Husband 2. There shall be an happy meeting in the air in the morning of that day between Christ and his thus adorned Spouse where they shall meet him as in the quality of a great judge so as their Friend their Husband their Saviour coming to finish and compleat their Salvation and take them home to himself they shall meet him who is the beloved of their Souls whom they have longed for whom they have often prayed to make hast and whose appearance they have loved And the state in which he shall come will add to their glorious manifestation all that pompous attendance of Angels those ten thousand times ten thousands and thousands of thousands of ministring Spirits waiting upon Christs coming to fetch home his Spouse shall reflect upon them to shew how blessed they are see 1 Pet. 4. 16 17. and that glorious coming of Christ Dan. 7. 9 10. 3. When the great judgement is set these shall be placed on the right hand of Christ Mat. 25. 23. He shall set the sheep on his right hand which is spoken after the manner of Men intimating the honour and dignity which shall be conferred upon them and this shall be most conspicuous Rev. 1. 7. Every eye shall see him and if him then them that are so placed they shall then appear to be his Favourites and Friends to be such in whom he takes delight to make them honourable and happy 4. In the process of the great judgement they shall be openly cleared and acquitted from all those false imputations of Hypocrisie and iniquities which here were cast upon them their sincerity shall be made manifest and now it shal be known that they were not such fools as the World judged them to have been that they were not the troublers of Israel as they were censured to be it shall by this appear that they had a God whom their Enemies thought to have had none they shal stand in the judgement and no accusation shall prevail against them nor any be to condemn them Rom 8. 33. 5. There shall be an happy Sentence past upon them adjudging of them to a Kingdome and Crown and Glory Mat. 25. 34. Come ye blessed inherit the Kingdome and when this comâ—s to pass it shal make amends for all their sufferings and sorâ—ows which here they underwent for Christ when he shal declare them blessed and bid them to come with him and be where he is in his Kingdome that prepared Kingdom that Kingdom which is filled with all Glories and all the World shall hear this Sentence pronounced then shall they appear to be happy men whiles those standing on the Left hand are tremblingly waiting to hear a contrary doom 6. They shall have that honour conferred upon them to be assessors with Christ and to judge the World 1 Cor. 6. 2 3. Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the World after what manner this shall be is not for us to determine Christ is the great Judge their lives when they were upon Earth did condemn a sinful Generation Heb. 11. 7. and these may be alledged there and they shall certainly assent to and acquiess and rejoyce in the righteous Judgment which Christ shall pass upon his Enemies and shall in a royal equipage sit and attend as so many Judges until that great affair shall be finished 7. When the great work of the last Judgement is over they shall all return with Christ to Heaven when that great Court shall break up the Judge with his retinue shall go again to his own place where they shall appear happy indeed now shall the ungodly World see these Darlings of Christ and beloved of his Father to be carried away into everlasting joyes to be taken nearer to Christ than Angels themselves who shall no sooner be gone but they shall leave the other in endless Torments with Devils and damned Spirits where when they come home to their Kingdom and every child of God is placed upon his own Throne and the Man Christ himself having resigned up his Mediatorial Kingdom into the hands of his Father shall solace himself with theirs and them with his company for ever recreating and sporting themselves each in the other when Eternity shal be filled with fresh joyes and delights new and ravishing continually when they shal ever be with the Lord and there shal be no tediousness in those perfect pleasures but the Soul shall be alwayes satisfied in them now shall it appear what it is to be a Son of God But what are those happy entertainments of that place none but one that hath been in the third Heaven can know and did he know he could not utter or if he could utter we could not conceive noâ— credit but such things there shall be and then they shall be known fully to them that enjoy them and to the wicked they shall appear sufficiently foâ— their conviction and confusion 3. Why this discovery is reserved till then Ans The timing of all divine dispensations depends on the Soveraign good pleasure of God but yet there seem to be â—ivers good reasons why this making of them to appear should be allotted to that time 1. It