the second great edition of his wrath if I may so speak And the third was in that of Sodom and Gommorah these he l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 constituit â—ez poneâ—s Vulg. constituted framed for an * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesych example that is for a signe a token a sure a standing remembrance of what he meant to doe with others in the like kind And therefore is it said unto those that m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ph. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hes after should live ungodly If any had a mind after this to play the Atheists to cast off all the thoughts of God of religion and to riot it in their lusts as the Sodomites they might here see as in a map what their doome was like to bee S. Paul reckons up a whole Catalogue of Judgments which befell the Israelites 1. Cor. 10.11 It is said now all these things happened to them for ensamples the meaning is not that those Judgments came by chance upon them for how could they then be intended as examples as he saies they were Neither doth he say divisim and a part that these things happened and were examples but he speaks conjuncâ—im knitting them up both in one sentence they happened as examples or for examples that is those things which corrupt and carnall hearts look upon as chances and misfortunes he in the course of his providence orders that they should come to passe that they might be examples therefore in the 6. verse it is said these things were our examples or they were * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made our examples being ordained and appointed of him so to be Examples that is patterns n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phav samplers and similitudes of what he intended to doe in after times These were some of the first draughts and coppies of his judgments that men might see as he had begun so he intended to goe on and therefore they are said to be examples written for instruction or admonition Examples they were so in their primitive intendment and they are written too left upon record that we might take warning by them on whom the ends of the world are come The last age of this world is like to be the worst and therefore is it said in the last dayes perilous times shall come for there shall be sinners of such and such a sort 2. Tim. 3.1 Now God hath provided for this before hand he hath given many noteable examples of his judgments in former ages which men if they were wise would hide in their hearts and keep ever by them and that was his end in makeing such examples that they might be for admonition o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 AdmonitioneÌ„ pretiosum vocabulum â—uo significatur rectis monitis mens quasi prius emota suo loco restitui vel antea fluctuans componi Eez. in 1. Cor. 10 a pretious word as one calls it signifying the bringing of the mind back to it selfe againeby some wholesome rebuke or other that was formerly out of its place or els it signifieth the setling of the mind that before was fluctuating and wavering All men are apt to think sleightly of sin they look upon sin as a harmlesse thing that hath no venome nor sting in it they play and dally with it as little children would do with a Snake All this while the understanding is a sleep the mind is out of its place it judges not of things according to the nature of them But when the Lord from heaven beginnes to shoot his arrowes when they see men taken in the midst of their impieties and punished with some grievous and fearfull judgments then the mind beginnes to be awakened and a mans thoughts begin to recollect themselves certainly sin is not such a trifle it is not a toy an empty notion as the most of men doe make it These are the warnigs of God to men his judgments executed in the world are as so many monuÌ„ents standing remembrances of his displeasure against sin This is the last reason of the point The Application followes The first vse may be a word of Terror it is able to shake the heart of every unrepentant sinner under heaven Is there such wrath in God as hath been opened hath it been all along manifested and revealed have his judgments confirmed it this may strike a dampe a terror on the heart of every wretched unrepenting sinner in the world Here thou mayest see what thy case is and what thy doome will certainly bee the wrath of the great God the God of heaven and earth is kindled against thee it burneth and waxes hot against thee yea it will one day consume thee and destroy thee it will tumble theeodwn into endlesse easelesse remedilesse torments This were enough to shake the proudest Nimrods of the world and to make the most stout hearted sinner tremble like an aspen leafe would he but consider it The case is plaine and cleare the judgment sure and certaine The wrath of God is revealed from heaven it s a plaine a manifest thing it s written with a sun-beame and there needs be no question of it thine owne conscience that araignes accuses and condemnes thee it s the voice and cry of conscience if thou lyest in such and such abominations thou must be damned the word sayes it the Law hath pronounced it a thousand times over and over the gospell that ratifyes and confirmes it and the judgments of God executed in the world they put it out of doubt Oh miserable man or woman who ever thou bee be thou young or old rich or poore be thy rank or condition whatsoever it be that lyest in thy secret thefts adulteries oaths prophanations of the sabbath whose heart riseth at God and his waies that lovest thy ignorance wordlinesse or what ever sin it bee that I cannot name in which thou livest and art resolved so to doe Oh miserable forlorne creature The God of heaven and earth is set against thee the God of heaven earth is resolved to plague punish thee Art thou able to dwell with everlasting burnings or to stand before a devouring fire Art thou a fit match for the Almighty canst thou grapple with thy maker art thou strong enough to overcome his Almightynesse What is become of all the mighty sinners in the world what is become of the world of the ungodly Were they not all swllowed up together and devoured as in a moment What is become of the wicked Sodomites Were they not consumed with fire and brim-stone Nay that 's not all they suffer the vengeance of eternall fire Jude 5.7 they lye flaming in the fire of hell and are scorched with the wrath of God there for ever What is become of Cain and Judas and all the rabble of the ungodly Hath not this wrath of the Lord lighted on them and are they not for ever miserable this is thy doome portion
breath and had it not been for Bremo his fellow Actor he had been stifled but Bremo having recovered himselfe a little bare up the others head with his arme whereby he got some breath and so was preserved but both the one and the other were hurt Bremo being so sorely bruised as that he was fain to keep his bed for two dayes after and the Lady had her beuty mar'd her face being swoln by the hurt taken in the fall Some had their mouths so stuf'd with dust that they could hardly speak the people that came from the house made a pittifull moane some going in the streets and complaining here is a Play a sad Play indeed others crying out to them that met them as they are wont that have received some deadly wound oh I am kil'd Some cryed out that their Armes were broken others that their Leggs were broken some cursed the Players that ever they came to Witny and the players themselves wished that they had never came thither They that received no hurt were exceedingly affrighted insomuch that one of them that were present as I am credibly informed did say that he would not for as much as Witny was worth be in the like affright again though he were sure he should have no hurt Others said they would never goe to a play more and that it was a judgment Others have been so prophane as we hear to make a laughing-stock of it and some so desperate as to say they would go againe if it were to morrow next and too many apt to say it was but a chance a misfortune the beame was weak there were so many load of people there and the like But how sleight so ever the matter was made afterwards sure enough it is it was sad enough then It was one of the saddest and blackest nights that ever came on Witny Sad it was to see Parents carry home their Children dead in their armes sad it was to see so many bruised hurt and maimed and some as it were halfe dead that were not able to help themselves but were fain to be carryed away by their friends some on their backs some on chaires sad it was to hear the pitteous cryes of those that were not there bemoaning their distressed friends This was the sad end of this ungodly play And what was spoken in jest in the beginning of it by the just hand of God was