that hath known the terror of the Lord in himself it is a terrible thing unto him to give an account of other mens souls also Fifthly there is a different account that Officers will give at the last day some will give an account with joy and some with grief there is a double connexion First they watch for your souls obey that they may do their work with comfort watch for your souls with comfort Secondly that they may give up their account with joy for the obedience of a people is a ground of both the greatest joy of a faithful Minister of God is in this which was the great satisfaction of Christ Isa 53.10 To see the Travel of his soul the joy of harvest is the greatest joy one sows and another reaps to receive the fruit of a mans labour is as it were reaping it brings great joy 1 Thes 3.8 Now we live if you stand fast the great comfort of our lives comes in by it for it is a comfortable living to see the souls of men committed to our charge prosper 1 Thes 2.19 Ye are our glory and joy our Crown of rejoycing in the presence of the Lord Iesus Christ at his coming ye are our glory and joy next unto a mans interest in Christ and the joy that he hath at his appearance are the souls that he hath brought unto him on the contrary what they do if the people profit not they do it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suspirantes its true that there shall be no sorrow of the Saints at the last day for there shall be no more sighing ou◠tears shall be all wiped away but yet there will be something that will be even matter of sorrow to them First that they have lost their labour Isa 49.45 I have laboured in vain and the labour of the officers is great it is the greatest labour 1 Thes 5.12 it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wearisom cutting labour and to look upon all this as lost in reference to the main end of it is a grievous thing Secondly that the souls of the people are lost which was the greatest care that they should dye in their sins though their blood be not required a◠their hands Oh it is sad for there is a great love in the Officers that are faithful unto the souls of the people and they ought to walk in a high degree of love towards them now to see those souls lost for whom I put up so many prayers and about whom I took so much pains it is grieving the Spirit of God to see men turn his grace into wantonness Eph. 4.30 And it will also exceedingly grieve them that are acted by the same Spirit Thirdly that I should be instrumental in their Condemnation and be a means to heighten it for it will be casier for Sodom in that day and the greater means men have had the greater will their condemnation be the greater pains any Minister hath taken with a people the greater will their Judgement be they that have been exalted up to heaven shall be brought down to Hell and in the day of Revelation when the secrets of God as well as the hearts of men shall be made manifest it shall appear how Ordinances did ripen sins and how God did make use of them to pour out spiritual Judgements by them the greatest curses come out of Sion as well as the greatest blessings Fourthly that I should be brought in as a witness against them at the last day Satan shall be the accuser but there will be three very dreadful witnesses against them First Christ then shall the King say c. Secondly Conscience a mans own thoughts will accuse him in the day that God shall judge the secrets of men Thirdly the Ministers when they that have been labouring for their good all their life time shall witness against them There is one that accuseth you even Moses in whom you trust when a man shall bring in his accusation against a disobedient and a rebellious people Mark 6.11 Shake off the dust of your feet for a testimony against them it will be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah then for them c. Sixthly From all that hath been opened we may plainly by way of use gather what manner of men Church-Officers ought to be First they must be gifted and it is this must be the ground of the Churches choice for as grace fits a man for communion with God so do gifts fit a man for the edification of the Church and who ever is chosen that is not gifted was never appointed by Christ for the Holy-Ghost doth gift men before he doth set them over any people therefore you are not to look only at the grace but at the gists of Officers every godly man is not fit for an office Secondly they must be humble men for they have a power put into their hands and an honour put upon them now it will be a snare to a proud man to be in honour and he will never use power well that is not humble the great care of officers should be that they might so walk as not to Lord it over Gods heritage they must not exercise a Lord-like authority but carry themselves in all manner of meekness and humility or else it is dangerous to put such a snare upon them it is a temptation for them to be in place Thirdly they must also be holy men such as have a care of their own souls and rightly judge of the price of a soul for they that have no care of their own souls will never have a care of yours Fourthly they must be faithful men that is faithful in labour Laying out themselves to the utmost without any respect to themselves or to their own ease for the business which they are to do concerns souls and they must be faithful in their account those that shall do all things that their office requires of them upon this consideration that we must give an account for the souls that are committed to us it is not an account unto the Church that will serve but our account must be unto him that shall Iudge quick and dead Fifthly he must be a man eminent in holiness for he must be a Leader Now there are many Saints that are not fit to lead their Officers are to walk holily before them that they may follow their example and he must also be couragious or else he will never dare venture in dangers to go before them and if he be not so he will be a man apt to mis-lead and pervert there is nothing more dangerous then to have a man of great parts and eminent place in the Church if he be a leader in an evil way men will be ready to follow him and therefore above all take heed of this that he be a man eminent in holiness and of an exemplary conversation Sixthly that he be well known and acquainted with you c. if he have not all these
c. Fifthly God hath subjected things to come unto the prayers of his people and thereby joyn'd them as it were in the same commission with his Son the Lord Christ in the government of the world Isa 45.11 Ask me concerning things to come concerning my sons and concerning the workes of my hands command you me c. There are two things that the providence of God is extended to and they are either matters of common providence and they are concerning the works of his hands And also matters Ecclesiastical which concern his Church and all things to come concerning both he hath subjected unto the prayers of his people and therefore ye that are the Lords remembrancers keep not silence And therefore Revel 4.5 it 's said out of the Throne proceeded thunder and lightning and voices Out of the prayers of his people are the great Mercies and Judgements the great turnes of the world are brought about and accomplished by this the Saints working together with God and therefore at the last day when the causes of all things shall be layd open it will appear all these great things that are dispenst either in a way of Mercy or in a way of Judgement were attain'd by Prayer Vse of exhortation Exercise Faith about things to come for this promise that things to come are the Saints as it is a ground of Faith so also it should be a ground of Hope and a rule of Prayer Therefore let me exhort you in the name of the Lord be not sinfully dejected about things to come I would not have you ignorant of the signs of the times nor secure I would have you know the Judgement of your God for he that is wise shall know times and judgement but yet I would not have you distrust and walk dejectedly for what if the Witnesses be not yet slain that ultima clades ad huc metuenda What if the Enemyes of God prevaile once more to ripen them for their greatest and final ruin What if such a temptation should befall a poor soul that he thinks he should not be able to withstand What if I be left by God unto such a sin What if such a miscry and calamity should befall mee that GOD should take away my Friend which is as my own soul and such a Relation that I took comfort in c. What will become of the Church of GOD What will become of the Ordinances of GOD What will become of my Posterity when I am gone now the Enemy is sowing Tares amongst the Wheat I have Friends few where can a man find a faithfull man Let these be the Queries of ungodly men whose enjoyments are onely present and have no ground of hope for time to come I should have given you a few directions I can now only name two or three First Rowle thy self upon the promise Psalm 10.14 Jerem. 49.11 Leave thy fatherless children with me Secondly the same Fountain of Love and Goodnes that was extended to the Saints of old is extended also to thee There 's Mercy for the future as well as at present As Faith will purifie the heart so also it will pacifie it that it shall not be afraid of evill tidings But the consideration of the great Goodness of God will support the spirit of a man in any calamity whatsoever THE GREAT DAY At a private Fast JER 30.7 Alass for that day is great c. GOD hath subjected all the works of his Providence unto the Prayers of the Saints â—sa 45.11 and therefore though we are met hereupon a particular occasion and that private yet I hope it is with general intentions to seek God for the Publick also Which perswasion put me upon the choice of this Scripture at this time I shall not detain you in the Context though there may be many weighty observations drawn from thence The words are the words of the Lord Verse 5. we have heard a voyce of trembling and not of peace and is there a voyce of trembling unto Jehovah at whose presence the earth trembles and before whom the everlasting hills do bow There is a double apprehension of the speech First that the Lord speaks it in the person of his people as taking part with them being affected after the manner of men as it 's said Isaiah In all their afslictions he was afflicted So in their trembling he may be said to travel also to shew that he was like affected towards them 2. The Lord speaks in the Person of his People reproving them and instructing them reproving them that though the Lord saith we heard a voice of trembling socordiam exprobrat It was in it self a voice of trembling but the people trembled not I and the people that foresaw the calamity yet they were so unwise as not to tremble A wise man foresees the evil and he trembles all that were wise hearted did tremble but the generality of the people did not tremble and to instruct them the Lord directs them what they should say and how they should be affected with the calamities that were coming upon them We have heard a voice of trembling and the Lord would at the last extort that acknowledgment and confession from them how secure and senceless so ever they were under his present hand and when they were brought into the sence of it they should cry out Alass for the day is great c. Here is first Jacobs Affliction It 's the time of Jacobs trouble Secondly His Consolation But he shall be saved out of it Here first we are to consider what is meant by Jacob Jacob is commonly put for all the Tribes they being all called by their Fathers Name sometimes Jacob and sometimes Israel We see it put so Mich. 1.5 For the Transgression of Jacob is all this and for the sin of Israel Deut. 32.9 What is the Transgression of Jacob Is it not Samaria c The Lords portion is his People Jacob is the Lot of his Inheritance But Israel was before these times carryed into Captivity and God had by Salmanasar removed them out of his sight only Judah did yet rule with God and was faithful with the Saints There was a Remnant of the faithful of Israel that rather then they would joyn in worship with Jeroboam some of the Levites and the people 2 Chron 11.14,16 they left their possessions and in the desolation of the ten Tribes they were preserved but when they had peace what the Lord had done they were neither moved by his Mercy unto themselves nor by his Judgments upon their brethren But They provoked the Lord they justified their Sister by their evil doings Therefore those that were preserved in the former calamity there 's a Judgment also remains for them there 's a rime of tryal that yet is reserved for Jacob and these were the people amongst whom the Prophet lived For he was in the Court of the Prison when Jerusalem was taken and this is called
were but two Tribes returned from Babylon we never read of the return of the ten Tribes They went into Captivity with weeping and with weeping shall they return But if so it shall be sorrow under suffering in the one and under the sight and apprehension of their sin in the other Fifthly the Scripture seems to speak as if the great meanes of their Conversion should not be by the preaching of the Gospel as the Gentile Churches are brought home unto the Lord but that it shall be by sight and by a visible appearance of the Lord Jesus unto them I shall assert nothing possitively in it onely give me leave to set before you some Scriptures that seem fully to speak so much Zach. 12.10 They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn And that it is not barely a spiritual looking upon him with an eye of faith such as the holy Ghost calls Joh. 6.40 Seeing the Son and believing on him but that it is a bodily vision and to see him with bodily eyes for Dan. 7.13 there is the Son of man comming in the clouds of heaven brought to the ancient of days to receive a Kingdome What Kingdom sure his Davidical Kingdom when he shall sit on the throne of his Father David When Christ receives this Kingdom it is not as he receives the spiritual Kingdom and entred upon the administration of the providential Kingdom that was by his sitting down at the right hand of his Father and so enter as man actually upon the administration of all things for its plain that to receive this Kingdom which shall be after the four beasts are destroyed He shall come in the Clouds of Heaven and they shall bring him unto the ancient of dayes he comes attended with the Angels and they bring him unto the ancient of days its true that Gods comming in the Clouds his riding upon the Clouds it s that which notes out the eminent visible glorious appearance of his Majesty but it s the appearance here of Christ as he is the Son of man which I conceive is never found to be so used in the Scripture but at the last day the Lord Jesus shall appear in the clouds when he comes to judgement As spoken of a visible appearance so this also shall be and so much haply is meant Mat. 4.30.31 Then shall appear the sigh of the Son of man in Heaven and then shall ye see the Son of man comming in the clouds of Heaven I know its a perplexing Scripture yet haply is meant this appearance of the Son of man not to judgement but as a signe that the judgement is neer that which they may be as truly assured of as the husband-man can be that the summer is neer when he sees the fig-tree put forth leaves c. and therefore I should rather conceive there is meant the appearance of Christ in the clouds for the conversion of the Iewes and to receive a Kingdom rather then his appearance at the day of judgement when he must shortly give up the Kingdom and I am induced rather to think so because it follows and he will send the Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather together the elect from the four windes Which is I do not conceive to be restreined unto the day of judgement though the Apostle doth so speak also of the general Resurrection 1 Cor. 15.52 The Trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised the Lord shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and the trumpet of God 1 Thes 4.16 But when this Trumpet shall sound all the Nations shall be raised bad as well as good Elect as well as Reprobate and they shall all awake unto judgement but this is a Trumpet that gathers onely the Elect from the four winds therefore it seemes that none shall hear this trumpet but the Elect and that it shall sound unto them as such and shall never reach unto the Reprobate and that instruments of mercy or judgement are called Angels is ordinary and that what the Lord doth eminently and publickly and dreadfully make known his glory to them with the sound of a Trumpet is clear Rev. 1.10 4.1 and therefore it may be spoken of the Lords gathering in the Elect of the Iewes having not cast off whom he knew before who are now scattered even into the four windes of Heaven and therefore there is that which seems to incline unto this of the conversion of the Iewes at first shall be by sight and by appearance of the Lord Iesus Christ visibly in the clouds of Heaven and so Pauls conversion should be as the first fruits the Lord setting forth him as a pattern to the whole Nation his conversion was by a sight of Christ from Heaven and a glorious light that shone round about him and so its probable there shall also be but yet not all of them so converted but the Lord will take some of them and make them to be as Priests unto the Lord and they shall declare his glory amongst the Gentiles and shall be instrumental in gathering of them and they shall also bring in their brethren that is say some the unconverted Gentiles which shall be as brethren then all the differences between them being taken away Others more properly refer it unto the Iewes the remainder of them not brought in the first grand conversion of the Nation for it is said They shall bring all their brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all Nations upon Horses and Charriots and upon wild beasts unto my holy mountain So that it may be some of them shall be converted by the appearance of Christ and others of them by the preaching of the Gospel by those that are amongst them converted that their brethren going forth to them and declaring to them the returning of God in wayes of grace unto their Nation and the great things that he hath done for them and so they having a spirit of grace poured out upon them shall also be brought as an offering to the Lord. Sixthly The manner of their calling shall be exceeding eminent and glorious unto the admiration of all Nations that they shall all see how the Lord hath honoured them Esa 60.1 The glory of the Lord is risen upon them Hos 1.11 Great shall be the day of Jisreel it shall be a glorious day that which shall make them honorable in the eyes of all the Nations of the Earth that ten men out of every Nation under Heaven shall lay hold of the scirt of a Jew and shall say we will go with you for we have heard that God is with you Ps 10.2.16 When the Lord shall build up Sion he will appear in Glory they shall have glorious appearances of him such as no people ever had and this shall make them to be the desire of all people as they have had a great day of misery so a great and glorious
