that the Lord will make a short account in the earth and gather it into a short summe with righteousnâ—sse These Scriptures I thinke are sufficient to prove that few shall be saved Asun Now let us hear your reasons Theol. If wee come to reason wee may rather wonder that any should be saved than that few shall be saved For wee have all the lets and hinderances that may be both within us and without us Wee have as they say the Sun Moone seven Stars against us Wee have all the Divels in hell against us with all theâ—â— hornes heads marvelous strength infinite wiles cunning devices deepe sleights and methodicall temptations Here runs a â—ort streame against us Then have wee this present evill world against us with her innumerable baits snares nets gins and grins to catch us fetter us and entangle us Here we have profits and pleasures riches and honour wealth and preferment ambition and covetousnesse Here comes in a Campe-royall of spirituall and invisible enemies Lastly we have out flesh that is our corrupted nature against us wee have our selves against our selves For wee our selves are as great enemies to our salvation as either the World or the Divell For our understanding reason will and affections are altogether against us Our naturall wisedome is an enemy unto us Our concupiscences and lusts do minister strength to Satans temptations They are all in league with Satan against us They take part with him in every thing against us and our salvation They fight all under his standard and receive their pay of him This then goeth hard on our side that the Divell hath an inward part against 〈◊〉 and wee câ—â—tâ— alwaies within 〈…〉 greatest enâ—â—y which is ever ready day and night to betray us into the hands of Satan yea to unbolte the doore and let him in to cut our throats Here then wee see on huge army of dreadfull enemies and a very legion of Divels lying in ambush against our soules Are not wee therefore poore wretches in a most pitifull case which are thus betrayed and besieged on every side All things then considered may wee not justly marvell that any shall bee savâ—d For who seeth not who knoweth not that thousand thousands are carried headlong to destruction either with the temptations of the World the Flesh or the Divell But yet further I will shew by another very manifest and apparent reason that the number of Gods Elect upon the face of the earth are very few in comparison which may thus be considered First let there be taken from amongst us all treacherous papists atheists and heretickes Secondly let there be shoâ—led out all vicious and notorious evill-livers as Swearers Drunkards Whore mongers Worldlings Deceivers Coseners Proud men Rioters Gamesters all the profane multitude Thirdly let there be refused and sorted out all Hypocrites carnall Protestants vain Professors Back-sliders Deceivers and cold Christians Let all these I say be separated and then tell mee how many sound sincere faithfull and zealous Worshippers of God will be found amongst us I suppose we should not need the Art of Arithmetick to number them For I think there would be very few in every Village Town and City I doubt they would walk very thinly in the streets so as a man might easily tell them as they go Our Lord Iesus askes a question in the Gospel of S. Luke saying Luke 18. â— Do you think when the Son of man cometh that he shall find faith on the earth To which wee may answer Surely very little Phil. Now according to your promise shew this thing also by examples Theol. In the first age of the world all flesh had so corrupted their wayes that God could no longer beare them but even vowed their destruction by the over-flowing of waters When the Floud came how few were found faithfull Eight persons onely were saved by the Arke How few righteous were found in Sodome and the Cities adjoyning But one poore Lot and his family How few beleevers were found in Jericho But one Rahab How few of the old Israelites entred into the Land of Promise Heb. 3.19 But two Caleb and Joshua the rest could not enter in because of their unbeliefe The true and visible Church was small during the government of the Iudges as appeareth plentifully in that Booke In Eliahs time the Church was so small that it did not appeare 1 Kin. 17. In the reigne of the Kings of Israel and Judah the sincere worshippers were very few as appeareth by all the Prophets During the Captivity the Church was as the Moon under a cloud she was driven into the wildernesse where she hid her selfe During the persecutions of the Greek Empire by Gog Magog and Egypt they were fewest of all In Christs time what a silly company did he begin withall How were all things corrupted by the Priests Scribes and Pharisees In the beginning of the Apostles preaching there were but few beleevers After the first six hundred yeers what an Eclipse was in the Church during the height of Antichrists reigne How few true worshippers of God were in the world for the space almost of seven hundred yeares Since the Gospel was broached and spread abroad how few doe beleeve And as the Prophet saith Lord who hath beleeved our report Esay 53.1 Thus then you see it is apparent both by Scripture reason and examples of all ages that the number