is the time when Christ himself is to appear and it is fit that the redeemed should wait for the discovery of their glory till he that redeemed them cometh in his besides their appearing depends upon his till the World be made to know that he is both Lord and Christ they cannot acknowledge that Believers in him are the Children of God and Heirs of Glory and if Christ be willing to tarry till then for his manifestation his People then have no reason to murmure or to think the time of their clearing long 2. There are many Elect who are chosen to be Sons that must be brought in and suffer many things for Christ in fulfilling their testimony and there will be till that time a gathering in of such and it is the holy pleasure of God that they that are gone before should wait that there may be a full and universal discovery made of them all at once Rev. 6. 9 10 11. if they should appear sooner the World would be afraid to do to them as is appointed 3. The Day of Judgement is the fittest time for this it is a day appointed for the setting of things to rights to clear up all false Judgements and Mistakes which there were here it is a Day wherein the presence of all the Creation shall be to look on Heaven and Hell being for the while emptied of all their Inhabitants to come to this meeting and general Assembly so that it will be the greatest Glory and most pompous appearance when a Child of God on such a day and in such a presence shall be openly owned and rewarded when he shall be set to view in all his glorious state and the proclamation shall be audibly heard from one end of Heaven to another saying Behold a Son of God and so shall
knowledge of God in Christ which is Eternai life Joh. 17. 3. There is a sealing of the spirit which confirmes everlasting happiness to us Eph. 4. 30. There is an earnest now given by which God confirmes the title of the Inheritance to the Souls of his People Eph. 1. 14. 2. That these effects are discernable and legible and that not only by special revelation but also in a rational way of arguing and inferring If this were not a truth then all such Scripture-precepts as put us upon this duty of self-examination in respect of our spiritual estate were in vain and meerly superâ—luous It is true the law puts us upon duties impossible to fallen man and this course God useth with us to make us know our need of Christ But the Gospel puts Believers upon nothing but what may be done Now this is made the Believers duty in divers Gospel-respects 2 Pet. 1. 10. 2 Cor. 13. 5. 1. Cor. 11. 28. Nay why should the Gospel propound Rules of tryal to us if there were no discovery to be made by the application of them Of what use is a Touch-stone to us if by applying of it we could not be able to make discovery what Mettle is genuine and what is deceitful 3. That every Child of God is furnished fâ—â— this discovery He hath an habitual power in him and sufficient help afforded unto him for the discerning these effects For 1. The effects themselves are manifestly distinguishable from the common Graces of Moral Men and the counterfeit graces of hypocrites though they may have some resemblance yet there are differencing notes 1 Joh. 3. 10. In this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil 2. Every Child of God hath a conscience whereby he is able to reflect upon himself to take a Survey of his own actions to see what is in him and to compare it by the rule and to judge of it accordingly Hence We shall find Paul making an appeal to the Testimony of his own Conscience 2 Cor. 1 12. 3. The Spirit of God dwels in the understanding and conscience of every Believer to illâ— minate it and to give it a judgement and diâ—cerning of spiritual things 1 Cor. 2. 10 14. anâ— this is a common priviledge of all Believers theâ— have all of them the indwelling spirit to helâ— them in their work 4. The Spirit of Adoption is also a witneâ— in a Child of God to confirm and ratifie thâ— the testimony which his Conscience gives iâ—â—â—ncerning the premises whence there are twâ—â—â—bstantial witnesses to the same truth Hence He is said to bear witness with our spirits Rom. 8 16. 4. By the discovery of these present effects hâ— is infallibly assured that he shall inherit Glorâ— hereafter A state of Grace and of Glory havâ— but their gradual differences Grace is Glory begun Glory is Grace finished or perfected Grace is the seed whereof glory is the genuinâ— Fruit Grace if it dy not will bring forth glory undoubtedly but it cannot dy being an immortal seed and abiding True grace is a spring that never ceaseth flowing till it reach eternaâ— Life Joh. 4. 14. Paul counts it a good argument and that the inferrence will hold that iâ— God hath begun he will also perfect the good work Phil. 1. 6. God cannot call back his grace for it is without repentance Rom. 11. 29. Heb. 13. 