comfort your selves with this the Lord is raised up out of his holy habitation he hath begun and he will carry on the work And so much now for the first branch of the Text the Proposition the Lord is raised up out of his holy habitation The inference that followeth upon it I shall speak but briefly to only I pray you lend me your diligent ear and with that I shall conclude I would be loth to trespass in respect of time The Lord is raised up out of his holy habitation what then be silent Oh all flesh before him That is the inference be silent O all flesh before the Lord. These words Interpretets referr both to the Churches enemies and to the people of God who were returned from the Land of their captivity The particle Interjectio est silentium Imperans Jerom. Ierom. Oh that is here used is a kind of Interjection by which the Lord commandeth silence and not a silence of the tongue only but silence of the soul My soul keep silence unto God There is a double silence in the world Some men keep silence in policy because they would not discover themselves till a convenient time But all the people of God that will approve themselves they must keep silence in duty Well First then Let us look upon enemies and as it is a direction to them a command laid upon them Oh all flesh be silent before the Lord. I here is a double ground of all ungodly mens silence and I find it used so in Scripture First there is a silence from shame Psal 31.19 let the lying lips be put to silence that cruelly and despightfully speak against the righteous silencing may be by shame Secondly there is a silencing of men wiâ—h fear and astonishment Psal 107.41 he setteth the poor on high with Princes the righteous shall see this and rejoyce and all wickedness shall stop their mouth men shall be amazed to see it There is a silence from shame there is a silence from fear then it is as if so be the Lord should have said unto all the Churchs enemies for shame or if not for shame for fear suppress your murmurings away with your boastings your censurings your slanderings Keep silence Oh all flesh before the Lord why now give me leave to inforce it a little All those that are enemies unto Gods actings among his people give me leave to speak a word to you if any such are here as in most of our Congregations it is like there are When the Lord is raised up out of his holy habitation doth gloriously appear in providential actings for his people then see that you keep silence I say away with your murmurings your disputings your censurings your slanderings and let me inforce it upon these four grounds remember them First know the Lord hears all your murmurings the Lord takes notice of all your censurings sometimes men in design keep silence because they dare not speak out But remember what the Lord told his people when they murmured against Moses Exod. 16. the Lord tells them that they have not murmured against thee at the 7. ver they have not murmured against thee but they have murmured against me When God appears in Instruments and you evidently see the hand of God with them then when you murmur at these Instruments you murmur against God remember that and the Lord takes notice In the second place It is a far greater Judgement for a man to be given over to a froward fretful spirit under an affliction then any affliction that can befall him I desire that it may sink deep into all your hearts I say to be given over under an affliction to a froward and a fretful spirit is a greater judgement then any affliction can befall him for a man to be like a wild Bull in a Net full of the fury of the Lord the cross he cannot bear and yet he cannot avoid it I intreat you consider it is worse then any other judgement can befall you it is the Devils sin and it is the Devils punishment mark this I say it is the Devils sin and it is the Devils punishment the Lord crosseth him in all his designs and yet notwithstanding for all that still his spirit risseth up against all his acting and so envy is his sin and his plague now do you mark it is true all sins are from the Devil but yet some are from him per modum servitutis others per modum Imagini in some sins you do the Devils work but in some sins you bear the Devils image and I beseech you consider this is the condition of every man so far as he is given over to a froward fretful perverse discontented spirit under the providential actings of God towards his people Consider I beseech you it is this that makes Hell this makes Hell when a man is under the hand of God that yet he cannot bear it nor he cannot avoid it It was a good speech of Bernard Bernard Ubi non est propria voluntas non erit infernum take away a mans self-will and truly you take away hell this is that my Bretheren makes it be so when an affliction lies upon a man all that while his will continually riseth against the dealings of God and he frets against the hand of God upon him it is the greatest Judgement could befal him In the third place This will certainly hinder your repentance It is a sad Scripture that so much the more sad because it hath an aspect upon the times in which we live Rev. 16.9 you read of the Vial poured out upon the Sun the highest authority in Church and State so far as it holds to Rome Now the Text saith that men should be scorched the same Vial that was poured out upon the Sun I say now that men should be scorched exceedingly fretful perplexed in spirit and what follows why the text saith they blasphemed God that had power over these plagues and they repented not to give God the glory My Brethren there is not a greater Judgement befalls men in these daies then through a fretful spirit against the instrument to neglect the hand of God and not repent and turn Yea in the last place that I may draw to wards a conclusion This will provoke the Lord I assure you for to bring greater plagues upon you therefore take heed to it to keep silence before him when you see Gods hand upon you Isa 26.11 When the hand of the Lord is lifted up they will not see but they shall see and be ashamed for their envy at the people saith the Text. My Brethren God worketh Judgements in lesser characters at first and truly if men cannot read it he will write them in more eminent and capital Letters small judgements they will not open wicked mens eyes truly neither will they stop wicked mens mouthes and if they will not do so assuredly God will have a way for all wicked men
generation then take heed to walk close with God It is good for you to draw neer to God But Secondly it is good for you to draw neer to God when all things else withdraw themselves from you My Beloved it is good for a Christian to make such a supposition as the Prophet Habbakuck doth in Chap. 3.17,18 Though the Fig-tree should notblossom though there be no fruit in the Vine though the labour of the Olive should fail and the fields should yield no meat the flocks should be cut off from the folds and the Herds from the stalls yet I will rejoyce in the Lord and I will triumph in the God of my salvation Mark he doth not only pitch upon those comforts that are rather for complement then necessity but the choicest provision as I may so speak of the worlds making here is the Fig-tree the Vine the Olive the Field the flock and he saith not If any of these should fail then they might be recompenced with the labour of the other but if all these should fail together and conspire to make man miserable and not only to fail in hope but even what you have already in possession When doth a man think his flocks to be certainer then in his folds and his herds then in his stalls but though the flocks and the herds should fail what now will bear up his soul I will rejoyce in God Oh it is time to keep close to God let me tell you the Land reels to and fro like a Drunkard sometimes leanes this way you know it and sometimes that way truly when the Land begins to sink under a mans feet once foundations shake then it is time for a man to lift up his hands and to take hold of heaven restat iter coelo for this will be the great cut to a mans heart when he shall be shut out of all things here below as it was with Saul in his agonie the Philistins made war against him and God hides his head the Philistines made war so they did many times before and Saul got the better Saul had now an Army in the field I but though he had an Army Saul had lost his God the Lord is departed from me and answers me no more This is the best way indeed to keep close to God it is time to draw neer to God when all things else withdraw themselves from you Thirdly it is best because if you draw neer to God God will certainly draw neer to you he hath promised it in Jam. 4.8 Draw neer to God and he will draw neer to you and the approach of God summs up all Gen 15.1 for in his presence is fulness of joy It is a mighty expression Rev. 21.7 that he that overcomes shall inherit all things I and that of our Savtour Mark 10.30 If a man forsake father and mother house or lands he shall have a hundred fold more in this life a hundred fold in some respect he cannot have an hundred Fathers or an hundred Mothers but Interpreters say it is not to be understood formaliter but eminenter he shall have all the comforts in God that these could afford him if they were a hundred times more Oh then draw neer to God and God will certainly draw neer to you But I but name things Fourthly to draw neer to God is best for by this means you shall be preserved from the evil that other men suffer the evil of suffering The promise is in Psal 91.10 He that dwelleth under the shaddow of the most high no plague shall come nigh him he will give his Angels charge over thee it notes a constant fellowship thou shalt be the special charge that the Angels have I shall desire you but to consider the Lord hath projects of providence for his peoples preservation as well as for his enemies destruction Noah walked with God and had an Ark when the rest of the world of ungodly men perished in the waters David a man that kept constant communion and we see how the Lord owns him in all his tryals and appears for him upon all the glory there shall be a covering and there are projects of providence beyond the wisdom of men or Angels for the Lord knows how to deliver the just from all their trouble and how to reserve the wicked to the day of Judgement These things now I am forced to pass over Lastly and so we will hasten to the Application It is best for men to draw neer to God because a close communion keeps up in a mans soul those qualifications as shall make every afliction comfortable and easie be the times never so bad for the drawing neer of the soul to God is like the Sun to the earth which by its heat and perfect influence puts life vigour and beauty into things dead and withered before Cant. 1.12 Communion with God is the spring-time of all grace and therefore I will but name them First Communion with God will keep a mans soul in a silent humble frame that was the fruit of Aarons Communion in Levit. 10.3 a great cross be fell him he lost two Sons taken away by an immediate act of Gods hand even in an act of sin yet Aaron held his peace Aaron held his peace fellowship with God will certainly keep the soul in a peaceable submissive frame that be the affliction what it will be the soul shall say Gods will is the rule of goodness when Judgement was pronounced against Hezekiah good is the word of the Lord and Iob the Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away Secondly fellowship with God will keep a mans soul in a holy independency upon the things below there is nothing my Beloved puts a mans soul out of band with the creature like communion this is the way to have the Moon under your feet as the expression is for that in fellowship with God a man that knows what it is to have close communion knows that he doth really set his feet where other men set their hearts it puts the mouth out of tast to all creature comforts to him Chrysostom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost though the world were on fire about his ears yet he hath lost nothing for his portion is enough In the third place as a holy independency so a holy magnanimity of spirit he shall not think those things great that other men think insupportable Iesus Christ endured the Cross and despised the shame and the shame of the cross was the greatest suffering Why do you weep and break my heart I am ready not only to be bound but to die for him Luther And Luther I remember when the enemies gave out that he had recanted he writes in a Letter of his that I will never recant think that I will do any thing rather then recant be the dangers and threatnings what they will be they are not careful to answer thee in this matter omnia de me praesumes praeter fugam
