is not throughly perswaded the ground he stands on is firm and good 't is not to be wondred that men should tremble who seem to feel the ground shake and reel under them 2. Unbelief shuts up the refuges of the Soul in the Divine promises and by leaving it without those refuges must needs leave it in the hands of fears and terrors That which fortifies and emboldens a Christian in evil times is his dependence upon God for protection Psal. 143. 9. I flie unto thee to hide me The cutting off of this retreat which nothing but unbelief can do deprives the soul of all those succours and supports which the promises afford and consequently fills the heart with anxiety and fear 3. Unbelief makes men negligent and careless in providing for troubles before they come and so brings them by way of surprize upon them and the more surprizing any evil is the more frightful it is always found to be we cannot think that Noah was so affrighted at the Flood when it began to swell above all the hills and mountains as all the rest of the world was nor was there any reason that he should having foreseen it by Faith and made provision for it Heb. 11. 7. By faith Noah being warned of God prepared an Ark. Augustine relates a very pertinent and memorable story of Paulinus Bishop of Nola who was a very rich man both in goods and grace he had much of the world in his hands but little of it in his heart and it was well there was not for the Goths a barbarous people breaking into that City like so many Devils fell upon the prey those that trusted to the treasures which they had were deceived and ruined by them for the rich were put to tortures to confess where they had hid their moneys This good Bishop fell into their hands and lost all he had but was scarce moved at the loss as appears by his prayer which my Author relates thus Lord let me not be troubled for my gold and silver thou knowest it is not my treasure that I have laid up in heaven according to thy command I was warned of this judgment before it came and provided for it and where all my interest lies Lord thou knowest Thus Mr. Bradford when the Keepers wife came running into his Chamber suddenly with words able to have put the most men in the world into a trembling posture O Mr. Bradford I bring you heavy tidings to morrow you must be burned and your chain is now buying he put off his hat and said Lord I thank thee I have looked for this a great while it is not terrible to me God make me worthy of such a mercy see the benefit of a prospect of and preparation for sufferings 4. Unbelief leaves our dearest interests and concerns in our own hands it commits nothing to God and consequently must needs fill the heart with distracting fears when eminent dangers threaten us Reader if this be thy case thou wilt be a Magor missabib surrounded with terrours whensoever thou shalt be surrounded with dangers and troubles Believers in this as well as in many other things have the advantage of thee that they have committed all that is precious and valuable to them into the hands of God by Faith to him they have committed the keeping of their souls 1 Pet. 4. 19. and all their eternal concernments 2 Tim. 1. 12. And these being put into safe hands they are not distracted with fears about other matters of less value but can trust them where they have intrusted the greater and enjoy the quietness and peace of a resigned Soul to God Prov. 16. 3. but as for thee thy life thy liberty yea which is infinitely more than all these things thy Soul will lie upon thy hands in the day of trouble and thou wilt not know what to do with them nor which way to dispose of them O these be the dreadful streights and frights that unbelief leaves men in 't is a fountain of Fears and distractions And indeed it cannot but distract and confound carnal men in whom it reigns and is in its full strength when sad experience shews us what fears and tremblings the very remains and relicts of this sin begets in the best men who are not fully freed from it If the unpurged relicts of unbelief in them can thus darken and cloud their evidences thus greaten and multiply their dangers if it can draw such sad and frightful conclusions in their hearts notwithstanding all the contrary experiences of their lives as we see in that sad instance 1 Sam. 27. 1. What panick fears and unrelieved terrors must it put those men under where it is in its full strength and dominion 4. Cause Moreover we shall find many of our Fears raised and provoked in us by the Promiscuous administrations of providence in this world when we read in Scripture That There is oneâ—â—vent to the righteous and to the wicked and all things come alike to all Eccles. 9. 2. That when the sword is drawn God suffers it to cut off the righteous and the wicked Ezek. 21. 3. The Sword makes no difference where God hath made so great a difference by grace it neither distinguishes faces nor breasts but is assoon sheathed in the bowels of the best as of the worst of men when we read how the same fire of Gods indignation devours the green tree and the dry tree Ezek. 20. 47. How the basket of good figs the Embleme of the best men of those times were carried into Babylon as well as the bad Ier. 24. 5. How the flesh of Gods Saints hath been given for meat to the fowls of heaven and to the beasts of the field Psal. 97. 12. and how the wicked have devoured the man that is more righteous than himself as it is Habak 1. 