himself Before the day pass as the chaff that is very swiftly suddenly like chaff the day is passing away therefore whiles ye have time yet before the day that runs and wears away so fast does bring forth the Decree produce and make appear what God hath decreed against you O Nation undesirable search your selves yea search your selves very narrowly whiles the heat of the Lords wrath doth not yet come upon you whiles the day of the Lords wrath doth not yet take hold of you This is further inculcated and prest by the Lord in the Prophesie of the Prophet Haggai chap. 1.5 7. Is it a time for you O ye to dwell in your ceiled houses that is in your stately and sumptuous houses for pleasure and delight and this house lye waste or desolate meaning the Lords house Now therefore thus saith the Lord of of Hosts Consider your ways Or which is more agreeable to the Original Set your heart upon your ways Observe and consider well how it fares with you by reason of your sins Had they considered or set their hearts aright upon their ways this might have prevented the execution of Gods judgements mentioned the 9 10 and 11 verses thereof For want of this the Lord by the Prophet Isaiah ch 1. takes up a bitter lamentation and complaint Hear O Heavens and give ear O Earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me The Ox knoweth his ower and the Ass his masters scrib but Israel doth not know my people saith he doth not consider They were more brutish and void of understanding then the beasts or brute creatures For want of this consideration it was that every one turned to his course of sin as the horse rusheth into the battel breaking and running through like a water flood as the word is properly used And why Because no man said What have I done And the Lord complaineth further That the Stork in the Heaven knew her appointed times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow did observe the time of their coming but his people knew not the judgement of the Lord Jer. 8.6 7. This is that consideration which we ought to have of our selves But what strangers are most men and women to their own hearts who enters into such a serious thought as to say What have I done Seneca reporteth of Sexius how every night before he slept he asked his own heart What evil this day hast thou amended what vice hast thou resisted in what part art thou bettered Surely such a course as this would prevent the fearless and heedless running into many gross enormities and sins and so prevent the ruine and destruction of many a poor sinful soul This course the Church took in the Lamentations Wherefore doth the living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins Let us search and try our ways and turn again unto the Lord Lam. 3.39 40. Fall then in good earnest upon this work of self-examination and think it better to know thine own infirmites and thy soul-sicknesses and sores then to know the whole world and all the wonders thereof It is one of the best parts of wisdom to know thy self This will beat down thy pride and keep the humble and lead thee to the true knowledge of God It will cast out and keep out sin and preserve thee from many temptations It is the beginning and foundation of grace and repentance Lam. 3.40 And will prevent the severe stroak of Gods judgements as in that of Zephany 2.1 2. And saith the Apostle If we will judge our selves we shall not be judged of the Lord Surely did we but know what the heart of man is while unregenerate and in its natural estate what a sink a sea of sin and filthiness it is how deceitful above all things and desperately wicked as Jeremy hath it Jer. 17.9 what infinite intricate windings and turnings there are in the dark laborinths of mans heart what a multitude of vain thoughts do lodge within it Jer. 4 14. What swarms of lusts and uncleaness issue out from this corrupt and putrified fountain Mat. 12.34 comp with chap. 15.18 19 verses What a deal of self-sophistry and imposture is wrapt up there by which millions of souls are inwraped in the snares and shackels of Satan I say did we rightly know and were not strangers to these things it might put us on with all seriousness and readiness this so weighty and profitable a work But O where is the man almost that knows or sets himself in good earnest for to know and find out the Plague of his own heart O what a many of Plague-sores and running issues are in the hearts of men and women at this day and yet they are insensible of them Every one almost is sensible of the Plague-tokens or sores when they seize upon the body and most people fear and dread this contagious disease because of the loathsomness of it but for the Plague of the Heart the Soul-sickness and sores O where is there any knowledge or discerning of it where is there any sense of the loathsomness and infectiousness of it And yet without this how can we expect a healing and the removal of this severe stroke of the Lord according to Solomons prayer at the dedication of the Temple 1 King 8.37 38 39. If there be in the land famine if there be pestilence c. whatsoever plague whatsoever sickness there be what prayer and supplication soever be made by any man or by all the people Israel and mark what follows which shall know every man the plague of his own heart and spread forth his hands towards this house Then hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling place and forgive and do and give to every man according to his ways whose heart thou knowest for thou even thou onely knowest the hearts of the children of men Now this prayer of Solomon had its confirmation from the Lord 1 King 9.3 So that this knowledge of the Plague of the heart is a necessary qualification or ingredient to go along with that prayer which shall be prevailing with the Lord for the removal of the Pestilence out of the land or Nation wherein it is But if the men of this generaration are still unacquainted with the plagues or sores of their own heart if they be still as vain as proud as oppressing as Superstitious as Idolatrous as Adulterous as Murderous as Blasphemous as Rebellious and Disobedient against the Lord and his commands as reviling and persecuting the way of truth and holiness as ever can it be expected that the hand of the Lord should be removed or the fire of his his indignation which now burns so very hot among us should be quenched Set thy self then in good earnest upon this heart-searching work whoever thou art that would escape this severe stroke of the Lord. And if thou knowest not how to deal with thy heart it is so
not allow it self in any known sin though accounted never so little since the very least are committed against so great a God and bring upon us so great a danger It will not excuse extenuate mince or hide sin as Adam nor cast it off himself upon others shoulders as Saul 1 Sam. 15.21 But it would willingly be divorced and separated both in spirit conversation and affection from all and every the pollutions and defilements of sin which if wilfully and willingly lived in he knows will expose his soul to inevitable ruine and destruction Consider then hath the wrath of God Almighty and the everlasting wo denounced to all impenitent sinners made thee fear and tremble Have thy tremblings been seconded with a true and hearty sorrow for thy sins Hath thy sorrow been such as hath brought forth hate and loathing of sin so that sin hath appeared ugly and abominable unto thee Hath there then followed an humble confession and laying open of thy sins before God begging pardon and remission of them with a desire to be rid of them and a real purpose and resolution to abandon them and forsake them This will evidence that thy service of sin hath given up the ghost and that thou hast a firme resolution of leading a new life and returning unto the Lord with all thy heart which is the fourth and last particular to be insisted on in this subject of sound Evangelical repentance For what is Repentance indeed in the true definition of it but a change of the mind or a coming to a mans self again to a right understanding after a man hath erred consisting in a turning of the whole heart from Satan and Sin unto God that is to serve God in newness of Life because he that lives in sin serves the Devil and belongs to his jurisdiction This definition you shall find full and whole in our Saviours words to Saint Paul when he appeared to him going to Damascus Act. 26.18 as Paul himself reporteth them namely That he would send him to the Gentiles to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they might receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified Which voice Paul theresaith he was obedient unto and thereupon went and shewed first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles That they should repent and turn to God and do works meet for repentance So that according to the definition Repentance hath two parts An Aversion or turning away from Satan and Sin that is the first then a Conversion or turning unto God by Newness of Life that is the second part but I proceed Fourthly The last thing that will evidence the sincerity of that Repentance which will be prevalent with the Lord to avert his wrath and quench the fire of his indignation that is broken out among us is a returning unto the Lord with all the heart Jer. 3.12 Return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I will not keep anger for ever Onely acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed and repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions saith the Lord so iniquity shall not be your ruine Ezek. 18.30 In the 2. of Joel the Lord threatning the terribleness of his Judgements in referenece to his great Army how that the Earth should quake before them and the Heavens should tremble the Sun and Moon should be dark and the Stars should withdraw their shining In the 12. verse the Lord exhorteth them to a thorough repentance as the only means to stop the currant of this devouring and sweeping Judgment Therefore also now saith the Lord turn ye even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning And rent your heart and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God for he is gratious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil And this Exhortation is urged by divers Arguments 1. By promise of temporal blessings namely plentiful fruits of the earth even to the reparation of all their former losses by the Famine and removal of the Northren Army from them vers 18. to 28. 2. Of spiritual Evangelical priviledges whereof those temporals were but an imperfect pledge viz. plentiful pourings out of his spirit and his gifts upon all flesh Gentiles as well as Jews ver 28 29. Salvation and deliverance of an elect remnant in his Church after the Lord hath manifested by dreadful signs the terrour of his coming vers 30 31 32. 2ly This Exhortation is urged by threatning of destruction against all the oppressing enemies of the Church These are the blessed fruits among others of that repentance that is a returning unto the Lord with all the heart Suitable to which is that of the Prophet Jeremy If thou wilt return O Israel saith the Lord return unto me and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight then shalt thou not remove Jer. 4.1 Then shalt thou not wander thou shalt not go into exile Which foregoing places do imply that God is not pleased with shews or flying thoughts or loose purposes or half a heart but requires an upright turning away from evil and a thorough conversion to himself and that which is good and not to idols or any other vanities whatsoever There is a special place to this purpose in Deut. 4.29 30. It speaks of the Lords scattering of them among the Nations and how they should be lest few in number among the Heathen whither the Lord should lead them But if from thence saith the Lord by his servant Moses thou shalt seek the Lord thy God thou shalt find him if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come upon thee even in the latter days if thou turn unto the Lord thy God and shalt be obedient unto his voice For the neglect whereof see what a bitter complaint the Lord took up against Israel Amos 4.6 How he had given them cleanness of teeth and want of bread in all places and had sent among them the Pestilence after the manner of Egypt and had overthrown some of them as he overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and they were as a fire-brand pluckt out of the burning yet did they not return unto the Lord. But mark what follows Therefore thus will I do unto thee O Israel and because I will do this unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel And what did he threaten he would do unto them for their obstinacy and incorrigableness if they repented not The 2. verse declares it The Lord God hath sworn by his holiness that lo the days shall come upon you that he will take you away with hooks and your posterity with fish-hooks What 's the meaning of that understand
counsel that I give thee then there is hope that God will have mercy upon thee and lengthen thy peace rest and prosperity And if thou wilt break off thy sins by righteousness then thou must not onely loose the bands of wickedness but thou must undo the heavy burdens also and let the oppressed go free and break every yoke Thou must deal thy bread to the hungry and bring the poor that are cast out to thy house when thou seest the naked thou must cover him and not hide thy self from thy own flesh Isa 58.6 7. And surely if this counsel be timously accepted O people of England O City of London though thou hast trespassed greivously against the Lord and broken the Covenant of thy God and the hand of the Lord is gone out against thee and death is come up into thy Windows yea even entred into thy Palaces Jer. 9.21 Yet know that if thou humblest thy self and repentest there is hope in Israel concerning this thing Ezra 10.2 And O that thou mayst know even in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace before they are hid from thine eyes And think not that your flying away can secure you his hand knows how to find you out Whether canst thou go from his spirit or whether canst thou flee from his presence Psal 139.7 And know assuredly that if thou art still an enemy and a hater of God and goodness his hand will find thee out Psal 21.8 Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee Thou shalt make them as a fiery Oven in the time of thine anger the Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath and the fire shall devour them And as Job saith His eyes are upon the ways of man and he seeth all his goings There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves Job 34.21 22. And though thou exalt thy self as the Eagle and though thou set thy nest among the stars thence will I bring thee down saith the Lord Obad. vers 4. And know whosoever thou art though thou rufflest it in thy gallantry and pride if yet thou puts far away from thee the evil day and causest the seat of violence to come near that liest upon thy bed of Ivory and stretches thy self upon thy Couch and chaunts to the sound of the viol and drinks wine in bowls and anoint thy self with the cheif oyntments but greivest not for the afflictions of Joseph that the judgment of God will pursue thee at thy very heels And if thou repentest not but shalt still bless thy self in thy heart saying Thou shalt have peace though thou walkest in the imaginations of thy own heart to add drunkenness to thirst The Lord will not spare thee but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against thee and all the curses that are written in the Book of God shall lye upon thee and the Lord shall blot out thy name from under heaven Deut. 29.19 20. The Third spiritual Receit When in the conscionable use of the former means thou findest that this bitter pill or potion of Repentance hath begun to operate upon thy heart so as to cause it to melt and mourn kindly before the Lord then in the next place take a good draught of Faith in the blood of Christ and put therein also a good quantity of Beleif in the power faithfulness and promises of God in Christ This through the blessing of God will make this bitter pill to work strongly and effectually to the expelling of all those virulent obnoxious and malignant humours that are such great enemies to a healthful and sound constitution of soul and body which if unexpelled that they grow to some head and strength they will have a very strong influence upon thy spirits to contract this sore Pestilential distemper to the endangering oftentimes of the loss and ruine of the whole man soul and body to all eternity First Then this Faith in the blood of Christ rightly applyed unto thy soul is and hath been always a very soveraign Receit and a precious Antidote to expell 1. All the fiery assaults of Satan 2. The venome and malignity of sin And therefore among all the several choise peices of our spiritual Armory laid down in the 6th of the Ephesians This is recommended as the most choise and principal peice among them all Above all taking the sheild of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked Some translate it in all as if he had said in all things whatsoever you do see that you use the sheild of faith to all as if he had said to all other Graces add this above all which is more emphatical for hereby all the imperfections of the rest of the Armes are covered and we are best defended against all the fiery darts and assaults of Satan that is his poysonous darts which by their venome inflame the soul The Apostle alludes to the custome of old in times of war who by their darts shot fire or else when they dipped the heads of their arrows in poison and shot them at their enemies they even fired their flesh To prevent which it is said that the Souldiers made them large sheilds of raw Neats-leather which might cover the whole body so that when the fiery venemous darts lighted upon them they were presently quenched All which agrees well with the nature of Satans temptations which as poison and fire do wound and pierce the soul if they be not stopped and quenched by the sheild of faith when they hit upon it So in the 1 Pet. 5.8 The Apostle directs to the making use of this most excellent peice of a Christians armour of proof speaking of our adversary the Devil who as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour This counsel he gives That we resist him stedfastly in the faith Resist the Devil saith James and he will flee from you Jam. 4.7 Resist him when he tempteth and enticeth thee to fullfil thy fleshly lusts and to seek after the freindship of the world And he will flee from thee he will run away if thou withstand him oppose him and set thy self as it were in battle array against him thou wilt find him as very a coward as ever any that handled a weapon thou wilt make him run away presently But that you may resist him and foil him you must be sure to resist him and that stedfastly in the faith if you make use of this weapon he will never be able to encounter with you Faith will foil him By this weapon the Saints always overcame him Rev. 12.11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. And how by the blood of the Lamb Satan will tell thee thou art a vile filthy polluted and abominable wretch a great and hainous sinner but faith in the blood of Christ will tell him that
as Snow And he calls to back sliding Israel to return and promises to heal their back-slidings and love them freely Jerem. 3.14 comp with Hosea 14.4 So in pangs of the New-birth spiritual infancy weakness of Faith Prayer Godly sorrow and other graces let such cordial refreshing Promises as these dwell upon thy heart Rev. 21.6 Mat. 5.6 Isa 42.3 and 57.15 and 40.11 which import How God will satisfie the hungry soul tender the weak and feeble soul dwel with the humble soul yea the exercise of faith also in the promises is of singular use in all kinds and varieties of temptations spiritual desertions deep almost despairing apprehensions of thine extreme vileness and nothingness in grace in which dark dismal and disconsolate estate let thy faith be exercised on such precious soul-supporting promises as these 1 Cor. 10.13 Jam. 1.2 Isa 30.18 and Isa 43.25 Which speaks to this effect That God is faithful and will not suffer us to be tempted above our strength That we should count it all joy when we fall into divers temptations That all they are blessed that wait for the Lord. So that if thou eiest in this waiting state thou shalt be certainly saved for the holy spirit pronounceth thee blessed And further for the exceeding great comfort and support of thy soul that it is the Lord and he onely that blotteth out thy transgressions for his own sake and will not remember thy sins So in the Hail-storms of slanderous Arrows and empoysoned Darts of disgrace how should thy Faith be fixt upon such pretious Promises as these 1 Pet. 4.18 Mat. 5.11 Yea in the valley of the shadow of death by an assurance of Gods merciful omnipotent presence Psa 23.4 And in the extremity and depth of such desperate distresses and perplexities wherein in thy present feeling thou canst see and find no possibility of help from Heaven or Earth God or man but art both helpless and hopeless as the Church complains Lam. 3.18 Let thy meditations dwell upon such like precious promises as these Isa 33.9 10. 2 Chron. 20.12 Exod. 14.13 Psal 78.65 66. Gen. 22.14 All which import that in the Mount of the greatest difficulties God will be seen Well in every thing or any thing that shall or can possibly befall thee prosperity or poverty cross or comfort calmness of conscience or tempests of terror life or death thou maist by Faith extract abundance of unconquerable patience and peace of soul from those three heavenly golden conduits of sweetest comfort Rom. 8.18 and 28.32 to wit That the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us 2. That all things shall work together for good to them that love God 3. That he that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Object But may I act faith in the Promises for things temporal as for spiritual Yea for godliness hath the Promise of the life that now is as of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Yet consider withal that temporal things are not promised absolutely but conditionally 1. With limitation to expediency 2. By way of commutation and compensation with spiritual If he gives thee not peace he will give thee patience if not wealth yet contentment which may be far better 3. With exception of the Cross Houses and Brethren and Sisters and Lands with persecution Mark 10.30 So then we may believe we shall have temporal blessings which God hath promised conditionally so far forth as will stand with these conditions his own glory our spiritual good and everlasting salvation This life is but via advitam the way to life and whatsoever God promiseth us in the way is but to help us to the end of our journey There is no temporal thing of this life falls within the compass of Gods promise but so far forth as it shall be a help and furtherance unto us as to our eternal life I shall therefore present unto thy view a few of those Promises which are of a temporal concernment as having reference to long Life Children Lands Riches Honour and external Peace and Plenty See to this purpose Gen. 22.17 and 49.15 Leâ— 25.18 19 21. and 26.4 5 6 c. Deut. 5.16 and 28.4 11 13. Psa 112.3 and 128.2 3 4. and many such like which are propounded upon the diligent and exact observation of Gods Law and the fear of the Lord. So for the duties and works of thy particular calling which if by prayer thou dost conscienciously and diligently discharge thou mayest go on with comfort contentment and freedom from carking cares and racking torturing thoughtfulness and leave the success issue and event of all thy labours and undertakings unto the Lord whatsoever it may be resting sweetly and ever relying upon this gratious promise Heb. 13.5 I will not fail thee nor forsake thee The like in ordering and guiding the affairs of thy Family depend by faith upon Gods blessing the strength and sinew of all sound comfort and true contentation that way Psa 127. So in the loss of outward things for thy love and service unto God by beleiving that Man of God 2 Chron. 25.9 The Lord is able to give thee much more then this yea in the loss of all earthly things in every kind by applying that promise in Hab. 3.17 18. And that of Jobs patient blessing of God upon the surprise of all his substance and the concurrence of an universal misery should not pass without a serious consideration if God should exercise thee with the like condition Job 1.21 But I shall forbear to enlarge further and recommend to thy consideration some of those promises for thy faith to be exercised in which have a special relation as to the present visitation of the Lord as Exod. 23.5 Ye shall serve the Lord your God c. And I will take sickness away from the midst of thee So Deut. 7.12 15. If ye hearken to these judgements and keep and do them the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the Covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy Fathers And he will love thee and bless thee and multiply thee And in the 15. vers The Lord will take away from thee all sickness and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt upon thee but will lay them upon all them that hate thee So in the Prayer that Solomon made at the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple 1 King 8.37 38 39. If there be in the Land Famine if there be Pestilence c. Whatsoever Plague whatsoever sickness there be what prayer and supplication soever be made by any man which shall know the plague of his own heart Then hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling place and forgive and do and give to every man according to his ways whose heart thou knowest And the Lord graciously promised that he would do according to his prayer
