affection on things above not on things on the Earth For if true Believers ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God And when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appeare with him in Glory O with what pantings what thirstings what longings should your hearts be draw'n forth in these perillous Times after this appearing of Christ after these Participations of glory When you look downward to a world of Sinne and Misery full of wicked men defil'd with wicked works me thinks you should say with the Psalmist * Ps 120.5 Woe is me that I sojourne in Mesech that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar And when you look up to a Heaven of Blisse and Glory to a God of Grace and Mercy who fills Heaven with Divine Beauties and everlasting Delights being to all his Saints above an inexhaustible Fountaine of unexpressible pleasures Felicities Joyes me thinks you should cry out with holy David †Ps 42.1 2 As the heart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after Thee O God My soul thirsteth for God for the living God When O when shall I come and appear before God When you consider the frequent Changes which you see on earth with those many Dangers Feares Troubles and Calamities which are occasion'd thereby and do commonly ensue thereupon methinks you should grow weary of this World and extreamly long to leave the Earth that so you might for ever live where all the Saints enjoy an unchangeable Happinesse in Heaven But you 'l say It 's true we live in troublesome Times â—herein the Evils we feâ—l are many and those we fear are more and so we have no great Reason to be over in-love with this present World It 's true likewise that Heaven is a glorious Place wherein I do believe the Happinesse of the Saints is so great that they cannot desire it to be greater the Fruition exceeding the Expectation And therefore I know it is ten thousand fold bett r to live in Heaven then to abide still on Earth in the most prosperous and therefore much more in the most perillous Times But who can be willing to leave the Earth before he is first sure of Heaven And therefore I desire to be resolved how I may know that Heaven is mine To this I answer Dare you live on Earth without any evidence for eternal life in Heaven How is it you fear not every moment to drop into Hell What paines have you taken to attaine this evidence Have you ever spent one whole Day one serious Houre for the attainment of it O lazy Believers Is it not pity but you should want the Comfort of it who can so well content your selves without it Would you not readily take more paines for the attainment of a firme title to an earthly Inheritance to an estate of two or three thousand pounds a yeare then ever you have yet taken for the attainment of a well-grounded Evidence for the Kingdome of Heaven O carelesse and secure Christians How unworthy are you of the glorious things which God hath prepared for his Saints in the World to come Surely if God save you you shall feele the Flashings of Hell to fright you out of your security before you enter into the Joyes of Heaven And what are you resolved still to continue secure in this uncertaine condition not knowing what shall become of your souls to Eternity To what purpose should I direct you to the attainment of this most blessed Assurance of salvation and eternal blessednesse in heaven when you will scarce take the paines or think it worth the while to examine your consciences or to try your Evidences for an eternal * 1 Pet. 1.4 Inheritance reserved in Heaven for all the children of God Well then I shall spare my pains and speak no further to you but leave you to sleep on in your security till God by some sharp Dispensation shall awake you But yet to afford some Help to the poore trembling soul that would rather then all the World attain this comfortable Assurance of its salvation and is willing to deal seriously with it self in searching for those Evidences which may clear its title to this glorious Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven I shall give some Direction towards this Discovery Poore soul doest thou desire to know whether Heaven be thine Whether God hath instated so poore a Creature as thou accountest thy selfe to be in so rich an Inheritance Then tell me or rather ask thy own soul these Questions I shall put to thee and observe what Answer shall eccho from thy conscience thereupon Say then Is God thine Is Christ thine Is the Spirit of God and Christ given to thee If God have given thee himselfe his Sonne his sacred Spirit lift up thy heart with joy thy soul with praise Heaven with all the Beauties and Blisses all the Joyes and Glory of it is undoubtedly thine to all Eternity He that hath given the greater certainly will not deny the lesser Now if when God could give thee nothing greater he hath given himself with his Sonne and holy Spirit to thee certainly he will not with-hold the lesser he cannot deny thee Heaven He that hath God for his God must needs have Heaven for his Inheritance For God and Heaven are inseparable Where the King is there is the Court where God is there is heaven As none can possibly enjoy Heaven without God who is the Heaven of Heaven so neither can any possibly enjoy God without Heaven without a present Title to it sufficient to secure the future Possession of it to Eternity For these great †Rom. 11.29 Gifts of God are without Repentance Never did God give himself to any soul and afterwards cast that soul into Hell Well then poore soule see how rich and happy thou art Canst thou say to God my God and my Father Canst thou say to Christ * Joh. 20.28 My Lord and my God Canst thou say to the holy Spirit my Guide and my Comforter Look then up to heaven and say as thou truly mayst This is my Home and my Inheritance this when I leave the Earth must be my habitation for ever But thou wilt say unto me How shall I know this that God is my God and that he hath given his Son and holy Spirit to me This latter difficulty is as great to me as the former Thou sayest How shall I know that God is my God Why doest thou take him for thy God canst thou say the Lord is my God and him will I serve †Psal 144 15 Happy is the soul that is in such a case Doest thou give thy self up unto him as thy God and place thy happinesse in the enjoyment of him as the chiefest good Canst thou say * Ps 73.25 Whom have I in heaven O Lord but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Does thy heart close in with him
that thus fears his Name believes his Word trusts in his Power and waits for his Mercy according to his Promise shall be priviledg'd with a comfortable Security on Earth or which is much better admitted into the inviolable Sanctuary of Heaven For to such do the Promises of Divine Protection pertain They may be for a time afflicted and distressed through the Pride and prevalency of the wicked †Psal 37.39 40. But the salvation of the Righteous is of the LORD He is their strength in the Time of Trouble And the LORD shall help them and deliver them He shall deliver them from the wicked and save them because they trust in him And therefore he is said to be a * Pro. 30.5 Shield and †Ps 18.30 Buckler to them that trust in Him He is their * Psal 71.3 strong Habitation whereunto they may continually resort He is their Rock and Fortress for their Defence against all the Assaults of their Enemies And therefore †Ps 125.1 They that trust in the LORD shall be as Mount Zion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever For * Nah. 1.7 The LORD is good a strong hold in the day of Trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him The third Work BE much in Communion with God The Lord is the Preserver of his Saints in Perillous Times And who are they that are interested in this special protection but those that are raised into this spiritual Communion Communion with God is a Saints sweetest and safest Sanctuary in Times of Danger And therefore did David so much desire of God that he might * Psal 27.4 Dwell in the house of the LORD all the dayes of his Life to behold the beauty of the LORD and to enquire in his Temple that is that he might live in Communion with the true Church in the Use of holy Ordinances to enjoy a constant Communion with God all the Time of his continuance in the world For saith he †v. 5. giving you the Reason of this his Request In the Time of Trouble he shall hide me in his Pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide me he shall set me up upon a Rock As if he should say He shall keep me in Secresie preserve me in Security advance me to Dignity and Glory As he saies elswhere * Psal 3.3 Thou O LORD art a Shield for me my Glory and the Lifter up of my head A Saint never rests so securely as when he dwels in the same Pavilion with God when God himself hides him under the Ark in the most secret Place of his holy Sanctuary The further from God the nearer to danger as a sheep that is gone astray from the Fold But the nearer to God the further from Danger As a Child under the Arm of the Father Gods special preserving Providence is as a Pavilion to that Saint that lives in Communion with God There 's no such place of safety for a Subject in times of Peace as in the Presence-Chamber of the King nor in Times of War as in the Royal Tent. Noah was safe in the Ark though tost with the Waves and Billows of an universal deluge when all the World besides was drown'd with water A Saint in communion with God is kept safe in the Ark of his holy Covenant Upon this account it s more safe for a Saint to dwell in Gods House in Times of Danger then to flie to the strongest Fortresse for safety I had rather sayes David †Ps 84.10 be a Door-keeper in the House of my God then to dwell in the Tents of Wickednesse Why so He gives you the Reason * v. 11. For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield He is a Help at hand a strong Defence to his Saints in time of Danger †Psal 91.1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty He that dwells in the secret of communion with God shall be safe under the shadow of the Protection of his power In communion with God a Saint * Isa 40.31 mounts up as with the wings of an Eagle and so sores above the Difficulties and Dangers of the lower world Communion with God is a garden enclosed As no stranger can enter into it so a Saint hath most safety while he dwells in it Communion with God is a Saints peculiar Priviledge heighten'd with this that it interests him in a special Protection O then Christians be much in communion with God Be much in those Duties of Religion wherein gracious souls do maintaine this holy Communion Be much in †Mat. 6.6 Closet-Prayer much in * Gen. 24..63 Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dâ—vout-Meditation much in †Psal 4.4 Communing with your own Heart as an excellent help to communion with God Stir up your graces and set all the Powers of your soule on work in these spiritual Duties for otherwise you may spend much Time daily in Reading Praying Meditating and yet enjoy no communion with God Leave not a Duty till you can get your heart warm'd by it till you can feel it melting burning within your breast melting with * Psal 119 136 sorrow for sin and Joy in God burning with a holy Anger and an ardent †Psal 119 139 Zeal for Gods Glory suffering by the sinnes of the Times Cease not till you can finde your very soul going out to God and God by the powerful Influences and Operations of his holy Spirit coming in to your heart in holy Duties This is to maintain communion with God and this is to live in Heaven on Earth This will be to you a Spring of living Comforts in a dry and barren Wildernesse You shall have no cause to be disconsolate in your Desert-condition while the Manna of spiritual Mercies drops down from Heaven upon your soule in Communion with God Hereby you shall be able to fetch Waters of Comfort out of the Flinâ—y Rocks of Affliction and Persecution And which may be sufficient to revive your drooping Spirit in the greatest dangers from this Holy Mount of Communion with God you may take a faire Prospect of the Heavenly Canaan Yea he that lives in communion with God on earth does already dwell in the Suburbs of Heaven The fift Duty Longing to leave the Earth and live in Heaven IS it your lot to live in the last Dayes and to experiment the evil of perillous Times Then take off your hearts from things on earth and long to live in heaven O Christians here are Perils below but there 's Peace above you finde troubles on earth but you have Treasures in heaven It 's time for you to be dead to the world if you are indeed risen with Christ †Col. 3.1 2 3 4. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Set your
the Times which is properly applyable to them that shall live in them For properly time is not capable of any impressions of Good or Evil it can neither be priviledg'd with safety nor opprest with Difficulty nor exposed to Danger But those are called hard and perillous times wherein those that live in them are exercised with difficulties and exposed to Dangers Tempori tribuuntur ejusmodi Epitheta Metonymicè propter ea quae in tempore contingunt maximè propter hominum Mores ac studia †Estius And therefore are the Times here called Perillous because of those things which should fall out in those Times especially because of the perillous Practises of the men of the Times So likewise the Apostle elsewhere calls the * Eph. 5.16 Days evil because of the Evil men that liv'd in those days and the Evil things that were done by those men as Chrysostome well notes What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Chrysost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes he is the evil of the Day The Evil of the Day must needs be something about the Day What is the Evill of the Body Sicknesse What 's the Evil of the Soul Vitiousness How then does he call the dayes evil how does he call the time evil He calls them not so for their Nature or Essence or as they are Creatures but for the things that are done in them So that men are Authours of the Evils that fall out in the Times and for this Cause are they called evil Times They are indeed bad men that make the Times bad hard Hearts that make hard Times perillous Undertakings difficult Designes troublesome and tyrannical Intrusions Actings Impositions of men of proud daring and ambitious Spirits that make these perillous difficult and troublesome Times So the same Father determines upon this very Text. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Chrysost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perillous Times shall come He speaks not this to accuse the Dayes or finde fault with the Times but the men that should then be For we are wont to call the Times good or bad from the Things that are done by men in such Times And indeed those are the worst Times that do produce the worst men and wherein these men do accomplish their worst Designes and execute their most mischievous Intentions That 's the worst ground which is most overgrown with weeds especially if such weeds as neither any good Graine nor wholesom Herbs nor Fragrant Flowers will grow amongst them And such are the Times whereof the Apostle here Prophecies so that we may truly say of him as Casaubon of Taciâ—us Ejusmodi tempora descripsit quibus nulla unquam aut Virtutum steriliora aut Virtutibus in imicitiora He hath describ'd such times as never were any more barren of Vertues or more pregnant with Enmity and opposition to all Goodnesse Those Times that are most barren in Virtues are ever most fruitful in Vices Evils do most abound when Goodnesse is banisht Sin then reignes upon Earth when †Ultima Caelestum Terras Astraâ—a reliquit Ovid. Righteousnesse flies up to Heaven The Flowers are choaked when the Weeds grow tallest Thus was the * Mat. 13.7 good Seed stifled amongst the thriving Thornes When the Plague of sin Errour and Profanenesse reigns the Times must needs be Perillous Thus we see what these Times here predicted shall be even evil and perillous Times The Prediction COme we now in the next Place to enquire When these Times shall be This the Apostle tells us in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in ultimis Diebus seu in Diebus novissimis instabunt * Vet. Beâ— They shall come they shall press upon us and as it were instantly overtake us in the last Dayes Now the Times of the Gospel in respect of the four thousand years that went before even the whole space of Time from Christs first to his second Coming from his Ascention into Heaven to his Return to Judgement at the end of the world is in the Scripture-Phrase called the last Dayes So sayes the Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrews †Chap. 1. ver 1 2. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last dayes spoken to us by his Son So the Apostle applies to his Times the Prophetick Prophecy of the Old Testament * Act. 2.16 17 Joel 2.28 This is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel And it shall come to passe in the last Dayes saith God I will poure out my Spirit upon all Flesh Of the same Import is that which the same Apostle speaks in his Epistle to the believing Jews †2 Pet. 3.3 knowing this that there shall come in the last Dayes scoffers walking after their own lusts The whole time therefore of the Evangelical Administration is here to be understood by the last Dayes yet so as the later the time the darker the dayes unlesse in some lucid Intervals and when those Illustrious Prophecies and Promises of the Old Testament concerning glorious Gospel-times shall be fulfill'd As that * Isa 30.2 6 The Light of the Moon shall be as the Light of the Sun and the Light of the Sun shall be sevenfold as the Light of seven dayes Yea that †Isa 24.23 Then the Moon shall be confounded and the Sunne ashamed when the LORD of Hosts shall reigne in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his Ancients gloriously And that * Hab. 2.24 The Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the Sea Such may we expect the times to be when the Lord shall fulfill his Promises concerning the †Rev. 18.2 Fall of Babylon and * 2 Thes 2.8 destruction of Antichrist the †Rom. 11 25 26. Call and Conversion of the Jews and the bringing in of the Fulnesse of the Gentiles But otherwise the last Age we may expect according to this and * 2 Pet. 3.3 1 Joh. 2.18 Jude v. 18. Mat. 24 9 12 29. Rev. 8. and 9. and 20. other Predictions in the New Testament to be the worst Age the last Dayes to be the worst Dayes Thus we see how the last Dayes respect the whole time of the Gospel-Church from the Apostles times to the End of the World This is the Evening of the World as the time before was the Morning The nearer Night the greater darknesse till the Glory of the Lord like Lightning shall break out of the Clouds The nearer the Bottomâ— the more Dregges The Absence of the Sunne makes Night in the World And the longer the time is it hath left us the greater is our darknesse till its Return shall make a new Day Such is Christs Absence from his Church yet as we have seen some Beames of Glory shall be scatter'd upon Earth before the King of Glory shall return from Heaven Thus the Dawne