made good in earnest The Comedy being turned into a Tragedy it had a sad Catastrophe ending with the deaths of some and hurts of many And as it was said before And make thee mourn where most thou joy'st So by the just hand of God came it to passe For in the midst of their mirth and jollity did this fall out in the middest of these amorous passages between Bremo and his Lady was this stroke given yea immediately before they expected the greatest pleasure and contentment For the Actors said the best of the play was still behind and a little after the hearts and fancyes of the Spectators were to be filled with the love-complements between Mucedorus and his Amadine So true was that Turning thy mirth into a deadly Dole The Lord from heaven having given a check to such wanton sports teaching men what they must look for and that he will not bear with such grosse open profanenesse in such an age of light as this is That he will so farre take notice of the Atheisme and profanenesse of men in this world as shall keep the world in order though he hath reserved the great and full recompence for another day and place ROM I. XVIII For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men who hold the truth in unrighteousnesse IT may seeme strange to some of you to heare such a text read The Preface What is love so soone turned into wrath The last time I was called to speak unto you upon a Lords day the first words of the text were God is love 1 Joh 4.8.9 pure love goodnesse and sweetnesse all love as it were made up of love Now the text beginnes with the wrath of God heavy wrath dreadfull astonishing wrath enough to break in pieces the hardest heart to heare it but so much as mention'd It s the wrath of God Its wrath from heaven its revealed wrath 't is manifested and declared in open sight This is a great change indeed may some one say to passe from the sweetest Love to the most terrible and dismall wrath But the Lord himselfe hath changed the text and it is he that hath given it by that which he hath wrought in the midst of you and done in the face of the whole Towne Can you look back upon that late sad and astonishing Providence of which as many as heare their eares tingle at it their hearts shake and tremble at it can you I say look upon this strange wonderfull Providence and not see this written in Broad and Capitall letters and even laid before you in what is come to passe That the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men Be not prejudiced my Brethren doe not mistake me I am not come to grate upon your soares neither to make wider your yet bleeding wounds God foribd no I pitty and pray for those among you that are yet weake and infirme beseeching the Lord to heale them and restore them that they may live to testify their thankfulnesse and Repentance My work is as a poor unworthy Embassadour and servāt of the Lord to help you to understand what the meaning of the Lord is for certainly so great a thing could not be in vaine The Lords voice crieth unto the citie saith the Prophet Micah 6.95 And the man of wisdome shall see thy Name heare ye the rod and who hath appointed it There is a voice gone out to you of this place and it is the Lords voice his Name is written upon what was done but the other week this name of his is wrirten with faire and legible characters that he which runnes may read this voice of his it doth not whisper it doth not mutter no it cries it speakes aloud it will be your wisdome to heare this voice Every rod hath a voice in it the meanest and most petty afflictions speak something from God Great and mighty strokes eminent and remarkable Judgments from heaven they have a loud voice and if such be not heard they bring speedy ruine Let not any among you say the Preacher is come to vent himselfe and his own Passions and we expected some thundering sermon after this No no I am not come to that purpose but in all humility and seriousnesse to beseech you to consider what the mind of the Lord is and I have beg'd from the Lord as well as I could wisedome and direction to know what I should speak be not such enemies to your selves and to that good the
Lord intends you this day as to say when you come home we have heard a sermō of Judgment and that is all we expected some such thing Do not so ill requite the Lord and his word but harken to the counsels of his word and be obedient to the same The scope of the Apostle in this Epistle The Coherence is to set downe the true way of mens Justification and salvation which he affirmes to be by the pure grace of God and not by the works of men This way or modell of God in saving men the materiall principle from whence both their Justification and Salvation must arise viz imputed righteousnesse he calls the righteousnesse of God in the verse before the text which is so called because the righteousnesse by which men are saved is a righteousnesse of Gods finding out and of his own bestowing and not any such thing as men have either framed and devised themselves or were able to work out by any thing that they could doe This righteousnesse he saies is revealed in the Gospell it is the Gospell that chalkes out this modell and plat-forme of righteousnesse and life and by this way must men be justified and saved and not by their owne workes this is the maine proposition which he layes down in the 17 verse In the text we have the first proof or argument to make that assertion good the argument stands thus The workes of all men in the world whether Jewes or Gentiles ever since the fall of Adam they are wicked ungodly unrighteous workes therefore they cannot be saved by them the argument is very cleare and strong here All men deserve wrath the utmost wrath displeasure and vengeance of God by thei◠owne workes therefore they cannot deserve his love favour or good will they are so far from deserving his love that they deserve the quite contrary This is the coherence For explication of the words The wrath of God By wrath we are to understand wrath in the Root and in the Fruit in the cause The opening of the Text. and in the effect God is highly displeased with men by reason of sin he loathes their wayes and abhorres their practises he beares a bitter and a deadly hatred against all the wickednesse which men commit and he hath an inward quarrell if we may so speak a secret grudge in his heart against men themselves for the same this is wrath in the root or cause And then againe he inflicts plagues and punishments the most dreadfull curses and fearfull judgments on men by reason of sin all which are visible and signall tokens of his displeasure and manifest proofs that he cannot endure them nor any of their wayes this is wrath in the fruit or effect Is revealed from heaven There may be a twofold sense of this a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simpliciter significat Pau lus manifestius esse quam ut quisquam inficiari possit Dominum è caelo in omnes ac singulos homines indignari Beza 1. The sense may be it is revealed clearly and manifestly as much as if it were by a voice from heaven The Lord God Almighty the blessed and most holy God he proclaimes it from heaven and cries aloud in the eares of all the world that he is deeply offended with all the ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse which men cōmit that he will certainly call them to an account and punish them for it In Psalm 14 2. it is said The Lord looked from HEAVEN upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God now here it is said his wrath is revealed from heaven God is no idle spectator he doth not carelessly behold the actions of men as if so be they might doe what they listed and he not discerne or not be moved at it no he looks down from heaven upon the children of men Jehovah from the heavens looked down upon the sons of Adam so one reads it He looks with a watchfull observant eye his eye is intent and fixt upon all the sons of Adam upon the whole raceof mankind and for what is all this curious search made it is to see if there were any that did understand and seek God But was he well pleased when he found it otherwise no surely finding all to be corrupt that they were all gone aside that they were all together becōe filthy that there was none that did good no not one that they were workers of iniquity v. 1.3.4 he gives out the sentence he pronoūceth it from heaven he proclaimes it in the eares of all the world that he is highly offended and his wrath is gone out against men by reason of these things Psalm 4.2 O ye sons of men how long will ye love vanity and seek after leasing how long will ye run mad on sin and be so desperately adventerous in the waies in which you walk But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himselfe verse 3 Take it for granted that JEHOVAH that is the Highest Lord the Majesty of heaven and