a good man may make use of the World he may make use of the world in reference to the persons of the world in reference to the things of the world In regard of the persons of the world So Abraham and Isaac did make use of Abimelech so Jacob did make use of Laban so the Israelites did make use of the Egyptians so the Jews did make use of the Heathen Cyrus Darius Artaxerxes for the building of the House of God Plainly then a good man may make use of the world the persons of the world And as he may make use of the persons of the world so he may make use of the things of the world for they are his own All things are yours whether Paul or Apollo things present and things to come life and death all things are yours And who may not make use of his own If a friend should send a man a gift it would be accounted an incivility and unthankfulness not to make use thereof Why truly as for the things of this world they are Gods gift The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh They are Gods gift And will it not be accounted an incivility towards God and an unthankfulness towards God not to make use of this his gift that he hath given us May not a Traveller make use of those things in his journey that are meet and necessary for him in his journey he may We are all Travellers to another Country we are upon our journey so far therefore as things are necessary for our journey we may make use thereof The Lord would have Adam himself to be imployed in the state of Innocency in the things of the world Six daies shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do And the Apostle in his second Epistle to the Thessalonians Chap. 3. v. 11. shews that those are busie-bodies whose bodies are not busie We hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly working not at all but are busie bodies working not at all but work in anothers ground busie bodies because their bodies are not busie See how they go here together working not at all but are at work where they should not work those whose bodies are not busie will be busie bodies And is it not an evil thing to be a busie body 't is so therefore we must work How can we work if we do not make use of the world and the things thereof So that plainly then we see the first thing clear'd A good man may make use of the world both in reference to the persons of the world and in reference to the things of the world A good man may make use of the world 2. But secondly though we may make use of the world we must use the world as though we used it not not regarding it too much not setting our affections upon it too much not spending too much time upon the world and the things thereof For look as wicked men do use the things of God and of the other world so a good man should use the things of this world Why now a wicked man doth use the things of God as if he us'd them not pray as if he prayed not and hear as if he heard not why because his mind is upon other things Why truly so the minds of the Saints are or should be upon other things Set your affections on things that are above 'T is a good speech that an Antient hath saith he As good men are where they yet are not namely in heaven so they are not where they now are namely on earth for your conversation is in heaven Though your communication be here on earth yet your conversation is in heaven and if heaven be our object earth will be our abject Few I confess that live at this rate to use the world as if they us'd it not But is there not reason good reason for it let 's see the reasons Is there not good reason for it yes For First If the world and the things thereof be so our own as if they were not our own then why should we not use the world and the things thereof as if we us'd them not why now though the things of the world are our own in regard of propriety yet if you look into the sixteenth of Luke you will find that they are called not our own ver 11. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous Mammon who will commit to your trust the true riches and if ye have not been faithful in that which is another mans who will give you that which is your own That which is another mans that 's the same with the unrighteous Mammon who shall give unto you that which is your own spiritual things are our own the things of God are here call'd our own properly that is our own which we can carry up and down with us omnia mea mecum porto that is our own which we can carry away with us out of the world with us that 's truly our own But now as for the things of this world they have wings yea Solomon saith they make themselves wings If you clip their wings they will grow again they make themselves wings and fly away and they have the wing of an Eagle strong wings for to fly away Now if that the things of this world be so our own as if they were not our own why should we not use the world as if we us'd it not Secondly If the things of this world be and are as if they were not why should we not use them as if we us'd them not In the 23 of the Proverbs Solomon saith that they are not why shouldest thou let thine eyes fly upon that which is not They are not and if that they be as if they were not why should we not use them as if we us'd them no Thirdly If it be not in the power of any creature in this world for to help us or to hurt us to do either good or evil to us why then should we not use the world as if we us'd it not you know Psa 62. 10. If riches encrease set not your hearts upon them why God hath spoken once twice and I heard it that power belongs to God 'T is not in the power of riches or any creature in the world to do us either hurt or help In Isa 41. it s made Gods Prerogative Shew the things that are to come hereafter v. 23. That we may know that ye are Gods do good or do evil do good or do evil if ye will shew your selves O ye Idols to be Gods then do good or do evil this is Gods great Prerogative to help or to hurt its Gods prerogative 't is not in the power of any creature for to help or hurt now if it be not in the power of any creature for to help or hurt why should we not use the world and the things thereof as if we us'd them not