degenerated into the very disposition of the Devil Calumnie banishes all Piety from the breast wherein it lodges it s daily feasted with lies and falshood It 's a Wâ—ed so poysonous that no wholesome Herb will grow upon the same Ground In a word Slandering is a Satanical sin The twelfth Character 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Incontinentes †Vetus Intemperantes * Beza Qui se audit sibi modum statuere potest Affectibus imperare is dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hinc Socrates hanc Virtutem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esse judicavit Sunt igitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 soluti in omnem Voluptatem proni in omnem Intemperantiam †Aret. in loc 12. Incontinent Such whose sensitive Appetite is without Bit or Bridle of Continence or Temperance impetuously carry'd after sensual delights He that can command himself and check his inordinate Desires or Inclinations is called Continent Hence Socrates judged this Virtue to be the foundation of all Moral honesty and goodnesse They therefore are called Incontinent who dissolve themselves into sensual Delights pursuing brutish pleasures with loose reines and seeking in all things the satisfaction of their intemperate De res They stifle their Natural Affections and yet cannot bridle their Sensual Appetite Their intemperance begets incontinency and these two as the two daughters of the Horse-Leach still crying Give Give * Prov. 30.15 suck out the Life-blood of their souls The lusts of these men like fire whose rage is but encreast by fewel the more Provision they make for them the more satisfaction they study to give them the more do they become Excessive and Insatiable Incontinent Persons are such as in the Pursuit of carnal Pleasures cannot contain themselves within the Bounds of Moderation The thirteenth Character 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Immites †Beza Feri * Vet. Syr. Alieni ab omni Humanitate quales sunt ferae †Aretius 13. Fierce Cruel Vnmercifull men Such as having banish't all humanity are degenerated into Bruits through inhumane rage and cruelty Bloody Beasts they are full of Fiercenesse Unmercifulnesse and Revenge Wicked men are in Scripture compared to * Psal 57.4 Lions †Ps 22.12 Bulls and * Prov. 28.15 Bears to †Mat. 10.16 Wolves and Dogges * Phil. 3.2 which cruelly devoure the Sheep of Christs Fold the Lambs of his Flock and sometimes teare and devoure one another These are †Ps 68.30 the People that delight in War These are they that with Saul * Act. 9.1 breath out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord. The tender Mercies of the wicked are cruel †Prov. 12.10 As a roaring Lion and a ranging Beare so is a wicked Ruler over the poor People * Prov. 28.15 The fourteenth Character 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Minime amantes Bonorum †Beza Sine Benignitate * Vetus Interpr Non a mantes Bonos per Meiosin Osores Bonorum †Cornel. à Lap. Odio habentes Bona * Syr. interp Trem. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est Honestatis studiosus boni probi Ingenii homo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui non tam bonos honestos quam ipsam honestatem exosam habet aversatur †Aret in loc 14. Despisers of those that are Good Such as can by no meanes love good men These are not the Objects of their favour or Bounty Yea such as not only do not love them but hate them Yea such as are not onely no Lovers of Good men but also * Diodat Despisers of Goodnesse as the Word may import Such as are so farre from being truly good and honest themselves that they despise in their hearts all those that are so and nourish a secret hatred of all Goodnesse and Honesty But this hatred of Goodnesse principally shews it self in their Contempt of or Opposition to Good Men. The men of the World do naturally hate the children of God Christians must not expect to be beloved by such as * Joh. 15.18 hated Christ The godly are the great Eye-sores of the wicked The Image of God enstampt upon Saints renders them not amiable but abominable to sinners The Ethiopians account the blackest complexion to be the beautifullest The †Gen. 3.15 Seed of the Woman is ever hateful to the Seed of the Serpent The fifteenth Character 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proditores qui tum fidei tum fratrum nihil pensi habent modo ipsi sint in tuto * Aret. in loc Amicitiae Desertores 15. Traitors Who make no reckoning of Truth and Honâ—sty nor do at all regard their Brethrens welfare so they can but secure themselves and their own Interests False friends who betray those that put most confidence in them A wicked man is a Reed of Egypt that pierces his hand that leanes upon it They pretend Friendship when they meditate Revenge and proclaim Peace when they prepare for Warre They are such as will betray their Prince for Money their Countrey for Reward and the Cause of Christ for some private Gain some secular Advantage Thus Judas betray'd his Lord and Master †Mar. 27.3 4. for thirty pieces of silver whereby he justly merited that ignominious Name * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 6.16 the Traitor which shall perpetuate the shame and infamy of so foule a sin throughout all ages Two sorts of men there are which are hated and abhor'd of all men as well of the Bad as of the Good a King that is a Tyrant and a Subject that is a Traitor Such bring nothing but mischiefs to Common-wealths on Earth and can expect nothing but Exclusion from the Kingdom of Heaven Such a Traitor to illustrate this by one instance was that false and bloody Tryphon of whom we read in the Maccabean Story Who taking upon him the Protection of Antiochus pretended to act for his establishment in his Kingdome usurpt by Demetrius and shaken with Civil Commotions And in this undertaking he became strangely successfull carrying on the matter under plausible pretences of Loyalty to his Soveraign whom having punish't the Insolencies of his Subjects he pretended doubtlesse to the joy of many deceived but well-meaning Hearts he would make a glorious Prince But behold an execrable Designe conceived and soone after a cursed Paricide committed in the Execution of it Behold the Face of pretended Loyalty covered with a Scarletblush and her false Beauty stain'd with the guilt of innocent blood For says the story 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Tryphon sought to advance himselfe to the Kingdome of Asia and by stretching his hand out againsâ— Antiochus the King to bring it back with the Royal Diadem to his own head †1 Macc. 12.39 And his bloody enterprise failed not of a speedy execution For it s said of him a while after Now Tryphon having taken
Amos 5.11 12. as your treading is upon the Poore and ye take from him Burdens of wheat ye have built Houses of hewen stone but ye shall not dwell in them ye have planted pleasant Vine-yards but ye shall not drink Wine of them For I know your manifold Transgressions and your mighty sins they afflict the just they take a Bribe and they turn aside the poore in the Gate from their right And what follows * v. 16 17. Therefore the LORD the God of Hosts the Lord saith thus wailing shall be in all streets and they shall say in all the High-wayes Alas Alas For I will pass through thee saith the LORD Well then may the Apostle call the Rich men of the World who have been the Oppressors of the Poor to weeping and mourning and bitter Lamentation †Jam. 5 1-6 Go to now ye rich men weep and howle for your miseries that shall come upon you Your Riches are corrupted and your Garments moth-eaten Your Gold and Silver is Canker'd and the Rust of them shall be a witnesse against you and shall eat your Flesh as it were Fire ye have heaped Treasure together for the last Dayes Behold the hire of the Labourers which have reaped down your Fields which is of you kept back by Fraud crieth and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the eares of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * the Lord of Sabaoth Ye have lived in pleasure on the Earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the LORD of Hosts and been wanton ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter Ye have condemned and killed the just and he doth not resist you Bloody Tyrants Thus do Wolves devoure the harmlesse Sheep But the Mighty God will at length roll down heavy Judgements upon the heads of such wicked worldlings Deceit and Violence are the two maine Pillars in the House of OPPRESSION wherein bloody Tyrants and Insolent Usurpers dwell They lay snares for the Lives of men that they may take them by Deceit and then drag them with Violence to a bloody Death or unjustly deprive them of the Comforts of Life Such is the State of things when Oppression reignes in a Land Thus doth the Prophet describe these bloody and deceitful men who seek to oppresse the Righteous and lie in waite for Innocent Blood and shews how high a Provocation this is of the great God to execute his Judgements upon such a sinful Nation For among my People saith the LORD by the Prophet †Jer. 5.26 are found Wicked men they lay wait as he that setteth snares they set a Trap they catch men * Jer. 9.8 9 Their Tongue is as an Arrow shot out it speaketh deceit one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth but in heart he layeth wait for him Shall I not visit them for these things saith the LORD Shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this †Jerem. 5 27-29 As a Cage is full of Birds so are their Houses full of Deceit therefore are they become great and waxen rich They are waxen fat they shine yea 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 Shall I not visit for these things faith the LORD Shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this some passages of another Prophecy we shall select to the same Purpose * Ezek. 22 3-22 Thus saith the Lord GOD The City sheddeth Blood in the midst of it that her Time may come Thou art become guilty in thy Blood that thou hast shed thou hast caused thy Dayes to draw near and art come even to thy years therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the Heathen and a mocking to all Countreys Those that be neare and those that be far from thee shall mock thee which art infamous and much vexed Behold the Princes of Israel every one were in thee to their Power to shed Blood In thee have they set light by Father and Mother in the midst of thee have they dealt by Oppression with the Stranger in thee have they vexed the Fatherlesse and the Widow Thou hast despised my holy things and hast profaned my Sabbaths In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood In thee have they taken gifts to shed Blood Thou hast taken Vsury and Increase and thou hast greedily gained of thy Neighbours by Extortion and hast forgotten me saith the Lord GOD. Behold therefore I have smitten my hand at thy dishonest Gaine which thou hast made and at thy Blood which hath been in the midst of thee Can thine Heart endure or can thine Hands be strong in the Days that I shall deal with thee I the LORD have spoken it and will do it Now therefore thus saith the Lord GOD Because ye are all Become Drosse behold therefore I will gather you as they gather Silver and Brass and Iron and Lead and Tin into the midst of the Furnace to blow the Fire upon it to melt it so will I gather you in my Anger and in my Fury Yea I will gather you and blow upon you in the Fire of my Wrath and ye shall be melted as Silver is melted in the midst of the Furnace and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out my Fury upon you This is the portion of the wicked from the Lord. Thus doe Presumptuous men exalt themselves †Ps 55.23 But thou O God shalt bring them downe into the Pit of Destruction Bloody and Deceitfull men shall not live out half their Dayes The fourth Sin Swearing and Cursing WHen the fearful sins of swearing and Cursing are growne common the Times are Perillous When these Black sins these Ill-boading Fowles that are wont to feed upon the Brinks of the bottomless Pit do abound it s a Signe the Winter of Gods Judgements is at hand When men Thunder out Oathes and Curses on Earth as alas how often are our ears pierc't with these Hellish sounds in the open streets it's time for God to Thunder down his Judgements from heaven Doubtlesse men may curse away all the Lords Blessings and by their abominable Oaths sweare down Vengeance from heaven upon their own Heads yea soon swear their own souls into Hell Yea cruel Curses and bloody Oaths may soon fill the Land with Cruelty and Blood * Jer. 23.10 Hos 4.2 3. Because of Swearing may God justly cause the Land to mourne This sin we finde in the holy Scripture strictly forbidden and severely punished I say unto you sayes our Saviour †Mat 5 34-37 swear not at all neither by Heaven for it is Gods Throne nor by the Earth for it is his Foot-stoole neither by Jerusalem for it is the City of the great King Neither shalt thou swear by thy Head because thou canst not make one haire white or black But let your
