affection on things above not on things on the Earth For if true Believers ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God And when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appeare with him in Glory O with what pantings what thirstings what longings should your hearts be draw'n forth in these perillous Times after this appearing of Christ after these Participations of glory When you look downward to a world of Sinne and Misery full of wicked men defil'd with wicked works me thinks you should say with the Psalmist * Ps 120.5 Woe is me that I sojourne in Mesech that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar And when you look up to a Heaven of Blisse and Glory to a God of Grace and Mercy who fills Heaven with Divine Beauties and everlasting Delights being to all his Saints above an inexhaustible Fountaine of unexpressible pleasures Felicities Joyes me thinks you should cry out with holy David †Ps 42.1 2 As the heart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after Thee O God My soul thirsteth for God for the living God When O when shall I come and appear before God When you consider the frequent Changes which you see on earth with those many Dangers Feares Troubles and Calamities which are occasion'd thereby and do commonly ensue thereupon methinks you should grow weary of this World and extreamly long to leave the Earth that so you might for ever live where all the Saints enjoy an unchangeable Happinesse in Heaven But you 'l say It 's true we live in troublesome Times â—herein the Evils we feâ—l are many and those we fear are more and so we have no great Reason to be over in-love with this present World It 's true likewise that Heaven is a glorious Place wherein I do believe the Happinesse of the Saints is so great that they cannot desire it to be greater the Fruition exceeding the Expectation And therefore I know it is ten thousand fold bett r to live in Heaven then to abide still on Earth in the most prosperous and therefore much more in the most perillous Times But who can be willing to leave the Earth before he is first sure of Heaven And therefore I desire to be resolved how I may know that Heaven is mine To this I answer Dare you live on Earth without any evidence for eternal life in Heaven How is it you fear not every moment to drop into Hell What paines have you taken to attaine this evidence Have you ever spent one whole Day one serious Houre for the attainment of it O lazy Believers Is it not pity but you should want the Comfort of it who can so well content your selves without it Would you not readily take more paines for the attainment of a firme title to an earthly Inheritance to an estate of two or three thousand pounds a yeare then ever you have yet taken for the attainment of a well-grounded Evidence for the Kingdome of Heaven O carelesse and secure Christians How unworthy are you of the glorious things which God hath prepared for his Saints in the World to come Surely if God save you you shall feele the Flashings of Hell to fright you out of your security before you enter into the Joyes of Heaven And what are you resolved still to continue secure in this uncertaine condition not knowing what shall become of your souls to Eternity To what purpose should I direct you to the attainment of this most blessed Assurance of salvation and eternal blessednesse in heaven when you will scarce take the paines or think it worth the while to examine your consciences or to try your Evidences for an eternal * 1 Pet. 1.4 Inheritance reserved in Heaven for all the children of God Well then I shall spare my pains and speak no further to you but leave you to sleep on in your security till God by some sharp Dispensation shall awake you But yet to afford some Help to the poore trembling soul that would rather then all the World attain this comfortable Assurance of its salvation and is willing to deal seriously with it self in searching for those Evidences which may clear its title to this glorious Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven I shall give some Direction towards this Discovery Poore soul doest thou desire to know whether Heaven be thine Whether God hath instated so poore a Creature as thou accountest thy selfe to be in so rich an Inheritance Then tell me or rather ask thy own soul these Questions I shall put to thee and observe what Answer shall eccho from thy conscience thereupon Say then Is God thine Is Christ thine Is the Spirit of God and Christ given to thee If God have given thee himselfe his Sonne his sacred Spirit lift up thy heart with joy thy soul with praise Heaven with all the Beauties and Blisses all the Joyes and Glory of it is undoubtedly thine to all Eternity He that hath given the greater certainly will not deny the lesser Now if when God could give thee nothing greater he hath given himself with his Sonne and holy Spirit to thee certainly he will not with-hold the lesser he cannot deny thee Heaven He that hath God for his God must needs have Heaven for his Inheritance For God and Heaven are inseparable Where the King is there is the Court where God is there is heaven As none can possibly enjoy Heaven without God who is the Heaven of Heaven so neither can any possibly enjoy God without Heaven without a present Title to it sufficient to secure the future Possession of it to Eternity For these great †Rom. 11.29 Gifts of God are without Repentance Never did God give himself to any soul and afterwards cast that soul into Hell Well then poore soule see how rich and happy thou art Canst thou say to God my God and my Father Canst thou say to Christ * Joh. 20.28 My Lord and my God Canst thou say to the holy Spirit my Guide and my Comforter Look then up to heaven and say as thou truly mayst This is my Home and my Inheritance this when I leave the Earth must be my habitation for ever But thou wilt say unto me How shall I know this that God is my God and that he hath given his Son and holy Spirit to me This latter difficulty is as great to me as the former Thou sayest How shall I know that God is my God Why doest thou take him for thy God canst thou say the Lord is my God and him will I serve †Psal 144 15 Happy is the soul that is in such a case Doest thou give thy self up unto him as thy God and place thy happinesse in the enjoyment of him as the chiefest good Canst thou say * Ps 73.25 Whom have I in heaven O Lord but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Does thy heart close in with him
be uncloath'd of this Mortal Body before they can enter into that Region of Light to put on the Robes of Immortal Glory For Induci in Nubes penetrare in plenitudinem Luminis irrumpere claritatis Abyssos lucem habitare inaccessibilem nec temporis est hujus nec corporis * To be taken up into the Clouds to pass into the fulnesse of light to break into the Abysses of Claritude and to dwell in the Light which is inaccessible †Bern. sup Cant. Ser. 38. is neither consistent with this state of Body nor competible to this present Time But why should we not be wiling that God should cast down our * 2 Cor. 5.1 Tabernacle of Clay when we are assur'd he will raise us up a †1 Cor. 15 43 glorious Temple in the roome of it a fit Mansion for an immortal soul ally'd to God array'd with Glory We are indeed incompast with Mercies on Earth but we shall be surrounded with Glories in heaven Mercy speaks a state of Imperfection and Misery but Glory speaks a state of perfect Felicity Ah Christians Your Enemies will pursue you till you are entred into the Sanctuary of God The Avenger of blood will pursue you untill you have taken the City of Refuge Who are these Enemies but your Sins with those Troops of Miseries which they lead up against you to destroy you Who is the Avenger of blood but Satan who seeks the Life of your souls to destroy it Now what is this Sanctuary What is this City of Refuge 'T is Heaven the place of the Saints Rest and Peace Joy and Glory Ah Christians Why are your affections like ravenous Vultures seeking their Prey upon Earth when with the Royal Eaglâ— they should be mounting up to Heaven to seek their Rest in Glory Ah Christians What amiable Objects can you behold upon Earth which make you so loth to be going hence at least to long so little to leave this World that you might live for ever in the Contemplation of the Glorious Beauties of Heaven Surely it grieves your Hearts here to see Christ in his Blood as he is daily * Heb. 6.6 crucifi'd afresh by the sinnes of men but then oh how will it joy your soules to behold the †Is 33.17 King in his Beauty Christ at his Fathers right hand in glory where he shall sit till all his Foes are made his Footstoole * Ps 110.1 Heb. 1.13 Oh me thinks if Christ be indeed the dearly beloved of your souls and infinitely more precious in your esteeme then all these earthly enjoyments you should extreamly long to be dissolved that you may live with him for ever in Heavenly Glory Ah Christians What can you find or expect but Troubles and Miseries on Earth What then should your desires and longings be but to be at †Heb. 4.9 Rest with Christ in Heaven Why does it please the Lord who by his powerful Providence and Government orders all things that come to pass in the World to suffer these stormes and tempests to arise and so sorely shake the * Isa 61.3 Trees of Righteousnesse of his own planting but to loosen their Roots from the Earth and so to prepare them to be transplanted into Paradise It s the Priviledge of the Saints of God that * Rom. 8.28 all things work together for their good And it 's a considerable advantage that the people of God have by perillous Times that thereby they are weaned from the world made willing to be dissolv'd and desirous to leave the Earth to live for ever in Heaven Oh labour Christians to fetch this honey out of the Carkass of the Lion to make this good use of bad Times Let your hearts sit loose to all your earthly Contentments and let your souls daily long more and more to be uncloath'd of your mortal Bodies and to live in immediate communion with Christ in heavenly Glory Oh long and labour to get out of this Wilderness of Thornes and to enter into that Flowry Paradise of everlasting Delights which God hath prepared for his children when this life is ended O long to see an end of these evil Dayes that those glorious Dayes whereof the Pious Father speaks may at length begin which never shall have an end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Basil in Psal 33. Now sayes he indeed our Dayes are evil but there are other Dayes that are good Dayes whose light shall never be cut off by darknesse Dayes that shall never be severed by the dark Curtaines of Night For God himself shall be their eternal Light crowning them with the resplendent Raies of his own glory O the difference betwixt our Dayes on Earth and these Days of Heaven Here we have often cloudy stormy Dayes but there 's an everlasting Calm an everlasting Sunshine of Love and Glory These are oftimes days of Trouble and Torment but those above are alwayes Dayes of Triumph and Joy These are Dayes of Sin and Labour of suffering and sorrow but those are all holy Sabbaths of Rest and sacred Festivals of Divine Delights So the same Father stiles them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Delicious Holy Everlasting Sabbaths Dayes of eternal Delight So sayes the Apostle also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Heb. 4.9 There remaineth therefore a Rest an everlasting glorious Sabbatisme for the People of God Oh how should the Saints long and labour to enter into this glorious Râ—st Happy are you Saints if all the Waves of afflictions and rolling Billows upon which you are tost in the troublesome Sea of this World set you daily hourely nearer to the faire Havens of everlasting Happinesse But O then be sure you steer your Course by the sacred Compass of the Word of God Oh be daily preparing your selves by a holy Life for a happy Death if you desire to enter into a glorious eternity In vaine shall you long for Heaven if you still live in sinne which is but to walk in the way that leads to Hell Unlesse the Image of God be renew'd upon your soules in the Beauties of holinesse while you are yet on Earth never shall you see the Face of God in Heaven For †Heb. 12.14 without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. Oh then be daily crucifying your Corruptions exercising your Graces * 2 Cor. 7.1 perfecting holinesse in the Feare of God and so preparing your selves for heaven that you may be †Col. 1.12 meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Then may you with comfort look for Christs coming who will receive you up into his Kingdom and Glory True believers are such as * 2 Tim. 4.8 love the appearing of Christ such as may with confidence †2 Pet. 3.12 look for and hasten unto the coming of the Day of God But then consider * 2 Pet. 3.11 What manner of Persons ought you to be in all holy Conversation and
Nullus Rex est nobis id est Non Reges nostri nobis sed nos ipsi Regibus nostris imperamus Leges ferimus exauctoramus c †Jun. Tremel We have no King that is we bow not to the commands of our Kings but we make our Kings bow to our commands We by our own Power make and null Laws at our own pleasure And by the following words it appears they made no more matter of casting off their Laws and cutting off their King then a man would make of breaking a bubble For it s said * ver 7. As for Samaâ—ia her King is cut off as the Fome or a Bubble †Diod. Ital upon the Water Which the Septuagint render thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Samaria hath contemptuously cast off her King as a wither'd weed upon the Face of the water Thus did these wicked wretches cast of all Loyalty in cutting off their King and for the further aggravation of their daring crimes they cast off all Religion too in their breaking their OATH of Allegiance to their King and their COVENANT of new Obedience to God as if they resolv'd by some desperate Designe to shew themselves profest Enemies both to God and Man For to this purpose are the following words interpreted They have spoken words swearing falsely in making a Covenant Swearing falsely viz. to God in promising him Conversion and Service or to their King binding themselves to be faithful to him c * Diodat The words impott Omnes perjuri foedifragi sunt ac novae Conspirationes quotidie inter ipsos pullulant †Jun. Trem. They are all of them perjur'd Persons and Covenant-breakers and new conspiracies do daily spring up amongst them Such are the persons here describ'd and such are their Practises Now what can be expected to follow hereupon but Miseries and Calamities to the People of the Land and at length the punishment of such perjur'd Persons For it s said Thus Judgement springeth up as Hemlock in the Furrowes of the Field i. e. instead of wholesome judgement to relieve the oppressed cruel Oppression covers the Land which as poysonous Hemlock overgrows the poore oppressed People who by the barbarous usages and mercilesse cruelties of these insolent Traitors and Tyrants are furrow'd as a Field that is plow'd with continual afflictions * Vide Calvinum in loc Or as others interpret it of their punishments which they shall at length procure to themselves by these wicked practises Gods Judgements shall multiply like Hemlock or other poysonous Herbs which grow abundantly in the Fields †Diodati Engl. Annot. Thus they that sowe Injustice shall at length reap Judgement When such cursed seed as this is cast into a Land it will not faile to yeeld a plentiful Crop of Miseries and Vexations Hence then we may safely conclude that evil Dayes perillous Times are at hand when men make no conscience of Oathes and Covenants in Matters of Loyalty and Religion The sixt Symptome Practical Atheisme PErillous are the Times Dangerous the Dayes When men dare in their words to