earth he is provoked and incensed by all these waies and it is the godly man that he lookes after know ye Jehovah hath marvelously seperated a gratious saint to him so Ainsworth It is the pious devout holy soul that Jehovah regards and he hath marvelously seperated him or selected in wondrous sort b segregavit Graecum Latinum mirificavit quod verbum non est alienum a proposito ubi bi de opilione ad regiam dignitatem evecto agitur neque a Grammatica cùm verba quae mirabile facere separare Hebraice significant fimilia sint atque idcirco suas fignificatiōes facile confundere possint ex regula Grammaticorum usn Hebraicae linguae Muis in loc he hath put him in another rank set a mark of excellency upon him he hath set him in opposition to the wicked ungodly men and such as love vanity whome he hath set on another file whose names are written in his black book and hath marked them out as the objects of his wrath this is illustrated Psal 11.4 5 ver The Lord is in his holy temple The Lords throne is in heaven his eyes behold his eye-lids tries the children of men The Lord trieth the righteous but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth Another sense may be the wrath of God is revealed from heaven that is it is manifested by evident cleare remarkable plagues and Judgments from heaven God hath discovered to all the world that he is an utter enemy to all the sin wickednesse and ungodlinesse of men because he hath punished in all generations wicked and ungodly men with most fearfull plagues and judgments he hath shewen signes and tokens from heaven so that all men have seene his hand Pareus A learned expositor understands this phrase from Heaven as that which is opposed to the opinion of prophane men who ascribe the
old wayes I was trained up in by my parents and especially that which God had taught me by faithfull Ministers and soone was I poysoned with that Doctrine which my corrupt nature did soone close with to the great dishonour of the pretious Gospell to the grieving of the good spirit of God and the wounding of mine owne conscience which was not soon healed I began to try conclusions with God and and walked as a loose libertine and cast of the duty of prayer to God in private and so quickly I lost my communion with God and he withdraw himselfe from me and left me for a time and no sooner had God left me but Satan came in with his delusions and formed himself into an Angel of light and carryed me up into a fooles Paradise and lulled me asleep in security and carryed me on in that condition for the space of an yeare and halfe before the Lord awakenened me And no sooner had I left seeking of God in private but the Lord left me to publique shame for my heart and strength was let out in an eager persuit of the world and love of the creatures and a fearfull sleighting of the Sabbath which began to be a burthen to me and I had an odious sleighting esteeme of the Ministers of God and questioned their judgments in holding forth the word to the people and I was exceedingly perplexed with vaine thoughts and by degrees led into such thoughts as I aw ashamed to name and by this the Lord awakened me for I was exceedingly startled at it and began to consider with my self that I was out of Gods way and therefore out of Gods protection Then I began to remember from whence I was fallen but it was long ere I could do my first workes but I was resolved to turne to my first husband for then it was better with me then now But I found it a hard pluck before I found my God a reconciled father pardoning my sin of Apostacy though I sought it with bitter teares for the space of halfe an yeare And I thought to have kept it to my selfe and none should have knowen my trouble but the anguish of my spirit was so exceeding great that I could not hide it from God or man for I was afraid the Lord would have made me a publick example to all that knew me and that I should have been quite distracted and ran about the streets like one of those that children run after But when I saw there was no remedy I made my case knowen and got all the helpes I could to seek God for me When I made my approach to God I was beaten back by mine adversary and by mine owne accusing conscience which was more to me then a thousand witnesses And often those words were sounding in mine eares Him that draweth back my soule abhorreth and he that putteth his hand to the plough and looketh back is not fit for the kingdom of heaven and woe to you Scribes and Pharises hypocrites and that in the 6. of the Hebrews them that have tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come if they fall away it is impossible to renew them by repentance with many more places and when I would have prayed in private it was told me that God would not heare me then I replyed that I hoped God would heare him that sate at his right hand but it was replyed to me againe the Lord had said to him as he had to Jeremiah pray not for this people I was so lamentably tortured I could not sleep nor eat nor take any contentment in any relation I had and had not the Lord witheld me from that which the devill tempted me unto I had surely ended my life So low was this poore soule brought and so deep was the distresse in which the Lord left it before it was recovered indeed I cānot declare all least this relation should seeme too tedious But it pleased the Lordat last mercifuly to recover this poor distressed soule though it were long first that I may use some of its own expressions before the Lord did seale unto it its pardon many a bitter day and night it did undergoe to this very day it makes sad heavy complaints undergoes many a sharp conflict but the Lord is pleased to sanctify these and former dispensations in fuch a way as that there are few Christians in which there is so much humility mortifyednesse such sweet breathings after God such high prizings of his presence and humble attendance on the ordinances frequent use of holy duetyes to be found So famous an instance as this is might serve to poyse and ballance the loose and ficle spirits of such who begin to hang off from to be indifferent unto the good waies of God Beware of Apostacy Apostacy is a fearfull sin it is the high way to the sin against the Holy Ghost that sin which shall never be pardoned in this world or in the world to come Take heed how you medle with edge-tooles as the proverbe is Whoever falls on this stone it will grind him to powder Who ever shall clash with the great Fundamentall Doctrines the Doctrines about sin whether there be any such thing yea or no touching the resurrection Heaven hell the last Judgment he that shall play and dally with these things and take liberty to speak for them or against them such wantonnesse as this is will proove his ruine in the end Did you not once believe these things were they not once Articles of your faith how is it that you come to cast them off Oh it is the most dangerous thing in the world for a man to be medling and tampering with and at last come to a flat downright denying of the great fundamentall truths of religion the things which sometimes he beleeved and professed the beleife off this man is in a faire way to the unpardonable sin I do not say this is that sin but he that is come to this had need look to himself he is in the way thereunto without abundance of mercy to recover him Much have those to answer for and fearfull is their Judgment like to be who peremptorily and obstinately maintaine such desperate opinions that all men shall be saved alike that sin is nothing but only that men make it something by their own Melancholly fancies and timerous apprehentions b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repete ex superioribis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierocl This is the very Bane and cut-throat of all religion this is that which cuts the very sinewes of Godlinesse this is that which undermines the worship of God in the world and plucks it up by the very rootes Take away the name and notion of sin make it nothing who then will regard to worship feare obey the great God who will care for any of his commands Do you not think the Lord is Jealous for these things