Jacobs trouble Lam. 1.17 The Lord hath commanded concerning Jacob that the Adversaries shall be round about c. therefore by Jacob here is meant only Judah that is the two Tribes that did not depart from God in the Revolt and Apostacy of the ten Tribes and that those of Israel that for conscience sake did leave their Habitations and went and dwelt in Judah and Jerusalem yet there 's a time of trouble for them also 2. What 's meant by the time of trouble It 's in the Original Hab. 3.16 tempus augustiae a time of straits which is called a day of straits when the Lord did come up upon them and invade them with his Troops for so the Army of the Babylonians is called when they should be led into Captivity by the will and command of others for their Persons and Estates to be made use of as a prey to serve the wills and ends of strangers and servants For strangers Jer. 30.8 Strangers shall no more serve themselves of them And for servants Lam. 5.8 Servants rule over us and there 's none to deliver us out of their hands Now when the walls of the City were broken down the Temple destroyed the Worship of God prophaned and all the Ordinances of God trampled under foot all Order Authority deposed and all things subjected unto the wil and lusts of a conquering Army now it was a time of straits great straits in point of conscience for they would now be working them about to their way and perswading them to worship their Gods Jer. 10.11 Now to be under the power of men and not to be subjected to their lusts and serve the lusts of men it 's a great strait and straits also in respect of the affliction having their lives alway hanging in doubt having their bread by weight and their water by measure and in respect of succour in a great strait also for there was no deliverer Lam. 1.3 All her Persecutors overtook her between the streights that there was no escaping no way to avoyd them and therefore 2 Tim. 3.5 These shall be difficult times in which men should meet with great and variety of straits that they should not know which way to turn themselves c. Thirdly it 's called a great day magnum pro formidabile Cal. Terribilis aut mire calamitosa à magnitudine supplicii magnus nominatur Theodor. And we doe read of five Great Dayes in the Scripture First the day of the Lord spoken of in Malach. 4.6 I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the great and terrible day â—f the Lord that is interpreted Luk. 1.17 of John Baptist who was to be the forerunner of Christs coming And this is called a great day for the great manifestations of God wherein life and immortality should be brought to light by the Gospel the great changes of Ordinances and the great destruction of the Enemies the terrible Judgements that should then be poured out for Mal. 4.1 The day cometh that shall burn as an Oven and all that do wickedly shall be stubble that is when the Sun of Righteousness doth arise with healing in his wings c. And for the terrible Judgements that under the Gospel the Lord would pour out upon the world and that is meant Acts 2.28 Joel 2.3 The Sun shall be turned into darkness the Moon into blood before that great day of the Lord come It 's spoken of the great Judgements that the Lord Christ would pour out upon the world and thereby make way for the receiving the Gospel publickly for he doth shake Heaven and Earth and thereby makes way for the coming of the desire of all Nations for out of the Throne when Christ is exalted comes thunderings and lightnings and voices Rev. 4.5 Secondly there 's the great day of Jezreel Hos 1. last That is when the Lord shall call home his antient people and gather together the outcasts of Israel Which shall be a day in which the Lord shall appear in his glory for when he doth build Zion he doth appear in his glory a day of the restitution of all things a day of enriching of the world a day when new Jerusalem shall come down from God out of heaven and a day in which the kingdoms of the earth shall be given to the Lord and his Christ and there shall not be any more any pricking bryer or any grieving thorn in all the land there shall be no more a Canaanite in the land forever all persecuting Powers shall be subdued Thirdly there 's a great day when the battel Armageddon shall be fought Rev. 16.14 When all the Powers of the earth shall rally and gather together their broken Troops against the Church of God they shall be the greatest combination that ever hath been and in which all the opposite Powers shall be utterly and finally broken and thereby way shall be made for the vial poured upon the air which brings in the binding of Satan chap. 20. Now this battel with the issue of it we have chap. 19.19,20,21 Now from the great preparations that the enemies do make and the great destruction which then they shall be sure to find and the great things which shall follow upon this and that in this day the Lord will make way for therefore it 's called the great day of God Almighty when the Lord shall fulfil all his promises and prophecies and Christ shall be cloathed with a garment dipt in blood and his name shall be called the Word of God Fourthly the day of Judgement is a great day also the Angels are said to be reserved in chains of darkness unto the Judgement of the great day for then shall the son of man sit upon the throne of his glory and all Nations shall be gathered together before him and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepheard divides his Sheep from the Goats c. and he shall then passe a finall sentence an eternall judgement upon the eternal estates of men and set a gulph between them for ever which they shall never pass when he hath so done he shall resign or give up his kingdom unto God the Father and then all the present wayes of administration shall cease Fifthly when the Lord brings any speciall judgement or affliction upon his people that also is called a great day Zeph. 1.14 the great day of the Lord is near it 's a day of darkness and gloominess a day of clouds and thick darkness that Trumpet and Alarum against the fenced Cities and against the high Towers it 's a threatning of the same Judgement there which here the Prophet speaks of the captivity of Babylon and it s called the great day of the Lord and so it 's here called also Fourthly it 's said that it 's such a day that there is none like to it that is First it is the greatest evil that ever befell that people they had been smitten with Pestilence with scarcity
men is an abomination in the sight of the Lord Luk. 16.15 and there is many a mans person and actions when they are weighed by the world are conceived to be great weight and yet when the Lord comes to weigh them are found too light and it is his Sentence must stand he is praise-worthy and that man is honourable not whom himself nor whom the world but whom the Lord commends 2 Cor. 10.18 Secondly for the world we know it is unacquainted with and therefore unable to esteem either the comforts or the honours of the Ordinances for they are men of another Generation Luk. 16.8 In estimation a great deal of wisdom and art is seen and that cannot be expected in those whom the Scripture doth every where brand for folly every man may see a precious stone but he must be a Lapidary that knows how to value it every man sees the Sun but he must be an Astronomer that shall be able to measure it and take the quantity thereof they that know no honour but the praise of men it s no wonder if they be not able to judge of the praise of God Act. 17.11 whatever the world counts of honour and descent the Lord saith they of Berea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were better descended then the rest of Thessalonica in that they received the word with readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily c. Thirdly though they should count it a disgrace yet look upon the Ordinances alwaies as thy honour and value not the Judgement of such men say it s a small thing to me to be judged of you or of mans day let it appear that you as much undervalue their Judgement as they do your waies this was Luthers resolution Luther Non ego opprobrium Bohemi cinominis metuo quae gloria est coram Deo Ita concurrimus utrinque illi extremo furore ego summo contemptu vincit mea audacia in Christo for that thing and that person is honourable and none else who is precious in Gods eyes since thou wast precious in my eyes thou hast been honourable but never till then Vse 2. Strive so to walk towards the Gospel and all the Ordinances thereof that you may make it appear to the world you count it your honour glory and highest advancement in the world This concerns First those that have it not Secondly those that have it First you that have it not strive to get it at any rate for your self for the place in which you live for it is a pearl of great price and therefore you may do well to sell all that thou hast to buy it in other things men will spare no cost to satisfie their ambition give any thing for their honour but in this men have no ambition Infelix prorsus ambitio quae ambire magna non novit Bernard Bernard You that live in the dark places of the earth and are like to Jerico where it may be the Land is pleasant but the waters bitter count it now not only the matter of your misery but also of your dishonour stir up your ambition in this respect to have the Ordinances of the Gospel that may exalt you up to heaven and what difficulty so ever may seem to stand in the way let them not deterr you anime magno nihil est magnum What God will bless your riches honour and advancement in outward things do not you live without this it was the complaint of Bernard of some Bernard purpura induunturcum conscientia pannosa fulgent monilibus moribus sordent it is the very condition of many places in this Kingdom a special ground of it is want of the Ordinances in their power Nay if you have good hearts all these outward things will do you no good if this be wanting the poor woman 1 Sam. 4. ult though they told her Be of good comfort thou hast born a Son yet she answered not neither did she set her mind upon it but called his name Ichabod the glory is departed from Israel the Ark of God a type of Evangelical Ordinances Evangelium sub velo the Ark of God is taken And not only for the places you your selves live in but strive to propagate the Gospel unto others also Not only your duty to God and to the Gospel your love to the souls of your brethren but your reference to the Land it self calls for it it is every Christians duty to raise the Age and as much as in him lies to ennoble and honour the Land and Nation where he lives this is the only way to make this Land to become the glorious Land and to name it Iehovah Shammah the Lord is there Ezek. 48. ult You will say herein what shall we do◠First Consider and strive to be seriously affected with the misery and dishonour of those that want these Ordinances Cant. 8.8 we have a little sister and she hath no breasts Secondly Enquire study set your thoughts on work about it whether you may relieve her What shall we do for our sister in the day that she shall be spoken for Can we do nothing by our pains by our purses by our friends c. Thirdly resolve thou wilt do thy utmost as they do if she be a wall we will build upon her a Pallace of silver if a door inclose her c. Fourthly when you have done all pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth Labourers Mat. 9.37 pray that the Gospel may run and be glorified as it will that it may go forth with speed and strength prevailing over difficulties and conquering all opposition that it may go forth as the Sun when it goes forth in its strength Secondly you that enjoy the Ordinances of the Gospel and by them are exalted up to heaven First prize it as highly as you do your highest honour it is worthy of all acceptation to be received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1.15 Acts 17.11 Say as St Chrysostoms hearers Satius esse ut sol non luceat quem ut non doceat Chrysostomus c. Secondly preserve it and defend it as you will do your honour if men seek to take it away or to hinder the Gospel in any kind contend earnestly for the faith that was once given to the Saints Jude 3. for the Gospel is committed to the custody of the Pastors of the Church to preach it but to the Princes and people of the earth to defend it to be a guard about it against al the opposition and malice of the enemies little do they consider what the cost of our poor fore-Fathers was to transmit the Gospel and the Ordinances thereof unto us the blood of Martyrs spilt the blood of Ministers spent and all was to transmit it to your hands Rom. 3.2 Rev. 13.16,17 take heed through carelesness and cowardliness we betray not the trust committed unto us but that we also by a publike profession and an earnest
imagine that when the cup of fury that is in the Lords right hand hath gone round and all nations have tasted of it and yet that we shall not drink thereof Ier. 25.15 may it not be as truly said of us as of our brethren Ezek. 12.4 thou hast caused thy dayes to draw neer thou art come even unto thy years there is a time for Judgement the text tels you upon a Nation and he that is wise shall know and discern both time and Judgement Eccl. 8.5 Now as I have before shewed you thâ—… Ministers are Servants so also they are the Prophets of the Nation and therefore preaching is called prophecying and the Ministers of the Gospel are called Prophets 1 Cor. 4.32 though not in so full and compleat a sense as the Prophets antiently were yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quadam by a true resemblance and analogy though not a fore-telling yet a fore-speaking things to come for that God that had made all things by his word doth uphold all things by the word of his power Heb 1.3 governing all things by the rules of the same exactly dispensing punishments and rewards according to the tenour of the promises and threatnings therein recorded so that as he hath appointed the Sun Moon and Stars to rule by day and by night over this natural world Psal 19. so he hath stretched forth the Expansum of the Law over the rational world Rom. 10.18 all things being ordered according to the precepts promises and threatnings thereof Now as a man that is skilful in the one by observing and calculating the influences and aspects and conjunctions of the one can foretel in many things what is to come in the natural world So the other by observing the promises and threatnings and the special aspects that is in them both can in a great measure fore speak what is like to come to pass in the rational world also sutable hereunto the Prophet here tels â—s that there is First a time for Judgement Secondly that this time may be known Thirdly the ignorance of this time makes a man more bruitish then the unreasonable creatures For the scope of the place seems to be this that such is the wisdom of unreasonable creatures the Stork Crane and Swallow that in winter they flie from cold and hard places unto those where there is a more temperate and moderate air they knowing the seasons and the appointed times for this they flie away before and by the instinct of nature to make provision for a natural life Now God had made man wiser then the Beasts that perish above the beasts of the field and he hath appointed a time for Judgement and he hath foretold it shall come and yet man is not so wife for himself as either to prepare for it or to flie from it and this is meant by not knowing the Judgement of Jehovah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Judgement of God is either Directive as the Law written in the Book or the Law written in the heart as Mat. 12.20 bring forth Judgementto Victory Secondly Corrective Thirdly Destructive and this last is meant here it is spoken of the Judgement of utter ruine and desolation upon whom the former Judgements neither the directions of the word nor corrections of Gods rod had taken its due effect its proper work Neither is it meant of the Judgement it self only that it should be utter destruction the fatal blow the last and utter ruine of that people but also the time of this Iudgement which was at hand and this the people knew not and so much the word in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies tempus certum constitutum a certain and an appointed time Gen. 17.21 My Covenant will I stablish with Isaac which Sarah shall bear unto thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at this set time in the next year and this seems to be intimated by the subjects the Stork and the Crane know their times but my people know not the Judgement that is not only the Iudgement it self but not the time of Iudgement that is at hand that which the Prophet had so often told them and that which they were continually admonished that it was neer cum in re tam clara dilucida coecutirent therefore here the Prophet doth justly complain that they were more bruitish then these unreasonable creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they know not verba sensus significant cum affectu effectu In the count of the Holy-Ghost in Scripture a man knows no more then he believes and is affected with and makes use of they knew not they considered not believed not were not affected with neither did they make use of it either the Iudgement it self nor the time of the Iudgement either to fear it or to flie from it so that the Iudgement and the time of Iudgement was appointed this they should and they might have known believed and been affected with but they were more unwise for themselves and for their temporal and eternal safety then the unreasonable creatures they knew not the Iudgement of the Lord. Hence the observations that I purpose to insist upon are these two First that there is unto a sinful Nation a set and an appointed time of Judgement Secondly that this time may and should be known or else in vain are they blamed for not knowing it First Doctrine Doctrine There is unto a sinful Nation a set and an appointed time for Iudgement a time when Iudgement shall infallibly come and God will bear with them no longer God being the antient of dayes he is the Lord of time and the great Land-lord of the world and he hath set unto every thing a season or an appointed time to every thing under Heaven Eccl. 3 1. but in reference to the point in hand it will be requisite that we consider of a six-fold time appointed by him that is Lord of time First there is a time of sinning a set and an appointed time for there is First a fulness of sin appointed by God that it shall have its period it shall not grow in infinitum Gen. 15.16 The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full and as there was a fulness so there is a time appointed to fill up this measure to fill the Ephah Zach. 5.6 where the measure of the sin of the people of Israel is set out for the greatness of it by an Ephah the greatest dry measure amongst the Iews and there was a time for the filling up of the Ephah before it was carried into the Land of Shinar Secondly there is a measure of wrath which every vessel of wrath shall treasure up for all shall not have the same measure and the Reason is because all do not treasure up the same measure unto themselves Rom. 2.4,5 Now seeing it is a Treasure that doth grow by degrees and several additions there must be a time for the filling and the gathering of this Treasure some Exchequer daies
