it is regnum sive imperium Romanum which because of its blood and its cruelty hath been alwaies expressed by a Beast with a scarlet colour c. and this hath three names given to it throughout this book for all the old enemies that were ever any of the antient persecutors of the Church is to be found in her the blood of all the Saints therefore is said to be found in her because in her was the cruelty of all former persecutors to be found Rev. 11.8 spiritually Egypt Sodom not litterally Sodom for their filthiness called Sodom and for their Idolatry Egypt and Babylon for there is all Idolatry Sorcery Cruelty so that the evils that have been in all former persecutors is to be found in them and therefore it is called Babylon by way of allusion as the Churches of Christ are called Zion and Jerusalem and the Israel of God Rev. 7. the Lord keeping to the old names so the enemies also are called Egypt and Babylon the Lord keeping unto the old names and antient resemblances So then Rome and the power thereof is here meant by Babylon for it is to be understood in a mysterie or in a spiritual sense Thirdly why is it called Babylon the great I answer it is called so upon a double ground First because of the greatness of its strength and glory it was the strongest and the most fortified place in the world in so much that when the Lord did employ Cyrus in the work it was thirteen years siege that they were fain to cut the River Euphrates into chanels and draw it dry and enter the Citie by the chanels of the River in that pit where Beltshazer the King and the inhabitants of the City were found to be all of them buried and she was the original of the Nations unto which they did all bring their glory and so it is with this Citie the merchants and the great men of the earth trade with her as Rev. 18.3 so that to see Romam in slore is one of the gloriousest sights that this lower world could afford which Fulgentius admiring raised up his heart higher by this consideration Fulgentius Quantum splendeat coelestis Hierusalem cum adeo fulgeat terrestis Roma c. Secondly it is also Babylon the great because of the greatness of their power and dominion She did set upon many waters and did rule all the Kings of the earth as Babylon did say of old Are not my Princes altogether Kings and therefore because of their dominion they are called the great City and the great City that rules over the Kings of the Earth and yet this great Lucifer son of the morning must fall from Heaven and be brought down unto the dust Fourthly how is it said is fallen put in praeterito First it is put in the Preterperfect and that is ordinary with the Hebrews Secondly by way of Ingemination and they do imply First certainly for it is a speech of faith speaking of things to come as if they were already past Secondly it notes the suddenness of it it was at hand as Christ said it is finished that is it was now neer to be ended and so it is fallen that is subito ruitura Thirdly it notes an utter ruine and destruction in the fall for it is fallen it is fallen that is it is greatly eminently utterly fallen Fourthly it is a destruction generally published over all the world and with a great deal of joy spoken of by the Saints as appears afterward when they give God the glory of taking vengeance of the great whore c. for the repetitions in Scripture do really note great affection Psal 22.1 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Psal 137.7 Down with it down with it to the ground as Sam. 18.23 Absolom my Son my Son and Isa 28.10 precept upon precept line upon line c. the expression is taken from Isa 21.9 Babylon is fallen is fallen c. it s spoken of antient and litteral Babylon and it is applyed unto mystical Babylon Rev. 14.8 there we have a threefold discovery of Antichrist First there is an Angel flies with the everlasting Gospel and they do publish the Doctrine of the grace of God in Christ openly against all the inventions of men and denounce Judgements against all Idolatry c. Secondly Rome not repenting thereof now the Lord declares it to be Babylon and a Church of God no more and now it is fallen Jam Ruinae Babylonis jaciuntur fundamenta and now the Lord having declared it to be Babylon doth begin to prepare war against it Thirdly then the people of God rise higher and declare no communion with her and that whoever doth receive her mark and Image he shall drink of the pure wine of the wrath of God without mixture Luther efficiam brevi ut Anathema sit esse Papistam Luther But now the work is at hand there is none of the enemies of Christ so great as mysterie Babylon and there is none of his enemies towards whom he hath used so much patience and long suffering bringing them to destruction but by degrees several vials have been pouring out upon her degrees of wrath poured out upon them and yet every one of these degrees is a fall of Babylon but yet the last and utter ruine of it is to come but it hast ens for the word is gone forth of the mouth of the Lord that he will have war with this Romish Amaleck and never have peace with it till it be destroyed He hath said Great Babylon is fallen c. Hence the Observations are Three First Rome mysterie Babylon shall certainly fall Secondly It shall utterly fall and be broken with breach upon breach and destroyed with a double destruction Thirdly The fall of it the Saints of God look upon as matter of the greatesl joy and Triumph Babylon is fallen is fallen it is a joyful voice to be heard in Sion by the inhabitants thereof and they that stand with the Lamb thereupon Doctrine The Doctrine from hence is Rome that is mystical Babylon shall certainly fall which will appear if you consider these particulars First consider the enemie that hath set himself against Rome is one that is able to effect it and that is the great and the Almighty God and if he lift up his hand to reap if he whet his glittering sword he will surely make a slaughter Rev. 18.8 strong is the Lord God who judgeth her it is true
Babylon hath all the strength of the earth on her party the Kings of the earth do bring their glory to her and give their power and strength to the Beast it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all their natural power and strength is given to her and all their civil power and strength or authority and therefore a man would think it impossible for any to make war with the Beast But they have a strong God against them and he hath undertaken it and the Lord will never make peace with Rome this is that spiritual Amalek with whom God will never make peace from Generation to Generation there be some of the enemies of God that shall be converted in the latter daies and many of those Kings the Lamb shall overcome not by their destruction but by their conversion for he will uphold them afterward though they had been his enemies but with Rome he will never have peace but will be a professed enemy unto them for ever the enmity between God and them is like the enmity between the seed of the woman and of the Serpent that shall never be reconciled never have an end Secondly look upon the causes of their destruction and they are mainly four and all of them will bring eminent destruction with them First because they corrupted Religion and that both in doctrine and worship they have made all the Nations of the earth drunk with the wine of her fornication and this they have done in a golden cup they make fair and specious pretences and call themselves the Church of God Romae venduntur omnia nihil tamen agas sine lege formula sanctissimi moris Lud. Viv. Ludov. Vives Religion in Doctrine and worship is very dear to God and he will not have it to be corrupted and therefore he is an utter enemy unto corrupters but this is the mother of Harlots and of all the abominations of the earth Secondly because the Kings of the earth have committed fornication with her Rome hath been the great corrupter of Kings and of all men that have been eminent in authority and this is their last refuge Rev. 16.14 they send forth their Emissaries unto the Kings of the Earth and of the whole world it is a great influence that they have had upon the authority of the world Now Kings they stand in the place of God and bear his Image in respect of government to have them corrupted is a great provocation unto God and a great occasion of destruction unto the world Thirdly by reason of her merchandize the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through her delicacies what is this merchandize it cannot be meant of merchandizes in a litteral and proper sense where it is said ver 11.12 the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her c. not that men shall merchandize no more for gold and pearl and precious things which ordinarily merchants trade about the merchandize of them shall not cease when Rome shall be destroyed for the world shall continue and trading shall still be In the 13. ver we read part of their merchandize to be the souls of men Brightman quae nullo modo in propria vocum natura haerere scimus nos It is spoken of spiritual merchandize making sale of the things of God and the Ordinances of God and the souls of men for their own gain and advantage which is unto the Lord a great provocation Rome is another Tyre as Tyre was the Mart of the earth for temporal things so is this City nobile emporium rerum spiritualium and men grow great and are advanced by this merchandize c. Fourthly for her cruelty Chap. 18.24 in her was found the blood of the Prophets and of all the Saints that were slain upon the earth and God will not suffer the blood of his Sains to lie unrevenged the cry of blood the Lord cannot deny to hear though it be but the blood of men but much more the blood of Saints for precious in his sight is their blood he hath a bottle for their tears much more will he make inquisition for blood and if the blood of any one of his Saints be such a burthen that God cannot bear it at the hands of men how much more when the blood of all the Saints shall be shed the Prophets and Martyrs of Jesus Specially considering that their cruelty shall grow and they shall be moâ—e bloody towards their end for whereas the witnesses before did but prophesies in Sack-cloth and ashes now they must have a time to be killed and that with the greatest cruelty and revenge they shall rejoyce over them and keep their dead bodies upon the earth and no man shall bury them Thirdly it is the great design that Christ hath in the latter daies of the world to destroy this Beast the last enemy Dan. 7. is the fourth Beast and in the fourth Beast there is a little horn that shall be more sierce then his fellows and ver 11. before that the words that the horn spake I beheld till the Beast was destroyed all the Roman power doth perish in the little horn in the destruction of Antichrist all the Roman power shall be utterly broken there were ten horns that did arise upon the rise of the Beast and there was government given them and power successively but when this little horn shall be destroyed never a horn shall stand up in the place thereof any more and therefore Rev. 16. we see the vials that are poured out are but degrees of wrath upon Rome Antichristian and we have seen many of them in a very glorious and unexpected way already accomplished and therefore we have great cause to trust Christ for the effecting of the rest and he will turn the heart of the Kings against them that they shall hate the whore they that did support her they shall become the greatest instruments to destroy her as the seals have had their effect upon Rome Pagan and the Trumpets upon Rome Christian so shall the vials upon Rome Antichristian for this book of the Revelations doth mainly concern Rome for there is a double prophesie fata Ecclesiae Imperii and they are the two great works Christ hath in design after his ascention Fourthly it shall surely be destroyed because they shall never repent Rev. 16.9,11 When the vial is poured out upon the world they were scorched with sire exceedingly enraged and they blasphemed the name of God which had power over these plagues but they repented not to give glory and upon the seat of the Beast they Blasphemed God because of their pain but repented not of their evil deeds and the ground of it is because most of them generally they that embrace the Doctrine and worship are reprobates and the Scripture doth make it a dangerous sign of reprobation Chap. 13.8.17.8 They that wonder who are they such whose names are not wrote in the Book of life from the foundation