entitle God to those wicked works wherein they deny God When men presume to prefix the sacred and glorious Name of God to the most injurious Usurpations and flagitious Enormities under the Sunne When men pretending to act for the Cause of God and the good of his precious people having by such barbarous and bloody Enterprises as make the very Earth to blush under the eye of heaven accomplish't their cursed Designes shall dare to charge the actual accomplishment thereof upon the all-glorious God as having effected the same by his good hand of Providence When men having brought to passe their owne wicked devices * Psa 37.7 by such desperate Acts of Injustice and execrable villanies as the very report thereof casts astonishment upon the mindes of all men that have not utterly banisht all humanity and fear of God shall yet say This is the LORDS doing and it is marvellous in our eyes †Psa 118.23 Bold blasphemers For what more horrid blasphemy can possibly be imagin'd then to make that God who is infinitely and essentially holy and Just and good the Author of such intolerable Insolencies unparallel'd Impieties and superlative sinnes of these desperately daring spirits These are certainly the perillous Times whereof the Apostle hath forewarn'd the people of God For in those dayes he hath told us that men however pretending godlinesse shall indeed be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 2 Tim. 3.2 Blasphemers This was the wonted Practise of that man of sinne the sonne of Perdition who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God †2 Thes 2 3 4. insomuch as it grew to a Proverb In Nomine Domini omne Malum All mischief comes a Gods Name He dethrones Princes makes unjust Warre against Nations and Kingdomes persecutes Christians to death with as much Cruelty as any of the Heathen Emperours gives dispensations to subjects to rebel against their Soveraignes absolving them from their Oaths of Alleagiance and all Obligations to Loyalty and Obedience and all this in the Name of God and by the pretended conduct of the Divine Providence And does not this * 2 Thes 2 7 Mystery of Iniquity still work in the Christian world And must not these high Provocations of God needs make perillous Times When men entitle God to the greatest Irregularities and most detestable Impieties that ever were acted amongst men When men securely act the highest Rebellions and as securely proceed in these audacious actings under the pretended Patronage of the Divine Providence Was not God infinitely Patient he would send down Fire from heaven to consume such Atheists on earth How oft hath the Church of God been put into Blood by those that in their displayed Banners have borne the Name of God! How oft hath that sacred Name IMMANUEL GOD WITH US been abus'd by them that have assembled all their forces to fight against God! How oft have they glory'd in the Appearings of the LORD of Hosts for them who when they have prosper'd in their audacious attempts have dar'd to bid defiance to the Hosts of the LORD How vainly have men boasted that the †Prov. 18.10 Name of the LORD hath been a strong Tower of defence unto them when by divine permission they have prosper'd in those enormous actings which carry in them a flat Contradiction to all Gods glorious attributes Thus is the Name of God fearfully abus'd by the worst of men Thus do the Practitioners of the black Art a fit name for so dreadful a Work of Darknesse make use of the Name of God for the raising up the Devil And do not profane Politicians practise the same Art And is not this the way to turne the Earth into a Hell needs then must the times be perillous when such Artists do abound when such Atheists prevaile and prosper in the world Plato
a Heathen Philosopher so abhor'd all Representations of God the CHIEFEST GOOD as the Authour or Patron of such irregularities and grand enormities by men committed for the satisfaction of their own lusts as that he determines it utterly unfit that any such thing should be so much as once spoken or written in a well order'd Common-wealth lest it should administer an occasion to people to entertain any Conceits of God unworthy of the purity and goodnesse of his most holy nature And for the reason of this his determination he gives us this Divine Axiome of undoubted verity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Plato de Rep. l. 2. God is not the Authour of Evil. How may this testimony of Plato make these impious Politicians who pretend they have been taught in the School of Christ to blush at their impieties were they not as well shamelesse as Godlesse in charging God foolishly with those successeful attempts and monstruous atchievements which could never have been brought forth into the World or have seen the light had not the very sinews of Law and Justice been cut asunder with the sword How wickedly are such enormities offer'd to the Peoples kind embraces as issuing from the womb of Gods most wise and holy Counsels and midwif't into the world by the powerful efficiency of his good hand of Providence when they are indeed the Births of their own Policies and the proper issues of their own †Eccl. 7.29 inventions That God had a hand in permitting them we grant for there is no evil done without the Permission of the Divine Providence And that he will have a hand in Punishing them they shall at length feele by their own woful experience who were the Actors of those enormities which they blasphemously charge upon God as the Authour God will certainly vindicate the glory of his holiness by the severe punishment of such bold Blasphemers such presumptuous Atheists Yea such fearful Provocations may at length pluck down dreadful Judgements upon the whole Land The Times therefore must needs be perillous when the great God is thus provokt by such fearful blasphemies and horrid impieties The seventh Symptome Impiety acted with Impunity THe Times are perillous to the People of God When Ambitious men carry on their most injurious Designes with Impunity to a full accomplishment When those that under pretences of Religion and Gods glory seek nothing but the satisfaction of their own lusts and those who accomplish their ungodly designes by the most injurious means and yet presume to entitle God to their impious proceedings do not only escape punishment under these high Provocations but also prosper in their works and flourish in the world Thus does God sometimes permit it to be for the Tryal of his peoples Faith and Patience the Exercise of their Love Zeale and other Graces as also for a judicial hardening of such Atheists in their wicked wayes to their just Destruction Thus sometimes * Mal. 3.15 16. those that work wickednesse are set up and established while those that truly feare the Name of God are cast down and opprest Thus Righteousnesse does not onely for the present lose its reward and Iniquity escape with Impunity but righteous men are opprest and contemn'd and the wicked are exalted and crown'd with Dignity and honour and flourish in the world in Prosperity and Peace This is that of which the Wise man complain'd †Eccl. 8.14 There is a vanity which is done upon the Earth that there be just men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked again there be wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous But now these Times must needs be perillous to the People of God both in respect of their outward estate in the world wherein they are subject to the oppression of the proud and in danger of Persecution through the insolencies of the wicked and also in respect of their souls and spiritual condition wherein they are obnoxious to many sore Temptations as to call in question Gods Providence and to faint in the wayes of Righteousnesse Thus was holy * Or Asaphs Davids Faith stagger'd his feet almost slipt and he was in danger of a fearful Fall and began to speak unadvisedly with his lips while he gave way to carnal reasonings and so drew a false Commentary upon the sacred Text of Gods Providences darken'd by wicked mens prosperity in the world Truly sayes he †Psal 73.1 2 3. God is good to Israel even to such as are of a cleane heart But as for me my feet were almost gone my steps had well-nigh slipt For I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked Then he describes the tranquility of their State their Impunity and exemption from trouble notwithstanding all the insolencies irregularities and impieties they were guilty of For sayes he * v. 3-12 there are no bands in their death but their strength is firme they are not in trouble as other men neither are they plagued like other men Therefore Pride compasseth them about as a chaine Violence covereth them as a garment Their eyes stand out with Fatnesse they have more then heart could wish They are corrupt and speak wickedly concerning Oppression they speak loftily They set their mouth against the Heavens and their tongue walketh through the Earth Therefore his People returne hither and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them And they say how doth God know And is there knowledge in the most high Behold these are the ungodly who prosper in the world they encrease in riches And how sad a Conclusion did the Psalmist under this temptation draw from these premises †v. 13 14 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vaine and washed my hands in innocency For all the day long have I been plagued and chastened every morning Thus do wicked men prosper in their highest Impieties as if they were priviledg'd with a perpetual Impunity And as Calvin speaks Triumphos suos ut plurimum agunt impii quum data opera Dei ultionem provocent impune videntur illudere dum illis parcit This their Impunity through Gods Forbearance when they do as it were set themselves on purpose to provoke his vengeance is the ground of their proud Triumphs and insolent insultations over his Providence Patience and Justice Now this is a great stumbling-block in the way of the godly while it occasions in their minds unworthy thoughts of the Divine Providence and mightily weakens that Restraint whereby they are kept from the Commission of such Impieties And therefore it is as he sayes Gravis noxia Tentatio ubi non modo tacite cum Deo litigamus quod res in ordinem non componat sed etiam habenas nobis laxamus ad peccandi audaciam dum nobis videmur id impune facturi †Calvin in Initium Psal 73. A sore and hurtful temptation not
you can in a little time For when the Dayes are Evil you know not how little time you may have how few Opportunities of well-doing you may enjoy * Eph. 5.15 16. See then that ye walk circumspectly not as Fooles but as Wise Redeeming the Time because the Daies are evil The fourth Branch LIve in the exercise of your most excellent graces Let the Lustre of them appear in the eyes of the World that so you may diminish the Darknesse of an evil Generation When the Nights are darkest every one should be careful to hang out their Lights When the Sun the Chariot of Light hath carried the Day to another World the Night comes forth deckt with all her Jewels Search your Cabinets put on your Jewels exercise your Graces your Faith Love Patience Humility Zeale Hope Confidence and so labour to preserve a Day of Light and Holinesse in spight of all the encroachments of the darknesse of Sin and Vice Labour to be every whit as Good as others are Evil. Stir up your selves especially to the exercise of those Graces which stand in opposition to the reigning Vices of the Times Study to shew your selves as Active for God as others are for the World as truly Content with your condition as others are Covetous Oppressive Ambitious as Faithful as others are False as Pious as others are Profane as much to excel in Charity Moderation Humility as others exceed in Cruelty Censoriousnesse and Pride It well becomes Saints to be best when the Times are worst So Fire burnes hottest in the coldest weather and Stars shine brightest in the darkest Nights So shall you lift up the Name and Glory of God in the World and your lives shall be illustrious Testimonies for the cause of God against a wicked world Beg Grace of God therefore that in evil and perillous Times you may live to his Glory * Phil. 2.15 That ye may be blamelesse and Harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation among whom ye shine as Lights in the World The fifth Branch DAre to appear in your places for the Cause of God against the Evils of the Times Why should not every pious Christian dare to do more for God and the interests of his Glory then any profane Politician dares to do against him Why should you be afraid to appear on the stronger side It is indeed desperate Folly and Madnesse in impotent man to presume upon any action or undertaking which carries in it an apparent or consequential Opposition to an Omnipotent God upon whose Providence he hath a continual dependance insomuch as without some concurrence thereof he cannot move a Hand nor stirre a step Alas This Almighty God can with the least Finger of that glorious Hand by which he governes this All in one moment crush the greatest Armies of the mightiest men upon earth as a †Job 4.19 Moth and crumble them into dust But for the Saints that are guarded with an Omnipotent Arme they may with a holy confidence appear in the Cause of God against the most potent adversaries in the world For greater and stronger is he that is with us then they that are with them For as the good King Hezekiah said to the Captaines of his Army at the approach of the King of Assyria * 2 Chron. 32.7 8. with them is an Arme of Flesh but with us is the LORD our God to help us And †Rom. 8.31 if God be for us who can be against us Fear not then ye sonnes of the mighty ye children of the most high to appear for God and his cause against the impieties and iniquities of evil and perillous times Remember * Rev. 21.8 the fearful are set in the Front of that Troop of Rebels that shall be sent to Hell Know you not that in this case when Gods Cause and Glory suffers He that is not for God is against him Take heed then lest while you fear a lesser danger you fall into a greater 'T is then your greatest wisdome and safety to take the strongest side and that is to appear for God So may you say with David †Ps 118.6 The LORD is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me And again * Ps 56.11 In God have I put my trust I will not be afraid what man can do unto me †Psal 118 8 9. It is better to trust in the LORD then to put confidence in man It is better to trust in the LORD then to put confidence in Princes Dare to appear for God therefore in your places and to plead his Cause against wicked and unreasonable men with more Courage Resolution and Boldnesse then they have to oppose it Stand up therefore in Dayes of Danger and appear for the Truth and Glory of God that made you for the Honour and Interests of the Lord Jesus Christ that redeem'd you with his own precious blood appear for his Word and Worship his Ordinances and Ministers his Sabbaths and Sacraments his Church and Saints and all the just Rights Dues and Priviledges thereof against a wicked Generation of men that dare openly deny the Truth and profane the Name of God that are not afraid to cast Contempt and Reproach upon his Word and Worship to scoff at his Sabbaths and Sacraments and slight his holy Ordinances to abuse revile and vilifie his Ministers his Ambassadours seeking to pluck their meat from their mouths desiring to imbrue their hands in their blood endeavouring their utter extirpation out of the Church of God that dare to lay sacrilegious hands upon the Rights and Revenues of the Church which she holds by a firmer Title then the greatest Lord in the Land does or can do his inheritance and thereby seek to turne her children out of their Possession that they may enrich themselves as too many have done by the Churches Ruines Now Christians will you be afraid or asham'd to appear in so just a cause against such wretched men such wicked Adversaries as these Shall these come under the Name of Religion and rob you of the thing while you sit still and do nothing Shall the Interests of Christ and Glory of God fall to the ground rather then you will rise up and appear for the maintenance of the one and defence of the other How will you answer it to God at the great day of account O therefore be not afraid to appear for the Cause of God against the Evil of the Times in the Places and Stations wherein God hath set you This will be your Crown of Glory and Cause of Rejoycing at the great Day of the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ And oh that those that are Highest in Place and Power would seriously lay these things to heart and quitting all self-interests inconsistent with the Cause and Interests of the Kingdome of Christ sincerely study and endeavour the advancement of Gods Glory in