punishments that are ever now and then lighting upon men to chance or second causes the position of the starres the malignity of the elements the mutability of the matter whereas the Apostle shewes clearly that this wrath descēds from heaven and is even the scourge and whip of God whereby he revengeth the impiety and injustice of the world Against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men by ungodlinesse we are to understand sinnes against the first Table all contempt of God of religion of the worship of God of the waies and ordinances of God the wrong and injury that is done to God himself more immediately or to any part of his worship d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phav By unrighteousnesse is mean't sins against the second Table 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gr. Scho l. in Rō 1. all oppression injustice riot excesse and the like Against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse because there are severall sins comprehended under either head Here also ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse is put for persons committing such things the Abstract being put for the Concrete Who hold the truth c. This is added as an aggravation of the sinne of men that men sin against light and knowledge and therefore doe more abundantly deserve that wrath which is reveal'd from heaven against them The doctrine arising hence is this The Blessed Doctrine and most holy God hath all along manifested and declared his utter hatred abhorrence and detestation of all ungodly and unrighteous persons and of all the ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse which they commit and at sundry times hath confirm'd and made good that displeasure of his by fearfull and terrible Judgments inflicted on men in this world Or more briefly that you may all remember it God is certainly angry with sin and sinners and doth oftentimes in this world shew his displeasure against them by remarkable Judgments In the prosecution of this we must shew 1. what this hatred or wrath of God meaneth 2. Prove in a scripture or two that this wrath of God so opened and unfolded hath been manifested to have been in God 3. how or by what wayes and meanes it hath been manifested 4. Give proof that it hath been confirm'd by Judgments inflicted on men from time to time 5. Why God takes this course to manifest his wrath by plagues and judgments in this world 1. What is this wrath of God It implyeth two things the Holinesse of his will the Justice of his will 1. The Holinesse of his will the will of God is absolutely universally set against all sin he dislikes it he abhorres it he hates it to the very death it is that which goes against him he cannot endure it neither will he it strikes at his own blessednesse therefore he must needs hate it f Omne impediens à beatitudine debet odiri Aquin. Heb. 1.9 Thou hast loved righteousnesse and hated iniquity That which a man hateth he wisheth the death of God hath taken up an irreconcileable and eternall hatred against sin it never stood with his holinesse to like it neither ever will it Nay he is so holy he cannot but hate it The wrath of God therefore is the displeasure which he hath conceived in his heart against sin the secret grudge and quarrell which he beares to every man that is a sinner and cannot but beare to him considered as such and remaining in that estate g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot Wrath as the Philosophers define it is a desire of revenge for some seeming sleight or disrespect shewen to a man As a Prince when he is disgraced reviled reproched or any way struck at by one of his subjects h Sola parvipensio causat iram omne provocans iram est aliquid sub ratione injusti Aquin. he is presently inflamed his blood is up i Ira est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eustratius referent Grot. he resolves to right himselfe and to revenge the quarrell of his honour on such a man But God hath no such passions only so far we may say the blessed God looks upon sin as a slight as a disrespect shewen unto him he looks upō and sinners as contemning his holy majesty as scorning him and setting him at nought and this he hates and cannot but hate 2. The k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phavor wrath of God implyes the justice of his will the will of God hates sin and it is resolved to punish sin the will of God is carried with utter dislike of sin and it will be reveng'd for sin it will inflict punishment for sin Wrath in our sense is a desire of revenge when there is some evill inflicted proportionable to the wrong a man suffers and this is properly called punishment * Est autem paena generali significatu malum passionis quod instigitur ob malum actionis Grotins de jure belli pacis Now there are no passions in God as was said before but thus we must conceive it God resolves to lay a meet recompence a just reward upon men for sin sin in its own nature deserves the heaviest curses and therefore these are measured out by the just 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jus Dei and upright will of God as the fittest recompence thereunto This is the judgment of God that they which commit such things are k Ad jus autem pertinet aptitudo quam Aristoreles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est dignitatem vocat Michael Ephesius id quod secundum eam aequale dicitur interpretatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod convenit Grotius de jure belli pacis worthy of death Rom. 1.32 God will render to every man according to his workes Chap. 2.6 This is another thing that must be understood by the wrath of God the distributive justice of God whereby he lay's actuall plagues and punishments on men according to their deserts Psalm 2.5 Then shall he speak unto unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure Here is wrath and the fruit of wrath the Lord is angry and he makes it known that he is so his anger is a vexing troubling anger it leaves not men at ease in their sinnes but it quickly disquiets them 2. The Second particular for the prosecuting of the doctrine was to instance in a Scripture or two whereby it apeares that there is such anger in God towards sin and sinners and to proove that there is such wrath indeed which hath been manifested as hanging over men by reason of sin One or two places will be enough for this Ezra 8.22 The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him Nahum 1.2 God is jealous and the Lord revengeth the Lord revengeth and is furious the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries and he reserveth wrath for his enemies The Prophet is here describing the nature
so be they venture on it 2. The second way whereby the wrath of God is manifested is the light of the word Now this is twofold 1. The light of the Law 2. The light of the Gospell 1. It is manifested by the light of the Law the Law threatning nothing but death curses plagues and vengeance to all sin and ungodlinesse whatsoever Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to doe them Gal. 3.10 wouldst thou know whether the wrath of God hangs over men by reason of sin doe but read the 28. Chap. of Deuteron There you shall find curse upon curse In the 15. verse it is said all these curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee Cursed shalt thou be in the city and cursed in the field cursed shall be thy basket and cursed in thy store v. 20. The Lord shall send upon thee cursing vexation rebuke in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to doe untill thou be destroyed and untill thou perish quickly because of the wickednesse of thy doings whereby thou hast forsaken me The Law threatneth nothing but wrath it worketh wrath Rom. 4.15 It causes a sense of wrath by threatning wrath to all the transgressors of it 2. Is it otherwise in the gospell no the gospel that reveals wrath too The wrath of God is revealed from heaven As much as if the Apostle should say we the Apostles and Embassadours of God do bring this message from heaven and publish it in our gospell to the world that the wrath of God is due to men by reason of sin all men by nature are under wrath already they are children of wrath Eph. 2. and there is a day which is comming when this wrath shall come upon them to the utmost if they doe not believe and repent Obj. Yea but the gospell reveales Christ salvation pardon of sin An. True this is the first intention of the gospell Heb 2.3 and the first offer which it makes but if men neglect so great salvation if they will not stoop to gospell tearms and submit to what it commands if they will not repent and believe then there is so much the more wrath Mark 1.14.15 and the heavyer vengeance Heb. 10.28.29 He that despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath troden under foot the sonne of God Besides the gospell teacheth that God will judge the secrets of mens hearts Rom. 2.16 In the day when God shall judge the hearts of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospell Thy secret pride covetousnesse ambition thy secret thefts adulteries thy secret scorning of the word and ordinances these must be all judged the Gospell that hath said so much in effect It is according to the Doctrine of the gospell that there must a generall judgment passe on all a mans sinnes and therefore on the secrets of their hearts his inward and most secret sins It is according to my gospell saith the Apostle that men must be judged why where had Paul said so In that samous sermon of his Acts 17.30.31 And the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men every where to repent because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him frō the Dead Or else he saies according to his gospell because this was the tenor of the gospell a part and portion of the gospell one of the most ordinary and usuall Doctrines therein revealed he and the rest of the Apostles going up and down and preaching the day of judgment unto men bringing that as a maine argument why they should repent and believe because that there was a day a comming when they must be called to a reckoning for all their sinnes So likewise it is the gospell that saies 2. Thes 1.7.8.9 The Lord Jesus shal be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire takeing vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospell of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 4. 