come to Application First I desire to shew you what it is for a man to draw neer to God by sin every man he is departed from God the first design of sin is to draw a man away 1 Iam. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the further a man goes in a way of sinning the further he doth depart from God Inde 18. and all the lustings of their heart are ungodly lusts In this respect it is said the Prodigal went into a far Country Eph. 2.17 Now there is by reason of sin a double distance of enmity and estrangement The Apostle in Col. 1.21 puts them both together VVe are strangers and enemies in our minds through evil works now answerable to this double distance so must our returning to God be there must be a returning by reconciliation to take away your enmity and by Communion to take away your estrangement for Christs business is to bring us back unto God again 1 Pet. 3.18 First for Reconciliation that is not in Scripture called drawing neer so much as being made neer Eph. 2.17 You are made neer that were a far off by the blood of Christ so that by Reconciliation a man is put into a state of neerness and proquinquity That is the first thing whereby the creature returns to God but now being made neer being put into a state of union then Secondly The soul comes to draw neer that is the estrangement must be removed which is done by communion to exercise acts of communion observe it I pray I say a man must first be put into a state of neerness and made neer before ever he can exercise acts of communion and then draw neer Now this drawing neer is for a soul to come to God from day to day to improve his interest in him grow into more and more acquaintance and familiarity with him and you shall find that when a man is once brought into a state of union then the Lord calls him alwaies unto fellowship Open unto me my Love my Sister and my Spouse there are continual knocking 's of the Lord as for a further entrance there is a principle in us alwaies drawing back to perdition and you shall find that there is a Spirit within alwaies calling to draw neer unto God the Bride saith come and the Spirit saith come the Spirit in the Bride There is a great deal of distance between God and the best of the Saints for 2 Cor. 5. while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. So Ignatius of old he saith Aqua viva in me intrinsecus dicit veni ad Patrem that there was a living voice within him that alwaies called upon him And I beseech you consider a soul that is once put into a state of communion and hath tasted what it is to draw neer to God he desires a daily communion he is never neer enough he doth continually set it as a seal upon the heart When a man is once by reconciliation put into a state of neerness then in all Ordinances in all waies of obedience in his exercise of all graces the soul is said to draw neer that is to act and increase his fellowship and communion with God This I conceive to be the meaning of that expression Ioh 22.21 Acquaint thy self with God and be at peace so goodness shall come unto thee acquaint thy self with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assuesce te cum illo it is in the Hebrew and is rendred by some accustom thy self to be with him a daily commerce with God and an accustoming of a mans self with fellowship and communion with him this is properly to draw neer So that as Reconciliation taketh away your enmity so communion takes away your estrangement But you will say to me Can a creature draw neer to God if you look upon man in his natural distance God is in heaven you are upon earth can there be a drawing neer between finite and infinite cna finite and infinite have fellowship nay look upon man in his moral distance as a sinner and so can there be agreement between light and darkness can righteousness and unrighteousness have fellowship Surely God is a consuming fire and who can dwell who can engage his heart to draw neer to him Now give me leave I beseech you to clear this to you by proposing to you this consideration There is a two-fold state of a sinner There are some sinners that are in a state of estrangement unto God and whosoever you be that are here present the enmity of whose nature is not yet taken away and destroyed by a work of Reconciliation I say to you whatsoever you be you cannot draw neer to God you may have communion with duties you may pray you may hear but you can never have fellowship with God in those duties and that upon a double ground First because the enmity of your nature remains and two cannot walk together unless they be agreed and surely the neerer such a soul comes to God in any duty wherein Gods people approach to him the more God is provoked against him and the more he is estranged from him a strange expression that of the Prophet I saw him in Gilgal there I held my peace Gilgal was the place of worship the neerer any man comes the more a mans heart riseth against him and the more enmity doth encrease I saw him in Gilgal and there I held my peace you cannot draw neer to God the enmity of your natures still remains You cannot draw neer to God also Secondly because you have another society your fellowship is with unfruitful works of darkness and the fellowship the amity and love of the world is enmity unto God I remember Augustine complains concerning himself in the daies of his unregenerate condition speaking of the pride of the lusts of his Spirit Ecce hi sunt amici quibus consului quibus credidi these were the companions that I conversed with these were my friends and these were my Counsellors Now my Beloved whosoever he be that hath Communion with the unfruitful works of darkness it is no wonder if that man cannot draw neer to God I have told you already and I desire you would lay it to heart you must be made neer or else you can never draw neer you must be in a state of communion or else you can never have fellowship with God That is the first thing But there are a second sort of sinners that are made neer by the blood of Christ and these though God be in heaven and they are upon earth though they be sinners and the Lord be holiness it self nay though they in their own apprehensions shall say as Hooper once did Lord thou art Heaven I am Hell yet they may draw neer to him and that upon these six grounds I beseech you observe them A sinner put into a state of communion may upon these grounds draw neer to God The first is Gods
electing love the Lord hath separated unto himself the man that is Godly Psal 4.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is in the Hebrew he hath gloriously and miraculously wonderfully separated to himself into fellowship not only to himself for service but to himself for communion and what is the ground because you are predestinated unto followship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My Beloved when you all fell from God as well as the Apostate Angels might not the Lord have left you in the same condition with them and your doom should have been cursed and therefore cursed because you must depart but if the Lord had been pleased to have been reconciled if he had said to you as David did concerning Absolom bring the young man home but let him returne to his own house and let him never see my face if the Lord should have said I will not remember their evil against them to destroy them but they shall never see my face more they shall be estranged to me for ever you would have said this had been a mercie even your preservation but this doth not satisfie Electing love there is a double end that electing-love aims at 2 Luke 14. it is peace and good will not only Reconciliation but Communion that God may take the creature into fellowship with himself and empty himself as I may so speak with reverence into the bosom of the creature Be pleased now to consider you may then draw neer to God upon this ground of Gods electing love Secondly you may draw neer to God grounded upon the nature of the Covenant of grace under which you stand My Beloved God deals with all mankind in a Covenant-way and according unto the Covenant under which he standeth so are all Gods dispensations towards him and to that end the Lord hath made a double Covenant with a double head The first Covenant was made with the first Adam the second Covenant with the second Adam and therefore God looks upon all mankind as if there were but two men in the world 1 Cor. 15.47 The first man was of the earth earthly the second man is the Lord from Heaven Heavenly God looks upon all mankind as coming under these two heads the first Adam and the second Adam Now the Covenant of grace which the Lord hath established it hath a double propertie First it is faedus amicitiae a Covenant of friendship the Lord doth take Abram as his friend Abram my friend James 2.23 Now the School-men tell us of two sorts of relations relatio disquiparantiae connotat dominium that notes subjection and dominion as between a King and a subject a master and a servant there is not so properly communion and relatio aequiparantiae quae denotat Communionem now the proper end of friendship is fellowship for a mans friend is as his own soul and the Covenant of grace is a Covenant of fellowship therefore they may draw neer unto him being taken by God into a Covenant of friendship 2ly the Covenant of grace is a matrimonial Covenant faedus Conjugale I betrothed her in Hos 2.9 you knowin this is the neerest Communion the surest oneness in this relation beyond al other in the world the greatest friendship by vertue of an Ordinance two made one One that was heretofore a stranger shall be dearer then Father or Mother and this voluntary relation by consent shall by vertue of the Ordinance of God be more powerful then a natural relation and a man shall leave Father and Mother and cleave to his wife and if there be this power in an Ordinance of God that is but civil what efficacy shall divine Ordinances and this spiritual Covenant have Surely thou shall lie in his bosom and have the more intimate and full communion with him for ever Now when the Lord will set forth the neer Communion that his people may have with him by this Covenant this he calls a Matrimonial Covenant Thirdly you may draw neer to God grounded upon your union with the Lord Jesus Christ The Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 6.17 that he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit and by that Spriit we have access to the Father Eph. 3.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle tells that our way to God is through him we have by Jesus Christ our manuduction he is the great Favourite that leads us in by the hand into the presence of the Father Eph. 2.18 through him we have an entrance to the Father by one Spirit Christ is not only medium reconciliationis but he is medium communionis also by his satisfaction the one by his intercession the other Jesus Christ my Beloved hath a double reference to us in the work of satisfaction he is the means of Reconciliation but in all our approaches unto God being reconciled Christ is the medium he it is by whom we have Communion with the Lord. Besides In the fourth place you may draw neer to God because of your conformity to him for we are made partakers of the divine nature 1 Pet. 1.4 and we live the life of God Eph. 4.18 and we have his Image restored 1 Cor. 15.49 Conformity is the ground of communion wheresoever it is Joh. 3.6 and the more Conformity the more Communion we have and when your Conformity shall be perfected so shall your communion be Take that place and it is a choice Scripture in that Zach. 3.7 If thou wilt obey my words keep my charge I will give thee places to walk in among those that stand by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inter stantes illos who are these Those interpreters conceive to be Angels So Drusius Post mortem anima tua in chorum recipietur c. the Angels and the Saints they are taken into neerest communion So Calvin so that the more Conformity there is the more a man obeyeth God and the more he keepeth Gods charges the more the Lord will delight to give him places to walk in amongst those that stand by Nay In the fifth place you may draw neer to God for though God be in Heaven you may ascend and the soul may be above in Heaven when the body is walking here below there is a double way of the souls assent either in contemplation or affection In contemplation the soul may ascend John in Rev. 4. said I saw a door opened in Heaven and a voice said Come up hither John in his body ascended not but John in contemplation of his heart was above Col. 3 4. A man is worth as much as his love is worth Ezekiel when he was in Babylon by the River Chebar yet he saith the Spirit of God carried him in the visions of God to Ierusalem Ezek. 8.3 in his contemplation at Ierusalem and yet notwithstanding in his body in Babylon by the River Chebar And the soul may ascend in its affection Mat. 6.21 Where a mans treasure is there will his heart be and surely where a mans heart is there is his happiness
in an afflicted condition He went mourning all the day long for the oppression of his enemies and the Lord hid his Face And his soul was dejected within him but yet he had hope in God For I shall yet praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God The Saints do comfort themselves in their saddest condition with their Interest in things to come that the Lord will wait on them and be gratious and will not keep his anger for ever Consider these Eight thiâ—gs Secondly But how shall things to come become the Saints In respect of good and evil things to come 1. They are delivered from temptations to come A man shall be delivered from them and not left unto them and there is a great deal of mercy in the preventing grace of God this way in being freed from temptations The Lord will not lead his People through the Land of the Philistines Exod. though it was the neerest way to the Land of Canaan lest the people see it and their hearts turn back again into Egypt c. And indeed the Lord doth strangely order things in his Providence that temptations may be hid from his Peoples Eyes Satan desires continually to winnow the Saints but the Lord rebukes him and all his temptations 2. If Temptations sometimes assault them yet he doth make provision for them against Temptation Satan hath desired to winnow thee saith our Lord to Peter Luk. 23.31 but I have prayed for thee The Lord lays in consolation for the future tryals of the Saints and as the Temptation was fore-appointed so also is the Consolation Jer. 10.11 When the children of Israel were in Babylon and should have temptations to worship other Gods they were bid to make this Answer The Gods that have not made the Heavens and the Earth shall perish from the Earth and from under these Heavens And 't is very observable that one Answer God puts into their mouths is wrote in the Chaldee Tongue c. So the Saints shall be able to withstand them by vertue of the Intercession of Christ c. 3. Afflictions to come either they shall be delivered from them as Hezekiah thou shalt saith God be gathered into thy grave in peace God had an Ark for Noah and a Grave for Methusalah The Floud was appointed to come upon all the Earth well at the time appointed it comes But first Methusalah must be delivered for he lived until that very Year the Flood came and God provides him a Grave takes him away from the evil to come him does God deliver from it But Noah he must abide the tryal for him God provides an Ark and safely carries him through it Isa 4.5 Upon all the glory there shall be a defence The great water Floods shall not come nigh unto thee or else if they be afflicted they shall be gratiously supported under them The grace of God shall be sufficient for he hath promised When thou goest through the fire I will be with thee Isai 43.2 There is gratia perveniens assisteus in suffering as well as in sins and duties Psal 43.46 We will not fear though the earth be removed for there is a River the streams whereof shall make glad the City of God 4. Mercies to come to the Saints shall prove Mercies indeed Saul hath a Kingdom as wel as David but it was a mercy to David and therefore the Lord did qualifie him for it and gave