and supplication that he had made 1 King 9.3 So Psa 41. Blessed is he that considereth the poor the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive and he shall be blessed upon the Earth and thou wilt not deliver him into the will of his enemies The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness So Psa 91.3 6 7 10. Surely he shall deliver thee from the noysom Pestilence Thou shalt not be afraid of the â—estilence that walketh in darkness nor for the destruction that wasteth at noon-day A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee Art thou sick then apply The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing Tbou wilt make all his bed in his sickness Art thou there where the sick are apply I will take away all sickness from the midst of thee Fearest thou the Pestilence I will deliver thee saith the Lord from the noysome Pestilence So that of Eliphaz to Job He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee in Famine he shall redeem thee from death and in War from the power of the Sword Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the Tongue neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh c. And thou shalt know that thy Tabernacle shall be in peace Job 5.19.20 21 24. So in Isa 43.2 The Lord promiseth he will be with us in the fire and in the water the waters shall not overflow us nor the fire devour us And in Heb. 13.5 he hath promised likewise that he will never leave thee nor forsake thee The labour of the Olive may fail as Habakkuk speaks our nearest and dearest friends and relations may fail our eyes may fail our tongue may fail our strength may fail our flesh and heart may fail our spirits may fail yet saith the Lord I will be with thee I will not fail thee nor forsake thee When the poor and the needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will hear them I the God of Israel will not forsake them Isa 41.17 What can be more refreshing and supporting to the poor languishing fainting sinking soul Thus in any trouble of soul body good name outward state present or to come thou maist by the soveraign power of saith working upon the word of his promise not only draw out the sting and expell the poison of it but also procure a great deal of comfort to thy truly humbled soul and maintain it in despight of all mortal or infernal opposition in a constant spiritual gladness Considering that all those Promises whereupon thy heavy and disconsolate heart in such cases may repose and refresh it self have their being and confirmation from the blessed name Jehovah it self see Exod. 6.3 and therefore as sure as God himself they are sealed with the bloody sufferrings of his only Son and therefore as true as Truth it self and if thou art in Christ are all as certainly thine as the heart in thy body or blood that runs in thy veins Nay and a little more for thy comfort the glory of Gods Truth is mightily advanced and himself extraordinarily pleased by thy more resolute stedfast and triumphant cleaving unto them What a blessed sweet and heavenly life then is the Life of Faith as it is exercised in the Promises of God O then be encouraged to be acting Faith in the Promises and to be storing up a good stock of Promises every day They are of excellent use in all estates in all conditions in all kind of distresses whatsoever By beleiving the Promises we shall prosper by beleiving and applying of them we shall come to participate of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 And therefore they are called exceeding great and precious promises That by these saith the Apostle you might be partakers of the Divine Nature not of the substance but of the quality Non transformatione naturae humanae in divinam sed participatione donorum quibus conformes efficimur divinae naturae as one distinguisheth very well not by the transformation of the humane nature into the divine but by the participation of gifts whereby we are made conformable to the Divine Nature And so it notes a fellowship with God in his holiness and a fellowship with God in his blessedness that is in the beatifical vision and brightness of glory upon which account as to the excellent use and nature of them one terms them a Christians Catholicon a general purging Medicine a Salve for every sore being a help to all duties a quickner of all graces and a comfort in all distresses And like a well-fill'd Apothacaries shop there is contained in them heavenly receipts of all sorts wholesome physick of every kind for expelling and curing all sorts of diseases and sicknesses incident to Saints and for the corroborating and strengthening of the new nature and keeping the spiritual man in a good healthful constitution lusty and strong able for Gods Service and for working out his own salvation with fear and trembling Wouldst thou then have thy faith like the Light in the Lords Sanctuary never to go out then acquaint thy self with Gods Promises know them well meditate on them confer about them let them be continually in thy mind memory heart and tongue Satan laboureth in nothing more then to keep us in unbeleif especially of particular promises for he knows if we beleive them we shall in all things have the victory Come before God with boldness carry peace in our own bosomes to our graves and do and suffer any thing for God Oh the abundance of sweet cordial comfort which all humble beleiving souls draw by faith out of every promise And these precious promises our breasts of consolation whereupon our comfort and happiness so much depend lye hid in the holy Scriptures as veins of gold in the earth How then should we be searching into those rich mines that bring to light such heavenly treasures and how should it stir us up to go to God in prayer for the accomplishment of them unto us and waiting in the diligent use of all means for the gaining of them you shall find God not only making you heirs of Promises but you shall be comfortable possessors of those many good things which God hath promised to beleivers And the more you meditate and the oftner you pray upon them the more good will you see in them and find to flow from them And this leads me to the next Spiritual Receipt and Soveraign Antidote and that is Prayer The Fourth Spiritual Receit 4ly The fourth special Receit and preservative against this contagious disease or which may be of excellent force and efficacy for the removal of it is faithful and fervent Prayer This is a tried receipt an approved remedy of which
unmortified corruptions Ephes 6.18 By it Crosses are prevented removed or sanctified yea all things are sanctified unto us and we are so kept and preserved that we fall not into temptation 1 Tim. 4.5 Mat. 26.41 Yea often times we obtain much more good then we desire or expect Solomon begged onely of the Lord an understanding heart and God gave him both riches and honour which he asked not 1 King 3.13 So able is the Lord to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think Ephes 3.20 So that of Prayer we may say it is a Key to open the door of Gods treasure house a present remedy for an oppressed mind a giver of strengh to the weak and an especial means to make a man fit to live knowingly fruitfully and serviceably to God in every state and condition Col. 1.9 10. What shall I say of it but as one saith well and truly It is Consolatio flentium cura dolentium sanitas aegrotoraem A Comfort for them that mourn the joy of the sorrowful and health for those that 〈…〉 force and efficacy what will 〈…〉 hath it not done It goes through the 〈◊〉 and ceaseth not until it come unto the Lord and if entreaties will not do it will with reverence be it spoken lay commands upon him Isa 45.11 Yea it doth as it were bind up the hands of the Lord and hinder him from executing his judgements overcoming him that overcometh all things Let me alone saith the Lord to Moses or suffer me that my wrath may wax hot against them to wit the Israelites that I may consume them Exod. 32.10 Abrahams prayer had saved Sodom from being destroyed had there been found ten righteous persons therein Gen. 18. Yea it is very observable that the Lord did not leave granting till Abraham left off petitioning By prayer Jacob was delivered from the wrath and fury of his Brother Esau Gen. 32.11 Jonah out of the Fishes belly Jonah 2.10 The three Children from the fiery Furnace Daniel from the Lions Den Dan. 3.6 Jonahs and Pauls Mariners from the danger of the Seas and Joseph and Paul and Silas and Peter and others out of Prison Act. 5.16 By Prayer Eliah stayed the Rain three years and six months and again obtained Rain so that the earth yeilded her fruit James 5.17 By Prayer Elisha had the spirit of Eliah doubled upon him and procured Bears to destroy the mocking Children 2 King 2. raised from death to life the Shunamites Son So Chap. 4. Had the eyes of his Servant opened so that he saw Mountains full of Horses and Chariots of fire round about him and smote the Syrians with blindness which came to take him Chap. 6. By Prayer Joshua commanded the Sun to stand still in the midst of Heaven until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies Josh 10.12 13. By Prayer Isaiah brought back the Sun ten degrees in the Dial of Ahaz 2 King 20 11. By Prayer David frustrated the wicked counsel of Achitophel and often put his enemies to flight 2 Sam. 15.31 and 16.23 and Psa 56.9 by Prayer Hezekiah was delivered from the King of Assyria and his health restored unto him again Isa 37. and 2 King 18. The Ninevites were delivered from the judgements threatned against them Jonah 2. Peter raised Tabitha and Paul Eutichus that had fallen down by sleeping Act. 9.40 and 20.10 The Centâ—rians Servant the Cananites Daughter and Lunatick persons were healed men blind received their sight the stammering and deaf were made to hear and speak Lepers were clensed and certain persons being dead were restored to life again So much availeth Prayer with the Lord if it be servent But to bring it a little more close as to the present visitation of the Lord See of what force and efficacy it hath been with the Lord to appease his wrath and stay the execution of his judgments When the Children of Israel fell a murmuring and had greatly provoked the Lord by their unbelief insomuch that the Lord threatned to smite them with Pestilence and disinherit them Moses falls a pleading and interceeding with the Lord for them Pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy and as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even until now And the Lord said I have pardoned according to thy word Numb 14.12 19 20. So that only those men who brought up the evil report upon the land dyed by the Plague before the Lord vers 37. So in the case of Korah Dathan and Abiram when the Congregation of the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron saying they killed the people of the Lord This so greatly incensed the Lord that he bad them go up from the congregation that he might consume them in a moment Hereupon the Text saies they fell upon their faces and Aaron according to the command of Moses takes his Censer and puts fire therein from off the Alter and put on Incense and made an attonement for the people for there was wrath gone out from the Lord the Plague was begun And Aaron stood between the dead and the living and the Plague was staid Numb 16 45 46 47. This sheweth how greatly the Prayers and actions of Gods Servants do prevail with him when they are faithful fervent and according to his will Jam. 5.16 1 John 5.14 and foreshewed also the power and efficacy of Christs meditation for poor sinners who is represented by the Angels standing at the Altar having a golden Censer and much Incense given unto him to offer it with the prayers of all Saints Rev. 8.3 For God heareth him always John 11.40 And he it is that makes intercession for the transgressors Isa 53.12 and is the attonement or propitiation for our sins 1 John 2.1 and for his sake God before whom the Pestilence goeth in wrath remembreth mercy Hab. 3.2 5. And as the blood of the Paschal Lamb figuring the blood of Christ 1 Cor. 5.7 stayed the Angel which destroyed the Egyptians from touching the Israelites Exod. 12.23 Heb. 11.28 So the smoke of Aarons incense figuring the meditation of Christ Psa 141.2 Rev. 8.4 Stayed the Plague here from the Israelites which survived That as it is written of the Pestilence in Davids time The Lord repented him of the evil and said to the Angel that destroyed the people It is enough stay now thy hand 2 Sam. 24.16 So in this verse the further efficacy and effect of faithful fervent prayer for the removal of this sore visitation of the Lord is clearly held forth in that Prayer of Solomon at the Temples dedication If there be in the Land Famine if there be Pestilence whatsoever Plague whatsoever Sickness there be what Prayer and Supplication soever be made by any man or by all thy people Israel which shall know every man the plague of his own heart and spread forth his hands towards this house Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place and
vessel Psa 2.9 Rev. 19.15 The very same is promised to the Gospel-suffering enduring over-coming Saints in the latter day Rev. 2.26 27. Is it prophesied or fore-spoken of Christ that out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword even a two edged sword that with it he shall smite the Nations Revel 1.16 and Revel 19.15 The same is prophesied and fore-told of the Gospel-Saints in the latter day Psal 149.6 7 8 9. Is it promised to Christ that God will answer him when he calls upon him that he will be with him in trouble deliver him and honour him And with long life will satisfie him and shew him his salvation Psal 91.14 15 16. If this should be applicable only to Christ in that place which I conceive ought not to be yet are the same promises made to Gospel beleivers in other places of Scripture Psal 50.15 Isa 42.2 and 65.24 Mat. 7.7 Job 5.19 Psal 34.17 19. Joh. 12.26 Eph. 6.2 3. Object But these promises of temporal preservation and deliverance of honour and long life were made upon the accompt of Legal Obedience Answer True If upon the accompt of Legal then surely upon the accompt of Evangelical obedience For Godliness hath the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 If therefore thou dwellest in the secret place of the most high thou mayst beleive thou shalt abide under the shadow of the Almighty and be delivered from the noysome Pestilence That is thou mayst beleive thou shalt have glorious protections and sweet heavenly refreshments from the Lord. Shadow signifying both protection and refreshment as here in this place so Numb 14.9 Isa 30.2 Psal 121.5 Isa 51.16 and 49.2 and 4.6 and 25.4 and 32.2 Psal 17.8 and 36.7 And in particular a preservation from the noysome Pestilence So then if thou makest God thy Habitation thou mayst beleive that no evil shall befal thee nor that any Plague shall come nigh thy dwelling that is no punishment or plague no affliction cross or calamity shall come unto thee from the Almighty as to hurt thee This is the fift Spiritual Receipt and special preservative against this Pestilential Sickness The Sixth Spiritual Receipt 6ly The sixth Soveraign Antidote and Preservative against this Infectious Disease is this Get a merciful tender pittiful and compassionate heart This as it will demonstrate us to be like unto God himself who is the fountain of mercy Be ye merciful as your Father also is merciful Luk. 6.36 So it will denominate us to be such as are righteous before God Psal 37.21 who live in the power of that Religion that is pure and undefiled before God And surely if thy heart is melted with the sense of Gods everlasting mercy to thy self thou canst not but have thy heart drawn forth compassionately towards such as are in misery necessity and distress But if the world hath locked up thine heart and congealed the bowels of thy compassions towards thy poor brethren let the blaze of thine outward profession shine never so fair and manage the duties of external holiness never so demurely and keep the times and tasks of daily duties with never so great austerity nay though thou be able to amuse weaker Christians with some affected strain'd and artifical fervency in Prayer for by the meer power of hypocrisie and vain-glory a man may pray sometimes to the Admiration of others especially less judicious I say for all this if the holy heat of Brotherly love doth not warm thine heart and upon occasion work affectionately in thy soul thou wilt discover thy self to be rotten at the heart-root and that there is little of the true love and grace of God in thee or hope of salvation For the dissolving therefore of thy frozen heart and the enlarging of thy bowels of pity towards the poor Brethren of Christ Jesus without which never think hereafter to look him in the face with comfort or to find mercy at the great day Consider well that place in 1 Joh. 3.17 Who so hath this worlds goods and seeth his brother hath need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him And above all other motives of mercifulness to the poor necessitous and distressed members of Christ methinks that Argument which Paul presseth to this purpose in 2 Cor. 8.9 should melt the most flinty heart For ye know saith he the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be rich Shall the onely dear innocent Son of the All-powerful and ever-blessed Lord and King of Heaven and Earth dis-inrich as it were and disrobe himself of the Royalty and Majesty above and become so poor that whereas the Foxes have holes and the birds of the Air have nests yet he not where to lay his head that through his poverty and pouring out his heart-blood he might crown us with the inestimable riches of heavenly glory with joys and pleasures for evermore And shall not we worms and wretches most unworthy the least bit of bread we put into our mouths part with something of our superfluities to releive the fainting soul of him for whom Christ died and which he will take as done unto himself Mat. 25.40 Though it be but a cup of cold water only Mat. 10.42 Besides the last and everlasting doom at that great and dreadful day to wit either the glorious sentence of absolution Come ye blessed or the dreadful sentence of condemnation Go ye cursed c. shall be pronounced upon the godly according to the effect and fruit of their faith which works by love Or pass upon the Reprobates for omission and neglect of this most excellent duty of mercifulness to the poor members of Christ Mat. 25.40 41. Consider withal as an inflaming Motive to draw forth the bowels of thy compassions to poor needy and necessitous souls that by laying out thy self cheerfully seasonably liberally and yet but according to thine ability towards such Deut. 15.10 2 Cor. 9.7 Prov. 3.27 28. 2 Cor. 9.6 Prov. 11.25 2 Cor. 8.13 14. Act. 11.29 Thou shalt hereby become a Creditor even to thy most glorious and bountiful Creator For he that hath pitty upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord and that which he hath given will he pay him again Prov. 19.17 Now what a Motive I say is this to be merciful that we shall make God himself our debtor the ever-springing fountain of bliss and Lord of all goodness who doth all things like himself omnipotently bountifully above all expectation as becomes the mighty Soveraign of Heaven and Earth If he works he makes a World If he be angry he drowns the whole face of the earth If he love the heart blood of his dearest Son is not too dear If he stand upon his peoples side he makes the Sun to stand still and the Stars to fight If he repay he gives his own all-sufficient
THE Best of Remedies FOR THE VVorst of Maladies OR Spiritual Receipts and Antidotes for the Preservation of a Plague-sick Sinfull Soul Wherein is shown Sin is the Cause and Repentance the Cure of the Pestilence Seasonably Published by a Lover of Peace and Truth and one that desireth that all would though the Lords hand seems to be withdrawn as to the late universally raging Pestilential Disease forsake those Provoking Sins which call for Vengeance and Judgements on the Sons of Men. R. A. LONDON Printed Anno 1667. THE CAUSES CURE OF THE Pestilence THe first Sin which I shall insist upon so highly provoking unto the Lord to send the destroying Pestilence among a people is the sin of Oppression When the Supream Powers and Authorities of a Nation do exercise a Usurpation or Oppession over the Bodies and Consciences of the people of God This was the sin of Pharoah who tyrannized not onely over the Bodies but over the Consciences also of the Children of Israel He sets Task-masters over them to afflict them with their burdens And the Egyptians made the Children of Israel to serve with rigour and made their lives bitter with hard bondage in Morter and in Brick and in all manner of service in the field all their service wherein they made them serve was with rigour By reason of which bondage the Children of Israel sighed and cryed and their cry came up unto God Exod. 1.11 13 14. comp with Chap. 2.23 So Chap. 3.7 The Lord said I have surely seen the afflictien of my people which are it Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of their Task-masters for I know their sorrows And in the 9th Verse Behold the cry of the Children of Israel is come up unto me and I have also seen the Oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them This was an oppression that Pharoah and his cruel Task-masters did exercise over their bodies The oppression that he exercised over their souls and consciences did evidently appear in this The Lord he called and commissionated Moses to go unto Pharoah and he with the Elders of Israel were to say unto him The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us and now let us go we beseech thee three days journey into the Wilderness that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God Exod. 3.18 This they often prest upon him And the reason wherefore they so much urged it is very observable in the 3d. Vers of the 5th Chap. Let us go we pray thee three days journey into the Desart and sacrifice unto the Lord our God lest he fall upon us with Pestilence or with the Sword That is Lest he slay us and destroy us with Pestilence and with the Sword as in Judges 8.21 Pharoah he hardens his heart and is disobedient unto the word of the Lord. And Pharoah said who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go They be idle saith he therefore they cry saying Let us go and Sacrifice unto our God Exod. 5.2 8 17. But the Judgments of God pursuing him at the very heels and the greivous swarm of Flies coming into his house and into his servants houses and into all the Land of Egypt so that the Land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of Flies then he calls for Moses and Aaron that they might go and Sacrifice to God but where in the Land that is in his own Land the Land of Egypt But what said Moses It is not meet so to do for we shall sacrifice the abominations of the Egyptians to the Lord our God Lo shall we Sacrifice the abominations of the Egyptians before their eyes and will they not stone us We will go three days journey into the Wilderness and Sacrifice unto the Lord our God as he shall command us It is not meet or it is not right so to do as being not so appointed of God who called into the Wilderness to Sacrifice Exod. 3.18 Shall we Sacrifice the abominations of the Egyptians That is The Beasts which the Egyptians do worship and do abhor to kill or to see killed for Sacrifice And the Sentence twice repeated may imply two senses 1. Shall we Sacrifice to our God such things as the Egyptians Sacrifice that would be an abomination to the Lord Or 2. Shall we Sacrifice such things as God requireth that would be an abomination to the Egyptians The Scripture often calling the Gods and Services of the Heathens Abominations As Deut. 7.25 and 12.30 31. 2 King 23.13 Ezra 9.1 Isa 44.19 Now the principal Sacrifices of the Hebrews were Oxen and Sheep Gen. 15.9 And all Shepherds or Sheep-keepers were an abomination to the Egyptians Gen. 46.34 For the Egyptians abstained from Sheep and Sacrificed Goats By all which it is very evident that Pharoah denying the Israelites to Worship as God had appointed them did oppress them not only in their bodies but in their Consciences likewise which drew down the dreadful Judgments of God upon him and his Land among which this of the destroying Pestilence For proof whereof see Exod. 3.19 20. I am sure saith the Lord that the King of Egypt will not let you go no not by a mighty hand And what follows I will stretch out my hand and smite Egypt with all my wonders c. So Exod 9.13 14 15. Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews Let my people go that they may serve me for I will at this time send all my plagues upon thy heart c. and especially in the 15. Vers For now will I stretch out my hand that I may smite thee and thy people with Pestilence and thou shalt be cut off from the Earth And in the 12. Chap. and 29. Vers See what a dreadful slaughter the Lord made accordingly in the Land of Egypt And it came to pass that at Mid-night the Lord smote all the first-born in the Land of Egypt from the first-born of Pharoah that sat on his Throne unto the first-born of the Captive that was in the Dungeon and all the first-born of Cattel and there was a great cry in Egypt for there was not a House where there was not one dead See further the severity of God in punishing this sin of Oppression Jer. 34.17 Therefore thus saith the Lord ye have not hearkened unto me in proclaiming liberty every one to his brother and every man to his neighbour Behold I proclaim a liberty for you saith the Lord to the Sword to the Pestilence and to the Famine and I will make you to be removed into all the Kingdoms of the earth So highly displeasing it is unto the Lord for a people to be oppressed either in their civil or spiritual liberties and enjoyments according to that in Psa 12.5 For the oppression of the poor for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him at safety from him that puffeth at him And
further in Isa 49.25 26. A dreadful place to all cruel Oppressors of Gods people saith the Lord there I will contend with him that contendeth with thee and I will save thy Children And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh and they shall be drunken with their own blood as with sweet wine And Amos 2.6 Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Israel and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof Why Because they sold the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of shoes So Isa 52.4 5 6. Thus saith the Lord my people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause Now therefore what have I here saith the Lord that my people is taken away for nought they that rule over them make them to bowl saith the Lord and my name continually every day is blasphemed Therefore my people shall know my name therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak behold it is I. By which it is very evident that the Lord does not onely intimate unto us how sorely he plagued the Egyptians because they had grievously afflicted and oppressed his people which voluntarily and of their own accord went down into Egypt but also that he will much more grievously plague the Assyrians that carried them away out of their own Land the Land of Canaan which he had given them for an Inheritance and there dealt so cruelly and unmercifully with them So sorely displeasing is it unto the Lord when those that rule over his people shall make them to howl that is to cry bitterly to mourn and lament so ely as it is rendred Jer. 4.8 and Ezek. 21.12 To this agrees that in the 50th Chap. of Jeremiah and the 33 and 34. Verses Thus saith the Lord of Hosts The Children of Israel and the Children of Judah were oppressed together and all that took them Captives held them fast they refused to let them go Their Redeemer is strong the Lord of Hosts is his name he shall throughly plead their cause that he may give rest unto the Land and disquiet the Inhabitants of Babylon What we may understand by the Lords pleading of the cause of his people here and disquieting the inhabitants of Babylon that oppressed them that of Jerem. 51.35 36. doth evidently declare The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon shall the Inhabitants of Sion say and my blood upon the Inhabitants of Chaldea shall Jerusalem say Therefore thus saith the Lord behold I will plead thy cause and take vengeance for thee and I will dry up her Sea and make her Springs dry When the Lord shall plead the cause of Sion then will he take vengeance for her that is he will avenge himself of his and her cruel oppressing enemies According to that which the Lord of Hosts the mighty one of Israel speaks in Isa 1.24 Ah I will ease me of mine Adversaries and avenge me of mine Enemies This is the time when he will make his Arrows drunk with blood and his Sword to devour flesh And then what follows Rejoyce O ye Nations with his people for he will avenge the blood of his Servants and will render vengeance unto his Adversaries and will be merciful unto his Land and to his people As it is in Deut. 32.42 43. This is that time which is called by the Prophet Isaiah The day of the Lords vengeance and the year of recompenses for the controversies of Sion Isa 34.8 called by Jeremiah the vengeance of the Lord our God the vengeance of his Temple Jer. 50.28 And take notice then how severe the Lord will be He tells us that his Sword shall be bathed in Heaven and it shall come down upon Idumea and upon the people of his curse to Judgement By Idumea we are to understand Edom or the Edomites who were the highest Kindred of the Israelites but notwithstanding they were their greatest enemies and oppressors And therefore said the Lord by the Prophet Obadiah Vers 10. For thy violence meaning the Edomites against thy Brother Jacob shame shall cover thee and thou shalt be cut off for ever And these are a Type and Figure of all the enemies of the Church of God who indeed do boast and brag that they are descended and born of the Church crying up the Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord setting up a Worship of their own devising and are in the practise of Sacraments and Ordinances as the true Church and Spouse of Christ yet indeed and in truth do hate persecute and oppress the true spiritual and sincere worshippers of Jesus Whereby it is very evident what dreadful plagues and punishments the sin of oppression doth bring upon a Land and Nation 2. The second Pestilential sin is the sin of Persecution and hatred against God and his people As God hath his Arrows of his deliverance for the preservation of his people against their enemies 2 King 13.17 So he hath the Arrows of his Indignation and wrath which Job being under a spirit of desertion and temptation apprehended were within him the poison whereof he said did drink up his spirit Job 6.4 So David in the like condition That the arrows of the Lord did stick fast in him and his hand pressed him sore Psal 38.2 And the Prophet Jeremy in his Lamentations He hath bent his bow saith he and set me as a mark for the Arrow He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins Lam. 3.12 13. I say whatever might be the apprehensions of these holy and righteous men yet surely the Lord has his arrows of his sore displeasure and wrath which as the instruments of death he hath prepared and ordained against the Persecutors Psal 7.13 And this of the destroying Pestilence is one of the sorest and sharpest of them as reckoned amongst his four sore judgements Ezek. 14.21 And as the wicked do bend their bow and make ready their arrows upon the string that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart Psal 11.2 So the Lord he has his bow and arrows and his Bow is bent also and his arrows he hath ready Psa 7.12 which he sends out and scatters his enemies with Psal 18.14 With these he breaks their bones and pierces them through Num. 24.8 yea makes them drunk with their blood Deut. 32.42 These are sharp in the heart of the Kings enemies Psal 45.5 The Instruments and means that the Lord makes use of against his enemies are piercing yea so piercing that the heart the closest and strongest part even that wherein life consisteth shall be peirced thereby The arrows of the Lord are like the swords of Saul and Jonathan which did execution and returned not empty 2 Sam. 1.22 You think by flying away and hiding your selves in the thickets of the forrest you shall be secured from the stroke of these arrows of Gods vengeance but know if