4. Part. The fourth thing for the prosecution of the Doctrine was to make proof that this wrath of God towards sin and sinners hath been confirmed and made good by sundry judgments inflicted upon sinners from time to time Now here we need not stand long the whole Book of God is full of cleare and pregnant examples to this purpose You all know the story of the old world it is said expressly God brought in the flood upon the world of the ungodly 2. Peter 2.5 You have all read or heard the judgment that befell Sodom and Gomorrah It is recorded with a speciall note Gen. 19 24. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven The name of the Lord is used twice here to shew that it was a speciall hand from heaven that brought this e Hebraismus est pluit Dominus a Domino de coelo pro Dominus pluit a se de coelo Vatab. The Lord did this by himselfe as it were it was not a chance or accident as some call the most fearfull judgments that ever have been executed it was not the ill Crasis and disposition of second causes no it was an immediate hand from heaven it was Jehovah that did it We might instance in the examples of f Exod. 14. Pharaoh and his Host which were drowned in the red sea in the examples of g Numb 16. Korah Dathan Abiram of h Isai 37. Senacherib and diverse others From the old Testament we might passe to the New and speak of the ends of Judas Ananias and Saphira Herod These things you all know much also might be fetched from Histories sacred prophane to consirme this Ecclesiasticall Histories are full of examples in this kind M. Fox in his Book of Martyrs hath a speciall tract to shew the fearfull ends of severall of the most Eminent persecutors of the Church and people of God 5. 5 Partic. The Last thing for the clearing of the Doctrine is to shew the grounds and reasons of this why God takes this course many times in this world to inflict upon notorious sinners some remarkable judgments might it not be thought sufficient that there are eternall punishments reserved for them The reasons therefore why God doth this are these 1. Reason 1. He doth it to put a stop to the Atheisme that is in the world The foole hath said in his heart there is no God Psal 14.1 The Atheist sayes we may doe as we list the Lord sees
also who continuest in thine abominations Tophet is ordained of old yea Isai 30.33 for the King it is prepared he hath made it deep and large the the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a streame of brimstone doth kindle it There is elbow roome enough in hell for all the drunkards swearers Atheists in the world He hath made it deepe and large it will hold them all there is no feare of it this is the place prepared for thee Be thou a great sinner or little sinner it matters not if so be thou be an unrepenting sinner it may be thy sin is soe secret way of ū just gain it may be it is wilfull ignorance constant neglect of holy duties be it what it will be if thou be an unrepentant sinner if thou keep thy sin in thy bosome if thou hide it as a sweet morsell under thy tongue the wrath of the Lord is gone out against thee Oh how great how dreadfull is that wrath Jerem. 10. v. 10. The Lord is the true God he is the liveing God and an everlasting King at his wrath the earth shall tremble and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation Revel 6.14 15 16 17. And the heaven departed as a scrole when it is rolled together every mountain Island were moved out of their places And the Kings of the earth and the great men the rich mē the chiefe captaines the mighty men and every bond-man and every free-man hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountaines And said to the mountaines and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Thou mayest mock at the word now and despise the messengers of the Lord and make a light matter of sin hell wrath and judgment and every such thing Yea but then shalt thou cry to the rocks mountaines to fall on thee to shelter thee from the wrath of the Lord and the siercenesse of his anger The wrath of the King is as the roaring of a Lyon but what is the wrath of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords when the Almighty shall strech forth his owne hand against a poore rebellious creature one that had wallowed in his filthinesse and took his swinge in his base and swinish lusts and he shall set his owne almightynesse on worke to make him miferable Oh how great must that misery bee Revelation 1.7 Behold He commeth and every eye shall see him all kindreds of the earth shal wail because of him There is a mighty emphasis lies on it it is he that commeth who is that look back at the 5. verse and you will see it is Jesus Christ the faithfull witnesse the first begotten of the dead the prince of the Kings of the earth unto whom glory and dominion is due for ever and ever Behold he commeth it is ushered in with a note of astonishment and amazement it is not a poore despised Christ it is not a carpenters sonne that now appeares he commeth not in that meane low abject way as once he did no it is the glorious Lord Jesus it is the the faithfull witnesse one that hath received publique testimony in heaven of his truth and faithfullnesse in his fathers worke it is he that was raised up by the glory of the Father whom he hath set at his owne right hand Far above all principality and powers and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come 'T is he commeth he comes not in a poore meane and abject manner no he commeth with clouds he shall come in the glory of his father and all the holy Angells with him Behold he commeth Or else we may refer this to the following verse v. 8. I am Alpha and Omega the beginning the ending saith the Lord which is which was which is to come the Almighty It is that Eternall that Almighty one Behold he comeeth So in the Epistle of Jude v. 14. Behold the Lord commeth Here we have a behold too The Lord commeth with ten-thousands of his Saints To see ten thousand Saints and thousand thousandes of Angells comming to Judgment Oh what a dreadfull sight would this bee but it is the Lord that commeth in the front and head of these they are but his followers attendants The Lord he whom thou hast hated scorned opposed all this while it is the Lord that cōmeth whose cōmands thou hast made bold withall and regarded no more then the dust under thy feet The Lord commeth to execute vengeance v. 15. who said expressely thou shouldst not be drunken riotous unjust abuse his mercies and the like this glorious mighty Lord he himselfe commeth he whom thou hast dishonoured provoked blasphemed so many yeares together and yet he let thee alone but now thou shalt pay for all he comes to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly amongst them he will spare none high nor low rich nor poore all shall stand before the judgement seat But is that all it followes he will convince them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed Thou canst be tipsy in a corner and commit filthinesse in secret and reserve some hidden close haunts of sin which are remote from the eyes of men but thou shalt not carry it so the Lord will convince all that are ungodly among them as subtill and as cunning an hypocrite as thou art thou shalt be unmasked the Lord will lay thee open before men and Angells thy basenesse and underhand dealing thy dodging and dawbing in matters of religion shall be brought to light at that day Thou sayest as those mockers did wher is the promise of his comming What is this day of Judgment hell and wrath that ministers tell us so much off Tush these are but Bug-beares to fright little children with and Preachers are grown so proud now a daies as they will have all men come to their bowes and have an awe and reverence of them but let us not be so weak to hearken to such tales But what followeth He will convince them of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Alas for thee poore man It is not the minister thou speakest against those thy wicked thy accursed thy hard speeches they are against him The Lord will not be mocked neither will he suffer his creatures to laugh him to scorne He will convince thee one day that sin hell and wrath are not dreames fancies and idle tales when thou hast lyen some millions of yeares in those insufferable torments and hast eternity for ever lying before thee to think what thou hast still to endure then thou wilt see whether sin be sin