that thus fears his Name believes his Word trusts in his Power and waits for his Mercy according to his Promise shall be priviledg'd with a comfortable Security on Earth or which is much better admitted into the inviolable Sanctuary of Heaven For to such do the Promises of Divine Protection pertain They may be for a time afflicted and distressed through the Pride and prevalency of the wicked †Psal 37.39 40. But the salvation of the Righteous is of the LORD He is their strength in the Time of Trouble And the LORD shall help them and deliver them He shall deliver them from the wicked and save them because they trust in him And therefore he is said to be a * Pro. 30.5 Shield and †Ps 18.30 Buckler to them that trust in Him He is their * Psal 71.3 strong Habitation whereunto they may continually resort He is their Rock and Fortress for their Defence against all the Assaults of their Enemies And therefore †Ps 125.1 They that trust in the LORD shall be as Mount Zion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever For * Nah. 1.7 The LORD is good a strong hold in the day of Trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him The third Work BE much in Communion with God The Lord is the Preserver of his Saints in Perillous Times And who are they that are interested in this special protection but those that are raised into this spiritual Communion Communion with God is a Saints sweetest and safest Sanctuary in Times of Danger And therefore did David so much desire of God that he might * Psal 27.4 Dwell in the house of the LORD all the dayes of his Life to behold the beauty of the LORD and to enquire in his Temple that is that he might live in Communion with the true Church in the Use of holy Ordinances to enjoy a constant Communion with God all the Time of his continuance in the world For saith he †v. 5. giving you the Reason of this his Request In the Time of Trouble he shall hide me in his Pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide me he shall set me up upon a Rock As if he should say He shall keep me in Secresie preserve me in Security advance me to Dignity and Glory As he saies elswhere * Psal 3.3 Thou O LORD art a Shield for me my Glory and the Lifter up of my head A Saint never rests so securely as when he dwels in the same Pavilion with God when God himself hides him under the Ark in the most secret Place of his holy Sanctuary The further from God the nearer to danger as a sheep that is gone astray from the Fold But the nearer to God the further from Danger As a Child under the Arm of the Father Gods special preserving Providence is as a Pavilion to that Saint that lives in Communion with God There 's no such place of safety for a Subject in times of Peace as in the Presence-Chamber of the King nor in Times of War as in the Royal Tent. Noah was safe in the Ark though tost with the Waves and Billows of an universal deluge when all the World besides was drown'd with water A Saint in communion with God is kept safe in the Ark of his holy Covenant Upon this account it s more safe for a Saint to dwell in Gods House in Times of Danger then to flie to the strongest Fortresse for safety I had rather sayes David †Ps 84.10 be a Door-keeper in the House of my God then to dwell in the Tents of Wickednesse Why so He gives you the Reason * v. 11. For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield He is a Help at hand a strong Defence to his Saints in time of Danger †Psal 91.1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty He that dwells in the secret of communion with God shall be safe under the shadow of the Protection of his power In communion with God a Saint * Isa 40.31 mounts up as with the wings of an Eagle and so sores above the Difficulties and Dangers of the lower world Communion with God is a garden enclosed As no stranger can enter into it so a Saint hath most safety while he dwells in it Communion with God is a Saints peculiar Priviledge heighten'd with this that it interests him in a special Protection O then Christians be much in communion with God Be much in those Duties of Religion wherein gracious souls do maintaine this holy Communion Be much in †Mat. 6.6 Closet-Prayer much in * Gen. 24..63 Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dâ—vout-Meditation much in †Psal 4.4 Communing with your own Heart as an excellent help to communion with God Stir up your graces and set all the Powers of your soule on work in these spiritual Duties for otherwise you may spend much Time daily in Reading Praying Meditating and yet enjoy no communion with God Leave not a Duty till you can get your heart warm'd by it till you can feel it melting burning within your breast melting with * Psal 119 136 sorrow for sin and Joy in God burning with a holy Anger and an ardent †Psal 119 139 Zeal for Gods Glory suffering by the sinnes of the Times Cease not till you can finde your very soul going out to God and God by the powerful Influences and Operations of his holy Spirit coming in to your heart in holy Duties This is to maintain communion with God and this is to live in Heaven on Earth This will be to you a Spring of living Comforts in a dry and barren Wildernesse You shall have no cause to be disconsolate in your Desert-condition while the Manna of spiritual Mercies drops down from Heaven upon your soule in Communion with God Hereby you shall be able to fetch Waters of Comfort out of the Flinâ—y Rocks of Affliction and Persecution And which may be sufficient to revive your drooping Spirit in the greatest dangers from this Holy Mount of Communion with God you may take a faire Prospect of the Heavenly Canaan Yea he that lives in communion with God on earth does already dwell in the Suburbs of Heaven The fift Duty Longing to leave the Earth and live in Heaven IS it your lot to live in the last Dayes and to experiment the evil of perillous Times Then take off your hearts from things on earth and long to live in heaven O Christians here are Perils below but there 's Peace above you finde troubles on earth but you have Treasures in heaven It 's time for you to be dead to the world if you are indeed risen with Christ †Col. 3.1 2 3 4. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Set your
words Behold the LORDS hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither his Eare heavy that it cannot hear But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his Face from you that he will not hear For your hands are defiled with Blood and your fingers with Iniquity your Lips have spoken Lies your Tongue hath uttered Perverseness None calleth for Justice nor any pleadeth for Truth They trust in Vanity and speak Lies they conceive Mischief and bring forth Iniquity They hatch Cockatrice Egges and weave the Spiders Web he that eateth of their Egges dieth and that which it crushed breaketh out into a Viper Their Webs shall not become garments neither shall they cover themselves with their works their Works are works of Iniquitie and the Act of Violence is in their Hands Their feet run to evil and they make hast to shed innocent blood Their thoughts are thoughts of Iniquity Wasting and Destruction are in their paths The way of Peace they know not and there is no judgment in their goings they have made them crooked Paths whosoever goeth therein shall not know Peace Therefore is Judgement far from us neither doth Justice overtake us We wait for Light but behold obscurity for Brightnesse but we walk in Darknesse We grope for the Wall like the Blinde and we grope as if we had no Eyes We stumble at Noon-day as in the Night we are in desolate Places as dead men We roar all like Bears and mourn sore like Doves We look for Judgement but there is none for salvation but it is far off from us For our Transgressions are multiply'd before Thee and our sinnes testifie against us for our Transgressions are with us and as for our iniquities we know them In transgressing and lying against the LORD and departing away from our God speaking Oppression and Revolt conceiving and uttering from the heart Words of falsehood And Judgement is turned away backward and Justice standeth afar off for Truth is fallen in the street and Equity cannot enter Yea Truth faileth and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a Prey and the LORD saw it and it displeased him that there was no Judgement And he saw that there was no man and wondred that there was no * Or Interposer Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so rendred Job 36.32 Intercessor Therefore his Arme brought salvation unto him and his Righteousnesse it sustained Him For he put on Righteousnesse as a Breast-plate and an Helmet of Salvation upon his Head and he put on the Garments of Vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeal as a Cloke According to their Deeds accordingly he will repay Fury to his adversaries Recompence to his Enemies to the Islands he will repay Recompence So shall they fear the Name of the LORD from the West and his glory from the Rising of the Sun when the Enemy shall come in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a Standard against him Thus we see how miserable the State of that Nation is which is full of Unrighteousnesse Oppression and Cruelty and how dreadful the condition of that People who are guilty of these sinnes shall be when the LORD of Hosts arm'd withVengeance shall come forth in Wrath and Fury for the Execution of his Judgements These are usually the sinnes of the great men of the world The Psalmist thus describes them †Psal 73 6-10 Pride compasseth them about as a chaine Violence covereth them as a Garment Their Eyes stand out with Fatnesse they have more then heart could wish They are corrupt and speak wickedly concerning Oppression they speak loftily They set their Mouth against the Heavens and their tongue walketh through the Earth Therefore his People return hither and waters of a full Cup are wrung out to them But when their Insolencies are grown intolerable God takes down their Pride with deserved Punishments When they are come to the Zenith of their glory the least touch of the Almighty's hand sends them down into the lowest Centre of wretchednesse and infelicity That may be the very moment of their Destruction wherein they think to put a Period to the Churches Peace by their bloody Tyranny and Oppression For the oppression of the Poore for the sighing of the Needy NOW will I arise saith the LORD I will set him at safety from him that puffeth at him * Psal 12.5 Oppressors are wont to prey upon the Poor as the stronger Beasts upon the weaker the greater Fowles and Fishes upon the lesser They are the Leeches of the Common-wealth which suck the Blood out of its Veines the Suckers which spring from the roots of the Trees and draw away the Sap from the otherwise fruitful Branches The Oppressor is a most cruel Chymist for he distills Silver out of the sweat of poor mens Brows and Gold out of the tears of Widows and Orphans The very Laws are made use of by such as Keys to open their Coffers as Buckets to draw all the water out of their Wells Aperi Bursam ego aperiam Buccam Let me finger my Fee sayes the greedy Lawyer and I will canvase thy Cause Thus Justice runs upon Silver-wheels while Oppression rules with an Iron Rod. The Poor are dasht in pieces by the Proud like Potters Vessels Then is it time for the Judge of the World to come forth and execute Judgement Then shall they feel the strength of his strokes as well as others have felt the Power of their Pride †Isa 30.12 13 14 Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel Because ye despise this Word and trust in Oppression and perversenesse and stay thereon Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall swelling out in a high Wall whose breaking cometh suddenly at an Instant And he shall break it as the breaking of the Potters Vessel that is broken in pieces he shall not spare so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take Fire from the Hearth or to take water withall out of the Pit Oppression when it is become a reigning sin precedes some sore Visitation of that City presages the utter Desolation of that Land wherein it reignes We shall not doubt of the Truth of this if we do believe the Word of God * Jer. 6.6 7 8. For thus hath the LORD of Hosts said Hew ye down Trees and cast a Mount against Jerusalem This is the City to be visited she is wholly Oppression in the midst of her As a Fountain casteth out her waters so she casteth out her Wickednesse Violence and spoile is heard in her before me continually is Griefe and Wounds Be thou instructed O Jerusalem lest my soul depart from thee lest I make thee desolate a Land not Inhabited The Riches gained by Oppression shall not prosper in the hand of Oppressors nor prefit them in the Day of wrath Forasmuch therefore saith the LORD â€