13. I say when we observe such things in Scripture and find our observations confirmed by the accounts and histories of former and later ages when we reflect upon the unspeakable miseries and butcheries of those plain hearted and precious servants of Christ the Albingenses and Waldenses how they fell as a prey to their cruel adversaries notwithstanding the convincing simplicity and holiness of their lives and all their fervent cries and appeals to God how the very flower of the reformed Protestant interest in France was cut off with more than barbarous inhumanity so that the Streets were washed and the Canals of Paris ran with their precious bloud What horrid and unparallelled tortures the servants of God felt in that cruel Massacre in Ireland a history too tragical for a tender hearted Reader to stay long upon And how in our own Land the most eminent Ministers and Christians were sent to heaven in a fiery chariot in those doleful Marian day I say when we read and consider such things as these it rouzes our fears and puts us into frights when we see our selves threatned with the same enemies and
one working upon their fear the other upon their hope 1. That which works upon their fear is a supposition of a storm coming the indignation of God will fall like a tempest this is supposed in the Text and plainly expressed in the words following For the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth ver 21. 2. The other is fitted to work upon their hope though his indignation fall like a Storm yet it will not continue long it shall be but for amoment better days and more comfortable dispensations will follow From all which the general observation is this Doctrine That the Attributes Promises and Providences of God are the Chambers of rest and security in which his people are to hide themselves when they foresee the â—orms of his indignation coming upon the world The name of the Lord saith Solomon is a strong Tower the righteous run into it and are safe Prov. 18. 10. And his Attributes are his name Exod. 34. 5. For by them he is known as a man is known by his name and this his name is a strong Tower for his peoples security now what is the use and end of a Tower in a City but to receive and secure the Inhabitants when the outworks are beaten to the ground the walls scaled and the houses left desolate And as it is here resembled to a Tower so in Isa. 33. 16. It s shadowed out unto us by a munition of rocks His place of defence shall be a munition of rocks How secure is that person that is environed with rocks on every side Yea you will say but yet a rock is but a cold and barren refuge though other enemies cannot yet hunger and thirst can invade and kill him there No in this rock is a store-house of provision as well as a magazine for defence so it follows Bread shall be given him and his water shall be sure And sometimes it is resembled to us by the wings of a fowl spread with much tenderness over her young for their defence Psal. 57. 1. Yea in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge until these calamities be overpast So Psal. 17. 8. Keep me as the apple of thine eye hide me under the shadow of thy wings No part of the body hath more guards upon it than the apple of the eye God is as careful to preserve his people as men are to preserve their eyes and he that toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eyes But we need not go from one Metaphor to another to shew you where the Saints refuge is in time of danger you have a whole bundle of them lying together in that one Scripture Psal. 18. 2. The Lord is my rock and my 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 Where you find all kinds of defence whether natural or artificial under a pleasant variety of apt Metaphors ascribed to God for the security of his people Now for the casting of this great point into as easie and profitable a Method as I can I shall resolve this general truth into these following Propositions which are implied or expressed in the Text and Doctrine thence deduced and the first is this 1. Proposition That there are times and seasons appointed by God for the pouring out of his indignation upon the world 2. Proposition That Gods own people are concerned in and ought to be affected with those Iudgments 3. Proposition That God hath a special and particular care of his people in the days of his indignation 4. Proposition That God usually premonishes the world especially his own people of his Iudgments before they befal them 5. Proposition That Gods Attributes Promises and Providences are prepared for the security of his people in the greatest distresses that befal them in the world 6. Proposition That none but Gods people are taken into these chambers of security or can expect his special protection in evil times And then I shall apply the whole in the proper uses of it CHAP. II. Demonstrating the first Proposition That there are times and seasons appointed by God for the pouring out of his indignation upon the world SECT I. THis is plainly implyed in the Text that there are times of indignation appointed to befal the world yea and more than this not only that such times shall come but the duration and continuance is also under an appointment Hide thy self for a little moment until the indignation be overpast The Prophet tells us in Zeph. 2. 2. that these Stormy times are under a decree and that decree is there compared to a pregnant Woman which is to go out her appointed months and then to travel and bring forth Even so it is in the judgments God brings upon the world We see them not in the days of provocation sed adhuc faetus in utero latet but all this while it is in the womb of the decree and at the appointed season they shall become visible to the world As there are in Nature fair Halcyon days and cloudy overcast and stormy So 't is in providences Ecâ—les 7. 