Communication be Yea yea Nay nay For whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil The Apostle James * Chap. 5. ver 12. further backs this Injunction and earnestly presses this Prohibition But above all things saith he my Brethren Sweare not neither by Heaven neither by the Earth neither by any other Oath but let your Yea be yea and your Nay nay lest ye fall into Condemnation How strange it is that men should delight to pollute their own soules and pull down judgement on the Land by the Customary Commission of a sin so strictly prohibited under the Pain of Damnation This is a sin which hath in it no Profit no pleasure no not sensual sweetnesse enough to bait a temptation How does this argue a Devilish Disposition in men that they will do a thing so much abhord of God so strictly forbidden in the Word so certainly Destructive to their souls when they cannot tast so much as a seeming sweetnesse nor see so much as an appearing Goodnesse in it to be any ground of their Allurement thereunto or occasion of their frequent Commission thereof when such a fin abounds must not God needs be provokt to plague and punish such a desperately wicked People So for the sin of cursing a sin of the same Hellish nature a fruit of the same root of bitternesse how hath the Lord manifested his Displeasure against it by the punishment which he ordained to be inflicted on such as were guilty of it in his holy Word We reade †Lev. 24 10-16 of the Son of an Israelitish woman whose Father was an Egyptian that went out among the Children of Israel in the Camp And this Son of the Israelitish woman blasphemed the Name of the LORD and cursed And they brought him unto Moses And they put him in Ward that the mind of the LORD might be shew'd them And the LORD spake unto Moses saying Bring forth him that hath Cursed without the Camp let all that heard him lay their hands upon his Head and let all the Congregation stone him And hereupon the LORD made it a Statute in Israel that whosoever should be found guilty of this sin whether Israelite or Stranger he should surely be put to Death And therefore however amongst men this sin may go unpunished yet seeing the Name of God is hereby profan'd the LORD will not hold them guiltlesse * Exo. 20.7 that are guilty of it nor suffer them to escape his Righteous judgement That Imprecation of the Psalmist is Prophetical and hath the force of a Commination †Psal 59.12 13. For the sin of their Mouth and the words of their Lips let them even be taken in their Pride and for Cursing and Lying which they speak Consume them in wrath consume them that they may not be and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the Ends of the Earth Doubtlesse the Curse of God hangs over the Heads of those that are given to Cursing Dreadful is that Jmprecation of David of the same Nature with the former * Psal 109 17 18 19. 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 his 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 where with he is girded continually Woe be to him whose Body Belly Bones are thus cloath'd fill'd consum'd with Cursing This is doubtlesse worse then the most deadly Disease and will prove more intolerable then the torturing Wracks of the terriblest Tyrants in the World Cursing will surely fill the awaken'd Conscience of the guilty sinner with tormenting Agonies which shall last to Eternity Oaths and Curses are as Arrows shot up against heaven which at length fall down upon the Heads of them that shot them Yea they are sparks of Hell-fire or rather Firebrands of Hell which are thrown into the Aire and may if timely Repentance with speedy Reformation and infinite mercy prevent not kindle a deadly burning in that City or Nation wherein they abound unpunished And yet is not this the sinne not onely of the basest sort but of many of the great Gallants of the Times Oathes are the Sause of their Mirth and Curses are the Stings of their Anger Oathes are in Fashion amongst them and to rap them out roundly is a piece of their Gallantry Curses still wart upon their commands and whosoever or whatsoever doth but a little crosse them they wish all the Plagues of hell to light upon them Surely the Devil himself cannot speak more desperate language and utter more damnable speeches then these horribly Profane Gallants If any where there be a Hell upon Earth 't is where these Children of Hell these first-born sonnes of the Devil that have Damnation written in their Foreheads are met together and sit the Devil being doubtlesse in the Head of the Company Bowzing Swearing Storming Cursing Blaspheming as if they would tear Heaven to let down flaming Vengeance and rend the earth to the Bottom of Hell that they might go down quick into that fiery Prison fall down headlong into the burning-Lake A wonder it is of the Divine Patience that when they are rending the Sacred Name of God with Oathes Blasphemies Cursings God doth not give them up into the hands of the Devil to tear them instantly in pieces as we read he hath dealt with some and carry them Body and Soul into Hell But God in Justice lets them live for the Aggravation of their sins and the encrease of their Torments in Hell-fire to Eternity For how can they hope for any salvation by Christ or benefit by his Blood who desperately wrap up his wounds and blood in their Oathes and Curses and so as it were throw them in God Almighty's Face whence is it he doth not with some dreadful Thunderbolt instantly smite them into Hell How should they expect that God should save them in the Day of their Death who disperately bid God damne them every day How can they escape Hell and Damnation who are still bidding the Devil take them upon every slight occasion O desperately Profane Wretches O Devilish wicked Creatures Is it possible there are such to be found under the Sunne Is it possible there should be such Monsters found within the Pale of the Church such Incarnate Devils in a Land enlightned with the Gospel of Christ and honoured with the glorious Profession of Christianity O that the tingling Ears and trembling Hearts of many of Gods children who have occasionally heard this Language of Hell though never privy to the thousandth Part of these Hellish Impieties were not too sad an evidence of these Abominations abounding in the Land Now shall not the Lord visit for these things Shall not his soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Is it not a wonder Heaven
suis compeditas agunt Jun. Trem. Calceamenta habebant cum crepitaculis Pagn Therefore the Lord will smite with a Scab the Crown of the Head of the Daughters of Zion and the LORD will discover their secret Parts In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling Ornaments about their Feet and their Cauls or Ornaments of Net-work or Needle-work wrought with Eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Reticula Ar. Mont. Vittas instar retis Pagn Opera Oculata Jun. Trem. and their round Tires like the Moon The Chaines or sweet Balls or Boxes of perfuming Ointments their Golden Boxes of rich Gummes and precious Balsome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Myrothecidia Jun. Vascula aurea in quibus ponebatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stacte aut Balsamum juxta Kimch R. Levi. Buxt Lexic and the Bracelets and the Mufflers or thin Veiles or Head-Ornaments glittering with waving gold or starry Spangles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Velamina Ar. Mont. Bracteolae quae Collaribus Vittis ac Peplis muleribus addi solent sic dictae à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tremere quod semper tremulae appareant Buxt The Bonnets and the Ornaments of the Legges and the Head-bands or Haire-laces or Neck-laces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Vittae A. M. Redimicula Jun. Ornamenta Colli fuerunt Buxt and the Tablets or the Boxes of Aromatical Confections for the perfuming of the Breath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * i. e. Domus Animae seu Halitus q. d. Breath-Boxes Pagninus Pectoralia Junius Bucculas vertit exponitque superba illa Aulicarum Instrumenta quibus os suum contegunt velut pastomidibus est enim os meatus animae sive anhelitus cujus obex propterea Hebraeis Domus Animae appellatur and the Ear-rings or Amulets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Amuleta Jun. Golden or Silver Plates engraven with certain Characters against Enchantment Aben Ezra The Rings and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Jewels which hung down from the Fore-head to the Nose Nose-jewels or Jewels for the Face The changable Suits of Apparel and the Mantles and the Wimples Aprons or embroyder'd Vestures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Ventralia Jun. Buxt Linteamina Pagn Pepla Ar. Mont. Sic Kimchi and the Crisping-Pins or Cushnets Purses Pin-pillows Needle-Cases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Loculi Aciaria Pagn Ar. Mont. Crumenas vertunt Junius vero Aciaria sive ut Graeci vocant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quibus Acus aciculae infigi aut includi solent The Glasses and the fine Linnen and the Hoods and the Vailes And it shall come to passe that instead of sweet smell there shall be Stink and instead of a Girdle a Rent and instead of well-set Haire Baldnesse and instead of a Stomacher a Girding of Sackcloth and Burning instead of Beauty Thy men shall fall by the Sword and thy Mighty in the War And her Gates shall lament and mourn and being desolate shall sit upon the Ground Thus we see Vanity Fantasticalness and Pride of Apparrel brings down the Judgements of God upon a Land For this may God cloath the Land with Confusion and fill the City with Fears and stain the Beauty of these proud Gallants with Blood For this may God scourge the City with the Plague and chastise the Country with Wars and lay the whole Land desolate How dolefull is the Representation of Gods dreadfull Judgements upon the Land of Judah whereby he threatned to punish the Pride of Jerusalem How may it make the stoutest heart to tremble to see the LORD of Hosts leading up an Army of enraged and implacable Enemies against his own People To see Destruction in the Van and Desolation in the Rear of a terrible and because arm'd with Divine Justice invincible Army of Aliens Behold how the Prophet was affected with the Visionary Representation of it My Bowels says he * Jer. 4.19 ult My Bowels I am pained at my very heart my heart maketh a noise in me I cannot hold my peace because thou hast heard O my soul the sound of the Trumphet the Alarm of War Destruction upon Destruction is cry'd for the whole Land is spoiled suddenly are my Tents spoiled and my Curtains in a Moment How long shall I see the Standard and hear the sound of the Trumphet For my people is foolish they have not known me they are sottish Children and they have none understanding they are wise to do Evil but to do good they have no knowledge I beheld the Earth and lo it was without form and void and the Heavens and they had no Light I beheld the Mountains and loe they trembled and all the Hills moved lightly I beheld and loe there was no man and all the Birds of the Heavens were fled I beheld and loe the fruitfull place was a Wilderness and all the Cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD and by his fierce Anger For thus hath the LORD said The whole Land shall be desolate yet will I not make a full End For this shall the Earth mourn and the Heaven above be black because I have spoken it I have purposed it I will not repent neither will turn back from it The whole City shall flee for the Noise of the Horse-men and Bow-men they shall go into Thickets and climb up upon the Rocks Every City shall be forsaken and not a man dwell therein And when thou art spoiled what wilt thou do Though thou clothest thy self with Crimson thou deckest thee with Ornaments of Gold though thou rentest thy face with Painting in vain shalt thou make thy self fair thy Lovers will despise thee they will seek thy life For I have heard a voice as of a woman in Travell and the Anguish as of hâ—r that bringeth forth her first Child the Voice of the Daughter of Zion that bewailâ—th her self that spreadeth her hands saying woe is me now for my soul is wearied because of Murderers O ye proud Gallants ye fantastick Ladies how long will ye provoke the Lord by your Pride and Wantonness to stain your Glory to strip you of your Ornaments and to plague the whole Land for your sakes with his sorest Judgements Hath not the Lord threatned to punish your Pride and to break those Pillars of Power that sustain your Glory Hath not the Lord said †Jer. 13.9 After this manner even as Jeremiah's linnen Girdle was rotted in the earth * Ver. 7. Will I marre the Pride of Judah and the great Pride of Jerusalem You set off your Beauty by these fantastick Ornamens to the eyes of men but know you not that your Pride in the mean time makes you odious in the sight of God Know you not that Pride is ever attended with shame and shall at length be over-taken with Destruction For When Pride cometh then cometh Shame †Pro. 11.2 and Destruction stayes
mine Indignation upon them I have consumed them with the Fire of my Wrath their own way have I recompenced upon their heads saith the Lord GOD. Thus we see the Generall Corruption of the Inhabitants may soone bring upon the whole Land an utter and inevitable Destruction It 's as easie with God to cut down Cedars as to stock up Shrubs yea if the Fire of his wrath be once kindled 't will easily suddenly irresistibly consume the whole †Jer. 21.14 Forrest of People both small and great If some Branches of the great Tree of a Kingdom or Nation be barren or bear evil Fruit God may in mercy prune it with some smaller Judgements to make it the more fruitful but if both the Body and Boughs be corrupt and rotten God may justly destroy it both Root and Branch The third Case Obstinacy and Impudency in Sinning VVHen Sinners are obstinate and shamelesse in sinning the Dayes are evil the Times are perillous Such was the state of the People of Israel before their utter Destruction Moreover saith the Lord to the Prophet Jeremy †Jer. 8 4 5 6. thou shalt say unto them Thus saith the LORD shall they fall and not arise shall he turn away and not return q. d. If men do fall will they lie still and not rise again If a man be gone out of the Way when he perceives it will he proceed and not rather turn back again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quare rebellis refractarius * Ar. Mont. est populus iste Jerusalaim Rebellione forti †Pagnin Aversione pertinaci * Ar. Mont. pervicacissima †Jun. Trem. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Septuag Why then is this People of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual Back-sliding Or why is this People of Jerusalem this my People become refractory and Rebellious and have turned away from me with such a stubborn and obstinate impudent and pertinacious Aversion so stout and stiff-necked a Rebellion They hold fast deceit they refuse to return I hearkened and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of his wickednesse saying what have I done Every one turned to his course as the Horse rusheth into the Battel And further saith the LORD †v. 12-16 Were they ashamed when they had committed Abomination Nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush And what follows Therefore shall they fall among them that fall in the Time of their Visitation they shall be cast down saith the LORD I will surely consume them saith the LORD there shall be no Grapes on the Vine nor Figs on the Fig-tree and the Leaf shall fade and the Things that I have given them shall passe away from them Why do we sit still Assemble your selves and let us enter into the defenced Cities and let us be silent there for the LORD our God hath put us to silence and given us water of Gall to drink because we have sinned against the LORD We looked for Peace but no Good came and for a time of health or healing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * and behold trouble Medelae The snorting of his Horses sc of the Chaldean Army was heard from Dan the whole Land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones for they are come and have devoured the Land and all that is in the City and those that dwell therein Thus when men will not forbear sinning God will not spare them in punishing when they will not be reclaim'd from their Wickednesse they shall be consum'd by his just Judgements When the Preaching of the Word by the Prophets and Ministers of the Lord will not prevaile with men to forsake their sins and seriously to engage in the service of God then Punishment is at hand and the sword of the Lord is ready drawn to cut off such an obstinate and rebellious people Thus it s said †2 King 57 13-20 The LORD testified against Israel and against Judah by all the Prophets and by all the Seers saying Turne ye from your evil wayes and keep my Commandments and my Statutes according to all the Law which I commanded your Fathers and which I sent to you by my servants the Prophets Notwithstanding they would not heare but hardened their necks like to the neck of their Fathers that did not believe in the LORD their God And they rejected his Statutes and his Covenant that he made with their Fathers and his Testimonies which he testified against them and they followed vanity and became vain and went after the Heathen that were round about them concerning whom the LORD had charged them that they should not do like them And they left all the Commandments of the LORD their God and made them molten Images even two Calves and made a Grove and worshipped all the Host of Heaven and served Baal And they caused their Sons and their Daughters to pass thorough the Fire and used Divination and Enchantments and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to Anger Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed thâ—m out of his sight there was none left but the Tribe of Judah onely Also Judah kept not the Commmandments of the LORD their God but walked in the Statutes of Israel which they made And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hand of spoilers until he had cast them out of his sight Thus the multipli'd Abominations of a pertinaciously wicked People provokes the Lord to an utter extirpation of them out of the Land Justly may the Lord give their Land to Strangers who are continually provoking the eyes of his glory by their sins Custome in sinning takes away the Conscience of sinne and so do men confirme themselves in their evil wayes and with Pharaoh harden their hearts to their own Destruction For sayes the LORD by the Prophet * Jer. 13.23 24. Can the Ethiopian change his skinne or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the winde of the Wildernesse How severely will the Lord deal with stubborne sinners that wilfully walk in their own wicked wayes Take heed therefore lest there should be among you saith the LORD to his people Israel †Deut. 29 18 19 20. a root that beareth Gall and wormwood and it come to passe when he heareth the words of this Curse that he blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination or stubbornnesse * So the Marg. Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secundum cogitationem Pagn In Obstinatione Ar. Mont. of mine Heart to adde Drunkennesse to Thirst The LORD will not spare him but then thâ— Anger of the LORD and his Jealousie shall smoke against that man and all the Curses that are