5. The Believer cannot renounce nor reject it for God will not suffer him to depart away from him Ezek. 36. 27. The Devil and all his instruments cannot rob him of it because they cannot pluck him out of Chist's hand Joh. 10. 29. And when we have â—aid all these things together Judge now whither this doth not amount to that which may truly and properly be called knowledge viz a Judgement of certainty about our everlasting felicity USE I. Here we see one Reason why many of the Children of God bear all the changes of the life with so much quietness and tranquillity it lyes here because they have grounded expectations of future glory The Men of the World wonder at them yea scoff and flout and take them for mad Men to feed their fancyes and hopes with unseen things and therefore in their opinion the greatest uncerteintyes Truly if the hopes of the Children of God were grounded in opinion and depended upon meer contingencyes I cannot see how their life should not be the most perplexed sorrowful and miserable of all men for if after they have left all for Christ it were yet a thing dubitable whether they should ever see and enjoy him in glory they have indeed nothing left them to lean the weight of their confidence upon But this is their felicity in the midst of all turns that still their main interest in eternity is secured And this indeed is the very thing which declares them to be the only happy Men All other Men live by meer opinion these only are the men of knowledge Other men know not certeinly what it is that they labour for nor what shall be the event of all their pains and cares but these men know that their labour is not in vain and that there will be a good end of all their troubles and pains As to the things of this life and with respect to subordinate ends the Children of God labour under equal uncerteintyes with other men Eccl. 9. begin All things fall out alike to all And vers 11. Time and chance happeneth to them all They are not sure to prosper in their Estates to enjoy health and long life and ease in this World But as to their last end and the concurrent tendency of all means to it here they have good security and this makes them patient in tribulation quiet under sorest afflictions Thus we find Paul argues himself into patience and chearfulness 2 Cor. 4. 17 18 5. 1. If Storms nay Hurrycanes arise in their Voyage yet they are not amazed for they know who is Pilot and where they shall certeinâ—y Arrive if they lose all they have in this World yea and life it self yet because they cannot lose glory they are not filled with consternation For though they cannot tell what that glory shal be yet they know that it shall be glory and such as God himself shal give that God who doth all things like himself and they are satisfied that this shall be enough to fill you with everlasting joyes USE II. We hence learn how vain are all the attempts of the enemyes of God's Children wherein they seek to make them miserabe or to discourage them in the service of God It is true if their felicity were grounded in contingency the Saints enemies might have some probable hopes to undermine and blow them up but those that fight against the truth shall not be able to prevail That Rock on which the happiness of the Sons of God is built lyes too deep for all the endeavours of their enemyes to undermine That truth that no
of this as of that but we may observe that is a frequent Hellenisme to put If for When and so the most of interpreters take it in this place and accordingly we may look upon the words as determining the very time wherein the Children of God shall be made visibly to appear what they are in the state and glory which God hath appointed them unto viz. The appearance of Jesus Christ Hence Doct. When Jesus Christ shall appear in his Glory then the Children of God shall also appear in theirs Though for the present they walk in a disguise and ly hid from the knowledge of the World yet when Christ shall come to make himself known in his Majesty then shall he also display and make known the happy estate of all those that have title to his Redemption Here we may Consider 1. What is this appearing of Christ of which the Apostle speaks 2. Wherein the Believers blessedness shall then be made to appear 3. What appearing of Christ John here intends Ans There hath been an old errour and of which Eâ—sebius makes Cerinthus that blasphemous Heretick the Author who lived in the time of the Apostle John and against whom he is supposed to have written his Gospel which is more accommodable to the Turkish Alchoran then the Christian confession of Faith which as the Jews of old interpreted all old Testament prophesies of the Messiah of a worldly Kingdom pomp and glory and a temporal deliverance from the yoak of the Roman Empire puts a carnal interpretation upon many passages in Scripture and then concludes of Christ's coming in the flesh into the lower world and setting