14. God hath set one over against the other Yea one is the occasion of the other for look as the Sun in a hot day exhales abundance of vapours from the Earth and Sea these occasion showers thunder and tempests and those again clear the Air and dispose it to fair weather again So it is here Prosperity is the occasion of abundance of sin this brings on adversity from the justice of God to correct it adversity being sanctified humbles reforms and purges the people of God and this again by mercy procures their prosperity So you find the account 〈◊〉 in Psal. 107. 17. Fools because of their iniquities are afflicted then they cry to the Lord in their troubles and he saveth them out of their distresses And this appointment of times of distress is both profitable and necessary for the world especially Gods own people in it In general hereby the Being and righteousness of God is cleared and vindicated against the Atheism and Infidelity of the world Psal. 9. 16. The Lord is known by the Iudgments that he executeth Impunity is the occasion of many Atheistical thoughts in the world Ier. 48. 11. Moab hath been at ease from his youth and he hath setled on his lees and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel neither hath he gone into captivity therefore his taste remained in him and his scent is not changed So Psal. 55. 19. Because they have no changes therefore they fear noâ— God Kingdoms Families and particular persons like standing waters and ponds are apt to corrupt by long continued peace and prosperity the Lord therefore sees it necessary to purge the world by his judgments When thy judgments are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness Those Sermons that God preaches from heaven by
the Romans how plainly did Christ foreâ—el them of it by his own mouth Luke 19. 43. 44. Thine enemies shall cast a Trench about thee and compass thee round and keep thee in on every side and shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee and they shall not leave thee one stone upon another because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation Iosephus also tells us that a little before the execution of this judgment upon them a voice was heard in the temple Migremus hinc let us go hence which voice Tacitus also in his Annals mentions Audita major humana vox excedere Deos simul ingens motus excedentium It was more than an humane voice telling them God was departing from them and withal there was heard the rushing noise as of some that were going out of the Temple And as there were extraordinary premonitions of approaching judgments by revelation to the Prophets of old and signs from heaven so there still are standing and ordinary rules by which the world may be admonished of Gods judgments before they come upon them And the general rule by which men may discern the indignation of God before it comes is this ☞ When the same provocations and evils are found in one Nation which have brought down the wrath of God upon another nation this is an evident sign of Gods judgment at the door For God is unchangeably holy and just and will not favour that in one people which he hath punished in another nor bless that in one age which he hath cursed in another And therefore that which hath been a sign of Judgment to one must be so to all Here it is that the carcases of those sinners whose sins had cast them away are as it were cast up upon the Scripture shore for a warning to all others that they steer not the same ill course they did 1 Cor. 10. 6. Now these things were our examples The Israelites are made examples to us plainly intimating that if we tread the same path we must expect the same punishment Let us therefore consider what were the evils that provoked Gods judgments against his ancient people whom he was so loth to give up Hos. 11. 8. and so long ere he did give up Ier. 15. 6. and we shall find by the concurrent accounts that the Prophets give 1. That Gods worship among them was generally mixed and corrupted with their own inventions for so it is said Psal. 106. 40 41. they went a whoring with their own inventions And this so inflamed the wrath of God who is a jealous God and tender over his own honour that he abhorred his own inheritance yea he expresses himself as a man doth whose heart is broken by the unfaithfulness of his wife Ezek. 6. 9. Upon this account his professing people became the generation of his wrath Ier. 7. 29 30. 2. Incorrigible obstinacy under gentler correction Amos 4. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. Scarcity Mildews Pestilence and Sword had been upon them and still these that remained though saved as a brand out of the fire in which their fellow sinners perished would not return to God and this hastened on the general ruine ver 12. This presages the ruine of Nations indeed 3. Stupidity and senselesness of Gods hand was a sad Omen and cause of that peoples ruine So Isa. 26. 10 11. Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see No nor yet when his hand is laid on Isa. 42. 24 25. It is not some small drop of Gods anger that passes without observation but the fury of his anger not some light skirmish of his judgments with them but the strength of battel Not in a corner upon some particular person or family but that which set him on fire round about yet all this could not awaken them He hath poured upon him the fury of his anger and the strength of battel and it hath set him on fire round about yet he knew it not and it burned him yet he laid it not to heart Prodigious stupidity to be in the midst of flames yea to be seized by them and destroyed sooner than awakened So you find again in Hos. 7. 