Caligula that wicked Emperour that he which did so much despise the Gods upon the least crack of thunder or flash of lightning was wont to wink to wrap up his head and if the thunder and lightening were a little greater then ordinary he would get off the bed on which he lay and hide himself under the bed Yea it was a a Moris fnit cùm tonaret aut fulgeret aut terra mo veret continuò pro mutua salute diis vota fundere Causab ex Philostrato Cusus verba apponit Custome among some of the Heathens when there was thunder or lightening or an earth-quake to pray to their Dietyes for on anothers safety and preservation Nay the very devills in hell believe and tremble the scripture saies it and it is so they have seen all the judgments that have been already executed they know them to be his judgments and tremble at them They know all the threatnings of the word to be true and beleeve they shall be a-complished They know that the day of judgment will come they look for it and tremble at the thoughts of it What art thou worse then the wickedest heathen that ever was then the blackest Fiend in hell Oh wretched creature Pluck off the vizard shew what thou art Do not defile abuse that pretious name of Christian thou a Christian and worse then a Heathen worse then the very devills in hell 2. Not to acknowledge God in such terrible astonishing things as these are it is the flattest most down right Atheisme that ever was It is to deny God himselfe that there is such a Majesty as the Majesty of heaven and earth it is to deny the word it is to deny all his judgments it is in effect to call all the great workes of God that ever he hath wrought in the world meer accidents and chances it is to make the floud a meer chance it is to make the burning of Sodom and Gomorah a meer chance in a word it is to make every thing that is recorded in scripture as a punishment of sin and sinners meer casualities and chances Oh monstrous abominable blasphemy was there ever greater blasphemy then this This is to deny God to deny his word to become a stark downright k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hier. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tragieus quidam apud Lyps Atheist Doest thou believe there are any such things as judgments certainly if there be this was one What is a judgment but onely a punishment laid on men for sin and that which makes it more remarkeably a judgment is when men are taken in the midst of their sins Now that stage-plaies are sins fearfull and abominable sins both in them that act them and them that behold them we need not labour much to proove 1. We might urge where doth the word of God tolerate such Pas-times the word sayes we should redeeme the time be swift to speak watch unto prayer If thou canst not afford one houre to heare a Sermon to pray to performe religious dueties in Eph. 5.16 James 1.19 1 Pet. 4.7 doth the word afford thee three foure houres or whole nights to sit up at a play 2. But this is least of all stage-playes are absolutely against the word the word forbids idle words foolish words jesting it forbids unchast lookes unchast apparrell unchast gestures every thing that might be an occasion of sin the Scripture saith Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her Math. 5.28 hath committed adultery with her already in his heart Againe it sayes The light of the body is the eye if thine eye be evill thy whole body is full of darknesse Math. 6.22.23 stage-playes are stuff'd with scarrilous filthy unbecomming speeches passages and gestures they are the incentives occasions of all lust stage-playes are the very acting of wickednesse they are a teaching of men to be vile and wicked What are all your Comedies but onely bringing the wanton lusts of men upon the stage as if so be the hearts of men were not corrupt enough by nature but they must needs see lewdnesse and folly acted before their eyes to provoke them to be wicked Oh horrible men are not content to be lascivious unchast in their thoughts desires and inclinations when they are at home but they would faigne see lust acted in the life of it they would faigne see it displayed in its colours Is not this abominable Ezekiel 23.14.15.16 When she saw men pourtrayed upon the wall the images of the Chaldeans pourtrayed with virmilion girded with girdles upon their loynes exceeding in dyed attire upon their heads all of them Princes to look to after the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea the land of their nativity as soon as she saw them with her eyes she doted upon them and sent messengers unto them in Caldea Could dead pictures do so much a few painted images on a wall what then will living pictures do The persons of men acting the part of some found and wanton lover or in another habit representing the amorous looks carriage and deportment of some lewd and wanton Queane They when they saw the pictures in the wall Doted on them and doth not the sight of lustfull amorous spectacles beget stir up lust doth it not bewitch and enchant the hearts of men There are two sad h See D Reynolds overthrow of stage playes p. 51. examples of this in Histories Besides do not men attire themselves in womans habits and is not this a sin Deuteron 5.22 The woman shall not weare that which pertaineth to a man Prinus Histriom mastix p. 392. scy neither shall a man put on a womans garment for all that do so are an abomination to the Lord thy God Is there any thing more cleare or more expresse How frequent is this in stage playes was it not so in the late play was there not one that acted a womans part in womans garments If we believe the word these were not ordinary sins no they are unnaturall abominable practises the authors of them are abominable they are * Abōinabilis est apud Deum hoc est Deus abhorret ab his monstrjs Johannes Wolphius in Deut. monsters in Gods account as a learned man explaines that text 3. The hand of God hath remarkably appeared against the actors and frequenters of stage playes * Theatre of Gods judgments There was a womā that went to the Theatre to see a play and returned home possessed with an uncleane spirit who being rebuked in a conjuration for daring to assault one of the faith that professed Christ answered that he had done well because he had found her upon his own ground Here you have the devils own confession he acknowledges stage playes to be sinnes he had her upon his own ground where he would have her and therefore he claimes a right to do what he did Many instances there are in this kind He that hath a
there them that hold such and such things In thee O Pergamos are found such monstrous and abominable Doctrines in thee are found such as maintaine thē will stand for them with thee it is that they have their seat and residence Are there not to be found in thee O Witny corrupt licentious abominable Doctrines hast thou not also them that hold them that contend for them with might maine Are there none amongst you that make a mock of sin that make sin nothing that hold there is no such thing as sin Are there none amongst you that deny the great fundamentall Doctrines which are the very hinges pillars and foundations of all religion denying the resurrection the immortality of the soule election and reprobation Heaven and hell that deny the damnation of any and maintaine the salvation of all that can take away the scriptures the whole Bible and religion it selfe all at once are there none such as these are These are sad provocations black and dismall provocations I would feigne believe some poore soules are led aside through weaknesse and simplicity and are beguiled through the subtility of that old serpent whose wiles they are ignorant of The good Lord deliver them that they perish not It s a dangerous thing to stumble at the fundamentalls of religion and godlinesse although it be through weaknesse But if there be any such who obstinately and pertinatiously maintaine such Doctrines against cleare and convincing light formerly shining on them against the truth which sometimes they owned and professed they are in a sad and fearfull case Read the Epistles of St. Peter and Jude and there you will see the ends of those men 2. Pet. 2.1 They bring upon themselves swift destruction v. 3. Their Judgment now of a long time lingereth not