by their irreligious glances their whispering comments and their impudent aâ—…ronts to Christs Ambassadors even in the delivery of their sacred messages do evidently declare that they do not only secretly bolt the dores of their hearts against the preaching of Gods word but that they set up a Bill of defiance against it even in their countenances I know I may be thought by some to be too severe if not Pedantick in this particular but publick scandals must have publick reprehensions Nor do I presse thiâ— out of any design to advance our esteem but to prevent yoâ—r ruin My Zeal and indiâ—nation shâ—ll ever express it self both ways as well agaiâ—st those that give scandal out of the pulpit as against those that take scandal and exception where none is given Non est ludendum cuâ— sacris Holy duties must be performed after an holy manner God is very jealous of his honour especially in his Name and Worship And though his patience and longsurtering be highly provoked every day in other things yet in this he is quickly stirred up to an expression of anger as appears by the sad histories of vzzah the Bethshemites Nadab Abihu the sons of Aaron and the 250. princes that oâ—ered incense Num. 16. God will be sanctified in all those that draw 2. Sam. 6. 7. 1. Sam. 6. 19. Lev. 10. 2 near unto him in his worship and before all the people will he be glorified Lev. 10. 3. And therefore keep thy foot when Eccl. 5 1. thou goest to the house of God that is look carefully to thy affections see that thy heart be tender and disposed aright to receive the impressions of Grace Two properties there are of a under heart 1. it is always sensible moved at what is propounded out of the word of God If any thing be propounded from the promises of grace and mercy a Tender heart is presently enflamed and warmed with the comfort of it like the hearts of the two disciples our saviour overtook as they were going to Emaus Luc. 24 32. If any thing be propounded from the Threatnings of Gods Iustice there is presently a sense of terror in thâ— tender heart This terâ—oâ— or trembling of â—eart when it ariseth from an apprehension of Gods anger and discountenance is of great esteem and acceptation in the sight of God Heaven is my throne Isa 66. 1. 2. saith God and earâ—h my footstool but to this man wil I look or have respect even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and that trembleth at my words And we read of good King Iosiah that he received an answer of peace from Huldah the prophetesse upon this very ground Because thine heart was tender and thou didst humble thy self before God when thou heardest his words against this place and againsâ— the inhabitants thereof and humbledst thy self before me and didst rend thy clothes c. Thou shall be gathered to thy grave in peace neither shall thine eys see all the evil that I will bring upon this place 4. Chron 34. 27. my heart standeth in aw of thy word said he that was a man after Gods Psal 119. 101. own heart In aw of thy word because the word of an omniscient God that knoweth every secret cranny and â—revise of my soul In aw of thy word because the word of an omniporent God who is able in a moment of time to blast a thousand worlds with the breath of his displeasure In aw of thy word because the word of a just and a sin-revenging God and in aw of thy word because that word by which I must be judged at the last day Secondly A tender heart as it is a sensible so it is alwayes a pliable and yeilding heart Like wax it may be moulded into any form will receive any impression It is said of some Iewish converts that upon the hearing of Peters sermon they were pricked in their hearts and they said to Peter and to the Act. 2 37 rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do They were ready to do any thing the Apostles would advise them for the recovery and preservation of their own souls And the first evidence we have of S. Pauls Conversion was in his readinesse to be commanded Domine quid me vis facere Act 22. 10. Lord what wilt thou have me to do we are then Auditores idonei candid and Christian-like auditors when the word of God hath a kind of operation on our soules when it works such a ready obedience in our hearts that we throw away those arms by which we have rebelled against our Lord and maker dismantle the strong holds which sin hath made in us when it subdues every raigning and rebellious lust and we are contented to resigne up our selves to be governed and regulated according to its wisdom and direction Lastly we must be reformed and well resolved after Hearing First we must resolve to keep the word as well as hear it not receive it in at one ear and suffer it to passe out at the oâ—her S. Iames Iam. 1. 25. condemns such a one for a very fruitlesse and unworthy Hearer wâ—o comes to the word as to a looking glasse wherein he sees his ugly spots and deformites but immediatly goâ—th away and forgetteth what manner of person he was No the good seed in good ground is expounded to be those who in an honest and good heart having heard the word keep it and bring forth fruit with patience Thy word have I hid within my heart that I might not sin against thee saith David Psal 119. 