Countrey man comes to London upon some business that doth concern him nearly in his life why will he run up and down the City for to see things Go and see the Lyons and the Bears and not mind and dispatch his business Or if a Citizen go into the Country about some business that concerns his life will he run up and down the Closes for to catch Butter-flyes and to gather Cowslips when all his time is but little enough for to do his business in Surely no we are upon our life and we are upon our Eternity and upon this little spot and moment of time hangs our Eternity what shall we â—un up and down catching Butterflyes gathering Cowslips running up and down to see the Lyons and the Bears and our business undone and our time but little All the time that we have is little enough to make our Calling and Election sure All the time we have is little enough for the preparing for our great change The Devil doth improve his time upon this score We read in the Revelations that the Devil is come down with great wrath for his time is short Shall the Devil improve his time because it is but short in a way of mischief And shall not we improve our time seeing it is but short Our time is short therefore let us use the World as though we used it not But then secondly as for the second Reason Use the World as if we used it not we must For the fashion of this world passeth away The fashion of this World 't is but a Scheme it is but a piece of Pageantry it is but a Stage one goes off and another comes on Take the World in the bravest dress and it is but a Fashion And as that 's a Fashion to day which was not yesterday that 's a Fashion to day which is none to morrow Fashions pass away So the Fashion of the World passeth away Joseph was in favour greatly with his Father and that favour past away His Brethren sold him then he was in an afflicted condition being sold down to Egypt That fashion past away he came into Potiphars house and there he had favour Well there he had favour a little time and that fashion past away then thrown into the Prison and there he was in a sad condition again and that Fashion past away he had favor with the Jaylor And then he came to the Throne to be the great Councellor of the Nation and that lasted â—ot long but that past away What piece of the world is there but the fashion thereof passeth away Will you instance in the strongest natural piece of the World or the civil moral piece of the World or the sinful fashion of the World or the Religious fashion of the World or the comfortable fashion of the World First for the natural piece the Fashion of the World what stronger piece of the World than the Heavens and Earth Now Read what is said in the first of the Hebrews v. 10 11. Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the Foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the works of thine hands They shall perish but thou remainest and they all shall wax old as doth a Garment and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up and they shall be changed but thou art the same as the Heb. in the Psalmes But thou art he But thou art the same and thy years shall not fail but as for them though these things be brusht over a little as a vesture shalt thou fold them up and they shall be changed The nap of all these things the fashion of all these things it will pass away Or will you instance in the civil moral part of the world that fashion thereof What more desirable thing is there in all the world than friendship a true friend to an ingenuous heart there is nothing in this world more desirable than friendship Will you see how that passeth away In Psa 88. v. 8. Thou hast put mine acquaintance far from me thou hast made me an abomination unto them It passeth away indeed an abomination to friends thou hast put mine acquaintance far from me thou hast made me an abomination to them See how it sticks upon his heart he comes over again in v. 18. Lover and friend hast thou put far from me and mine acquaintance into darkness See how the fashion of thiâ— piece of the world passes away Will you instance in the sinful fashions of the world why it may be the poor people of God they are in a mourning habit in a mournful fashion and the enemies of the people of God they are in a very brave and a gallant fashion you shall see how this fashion passes away in Isa 51. 7. Hearken unto me ye that know righteousness the people in whose heart is my Law fear ye not the reproach of men neither be ye afraid of their revilings for the Moth shall eat them like a garment They are brave fellows and they are in a very brave and a gallant fashion but the moth shall eat them up like a garment and the worm shall eat them like wooll but my righteousness shall be for ever and my salvation from generation to generation As for the redeemed of the Lord at v. 11. But the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto Sion and everlasting joy shall be upon their head They shall obtain gladness and joy and sorrow and mourning shall flee away That fashion that their mourning habit shall off and that fashion shall pass away Or will you instance in the Religion piece and part of the world and the fashion thereof You know what is said in Heb. 12. v. 26. Once more I shake not the earth only but also heaven speaking of the Jewish Worship the Religious part and this word yet once more signifies the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made that those things that cannot be shaken may remain Indeed saith he we have received a Kingdom wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved Indeed the Kingdom of the Gospel it cannot be moved and the gates of hell shall never prevail against the Church of God in the general but the fashion of particular Churches may pass away and be broken What a famous Church was Coloss in the daies of the Apostle but O thou Coloss where art thou now What a famous Church was the Church of the Thessalonians where is the Church of the Thessalonians now this Tabernacle is pull'd down particular Churches though the Kingdom of Christ shall go on and shall prevail particular Churches may be scattered and the fashion thereof may pass away Or will you instance in that which you call the comfortable part of the world What 's that of all things you take the most comfort in your Relations the Husband in the Wife and Parent in the Child the fashion of these passeth away Children pass away Husbands pass