him Kingly graces and weaned hii soul from the Mercy before he had Bernard Bern. Ecce paratum est cor meum vis me constituere pastorem ovium aut regem populorum My heart is as a weaned child Psal 131.2,3 And therefore it 's sayd Isa 30.18 that the Lord waits to be gracious he doth not defer because he is unwilling to bestow mercies upon us but because we are not prepared to receive Mercie for Mercies to unprepared soules are like unto Cordials unto foul stomacks the which do but increase the peccant humours and therefore the Lord never gives them till the season of them and till he hath prepared the soul to receive them There is a double right that the people of God have to Mercy First there is jus haereditarium a right of Inheritance and that they have as soon as they are converted but yet they are but then as a child in its nonage Secondly there is a jus aptitudinarium a right of fitness that is wanting and the Lord doth not give any Mercy in Mercy till both be found in the soul till there is a right of fitness as well as an hereditary right Fifthly Sins to come If God leaves under any temptation that we are foyled by it as that the best of Gods people may for I know no sin but may overtake such but final impenitency and the sin against the Holy Ghost yet all things shall work together for good to them that fear God Et si omnia qui ni etiam peccata Aug. Aug. If all things then sin it self is not excluded God makes a strange use of sin to his peoples good and benefit either to discover unto a man what is in his heart and so to abate his carnal confidence as the Lord did let Hezekiah fall to that end that the work of Mortification may be perfected and the Sword of Godly sorrow may go the wider and the Plough of Repentance the deeper and that shall be the fruit of it that the man may be more vile in his own sight or else to make him the more instrumental in that kind to do good unto others being able to comfort them with the same consolation with which he himself was comforted of God And being himself converted he may be the better able to convert and strengthen the brethren Luk. 22.32 And the Saints of God do see great Mercy even in their sins to come as well as in their suffering that as some of the Antients have blessed God for the Falls of the Saints those Horrenda naufragia by reason of the comfort and support and admonitions that they had from them So they do see cause many times to bless God for that Grace that brings so much good out of their sins also and so much they may promise themselves from a principle of Faith in regard of sinning as well as suffering Sixtly in respect of the happy and glorious condition of the Church that is promised in the latter daies there is a time coming when all the kingdoms of the earth shall become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ Rev. 11.16,17 and unto the holy people of the most high Dan 17.27 And when the smoak out of the Temple shall vantsh and the Temple shall be opened in heaven and a man may see into the Court of the Testament which is within the vayl The darkness of the preâ—ent dispensation of God shall be done away and new Jerusalem shall come down from God out of heaven
c. Fifthly God hath subjected things to come unto the prayers of his people and thereby joyn'd them as it were in the same commission with his Son the Lord Christ in the government of the world Isa 45.11 Ask me concerning things to come concerning my sons and concerning the workes of my hands command you me c. There are two things that the providence of God is extended to and they are either matters of common providence and they are concerning the works of his hands And also matters Ecclesiastical which concern his Church and all things to come concerning both he hath subjected unto the prayers of his people and therefore ye that are the Lords remembrancers keep not silence And therefore Revel 4.5 it 's said out of the Throne proceeded thunder and lightning and voices Out of the prayers of his people are the great Mercies and Judgements the great turnes of the world are brought about and accomplished by this the Saints working together with God and therefore at the last day when the causes of all things shall be layd open it will appear all these great things that are dispenst either in a way of Mercy or in a way of Judgement were attain'd by Prayer Vse of exhortation Exercise Faith about things to come for this promise that things to come are the Saints as it is a ground of Faith so also it should be a ground of Hope and a rule of Prayer Therefore let me exhort you in the name of the Lord be not sinfully dejected about things to come I would not have you ignorant of the signs of the times nor secure I would have you know the Judgement of your God for he that is wise shall know times and judgement but yet I would not have you distrust and walk dejectedly for what if the Witnesses be not yet slain that ultima clades ad huc metuenda What if the Enemyes of God prevaile once more to ripen them for their greatest and final ruin What if such a temptation should befall a poor soul that he thinks he should not be able to withstand What if I be left by God unto such a sin What if such a miscry and calamity should befall mee that GOD should take away my Friend which is as my own soul and such a Relation that I took comfort in c. What will become of the Church of GOD What will become of the Ordinances of GOD What will become of my Posterity when I am gone now the Enemy is sowing Tares amongst the Wheat I have Friends few where can a man find a faithfull man Let these be the Queries of ungodly men whose enjoyments are onely present and have no ground of hope for time to come I should have given you a few directions I can now only name two or three First Rowle thy self upon the promise Psalm 10.14 Jerem. 49.11 Leave thy fatherless children with me Secondly the same Fountain of Love and Goodnes that was extended to the Saints of old is extended also to thee There 's Mercy for the future as well as at present As Faith will purifie the heart so also it will pacifie it that it shall not be afraid of evill tidings But the consideration of the great Goodness of God will support the spirit of a man in any calamity whatsoever THE GREAT DAY At a private Fast JER 30.7 Alass for that day is great c. GOD hath subjected all the works of his Providence unto the Prayers of the Saints â—sa 45.11 and therefore though we are met hereupon a particular occasion and that private yet I hope it is with general intentions to seek God for the Publick also Which perswasion put me upon the choice of this Scripture at this time I shall not detain you in the Context though there may be many weighty observations drawn from thence The words are the words of the Lord Verse 5. we have heard a voyce of trembling and not of peace and is there a voyce of trembling unto Jehovah at whose presence the earth trembles and before whom the everlasting hills do bow There is a double apprehension of the speech First that the Lord speaks it in the person of his people as taking part with them being affected after the manner of men as it 's said Isaiah In all their afslictions he was afflicted So in their trembling he may be said to travel also to shew that he was like affected towards them 2. The Lord speaks in the Person of his People reproving them and instructing them reproving them that though the Lord saith we heard a voice of trembling socordiam exprobrat It was in it self a voice of trembling but the people trembled not I and the people that foresaw the calamity yet they were so unwise as not to tremble A wise man foresees the evil and he trembles all that were wise hearted did tremble but the generality of the people did not tremble and to instruct them the Lord directs them what they should say and how they should be affected with the calamities that were coming upon them We have heard a voice of trembling and the Lord would at the last extort that acknowledgment and confession from them how secure and senceless so ever they were under his present hand and when they were brought into the sence of it they should cry out Alass for the day is great c. Here is first Jacobs Affliction It 's the time of Jacobs trouble Secondly His Consolation But he shall be saved out of it Here first we are to consider what is meant by Jacob Jacob is commonly put for all the Tribes they being all called by their Fathers Name sometimes Jacob and sometimes Israel We see it put so Mich. 1.5 For the Transgression of Jacob is all this and for the sin of Israel Deut. 32.9 What is the Transgression of Jacob Is it not Samaria c The Lords portion is his People Jacob is the Lot of his Inheritance But Israel was before these times carryed into Captivity and God had by Salmanasar removed them out of his sight only Judah did yet rule with God and was faithful with the Saints There was a Remnant of the faithful of Israel that rather then they would joyn in worship with Jeroboam some of the Levites and the people 2 Chron 11.14,16 they left their possessions and in the desolation of the ten Tribes they were preserved but when they had peace what the Lord had done they were neither moved by his Mercy unto themselves nor by his Judgments upon their brethren But They provoked the Lord they justified their Sister by their evil doings Therefore those that were preserved in the former calamity there 's a Judgment also remains for them there 's a rime of tryal that yet is reserved for Jacob and these were the people amongst whom the Prophet lived For he was in the Court of the Prison when Jerusalem was taken and this is called
enemies and their sins are grown unto a height Rev. 14.18 when the grapes are fully ripe when men do add unto al their sins contempt of God and say Who is the Lord it is an argument they are not like to stand long that doe stretch their mouthes out against heaveâ— and their tongues run through the earth When Instruments doe rise against their maker and the axe is against him that hews with it then I will send amongst the fat ones saith the Lord and kindle a burning under their glory Thirdly when the hearts of the people of God are low and their spirits do fail and they say our bones are dry our hope is past and we are cut off Ezek. 37.12 When the Son of man comes shall he find faith upon earth Men will not beleeve it Luk. 18 8. And though ye see no waies or means of deliverance yet remember It is not by power nor by might but by my spirit Zach. 4.7 And the earth did help the woman The Lord can make use of any Instruments for the Redemption of his servants The barborous Nations came in for their succour which I fear will be the Judgement upon this Nation GRACE ABUSED At a Fast for abused Liberty Febr. 28 th JUDE 4. Turning the Grace of God into wantonness c. THE word propounded for this daies humiliation is that we may take shame to our selves before God for that horrible abuse of that Gospel liberty which God hath given us which is the fruit of the Prayers the Tears and the Blood of the ancient Saints of God amongst us Rara quisquam circa bona sua satis cautus it 's a very rare thing for men to walk worthily under Mercies that they have earnestly desired when they are enjoyed There are two things that most men desire and they are Power and Liberty and when they have attained them I may say they are unto men as they describe waters suis terminis difficilè continentur They are easily apt to run over in what vessels soever you put them in I can my self remember when Arminianism did first invade this Nation how much the old Puritans for that was then the term of reproach were affected with it how the Ministers preached against it and writ against it and the Saints fasted and prayed against it as that which they looked upon as the inlet of Popery for if you will receive it first in its doctrine the same persons will quickly begin to set it up in its worship also And it was so much layd to heart by the godly Patriots of the Nation that I have been assured from good hands that they drew up an Act of Parliament to be past against it in the Parliament at Oxford which they did intend to have stood upon and by an Act of the Civil Authority to have supprest it had not the Parliament been in a sudden in an untimely manner broken up and yet now we can cry out against Popery and yet maintain with open face the Doctrines of Popery and that under the notion or name of the greatest liberty that can be and I can remember also that in the Bishops time when the people of God could not have liberty to meet without danger or the name of a Conventicle though it cross Tertullians notion for he saith cum boni coeunt non est factio dicenda sed curia c. and in danger of a High Commission How would the people of God have rejoyced at the Liberty that now they may enjoy and how sad it is to see how they are neglected by some and strangely prophaned by others they cannot be liberi unless they be Sacrileâ—i as Augustin against the Pelagians c. And this being the work of the day to humble our soules for theâ—e corrupt opinions and abhominable practises that under the notion and conceit of abused Liberty are broken forth amongst us that which the Lord requires of us is this That we should not only cry out against it as many of us doe but have our hearts seriously affected with it and desire the same for our Governours also that do injoyn this Fast that they may be humbled for that for which they do enjoyn upon us a day of Humiliation for every new Fast is a new obligation both to them and to us against this evil not onely to speak against it and pray against it but also to endeavour to reform it in our places to the utmost of our power for there is not any thing that is a greater provocation unto God then a cloak of Religious duties drawn over any corrupt intention Of a Jezebels Fast and a Pharisees long Prayers the one to shed innocent blood and the other to devoure the estate of an innocent person and both are an abhomination to the Lord. And this being that which is appointed for the humiliation of this day to help you therein and to administer somthing unto your thoughts I have made choice of this Scripture now read unto you The grand exhortation in this Epistle is set down ver 3. Contend earnestly for the faith once given unto the Saints The thing that you must strive for is the Faith the Doctrin of Faith the Doctrin of the Gospel which ye cannot keep without contention 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies pro viribus it is to strive with all their might or as some render the word it's to strive one after another in your places and successive Generations in super certare or certamen repetâ—re It 's not enough to strive once and to assert the Truths but ye must do it again and again after one another as often as the Truth of God is opposed And he gives the reason of this exhortation First because it is a depositum that the Lord hath in mercy delivered unto the Saints Rom. 3.2 which the Lord requires them to keep You are but Stewards of it it is committed unto you that you should transmit it unto posterity Secondly it was but once given and therefore you cannot expect that if you part with it the Lord will again bestow it unto you It 's like the fire upon the Altar that was at first kindled from heaven and was there by the industry of the Priests to be kept alive and was never to go out it was but once given it was Gods free Grace to bestow it and he doth expect that it should be our care and work to preserve it Thirdly he doth press this from the danger of it in regard that the enemies lye in wait there are certain men crept in unawares c. First false Teachers they doe not rush in for then they would be observed but they creep in secretly and in an unobserved manner Rev. 13. A beast rising out of the earth There 's a temporal power of the Pope for he is represented under a double vision of two Beasts First a Beast with seven heads and ten horns that is he did
