am helped therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth and with my song will I praise him Quest But how may I clear my Interest in God Answer By these Evidences 1. Faith in Him 2. Love to Him 3. Conformity to his Wil revealed in his Word Faith unites the soul to God Union is the very Foundation of Interest and so a sufficient Evidence thereof Faith interests the soul in the Covenant of Grace and the †Mar. 16.16 Salvation therein promist Now 't is by vertue of the Covenant of Grace the soul comes to have an Interest in God The discovery therefore of the Grace of Faith is a sufficient Evidence of the souls Covenant-Interest in God Faith unites the soul to Christ Who dwels in the heart by Faith †Eph. 3.17 Now it is in and through Christ that Believers have an Interest in God Hence is the life of a Believer said to be hid with Christ in God * Col. 3.3 He then that is by Faith united to Christ is thereby interessed in God And as Faith is the Band of our Mystical so is Love the Band of our Moral Union with God and so it likewise evidences the souls Interest in Him Our Love to God springs from Gods Love to us For we love Him because he first loved us †Joh. 4.19 Now who are they that have an Interest in God but they that are beloved by him Now it s the Nature of both these Graces Faith and Love to work the soul wherein they are seated to a Conformity to the person upon which they are acted The Eye of Faith beholding the Beauty of Holiness in the Face of God transforms the soul into the same Image So the Apostle speaking of the Glory and Efficacy of the Evangelical Administration thus expresses himself †2 Cor. 3.18 For we all with open Face beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. So likewise Love assimilates the person loving to the person beloved When Mettal is melted it bears the figure of the Mould into which it is cast Indeed in God the immutable Pattern of all Perfections Love is of a more transcendent Nature and Efficacy in all its operations God by loving us assimilates us to himself but we by loving God are assimilated to him For this Assimilating motion of Love springs from the Quickering Motive thereof which gives Life Vigour and Activity to Love Now the Motive of our Love to God is in him but the Motive of Gods Love to us is not in us but in himself 'T is a Flower that springs from the Root of free Grace But now this Conformity to God in the Beauty of Holiness being produc'd by the Efficacy of these excellent Graces Faith and Love must needs evidence the souls Interest in God 'T is Grace flowing from God to the soul which raises the soul up to a Conformity to God and his Will revealed in his Holy Word And Communication of Grace speaks the souls Interest in God If the Branch flourish by Virtue of sap derived from the Stock it is certainly ingraffed thereinto Now doth your soul rest upon God in a way of Believing Doth your Heart go out after God in a way of loving Do you express a Conformity to God and his Will revealed in his Word in a way of Holy Living Doth your Faith work by Love Doth your Love produce Likeness Doth this Likeness nourish your Love Doth this Love strengthen your Faith Do yon find your soul to move towards God by Faith and Love and to press after Conformity to God in Holiness of Heart and Life Then have you good and sure Evidences of your Interest in God The second Work ACT all the Powers of your soul upon God Let your Understanding eye him in his glorious Excellencies and All-sufficiency as infinite in Wisdom Power Goodness and Truth Let your Will choose him as the chiefest good and your highest Happiness and rest in him as your only Satisfaction and Security Let your Affections with full tide carry your soul to him as your only Rock and Refuge Let your Love be to him your Desires after him and your Delight in Him above all things in the world Stir up your self also to the lively Exercise of your most excellent Graces whereby your soul may be lifted up above Difficulties and dangers in the world and much advanc't and advantag'd in its nearest Approaches and Approximations to God Set your Faith Hope Trust on work Act your Faith on his Promise your Hope in his Mercy your Trust in his Power So shall you be ever near unto God as a Child under his Fathers Arm a Favorite in his Princes Bosom There is a sort of * Echini Fishes called by Cassiodore for their delicate Temper and curious Colour Croceae Deliciae divitis Maris The Saffron-colour'd Delights of the rich Sea These when a Storm arises gather to themselves little stones the same thing have some observed of the Bees to poise themselves in swimming thorough the boysterous waves as the Bees in flying thorough the blustering Winâ—s and so they make to some Rock as the Bees to their Hâ—ve as their Refuge from the tempestuous Fury of the sea So Believers who are Mundi Divitiae Deliciae Christi The Riches of the World and the Delights of Christ when any Storm or Tempest arises in the Church or State gathering to themselves the Pearls of Gospel-Promises to keep them in an even Poize in Perillous Times that they may not be driven away with every †Eph. 4.14 Wind of Doctrine nor discomposed by every Wave * Luk. 6.48 of Temptation should speedily make to Christ as a Hive of sweetness and a Rock of Strength for their Security and Peace Now this Application to him is made by the Believing souls Acting of Faith upon him in time of Trouble And thus must the Saints act the Powers of their souls upon God if they would be interessed in that Protection which pertains to the Saints by Divine Promise Sanctifie the Lord of Hosts Himself saith the Prophet †Isa 8.13 14 and let him be your Fear and let him be your Dread and he shall be for a Sanctuary Now what is it to sanctifie the Lord in our Hearts as the Apostle expresses it * 1 Pet. 3.15 but to present his glorious Excellencies and Perfections his infinite Power and Greatness before the view of our souls and to stir up our selves to those Actings which carry in them a suitableness and correspondency to such manifestations of God to us And what is this but to act all the powers of our souls upon him as a God who for his greatness is worthy to be feared and adored for his goodness is to be loved and desired for his Wisedome Mercy Power and Truth is to be trusted in and submitted to in all Things Now he
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