up a Kingdom here below bearing date for a thousand years in which the Saints shal possess the Earth and with great outward pomp carnal pleasures and voluptuousness reign over and have command of the ungodly in which they shall enjoy all manner of sensual delights the very naming of which oppinion is sufficient confutation it smels so much of the flesh and savours so much of vanity And that it hath found so many abettors in these last ages is an argument that the world grows old and doting Mundus senescens patitur phantasias There is another apprehension which hath gained many learned and Godly Men for its Patrons who supposing many texts of Scripture to speak without trope or Allegory do thereon conclude it at least probable that before the Resurrection of the wicked and ungodly there shall be a first Resurrection of the Just wherein Jesus Christ coming to Judgement shal openly acquit and make to reign with him in this lower world all his Elect and Redeemed ones for the space of a thousand years after which shall follow the general Resurrection of his Enemyes and the final issuâ— and determination of all those great affairs when Christ shal return to Heaven and his Saints with him Whether it shal be thus or otherwise the day shal determine All which I dare say of it is that it hath no such evidence in the word of God as to make it a necessary point of Faith is attended with so many knots and intricacies as are hard if not impossible by us at present to be resolved and whatsoever there is that may be alledged for the supporting of it is capable of a fair solution according to the Scripture dialect and thereby reducable either to Christ's first coming in the flesh the state of the New Testament in general or the glorious state of the Triumphant Church in the Eternal Kingdom as divers learned and Orthodox have judiciously made to appear But to avoid controversies and take up with things agreed on There are two comings of Christ peculiarly celebrated in the Gospel his coming in a state of Humiliation and his coming in a state of glory to Judge the World Which latter is accordingly called his second coming Heb. 9. 28. He shall appear the second time As Christ was once seen here in great meanness and was despised so he shal be seen even by his Enemies in great glory and every knee shal bow to him He shal come in the glory of his Father and he shal come to Judge the world Act. 17. 31. 2 Tim. 4. 1. This is the appearing of which our Apostle here speaketh Christ was now gone to Heaven but he was to come again and when that shal be then also shal the Saints manifestation be Of this he speaks and with it he encourageth them to confidence Cap. 2. 28. Abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming In what year and day this appearance of Christ shal commence is not for us to know the Father hath kept times and seasons in his own hands but that it is not far off and will in a short time come to pass is certain They are the last times and a great part of them too is worn out and therefore it will not be long There are yet some prophesies unaccomplished which in Gods good time shal shortly be fulfilled and then that day cometh Then shal the Sons of God be seen and known they shal look then like themselves and be made to appear no more like servants but like Sons indeed 2. Wherein the Believers blessedness shal then be made to appear Ans They shal not only themselves know their own happiness nor only their fellow-glorified Saints and Angels be made acquainted with it but the World shal see and know it their enemies shal see it and be confounded at it Wicked men devils shal behold their glory so far as to know them to be most happy Mic. 7. 10. Then she that is mine enemy shall see it viz. When God brings her forth to the light as ver 9. which discovery will be made in these things 1. The Children of God the Lambs Wife shall in the morning of the Resurrection be drest up in glorious Splendor and prepared to meet with Jesus Christ her Spouse the Soul already made perfect in heavenly glory shall be reunited to its body which shall leave all imperfections in the Grave and be adorned with all such perfections as shal render it conspicuously glorious Paul gives us a very notable description of it 1 Cor 15. 42 43 44. It s spirituality immortality incorruptibility its power its glory shal then be resplendent they shal rise in the state of the Sons of God they shal not look any more like abjects be like dearly beloved Children being filled with perfect beauty comeliness splendor Mat. 13. 43. Then shall the Righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdome of the Father The dazling lustre of the Sun is but a dark shadow of the brightness of the bodies of the Saints in the Resurrection the Church shall then look like a Bride indeed when it is trimmed up in all its Ornaments of Soul and Body in a state of shining perfection Rev. 21. 2. Prepared as a Bride adorned for her