you are Gods Enemies and persecutors his hand will find you out yea his right hand will finde out those that hate him and he will make you as a fiery oven in the time of his anger Psal 21.8 9. For wickedness burneth as fire and it shall devour the briars and thorns and shall kindle in the thickets of the forrest and they shall mount up as the lifting up of smoke for through the wrath of the Lord of Hosts the land shall be darkned and the people shall be as the fewel of the fire no man shall spare his brother Isa 9.18 19. I say if you be the Lords Adversaries then if the Scriptures be true and cannot be broken you shall assuredly be broken in peices yea out of heaven will the Lord thunder upon you 1 Sam. 2.10 And if that will not do he will throw you into the deeps as a stone into the mighty waters as he dealt with the persecutors of his people Neh. 9.12 I cannot let pass those dreadful imprecations which the Prophet David thundereth out against his and the Lords Adversaries under the person of Judas Set a wicked man over him saith he Let Satan stand at his right hand let him be condemned and his prayer become sin and his days few and his children fatherless and vagabonds begging their bread and such like prophetical direful wishes And why all this Because that he remembred not to shew mercy but persecuted the poor and needy man that he might even slay the broken in heart Psa 109. to ver 17. so Psa 69. verse 22. and onward Let their table become a snare before them and that which should have been for their welfare let it become a trap Let their eyes be darkned that they see not and make their loins continually to shake Pour out thine indignation upon them and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them Let their habitations be desolate and let none dwell in their tents Add iniquity to their iniquity and let them not come unto thy righteousness Let them be blotted out of the book of the living and not be written with the righteous Now what 's the reason that David devoteth his and the Lords enemies to such dreadful destructions why even for this cause For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten and talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded By all which he meaneth that the wicked laid grievous afflictions and punishments upon such whom the Lord in his fatherly love had chastised whether you understand it of Christ or of his afflicted and persecuted members This is a sin that is highly provoking unto the Lord drawing down the wrath of God to a Kingdoms inevitable desolation and destruction as upon Judah and Jerusalem 2 Chron. 36.15 16. where it is said That the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers or prophets rising up betimes and sending because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy or no healing because on the one side the people repented not and on the other side Gods Justice required that their impenitency should be most severely punished It s a similitude taken from sick bodies that are incurable For as Stephen said truly whom they stoned which of the Prophets have not your fathers persecuted and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just one meaning Christ of whom saith he ye have been now the betrayers and murderers Acts 7.52 And therefore it was that our blessed Saviour took up that sad lamentation and complaint O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not And what follows Behold your house is left unto you desolate Matth. 23.37 38. Persecution is the certain fore-runner of a Nations desolation and destruction And God does usually retaliate the sin of persecuting and destroying men upon their own heads Let their way be dark and slippery and let the Angel of the Lord persecute them Psal 35.6 As the fire burneth the wood and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire so persecute them with thy tempest and make them afraid with thy storm Fill their faces with shame that they may seek thy name O Lord let them be confounded and troubled for ever yea let them be put to shame and perish That men may know that thou whose name alone is Jehovah art the most high over all the earth Psal 83.15 16 17 18. And who are they whom the Psalmist imprecates these dreadful judgments to fall upon but Gods Enemies and Persecutors For lo thine enemies make a tumult and they that hate thee have lift up the head they have taken crafty counsel against thy people and consulted against thy hidden ones They have said Come let us cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance God has his hidden ones such whose life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 whom the Lord esteems as his jewels keeping them in faithful and safe custody hiding them in the secret of his presence from the pride of man which betake themselves to the Lord for refuge to be hid and secure under his tuition and protection Psal 27.5 and 31.20 And these are they that the enemies of God did consult and conspire against even to extirpate them and to root them out of the land But see how just the Lord is in the exeution of his righteous and terrible judgements upon such Thou shalt take up this proverb saith the Lord against the King of Babylon and say How hath the Oppressor ceased the golden City ceased the Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked and the Scepter of the Rulers He that smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke mark that he that ruled the Nations in anger is persecuted and none hindereth Isa 14.4 5 6. O that this were seriously laid to heart by the persecuting spirits of this generation whether Gods controversie with the Kingdom at this time in this sore visitation of the Plague among us doth not in a great measure spring from this evil and bitter root so heinous and provoking sin it is unto the Lord. 3. The third pestilential destroying sin is the sin of Murder and Blood-shed that is exercised upon the people of God See Jer. 50.11 12 13. the dreadful threatnings of the Lord against Babylon for this very sin Because ye were glad saith the Lord because ye rejoyced O ye destroyers of mine heritage because ye aro grown fat as the heifer at grass and bellow as bulls Mark they were the destroyers of Gods heritage that was their sin and now what must be their punishment
sold for money According to what the Prophet Isaiah complained in his time Isa 1.23 Thy Princes are rebellious and companions of Thieves every one loveth gifts and followeth after rewards they Judge not the Fatherless neither doth the cause of the Widow come unto them Or as he proceeds further in Ezek. 22.26 27. Her Priests have violated my law and have prophaned my holy things they have put no difference between the holy and prophane nor between the unclean and the clean Her Princes in the midst thereof are like roaring wolves ravening the prey to shed blood and to destroy souls and to get dishonest gain And yet says the Prophet Micah They did lean upon the Lord. How lean upon the Lord not with a holy trust and confidence which is ever accompanied with godliness but in hypocrisie out of an impudent arrogancy and a vain bold and carnal presumption as if God was engaged to protect them let them live and do what they pleased Like those that the Prophet Isay speaks of That swore by the name of the Lord and made mention of the God of Israel but not in truth nor in righteousness And yet they called themselves of the holy City and staied themselves upon the God of Israel Isa 48.1 2. Or like unto them in the Prophet Jeremies time that cried The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord and yet in the mean time they oppressed the stranger the fatherless and the widow and shed innocent blood and did steal and murder and commit adultery and swore falsely Jer. 7.4 6 9. But how intollerable this was with God the sequel makes it evident Therefore shall Sion for your sakes be ploughed as a field and Jerusalem shall become heaps that is shall be utterly destroyed and laid waste So little care and regard had God of Sion and Jerusalem and of his holy Temple it self being thus polluted and defiled And therefore saith the Lord in Ezekiel 3 2. ult have I poured out mine indignation upon them I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath Their own way have I recompensed upon their heads saith the Lord. So again for this doth the Lord threaten That their houses shall be turned unto others with their fields and wives together And he will stretch out his hand upon the inhabitants of the land For saith he from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to Covetousness and from the Prophet even unto the Priest every one dealeth falsly Jer. 6.12 13. Which avaricious or covetous disposition was so predominant in them in the Prophet Isaiah's time Isa 56.10 11. That he termed the Watchmen then which were the Priest and Rulers of the people as Jer. 8.10 and Eze◠〈…〉 not only blind and ignorant and dumb doâ—â— that could not bark c. but greedy dogs also th t could never have enough Like dogs strong in desire in lust in appetite greedy and unsatiable that could not be satisfied with money or large revenues And what follows in the next chapter v. 17. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth said the Lord and smote him and whether this might not be a smiting with the pestilence Deut. 28.22 27. comp with Ezek. 33.27 and 31. verses I shall leave it to the wise to judge How did he smite Gehazi with the Plague of Leprosie for this thing 2 King 5.27 so highly provoking a sin is this sin of Covetousness unto the Lord. And oh that this were wisely considered and applied by the men of this Generation yea by the carnal and earthly minded Professions of our times For sure it is That the love of money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows 1 Tim. 6.10 6. The sixth Pestilential destroying sin is the sin of Cursing and Swearing and False-swearing This was the sin of Shemei that cursed David mentioned in the 2 Sam. 16.5 And see how the Lord did return his wickedness upon his own head being slain by the Command of King Solomon 1 King 2.44 46. This the Psalmist lays down as the certain Character of a wicked man that his mouth is full of Cursing and deceite And what imprecations does he use in his Prayer against him Break thou the Armes of the wicked and the evil man Seek out his wickedness till thou find none Psal 10.7 15. Rom. 3â— 14. So in the 109. Psal Let Satan stand at his righthand and when he shall be judged let him be condemned and let his prayer become sin let his days be few his Children Fatherless his Wife a Widow his Children Vagabonds and beg their bread Let their be none to extend mercy unto him let his Posterity be cut off and in the generation following let their name be blotted out let the iniquity of his Fathers be remembred with the Lord and let not the sin of his Mother be blotted out and let the Lord cut off the memory of them from the earth And mark what follows As he loved cursing so let it come unto him as he delighted not in blessing so let it be far from him As he cloathed himself with cursing like as with a Garment so let it come into his bowels like water and like oyle into his bones Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually It is true the Apostle Peter doth apply something of this to Judas who betrayed our Lord Christ Act. 1.20 But it cannot exclude all other the cursed enemies of Christ who love cursing and cloath themselves with it as with a garment So Jer. 23.9 10. Mine heart within me saith he is broken because of the Prophete all my bones shake c. because of the Lord and because of the words of his holiness For the Land is full of Adulterers for because of Swearing the Land mourneth To this agreeth that of the Prophet Hosea Chapter 4.1 2 3. verses Where it is said That the Lord hath a Controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land By swearing and lying c. they break out and blood toucheth blood Therefore shall the Land mourn and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish The dreadfulness of this sin is further set forth by Zacharies flying roll Zach. 5.3 4. This is the Curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth for every one that stealeth shall be cut off and every one that sweareth shall be cut off c. I will bring it forth saith the Lord of Hosts and it shall enter into the house of the Theif and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name and it shall remain in the midst of his house and shall consume it with the Timber thereof and the Stones thereof And in the 3. of Malachy and the 5. I will
come near to you to Judgement and I will be a swift witness against the Sorcerers and against the Adulterers and against False-swearers O that these things were seriously laid to heart by the prophane Cursers and Swearers and False-swearers and the Damme-creatures of our times O that they would consider how their cursed hellish hideous new-invented unheard of Diabolical oaths do now make the Land mourn and those that dwell therein to languish and how near the Lord is come unto them in the terribleness of his judgment Is it not very evident that the Lord for these things hath a controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land 7. The seventh Pestilential destroying sin is the sin of Adultery Fornication and such like corporal uncleanness See this in that 25. of Num. 1 6 7 8. verses When Israel abode in Shittim it is said the people began to commit Whoredome with the daughters of Moab And Zimri and Cosbi being taken in the very act of uncleanness Phinehas the Son of Eleazar the Son of Aaron the Priest when he saw it he rose up from amongst the Congregation and took a Javelin in his hand and he went after the man of Israel into the Tent and thrust both of them through the man of Israel and the woman through her belly So the Plague was stayed thereupon from the Children of Israel yet those that died in the Plague as was mentioned before was no less then Twenty and four Thousand So in the 12. of Gen. 14 15 17. When Abraham came into Egypt with Sarai his wife a fair woman to look upon and she was no sooner beheld by the Egyptians and the Princes of Pharaoh but they commended her before Pharaoh and saith the Text the woman was taken into Pharaohs house that is she was taken away from Abraham into the Royal Seraglio or Palace to be fitted and prepared there according to the Custome of those Countries that the King might take her to Wife as Hest 2.9 In the mean time God provided for Abrahams entertainment and his Wives chastity together for Pharaoh entreated Abram well for her sake And in the 17. verse is is said The Lord plagued Pharaoh and his House with great Plagues because of Sarai Abrams wife What kind of plagues those were is uncertain but doubtless they served as well to hinder and obstruct the abusing of Sarai's body as to punish the King and his Domesticks and Courtiers trespass This great deliverance David celebrateth in Psal 105.14 When they went from one Nation to another from one Kingdom to another People He suffered no man to do them wrong yea he reproved Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm But this is observable that if the Lord was so severe to punish this filthy sin of Adultery or Uncleanness when it was but designedly or intentionally committed and Pharaoh knew not that Sarai was Abrams wife with what severity may we think will he proceed against such who deliberately knowingly delightfully and impudently live in the perpetration and commission of it and when did this sin of Whoredom Adultery and Fornication ever walk upon down so brazen-faced with such an imperious worish forehead as in the men and women of our generation so unsatiable they are in their filthiness and uncleanness Upon which account may not the Lord say to this City of London yea to the Land and Nation in general as he did to Jerusalem in the Prophet Jeremy's time How shall I pardon thee for this thy children have forsaken me and sworn by them that are no gods When I had fed them to the full they then committed Adultery and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots houses They were as fed horses in the morning every one neighed after his neighbours wife Through lustfulness like wanton horses And mark what follows Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord and shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Go ye up upon her walls and destroy but make not a full end take away her battlements for they are not the Lords c. Jer. 5.7 8 9 10. And may we not think the Lord may justly have a controversie with the inhabitants of this Land as he had with the children of Israel in the Prophet Hosea's time And wherefore Because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the land But by swearing and lying and killing and stealing and committing Adultery they break out and blood toucheth blood Therefore shall the land mourn and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish c. Hos 4.1 2 3. So that good Prophet Jeremy Mine heart saith he within me is broken because of the Prophets all my bones shake I am like a drunken man and like a man whom wine hath overcome because of the Lord and because of the words of his holiness For the Land is full of Adulteries Jer. 23.9 10. And in Jer. 13.27 I have seen thine Adulteries and thy neighings the lewdness of thy Whoredoms c. What then Wo unto thee O Jerusalem This though it may have reference to their sin of Idolatry as before which may be called spiritual Adultery yet it cannot exclude that which is corporeal which God will severely punish For Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge as such who shall have no inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God Heb. 13.4 and Eph. 5.5 Thus we see how highly provoking this sin of uncleaness is for the bringing down of National judgements even this of the Pestilence among a people 8. The Eighth Sin that provokes the Lord to send the Pestilence among a people is the sin of Infidelity distrust and murmuring against God notwithstanding the great and marvellous works which the Lord hath wrought for the salvation and deliverance of his people See to this purpose the 13 and 14. chapters of Numbers There were certain men the heads of the children of Israel who by the commandment of the Lord was sent to search and spie out the land of Canaan and being returned they made a rehearsal thereof to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation and brought an evil report upon the land which they had searched saying The land through which we have gone to search it is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature And there we saw the giants the sons of Anak which come of the giants and we were in our own sight as Grashoppers and so were we in their sight This evil report caused all the congregation to lift up their voyce and cry and to murmure against Moses and Aaron saying Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt or would God we had died in this wilderness And wherefore hath the Lord brought us into this land to fall by the sword that our wives and our children should be a prey were it not better
for us to return into Egypt and they said one to another Let us make a Captain let us return into Egypt But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneth which were of them that searched the land rent their cloaths and they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel saying The land which we passed through to search it is an exceeding good land if the Lord delight in us then he will bring us into this land and give it us a land which floweth with milk and honey Only rebell not ye against the Lord neither fear ye the people of the land for they are bread for us Their defence is departed from them the Lord is with us fear them not this so greatly incensed the congregation that they badestone them with stones But see how highly provoking was this unto the Lord And the Lord said unto Moses How long will this people provoke me and how long will it be ere they beleive me for all the signs that I have shewed among them And mark what follows I will smite them with the Pestilence and dis-inherit them verse 12. I the Lord have said I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation that are gathered together against me in this wilderness they shall be consumed and there they shall die And further it is said That the men which Moses sent to search the land who returned and made all the congregation to murmure against him by bringing up a slander upon the land even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land died of the Plague before the Lord vers 35 36 37 of the 14. of Numb And the Lord renders the reason why their carkasses should fall in the Wilderness v. 22. Because all those men which have seen my glory saith he and my miracles which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness have tempted me now these ten times and have not hearkned to my voyce surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers neither shall any of them that provoked me see it So greatly displeasing it is unto the Lord for a people who have seen the wonderful works of the Lord and his miraculous preservations to cherish a murmuring distrusting and unbeleiving spirit against the Lord not beleiving his promises nor relying on his mighty power and outstretched arm to defend them And therefore saith the Psalmist was the Lord wroth and a fire was kindled against Jacob and anger also came up against Israel Because they beleived not in God and trusted not in his salvation Ps 78.21 22. So in Heb. 3.17 18 19. With whom was he grieved forty years was it not with them that had sinned whose carkasses fell in the wilderness And to whom swore he that they should not enter into his rest but to them that beleived not So we see that they could not enter in because of unbeleif For this cause it was that the Lords wrath was kindled against them so that he excluded them out of the good land Because they beleived not in God nor hearkned unto his voyce but murmured against him after they had seen his glory to wit his glorious works and the miracles that he did in Egypt and in the wilderness See Exod. 16.2 3. comp with Nehem. 9. from the 10th to the 18th verse O then that this might be seriously laid to heart by all such who having seen the wonderful outgoings and appearances of God in this latter age of the world and had a deep share in the glorious deliverances which God had wrought have yet through a heart of infidelity and distrust departed from God thereby brought up an evil report upon the good land even the good and honourable ways of the Lord shaking hands again with a carnal corrupt interest and longing after the flesh-pots the Onyons and Garlick of Egypt have turned again to the weak and beggarly elements or rudiments of the world whereunto they are as in Egyptian bandage again captivated and enslaved For I intend not here by this spirit of Infidelity and Unbeleif such carnal unbeleiving and regenerate persons to whom as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4.3 4. the Gospel is hid and are lost and whose minds the God of this world hath blinded that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ cannot shine into them but such rather who with open face having beheld as in a glass the glory of the Lord even the glory of his grace in the Gospel and the glory of his great and wonderful works in the world do yet through base fear and distrust of his power and promises suffer their hearts to depart and turn aside from the Lord. And this was the sin of Asa who when the Lord had delivered into his hand a huge host of the Ethiopians and Lubims because they relied on him did afterwards rely on the Kings of Syria and not on the Lord his God For which he received so sharp a rebuke from the Lord 2 Chron. 16.7 8 9. 9. The ninth Pestilential sin is the sin of Discontent accompanied also with a spirit of distrustfulness and unbeleif When a people will not be content with Gods allowance but will loath his blessings and his provisions and fall a lusting after evil things to satisfie their inordinate desires This was Israels provoking sin Numb 11.4 The multitude that was among them fell a lusting and they wept and said Who shall give us flesh to eat We remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely the Cucumbers and the Melons and the Leeks and the Onyons and the Garlick but now our souls is dried away there is nothing at all besides this Manna before our eyes Though it was the corn of heaven and Angels food that they eat and such as did prefigure Christ himself his word and grace Joh. 6.31 32 33. and 1 Cor. 10.3 yet now they look upon it and count it but as a despicable thing and nothing noâ— would satisfie them but flesh and this to satisfie their lust And therefore it is said in the 78 Psalm and the 18th verse They tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust yea they spake against God and said Can God furnish a table in the Wilderness Behold he smote the rock that the waters gushed out and the streams overflowed Can be give bread also Can be provide flesh for his people Therefore the Lord heard this and was wroth So a fire was kindled against Jacob and anger also came up against Israel c. Well nothing would satisfie their lusts but flesh and flesh they shall have with a witness till it come out at their very nostrils and was loathsom unto them so they did eat and were filled for he gave them their own desire they were not estranged from their lust but while the flesh was yet between their teeth ere it was chewed The wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people and the