Amos 5.11 12. as your treading is upon the Poore and ye take from him Burdens of wheat ye have built Houses of hewen stone but ye shall not dwell in them ye have planted pleasant Vine-yards but ye shall not drink Wine of them For I know your manifold Transgressions and your mighty sins they afflict the just they take a Bribe and they turn aside the poore in the Gate from their right And what follows * v. 16 17. Therefore the LORD the God of Hosts the Lord saith thus wailing shall be in all streets and they shall say in all the High-wayes Alas Alas For I will pass through thee saith the LORD Well then may the Apostle call the Rich men of the World who have been the Oppressors of the Poor to weeping and mourning and bitter Lamentation †Jam. 5 1-6 Go to now ye rich men weep and howle for your miseries that shall come upon you Your Riches are corrupted and your Garments moth-eaten Your Gold and Silver is Canker'd and the Rust of them shall be a witnesse against you and shall eat your Flesh as it were Fire ye have heaped Treasure together for the last Dayes Behold the hire of the Labourers which have reaped down your Fields which is of you kept back by Fraud crieth and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the eares of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * the Lord of Sabaoth Ye have lived in pleasure on the Earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the LORD of Hosts and been wanton ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter Ye have condemned and killed the just and he doth not resist you Bloody Tyrants Thus do Wolves devoure the harmlesse Sheep But the Mighty God will at length roll down heavy Judgements upon the heads of such wicked worldlings Deceit and Violence are the two maine Pillars in the House of OPPRESSION wherein bloody Tyrants and Insolent Usurpers dwell They lay snares for the Lives of men that they may take them by Deceit and then drag them with Violence to a bloody Death or unjustly deprive them of the Comforts of Life Such is the State of things when Oppression reignes in a Land Thus doth the Prophet describe these bloody and deceitful men who seek to oppresse the Righteous and lie in waite for Innocent Blood and shews how high a Provocation this is of the great God to execute his Judgements upon such a sinful Nation For among my People saith the LORD by the Prophet †Jer. 5.26 are found Wicked men they lay wait as he that setteth snares they set a Trap they catch men * Jer. 9.8 9 Their Tongue is as an Arrow shot out it speaketh deceit one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth but in heart he layeth wait for him Shall I not visit them for these things saith the LORD Shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this †Jerem. 5 27-29 As a Cage is full of Birds so are their Houses full of Deceit therefore are they become great and waxen rich They are waxen fat they shine yea they overpass the Deeds of the wicked they judge not the cause the Cause of the Fatherless yet they prosper and the right of the Needy do they not judge Shall I not visit for these things faith the LORD Shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this some passages of another Prophecy we shall select to the same Purpose * Ezek. 22 3-22 Thus saith the Lord GOD The City sheddeth Blood in the midst of it that her Time may come Thou art become guilty in thy Blood that thou hast shed thou hast caused thy Dayes to draw near and art come even to thy years therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the Heathen and a mocking to all Countreys Those that be neare and those that be far from thee shall mock thee which art infamous and much vexed Behold the Princes of Israel every one were in thee to their Power to shed Blood In thee have they set light by Father and Mother in the midst of thee have they dealt by Oppression with the Stranger in thee have they vexed the Fatherlesse and the Widow Thou hast despised my holy things and hast profaned my Sabbaths In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood In thee have they taken gifts to shed Blood Thou hast taken Vsury and Increase and thou hast greedily gained of thy Neighbours by Extortion and hast forgotten me saith the Lord GOD. Behold therefore I have smitten my hand at thy dishonest Gaine which thou hast made and at thy Blood which hath been in the midst of thee Can thine Heart endure or can thine Hands be strong in the Days that I shall deal with thee I the LORD have spoken it and will do it Now therefore thus saith the Lord GOD Because ye are all Become Drosse behold therefore I will gather you as they gather Silver and Brass and Iron and Lead and Tin into the midst of the Furnace to blow the Fire upon it to melt it so will I gather you in my Anger and in my Fury Yea I will gather you and blow upon you in the Fire of my Wrath and ye shall be melted as Silver is melted in the midst of the Furnace and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out my Fury upon you This is the portion of the wicked from the Lord. Thus doe Presumptuous men exalt themselves †Ps 55.23 But thou O God shalt bring them downe into the Pit of Destruction Bloody and Deceitfull men shall not live out half their Dayes The fourth Sin Swearing and Cursing WHen the fearful sins of swearing and Cursing are growne common the Times are Perillous When these Black sins these Ill-boading Fowles that are wont to feed upon the Brinks of the bottomless Pit do abound it s a Signe the Winter of Gods Judgements is at hand When men Thunder out Oathes and Curses on Earth as alas how often are our ears pierc't with these Hellish sounds in the open streets it's time for God to Thunder down his Judgements from heaven Doubtlesse men may curse away all the Lords Blessings and by their abominable Oaths sweare down Vengeance from heaven upon their own Heads yea soon swear their own souls into Hell Yea cruel Curses and bloody Oaths may soon fill the Land with Cruelty and Blood * Jer. 23.10 Hos 4.2 3. Because of Swearing may God justly cause the Land to mourne This sin we finde in the holy Scripture strictly forbidden and severely punished I say unto you sayes our Saviour †Mat 5 34-37 swear not at all neither by Heaven for it is Gods Throne nor by the Earth for it is his Foot-stoole neither by Jerusalem for it is the City of the great King Neither shalt thou swear by thy Head because thou canst not make one haire white or black But let your
Communication be Yea yea Nay nay For whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil The Apostle James * Chap. 5. ver 12. further backs this Injunction and earnestly presses this Prohibition But above all things saith he my Brethren Sweare not neither by Heaven neither by the Earth neither by any other Oath but let your Yea be yea and your Nay nay lest ye fall into Condemnation How strange it is that men should delight to pollute their own soules and pull down judgement on the Land by the Customary Commission of a sin so strictly prohibited under the Pain of Damnation This is a sin which hath in it no Profit no pleasure no not sensual sweetnesse enough to bait a temptation How does this argue a Devilish Disposition in men that they will do a thing so much abhord of God so strictly forbidden in the Word so certainly Destructive to their souls when they cannot tast so much as a seeming sweetnesse nor see so much as an appearing Goodnesse in it to be any ground of their Allurement thereunto or occasion of their frequent Commission thereof when such a fin abounds must not God needs be provokt to plague and punish such a desperately wicked People So for the sin of cursing a sin of the same Hellish nature a fruit of the same root of bitternesse how hath the Lord manifested his Displeasure against it by the punishment which he ordained to be inflicted on such as were guilty of it in his holy Word We reade †Lev. 24 10-16 of the Son of an Israelitish woman whose Father was an Egyptian that went out among the Children of Israel in the Camp And this Son of the Israelitish woman blasphemed the Name of the LORD and cursed And they brought him unto Moses And they put him in Ward that the mind of the LORD might be shew'd them And the LORD spake unto Moses saying Bring forth him that hath Cursed without the Camp let all that heard him lay their hands upon his Head and let all the Congregation stone him And hereupon the LORD made it a Statute in Israel that whosoever should be found guilty of this sin whether Israelite or Stranger he should surely be put to Death And therefore however amongst men this sin may go unpunished yet seeing the Name of God is hereby profan'd the LORD will not hold them guiltlesse * Exo. 20.7 that are guilty of it nor suffer them to escape his Righteous judgement That Imprecation of the Psalmist is Prophetical and hath the force of a Commination †Psal 59.12 13. For the sin of their Mouth and the words of their Lips let them even be taken in their Pride and for Cursing and Lying which they speak Consume them in wrath consume them that they may not be and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the Ends of the Earth Doubtlesse the Curse of God hangs over the Heads of those that are given to Cursing Dreadful is that Jmprecation of David of the same Nature with the former * Psal 109 17 18 19. As he loved Cursing so let it come unto him as he delighted not in Blessing so let it be far from him As he cloathed himself with Cursing like as with his Garment so let it come into his Bowels like Water and like Oyle into his Bones Let it be unto him as the Garment which covereth him and for a Girdle where with he is girded continually Woe be to him whose Body Belly Bones are thus cloath'd fill'd consum'd with Cursing This is doubtlesse worse then the most deadly Disease and will prove more intolerable then the torturing Wracks of the terriblest Tyrants in the World Cursing will surely fill the awaken'd Conscience of the guilty sinner with tormenting Agonies which shall last to Eternity Oaths and Curses are as Arrows shot up against heaven which at length fall down upon the Heads of them that shot them Yea they are sparks of Hell-fire or rather Firebrands of Hell which are thrown into the Aire and may if timely Repentance with speedy Reformation and infinite mercy prevent not kindle a deadly burning in that City or Nation wherein they abound unpunished And yet is not this the sinne not onely of the basest sort but of many of the great Gallants of the Times Oathes are the Sause of their Mirth and Curses are the Stings of their Anger Oathes are in Fashion amongst them and to rap them out roundly is a piece of their Gallantry Curses still wart upon their commands and whosoever or whatsoever doth but a little crosse them they wish all the Plagues of hell to light upon them Surely the Devil himself cannot speak more desperate language and utter more damnable speeches then these horribly Profane Gallants If any where there be a Hell upon Earth 't is where these Children of Hell these first-born sonnes of the Devil that have Damnation written in their Foreheads are met together and sit the Devil being doubtlesse in the Head of the Company Bowzing Swearing Storming Cursing Blaspheming as if they would tear Heaven to let down flaming Vengeance and rend the earth to the Bottom of Hell that they might go down quick into that fiery Prison fall down headlong into the burning-Lake A wonder it is of the Divine Patience that when they are rending the Sacred Name of God with Oathes Blasphemies Cursings God doth not give them up into the hands of the Devil to tear them instantly in pieces as we read he hath dealt with some and carry them Body and Soul into Hell But God in Justice lets them live for the Aggravation of their sins and the encrease of their Torments in Hell-fire to Eternity For how can they hope for any salvation by Christ or benefit by his Blood who desperately wrap up his wounds and blood in their Oathes and Curses and so as it were throw them in God Almighty's Face whence is it he doth not with some dreadful Thunderbolt instantly smite them into Hell How should they expect that God should save them in the Day of their Death who disperately bid God damne them every day How can they escape Hell and Damnation who are still bidding the Devil take them upon every slight occasion O desperately Profane Wretches O Devilish wicked Creatures Is it possible there are such to be found under the Sunne Is it possible there should be such Monsters found within the Pale of the Church such Incarnate Devils in a Land enlightned with the Gospel of Christ and honoured with the glorious Profession of Christianity O that the tingling Ears and trembling Hearts of many of Gods children who have occasionally heard this Language of Hell though never privy to the thousandth Part of these Hellish Impieties were not too sad an evidence of these Abominations abounding in the Land Now shall not the Lord visit for these things Shall not his soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Is it not a wonder Heaven
their Immodesties by setting as many Spots in their Faces as they have received Blots to their Honour till their Faces are almost cover'd with these Badges of their Infamy O degenerate Gentry O ignoble Nobility How foolish are you become in these fantastical Fashions How weak how wicked are you to pride your selves in such ridiculous Vanities and to account these signes of your baseness â—o be Badges of your Honour Are you so stupid and senslesse as not to observe that â—od hath been tumbling down the greatnesse of the world staining the Pride of â—an and rolling his glory in the Dust And will you by your Pride and Vanity pluck down greater Judgements on the Land and plunge your selves into everlasting miseries Surely these Badges of your Pride are but the Presages of your Punishment Tertullian calls painted women * Ancillas Diaboli the Devâ—ls Chamber-maids or Waiting-women But then surely those who prostitute their painted Beauties to these wanton Blacks are the chiefest Ladies in the Kingdome of Lucifer And his Pride you know cost him a flaming fall 't was the fore-runner of his Destruction What then shall become of those of his Houshold Surely these painted plaister'd spotted Vanities will end their dayes in Vexation How justly may God punish their shamel sse Pride as he hath doâ—e many with shameful Poverty on earth and their wanton Pleasures with woful Paines in Hell Surely these Luxuriancies in lustful Vanities provoke God to plague the Land with dreadful Judgements and so speak these dayes wherein they abound to be perillous Times Thus we have seen what sins do in a special Manner provoke the Lord to wrath and sollicit vengeance against such a sinning People Surely where these seven Abominations are found especially where they are predominant they presage sore Plagues fore-run heavy Judgements on such a place or People For shall not the Lord visit for these things and shall not his soul be aveng'd on such a People as this that provoke him to Anger with so many fearfull Abominations Surely God may justly poure out all the †Rev. 16.1 seven Vials of his flaming wrath upon such a sinful Nation These â—ins therefore must needs be sad Symptomes of Perillous Times Come we now to consider in what Cases these sinnes are thus Symptomaticall The second Enquiry In what Cases the foremention'd Sins are Symptomes of Perillous Times ADAM in Innocency liv'd in * Gen. 2.8 EDEN a Place prepar'd by God himselfe to be the Mother of Plenty the Nurse of Pleasure and Queen Regent of Divine Delight Happy man had he not by the Losse of his Innocence the Palladium of Paradise lost his Happinesse Yea the World was an Universal Paradise whereof Eden was the Eye the Beauty of its Beautieâ— till sin committed a Rape upon its Virgin Purity and cast a defilement upon its Primitive Glory Then did its flowring Beauties fade in its Face and stinging Mâ—series sprang up apace in its Bosome Thus did the world once a Garden of Delights become a Wildernesse of â—hornes before a Palace Royal of pure unmixed Pleasures now a bloody Stage of sufferings and sorrows Thus is sinne the procuring cause of all Miseries and so the too certain Prognostick of Perillâ—us Times Was it not for s nne how should England be as Eden the Garden of God crown'd with the smiles of Heaven and cloath'd with the Virgin-Mantle of Peace and endow'd with the choicest Blessings on Earth and so admir'd by all its Sister Islands its Neighbour Nations for Beauty Riches and Renown But sin it is which spreads a black cloud upon it's Glories which threatens the Thunder of some dreadful Judgements The sinnes of England are many and what can we expect but that the sufferings of England should be great The sins of men are wont to draw downe the Judgements of God and so they are the Symptomes of Perillous Times to the People of God especially in such Cases as these that follow The first Case The Commonness of Sinne. WHen grosse Sinnes are commonly committed the Times must needs be Perillous When Lying Swearing Sabbath-breaking Stealing Cheating Deceiving Cruelty Oppression Drunkennesse Adultery and all manner of Uncleannesse does abound the Dayes are evil and full of Danger These sins are as so many Cords to pluck down Judgements upon the Heads of such a People Thus did sinne abound in the Old World before God destroy'd all Flesh with the Flood For it s said †Gen. 6.11 12 13. The Earth was corrupt before Goâ— and the Earth was filled with Violence And God looked upon the earth and behold it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the Earth And God said unto Noah The end of all flesh is come before me for the Earth is filled with Violence through them and behold I will destroy them with the Earth The Scriptures do abound with comminations of Judgement against that People that Land wherein such Abominations do abound Take notice of some of them and Oh that you would sadly lay them to heart * Jer. 7.8 16. Behold sayes the Lord to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem ye trust in lying words that cannot profit Will ye steale murder and commit Adultery and swear falsely and burn incense unto Baal and walk after other Gods whom ye know not i. e. maintaine diversities of Religion amongst you and come and stand before me in this House which is called by my Name and say we are deliver'd to do all these abominations q. d. This is the Liberty for which we adventur'd our Lives in the High-Places of the Field Is this House which is called by my Name become a Den of Robbers in your Eyes q. d. Is this the fruit of your Victories and the glorious Deliverances whereof you speak to cast contempt upon my House Worship and Ordinances Behold even I have seen it saith the LORD But go ye now unto my Place which was in Shiloh where I set my Name at the first and see what I did to it for the Wickednesse of my People Israel And now because ye have done all these works saith the LORD and I spake unto you rising up early and speaking but ye heard not and I called you but ye answered not Therefore will I do unto this House which is called by my Name wherein ye trust and unto the place which I gave to you and to your Fathers as I have done to Shiloh And I will cast you out of my sight as I have cast out all your Brethren even the whole seed of Ephraim Therefore sayes the LORD to the Prophet Pray not thou for this People neither lift up Cry nor Prayer for them neither make Intercession to me for I will not hear thee Thus multiply'd sinnes do at length bring down upon a sinful stubborn and rebellious People manifold miseries and remedilesse extremities Thus does the Lord proclaime Warre against his People Israel by the Prophet Hosea for their