of the Elect is very small and when all comes to all few shall be saved Phil. I pray you tell us how few and to what scantling they may be reduced whether one of an hundred or one of a thousand shall be saved Theol. No man knowes that neither can I give you any direct and certaine answer unto it But I say that in comparison of the Reprobate there shall but a few be saved For all that professe the Gospel are not the true Church before God There be many in the Church which are not of the Church Phil. How do you prove that Theol. Out of the ninth to the Romans where the Apostle saith Rom. 9.6 All are not Israel that are of Israel And again Esay crieth concerning Israel Though the number of the children of Israel were as the sand of the sea yet but a remnant shall be saved Rom. 9.27 Phil. How doe you ballance it in the visible Church or in what comparison doe you take it let us heare some estimate of it Some thinke one of an hundred some but one of a thousand shall be saved Theol. Indeed I have heard some learned and godly Divines give such conjectures but for that matter I can say nothing to it Rom. 9.27 But onely let us observe the comparison of the holy Ghost betwixt a remnant and the sand of the Sea and it will give some light into the matter Phil. Doth not the knowledge of this doctrine discourage men from seeking after God Theol. Nothing lesse But rather it ought to awake and
his wrath is come and who can stand We see therefore that the coming of Christ shall not be base and contemptible as in his first visitation but it shall be most terrible princely and glorious And as the Scriptures doe affirme that his coming shall be with great terrour and dread so also they doe shew that it shall be very sudden and unlooked for 2 Pâ—t 3.10 For the day of the Lord shall come as a theefe in the night 1 Thes 5.1 Luk. 21.35 as the travell that cometh upon a woman As a sâ—are it shall come on all them that dwell on the face of the earth That is it shall suddenly catch and intangle all men wheresoever they be in the world As the earth-quake which was neere thirty yeares agone did suddenly take the world tardy they not thinking of any such matter So shall the coming of the Son of man to judgement take the world tardy and unprepared for few there be that think of any such matter Sith therefore the second appearing of Christ shall be with such suddennesse let us feare and tremble for all sudden things are to be feared Phil. Well Sir as you have shewed us the terrour and suddennesse of Christs coming so shew us the purpose and end of his coming Theol. The principall end of his coming shall be to keep a generall audit to call all men to an account to have a reckoning of every mans particular actions and to reward them according to their deâ—ds as it is written Mat. 26.27 The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels and then shall hee give to every man according to his deeds Againe the Apostle saith to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 5.10 Wee must all appeare before the Judgement-seat of Christ that every man may receive the things which are done in his body according to that which he hath done whether it be good or evill Here wee doe plainly see that the end of Christs coming shall be to judge every man according to his workes that is as his workes shall declare him and testifie of him and of his faith 2 Thes 1.9 In another place the Apostle saith that the end of his coming shall be to render vengeance unto them which know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Woe then unto two sorts of men the ignorant and the disobedient for the Apostle saith flatly they both shall be damned Me thinkes both the ignorant and disobedient and all other profane men should tremble to thinke of this that Christ shall come to render vengeance unto them If wee did certainly know that a forreign enemy should invade our Nation over-run it and make a conquest of it that he should shed our bloud destroy us and make a massacre amongst us yea that wee should see our wives our children our kindred and deare friends slaine before our faces so as their bloud should streame in the streets what a wonderfull feare and terrour would it strike into us wee would quake to thinke of it Shall wee not then be much more affraid of the damnation of our soules shall wee not quake to thinke that Christ shall come to take vengeance If the Lion roare all the beasts of the field tremble and shall not wee be affraid of the roaring of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah But alas we are so hard-hearted and so rockt asleep in the cradle of security that nothing can move us nothing can awake us Phil. Now as you have shewed us the terrour aâ—â— end of Christs coming so also declare the manner of it Theol. The manner of it is this that the whole world shall be cited to appeare personally at the generall Assises before the great Iudge No man shall be admitted to appear by his Atturney but all must appeare personally None shall be suffered to pâ—â— in sureties but all must come in their owne persons without baile or mainprise as it is written Wee must all appeare high and low rich and poore king and begger one and another as it is plainly