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A WORD in SEASON FOR A Warning to England OR A Prophecy of Perillous Times Open'd and Apply'd Wherein the Signes of Bad Times and the Means of making the Times Good are represented as the great Concernment of all good Christians in this present Age. First exhibited in a SERMON preached in the Abby at Westminster July 5. 1659. and since enlarged and Published By THOMAS VVILLES M. A. Minister of the Gospel in the City of London Seal not the Sayings of the Prophecy of this Book For the Time is at hand Rev. 22.10 How do ye say We are Wise and the Law of the LORD is with us Lo They have rejected the Word of the LORD and what Wisdom is in them Jer. 8.8 9. Tempora mutantur nos mutamur in illis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sIC transIt gLorIa MVnDI LONDON Printed by Tho. Ratcliff for Tho. Underhill at the Blew Anchor in Pauls Church-yard 1659. TO THE SENATORS SOULDIERS CITIZENS STRANGERS To whom This SERMON was As to its main SUBSTANCE EXHIBITED FROM THE PULPIT IT 'S NOW WITH MUCH ENLARGEMENT PRESENTED FROM THE PRESSE FOR THEIR SERIOUS PERUSAL By A MESSENGER from CHRIST A MINISTER of the GOSPEL THOMAS WILLES Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it Luk. 11.28 If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Joh. 13.17 From the KING of SAINTS THE LORD JESUS CHRIST To his Faithful and Well-beloved Servants and Subjects that shall live in the latter Dayes TAke heed that no man deceive you For many shall come in my Name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many And ye shall hear of Warres and Rumours of Wars See that ye be not troubled For all these things must come to passe but the End is not yet For Nation shall rise against Nation and Kingdome against Kingdome and there shall be Famines and Pestilences and Earthquakes in divers Places All these are the Beginning of Sorrows Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you and ye shall be hated of all Nations for my Names sake And then shall many be offended and shall betray one another And many false Prophets shall rise and shall deceive many And because Iniquity shall abound the Love of many shall wax cold But he that shall endure to the End the same shall be saved By the Hand of his Trusty Servant and Secretary * Chap. 24. v. 4 -13 MATTHEW Publicano-Christianus To the SACRED MAJESTY OF HEAVEN THE KING of KINGS AND LORD of LORDS The Supream Governour of the whole World The Humble Address and Representation of the Gratitude Requests of many Thousands of the Well-affected People of the Land who desire to approve themselves Faithful to the Cause of Christ and to be found walking in the Good Old way Most Mighty LORD WHereas it hath pleased thy glorious Majesty out of the exceeding riches of thy Free Grace and thy tender compassions in Jesus Christ to call us thy poore unworthy Servants out of the World to the Profession of thy truth and Gosspel and the Participation of thy saving Grace when out of thy infinite Sovereignty and Justice thou hast past by Millions of men and left them to perish everlastingly in their sinnes we humbly desire in a deep sense of our own utter Unworthiness to express our free and hearty Acknowledgement of that infinite Obligation which thou hast hereby laid upon our soules to perpetual Gratitude Love Honour and Obedience to thy Glorious Majesty for so invaluable a Mercy And we cannot but with sorrow of Heart confesse that we have by our unsuitable Walkings shew'd our selves very Unworthy of such rich Discoveries of thy Love unto us But we humbly implore thy Mercy in the forgiveness of our many Miscarriages and beseech thee to give us Leave with all Humility to present thy Majesty with these few Petitions to which we earnestly beg a Gracious Answer That it will please thee to grant preserve and establish a Righteous and Religious Magistracy a Faithful and painful Ministry in the Land with that Blessed GOVERNMENT which is most agreeable to thy holy Word and Will both in Church and State That it will please thee who hast the Hearts of all men in thy Hands to put it into the Hearts of our Counsellors and Governors to study and endeavour the Advancement of thy Glory and thy Churches Good by the suppression of Errour and Profanenesse and the Promotion of Truth and Holinesse in the Land That where thou seest those Persons in Places of Power and Trust who by their pernicious Principles and Practises make the Times Perillous thou wilt Graciously be pleased by thy Hand of Power to remove them and to set in their room men truly fearing Thee and hating Covetousness who may cordially seek and endeavour the Peace and Welfare of thine English Zion That thou wilt pour down on thy Servants a Spirit of Humiliation for the sins of the Land that thou wilt graciously pardon the Transgressions of thy People and purge the Land from its Abominations that thou mayest dwell amongst us That thou wilt break the wicked Designes and dissolve the cursed Conspiracies of those that under Pretences of thy Name Cause and Glory violently prosecute their Pernicious Purposes for the satisfaction of their Ambition and Covetousness and the Introduction of Errours Heresies and all manner of Licentiousness into the Land to the Hazard of many thousand souls and the dishonour of thy Glorious Name That it will please Thee to heal the Breaches of thy own People and to establish these three Nations England Scotland and Ireland in Peace and Love upon the sure Foundations of Religion and Righteousness and crown them all with thy Loving-kindnesse and tender Mercies And to this End that thou wilt awaken the spirits of thy Saints from their security in an unsettled and distracted condition to a serious minding of the great Concernments of thy Church and People their own Souls and this sinful Nation That thou wilt be graciously pleased speedily to change the Perillous Times that are or may come upon thy people according to the Predictions of thy holy Prophets into those Glorious Times which thou hast raised the hearts of many of thy Saints in Expectations of by thy Precious Promises However be pleased to preserve thy People in times of Peril and Persecution and to carry them as on Eagles Wings by thy Spirit of Grace through all Difficulties and Dangers till thou shalt receive them up into thy Kingdome of Glory So shall we thy poore unworthy Subjects and Suppliants as in Duty bound celebrate thy Glorious Name with everlasting Praises The Names of the Petitioners are written in Heaven A PROPHECY OF PERILLOUS TIMES Open'd and Apply'd 2 TIM 3.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This know also that in the last dayes perillous times shall come The Introduction THe knowledge of the Times and Seasons is very useful for all men Without