us'd it not thereby I say you shall have the world and have it in more abundance Yea thereby you shall have it in a better edition in a better impression the world and the things thereof sanctified unto you use the world as if you us'd it not and the things thereof as if you us'd them not you shall have them in a better edition sanctified to you Yea thereby you shall have that which is better than all you shall have the mind of Christ And we hope we have the mind of Christ saith the Apostle we believe we have the mind of Christ who have the mind of Christ saith David in Psa 119. Lord saith he I am a stranger in this earth hide not thy Commandments from me Here 's his argument in Isa 28. Whom shall he teach knowledge v. 9. And whom shall he make to understand Doctrine them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts them shall he teach knowledge and them shall he make to understand doctrine I 'le say no more but this thereby you shall be happy indeed use the world as if you us'd it not and thereby you shall be happy Who is the happy man in the world He 's an happy man that can contemn and be contemned saith the Heathen Seneca He 's the happy man in the world that can use the world as if he us'd it not And yet again I le repeat that Thereby you shall be fit to suffer in suffering times Suffering times are upon us and by using the world as if we us'd it not you shall be fit to suffer And therefore again I say As you do desire that you may be fit to suffer in suffering times That you may be happy That you may have the mind of Christ That you may have the things of the world in a better Edition That you may have them in more abundance That you may know how to want and part wiâ—â— all things easily Now use the world as if you used it not And if nothing else will do I beseech you take these two Arguments that the Apostle here uses and lay them with all their weight upon your Souls lay them with your experience Beloved this I must say to you The Holy Ghost doth never spend reasons in vain the Holy Ghost hath no wast of reasons in Scripture Here are two Reasons The time is short Use the world as if you us'd it not For the time is short Use the world for the Fashion of the world passeth away 'T is Scripture reason and there is no waste in it and therefore lay it unto your own experience And if you desire now to get this holy frame of Spirit and to use the world as if you us'd it not go and say unto your own Souls Come O my Soul why should I not use the world as if I us'd it not indeed the time is short Ah the time of our opportunity is short The time of our Spiritual enjoyment is short The time of this life is short The time is short O my Soul and therefore why should I not use the world as if I us'd it not And come O my Soul the Fashion of this world passeth away And this I have experience of witness all the Revolutions of these later times how the Fashion of all things hath past away We have seen in these late Revolutions the Fashion of this world passeth away and therefore come O my Soul why should you not use the world as if you us'd it not You have now Riches it passeth away Relations pass away And Friends pass away And Creature-Comforts they pass away The Fashion of this world it passeth away and therefore O my soul now use the world as if you us'd it not Thus the Apostle speaks this is his Argument and these are his Arguments And so say I Brethren and Beloved The time is short It remaineth therefore that both they that have Wives be as though they had none And they that weep as though they wept not And they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not And they that buy as though they possessed not And they that use this world as not abusing it For the Fashion of this world passeth away SERM. VI. Mens VVrath against God's People shall turn to Gods Praise Psal 76. 10. Surely the Wrath of man shall praise thee the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain IN this Psalm we have a Declaration of the Majesty and glorious appearance of God in and for his Church and people In Judah is God known his Name is great in Israel in Salem also is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Sion ver 1 2. Where God appears as a Captain and General unto his people and as a Judg. As a Captain and General therefore in ver 3. There In Syon brake he the Arrows of the Bow the Shield and the Sword and the Battel Thou art more glorious and excellent then the Mountains of prey At thy rebuke O God of Jacob both the Chariot and Horse are cast into a dead sleep As a Judg at ver 8. Thou didst cause Judgment to be heard from Heaven the Earth feared and was still When God arose to Judgment to save all the meek of the earth But if God do thus appear to and for and with his people why doth he suffer the wrath and anger of men to be so much against his people Why he answers it in ver 10. Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee the remainder of wrath thou shalt restrain Though God do suffer the Enemies of his people to be very angry and wrathful with his people yet that wrath of theirs shall turn unto the praise of God and the remainder of their wrath God will restrain From whence then I take up this Observation Observ Though there be a great deal of anger or wrath in the hearts of men against the people of God Yet God will either turn their wrath unto his own praise or restrain their wrath For the clearing and prosecuting whereof two things will fall under our consideration First That there is a great deal of wrath and anger in the hearts of men against the people of God Secondly That this wrath God will either turn to his praise or restrain the same First of all There is a great deal of wrath and anger in the hearts of men against the people of God A great deal of anger so much anger as doth amount to wrath for wrath is the height of anger Now the men of the world they are wrath with the people of God not only angry but wrathfully displeased Psal 124. Had not the Lord bin on our side when men rose up against us then they had swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us There is not only Wrath in their hearts against the people of God but such wrath as doth amount to Rage For as wrath is the height of Anger so Rage is the height of