and their damnation slumbereth not Ep. Iude v. 4. who were before of old ordained to this condemnation If a man out of despight make a mock of Preaching sabbaths ordinances if there be any worse place in hell it is reserved for that man You see what the sinnes are which are found amongst you I have now shewen you your wounds my next work is to endeavour the healing of them and indeed that was my maine intention it was not a pleasure to me to search and lance your your soares yet that was necessary to a cure The maine exhortation pressed on you hath been an exhortation to repentance to serious to speedy repentance And that which remaines is to give more particular direction what your carriage and deportment ought to be under the present hand of God There are these foure things you ought to set before you and to have in your eye 1. The work of Humiliation 2. The work of Reconciliation 3. The work of Reformation 4. The work of Remembrance for so it may be called laying it as a solemne charge upon your selves to keep in remembrance this strange and wonderfull providence 1. The first Duty to be set upon is the work of Humiliation I do not meane you should set upon it in your own strength but take the strength of Christ with you and the strength of the spirit with you and then you may go on You have sinned greatly oh humble your selves greatly before the Lord Manasseth did so after his great sinnes 2. Chron. 33.12 And when he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers Every particular soule should humble himselfe for his particular sinnes and say Good Lord what have my sinnes been that such wrath should come upon Witny in my dayes Every family should mourne and lament over the sinnes of that family Husbands should mourne apart and the Wives a part children a part and servants a part every one mourning for his owne personall sinnes and the family sinnes In the 12. Zachar. 11. we read of a great mourning a great mourning indeed as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon When was that When that good King Iosiah was slaine 2. Chron. 35.23.24.25 Oh that was a dreadfull a terrible Judgment to have such a Prince taken from them and this occasioned a great mourning the text saies all Iudah and Ierusalem mourned for Iosiah All were turned mourners then and there was no one but bare a part in these lamentations Ieremiah the Prophet he lamented for Iosiah and the singing men and the singing women spake of Iosiah in their lamentations unto this day Their singing was turned into mourning and their rejoycing into lamentation You have had a great many singing men and singing women in this place such as would goe frō doore to doore singing their songs and carolls to make themselves and others mirth Oh! it were well if your singers were turned into mourners if your harpers were turned into lamenters if insteed of al your songs carols dācings you would now come and weep together and say as Ieremiah doth Lament 3.1 How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger How hath the Lord covered poore Witney with a cloud in his anger and as it is in the 4. verse He hath bent his bow like an enemy he stood with his right hand as an adversary he powred our his fury like fire Complaine as the Church also doth in Lam. 3. with a little change in the expression We are the people that have seen affliction by the rod of his wrath v. 3. Surely against us is he turned he turneth his hand all the day v. 4. our flesh our skin hath he made old he hath broken our bones Thus I say cōe weep together every soule should weep every family should weep the whole Town should weep and indeed it were well if God would put it into your hearts to keep a day of weeping to set apart some solemne day to fast and pray and weep and humble your selves before the Lord. Say unto the Lord as it is Lam. 1 18. The Lord is righteous for we have rebelled against his commandements and as the Church bemoanes her selfe Lam 3.39 40 41 c. Wherefore doth a living man complaine a man for the punishment of his sins let us search and try our wayes and turne again to the Lord. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens We have transgressed and rebelled thou hast not pardoned Thou hast covered with anger and persecuted us thou hast slaine thou hast not pittied 2. Aime at Reconciliation The Lord is displeased he hath been highly provoked oh labour to get his anger removed and his wrath pacifyed Run apace to the Lord Jesus entreat him to stand betweene you and his fathers wrath go to him speedily go to him immediately before farther wrath breake forth It is not all our teares though we could poure out whole rivers of thē that can wash away one sin no no in that day 't is spoken immediately after the mention of that
Brethren my heart will hardly serve me to speake of these things it s even ready to dye and sink within me Good Lord what wilt thou doe for thy great Name how poor how sleight how contemptible a thing do men make of thee in the world men begin to forget that they are thy creatures and that thou hast made them I could even here break forth into teares and say Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weep day and night for the dishonour scorne and contempt that iscast vpon the blessed God by these things It is time for the Angells of the Churches the Ministers A briefe addition touching Atheisme and Messengers of Jesus Christ to carry that peece of the everlasting Gospell and to preach unto them that dwell on earth and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people Revel 14.6.7 saying with a loud voice Feare God and give glory to him worship him that made heaven and earth and the sea and the fountaines of water It was said in Athanasius his time that the world was become an Arrian and now it may be sayed that the world beginnes to turne Atheist Some there are that dareprofesse it One upon that passage The foole hath said in his heart there is no God was not afraid to utter such words That foole spake the truth Oh monster eternity will be a thing long enough to torment thee and make thee feele whether there be a God yea or no. But it is not all thy blasphemy can rid thee of thy folly Canst thou produce the records of the world for six or seaven thousand yeares agoe canst thou confute the book of Genesis and bring to light somewhat more ancient and authentique then it Canst thou tell who was Adams Father and what the generations of men were before him rise up as high in thy thoughts as thou canst wilt thou not at last come to some first man was this man made yea or no who was it that made him was it himself then he was before himselfe but was he made by some other who was that or was he from everlasting why then doth he not continue to everlasting will any thing destroy it selfe Durst thou trust thine own sense are there any such things as spirits if not why are there so many wretched creatures suffer for their familiar converse with them if thou do believe that there are such things as evill spirits who is it that keepes thē in order setts bounds to their mallice But such mōsters who deny the Principles of their being should be rather hissed out of the world with abhorrence thē disputed against As there are many that dare professe Atheisme so there are many that durst live it How peremtory and resolved are men in wayes of sin how light a thing do they make of the word commands and threats of God and of every thing thing that might keep them in awe and retaine them in their obedience to their acknowledgement and observance of the great God Men begin to think they are above the word above hell above damnation and in effect above God What a poor and contemptible thing is religion grown in the world Certainly if religion be the keeping of an awe of God upon a mans spiritt the religation and binding of the soule over to him the constant observance of him and strict conformity to his will there is little of this religion to be found in the world In all these respects it becommeth the servants of the Lord to bestirre themselves to contend zealously for God for the cause of religiō and not patiently to suffer the name of God his worship religion it selfe to dye and be forgotten in the thoughts lives of men 3. To you that feare the Lord and walk on in his wayes the exhortation to you is be more holy be more humble be more heavenly minded be more fruitfull in good workes Zeph. 2 3. Seek ye the Lord all ye meek of the earth which have wrought his Judgment seek righteousnesse seek meeknesse Ye that are meek already seek more meeknesse ye that have wrought righteousnesse be more righteous and abound in all the fruits of righteousnesse The Lords eye is more especially set upon you he observes in a more peculiar manner what your carriage will be the Lord expecteth you should not onely mourne for