Ardour and Forwardness to promote this or that way of Government or Worship in opposition to all the rest which yet may be found in a man that hath never experimented the Power of Religion or Work of Sanctification upon his own soul Thus some are Zealous for the Episcopal others for the Presbyterial and others for the Congregational and not a few for the Anabaptistical way and herein lies the Main of their Religion Whereas the Life of Religion the soul of true Godliness lies in the Spiritual Worship of God †Joh. 4.24 It 's good indeed to be zealously affected alwayes in a good matter * Gal. 4.18 but it s neither good nor safe to rest in a superficial Form a meer empty out-side of Religion though never so splendid and glorious But alas what do these men do that so earnestly contend for that way of Worship which is most agreeable to their own Fancies and censure all others as no Christians no Saints that are not moulded after the same Model what do they but promote the Distractions encrease the Divisions and widen the Differences of the Church of God which every good Christian should studiously endeavour to compose and heal Surely the setting up of and the Adhering to this and the other Party is not the way to promote the Interests of the Kingdom of Christ He is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †MELCHIZEDECK King of SALEM Rex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justitiae He is King of Righteousness and King of Peace †Heb. 7.1 2 And his Kingdom stands not in meat and drink but Righteousnesse and Peace and which results from them both Joy in the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rex Pacis When such Religious Factions prevail they sadly portend the Ruine of the Church Rom. 14.17 And â—hen are not such perillous times In the Primitive Tiâ—es which were Times of Pâ—rsecution how zealous were Christians in the things of God and how fervently did they love one another Those Times were surely less perillous then these wherein the Hâ—aâ— of Persecution is not more abated then Zeal for God and Love to one another amongst Christians But when P ofessors are generally Formall in the performance of the Duties of Religion very Perfunctory and Superficial in the service of God it s a sad Symptom of perillous Times When a man having tipt his Tongue with the Silver of the Sanctuary and so is able to speak well of the things of God to discourse well of the Matters of Religion shall for this only Reason be esteemed very Religious Whereas as the Apostle speaks †1 Cor. 4.20 The Kingdom of God is not in Word but in Power When there is indeed much Preaching much Hearing frequent Receiving of Sacraments but alas little Life in Preaching less in Hearing little or no Affectionateness in Receiving and least of all of Conformity to these Gospel-Ordinances in the Life and Conversation Time was when Ministers preached with Plainness Life and Power so that their earnest * Rom. 10.1 desire of saving souls was apparent in their Preaching and Christians that feared God †Acts 17.11 Received the Word with all readiness of Mind entertained the * 2 Thes 2.10 Truth in the Love of it and had their Hearts much stirred and moved by every Sermon They not only heard the Preacher with their Ears but felt him in their Hearts and Consciences and were very much affected with all the Discoveries of the Will of God to them They took pains to work the Word upon their own Hearts They met together to whet it upon one another to exhort encourage and comfort one another in the wayes of God Oh! The Word of the Lord was precious in those days †1 Sam. 3.1 How beautifull in those dayes were the Feet of them that preached the Gospel of Peace and brought glad Tidings of good Things * Rom. 10.15 The Ministers of the Gospel now so generally slighted and despised were then received by all good Christians as Angels of God yea even as Christ â—esus †Gal. 4.14 And then did Religion flourish in the Church and Christians manifested their experimental acquaintance with the Power of Godlinesse But when Preaching is become for the most part Notional and accommodated rather to the pleasing of the Fancy then informing the judgement convincing the conscience and affecting the Heart when Sermons are stuft with affected phrases and exquisitely embroyder'd with Artificial Ornaments and so deliver'd by the Preacher without one spark of Life or Zeale with such a singular care to observe the Emphasis and Elegancy of his study'd Expressions such a wary fear of rumpling his fine smooth forms of speech as if he was come thither to play the part of an idle Orator rather then to do the duty of a Gospel-Preacher who is to treate with men in the Name of Christ about the great affaires of their precious soules for their eternal Salvation this is a sad change seriously to be laid to heart and sadly to be lamented When People forsake and regard not sound solid Preachers of the Gospel but follow and flock after those that suit with their Humours and with such like quaint and curious notions please and delight their Fancies it argues a great Decay in Religion and speaks men to be great strangers to the Power of Godlinesse Nay when those that are indeed good Christians and sound in the Maine shall become very Formal Overly Superficial in the discharge of Religious Duties in their attendance upon Gospel-Ordinances When they shall take no paines to prepare themselves for Sabbaths and Sacraments when they shall be little or nothing at all affected with the Preaching of the Gospel when they seldome or never stirre up themselves to the Exercise of the Graces of the Spirit in the duties of Religion when they take no Paines to work upon their Hearts by Meditation and Prayer the truths which are delivered unto them nor study to expresse in their lives a restâ—onsiblenesse to the Doctrines of the Gospel when they thus rest in the Forme and presse not after the Power of Godlinesse it s a Symptome of an Evill Age a Presage of Periâ—lous Times We finde God nothing regarded the outward Performances of the People of Israel when they were utterly deficient in those Duties wherein consisted the Life of Religion * Isa 1 11-15 To what Purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices unto me saith the LORD I am full of the Burnt-offerings of Rams and the Fat of fed Beasts and I delight not in the Blood of Bullocks or of Lambs or of He-goats And when ye come to appear before me who hath required this at your hand to tread my Courts Bring no more vain oblations Incense is an abomination unto me the New Moons and Sabbaths the Calling of Assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity even the solemn