the greatest felicity But this discovers their mistake for if it be so that when we shal attain the highest pitch of created felicity our happiness will receive its denomination from hence VIZ. That we shal be like Christ then certainly the more any are like Christ in this World the more of true happiness they now possess It is true conformity to Christ in this evil World procures Men hatred and persecution and that makes Men who Judge according to outward appearance vote them miserable but still their inward unseen Glory which proceeds from their consimilitude to Jesus Christ is a preponderating blessedness and as it is it self a Man's good estate so also it derives those solid joyes to the Soul of him that is so that render it full of unspeakable Glory in the midst of the greatest outward oppression because whiles they are thus hated and persecuted for their conformity unto Jesus Christ The Spirit of God and of Glory rests upon them 1 Pet. 4. 14. Begun happiness is founded on holiness here and perfected holiness shal be found to be true happiness in the Kingdom USE II. For Exhortation to the Children of God Shal we be like unto Christ at his appearance and is this consideration so full of Satisfaction Then 1. Be we exhorted to labour in preparing for that Day that so we may then be like him There is a work to be done by the People of God in this life in order to their glorious likness to Christ in that other And our Apostle tells us what endeavours the hopes of it will excite in those that are possessed of them in the verse following my Text He that hath this hope purifieth himself as he is pure It is q. d. they that expect to be like Christ then will use means to be like him now Holiness is the way to happiness Heb. 12. 14. Christ first sanctifieth his Church before he glorifieth it Eph. 5. 26 26. And we must labour in this Work to get Sin mortified Paul having put his Colossions in mind of that Glory which they shal have at Christ's appearance takes argument from thence to press this duty Col. 3. 4 5. They that look for such a change hereafter are under strong tyes to an heavenly conversation here Phil. 3. 20 21. Our Conversation is in Heaven from whence we look for Christ c. And a like advice the Apostle Peter gives to them he writes unto 2 Pet. 3. 14. Seing ye look for â—such things be diligent that you may be found in him in Peace without spot and blemish We should therefore lament that we are so much unlike him now and pray to God for his Spirit to dwel powerfully in us and to lead us effectually in his way to purge our hearts from all impurity and fill them with holiness 2. Labour we to draw consolation and establishment to our Souls from the forethoughts of this great benefit there are many troubles and discouragements which the Children of God â—â—â—t with all here in this life and their hearts are often born down therewithal but if we did but truly ponder and well digest this consideration of that glorious condition which we shal be put into at that great Day it would lift up the hands that hang down and strengthen the feeble knees it would make us patient in tribulation quiet under all the affronts and disgraces that are put upon us willing to wait and in the mean while not weary of well doing could we but know in its dimensions what it is to be like Christ what an admirable felicity it must needs be to he assimilated to him in that Day it would set us down with Paul's perswasion Rom. 8. 18. That the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed in us Yea the very ghuesses and conjectâ—res which we may make of it affords matter of solid joy and triumph to the Children of God Pray therefore earnestly to God for this Divine illumination pray Pauls Prayer Eph. 3. 16. to 20. Oh! How glorious will Christ appear when he comes to Judge the World when he shal come in the Glory of his Father when he shal be attended with an innumerable company of Angels and in great Majesty sit down upon a Throne of Judgement when Holiness shal be to him for a Robe and Righteous for a Garment Then to be like Christ holy as â—e is holy adorned with his Robes Resplendenâ— with his Glory sitting down upon Thrones with him and with him Judging the World when he shal declare us Heirs of his Kingdome Children of his Father and make us sharers with him in the purchased Possession and it shal be known that he took possession of all that Glory not for himself alone but in the name of all those who had believed in him then it shal be known that it was not a vain thing to serve him and to suffer with and for him then shalâ— our happiness be full perfect eternal when we shal by plentiful experience know that to be like him is to be everlastingly blessed in the full fruition of the most glorious God to all eternity For we shall see him aâ— he â—s These words are an argument which the Apostle brings by way of evidence to make good his former assertion or prove that we shal be like him under which is contained another great truth concerning the happiness of the Children of God in another World As for the force of the Argument very briefly It may at first blush seem to argue weakly at least obscurly to prove our likness to him from our vision of him Devils and wicked Men shal see him as Rev. 1. 