9. Gray hairs were here and there upon Ephraim yet he knew it not Youth and Age are easily distinguished and gray hairs do plainly distinguish them being the plain tokens of a declining State yet they took no notice of them Such stupidity is ever more the forerunner of misery 4. Persecution of Gods faithful Ministers and people was another forerunning sign of their ruine 2 Chron. 36. 16. They mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy There were also a number of upright Souls among them that desired to worship God according to his own prescription but a snare was laid for them in Mizpah and a net spread upon Tabor and therefore was judgment towards that people Hos. 5. 1. Mizpah and Tabor were places in the way lying betwixt Samaria and Ierusalem where the true worship of God was and there were Informers or Spies set by the Priests to intercept such as would venture to serve God at Jerusalem according to his own prescription this also foreboded the judgments of God upon that nation 5. The decay of the life and power of Godliness among them plainly foreshewed their ruine at hand Hos. 4. 18. Their drink is sour where under the Metaphor of dead and sour drink which hath lost its spirit and is become flat their formal heartless and perfunctory duties are severely taxed and condemned 6. To conclude the mutual animosities and feuds among that professing people evidently shewed judgment to be at the door Hos. 9. 7. The days of visitation are come the days of recompence are come Israel shall know it the Prophet is a fool the spiritual man is mad for the multitude of thine iniquity and the great hatred This great hatred was one of the greatest sins and saddest signs upon them This Spirit of enmity sowed by the Devil among them hastened their calamity If Ephraim will envy Iudah and Iudah vex Ephraim the common enemy shall part the fray when the whole Nation was under water and the Roman Armies under the very walls of Ierusalem their own Historians tell us what bitter contentions and sharp conflicts continued among them to the very last These things must be looked upon by all Wise and considerate men no otherwise than we look upon Glazing Meteors and Blazing Comets portending judgment and ruine at the door We have had indeed terrible Signs in Heaven a dreadful rod of God shaken over us of late which all men ought to behold with trembling Yet I must say those Moral Signs of judgment forementioned are much more terrible and portentous According therefore to the evidence of these signs among us let all upright hearts be affected and awakened with
expectations of Gods righteous judgments It is indeed below faith to expect evil days with despondency and distraction but surely it is a noble exercise of Faith so to expect them as to make due preparation for them SECT II. ANd if we enquire for what End God gives such warnings to the world and premonishes them from Heaven of the judgments that are coming on the earth know that he doth it upon a threefold account 1. To prevent their Execution 2. To leave the Careless inexcusable 3. To make them more tolerable and easie to his own people 1. Warning is given with design to prevent the execution of judgments this is plain from Amos 4. 12. Therefore will I do this unto thee there is warning given and because I will do this prepare to meet thy God O Israel There is the gracious design of preventing it by bringing them seasonably upon their knees at the foot of an angry God You see the Lord expects it from all his Children that they fall at his feet in deep humiliation and fervent intercession whenever he goes forth in the way of judgment What else was the design of God in sending Ionah to Nineveh with that dreadful message but to excite them to repentance and prevent their ruine This Ionah guessed at and therefore declined the message to secure his credit well knowing that if they took warning and repented the gracious nature of God would soon melt into compassion over them Free grace would make him appear as a liar among the people for to that sense his own words sound Ionah 4. 2. Was not this my saying when I was yet in my Countrey Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish for I knew that thou art a gracious God q. d. I thought before hand it would come to this I knew how willing thou art to be prevented by repentance therefore to secure my credit I fled to Tarshish 2. He forewarns of judgments to leave the Incorrigible wholly inexcusable that those who have neither sense of Sin nor fear of Judgment before might have no cloak for their folly nor plea for themselves afterward What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee Ier. 13. 21 22. q. d. What Plea or Apology is left thee after so many fair warnings You cannot say you were surprized before you were admonished or ruined before you were warned 3. God warns of Judgments before they come to make them the more easie to his people when they come indeed thus in Iohn 16. 4. Christ foretold his Disciples of their approaching sufferings that when they came they should not be found amazed at them or unprovided for them for unexpected miseries are astonishing to the best men and destructive to wicked men Luke 17. 26 27 28. Well then if it be so let all that are wise in heart consider the Signs of the times and seasonably hearken to Gods warnings The Lords voice crieth to the Citâ— and the man of wisdom shall see thy name hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it Mica 6. 