hidden Treasures which he found and when he had taken all away he went into his own Land having made a great Massacre and spoken very proudly But after seven yeares respite we find Justice calling him to account and severely scourging him with those Scorpions which by this sin he had fed in his own conscience and this which is very remarkable at the same Time that he sought to possesse himself of a rich Booty by a second Sacriledge For sayes the story * 1 Mac. 6 1-16 About that Time King Antiochus travelling through the high Countreys heard say that Elemais in the Countrey of Persia was a City greatly renown'd for Riches Silver and Gold and that there was in it a very Rich Temple wherein were Coverings of Gold and Breast-plates and Shields which Alexander sonne of Philip the Macedonian King who reigned first among the Grecians had left there Wherefore he came and sought to take the City and spoile it but he was not able because they of the City having had warning thereof rose up against him in Battel So he fled and departed thence with great heavinesse and returned to Babylon Moreover there came one who brought in Tidings into Persia that the Armies which went against the Land of Judea were put to flight and that Lysias who went forth first with a great Power was driven away of the Jews and that they were made strong by the Armour and Power and store of Spoiles which they had gotten of the Armies whom they had destroy'd Also that they had pull'd down the †See ch 1.54 Abomination which he had set up upon the Altar in Jerusalem and that they had compassed about the Sanctuary with High Walls as before and his City Bethsura Now when the King heard these words he was astonished and sore moved whereupon he laid him down upon his Bed and fell sick for Grief because it had not befallen him as he looked for And there he continued many dayes for his Grief was ever more and more and he made account that he should die Wherefore he called for all his friends and said unto them the Sleep is gone from mine Eyes and my Heart faileth for very Care And I thought with my self into what Tribulation am I come and how great a Flood of Misery is it wherein now I am For I was bountiful and beloved in my Power But NOW I remember the Evils that I did at JERUSALEM and that I took all the Vessels of Gold and Silver that were therein and sent to destroy the Inhabitants of Judea without a Cause I perceive therefore that for THIS Cause these troubles are come upon me and behold I perish through great Grief in a strange Land Then called he for Philip one of his Friends whom he made Ruler over all his Realme and gave him the Crown and his Robe and his Signet to the end he should bring up his son Antiochus and nourish him up for the Kingdome So King Antiochus died there in the hundred fourty and nine yeare Thus Conscience though stifled for a time will not alwayes lie asleep Thus the proudest presumptuous sinner carries his Accuser Judge Witnesses and Executioner in his own bosome Thus Sacriledge though for a time carried out with successe shall at length recoile upon the head of him that committed it to the Astonishment of all beholders Surely when mens Hearts and Hands are engag'd in this sin what ever thei◠Pretences be they take the ready course to pluck the Judgements of God down upon their Heads which may involve the whole Nation in many woful calamities and so bring upon the Church of God very sad and perillous Times And are there not too many in these Dayes that under the Pretences of Piety which makes the Provocation higher are guilty of this sin of Sacriledge We read when the City Carthage was taken by the Romanes the rude Souldiers rushing into the sacred Temples stript the Image of Apollo of a golden Robe but sayes the History the Sacrilegious hands of them that took it were found amongst the Fragments of that sacred Vesture * Val. Max. l. 1. c. 1. If the like Judgement should befall those that have stript the Church Christs Monument on Earth of her Golden Robe or at least attempted such a Sacriledge how might we say in the words of the Psalmist †Psa 76.5 a little varied Many of the men of Might have lost their Hands But perhaps what I call the Churches Golden Robe some may stile a Babylonish Garment and what I esteem sacred as her Dowry they may call accursed Gold But let them remember all Israel smarted and the Troubler of Israel Achan with his Family and Cattle dyed in a showre of stones and were wrapt up in a Sheet of flames for plundring the Golden Wedge and Babylonish Garment * Josh c. 7. The Phocian Generals who paid their Souldiers with the Gold of the Temple of Apollo came all to untimely deaths †Diod. Sic. Gold the sick mans Cordial is the sacrilegious mans Poyson It s a snare saith Solomon * Prov. 20.25 to the man who devoureth that which is holy and after vows to make Enquiry So likewise the Souldiers which under the Conduct of Quintus Caepio a Roman Consul having taken the City Tholouse in France by storm rifled the rich Temples there carrying away all the Gold and Silver out of them were all overtaken by those Judgements which are in pursuit of such daring Sacrilegists and came to a miserable end †Corn. Tacit. Thus they that enrich themselves with Sacrilegious hands do but therein pluck down the Judgements of God upon their own heads And when Towers fall the Under-Buildings must needs be batter'd The commission of this sin therefore especially under Pretences of Religion must needs speak the Times perillous When Calvin understood how the Senate of Geneva was about to imploy part of the Revenues formerly pertaining to the Monasteries to Civil Uses he told them in his Sermon that he could not endure such Sacrilege which he knew God in the end would punish most severely What is given to God though out of a blind Devotion may not again be taken from God but ought to be imploy'd for God in the Maintenance of his Worship and the Exercises of true Religion There 's surely a Moral Equity in that Levitical Law Notwithstanding saith the LORD to Moses * Lev. 27.28 no devoted thing that a man shall devote unto the LORD of all that he hath both of man and beast and of the Field and of his Possession shall be sold or redeemed Every devoted Thing is most holy unto the Lord. And therefore the Theft of Achan in stealing the Golden Wedge †Josh 7.1 21 was the Sin of Sacriledge because the Gold of Jericho was consecrated to the LORD * Josh 6.19 For if a man that hath a true Propriety in his own Goods shall alienate them to