11. Luc 8. 15. Better no Hearing at all then no retaining of what we hear Habendum and Tenendum To have and to hold is the best title in the law and to Hear and to retain is the best possession of the Gospel Secondly we must resolve to Apply the word Gods word is a Rule and his Church a spiritual building There can be no Building or squaring without a Constant application of the Rule I like not those scandalous and particular applications which sâ—rike at mens persons from the pulpit which some unwise builders make the greatest pan of their â—usâ—neâ—…e our Saviour would not speak in expresse terms no not to the Traytor Iudâ—s but cast the Treason among hiâ— Disciples and lest every man to enquire into himself to find out the Traytor Though we aym at no manâ— person from the pulpit yet wee must level at every mans sins and he that finds himself guilty of those sâ—ns we preach against shall have my leave to conclude the preacher meant him Solomon tells us The words of the wise are as goads and â—ayls fastned by thâ— Eccl. 12. 11. masters of assemblies which are given from one shepherd Not only as goads to prick men forward unto Christian duties but as nayls also to fasten and keep them where they should continue now though the driving of the nayl belongs
and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change for their calamity shall rise suddenlyâ— and who knoweth the ruine of them both Prov. 24 21 22. That is as Deodatus on that place who can foresee or avoid these two sudden thunders of divine vengeance and a Kings wrath And sure if there were neither of these Terrors to aw us in to our duty yet the love of that peace anâ— prosperity which is infallibly annexed to the observation of the fift Commandment is inducement enough Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long or as it is in another place Deut. 5. 16. that thou mayst have many and good days c. where by Father the Civil Parent is by all Expositors as well included as the Natural Now if we shall enquire how it comes to pass that our many and good days which heretofore wâ—… enjoyed in peace and plenty are changed into few and evil days the sacred Oracle will resolve us because we have had very little or no respect at all to the observation of this Commandment Plutarch tells a story of a Serpent whose tayl was discontented that the head should have the power to govern and carry it which way soâ—… or it pleased and therefore pâ—titioned that the same Power might reside in the tayl another while Which being unwarily granted upon great importunity the tayl a member very active but withal blinde carries the head and body through many holes and crevises till at last it brought it self into such streights that it could not stir but head body tayl and all were destroyed This story though but a Fable in it self has yet a moral truth in it which we have seen and felt by direful experience To these high injuries and affronts done to our common Mother the Church and to our common Parent the King I might remember ye of our Laws Liberties Priviledges Properties Peace Prosperity which ly trampled under foot before your eyes as so many heaps of rubbish and confusion to proclaim to all the world the impudent and ungodly frauds of those that pretended to be Guardians of these Common Jewels and the infatuation of the toâ— credulous world that would believe them all this while But if those mâ—… have thus notoriously betrayed their trust you will reply perhaps with the chief Priests and Elders Mat. 27. 4. What is that to us Let them look to that ever man is responsible for his own but not anothers guilt 'T is truâ— indeed these grand Troublers of our Israel shall bear the guilt of Principals iâ— the great and general day of account when Inquisition shall be made for blood buâ— every inferiour wheel by which they have moved shall bear the guilt of an Accessory Judas and Pilate and Caiphas had thâ— chief hands in the Treason and murther of our blessed Saviour and yet the guilt of thâ—t blood extended to the whole Nation of the Jews and to their posterity after them In the case of blood where the murtherer was concealed so that no man would acknowledge the fact the Law commanded the Judges of those times to measure unto that City which was nearest unto him that was slain and the Elders of that City though they were innocent and not so much as privie to the murther were yet commanded to Sacrifice an Heifer and to pray in this form Be merciful O Lord unto thy People Israel whom thou haâ—t redeemed and lay not innocent blood unto thy People Israels charge Deut. 21. 8. So precious in those days was the blood of any private person It would be a sad contemplation to lay before your eyes that red sea of blood which hath been shed like water on every side of our Jerusalem by those who dare not so much as pretend to have of themselves a power over the lives of their fellow Subjects But as if all this were not guilt enough to weigh them down to the bottomless pit there hath been added to that scarlet sin the blood of one Sacred Person of more value then 10000. of the best of his Subjects by the Scriptures own computation 2 Sam. 18. 