The spirit of God came down in the likeness of a Dove A Dove as it is without guile so is it without gall also and a righteous man is not only thus within but in his conversation his light shines before men he is alwayes walking in his uprightness Secondly In his death and so he is said to perish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the Hebrew is either put for temporall or eternal death Iohn 3.16 that they should not perish but have everlas ting life but here it 's meant of temporal death the disunion between the Soul and the Body and so to perish is to dye Matth 8.25 Master save us else we perish And it 's said also they are taken away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in unum colligere They are gathered unto their Fathers here in this world they are scattered and some live in one place some in another but death is a gathering there is fasciculus viventium even a bundle of the living as the tares are bound in bundles so is the wheat also Thirdly After his death the Soul in this life is full of trouble here in this life but a little peace enters into him my peace I give unto you but then after this life he shall enter into peace here a little joy enters into him but then he shall enter into the Masters joy for ever and for their bodys they shall rest in their beds as the grave is commonly called it being the sweet sleeping place as 2 Chron. 16.14 it is said of Asa that he slept with his Fathers and they buried him in his own Sepulcher and laid him in a bed which was filled with sweet odors c. Secondly Here is a publick loss bewailed the righteous perish and there is no man that doth apponere cor Mich. 7.1 woe is me for I am as the Summer-gatherings the good man is perished out of the Earth the taking away of the godly is the great loss and matter of great mourning unto those that survive Thirdly Here is a publick and a common evil reproved the foolish and unthankful world is no whit affected with the loss of those of whom the Lord says the world was not worthy of and this want of affection is grounded upon the want of consideration no man lays it to heart no man understood that they were taken away from the evil to come Fourthly Here is a secret of providence discovered godly men are taken away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à faciebus mali from the evil to come there being a storm coming the Lord doth hasten to gather in the Corne into the barne before-hand That I should speak unto al these cannot be expected at this time there are only three points that I shall pick out of them all First Godly men dye not as other men doe it is peculiar unto them to enter into peace and rest in their bed c. Secondly Godly men are usually taken away in mercy before an evil come Thirdly When they are taken away it should be unto them that survive matter of serious Consideration Affliction and Lamentation First This is made the peculiar portion of the righteous and mercifull men at their death they shall enter into peace Doctrine Godly men dye not as others doe there 's a great difference between them and others in their death There is indeed a great deale of difference between men in their lives they are men of another spirit of another generation they walk by other principles they aim at other ends they live upon other comforts then others doe and therefore they are men of another value and esteem they are the excellent ones when the greatest amongst men if they be wicked are vile persons they are amongst men as gold amongst the dust of the Earth and as diamonds amongst the common pebles in the streets But the great and the grand difference between them is in their deaths there is something in a special maner in death peculiar to the Saints and this we are specially to observe Psal 37.37 the end of that man is peace this Balaam could observe Numb 23.10 There is a death peculiâ—r to the righteous Proverbs 14.32 The wicked shall be cast away in his wickedness but the righteous hath hope in his death The opposition shews the difference When a godly man shall be gathered a wicked man shal be destroyed cast away and when the godly man dyes he dyes in hope but the wicked man at death he breaths out his soul his life and hope together But seeing they do both dye the righteous man as well as the wicked we see also that wise men dye as well as those that are foolish and for the manner of their death to outward view there is a great resemblance Eccles. 2.16 as dyes the fool so also dies the wise man yet there is a great difference Ahab and Iosiah a wicked and a gracious King they both dyed for the manner of their deaths it was much alike they dyed both in War with the same words in their mouthes turn thy hand for I am wounded and yet it s said of the one he dyed and was gathered to his fathers in peace though he dyed in War What is therefore in death that is peculiar to the Saints how dyes the wise man this will be seen in three things First in respect of the persons dying Secondly in respect of death it self Thirdly in respect of the fruit and the consequence of death First In reference unto the person dying for a godly man dyes in the Lord. Rev. 14.13 he doth sleep in Iesus 1. Cor. 15.18 which implies two things First an union with him a being in him Secondly A dying in him by the power and efficacy of the same union now we doe not only reade in Scripture of our being in Christ but also living in him working in him bearing fruit in him c. Now a man doth live in Christ when by the Almighty working of the Spirit of Christ the Graces of Christ appeare in him and he lives no more according to Men in the Flesh but according to God in the Spirit so we are said to die in him when by the Power of the Spirit of Christ by vertue of our union with him we do exercise these dying graces that were in Christ for their be in him living and dying doing and suffering graces and when by vertue of our Union living by the faith of the son of God a man doth exercise these Graces then is a man said to dye in Christ work in him suffer in him live in him so that a godly man dies in the Lord he is one with him and even in death the Mystical union is not dissolved and the dying graces that were in Christ and which a Saint doth receive by vertue of union with him those graces he doth exercise as Christ doth for he dies in him Secondly He dies in Faith First in respect of himself
no other opposition or temptation whatsoever â—…meron Lastly In respect of the Consequences and Issues of â—ath so also there is something in death peculiar to he â—ints First by death they are delivered from the powâ— of Satanâ— grace here in this life doth free a man from â—…e Dominion of Satan but it doth not free him from â—…s temptations and to be continually annoyed with the â—…llutions and suggestions of this unclean spirit for the â—…cked one to touch them 1 Joh. 5. tactu qualitatiâ—o is â—e great affiction of their lives and it is that wherein â—eir spiritual warfare doth mainly lye it was not the â—st part of the humiliation of Christ for Saâ—an to have â—…ch an access to him and to propose such suggestions â—s 〈◊〉 this will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship 〈◊〉 when he had but onely an access unto Christ by representations from without and not by suggestions within but he hath by reason of the darkness that is in us a more immediate access unto our spirits but our warfare shall be at an end and we shall be for ever freed not onely from the dominion but the temptation of Satan forever Christ makes use of the Angels in Ministerium and the devils in exercitium but both but for the time of this life and no more and therefore in the world to come after death there shall be no more of either to the Saints for ever 2. From the being and in-dwelling of sin which is the great misery that the Saints complain of Rom. 7.24 but he that is dead is free from sin that natural fountain of corruption original sin shall be perfectly dryed up and the soul shall never think a vain thought never speak an idle word any more for ever nay they shall not only be freed from sin actually as Adam was but even from a possibility of sin also that as the wicked after death are given up to sin as part of their torment and are in malo obfirmati so the Saints shall be in bono confirmati not onely they shall not sin but be freed from the fear of a possibility to sin for ever 3 For the perfection of their grace the Saints have here the first fruits of the earnest of glory and that is so precious to them that they sell all to buy it and count all things loss and dross in comparison of it and yet still there are many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things wanting in their faith and their love c. but 1 Cor. 13.10 then that which is perfect will come and that which is but in part shall be done away and these first fruits shall be swallowed up of glory 4 They shall be with Christ and receive the reward that he has prepared for them they shall enter into their masters joy here in this life Christ is said to be with us but after this life we are said to be with him yea to be ever with him he shall never hide his face more but it shall be communion without intermission and without interruption for ever says Bernard Christus est cum Paulo magna securitas Paulus est cum Christo summa faelicitas If a little of the presence of Christ be so sweet here when we have it in his spirit O what will his eternal presence in glory be thus dyes the wise man thus he enters into peace thus he rests upon his bed having walked before God in uprightness 2. Doct. When the righteous man dyes he is taken away from the evil to come the Lord had formerly told them that evil was prepared a sword was already barhed in heaven to make a sore slaughtâ—r and in verse 9. of the former chapter the Lord invites the beasts of the field to come and take their part of the prey now these are some that the Lord will hide in the day of his wrath Zeph. 2.3 the Lord hath a double hiding place for his people in evil times sometimes he hides â—hem in his pavilion and the secret of his Tabernacle upon the earth his chambers of peculiar providence and sometimes he hides them in the grave even the chambers of death in which in times of affliction Gods people do desire to be hid Job 30.23 and many of them are hid in meâ—cy from the evil that is coming on the earâ—h Thus when a flood came upon the world God provided an Ark for Noah and as he had an Ark for Noah so he had a grave for Methusalah who is conceived to be taken away the same year that the flood came upon the earth Gods usual course is either his people shall stand in the gap to turn away his wrath and his judgements which sometimes are deferred for the elects sake and if the Decree of God be gone forth and the judgement must come then the Lord takes his people out of the way before it come so the Lord dealt with Hezekiah he defers the judgement till after his death there shall be peace and truth in his days and Iosiah the Lord says to him because thy heart was tender Thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace and shalt not see the evil that I will bring upon this place and the inhabitants thereof thereforâ— the Lord Rev. 19.13 having described the rise of Antichrist and the general pollution ond corruption that should follow all men should worship the beast and wonder after him blessed are the dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from henceforth were they not blessed before yes all that dyed in the Lord are blessed from the beginning of the world but now to be taken away in a time of so great tryal it is a more special mercy upon these three accounts chiefly 1 That they may be preserved from the pollution of the times in which they live therefore the Lord takes them away it is a very hard matter for Gods people to live in times exceedingly evil and yet to pass through such times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unspotted and and not to have a taint and tincture of the present corruptions upon them to keep their garments whiteâ— now that the Lord may preserve his people unspotted from the world he doth translate them before hand takes them away from the evil to come 2 The Lord takes them away that they may be freed from the vexations that his people are in when the abomination of desolation is set up as Lot when he lived in Sodom they vexed his righteous from day to day with their ungodly deeds Gods people are mourners in Sion and they do with that their eyes were a well of water to weep for the sins as well as for the sufferings of the times and the Lord sees that their spirits cannot bear such dishonor as is done to his great Name and therefore he takes them away beforehand to better company even the souls of just men made perfect 3. God takes them away from the persecutions and afflictions of the times