Corrections for sin are Instructions to Righteousness But now when men are Incorrigible under Gods Corrections these are but the Fore-runners of their utter Destruction For this doth the Lord complain of his People the Jews * Jer. 2.30 In vain have I smitten your Children they received no Correction And saith the Prophet †Jer. 5.3 Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive Correction They have made their faces harder then a Rock they have refused to return And Oh! how terrible are the Punishments of this Stubbornness in sin how dreadfull the Judgements ordained for this Incâ—rrigibleness under Correction The people saith the Prophet Isaiah * Isa 9 13-17 turneth not unto him that smiteth them neither do they seek the LORD of Hosts Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail branch and rush in one day The Ancient and Honourable he is the Head and the Prophet that teacheth lyes he is the Tail For the Leaders of this People cause them to err and they that are led of them are destroyed Therefore the LORD will have no joy in their young men neither shall have Mercy on their Fatherless and Widows for every one is an Hypocrite and an evil Doer and every mouth speaketh folly for all this his Anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still For this Stubbornness and Incorrigibleness notwithstanding Instruction by his Word and Correction by his Rod doth the LORD threaten one Judgement after another against his People Israel by the Hand of Moses If ye walk in my Statutes saith the Lord †Lev. 26.3 4. and keep my Commandments and do them then will I give you Rain in due Season and the Land shall yield her encrease and the Trees of the Field shall yield their Fruit. * v. 6. And I will give you Peace in the Land and ye shall lie down and none shall make you afraid c. †v. 11 12. And I will set my Tabernacle amongst you and my soul shall not abhor you And I will walk among you and will be your God and ye shall be my People * v. 14-29 But if ye will not hearken unto me and will not do all these Commandments and if ye shall despise my Statutes and if your soul abhor my Judgements so that ye will not do all my Commandments but that ye break my Covenant I also will do this unto you I will even appoint over you Terrour Consumption and the burning Ague that shall consumâ— the Eyes aad cause sorrow of Heart and ye shall sow your seed in vain for your enemies shall eat it And I will set my Face against you and ye shall be slain before your Enemies they that hate you shall reign over you and ye shall flee when none pursueth you And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me then I will punish you seven times more for your sins And I will break the Pride of your Power and I will make your Heaven as Iron and your Earth as Brass and your strength shall be spent in vain for your Land shall not yield her Encrease neither shall the Trees of the Land yield their Fruits And if ye walk contrary unto me and will not hearken unto me I will bring seven times more Plagues upon you according to your sins I will also send wild Beasts among you which shall rob you of your Children and destroy your Cattel and make you few in number and your High-wayes shall be desolate And if ye will not be reformed by these Things but will walk contrary unto me then will I also walk contrary unto you and will punish you yet seven times for your sins And I will bring a Sword upon you that shall avenge the Quarrel of my Covenant and when ye are gathered together within your Cities I will send the Pestilence among you and ye shall be delivered into the Hand of the Enemy And when I have broken the staff of your Bread ten women shall bake your Bread in one Oven and they shall deliver you your Bread again by weight and ye shall eat and not be satisfied And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me but walk contrary unto me then I will walk contrary to you also in fury and I even I will chastise you seven times for your sins And ye shall eat the Flesh of your Sons and the Flesh of your Daughters shall ye eat * v. 31 32. And I will make your Cities waste and bring your Sanctuaries unto Desolation and I will not smell the savour of your sweet Odours And I will bring the Land into Desolation and your Enemies which dwell therein shall be astonisht at it c. Thus Incorrigibleness under manifold Corrections will at length kindle implacable wrath and so procure inevitable Ruine When lesser Judgements have wrought no Reformation there 's just cause to fear God is preparing greater Judgements to lay that Land desolate When the Field that is often plow'd and sow'd brings forth nothing but Briars and Thorns we may expect shortly to see the Master of that Fiâ—ld set it on Fire Those proud Turrets that are neither shaken with the Wind nor soften'd with the Rain may soon be scatter'd with the Thunder Though they have long threatned Heaven one moment may throw them down to the Earth When men are not melted soften'd separated from their Dross by the Fire of Afflictions what may we expect but that the Lord should turn the whole Land into a Furnace of Judgement and heat it seven and yet seven times hotter till he hath utterly consumed them from off the Earth Surely Incorrigible Impiety shall at length be punisht with inexorable Fury The longer men have gone on in sin notwithstanding Instructions and Corrections the sooner shall they be overtaken with Judgement and the higher their Provocations the heavier their Punishment Thus we have seen what special sins make the Times perillous and in what cases these sins have in a speciall manner this evil Influence upon the times The second Symptome Formality in Religion THE Times are justly to be accounted perillous When the Generality of Professors take up in some outward Forms of Worship without pressing after the Life and Power of Godliness The Apostle in this Prediction of Perillous Times seems to wind up in the close of his Description of the Persons that should make the Times perillous all the Characters of them into this one they are men * 2 Tim. 3.3 Having a Form of Godliness but denying the power thereof And certainly there cannot be a surer Symptom of evil Times then Formality and Overliness in the matters of Religion and Worship of God amongst all sorts of Professors The Times must needs be evil and perillous when Religion is made but a matter of Faction and mens Zeal for Religion is estimated by their vehement
dissembled sayes Augustine is not Equity but double Iniquity because dissimulation is Iniquitie And the more glorious the Pretence is which covers a base Designe the more vile and wicked is the Person that thus audaciously steals the Robes of vertue to cloath his otherwise naked viliany Caligula the Romane Emperour was never more Profane then when in his Pride he would put on the Vestments of the Gods Nero within and Cato without is an abhor'd Monster in the Church of God When the Devil appears in the habit of Samuel 't is but to prophecy the prevalency of the Philistines and the Overthrow of Israel When Pernicious Projects are vail'd with glorious Pretences the Times are perillous When Piety is made subservient to Policy and Gain is accounted Godlinesse This is not Religion but Robbery Latro est Domum Dei convertit in speluncam Latronum qui Lucra de Religione sectatur cultusque ejus non tam Cultus Dei quam negotiationis occasio est †Hier. sup Mâ—t. l. 4. He is a Robber says Jerome and turns the House of God into a Den of Thieves who takes up Religion meerly for the getting of Gain and whose worship of God serves onely for a fitter Occasion to advance his Trading in the World And we know it was not long after the Temple was made a Den of Thieves that it became a heap of Ruines The Times are perillous when the Royal stamp is put upon counterfeit coine and self-interest is called the Cause of God And the Danger is greater according to the Degree of the Person Self-seeking especially under plausible pretences of the Good of the People is extreamly pernicious in such Persons as have the chiefest Power in their hands which ought not to be used as an Engine for the advancement of mens private Interests but to be ever put to the best improvement for the Publick Good And therefore the pious and learned Father makes this the great difference betwixt a Tyrant who rules after his own Lusts and a King that governes his People by good and wholesom Laws 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In this sayes he does a Tyrant differ from a King that the one has still an Eye to his own Interests the other lays out himself for the Good of his Subjects But yet amongst a People professing godlinesse such Tyrants which makes their wickednesse so much the worse are wont to pretend the interests of Religion and the Honour of God for the colouring of their irregular enterprizes and the covering of their wicked intentions till they have accomplish't their cursed Designes and so attain'd their own ends So the bloody Nero in the beginning of his Reigne made great Pretences of Piety but when he was establisht in his Empire he delighted in nothing but wickednesse and cruelty And how perillous those Times were to the Christian Church the Teares and Blood of many thousand persecuted Christians gave sufficient Testimony whose †Rev. 6.9 10 Souls are under the Altar of God still crying with a loud Voice and saying How long O Lord Holy and True dost thou not judge and avenge our Blood on them that dwell on the Earth But now was it not for such faire Pretences these bloody Tyrants could never so smoothly carry on such foule Enormities to a full accomplishment It 's the Glory of God therefore which they pretend to the world to be the End of their audacious Actings but their own Names are firmly wrought into that Shield of Gods Glory which they hold out to the world for the Protection of the basest Designes as it s said the Name of Phidias was by his curious Art wrought into the Shield of Minerva Wo be to the People that are subjected to the Power of such pernicious persons for these aâ—e they which do with a witnesse make the Times perillous The Times then are perillous when glorious Titles are stampt upon base Designs and glorious ends are pretended for the crediting of such Enormous Actions as Religion cannot but blush that they should be called her children Thus Celsus the Philosopher having written a Defence of Paganisme gilds over his rotten wood with this golden Title or Inscription Verbum Veritatis †Orig. contra Cels l. 2. The Word of Truth Thus Absalom pretended a solemne Act of Religion in paying his Vow unto God when having plotted a cursed Treason he went on purpose to raise a bloody Rebellion against his Prince and Father * 2 Sam. 15 7-10 Thâ—â— Jâ—hu pretended the Reformation of Religion when he sought nothing but the establishment of the Kingdome to himself †2 King 9 and 10. and therefore the executions done by him though according to Gods Order and Appointment * 2 King 9.6 7 are charged upon him as so many bloody Murthers soliciting the Divine Vengeance For sayes the Lord †Hos 1.4 yet a little while and I will avenge the Blood of Jezreel i. e. the bloodshed in Jezreel * 2 King 9 15 24 25 26 30. ult the Royal City of the Land of Issachar †Josh 19.17 18. upon the House of Jehu and will cause to cease the Kingdome of the House of Israel Thus one wicked Tyrant may be the Ruine of the whole Kingdome Yet does this bloody Wretch this Self-seeking Jehu while he was yet reeking in Blood and hot in pursuing his selfish Designes boast of his zeal for the Cause of God Come sayes he to Jehonadab * 2 King 10.15 16. Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD Thus do many wear a Cloak of Zeal upon a Habit of Vice Thus Saul out of his Zeale for the Israelites became a bloody Butcher of the Gibeonites and so brought a plague upon the whole Land of Israel †2 Sam. 21 1 2 Thus that wicked Ahab proclaimes a Fast for the putting to death of Naboth that he might take to himself his Vineyard and so by one Act involves himself in the guilt of Murder Perjury and unjust Usurpation of the Right and Possession of the Innocent and Righteous * 1 King 21 12-16 So the Historian tells us of the Devilish Policy of Hanno a rich Prince of the Carthaginians who having laid a desiâ—ne for the Destruction of the whole Seâ—ate herein worse then Heliogabalus whose Pride was satisfi'd in the Expulsion of the Senators †Fulg. l. 9. c. 5. made use of a sacred Sâ—lemnity in the Celebration of his Daughters Marriage Ut Religione Votorum nefanda committeret nefanda Commenta facilius tegerentur * Justin Hist l. 21. For the Execution and Concealment of his Damnable Designe and Hellish Treason Thus did the Monster of men Herod pretend he would †Mat. 2.8 worship Christ whilst he was plotting to murder him in the prosecution of which bloody Designe he cruelly * Mat. 2.16 put to death as it is thought about fourteen thousand Innocents the