7. but they will not thence be more 〈◊〉 him I answer it is true these shal see a great deal of his Glory they shal see him coming as their Judge but they shal not see him aâ— their Saviour as the Saints shal Again they shal see him with great horror and fly from his presence as Adam did in the Garden and as they shal do Rev. 6. 20 21. Whereas the Children of God shal see him with great content and satisfaction Some thinks that John argues from the cause supposing that this Vision will be a transforming Vision changing us into the Image or likness of Christ perfectly others suppose him to argue from the part to the whole the Doctrine of the Beatifical vision being a received Doctrine in the Church as being the perfect felicity of the understanding Hence He argues for our whole perfection for if in one part oâ— faculty we shal be perfected by consequence all our whole man shal be rendred perfect for it is an whole blessedness that we shal have and that consists in perfect conformity to Christ But that which seems best to clear the argument is to look upon him as arguing from the effect or consequent Paul tells us that without Holiness no Man shal see God Heb. 12
the advantage to raign without any rebuke or check and men begin to grow impudent when there are none left to reform them nor any to avert the sore indignation of God from theâ— When Joshua and that good Generation that went with him into Canaan were dead theâ— aâ—ose a new Generation that knew not the Lord what followed but Apostasy and Calamity See Judg. 2. 8. c. And this will help to illustrate the second enquiry viz. 2. Why God then takes them away when he is about to bring evil upon a place Answ There may be two especial reasons assigned for this 1. God doth it with a gracious and favourable respect to themselves Since they could not by all their pious endeavours reclaim a degenerate People but misery must come God takes them away that their eyes might not see it This God promiseth as a special favour to Josiah 2. Chr. 34 28. Thou shall be gathered to thy Grave in Peace neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place Truly when ever a Godly man dyes he rests from his Labour but when he is taken away from the face of evil it is a particular blessing to him How could his tender and pitiful heart have born to look upon all those Calamities which his Country his Friends his Children and Relations must suffer To see all going to Rack before his eyes would be a lamentable sight God therefore in great love respect takes them home where they are removed out of the noise or tumult of all these things dwelling in the fulness of present Joy and Glory 2. God doth it also that he may have no Remora or Hinderence lying in the way to stop the course of his anger These were they who before held his hands we find that he could do nothing to Sodom till Lot was out of it And he is put to ask Moses to let him alone Exod. 32. 10. Godly Men are God's Jewels he cannot set fire to the Rubbish till they are secured they are his tender Ones to whom he hath a peculiar respect and they must be marked before the destroyâ—â— Angel executes his Commission they must 〈◊〉 many times housed in their Graves before he 〈◊〉 give full scope to his Indignation and these 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 supposed to be those Chambers in which God calls his People to hide themselves before such a Day Isa 26. 20. But when once they are gone now God can shut up his Bowels against a Rebellious Nation USE I. This truth may afford us help to unfold that Riddle of Divine Providence at the which many are ready to stumble viz. That Godly men are often suddenly and strangly taken away when wicked men are let alone and suffered to live It is the Wise Man's observation Ecâ—les 7. 16. There is a Just man that perisheth in his Righteousness and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his Life in wickedness Let none suppose that God therfore discountenanceth his Servants and approves of ungodly men no thâ— one is taken away in mercy to himself though in judgement to the World the other is spared to his greater misery either here or hereafter Godly men when ever they die are then certainly happy and at sometimes it is a peculiar priviledge for them to die that they may get away from the sight and report of these direful dispensations of divine displeasure that are coming upon a surviving Generation The Philosopher saith every thing hath two handles a right and a wrong and most men take Providence in some cases by the wrong handle they interpret many dispensations to be Judicial and so indeed they may be but their folly is that they interpret them so to be in respect of the persons suffering them when as it is indeed to themselves when Solomon had with some consternation viewed these things he recollects himself and draws this safe conclusion Eccles 8. 12. Surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God and so it shall but woe to the World when holy Men flock to their graves as Doves to their Windows before a Storm and they may when they are departing speak to surviving Mourners in the Language of our Saviour Christ to those weeping Women Luk. 23. 28 29 30. Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me but for your selves and for your Children c. USE II. This may serve to reprehend their folly who are weary of the company of righteous men they think that the World hath been troubled with them even long enough they look upon them as Enemies as busie bodies as men that are the troublers of Israel and no body can be quiet for them so wicked Ahab unjustly censured holy Elijah And hence They take it for certain that it would be much better for the place which they live in if they were well laid up in their Graves They wisâ— them in Heaven as the vulgar note of wicked men is What do these men do but in effect 〈◊〉 and impreeate upon themselves a mischief 〈◊〉 God grant them their desires upon this account 〈◊〉 would but carry the godly to the place of their 〈◊〉 and bring them home to the 〈◊〉 of their eternal rest But in the mean time when they are gone who shall plead and pray and mourn for a sinful People Will God hear wicked sinners Who shall stand in the Gap to keep out Judgement and Wrath Shall wicked and ungodly men Assure we our selves that so much of Godliness as goes away from a place so much of God goes away too and it may not be long ere the time comes when those that so earnestly longed for their removal and were inwardly satisfied and glad that they were taken away shall as much wish that they had them again when it will be too late USE III. For Tryal is it so sometimes then it may put us upon the enquiry whether there be not good ground for us to fear that it 〈◊〉 may be so with us at this day I might urge it more particularly to our selves of this Congregation from whom God hath of late years taken away many pious and precious Servants of his and wâ— that are left alive ought to lay it to hearâ—â— But I shall take liberty to urge it on a more publick account as it bears respect to this People in general and here give me leave to further this tryal by leaving such things as these to consideration 1. They are Apostatizing or declining times by reason of which there is dâ—uotless much of provocation offered to the holy Majâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 Heaven I need not to seek out witnesses 〈◊〉 this Habemus confitentes reos yea and 〈◊〉 himself hath also testified to it in his many awful and amazing providences It is a thing too manifest that the power of Godliness is now under great decayes and many sins begin to look abroad and dare to hold up their heads And from hence we may safely conclude that it is
unto God And that which will stand up for a full clearing of this truth against us witness the Records of the last Synod in which we shall find the full and free consent of the Elders and Messengers of these Churches acknowledging that the hand of God is out against this People awful in tokens of wrath and giving him the Glory by confessing that there are these and those sins not only fallen into through infirmity but so prevalent in the midst of us as to acquit not only a just but a merciful God too in all his severities against us And shall we not yet believe Or shall we say to Jeremiah the Lord sent thee not but Baruch stirreth thee up Shall we say we have such a Magistracy such a Ministry such Churches and therefore what need we to fear When did Micah say Zion shall be ploughed as a field Was it not in the dayes of good Hezekiah When did God say I will remove Judah out of my sight Or when did Zephaniah deliver his terrible prophesies but in the dayes of godly Josiah All I shall here add is thus much If God's faithful Messengers are to be believed when speaking from God himself if the Word of God be to be credited which they have delivered to us if the concurrence of so many divers of whom are now with God be of any weight if Providence may be thought to speak any thing and the Rod have a voice in it if to be self-Judged and Condemned be of any efficacy then there is an hand-writing of God given out against us and therefore let it be 2. For Exhortation Be we perswaded to make it our serious endeavour by an universal and through Repentance to seek a way