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 your hands are full of blood Why did the Lord thus disregard all their Ceremonial Services and sacred Solemnities which in the time of the Old Testament he had commanded them Surely for no other reason but because they rested in them and neglected the great and weighty Things of the Law Judgement Mercy and Faith these ought they to have done and not to leave the other undone †Mat. 23 23 So the Lord elsewhere reproves them for their formal Devotion and hypocritical Fasting because they were extreamly defective in that which was the principal Part of their expected Obedience and the choicest Fruit of all such Religious Performances namely Reformation Justice and Charity For sayes the Lord to the Prophet Isaiah * Isa 58.1 2 Cry aloud spare not lift up thy voice like a Trumpet and shew my People their Transgression and the House of Jacob their sins Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my wayes as a Nation that did Righteousness and forsook not the Ordinance of their God they ask of me the Ordinances of Justice they take Delight in approaching to God Who would not judge these to be a very Holy People that should but take notice of this their Diligence in Duties Desires of direction and Delight in drawing nigh unto God But alas how soon may we hear them murmuring against God for not having respect to their services nor regard to their Solemnities as if they had received wrong from God by his not granting what they conceived their Right to them so highly were these proud hypocrites conceited of their poore Performances †v. 3-7 Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest not Wherefore have we afflicted our soul and thou takest no knowledge But the Lord replies to their demand and reproves them for their Deceit and Hypocrisie and so instructs them in their Duty Behold sayes the Lord in the Day of your Fast you finde Pleasure and exact all your Labours Behold ye fast for strife and debate and to smite with the Fist of Wickednesse ye shall not fast as ye do this day to make your Voice to be heard on high Is it such a Fast that I have chosen a Day for a man to afflict his soul Is it to bow down his head as a Bul-rush and to spread sackcloth and Ashes under him Wilt thou call this a Fast and an acceptable Day to the LORD Is not this the Fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of Wickednesse to undoe the heavy Burden and to let the oppressed go free and that ye break every Yoke Is it not to deale thy Bread to the Hungry and that thou bring the Poore that are cast out to thy House When thou seest the naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy self from thine own flesh Thus without charity the Master-wheele of good Works the most specious Acts of Religion are unacceptable to God Formality in religion is a kind of spiritual Falshood and Dissimulation 'T is but a Mocking of God a presenting him Leaves for Fruits or Lies for Devotion To offer up unto God formal Performances is to become guilty of real Provocations When the heart is wanting in Duties of Divine Worship men do but offer dead sacrifices to the living God and so provoke the pure Eyes of his Glory When the Glory of the Lord leaves the inward Sanctuary it s a signe of his departure from Jerusalem and a sad Presage of its utter Destruction * See Ezek chap. 1. 11. When the Spirit of God is in a great measure gone from the Hearts of men in the duties of his Worship it s a sad Symptome of perillous Times with the Church of God Before the persecution of the Christians in Africa by the brutish Vandals the Church of God in those Countreys was much degenerated from its ancient Purity and declin'd as to the Power of Godlinesse as Salvian Bishop of Massilia complaines †Vict. Epist Utic So a little before the Massachre at Paris it was observ'd there was such a general stupidity seiz'd upon the Protestants that few of them seriously minded the things of God or were zealously affected with the matters of Religion but were wholely taken up with their worldly Businesses and secular Concernments If Religion amongst men be once degenerated into Farm as a fruitful into a barren Vine what can be expected but that the Righteouâ—nesse of God should be arm'd with Power for the punishment of such an unprofitable People We know The * Mat. 21.19 barren Fig-tree being curst by Christ presently withered away When a Nation flourishes in the Leaves of Formality without the Fruits of solid Piety who knows how soon it may be cast into a withering condition Surely Formal Services will at length procure real Sufferings The third Symptome Impiety vail'd with Hypocrisie THe Times are perillous When under glorious pretences of Religion and Gods glory men studiously prosecute secular designes When men seek themselves under plausible Pretences of doing Service to God When men that pretend Piety and a Publick Spirit are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †2 Tim. 3.2 * v. 4. Such as do in deed preferre their private Interests before the Publick Good with whom Silver is of more value then Sanctity and who pursue their own Honour and Advancement wherein they would seem to promote Gods Glory Hi sunt qui boni videri non esse Mali non videri sed esse volunt †Bernh Serm. 66. in Cant. Thâ—se are they who as Bernard speaks would be thought good but care not to be so who care indeed bad but would not be thought so They are such as in their Designes row towards Hell while in their Pretences their Faces are towards Heaven They speak of beautifying Sion when at the same time they are Building Babel But now the Times must needs be perillous when men thus pretend Godlinesse and Gods glory for the more easie accomplishment of their own works of Wickednesse to his Dishonour When men Prostitute Religion to their own base Lusts and so vitiate her Virgin-Honour When they cast a vaile of Hypocrisie over the vilest Acts of Impiety Hypocrisie is sin gilded with pretences of Sanctity This outward Gilding makes them not so glorious in the Eyes of men as their inward Guilt m kes them odious in the sight of God Thus the Cloud which arm'd with the Bowe challenges all the world to a Combate for the Beauty of Colours is not more bright to the Earth then its black to Heaven Simulata Aequitas non est Aequitas sed duplex Iniquitas quia Iniquitas est simulatio * August in Psal 23. Equity pretended or
bands they snap them in two like * Judg. 16.9 threads of Flax when they touch the Fire As the Demoniack which was bound with Chaines and Fetters but he brake all the bands wherewith he was bound †Luk. 8.22 You may call such LEGION for many Devils are surely entred into them to try their strength in them The Laws of men are chaines of Iron the commands of God are chaines of Gold Oaths and Covenants added thereunto are chaines of Adamant If Satan once be so strong in men as that they break all these chaines we may well expect perillous Times For what desperate wickednesse will not such men attempt What horrid and unheard of Villanies will not such men commit as bid defiance to God in the breach of the most sacred bands of Duty and solemne Obligations to obeObedience Woe be to the Inhabitants of the Earth when such Furies of Hell shall be let loose upon them This sin of Perjury and Perfidiousnesse of false-hood and lying unto God in the violation of Vowes and Covenants is a sinne which exceedingly incenses Heaven and provokes the Lord of Hosts the King of glory whose sacred name is hereby profan'd to execute his fiercest judgements upon such a People and therefore is a sad Symptome of perillous Times and fearfull Presage of following Judgements Thus when Saul out of his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah as the Scripture tells us sought to destroy the Gibeonites as being strangers to the Common-wealth of Israel God punisht the Violation of that League which Joshuah had * About four hundred years long before made with them †Josh 9.3 16 17. by bringing a Famine upon the Land for three years uncessantly in the dayes of David * 2 Sam. 21 1 2 Though the Gibeonites deceit was the foundation of this Covenant and Sauls Zeal the principle of the prosecution of them contrary to it yet is the violation hereof severely punisht by the plague of Famine Though it be the Fire of Zeal that burns in two these sacred bands yet will the Fire of Gods wrath be kindled against them that shall voluntarily violate them So the LORD threatned Captivity and very sore Judgements against the Princes and People of Israel for their violation of their Covenant of granting a Manumission to their Hebrew servants and the Punishment answer'd the Prognostick Observe the Lords Charge and Commination the sting of that Prophecy wherewith Jeremiah was sent unto them †Jer. 34 13-22 Thus saith the LORD the God of Israel I made a COVENANT with your Fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of Bondmen saying At the end of seven yeares let ye go every man his Brother an Hebrew which hath been sold unto thee and when he hath served thee six years thou shalt let him go free from thee But your fathers hearkened not unto me neither inclined their eare And ye were now turned and had done Right in my sight in proclaiming every man Liberty to his Neighbour and ye had made a COVENANT before me in the House which is called by my Name But ye turned and polluted MY NAME and caused every man his servant and every man his Hand-maid whom he had set at Liberty at their pleasure to returne and brought them into subjection to be unto you for Servants and for Handmaids Therefore thus saith the LORD Ye have not hearkened unto me in proclaiming Liberty every one to his Brother every man to his Neighbour behold I proclaime 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 And I will give the men that have transgressed my COVENANT which have not performed the words of the COVENANT which they had made before me when they cut the Calfe in twaine a Rite signifying so let it be done to him that shall violate his Covenant and passed between the Parts thereof the Princes of Judah and the Princes of Jerusalem the Eunuchs and the Priests and all the People of the Land which passed between the Parts of the Calfe I will even give them into the hand of their Enemies and into the hand of them that seek their Life and their dead Bodies shall be for meat unto the Fowles of the Heaven and to the Beasts of the Earth And Zedekiah King of Judah and his Princes will I give into the hand of their Enemies and into the Hand of them that seek their Life and into the Hand of the King of Babylons Army which are gone up from you Behold I will command saith the LORD and cause them to return to this City and they shall fight against it and take it and burne it with Fire and I will make the Cities of Judah a Desolation without an inhabitant Thus for this sinne of Covenant-breaking may God break in pieces a perfidious People with the Iron Rod of War and lay a flourishing land desolate For this sinne does the Lord by the Prophet Amos draw up a Charge likewise against Tyrus * Am. 1.9 10 Thus saith the LORD For three transgressions of Tyrus and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof because they delivered up the whole Captivity to Edom and remembred not the BROTHERLY COVENANT which was formerly made between David and Solomon Kings of Judah and Hiram King of Tyre who being Brethren by identity of Office as Kings and mutual Amity as Friends did hereby knit the Bands of Brotherhood with a faster knot †2 Sam. 5.11 1 King 5.1 and 9.13 But I will send a Fire on the Wall of Tyrus which shall devoure the Palaces thereof God himself takes an Oath and solemnly swears by his Life that he will punish the King of Judah with Death and his People with Destruction for his violation of his Oath and Covenant with the King of Babylon See how severely the Lord proceeds against him for this Sin Say now to the Rebellious House sayes the LORD to the Prophet Ezekiel * Chap. 17 12-21 Know ye not what these things mean Tell them Behold the King of Babylon is come to Jerusalem and hath taken the King thereof and the Princes thereof and led them with him to Babylon And hath taken of the Kings seed and made a COVENANT with him and hath taken an OATH of him he hath also taken the Mighty of the Land that the Kingdome might be base that it might not lift it self up but that by keeping of his COVENANT it might stand But he rebelled against him in sending his Ambassadours into Egypt that they might give him Horses and much People Shall he prosper shall he escape that doth such things Or shall he BREAK THE COVENANT and be delivered As I live saith the Lord GOD surely in the place where the King dwelleth that made him King whose OATH he
Nullus Rex est nobis id est Non Reges nostri nobis sed nos ipsi Regibus nostris imperamus Leges ferimus exauctoramus c †Jun. Tremel We have no King that is we bow not to the commands of our Kings but we make our Kings bow to our commands We by our own Power make and null Laws at our own pleasure And by the following words it appears they made no more matter of casting off their Laws and cutting off their King then a man would make of breaking a bubble For it s said * ver 7. As for Samaâ—ia her King is cut off as the Fome or a Bubble †Diod. Ital upon the Water Which the Septuagint render thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Samaria hath contemptuously cast off her King as a wither'd weed upon the Face of the water Thus did these wicked wretches cast of all Loyalty in cutting off their King and for the further aggravation of their daring crimes they cast off all Religion too in their breaking their OATH of Allegiance to their King and their COVENANT of new Obedience to God as if they resolv'd by some desperate Designe to shew themselves profest Enemies both to God and Man For to this purpose are the following words interpreted They have spoken words swearing falsely in making a Covenant Swearing falsely viz. to God in promising him Conversion and Service or to their King binding themselves to be faithful to him c * Diodat The words impott Omnes perjuri foedifragi sunt ac novae Conspirationes quotidie inter ipsos pullulant †Jun. Trem. They are all of them perjur'd Persons and Covenant-breakers and new conspiracies do daily spring up amongst them Such are the persons here describ'd and such are their Practises Now what can be expected to follow hereupon but Miseries and Calamities to the People of the Land and at length the punishment of such perjur'd Persons For it s said Thus Judgement springeth up as Hemlock in the Furrowes of the Field i. e. instead of wholesome judgement to relieve the oppressed cruel Oppression covers the Land which as poysonous Hemlock overgrows the poore oppressed People who by the barbarous usages and mercilesse cruelties of these insolent Traitors and Tyrants are furrow'd as a Field that is plow'd with continual afflictions * Vide Calvinum in loc Or as others interpret it of their punishments which they shall at length procure to themselves by these wicked practises Gods Judgements shall multiply like Hemlock or other poysonous Herbs which grow abundantly in the Fields †Diodati Engl. Annot. Thus they that sowe Injustice shall at length reap Judgement When such cursed seed as this is cast into a Land it will not faile to yeeld a plentiful Crop of Miseries and Vexations Hence then we may safely conclude that evil Dayes perillous Times are at hand when men make no conscience of Oathes and Covenants in Matters of Loyalty and Religion The sixt Symptome Practical Atheisme PErillous are the Times Dangerous the Dayes When men dare in their words to entitle God to those wicked works wherein they deny God When men presume to prefix the sacred and glorious