3. namely the light of our eyes and the breath of our nostrills Lam. 4. 20. In whose life and government all the thousands that reside within his three Kingdoms are really and nearly concerned as in the life of their common Parent An act so horrid and prodigious that as no language can express it so no history can parallel it And yet thoâ— the guilt of this blood be as visible to 〈◊〉 world as it 's clamorous in the ears of Gâ— yet so far are men removed out of the 〈◊〉 of their repentance that no man will 〈◊〉 it not so much for the guilts sake as fâ— the ignominy and merit that belong to sâ—… transcendent Traitors And if we who 〈◊〉 to deal impartially with all men charge tâ— guilt of this blood where by the law of Gâ— and man we find it lye the Councel 〈◊〉 rather the Conspiracy is presently as high enraged against us as was that of the Phâ—rises against S. Peter and proclaim us mâ—lignants and delinquents that our design 〈◊〉 to fill Jerusalem with our Doctrine aâ—… intend to bring this mans blood upon theâ— Act. 5. 28. Well what shall we do then fâ—… the clearing our selves Why we will mâ—… sure to the next City and see if Ezekiâ—… wâ— belongs not to it Wo to the blood City to the pot whose scum is not gone oâ—… of it bring it out piece by piece let no lâ— fall upon it for hâ—r blood is in the midâ—… of her she set it upon the top of a rock 〈◊〉 which is all one upon the top of a Scaffold she poured it not upon the ground to cover it with dust that it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance therefore saith the Lord I also have set her blood upon the top of a rock that it should not be covered Ezek. 24. 6 7 8. The meaning of the Prophet is very plain The bloody City is Jerusalem arraigned here by the Prophet for the bold justification of her murthers and oppressions and therefore her blood saith God shall be alwaies in my sight as a remembrancer of vengeance which shall be so certain and general that â—o lâ—t no casualty or exemption shall prevent the utter ruine and destruction of that City And truly my beloved friends when I enter into a serious contemplation of the guilty condition of our bloody Jerusalem for her boldness in murther sacriledge and oppression I am heartily sorry that you my Parishioners are so neâ—rly allyed unto her in your neighborhood and relations but fâ—… more sorry you are so nearly allyed unto her sins as I fear you are for if I am not mâ—staken in the history of these sad times 〈◊〉 is no slight contribution that you have given to the miseries we complain of bâ—… know not how to remedy A man may be accessory to the guilt
thievs The one rayls on him as if he had been a murtherer the other adores and confesseth him to be the strong God of his Salvation It was the same body of ayr that was cleer and serene in Goshen and condensed into palpable darknesse over all the land of Egypt It was the same bulk of water that was a wall of protection and preservation unto the Israelites and a grave and destruction unto the Egyptians It was the same Identical fire that warmed Shadrach Meshak and Abednego and that burnt up those instruments of Cruelty that cast them into the furnace The Truth is the pâ—eaching of the word doth not only harden but declare discover the despisers of those Sacred messages to be already hardned For as it is the same glasse that shews deformities as well as good features the same touchstone that discernes the pure gold from what is false and counterfeit So it is the same peircing word of God that distinguisheth the sound and sincere christian from the hollow rotten and dissembling hypocrite Herodias might havâ— passed all her life long for an Eminenâ— and glorious professor of the saith had not Iohn the Baptist declared her matching with Herod to be incestuous and abominable The Scribes and Pharisees what wâ—th their long prayers and what with their specious pretences might have devoured widows houseâ— to the worlds end had not our Saviour by his doctrine detected their fine spun frauds anâ— Artifices We read Act. 13. that immâ—diatly after the preaching of the word at Antioch the Iewes stirred up the devout and honourable women of that â—lace and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them oâ—… of their Coast Act. 13. 50. How Paul and Barnabas persecuted and expelled the â—…y by devout and honourable women It seems the women of those times were as unhappily busie in medling with Clergy matters as they have been in ours But sure it was not honoâ—… much lesse devotion to persecute and expel Christs own Ambassadours who â—ad no other businesse with them more then to make their peace and râ—conciliâ—tion with God And therefore let no man wonder if the world rave and rayl at us and our ministry if they make every blot in our lives every mistake in our words the matter of their mirth and an encouragement unto licentiousnesse nay if they slander and traduce us only to make us vile and contemptible in the eys of those we would preserve from the bottomlesse pit He that was without the least spot or defilement of sin in himself yet when he came to reprove the sins of the times was called 〈◊〉 Glutton a winebibber a friend of Publicans and sinners a Samaritan a Divel a Beelzebub Matt. 17. 