to escape the after effects of God's displeasure Let us obey the voice of the Lord our God let us amend and God will repent I might urge many things strongly argumentative to press the great necessity of this Duty let it suffice to give some brief hints 1. Remember your Profession to the World How oft have you given it out that your design and main business here is to promote the service of Christ and maintain the interest of the Gospel Which is then only upheld when a People stick close to the Law and to the Testimony walking by the holy Rules of Scripture in conformity to the revealed will of God in his Word and can only be your Glory among the Nations and will be so if you thus do otherwise your very profession will be your shame 2. Remember your Covenants and solemn Engagements to be the Lords How you have called God to witness and bound your selves in an oath and a curse to serve God and him only How you have avouched him to be your Lord and Law-giver and renounced the guidance of your own wills and lusts And if you ly under breach of Covenant and can so content your selves and not return again to the Lord how can you escape from bringing your selves under the dreadful guilt of taking his name in vain To the vindication whereof his holiness stands firmly engaged 3. Forget not your own Confession How oft have ye made large and full declarations against your selves Such hath been the evident and notorious declination of the power of Godliness and manifest growth of iniquity that we have been constrained to confess it God hath extoâ—â—â—d it out of our moâ—ths And know this that sins confessed and not repented of will be an heavy indictment against a People professing themselves the servants of God when out of their mouths they shall be Judged and manâ— stripes shall be inflicted on such as knew the Lords will and did it not 4. Think how many Calls you have had to Repentance The mercies of God to our Fathers and continued to our selves by these God expostulates Jer. 2. 5. What iniquity did your Fathers find in me that ye are gone so far away And vers 31. Have I been a Wilderness to Israel a land of darkness The Judgements of God which have been upon the land these are Doctrinal Isa 26. 9. When thy Judgements are in the Earth the Inhabitants of the World shall learn Righteousness The Patience of God wherein he hath given you a space to repent this is not forgotten Rev. 2. 21. I gave her a space to Repent and she Repented not The continual cry of the Ministry by powerful convictions severe comminations gracious promises followed with earnest and unwearied entreaties God keeps a Register of these Jer. 25. 4 5. The Lord hath sent unto you all his Prophets rising up early and sending them They said turn again every one from his evil way c. 5. God hath thoughts of good for you if you will Repent He hath not forgotten the love of your Fathers who followed him into a Wilderness a Land that was not sown He hath a respect for the faithful in the land Though the Aâ— be up and ready to fall yet he sees a few clusters and will say spare it for there is a blessing in it And I cannot but be perswaded that God hath good things yet in reserve for New-England but he expects your reformation and that you acknowledge and turn from your sins And yet I am afraid there is more to do and some severe tryals to befal us in order to this For God will do for his People in wayes suitable to his own ends and such which shall recommend him to be a God glorious in Holiness 6. Know it there yet wants such a Repentance as God requires and that notwithstanding all that he hath said or done Though he hath convinced us counselled us warned threatned smitten renewed his Judgements with breach upon breach altered his course tryed us in one fire and after in another the old scent yet remains This may be the burden of the Song and make up the period of every plea yet have ye not returned to me saith the Lord. 7. Our persent condition and exigencies call for speedy Repentance It will be our wisdom and can alone be our safety Men are against us and that which is most awful to consider is God seems to be against us too Providences look to an eye of reason as if they were conspiring to bring a further day of trouble upon us On all the Glory whereon there was sometimes a defence there now appears to be a blast We are brought low in our outward affairs and low in spirirual things and some sudden and dolefâ—â— change looks as if it were at the door But if we may recover Gods gracious presence and re-engage his protection all shall be well Yet if not now done a few dayes may summe up and cancel our felicity and we be left to sigh out our Ichabod I shal not need to be prolix in the directive part of this use since divers that have gone before me have largely unfolded our particular estate and prescribed rules for our recovery Both informed us what