God that men cannot receive the heart makes up a stop a dam against them they pass not through the whole man to bring into subjection every thought 2 Cor. 10.6 but men imprison truth in unrighteonsness Rom. 1.18 and will not suffer it to pass through the whole man through the whole soul this is a marish place c. Secondly when the waters and the earth do mix together this makes the myre when the Truths of God do mix with the corruptions of men that either men can hold some Truths and yet keep their lusts they can stand for truths and yet they live in their sins and so shine as lights and have their lamps and yet be unclean all the while or else when men do make use of the Truths of God to justifie their sins and they do plead the word of God to maintain their lusts they can stand for the Truths of God yet will not leave their lusts but seek to cover them under it Clem. Alex. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. forâ—ing the Scriptures to their lusts Voluptatem sequi non quam audit sed quam attulit Aust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Austin 2 Pet. 3.16 They do wrest the Scriptures and make them to speak that which the Spirit of God never intended in them and all is to favor some lust or other following the hidden things of dishonesty they do handle the word of God deceitfully and make it speak peace when the Lord in the word doth speak terror c. Thirdly the longer men continue the more filthy they grow the longer the Truths of God lie upon the heart of a man and if they reform not they make him grow the more filthy and the more polluted it makes a mans lusts the more hatefull and the more defiling for Ordinances do ripen mens sins as well as their graces and in this respect they may the more fitly be called myrie places Nâ—w the judgment is They shall not be healed they shall be given unto salt First They shall not be healed they had the waters flowing in upon them and by them many were healed but they were not healed under them and now in judgement the Lord saith that they shall not be healed those healing Ordinances which work a very great change upon other men and restore their souls they shall take no place upon them that which was their sin shall be their plague they would not be healed they shall not be healed they would not be purged they shall not be purged they will not come when they are invited they shall not taste of my Supper A man cannot have a greater plague befall him then to be given up unto his own sin and that which is the natural fruit there of Men that have lived under the Truths of God and have not been healed by them the Lord gives them up as incorrigible in judgement they shall not be healed that makes the Anathema Maranatha reserved they are as incorrigible for the judgement of the Lord at his coming for this is that curse upon them which is denounced by God most properly its Gods ordinary way to deal with sinners that shall be their punishment which they chose to themselves as their way of sinning He that is ignorant shall be ignorant still and he that is filthy shall be filthy still he that will not be healed the Lord says he shall not be healed c. Secondly They shall be given to salt which hath a double interpretation given of it First they shall be given up unto a perpetual barrenness Deut. 29,23 The whole land is brimstone and salt it is not sowen and neither grass nor any thing grows therein So Abimelech dealt with Shechem he beat down the city and sowed it with salt Judg. 9.45 Psal 107.34 a fruitfull land he turned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into saltness that is barrenness and so Jerom given to salt Ut in perpetuum frugibus careant that they may not bear fruit for ever Secondly Given to salt ut alios condiant exemplorum sale that is he shall be given up unto some exemplary judgement that may teach all other men to beware For he that built his house and not upon a rock when the rain falls and the winds blow he will fall and the fall of that house will be great Doctrine Some men that live under the purest and the most powerful Ordinances are in judgement given up unto a perpetual barrenness For the explication of this there are these sour particulars First that God doth by the Gospel execute spiritual Judgements as well as confer spiritual blessings Secondly that of all judgements those that are spiritual are the most dreadfull Thirdly why the Lord doth in Judgment give men up to a barrenness under the Gospel Fourthly the manner how the Lord doth this and how these Judgements are executed in an ordinary way First the Lord doth by the Ordinances of the Gospel execute spiritual Judgements as well as confer spiritual blessings there are the greatest curses as well as the greatest mercies come out of Zion all Judgements both temporal and spiritual come out of Ordinances for as they have the promises of this life that now is and that which is to come so there belongs to them also the threatnings of the life that now is and that which is to come temporal Judgements come out of ordinances Ezek. 10.2 Take fire from off the Altar and scatter over the city they thought that the fire of the Altar had served for nothing else but ad expianda scelera Calvin To expiate their sins but the Lord doth let them see that it will burn their City also 1 Cor. 11.30 for this cause many are sick and many weak and many are fallen asleep and when the day of Revelation shall come that the Counsels of God and the hearts of men shall be made manisest we shall then see that many of the Judgements that now we complain of will be found to be fire taken off the Altar and to be inflicted for the neglect and abuse of the Gospel which now we do very commonly attribute unto other causes every man according as his own fancy or party leads him and also spiritual Judgments as Rev. 4.5 there are before the throne the seven spirits of God all spiritual gifts and graces are poured out in Ordinances and there are out of the throne thundrings and lightnings and voices which note the terrible ways that the Lord has of punishing wicked men for their contempt and neglect of the Gospel Fulgura tonitrua terribilia supplicia significant nec ullo modo vitanda Brâ—ghtman Judgements from Heaven shall be poured out immediatly upon the spirits of men and that from Heaven Isa 28.13 The word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept and line upon line here a little and there a little that is summacum industria indulgentia He did it daily and he did it with a great deal
of meekness and forbearance c. but what was this for to what end did the Lord do all this was it for their spiritual good no it was in Judgement that they might fall baâ—kward be broken and ensnared there are no people liable unto such terrible Judgements as they that live under Ordinances and whose plagues flow from them Heb. 6.6,7,8 There are many that live under the Gospel and by the grace of it they come unto the highest pitch of common works they are inlightned and taste of the heavenly gift and are made partakers of the holy Ghost taste of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come yet afterward they fall away and that with a malitious and final Apostasie with despight and revenge the reason is given of it For the ground that drinks in the rain and brings not forth fruit answerable is nigh unto cursing for the curse is answerable unto the blessing and therefore they that live under the offers of the greatest spiritual blessings if they be neglected and are unfruitfull under them they are neerer to cursing then other men which is the reason why in judgement they are given up after such great and common works to apostasie and final impenitency because they have drunk in the rain of Ordinances and influences and have not brought forth fruit meet for him that dressed it as it s said of Christ Luk. 2. it is true of the Gospel also it is set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the fall as well as the rising of many in Israel and let me tell you the more spiritual Ordinances are the more spiritual shall the judgments be as we see it in the Ordinances of the Gospel as they were more spiritual so were the judgements that were executed by them more spiritual as the more spiritual any mans light grows the more spiritual will his temptations grow so the more spiritual Truths grow in any Age the more spiritual Judgements grow for answerable to the measure of spiritual blessings such shall be the measure of spiritual plagues and as the more spiritual Ordinances are the more desirable so the more spiritual they are if abused the more dangerous Secondly there are no Judgements of God like unto spiritual Judgements those are of all other the most dreadfull Isa 13. Why should you be smitten any more ye will revolt more and more Hos 4.14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom nor your Spouses when they commit adultery c. Impunity in sinning is the greatest punishment that can befall a sinner but the people that do not understand shall fall that is shall sin without restraint without controul Drusius He that is filthy let him be so Drusius And the grounds of it are these First because every spiritual Judgement is in it self a sin it is a judgement as from God but in us they are sins also now as there is not a worse evil then sin for sin is the greatest evil so it cannot be punished with any thing worse then it self the Apostle cannot call it by a worse name then it self Rom. 13.7 sinful sin and God cannot inflict a greater punishment then it self and therefore after this life though the demerit of sin shall cease the obligation of the Law ceasing as binding unto further punishment when a man is actually under the sentence of condemnation yet there is an obligation to the precept of the Law still for thou art bound to the precept as thou art a creature and to the curse only as thou art a sinner now the nature of sin shall remain though the demerit of sin hath an end after this life and yet in Hell pertinet ad damnationis poenam As all holiness and obedience in heaven pertinet ad beatitudinis praemium The one is a part of a mans torment as the other is part of a mans reward Secondly because of the subject on which it lights is the soul the soul is far more precious then the body and as any mercy to the soul is far beyond any blessing unto the body so if the soul prosper and the inward man be renewed it is no great matter what become of the outward man though there be crus in nervo si animus in coelo for it is in the soul that the Lord dwells and in the excellency of the soul that he doth delight therefore let the hidden man of the heart be adorned there is no adorning like it Tertul. Bernard Aliter pigmentatae sunt vestes Indutus purpura cum conscientia pannosa And if the beauty of the inward man be so glorious then there is no defilement like to that of the inward man nor no punishment I ke to that upon the soul as the Schoolmen say of Spiritual it is to be preferred before corporal Aquinas Eleemosyna cordis major quam corporis spirituales Elcemosynae sunt corporalibus simpliciter praeferendae So may we say of Spiritual Judgements there are no judgements of God so much to be feared as Spiritual Judgements as there are no mercies so much to be desired as spiritual mercies the prosperity of the soul should be unto a Saint the measure of all prosperity and the misery of the soul and judgements upon it should be the measure of all miseries and Judgements whatsoever Thirdly Spiritual Judgements are an argument of the greatest wrath and displeasure of God its true its a judgement that God doth sometimes inflict upon his own people Isa 63.17 Why hast thou caused us to erre from thy ways and hardened our hearts from thy fear but yet it is a greater testimony of his displeasure then God doth shew towards the men of his good will there is no such evidence of his wrath in the world as this is and so it is to wicked men also for God to give them up unto their own hearts lust and to deliver them to Satan as we see Christ did Judas Austin Parcit iratus iratus Deus dat amanti quod male amat Austin Jerome Magna est ira Dei quando peccantibus non irascitur Deus Jerom. In the afflictions of his people Emendationi instat Deus It is to restrain us and reclaim us c. But in spiritual Judgements the Lord doth give a man up to sin and leave him in the power of sin and under the dominion of sin as if he did never intend to do him good more Fourthly it s the saddest evidence of a mans reprobation and a most dreadfull earnest of a mans damnation First it s a sad evidence of a mans reprobation for there are three consequents of reprobation and both of them are spiritual Judgements 1. Permissio peccati the permission of sin 2. In peccato derelictio the being left in sin 3. Traditio Satanae to leave a man in the power of Satan to give him over unto Satan to carry him captive at his will and all these are spiritual
Judgements Rev 13.8 and Rev. 17.8 How came men to be insnared with the Doctrine of Popery and carried away with that doctrine of devils they were given up in Judgement to it as an evidence of their reprobation for they worshipped the Beast and received his mark and his image whose names are not written in the Lambs book of life c. for as Spiritual blessings are pledges of election so spiritual Judgements are dangerous signs of a mans reprobation Secondly they are a fearful earnest of a mans damnation 2 Thes 2.12 He gave them up to believe that lye that all they might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness Heb. 10.27 We read of an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A receiving of a sentence an eternal judgement in a mans own soul when a man carries in his own heart the sentence of his own condemnation and there is not a greater earnest of it in the world then for a man to be given over by God unto spiritual Judgements for that is the portion that all the Heirs of Hell have from the Lord and as by the works of the spirit of adoption upon the soul there is an earnest of Heaven so by the work of the Spirit of Bondage on the soul in judgement there is an earnest of Hell the approaches of God are in the one and the desertions of God are in the other Thirdly consider what a great evil it is to be given up unto this judgement of a perpetual barrenness the sins against the Gospel must be especially requited by such judgements for the Lord will have the judgement hold a proportion unto the sin now the more spiritual sins are and the more spiritual Ordinances are the more spiritual must the judgement needs be now as there are no sins nor no Ordinances so spiritual as those under the Gospel so there are no judgements that are so spiritual and therefore as God is a spirit and hates spiritual sins most so it is most agreeable unto him the soul being a spirit and having the main hand in the sin to load that with spiritual judgements But why will the Lord punish the neglect of the Gospel with a perpetual Barrenness Why shall the marish places be given to salt The grounds are these First consider of all Spiritual Judgements this is the greatest of all judgements the greatest are spiritual judgements and of all spiritual judgements to be given up to barrenness is the greatest for it is that unto which all other Judgements tend and in which they all end and center There are many other spiritual Judgements as there is a Judicial blindness and hardness of heart a seared conscience a reprobate sense but what is all this for it is that we might bring forth no fruit to God and that nothing that is good might grow thereupon and therefore it is that the Devil doth catch away the good seed Matth. 