for he knows our frame and in all our afflictions he is afflicted therefore the Lord does as we our selves would do in the same case if we had a child abroad at school and we did foresee some great evil either of pestilence or famine to be neer unto that place where the child was we would send for the childe home beforehand that he might not partake in the misery with the rest so God hath put his people to nurse to school in this world and if there be evil neer he doth send for his people home beforehand and cause them to go forth out of the world to pr serve them from the evil of it 3. Doct. Therefore when godly men are so taken away it is matter of serious consideration and high lamentation unto them that survive and it s their sin if they do it not it is that which David doth complaiâ— of and bewail Psal 12.1 there is not a godly man left and the faithful fail amongst the children of men and they were wicked ones that were exalted on every side Mic. 7.1 the good man is perished out of the earth the godly men were taken away so that when the Prophet did come to seek them he was as men that did seek grapes after gleaning found here and there one and as one that seeks the first ripe fruits but finds none for the good man is perished and there is none upright amongst men for they all do lye in wait for blood every man hunts his brother with a net and when the world is preparing their nets to catch the Saints then God withdraws them from the world and their loss should mightily assect us Consider these three things First The Saints are our glory as they are Gods Iewels so they are the excellent ones of the earth and so they should be to us 2 Cor. 8.23 it 's said they are the messengers of the Churches and the glory of Christ and those that Christ glories in we should also glory in and as we should rejoyce in the addition of any one into the number of the Saints amongst us so we should look upon it with mourning and grief of heart that any of that number be taken away and the more useful any man is to the Church the more honorable he should be in your eyes they are vessels of honor sitted for the masters use Now as scandalous professors are spots in your feasts so sincere ones are stars and it is a great abasement and the eclâ—psing of the glory of a Church to have an eminent light put out of it Secondly When the Saints are taken away it 's a dangerous sign that wrath is determined because the Lord takes away and withdraws the pillars of the Earth from off the earth it was a sign that Samson intended the fall of the house when he pluâ—kt down the pillars the Lord doth commonly before judgement come make way for his indignation and one special way by which he doth it is by taking away those that stand in the gap to divert it the Lord may say to Moses let me alone but yet Moses will still wrastle with the Lord but when Moses is gone now who shall strive with God for his people Thirdly All our protection defence and blessing depends upon the Saints that are amongst us for it is by their Covenant that the world stands and that all the Creatures are continued â—n their being and let me tell you after the Lord has gathered in the wheat into his barn it will not be long ere he does burn he chaff with unquenchable fire if he do but once say to his people Come â—e blessed go ye cursed to the wicked they will quickly follow after and therefore they do so bewail the taking away of Elijah as the Chariot of Israel and the horseman thereof their strength and their fence was gone for this is a truth the strength of a Nation next to God lyes in the Saints they are the shields of the earth for if it be for their sakes that the world stands God will provide a place for them of safety when the rest of the world is consuming as we see in Zoar a place may be preserved for the sake of the people of God and indeed they are the partition wall between wicked men and temporal wrath yea and eternal wrath it is the Saints that keep the wicked so long out of hell whatever the world thinks of them they are a blessing to the world Gen. 12.2 Mic. 5.7 as the showers upon the grass are a blessing so are the Saints by their prayers and their Counsels and their pains and their gracious example and holy conversation every way a blessing so that as Nazianzen saith of Iulian when he was smitten and had a wound it was to him indeed Lethale vulnus But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So we may invert it and say this of a saint that dyes 't was indeed a happy wound for him for to be with Christ is best of all but though a saint have advantage by it yet it is a misery to the place to the Church to the Commonwealth where such a one lived â—ea even the whole world is a loser by the death of a saint and therefore Iudah was so sensible of the loss of gracious Iosiah that they made a great publick mourning yea a yeerly mourning for a long time after sine supplicationibus non staret mundus is the Jews proverb the world is upholden by the prayers of the saints Vse Hence learn that the ways of holiness are the best ways for that is the best way that leads a man to the best end there is a double goodness in holy walking First absoluta there is a goodness in it self it being a conformity to the good will of God Secondly There is a goodness in holâ—ness which is respectiva in respect of the end unto which a man is thereby brought and we see finis dat mediis bonitatem amabilem I know that the unworthy would have many prejudices against the ways of holiness the Saints in their lives are afflicted and chastised every moment and they go mourning all the day long and they cannot put themselves in the glory of the world cannot partake of the jollity of the times as he saith spiritus Calvinianus est melancholicus but look not upon their outside but their inside look not upon them in their life but in their death and then let me tell the greatest gallant of you all you will give a world to change estates with them at their death in whose life thou wouldest by no tearms be conformable unto What would Dives have given after all his glory all his delicacy to have changed with Lazarus in his death let it be your work therefore to dye the death of the righteous and to set this the more home upon your spirits take these four considerations 1 Consider the great end why we came into the world was that
to the Crown and he being a gracious man did turn from all the abominations of his fathers and the land having peace for the first ten years of his reign he spent that whole time in reformation in reforming the corruptions of Religion and thought himself as a Magistrate so highly concerned in it that he used his power to take away the Altars of the strange Gods c. and his Authority was not onely destructive as some would allow the Magistrates to destroy what they will so they build nothing but it was astrictive also for he commanded Iacob to seek the Lord God of their fathers and to do his Law and his commandments This glorious work of Reformation being begun for about ten years carryed on never was any great work so begun in this world but mighty mountains of opposition have been raised against it nowhere is an Army of Ethiopians raised against him the greatest that we read of in any story of a thousand thousand chap. 14.9 and though it may be it was not their direct aym to hinder the work of Reformation yet this doubtless was Satans aym in stirring them up for as the aym of the good Angels is beyond that of the Instruments which many times they use Dan 10. last and when I am gone forth lo the Prince of Graecia shall come He shall fight with the Prince of Persia but is over-ruled therein to another end then himself intended So is the aym of the evil Angels also but the Lord who delights in Reformation and loves to see Temple-work go on will not suffer this good work to perish under so great an opposition and therefore this mighty Army shall not stand before a Reforming Prince and a praying people but they were all smitten before the men of Iudah and they returned home to Ierusalem laden with the spoil in great abundance At this time the Lord stirred up the spirit of Azariah the son of Obed who went forth to meet them he preached this Sermon unto the King and unto the victorious Army and he saith hear me O Asa and all Iudah and Benjamin Gods Messengers may require audience and obedience in the Name of God from the greatest men upon earth and that when they were in the height of their prosperity and glory for the Lord hath exalted his word over Nations and kingdoms to root out and to destroy and to build and to plant and it is not the least charge given against Zedechiah that he humbled not himself before Ieremiah the Prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord for though the men dye yet their words wil live and it will asuredly overtake men though they may seem for a while to escape it Zach. 1.6 Did not my words take hold of the fathers the sum of the Prophets Sermon is here laid down in three Doctrinal Propositions First That the Lord is with You whilst you are with Him Secondly If you seek Him He will be found of you Thirdly If you forsake Him He will forsake you Here is a Doctrinal Proposition with a particular Application the Proposition is this That they that do forsake God shall be forsaken of God 2 The Application is that if ye forsake God he will also forsake you that he hath so gloriously delivered and for whom he hath so eminently appeared riding upon the heavens and his excellency on the skye yet if he will turn his hand and consume you after he has done you good this is â—o perish with a double destruction as for a man to dye after he hath had some quickning works upon him is to be twice dead so for a man or a people to perish or be destroyed after the Lord hath done them good and seemed to rejoyce over them this is to perish with a double destruction For the opening of this Doctrine there are four things in the Text which are to be considered First we see that the desertion of a people never begins in God the Lord doth not forsake them till they forsake him There are two sorts of acts that God exercises over men some Actus dominii acts of soveraignty Secondly Actus justitiae the one respects men as creatures the other respects men as sinners Preterition is an act of soveraignty and that begins in God but desertion is an act of Justice and therefore must begin in us for the cause of all punishment the meritorious cause is to be found in the creature and doth begin in us and not in him It s true that all acts of mercy do begin in God and they have no ground in the creature he loves us first he shews mercy freely and what ever he doth it is for his own sake there is nothing in the creature that procures it The rise and foundation of mercy is in himself but acts of Justice have their rise from us for he doth in all judgements cleer this unto the creature that he doth not without cause any thing that he hath done and the Lord saith of all judgements hast thou not procured it to thy self is not this the wages that you have wrought and laboured for is not this the harvest which answers the seed that you have sowen for they that sow to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption c. So that the Lord doth never reject us till we reject him he doth never forsake us till we forsake him Rom. 6.23 the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life but acts of grace begin in God and they are meer gifts but all acts of Justice begin in us and are but the fruits of our own deservings he rejects us because we reject him first c. Secondly it may be supposed that they that have had the Lord much with them and have had great and eminent experience of his presence going with them yet they may forsake the Lord and depart from him Israel did so they forgat God their saviour who had done great things for them in Egypt wondrous works in the land of Ham and terrible things by the Red sea as Psal 10.6,21,22 and they that forget God will quickly forsake God a people may arise unto that foolish confidence in their own present condition that they may say Ier. 2.31 We are Lords we will come no more at thee a strange expression and they may walk towards God as if they were put into such an estate that they should now need God no more but that they could live without him we have now no more need of fasting and praying days of humiliation may now be intermitted for not onely months but yeers together What is this but for a people to say We are Lords we will come no more at thee we have not now the same need of God that we had in times past 2 Chron. 26.15 Vzziah was marvellously helped till he was strong but when he was strong his heart was lifted up unto his own destruction Isa 29.1 there