upon that Many shall be deceived and Many shall be offended and the love of Many shall grow cold But He that shall endure to the end But yet an He Why should we be afraid and discouraged in reference to the Cause of God and the Affairs of the Church It may be we think few or none will stand in this dark and gloomy day few or none will stand But I pray now have you cast up the account how many are wanting upon the Muster In the 14. Rev. In the 7th chap. The Saints are mustered before they go into the times of Anti-christ ver 4. And I heard the number of them which were sealed and there were sealed 144000. And then in the 8 9 10 11 12. chapters comes in the times of Anti-christ and bloody times Now in the 14. chap. vers 1. They are accounted over after the times of Anti-christ and how many are wanting And I looked and lo a Lamb stood on the Mount Sion and with him 144000. having his Fathers Name written in their foreheads here 's not one wanting Christ will lose not one not oâ—e lost By all the persecution of Anti-christ thâ— Church shall not lose one In the letter end here 's just as many to a One as was in the beginning We think few or none will stand in these daies So Eliah thought And I only am left alone but he was deceived There 's 7000. men that will not bow the knee to Baal And so we may think few or none will stand but we may be deceived God hath his seven thousands that we know not off Though but few yet enough Christ will alwaies have enough to bear witness to his Truth in the darkest times Two Witnesses This for their Number But then Secondly As for their qualification For their quality These are the two Olive trees at the 4. verse I shall speak to all these things within the compass of my Doctrine And the two Candle-sticks standing before the God of the Earth Wat's that These are the Olive-trees Why if you look into Zech. from whence this is taken you shall find the two Olive-trees are the godly Magistrates and Ministers by whose assistance the golden Oyl is emptied into the Candle-sticks and Lamps Having spoken of the Candlestick of gold at the 2d vers of that 4. of Zech. And of two Olive-trees by it at the 3d. vers At the 11. verse Then answered I and said unto him what are these two Olive-trees upon the right side of the Candlestick and upon the left side thereof And I answered again and said unto him what be these two Olive-branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden Oyle out of themselves And he answered me and said knowest thou not what these be And I said No my Lord Then said he These are the two annointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole Earth The two annointed ones What 's that?-Why the Magistrates were annointed and the High-Priests were annointed Zerubbabel and Joshua were the two annointed ones That stand by the Lord of the whole Earth What 's that that are publick Ministers So then these two Olive-trees are the godly Magistrate and the godly Minister But what are the two Candlesticks These are the two Olive-trees and the two Candlesticks Our Saviour tells you that the seven Golden Candlesticks are the seven Churches They were seven Now in Anti-christian times reduced to a lesser company two Candlesticks Though as I said before Christ will lose none in the latter times yet in Antichristian times reduced unto two These are the two Candlesticks Christ tells you the Candlesticks are the Churches So then put this together Would you know what these two Olive trees are and the two Candlesticks They are the godly Magistrate and godly Minister in conjunction with the Saints of God and Churches of Christ The two Olive-trees are the godly Magistrate and the Ministry The Candlesticks are the Churches and Saints of God The godly Magistrate and Minister in conjunction with the Churches and Saints of God The godly Magistrate alone is not it Nor the Ministry alone is not it Nor good people and Saints alone is not it Here are two Olive-trees and two Candlesticks So that would you know what these are They are the godly Magistrate and Minister in conjunction with the Saints of God and Churches of Jesus Christ And then if so That these be the Witnesses Here we may see who those are that are fit to bear witness of Christ in Antichristian times to bear their Testimony They are to be a fruitful profitable people And a lightsom people that can hold forth light unto others in some measure What more fruitful and profitable than the Olive-tree There 's nothing unprofitable The Bark Oyl the Leaf Oyl the Body Oyl the Fruit Oyl nothing unprofitable So the Saints of God they are the Sons and Daughters of Oyl nothing but profit The wicked indeed are compared to the green Bay-tree barren unprofitable But the Godly are compared in Scripture to the Olive-tree nothing not profitable The Wicked are compared to Goats the Saints are compared to Sheep Sheep nothing not profitable Their wool profitable their flesh profitable their very dung profitable Nothing not profitable And here the Witnesses of Christ they are the Olive-tree fruitful and a profitable people and a people in some measure fit to give light to others as the Candlestick to hold forth light unto others Beloved Truely every one is not fit to bear witness to the Cause and the Truths and the Waies of Jesus Christ A man may be a Protestant in opposition to the Papists and yet an ignorant man A man may be a Professor in opposition unto others and yet barren in his life No no none are fit to bear testimony to the Truths of Christ and the Waies of Christ in opposition to the waies of Anti-christ but the Olive and the Candlestick The profitable man and the lightsom man and therefore in evil times that you may be fit to bear witness to the Waies of Jesus Christ in opposition to the Waies of Anti-christ labour to be Sons and Daughters of Oyl labour to be more fruitful and profitable in your life And let your light so shine before men that they may glorifie your Father which is in Heaven And so now I have done with the second thing What these Witnesses are More particularly in respect of their number Two In respect of their qâ—ality They are two Olive-trees and two Candlesticks 3. But then Thirdly It it here said that thâ—y shall Prophesie 1260. daies clothed in Sackcloth that they shall lie in Sackcloth and lie in Sackcloth 1260 daies In Sackcloth What 's that And how 1260 daies If you ask what this Sackcloth means It represents the sad and afflicted and mournful condition that the Saints and people of God shall be in in Antichristian times When the Jews of old mourned and were afflicted they put on Sackcloth The