anothers use who can deprive him of them without Intrenchment upon his just Right to whom they are given And then is not he guilty of †Mal. 3.8 Robbing of God which shall take away that and turn it to a secular Use for his own advanrage which was consecrated to Gods holy service Yea though a man that dedicates any thing to God should not do it with a Right intention yet is it the Lords Right after it is consecrated to a Religious Vse And therefore Christ calls the Temple built by Herod for vain glory his Fathers HOUSE and whips out them that profan'd it * 1 John 2.15 16. Much more will God scourge with his judgements those that under the pretence of Religion commit Sacriledge 'T was one of the Laws of the twelve Tables in Rome Sacrum Sacrove commendatum qui clepserit rapseritve Parricida esto †Cic. pro Rosc Let him that stealeth or violently taketh away holy things or things dedicated to a holy Use be reputed and punished as a Parricide And should Sacriledge be esteemed a lesse Crime amongst Christians then it was amongst Heathens shall we think it a lesse sinne to rob the true God the * Gen. 1.1 Ps 124.8 Creator of Heaven and Earth whose †Eph. 2.10 Workmanship we are for his * Psal 119.73 hands have made and fashion'd us then they did to rob their false gods which were so created by men to defraud their Idols which were the †Ps 115.4 work of mens hands being but * Ezek. 20.32 Wood and Stone or at the best but †Psa 135.15 Silver and Gold Surely if they to expresse the heinousnesse of this sin reckon'd it amongst the vilest murders of Bodies we shall want a sin with which to match it which is in effect a murder of souls It 's sad to think how many thousand souls were murder'd at one stroke when the Revenues of the Church were alienated in many places in England an act then which the Infernal Powers could hardly have decreed any thing more Diabolical and Destructive to the Kingdome of Christ however pretended for the purging of the Land from Superstition and spiritual Tyranny For have not many thousand souls by this means eternally perisht in their sinnes who for want of a competent maintenance for a sound and able Ministry have never enjoy'd the Means of Grace and Salvation but have sat down in Darknesse and the shadow of Death under an ignorant unprofitable and scandalous soul-murthering Ministry maintain'd by some broken reversions of those rich Revenues which were cut off from the Church by that cursed Sacriledge Doubtlesse the Blood of thousands of soules will give Testimony to the truth hereof at the Day of Judgement to the eternal confusion of such damned Sacrilegists who if they escap't punishment in this present Life shall be overtaken with the Wrath and Vengeance of God in the world to come Of this great evil does Calvin complain upon account of the Alienation of Abby-Lands and other depredations made upon the Churches revenues here in England in his Epistle to Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Canterbury as a mighty obstruction to the prosperous successe of the Gospel and Hindrance of the flourishing of the Christian Religion For sayes he Id quo minus fiat occultis quidem artibus obsistit Satan Unum tamen apertum obstaculum esse intelligo quod praedae expositi sunt Ecclesiae Reditus Malum sane intolerabile That this might not be Satan by his secret slights prevailes to the raising of a strong resistance But one thing I understand is an open Obstacle and that is that a Sacrilegious Rape is committed upon the Churches Revenues This is indeed a mischief intolerable And therefore it was both wise and holy Counsel and worthy of a Christian Prince which Christopher of Wittenberg gave to Andrew an eminent Divine in his Dominion when he was sent for by Lodwick Count of Oeting for his advice in some special concernments in the Church that if Count Lodwick should set upon a REFORMATION that under the Pretence of Religion he might rob God and by seizing upon the Revenues of the Church under the pretence of suppressing SUPERSTITION because they were anciently given for the maintenance of Monasteries turn them to his own private use and advantage he should presently leave him as a SACRILEGIOUS Person and come back to his own Countrey How strange is it that such Sacrilegious Persons should go on secure in their sins without fearing the judgement of God which is at their heeles in pursuit of them What a sad end befel Cardinal Woolsey that first began to enrich himself by Lands given to Monasteries And what a revenging hand pursu'd his five chief Agents that were most serviceable to him in that Sacrilegious Enterprize One of them kill'd his fellow in a Duel and was hang'd for it a third drowned himself in a Welâ— a fourth fell from a great estate to extreame Beggery Dr. Allen the last and chiefest of them being made Arch-Bishop of Dublin was cruelly slaine by his Adversaries Whereupon sayes the * Scultâ—t Relator of this sad Story Utinam his similibus Exemplis edocti discant homines res semel Deo consecratas timidè attrectare O that these and such like Examples might teach men to be afraid to meddle with such things as have at any time been consecrated unto God But judgement does not alwayes fall upon the Person but is sometimes reserv'd for the Posterity of those who have stain'd their hands with the guilt of Sacriledge Dionysius of Syracuse was wont to make a Mock of Sacriledge a sinne he thought he might boldly jest with as having made it his Familiar Amongst the rest he took a golden Vestment from the statue of Jupiter Olympius and instead thereof put a Cloak of cloth upon it saying Gold was too heavy for Summer and too cold for Winter but this would suit well with either Season Some have pretended the Churches good in taking away her Gâ—â—ments of Gold as if while her cloathing is of wrought Gold she can never be all glorious within †Ps 45.13 Now might not all men expect some remarkable judgement should be inflicted upon this Sacrilegious Tyrant Yet herein were mens expectations frustrated For sayes Valerius he underwent not the punishment he deserved But take notice for its worthy our observation of the Divine Conclusion which the Heathen Historian makes hereupon Qui tametsi debita supplicia non exolvit Dedecore tamen Filii mortuus Poenas rependit quas vivus effugerat Lento enim gradu ad Vindictam sui Divina procedit Ira tarditatemque supplicii gravitate compensat * Val. Max. l. 1. c. 1. Though sayes he he suffer'd not the punishment due to his insolency during his Life yet was the DISGRACE of his SON a punishment of his pride and stain to his glory after his Death Thus Divine Justice
bands they snap them in two like * Judg. 16.9 threads of Flax when they touch the Fire As the Demoniack which was bound with Chaines and Fetters but he brake all the bands wherewith he was bound †Luk. 8.22 You may call such LEGION for many Devils are surely entred into them to try their strength in them The Laws of men are chaines of Iron the commands of God are chaines of Gold Oaths and Covenants added thereunto are chaines of Adamant If Satan once be so strong in men as that they break all these chaines we may well expect perillous Times For what desperate wickednesse will not such men attempt What horrid and unheard of Villanies will not such men commit as bid defiance to God in the breach of the most sacred bands of Duty and solemne Obligations to obeObedience Woe be to the Inhabitants of the Earth when such Furies of Hell shall be let loose upon them This sin of Perjury and Perfidiousnesse of false-hood and lying unto God in the violation of Vowes and Covenants is a sinne which exceedingly incenses Heaven and provokes the Lord of Hosts the King of glory whose sacred name is hereby profan'd to execute his fiercest judgements upon such a People and therefore is a sad Symptome of perillous Times and fearfull Presage of following Judgements Thus when Saul out of his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah as the Scripture tells us sought to destroy the Gibeonites as being strangers to the Common-wealth of Israel God punisht the Violation of that League which Joshuah had * About four hundred years long before made with them †Josh 9.3 16 17. by bringing a Famine upon the Land for three years uncessantly in the dayes of David * 2 Sam. 21 1 2 Though the Gibeonites deceit was the foundation of this Covenant and Sauls Zeal the principle of the prosecution of them contrary to it yet is the violation hereof severely punisht by the plague of Famine Though it be the Fire of Zeal that burns in two these sacred bands yet will the Fire of Gods wrath be kindled against them that shall voluntarily violate them So the LORD threatned Captivity and very sore Judgements against the Princes and People of Israel for their violation of their Covenant of granting a Manumission to their Hebrew servants and the Punishment answer'd the Prognostick Observe the Lords Charge and Commination the sting of that Prophecy wherewith Jeremiah was sent unto them †Jer. 34 13-22 Thus saith the LORD the God of Israel I made a COVENANT with your Fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of Bondmen saying At the end of seven yeares let ye go every man his Brother an Hebrew which hath been sold unto thee and when he hath served thee six years thou shalt let him go free from thee But your fathers hearkened not unto me neither inclined their eare And ye were now turned and had done Right in my sight in proclaiming every man Liberty to his Neighbour and ye had made a COVENANT before me in the House which is called by my Name But ye turned and polluted MY NAME and caused every man his servant and every man his Hand-maid whom he had set at Liberty at their pleasure to returne and brought them into subjection to be unto you for Servants and for Handmaids Therefore thus saith the LORD Ye have not hearkened unto me in proclaiming Liberty every one to his Brother every man to his Neighbour behold I proclaime a Liberty for you saith the LORD to the Sword to the Pestilence and to the Famine and I will make you to be removed into all the Kingdoms of the Earth And I will give the men that have transgressed my COVENANT which have not performed the words of the COVENANT which they had made before me when they cut the Calfe in twaine a Rite signifying so let it be done to him that shall violate his Covenant and passed between the Parts thereof the Princes of Judah and the Princes of Jerusalem the Eunuchs and the Priests and all the People of the Land which passed between the Parts of the Calfe I will even give them into the hand of their Enemies and into the hand of them that seek their Life and their dead Bodies shall be for meat unto the Fowles of the Heaven and to the Beasts of the Earth And Zedekiah King of Judah and his Princes will I give into the hand of their Enemies and into the Hand of them that seek their Life and into the Hand of the King of Babylons Army which are gone up from you Behold I will command saith the LORD and cause them to return to this City and they shall fight against it and take it and burne it with Fire and I will make the Cities of Judah a Desolation without an inhabitant Thus for this sinne of Covenant-breaking may God break in pieces a perfidious People with the Iron Rod of War and lay a flourishing land desolate For this sinne does the Lord by the Prophet Amos draw up a Charge likewise against Tyrus * Am. 1.9 10 Thus saith the LORD For three transgressions of Tyrus and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof because they delivered up the whole Captivity to Edom and remembred not the BROTHERLY COVENANT which was formerly made between David and Solomon Kings of Judah and Hiram King of Tyre who being Brethren by identity of Office as Kings and mutual Amity as Friends did hereby knit the Bands of Brotherhood with a faster knot †2 Sam. 5.11 1 King 5.1 and 9.13 But I will send a Fire on the Wall of Tyrus which shall devoure the Palaces thereof God himself takes an Oath and solemnly swears by his Life that he will punish the King of Judah with Death and his People with Destruction for his violation of his Oath and Covenant with the King of Babylon See how severely the Lord proceeds against him for this Sin Say now to the Rebellious House sayes the LORD to the Prophet Ezekiel * Chap. 17 12-21 Know ye not what these things mean Tell them Behold the King of Babylon is come to Jerusalem and hath taken the King thereof and the Princes thereof and led them with him to Babylon And hath taken of the Kings seed and made a COVENANT with him and hath taken an OATH of him he hath also taken the Mighty of the Land that the Kingdome might be base that it might not lift it self up but that by keeping of his COVENANT it might stand But he rebelled against him in sending his Ambassadours into Egypt that they might give him Horses and much People Shall he prosper shall he escape that doth such things Or shall he BREAK THE COVENANT and be delivered As I live saith the Lord GOD surely in the place where the King dwelleth that made him King whose OATH he
Civil Dissentions until the streets of Jerusalem ran down with blood and the Body of the City became as a bloody †Mat. 24.28 CARKAS For before the final devastation of that renowned City it was divided as Josephus relates into a threefold Faction which under the Conduct of John Simon and Eleazar cruelly contested one with another and that bloody Generation called the Zealots of whom we have formerly spoken adhering as occasion serv'd to each party ceased not to foment this cruel Dissention and to enrage the heat of this burning Fever in the heart of the holy City which could never be cured without the shedding of abundance of Blood and the loss of many thousand lives And when the Body of the City was miserably torne with these Dissentions within and in continual danger of the Romans Invasion from without methinks that Pathetical Representation which the Historian makes of their miserable condition with the weeping wishes of the woful inhabitants is enough to fetch Tears from the eyes of any that shall but seriously minde it For sayes he †Joseph 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The City being assaulted on every side by treacherous conspiratours and a rabble multitude of unneighbourly Neighbours in the out-parts thereof the People in the midst like to some great body were cruelly rent and torne But the ancient men and the women being utterly at a losse which way to escape such pressing calamities wish't for the Romanes hoping that a forreign Warre might give them some releasement from the bleeding miseries of these intestine Broiles Thus the afflicted Patient wishes sends for the Chirurgion to make an Incision into his Body and draw away the blood from his Veines for the cooling of the boyling heat which he feeles in his heart But sad is the state of that people who are in more danger in more feare of their own bloody Brethren then of the most enraged Enemies But alas when the Romanes furiously came against them how easily did a divided self-destroying people become a prey to their cruel enemies who slew with the sword about eleven hundred thousand of them utterly destroy'd that famous City and that glorious Temple which was justly renown'd throughout the whole World A great River whose water runnes in one channel is not easily foâ—dable but cut it into lesser streames and Rivulets as Cyrus did Euphrates when he assaulted Babylon and it may be easily passed over Thus Sedition in a state facilitates the way to its Destruction And the matter of Sedition sayes the Lord Verulam †Bacon in Essayes c. 15 is of two kindes much Roverty and much discontentment It is certaine sayes he so many overthrown estates so many Votes for Troubles When a Fire is kindled amongst old broken Houses it burns most violently and irresistibly When men are grown desperate the times must needs be dangerous Now the Causes and motions of Seditions sayes the same Authour are Innovation in Religion Taxes Alteration of Laws and Customes Breaking of Priviledges general Oppression Advancement of unworthy Persons Strangers Dearths Disbanded Souldiers Factions grown desperate and whatsoever in offending People joyneth and knitteth them in a common Cause These things carry in them so much light and evidence for their own truth and certainty and that sufficiently confirm'd by many sad experiences that when we see this Matter these Motives of Sedition we need not doubt to say the Times are perillous It 's most certaine that Union is the Stength Division the Weaknesse of any People This the Wise Father taught his children when he gave them a bundle of Rods to break which they were not able to do when bound together but easily snapt them in sunder when sever'd and singly deliver'd unto them Vnion is the Principle of Self-preservation but Division tends to Self-destruction Nostine igitur quod omne quod est tam diu manere atquâ— subsistere quam diu sit unum sed interire atque dissolvi pariter quando