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A85880
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The trumpet in Sion, sounding a general alarm in the nation. By J.G.G.
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Gailhard, J. (Jean).
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1700
(1700)
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Wing G42A; ESTC R232835
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76,533
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150
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an Epidemical Sin again (c) v. 20. who call evil good and good evil that put darkness for light and light for darkness bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter that are wise in their own Eyes and prudent in their own sight which justifie the wicked for Reward and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him Doth not every thing here reach some of us But in the same Chapter the Prophet adds the Harp and the Viol the Tabret and Pipe and Wine are in their Feasts but mark what follows as a mighty aggravation but they regard not the work of the Lord neither consider the operation of his hands an effect whereof is therefore my People are gone into Captivity But that which is worse and damnable therefore Hell hath enlarged her self and opened her mouth without measure If it were but the Grave it were enough to terrifie Men from such things and in v. 24 25.26 we read of further Judgments very terrible with a therefore to shew they are the fruits of their Sins which should make us all fear and tremble They are God's own Words to the same People to us as well as to Israel (d) Jer. 5.22 Fear ye not me saith the Lord will ye not tremble at my Presence If ye do not I will make you before I have done For all these Judgments which ye feel my anger is not turned away but my hand is stretched out still Not long before his death (a) Josh 24. Joshua gathered the People to put them in mind of what God had done for them to represent unto them their Duty and gave them a strict charge about it in a remarkable circumstance (b) v. 26.27 he took a great Stone and set it up there and said behold this Stone shall be a Witness unto us for it hath heard all the words of the Lord. God uever wanteth Witnesses and rather than fail the very Stones shall speak However he often is pleased to make use of weak Instruments whose Testimony is not to be rejected when they speak in his Name and out of his own Word As for me who am come to an Age wherein I have little to hope for desire or fear from Men and tho' I had I would always Fear God rather than Men therefore being instructed by some experience which my God hath given me of his gracious and wise Providence do now upon this nice and important conjuncture give in my Evidence for God and a serious warning to all Sinners in the Land I begin with and speak to my self first as the chief of Sinners then to King Parliaments Judges Magistrates Clergymen and others of all Conditions Ages Relations and Professions whatsoever as at the last and terrible day we shall answer to God every one within our respective Stations as much as in us lieth to encourage and promote Piety and Virtue to discountenance punish and suppress Error and Vice and let every one begin with himself in his own Person or else I denounce God's terrible and infallible Judgments upon you and upon me and these lines of mine shall upon occasion if we neglect our Duty be Evidences against you and against me this is neither time nor thing to flatter or to dally with for (a) Num. 16.46 there is wrath gone out from the Lord the plague is begun therefore hear that faithful Servant of God Moses as speaking to you (b) Deut. 30.35 see I have this day set before thee life and death good and evil light and darkness Heaven and Hell Christ and Sin chuse well and be wise unto Salvation I have brought and laid a looking Glass before all wherein every one may see himself therefore make a right use of it as much as I could I made what I said to reach all I hope none that is good will take ill what I write as for the bad and impenitent I neither intend nor care to please them truth doth offend some who thereupon harden themselves others are better for hearing it and mend these will thank God for the occasion he affords them to learn by being told to the other in Pauls words I say (c) Gal. 4.16 am I therefore become your Enemy because I tell you the truth but know I will not betray it for any Man's sake Our Sins are many great and frequent and God's hand is lifred up against us therefore let every one Prince and Subject High and Low Rich and Poor Man and Woman Young and Old mend and repent and in his place do his duty or else (d) Amos 4.12 prepare to meet thy God O Israel If not in the way of Repentance in that of his Judgments which I am afraid are hanging over our heads at least we have cause to think so therefore hear ye the sound of the Trumpet and know the meaning of it learn and be wise for thereby God doth invite us all to repent and to mind his work and Service which is Honourable Glorious and Profitable But if blowing the Trumpet in Sion cannot do with but be neglected by Men then (a) Joel 3.16 the Lord also shall roare out of Sion nay hath already roared and if (b) Amos 3.8 the Lion hath roared who will not fear 'T is a terrible voice which denounceth Judgments and thundereth Threatnings and if yet by this Men will not be awaked from their Sins then at that (c) Joel 2.31 great and very terrible day of the Lord at last they shall come out of their Graves to suffer the punishment due to their impenitence and unbelief when (c) 1 Thess 4.16 the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the Trumpet of God May the great God our most gracious Father be pleased to prevent us with Temporal blessings to continue with Spiritual and to end with Eternal by the merits and mediation of his only begotten Son our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ through the powerful working of the Holy Ghost in one most simple and undivided Godhead three Persons Co-essential in Nature Co-eternal in Time and Co-equal in Power to whom be by every Creature rendred as most due all Honour Glory Power Majesty and Dominion now and for evermore Amen FINIS Some Books Printed for D. Brown at the Black Swan and Bible without Temple-Bar FOur Tracts 1. A shore Discourse about Divorce and its Causes Fornication and Adultery 2. A Charge to Judges Juries and Witnesses concerning Oaths 3. About Infant Baptism 4. A Letter to a Lady who hath forsaken the Protestant Religion for the Romish The 2. Edition Free Thoughts in Defence of a Future State as discoverable by natural Reason and stript of all Superstitious appendages Demonstrating against the nominal Deists that the consideration of Future Advantages is a just motive to Virtue of Future loss and misery a powerful and becoming restraint of Vice With occasional Remarks on a Book Intituled an enquiry concerning Virtue and a Refutation of the revived Hylyzoicism of Democritus and Leucippus A compleat History or Survey of all the dispensations and methods of Religion from the beginning of the World to the consummation of all things as represented in the Old and New Testament shewing the several Reasons and Designs of those different Administrations and the wisdom and goodnes of God in the Government of his Church through all the Ages of it in which also the Opinion of Dr. Spencer concerning the Jewish Rights and Sacrifices is examined and the certainty of the Christian Religion demonstrated the Cavils of the Deists c. By John Edwards C. D.