9. 'T is our wisdom to way-lay our troubles and provide for the worst estate whilst we enjoy the best happy is he that is at once believing and praying for good days and preparing for the worst Noah's example is our advantage Heb. 11. 7. Who by faith being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark. Preventing mercies are the most ravishing mercies Psal. 59. 10. And preventing calamities are the sorest calamities Amos 9. 10. And let us heartily bewail the supiness and carelesness of the world in which we live who take no notice of Gods warnings but put the evil day far from them Amos 6. 3. who will admit no fear till they are past all hope they see God housing his Saints apace yet will not see the evil to come from which God takes them Isa. 57. 1 2. The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart and merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come he shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds each one walking in his uprightness They hear the cry of sin which is gone up to heaven but cry not for the abominations that are committed nor tremble at the judgments that they will procure O careless Sinners drowned in Stupidity and sleeping like Ionah under the Hatches when others are upon their knees and at their wits end do Saints tremble and are you secure Have not you more reason to be afraid than they If judgments come the greatest harm it can do them is but to hasten them to Heaven but as for you it may hurry you away to Hell They only fear tribulation in the way but you will not fear damnation in the end Believe it Reader in days of common calamity both Heaven and Hell will fill apace CHAP. VI. Demonstrating the fifth Proposition viz. That Gods Attributes Promises and Providences are prepared for the security of his people in the greatest distresses that befal them in the World SECT I. HAving more briefly dispatched the foregoing preliminary Propositions it remains that we now more fully open this fifth Proposition which contains the main subject matter of this Discourse here therefore our meditations must fix and abide and truly such is the deliciousness of the subject to Spiritual hearts that I judge it wholly needless to offer any other motive besides it self to engage your affections Let us therefore view our Chambers and see how well God hath provided for his Children in all their distresses that befal them in this world it is our fathers voice that calls to us Come my people enter thou into thy chambers And the 1. Chamber Which comes to be opened as a Refuge to distressed Believers in a stormy day is that most secure and safe Attribute of Divine Power into this let us first enter by serious and believing meditation and see how safe they are whom God hides under the protection thereof in the worst and most dangerous days In opening this Attribute we shall consider it 1. In its own Nature and Property 2. With respect to the Promises 3. As it is actuated by Providence on the behalf of distressed Saints And then give you a comfortable prospect of their safe and happy condition who take up their lodgings by Faith in this Attribute of God 1. Let us consider the Power of God in it self and we shall find it represented to us in the Scriptures in these three lovely Properties viz. Power 1. Omnipotent 2. Supreme 3. Everlasting 1. As an Omnipotent and All-sufficient Power which hath no bounds or limits but the pleasure and will of God Dan. 4. 34 35. He doth according to his will in the armies of Heaven and among the Inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say unto him What dost thou So Psalm 135. 6. Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did he in Heaven and in Earth
death in this extremity it is now in The Mother answered I refer that to the will of God But said her friend if God would â—â—fer it to you what would you chuse then Why truly said she if God would refer it to me I would even refer it to God again This is the true committing of our selves and our troublesome concerns to the Lord. 4. The committing act of Faith implies our renouncing and disclaiming all confidence and trust in the arm of flesh and an expectation of relief from God only If we commit our selves to God we must cease from man Isai. 2. 22. To trust God in part and the Creature in part is to set one foot upon a Rock and the other in a Quick-sand Those acts of Faith that give the intire glory to God give real relief and comfort to us 2. Let us see what grounds and encouragements the people of God have to commit themselves and all the matters of their fear to God and so to enjoy the peace and comfort of a resigned will and there are two sorts of encouragements before you let the case be as difficult and frightful as it will you may find sufficient encouragements in God and somewhat from your selves viz. your relation to him and experiences of him 1. In God there is all that your hearts can desire to encourage you to trust him over all and commit all into his hands For 1. He is able to help and relieve you let the case be never so bad yet let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord is plenteous redemption Psal. 130. 7 8. Plenteous redemption i. e. all the stores of power choice of methods plenty of means abundance of ways to save his people when they can see no way out of their troubles Therefore hope Israel in Iehovah 2. As his Power is Almighty so his Wisdom is Infinite and unsearchable He is a God of judgment blessed are all they that wait for him Isa. 30. 