were but two Tribes returned from Babylon we never read of the return of the ten Tribes They went into Captivity with weeping and with weeping shall they return But if so it shall be sorrow under suffering in the one and under the sight and apprehension of their sin in the other Fifthly the Scripture seems to speak as if the great meanes of their Conversion should not be by the preaching of the Gospel as the Gentile Churches are brought home unto the Lord but that it shall be by sight and by a visible appearance of the Lord Jesus unto them I shall assert nothing possitively in it onely give me leave to set before you some Scriptures that seem fully to speak so much Zach. 12.10 They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn And that it is not barely a spiritual looking upon him with an eye of faith such as the holy Ghost calls Joh. 6.40 Seeing the Son and believing on him but that it is a bodily vision and to see him with bodily eyes for Dan. 7.13 there is the Son of man comming in the clouds of heaven brought to the ancient of days to receive a Kingdome What Kingdom sure his Davidical Kingdom when he shall sit on the throne of his Father David When Christ receives this Kingdom it is not as he receives the spiritual Kingdom and entred upon the administration of the providential Kingdom that was by his sitting down at the right hand of his Father and so enter as man actually upon the administration of all things for its plain that to receive this Kingdom which shall be after the four beasts are destroyed He shall come in the Clouds of Heaven and they shall bring him unto the ancient of dayes he comes attended with the Angels and they bring him unto the ancient of days its true that Gods comming in the Clouds his riding upon the Clouds it s that which notes out the eminent visible glorious appearance of his Majesty but it s the appearance here of Christ as he is the Son of man which I conceive is never found to be so used in the Scripture but at the last day the Lord Jesus shall appear in the clouds when he comes to judgement As spoken of a visible appearance so this also shall be and so much haply is meant Mat. 4.30.31 Then shall appear the sigh of the Son of man in Heaven and then shall ye see the Son of man comming in the clouds of Heaven I know its a perplexing Scripture yet haply is meant this appearance of the Son of man not to judgement but as a signe that the judgement is neer that which they may be as truly assured of as the husband-man can be that the summer is neer when he sees the fig-tree put forth leaves c. and therefore I should rather conceive there is meant the appearance of Christ in the clouds for the conversion of the Iewes and to receive a Kingdom rather then his appearance at the day of judgement when he must shortly give up the Kingdom and I am induced rather to think so because it follows and he will send the Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather together the elect from the four windes Which is I do not conceive to be restreined unto the day of judgement though the Apostle doth so speak also of the general Resurrection 1 Cor. 15.52 The Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised the Lord shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and the trumpet of God 1 Thes 4.16 But when this Trumpet shall sound all the Nations shall be raised bad as well as good Elect as well as Reprobate and they shall all awake unto judgement but this is a Trumpet that gathers onely the Elect from the four winds therefore it seemes that none shall hear this trumpet but the Elect and that it shall sound unto them as such and shall never reach unto the Reprobate and that instruments of mercy or judgement are called Angels is ordinary and that what the Lord doth eminently and publickly and dreadfully make known his glory to them with the sound of a Trumpet is clear Rev. 1.10 4.1 and therefore it may be spoken of the Lords gathering in the Elect of the Iewes having not cast off whom he knew before who are now scattered even into the four windes of Heaven and therefore there is that which seems to incline unto this of the conversion of the Iewes at first shall be by sight and by appearance of the Lord Iesus Christ visibly in the clouds of Heaven and so Pauls conversion should be as the first fruits the Lord setting forth him as a pattern to the whole Nation his conversion was by a sight of Christ from Heaven and a glorious light that shone round about him and so its probable there shall also be but yet not all of them so converted but the Lord will take some of them and make them to be as Priests unto the Lord and they shall declare his glory amongst the Gentiles and shall be instrumental in gathering of them and they shall also bring in their brethren that is say some the unconverted Gentiles which shall be as brethren then all the differences between them being taken away Others more properly refer it unto the Iewes the remainder of them not brought in the first grand conversion of the Nation for it is said They shall bring all their brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all Nations upon Horses and Charriots and upon wild beasts unto my holy mountain So that it may be some of them shall be converted by the appearance of Christ and others of them by the preaching of the Gospel by those that are amongst them converted that their brethren going forth to them and declaring to them the returning of God in wayes of grace unto their Nation and the great things that he hath done for them and so they having a spirit of grace poured out upon them shall also be brought as an offering to the Lord. Sixthly The manner of their calling shall be exceeding eminent and glorious unto the admiration of all Nations that they shall all see how the Lord hath honoured them Esa 60.1 The glory of the Lord is risen upon them Hos 1.11 Great shall be the day of Jisreel it shall be a glorious day that which shall make them honorable in the eyes of all the Nations of the Earth that ten men out of every Nation under Heaven shall lay hold of the scirt of a Jew and shall say we will go with you for we have heard that God is with you Ps 10.2.16 When the Lord shall build up Sion he will appear in Glory they shall have glorious appearances of him such as no people ever had and this shall make them to be the desire of all people as they have had a great day of misery so a great and glorious
to stop their mouthes therefore if you would not have Judgements encreased take heed when you see the Lord appearing for his Church providentially acting the Lord is up then Say to thy own soul Let all flesh be silent before him That is the first looking upon these words as referring to the Churches enemies A word I shall add looking upon these words as referring to the poor distressed Jews who were now returned out of the Land of their Captivity but there was a mighty power of the enemy against them why yet saith the Lord do you keep silence silence your doubtings silence your frettings Silence your doubtings It it said of Abraham Rom. 4.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he did not dispute the business pro and con and truly neither must you if God be up leave the work in his hand leave off your doubtings leave off your doubtings upon conjectures and suppositions That is the first Let all flesh keep silence silence your doubtings Secondly Let all flesh keep silence silence your frettings saith David Psal 39. I kept silence I was dumb saith he for it was thy doings A terrible Judgement befell Aaron two sons were taken away by an immediate stroke from Gods hand and Aaron held his peace his spirit did not rise and discontentedly fret at the present dispensation Oh ye that fear God take heed when the Lord ariseth for his people keep silence before him silence your doubtings silence your fret tings That I press by four considerations and so I shall conclude I beseech you mark them You that fear God that know his name that expect an interest in all that mercy that the Lord intendeth for his people in the latter daies take heed I say that ye keep silence before the Lord. First Consider but this will you contend with God will you I say contend with God in Judgement the Lord challengeth that Who will appoint me a time who will contend with me in Iudgement Will you dispute the business out with God Consider Gods Judgement is the last Judgement and his Judgement is an eternal Judgement from his Sentence there is no appeal it is the worst course that a man could take that is to be Judged to undertake to contend with his Judgement before God therefore take heed of it you cannot contend with God in Judgement Iob 9.32 Secondly should not the Soveâ—aignty of God put you to silence though it may be all the actings of God be not according to your will should not the Soveraignty of God I say stop your mouthes â— hath not the Lord reserved to himself the power of Kingdoms Depoint Reges disponit Regna he it is that disposeth Kings he it is that disposeth Kingdoms now I beseech you observe this seriously this did silence David I was dumb and opened not my mouth it was thy doings truly had I looked barely upon man it was such a thing I could not have born if I had looked only upon instruments but when I looked upon him as my Soveraign and absolute Lord then saith he I was silent before him In the third place consider this A fretful spirit even in Gods own people doth strangely blind their eyes that they cannot see the goodness of God in the mercy but take many times that which is a high and glorious mercy they take it to be a cross and an affliction My Brethren observe envy will strangely hoodwink a man when the hand of the Lord is lifted up they will not see why for their envy at the people they text saith it is an evil frame of spirit in a Christian a froward discontented fretful spirit a spirit ill becoming a Saint your wisdom should hinder it Solomon tels you a man of understanding is of an excellent Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 frigidus spiritu he is a man of a cool spirit a man of understanding a great many men will speak of their understandings and their zeal many times but know that a man of understanding is of a cool spirit Consider the Spirit of Christ comes in the form of a Dove be innocent as Doves without gall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sine felle sine dolo so the word signifies the Dove is without gall as well as without guil and truly that is a spirit becoming a Christian and the want of this my Brethren makes many deny the most glorious actings of God towards his people when many times even an Heathen man a stranger standing by is ready to cry out as he did truly it is a glorious God the God of the Christians Alas they will not look upon it they cannot see it envy I say strangely bleareth the eyes take heed of it therefore In the last place and so I have done Consider doth the wrath of man work the righteousness of God the Apostle S. Iames tels you clearly the contrary certainly you that will maintain Gods cause you must do it by Gods means the Lord needs no carnal weapons no help of any body no fleshly interest to maintain his spiritual cause no I entreat you consider it when if ever you will carry on the cause of God let it be done by the means and with that spirit that God requireth I dare undertake you shall find that of Nazianzen a good rule Nazian Let us be weak that we may overcome I that is the way the way to overcome men or to mannage a cause though you say it is the cause of God I say it is not to be done by humane heats and fleshly animosities therefore this is that I shall leave with you for the present in these five considerations farther and so have done First God hath never set up any authority or way of government but he hath reserved to himself in his providence a power to change it at his pleasure Zach. 21.10 Remove the Diadem take away the Crown God will shew himself to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords Secondly it is his ordinance that there should be a Magistracie they are called the shields of the earth the stay of your tribes the foundations of the earth and it is not good there should be an Anarchie for God hath set Rulers over men some by providence some by promise But yet God sets them over them that should be enough to restrain men of giddy spirits who are like the children of Belial without a yoak therefore let us not go about to pluck up our own bedge and destroy our own foundations Hab. 1.13 The fishes of the Sea have no Ruler over them but devour one another The Persians at the death of their Kings have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on purpose that men might find the evil of it therefore be not unruly boysterous spirits like the raging Sea But be content to submit to the bounds that God hath set you Thirdly though this Government be an Ordinance of God yet the extent and specification of it is but an humane creation 1. Pet. 2.13 〈◊〉
these they adorn Then this is the first Out of him shall come forth the corner Secondly Out of him shall come forth the Nail What is that It is a Metaphor used likewise for Governors You have that clear place in Isa 23.23,25 there is the removing of one bad Governor and the setting up of a good Shebnah is removed Eliakim is exalted the Lord saith of them both they are a Nail fastned in a sure place A Nail fastned in a sure place shall be removed saith the Lord speaking of the displacing of Shebnah and I will fasten him as a Nail in a sure place speaking of the exalting of Elikaim There is a double Analogy or proposition in that Metaphor First Clavibus connectuntur compinguntur inter se trabes the beams of the building are fastned and united by Nails one to another so that the Corner-stone doth not only unite the foundation but the Nails they unite the roof Secondly vasa suspensa pendent upon the Nails all the Vessels hang that is the Metaphor used there I will fasten him as a Nail in a sure place and you shall hang upon him all the glory of his Fathers house the off-spring and the issue all the Vessels even from cups to flaggons all the necessary Utensils of the house they all hang upon this Nail so then the meaning is this That out of Iudah shall come forth a Magistrate who shall be as a corner-stone to support to unite to adorn the Common-wealth of Israel And he shall be as a Nail he shall be for union above as well as a Corner-stone below and upon him all the building of the Common-wealth shall hang even from the highest to the lowest all sorts of Vessels even from flaggons to cups Thirdly Out of him shall come forth the Battle Bow the Bow was an Instrument of war much in use in antient times and therefore is here put for all the weapons of war all their ammunition for and all their discipline of war now the Lord had said before Hos 1.5 I will break the bow of Israel and then there should be no success in any of their undertakings there should not be any instrument of war nor any success in the use of them and so that Zach. 9.10 it s said the Battle-Bow should be cut off from Ierusalem whereas formerly they had no strength for war but fell before their enemies continually and were given to them as a prey it was the Lord had broken the battle-Bow and therefore they did hire in the neighbour Nations for to be their strength and sometimes they are found in the way of Egypt sometimes of Assyria but when the Lord returns unto them in mercy for their deliverance they should have strength of their own against all the neighbour Nations so that out of themselves should come forth the Battle-Bow and they should be successful in war and tread down their enemies as mire in the streets because the Lord is with them So that when the Lord did return to them in mercy he would give them power for and success