13.19 That we might be as the high-way ground unfruitful we complain of a barren earth by reason of the curse Cursed be the ground for thy sake when thou tillest it it shall not yield thee fruit but there are three sorts of Spiritual Barrennesses which are far beyond this and are the fruits of a far greater curse and they are barren Churches barren Ordinances and barren hearts there was never a more terrible monument of temporal wrath then the Lord shewed upon Sodom and Gomerrah and those Cities of the plain which are now turned into the salt sea and their smoak ascends continually where nothing lives where nothing grows neither fruit nor grass Deut. 29.23 and therefore called the dead Sea as Jerom saith Ierome Quia nihil in se vitale habet unde nomen mortis sortitumest And if a fish be at any time carried out of Jordan into it Statim moriuntur nthâ—l utilitatis in se habet ut simplex sermo testatur the fishes presently die therein Now take an unregenerate man a barren soul and he is compared here unto the dead sea for it is said that fishers shall stand from Engedi to Eneglaim Eneglaim in principio est maris mortui ubi Iordanum ingreditur Engedivero ubi finitur atque consumitur As great yea a far greater monument of Judgement God gives unto a barren heart then is that of the dead sea which is nothing else but a barren land and barren waters as they bring forth nothing that is good of themselves so neither is there any thing that can live or thrive or grow in them but if it come into it it immediatly dies and so it is with any thing of God or the Spirit of God that comes into the barren heart it is like unto the dead sea what truths or motions soever are cast in they die immediâ—tly Secondly This is the greatest judgement because hereby thou losest the fruit of thy union with Christ and the comfort of it for the end of union with Christ is fruitfulness and it is a plain argument that he that brings forth no fruits to God was never married unto Christ for Rom. 7.4 We are said to be married unto Christ that we may bring forth fruit to God There is a double end of Marriage convictus proles Cohabitation and propagation and therefore there cannot be a greater evidence that thou art not yet married unto Christ then this thou art barren for the Spouse of Christ is fruitfull and he hath no further a delight in them then as they bring forth fruit for it was the very end of his coming That they might bring forth fruit and that more abundantly and that their fruit might remain Now to be much in fruitfulness to be rich in good works is a great mercy Si mihi daretur eptio eligerem unius Christiani rustici opus sordidissimum prae omnibus victoriis triumphis Alexandri Caesaris c. Quando fidelis es Deo placent etiam Physica corporalia animalia officia And how great a comfort is it to bring forth fruit to God because it is fruit abounding unto our accounts at the last and the great day now as fruitfulness is a certain evidence of our marriage to Christ so barrenness is a certain evidence that thou art not yet married unto Christ and to be given up in judgement to barrenness is an earnest thou shalt never be married to him and fruitfulness is an argument and a pledge unto a mans heart that Christ will delight in him as Leah said when she had born a son Now my husband will love me now he will be joyned to me now I have born him this son also So may a soul reason it out with Christ Now I shal have his love he wil love me he will delight in me he will dwell with me â—ow I have yielded him fruit for he doth delight in the fruits of his pleasant things Cant. 5.12 Thirdly there is nothing that stands between such a soul and wrath for Ioh. 15.2 Every
that though the man be in never so great danger himself he is not apprehensive of it nothing doth awaken him and by this means he is put into the condition of the devil for he is made perfectly like unto the devil and is delivered over into his power for 2 Tim. 2.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is properly to return to himself after drunkenness but now the Devil hath not only a power to make that man drunk but to keep him so that he never return to himself again to his dying day and as the devil sins without remorse so shall he Bernard Peccare humanum est sed in peccato perseverare Diabolicum est He that perseveres in sin is as the Devil himself As the fire of hell is unquenchable fire so is the sin of Hell unquenchable sin and the Repentance of a man so given over by God is not medicinalis but paenalis its a Repentance in respect of Judgement not of sin and as it has judgement its cause so shall judgement be its companion that very repentance shall be an aggravation and part of his greater plague By such dreadfull steps as these which a wise heart will tremble to hear are men given to falt HOLINESSE The only WAY to HAPPINES HEB. 12.14 And Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. THE times in which we live are truly stiled doubtfull times full of doubtfull expectations and doubtful disputations incerta sunt omnia Of doubtful expectations there is no man looks upon himself as safe but different parties unite themselves and different plots are laid and different interests carried on and by this men think to be established but men of the strongest parts and that have the highest power do not many times attain their hopes and ends The race is not to the swift nor the battel to the strong because times and changes come upon all there are changes of condition which the most High appointed unto all men who rules in the kingdoms of mortal men which are unto them contingent casual and unexpected and by this means men are made like unto a wheel that which is now uppermost becomes suddenly the lowest Summa cito fiunt ima Eccles 9.11 And by this means the misery of man by reason of this uncertainty is great upon him that he eats his meat in darkness and his heart takes no rest in the night seeing this is the state of things my aim is to put you upon that which is the only security Nulla satis magna securitas dum periclitatur aeternitas there is no security unto any man whilest his eternity is in danger therefore secure eternity you secure all its only holiness that 's the way to see the Lord and will surely attain that end and thereby make us everlastingly happy And our times are doubfull because of doubtful dispu atations it is with us as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 14.26 Every one has his Psalm his Doctrine his Revelation his Interpretation and by this means their minds are busied and their judgements puzled whilst their fancies are stupified with some novel and unpractical curiositie and so whilst men spend their whole strength about Mint Annice and Comin the great and the weighty things of the Law are neglected therefore my aim is to call you off Ne diversitas praeceptorum rectum iter impediat Lactan. Lactan. The way to eternal life is not in curious disputations but in a holy walking in absoluto facili stat aeternitas Hilar. as Hilary saith therefore let us all pitch upon that in which all concur and which all must grant that it is holiness only that is the way to happiness and that without holiness no man shall ever see the Lord. Here are two things to be opened First what this holiness is which the Text speaks of without which no man shall see the Lord. Secondly what it is to see the Lord and what this vision of God is that 's here spoken of First what holiness is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without which c. holiness in the creature as well as truth is Conformitas cum Archetypo as there is a principle from which it is derived so there is a nature unto which it is conformed and in this conformity holiness doth consist There is a twofold holiness 1. There is a legal holiness which was a perfect conformity in heart and life unto the will and holiness of God manifested in his Law and this was the holiness that was in Adam in his innocency and is the holiness that is now to be seen in the holy Angels in glory an exact and perfect conformity unto the will of God as manifested to them or to be manifested for they were conformable unto the will of God in revelatis and inrevelandis This holiness as it was immediatly derived from God without a Mediator so it was perfect they knew the will of God perfectly and had in them a principle of perfect conformity thereunto but if this be the holiness here spoken of no man shall ever see the Lord for by one man sin entred into the world this holiness was lost in Adam Greg. Prosper p. 349. Omnes queal Adam perdidâ—t perdiderunt Totum genus humanum in radice stat There is therefore an Evangelical holiness which is not barely a conformity unto the will of God in his law but also unto the image of God in his Son as Mediator he is the principle from which our holiness is derived it is from his fulness and he is the pattern unto which it is to be conformed for Rom. 8.29 He hath predestinated us to be conformable unto the image of his Son so that the holiness now required is the Law written in the heart it s not a conformity to the Law immediatly but as the Law of the spirit of life is found in Jesus Christ and it s not derived from God immediatly for we can being faln receive nothing from him but by a Mediatour and it s not a perfect conformity in all things unto Christ sincerity is Gospel perfection a full conformity we expect and pray for and tend to that we may be like him but that we shall never attain till we shall see him as he is So that the holiness that 's here spoken of is a sincere conformity to the Image of God of the Law that is to be found in Jesus the Mediatour though it be here but in part and but begun and shall never be perfect till we see God yet this is the holiness that will bring us to that vision and without which no man shall see him Secondly What is it to see God Some expound this of Christ it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ is made of the Father Lord and Christ For the Learned do make the word to be of the same extent with Adonai in the Hebrew which they do generally interpret of Christ Par. Christi
of the world Now if men be under the hand of God in wrath and one judgement doth make way for another God will punish them seven times more surely they must be utterly destroyed at the last so it was with Rome one Judgement makes way for another and one vial doth prepare and fit the subject for another So that as unto the Saints one mercy doth but prepare the subject and open the door unto another so also to ungodly men one judgement makes way for another and their hearts are hardned unto their own destruction Fifthly it is the expectation of Christ and all the Saints and all their prayers have been poured out this way First it is the expectation of Christ he is sate down at the right hand of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expecting the rest which God hath promised him that all his enemies shall be made his footstool and Christs prayers shall be heard and his expectation shall not be frustrated nor made void and all the Saints have laid up prayers for it for Rev. 16.1 the vials come out of the Temple there is a double voice in this book a voice from the throne quod immediate a deo prosiciscitur and out of the Temple cum precibus sanctorum Impetratur Brightman Brightman Therefore all the degrees of wrath that Rome hath had upon her hath been from the prayers of the Saints and not by their Power and it hath been their expectation long ago that Rome should be utterly ruined Lactantius Horreo dicere dicam tamen quia futurum est Romanum nomen de terra amovebitur Now God that hath raised this expectation in the hearts of his people and drawn out this supplication he will not frustrate their expectations he will fulfill their petitions Doct. 2. All the Roman Power shall utterly fall they shall be destroyed with double destruction Jer. 17.18 and the sword shall be double upon them Ezek. 21.14 Babylon is fallen is fallen First the destruction of Babylon as from God it shall be pure wrath without mixture Rev. 14.10 they had a cup of fornication with which they made all Nations to drink Now God hath a cup of indignation also that which they must all drink and it is poured out without mixture if water be mixed with wine it breaks the force of the wine so that it doth not so soon bring a man to drunkenness as pure wine does this notes summum poenae severitatem judgement without mercy Here the judgements of God that he executes upon men have mercy mixed with them there is a mixture of light with all their darkness non dantur puraetenebrae but in Hell there shall be judgement without mercy and fury without compassion and truly the judgement that shall come upon Rome shall have a great resemblance of the Torments of Hell with it and therefore their judgement is very terrible Secondly it shall be an utter destruction which shall be the more Tormenting because it shall be in the height of their hopes Rev. 18.7 when she shall say I set as a Queen and am no widdâ—w and shall see no sorrow the thoughts of Babylon have been and still are high and are eminently confident of victories and successes and yet ver 8. her plagues come in one day as Sodoms with fire and brimstone Rev. 14.10 they shall be tormented with fire and brimstone God will as it were rain Hell out of Heaven upon them he hath fire and brimstone for this spiritual Sodom that they shall not know it till it comes upon them when they think themselves safe then shall judgement come and Babylon shall fall into the Sea like a mill-stone suddenly and irrecoverably Thirdly the judgement shall come upon all parties and upon all degrees and conditions of men that joyn with them all those that do partake of their sins shall have a share of the plagues there is a vial upon the earth that is upon the common people Secondly upon the Sea also there is a vial the jurisdiction of Rome Thirdly upon the rivers their ministers and Instruments that advance this authority all the ministerie of Rome that carry abroad this power over the world Fourthly upon the Sun all Princes and Magistrates and all powers so far as they hold of Rome Fifthly there will be a vial also upon Rome it self the throne of the Beast in the Lords time all this will be accomplished and the day hastens apace and there is no degree from the highest to the lowest that shall escape no place shall protect a man for the vial is poured out by the Lord and there is no escaping Fourthly there is an utter desolation described it shall become an habitationfor Devils which love to be in solitary and desolate places and it shall be a cage for every unclean and hateful bird as Sodom was it shall be a monument of wrath unto all the world Isa 13.19,20 Rev. 18.22,23 The voice of Harpers and Trumpeters shall be heard no more in thee c. and the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee c. Fifthly God will stir up the Instruments of vengeance to do their utmost to destroy them as he had before put it in the hearts of the 10. Kings to set her up so shal he also put it into their hearts to cast her down they shall make her desolate and naked and eat her flesh and burn her with fire Rev. 17.16 and Rev. 18.6 reward her as she rewarded you double upon her double and if the Lord put a principle of vengeance into the hearts of men and command them to do it surely the destruction may be exceeding fearful when the Lord does bid and command men to be cruel Lastly it shall make way for their eternal destruction For a man to undergo Temporal afflictions though they be grievous yet it were not so much so his soul might be saved in the day of the Lord but when death goes before and Hell follows after this is the greatest misery Now this is the condition of all that follow the Beast and receive his mark whose names are not written in the Book of the Lamb and therefore Rev. 19.20 the Beast was taken and the false Prophet and they were cast alive into a Lake that did burn with fire and brimstone Truly then it is terrible when judgements do make way for a mans everlasting destruction and eternal ruine Doct. 3. The destruction of Rome and every degree of it the Saints of God do look upon as matter of joy and triumph the righteous shall be glad when he sees the vengeance that shall come upon Rome and shall with a holy scorn say as they do upon the fall of litteral Babylon Isa 14. How art thou fallen from Heaven O Lucifer son of the morning Rev. 19.1 There is a voice of much people in Heaven Heaven that is put for the Church saying Amen Hallelujah because the Lord had judged the great whore c.