19. and Prince of the Divels He that spake as never man spake his enemies themselves bâ—ing judges had a Iudas a Traytor a Divel trained up in his own school and family And he that from a poor fisherman was made a fisher of men and that thrived so well in that sacred employment that he gained 3000. souls to the Christian faith at Act. 2. 41 Act. 4. 4. one sermon and 5000. at another after all his pains had his thanks given him in a threatning and his payment made him in a prison Act. 4. 3. So that as it is the warmth and influence of the same sun that cherisheth and produceth the good fruits of the Earth and at the same time hatcheth the Cockatrices eggs and pâ—oduceth a generation of vipers as it is the same sun that at the same time melts the wax and hardens the clay So the same holy ordinance of preaching may at the same time be a coming together for the better unto some and to others a coming togetheâ— for the worse The same Sacramental bread aâ—d wine which is the spiritual nourishment of one man may be the bane and poyson of anothers soul and the same good word of God which is to one man the savour of life unto life may be unto another the savour of death unto death I know this is durus sermo an hard saying and may seem very strange to some mens apprehensions That the glorious light of the Gospel instead of being the medium of Illumination should become the fatal instrument of the grossest darknesse and those means of grace which by the wisdom and goodnesse of God are appointed for edification should becom the means of irrecoâ—erable ruine and destruction and therefoâ—e in the third place we are to enâ—…e into the ground and reason os sâ— strange and difâ—rent an operation arising from the sacred oracles It hath bâ—…n laid as a ground already that we cannot without apparent injury and blasphemy impute any noxious or offensive quality to the good word of God The fault is not in the word that 's most certain if it be any where it must be in the hearers And truly the Apostle Paul does very clearly set forth the ground of this doctrine 2 Cor. 4. 3. If our Gospel be hid saith he it is hid unto those that are lost In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of thâ—m which believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them And this the Apostle knew by his own experience for having preach'd to a congregation in Rome from morning until evening it is said that some believed the things that were spoken and some believed them not Act. 28. 24. And therefore he there urgeth this very text of the propheâ— Isaiah agaâ—nst the unbelievers of his Congregaon Well spake the holy Ghost by Isaiah the Act. 21. 26. Prophet unto our fathers saying Go unto this people and say Hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand c. So that the result is no more but this the want of faith excludes hearing and the God of this world being prepossessed of the heart excludes faith What the God of this world is S. John tels us in express 1 Iohn 2. 1â— terms All that is in the world the lusts of the flesh and the lusts of the eys and the pride of life is not of the father but is of the world And how the God of this world may be overcom he tels us also Whatsoever is born of God overcometh 1 John 5. 4. the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith So that if faâ—th be predominant the God of this world is excluded and if the God of this world be predominant in the soulâ— faith and all other saving graceâ— are excluded I have said before that corruption depravity in the pâ—oples hearts had very srequently an unwholsom influence upon the prophets tongues but such is the corruption and perversness of these times that were Moses and Samuel and Elijah and all the unerring prophets of God among us they would not work some mens hearts into any reasonable obedience What 's the reason because
the same senselesnesse and stupidity they have all eâ—s alike and see not ears and Ps 115. 8. hear not feet and walk not They that make Idols are like unto them and so are all such us put their trust in them Had not this charm of Infatuation a strange power upon the mâ—nds of the English Nation when that notorious cheat of King and Parliament began to commensâ—… and walk the world with such genâ—ral reception and entertainment aâ—d did not the juglers of this age belieâ—e as much when men did not blush to â—reach and print That the opposing the Kings power was the justest way of â—efending it That the fyring ofCanoâ— at his Royal person was to be understâ—… sor his defence and preservation â—hat an Army was necessary tâ— bring hâ—m to his Parliament when â—e was there before as was pretended in his â—est capacity and that an Army was as necessary to keep him from his Parliaâ—ent when he would have been there personally for the just satisfaction of hiâ— people And now that men have seen how well his power and his person hâ—th been defended now that they have seen the râ—ine of Religion and gooâ— laws in the murther of their Soveraign and the Liberty of the subject resolved into the arbytrarie pleasure of the Souldier is not the delusion as strong at this day as ever Is not our