the Shield and the Sword and the Battel The stout-hearted are spoiled They have slept their sleep and none of the men of might have found their hands Why Why there brake he the Bow and the Arrow There Where In Salem In the Assembly of the Saints by their Prayers Now men cannot endure to be hindred in their proceedings The Saints do it and therefore there is such a great deal of anger and wrath in the hearts of them against the people of God 5. But then further As the Saints and people of God do hinder them in their proceedings which doth anger them So they do destroy their Gods destroy their Idols Men of all things cannot endure to have their Gods destroyed how angry were they when Paul came and Preacht down the Gods of Diana then they were in a Rage Oh great is Diana Paul Preaches down our Gods and destroyes our Gods The people of God do destroy the Gods of the wicked no wonder therefore that they are so provok't against the Saints and people of God 6. As the people of God do destroy their Gods and their Worship so they do destroy their sins and lusts The Saints are enemies unto all their lusts Wicked men cannot endure to be kept from their lusts but if they be hindred from their lusts kept in and restrained from their lusts what say they then In Psal 2. Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their Cords from us These Puritans they will not let us play upon the Sabbath day they will not let us have leave to dance about a May-pole they put Cords upon us and bring us into bonds and take away our liberty Why do the Heathen rage c. The Kings of the Earth set themselves and the Rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his Anointed Why wherein is it exprest Why they say Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us The people of God are great enemies to their wickedness and therefore they are so angry full and furious against the people of God 7. As the people of God are enemies unto all their lusts so the men of the World they are enemies unto the Saints unto all their waies and duties and graces The Saints are a praying people The men of the World are Enemies to Prayer Forms of Prayer they can endure but the power of Prayer they cannot bear 8. The Saints and people of God are righteous in their Generation The men of the World cannot endure the truth of the Generation the Grace of the Generation the righteousness of the Generation they cannot endure it 9. The Saints and people of God they have and they are stampt with the Image of God the Image of Christ is stampt upon them and the more that any man is stampt with the Image of God the more the men of the world hate him Why there are the footsteps of God in the Creatures man at the Creation was made after the Image of God now being raised again by Christ the very image of God is stampt upon the Saints and wicked men cannot endure to see the Image of God the more they see the Image of God shining forth in any man the more angry they are But now the Saints they have the Image of God stampt upon them and therefore no wonder that they are thus angry And thus you see what kind of wrath it is that is in the hearts of the men of the world against the people of God and how it comes to pass that there is such a deal of wrath in the hearts of wicked men against the people of God But then secondly Will God let wicked men alone in this their wrath and anger against the people of God No but saith the second part of the Doctrine the Lord he will either turn their wrath and anger unto his own praise or he will restrain it You have both heâ—e in the Text thou wilt turn their anger unto thy praise O Lord and the remnant of their wrath thou wilt restrain Either God will turn their wrath unto his own praise or he will restrain it I use to express it thus by the Miller that lets the water run So much water as will serve his turn to grind the Corn he lets it run the rest he doth restrain and don't let it run So the Lord doth let the wrath of man run so much as may grind his corn so much as may serve his turn so much as may work to his praise The remnant he doth restrain either he will work the wrath and anger of men to his own praise or he will restrain the same Sometimâ—s he will restrain it In Isa 27. v. 8. speaking of the afflictions of the people of God In measure when it shooteth forth wilt thou debate with it he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the East-wind Consider that expression He stayeth his rough wind in the day of the East-wind The East-wind is an obnoxious wind a hurtful wind a piercing wind and a wasting wind Why now this East-wind may blow but mildly and it may blow roughly Why saith the Lord when wicked men that are rough and when they are very rough God will stay his rough wind in the day of his East-wind Though it be a day of Gods East-wind and wicked men are very rough God will stay his rough wind The wrath and anger of wicked men is his rough wind but God will stay his rough wind in the day of his East-wind Some times he will restrain it Some times again he will turn their wrath and anger unto his own praise and for that I 'le only turn to the third of Dan. you see how angry the King was when the three children would not bow down unto his Image v. 13. Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach c. at the 19th ver Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach c. and he commanded the most mighty men that were in his Army to bind Shadrach c. and to cast them into the burning fiery Furnace what was the issue God let this wrath go on but in the end see how it turned to Gods praise when Nebuchadnezzar saw what he had done Therefore saith he I make a Decree that every People Nation and Language which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego shall be cut in pieces and their houses shall be made a dunghill but there is no other God that can deliver after this sort Thus the rage and wrath of the King turned to the praise of God But you will say then how will the Lord turn the wrath of men unto his praise 't is a day of much wrath and of great anger in the hearts of men Wicked men are full of wrath and anger at this day against the people of God 't is good news that God will