But what is there in their destruction that is such matter of joy to hear of the shedding of blood and the destruction of many thousands and those many of them poor souls very unfit to dye to see them in garments rouled in blood is this matter of joy a man would rather think you should rather sit down and sigh to the breaking of your loins There are many things in it matter of joy and triumph unto the Saints as first they rejoyce in the Judgements of God Rev. 19 2. True and righteous are thy judgements for thou hast judged the great whore they do taste a sweetness even in the judgements of God as Ezek. 3.1 it was in my belly as honey even that roll which contained nothing but bitter lamentations yet it was very sweet to him the Saints love to see Christ with his sword girt upon his thigh and cloathed with a vesture dipt in blood and treading the wine-press alone travelling in the greatness of his strength Isa 63.1,2 Secondly because God hath appeared for the Churches cause and hath owned their quarrel and hath avenged the blood of his servants at their hands Rev. 19.2 when God doth appear for them and doth not leave them unto the will of their enemies but doth awake as a Giant in the behalf of his people this hath alwaies occasioned songs and rejoycing in his people the Lord hath triumphed gloriously over the horse his rider Exo. 15. not that they do triumph meerly upon the account of their own safety but they triumph because God hath triumphed over his enemies else to see so many drowned in the mercyless grave who would not have pittyed them Thirdly of all the Churches enemies that ever were this is the cruelest enemy the fourth beast is worse then any of the former and in the fourth beast the little horn was more fierce then his fellows they have been alwaies drunk with blood and their endeavour was to weare out the Saints of the most High Fourthly it shall be the last enemy for as soon as they shall be destroyed the seventh Trumpet sounds and then shall the mystery of God be finished it hath been an enemy to the Church of longest continuance of any their oppressions have lain longest upon the Church of God and the longer a burthen doth lie and hath been complained of the greater mercy you would count it to have it taken off if to be 430. years in Egypt and 70. years in Babylon be a long time for the people of God to indure yet this is a bondage that lasts 1260. daies in the greatest tyranny and rage that can be they Tread down the Temple Rev. 11.1,2 Fifthly when this enemy shall be destroyed the cup of her fornication shall be removed by which the men of the earth but specially the Kings of the earth have been made drunken Rev. 18.11 Now there is no man shall be their merchants more they had Chap-men abundantly before but now there shall be a dealing in that trade no more the same God that did cast out Satan in the Pagan way of Idolatry will also cast out Satan in the Antichristian way of Idolatry but they shall not deceive the earth by such sorceries any more for there is by this means a cloud that hath filled the house and no man could enter into the Temple Rev. 15.8 there was no considerable number of menconverted there was such a darkness and a smoake upon the ordinances of God and all his dispensations but all shall be removed Sixthly Lastly from the glorious fruit and consequences that shall follow upon the destruction of Antichrist the people of God will have great cause to rejoyce and praise God I le name only these four First then the Kingdoms of the world shall become the Kingdom of the Lord and of his Christ Rev. 11.15 there shall be multitudes converted unto the Lord. Secondly it shall be the inlet of all the promises now Christ shall be called the word of God he was so before but now he is called so for the accomplishment of it as Exod. 3.6 by the name Jehovah God was not known unto them Thirdly then all persecutions shall cease Rev. 20. Satan shall be bound so that he shall not stir up the world to the persecution of the Saints as he had done in times past Fourthly New Jerusalm shall come down from God out of Heaven there shall be that glory of the Church that the Kingdom and dominion under the whole Heavens shall be given up to it and they shall possess it for ever and ever Dan. 7. the mountain of the Lords house shall be exalted on the top of the mountains there is a triumphant state of the Church that is yet to come in this life when all the glory of the world shall be brought unto the Church and people of God Vse Seeing God hath in a degree accomplished this in this late mercy do you rejoyce with Triumph and say great Babylon is fallen for they are some of the most blind and Jesuited Papists in the world and those that profess oâ—herwise yet they do enter upon the Popish interest and engage in the same quarrel with them and take heed you be not deceived with vain words we see how not only this but the neighbor Nations do declare against them that seek to promote that cause of tyrannie and oppression which you have hitherto fought against let not your discontents carry you to the quite contrary point of the compass and your zeal against sects and heresies make you to succor their prophaness and to enter upon their interest and thereby to destroy that which you have endeavoured to build and to pluck down with your own hands that which you have so much with your purses and prayers laboured to set up I le only speak briefly to these five particulars to quicken you in this duty of praising God First it is a command that God doth give to all his Saints to rejoyce at Babylons downfal Rev. 18.20 rejoyce over her thou heaven universa sanctorum multitudo all the Saints but specially the Prophets and the Apostles the saithful Preachers of the word of God let not them be last in their joy and praises that had the great hand and were first in praying for it it is your duty and it lies as a command upon you and if you make conscience of other commands do not for fancies dispence with this Secondly they be Romes merchants only that be sad at it let them say Rev. 18.10 Alas alas that great City Babylon that mighty City this doth not befit the Sons of Zion but the merchants of Babylon and truly let me tell you a man may receive the mark of the beast in his right hand and may strongly promote the Popish interest that doth never wearâ—t by profession in his forehead Thirdly if Babylon shall fall then come out of her my people saith your God when Rome doth fall now is the time
to preach that Doctrine there may be many of the Elect of God that may delitescere and be ensnared by Rome some way or other that do not wholly follow the Beast and receive his Image but how ever now God goes forth in Judgement come out of her let me exhort you in the name of the Lord do not cleave to Rome now you will surely partake in her plagues if you do joyn with her in her sins and if you take part with her now you come in at the worst time when it is falling when Popery is falling now ye that have been against it prayed against it fought against it and now by a wile to be brought into it to support it when it is falling now its Judgement is at hand it is the greatest vanity that can be Fourthly then a man were better with patience suffer with Sion and the Churches party a while rather then joyn with the Romish partie and be ruined with them in his end Rev. 14.12 here is the patience of the Saints ye shall suffer a while and be trodden down by them and you must stay for the full accomplishment of this promise for your deliverance but I will surely come and will recompence all your patience and therefore be nor discouraged and faint in your minds let not your hearts turn back unto Egypt and hanker after Rome and those remnants of Baal which God will surely destroy Fifthly how abundant should you be now in prayer for these two reasons First because the time draws neer now your prayers shall not be long unanswered Dan. 2.19 and ye shall be sure of a gracious answer Secondly the Lord doth let you see that he hath begun the work now follow him the Promises do begin to bring forth let us not be wanting to assist them in the birth if ever you would pray do it now when God is doing the mercy and you may expect a present return the Judgements of God upon his enemies and yours do invite your prayers Lastly beg of God for your Governors that they may never comply with Rome which hath brought so great miseries upon all Christian Princes and estates complying with Rome upon Politick respects thoug not upon Religious O let us abhorr it and desire God to keep their hearts from it for Rome shall perish Babylon shall fall and truly there is no partie be the what they will be and let his respect be what it will that do comply with them but they will fall with them for they are the people of Gods curse with whom God will never make peace and therefore neither should we Queen Elizabeths Motto was No peace with Spain So I say No peace with Rome and truly that is the way to have peace amongst your selves and to have your work carried on strongly when you do firmly stand with the Lamb upon mount Sion and be not shaken sometimes this way and sometimes that way savouring this way and then another as it serves our Politick ends God is with you whilest you be with him and if you be through for him he will be so for you if you be not the Lord will surely leave you to perish by that hand with whom you sinfully comply as the people of Israel did when they complyed with Assyria if they will go to King Jareb or go to Egypt for help they shall surely by the same hand perish and the Judgement came upon them from their helpers in the end Gospel Order A CHURCHES Beauty Preached when Mr. Strong was chosen Pastor Dec. 9. 1650. Col. 2.5 For though I be absent in the flesh yet am I with you in the spirit joying and beholding your order c. CAlvin upon this place saith that the Churches perfection doth stand in these two things in their faith and in their order and indeed all things that are necessary to its glory that it may be presented without spot to God are to be reduced to these heads It is your perfection that I earnestly desire 2 Cor. 13.9 Therefore I shall endeavour to instruct you in both these that you may be led on to perfection by it As for matters of faith it hath been the constant course of my ministerie amongst you Now I shall speak something to matters of order that so there may be no part of the councel of God that concerns your duty hid from you Now the order of a Church doth consist in three things and so I find the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in the Scripture First it is put for the holy and orderly walking of every particular member when they do all walk by rule 1 Thes 5.14 Warn them that are unruly disorderly 2 Thes 3.6 Withdraw from every brother that walks disorderly that is that doth not walk with a right foot towards the Gospel whose conversation is not holy as becomes the Gospel of Christ and so order belongs unto mens conversion Secondly it is put for the right administration of all the Ordinances of God according to the rules and Institutions of God Heb. 1.5,6 The order of Melchizedeck is nothing else but the Institutions or prescribed rules given unto Melchizedeck and the order of Aaron are the rules prescribed by God for the Priesthood of Aaron and so Bezaon Hebrews cap. 7.15 makes the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be all one and so we use it 1 Chron. 15.13 We sought him not after the due order that is according to the rule and to the institutions of God so that when all ordinances are administred according to the Lords Institution that is the order of the Church for then the order of God is observed Thirdly it notes the due subordination that is appointed by Christ to be observed in the Church for that also is order 1 Cor. 15.23 All shall arise but every man in his own order First Christ and then they that are Christs at his coming and so order is opposed to confusion when no man knows nor keeps his own place and station in the body When they that rule keep their place and they that are to be ruled keep their place and they do it with subjection to Christ as being concluded under the Power of an Institution that is properly order for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is military and taken from the order of an Armie Now there are three things that make an orderly army First that every souldier walks honestly and doth not oppress and run out of their rank Secondly that the Governors and Commanders do keep their places and do their duty in them Thirdly that all that is to be done be done according unto the rule of the Commanders and by their the Souldiers do nothing of themselves and by their own appointments and this is properly the order of an Armie when every one doth keep his own rank doth his own duty c. I should speak of the orderly administring of ordinances Secondly the
is for the good of the soul that is committed to the Officers of the Church Thirdly all their power is for spiritual ends all with relation to the soul First for preservation they do watch over them that they be not deceived with corrupt Doctrines lest being led away with the error of the wicked they should fall from their stedfastness and because VVolves will come in watch therefore take heed to your selves and to all the flock Act. 20.30 and also lest they be corrupted in their practises for a little leaven will leaven a whole lump therefore Church Officers are made watch-men to discover the danger that is coming upon them and to prevent it Secondly for their edification therefore S Paul saith The power was given for edification that he had authority in the Church it was that he might have the greater opportunity to edifie the Church of God and 1 Thes 5.12 They labour amongst you and admonish and instruct you all is for the edification of the body of Christ till we all come to the unity of the faith and to a perfect man Thirdly for their salvation all is done that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord 1 Cor. 5.5 and therefore the great care of all the Officers mentioned in Scripture hath been of the souls of men and to see their souls prosper and their graces thrive how ever it was with them in outward things if they were rich in faith and abounding in hope and full of good works though it went never so mean with them in outward things they were not afflicted with it and therefore Paul is mightily troubled when they are turned away from the Truths of the Gospel and when any of them do walk scandalously to the endangering of the souls of the rest of the body c. Fourthly Officers must give an account of souls that are committed unto them Here first every man must give an account to God for his own soul and his own waies for we must all appear before the Judgement seat of Christ to this end 2 Cor. 5.10 Secondly every man shall give an account of the souls of others so far as either they have been under his power or he hath had a hand or been instrumental in their destruction as the destruction of Israel will be charged upon Ieroboham who made Israel to sin and Lev. 19.17 Thou shalt not bear sin for him Ab alienis meis Austin Austin and it is a terrible thing to be Instrumental in any mans destruction Thirdly but Officers in a special manner that do take the charge of souls they shall give an account for them that is according to the terms of the Prophet Ezek. 3.17,18 If thou give him warning he shall dye in his sin the blood shall be upon his own head thou hast delivered thy own soul but if thou do not give him warning he doth perish but his blood shall be charged upon thee it shall be required at thy hands it is the guilt of blood that is the greatest guilt and of all bloods the blood of souls yet this is that which lyes upon you which Erasmus saith Erasmus are fulmina non verba it s a terrible thing to consider such a charge upon him with such a danger A man that considers what account he hath to give of his own sins he would not be willing to take upon him also the guilt of other mens sins and give account for them Fourthly all that are imployed by God there will come a time when they must come unto God and deliver up their charge for the talents that they have received I had five Talents here they are and are improved to five more the unprofitable servant must come also that hid his Talent in a Napkin and conscience shall give up its charge when it layes down its viatory office delivering the man up perfectly unto the grace of God and Christ the Kingdom which some as Chrysostom do understand of the Church of the Saints and that fitly and truly unto the Father I have kept them through thy name take them now to thy self that they may be with me where I am and so for a man to lie down in the dust with this account and to appear before God with this truth Of all the souls that thou hast given me this is my account that I have brought them unto thee safe here am I and the children thou hast given me Fifthly of all trusts in the world that of souls is the greatest First it is the great thing in the man and the man is lost when his soul is lost and therefore in one place it is said loose thy soul and in another loose thy self it is eternal destruction when the soul is lost it is more worth then a world it will not profit a man to gain the world if he loose his soul Secondly it is the great thing that Christ betrusts us with he doth prize it above all things else all other Talents that he gives us are but for the good of the soul and it was in love to the soul that Christ did and suffered all that he did for poor lost man it was meerly for the redemption of his soul the great thing that Christ hath an eye to is the soul the which he hath most glory and about which he hath laid out most grace Thirdly it is that which Satan doth most of all oppose and desire to destroy he is indeed Abadon he hates all man-kind but his chief aim is at the soul he is a murtherer but he will murther the soul if he can that is it which he doth charge all his volleys at he cares not for mens estates and for their honours it is their souls that is the great thing in his eye therefore there is nothing is in so much danger and there is no such trust committed unto a man as the souls of men it is a greater trust then to have the charge of all the Kingdoms of the world Sixthly surely then they had need know the souls well that are under their charge they had need of a very exact account of them and to keep an account of them that shall give this account before Christ at the last day and therefore all that are heedless in this office and that for low and poor ends undertake such a charge and are negligent and are wanting in that labour and diligence in it it doth plainly argue that men do judge the account of souls to be but a small thing and that which may be easily passed over and truly as he that hath no care of his own soul will never take care of an others so he that makes no matter of giving up an account to Christ of his own soul it is no wonder if it be a small thing to him if he had the burden of all other mens souls upon him also but he to whom the account of his own soul is dreadful he