18. When the Apostle Peter had related the wonderful preservations of Noah in the Deluge and of Lot in Sodom one in a general destruction of the world by Water and the other in the overthrow of those Cities by Fire He concludes and so should we The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation 2 Pet. 2. 9. Some men have much Power but little wisdom to manage it others are wise and prudent but want ability in God there is an infinite fulness of both 3. His love to and tenderness over his people is transcendent and unparallelled and this sets his wisdom and power both a work for their good hence it is that his eyes of providence run continually throughout the whole earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose hearts are perfect i. e. upright towards him 2 Chron. 16. 9. Thus you see how he is every way fitted as a proper object of your trust 2. Consider your selves and you shall find encouragements to commit all to God For 1. You are his children and to whom should children commit themselves in dangers and fears but to their own father Doubtless thou art our father saith the distressed Church Isai. 63. 15 16. Yea Christian Thy maker is thy husband Isai. 54. 5. Is not that a sufficient ground to cast thy self upon him What! a Child not trust its own Father A wife not commit her self to her own husband 2. You have trusted him with a far greater concern already than your estates liberties or lives you have committed your souls to him and your eâ—rnal interests 2 Tim. 1. 12. Shall we commit the â—ewel and dispute the Cabinet Trust him for heaven and doubt him for earth 3. You have ever found him faithful in all that you trusted him with all your experiences are so many good grounds of confidence Psal. 9. 10. Well then resolve to trust God over all and quietly leave the dispose of every thing to him he hath been with you in all former streights wants and fears hitherto he hath helped you and cannot he do so again except you tell him how O trust in his wisdom power and love and lean not to your own understandings The fruit of resignation will be peace 5. Rule If ever you well get rid of your fears and distractions get your affections mortified to the world and to the inordinate and immoderate love of every injoyment in the world The more you are mortified the less you will be terrified 't is not the dead but the living world that puts our hearts into such fears and tremblings If our hearts were once crucified they would soon be quieted 'T is the strength of our affections that puts so much strength into our afflictions It was not therefore without great reason that the Apostle compares the life of a Christian to the life of a Souldier who if he mean to follow the Camp and acquit himself bravely in fight must not intangle himself with the affairs of this life 2 Tim. 2. 4. Sure there is no following Christ's Camp but with a disintangled heart from the world for proportionable to the heat of our love will be the strength and height of our fears about these things more particularly if ever you will rid your selves of your uncomfortable and uncomely fears use all Gods means to mortifie your affections to the exorbitant esteem and love of 1. Your Estates 2. Your Liberty 3. Your Lives 1. Get mortified and cooled hearts to your Possessions and Estates in the world The poorest age afforded the richest Christians and noblest Martyrs Ships deepest laden are not best for encounters The believing Hebrews took joyfully the spoiling of their goods knowing in themselves that they had in heaven a better and induring substance Heb. 10. 34. They carried it rather like unconcerned Spectators than the true Proprietors They rejoyced when rude Souldiers carried out their goods as if so many friends had been bringing them in And whence was this But from an heart fixed upon Heaven and mortified to things on Earth Doubtless they esteemed and valued their Estates as the good providences of God for their more comfortable accommodation in this world but it seems they did and O that we could look upon them as mercies of the lowest and meanest rank and nature The substance laid up in Heaven was a better substance and as long as that was safe the loss of this did not afflict them They could bless God for these things which for a little time did minister refreshment to them but they knew them to be transitory enjoyments things that would make to themselves wings and flee away if their enemies had not toucht them but the substance laid up for them in Heaven that was an enduring substance So far as those earthly things might further them towards Heavenly things so far they prized and valued them but if Satan would turn them into snares and temptations to deprive them of their better substance in Heaven they could
the terrible voice of his judgments startle and rouze the secure world more than all the warnings and exhortations of his Ministers could ever do Those that slept securely under our Ministry will fear and tremble under his rods those that are without faith are not without sense and feeling their own eyes will affect their hearts though our words could make no impression on them SECT II. BUt of what use soever these National Judgments are to others to be sure they shall be beneficial to Gods own people when others die by fear they shall live by faith If they be baneful poison to the wicked they shall be healthful physick to the Godly For 1. By these calamities God will mortifie and purge their corruptions this Winter weather shall be useful to destroy and rot those rank weeds which the Summer of prosperity bred Isa. 27. 