Be sure therefore that you fear the Lord and that you fear before him and the more you fear God and fear before him the less will you fear men But then thirdly and so I end Now in such a time give your self much to prayer In Psal 109. 4. For my Love they are mine Adversaries but I give my self unto Prayer So you read it But I Prayer I give my self unto is not in the Hebrew but I Prayer the sence is good enough For my love they are my Adversaries but I give my self to Prayer Now in such a time as this when they are angry and their rage ascends up to Heaven now do I go to prayer now do I give my self to prayer Now then if it be an angry day with the enemies now go to Prayer And in all your Prayers in reference to mens anger and malice when you go and spread their anger and malice before the great God aim more at your duty than at your safety Look into that fourth of the Acts there you find that they were angry Why do the Heathen Rage v. 25. They bring the second Psalm to their purpose And the people imagine a vain thing The Kings of the Earth stood up being at Prayer at v. 29. And now Lord behold their threatnings They spread their threatnings before the Lord And now Lord behold their threatnings and grant unto thy servants What granâ— safety No Grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy Word Its matter of Duty that they pray for What then And when they had prayed the place was shaken where they were Assembled together and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and they spake the Word of God with boldness Here was Prayer answered presently they Prayed and in their prayer their mind was more upon their duty than upon their safety They go to God and spread the threatnings of the enemies before the Lord. And now Lord behold their threatnings And what then Now grant that with all boldness Le ts beg Grace to do our Duty They begged not for safety but their great request was That they might have grace to do their duty So I say when men are angry Now let us go to God in Prayer and in all our Prayers spreading their anger and threatnings before the Lord. Yet let our mind be more upon our duty than upon our safety SERM. VII Comfort to Mourners for the losse of Solemn Assemblies Zeph. 3. 18. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the Solemn Assembly who are of thee to whom the Reproach of it was a burthen THIS Prophet Zephany who lived not long before the captivity of Babilon having Threatned the People of God the Jews with that calamity and exhorted them to repent to return unto God that they might prevent that eminent evil doth at the last conclude all with a comfortable and gracious promise unto the people of God First he threatens and then promiseth God 's threatnings usually do end in promises sharpest threatnings in the sweetest promises This Promise here is sweet and full and large wherein you have the mercies promised and the several branches thereof The cause fountain and original of these mecies promised The persons upon whom these promised Merces are intailed The Mercies promised are very many First the Lord promiseth to return unto his people verse 9. For then will I turn to the people a pure language that they may call upon the Name of the Lord to serve him with one consent Then he promiseth to free them from their Judgments To bring them out of their captivity v. 10. from beyond the Rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants even the daughter of my dispersed shall bring mine offering And at the 15th verse The Lord hath taken away thy judgements he hath cast out thine enemy He promises Pardon Sanctification verse 11 12 13. He promiseth to gather the poor exiles I will gather them that are sorrowful He promiseth to destroy all their enemies verse 19. Behold at that time I will undo al that afflict thee Thus you have the Mercies promised The Cause and Fountain and Original of all these Mercies The mighty Presence of the Lord and his Love unto his People verse 15. The King of Israel even the Lord is in the midst of thee Thou shalt not see evil any more verse 17. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty he will save he will rejoyce over thee with joy he will rest in his Love he will joy over thee with singing As for the persons that these promised Mercies are intailed upon they are poor afflicted people that trust in the Name of the Lord The people of a pure language verse 9. and v. 12. and here in this verse such as are sorrowful for the Solemn Assembly unto whom the reproach of it was a burthen I will gather them that are sorrowful for the Solemn Assembly who are of thee To whom the reproach of it was a burthen From whence then I take up this Observation Obs Though God doth sometimes suffer the Solemn Assembly to lye under reproach yet if his people are fully sensible of that reproach God will turn their former miseries into after mercies And he will cause their future comforts to run parallel unto their former troubles For the clearing whereof three things fall under consideration First That God doth sometimes suffer the Solemn Assembly to lye under reproach Secondly That then those that are true members of the Solemn Assembly those be very sensible of it carry it as their burthen 3. That being so God will turn their former miseries into after mercies c. First God doth sometimes suffer the Solemn Assembly to lye under reproach For the clearing whereof First We must enquire when the Solemn Assembly may be said to lie under reproach And Secondly Why God doth suffer the Solemn Assembly to lye under reproach at any time Quest First of all If you ask when the Solemn Assembly may be said to lye under reproach Answ I answer Look when the Presence of God is departed from the publick Ordinances or Solemn Assembly then the Solemn Assembly doth lye under reproach The Presence of God in the publick Ordinances or Solemn Assembly is the glory of the Assembly and when that glory is departed the Solemn Assembly lies under reproach though the Word of God be preached in an Assembly if the Converting Sanctifying Comforting Presence of God be gone out of the Ordinance and be not there it lies under reproach And though there be Government in a Church yet if Gods Presence be not in that Government it lies under reproach and the Church lies under reproach That 's the first Look when the Presence of God is departed from the Solemn Assembly then it lies under Reproach 2 Look when a Reformation hath been intended and cannot be accomplish'd but is staid and hindred then the Solemn Assembly lies under Reproach Disappointment is Reproach The Children