Lord smote the people with a very great plague And the name of that place was called Kibroch-hattanah that is the graves of lust because there they buried the people that lusted Hence it was that the Apostle treating of the bountiful dealings of God with the children of Israel said That with many of them God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the wilderness Now these things saith he were our examples to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted 1 Cor. 10.5 6. This is a sore evil an intestine evil a sickness indeed that gnaws and torments the very heart called therefore the Plague of Discontent which many of the people of God themselves as well as the men of the world are too too often infected with when not contenting our selves I say with the mercies and blessings which God affords us we fall a lusting after evil things as the Israelites hereafter flesh to satisfie their lusts loathing the heavenly Manna which God gave them And our desires oftentimes are so inordinate after them that like unto Rachel in the case of her barrenness though otherwise blest with many comfortable enjoyments we are crying out Give me children or else I die Gen. 30.1 I cannot live my life will be a burden unto me if I have not this or that I must have it whatever it cost me though I part with half of my estate nay with Herod it may be to the half of the Kingdom for his Herodias sake because she pleased him and to satisfie this lust Off must go John Baptists head Mark 6.22 23 24. Or like unto Haman who though he was so highly promoted in King Ahasuerus Court Yet saith he all this availeth me nothing so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the Kings gate Hest 5.13 Mordecai could not bow the knee nor do him that reverence as his proud ambitious heart panted after and this sowres all other his great advancements and enjoyments and now nothing will satisfie him less then his destruction and the total destruction of all the Jews Hest 3.9 So violent are persons set upon the satisfying of their lusts oftentimes though it be to their own hurt This was the sin of the Israelites they could not content themselves that God was their King and that he should reign over them but they must have a King to reign over them like unto other Nations rejecting the Lord and his Government who himself had saved them out of all their adversities and tribulations 1 Sam. 8.5 6 7. and chap. 10.19 And how great this wickedness of theirs was in the fight of the Lord the signal testimonies of his displeasure did evidently declare it 1 Sam. 12.17 So is it not just with God when a people falls a loathing of the heavenly Manna of Gods Word and where hath the Gospel been more powerfully preached and more obstinately contemned then in England that the Lord should send a famine in the Land if not a famine of bread and a thirst for water yet a famine of hearing the Words of the Lord Amos 8.11 O that this was seriously laid to heart and fruitfully applyed both by Professors as by the propbane persons of this Nation So dangerous and destructive a thing it is to cherish a carnal dissatisfied and discontented spirit against the Lord. 10. A tenth Pestilential and God-provoking Sin is the sin of Pride and Ambition and a trusting in an Arme of flesh not relying on the mighty power and faithfulness of God This was Davids sin in of numbring the people which was followed with a sore Prstilence among them See the second of Samuel 24. Chap. comp with 1 Chron. 21.1 Satan he provoked David to number the people that he might know how many valiant men there were in Israel that could draw the sword And questionless Davids heart was lifted up hereby when Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto him there being in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand And what should move David to such a thing but a proud ambitious desire to know the strength and number of his men of war accompanied with a distrustfulness of the mighty power of God and his All-sufficient arme which had so often saved and delivered him out of the hands of Saul and from the hand of all his enemies As in the 18th Psal wherein he praiseth God for his manifold and marvellous deliverances For this Davids heart smote him acknowledging that he had sinned greatly in what he had done and prayeth that the Lord would take away his iniquity for he had done very foolishly Yet the Lord would shew his justice make all the world to see and know that he will not indulge sin no not in his dearest Servants and most beloved Saints but if they sin they must expect to suffer and smart for it As Amos 3.2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities And therefore he puts David upon his choise of three things whether the Famine the Sword or Pestilence he would make choise of and this did put him into a great streight but he chose rather to fall into the hands of God then into the hands of men for that the mercies of the Lord are great So the Lord sent a Pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba Seventy thousand men And when the Angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem ready to destroy it it is said the Lord repented him of the evil and said to the Angel that destroyed the people It is enough stay now thy hand This also was Edoms sin Jer. 49.16 17 18. Thy terribleness hath deceived thee the pride of thine heart O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock That holdest the height of the hill though thou shouldst make thy nest as high as the Eagle I will bring thee down from thence saith the Lord. Also Edom shall be a desolation every one that goeth by it shall be astonished and shall hiss all at the plagues thereof As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour Cities thereof saith the Lord No man shall abide there neither shall a Son of Man dwell in it This was King Asa's sin before mentioned in the 2 Chron. 16.7 8 and 9. vers so sharply reproved and punished by the Lord. For this was a dreadful wo denouned against the Inhabitants of Jerusalem Isa 30.1 2 3. Wo to the rebellious children saith the Lord that take counsel but not of me and that cover with a covering but not of my spirit that they may adde sin to sin That walk to go down into Egypt and have not asked at my mouth to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh and to trust in the shadow
of Egypt And mark what follows Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion Which caused the Lord to take up that bitter complaint Jer. 2.12 13. Be astonished O ye heavens at this and be horribly afraid Why what 's the matter My peo have committed two evils They have forsaken me the Fountain of Living Water and hewed them out Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no water All other things to relye upon besides God will prove but as broken Cisterns Therefore said David at another time when his faith and confidence was strong in God I will not trust in my bow neither shall my sword save me Through thee will we push down our enemies through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us Psal 44.5 6. Yea we have the Lord himself declaring that the salvation of his people must proceed from himself and not from any secondary causes Hos 1.7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah and will save them by the Lord their God and will not save them by bow nor by sword nor by battel by horses nor by horsemen Take we heed then of any presumptuous relying on our own strength or of strengthening our selves in the strength of any creatures whether Armies or Parliaments or Navies or any sinful confederacies or Associations of men whatsoever Isa 8.9 Cursed is the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and whose heart departeth from the Lord Jer. 17.5 But let us say with the Church Hos 12.3 Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon horses neither will we say any more to the work of our hands ye are our Gods As if they had said We will not put our trust any more in men we will confide no more in any humane means nor send abroad for help and confederacies all besides thee being vanity and the relying on it apparent ruine Therefore we will trust in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength For he bringeth down them that dwell on high the lofty City he layeth it low he layeth it low even to the ground he bringeth it even to the dust The foot shall tread it down even the feet of the poor and the steps of the needy Isa 26.4 5 6. So dangerous and destructive a thing it is to have a heart lifted up putting confidence in an arme of flesh and not relying on the Lord our God For it is he that sheweth strength with his arme and that scattereth the proud in the imagination of their hearts Luk. 1.51 11. The eleventh provoking Pestilential destroying Sin is the sin of Apostacy Back-sliding and Revolting from God Jer 2.18 19. And now what hast thou to do saith the Lord in the way of Egypt to drink the waters of Sihor or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria to drink the waters of the river Thine own wickedness shall correct thee and thy back-sliding shall reprove thee Know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my fear is not in thee saith the Lord of Hosts So in the 36. verse Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt And now behold how the Lord for this did threaten that his judgement even this of the Pestilence should overtake them Jer. 42.13 14 15 16 17. We will not dwell in this land say they nor obey the voice of the Lord your God No but we will go into the land of Egypt where we shall see no war nor hear the sound of the trumpet nor have hunger of bread and there will we dwell And now therefore hear the Word of the Lord ye remnant of Judah thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt and go to sojourn there What then Then it shall come to pass that the Sword which ye feared shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt and the Famine whereof you were afraid shall follow close after you there in Egypt and there ye shall dye so shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there they shall dye by the Sword by the Famine and by the Pestilence and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them And says further that as his anger and fury had been poured forth upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem so should his fury be poured forth upon them when they should enter into Egypt and they shall be an execration and an astonishment and a curse and a reproach and should see the place meaning the land of Judea no more So in the 19. verse O ye remnant of Judah go ye not into Egypt and now I have this day declared it unto you but ye have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God c. Now therefore know certainly that ye shall dye by the Sword by the Famine and by the Pestilence in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn So in the 44. Chap. of Jer. 13. ver For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt as I have punished Jerusalem by the Sword by the Famine and by the Pestilence To which I shall add that in the 14. of Jer. 10. and 12. vers Thus saith the Lord unto the people Thus have they loved to wander they have not refrained their feet therefore the Lord doth not accept them he will now remember their iniquity and visit their sins Then said the Lord unto me Pray not for this people for their good When they fast I will not hear their cry and when they offer burnt-offering and an oblation I will not accept them but I will consume them by the Sword and by the Famine and by the Pestilence So dreadful and dangerous a thing it is for a people brought out of Egyptian bondage and darkness to long after the Flesh-pots the Leeks and the Onions and the Garlick of Egypt again For if any man draw back saith the Lord my soul shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10.38 And as for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity but peace shall be upon Israel Psal 125.5 O that this were well considered by all such who have Apostatized and Revolted from the Lord and his ways in this sinful and back-sliding generation Who as the Prophet Hosea says Are profound to make slaughter though the Lord is a Rebuker of them all Hos 5.2 Who once did appear to be forward Assertors of the Cause of righteousness and truth but now say a Confederacy with all such as say a Confederacy Isa 8.12 Who once did seem to escape the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus
will commune with thee from above the Mercy-seat between the two cherubims which are upon the Ark of the Testimony verse 22. Now this Mercy-seat on which God did thus sit between the wings of the Cherubims was a figure of Christ by whom our transgressions of the law are forgiven and covered who is the propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 2.2 And therefore called the Propitiatory Rom. 3.15 To this glorious seat where Gods presence with his Church was manifested the Throne of God is answerable in the Christian Church in the presence of which Throne his people are and serve him day and night in his Temple Rev. 7.15 17.8.3.21.3 5. Now this Ark being thus a type or figure of Christ and of his Church and of his glorious presence with the same it s no wonder if the Lord shall so severely punish the prophanation of it when men shall set it in the Temple of Dagon Surely if the Ark stand there Dagon must fall yea and it shall fall before the Ark of the Lord which is called the Ark of his strength Psal 132.8 And when the Ark set forward then Moses said Rise up Lord and let thine enemies be scattered and let them that hate thee flee before thee God cannot endure to have his holy things prophaned that the abomination of desolation shall stand in his holy place that men shall set their thresholds by Gods thresholds and their posts by Gods posts by defiling his holy name with their abominations Wherefore saith the Lord I have consumed them in mine anger No surely the place of the soles of his feet where he will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever and his holy name he will not suffer to be defiled but he will beautifie the place of his sanctuary and make the place of his feet glorious Isa 60.13 comp with Ezek. 43.7 8. Let men take heed then of offering strange fire before the Lord which he commandeth them not lest there comes out fire from the Lord and devoureth them as in the case of Nadab and Abihu the sons of Aaron who for this cause died before the Lord. And what said Moses to Aaron thereupon This is that that the Lord spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me and before all the people I will be glorified Lev. 10.1 2 3. So likewise when men will be presumptuously and unwarrantably prying into the secrets of God see how severely the Lord hath punished this evil as in the case of the men of Beth-shemesh said whom the Lord sorely smote because they looked into the Ark of the Lord even he smote of the people Fifty thousand and threescore and ten men and the people lamented because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter And the men of Beth-shemeth said Who is able to stand before the holy Lord God 1 Sam. 6.19 20. So dangerous a thing it is to be over-curiously presumptuous in looking into the Areana Dei the secret and hidden things of God which he hath not revealed Therefore it was that the Lord had commanded that Aaron and his sons even they and not others should take down the covering vail and cover the Ark of the Testimony with it And thus do unto them saith the Lord that they may live and not die when they approach unto the most holy things Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered lest they dye Numb 4.19 20. See also Levit. 8.35 So exact was the Lord for the keeping of his charge It is sad to consider how wise some men have seemed to be above that which is written calculating persons and things and times for the meridian of their own brain like those lying Prophets which the Lord sent not nor spake unto wherefore he complained that they prophesied unto the people a false vision and divination even a thing of nought and the deceit of their heart Jer. 14.14 So in Ezek. 13.6 7 8 9. They have seen vanity and lying divination and they made others to hope that they would confirm the word See now the severe punishment of the Lord against such Behold I am against you saith the Lord God and mine hand shall be upon the Prophets that see vanity and that divine lies they shall not be in the Assembly of my people neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel neither shall they enter into the land of Israel But setting aside such gross lying Prophets it is sad to think how many professing the fear and knowledge of God have been over-curiously prying into Gods secret counsels and the hidden purposes of his minde limiting and prescribing the holy one of Israel advancing and extolling the idle phantasies and enthusiasmes of their own brains more then the declarative mind and will of God contained in the Scriptures of truth But whatever may be mens pretensions to high inward unscriptural revelations of God let us not be believing every such spirit but trying the spirits whether they are of God or no and for this reason Because many false Prophets are gone out into the world 1 Joh. 4.1 And what saith Peter We have also a more sure word of prophesie more sure then the voice which they heard to come from Heaven when they were in the Holy Mount whereunto ye do well saith he that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the Day dawn and the Day-star arise in your hearts 2 Pet. 1.19 Ever remembring that in Deut. 29.29 That secret things belong unto the Lord our God but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever 15. The fifteenth and last thing that I shall briefly speak of as a Pestilential destroying sin is that of Adding or Diminishing from the Word of God for which the Lord Jesus hath threatned such dreadful plagues and punishments For I testifie saith he unto every man that heareth the words of the Prophesie of this Book If any man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this Prophesie What solloweth then God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy City and from the things which are written in this book That man may be said to add that shall mix other things besides what the Lord Jesus hath revealed by his Angel He addeth that adjoyneth a lye For whatsoever is patched to the Scriptures of mens inventions that it might be accounted as divinely revealed or the pure Oracles of God is a lye Such are the Papal unwritten traditions or other writings of men whatsoever which are made with them of like Authority with the written word of God and which added
to the Scriptures are lies So he takes away that not onely derogates from the Divine Authority of Gods book but he also that any ways changeth or maliciously perverteth or contradicteth any thing therein written Christ will have the integrity sincerity and sacred Authority of this Prophesie to be faithfully preserved in the Churches and that the contemners falsifiers and corrupters thereof be no way suffered under the pain of Anathema or dreadful curse For if falsifyers of Coin are lyable unto the civil curse of the law much more shall the Anathema of eternal damnation be inflicted upon the corrupters of the Scriptures which are the words of God These with the Beast and the false Prophet shall the Lord cast into the Lake of fire burning with brimstone Rev. 19.20 This is a dreadful sin drawing down the Lords severest plagues and punishments Therefore take we heed that we add not unto the word which God commands us nor diminish ought from it but that we keep the Commandments of the Lord our God which he commandeth us Deut. 4.2 And mark well the reason that Solomon giveth Every word of God saith he is pure he is a shield to them that put their trust in him And consider what follows Add thou not unto his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a lier Prov. 30.5 6. Having now spoken of the several Sins which so highly provoke the Lord to pour down his sore Judgements even this of the Plague or Pestilence among a people I shall now come to speak of some special spiritual Remedies which may be fitly applied and made use of as Soveraign Antidotes and Preservatives to prevent the further spreading of this pestilential contagious disease among us 1. THe first spiritual Receipt that I shall then prescribe unto thee who ever thou art that gettest in thy hand and readest this little tract Consider seriously and let thy thoughrs dwell long upon those Sins that I have insisted on as such which are the procuring Cause of this so sore a visitation from the Lord and entring into a diligent scrutiny and examination of thine own heart and ways Consider how far thou hast been or art a partaker of those sins which have so highly provoked the Lord to send down this National Judgement of the Plague and Pestilence among us For if we stand guilty of the same Sins how then shall we think to escape the like punishment This was the way and course the Apostle took when speaking of Gods displeasure against the Israelites whereby many of them were overthrown in the Wilderness how does he bring it home by way of special application Now these things saith he were our Examples to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted Neither be ye Idolaters as were some of them c. Neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed and fell in one Day three and twenty thousand Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of Serpents Neither murmure ye as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the Destroyer Now all things happened unto them for enamples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come 1 Cor. 10.5 6 to the 11 and 12. ver So say I as from the Lord. As to the first Pestilentiall sin of Oppression Did the Lord plague Pharaoh and his Land with sore and dreadful plagues even this of the destroying Pestilence for his cruel oppressions which he exercised over the bodies and consciences of Gods people Take heed then that thou art not found an Oppressor of the true worshippers of Jesus the spiritual Israel of God Take heed of exalting thy self against God in seeking still to hold the spiritual Seed under Egyptian captivity and bondage See that thou lets them go to sacrifice to the Lord God as he has commanded them Take heed of ruling over them with rigour and making their lives bitter with hard bondage Take heed ye rich men that ye do not oppress the poor Know that the Lord surely looks upon the afflictions of his people and hears their cry by reason of their Task-masters and will come down to deliver them Exod. 3.7 8. So to those that are the Bishops Elders and Overseers the Spiritual Rulers and Leaders of the flocks of Christ Take heed that ye be not Lords over Gods heritage but examples to the flocks See that ye feed the flocks of God taking the oversight of them not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind 1 Pet. 5.2 3. Take heed that ye do not exercise a dominion over their faith but are helpers of their joy 2 Cor. 1.24 Take heed that ye do not eat the fat and cloath you with the wool and kill them that are fed Take heed that with force and cruelty ye rule not over them So then to all that oppress whether in one kind or another see that ye undo heavy burdens and let the oppressed go free and break every yoke else surely the Lord will visit for these things and his soul will be avenged on such a Nation as this 2. So for the Sin of Persecution and Hatred against God and his people Hath the Lord ordained the Arrows of his Indignation even the Instruments of Death against the Persecutors and will he strike them into the hearts of his Enemies O then take heed that thou art not found a hater of God and a Persecutor of the people of God lest the Arrow of the destroying Pestilence that flyeth at noon day do light upon thee and the Angel of the Lord persecute thee 3. So for the Sin of Murder and Bloodshed Hath the Lord threatned his sore plagues against the Destroyers of his heritage and will he avenge the blood of his Servants at the great whore of Babylons hands and is there a time when the Lord will make inquisition for blood Then beware that thou hast not a hand in killing and destroying the Saints of the most high God And take heed that thou partake not of Babylons sins lest thou receive of her plagues For the Lord will avenge the blood of his Servants and will render vengeance to his Adversaries and will be merciful unto his land and to his people Deut. 32.43 4. So for the fourth Pestilential and highly provoking Sin of Idolatry Was the anger of the Lord so kindled against Israel when Israel had joyned himself to Baal-peor that no less then four and twenty thousand died in the plague And did the Lord plague the people because of the Calf they had made Then beware that ye be not Idolaters as were some of them and provoke the Lord to anger with your inventions For surely the Lord our God is a jealous God his glory he will not give to another neither his praise to Graven Images Isa 42.8 5. So for the Sin of Covetousness and a greedy desire after gain Is
it a sin so abhorring unto the Lord does the wrath of the Lord come upon the Children of disobedience because of it Has the Lord denounced so many woes against it and threatned to smite with his plagues and punishments for it O then beware of Covetousness and being greedy of gain lest thou be a troubler of thine house Prov. 15.27 6. So for the Sin of Cursing and Swearing and False-swearing Is it that because of Swearing the Land mourns and the Lord had a Controversie with the Land because of it And that the Curser shall be cloathed with his Cursing as with a Garment and it shall come into his bowels like water and the Curse shall enter into the house of the False-swearer O then beware that thou art not found in these sins lest these dreadful Judgments of God fall upon thee 7. So for the seventh Pestilential destroying Sin namely the sin of Adultery Fornication and such like corporeal filthiness and uncleanness Did the Lord so severely punish the sin of Zimbri and Cosby who were taken in the act of uncleanness that no less then twenty four thousand died in the plague And did the Lord plague Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abrams wife Then beware thou beastly Adulterer thou filthy Fornicator and unclean Liver lest the like severity of God take hold of thee Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to Fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire Jud. 7. 8. So for the Sin of Infidelity Distrust and Murmuring against God the eighth provoking Pestilential sin Did those men that brought up an evil report upon the good Land distrusting God for all the Signs that he had shewed among them dye by the plague before the Lord And did the Carcasses of those who murmured against the Lord fall in the Wilderness so that that they could not see the promised Land O then take heed how thou cherish a murmuring distrusting and unbeleiving heart against God Take heed of rasing up an evil report upon the good land thereby weakening the hands and discouraging the hearts of those who would be found walking in the beautiful paths of the Lord and be faithful in their generation 9. So for the Sin of Discontent loathing Gods blessings and his provisions and lusting after evil things to satisfie their inordinate desires the ninth provoking Pestilential sin Did the Lord smite the people with a very great Plague for this very evil Then take we heed that we lust not after evil things as they also lusted 10. So for the Sin of Pride Ambition and Vain-glory trusting in an arm of flesh and not relying on the mighty power and faithfulness of God Did the Lord for this sin of David send a Pestilence among the Children of Israel so that there dyed of the people Seventy thousand men O then take we heed of a proud vain-glorious spirit and that we trust not in an arm of flesh 11. So for the Sin of Apostacy Back-sliding and Revolting from God Did the Lord often threaten that for this sin he would consume them by the Sword the Famine and the Pestilence O then take we heed that we do not Apostasie and Back-slide in our spirits from the Lord. 12. So for the Sin of Rebellion and Obstinate Disobedience against God and his Commandments Did the Lord for this sin threaten that he would send the Pestilence among them and make it cleave unto them until he had consumed them O then beware that thou sin not against God and his Commands with an Obstinate Rebellious and disobedient heart 13. So for the Sin of Insurrection and rising up against the Lords lawful Governours and Government Did the Lord so severely deal with Corah Dathan and Abiram and their Complices and Co-partners for this evil not visiting them after the common visitation of men causing also the Plague to break in among them so that there died thereof Fourteen thousand and seven hundred O then take we heed of this so highly provoking Pestilential sin 14. So for the Sin of Prophanation of Gods holy things and an Over-curious Presumptuous speculation and prying unwarrantably into the secrets of God Was the hand of the Lord so heavy upon the men of Ashdod and also upon the men of Beth-shemish for this sin so that he smote them with a deadly destruction even of the people Fifty thousand and threescore and ten O then see that we are not guilty of this so highly provoking Pestilential sin 15. So for the last Pestilential destroying Sin of Adding or Diminishing from the word of God for which the Lord hath threatned such dreadful plagues and punishments O take thou heed of this so highly provoking sin lest the Lord add unto thee his plagues and take away thy part out of the Book of Life Having now seriously considered what those sins are that so highly provoked the Lord to send down this sore visitation of the Plague or Pestilence among a people see I say that thou enter then into a diligent search and examination of thine own heart and ways to find out the sin or sins which thy Conscience shall tell thee thou standest guilty of before the Lord Whether it be the sin of Oppression Persecution Murder Idolatry Adultery Covetousness Cursing or Swearing Infidelity Discontent Pride Apostacy Disobedience or any other of the forementioned provoking evils And see that thou art very exact and not slight and superficial in this manner of self-examination This is the exhortation of the Lord by his Prophet Zephaniah Chap. 2.1 2. Gather your selves together yea gather together O Nation not desired thus is it rendred in our Translation but other Traslations read it thus Search your selves narrowly yea search your selves narrowly O people not worthy to be desired Before the Decree bring forth before the day pass as the chaff before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you I finde the Hebrew word signifies thus much First To gather your wits together that was before dispersed upon vanity Secondly To frame your selves to purge away your spiritual chaff Thirdly To search narrowly as for a lost jewel or hid mine The true sence is Enter into your selves search try and examine all your ways and doings that ye may rightly understand how heavily and greivously God must needs be offended with your great and manifold sins And mark the reason why they should be so diligent and industrious in this work Before the Decree bring forth That is before that doth come to pass which is decreed by God against you Gods Decree is then said to bring forth when it cometh to be executed As the bringing forth of a woman doth not follow presently after the conception but in the appointed due time So also is the Decree of God not brought to light by the execution of it until the time determined and appoined by