is a good Law that of the Venetians whereby they punish with Death whosoever shall employ a penny of the Publick Stock to his own private Profit The strongest Engines of State are made of the same mettal that the greatest Idols of the Heathen Silver and Gold †Ps 115.4 For want of these many proud ambitious spirits aspiring to Soveraignty are still kept in a state of servitude Thus their poverty turns to the profit of the Common-wealth For hereby they are fetter'd and restrain'd from many Insolencies which they would otherwise commit whereby they would encrease their own guilt and others grief whose sufferings would become the matter of their Triumphs Certainly Riches and Power are the two Pillars of Tyranny which being once removed the glory of such men would soon fall to the ground And therefore does Philo account it as great an advantage that the wicked want them as that the righteous have them For as to the one they are the necessary supporters of Magnificence and Authority so to the other they are notable Instruments of Oppression and Cruelty T is not then without just reason that he thus concludes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Philo Jud. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Poverty and weaknesse is profitable to bad men as riches and strength is very advantagious to good men But as Aaron could not want Gold to make a molten Calfe while the Israelites wore it in Jewels and Ear-rings †Exod. 22.2 3 so neither will a Tyrant want Treasure sufficient to serve his turne while those are worth any thing that are subjected to his Tyranny Though he that wants both Riches and Power is thereby cut off from an advantage of rising to greatnesse and glory in the world though his breast be full of Ambition and his heart of Revenge yet when proud Politicians ambitious spirits have once gotten Power in their hands they will soon raise up riches to themselves out of the Ruines of others by an unjust seizure upon the Rights and Revenues of the truly virtuous who endeavour to cross and obstruct their impious proceedings And to worse Tyrants then these can a miserable People hardly be enslav'd or upon worse termes exchange their golden Liberty for an Iron Bondage Ambition is a poysonous Root from which a thousand Branches of publick Calamities do spread themselves in a Common-wealth Surely Nebuchadnezzars * Dan. 4.11 great Tree whose shadow rob'd a great part of the Earth of the Light of the Sunne did at the first spring from a small seed of Ambition When men of low Degree do aspire to the highest Honours and in pursuit thereof make use of the Sword to gain the Scepter the Times do presently become perillous Plato in his Discourse of the †Lib. 8. Common-wealth speaks of the several sorts of Government There is sayes he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Government which is called Oligarchie which is a Government manag'd by a few men but replenisht with many Miseries wherein evils do as it were crow'd for Elbow-room Democracie or a popular Government and that generous Government by a Prince which when it degenerates into an irregular and arbitrary Domination is by later Writers called Tyranny After the mention of these he speaks of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Government springing from Ambition for which he confesses himselfe to be at some losse to finde a fit Name and therefore calls it a State of Honour as arising from an intemperate Desire of Dignity an inordinate affectation of Principality Now from this Ambition of Rulers and affectation of Priority in Government whereby every one is still climbing up and thrusting out him that is before or above him come frequent Changes of Government and many successions of Governours in a short time then which nothing is more prejudicial to the Peoples Peace and Well-fare This is a great Punishment of their sinnes and no small Symptome of perillous Times 'T is Solomons Observation in his Divine Politicks * Prov. 28.2 For the Transgression of a Land many are the Princes thereof And still he that succeeds in Government forcing out the former is wont to exceed him in obliquities and rigour in governing Seldome we say comes the better And therefore did that old woman of Sicily pray so heartily for the life of the cruel Tyrant Dionysius for having lived long and had experience of the Tyranny of his Predecessors every one worse then the former and he then living the worst of them all as she fear'd not to tell him to his Face when he demanded the reason of this her Devotion if he should be taken from them by Death she much fear'd what should become of them all when a worse then he should rise up in his roome Now he that is carry'd by his Ambition to cloath himself with Authority shall not faile to inherit the Hatred of the People and to entaile the inheritance upon his Posterity Sayes the son of Sirach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 20. v. 8. He that usurps Authority shall incur Hatred And never can the Subjects be happy under the Government of a Prince that is hated T is the Blessing of God upon the Government which makes it a meanes of Good to the People and them which sit under such a Government to be Blessed But now he must wait for Gods bringing him to the government that expects Gods blessing upon his Government But Ambition is ever upon the spu◠in the pursuit of Glory and will not wait for the Divine Manuduction Now says Augustine Quoties hominibus praeesse desidero toties Deo praeire contendo * Aug. in Psal So oft do I strive to runne before God as I desire to rule over men Now nothing is more pernicious to the State then this same Regnandi dira Cupido †Virg. Georg. Cursed desire of Rule Ambition is wont to seize the Scepter by storme and such violent Proceedings are usually attended with a multiplicity of Miseries The Seas are by some observ'd to swell before a Tempest The swelling of the proud waves of the People does prognosticate a storme in the State a Tempest of troubles in the Church And this ambition and eager desire of Government proceeds from the corruption of men however it pretends to Perfection For as Plato well observes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Did a City or Common-wealth wholely consist of good men there would be as much striving not to rule as now a dayes there is Contention for Principality and Domination And this modesty would be no lesse conducible to the settlement of Peace then Ambition is for the raising of Commotions in a City or Common-wealth The same Philosopher confirmes this by that which he sets down as a certain conclusion in another Book of his Political Discourses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That City wherein