Name of God to the most injurious Usurpations and flagitious Enormities under the Sunne When men pretending to act for the Cause of God and the good of his precious people having by such barbarous and bloody Enterprises as make the very Earth to blush under the eye of heaven accomplish't their cursed Designes shall dare to charge the actual accomplishment thereof upon the all-glorious God as having effected the same by his good hand of Providence When men having brought to passe their owne wicked devices * Psa 37.7 by such desperate Acts of Injustice and execrable villanies as the very report thereof casts astonishment upon the mindes of all men that have not utterly banisht all humanity and fear of God shall yet say This is the LORDS doing and it is marvellous in our eyes †Psa 118.23 Bold blasphemers For what more horrid blasphemy can possibly be imagin'd then to make that God who is infinitely and essentially holy and Just and good the Author of such intolerable Insolencies unparallel'd Impieties and superlative sinnes of these desperately daring spirits These are certainly the perillous Times whereof the Apostle hath forewarn'd the people of God For in those dayes he hath told us that men however pretending godlinesse shall indeed be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 2 Tim. 3.2 Blasphemers This was the wonted Practise of that man of sinne the sonne of Perdition who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God †2 Thes 2 3 4. insomuch as it grew to a Proverb In Nomine Domini omne Malum All mischief comes a Gods Name He dethrones Princes makes unjust Warre against Nations and Kingdomes persecutes Christians to death with as much Cruelty as any of the Heathen Emperours gives dispensations to subjects to rebel against their Soveraignes absolving them from their Oaths of Alleagiance and all Obligations to Loyalty and Obedience and all this in the Name of God and by the pretended conduct of the Divine Providence And does not this * 2 Thes 2 7 Mystery of Iniquity still work in the Christian world And must not these high Provocations of God needs make perillous Times When men entitle God to the greatest Irregularities and most detestable Impieties that ever were acted amongst men When men securely act the highest Rebellions and as securely proceed in these audacious actings under the pretended Patronage of the Divine Providence Was not God infinitely Patient he would send down Fire from heaven to consume such Atheists on earth How oft hath the Church of God been put into Blood by those that in their displayed Banners have borne the Name of God! How oft hath that sacred Name IMMANUEL GOD WITH US been abus'd by them that have assembled all their forces to fight against God! How oft have they glory'd in the Appearings of the LORD of Hosts for them who when they have prosper'd in their audacious attempts have dar'd to bid defiance to the Hosts of the LORD How vainly have men boasted that the †Prov. 18.10 Name of the LORD hath been a strong Tower of defence unto them when by divine permission they have prosper'd in those enormous actings which carry in them a flat Contradiction to all Gods glorious attributes Thus is the Name of God fearfully abus'd by the worst of men Thus do the Practitioners of the black Art a fit name for so dreadful a Work of Darknesse make use of the Name of God for the raising up the Devil And do not profane Politicians practise the same Art And is not this the way to turne the Earth into a Hell needs then must the times be perillous when such Artists do abound when such Atheists prevaile and prosper in the world Plato
have told you before God before his wheat is gather'd into his Garner before his Church on Earth is translated into Heaven before gracious Saints are taken up into his glorious Kingdome will suffer the windes of false Doctrines to blow thereupon that so graceless ones who are as * Psal 1.4 Chaff carryed about with every winde of Doctrine †Eph. 4.14 may be separated from the Wheat the truly gracious And therefore says the Apostle * 1 Cor. 11 19 There must be also Heresie or Sects †Margin among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you And sayes the Apostle Peter * 2 Pet. 2.1 2 There were false prophets also among the People even as there shall be false Teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction And many shall follow their pernicious wayes by reason of whom the way of Truth shall be evil spoken of And for the time of their appearing this he intimates to us in what he further speaks of them afterwards †2 Pet. 3.3 Knowing this first that there shall come in the last Dayes scoffers walking after their own lusts This is fully confirmed by what the Apostle Paul speaks of them in his Premonition given to Timothy in both his Epistles to him directed In the former sayes he * 1 Tim. 4.1 2 Now the spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter Times some shall depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing spirits and Doctrines of Devils speaking lies in hypocrisie having their conscience searâ—d with a hot iron And in the latter sayes he †2 Tim. 3.1 2 6 7. This know also that in the last Dayes perillous times shall come For men shall be lovers of their own selves c. Of this sort are they which creep into houses and lead captive silly women laden with sins led away with divers lusts ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth So likewise does the Apostle John tell us that the coming of many Antichrists false Teachers opposing the Doctrine of Christ contain'd in the Gospel does manifestly discover that it is the last time * 1 Joh. 2.18 And sayes the Apostle Jude †Jude v. 17 18 19. Beloved remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ How that they told you there should be Mockers in the Last time who should walk after their own ungodly lusts These be they who separate themselves sensual having not the spirit how much soever they may pretend thereunto Thus we see it s undenyably manifest from the Holy Scriptures that False Teachers Sectaries and Seducers shall abound in the Church of God in the last dayes which the Apostle hath told us shall be perillous Times Whence we may certainly conclude that whensoever these Locusts and Caterpillars shall abound amongst us then are the perillous times spoken of come upon us And that we may the more infallibly know when those very Sectaries and Seducers are come which are spoken of in these Prophecies there are certain Marks and Characters stampt upon them by the Holy Ghost whereby they may be easily and infallibly known to us So the Apostle to his Prediction of Perillous times subjoyns a large Description of those Erroneous Persons who by their pernicious Practises should make the times so perillous †2 Tim. 3 1-5 He describes them by very many Characters which we have already view'd to which might many more be added from several other places of Scripture wherein they are in their proper Colours represented to us But it will be sufficient as to our present purpose to produce a few of the principal of them to which many of the rest may easily be refer'd These seducing spirits then which raise Stormes in the State and cause Confusions in the Church may be known by these distinguishing Marks and Characters which follow The first Mark Pride and Self-conceitednesse FAlse-Teachers are very proud and highly conceited of their own Knowledge notwithstanding grosse ignorance of the great Mysteries of the Gospel yea the plain principles of Religion The Apostle Paul having recommended to Timothy the preaching and pressing of the sound and Orthodox Doctrines of the Gospel subjoynes this premonitory description of False Teachers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q. super re aliqua insistens eique attento inhaerens animo If any man sayes he * 1 Tim. 6.3 4 5. be Heterodox or teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to Godlinesse or come not to the sound preaching of the Gospel He is PROUD or puffed up sc with an opinion of his own knowledge yet KNOWING NOTHING or having no right understanding no setled and solid knowledge of any thing but doting or sick about questions and strifes of words whereof cometh Envy Strife Railings Evil surmisings Perverse disputings chafing and galling one another with unprofitable Contentions of men of corrupt Mindes and DESTITUTE OF THE knowledge of the TRUTH Thus were these False-teachers as extreamly ignorant as they were unsufferably Proud So in the Apostles Prophetick Premonition wherein he represents them as the Troublers of their Times they are stil'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Boasters Proud High-minded * 2 Tim. 3.2 3. These are the Bubbles which we may see passing too and fro in Pride and Pompe upon the face of the Waters when some Tempest in the State hath troubled the waters of the Sanctuary They appear beautiful and gloâ—ious in the eyes of the simple who are deceived with their Colours when indeed there 's nothing at all in them but winde and emptynesse What glorious vaunts of knowledge have some Vile Sects made who have been no better then the Glow-wormes of the Night Certain Sectaries in Aragon called themselves the Illuminati Illuminated as if they onely had been in Light and all the world besides in Darknesse Foolish People that having a glimpse of the Sunne thought it shone upon none in the world but themselves The Nicholaitans and Valentinians called themselves GNOSTICKS a name signifying Knowledge as conceiting all others besides themselves to be grosly ignorant of the great Mysteries of Religion They might perhaps more fitly have been stiled Luciferians for their Pride as a pestilent Sect that arose up after them were called upon another account The first Founders of any Schismatical Society built upon some Heretical Opinion have ever been great pretenders to singular eminency of knowledge Omnibus una Intentio Haereticis semper fuit captare Gloriam de singularitate scientiae †Bern. in Cant. Ser. 65. All the Hereticks that have ever been saith holy Bernard have had this one Project in the chase of glory to
make shew of singularity of Knowledge The proud Heretick Eunomius boasted that he was able with his understanding to fathome the Depths of Gods Divinity and to search into his hidden Glory But the wise Father Saint Basil to convince him of his Ignorance and the folly of his Arrogance in thinking to measure the Ocean with his Cockle-shell puzzled him with one and twenty Questions about the Body of an Ant * Epist 168 ad Eunom For this Pride of Knowledge notwithstanding grosse ignorance St. Ambrose compares Hereticks to an Owle Noctua mirum in modum illuminatur obscuritate luce caecatur Istud Animal Haereticorum Figura est †Ambr. Serm. 43. The Owle sayes he is after a marvellous manner inlighten'd in Darknesse and blinded with Light This Creature is a Figure of Hereticks 'T is true as to their Pretences But they pretend they see when they are blinde and boast of their Light when they are buried in Darknesse A Proud Heart is a Seed-plot of all Errours These Weeds grow apace in a rank soile They are proud spirits which trample upon Pearles of Truth which the children of God weare as Jewels in their bosomes Pride and Confidence are two principal Ingredients of a Heretick False Doctrines are in Scripture compar'd to Leaven which is of a swelling and rising Nature Mat. 16.6 12 Mark 8.15 Luk. 12.1 The lightest eares of corne lift up their heads the highest when those that are weightiest being full of good graine hang down their Heads The light Corne braves it above the water while the massy Gold sinks down to the bottome Truth makes a solid Judgement and an humble Heart when Errour makes a vaine Minde and a proud Spirit The second Mark Self-separation from the true Church SEctaries and Seducers are wont to separate themselves from communion with the true Church under pretence of the greater holinesse They shun Communion with the Members of the true Church for feare of Pollution and separate themselves as they pretend into purer communion Thus the Pharisees Gnosticks Adamites the filthiest Sects have done These indeed made a Profession of more Purity then ordinary but their Practises were well known to be full of Pollution The Pharisees made a faire shew outwardly but within by our Saviours own Testimony †Mat. 23.25 Luk. 11.39 they were full or all manner of Filthinesse and Iniquity Whence he fitly compares them to * Mat. 23.27 28. whited Sepulchres which are Beautiful and splendid without but full of Corruption and Uncleannesse within The Gnosticks who pretended to be wholely taken up with sublime Speculations did yet so farre plunge themselves into the vilest Impurities and filthiest Abominations that the Name of Borborites taken from Mire and Mud †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coenum was fitly set upon them as a Brand of Infamy for the abhor'd loathsomnesse of their impure Conversations * Aug. de Haeres c. 6. Thus while they would seeme to have their heads in Heaven their feet stuck fast in the Mire and Clay of a filthy life And while they would be thought to have escaped the pollutions of the World through the KNOWLEDGE of the Lord Jesus and the Mysteries of the Gospel they returned with the dog to his own vomit and as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire †2 Pet. 2.20 22. Not long after the Gnosticks sprung up that filthy Sect of the Adamites who under that Name cloath'd their Nakednesse with the Pretences of the same Purity that Adam had in his state of Innocency But their very Principles led to Uncleannesse and their Practices were full of Pollution For they held it unlawful for men or women to wear any cloaths in their Assemblies for worship as a thing very unsutable to the Nature and intent of their meetings which were to be esteemed the onely Paradise on Earth wherein they were to enjoy the Pleasures of eternal Life and not to expect them in Heaven For as God brought Adam into his Paradise so should Christians enter into theirs naked casting away their Cloathes as the Badges of their sin and shame from which they were perfectly freed which is both the Opinion and Practice of many Quakers at this day being perfectly pure and holy In their Night-Assemblies for that time they chose as indeed fittest for their works of darknesse after some extravagant Discourses of Religion for they rejected Prayer as needlesse seeing God knowes our wants without our Advertisement they put out their Lights and so committed all manner of Uncleannesse in their Promiscuous Copulations How fitly does the Apostles Character and description of the unbelieving Gentiles pertaine unto them Who * Eph. 4.18 19. having the understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the Blindnesse of their heart And being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousnesse to work all uncleannesse with greedinesse So a Pestilent Sect as Sands relates it sprang up not long since in Aragâ—n whose Founders were a crew of their hypocritical Priests who at the first professing a kinde of Angelical Purity fell suddenly to the very contrary point of justifying Bestiality The Scripture speaks of such self-separating Sectaries as these are both in the Old Testament and the New as a sort of men notwithstanding their glorious Pretences of holinesse and spirituality justly odious in the sight of God Concerning such saith the Lord by the Prophet Isaiah †Isa 65 2-5 I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious People which walketh in a way that was not good after their own thoughts a People that provoketh me to anger continually to my Face that sacrificeth in gardens and burneth incense upon Altars of brick which remaine among the Graves and lodge in the Monuments which eat swines flesh and broth of abominable things is in their Vessels which say stand by thy self come not near to me for I AM HOLIER THEN THOU These are a smoke in my nose a fire that burneth all the day Thus these profane Idolaters and wicked Necromancers would needs under pretence of greater Holinesse separate themselves from all others though members of the true Church lest by Communion with them they should contract Pollution to themselves So the * Joh. 4.9 Samaritans for the same Reason refused to hold so much as any Civil Correspondency with the Jews though they were however corrupt the onely People at that time whereof consisted that Church of God wherein onely men might upon any Scripture-ground expect salvation †Joh. 4.22 Of such also does the Apostle Jude speak when warning the believing Hebrews of Mock rs that should come in the last Time who should walke after their own ungodly Lusts he sayes These be they who SEPARATE themselves sensual having not the Spirit Vile hypocrites who though they walked after the Lusts of the Flesh