treacherous and vile put up Davids prayer unto the Lord. in Psal 139.23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts And see if there be any way of wickedness in me and lead me in the way everlasting If there be any pernicious hurtful or oppressing way in me and lead me upod the way of eternity upon that way which may lead me to eternal life But know that if thou wilt be careless and neglectve still of this so necessary a work and put the Lord upon it he will then make a very strict and diligent search and see what will be the sad event and consequent of it Zeph. 1.12 And it shall come to pass at that time that I will search Jerusalem with candles and punish the men that are settled on their lees that say in their heart The Lord will not do good neither will he do evil And what follows Therefore their goods shall become a booty and their houses a desolation they shall also build houses but not inhabit them and they shall plant vineyards but not drink the wine thereof Then the mighty man shall cry bitterly And God wyll bring distress upon men that they shall walk as blind men because they have sinned against the Lord and their blood shall be poured out as dust and their flesh as the dung and at that time neither their their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lords wroth but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousie For he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land And when is this time that the Lord will make this strict and diligent search as with candles ver 7. declares it It is in the day of the Lord when he prepareth a sacrifice and shall bid his guests And in that day of the Lords sacrifice then will be punish the Princes and the Kings children and all such as are cloathed with strange apparel that leap on the threshold and fill their Masters houses with deceit O England then be exhorted to consider thy ways that thou mayst find out thy hideous provoking abominations before the Lord make a speedy riddance This is the first spiritual Receit I would prescribe unto thee The Second Receit Having made this diligent search lnto thine own heart and found out thy soul-pestilent sores then the next spiritual Receit I shall prescribe unto thee Is a good draught of a sound and sincere Repentance Which if sound and sincere will operate these four things in thee First A kindly mourning in secret before the Lord 1. For thine own iniquities 2. For the sins and abominations of the times Secondly It will breed a hatred and abhorrency in thy heart against those evils together with an humble confession and acknowledgement of them Thirdly A willing forsaking and renunciation of them Fourthly A returning unto the Lord with all thy heart Surely as to this Receit we may write a Probatum est it s a tried Receit a sure Remedy a soveraign Plaister for this running sore Repent and turn your selves from all your trangressions saith the Lord so iniquity shall not be your ruine Ezek. 18.30 So in v. 32. Turn your selves and live ye for why will ye die O house of Israel But more particularly to the several branches of Repentance as they are laid down First then see that the true sense of thy sin does work thy heart to a kindly mourning and sorrowing for the same in secret before the Lord. This sorrow and contrition for sin will I say evidence the soundness and sincerity of thy Repentance when thou canst mourn before the Lord not onely in respect of the danger which thou hast incurred by reason of thy sins to wit the curses of this life temporal death and eternal plagues and torments in another world but also that thou hast so unkindly grieved and provoked so good a God so compassionate a Father so gracious a Redeemer so blessed a Sanctifier and incurred the loss of so great a God even the favour of so good and gracious a God that taketh no pleasure in the death of the wicked Ezek. 33.11 This is that godly sorrow that the Apostle Paul speaks of 2 Cor. 7.10 11. that worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of the notable effects whereof are there also demonstrated and declared which will be of such singular efficacy and force to quench the fire of the Lords indignation and wrath now broken out among us In the seventh of Ezekiel the Lord threatning the final desolation of Israel telling her that her end was come and that he would judge her according to her ways and recompence upon her all her abominations That the Sword was without and the Pestilence and Famine within and that he that was in the field should die with the sword and that he that was in the City Famine and Pestilence should devour him In verse 16. he tells us That they that escape of them meaning those that should escape the common calamity of the Sword Pestilence and Famine they shall be on the mountains like Doves of the valleys all of them mourning every one for his iniquity that is for his own iniquity shall every one mourn as Doves of the valleys The word signifieth a making a stir by sighing whining and howling So Hezekiah in the time of his sickness tells us That he did mourn as a Dove Isa 38.14 Such will be the gratious temper and disposition of soul of the Lords escaped ones They shall mourn every one for his own iniquity as Doves in the Valleys in their secret retirements with the Lord the sence and remembrance of their sins in dishonouring and grieving so good and gratius a God will make them to sob and sigh and even to howl before the Lord. So did Ephraim when he repented and turned unto the Lord. I have surely heard Ephraim saith the Lord bemoaning himself Jer. 31.18 In this spirit and temper will the Loeds escaped remnant be found in So in Israels restauration when the Lord shall gather them from the Coasts of the Earth in what spirit shall they then be found They shall come with weeping saith the Lord and with supplications will I lead them as in the 9th vers of the same Chap. with weeping for their sins and with supplications or petitions unto the Lord for mercy and pardon And suitable to this is that in the 3d. of Zephan 18. I will gather them that are sorrowful saith the Lord for the solemn assembly to whom the reproach of it was a burden Those that are sad and sorrowful because they are obstructed and hindered from meeting in the Temple of God in the Assemblies of his Saints for the solemn worship and service of God when they must converse with and among such scoffing Companions which make but a mock and derision of God and his Word In this gratious temper
and frame of spirit was David in when he could not perform the fervent desire he had to serve God among the faithful How bitterly does he bemoan his being deprived of the comfort of the publick worship of God during his exile and the blasphemies of his enemies which caused his spirit even to be overwhelmed As the Hart panteth after the water brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God Meaning in the House of the Lord the Tabernacle where the solemn worship of God was celebrated and the Ark of the Covenant was where God dwelled 2 Sam. 6.2 or where the Lord gave visible signs of his presence And mark what follows My tears saith he have been my meat day and night while they continually say unto me Where is thy God His tears were as his bread he fed and fillid himself with tears as if they were his onely food and sustenance according to that in the 80. Psal 5. Thou feedest them with the bread of tears and givest them tears to drink in great measure Meaning his own people oftentimes who are at his very foot praying and supplicating at the throne of grace And such a frame of spirit shall be found also in them as shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward They shall be going and weeping and in this spirit of mourning they shall go and seek the Lord their God All which doth evidently shews forth what will be the temper and spirit of all right-repenting souls and what a frame of spirit the Lord expects his people to be found in when his hand is lifted up even in this time when he sends the destroying Pestilence among us Now consider in what frame of spirit art thou before the Lord this day Hast thou found thy heart broken as it were into shivers for thy sins Has the sight of thy sins made thee to sigh for thy sins and to mourn kindly before the Lord for thine iniquities Hast thou ever shed a tear before the Lord for thy secret sins or thy more open and notorious abominations Surely if in such a day as this when the Arrows of the Lords Indignation are flying abroad if thou shalt be found in a Carnal Light Frothly Frolick Voluptuous Vain-spirit a lover of thy pleasures more then a lover of God putting far away from thee the evil day and causing the seat of violence to come near like those the Prophet Amos complains of Who were at ease in Sion and trusted in the Mountain of Samaria That lay upon Beds of Ivory and stretcht themselves upon their Couches and eat the lambs out of the flock and the calves out of the midst of the stall That did chaunt to the sound of the viol and invent to themselves instruments of Musick like David That drank wine in bowls and anointed themselves with the chief oyntment but were not grieved for the affliction of Joseph I say if in such a day as this under such a severe and sore visitation as this thou shalt be found in such a spirit and temper as this sad and deplorable will thy condition be For mark what the Lord threatned those carnal fleshly sensual rejoycing ones Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed Amos 6.1 to the 8. vers So dangerous and highly provoking a sin when the present dispensations of God together with thine own personal evils do call for a mournful frame of spirit that then thou shouldst be found in a spirit of carnal merriment and rejoycing As the Lord complained by the Prophet Isa Chap. 22.12 In that day did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping and mourning and to baldness and to girding with sackcloth and behold joy and gladness slaying Oxen and killing Sheep eating flesh and drinking wine Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye This they spake in a scoffing manner as if they had said our Prophet tells us that we shall soon be destroyed and slain or carried into captivity let us then be jovial and merry as long as we may But mark how hainously did the Lord take it at their hands And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of Hosts Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye dye saith the Lord of Hosts Meaning that it should never be forgiven unto them unless they did cease from sinning For so the word till or untill in Scripture phrase does usually hold forth Gen. 28.15 2 Sam. 6.23 Matth. 1.25 I shall add hereunto that in the Prophet Joel Chap. 2d where the Prophet setting forth the terribleness of Gods approaching Judgements in the 12th vers he exhorteth them to this repenting and relenting frame of spirit as the only means to pacifie the Lords wrath and indignation from breaking out against them or for the removal of it Therefore also now saith the Lord Turn ye even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning and rent your heart and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God for he is gratious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil So in the 15. vers Blow the Trumpet in Sion sanctifie a fast call a solemn assembly gather the people sanctifie the Congregation c. Let the Priests the Ministers of the Lord weep between the Porch and the Altar and let them say Spare thy people O Lord and give not thy heritage to reproach And mark what follows Then will the Lord be jealous for his land and pity his people This was that spirit also that was found in the people of Nineveh when destruction was threatned upon Jonahs preaching Jonah 3.5 6 7 8. It is said they believed God and proclaimed a Fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them even to the least yea the King himself arose from his throne and laid his robe from him and covered him with sackcloth and sat in ashes and caused it to be proclaimed that man and beast should be covered with sackcloth and cry mightily unto God and turn every one from his evil way and from the violence that was in their hands and saith he who can tell if God will turn and repent and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not And God saw their works that they turned from their evil way and God repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them and he did it not See what signal demonstrations were there here of the inward sorrow and compunction of their hearts O how will this Example of Nineveh repenting and sorrowing for their sins rise up in judgement against the men of this generation Luk. 11 32. Where is the covering of sackcloth to be seen Any outward demonstrations of a relenting spirit to be discerned Where
can we see the mournful soul that is deeply afflicted for its sins under this sore visitation of the Lord Are not men and women as proud and vain and carnal and jovial now as before Is there any crying mightily unto God Any turning from their evil way or from the violence that is in their hands Do we see any loosing of the bands of wickedness undoing the heavy burdens the letting the oppressed go free and the breaking of every yoke And where are any bowels of compassions drawn out toward the poor and needy but in vain are all fastings and formal devotions if these things are neglected which are essential as to that acceptable fast which God hath chosen Isa 58.6 7. See then that ye be true mourners in Sion and let the sence of thine inquities work in thee a true contrition and brokenness of heart For the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit Psal 38.18 This is the heart that he will heal Psal 147.3 The heart that he will bind up Isa 61.1 That Evangelical sacrifice which he will not despise Psal 51.17 Now to get thy heart melted into this mournful frame Take these helps 1. Be looking up unto Christ whom by thy sins thou hast peirced Zach. 12.10 2. Apply the New Covenant-promises for the taking away of the stony heart out of thy flesh and the Lords giving of thee an heart of flesh Ezek. 11.19 and 36.26 3. Get a sence of the unspeakable misery thou art lyable unto by reason of thy sins Rom. 6.23 whether it be Pride Oppression Idolatry Adultery Apostacy Cursing and Swearing or such other of those pestilential sins before mentioned or whether they be lies railings scoffings at Gods people rotten speeches bedlam passions goods ill-gotten time ill-spent prophanation of the Lords-day 4. Consider also that thy heart hath been the Fountain or rather the Sinck from whence hath issued many foul streams where all ill hath been forged all evil words and wicked thoughts ingendred then by the rule of proportion let thy heart be a fountain of sorrow for sin 5. Consider the heart of Christ he had not taken a heart of flesh but for sin which for thy sake was filled with that unexpressible sorrow and greif that if all the godly sorrow of all the righteous souls from the beginning of the world to the end thereof in heaven and in earth dead or alive were collected into one heart they could not countervail the depth of his anguish And shall his blessed soul fall asunder in his blessed breast assaulted with all the wrath of God and the most dreadful torments of Hell shall his soul be like a scorched hearth and so pressed with the flames of Gods revenging wrath which wrung from him those bloody drops and ruful crys My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And shall thy heart be as a stone within thy breast and never be moved Oh prodigious hardness and worse then heathenish ingratitude 6. Consider if thy heart be not wounded here in this world in some measure truly it shall hereafter be filled with such endless honour that it would grieve and break ten thousand hearts to imagine or think of it Is it not better then to mourn a little here in this life for sin then to have our hearts inlarged to endure to all eternity the extremity of the wrath of God in the unexpressible horrour of hell Is any man so sensless to think he shall go to heaven in a bed of down and never be touched for his sins When Hezekiah a man of a perfect heart complained and chattered like a Crane Isa 38.14 When David a man after Gods own heart roared all the day long Psal 32.3 When Job a perfect and a just man complained that the Arrows of the Almighty were within him and that the venome thereof did drink up his spirit Job 6.4 Nay when Christ himself that holy and just one that pure and immaculate Lamb did so cry our in the agony and bitterness of his spirit 7. Consider again that if thou getst this broken heart into thy breast thou shalt bring down the glorious Majesty of Heaven God Almighty with his Chair of State to sit in thy soul For he hath a twofold habitation to wit heaven and the humble heart Isa 57.15 8. Add hereunto the practise of the Saints of God They poured out tears as men do water out of Buckets 1 Sam. 7.6 Mary Magdalen washed Christs feet with her tears Luk. 7.14 The Publican strook on his breast with a sorrowful acknowledgment of his sins Luk. 18.13 And surely if thy hands and eyes and tongue and heart have been instruments of Gods dishonour then by the Rule of proportion thou shouldst have the works of thy hands instrumental demonstrations of repentance Thine eyes fountains of tears and thy tongue uttering and thy heart suffering greif And if for outward lolles and crosses thou canst weep tears as David for his Son Absalom and with what wringing of hands tearing of hair bitter crying do many express the inward and intollerable sorrow and greif of their hearts Then certainly the loss of Christ and of the favour of God which is infinitely better then Husband Wife Child or any the most desireable thing in the world how should this break thy heart and draw tears from thy soul Thus having got thy heart melted into this mournful frame out of a deep sence and apprehension of thine own sins Then Secondly Thou wilt come to mourn kindly upon the accompt of the common sins and abominations of the times As David in the 119. Psalm 136. vers Rivers of waters saith he run down mine eyes and why because they keep not thy law Or as others read it Mine eyes gush out with rivers of waters I weep and shed abundance of tears even for the wickeds sake whom I pity and especially for the law of God which greiveth me to the heart to see violated and broken So the Prophet Jeremy Oh that my head saith he were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for the slain of the Daughter of my people O that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men that I might leave my people and go from them Why what is the matter good Jeremy of this so sad and mournful a wish and that thou wouldst leave thy people and go from them Why there is cause and reason enough might he say They be all Adulterers an Assembly of treacherous men And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth for they proceed from evil to evil and they know not me saith the Lord Jer. 9.1 2 3. So deeply was the soul of this good Prophet of the Lord affected and afflicted upon the account of the publique National abominations and defilements In like manner it is said of
righteous and just Lot that he was vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked meaning the Sodomites among whom he lived For that righteous man dwelling among them saith the Text in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds 2 Pet. 2.7 8. He lived among abominable men that cared neither for right nor reason and this greived and tormented his righteous soul as if it had been upon a rack as the word implies So it is said of our dear Lord that he was greived for the hardness of their hearts Mark 3.5 But to bring it more close to the present visitation of the Lord and what a special preservative and antidote this gratious qualification of soul is for the keeping off of this severe stroke of the Lord Look into Ezek. 9. even the whole Chapter there you shall find that the Man who was cloathed with linnen which had the Writers Inckhorn by his side was commissionated from the Lord to go through the midst of the City through the midst of Jerusalem and set a Mark upon the Foreheads of the men that did sigh and cry for all the abominations that were done in the midst thereof And after him follows the men who had the slaughter weapons in their hands and they were to go through the City and smite and slay utterly old and young both Maids and little Children and Women but not to come near any man upon whom was the Mark. God had a remnant among this wicked and backsliding generation and they must be first marked and these are described to be such as did sigh and cry for all the abominations of the times and all that time the iniquity of the House of Israel and Judah was exceeding great the Land was full of blood and the City full of perversness and what other their abominations were the Chapter before doth evidently declare it In like manner when the Passover was to be instituted was the blood of the Lamb to be a token to the children of Israel upon the houses were they were So that the Lord seeing the blood that was struck upon the door-posts did pass over them and suffered not the Destroyer to come in and smite them when he smote the land of Egypt The Plague was not to come upon the Israelites to destroy them Exod. 12.12 13 22 23. Well then wilt thou be of the number of Gods marked ones that the Destroying Angel may pass over thee and the plague come not upon thee when God is smiting the land as now he is by the destroying Pestilence O see then that thy heart is brought into this holy frame to sigh and mourn not only for thine own personal evils but also for the crying sins and abominations of the times But surely if thou canst swim down with the stream of the times and hear the holy and precious name of God dishonoured and blasphemed daily his Spirit derided his Saints and Ordinances villified and defamed his Messengers abused and the way of Holiness reproached Or if thou canst behold wickedness walking up and down with a bold impudent forehead and men and women of a filthy impure spotted conversation and not shed one tear nor sigh and mourn under such National abominations surely it argues that the grace of saving and sound Conversion and Repentance was never yet effectually wrought in thy soul if so thou canst not but mourn under the sence of sin whether in thy self or in any other The want of which temper and spirit in the case of the Incestuons person made the Apostle Paul to reprehend the Church of Corinth telling them that they were puffed up and had not rather mourned that be that had done that deed might be taken away from among them 1 Cor. 5.1 2. Well then if you would be Gods marked ones see that you be Sions mourning ones remembring what our dear Lord hath left on record for the abundant satisfaction and refreshment of such sorrowful souls Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Mat. 5.4 It is taken generally for a mourning or sorrowing for sin as it stands in opposition with a spirit of jollity and voluptuous living Luk. 16.19 25. Such shall be comforted they shall never miss of outward and inward comforts They that sow in tears shall reap in joy Psal 126.5 Their sorrow shall be recompensed with gladness For to this end was Christ anointed to his Office of Mediatorship That he might comfort all that mourn whether upon the account of sin on the miseries of Sion To appoint unto them that mourn in Sion to give unto them beauty for ashes beautiful garments goodly apparel instead of ashes which they were wont to strew upon their heads and sit in them when they mourned as a testification of their excessive sorrow and greif Job 1.8 Jonah 3.6 Mat. 11.21 The oyle of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness by which we are to understand the beautiful resplendent refreshing gifts and graces of the spirit of God Heb. 1.9 That they might be called trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified Isa 61.2 3. Oak-trees of righteousness trees of the greatest strength and duration by which is meant that those that are ingrafted into Christ by faith and such are all true mourners in Sion they shall not only bring forth fruits of righteousness but they shall also have firme durable and permanent consolation and strength in Christ Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads and sorrow and mourning shall flee away Isa 51.11 Secondly If thy repentance be sincere and sound and such as will stand thee in stead in a calamitous day It will then work in thee a true hatred and abhorrency of all manner of evil Job abhorred himself and repented in dust and ashes Job 42.6 â—o in the 40. of Job and the 4. verse Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth Wo is me saith the Prophet Isaiah for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips Isa 6.5 But to come more close as to the present dispensation and visitation of the Lord. In the 6th of Ezekiel The Lord having threatned the Pestilence among other his sore destroying Judgments and how the slain should fall in the midst of them He promiseth nevertheless that he will leave a remnant that should escape the Sword among the Nations And how must this remnant be qualified What thoughts and apprehensions shall they have of themselves by reason of their abominable sins See the 9. verse of that Chapter And they that escape of you saith the Lord shall remember me among the Nations whither they shall be carried Captives because I am broken with their whorish heart which hath departed from me and with their eyes which go a whoring after their Idols And what follows They shall