qui odium impetum totius orbis sustinui Communion with God keeps up a mans Spirit in this magnanimity Lastly fellowship with God keeps up a mans soul in a holy self-sufficiency if it be in prison God is his enlargement a good man is satisfied from himself Solomon saith so as he may enjoy God truly he is able to stand upon the ruines of the world and say that he hath lost nothing August I remember it is Augustines expression of the Bishop of Nola. The City was taken and sacked by the Goths that he did reason with himself having lost all his estate should he vex himself for the loss of silver and gold domine ubi omnia mea tu scis Lord thou knowest where all my treasure is laid up there is a holy self-sufficiency in regard of a mans fellowship with God Now this noble disposition communion with God will alwaies keep alive and active in the soul Let this serve for the Explication of the point I shall borrow but a little time for application I shall not hold you long Vse I would make but one Use of it and no more To exhort every one to put on Davids resolutions in the times in which you live It is good for me to draw neer to God make it your business to keep close and constant to him truly I fear many a man in publike employments I beseech you lay it to your own hearts I say I fear many a man many a godly man in publike imployments his heart runs out so much upon the things without him that he hath cause to complain as the Spouse doth the Church doth they made me keeper of the Vine-yards but my own Vine I have not kept I am afraid many in publike employments do much remit their private duties My Beloved there is a cloud that hangs over all the Reformed Churches and we have cause to fear that the sword is already bathed in their blood that great a consumption is determined upon them all whether we consider our fulness of sin or our fearlesness of Judgement First fulness of sin for we have certainly after pruning brought forth grapes of Sodom and clusters of Gomorrah truly I know whatsoever we may suppose of our selves I know no terms that God offers to creatures but this if you will not be chastised of me I will punish you seven times more and seven times more till I have destroyed you in decretis sapientum nulla est Litura And if Gomer begins once to bear in Hos 1. you see the pedigree of judgement she will never leave bearing till she hath brought forth Loammi perfect destruction therefore if you look to the ful-ness of sin Secondly If you look to the fulness of judgement truly I may say though it be sad to say it Ephraim England is a silly Dove without a heart gray haris are here and there and she knows it not Consider I beseech you but the juncture of time into which God hath cast us The time of the Witnesses prophecying in Sackcloth and ashes draws neer to an end and they do think by and by to put of their Sack-cloth and so some render that expression when they are about to finish their testimony and they thought they should by and by have put off their sack-cloth and ashes and have put on the garments of praise and glory then comes the killing of the Witnesses This I desire you to consider the killing of the Witnesses shall be shortly before Romes ruine Rev. 11. When they rise the tenth part of the City falleth which is whole Rome that which now remaineth being but the tenth part of what it was antiently and therefore doth syncronize with Rev. 18. Babylon being cast in the Sea as a mil-stone We have great reason to expect this to be coming on and then who are they that shall escape that great tribulation such as never befell the Christian Churches forrunning their great delivery that shall stand with the Lord with Palmes in their hands as tokens of victory none but those that having gone through great tribulation have washed their garments white in the blood of the Lamb and that is immediately before the seventh Trumpet soundeth and certainly whosoever shall observe both the course of the History and the course of Gods dispensation of providence must needs conclude it is not yet come Now in this consideration how good is it for to take this counsel of the Prophet It is good for a people to draw neer to God But you will say to me how should we draw neer A few directions with a word of Exhortation and I conclude There are these five Rules that I earnestly desire the Lord may write in your hearts that you may know how the soul ought to draw neer to God First be much in the use of all Ordinances for in them you do draw neer Lev. 10.3,4 God will be sanctified in those that come neer unto him you do draw neer in Ordinances this is the Bed wherein Christ and his Spouse do solace themselves and enjoy the sweetest of pleasures and it is of flourishing Ordinances that the Holy-Ghost speaks when he saith in Cant. 1.16 But yet in all your Ordinances pray observe to take heed that you do mark the special presence or absence of God in them else you may have communion with a duty when God withdraws himself and know that Gods withdrawing of himself from an Ordinance is a great judgement when the glory of the Lord departeth for then our Ordinances will be Wells without water Brests without milk there is a vanity in Ordinances as well as in creatures if God leave them But as it is a great judgement so it is the fore-runner of Judgement Oh that the Lord would set on that place upon your hearts Ezek. 10.2 the Lord saith to the Angel Go take fire from off the Altar and scatter over this City take fire from off the Altar If the glory of the Lord depart from the Temple then the fire of the Altar that before would serve to expiate their sins will now burn the City and there is no fire burns so hotly as that which is taken from off the Altar Nay I desire you to take this with you That as you must use the Ordinances and observe the spiritual presence or absence of God in them See That your Ordinances be pure Ordinances or else they will do you no good See that they be without humane mixture and sophistication there is a great deal of vanity and pride in men for truly vain man would be wise though he be born like a wild Asses colt and men love to exercise their wisdom in nothing more then in the things of God and therefore for matter of Ordinances they will pick and chuse I desire you to consider and you will find this Rule The less of Gods Order you have the less of Gods presence and the less of Gods blessing That is the
is a woe for Ariel the City where David dwelt which Mr. Calvin renders the Altar of God because the Sacrifices and Ordinances of God were there but others and so in the Margent it is rendred the Lyon of God quia tanquam Leo Gentes alienas subjugasset None could stand before them There is a wo for them because they had in the greatness of their strength and power and victories forsaken the Lord and therefore the Lord saith he would bring distresses upon them that he had formerly been with and they had conquered by his power and presence and they that in their pride did speak loftily as if they had spoken from Heaven the Lord saith they should be brought down to the ground and their speech should be low as out of the dust Thirdly Former duties nor former mercies shall not serve men but if they do forsake the Lord they shall be forsaken of him first former duties will not secure men here is a gracious Prince that had laboured ten yeers in the Reformation of Religion and that with great success and had met with great opposition and yet with resolution gone through all yet the Lord tells them that for all this if after this they did forsake the Lord he would forsake them There was in the days of Josiah the most glorious Reformation of Religion that ever we read of in Iudah he was such a King as like unto him was none before him nor after him should arise the like the people entring into a solemn Covenant before God that they would be the Lords people and the Reformation went farther for it was the taking away of the High places also which other Reformers left standing and they kept the Passover unto the Lord such a one as had not been since the time of the Iudges and yet 2 King 23.26,27 notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his wrath Here is a sad and unexpected close of this famous story and that not onely for old sins but Zeph. 1. the Land continued in the same evils still and therefore the Lords controversie continued against them there were the remnants of Baal in the hearts of the people still and there were those that did swear by God by Malchom that did endeavor so to keep up a mixture in Religion and those that were Apostates and were turn'd back from the Lord and men that were setled upon their lees that did say the Lord will neither do good nor evil and for this cause will the Lord search Ierusalem with Candles c. 2 Former mercies will not secure you if you forsake the Lord. It s true that former mercies are of a great engagement unto us to keep close to God the cords of love lay upon men the strongest bonds but yet if they do not oblige us they are not binding unto God It s true that faith may make use of former mercies as an argument to a repenting and returning people as Num. 14.19 Pardon the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even until now but it is no prevailing Argument for a back-sliding people but the Lord wil say how long shall I bear this evil Congregation and therefore the word is gone out of his mouth and judgement shall the sooner and with the greater fury plead the cause of abused mercy in former deliverances Deut. 28.63 It shall come to pass that as the Lord hath rejoyced over you to do you good so also the Lord will rejoyce over you to destroy you and to bring you to naught the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie to rejoyce summo gaudio incredibili laetitia Answerable unto the joy and delight which the Lord seemâ—d to take in blessing a people and in building them up such will the delight be which he will seem to take in ruining that people and destroying them If you be not bound by the cords of his law let me tell you he himself will never look upon himself as bound by the cords of his law if they be no ingagement upon you they will be found none upon him in the end Psal 120.4 it is by some understood of the slanders of men but it is by others understood of the judgements of God there shall be mighty and sharp Arrows with coals of juniper that is such as burn with greatest fierceness and longest lasting and such as yield a sweet savor in the burning there is no destruction like unto that when God shall delight to destroy a people he shall laugh at their destruction and mock when their fear comes Fourthly The Lord delights to deal with sinners in a way of proportion and retaliation according to their dealing with him and there shall be the Image of the sin in the judgement that shall be executed upon them that the Lord will but deal with them so as they deal with him if they forsake him this shall be their judgement he will also forsake them If men be invited to the marriage feast of the Kings son and they make excuses they will not come their judgement is they that were â—idden shall not taste of my supper If the people of Israel will not at the command of God go up unto the land of Canaan to take possession they will not enter into Gods rest the Lord saith nay he doth swear in his wrath that they shall not enter and if in the days of their prosperity men will say to the Almighty depart from us in the same proportion will the Lord say unto them in the day of their judgement Depart from me I know you not In those things wherein the sons of men are and their lusts acted and more drawn forth in those the Lord doth delight that their judgement should be The people of Israel were formerly weary of the Prophets as we now are of Ordinances and they did say to them prophesie not and cause the holy one of Israel to cease from us therefore the Lord saith he will cause the Sun to go down upon the Prophets and he makes the day to be dark about them that there should be none that should understand or be able to tell them how long and when they desired Teachers according to their lust and did say Speak to us smooth things and prophesie deceit these rough-spirited men we cannot away with them The Lord saith if any man will prophesie of wine or strong drink he shall be a Prophet unto this people yea even in hell the sins of men shall be their torment and the Lord delights to make them so t is true sin ceases there as it is paenae demeritum for judgement passes onely on men for what is the flesh but not paenae damnatio for damnati blasphemant Deum in hoc peccant sed peccata pertinent ad damnationis poenam c. for what the Lord doth he doth in high displeasure and indignation
John 17. Sanctifie them by thy Truth c. Take away Truth and ye destroy Holiness at the root Let men pretend holiness whilest they will unclean opinions will ever be accompanied with unclean practises and therefore it is a vain thing for men to hope that a holy conversation can be maintained without truth which is the instrument which the Lord useth of mens sanctification Job 6.14 he forsakes God that forsakes the fear of the Lord. Secondly What is it for a people to be forsaken of God First when God withdraws the influence of his Spirit from the Ordinances that though the Ordinances continue yet the influences are gone it is the first step of the Lords removing from a people and this is properly the removing or departing of his glory from off the Temple though the Lord is everywhere present yet there was a gracious presence there Deus ubique est sed non eadem ubique praestat And therefore there is a darkness that fills the house when the glory of the Lord was departed its true that the Temple and the Sacrifices did continue but it was but barely an outside for the presence of God in glory and mercy was not among them and therefore when the Lord returns to a people in mercy the glory of the Lord doth in this manner return unto their Ordinances Ezek. 43.4 while he may be found seek the Lord the time of the Spirits working in the means is the day of salvation Heb. 6. unto that people there is a ground that drinks in the rain not only of Ordinances but of Influences and the Lord will say My Spirit shall not alwaies strive there is an oath that may go forth against a people and then they are undone for ever for the Lord is not as a man that he should repent and this is the greatest Judgement that can befall a person or a people in this life for if the Spirit of the Lord depart from them and evil Spirit from God in Judgement comes upon them a Spirit of giddiness a vertiginous Spirit which doth cause them to err in all the works of their hands there is by some a great talk of conversion that abundance have been lately converted it is true if turning unto a new opinion or being brought off from such a party be conversion there are abundance of such turnings in this Nation but such a general conversion that if we look into the conversation of men yea even of them that do profess Religion and the power of godliness and the good old way of holiness in the practise of it is even wholly forgotten amongst us Secondly he takes away the Ordinances also the presence of God is in them he is by these said to dwell amongst us now when God departs from a people he is said to take away the Ordinances which are the visible tokens of his presence Ier. 23.33 they say the burden of the Lord and they were weary of the Ordinances of God amongst them saies God this shall be your burden I will forsake you Nulla posthac erit Prophetia Calvin Calvin But what if it be so its that in a special manner that we desire but consider 2 Chron. 7.20 I will cast this house which I have sanctified for my name out of my sight and I will pluck you up by the roots out of my Land which I have given you when God once forsakes his Ordinances he will the Land too Thirdly the Lord doth forsake a people by taking away the former assistances that they have had and denying of them to his people therefore the promise is Isa 62.4 thou shalt be no more termed forsaken whilst they were under the power of the enemy and given up into the hands of their oppressors so long they were a people forsaken of the Lord Iosh 1.5 I will not leave thee nor forsake thee when God forsakes them they shall not have the wonted presence of God amongst them the Lord will neither bless their counsels nor go forth with their Armies but he will delight to make that people vile that all their enemies should take encouragement thereby and say God hath forsaken them persecute them and take them for there is none to deliver them as the presence of God is the great terror unto all that are round about he being a wall of sire about them and the glory in the middle of them so the greatest encouragement to the enemies is when they shall see that Gods people have not the wonted presence or assistance of God with them and they shall be a derision to all the Nations round about ha ha so would we have it Fourthly God doth forsake a people in respect of his returns of their prayers Psal 22.1,2 My God why hast thou forsaken me and why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring O my God I cry in the day time and thou hearest not and in the night season am not silent and this is the true greatness and the glory of a people Deut. 4.7 that they have God nigh them in all that they call upon him for and this hath been your glory in former times in the sight of your adversaries that you could say Tertullian Caelum tundimus misericordiam extorquemus And the prayers of the people of God have been the fire that hath gone out of the mouthes of the people of God that hath consumed your enemies on every side as Rev. 11 5. We did no sooner make our prayers but we might as it were with Stephen lift up our eyes to heaven and see Iesus standing at the right hand of God tanquam causae suae Judex vindex But if God forsake a people they may cry but the Lord will not hear them he will shut out their prayers in displeasure and will cover himself with a cloud that they shall not pass through when God takes away the spirit of prayer from his people there is not a greater Argument that I know that God doth intend to forsake them and to shut out their prayers Vse Having thus spoken of the Doctrinal proposition let us take the particular application to our selves If you forsake him he will also forsake you our own hearts cannot but testifie against us that there is a great forsaking of God in the middle of us look but upon the generality of the Nation and for all manner of prophaness we go beyond the worst of times and under a pretence of liberty every man doth that which is right in his own eyes and there is no master of restraint to put them to shame It may be the fault is immediately to be laid upon inferiour officers but ye know their neglects and yet you do not force your own Laws misera vis est valere ad nocendum it is woful liberty a liberty of sinning the horrible oppressions such as have not been heard of you have made an act against it and what