said to him (a) Chap. 19.2 shouldst thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord There was besides a common fault in both worse than the others which were personal and hindred not God's Work from going on for thô they had done much for God's Service in the way of Reformation yet they did not enough not so much as they ought and might have done for both their Reigns are branded with this (b) Chap. 15.17 But the high Places were not taken away out of Israel This as to Asa as to his Son (c) Chap. 20.33 howbeit the high Places were not taken away which might partly be through want of a full Zeal in them partly through the neglect of their Officers and partly through the Superstition of the People because it is said for as yet the People had not prepared their hearts unto the. God of their Fathers However those good Kings may not be deprived of a due commendation for that only thing excepted they went through the work of Reformation O that we might but see here actually some Attempts and Steps towards it Hezekiah hath in Scripture the Character of a (d) Chap. 32.32 good King He began his Reign with taking care of Religion for he reformed the great and many abuses crept into 't during the several bad Reigns between Jehoshophat's and his 'T is said (e) Chap. 29.2 3. He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord according to all that David his Father had done 'T is observed that he in the First year of his Reign in the First Month without delay the First thing he did opened the Doors of the House of the Lord and repaired them which is a remarkable Example for all Princes first of all to settle the true Religion and to procure that God may be well served But this good King stopt not there he restored the true Worship according to God's Institution Advised Exhorted and Commanded the Levites and Priests to do their Duty about it his own Diligence and giving good Example is mentioned for 't is said (a) v. 20. He rose early and gathered the Rulers of the City and went up to the House of the Lord and what they went upon was heartily cheerfully and speedily performed for 't is observed that (b) v. 36. the thing was done suddenly the Reason is given For God had prepared the People Whereat both King and People rejoiced O that now Here God were pleased to prepare King's and People's hearts to seek unto and serve him But I fear all our Minds and Hearts are so crouded and affected with worldly thoughts and affections that there is hardly room left for heavenly concerns except out of his infinite goodness God be graciously pleased to make it But let us hear what that pious and zealous King did and I wish all Kings of the Earth were like him He went on further in the work of Reformation than his good Predecessors had done for he removed all Monuments of Idolatry and every Idol of Jealousie even the high Places which others before him had not meddled with for of him 't is Recorded how (d) 2 Kings 18.4 he removed the high Places and the Images and cut down the Groves and brake in pieces the brazen Serpent that Moses had made for unto those days the Children of Israel did burn Incense to it and he called it Nehushtan that is a piece of Brass in contempt because it had been made a Tool of Idolatry thô at first it had by God's immediate and special Command been erected in the Wilderness and Miracles had been wrought by it This he did and for this special Zeal of his in every thing obtained this Character that (a) v. 5.6 after him was none like him among all the Kings of Judah nor any that were before him And to shew that all this was acted in Sincerity and from his Heart 't is said he trusted in the Lord God of Israel and he clave unto the Lord and departed not from following him but kept his Commandments He was not content to shew his zeal in Judah within his Kingdom but also invited others to do the like To that purpose (b) 2 Chr. 30.1 He sent Letters to all Israel and Judah and wrote Letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh that they should come up to Jerusalem to keep the Passover which (c) v. 18.24 many out of the other Tribes did And the King as also his Princes gave the Congregation thousands of Bullocks and Sheep which liberality shews how Kings Princes and others whom God hath given means to ought readily to bestow it upon his Service and to enable others to do the like But to perfect what had been so well begun for in Religion there must be no trimming nor doing things only by halves 't is Recorded (d) Chap. 31.1 Now when all this was finished all Israel that were present went out to the Cities of Judah and brake the Images in pieces and cut down the Groves and threw down the high Places out of all Judah and Benjamin in Ephraim also and Manasseh untill they had utterly destroyed them all They began in Jerusaiem and followed all the Country over This Head I shall conclude with this remark how God is graciously pleased plentifully to reward not only in the World to come but also in this a sincere zeal for his Honour and Service as he did to Hezekiah for 't is said (e) 2 Kings 18.7 8. and the Lord was with him and he prospered whithersoever he went forth Furthermore (a) 2 Chr. 32.27 28 29. Hezekiah had exceeding much Riches and Honour and he made himself Treasuries for Silver and for Gold and for precious Stones and for Spices and for shields and for all manner of pleasant Jewels c. Let all Men take notice how there are Rewards for those who promote God's Interest and within their Station procure others to do so also Punishments for those who do not In the Person of Josiah we have a pattern of a compleat Reformer There are such extraordinary circumstances relating to him as make us look on him with admiration for by (b) 1 King 13.1.2 a Prophet his Birth was foretold his Name mentioned and his zeal prophesied of about 300 years before he was Born Then he was but Eight years old when he began to Reign and those tender years of his were in a high degree seasoned with Grace for then (c) 2 Chr. 34.1 c. He began to seek the God of his Father David and declined neither to the right hand nor to the left Happy is the Country where such Kings are Born and Reign who assoon as they Sit upon the Throne take care of Religion and to suppress Sin The zeal of this good King Scripture sets forth as an example to others to teach what God requireth of them When he was but Sixteen years old he shewed himself