that like as great fishes are pull'd and drawn up out of the Sea with hooks so he would cause them to be pulled out of their Land by the enemy how loath and unwilling soever they were to quit it To prevent which the Lord exhorts them that they would prepare to meet him with true conversion as a special means to appease his wrath and prevent their ruine When Ephrahim was turned and had repented how was the heart of the Lord taken with it Jer. 31 18 19 20. Hos 11.8 9. O then what shall I say what arguments shall I make use of to excite thee O England to a speedy return unto the Lord surely thou hast had many gracious invitations in the day of thy prosperity and peace but thou wouldst not hearken thereunto Many premonitions and forewarnings of this day that is now come upon thee by the mouthes of the Lords faithful Messengers and Servants And upon this account may it not be said of thee as is recorded and declared concerning the Lords merciful dealings with his own people and City of Jerusalem where he had placed his name and worship notwithstanding their great and manifold provocations Yet the Lord God of their Fathers sent to them by his Messengers rising up betimes and sending because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place But now how did they requite the Lord for all his kindness and long sufferance towards them they mocked the Messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy 2 Chron. 36.15 16. no healing no help their sores were so putrified and festred that they grew incurable As the Lord by his Prophet Isaiah complained chap. 1. verse 4 6. The whole head became sick and the whole heart faint From the sole of the foot even unto the head from the lowest to the highest from the Beggar upon the dunghil to the King upon the throne there was no soundness in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores which could not be bound up nor mollified with ointment The whole body of the State and Nation was so universally corrupted and depraved that the Lord calls them A sinful Nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of evil doers children that were corrupters and such as had forsaken the Lord and provoked the holy one of Israel unto anger and had gone backward And tells them further that the was even weary with smiting and punishing of them Why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more Yet see for all their great and greivous provoking sins and that general depravation and corruption that was among all sorts from the highest to the lowest of them as the 21 22 and 23 verses of that Chapter do clearly demonstrate the truth of it How does the Lord notwithstanding invite them again to repentance by gracious promises of pardon and the bestowing of all good things upon them Wash ye make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well seek judgement releive the oppressed judge the fatherless plead for the widow intimating wherein they should manifest the sincerity of their repentance and returning unto the Lord And then mark what follows Come now let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be like crimson they shall be as wool If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the land But if ye refuse and rebel ye shall be devoured with the sword O the great indulgence and forbearance of the Lord towards this so generally depraved corrupted and unreformed a people Which is further notably set forth in that of the third of Zephany Wo to her that is filthy and polluted to the oppressing City she obeyed not the voyce she received not correction she trusted not in the Lord She drew not near to her God Her Princes within are roaring lions her Judges are evening wolves they gnaw not the bones till the morrow Her Prophets are light and treacherous persons Her Priests have polluted the sanctuary they have done violence to the law And what follows I have cut off the Nations their towers are desolate I made their streets waste that none passeth by their Cities are destroyed so that there is no man that there is no inhabitant I said Surely thou wilt fear me thou wilt receive instruction thou wilt now be warned by my judgements upon the Nations round about thee so their dwelling should not be cut off howsoever I punished them but they rose early and corrupted all their doings The filthy leprosie and contagion of sin had so overspread and infested the whole Nation whereby she became now ripe for destruction And therefore did the Lord wound her with the wound of an enemy with the chastisement of a cruel one for the multitude of her iniquity because her sins were increased Jer. 30.14 And now the wrath of the Lord breaks out and it could not he appeased For he brought upon them the King of the Chaldees who slew their youngmen with the sword in the house of their sanctuary and had no compassion upon young man or maiden old man or him that stooped for age he gave them all into his hand 2 Chron. 36.16 17. They would not take example by the judgements of God which he executed upon the heathen round about them and now God will make them the examples of his fierce indignation and wrath Patientia loesa fit furor His abused and worn out patience is now turned into implacable anger His Spirit will not always strive Gen. 6.3 Jerusalem had her day Luk. 19.42 God would have gathered her but she would not and now her house is left unto her desolate Matth. 23.37 38. Wilt thou then O England take a view of thy sins and see whether they do not equal if not overpass the sins of that Nation Are not thy sins grown epidemical and spread through the whole body may it not be said of thee as of that Nation that the whole Head is sick and the whole Heart faint Can the Throne plead an exemption from this universal contagion Can the Prince or Peasant the Nobility or Gentry the Laick or Ecclesiastick Have not all sorts and degrees of men and women deeply corrupted themselves and turned aside from following the Lord When did sin and transgression more abound then in this our age and generation when did it walk up and down with a more impudent and brasen face when did you ever see Pride to be prouder Oppression more oppressive Adultery more adulterous Luxury more luxurious Cruelty more cruel Unrighteousness more unrighteous and all manner of disobedience to God and his commands more disobedient When was Drunkeness and Prodigality Swearing Cursing and Blaspheming Ranting and Roaring Atheism and Epicurism more abounding When
was there a more prophanation of Gods holy things a greater pollution of his Sanctuary more violence done to his law a greater contempt of Godliness under the form and outward appearance of it when was their more scoffing at Holiness and deriding the Spirit of God and a more open opposition of the pure way and Worship of God then now in our days And was there ever a greater Apostacy and falling away from the Faith even by such who once did shine as stars in the firmament of the Churches Heaven making shipwrack of faith and a good conscience to preserve a little airy honour and a temporary perishing estate And how hath the treacherous dealers dealt treacherously and the Brother betrayed and delivered up the brother to death the Fathers the Children and the children risen up against their Parents and causing them to be put to death according as was foretold by our dear Lord Matth. 10.21 And surely we may take up the same doleful lamentation and complaint with the Prophet Isaiah namely That truth is fallen in our streets and equity cannot enter yea truth faileth and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey Isa 59.14 15. Yea hath not wickedness been established by a law and will not that woe be the portion of some who have decreed unrighteous decrees and write grievousness which they have prescribed To turn aside the needy from judgement and to take away the right from the poor of Gods people that widows may be their prey and that they may rob the fatherless Isa 10.1 2. And what shall I say to the generality of the late professing people of this generation when Religion was in fashion and the ready way and step to preferment was it not made even a stalking Horse by many to obtain their base sinister most vile and unworthy ends How furiously did many drive on Jehu-like under the most specious and plausible pretences of piety and doing great exploits for God Come see my zeal for the Lord breaking down the Images and destroying the Worshippers of Baal 2 King 9.20 and 10.16 19 26. And all this but to accomplish and bring about their own ambitious and vainglorious designes the better to get up into the saddle and that the Crown of all earthly glory might be set the faster and firmer upon their own heads And when they had obtained that which their covetous and ambitious hearts so eagerly hunted after inriching themselves by the spoiling and impoverishing of others what a requiem did they then sing unto their souls what a lullaby to their earthly satisfactions and contentments How did they hug themselves in their great and large territories and new obtained possessions And now farewel Profession Religion and Conscience but as it may be made serviceable to promote and maintain a carnal selfish interest and end And it is lamentable to consider what a vain secure proud formal fashionable temporizing self-seeking self-admiring self-exalting spirit did most Professors then grow into O the hatred variance emulations seditions the debates envyings wraths strifes backbitings whisperings swellings tumults grudgings evil speakings rash and uncharitable censurings and most unchristian condemnings of one another that was then found among them O the breakings and rendings the separatings and dividings that sprang up from these roots of bitterness whereby many sincere souls were troubled and others thereby became greatly defiled Surely upon a serious and sad reflection hereon it may be said as concerning the Divisions of Reuben Judg. 5.15 that for these things there were great thoughts of heart great impressions upon the spirits of many that did truly and sincerely fear the Lord. Nay what shall we say to those furious blind zealous pharisaical spirits of those times who did breath out threatnings persecutions and slaughters even against the Disciples and servants of the Lord because they could not conscienciously and not factiously as they termed it conform to a publick Directory for worship or submit to some unwarrantable and unscriptural impositions and injunctions whereby many were cast into Prisons their goods violently taken away and themselves and families exposed to great misery necessity and want So little did appear and much to be lamented it is so little does still appear of that wisdom that is from above that is pure and peaceable and gentle and easie to be entreated Jam. 3.17 So little of that spirit whose fruit is demonstrable by its meekness gentleness and goodness Gal. 5.22 So little of that charity that suffereth long and is kind that envieth not that vaunteth not it self or is not rash and puffed up 1 Cor. 13.4 And O that I could say there was not the same spirit still under several forms of profession that is lusting to pride envy censoriousness separation domination and persecution How violently do most men seek to advance and set up their own opinion still What a Babel and confusion of languages are there still among us Some crying Lo here others Lo there What force and compulsion is there still exercised upon Conscience to beat men as it were into Religion the certain Mark and Character of Antichrist that Man of sin who Satan-like works with all powers signs and lying wonders 2 Thess 2.9 Whereas Religio docenda non coercenda Religion is to be taught and not to be forcedly thrust and imposed upon the Conscience When the Scripture tells us that fervent Charity should cover a multitude of sins 1 Pet. 4.8 But alass it is not large and long enough to cover one sin or slip or perhaps but an infirmity or weakness in a Brother When the Scripture tells us We ought to bear one anothers burthens and so fulfil the law of Christ Gal. 6.2 And that nothing should be done through strife or vain-glory but that in lowliness of mind each should esteem others better then themselves Philip. 2.3 When the Scripture tells us That as the Elect of God c. we should put on bowels of mercies kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another Col. 3.12 13. And that with all lowliness and meekness c. we should endeavour to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace Eph. 4.2 3. When the Scripture tells us That it is a Diotrephes spirit to love to have the preheminence in the Church 3 Epist Joh. of 9. vers that is who out of ambition shall exalt himself above his fellow brethren seeking to Lord it over them and to draw all the respect to himself alone Contrary to that of Peter who forbids the Elders to be Lords over Gods heritage but to be Example to the flock 2 Pet. 5.3 And most disagreeable to the pattern and example of that blessed Apostle Paul himself and other the faithful Ministers of Christ who in his Epistle to the Church of Corinths declareth That thee had not a dominion over their faith but were helpers of their joy 2 Cor. 1.24 And that the weapons of their warfare
were not carnal but mighty through God 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons which they used by the Gospel of Christ to convert men and to bring them under the Kingdome and obedience of Christ were not carnal that is such as natural and worldly men are wont to make use of either by eloquence or deceit or by force to bring others in subjection under them but mighty or powerful through God in moving and convincing of the hearts of men by his Spirit Act. 16.14 Surely if these things were seriously laid to heart we must needs acknowledge that the sins of professing people as well as others have been highly provoking unto the Lord as to the drawing down of this sore visitation of the Plague among us And this may put us to silence that we murmur not and will justifie the righteousness of God in the way of his severity as he now comes forth against many of his own people For we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 3.23 And what says the Lord by the Prophet Amos. All the sinners of my people shall dye by the sword which say The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us Amos 9.10 So the Lord by the Prophet Jeremy complains For among my people are found wicked men they lay waite as he that setteth snares they set a trap they catch men As a Cage is full of birds so are their houses full of deceit therefore they are become great and waxen rich They are waxen fat they shine they overpass the deeds of the wicked they judge not the cause the cause of the fatherless yet they prosper and the right of the needy do they not judge And mark what follows Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Jer. 25.26 27 28 29. And who gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the robbers Did not the Lord he against whom we have sinned for they would not walk in his ways neither were they obedient unto his law And consider well what follows Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger and the strength of battle and it hath set him on fire round about yet he knew not and it burned him yet he laid it not to heart Jsa 42.24 25. So Jeremy the 12.7 I have forsaken mine house I have left mine heritage I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hands of her enemies And what may we gather from all this Surely thus much That no near relations as to God or any external priviledges can yeild a protection from a sin-deserved correction Remember Lots wife Luk. 17.32 Vengeance closely waits on disobedience Punishment doth dog impiety For this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep saith Paul to the Church of Corinths speaking of eating and drinking unworthily at the Lords Table 1 Cor. 11.29 30. God is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity with any approbation or tolleration as to his own peculiar people If his children forsake my law speaking of David and his seed as a Type of Christ and the true spiritual seed and walk not in my judgments If they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments What then says the Lord Then will I visit their transgression with a rod and their iniquity with stripes Psal 89.30 The Lord hath laid righteousness to the rule and waighed his justice in a ballance and his judgments are right and in faithfulness he doth afflict Psal 119.75 His sentence is past forth and stands irrevocable Tribulation and anguish upon every soul that doth evil Rom. 2.9 If we sin we shall suffer How Aut a Deo vindicante aut ab ipso homine penitente as one says excellent well Either from God revenging or themselves repenting For he that repenteth himself of his sins doth punish himself for his sins And now O England if thou repent not let me say unto thee as the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 10.2 to the men of that generation What wilt thou do now in the day of thy visitation and in the desolation that shall come from far To whom wilt thou flee for help and where will ye leave your glory O then bethink thy self yet before it be too late before the wrath of the Lord break out so that their will be no remedy O gather thy self together O Nation not desirous before the Decree bring forth before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon thee before the whole Land be devoured by the fire of his jealousie before he make a speedy riddance of all that dwell in the land As the Lord by the Prophet Zephaniah exhorts Chap. 1.18 Chap. 2.1 2. O then return unto the Lord thy God for hou hast fallen by thine iniquity Take unto you words and turn unto the Lord say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us graciously Hosea 14.1 Suitable to which is the Churches exhortation Come and let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will bind us up Hosea 6.1 This is the way the Lord himself propounds for the removal of his sweeping devouring Judgments Turn ye even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning and rent your heart and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God who knoweth if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behind him Joel 2.12 13. Let the King lay his robe from him and cover him with sackcloth and sit in ashes let man and beast be covered with sackcloath let there be some demonstrative tokens of a more then ordinary sorrow and humiliation for each and every ones so highly provoking sins Let all cry mightily to God yea let them turn every one from his evil way and from the violence that is in their hands Who can tell if God will turn and repent and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not This will move Gods repentings towards us this will divert his wrath Jonah 3. and the latter end Jer. 31.20 And that you may not question the truth and certainty of it in the least will you consider that the Lord stands engaged by his unalterable word and promise to make it good If I shut up heaven saith he that there be no rain c. Or if I send Pestilence among my people if my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways What then will he do Then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land 2 Chron. 7.13 14. Wherefore let that counsel be acceptable to all which Daniel gave to King Nabuchadnezzar O King break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility Dan. 4.27 As if he had said If thou wilt follow the
hunted troubled ond afflicted soul The life of Faith in reference to thy Salvation Sanctification and Preservation As to thy Salvation Let the truly-humbled soul grieved and graoning under the heavy weight and burden of sin throw itself into the meritorious and merciful arms of Jesus Christ wounded broken and bleeding upon the Cross and there let it hold and hide it self for ever in full assurance of eternal life by vertue of that promise Joh. 3.36 He that beleiveth on the Son hath everlasting life 2. As to thy Sanctification If thou keep thy Faith the fountain root and heart as it were from which all thine other Graces spring in life and vigour thou wilt pray more comfortably be more couragiously patient hear the Word more faithfully receive Christs Ordinance of Breaking bread more joyfully spend the Lords day more delightfully confer more chearfully meditate more heavenly and walk in all the ways of new obedience with more strength and conquest over corruptions For ordinarily every one shall find the exercise of other graces to be comfortable or cold according to the liveliness or languishing of his faith 3. As to thy Preservation both temporal and spiritual in crosses afflictions and all Gods outward angry visitation let thy Faith be exercised in the power of such Promises as the Psa 89.33 and 50.15 Heb. 12.6 7 8 11. 1 Thes 3.3 1 Tim. 2.11 Act. 14.22 Luk. 9.23 Isa 63.9 Secondly Act Faith in the power ability all-sufficiency and omnipotency of God Power can do much but omnipotency can do all and is above all He is able to do whatsoever he pleaseth Psa 115.3 He is wise in heart and mighty in strength who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered Job 9.4 The Angels which excel in strength are at his command Psa 104.4 and subject unto Christ 1 Pet. 3.22 The Devils apprehending the power of God do tremble Jam. 2.19 All the power that men and devils have it is given them from above Joh. 19.11 And for other creatures he saith to the deep be dry Isa 44.27 He commands the earth and it opens her mouth Num. 16.30 31. The consideration of whose mighty power made the Psalmist thus to break forth O Lord God of Hosts who is a strong Lord like unto thee or to thy faithfulness round about thee Thou rulest the raging of the Sea when the waves thereof arise thou stillest them thou hast broken Rahab in peices as one that is slain thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm Thou hast a mighty arm strong is thy hand and high is thy right hand Psa 89.8 9 10 13. At his wrath the earth shall tremble and the Nations shall not be able to abide his indignation Jer. 10.10 Beware then how we call into question the power and all-sufficiency of God How we speak against God This was the sin of the Israelites and it was highly provoking unto the Lord. It s said they spake against God and said Can God furnish a Table in the Wilderness Behold he smote the rock that the waters gushed out and the streams overflowed can he give bread also can he provide flesh for his people therefore the Lord heard this and was wrath Psa 88.19 20 21. Moses also he falls expostulating the case with God The people amongst whom I am saith he are six hundred thousand footmen and thou hast said I will give them flesh that they may eat a whole moneth Shall the Flocks and the Heards be slain for them to suffice them or shall all the Fish of the Sea be gathered together for them to suffice them And what Argument does the Lord use to convince Moses of his carnal if not incredulous reasonings But this Is the Lords hand waxed short thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not Numb 11.21 22 23. And the Lord rained flesh upon them as dust and feathered Fowles like as the sand of the Sea though it was given as a great judgement unto them Psa 88.27 The same Argument does the Lord make use of when he falls a reasoning with his people the Jews upon the account of their dereliction or rejection and that they might yet have sound ground of hope still of their restauration though they had sold themselves for their iniquities and could not produce any Bill of Divorcement of the Lords putting of them away in Isa 50.2 Is my hand shortned at all that it cannot redeem or have I no power to deliver Behold at my rebuke I dry up the Sea I make the Rivers a Wilderness their Fish stincketh because there is no water and dieth for thirst I cloath the Heavens with blackness and I make sack-cloth their covering So Isa 59.1 Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear Which may be an excellent support to our faith Let thy Faith then be exercised in the mighty power of God in these following particular cases and seasons 1. In times of great difficulties and streights 2. In times of sore sicknesses 3. In times of great sinning 4. In times of Worshipping and Serving the Lord. 5. In times of great suffering for the Lord. 1. In times of great difficulties and streights Know that the same Almighty power who could smite the Rock and cause the waters to gush out and the streams to overflow can furnish a table in the Wilderness can give bread and provide flesh for his people Take heed now of such irrational absurd and preposterous reasonings The Lord smote the Rock and gave water in abundance but can he now furnish a table in the Wilderness I remember the time when I was in great streights for bodily and soul refreshments and the Lord smote the Rock in a strange miraculous and unexpected way and the Waters gushed out and the streams over-flowed I had comfortable supplies for soul and body and that in a plentiful manner But can he now help me in my streights and supply my necessities now all conduit pipes are cut off and all visible means of supplies and supports are taken away Taxes are multiplied and increased our Trade is gone the Gentry gone and such as gave life and being thereunto have laid aside and betook themselves to a retired life many gone beyond the Seas because they could not follow their callings and be suffered to enjoy the freedom of their consciences too God hath smitten some of my dear friends or relations who were instruments in his hand of my comfortable sustentation and supportation and now my Wife and Children begin to stare me in the face to sob and sigh and I have not wherewith to releive them The sight and thoughts of these things do even break my heart and wound my very bowels within me what shall I do what course shall I take for a livelihood Methinks I hear such doleful complaints among thousands destressed Families in the City at this time Is it not a time and
God that affliction commeth not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground yet man is born unto trouble as the sparks flye upward Job 5.6 7. But if sores and sickness comes not forth of the dust from whence come they then Surely from the powerful immediate overruling hand of God So said Eliphaz Job 17. Behold happy is the man whom God correcteth therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty For he maketh sore and bindeth up he woundeth and his hands make whole So Job himself acknowledged ch 19.21 Have pity upon me have pity upon me O my friends for the hand of God hath touched me So David Thine arrows stick fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore Psal 38.2 And consider that as a sparrow falls not to the ground without Gods providence so the Plagve and Pestilence and all other Sicknesses and diseases are guided by his own immediate hand and he onely doth smite when and whom he pleaseth and know that the same Powerful hand that took away thy health can in a moment take away thy breath and then thou diest aad returnest unto thy dust Psal 104.29 This should make thee lye down patiently at the foot of God and with all willing and chearful resignation of spirit with good old Ely say It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good 1 Sam. 3.18 And with Job Shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil Job 2.10 But whatever affliction he layeth upon thy loins or what strokes soever upon any of thy dearest relations see that thou murmur not nor charge the Lord foolishly or unjustly say not with the King of Israel Behold this evil is of the Lord what should I wait for the Lord any longer 2 King 6. ult 2ly Let the sence of the mighty hand of God which is upon thee humble thee deeply So says Peter Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time 1 Pet. 5.6 This will evidence it self inwardly in a sight and sence of thine own great unworthiness in an abhorring thy self in dust and ashes and loathing thy self for all thy abominations in a tender sense of temptations either in thy self or others in a hatred of Hypocrisie a willingness to suffer affliction and a contentation in some measure to the will of God in what estate soever it shall please God to bring thee to Outwardly towards God it will keep thee lowly in the use of means and in a continual fear and awfulness of Gods presence not caring to be counted vile for the service of God And in carriage towards men it is such a grace as is not affected in words or gestures nor is it censorious arrogant or contentious but makes a man go before in giving honour and not to think much to equal himself with them of the lower sort This is the time now to be narrowly searching into thine own heart and mourn under it and bewailing now thy want of love unto the Lord and thy abounding love to sin do thou cover with sorrowing what breach thou hast made with sinning and remember That had thy sin never been so sweet then thy sorrow had never been so bitter And know that God is now awaking thee from all thy secure sleeps that every minutes breathing he lends thee more may be spent in preparing to meet Jesus Christ at the Judgement of the great Day which that thou mayst effectually do with all thy might with fear and trembling as before the Lord remember that the next step from this life thou takest is into eternity 3ly Thus waiting till thy change come Be further in the exercise of Faith in the power of thy mighty Redeemer as to a glorious resurrection of thy body when laid asleep in the grave Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up thee also by Jesus 2 Cor. 4.14 and then this corruptible shall put on incorruption and then this mortal shall put on immortality and death shall be swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 15.53 54. 3. Act Faith in the mighty power of God in times of great sinning and prophanation of the name of God So Jeremy speaking of the customs of the people that they are vain and of their Idol-gods that they are altogether bruitish and foolish and the stock is a doctrine of vanities he sets the great and mighty Jehovah against all their Heathenish gods Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee O Lord thou art great and thy name is great in might Who would not fear thee O King of Nations Jer. 10.6 7. So in the 10. verse But the Lord is the true God he is the living God and an everlasting King At his wrath the earth shall tremble and the Nations shall not be able to abide his indignation So the Prophet Habakkuk he sets Faith on work in the mighty power of God in a time of great sinning and of treacherous and cruel dealing Art thou not from everlasting O Lord my God mine Holy One we shall not dye O Lord thou hast ordained them for judgement and O mighty God thou hast established them for correction Thou art of purer eyes then to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous then he Think upon the mighty power of God when men grow bold and impudent in sinning do they oppress the poor and crush the needy Amos 4.1 Know that this mighty God can soon crush them under his feet Lament 3.34 and feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh and then they shall know the Lord to be the mighty one of Israel Isa 49.26 Does the horrible impieties and wickdness of men greive and wound thy heart Know that he that is thy God is the God of salvation and he shall wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his trespass Psalm 68.20 21 verses And what says Solomon If thou seest the oppression of the poor and violent perverting of Judgement and Justice in a Province Marvaile not at the matter For he that is higher then the highest regardeth and there be higher then they Eccles 5.8 4. Act faith in the mighty power of God as in times of great sinning so in times of serving and worshipping of God So did Daniel when Nebuchadnezzar the King had made an Image of gold and set it up to be worshipped and that whoso fell not down and worshipped the said Image should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery surnace And who is that God saith he most blasphemously that shall deliver out of my hand What said Sadrach Meshaoh and Abednego O Nebuchadnezzar we are not careful to answer thee in this matter If it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery
hefore us which hope we have as an anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast c. Heb. 6.17 18 19. And this was it without all question that made the Apostle break out with that holy boldness and exultation of spirit Who shall seperate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword Nay in all these things we are more then Conquerors through him that loved us For I am perswaded saith he that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8.35 to the end Now this stability and firmness of Gods love grounded upon the faithfulness of God may be a great support to the poor doubting soul that is apt to question the Love of God and the certainty of its eternal estate in Christ 2ly This Faith in Gods faithfulness is to be acted upon the account of our Vocation or Calling to and confirmation or establishment in the Grace of God God is faithful saith Paul by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord And therefore will he confirm you unto the end that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 1.8 9. That God who hath called you unto the communion or fellowship of his Son not externally only in point of Ordinances Church-fellowship and Publique-worship whereby we profess to have communion with Christ and his benefits but internally in a special manner whereby we are really united to him by faith and by the spirit of Christ and so are made partakers indeed of all the glorious benefits priviledges and advantages of his death resurrection ascension intercession Rom. 8.32 Eph. 3.17 1 Joh. 1.3 This God who hath so called you is the faithful God faithful in the performance of all his promises he hath made to confirm you unto the end not to leave you nor forsake you Heb. 13.5 as many freinds do in time of adversity not to cast you off Rom. 11.1 2. as many Parents do their Children not to forget you as many cruel and unnatural Women do their sucking children Isa 49.15 No surely he will not do it his faithfulness is engaged to stand by you fear not he will be with thee be not dismayed he is thy God he will strengthen thee yea he will help thee yea He will uphold thee with the right hand of his righteousness Isa 41.10 And make an everlasting Covenant with thee that he will not turn away from thee to do thee good but will put his fear into thy heart that thou shalt not depart from him Jer. 32.40 So the Apostle Paul praying for the Thessalonians that the very God of peace migh sanctifie them wholly and that their whole spirit and soul and body might be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ He makes this the ground of his confidence Faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it 1 Thess 5.23 24. So 2 Thess 3.3 But the Lord is faithful who shall stablish you and keep you from evil Why shouldst thou then fear of falling away or of thy persevering in the grace of God when Gods faithfulness is engaged forthy establishment 3ly This faith in Gods faithfulness is to be acted upon the accompt of a Christians temptations and conflictings with sin and Satan 1 Cor. 10 13. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithful observe that I pray you who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it Thou poor tempted soul thou thinkest perhaps that no temptations are like unto thine but thou art mistaken thy temptations are not singular but in common with others other men have been exercised with the like And thou art apt to think thou shalt sink under thy temptations thou findest so little strength to undergo them but what saith the Apostle God is faithful and will not suffer you to be tempted above your strength but will proportion suitable strength according to your trials Gods Faithfulness is engaged to help you and to support you under all your temptations and trials Would Satan then make thee beleive that thy sins are of that nature and magnitude that they shall not be forgiven think upon Gods faithfulness then who is engaged to pardon thee So saith John 1 Joh. 1.9 If we confest our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness It would be an act of unfaithfulness and injustice in God if he should not pardon and forgive poor penitent sinners who confess and forsake their sins But God is faithful and just and cannot falsifie his word If we beleive not yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2.13 4. This acting of faith in Gods faithfulness is of excellent use in order to our standing fast in the faith and continuing in our publique faithful testimony for the Lord Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering and why for he is faithful that hath promised faithful in performing what he hath promised Josh 23.14 And what hath he promised Surely as hath been declared before to establish and keep us from evil and confirm us unto the end 1 Cor. 1.8 According to that also in 2 Thess 3.3 But the Lord is faithful who shall establish you and keep you from evil Stablish you in the faith lest you fall from it and keep you from evil to wit the Devil lest he subvert your faith by evil men as the instruments of his art or it may be taken more generally for any evil as the Apostle declares in the 2 Tim. 4.18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdom And therefore we may upon this consideration be much encouraged to hold fast our profession and not to be staggaring or wavering in our honourable and faithful testimony for the Lord. 5. This acting of faith in Gods faithfulness is of excellent use to encourage us as to a suffering state for Christ and to Christian contentation under the Cross It is a faithful saying saith the Apostle that if we be dead with him we shall also live with him If we suffer we shall also reign with him 2 Tim. 2.11 12. Rule or reign as Kings so the word it seems imports if we endure all manner of tribulations with patience and stedfastness in the faith And it is a faithful saying saith he a certain sure firm credible irrevocable word not to be questioned or doubted Or we shall be glorified together with him as the Apostle expresseth it Rom. 8.17 and
I may say as David said to Abimelech the Preist concerning the Sword of Goliah There is none like to it 1 Sam. 21.9 A most incomparable weapon if we have skill to use it Let us consider a little then what Prayer is as to the derivation and definition of it I find that Prayer comes of a word in the Hebrew which signifieth Appeal whereby we refer the Cause of our selves or others unto God as unto the Supream Judge calling upon him appealing unto him for right presenting our selves and our cause unto him as to one who hath power to determine Causes and to whom appeals may be made And if you would have a breif description of it it is the pouring out of the humble penitent beleiving soul before the Lord 1 Sam 1.15 Or as one very pithily defines it It is Devotae animae cum Deo colloquium that is It is the talk or conference of the devout soul with God For a man barely to speak in the air and his heart have no approaches unto God in it this is no Prayer in Gods account I cannot therefore let pass that excellent saying of Bernard Cum oramus cum Deo loquimur cum legimus Deus nobiscum loquitur Si vis cum Deo semper esse semper ora semper lege that is When we pray we speak with God when we read God speaketh with us If thou wilt always be with God then always pray and always read More plainly and fully It is a work of the spirit of Christ in the beleiving soul by which we desire of God alone things lawful and needful with confidence to obtain them through the alone mediation and intercession of Christ to the praise and glory of his name So then if thou wilt pray aright and find acceptance with God therein thou must pray to him and to him alone in the name and through the alone mediation and intercession of Christ by the powerful and immediate help and assistance of his own spirit and that beleivingly from the heart with understanding and feeling of our wants in fervency of spirit forgivingly reverently and perseveringly Without which ingredients never think of putting up an acceptable Prayer unto God with any confidence or assurance to be heard at the throne of grace I shall touch a little upon the particulars for the help of such poor souls whose desires are to grow into a more spiritual acquaintance with God First then If thou wilt pray aright thou must pray to God and to him only and that in the name of Christ God alone is to be invocated and prayed unto not Saints nor Angels Christ in his prayer which he taught his Disciples would have us direct our Petitions unto God our Father which is in Heaven Luk. 11.2 Mat. 6.9 And why to God alone 1. Because God onley is Omni present every where present in all places and at all times But this is inconsistent to any creature to be ubiquitary or present in all places But that God is so see Jer. 23.23 24. Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God a far off Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord Do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord see Psal 139.7 8. God is not only the God of the hills but of the valleys also 1 King 20.28 2. Because God as he is Omni-present so he is Omniscient he knoweth all things all the hearts of the Sons of men So said Solomon in the prayer he made at the Dedication of the Temple For thou even thou only knowest the hearts of all the children of men 1 King 8.39 So Jer. 17.9 I the Lord search the heart and try the reins Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened to the eyes of him with whom we have to do Heb. 4.13 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings Prov. 5.21 Doth he not see my ways and count all my steps saith Job Chap. 31.4 There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves Job 24.21 22. So Psal 94.9 10 11. He that planted the ear shall he not hear he that formed the eye shall he not see he that teacheth man knowledge shall not he know the Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are vanity 3. God is stiled a God hearing prayers Psal 65.2 and this David could speak experimentally Verily God hath heard me he hath attended to the voice of my prayer blessed be God which hath not turned away my prayer nor his mercy from me Psal 66.19 20. 4. As he is a God hearing prayer so he is most able to help Psal 52.2 I will cry unto God most high unto God that performeth all things for me He shall send from heaven and save me Eph. 3.20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us Vnto him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end Amen So Asa when a mighty host came against him in his prayer lays hold on Gods power and ability to help Lord saith he it is nothing with thee to help whether with many or with them that have no power help us O Lord God for we rest on thee and in thy name we go against this multitude 2 Chron. 14.11 So Jehosaphat when a great multitude of the Moabites and Amonites came against him he sets himself to seek the Lord as able and all-sufficient to help him And said O Lord God of our Fathers art not thou God in heaven and rulest not thou over all the kingdomes of the Heathen and in thine hand is there not power and might so that none is able to withstand thee O our God wilt not thou judge them for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon the 2 Chron. 20.6 12. 5. Prayer is a Divine Worship and a Spiritual Sacrifice God would have us to call upon him in the day of trouble Psal 50.15 And if we should be seeking help from any other he will take it very ill at our hands If we have forgotten the name of our God or stretched out our hands to a strange god saith the Church shall not God search this out for he knoweth the secrets of our hearts Psal 44.20 21. In every place Incense shall be offered unto my name and a pure offering saith the Lord. Mal. 1.11 So Psal 141.2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense and the lifting up of mine hands as an evening sacrifice There was given to the Angel that stood at the Altar having a golden censer much incense That he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was
before the throne of God And the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand Rev. 8.3 4. By this Angel we are to understand Christ our Mediator called the Angel or Messenger of the Covenant or the Angel of Gods presence Mal. 3.1 and Isa 63.9 who alone is the High Preist of Heaven and offereth and presenteth our prayars with the incense of his merits and intercession upon the golden Altar that is upon himself unto God for a sweet smelling savour as is testified Rom. 8.34 Eph. 5.2 Heb. 14.14 See also Rev. 5 8. 6. In God onely we ought to beleive therefore he onely is to be called upon He that commeth to God must beleive that he is c. Heb. 11.6 The same Lord who is ever all is rich unto all that call upon him For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10.12 13. Again we are to pray unto God in the name of Christ which is not rudely and customarily to say these words Through Jesus Christ our Lord c. but in confidence of the merits and intercession of Christ to call on God our heavenly Father For since the fall of man none are called to come to God or have promise to speed but in the name of a Mediator I am the way the truth and the life saith Christ no man commeth to the Father but by me Joh. 14.6 And there is one God and one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.15 John calls him the Advocate he who pleads our cause with the Father 1 Joh. 2.1 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Heb. 7.25 In Christ alone we have access to the throne of grace Or as the Apostle expresseth it Through him we haue an access by one spirit unto the Father Ephes 2.18 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him Eph. 3.12 And what saith Christ himself Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you Joh. 16.23 So Col. 3.17 Whatsoever ye do in word and deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by him Angels or Saints departed do not nor cannot present our prayers before God Abraham is ignorant of us Isa 63.16 Christ onely is our Mediator and High Priest who getteth an acceptatation of our prayers before God Heb. 4.14 Rev. 8.3 Again We are to pray in the name of Christ through the spirit Likewise the Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God Rom. 8.26 27. But ye beloved building up your selves in your most holy faith praying in the Holy ghost Jude ver 20. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit Ephes 6.18 No praying aright but in and by the Spirit God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth Joh. 4.14 And prayer surely is a principal part of his spiritual worship Is it not sad then to consider how carnal and formal worshippers do deride and make a mock at the Spirit of God! O say they you cannot pray but by the spirit So for Faith that also is a necessary ingredient in prayer James speaks of the prayer of faith that shall save the sick Jam 5.15 So also 1 Tim. 2.8 and Matth. 21.22 And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer beleiving ye shall receive Now this faith will work to the purifying of the heart For if we regard iniquity in our hearts God will not hear us Psa 66.18 We haveing therefore gracious promises from God that he will grant our requests that he will be very gracious unto us at the voyce of our cry Isa 30.19 That when we call he will answer Isa 58.9 and deliver us out of all our afflictions Psal 34.19 We must come unto God beleiving his word for that he is true and faithful as Sarah who received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had promised Heb. 11.11 But if hope to speed does not accompany our prayers they are vain Let not the doubting and wavering man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord Jam. 1.6 7. Yet know withal that this hope sometimes is very weak and feeble and many times seems to be overwhelmed in the godly Ps 13.1 2.31.22 and 77.7 8 9. Again As it must be a prayer of Faith so it must be from the heart with fervency of spirit Prayer is not a lip labour nor a formal devotion but it is the sighs and groans of a broken and penitent heart Hanna spake in her heart when her voyce was not heard 1 Sam. 1.13 Moses is said to cry unto the Lord when we find not one word that he uttered with his mouth Exod. 14.15 Hence is the exhortation that we be fervent in spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 And it is said that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much Jam. 5.16 As the things we beg are of more excellent use for us so must we be more eager and importunate with the Lord for the obtaining of them I cried unto the Lord with my voice with my voyce unto the Lord did I make my supplication I poured out my complaint before him I shewed before him my trouble Psal 142.1 2. This shewed the earnestness and ferventness of his spirit in prayer So Ps 80.1 Give ear O shepherd of Israel thou that dwellest between the cherubims shine forth Before Ephraim Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength and come and save us This ariseth from the consideration of the necessity and excellency of what we desire as also from a burning zeal of Gods glory and hearty love of our brethren in opposition to a spirit of hypocrisie formality sluggishness and vain-babling Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion For the time to favour her yea the set time is come And what then For Sions sake I will not hold my peace and for Jerusalem sake I will not rest until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth Ps 102.13 com with Isa 62.1 Again when we pray we must pray with understanding 1 Cor. 14.15 Blind devotion is no way pleasing to God The soul without knowledge is not good Prov. 19.2 God will not be superstitiously and ignorantly worshipped Acts 17.22 23. The blind and the lame was not to come into the house of God If ye offer the blind for
forgive and do c. 1 King 8.37 38 39. And the Lord gave approbation to this prayer of his as you have heard Thus you see in what way the Lord hath usually been found for the diverting of his judgments and in which he hath ingaged himself to hear and to be entreated Shall we consider a little then what is the general spirit of the Nation at this time now that the hand of God lies so heavy upon it Is there any preparation now of meeting God in this way of humble and faithful supplication O England where are thy tears where are thy strong crys unto unto the Lord Will not the King of Nineveh rise up in judgment against thee and condemn thee He commanded that Man and Beast should be covered with sackcloth and cry mightily unto God and turn every one from his evil way and from the violence that was in their hand and God was entreated and turned away from his fierce anger that they perished not What thinkest thou O England of thy sins Have they not been crying sins May not the Lord speak unto thee and say as unto Cain Who slew his Brother what hast thou done The voice of thy Brothers blood cryeth unto me from the ground Gen. 4.10 Or as James in his time to the rich ungodly men of that generation Behold the hire of the Labourers which have reaped down your fields which is of you kept back by fraud cryeth and the cries of them which have reaped are entred into the ears of the Lord of Sabboth Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth and been wanton ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter Ye have condemned and killed the just and be doth not resist you James 5.4 5 6. May it not be said of thy sins as is said of the sins of Babylon That her sins have reached unto heaven and God hath remembred her iniquities Rev. 18.5 Surely thy sins have been crying sins they have entred into the ears of the Lord they have reached unto heaven God hath heard thy hideous Oaths thy new hellish invented Oaths thy horrid execrations and cursings thy revilings and blaspemings But whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high may it not be said of thee as of railing Rabshekah Even against the holy one of Israel And if thy sins have cryed so loud mayst thou not think that thy tears and crys for pardon should found as loud in the ears of God But where are thy repentings and mournings where are thy weepings and supplications Surely I tremble to think what still mine ears do hear and mine eyes see how few of those sins are left which cause the Land to mourn and the Lord to have a controversie with the inhabitants thereof May it not be laid to thy charge even now when thousands are swept away by this destroying judgement that when God calls to weeping and mourning to fasting and praying behold joy and gladness slaying oxen and killing sheep eating flesh and drinking wine playing and gaming ranting and roaring cursing and swearing pride and voluptuous living And what said the Lord Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye dye Isa 22.12 13 14. Nay is it not most sad and lamentable to consider as it is very credibly reported that some under the hand of Gods visitation do dye swearing and cursing in a most dreadful and desperate manner Well then consider this ye that forget God lest he tear you in peices and there be none to deliver before the whole land be devoured by the fire of his jealousie and that he make a speedy riddance of all such as dwell in the land But for you who have received an anointing from the holy one and are acquainted with the divine art of prayer and holy conference and familiarity with God be much in the exercise of this heavenly skill be now improving to the utmost your interest in God lift up your voice with strength stir up your selves and take hold of him And if your consciences tell you you have fallen by your iniquities even in the late Apostacy Take with you words and turn unto the Lord say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously Say unto him Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon horses neither will we say any more to the work of our hands ye are our gods Hosea 14.1 2 3. Say unto him O Lord though our iniquities testifie against us do thou it for thy names sake for our back-slidings are many we have sinned against thee O the hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in time of trouble why shouldst thou be as a stranger in the land and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night Why shouldst thou be as a man astonished as a mighty man that cannot save yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us and we are called by thy name leave us not Jer. 14.7 8 9. Say We are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousness are as filthy raggs and we all do fade as a leaf and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away But yet O Lord thou art our Father we are the clay and thou our potter and we all are the work of thy hand Be not wroth very sore O Lord neither remember iniquity for ever behold see we beseech thee we are thy people Isa 64.6 8 9. Thine enemies roar in the midst of the Congregation they set up their ensigns for signs They have east fire into thy Sanctuary they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground They said in their hearts let us destroy them together O God how long shall the Adversary reproach shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever Why withdrawest thou thy hand even thy right hand pluck it out of thy bosome Wilt thou refrain thy self for these things O Lord wilt thou hold thy peace and afflict us very sore Psal 74. And let the Preists the Ministers of the Lord weep between the Porch and the Altar and let them say Spare thy people O Lord and give not thy heritage to reproach that the heathen should rule over them wherefore should they say among the people Where is their God Then will the Lord be jealous for his land and pity his people Joel 2.17 18. Yea let the Lords Watchmen whom God hath set upon the Walls of Jerusalem never hold their peace day nor night even those who make mention of the Lord and are the Lords remembrancers let them not keep silence And give him no rest till he establish and make his Jerusalem a praise in the earth Isa 62.6 7. Till the heavens drop down from above and the skies pour down righteousness and the earth open and bring forth salvation and righteousness spring up together Isa 45.8 Till the Lord of Hosts be exalted in judgement and God
heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Psa 73.26 Then wilt thou not know nor desire nor love any creature but purely as subordinate to God If this were but setled in our hearts how would it ballast them and keep them steddy that they would not be tossed up and down with the various occurrences of this life neither lift up with Prosperity nor cast down with adversity for whether we have more of these things they make no considerable addition to us God is our happiness and not the creature or whether we have less of these things it is no diminution to our happiness we still have our portion We are but as a man that hath turned his estate into money though he hath not houses nor lands nor flocks nor herds yet he hath that which answers all things Eccles 10.19 So it is with one that hath God for his portion whose is the earth and the fulness thereof He can with Habakkuk rejoyce in God in the deprevation and absence of all other things Hab. 3.17 18. And say with Paul As sorrowful yet alway rejoycing as poor yet making many rich as having nothing yet possessing all things 2 Cor. 6.10 Give twenty pounds to a poor man and you make him take so much from him and you undoe him but it is nothing in a rich mans Purse that hath thousands coming in yearly Let an unbeleiver loose the World and he looseth all he complains with Laban that his gods are gone let him have these things in abundance and he is transported like Haman but these are small things with him whose portion is the Lord And therefore call nothing prosperity or pleasure but his love and nothing adversity or misery but his displeasure When any thing would seem lovely and desireable which is against him call it Dung And hear that man as Satan or the Serpent that would entise thee from him and count him but vanity a worm and dust that would affright thee from thy duty to him 3. Then mayst thou be said to dwell in God to have thy constant abode with him When thou shalt prize all opportunities of communion with God in his Ordinances as Prayer Reading and Hearing the Word of God So David As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God Psa 42.1 O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is To see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Psa 63.1 2. and 84.1 2. How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts my soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God So Psal 122.1 I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the House of the Lord. This to do is our Duty and our Priviledge 1. It is our Duty and part of that homage which we owe to God as our Lord and Lawgiver by prayer to acknowledge our dependance on him Psal 65.2 and our subjection to him by sitting down at his feet to receive the Law from his mouth to take our instructions from him Deut. 33.3 2. It is our Priviledge which cost two of the greatest gifts which heaven could afford Eph. 2.17 the Son of God that we might have acceptance The Spirit of God that we might have assistance What greater priviledge are we capable of then at any time to go and reveal our cause to God and to pour out our complaints before him Jer. 20.12 To have leave to beg any thing of him Luk. 11.13 To ask Counsel of him Psal 119.24 There being in our communion with God a transfusion of spirits the Lord communicating his Spirit or Divine Nature to us therein 2 Cor. 3.18 Besides our own pressing necessities which should daily provoke us hereto And the oftner we come to God the more welcome shall we be Cant. 2.14 and the more boldness and liberty of access we shall have dis-use and in-frequency breeding a strangness betwixt God and the Soul and deading the heart to communion with him 2. A Mans House is the place of his safety security and strength We use to say a mans House is his Castle then we make God our habitation when we make him our refuge and our strength So did David I will love thee O Lord my strength The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my buckler the horn of my salvation and my high tower Psal 18.2 God was his strength his defender in all adversities God was his rock where he fled for refuge when hunted and pursued by his enemies his fortress or strong hold wherein he was safely kept and preserved his sheild to overshadow and defend him The horn of his salvation that is the strength of his deliverance and the high tower or strong tower of his protection wherein to his righteous soul did run and was safe Prov. 18.10 In the 61. Psal 2. and 3. David prayeth That God would lead him to the rock that was higher then he For thou hast been a shelter for me saith he and a strong tower from the enemy So in the Psal 71.3 Be thou my strong habitation whereunto I may continually resort Be thou to me for a rock of habitation where I may continually fly unto in all my difficulties and distresses See also Psal 31.2 With what confidence in God was the Chuch carried forth upon this account God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble Therefore will not we fear though the earth he removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof Psal 46.1 2 3. By the changing of the earth and removing of mountains are often meant the alteration of States and Polities Hagg. 2.21 22. Jerem. 51.25 Rev. 6.14 By which we are given to understand That in the time of the greatest mutations and revolutions in time of the greatest toffings and tumblings turnings and over-turnings the Church would not be dismayed but confidently expect deliverance from God Well then if thou wilt make God thy habitation thy place of security and strength thy rock and thy fortress Thou wilt make him thy only rock thy only stay and trust thou wilt seek help and deliverance in all thy streights and trouble from him and from him only He only saith the Psalmist is my rock and my salvation he is my defence I shall not be moved And from hence it is that he encourages his soul To waite only upon God telling us that his expectation was from him Psal 62.6 7. Nor would he trust in his Bow nor on his Sword to save him Psal 44.6 Now then dost thou make God thy only rock thy only
refuge Dost thou flye unto him in all thy streights and to him only or hast thou recourse to some other rock to some other refuse Take heed of trusting in man and making flesh thine arm There 's a curse denounced against such Jer. 17.5 Dost thou go down into Egypt to strengthen thy self in the strength of Pharaoh know then that thou trustest but upon a broken staff and a bruised reed as Rabshekeh said to Hezekiah 2 King 18.21 even in a shadow And that the strength of Pharaoh shall be thy shame and the trust in the shadow of Egypt thy confusion Isa 30.2 3. Dost thou put thy trust in Princes or in the Sons of Men know that thou trusts but in a shadow likewise Judg. 9.15 and that there is no help in them their breath goeth forth they return to their earth in that very day their thoughts perish Psal 46.3 4. And that its better to trust in the Lord then to put confidence in man yea then to put confidence in Princes Psal 118.8 9. Dost thou trust in graven Images and say to the molten Imares ye are our gods know thou shalt be turned back and be greatly ashamed yea confounded Isa 42.17 Psal 97.7 Is thy trust such as is the hope of hypocrites know that the hypocrites hope shall perish and be cut off and his trust shall be as a spiders web Job 8.14 Dost thou make gold thy hope and say to the fine gold thou art my confidence trusting in the abundance of thy wealth and strengthening thy self in thy wickedness know that this is an iniquity to be punished by the Judge for that thou deniest God that is above Job 31.24 28. Yea further know That God shall destroy thee for ever and take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place and root thee out of the land of the living And the righteous shall see and fear and laugh at thee and say Lo this is the Man that made not God his strength Psal 52.5 6 7. Dost thou trust in thine own beauty and play the harlot and pour out thy fornications know that God will judge thee as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged and will give thee blood in fury and jealousie and throw down thine eminent places and break down thy high places and strip thee of thy cloaths and take thy fair jewels and leave thee naked and bare and execute judgments upon thee Ezek 16.15 36 38 41. Dost thou trust in lying words saying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these and notwithstanding Steal Murder and Commit Adultery and Swear falsly and Burn Incense unto Baal and Walk after other gods and stand before the Lord and say thou art delivered to do all these abominations know that these are lying words that will not profit but consider rather what the Lord did to Shiloh where he set his name at the first for the wickedness of his people Israel Jer. 7.4 8 12. Dost thou trust to thine own righteousness and commit iniquity know that all thy righteousness shall not be remembred but for thine iniquity which thou committest thou shalt dye for it Ezek. 33.13 Dost thou trust in thy way in the multitude of thy mighty men know that therefore a tumult shall arise among the people and all the fortresses shall be spoiled Hos 10.13 14. Dost thou trust in thine own purity and say stand by thy self come not near to me for I am holier then thou know that thou art but a smok in Gods Nose and a fire that burneth all the day Isa 65.5 and that the Lord hath put no trust in his Servants and his Angels he charged with folly How much less on them that dwell in houses of clay whose foundation is in the dust which are crushed before the moth Job 4.18 19. But after all this perhaps thou wilt say Thou wilt trust in thine own heart for that will not deceive thee wilt thou do so know then thou art but a fool for thy labour in Gods account Prov. 28.26 Thy heart will deceive thee for it is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it Jer. 17.9 Thus you see that God alone is to be trusted in and to trust in any thing else will be but as an Egyptian Reed to lean unto And as God alone is to be our rock and our refuge so are we to make him our rock and our trust at all times So is the Exhortation Trust in him at all times ye people pour out your hearts before him God is a refuge for us Psal 62.8 So Isa 26.4 Trust ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength At what time I am afraid saith David I will trust in thee when his enemies were ready to swallow-him up In God I have put my trust I will not fear what flesh can do unto me Psal 56.3 4. And what said Job Though be slay me yet will I trust in him I will maintain mine own ways before him Job 13.15 Is it a time of evil tidings thou wilt not be afraid if thy heart is fixed trusting in the Lord Psal 112.7 Dost thou fear the Lord and yet walk in a dark disconsolate estate even then art thou to trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon thy God Isa 50.10 And as thou art to make God alone thy rock and thy refuge and trust in him at all times so with all thy heart Not leaning to thine own understanding but in all thy ways acknowledging him and he shall direct thy paths Prov. 3.5 6. Yea the Lord shall help thee and deliver thee he shall deliver thee from the wicked and save thee because thou trustest in him Psal 37.40 This David acknowledged Psal 22.4 5. Our Fathers trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them They cryed unto thee and were delivered they trusted in thee and were not confounded Well then wouldst thou have God to be a help and defence unto thee Trust in him He is a Buckler or a sheild to all those that trust in him Psal 18.30 Prov. 30.5 For who is God save the Lord or who is a rock save our God Psal 18.30 31. 1 Sam. 2.2 He is the rock his work is perfect for all his ways are judgment a God of truth and without iniquity just and right is he Deut. 32.4 Wouldst thou be stedfast and unmovable as the rock whereupon the Church is builded against which no storms nor tempests no nor the gates of hell shall ever prevail Trust in God They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever Psal 125.1 Wouldst thou possess the land and inherite Gods holy Mountain see that thou trust in him Isa 57.13 Wouldst thou be fat and flourishing and not cease from bearing of fruit and that blessedness shall be thy portion Trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man that
trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters and that spreadeth out her roots by the river whose leaf shall be green and shall not cease from yeilding fruit Jerem. 17.7 8. Pro. 28.25 And as David Psal 40.4 Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust and respecteth not the proud nor such as turn aside to lies 3. A mans House or Habitation is the place of his Secresie Where does the Husband and the Wife or a man and his freind unbosome themselves communicate their thoughts and the very secrets of their hearts each to other but usually and for the most part in their Houses in their private Chambers and Closets So it is with the Man or Woman that makes God their habitation They 'l go to God and in their Closet and close retirements with the Lord how will they unbosome themselves and lay open their very hearts and most secrets thoughts and spread them before the Lord. So did Hanna in the bitterness of her soul she prayed and wept sore and in her secret retirements she poured out her soul before the Lord 1 Sam. 1.10 15. meaning the trouble and anguish of her heart So David when his spirit was overwhelmed within him then he cried unto the Lord and poured out his complaint before him and shewed him all his trouble Psal 142.1 2 3. So Jeremiah 20.10 11 12. when he lay under evil reports and defamation and his familiars watched for his halting what course does he take He goes to God and opens his cause unto him or discovers his cause unto him as to an Advocate or Patron O Lord of Hosts saith he that triest the righteous and seest the reins and the heart let me see thy vengeance on them for unto thee have I opened my Cause So is it said of Hezekiah when he had received the Letter of railing Rabshekah and read it he goes up into the House of the Lord and spreads it before the Lord in this manner O Lord God of Israel which dwellest between the Cherubims thou art the God even thou alone of all the kingdoms of the earth thou hast made heaven and earth Lord bow down thine ear and hear open Lord thine eyes and see and hear the words of Sennacharib which hath sent him to reproach the living God This hath been the manner of the Servants of the Lord who have made God their habitation they go to God in secret and pour out their souls before him O saith Job that I knew where I might find him that I might come even to his seat I would order my cause before him and fill my mouth with arguments Job 23.3 4. Holy Job even now a Proverb or a Prodigy rather perceiving his freinds discourses were fuller of reproaches then consolations neglects to answer them and resolves to get him to God the onely support and refuge of the miserable The soarest strokes cannot drive away gracious souls from God but rather draw them nearer unto him they seldome or never think themselves near enough unto God its Sun and Sheild and Center O that I knew where to find him that I might come even to his Seat And Gods Judgment-seat where he sits to hear and determine Causes is not terrible or unapproachable to a Beleiver who knows it to be a Throne of Mercy as Job did here And happy are all that can say so For we must all appear defore the Judgment-seat of Christ 2 Cor. 5.10 11. and it will be terrible to all those that do not often resort thither before hand And it is good to have our hearts and mouths fill'd with Arguments when we come to plead and expostulate and reason out our great concernments with our God who hath all good things lying ready by him and waits only for Prayer to come and fetch them away Not that God stands in need of our informing him concerning our necessities which he knows better then we but because hereby we give some proof that we are not altogether strangers at home as many careless ones are but know something of our selves and our own cases and of him and his dealings towards us If our mouths then be fill'd with arguments we may be sure of an Answer God will not sit still and say nothing he will not sit like an Image like a dumb Idol as the Abominations of the Heathens their Dii Stercorei their Dunghil Gods as they are called Deut. 29.17 must of necessity do they can do no otherwise though men fill their mouths with Arguments and empty their veins of their blood before them 1 King 18.28 Go boldly then to the Throne of grace plead with God and fill your mouthes with arguments spread thy complaints before him and open thy cause unto him for when ever you do so beyond all peradventure God will answer There 's no fear that he will interpret this sawciness and presumption in thee and so answer thee with his fists about thine ears or with his foot to kick thee out of his presence there is no fear that he will smother thee under the waight of his greatness or dazle thee with his beams or burn thee with his flames or drive thee from the judgement seat as Gallio did the Jews Act. 18.16 No he never beats his people lower then their knees and thence suffers them yea helps them to rise again nay he will lay his hand upon thy head yea under thy feet to do thee good he will stroke rather then strike a pleading soul He will strengthen thee and put mettle into thee He will not plead against thee with his great and absolute power So he dealt with Daniel a man that had great intimate acquaintance with God Chap. 10.19 How was he strengthened when the Angel touched him The Righteous may plead and dispute with him even at the bar of Equity and Justice and the Judge cannot but pronounce and pass sentence in their favour Thus righteous Jeremiah pleaded with him Righteous art thou O Lord when I plead with thee Jer. 12.1 And he invites his people to come and plead freely Isa 43.26 Put me in remembrance saith the Lord let us plead together declare that thou mayst be justified if thou haste any thing to say for thy self say on Yea Idolaters shall have this permission to plead for themselves and their dumb Idols if they have any thing to say for them Isa 41.21 Produce your cause saith the Lord bring forth your strong reasons saith the King of Jacob Shall Idolaters have this liberty and not the true Worshippers that worship him in Spirit and in truth The wicked shall they have it and not the righteous Yes doubtless this is that boldness of speech 2 Cor. 7.4 mentioned as the great priviledge of the Saints especially now under the new Testament Heb. 4.16 Accedamus cum loquendi ubertate ad thronum gratiae Letus come boldly unto the throne of grace Heb. 10.19 Having
Spouse enjoyeth by Christ To wit that she is not only freed and delivered from evil but made partaker of his goodness in that all the works of his Prophesie Preisthood and Kingdom his Death Resurrection Ascention and all the fruits of them are communicated unto her by the Gospel which she feedeth upon by faith to the abundant refreshing and satisfaction of her soul Fruits signifying good works and the Graces of Gods Spirit which are to the benefit of our selves and others Mat. 3.8 10. Gal. 5.22 which is also applied to the Doctrine of the Gospel Joh. 15.16 and signifieth a comfortable reward Psal 58.11 and Prov. 27.18 So David he expresseth his delight in God by the Delight he took in his words or promises rather How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter then honey to my mouth Psal 119.103 How sweet I am not not able to express the sweetness of them How sweet unto my taste unto my mouth that is unto the mouth of my heart and soul for otherwise the spiritual promises yeild but little sweetness unto the bodily mouth They are more sweet and pleasant unto my mind then honey is to my mouth He meaneth that he never tasted any meat with his mouth how good or pleasant soever it were as he felt Gods word sweet and comfortable to his soul To which agrees that in Psal 19 8 10. The statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart More to be desired are they then gold yea then much fine gold sweeter also then the honey and the honey-comb And in Psal 119.11 Thy Testimonies have I taken as an heritage forever for they are the rejoycing of my heart Yea so delighted was he in the Lord that he would never think of him but his meditation of him should be sweet Psal 104.34 His soul should be satisfied as with marrow and fatness and his mouth should praise him with joyful lips when he remembred God upon his bed and meditated on him in the night watches Psal 63.5 6. What more pleasant and delectable to the palate then marrow and fatness and such was the meditation of God to his soul even in the night watches in the darkest and most dismal season of Gods dispensations To this agrees that in Psal 36.8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures There 's a river of pleasures and delights that flow from God which as a well of living waters and an ever-springing in-exhaustible fountain of life and all divine graces can never be drawn dry but the streams thereof are always running To make glad the City of God Psal 46.4 Hence it is that the souls Communion with Christ and its spiritual participating of Christ in his Ordinances is held forth under the term of Supping with Christ If any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Revel 3.20 I will communicate my self unto him have mutual fellowship with him I will dwell in him spiritually really operatively by my grace and he shall dwell in me by faith feed upon me receive strength and nourishment from me and so come to participate of my divine nature Hereby then mayst thou come to know whether thou makest God thy Habitation or not Men take delight in their habitations there they solace and recreat themselves and Husband and Wife take mutual comfort and contentation in each other Consider then what delight thou hast in God in Christs in his way and worship his ordinances and holy appointments Job 27.10 Dost thou take delight in approaching to God Is thy delight in the Law of the Lord and in that Law dost thou meditate day and night Psal 1.2 Rom. 7.22 Are his testimonies thy delight and thy counsellours Psal 119.24 Is his word unto thee the joy and rejoycing of thine heart as it was to that good Prophet Jeremiah Jer. 15.16 And dost thou delight to do the will of God as Christ did his Fathers Psal 40.8 What fellowship and society is there betwixt Christ and thy Soul Our fellowship saith John is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1.3 The baptized and new added members to the Church continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers Act. 2.41 42. They held communion with Christ and each with other in breaking of bread 1 Cor. 10.16 They assembled together prayed together praised God together sung together suffered and rejoyced together Act. 4.31 and 2.47 and 16.25 and 5.41 Consider then what entertainment thou hast with Christ does he invite thee to come unto him and does he bid thee welcome when thou comest does he bid thee eat that which is good and that thy soul should delight it self in fatness Isa 55.1 2. Wast thou never at dinner or supper with him when he killed his beasts mingled his wine and furnished his table and hath he not bade thee to eat of his bread and drink of the wine which he hath mingled Prov. 9.1 2 5. Christ keeps a plentiful table you 'l hardly find such another noble and generous house-keeper When he prepares a dinner he kills his oxen and his fatlings Mat. 22.4 and will entertain thee with a second course also He has his fruit that 's very sweet to the taste his flagons and his apples the one to stay thee the other to comfort thee And as Princes and great Persons have he has a noble Banquetting house too or house of wine for to welcome thee and if then he finds thee but a little sick of love he will not shun to put his left-hand under thy head and with his right-hand to embrace thee yea his Banner over thee shall be love Cant. 2.3 4 5 6. But now if their be no such intercourses of love and mutual delight betwixt Christ and thy soul If thou art still a stranger unto him and knowst not what it is to have communion with him or to be supping with him If when he has bidden thee to the wedding and hath made all things ready and sent out his servants to call thee and thou shalt make light of it and refuse to come and chuse rather to go to thy Farm or Merchandise and be feeding still upon thy husks or be making excuses and telling him thou hast bought five yoke of oxen and thou must go to prove them or hast married a Wife and therefore thou canst not come Or if thou shouldst do worse then this take his servants and entreat them spightfully and slay them Mat. 22.5 6. comp with Luk. 14.16 Let me tell thee thou wilt incense him greatly even to send forth his Armies to destroy thee I say if thy heart is dead and drowsie and estranged to God and void of love and dutiful affections to Christ thou art far from dwelling in the secret place of the most high and making him thy
an hill therefore when the Apostle presseth Gospel-obedience he bids us lay aside every weight that we may run with patience Heb. 12.1 The old Adam is a clogg to our obedience and weights easily pull us down and if down to rise again it is up-hill work What a do have we to get up our hearts unto true Gospel-sorrow for our sins Oh what a hard work it is to bring our hearts up to a beleif of the promises to trust God in difficulties c. Oh how difficult to get up the hill of Gospel-obedience what pains must we take to get to communion with God in the Spirit Gods call for our obedience is like his command to Moses Deut. 32.49 50. Go up to Mount Nebo and dye there So go up into thy Closet and kill thy corruptions there let thy dearest lusts dye there pluck out thy right eye there and cut off thy right hand there and we had as live dy as do such a thing such verily is our natural stubbornness against God When God bids us up and do this or that oh how irksome and unpleasing is it to flesh and blood When the Gospel bids us look above all things Father Mother Wife Children Lands Houses Life and and leave forsake and hate them all and then thou shalt be a Disciple of Christ upon the account of Gospel-obedience Are we not ready to say with those Disciples of Christ This is a hard saying who can bear it Joh. 6.60 Yet I say the soul that is carried upon the wings of faith and love and strengthened with might by the Spirit of the Lord in the inward man can chearfully and willingly conform to such harsh difficult and unpleasing commands considered as to flesh and blood But I shall come a little closer as to the thing in hand to excite thee to this evangelical obedience Consider first how acceptable and well-pleasing a thing it is unto the Lord in that he prefers it above legal Sacrifices whatsoever As Sumuel said to Saul Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and Sacrifices as in obeying the voyce of the Lord Behold to obey is better then Sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of rams For rebellion is as the sin of witch-craft and stubbornness is as iniquity and Idolatry 1 Sam. 15.22 23. Hos 6.6 So Jer. 7.22 23. For I spake not unto your Fathers nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the Land of Egypt concerning burnt-offerings and sacrifices But this thing commanded I them saying Obey my voice and I will be your God and ye shall be my people and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you that it may be well with you But they hearkened not nor inclined their ear but walked in the counsels and imaginations of their evil heart and went backward and not forward c. And because they rejected the Lords Prophets he sent among them and would not hearken unto the Lord nor incline their ear but hardned their neck and did worse then their Fathers Therefore the Prophet Jeremy was to say unto them This is a Nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God nor receiveth correction truth is perished and is cut off from their mouth Object But did not the Lord command their Burnt-offerings and Sacrifices after he had brought them out of the Land of Egypt were they not things of his own appointment Answ Yea Surely the Lord did command and injoyn their sacrifices and it was their sin to omit them but the meaning is this as if the Lord had said This was not the chiefest thing that I commanded them as ye Hypocrites do conceive and imagine but it was their sincere obedience which they have not yeilded unto me and you have yeilded me less then they I did expect that your forefathers should have obeyed my voice in all other things that I had enjoyned and commanded them to do as well as in matters of burnt-offerings and sacrifices but seeing they disobeyed my voice and yet would come and sacrifice unto me with impure hands and unclean hearts rebellious and disobedient spirits their Sacrifices and Offerings to me were as if I had not commanded them at all my soul did loath them and abominate them and so they do yours so long as you hearken not to my voice but walk in the counsells and imaginations of your own evil hearts The Prophet Hosea gives much light into this understanding of the mind of God in Hosea 6.6 and so doe our blessed Saviour referring his speech thereunto For I desire mercy and not sacrifice and the knowledge of God more then burnt-offerings See Mat. 9.13 and 12.7 that is I preferred works of mercy before Sacrifice and the knowledge of God as it is joyned with obedience to the will of God before burnt-offering The outward bare offering considered in it self without faith and repentance the Lord highly reproved and rejected See to this purpose Psa 50.12 to 17. So Isa 1.11 to 15. See there how the Lord did abominate their offerings notwithstanding he had instituted and appointed them To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me saith the Lord I am full of the burnt-offerings of Rams c. 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 your solemn meeting your new Moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth they are a trouble unto me I am weary to bear them And when ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not hear And why Your bands are full of blood will ye kill and murder my servants the Prophets and shed the blood of mine innocent ones and come and think to appease my wrath with your hypocritical offerings And therefore he exhorts them to repentance Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well seek judgment releive the oppressed judge the fatherless plead for the widow Come now and let us reason togeather saith the Lord when these things are done then come unto me then bring your offerings unto me then shall they be accepted by me then we will reason together then I will hear your prayers and pardon your sins and not before Hence it is that Solomon saies The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight Prov. 15.8 So Prov. 21.27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind It is always evil but how much more abominable is it when he brings it with a wicked mind or with a wicked intent expresly intending to effect or accomplish some wicked act or enterprise thereby and as it were calling upon God to be an help to advance and set