unum esse desierit * Boâ—t de Consol l. 4 Doest thou not know then sayes Boetius that every thing that is does so long abide and subsist as it continues to be ONE but when once it ceases to be one then is it dissolv'd and comes to nothing A house well compact will stand in a storm but when the Building is dis-joynted an easie push will throw it down and one part of it serves as an instrument to break the other in pieces and is it selfe broken in breaking And therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Arist Polit. Perillous are Breaches amongst Brethren when this is the Epidemical disease of a Nation it speaks the times to be perillous Union of the Inhabitants is a Nations strength and glory but Dissentions weaken its Strength stain its Glory and presage its Ruine Union of the Inhabitants is a brazen Wall of Defence round about a Nation to keep its enemies out but Division opens an hundred Gates for them to enter in It s easie to subdue that Nation which takes the onely way to destroy it self But now Nulla quamvis sit minima Natio cito potest ab Adversariis deleri nisi propriis simultatibus seipsam confecerit * Veget. l. 3 No Nation be it never so small can be suddenly destroy'd by its Adversaries unlesse it dispatch it self by its own discords and dissentions But when a Nation shall by sundry Factions and frequent Seditions teare in pieces its own bowels it may soone be crush't and quell'd by a Forreign Force When two great Nations profest enemies to the true Christian Religion are combin'd in a League of Amity and one small Nation professing the Christian Religion is divided within it self into almost a thousand fragments by a multitude of discordant Sects and many of them are already inflam'd after War and Blood and can hardly forbear some bloody Attempts for the tearing in pieces of their fellow-Members of the same Nation and a great number of them are the close Friends to the open Enemy and are continually blowing up the sparks of Dissention for the kindling of the Fire of War in the whole Kingdom are not such a People in a dangerous state and are we not to account such dayes to be perillous Times For When Discords and Quarrels and Factions are carry'd openly and audaciously as that learned States-man †â—acon in Essayes c. 15 before mention'd well observes it is a signe the reverence of Government is lost And Reverence sayes he is that wherewith Princes are girt from God When this Girdle is once loosed the Garment will easily be pluckt off the Government will soone be dissolv'd And yet moâ—e easily when it is not onely loose but rent with these Civil Dissentions Divisions have produced great Alterations accompanied with many woful Effects in the most potent Kingdomes on Earth the mightiest Monarchies of the World The Divisions amongst the Trojans as a * D. Featly Modern
Divine well observes brought in the Graecians the Divisions amongst the Graecians brought in Philip The Divisions of the Assyrian Mona 〈◊〉 bâ—â—ught in the Persian of the Persian 〈…〉 Macedonian of the Macedonian 〈◊〉 the Roman of the Roman brought in the Turk Lastly sayes he the Divisions amâ—â—g the Britans of this Nation brought in fiâ—st the Saxons then the Danes and last of all the Normans and who shall come next invited by our Civil Distractions God knows Our Saviour whose Testimony is truth it self plainly tells us †Mark 3.24 25. If a Kingdome be divided against it self that Kingdome cannot stand And if a House be divided against it selfe that House cannot stand Does not nature it self teach as much Is it not a Divine Harmony which hath tun'd the world into such a beautiful Frame and makes the Sun Moon and Stars keep such a regular Dance Are not Kingdoms Cities Houses then most happy when they do not by the noise of their tumults deprive themselves of the sweet pleasure of this Heavenly Musick When PEACE that Bird of Paradise sits and sings in the Land do not we presently see a flowry Spring of all desirable earthly Felicities And when by our kinde usage we invite her to our Bosomes does she not presently still our tumultuous Thoughts put our affections into a delicious Dance and heighten our hearts gladnesse to a kinde of ravishment and sweet excesse by her Angellick Notes yea does she not tune all our Voices to sing in Consort this short and sweet Ditty Nulla salus BELLO PACEM te poscimus omnes * Aen. 11. No safety lies in War For PEACE we all declare Or rather that which the Angels sang at the Birth of the Prince of Peace when the Temple of Janus was shut and Wars were all husht in the World †Cuncta atque continua totius generis Humani aut Pax fuit aut Pactio Flor. Hist l. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glory to God in the highest and on earth PEACE good Will towards men * Luk. 2.14 Welcome dear Peace come from the Bosome of Heaven to poure Balsome into our bleeding Wounds and heal our cruel Contentions on Earth And well may PEACE be welcome to us For sayes the Orator Nomen PACIS dulce est ipsa res salutaris PAX est tranquilla libertas Nam nec privatos focos nec publicas Leges nec Libertatis Jura chata habere potest quem Discordia quem caedes Civium quem Bellum civile delectat eumque ex numero hominum ejiciendum ex finibus humanae Naturae exterminandum puto †Cic. in Philip. The very Name of PEACE drops sweetnesse and the Thing it selfe is Health Safety Happinesse PEACE is a Tranquility in the Fruition of Liberty And therefore he neither tenders the welfare of his private Family nor the publick interests of Lawes or Liberties who delights in Discords the slaughter of Citizens and Civil War and therefore sayes he I think him fit to be banisht the Bounds of Humane Nature and not to be reckon'd in the number of men Surely if sacred HARMONY should lay aside her Harp by which she composes so many discordant Natures into an amiable and well-agreeing Order the whole Creation would presently fall into a fiery Contention and so all the Beauties of this rare Building would be stain'd with the Blood of the warring Creatures until the whole Fabrick weaken'd and wasted with these Flames and Wars would suddenly sink down into the first Chaos of Confusion And if once DISCORD should draw her sword and with her Forces and Followers Wrath Cruelty Revenge Malice Murders Massacres Fears Fury Horrour and the rest of her ragged regiment march forth into the world to warre against miserable mankinde and if once according to her wonted successe in all her warres she should come to dominere over Kingdomes Cities Families they would soon become so many miserable Maps of Confusion and Stages of Blood HAPPINES would presently take Wing and flie from them when once DISCORD should come to reigne amongst them Neque enim Civitas in Seditione potest esse beata nec in Discordia Dominorum Dominus * Cicer. l. 1 de fin Bon. Mal. For no City can be Happy that is the Seat of Sedition nor will Happinesse dwell in that House which is the habitation of Strife the very Governours whereof are under the Dominion of Discord When therefore Peace Love Unity departs from a Nation or Church and Strife Hatred Division succeeds in the the room and regency thereof that people must needs have experience of perillous times For surely when we see in the same Land Church against Church Altar against Altar Pulpit against Pulpit People against People it s a sad Symptome of the Ruine and Destruction of that Land For Division brings Confusion and Confusion brings Destruction And when the Sheep turne head and strike at one another it 's a sign a storme is at hand †Plin. Nat. Hist l. 11. c. 17. They that are thus wanton while the windes are still will finde their state woful when the storme is come For Discordiarum fraternarum horrendi evenâ—us fratres ipsos stirâ—emque suam domos regna funda everterunt * Livy dec 1. l. 3. Discords amongst Brethren have produced dreadful effects hereby have they destroy'd themselves and their Families both Root and Branch yea Houses Kingdomes Foundations have been overturned by them Thus terrible are the stormes of Civil Dissentions which break forth upon a Church or Nation when once the sacred bands of brotherly love wherewith they were bound up and held under Restraint are broken God whose holy and gracious Presence makes his Church happy and glorious is a God of Peace and Love and he requires all his children to live together in Love and Peace that he may dwell amongst them So sayes the Apostle to the Corinthians †2 Cor. 13 11 Be perfect be of good comfort be of one Minde live in Peace and the God of Love and Peace shall be with you But when the People of God do by their continual Jarrings banish these excellent Virtues which as Doves when they heare a noise fly out of their House they provoke God to depart from them and by his Departure at once to despoyle them of all Happinesse When the Bees fight in the Hive the King flies away and leaves them after which as Naturalists observe they never prosper If for the Contentions of Christians Christ should forsake his Church we must needs be in a most miserable condition Thus we see how sad the state of a Church or Nation is which is shaken and shatter'd with Civil Dissentions But the state of such a divided people is yet more sad when the enemies seeing them thus weaken'd by Division do strengthen themselves against them by Confederacy and combination For as that great Historian observes Per Discordias Civiles externi tollunt
what can be expected to follow but showers of Blood For when the Sun shall be turn'd into Darknesse we well know the Moon shall be turn'd into Blood * Joel 2.31 When a storme is rais'd by the Prince of the power of the Air what can we expect but that the Ship wherein Christ is imbarked with his Disciples should be tost on the Waters and almost overwhelm'd with the Waves †Mar. 8.24 When Images of Gold are set up and ador'd by the men of the World what can the children of God expect but to be cast into a fiery Furnace * Dan. 3.1 21 When Gain is accounted Godlinesse and Oppression of the innocent is stiled Justice then whosoever will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution †2 Tim. 3.12 When the Wolves come in flocks to the Fold and Lions are the Lords of the Soile what can be expected but that the Sheep and Lambs should be worried When there is much Cockle amongst the Corne much Chaff amongst the Wheat we may conclude it shall not be long at least if the winde rises or turnes before it be winnow'd When we see every Shepherd in Israel is an abomination to the Egyptians * Gen. 46.34 we may expect the Egyptians should pursue the Israelites even into the heart of the Red Sea When the subtile Foxes are come into the Vineyard we may conclude their cruel Teeth will be soon dy'd red in the Blood of the Grapes If the Scarlet Whore be once brought into the House of God we shall soone see her drunken with the Blood of the Saints †Rev. 17.4 5 6. We still finde the Names of the Saints written in Red Letters in the Romish Calendar If the SWORD depose the SCEPTER and rule in its stead we may be sure it will eat flesh and drink Blood yea the blood of Kings and Princes and Prophets who leaving the Sword stain'd with the Guilt of Murder shall be themselves crown'd with the Glory of MARTYRDOM SIN is a cruel Monster if it once get the Supreme Power it will soon turne a Land of Beauty into a Sea of Blood III. Destruction of mens souls If the great red Dragon with his Taile draw down many of the Stars of Heaven and cast them to the Earth * Rev. 12.4 we may expect a dark night to follow If the Springs be impoyson'd it must needs be Death to men to drink of the waters If the Philistines carry away the Ark from Israel we must expect many thousands to be slaine and perish †1 Sam. 4 10 11. If God take away his abused Gospel call home his despised Ministers and so men loose the true Religion how many thousand souls must necessarily perish everlastingly The soul is exceeding precious it s a Jewel inestimable of more worth then the whole World * Mat. 16.26 its losse is irreparable a World of Gold cannot redeem one soul †See Psal 49.7 8. with 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Now when such a storme is risen that the souls of men are in danger of being ship-wrackt the state of that people is sad the Times are perillous Thus we have seen the Characters of the Persons that make the Times perillous and the several Symptomes of perillous Times with the Causes and Consequences thereof and so fully finisht our first Enquiry The second Enquiry How pious persons must demean themselves in perillous Times IT much concernes the people of God to consider with themselves what the Lord calls them unto and calls for from them in all conditions into which he is pleased to cast them that their Lives and Carriages may expresse a Responsiblenesse to the Divine Providence These are they whom the Lord hath selected from thousands to lift up his Name and Glory in the World They are therefore in a special manner to glorifie God by such Actings and Demeanours as may be suitable to all his Dispensations When God is most dishonour'd by the wicked the godly should most honour him Saints are Souldiers call'd forth to fight the Battels of the Lord of Hosts when the Enemies of the Lord do most abound and are most active the Souldiers of his army should be most valiant for his Cause most vigilant against their force and Politick Encroachments upon the interests of his Glory The Trees of righteousnesse of Gods own Planting should bring forth Fruit in all Seasons Times of Perill to the Church are Times of Tryal of the Piety of the Saints When sin appears in its highest Pride then should Grace shine forth in its greatest Glory As for you therefore my beloved brethren that truly fear the name of the Lord and desire to know what your Duty is in such Cases attend these Directions which I shall give you out of the Word of God When it is your Lot to live in perillous Times take notice of these Duties The first Duty Sorrow for the Sinnes of the Times DO you live in evil Times Then Bewaile before the Lord the Sinnes and Abominations of the Times Prevailing Impieties make the Times perillous The sins of the wicked call for the sorrows of the Saints because hereby the Name of God is dishonour'd and the souls of men are defiled Thus was Davids heart grieved and his eyes shed Tears for the sins of his Times I beheld the Transgressors sayes he and was grieved because they kept not thy Word * Psal 119 158 And again Rivers of waters runne down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law †Psal 119 136 When a Land is defiled by sin these Rivers of Teares are the best means to prevent a Deluge of Blood When the wrath of God is kindled against an ungodly Nation there is nothing more powerful to quench it then the Tears of the truly godly By this means shall you preserve your selves from Defilement by the sinnes of the wicked and happily prevent the Judgements which are ready to be executed on a sinfull Nation Now Christians is not this a duty you are very Defective in And yet is there not much cause for it When did you shed a Tear for all the Sins of the Times When did you ever look upon London as Christ upon Jerusalem a sinful City and weep over it * Luk. 19.41 What shall the streets of it run down with Rivers of Blood before you can shed a few drops of Teares for its preservation When did you meet together to weep over a sinful Nation When did you that can easily weep upon other occasions go apart and poure out Teares into the bosome of God for the Sinnes and Abominations of England and say Ah Lord In thy †Isa 63.9 Pity and in thy Mercy spare a sinful Nation Do you not see upon England many Symptomes of her Destruction except fervent Prayers steep'd in penitent Teares do prevent it O how many and how great are the Abominations of the Land the Provocations of the most high God!