sheep must needs be scattered †Zec. 13.7 Nahash the Ammonite would make a Covenant of Peace with the men of Jabesh-Gilead upon no other terms then these that he might thrust out all their right eyes and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel * 1 Sam. 11 1 2 If those persons that wicked Generation of men that will never be satisfi'd with any Propositions of Peace unless the Seers may be put out of their Places the Priests as they reproachfully call them may be cast out of their Possessions well may it be laid as a lasting REPROACH upon our English ISRAEL If such persons as these shall have liberty to plead against the Pastors of the Church the Shepherds of the Lords Flock shall we not judge these to be perillous Times What then shall we say to these things †2 Thes 3.1 2 Finally Brethren pray for us that the Word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified even as yet it is with you and that we may be deliver'd from such absurd * Marg. Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unreasonable and wicked men The fourth Case Contempt of Gods Ordinances Countenanc't WHen men under the Countenance and Protection of the higher Powers can securely cast contempt upon the Ordinances and worship of the most high God the dayes must needs be evil the Times perillous If when the Ministers of the Gospel are despised Iniquity does abound surely when the Ordinances of God the very means of grace are contemned sinne must needs superabound And superabounding sinne will certainly at length bring the overflowing scourge When the Beasts of the Field shall defile the Waters of the Sanctuary and the filthy swine shall trample down the green Pastures wherein the shepherds of Israel are wont to feed their Flocks When the Courts of the Lord shall be covered with the Filth of Reproach and the Gold of the Sanctuary shall be trampled under feet When men shall cast dirt into the Galleries of the great King and disgrace the Throne of his glory When men shall vilifie the Lords Tabernacles and spit in the face of the Beauties of Holinesse When men shall cast stones at the Windows of the Sanctuary by which the Sun of Righteousnesse sheds forth his beames of light upon the children of Zion When men shall cut in two those golden Pipes by which the Waters of Life are convey'd from the Wells of Salvation for the refreshment of the City of God When men presume to act these Impieties and are therein countenanc't by the higher Powers the Times are sad and perillous Contempt of Gods holy Ordinances is a very provoking sin 'T was a high charge against Judah †Eze. 22.8 Thou hast despised my Holy things and hast profaned my Sabbaths To cast reproach upon Divine institutions is to blaspheme the Name of God So sore an evil must needs make sad Times Of this does the Psalmist complaine and expostulate with God O God sayes he * Ps 74.10 how long shall the adversary reproach shall the enemy blaspheme thy Name for ever He reproaches Caesar that vilifies the coine that beares his Image and Superscription The Ordinances of the Gospel are that Gold of Sion which bears the Royal stamp When men shall reject this Gold and call it Drosse surely †Jer. 6.30 Reprobate silver shall men call them because the LORD hath rejected them The dayes are evil when vile sinners who yet account themselves the onely Saints shall contemptuously trample upon the precious Ordinances of Jesus Christ When those blessed Gospel-Ordinances of INFANT-BAPTISME by which onely the children of Believers are admitted into the Church and Sacramentally washt from their sins in the blood of their Saviour ORDINATION OF MINISTERS by which onely fit persons are authoriz'd to preach the Gospel and dispense the Seales of the Covenant SINGING OF PSALMES wherein the Church on earth becomes a lively Image of Heaven and the Saints of God have a kinde of Pre-possession of Paradise when these blessed Ordinances I say shall be slighted vilifi'd contemn'd by a company of hypocritical Professors who have taken up a shew of Religion onely to delude men and dishonour God the times must needs be perillous especially when such ungodly Ones shall be protected and promoted by the higher Powers by whom they ought rather to be punish't for their Irreligion and Profanesse in their open contempt of God his Authority Worship and Honour in these his holy institutions Yea when they shall be countenanc't not onely in the contempt of these Divine Institutions but also in the Introduction of sundry humane Inventions instead of these and other Ordinances of God to the utter exclusion of Gods true Worship and the setting up of a false worship founded in their own Will in the World As when they shall introduce into their Schismatical Societies falsely called Christian Congregations the REBAPTIZATION OF BELIEVERS which is nothing else but an actual Renunciation of their former Baptisme and so consequently of the Covenant of their God and a †Heb. 10.29 counting of the blood of the Covenant wherewith they were sanctifi'd an unholy thing Horrid Impiety Also the constant PREACHING OF GIFTED BRETHREN who are so farre from being called to the work of the Ministry that they wickedly scoff at the onely Gospel-Call thereunto Ministerial Ordination yea which is yet worse when these proud Intruders presumptuous Usurpers of the Ministerial Office shall be accounted the onely Gospel-Ministers such as will preach the Gospel freely to poore Creatures This is a very sore evil for as much as under this pretence of exercising their GIFTS the vilest Hereticks in the world shall have an opportunity of poysoning the people of God with their damnable Doctrines by publick preaching in the open Assemblies Horrid stratagem of Hell for the subversion of soules Moreover when BREAKING OF BREAD by the pretended Pastors of Churches shall be introduc't in stead of the Supper of the Lord which is indeed no better then a mock-Sacrament being administred by them that are no Ministers of the Gospel and so have no authority at all to administer any of the Ordinances of God For if the changing of the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper from a common and ordinary to a sacred Sacramental Use be an act of Ministerial Authority as doubtlesse it is then this their breaking of Bread is no better then a mocking of God in an Apish imitation of the sacred actions of one of his holy Ordinances So when instead of singing of Psalmes they shall introduce into their Assemblies the singing of silly HYMNES of vulgar Composure which whether for Rime or Reason are not much to be prefer'd before those which the common Ballad-mongers sing in the streets under the Name of Godly Ballads When Gods holy Ordinances shall be contemn'd and these fearful Corruptions in his worship and service shall be introduc't and allow'd needs must the Times be
Divine well observes brought in the Graecians the Divisions amongst the Graecians brought in Philip The Divisions of the Assyrian Mona 〈◊〉 bâ—â—ught in the Persian of the Persian 〈…〉 Macedonian of the Macedonian 〈◊〉 the Roman of the Roman brought in the Turk Lastly sayes he the Divisions amâ—â—g the Britans of this Nation brought in fiâ—st the Saxons then the Danes and last of all the Normans and who shall come next invited by our Civil Distractions God knows Our Saviour whose Testimony is truth it self plainly tells us †Mark 3.24 25. If a Kingdome be divided against it self that Kingdome cannot stand And if a House be divided against it selfe that House cannot stand Does not nature it self teach as much Is it not a Divine Harmony which hath tun'd the world into such a beautiful Frame and makes the Sun Moon and Stars keep such a regular Dance Are not Kingdoms Cities Houses then most happy when they do not by the noise of their tumults deprive themselves of the sweet pleasure of this Heavenly Musick When PEACE that Bird of Paradise sits and sings in the Land do not we presently see a flowry Spring of all desirable earthly Felicities And when by our kinde usage we invite her to our Bosomes does she not presently still our tumultuous Thoughts put our affections into a delicious Dance and heighten our hearts gladnesse to a kinde of ravishment and sweet excesse by her Angellick Notes yea does she not tune all our Voices to sing in Consort this short and sweet Ditty Nulla salus BELLO PACEM te poscimus omnes * Aen. 11. No safety lies in War For PEACE we all declare Or rather that which the Angels sang at the Birth of the Prince of Peace when the Temple of Janus was shut and Wars were all husht in the World †Cuncta atque continua totius generis Humani aut Pax fuit aut Pactio Flor. Hist l. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glory to God in the highest and on earth PEACE good Will towards men * Luk. 2.14 Welcome dear Peace come from the Bosome of Heaven to poure Balsome into our bleeding Wounds and heal our cruel Contentions on Earth And well may PEACE be welcome to us For sayes the Orator Nomen PACIS dulce est ipsa res salutaris PAX est tranquilla libertas Nam nec privatos focos nec publicas Leges nec Libertatis Jura chata habere potest quem Discordia quem caedes Civium quem Bellum civile delectat eumque ex numero hominum ejiciendum ex finibus humanae Naturae exterminandum puto †Cic. in Philip. The very Name of PEACE drops sweetnesse and the Thing it selfe is Health Safety Happinesse PEACE is a Tranquility in the Fruition of Liberty And therefore he neither tenders the welfare of his private Family nor the publick interests of Lawes or Liberties who delights in Discords the slaughter of Citizens and Civil War and therefore sayes he I think him fit to be banisht the Bounds of Humane Nature and not to be reckon'd in the number of men Surely if sacred HARMONY should lay aside her Harp by which she composes so many discordant Natures into an amiable and well-agreeing Order the whole Creation would presently fall into a fiery Contention and so all the Beauties of this rare Building would be stain'd with the Blood of the warring Creatures until the whole Fabrick weaken'd and wasted with these Flames and Wars would suddenly sink down into the first Chaos of Confusion And if once DISCORD should draw her sword and with her Forces and Followers Wrath Cruelty Revenge Malice Murders Massacres Fears Fury Horrour and the rest of her ragged regiment march forth into the world to warre against miserable mankinde and if once according to her wonted successe in all her warres she should come to dominere over Kingdomes Cities Families they would soon become so many miserable Maps of Confusion and Stages of Blood HAPPINES would presently take Wing and flie from them when once DISCORD should come to reigne amongst them Neque enim Civitas in Seditione potest esse beata nec in Discordia Dominorum Dominus * Cicer. l. 1 de fin Bon. Mal. For no City can be Happy that is the Seat of Sedition nor will Happinesse dwell in that House which is the habitation of Strife the very Governours whereof are under the Dominion of Discord When therefore Peace Love Unity departs from a Nation or Church and Strife Hatred Division succeeds in the the room and regency thereof that people must needs have experience of perillous times For surely when we see in the same Land Church against Church Altar against Altar Pulpit against Pulpit People against People it s a sad Symptome of the Ruine and Destruction of that Land For Division brings Confusion and Confusion brings Destruction And when the Sheep turne head and strike at one another it 's a sign a storme is at hand †Plin. Nat. Hist l. 11. c. 17. They that are thus wanton while the windes are still will finde their state woful when the storme is come For Discordiarum fraternarum horrendi evenâ—us fratres ipsos stirâ—emque suam domos regna funda everterunt * Livy dec 1. l. 3. Discords amongst Brethren have produced dreadful effects hereby have they destroy'd themselves and their Families both Root and Branch yea Houses Kingdomes Foundations have been overturned by them Thus terrible are the stormes of Civil Dissentions which break forth upon a Church or Nation when once the sacred bands of brotherly love wherewith they were bound up and held under Restraint are broken God whose holy and gracious Presence makes his Church happy and glorious is a God of Peace and Love and he requires all his children to live together in Love and Peace that he may dwell amongst them So sayes the Apostle to the Corinthians †2 Cor. 13 11 Be perfect be of good comfort be of one Minde live in Peace and the God of Love and Peace shall be with you But when the People of God do by their continual Jarrings banish these excellent Virtues which as Doves when they heare a noise fly out of their House they provoke God to depart from them and by his Departure at once to despoyle them of all Happinesse When the Bees fight in the Hive the King flies away and leaves them after which as Naturalists observe they never prosper If for the Contentions of Christians Christ should forsake his Church we must needs be in a most miserable condition Thus we see how sad the state of a Church or Nation is which is shaken and shatter'd with Civil Dissentions But the state of such a divided people is yet more sad when the enemies seeing them thus weaken'd by Division do strengthen themselves against them by Confederacy and combination For as that great Historian observes Per Discordias Civiles externi tollunt
Righteousness and true Religion amongst us And Oh! †Esay 62.6 7 Let the Watchmen that stand upon the Wals of the City of God never hold their peace O ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence And givâ— him no Rest till he establish England and make his Church in this Land a Praise in the Earth Oh let all the Children of God unite their Forces with Faith and Fervour to present unto the Lord that excellent Prayer of the Church with which I shall conclude this Direction and may they have the same gracious Answer of Peace O then lift up your hearts and say * Psal 85.4 ult Turn us O God of our Salvation and cause thine Anger towards us to cease Wilt thou be angry with us for ever Wilt thou draw out thine Anger to all Generations Wilt thou not revive us again that thy People may rejoyce in thee Shew us thy Mercy O LORD and grant us thy salvation I will hear what God the LORD will speak for he will speak peace unto his People and to his Saints but let them not turn again to Folly Surely his Salvation is nigh them that fear him that Glory may dwell in our Land Mercy and Truth are met together Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other Truth shall spring out of the Earth and Righteousness shall look down from Heaven Yea the Lord shall give that which is good and our Land shall yield her encrease Righteousness shall go before him and shall set us in the way of his steps The fourth Duty Taking Sanctuary in God ARE you fallen into Perillous Times And do you desire preservation Then Make God your Refuge till these dangers be overpast God is a Hiding place for his Saints their Rock and Refuge in times of Trouble their Fortress and strong Tower in times of Danger and Distress So hash he revealed himself in his Word and so have his Saints found him to be by sweet Experiences in the Times of their sad Extreâ—ities The Lord saith David * Psal 18.2 is my Rock and Fortress and my Deliverer my God my Strength in whom I will trust my Buckler and the Horn of my salvation and my high Tower Thus under various expressions he sets forth Gods Power as engaged for his Saints Preservation So saith he elsewhere †Ps 27.1 The Lord is my Light my Salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Then to fortifie his Confidence he produces his experience * v. 2. When the wicked even mine Enemies and my Foes came upon me to eat up my flesh they stumbled fel. And then upon this Experience he builds his Confidence †v. 3. Though an Host should encamp against me my heart shall not fear though War should rise against me in this will I be confident And the ground hereof was this that God was his Refuge and Preserver For saith he * v. 5. In the Time of Trouble he shall hide me in his Pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle the most inviolable Sanctuary shall be hide me he shall set me up upon a Rock And again saith he †Psal 32.7 Thou art my hiding place thou shalt preserve me from Trouble thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance Yea It s the Priviledge of every Saint that he hath an Interest in this preserving Power and Mercy of God in times of Distress and Danger So saith the Psalmist * Psal 9.9 The Lord also will be a Refuge for the oppressed a Refuge in Times of Trouble And therefore this is the ground of the Churches confidence in the Times of the greatest Trouble and Confusion †Psal 46.1 2 3. God is our Refuge and Strength a very present help in Trouble Therefore will not we fear though the Earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea Though the waters thereof rore and be troubled though the mountains spake with the swelling thereof God is both a * Ps 84.11 Sun and a Shield to his Saints their Light in Darkness and Defence in Danger They are dear to him and he †Isa 49.2 hides them in the shadow of his hand He wears them as * Mal. 3.17 Jewels in his bosom he †Deut. 32 10 keeps them as the Apple of his eye * Zec. 2.8 He that toucheth you saith the Lord concerning the Children of Zion toucheth the Apple of mime eye He hath secret Chambers of Providence for the Preserving his People in Times of Danger by publick Calamities Come my people saith the Lord †Isa 26.20 21. enter thou into thy Chambers and shut thy Doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment untill the Indignation be over past For behold the Lord cometh out of his Place to punish the Inhabitants of the Earth for their Iniquity the Earth also shall disclose her Blood and shall no more cover her slain The glorious Attributes of God are as it were a Tower of Defence to the truly godly in Times of Danger The name of the Lord saith the Wise man * Prov. 18.10 is a strong Tower The Righteous runneth to it and is safe When Peril pursues a Saint he runs to God as his Refuge Yea †Pro. 22.3 A prudent man fore-seeth the Evil and hideth himself but the simple pass on and are punshed This Prudence doth well become the Pious in Times of Peril But that you may with Boldness and Comfort have Recourse to God in Times of Distress and Danger as your Refuge in the storm your hiding Place in Times of Trouble Do these three things The first Work CLear your Interest in God If you think to have Recourse to God for safety in Danger and have no Interest in God your Hope may deceive you and you may â—ail of this special priviledge of Divine Preservation and instead thereof fall and perish by a just Destruction If a man pursu'd by his Enemies in the Times of War shall have Recourse to those for Refuge of whom he hath no assurance that they are his Friends he may but fly from one Danger and fall into the mouth of another Yea though you should have an Interest in God yet if you have no Evidence of this Interest you cannot with that Boldness and Confidence wherewith otherwise you might fly to God for Refuge in Daies of Danger Be it your care therefore not only to get an Interest in God but to clear it up by undeceiving Evidences to your soul and Conscience Then may you triumph with David in the very Face of Danger †Psal 27.1 The LORD is my Light and my Salvation whom shall I fear The LORD is the strength of my Life of whom shall I be afraid So again saith he * Psal 28.7 The LORD is my strength my Shield my heart trusted in him and I
according to the Tenour of the Covenant of Grace Ye shall be my people and I will be your God †Jer. 30 2â— Does thy heart say Amen to this Covenant-promise Be it so Lord Wilt thou give thy self unto me Wilt thou indeed be my God Then will I be thine and onely thine for ever Behold here am I O Lord do what thou wilt with me for to thee do I give my self body and soul for ever Canst thou indeed say thus Then is God thine Heaven is thine Speak What sayest thou to this This I can truly say If these things be so the Lord is surely my God For I do freely with my whole heart and soul give my self wholly unto him I desire in all things to be obedient to his will I would not willingly for the gain of the whole world do any thing that might offend or dishonour him I desire that he would enable me more and more by his Grace to serve him For I desire not to live a day longer then I may live to his Glory And I am not onely willing to take him for my onely happinesse and freely to leave all the sweetest and dearest Comforts I have in this world for the enjoyment of him but I should look upon it as the ground of my highest joy and of everlasting thankfulness that though he should take away all from me he would yet be pleased to give himself unto me to be my God and * Gen. 15.1 exceeding great reward Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift †2 Cor. 9 15. If thou canst indeed speak thus Happy art thou God is thine and thou art his and shalt be happy in him and with him for ever in Heaven Blessed be the Name of the Lord who hath magnifi'd his Mercie to me and hath had compassion on me the chiefest of sinners the least of Saints I am willing upon this ground of the New Covenant to believe his Love to look up to him as my God But how may I know that Christ is mine Why If God be thine Christ is thine also If he have given thee himself to be thy God he hath given thee his Sonne to be thy Saviour 'T is in Christ that he is thy God The Covenant of Grace wherein God becomes thy God is founded in Christ his Mediation and Satisfaction And Christ in all his * Col. 1.19 Fulnesse of Grace and Glory is that great †Joh. 4.10 GIFT OF GOD which is promised in the Covenant of Grace Now then if God be thine and thou art his according to the Tenour of the New Covenant he hath given his Sonne unto thee as a Jewel from his bosome for a pledge of his glorious everlasting love and hath given thee to his Son as a part of his richest Treasure in the World to redeeme sanctifie and save Thee And if Christ be thine and thou art his Heaven the Inheritance which he hath purchast for Believers with his blood is thine also For thus hath he said * Joh. 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me for thou lovedst me before the Foundation of the World Moreover further to cleare it up to thy soul that Christ is thine let me ask thee Hath God ever shew'd thee what a poor lost undone Creature thou art in thy self by reason of thy sinnes Hath he made known to thee the Fulnesse and All-sufficiency of Christ with thy absolute necessity of him to justifie sanctifie and save thee or thou must perish forever Hast thou in the Glasse of the Law seen thy own Deformity and the incomparable Beauty of Christ in the Glasse of the Gospel Hast thou seen thy own †Rev. 3.17 18. Nakednesse and apprehended thy need of the Righteousnesse of Christ as glorious clothing for thy naked soul Hast thou been made sensible of thy * Mat. 5.3 spiritual poverty and have the †Eph. 3.8 unsearchable riches of Christ been unfolded before thee in the Gospel How have these things wrought upon thy heart Hast thou felt thy heart stirred within thee hereupon Hast thou felt God * Joh. 6.44 drawing thy heart out in desires and longings after Christ Hast thou been made willing to take Christ upon his own termes to be thy Soveraigne as well as thy Saviour To rule over thee as well as to save thee To save thee from thy lusts and †Mat. 1.21 sinnes as well as to save thee from Wrath and Hell Hast thou beene made willing to take his †Yoke upon thee * Mat. 11.29 30. and to bear his Burden Hath Christ beene welcome to thee when he hath come with his †Luk. 9.23 Crosse to lay it upon thee as well as when he hath come with his Cordials to refresh and comfort thee Speak seriously canst thou account thy self more happy in the presence of Christ in Prisons and Perecutions then in the midst of all worldly Pleasures and Prosperities without him Tell me truly if thou mightest certainly have thy wish and desire granted what wouldst thou wish for whom wouldst thou desire Ah None but Christ None but Christ What doest thou trust to on whom dost thou rest for salvation On thy own righteousnesse in thy own strength Oh no None but Christ None but Christ Art thou indeed Vile in thine own eyes and are all things in the World but vile in thy esteeme in comparison of Christ And is Christ above all things unto thee exceeding precious Truly if I know mine own heart I esteeme all the Riches of the world to be but * Phil. 4.8 losse and dung in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Well then thou art a Believer For unto them onely that believe is Christ precious †1 Pet. 2.7 And if thou art a Believer thou shalt certainly be saved thou shalt surely one day behold thy Saviour in Heaven and there live in the fruition of his glorious Loves unto all Eternity * Joh. 3.16 For God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life Now what sayst thou poore soule How does thy Heart eccho to these Questions Why through the Grace of God this I can say It hath plâ—â—â—ed the Lord so far to discover the emptynesse of self and sinfulness of sin unto me that sometimes when I look down upon my self I †Eze. 36 â—1 loath and * Job 42.6 abhor my self and cannot but wonder that ever the Lord should vouchsafe to look upon me and love me Yea I wonder he hath not thrown me into Hell And when the Lord first revealed Christ Jesus to me in his Gospel in his All-sufficiency and Readinesse to save me it even ovâ—rcame my Heart and my thoughts and reasonings were such as these Oh good
God! And hast thou given thy dearest Son to suffer such a cursed and cruel dâ—ath for such a vile sinner as I am O sweetest Mercy O infinite goodnesse O glorious Love Then me thought I first felt my Heart that before was like a †Eze. 36.26 stone within me to melt and sensibly dissolve at once into sorrow and joy †Zac. 12.10 * Sorrow that ever I had sinned against such a good God †Luk. 2.10 Joy that ever Mercy and Salvation should be tendered to such a vile sinner And then when I cast up my Eyes to Christ and beheld him sometimes as crucifi'd on Earth sometimes as glorifi'd in heaven my heart sure spake within me much to this purpose O deare Jesus And hast thou endured such grievous sufferings for the salvation of such a miserable sinner as I am What wouldest thou leave thy Fathers * Joh. 1.18 Bosome and glory to live here on Earth and die on the †Phil. 2.8 Crosse to save the Life of a crawling Worme Hast thou poured out thy * Joh. 19 34. Hearts blood to queâ—â—â— thy Fathers dreadful wrath and to â—â—â—chase his glorious Love to a poysonous Toad Is it possible Can it be believed for Truth that the Sonne of God should come to save such a sinful wretch as I am Yea He hath said it and I believe it †1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the World to save sinners of whom I am chiefe Hereupon I found my heart carried out in a restlesse and insatiable longing desire after Christ yea and indeed inseparably cleaving to Christ thus manifesting himself to me in the Gospel For then I not onely saw the sinfulnesse of my sinnes but I lookt upon all my * Isa 64.6 Righteousnesses as filthy rags and so humbling my self for my sinnes and renouncing utterly my own righteousnesse I cast my self wholly upon my Saviour and resolved †Job 13.15 though he should slay me I would trust in him And now though since I have not often found such sweet and powerful workings upon my Heart yet this is the state wherein I stand I have solemnly resigned my self wholly up into the hands of Christ as my Soveraigne and Saviour to be done with and disposed of in every thing as seemes best unto him and on him only do I rest for Righteousness and Life Eternal Happy soul God hath magnified his Mercy to thee and done more for thee then for thousands God hath drawn thee tâ— Christ and united thy soul to him by â—â—â—h a Band indissoluble For thou hast in this Declaration of Gods dealings with thee laid open the very Mysterie of Faith and manifested how the Holy Ghost hath by this Heavenly Band inseparably knit thy soul unto thy Saviour Rejoyce then in thy God For thy soul is safely lockt up in the Everlasting Blessed Embraces of thy Redeemer Yea thou shalt be for ever worn as a Jewel in his bosom Fear not For in the day that God makes up his Jewels * Mal. 3.17 he will remember thy soul And though thy Faith be weak be not discouraged Thou standest not in thy own strength but in the strength of Christ who is †Isa 63.1 Mighty to save The safety of the Child in the Mothers Bosome lies not in the strength of its own weak Arms wherewith it clings about her but in the strength of the Mothers Arm and the Affectionate Tenderness of her heart towards it What though thy Faith be weak thy strength be small and thy Enemies strong thou art kept by the Power of God through Faith unto salvation * 1 Pet. 1.5 Christ is thine and so Heaven and Happiness is thine also The Lord grant I may live to his Praise that hath shewed Mercy on me For the Glory of God is I know the end of these Dispensations of his Grace For thus it is written †Eph. 1.12 13 14. That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ In whom saith the Apostle ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of Truth the Gospel of your salvation in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of Promise which is the Earnest of our Inheritance untill the Redemption of the purchased Possession unto the praise of his Glory But how may I know that God hath given me this Earnest of my Inheritance that I am sealed with his Holy Spirit or that he hath given his Holy Spirit to me If God hath given you Faith in Jesus Christ he hath certainly sealed you with his Holy Spirit and so given you the Earnest of your heavenly Inheritance For it is the Spirit of God which is the Spirit of Grace by which that Faith was wrought in your Heart by which you have been united to Jesus Christ The Graces of Sanctification Repentance Faith Hope Love to God Charity c. are the prints of this Privy Seal wherewith God seals Believers as his own Peculiar which in whatsoever soul they are found to that soul is the Spirit of God given as an Earnest of an eternal Inheritance in Heaven And where there is one Grace of the Spirit as that of Faith which hath already been evidenc't there are all the rest though not equally visible Though sometimes but one Star do appear in the Heavens yet we are sure all the rest are fixed there though they are clouded from our sight Moreover the Spirit of God where ever it is is a Spirit of Holiness Prayer and Comfort Now do you desire to know whether the Spirit of God be given to you and do indeed dwell in you Then search your Heart and tell me what you discover upon these Enquiries Do you find sin to be a Burden to you and are you weary of it Do you indeed hate your sweetest sins and love the strictest wayes of Holiness Do you maintain a constant Conflict against your Corruptions Can you truly say with the Apostle †Rom. 7.19 The good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do For * v. 21. I find a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me Yet I delight in the Law of God after the inward man Oh do you not extremely long to be freed from this Bondage of Corruption that in the duties of Holiness you might enjoy a more glorious Freedom of Communion with God What is it which chiefly makes the world uncomfortable to you Is it Sin or Suffering Which of these two is it which you most constantly fear and most carefully decline Can you heartily bless God for Affliction when it becomes a Means to promote in your Heart the work of Grace and Holiness Is not your heart grieved for the Sin that cleaves unto you in your best performances Do you not find your heart endeared to the