onely as it nourishes a secret Prejudice against the Divine Providence as suffering things to go out of Order but also as it unbridles unruly lusts and emboldens to walk in forbidden wayes while it banishes the fear of punishment and flatters the soul with promises of security in sinne This then must needs make the Times perillous Concerning this therefore does the Prophet expostulate with the Lord as the cause of many Calamities to the Land Righteous art thou O LORD sayes he * Jer. 12 1-4 when I plead with thee yet let me talk with thee of thy Judgements Or as the Margin reads it Let me reason the Case with thee concerning thy judgements Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper Wherefore are all they happy that deale very treacherously Thou hast planted them yea they have taken too t they grow yea they bring forth Fruit thou art near in their mouth and far from their reins But thou O LORD knowest me thou hast seen me and tryed mine heart towards thee pull them out like sheep for the slaughter and prepare them for the Day of slaughter How long shall the Land mourn and the Herbs of every Field wither for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein q. d. Wilt thou O Lord for ever suffer these wicked ones who are the cause that the whole countrey is ruin'd through thy just wrath †Diod. in loc The Beasts are consum'd and the Birds viz. by the drought and Famine brought upon the whole land for the punishment of the excesses of these wicked ones and their Atheistical contempt of the Divine Providence because they said he shall not see our last end q. d. We are so firmly rooted in our places of Power that notwithstanding the Judgements of God threatned against us we shall flourish for ever True * Engl. Annot. in loc this Jeremy telleth us what at length will befal us and that all our present prosperity shall end in extreame misery but his words are but winde he will never live to see any such matter befall us we shall sooner see an end of him then he any such end of us Thus do the worlds proud Potentates under pretences of Piety securely proceed in their wayes of wickednesse secretly slighting the Lords threatnings and contemning his Providence because they are not presently overtaken with their oft deserved punishments And does not this Prosperity and Immunity of such profane Politicians presumptuous Atheists speak the times evil and perillous But now it pleases God in his most holy and righteous providence to permit it thus to be that wicked men being hereby judicially hardened in their sinnes might more securely passe on and be punished and so at length be suddenly swallow'd up into an inevitable Destruction Thus there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt †Eccl. 8.9 For wickednesse shall not deliver those that are given to it * Eccl. 8.8 Yet because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to do evil †Eccl. 8.11 But at length God bringeth the wheele of his Providence over them and stretching forth his hand of Power arm'd with Justice against them he suddenly thrusts them down from the top of their earthly pomp and glory into a dreadful destruction This was the resolution which David received of his difficult question in this case which so much perplexed his spirit when he had sought the Lord in his Sanctuary When I thought to know this sayes he * Psal 73 16-20 it was too painful for me Vntil I went into the SANCTUARY of God then understood I their END Surely thou didst set them in slippery places thou castedst them down into Destruction How are they brought into Desolation as in a moment they are utterly consumed with terrors As a dreame when one awaketh so O Lord when thou awakest thou shalt despise their Image That is when thy PROVIDENCE which seemeth to sleep during the time of their Impunity shall awake to their just punishment then shall their earthly prosperity and all their worldly greatnesse and glory which is but an IMAGE of happinesse vanish away and give place to those afflicting miseries that everlasting igâ—ominy and contempt which shall suddenly and irresistibly come upon them So likewise does JOB excellently describe the flourishing state of these wicked men and fully resolves the Question and cleares the case of their present impunity by setting before us the triumphs of the Divine Justice in their future Punishment their final destruction The Tabernacles of the Robbers saith he †Job 12.6 prosper and they that provoke God are secure into whose hand God bringeth abundantly But * Job 21.7 20 Wherefore do the wicked live become old yea are MIGHTY IN POWER Their seed is established in their sight with them and their off-spring before their eyes Their houses are safe from Fear neither is the Rod of God upon them Their Bull gendreth and faileth not their Cow calveth and casteth not her Calfe They send forth their little ones like a flock and their children dance They take the Timbrel and Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ They spend their dayes in Wealth and Mirth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †and in a moment go down into the Grave Therefore they say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes What is the Almighty that we should serve him And what profit should we have if we pray unto him Loe their good is not in their hand the counsel of the wicked is far from me How oft is the Candle of the wicked put out And how oft cometh their destruction upon them God distributeth sorrows in his Anger They are as stubble before the winde and as chaff that the storme carrieth away God layeth up his Iniquity or the punishment of his iniquity * See the Marg. for his children he rewardeth him and HE SHALL KNOW IT His eyes shall see his destruction and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty Now what can be more pleasant and desirable then the Beginning of these wicked worldlings and what can be more dreadfull and formidable then their latter End And further sayes he †Job 24.1 Why seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty do they that know him not see his Dayes i. e. The time by him appointed for the punishment of the wicked * v. 2. Some remove the Land-marks They violently take away Flocks and feed thereof †v. 4. They turn the needy out of the way the poore of the earth hide themselves together * v. 7. They cause the naked to lodge without clothing that they have no covering in the cold †v. 12 13 Men groane from out of the City and the soul of the wounded cryeth out yet God layeth not Folly to them They are of