God! And hast thou given thy dearest Son to suffer such a cursed and cruel dâ—ath for such a vile sinner as I am O sweetest Mercy O infinite goodnesse O glorious Love Then me thought I first felt my Heart that before was like a †Eze. 36.26 stone within me to melt and sensibly dissolve at once into sorrow and joy †Zac. 12.10 * Sorrow that ever I had sinned against such a good God †Luk. 2.10 Joy that ever Mercy and Salvation should be tendered to such a vile sinner And then when I cast up my Eyes to Christ and beheld him sometimes as crucifi'd on Earth sometimes as glorifi'd in heaven my heart sure spake within me much to this purpose O deare Jesus And hast thou endured such grievous sufferings for the salvation of such a miserable sinner as I am What wouldest thou leave thy Fathers * Joh. 1.18 Bosome and glory to live here on Earth and die on the †Phil. 2.8 Crosse to save the Life of a crawling Worme Hast thou poured out thy * Joh. 19 34. Hearts blood to queâ—â—â— thy Fathers dreadful wrath and to â—â—â—chase his glorious Love to a poysonous Toad Is it possible Can it be believed for Truth that the Sonne of God should come to save such a sinful wretch as I am Yea He hath said it and I believe it †1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the World to save sinners of whom I am chiefe Hereupon I found my heart carried out in a restlesse and insatiable longing desire after Christ yea and indeed inseparably cleaving to Christ thus manifesting himself to me in the Gospel For then I not onely saw the sinfulnesse of my sinnes but I lookt upon all my * Isa 64.6 Righteousnesses as filthy rags and so humbling my self for my sinnes and renouncing utterly my own righteousnesse I cast my self wholly upon my Saviour and resolved †Job 13.15 though he should slay me I would trust in him And now though since I have not often found such sweet and powerful workings upon my Heart yet this is the state wherein I stand I have solemnly resigned my self wholly up into the hands of Christ as my Soveraigne and Saviour to be done with and disposed of in every thing as seemes best unto him and on him only do I rest for Righteousness and Life Eternal Happy soul God hath magnified his Mercy to thee and done more for thee then for thousands God hath drawn thee tâ— Christ and united thy soul to him by â—â—â—h a Band indissoluble For thou hast in this Declaration of Gods dealings with thee laid open the very Mysterie of Faith and manifested how the Holy Ghost hath by this Heavenly Band inseparably knit thy soul unto thy Saviour Rejoyce then in thy God For thy soul is safely lockt up in the Everlasting Blessed Embraces of thy Redeemer Yea thou shalt be for ever worn as a Jewel in his bosom Fear not For in the day that God makes up his Jewels * Mal. 3.17 he will remember thy soul And though thy Faith be weak be not discouraged Thou standest not in thy own strength but in the strength of Christ who is †Isa 63.1 Mighty to save The safety of the Child in the Mothers Bosome lies not in the strength of its own weak Arms wherewith it clings about her but in the strength of the Mothers Arm and the Affectionate Tenderness of her heart towards it What though thy Faith be weak thy strength be small and thy Enemies strong thou art kept by the Power of God through Faith unto salvation * 1 Pet. 1.5 Christ is thine and so Heaven and Happiness is thine also The Lord grant I may live to his Praise that hath shewed Mercy on me For the Glory of God is I know the end of these Dispensations of his Grace For thus it is written †Eph. 1.12 13 14. That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ In whom saith the Apostle ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of Truth the Gospel of your salvation in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of Promise which is the Earnest of our Inheritance untill the Redemption of the purchased Possession unto the praise of his Glory But how may I know that God hath given me this Earnest of my Inheritance that I am sealed with his Holy Spirit or that he hath given his Holy Spirit to me If God hath given you Faith in Jesus Christ he hath certainly sealed you with his Holy Spirit and so given you the Earnest of your heavenly Inheritance For it is the Spirit of God which is the Spirit of Grace by which that Faith was wrought in your Heart by which you have been united to Jesus Christ The Graces of Sanctification Repentance Faith Hope Love to God Charity c. are the prints of this Privy Seal wherewith God seals Believers as his own Peculiar which in whatsoever soul they are found to that soul is the Spirit of God given as an Earnest of an eternal Inheritance in Heaven And where there is one Grace of the Spirit as that of Faith which hath already been evidenc't there are all the rest though not equally visible Though sometimes but one Star do appear in the Heavens yet we are sure all the rest are fixed there though they are clouded from our sight Moreover the Spirit of God where ever it is is a Spirit of Holiness Prayer and Comfort Now do you desire to know whether the Spirit of God be given to you and do indeed dwell in you Then search your Heart and tell me what you discover upon these Enquiries Do you find sin to be a Burden to you and are you weary of it Do you indeed hate your sweetest sins and love the strictest wayes of Holiness Do you maintain a constant Conflict against your Corruptions Can you truly say with the Apostle †Rom. 7.19 The good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do For * v. 21. I find a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me Yet I delight in the Law of God after the inward man Oh do you not extremely long to be freed from this Bondage of Corruption that in the duties of Holiness you might enjoy a more glorious Freedom of Communion with God What is it which chiefly makes the world uncomfortable to you Is it Sin or Suffering Which of these two is it which you most constantly fear and most carefully decline Can you heartily bless God for Affliction when it becomes a Means to promote in your Heart the work of Grace and Holiness Is not your heart grieved for the Sin that cleaves unto you in your best performances Do you not find your heart endeared to the
of Gods gracious Dealings with thy soul in the Communications of his Spirit to thee whereby thou hast given me Occasion to review some sweet Passages of that soul-ravishing Communion which a poor Creature and a worse sinner then thy self hath sometimes had with the All-glorious and ever gracious God Now assure thy self I dare no more delude thee in these great Concernments these Matters of everlasting Consequence then I dare delude my own soul For should I dare to speak Peace to thee in an unsecure Condition and so flatter thy soul into Hell thy Life would God require at my hand in the Judgement day Know then dear Soul to thy present Comfort and everlasting Joy these are not the fruits of Corrupt Nature but of saving Grace and this Grace flows from the Spirit of Holiness which is given to thee and in respect of these blessed Fruits Effects Influences and Operations thereof dwelleth in thee and will certainly conduct thee to a Kingdom of Glory Fear not then the Evils that are or shall be upon Earth for thou hast an Eternal Inheritance reserved for thee in Heaven Thou art one of the small number of Christs ltttle Flock and it is thy Fathers good pleasure to give thee tht Kingdom †Luk. 12.32 Thus I have shewed thee O Believer how thou may'st clear thy Title to the Kingdom of Heaven thine Evidences for eternal Life How thou may'st know upon infallible Scripture-Grounds that Heaven is thine Inheritance What then remains but that living in Perillous Times on earth thou shouldst long to be possest of the Glorious Joyes of Heaven And therefore now we are here together in the Wilderness come Believer come along with me to the top of Pisgah and let us there take a Prospect of the Holy Land Seest thou there the * Isa 33.17 Land that is a far off Behold that 's the Land of Promise where after our wearisome Pilgrimage we shall have an everlasting glorious Rest There the Flourishing Vines are ever laden with full Clusters of the richest Grapes Oh! Happy shall we be when instead of the Waters of the Wilderness we shall come to drink of the Wines of Canaan There the Rivers do continually flow with †Exo. 3.17 Flumina jam Lactis jam Flumina Nectaris ibant Ovid. Aetas Aureâ— Milk and Honey Theâ—e shall we sit down by the Crystal streams of the purest Pleasures and drink our Fils of the fresh Fountains of glorious Joyes everlasting Delights Here we are encompast with Enemies but there we shall have a perfect Tranquillity an eternal Security an unchangeable Felicity Oh that we had but * Psal 55.6 Wings like a Dove that we might fly from this High Mountain to that HOLY LAND Come Believer why standest thou here gazing upon a tumultuous Throng of people that rush out of the Gates of Babylon to persecute and afflict the Children of Zion †Isa 33.20 21. Look upon Zion the City of our Solemnities Thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet Habitation a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down not one of the Stakes thâ—reof shall ever be removed neither shall any of the Cords thereof be broken But there the glorious LORD will be to us a place of broad Rivers and Streames wherein shall go no Gally with Oars neither shall gallant sâ—ip pass thereby No there shall be no Enemy to terrifie us with a threatned Invasion nor any to molest us with a bloody Persecution for our City shall be * Isa 26.1 wall'd with Salvation and our streets shall be pav'd with Peace Happy are the Inhabitants of the Heavenly Jerusalem There they that have wallowed in the Dust shall walk on †Rev. 21.21 Gold They that have been wrapt up in Darkness and buried in Disgrace shall wear Robes of Light and Crowns of Glory Were all the glittering Stars of Heaven turn'd into glorious Suns what glorious Robes of Light would their intermixed Beams weave for the Inhabitants of the Earth And yet all this would be but a shadow of the Glory of Heaven For were all these Suns in the highest Heavens they would be at once eclipst and disappear darkened with the All-transcending Brightness of the * Rev. 21.23 Glory of God Sure we are †Isa 24.23 The Moon shall be confounded and the Sun ashamed when the Lord of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his Antients gloriously Glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God * Psal 87.3 Incomparabiliter clara est Civitas aeterna ubi Victoria ubi Veritas ubi Dignitas ubi Sanctitas ubi Vita ubi Aeternitas †Aug. de Vita aeterna The Eternal City saith Augustine is of incomparable Claritude where there is Victory where there is Verity where there is Dignity where there is Sanctity where there is Life where there is Eternity Oh who would not long to live in that place where the Inhabitants are possest of so many inestimable Priviledges Come Christians what say you to these glorious things above now you experiment such perillous Times below Here you are wandering in the Wildernesse Do you not long to be possest of the Land of Promise to see the Beauties taste the Pleasures and enjoy the Priviledges of the Coelestial Canaan the supernal Jerusalem Here you are tost on a troublesome Sea should you not desire to arrive at the Haven of HAPPINESSE to Land in GLORY Here you sit by the Rivers of Babylon should you not weep when you remember Zion Even weep for sorrow that you are so long absent from it which is the Place of your Triumph and Joy Know you not that when once you are arriv'd at the * Psal 48.2 City of the great King your Waters of sorrow shall be all turn'd into the Wine of Joy For the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with Songs and everlasting Joy upon their Heads they shall obtaine Joy and Gladnesse and sorrow and sighing shall flee away †Isa 35.10 Theâ—e shall you see those Turtle Doves whose mourning voice you heard by the Waters of the Sanctuary having their * Psa 68.13 Wings cover'd with Silver and their Feathers with yellow Gold glassing their Eyes in the crystal Fountaines of Eternal Life The State of man may be distinguisht into three Regions there 's a lower Region which is the Region of Nature a middle Region which is the Region of Grace and the highest Region which is the Region of Glory There 's no true Tranquillity nor Safety in the first there are many Stormes and Tempests in the second there 's Rest and Joy a perfect Peace with the purest Pleasures in the third without intermission or end Oh how should the Saints who have been translated from the Region of Nature into the Region of Grace long to be translated especially in stormy and tempestuous Times from the Region of Grace into the Region of Glory True they must
is not all in flames over our heads and the Earth all staind with blood under our Feet for this sin long before now Surely this deserves sadly to be laid to heart as a fearful Presage of some very dreadful Judgement I shall close this fourth Instance with the Excellent counsel of the Son of Sirach Accustome not thy selfe sayes he †Eccl. 23 9-13 to Swearing neither use thy self to the Naming of the Holy One. For as a servant that is continually beaten shall not be without a blew mark so he that sweareth and nameth God continually shall not be faultless * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man that useth much swearing shall be fill'd with iniquity and the Plague shall never depart from his House If he shall offend his sinne shall be upon him and if he acknowledge not his sinne †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he maketh the offence double And if he swear in vaine he shall not be innocent but his House shall be full of Calamities There is a Word that is cloathed about with Death God grant that it be not found in the Heritage of Jacob for all such things shall be farre from the godly and they shall not * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wallow in their sinnes Use not thy mouth to †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intemperate swearing for therein is the word of sin The fifth Sin Adultery Fornication Uncleanness VVHen the Land is defiled with Adultery Fornication and Vncleanness the Times are Perillous and Evil. God is a God of infinite Purity and Holiness When a Land therefoâ—e is polluted with these Impurities and Abominations what can be expected but that the Lord should abhor it When the Lord hath e poused a Nation to himself and it hath * Hos 1.2 committed great Whoreâ—omes what can be expected but that the Lord should give it a Bill of Divorce When the Lord's Mercies are turned into the Fewel of Uncleannesse what may we expect but Wrath and Judgement Dreadful are the Judgements which the Lord hath executed for the Punishment of these sinnes Yea so dreadful that never hath the world seene more terrible Demonstrations of the Wrath and Vengeance of an angry God an incens'd Majesty 'T was for the Punishment of this Sin that God drown'd the whole world and burnt up the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with Fire and Brimstone For the Old World burn'd in Lust and Wantonness before it was drown'd with Water and Sodom was drown'd in Luxury and Filthinesse before it was burnt with Fire In the former the Sonnes of God doted on the Beauty of the Daughters of men †Gen. 6.2 and in the latter the Sons of men sought to commit Folly with the Angels of God * Gen. 19 4 5 Desperate Pollution that would attempt the Violation of Angelical Purity But their unnatural Lusts received a supernatural punishment God sending down upon them Hell out of Heaven But now these sins amongst us are worse by a thousand Degrees then they were amongst them For a Christian by profession whose Body hath been consecrated by Baptisme for a Temple of the holy Ghost to abuse himself by filthy Lusts is to do an Act beyond all the Abominations of the Heathens even to turn the Sanctuary into a Stews The Apostle therefore uses this Argument to take off the too lascivious †Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scortari Chil. Eras Corinthians from this sinne Flee Fornication sayes he * 1 Cor. 6.18 19. Every sin that a man doth is without the Body But he that committeth Fornication sinneth against his own Body What know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your own Now where the Lords Temples are thus profan'd may not he justly abhor them and utterly forsake that Land Yea if for this sin especially the Lord †2 Pet. 2.5 6 brought in the Flooâ— upon the World of the Ungodly And turning the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into Ashes * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemn'd them with an overthrow making them an Example to these that afterwards should live ungodly who are †Jude v. 7 suffering the Vengeance of Eternal Fire of how much sorer Punishment think you shall they be thought worthy who under the Light of the Gospel Profession of Christianity and Meanes of Grace commit these horrid Abominations Surely it 's a wonder the flaming Vengeance of God is not before now broken forth against the provoking People of this Land But we know * Heb. 13.4 Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge For this sin does God complaine of his ungrateful People the Jews When I had fed them to the full saith the Lord * Jer. 5.7 8 9. they then committed Adultery and Assembled themselves by Troops in the Harlots Houses They were as fed Horses in the morning every One neighed after his Neighbours Wife Shall I not visit for these things saith the LORD and shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this So the Prophet complaines as of one of the great Evils of his Time †Jer. 23 10 the Land is full of Adulterers And when the Lord found the Land full of such filth he came and swept it with the Besome of Desolation in the Babylonish Captivity The committing of Adultery is one of those sins for which the LORD hath said * Hos 4.2 3. The Land shall mourne The sixth Sin Gluttony and Drunkennesse WHen Gluttony and Drunkennesse are those Idols to which men sacrifice the Marrow and Fatnesse of the Land together with their Time and Strength the Dayes are evil the Times are Perillous When these two appear together as Castor and Pollux promise safety in the Sea they presage a storme in the State These two Monsters are enough to devoure a whole Land and they provoke God to destroy the Place where they prevaile Men were eating and drinking as if that had been the end of their Creation when God brought the Flood and drown'd the world †Mat. 24.38 whereby they were involv'd in a sudden Destruction And we know there is a Day a coming which shall steal upon men as a Thief in the Night wherein the World shall be destroy'd with Fire * 2 Pet. 3.10 And sayes our Saviour †Luk. 21.34 35. Take heed to your selves lest at any Time your Hearts be overcharg'd with surfeiting and drunkennesse or * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vinum Gourmandise Yurongnerie Gallic Genev. Gluttony and Fulness of Wine and cares of this Life and so that day come upon you unawares For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the Face of the whole Earth However though the Day of the General Judgement which yet cannot be far off should not surprize the present Generation they may be suddenly overtaken with the black and