against thee thou hast none to make answer for thee for thy Covenant admits no advocate Lastly if any services be required thou hast none to help thee but thy own might no Christ to strengthen thee no Spirit to help thy infirmities Rom. 8.26 as it is with the people of God in the Covenant of grace Secondly none to bear thy sins or sufferings and so wrath must needs come upon thee immediately it comes upon the godly under the second Covenant and Christ the Mediator stepped between he bare the curse being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 but when the Lord shall come to pour out his wrath upon thee thou maiest rather hope to prevail with the Rocks and the Mountains then with Christ he will not appear for thee but thou must wrastle it out with the wrath of the great God for ever and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10.30,31 there must needs be Iudgement without mercy and fury without compassion when the Lord will stir up all his wrath and none step in to bear one drop of this storm for thee for thy Covenant admits no Mediator Thirdly it is a Covenant under which unto man fallen there is no hope of reparation First it promiseth no repentance after sinning it belonâ—s to the second Covenant that Christ shall give repentance unto Israel Acts 5.31 Secondly it promiseth no space to repent but Gen. 2.17 the day thou eatest thou shalt dye and so they had had not Christ stept in Rev. 2.21 space to repent is not from the first Covenant Thirdly if a man did repent this Covenant promiseth no acceptation upon repentance it saith indeed Gen. 4.7 if thou dost well thou shalt be accepted but it faith not if thou dost evil thou shalt upon after repentance be accepted therefore this is a mans miserable condition and this it must be by this Covenant for ever therefore the Devils are in a hopeless Condition because the Covenant under which they stand offers them no mercy after sinning and God hath not revealed unto them any other Covenant and the same is the condition of every man by this first Covenant only men have this priviledge that they have a second Covenant offered unto them upon which they may lay hold with hope of mercy therefore neglect not these glorious offers seek the Lord while he may be found close with the grace in the new Covenant know the day of thy visitation for if thou be found at the last day under Adams Covenant and untranslated thou must expect no other but to bear thy own sin and shame for ever Let this awaken you to seek first for a change of thy Covenant and then afterward for a change of thine Image many men labour to change their waies and to abstain from many sins but whilest thou art under this first Covenant thy Covenant promiseth no grace to perform duties thy Covenant promiseth no acceptance therefore the first thing that a soul should set upon is to seek to God to be translated out of that Covenant that bondage under which by nature he stands FLESH SILENCED BY Gods arising A Sermon Preached before the Lord Maior Aldermen and Commons of London on a Thanksgiving day at Christ-Church London July 26. 1651. ZACH. 2. ver ult Be silent O all flesh before the Lord for he is raised up out of his holy habitation IT is the great honour of the Saints that they are made the Temples of the Holy-Ghost and the Priests of the most high God that they may offer to him spiritual sacrifices acceptable to him through Iesus Christ The sacrifices of the Jews were of two sorts Some were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Propitiatory Sacrifices for the obtaining of pardon and peace and reconciliation after sins committed there were other sacrifices that were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peace-offerings a returning unto God of thanks and praises for blessings received When God did put into the hands of his people a cup of consolation for that is the Prophets expression in Ier. 16. then did they take the cup of salvation the cup of benediction and returned unto God again Psal 116.13 You have both these sacrifices in the spiritual sense of them under the Gospel and the Lord delights in each of them in their seasons Sometimes the Lord calls his people to mourning and it is dangerous to deceive the expectation of God Sometimes he calls them to rejoice Consider in Heb. 12.23 you are by the Gospel taken into Communion with Angels and your Communion with the Angels in a great measure doth consist in bearing a part with them in your praises it is the action of heaven and requires hearts in heaven to joyn with it therefore the hearts of the Saints are so described Rev. 19.1 I heard a voice of much people in Heaven saying Amen Hallelujah it is spoken of the Saints upon earth it is usually in that book styled the Church of God in heaven but how when they praise God they are a great multitude in Heaven The Countries that have most staple commodities in them for exchange you know they have the freest and the fullest traffique The most glorious intercourses between heaven and earth is in mercy and the most glorious return between earth and heaven is in grace praises and the returning of mercies into themselves ad locum unde exeunt gratiae revertantur Bernard saith Bernard it is a returning of mercy into the same fountain the same bosom of love from whence it flows it is indeed the habitation of God that next to heaven he delighteth to dwell in he inhabiteth the praises of Israel These considerations I desire to premse that you may a little observe of what weight and importance the services that you now go about are For the words that I have read to you that you may find out the meaning and scope of the Holy-Ghost in them it is necessary that we look into the story the context and the connexion of the verse which I shall briefly give you and I intreate you diligently to mark The Babylonian Monarchie having trodden down the City of God the holy City and laid wast the Temple and worship of God for seventy years that time being expired the Lord according to his promise delivers his prisoners out of the pit in which there was no water Deliverance was proclaimed by Cyrus the first King of Persia this liberty some of the Jews undervlaued and they still chose rather to abide in the Land of their captivity to them is the speech directed in the 6. ver of this Chapter Ho saith God come forth and stie from the Land of the North they might have had liberty but they embraced their former bondage those that did accept of deliverance and returned into their own Countrie they were no sooner returned but there rose a Samaritan faction their neighbours those that were neither Gentiles by profession nor Jews by religion
which he is called I shall now in the Apostles words give you a charge before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall â—udge quick and dead at his appearing and in his Kingdom that you do this without partiality without respect of persons making choice of such a one of such persons as may be fit and best suitable in your consciences unto those great ends that have been named to support and unite the building I but you will say What manner of persons must they be what manner of men must they be now that will be fit for this great work Truly I shall but make choice barely of that direction laid clearly down Exod. 18.21 the common rule for Magistrates which I shall briefly offer to your consideration and conclude They were to choose Governors under Moses because he could not bear the people alone now saith he chuse you able men fearing God men of truth hating covetousness mark ye First I say make choice of men fearing God have not respect to riches so much or to seniority so much where there is not piety Let that be the great thing you have in your eye For I beseech you consider they that have not given themselves unto God they will never govern for God they will never give up themselves to the publick good who have not in that great work of Regeneration denyed themselves they can never do it and therefore I say it is the greatest wrong you could do such a man to chuse him to an eminent place for what do you do You do but put into his hands a far greater occasion an opportunity of sinning Besides I beseech you consider if they have not the fear of of God in their hearts they will not have the presence of God in their Government I say if they have not the fear of God in their hearts they will not have the presence of God in their Government and surely they will never rule well that rule without God in stead of being a Corner to support the Common-wealth truly they will be a means to destroy it Therefore that is the first thing have respect unto godliness let them be men fearing God those that have first given themselves to God and then when they have given themselves to Gods service they will give themselves to yours but never else Secondly The second direction that is there given is they must be men of courage able men you read it it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Original it signifies strength either of body or mind they must be men of stout and resolute Spirits Magistrates meet many times with matters of great difficulty sometimes they be ill looked upon by them that are above them sometimes they are ill spoken of by them that are below them Now I say this will require a stoutness and resolution of spirit that a man shall not flatter the one nor he shall not strive to please the other but go on in his duty and not turn aside neither to the right nor to the left hand I told you Magistrates are called the Shields of the earth a Shield is a venterous weapon receiveth all the Darts and I say he had need be a stout-spirited man that must undertake such an employment he must be a man of courage that he may not for fear of them above him nor that he may please them below him he may not step by or beyond his duty He may dispise the murmurs of the multitude and he maâ— say Bene facere male audire regium est Seneca Seneca It is the property indeed of a noble Spirit for if you should chuse now a weak-hearted man one that is not able to encounter with difficulties but is afraid of the appearance of every danger when any opposition presents it self his heart faileth and he will be ready to turn with every wind you have seen woful experience thereof therefore I say the next thing as to be a man fearing God so in the next place let him be a man of courage a man of strength and resolution of Spirit In the third place let him be a man of truth chuse men of truth that is not only men that love the truthes of God and are valiant for the truth upon earth in that respect but men that love truth in judgement men that love to execute true judgement as the expression is My Beloved a false Judgement is a lye to Authority and therefore the greater transgression I say a wrong Judgement is a lye to Authority and therefore the greater transgression there is a great deal of Art not only in sinning but in concealing Micah 7.3 So they wrap it up sometimes the forgery of a witness sometimes the subtilty of a pleader there is a mist cast before the eye of the Magistrate and truly by this means many times wrong judgement proceedeth from him which now if he be not a man that loves truth he will never be diligent to search out the cause and therefore that is the third thing Chuse men of Truth And then in the last place Let them be men hating covetousness hating covetousness not only he must not be a covetous man but must be a man that hateth covetousness Certainly my Beloved that man that is greedy of gain will transgress for a morsel of bread the poorest circumstances will turn this man out of the way of Judgement a gift blindeth the eyes Deut. 16.19 truly the man cannot see with his own eyes he cannot see with the eyes of the Law nor he cannot pronounce the Sentence of the Law surely men will never take care for the publike profit so long as their eyes are set upon their own private gain it was an old observation of Salvian Salvian Dives potestas pauperem facit Rempublicam a rich Magistrate commonly makes a poor Common-wealth who make it their business to serve themselves upon it Therefore in an especial manner these are the directions I give you and I lay it upon your consciences in the name of the Lord that you make choice of such a one and that will serve for those high and glorious ends that hath been mentioned to us to support and to unite the building by this means my Beloved the Lord shall be with them and with you in their Government and by this means your City shall be called a City of righteousness a faithful City And so much now shall serve for the opening to you this first branch of the Text how to support and unite Let us look up to God for a blessing Perfect CLEANSING 2 COR. 7.1 Having therefore these Promises dearly Beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthyness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God THE Apostle having in the former Chapter exhorted the believing Corinthians to abstain from all Communion and fellowship with Idolaters and having pressed the Exhortation with divers Arguments he comes at last to mention those
when this Treasure is brought in so that the time in which men fill up the measures of sin and the treasure of wrath this is that which I call an appointed time of sinning Now as some men and some Nations measures and treasures are greater then others so God gives them an appointed time to fill it up and being considered in it self the greatest Iudgement that can befall a man is for the Lord to give unto a man or a Nation a long time of sinning as the time that man hath to sin is but small only during the time of the body for he shall only give an account of the things done in the body not those that are done in statu separato 2 Cor. 5.10 and to a man in the body there is an appointed time under heaven Iob. 7.1 a short time appointed for his being and therefore a short time for his sinning But the Devil hath a large time from the beginning of the world unto the end of it to the day of Iudgement which argues that there is much wrath reserved and prepared for him that must have so long time to enlarge the vessel and fit it to receive it for as gray hairs are a Crown if they be found in the way of righteousness Pro. 16.31 that is it is a special mercy to live long to add to a mans Crown so it is a special curse for a man to go on in evil and yet his daies to be prolonged Eccl. 8.12 Secondly a time of patience when the Lord holds his peace and reproves not Psal 50.21 indeed God is angry with the wicked every morning Psal 7.11 there is not a day that he riseth but a cloud of Gods displeasure riseth over him but yet he deferrs his Iudgement holds his hand there is a time when he is prest under their abominations as a Cart is prest under sheavs Amos 2.13 for to have men go on to sin against him and because Iudgement is not executed speedily therefore to have their hearts fully set in them to do evil and the patience of God to be made the ground and the encouragement of sinning cannot be but a great and a heavy burthen to the patience of God and yet there is a time when the Lord bears and doth not by and by ease himself of his adversaries as he saith in Iudgement he doth Isa 1.24 and it is an ease to him Ier. 32.31 the City of Ierusalem the Lord saith had been a provocation to him from the day that it was built which was many hundred years and yet the Lord had born it and had not removed it out of his sight according as he threatned for to do for there is a season for God to glorifie all his attributes he will make them all exceeding glorious in their time now after this life there shall be time to glorifie Iustice Mercy and Truth but the patience of God can have no place in heaven nothing that shall burthen Gods patience and in hell he will shew forth no patience nothing but wrath to the vessels of wrath it is the breath the fury of the Lord that is a River of Brimstone burning in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa 30. ult therefore there must be a time for the Lord to glorifie his patience and a time for Christ to rule in the midst of his enemies and a time for him to rule over them when they shall be made his foot-stool there must be a time for the decree to conceive and to bear before it bring forth Zeph. 2.1 The truth is we consider not what a precious time even the time of patience is to have a poor soul that expects to be executed at last but to have two or three years added to his life by way of a reprival how great a favour doth he esteem it So for a man or a people to have deserved death for the Lord to cut ten or twenty years out of eternity but to respit the Iudgement and give a man but so much time of ease it is a special and extraordinary favour It is not time of slackness but time of patience 2 Pet. 3.9 Thirdly there is a time of repentance when God doth defer and respit the Iudgement after sinning of purpose that man may return and come in Rev. 2.21 I gave her space to repent and she repented not the words are Emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he gave it and the principal and proper intent that God had in it was this that they might have time to repent come in and make their peace in a time wherein the Lord calls men to repentance by the ministery of the word stretching out his hands all the day long Ier. 32.33 when the Lord calls to weeping mourning baldness and sack-cloath Isa 22.7 a time when the Lord strives inwardly with the spirit of a man to bring him to a sight of sins and sorrow for them a time when if men seek him he will be found Isa 55.6 and when though the Lord do threaten never so severely it is but with condition of repentance and if then they will come forth and take hold of his strength and make peace with him they shall make peace according to his promise Isa 27 5. when though there be a cloud of blood hang over a people and grievously threaten danger but yet it is but conditional and if they return and repent they shall make their peace and God will be again reconciled and the judgement shall not come as we see in Nineveh for that only I call time of repentance when there is hope of mercy else repentance will not profit for it comes too late Fourthly the time of patience and repentance have their periods indeed these times are not of the same length to all to some God shew◠but a little patience and to others a great deal riches of patience and forbearance that though they do evil a hundred times yet their daies are prolonged so for repentance some have but a winters and others a summers day but when these are longest yet there is a time when they will expire and time shall be no more they have their fixed and set bounds that they cannot pass First time of repentance for though the spirit may strive and strive long yet he saith he shall not alwaies strive Gen. 6.3 and though if in the day of repentance men do come in he will turn from his fierce wrath Isa 55.6 Yet if this time be past there is a time when the Lord will not be found Ierusalem had the day of her visitation wherein she might have known the things belonging to her peace but a great while before the Iudgement came they were hid from her eyes Luke 19.42 Secondly it is true the time of patience may last longer then the time of repentance for God may with-hold his hand even when Judgement is determined against a people but yet the time of patience will not alwaies last the longest day