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
according to the Tenour of the Covenant of Grace Ye shall be my people and I will be your God †Jer. 30 2â— Does thy heart say Amen to this Covenant-promise Be it so Lord Wilt thou give thy self unto me Wilt thou indeed be my God Then will I be thine and onely thine for ever Behold here am I O Lord do what thou wilt with me for to thee do I give my self body and soul for ever Canst thou indeed say thus Then is God thine Heaven is thine Speak What sayest thou to this This I can truly say If these things be so the Lord is surely my God For I do freely with my whole heart and soul give my self wholly unto him I desire in all things to be obedient to his will I would not willingly for the gain of the whole world do any thing that might offend or dishonour him I desire that he would enable me more and more by his Grace to serve him For I desire not to live a day longer then I may live to his Glory And I am not onely willing to take him for my onely happinesse and freely to leave all the sweetest and dearest Comforts I have in this world for the enjoyment of him but I should look upon it as the ground of my highest joy and of everlasting thankfulness that though he should take away all from me he would yet be pleased to give himself unto me to be my God and * Gen. 15.1 exceeding great reward Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift †2 Cor. 9 15. If thou canst indeed speak thus Happy art thou God is thine and thou art his and shalt be happy in him and with him for ever in Heaven Blessed be the Name of the Lord who hath magnifi'd his Mercie to me and hath had compassion on me the chiefest of sinners the least of Saints I am willing upon this ground of the New Covenant to believe his Love to look up to him as my God But how may I know that Christ is mine Why If God be thine Christ is thine also If he have given thee himself to be thy God he hath given thee his Sonne to be thy Saviour 'T is in Christ that he is thy God The Covenant of Grace wherein God becomes thy God is founded in Christ his Mediation and Satisfaction And Christ in all his * Col. 1.19 Fulnesse of Grace and Glory is that great †Joh. 4.10 GIFT OF GOD which is promised in the Covenant of Grace Now then if God be thine and thou art his according to the Tenour of the New Covenant he hath given his Sonne unto thee as a Jewel from his bosome for a pledge of his glorious everlasting love and hath given thee to his Son as a part of his richest Treasure in the World to redeeme sanctifie and save Thee And if Christ be thine and thou art his Heaven the Inheritance which he hath purchast for Believers with his blood is thine also For thus hath he said * Joh. 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the Foundation of the World Moreover further to cleare it up to thy soul that Christ is thine let me ask thee Hath God ever shew'd thee what a poor lost undone Creature thou art in thy self by reason of thy sinnes Hath he made known to thee the Fulnesse and All-sufficiency of Christ with thy absolute necessity of him to justifie sanctifie and save thee or thou must perish forever Hast thou in the Glasse of the Law seen thy own Deformity and the incomparable Beauty of Christ in the Glasse of the Gospel Hast thou seen thy own †Rev. 3.17 18. Nakednesse and apprehended thy need of the Righteousnesse of Christ as glorious clothing for thy naked soul Hast thou been made sensible of thy * Mat. 5.3 spiritual poverty and have the †Eph. 3.8 unsearchable riches of Christ been unfolded before thee in the Gospel How have these things wrought upon thy heart Hast thou felt thy heart stirred within thee hereupon Hast thou felt God * Joh. 6.44 drawing thy heart out in desires and longings after Christ Hast thou been made willing to take Christ upon his own termes to be thy Soveraigne as well as thy Saviour To rule over thee as well as to save thee To save thee from thy lusts and †Mat. 1.21 sinnes as well as to save thee from Wrath and Hell Hast thou beene made willing to take his †Yoke upon thee * Mat. 11.29 30. and to bear his Burden Hath Christ beene welcome to thee when he hath come with his †Luk. 9.23 Crosse to lay it upon thee as well as when he hath come with his Cordials to refresh and comfort thee Speak seriously canst thou account thy self more happy in the presence of Christ in Prisons and Perecutions then in the midst of all worldly Pleasures and Prosperities without him Tell me truly if thou mightest certainly have thy wish and desire granted what wouldst thou wish for whom wouldst thou desire Ah None but Christ None but Christ What doest thou trust to on whom dost thou rest for salvation On thy own righteousnesse in thy own strength Oh no None but Christ None but Christ Art thou indeed Vile in thine own eyes and are all things in the World but vile in thy esteeme in comparison of Christ And is Christ above all things unto thee exceeding precious Truly if I know mine own heart I esteeme all the Riches of the world to be but * Phil. 4.8 losse and dung in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Well then thou art a Believer For unto them onely that believe is Christ precious †1 Pet. 2.7 And if thou art a Believer thou shalt certainly be saved thou shalt surely one day behold thy Saviour in Heaven and there live in the fruition of his glorious Loves unto all Eternity * Joh. 3.16 For God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life Now what sayst thou poore soule How does thy Heart eccho to these Questions Why through the Grace of God this I can say It hath plâ—â—â—ed the Lord so far to discover the emptynesse of self and sinfulness of sin unto me that sometimes when I look down upon my self I †Eze. 36 â—1 loath and * Job 42.6 abhor my self and cannot but wonder that ever the Lord should vouchsafe to look upon me and love me Yea I wonder he hath not thrown me into Hell And when the Lord first revealed Christ Jesus to me in his Gospel in his All-sufficiency and Readinesse to save me it even ovâ—rcame my Heart and my thoughts and reasonings were such as these Oh good