Reproach of the Solemn Assembly Have you not been sensible Our Saviour Christ expounds the one by the other There came to Christ the Disciples of John saying Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft but thy Disciples fast not Jesus said unto them Can the Children of the Bride-chamber mourn c he expounds fasting by mourning and if you have been more afflicted with the Reproach of the Solemn Assembly than of any other thing and have walked heavily under the burthen of it Certainly you have been sensible But whereas you say This Promise doth run conditionally and this Condition you have not attained Give me leave to say to you Do you rightly understand a Condition A Condition properly is that upon the account whereof a thing is done and without which thing it cannot be done As for example I sell my Commodity for Mony now upon the account you pay so much Mony I give you the commodity and without that I do not give it Now I pray will you say that your own sense at the highest is that upon the account whereof God will shew mercy or will you say that God will not shew mercy unless you have sense We find that God doth return unto his people first and afterwards he saith then shall ye be ashamed and then shall ye loath your selves 't is very true that he will shew mercy to those that have sense of the Solemn Assembly But where doth he say that he will shew no mercy to those that have no sense No where For his love and grace is free But if any man be sensible of the Reproach of the Solemn Assembly lo this comfort is laid up for you Are you scattered the Lord will gather you have you halted in this day of the Reproach of the Solemn Assembly God will heal your halting Have you suffered Reproach In the very place where you have suffered Reproach God will give you a Name and Fame and Glory I must say it lift up your heads O ye Saints you that hang down and are sensible of the Reproach of the Solemn Assembly You will say now But what should we do that we may be more sensible then of the Reproach of the Solemn Assembly 'T is clear the Solemn Assembly doth lie under Reproach and God hath promised all this comfort to those that are sensible of it I hope I have some sense What shall I do that I may be more sensible of the Reproach of the Solemn Assembly that this comfort and this promise may come upon my soul First of all get spiritual life you must be living A dead man is not sensible A living man is sensible of the scratch of a Pin a dead man is not sensible of the gash of a Sword 'T is life that makes one sensible Never think to be sensible and to be dead Therefore go to God for Spiritual life 2. Then strengthen your love unto God and his Waies and Children and Ordinances Dolâ—r amoris filia grief is the Daughter of love I grieve for the loss of what I love and no further than I love If I would grieve and be sensible of the Reproach of the Solemn Assembly strengthen your love Love to the Ordinances love to the Solemn Assembly love to God And 3. Then take advantage from all those occasions that you meet withal to inlarge your mourning and your sense When a man would leap far he takes his rise upon a Mole-hill that he may leap the farther Friends you have many rises this day for your mourning and for your sense improve all those rises as you meet with any occasion look upon them as so many Mole-hills look upon them as so many rises for to go the farther in your sense of the Reproach of the Solemn Assembly 4. then observe what those evils are those sins are that have had a hand in bringing this Reproach upon the Solemn Assembly and do not meddle therewithal Take heed you do not add any of them to the heap If a man have a burdenupon his shoulder that he cannot stand under and you go to lay any more upon him saith he I pray take heed I have as much on me as my back will bear And if there be company in a Boat that the Boat be full and another offer to come in O no by no means the Boat is ready to sink already Truely thus it is the Boat is ready to sink already it is so full And do you look upon the Reproach of the Solemn Assembly as your burthen O then take notice what it was that brought the Reproach and take heed of that 5. Take heed of the immoderate use of any creature comfort Friends let me say this to you the more your hearts do soak into the comfort of the creatures the less cause you will have of the Reproach of the Solemn Assemblies The more your hearts soak into the comforts of your own house the less sensible you will be of the Reproach of Gods House So that take heed of the immoderate use of any creature comfort that is before you To end all Above all things strengthen your Faith for although Sense be an enemy to Faith Faith is a friend to Sense especially sense of sin and sense of the Churches miseries The more you look upon the fulness and the freeness and the certainty of the Promise of deliverance the more your Faith will be strengthned Now this promise of deliverance here is full is free 't is large it 's repeated again and again In the fourth of Micah you have the same promise and it s there repeated again and again Why then should you not say thus Well through the grace of God though I be sensible of the Reproach of the Solemn Assembly yet I will believe for deliverance and though I do believe for deliverance yet I will be sensible through grace of the Reproach of the Solemn Assembly Do so only let your Faith be the Mother unto this sense therefore take this Promise read it over work it chafe it upon your hearts much when you are alone I conclude reading it Saith the Lord hare I will gather them that are sorrowful for the Solemn Assembly who are of thee to whom the Reproach of it was a burthen Behold at that time I will undo all that afflict thee and I will save her that halteth and gather her that was driven out And I will get them Praise and Fame in every Land where they have been put to shame At that time will I bring you again even in the time that I gather you for I will make you a Name and a Praise among all people of the Earth when I turn back your Captivity before your eyes saith thâ— Lord. SERM. VIII The evil of Unbelief in departing from God Heb. 3. 12. Take heed Brethren least there be in any of you an evil heart of Unbelief in departing from the Living God IN these words three things are the most considerable