9. By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged Physick in its own nature is griping and unpleasant but very useful and necessary to purge the body from noxious and malignant humours which retained may put life it self in hazard and it is with the body Politick as with the body Natural 2. National Judgments drive the people of God nearer to him and one to another they drive the people of God to their knees and make them pray more frequently more fervently and more feelingly than they were wont to do in this posture you find them in ver 8 9. of this Chapter Yea in the way of thy judgments O Lord have we waited for thee the desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early 3. In a word by these distractions and distresses of Nations the people of God are more weaned from the world and made to long more vehemently after heaven being now convinced by experience that this is not their rest When all things are tranquil and prosperous Gods own people are but too apt to fall asleep and dream of pleasure and rest on earth to say as Iob in his prosperity I shall die in my nest I shall multiply my days as the sand And then are their heads and hearts filled with many projects and designs to promote their comforts and make provision for their accommodations on earth The multiplicity of earthly cares and comforts take up their time and thoughts too much and make them that they mind death and eternity too little But saith God this must not be so things must not go on at this rate the prosperous world must not thus enchant my people I must imbitter the earth that I may thereby sweeten heaven the more to them when they find no rest below they will surely seek it above These and such like are the gracious designs and ends of God in shaking the world by his terrible judgments but yet though National troubles must necessarily come the wisest of men cannot positively determine the precise time of those judgments we may indeed by the signs of the times discern their near approach yet our judgment can be but probable and conjectural seeing there are tacite conditions in the dreadfullest threatnings Ier. 18. 7 8. Ionah 3. 9 10. And such is the merciful nature of God that he oft times turns away his anger from his people when it seems ready to pour down upon them Psal. 78. 38. The consideration whereof no way indulges security but encourages to repentance and greater fervency in Prayer CHAP. III. Opening and confirming the second Proposition viz. That Gods own people are much concerned in and ought to be suitably affected with those Iudgments that befal the Nation wherein they live SECT I. IF Gods people have no concernment in these things why are they called upon in this Text to run into their chambers hide themselves and shut their doors till the indignation be overpast Certainly though God hath better provided for them than others yet they are two ways concerned in these cases as much as others Viz. Account 1. Upon a Political 2. Upon a Religious 1. Upon a Political account as they are members of the community and so are equally concerned in the good or evil that befal the Nation in which they live their Cabbins must follow the fate of the Ship in which they Sail their Lives Liberties Estates and Interest sink and swim with the publick The good figs were carried away with the bad Ier. 24. 5. In these outward respects it often times bears as hard upon the righteous as upon the wicked Ezek 21. 3. I will draw forth my sword out of his Sheath and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked In these outward respects as it is with the good so with the sinner Eccles. 9. 2. The same fire that burns the dry tree oftentimes burns the green tree too Ezek. 20. 47. Grâ—ce is above all hazards but creature enjoyments and comforts are not The sins of the Sodomites involve not only their own houses and estates but Lots also in the ruine and overthrow wicked men often fare the better for the company of the godly and the godly often fare the worse for the company of the wicked And it is not to be wondered at if we consider that even the Saints themselves have an hand in the provocation of these judgments as well as others Deut. 32. 19. And when the Lord saw it he abhorred them because of the provoking of his sons and of his daughters We have contrihuted to the common heap guilt and therefore must justifie God if we partake with others in the common calamity 2. They are greatly concerned in such judgments upon a Religious and Christian account for it is usual for the floud of Gods judgments not only to sweep away our civil and natural but our spiritual and best enjoyments and comforts Thus the Ordinances of God ceased in Babylon and there the faithful bewailed their misery upon that account Ps. 137. per totum we wept when we remembred thee O Zion Not only Israel flies but the Ark is taken prisoner by the enemy 1 Sam. 4. 11. And you find the people of God more deeply concerned upon this account than for all their outward losses and other sufferings Zeph. 3. 18. I will gather them of thee that are sorrowful for the Solemn assemblies to whom the reproach of it was aburthen For by how much our souls are more excellent than our bodies and the concerns of Eternity over ballance those of time by so much more are we concerned in the loss of our spiritual more than of our temporal mercies and enjoyments Grace indeed cannot be lost but the means and instruments by which it is begotten may the golden candlestick is one of the moveables in Gods house Rev. 2. 5. Thus you see a twofold concernment that the people God have in the effects of National Judgments SECT II. THis being So how