your own sinnes but for the sinnes of the place in which you live Brethren me thinkes there is not that growth amongst you which I could wish I could be glad to see more life more sweet breathings after God amongst you Me thinkes you do not love God and the Lord Jesus Christ enough you discourse of him but seldome and speak of him but coldly Ignatius had his heart so inflamed with the love of Christ that when he spake of him he would say My love was crucifyed Some are so full of love to him as that they are ravished when they think of him they break out and say oh that excellent that incomperable one how pretious is the Lord Jesus how pretious is he Men and Angels are too little to love him and admire him For the Lords sake stirre up your selves entertaine Christ better and entertaine the Gospell better When the Gentiles heard that the Gospell was sent to them and thatit appertained to them as well as to the Jewes it is said they were glad and glorifyed the word of the Lord. Acts. 13.48 Oh this was wellcome newes joyfull tidings to them indeed their hearts were even ravished and transported with such blessed tidings as these that Christ should become salvation to them as well to the Jewes for that was it which was made knowen to them in v. 47. They glorifyed the word they magnifyed and advanced the word Oh this was the best word that ever they heard an excellent and a sweet word I beseech you my brethren stirre up your selves and provoke one another to love and to good workes It is a great fault in the professors of this place that they maintaine such a distance and strangenesse one towards another The ancient Saints spake often one to another Malachy 3.16 The Primitive Saints in the Apostles times met often they prayed together and conferred together So it should be with you you should be often visiting one another and asking each other Oh my Friend what are your temptations what are your comforts what have the dealings of God been with your spirit since we mett last is grace kept alive or is it more dead This is the way to be a thriving people I would faine that you of this place should be patternes to all that are round about you for humility for heavenly-mindednesse for soundnesse in the faith for experience for holinesse 4. To all in generall the Exhortation is Labour to set up religion in this place set it up in your hearts set it up in your families set it up as much as may
be in the whole towne Away now with all your sinfull sports and merriments away with all your cards and dice singing dancing and such like vanityes Insteed of these things set up Catechizing praying in the family morning and evening and let one neighbour come to another and say come let us go to heaven together and seek the Lord together Jerem. 50 4.5 In those dayes and in that time saith the Lord the children of Israel shall come they and the children of Judah together going weeping they shall ge seek the Lord their God They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward saying come and let us joyne our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall covenant that shall not be forgotten Oh what a blessed change would this bee if young and old rich and poor husbands and wives parents and children masters and servants would all joyne together if they would come weeping together and seek the Lord if all the people in this place would set their faces towards Heaven and toward Religion and say Come let us joyne our selves in a perpetuall Covenant we will strike in with the Lord this day and we will never alter our choice more it shall be a Covenant that shall never be forgotten If you would all resolve this day Come we will goe to Zion with our faces thitherward We will go where the word is preached and where the ordinances are set up and where the worship of God is celebrated oh we will neglect the word no more we will neglect the ordinances no longer This is one of the last requests I have to leave with you oh do not neglect the opertunityes of hearing the word and comming to the Ordinances as you have done For the Lords sake you that are masters of families come your selves and bring your children and servants along with you you that have friends bring your friends with you Go weeping as they did and say oh we have neglected the word and neglected Christ and neglected salvation but we will neglect them no more Let that prophecy be fulfilled of you which was spoken Isai 2.3 And many people shall goe and say Come ye and let us goe up to the mountaine of the Load to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his paths for out of Zion shall goe forth the Law and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem Redeeme an houre in the week day to heare the word your callings will not prosper ever the worse 4 The last thing I have to propound to you by way of direction is the Duty of Remembrance Forget not the Wonderous workes which the Lord hath wrought When mercyes or Judgements are new and fresh we are apt to speak of them and to be affected with them but a little time weares them out of our minds and blots them quite out of our Remembrance Oh take heed of this Bind this sad Providence for a signe upon your hands and let it be as Frontlets between your eyes Set it down in your Almanacks and keep a Register of the Day oh this was the black and dismall day of Gods visitation on poor Witny It were good if you kept some solemne day every yeare as a remembrance of this sad and heavy stroke For as great mercyes require great and and solemne praises so do great judgments require great aed solemne humiliation They speake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day and made them an Ordinance in Israel and behold they are written in the Lamentations 2. Chron. 35.25 It seemes they had a constant remembrance of that judgment the losse of good Josiah they speak of him to this day It was a constant practise amongst them to remember that sad stroke and they had a solemne Book of Lamentations appointed to mourne for this judgment Luke 17.32 Remember Lots wife We have not many such Remembers in all the Book of God upon so speciall an occasion they may easily be all reckoned up and therefore here is some speciall thing hinted to us Here was a speciall monument of Gods judgment on a woman that was hankering after her old pleasures she had been used to the delights and contentments of Sodom and she was loath to part with these she lookt back to the Sodom of her former pleasures and contentments and whilst she is looking back she became a Pillar of salt Oh remember this saith our Saviour Remember Lots Wife There is an accent put on this You of this place have been hankering after sports and merriments you have been mightily set on these things and the Lord hath shewen his displeasure by an Eminent hand and a streched out arme Oh remember this remember the Tragicall story at the White Hart. You have heard now at large what your duty is in generall it is to fall upon the work of Repentance You have likewise been directed particularly how to carry your selves in that work and what the particular Duetyes are which are to be done by you and what the Lord expects from each of you in your severall rankes and places That which remaines is only in the close of all to adde a motive or two to that which hath been already said to presse that which is your duety on you 1. If you do not repent some worse thing will come upon you It may be the Lord may send a Fire next to consume all your houses it may be he may send the pestilence among you to devoure you or if not that a famine the Lord hath wayes enough to punish unrepentant sinners Read over that 26. of Leviticus there you will see what the Lord threatens in such a case v. 23.24 If ye will not be reformed by these things but will walk contrary unto me then will I also walk contrary unto you and will punish you yet seaven times for your sinnes v. 27 And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me but walk contrary unto me then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury and I even I will chastise you seaven times for your sinnes If you think to wax stout and stubborne against the Lord he will be as stout against you if you walk contrary to him he will doe so to you and if one judgment will not do it he will follow you with a second a third and if you still harden your hearts against him he will cōe against you in Fury he will summon up all his wrath and vengeance and if he be able to break and ruine you to be sure he will do it Oh it is a dreadfull word v. 17. I will set my face against you and that in the 28. verse I even I will chastise you As much as if he should say I the great God I that made heaven and earth and can turne the foundation of it upsidedown whē I please I will set my selfe against you I will engage all my