in war also Fourthly Out of him every Oppressor or Exactor which I put both together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word properly signifies an Exactor or one that gathers taxes or tribute of others Isa 60.17 I will make thy officers peace and thy Exactors righteousness or else the word signifies to exact a mans work as is used of Pharoh task-masters Exod. 3.7 I have heard their cry because of their tack-masters an Exactor of labour and of tribute are both fitly to be understood here for God doth not only deliver his people from the power of the enemy but doth also put the enemies into their power so that they rule over them for that is the promise Isa 14.2 They shall take them for servants and for handmaids they shall take them Captive whose Captives they were and they shall rule over their Oppressors Isa 60.5,6 The Rulers of the Gentiles shall come unto thee the Dromedaries of Midian and the gold of Shebnah They shall bring Gold and Incense The sons of strangers shall build the walls their Kings shall minister unto thee and the Nations that serve thee not shall perish so that they shall not only subdue their enemies but rule over the Nations this shall be the glorious condition of the Church when the Lord shall arise and have mercy on Sion the fulness of which time is not yet come because the whole mysterie of God is not yet finished but it is Lactantius his observation Lactan. de divin praem l. 7. cap. 19 Cadet repente gladius e coelo ut sciant Justi ducem sanctae militiae descensurum There is a great sword fallen from heaven amongst all the Nations of Europe yea even of all the world which shall be a signal to the Saints that the Captain of the Lords host shall surely come unto their full and perfect deliverance and therefore they are to lift up their heads for their redemption draws nigh Bellum saepe renovabit Antichristus saepe vincet donec consectis omnibus Impiis debellatus it is he hath drawn in all the wicked of the earth in his quarrel But that is now the work of the Lord that he is doing making preparation for that great and last battle the battle Armageddon and you will find a confederacy of all those of the Popish Interest and that have received the mark either in the right hand or in the forehead and they shall some on one account and some on another be engaged that they may perish together and then the Kingdoms and Dominions under the whole earth shall be given to the Saints of the most high But that is not until the fourth Beast be destroyed The God of heaven shall set up a Kingdom by it self and after the destruction of the fourth monarchy and therefore that which now doth hinder the setting up the Kingdom of God in the world shall be destroyed with an utter destruction This I conceive to be the meaning of the words You have then in these words the state of the people set forth after their deliverance what it shall be and that is double Look upon them first in statu Politico and afterwards in statu Polemico First in reference to their Politick state so saith the Lord they shall never want a Governor a faithful Magistrate but he shall be to them as the Corner and as the Nail their enemies shall rule over them no more the Scepter shall no more depart from Judah they shall have those of their own that shall be able to uphold the Government and unite the Common-wealth Secondly look upon them in statu Polemico so he saith Out of him shall go forth the Battle-Bow they shall have all sotts of war-like provisions in themselves and they shall be very successful in war they shall tread down their enemies and they shall rule over their oppressors These are the promises that the
Lord makes of a glorious estate unto his people after their deliverance But it is the first only that I am to speak to as being only proper for the present occasion Out of him shall come forth the corner Doct. The Observation that I shall deliver to you from thence is this When the Lord returns to his people in mercy he will give unto them Governors that shall support them that shall be for the supporting for the uniting and for the adorning of the Common wealth I say when the Lord returns to a people in mercy he will give unto them Governors that shall be for the support the uniting and adorning of the Common-wealth Here are but two things that the time will give me leave to speak to Therefore I shall omit the third I shall shew you that when the Lord returns to a people in mercy he gives them such Governors as support the Common-wealth they shall be as the Corner-stone upon which the weight of the building may lie Secondly he doth give them such Governors as shall be as the Corner stone that may unite the Common-wealth I shall begin with the first First good Magistrates are as the Corner-stone to support the Common-wealth it is true all the stones in the building do conduce to the upholding thereof for as it is in the spiritual building so it is in the Politick men are built as living stones but I say the main weight of it lies upon the Corner-stone because the weight of the building the burden of all lies upon the Magistrate therefore I say he is here resembled to a Corner-stone Now that a Magistrates business is to uphold the Common-wealth take notice of these four denominations in the Scripture First Magistrates are called the foundations of the earth Psal 82.5 and Mich. 6.2 where he speaks of the oppression of Magistrates he saith all the foundations of the earth are out of course I have said yee are Gods why you that are the foundations of the earth to pull up Magistracy is to pluck up all by the foundation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly they are called the breath of your Nostrils Lam. 4.20 the breath of our Nostrils it is spoken of Zedekiah who was an evil Prince yet he hath this honourable title given him by the Prophet it is as possible for a man to live without breath as it is for a Common-wealth to subsist without Magistracy Thirdly they are called the shoulders upon which all the weight is born Isa 22. I will give him the key of the house of David I will lay the key of the house of David upon his shoulders a key is Symbolum potestatis an emblem of Government Now saith the Lord I will not put the key in his hand but I will lay it upon his shoulders Isa 9.6 Unto us a child is born the Government is upon his shoulder Principes mundani onus gubernandi rejiâ—iunt in humeros servorum it is but to let you see the weight of Government therefore it must be laid upon the shoulder and men must lay their shoulders to it In the last place Magistrates are called the Arms of the people the Arms of Moab are broken Ier. 48.25 I am not able to bear this people alone saith Moses Moses had not Arms sufficient to bear such a weight My beloved the great burden of all I say lies upon the Governors they are the Arms by which the people are born up Unus tantum subditus in Civitate Magistratus est Luther saith Luther there was but one subject in a City and that is the Magistrate the weight of all yes upon him And it must needs be so if you take his reason for he saith Ante peccatum Politia nulla fuit politia est remedium necessarium naturae corruptae all civil Government was but a necessary remedy that was brought in for corrupt nature Now if it be a remedy against corrupt nature the burdens of corrupt nature are exceeding many in so much as the Lord himself complains in Amos 2.13 I am pressed under your abominations as a Cart that is full of Sheaves therefore I say the weight of all the supporting of all lies upon the Magistracy they are the corner-stone upon whom the weight of the building lies But the great enquiry will be how are Magistrates the corner-stone of the Common-wealth how do they or how must they support the Common-wealth that their duty may answer their dignity that they may indeed prove corner-stones I shall give you five directions as briefly as I may First that the Magistrate may be a corner-stone to support the building he must take care that he uphold Religion that must be his first that must be his great care that which should be mainly in our eye in praying for them should be chiefly in their eye in practising 1 Tim. 2.2 Pray for Kings and those that are in Authority that you may lead a peaceable and a quiet life in godliness and honesty peace without godliness is but a vain and a mock-peace but because now this is made a controversie I shal offer three considerations which truly are to me unanswerable that the Magistrate is to take care of Religion Nay his great care his first care is to be of that pray observe them well because you are every where told now Magistrates have nothing to do with matters of Religion In the first place every Magistrate ought to rule with God Hosea 11. ver ult Judah rules with God the throne of the Magistrate is therefore called the throne of God When Constantine was exalted to the seat of the Empire it is said he was taken up into the throne of God Rev. 12.5 then the great care of Magistrates must be that they do not rule alone but that they have God to rule with them it is true the most high rules in the Kingdoms of mortal men Dan. 4.17 but he rules but as he doth rule in the Kingdom of the Devils he rules but by a way of providence but you that fear God should endeavour that God should rule among you as he rules among his Saints in waies of grace in waies of grace I say Now I beseech you consider let Religion be neglected or corrupted presently God forsakes that people Look but into the 10. and 11. Chapters of the prophesie of Ezekiel it is true the Lord doth not remove all at once but the glory of the Lord goes up first from the Cherubims to the threshold of the house from the threshold of the house to the midst of the City and from â—he City to the Mountains my Brethren if the glory of God leave your Ordinances once be well assured he will leave your City next the next move is that therefore whatsover you do if you would rule with God take heed that by this means he be not provoked to depart for a Magistrate ruling alone and a Minister preaching alone
corner-stone to a Nation or to a Common wealth or to a Ciâ—y when you do thus uphold them And that is the first thing The Corner-stone aedificium sustinet it upholds the building I would speak something of the second the Corner-stone aedificium continet it unites it Magistrates are not only to sustain and to uphold but they are to unite Magistrates be called Healers Isa 3.7 they must bind up the wounds of the people The Lord Jesus Christ it is his glory and work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth unite them all under one Head things in Heaven and things in earth Eph. 2.20,21 in Adamo nos omnes uni sumus Prosp that as in the first Adam so it is true in the second Adam it is in him they are made one and united The Corner stone is to unite as well as to support Oh But you will say to me It is union that we all long for we are a divided people shall we alwaies eat the flesh of our own arms shall Ephraim be against Manasseh and Manasseh against Ephraim and both against Judah still The staff of bonds is broken amongst us shall it alwaies remain broken what way is there that there might be a healing in this that this breach might be made up Why truly the hand of the Ruler must be first in this thing that the mercy may be called by his name the hand of the Ruler must be first in it you that are the Corner stones must unite the building you talk of perswading the people to unite I say the hand of the Ruler must be first in the union I but you will say how can that be I beseech you let me give you a few directions and then I shall from all make a short Application and conclude The waies of union are these five and I desire you that are in Authority to lay them to heart In the first place Religion is the great bond of union therefore I say let it be your great care that there be a unity in Religion the greatest breach is in that Odia-religionum sunt accrbissima no breach like that You shall see what began a breach between Israel and Judah it was Religion upon a Politick respect when God rent the Kingdom from the house of Rehoboam but observe the Politick difference might have been made up and Jeroboam out of his Devilish subtilty foresaw it 1 King 12.17 he saith if the people go up to Jerusalem to worship their hearts will turn again to the house of David saith he The Politick difference would have been made up therefore saith he I will make them two Calves one in Dan and the other in Bethel and this shall set them at a perpetual distance the difference the Politick difference might have been made up the State difference but the difference in Religion would never therefore this was the way to divide them perpetually If ever you will unite the people there must be your foundation So the Lord begins when he will unite his people Zach. 14.9 Iehovah shall be one and his name one you shall have but one God and you shall worship him one way by one name Now you have many Gods and many names Ichovah shall be one and his name one Ier. 32.39 I will give them one heart and one way one way in what one way in Religion that is the main thing he speaks of or as the Prophet saith Zeph. 3.9 They shall serve the Lord with one shoulder I desire therefore that no man would take delight in keeping up differences in matters of Religion take heed of it either upon this ground because you look upon it as policy to uphold parties or else it may be because you dare not displease either party take heed of it I say be valiant for the truth upon earth in this contend earnestly for the faith once given to the Saints usually a girdle was an ornament belonging to the Magistrates in former times it is fit for those that are Rulers to wear it still have your loins girt about with truth Eph. 6.14 Beloved it is true I expect not that all men shall be of one mind one judgement I know men see with different light and I know that while the smoke of the Temple lasteth as it shall be during the pouring out of the Vials Rev 15. I know the Sea of glass will be mingled with fire but in this you should be of one mind you must be in the fundamentals that without which there can be no Religion no Christianity he that speaketh against these openeth his mouth wide against Heaven Neither say I that the Magistrates judgement in this should be the