Here we may learn by way of Instruction That former Deliverance will not secure us from future Destruction She was delivered with a great Deliverance and yet destroyed with a great Destruction The like is said of the Israelites in the Epistle of Jude I will put you in remembrance though ye once knew this How that the Lord having saved the people out of the Land of Egypt afterward destroyed them that believed not Delivered and yet destroyed We are apt to think O we have been delivered thus and thus and therefore we shall not be destroyed God delivered them with an high hand and they were destroyed with an high hand Lot's Wife delivered with an high hand and destroyed with an high hand Former Deliverance will not secure us from future Destruction 6. If this story of Lot's Wife be true and live in our memory then here we may learn by way of Instruction 'T is ill sinning when God is punishing It 's good begging while God is giving but O 't is ill sinning while God is punishing If he be angry yea but a little blessed are all those that trust in him Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the Earth serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way The way What way Why in the way of his judgments When God is fetching his stroke at a people stand out of the way then of Gods stroke God was striking at Sodom and Lot's Wife came in the way of his stroke and she dyed for it It 's ill sinning when God is punishing 7. If that this story be true and live in your memory then here you may learn That those that are exemplary in sinning shall be exemplary in punishing She was the first that sinned this kind of sin and the first that fell under such a Judgement The Lord mark'd Jeroboam Jeroboam the Son of Nebat that made Israel to sin Why he was the first and God set a mark upon him This is that wicked Ahaz that in the time of his affliction sinned yet more What a mark did God set upon Judas in his life in his death Why he was the first that made a treacherous retreat from the Gospel He was the head of those Halbertiers that came to attatch Christ So an Apostate usually doth head the persecuting party but God set a mark upon him Those that are first in sin and those that are exemplary in sinning God will make exemplary in punishment 8. If this story of Lot's Wise be true and do live in our memory Then here we may see what an evil thing it is to mis-chuse in our chusing time Lot had two choises once he had a choice before when there was a difference between Abram's Servants and his Abraham condescends and gives him his choice Lot thou art my younger but I 'le yield for peace sake as we should all do for peace sake but Lot take thy choice all the Country was before him and he chose Sodom but God fired him out of that choice Now he was to go out of Sodom he and his Wife and Children were to go out of Sodom and Lâ—t saith God fly to the Mountain Not so my Lord there is little Zoar let me go thither and God let him have his choice and yielded to him but it cost him dear What an evil thing is it to mis-chuse in chusing times 9. If this story of Lot's Wife be true and do live in our memory Then here we may see by way of Instruction That though God will lay out an hiding place for his people in times of publick Calamity Yet if they sin in the way they may perish or miscarry in the very face of their hiding place It appears that Lâ—t had lost his Wife before he came at Zoar Gen. 19. 30. And Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the Mountain and his two Daughters with him We don't read he lost her in Zoâ—r but in the way to Zoâ—r he would not go to the Mountain that God chose for him but to Zoar Now here in the way he sinned and in the way to this hiding â—lace he lost his Wife So that though God in time of publick Calamity may indulge or find out a hiding place for us yet if we sin we may perish even in the very way to our hiding place 10. If this story of Lot's Wife be true and do live in our memory Then here we may learn by way of Instruction That 't is possible that a Religious Family may have a black mark of Gods Indignation Lot's Family was a Religious Family Never bear upon it that you are a Religious Family It 's possible that a Religious Family may have a black mark of Gods Indignation and possibly the death of one Relation may be a snare to the other We know the sin that Lot committed afterwards with his Daughters The death of this Relation a snare to the other and God doth know how to strike at one through the sides of another God strikes at Lot through the sides of his Wife God knows how to strike at one through the sides of another 11. Aâ—d the main of all is this If the story of Lot's Wife be true and do live in our memory O what an evil thing is it to look back and to decline in declining times How quick was God with Lot's Wife for looking back She never sinned this sin before 't was the first sin that ever in this kind she committed and she might have said Why Lord It 's the first time that ever I committed it and indeed I was taken before I was aware thus to look back I did not consider well of What I did But God turned her presently into a Pillar of Salt God was quick with her Why For to shew thus much God will be quick with Apostates God will turn the Turners She turned to look back and God turned her into a Pillar of Salt And so for those that turn God will turn God will turn Turners God will be quick with Turners God will turn Turners into a Pillar of Salt God is quick with Apostates and such as do decline And thus I have given you these eleven things by way of Instruction As many I might give you in a way of Caution but the Instance only in one If this story of Lot's Wife be true and do live in our Remembrance By way of Caution Why should we not all take heed how we look back to worldly Interests in the day when the Son of man shall be Revealed or in this day of the Gospel when the Son of man is Revealed You see what became of Lot's Wife for her looking back and therefore why should we not all of us take heed how we look back or decline in this day that the Son of man is Revealed You will say what shall we do that we may not decline What shall