set downe in the twenty Chapter of the Revelation where the Spirit saith I saw the dead both great and small stand before God and the sea gave up the dead which were in her and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them So then it is cleere that all without exception shall make their appearance at the great and dreadfull Assises O what a great day will that be when as the whole world shall appeare together at once If a King marry his sonne and bid other Kings Emperours Dâ—kes and Nobles to the marriage with all their pomp and trâ—ine wee use to say O what a marriage what a meeting what adoe what a great day will there be but when the universall world shall be assembled together not onely all Monarkes Kings and Princes but all other that ever have beene from the beginning of the world all that are and shall be what a day will that be No marvell therefore though the Scriptures call it the day of God and the great day of the Lord. Now then when all flesh is come together to make their personall appearance then shall the Sonne of God ascend unto his tribunall seat with great majesty and glory For a fiery streame shall issue and come forth before him thousand thousand Angels shall accompanie him and minister unto him and ten thousand thousand shall stand before him he judgement shall bee set and the â—oâ—k s opened All the Saints also and true worshippers of God shall attend him and accompany him unto his judgement seat And not onely so but they shall sit upon the Bench and Throne with him as it is written 1 Corinth 6.2 The Saints shall judge the world they shall judge the Angels that is the Divels the Angels of darknesse Our Lord Iesus himselfe did avouch the same thing when he said to his Disciples and in them to all true Christians Mat. 19 28. Verily I say unto you that when the Sonne of man shall sit in the Throne of his Majestie yee which followed mee in the regeneration shall sit upon twelve Thrones and judge the twelve Tribes of Israel That is the Saints of God shall beare witnesse that the judgement of Christ and sentence of condemnation which hee passeth against all unbeleevers is according to justice and equitie Thus then wee see how Christ shall be accompanied to his Throne and with what glory and majesty he shall ascend unto it Experience teacheth that when mortall Iudges hold their Sessions and generall Assises they are brought unto the Bench and Iudgement-seat with pomp and terrour For the Sheriffe of the Shire and Halberd-men with many Iustices of Peace and traines of others doe accompany them unto the Bench. Then with how much more glory
As farre as is the East from the West so farre hath hee removed our sinnes from us As a Father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him For he knowes whereof wee be made he remembreth that wee are but dust The History of the lost sonne doth most notably set forth the wonderfull mercy of God towards penitent sinners There is shewed how the Lord doth embrace tender Luke 1â— 20 and made much of such poore sinners as have broken and contrite hearts for their sinnes for it is said that when the Father saw his repenting Sonne a great way off hee had compassion on him and ranne and fell on his neck and kissed him and cloathed him with the best robe put it on him put a ring on his hand and shooes on his feet and caused the fat calfe to be killed for him Even so the everlasting Father doth rejoyce at the conversion of any of his lost sonnes Yea there is joy in the presence of the Angels of God for one sinner that converteth Moreover the Lord most lively expresseth his mercifull nature and disposition in this That he is very loth we should perish and willingly cast away our selves Therefore often in the holy Scriptures he mournes for us bewailes our wretchednesse and takes up many pitifull complaints and lamentations for us Psal â—1 13 saying O that my people had hearkened unto mee and Israel had walked in my waies Psa 48.18 And againe O that thou hadst hearkened unto my commandements then had thy prosperity been as the floud and thy righteousnesse as the waters of the sea Againe hee mourningly complaines by his Prophet Hosea saying O Ephraim what shall I doe to thee O Judah how shall I intreat thee And in another place Isa 5. What could I doe more to my Vineyard that I have not done Marke here how compassionately the Almighty God doth yerne over us and even as it were blood upon our wounds The Apostle also notes the rich mercy and marvellous love of GOD to mankind in this that hee doth beseech us and pray us by the Ministers of the Gospel that wee would be reconciled unto him The words are these Now then are wee Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you through us wee pray you in Christs stead that you be reconciled unto God Is it not a strange thing that the omnipotent God should fall to entreating of us poore wretches It is all one as if a King should intreat a begger whom hee may will and command But the abundant mercy of God towards mankind doth most of all consist in this That hee hath given his onely Sonne for us when wee were his enemies as it is written God so loved the world that hee hath given his onely begotten Sonne John â— that whosoever beleeves