rule as some men suggest then you will have the Magistrates judgement to rule in matters of Religion No we have a sure word of prophecy and we know this sure word of prophecy is not dark in that in things necessary The Apostle tels us plainly there is a pattern of wholsom words to which we must keep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and though it is true the grossest errors in the world would shroud themselves under Scripture and flie thither for a refuge saith Iustine Martyr Justine Mâ—…r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a man expounds the Scripture secundum sensum non quem legit sed quem Attulit August August they would offer violence to the Scripture they would flie thither for refuge but upon examination it would appear that the Scripture gives no such shelter Well that is the first thing if you would unite the great body unite in Religion Let Ichovah be one and his name one Secondly if Magistrates would unite the people then take heed agree amongst your selves if you would have union amongst the people I say agree amongst your selves if the Corner-stones once fall asunder you may easily expect many cracks in the building differences amongst Governors must needs cause strange distractions among the people for they are generally led by parties and personal respects therefore if you would heal this breach now which you all seem to complain of begin with your selves Physitian heal thy self heal your own differences first all divisions amongst your selves this is the way the Lord takes in Hos 1. ult he saith they shall appoint to themselves one Head they should have many Governors united all under the Lord Jesus Christ they should be all under one head I beseech you consider it how comes it to pass then Governors in their Politick meetings meet with as great confusion as they did in their Church Ecclesiastical meetings 1 Cor. 14.26 how is it saith the Apostle that every one hath a Psalm and every one a Doctrine and every one hath a Revelation and every one hath an Interpretation let all be done to edifying every man did seek to shew his gifts and to lay out his own parts without all respect to the edification of the Church So many times it proveth in Politick meetings too It is good advice
which he is called I shall now in the Apostles words give you a charge before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall â—udge quick and dead at his appearing and in his Kingdom that you do this without partiality without respect of persons making choice of such a one of such persons as may be fit and best suitable in your consciences unto those great ends that have been named to support and unite the building I but you will say What manner of persons must they be what manner of men must they be now that will be fit for this great work Truly I shall but make choice barely of that direction laid clearly down Exod. 18.21 the common rule for Magistrates which I shall briefly offer to your consideration and conclude They were to choose Governors under Moses because he could not bear the people alone now saith he chuse you able men fearing God men of truth hating covetousness mark ye First I say make choice of men fearing God have not respect to riches so much or to seniority so much where there is not piety Let that be the great thing you have in your eye For I beseech you consider they that have not given themselves unto God they will never govern for God they will never give up themselves to the publick good who have not in that great work of Regeneration denyed themselves they can never do it and therefore I say it is the greatest wrong you could do such a man to chuse him to an eminent place for what do you do You do but put into his hands a far greater occasion an opportunity of sinning Besides I beseech you consider if they have not the fear of of God in their hearts they will not have the presence of God in their Government I say if they have not the fear of God in their hearts they will not have the presence of God in their Government and surely they will never rule well that rule without God in stead of being a Corner to support the Common-wealth truly they will be a means to destroy it Therefore that is the first thing have respect unto godliness let them be men fearing God those that have first given themselves to God and then when they have given themselves to Gods service they will give themselves to yours but never else Secondly The second direction that is there given is they must be men of courage able men you read it it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Original it signifies strength either of body or mind they must be men of stout and resolute Spirits Magistrates meet many times with matters of great difficulty sometimes they be ill looked upon by them that are above them sometimes they are ill spoken of by them that are below them Now I say this will require a stoutness and resolution of spirit that a man shall not flatter the one nor he shall not strive to please the other but go on in his duty and not turn aside neither to the right nor to the left hand I told you Magistrates are called the Shields of the earth a Shield is a venterous weapon receiveth all the Darts and I say he had need be a stout-spirited man that must undertake such an employment he must be a man of courage that he may not for fear of them above him nor that he may please them below him he may not step by or beyond his duty He may dispise the murmurs of the multitude and he maâ— say Bene facere male audire regium est Seneca Seneca It is the property indeed of a noble Spirit for if you should chuse now a weak-hearted man one that is not able to encounter with difficulties but is afraid of the appearance of every danger when any opposition presents it self his heart faileth and he will be ready to turn with every wind you have seen woful experience thereof therefore I say the next thing as to be a man fearing God so in the next place let him be a man of courage a man of strength and resolution of Spirit In the third place let him be a man of truth chuse men of truth that is not only men that love the truthes of God and are valiant for the truth upon earth in that respect but men that love truth in judgement men that love to execute true judgement as the expression is My Beloved a false Judgement is a lye to Authority and therefore the greater transgression I say a wrong Judgement is a lye to Authority and therefore the greater transgression there is a great deal of Art not only in sinning but in concealing Micah 7.3 So they wrap it up sometimes the forgery of a witness sometimes the subtilty of a pleader there is a mist cast before the eye of the Magistrate and truly by this means many times wrong judgement proceedeth from him which now if he be not a man that loves truth he will never be diligent to search out the cause and therefore that is the third thing Chuse men of Truth And then in the last place Let them be men hating covetousness hating covetousness not only he must not be a covetous man but must be a man that hateth covetousness Certainly my Beloved that man that is greedy of gain will transgress for a morsel of bread the poorest circumstances will turn this man out of the way of Judgement a gift blindeth the eyes Deut. 16.19 truly the man cannot see with his own eyes he cannot see with the eyes of the Law nor he cannot pronounce the Sentence of the Law surely men will never take care for the publike profit so long as their eyes are set upon their own private gain it was an old observation of Salvian Salvian Dives potestas pauperem facit Rempublicam a rich Magistrate commonly makes a poor Common-wealth who make it their business to serve themselves upon it Therefore in an especial manner these are the directions I give you and I lay it upon your consciences in the name of the Lord that you make choice of such a one and that will serve for those high and glorious ends that hath been mentioned to us to support and to unite the building by this means my Beloved the Lord shall be with them and with you in their Government and by this means your City shall be called a City of righteousness a faithful City And so much now shall serve for the opening to you this first branch of the Text how to support and unite Let us look up to God for a blessing Perfect CLEANSING 2 COR. 7.1 Having therefore these Promises dearly Beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthyness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God THE Apostle having in the former Chapter exhorted the believing Corinthians to abstain from all Communion and fellowship with Idolaters and having pressed the Exhortation with divers Arguments he comes at last to mention those
soul to feed upon in the expectation of mercy he gave them to be meat to his people in the wilderness Psal 74.14 so former Judgements are meat also for the soul to feed upon in the expectation of future for the wrath of God breaking in upon a people is like a breach in awall where the enemy will be sure with all violence to break in if no man stand in the gap to make resistance impossibile a patente porta iram Dei non procedere For by a lesser Judgement God makes way for his anger for a perfect and an utter ruine Psaul 78.50 Let us see whether the same way be not made with us as it was with them First all Nations about them were against them Ier. 12.9 Mine inheritâ—nce is as a speckled Bird the Birds round about her are against her as a strange Bird seldom seen the Birds usually fall upon and set themselves against her if we did wisely consider the estate of this Kingdom how it is a speckled bird and how the Nations about her are against her as a strange bird it were easy to conceive and what expectations most of them have from the present state of things amongst us it is not hard to guess Secondly the general corruption and decay of truth and wisdom of men in places of greatest trust their silver becomes dross and their wine mixed with water Isa 1.22 their Judges and Officers and men in authority growing daily more and more corrupt the best of them is a Briar Mich. 7.4 that is a poor man flies to them for shelter as a sheep to a thorny hedge and instead of defending they do fleece him in and what follows the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh now shall be their perplexity what hath been the condition of this state we all know how servants have ruled over us and there was none to deliver us out of their hands men of servile birth and education and servile spirits in so much that there hath been no peace either to him that went out or to him that came in for God did vex us with all adversity 2 Chron. 15.6 Thirdly the subversion of fundamental Laws of the Kingdom which the Scripture calls the foundation upon which a Kindom stands which was a bitter complaint of the Church of God in this state all the foundations of the earth were out of course Psal 82.5 what invasions have been made upon us and our Laws hath been abundantly of late discovered and Solomon tells us that he that breaks a hedge a Serpent shall bite him Eccl. 10.8 he speaks it of this hedge by which a people are defended and kept several that all do not become first a Common and then a Wilderness Lastly private and intestine divisions amongst us the fore-running of Gods last and fiercest wrath upon that people Ephraim against Manassch and both against Iudah Isa 9. ult which the Lord saith is as if one member in the same body should be injurious to another as if a man should eate the flesh of his own arm and how far the wrath of God is at present stretched forth against this Nation we all know and complain of what secret whisperings and murmurings what jealousies and fears there are one of another and what parties and how for these divisions there do arise great thoughts of heart we can never sufficiently bewail which doth continnally threaten that the Lord will take us and dash us one against another as Potters Vessels These were the fore-runners of Judgement with this Nation which did show them that the time of Judgement was at hand and these are now the sins of the times which may justly occasion us to conceive that the time of Judgement is at hand let it not be our sin which is here reproved as theirs that we should not know the time of the Judgement of the Lord. Vse Use for direction only in five things First not to know the time is misery enough therefore men are taken suddenly unawares insnared in an evil time as birds in an evil share and as fishes in an evil net Eccl. 9.12 Secondly that you may know the time to improve this promise Whosoever keepeth the Commandment shall find no evil a wise mans heart shall discern time and Iudgement Eccl. 8 5. Thirdly a wise man foresees the evil and hides himself but fools pass on and are punished Prov. 22.3 First by a work of humiliation Hab. 3.16 When I heard my belly trembled rottenness entred into my bones I trembled in my self that I might rest in the evil day Secondly a work of reformation Zeph. 2.3 Seek righteousness seek meeknesâ— it may be you may be hid in the day of the Lords wrath Thirdly improve all the promises that perfection to which you are called Isa 26 ult come my people enter into your chambers the Promises and Attributes are the chambers of the godly but you must come into them else they will afford no shelter upon all the glory shall be a defence Fourthly be much in prayer to lay in for this time will be profitable for you for know prayer never proves ineffectual to a spiritual end it never in this respect comes too late because God never comes too late 1 King 18.45 Luke 21.36 Watch therefore and pray continually that you may be accounted worthy to escape all those things that shall come to pass fidelibus orationibus Deum ambimus coelum tundimus Fifthly betake thy self to the mediation of Christ Mich. 5.5 for this man shall be the peace when the enemy comes into the Land he is a refuge from the storm a defence from the wind a river of water in a dry place and the shaddow of a great Rock in a weary Land Isa 52.2 therefore return you to your strong holds you prisoners of hope Zach. 9.12 Remember his name is Shilo the peace-maker and he is so called everywhere when the Scepter departs from Judah Gen. 49.9 there must needs be nothing but trouble yet then he is the peace-maker then doth Shilo come