of Gods gracious Dealings with thy soul in the Communications of his Spirit to thee whereby thou hast given me Occasion to review some sweet Passages of that soul-ravishing Communion which a poor Creature and a worse sinner then thy self hath sometimes had with the All-glorious and ever gracious God Now assure thy self I dare no more delude thee in these great Concernments these Matters of everlasting Consequence then I dare delude my own soul For should I dare to speak Peace to thee in an unsecure Condition and so flatter thy soul into Hell thy Life would God require at my hand in the Judgement day Know then dear Soul to thy present Comfort and everlasting Joy these are not the fruits of Corrupt Nature but of saving Grace and this Grace flows from the Spirit of Holiness which is given to thee and in respect of these blessed Fruits Effects Influences and Operations thereof dwelleth in thee and will certainly conduct thee to a Kingdom of Glory Fear not then the Evils that are or shall be upon Earth for thou hast an Eternal Inheritance reserved for thee in Heaven Thou art one of the small number of Christs ltttle Flock and it is thy Fathers good pleasure to give thee tht Kingdom †Luk. 12.32 Thus I have shewed thee O Believer how thou may'st clear thy Title to the Kingdom of Heaven thine Evidences for eternal Life How thou may'st know upon infallible Scripture-Grounds that Heaven is thine Inheritance What then remains but that living in Perillous Times on earth thou shouldst long to be possest of the Glorious Joyes of Heaven And therefore now we are here together in the Wilderness come Believer come along with me to the top of Pisgah and let us there take a Prospect of the Holy Land Seest thou there the * Isa 33.17 Land that is a far off Behold that 's the Land of Promise where after our wearisome Pilgrimage we shall have an everlasting glorious Rest There the Flourishing Vines are ever laden with full Clusters of the richest Grapes Oh! Happy shall we be when instead of the Waters of the Wilderness we shall come to drink of the Wines of Canaan There the Rivers do continually flow with †Exo. 3.17 Flumina jam Lactis jam Flumina Nectaris ibant Ovid. Aetas Aureâ— Milk and Honey Theâ—e shall we sit down by the Crystal streams of the purest Pleasures and drink our Fils of the fresh Fountains of glorious Joyes everlasting Delights Here we are encompast with Enemies but there we shall have a perfect Tranquillity an eternal Security an unchangeable Felicity Oh that we had but * Psal 55.6 Wings like a Dove that we might fly from this High Mountain to that HOLY LAND Come Believer why standest thou here gazing upon a tumultuous Throng of people that rush out of the Gates of Babylon to persecute and afflict the Children of Zion †Isa 33.20 21. Look upon Zion the City of our Solemnities Thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet Habitation a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down not one of the Stakes thâ—reof shall ever be removed neither shall any of the Cords thereof be broken But there the glorious LORD will be to us a place of broad Rivers and Streames wherein shall go no Gally with Oars neither shall gallant sâ—ip pass thereby No there shall be no Enemy to terrifie us with a threatned Invasion nor any to molest us with a bloody Persecution for our City shall be * Isa 26.1 wall'd with Salvation and our streets shall be pav'd with Peace Happy are the Inhabitants of the Heavenly Jerusalem There they that have wallowed in the Dust shall walk on †Rev. 21.21 Gold They that have been wrapt up in Darkness and buried in Disgrace shall wear Robes of Light and Crowns of Glory Were all the glittering Stars of Heaven turn'd into glorious Suns what glorious Robes of Light would their intermixed Beams weave for the Inhabitants of the Earth And yet all this would be but a shadow of the Glory of Heaven For were all these Suns in the highest Heavens they would be at once eclipst and disappear darkened with the All-transcending Brightness of the * Rev. 21.23 Glory of God Sure we are †Isa 24.23 The Moon shall be confounded and the Sun ashamed when the Lord of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his Antients gloriously Glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God * Psal 87.3 Incomparabiliter clara est Civitas aeterna ubi Victoria ubi Veritas ubi Dignitas ubi Sanctitas ubi Vita ubi Aeternitas †Aug. de Vita aeterna The Eternal City saith Augustine is of incomparable Claritude where there is Victory where there is Verity where there is Dignity where there is Sanctity where there is Life where there is Eternity Oh who would not long to live in that place where the Inhabitants are possest of so many inestimable Priviledges Come Christians what say you to these glorious things above now you experiment such perillous Times below Here you are wandering in the Wildernesse Do you not long to be possest of the Land of Promise to see the Beauties taste the Pleasures and enjoy the Priviledges of the Coelestial Canaan the supernal Jerusalem Here you are tost on a troublesome Sea should you not desire to arrive at the Haven of HAPPINESSE to Land in GLORY Here you sit by the Rivers of Babylon should you not weep when you remember Zion Even weep for sorrow that you are so long absent from it which is the Place of your Triumph and Joy Know you not that when once you are arriv'd at the * Psal 48.2 City of the great King your Waters of sorrow shall be all turn'd into the Wine of Joy For the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with Songs and everlasting Joy upon their Heads they shall obtaine Joy and Gladnesse and sorrow and sighing shall flee away †Isa 35.10 Theâ—e shall you see those Turtle Doves whose mourning voice you heard by the Waters of the Sanctuary having their * Psa 68.13 Wings cover'd with Silver and their Feathers with yellow Gold glassing their Eyes in the crystal Fountaines of Eternal Life The State of man may be distinguisht into three Regions there 's a lower Region which is the Region of Nature a middle Region which is the Region of Grace and the highest Region which is the Region of Glory There 's no true Tranquillity nor Safety in the first there are many Stormes and Tempests in the second there 's Rest and Joy a perfect Peace with the purest Pleasures in the third without intermission or end Oh how should the Saints who have been translated from the Region of Nature into the Region of Grace long to be translated especially in stormy and tempestuous Times from the Region of Grace into the Region of Glory True they must
be uncloath'd of this Mortal Body before they can enter into that Region of Light to put on the Robes of Immortal Glory For Induci in Nubes penetrare in plenitudinem Luminis irrumpere claritatis Abyssos lucem habitare inaccessibilem nec temporis est hujus nec corporis * To be taken up into the Clouds to pass into the fulnesse of light to break into the Abysses of Claritude and to dwell in the Light which is inaccessible †Bern. sup Cant. Ser. 38. is neither consistent with this state of Body nor competible to this present Time But why should we not be wiling that God should cast down our * 2 Cor. 5.1 Tabernacle of Clay when we are assur'd he will raise us up a †1 Cor. 15 43 glorious Temple in the roome of it a fit Mansion for an immortal soul ally'd to God array'd with Glory We are indeed incompast with Mercies on Earth but we shall be surrounded with Glories in heaven Mercy speaks a state of Imperfection and Misery but Glory speaks a state of perfect Felicity Ah Christians Your Enemies will pursue you till you are entred into the Sanctuary of God The Avenger of blood will pursue you untill you have taken the City of Refuge Who are these Enemies but your Sins with those Troops of Miseries which they lead up against you to destroy you Who is the Avenger of blood but Satan who seeks the Life of your souls to destroy it Now what is this Sanctuary What is this City of Refuge 'T is Heaven the place of the Saints Rest and Peace Joy and Glory Ah Christians Why are your affections like ravenous Vultures seeking their Prey upon Earth when with the Royal Eaglâ— they should be mounting up to Heaven to seek their Rest in Glory Ah Christians What amiable Objects can you behold upon Earth which make you so loth to be going hence at least to long so little to leave this World that you might live for ever in the Contemplation of the Glorious Beauties of Heaven Surely it grieves your Hearts here to see Christ in his Blood as he is daily * Heb. 6.6 crucifi'd afresh by the sinnes of men but then oh how will it joy your soules to behold the †Is 33.17 King in his Beauty Christ at his Fathers right hand in glory where he shall sit till all his Foes are made his Footstoole * Ps 110.1 Heb. 1.13 Oh me thinks if Christ be indeed the dearly beloved of your souls and infinitely more precious in your esteeme then all these earthly enjoyments you should extreamly long to be dissolved that you may live with him for ever in Heavenly Glory Ah Christians What can you find or expect but Troubles and Miseries on Earth What then should your desires and longings be but to be at †Heb. 4.9 Rest with Christ in Heaven Why does it please the Lord who by his powerful Providence and Government orders all things that come to pass in the World to suffer these stormes and tempests to arise and so sorely shake the * Isa 61.3 Trees of Righteousnesse of his own planting but to loosen their Roots from the Earth and so to prepare them to be transplanted into Paradise It s the Priviledge of the Saints of God that * Rom. 8.28 all things work together for their good And it 's a considerable advantage that the people of God have by perillous Times that thereby they are weaned from the world made willing to be dissolv'd and desirous to leave the Earth to live for ever in Heaven Oh labour Christians to fetch this honey out of the Carkass of the Lion to make this good use of bad Times Let your hearts sit loose to all your earthly Contentments and let your souls daily long more and more to be uncloath'd of your mortal Bodies and to live in immediate communion with Christ in heavenly Glory Oh long and labour to get out of this Wilderness of Thornes and to enter into that Flowry Paradise of everlasting Delights which God hath prepared for his children when this life is ended O long to see an end of these evil Dayes that those glorious Dayes whereof the Pious Father speaks may at length begin which never shall have an end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Basil in Psal 33. Now sayes he indeed our Dayes are evil but there are other Dayes that are good Dayes whose light shall never be cut off by darknesse Dayes that shall never be severed by the dark Curtaines of Night For God himself shall be their eternal Light crowning them with the resplendent Raies of his own glory O the difference betwixt our Dayes on Earth and these Days of Heaven Here we have often cloudy stormy Dayes but there 's an everlasting Calm an everlasting Sunshine of Love and Glory These are oftimes days of Trouble and Torment but those above are alwayes Dayes of Triumph and Joy These are Dayes of Sin and Labour of suffering and sorrow but those are all holy Sabbaths of Rest and sacred Festivals of Divine Delights So the same Father stiles them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Delicious Holy Everlasting Sabbaths Dayes of eternal Delight So sayes the Apostle also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Heb. 4.9 There remaineth therefore a Rest an everlasting glorious Sabbatisme for the People of God Oh how should the Saints long and labour to enter into this glorious Râ—st Happy are you Saints if all the Waves of afflictions and rolling Billows upon which you are tost in the troublesome Sea of this World set you daily hourely nearer to the faire Havens of everlasting Happinesse But O then be sure you steer your Course by the sacred Compass of the Word of God Oh be daily preparing your selves by a holy Life for a happy Death if you desire to enter into a glorious eternity In vaine shall you long for Heaven if you still live in sinne which is but to walk in the way that leads to Hell Unlesse the Image of God be renew'd upon your soules in the Beauties of holinesse while you are yet on Earth never shall you see the Face of God in Heaven For †Heb. 12.14 without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. Oh then be daily crucifying your Corruptions exercising your Graces * 2 Cor. 7.1 perfecting holinesse in the Feare of God and so preparing your selves for heaven that you may be †Col. 1.12 meet to be partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Then may you with comfort look for Christs coming who will receive you up into his Kingdom and Glory True believers are such as * 2 Tim. 4.8 love the appearing of Christ such as may with confidence †2 Pet. 3.12 look for and hasten unto the coming of the Day of God But then consider * 2 Pet. 3.11 What manner of Persons ought you to be in all holy Conversation and
against 291 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Error Seculi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12. v. 11. A SYNOPSIS of the foregoing TREATISE in six TABLES The first Table JN unfolding the Prophecy of perillous Times we are to consider the Parts of the 1. TEXT the Subject of the Discourse These are The Page of the Book 1 two for herein we have a 1. Prediction of Danger wherein we are to consider the 1. Termes wherein it is exprest Perillous Times shall come The Page of the Book 5 2. Time when it is to be expected in the last Dayes The Page of the Book 9 2. Premonition of Duty directed to Timothy and in him to every faithful Minister and good Christian This KNOW also that in the last Dayes perillous Times shall come The Page of the Book 14 2. TREATISE or the Discourse upon the Subject which answerable to the Parts of the Text are two sc the I. DANGER to be discovered Here are two things to be considered sc the 1. Means of the Demonstration when these Times are come This by the 1. CHARACTERS of pernicious Persons Tab. 2. 2. SYMPTOMES of perillous Times which as to the main intent of them are 1. Morall Tab. 3. 2. Political Tab. 4. 2. Ground of the Denomination why these Times are so called sc because of the Evils and Dangers of them Tab. 5. II. DUTY to be discharged Tab. 6. The second Table The CHARACTERS of pernicious Persons are drawn Pag. 25 from their Properties and Practices and are 1. Positive and absolute as 1. Lovers of their own selves Pag. 26 2. Covetous Pag. 28 3. Boasters Pag. 28 4. Proud Pag. 29 5. Incontinent Pag. 37 6. Fierce Pag. 38 7. Heady Pag. 44 8. High-minded Pag. 45 2. Relative in Reference to 1. God as 1. Unholy Pag. 33 2. Lovers of Pleasures more then Lovers of God Pag. 47 3. Having a forme of godlinesse but denying the power therâ—of Pag. 49 2. Men as 1. Disobedient to Parents Pag. 31 2. Without Natural affection Pag. 33 3. Truce-breakers Pag. 34 4. False-Accusers Pag. 35 5. Despisers of those that are good Pag. 39 6. Traytors Pag. 40 3. Both God and men as 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blasphemers Revilers Pag. 30 2. Unthankful Pag. 32 3. Wicked men and Seducers Pag. 51 The third Table The Morall SYMPTOMES of perillous Times are these 1. Prevalency of Impiety wherein are some Pag. 54 1. Special sinnes making the Times perillous as Pag. 57 1. Atheisme and Irreligion Pag. 58 2. Murmuring against God Pag. 62 3. Injustice Cruelty Oppression Pag. 65 4. Swearing and Cursing Pag. 76 5. Adultery Fornication Uncleannesse Pag. 83 6. Gluttony and Drunkenness Pag. 86 7. Phantasticalnesse Vanity and Pride of Apparel Pag. 103 2. Special Cases wherein the Times by reason of these sinnes are in a special manner perillous as in case of Pag. 122 1. Commonnesse of sin Pag. 124 2. Generality of Offendours Pag. 128 3. Obstinacy and Impudency in sinning Pag. 132 4. Remissnesse of Magistrates and Officers in punishing Pag. 138 5. Incorrigiblenesse and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 142 2 Formality in Religion Pag. 151 3. Security in a state of uncertainty Pag. 321 4. Divisions in the Church and Union of her Adversaries Pag. 307 The fourth Table The Political SYMPTOMES of perillous Times are these 1. Impiety vail'd with hypocrisie Pag. 160 2. Iniquity cloâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Authority Pag. 190 3. Peâ—jury and Covenant-breaking Pag. 208 4. Practical Atheisme Pag. 226 5. Impiety acted with Impunity Pag. 231 6. Toleration of Errours in Religion Here we are to consider the Pag. 246 1. Characters of erroneous persons which are these Pag. 249 1. Pride and self-conceitedness Pag. 253 2. Self-separation from the true Church Pag. 257 3. Railing upon Magistrates and Ministers Pag. 266 4. Covetousnesse Pag. 277 5. Uncleanness ibid. 2. Cases which upon this account constitute perillous Times These are Pag. 281 1. Licentiousnesse colour'd with Liberty of Conscience Pag. 281 2. Protection of Errour and False-worship Pag. 287 3. Misusing Gods Ministers Pag. 292 4. Contempt of God's Ordinances countenanc't Pag. 299 5. Sinners sedulity and sloth in Saints Pag. 304 7. Perill of Plain-dealing Pag. 329 The fifth Table The Evils of perillous Times are to be considered as the 1. Causes thereof as the 1. Provocation of God Pag. 339 2. Perversion of men Pag. 340 3. Pollution of the Land Pag. 341 2. Consequents thereof as the 1. Infliction of Judgement on the Land Pag. 342 2. Persecution of the Church Pag. 345 3. Destruction of mens souls Pag. 347 The sixt Table The DUTY of the Saints in perillous Times is Pag. 348 1. Mourning for the Abominations of the Times Pag. 349 2. The serious practice of true Piety This Duty consists of five Branches which are these Pag. 361 1. To keep themselves from the corruptions of the Times Pag. 366 2. To take heed of active compliance with those that are the chief causers of the evils of the Times Pag. 367 3. To consider one another to provoke unto Love and Good Works Pag. 370 4. To live in the Exercise of their most excellent Graces Pag. 371 5. To appear boldly in their places against the Evils of the Times Pag. 373 3. Earnest Prayer to God for the amendment of the Times Pag. 381 4. Making God their refuge till the Dangers are overpast For this end there is a threefold Work required sc Pag. 389 1. To clear up their Interest in God Pag. 390 2. To act all the Powers of their souls upon God Pag. 393 3. To be much in communion with God Pag. 396 5. Taking off their hearts from Earth and longing after Heaven Looking and longing for the coming of Christ Pag. 400 Rev. 22.20 21. He which testifieth these Things saith surely I come quickly Amen Even so Come Lord Jesus The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen FINIS