Charity to his dear Brethren that they may cover the Infirmities of their poor weak Brother in Love and not seek to hurt him by that whereby he desires to do others Good Oh that thou wouldest be pleased to put it into their Hearts from the discoveries of thy poor servants Weaknesses to take an occasion to adore the Riches of thy free Grace and to exalt thy Name with Praises for that thou hast been pleased to intrust them with more excellent Abilities for thy service So shall thy servant have cause to glory in his Infirmities when thereby some Glory shall redound to thy Name But as for the Proud who make it their Glory to oppresse the Poor keep thy servant ever in that Resolution to which by thy grace thou hast raised his heart rather to perish by their Power then by any unworthy Compliance to seek his own Preservation or Advantage to thy Dishonour Fill his Heart and the Hearts of all thy faithful servants with a holy Contempt and Scorne of their Favour whose Friendship is flat Enmity with God Make thy servant one of them in whose Eyes a vile Person is contemned how Great or Glorious soever he be in the World's eye but let him ever honour them that feare the LORD Let not thy servant think it strange if he suffer Reproach from them that cast Dishonour upon Thee but rather rejoyce in their Reproaches as the Badges of his Faithfulnesse and weare them as his Crown and Glory Let him not study to please men lest he loose the Honour of being the servant of Christ Oh let thy servant behold Smiles in thy pleased Face and tast the sweetnesse of thy precious Promises and so shall he not fear the Frownes nor regard the Threats of Proud Perfidious and Presumptuous sinners Let him never desire to have them for his Friends who by their horrid Enormities have made God their Enemy Let him never seek to be esteemed by them whose Insolencies proclaime to the world that they contemne God Yet Oh that thou wouldest open their Eyes to see their sins before thou tumble them from their Earthly Glory into Hell Oh that in stead of accounting thy servant their Enemy for telling them the Truth they might see and consider that it is the highest act of Friendship to shew them their Danger before it be too late Oh that it would please thee by thy Spirit to convince them of those sins and fearful abominations which thy servant hath endeavour'd herein to represent as in a Glasse before their faces Oh give them to repent of their wicked Deeds and to humble themselves for their insolent Actings However Lord by thy powerful Providence restrain them in their wayes of wickednesse whose Ambitious and aspiring spirits prompt them to the most Audacious and illegal Actings for the securing of their own Interests and the Establishment of their own Glory and Greatnesse upon the Ruines of the Church and Common-wealth restrain them O Lord lost they pluck down Judgements not onely upon their own heads but also on the too guilty Nation And vouchsafe O God to look down from thy high and holy habitation upon this sinful Land but not with an Eye of Fury and Revenge but with an Eye of Mercy and Love Thou seest what fearful Abominations are committed amongst us Thou knowest what perillous Times are come upon us Thou seest how cruel enemies do rend the body of thy dear sonne the CHURCH which he hath redeemed with his own blood Thou hearest with what hellish Oaths and Blasphemies vile Creatures daily teare thy sacred and glorious Name Oh! If thou wast not infinite in Mercy and Patience thou hadst long ago rain'd down Fire and Brimstone upon our heads or involv'd the whole Land in Confusion and Blood It is of the Lords mercies we are not consumed because his compassions fail not But now O Lord hear O Lord have Mercy O Lord forgive the many and great sins and Provocations of this Land and do not forsake us utterly nor irresistibly destroy us as we have deserved We must needs confesse that we and our Princes have greatly sinned against thee and fearfully provoked the pure Eyes of thy Glory Lord humble us from the highest to the lowest give us a true Repentance for all our sins and Grace to turne to thee our God with our whole hearts and so spare us and heale our Land Oh stirre thy people up to those special Duties which are at this Time in a special manner incumbent on them Let this Warning and Call which thou givest them by the hand of thy servant become through thy Blessing effectual for the Awakening of thy servants out of their Security and the Engaging of them to those Duties whereby thy Wrath and Judgements may be prevented and a wide Door may be opened whereby thy Blessings may flow in abundantly upon us O Good God punish not this Land with a Famine of thy VVord Oh take not thy Gospel Ordinances from us Remove not thy golden Candlestick Oh never let it be said The Glory is departed from England It were better for us to see our streets runne downe with the Blood of the slaine and to behold the Bodies of thy Saints burnt in flames then to live in peace and grow cold in our love to thy Truth till we have utterly lost the Gospel Prayers put up in Flames and Blood might recall it againe when a general sloth and security in sinne may forfeit it for ever But O Lord continue thy Gospel preserve thy People and blesse thine Inheritance in the Land But if for our sinnes thou shalt suffer those stormes to arise whereby thy Church shall suffer Shipwrack Oh let this poor Plank cast out by the hand of thy unworthy servant be a Meanes to save some Soules Oh let this small Light direct some soules in the right Path for their eternal Salvation to the Glory of thy free Grace through the Lord Jesus our onely Mediator and Redeemer Amen FINIS Errata Typographica Some small Mistakes have escap't the Press whereof some few are amended with the Pen. Some few Mispellings Mispointings crave their Pardon of course as Things of such ordinary Incidency in Printing that the greatest Diligence can hardly prevent them Some of the most material Mistakes which offer'd themselves to Notice upon a swift Review are these that follow Errata Correcta Pag. Lin. intended extended 13 29 Premuniti Praemuniti 14 24 overcome overtake 16 20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 37 19 Vial Viol 48 6 Frevalency Prevalency 54 5 Excess Excess 93 13 he the 93 14 Octavious Octavius 94 16 victus vinctus 97 marg scatter'd shatter'd 150 22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 141 marg Corne Corke 257 5 thus there 263 11 Diabolos Diabolus 275 1 Name Doctrine 275 5 Baits Balls 287 23 Baldwin de Cas Conse Balduin de Cas Consc 289 marg he was proceeded against he was to be proceeded