Infatuation together with our miseries encreased almost into a miracle Is there any man almost that for fear of himself dares thus expostulate with himself what have I been doing now these 7. or 8. yeers what contributions have I given to the present miseries and confuâ—…on of my Nation Gods Truth is still the same but is not my understanding strangely changed from what it was Is there not a ly in my right hand To say there are none in this hopeful way of recovery were durus sermo an hard saying which I dare not own But yet let me tell ye the paucity of those who own their errors as they â—…ould be owned that is with repentance and satissaction is enough to proclaim to all the world that the blindnesse oâ— these times is not much unlike to that of Sodom all old and young all Gen. 18. 4 from evâ—ry quarter almost involved and for ought I know may be as nigh destruction too though not by a judgement sent immediately from heaven And now I am speaking of Insatuation it may fall under a question whether the most violent and virulent part of the English Rebels do at this day discern the error of their way or not I know much may be said on the affirmative and most men believe that how ever they pretend Gods cause and the like yet they have many a secret check within themselves for what they do But I am clearly for the Negative and I think I have Scripture grounds for my opinâ—on I shall easily grant there was a time when they did see their error though now I believe they do not For men are no longer masters of their own eyes when once the hand of God hath closed them such as rebel against the light of Gods word knowing it to be so it is most just with God to obstruct the way of his truth and to close up their senses for ever lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and be convert c. And that this is not a private guesse of my own vouched with as little warrant as charity you shall hear S. Paul speak to it Now the spirit speakâ—th expresly that in the latter times 1 Tim 4. 1 2. some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrine of divels speaking lies in hypocrisie having their Consciences seared with an hot iron Where 't is easie to observe the method and progresse of Gods justice upon such as do see and will not First they shall depart from the faith which they have once professed Secondly they shall give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of divels Thirdly they shall speak lyes in hypocrisie speak sor truth what they know to be lyes there 's the wilfulness of their sin and then sollows as a just reward their consciences shall be seared and there 's the irrecoverablenesse of the judgement And from the strength of this delusion it comes to passe that men shall think they do God good service when they shall murther his own Ambassadours Ioh. 16. 2â— according to our Saviours own predictioâ— So that as we read in the hystory of Henry 7. of that famous impostor Perkin Warbeck that he cosened the world so long by personating a King that from his accustomed Majestick garb and deportment he began at length to believe himself to be so indeed till his high thoughts of himself were confuted by the base service of the Kings kitchin And as it fares with some melancholy constitutions who by dwelling over long upon their own thoughts and Phantasmes have believed themselves to be beasts and behaved themselves accordingly so the inuring of a mans self to speak lies meerly in hypocrisie to promote imposture is the high way at long running to believe in earnest that to be a truth which at first wâ—s known to be but a lie For it is not enough that the intellect be acquainted with Divine Truth but that the heart be warmed also with love of that truth the want of which is the cause of the grossest error and deception This is cleared also by an express assertion of the same Apostle Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be sâ—ved sor this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believealy 2 Thes 2. 10 11 12. that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure iâ— unrighteousness So that if these men of whom I speak have adventured upon so bold a sin as to hold the truth of God in unrighteousness that is by their own phariâ—aical malice and perversness have manacled and chained up Gods truth from having any dominion over themselves or actiâ—ns if their eys have beeâ— fixed more upon the spoyl and advantage that mâ—ght be gain'd by a war then upon any true Evangelical grounds in commencing a war if their hearts have been preâ—resolved to expâ—nge or abuse any Text of Scripture that might stand in their way and to imprison any prophet that shall seasonably admonish them of the error of it al which I speak by way of suppositioÌ„ leaving the world to determine of the truth of my suggestions I say it is no wonder at all if these men having sorfeited the benefit of al the fair warnings convincements they have had by their wilfulnesse and obstinacy at this time of day mistake darkness for light Belial for Christ and their own whimseys delusions sor the secret inspiration of the holy Ghost But leaving these men with the Sodomites to grope at noon day and to reflect a