in him should not perish but have everlasting life Againe Gods sets out his love towards us seeing that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us much more then being now justified by his bloud wee shall be saved from wrath through him Rom. 5.1 For if when wee were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life In all this then wee may cleerely behold the infinite mercy of God towards us poore sinners For is it not a great matter that the Son of God should take our nature upon him should be so abased as he was and should humble himselfe to death Phil. 2. â— even to the death of the crosse For as the shadow of the Diall went backe ten degrees that Ezechias might receive length of dayes and much happinesse so Christ the Sonne of righteousnesse hath gone backe many degrees that we might have eternall life His humiliation therefore is our exaltation his sufferings our joy his death our life For wee have no other remedy or refuge but only his merits and righteousnes He is our City of refuge whither we must flie and where wee must take sanctuary Jer. 9. He is the balme of Gilead whereby our soules are cured He is that poole of Bethesda John â— 2 where every man may be cured of what disease soever he hath 2 Kin. 5. He is the river of Jordan where Naaman may wash away all his leprosie He is that Pelican who by pecking a hole in his owne breast doth restore his young to life againe by his bloud Yet one thing wee must note by the way which hath been partly touched before That all the mercies of God and merits of Christ are to be restrained only to the Elect only to the true members of the Church as plainly appeareth in Psal 103. where the mercies of God which are there largely described are restrained onely to them that feare him keep his Covenant and thinke upon his Commandements to doe them And touching Christ it is said that hee is a Prince and a Saviour unto Israel and that he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities Againe it is written Psal 130. that Christ being consecrate was made the Authour of eternall salvation to them that obey him Heb. 5.6 None doe or can obey him but only the Elect therefore hee is the Authour of salvation onely to the Elect. And consequently the profane world whatsoever they say whatsoever they brag and boast have no true title or interest in him This thing was figured in the Law in this that the Mercy-seat which was a type of Gods mercy in Christ and the Arke which was a figure of the Church were by the expresse commandement of GOD fitted each to other Exod. 25.10 both in length and breadth For as the Arke was two cubits and a halfe long and a cubit and a halfe broad just so was the Mercy-seat Noting thereby that the mercy of God in Christ should onely be fitted to his Church and belong onely to the Church so as not one without the Church should be saved For hee that hath not the Church for his Mother cannot have God for his Father Lastly we are to observe that as God is infinite in mercy and of great compassion toward penitent sinners so also is hee most constant in the course of his mercies towards his children And therefore one of the Psalmes carries this foot Psal 156. His mercie endureth for ever his mercie endureth for ever his mercie endureth for ever Noting thereby both the constancie and eternitie of Gods mercy To the same purpose it is thus written Lam. 3 2â— It is the Lords mercie that wee are not consumed it is because his compassions faile not Let us know therefore that God as touching his mercy to his children is of a most constant and unchangeable nature As hee saith I am the Lord I change not For if GOD were of a changeable nature as we are and subject to passions then were wee in a most miserable case then must hee
Gospel and strengthen us from above to walk and abound in all the true and sound fruits of faith Let us walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Let us feele the power of thy Sonnes death killing sin in our mortall bodies and the power of his resurrection raising us up to newnesse of life Let us grow daily in the sanctification of the Spirit and the mortification of the flesh Let us live holily justly and soberly in this present evill world shewing forth the vertues of thee in all our particular actions that wee may adorne our most holy profession and shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and froward generation amongst whom wee live being gainfull to all by our lives and conversation and offensive to none To this end wee pray thee fill us with thy Spirit and all spirituall graces as love wisdome patience contentment meeknesse humility temperance chastitie kindnesse and affability and stirre us up to use prayer and watchfulnesse reading and meditation in thy Law and all other good meanes whereby wee may grow and abound in all heavenly vertues Blesse us in the use of the meanes from day to day make us such as thou wouldest have us to be and such as wee desire to be worke in us both will and deed purpose and power For thou O Lord art all in all thou wilt have mercie upon whom thou wilt have mercie and whom thou wilt thou hardenest Have mercy upon us therefore deare Father and never leave us to our selves nor to our owne wills lusts and desires but assist us with thy good Spirit that we may continue to the end in a righteous course that so at length wee may be received into glory and be partakers of that immortall Crowne which thou hast laid up for all that love thee and truly call upon thee Further wee intreat thee O heavenly Father to give us all things necessary for this life as food raiment health peace liberty and such freedome from those manifold miseries which we lie open unto every day as thou seest meet Blesse unto us all the meanes which thou hast put into our hands for the sustenance of this fraile life Blesse our flocke and store corne and cattell trades and occupations and all workes of our hands for thy blessing onely makes rich and it bringeth no sorrowes with it Give us therefore such a competencie and sufficiencie of these outward blessings as thou in thy heavenly wisdome seest most needfull for us Moreover wee humbly beseech thee most loving Father in great mercie looke downe from Heaven upon thy whole Church and every member of it Be favourable unto Sion and build up the walls of Jerusalem Behold with the eye of pitie the great ruines and desolation of thy Church Heale up the wounds and make up the breaches thereof in all Nations Regard it as thine own flocke tender it as thine own family dresse it as thine owne Vineyard love it as thine owne Spouse Thinke thoughts of peace to it and alwayes looke upon it in deep compassion Blesse it with thy grace guide it with thy Spirit and defend it still with thy mighty power scatter the devices consound the counsels and overthrow the forces of all that fight against it Specially wee intreat thee deare Father to set thy selfe against that Antichrist of Rome that man of perdition which setteth himselfe against thee and against all thy people In thine appointed time wee pray thee give him a deadly downfall Beat downe all his power and authority daily more and more give free passage to thy Gospel in all Kingdomes that Babylon may fall and never rise up againe The more the favourites and adherents of Rome labour to uphold their Idolatrous Kingdome the more let it fall downe even as Dagon before the presence of thine Arke Poure downe the Vials of the fulnesse of thy wrath upon the Kingdomes of the Beast and let their riches wealth credit and authority dry up every day more and more as the river Euphrates Let it pitie thee O Father to see thine owne Spouse sit as a deformed and forlorne woman here below weeping and mourning with her haire about her necke having lost all her beauty and comelinesse Cheere her up deare Father glad her with the joy of thy countenance and so decke her and trim her up that thou maist delight in her as a Bridegroome in his Bride Specially wee intreat thee have mercie upon thy Church in this Land intend good unto us and not evill Give us not over into the hands of our cruell enemies as our sinnes have deserved Scatter we pray thee O Lord the devices and breake the plots of all such as have plotted the overthrow and utter subversion of this Church and Common-wealth Blesse this Church more and more with the continuance of true Religion amongst us for thy great Names sake and infinite mercies sake deale graciously and favourably with us and our posterity Turne from us that vengeance which is due unto us for our sinnes For thou seest how iniquity prevaileth and the wicked goe away with the goale Atheisme over-spreadeth every where and Popery seemeth to get a head againe Now therefore deare Father we most humbly beseech thee to take order speedily for the remedying and repressing of these manifold disorders and grievous enormities that are amongst us Be intreated of thy poore children to be good to this English Nation Heare the cries of thine Elect heare the mourning of them that mourne in Sion Let the cries of thy children cry downe all the cries of the sins of the Land and be reconciled unto us in the multitude of thy compassions that so thou maist still continue a most mercifull protectour of this thine English Vineyard Wee pray thee good Father shew speciall mercy to our most Noble and gracious King Charles thine anointed Servant blesse him and keep him in all his wayes blesse his government unto us Let thine Angels encamp about him and let thy holy hand be alwayes over him keep him from treasons and deliver him from the treacheries of his enemies give him to see what belongs to his peace and give 〈◊〉 a heart earnestly bent to set upon the practice of the same give him all graces necessary for his place and necessary for his salvation continue his government peaceable and prosperous amongst us and as thou hast made him the breath of our nostrils and a gracious instrument for the saving of many thousand soules so let his owne soule be saved in the day of thy Sonne Christ Blesse his Majesties most honourable privie Counsellours and give such good successe unto all their counsels and policies in matters of State that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty Blesse all the Nobility worke in them a care to glorifie thy Name in their places make them faithfull to thee and faithfull to the Land Direct with thy good Spirit all such as beare the sword of Justice