2.13 and 5.18 The wicked One Seducers are here so called from their subtile Impostures flattering Illusions and †Eph. 4.14 cunning craftinesse to deceive according to the Import of the word here used They have something of the * Gen. 3.1 Rev. 12.9 subtilty of the old Serpent whose seed and spawn they are The word signifies also a Delusion by means of Witchcraft or Incantation Seducers are a kinde of Sorcerers and Seduction is a kinde of spiritual Witchcraft and Inchantment O foolish Galatians sayes the Apostle †Gal. 3 1. who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth before whose Eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucifi'd among you These are they that draw men off from the Waies of Truth into the By-paths of Errour that lead to Destruction * ver 6. These are they which creep into houses and leade captive silly women laden with sinnes led away with diverse Lusts These are they which using a kinde of spiritual sorcery do with Simon Magus †Act. 8.9 10 11. bewitch the People who being taken with their Delusions are ready to cry out These men are the great Power of God Thus they carry as it were in one hand a flaming light and in the other an impoyson'd Cup and so the multitudes that follow them for the one hey cause to drink of the other which causing a spiritual drunkennesse carries them headlong to Eternal Destruction For * 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. Because they received not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved even for this cause doth God send them strong Delusion the Energie of Error †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believed not the Truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse These are the Foxes to which Satan hath ty'd his Fire-brands which if not speedily apprehended and suppressed will soon set all in a flame and cause a fearful combustion both in Church and State When these fiery Comets do appear they usually portend great changes in the Common-wealth and great Calamities to the Church of God These therefore we may well look upon as the Messengers of evil Tidings and the Marks of perillous Times Thus we have seen the persons decipher'd by their several Characters which make the Times perillous Now by a serious survey and a deliberate consideration hereof every soberly wise Christian may easily discerne when these Dayes are come which the Scripture hath foretold shall be perillous Times especially if the State of things also be but duly considered when such persons as these do abound From the Characters therefore of men and the Consideration of the state of things we may drawe the Scripture-Symptomes of Perillous Times and such are these that follow The SYMPTOMES of Perillous Times The first Symptome Prevalency of Impiety THey are Perillous Times Dayes of great Danger When those impieties do exceedingly abound which are high Provocations of Gods Anger This is a Conclusion which may be clearly drawn from all the forementioned Characters When those sins are daily multiply'd against God whereby God is provoked to execute his Judgements upon men When Sin and Wickednesse abounds amongst a people professing true Religion and Godlinesse Thus our Saviour speaking of the last Dayes wherein these Perillous Times should be tells us that then Iniquity should abound * Mat. 24.12 They were evil Dayes perillous Times with the People of Israel when their prevailing Impieties brought down prevailing Judgements When the Land is polluted with sin it 's time it should be purged with Judgement When the iniquity of the Amorites was full †Gen. 15.16 God cut them off and planted the Israelites in their land When the sins of Sodom were come to their height * Gen. 18.20 Fire and Brimstone was rained down upon them from heaven †Gen. 19.24 When the Jews had fill'd Jerusalem with their manifold sins and multiply'd Abominations God caused them to be carry'd away Captives to Babylon * See Jer. Chap. 5. to 16 When men draw iniquity with Cords of Vanity and sin as it were with a Cart-rope †Isa 5.18 they do but pluck down Judgements upon their own Heads crying-Crying-sins are wont to bring down cutting Judgements VVhen the Field is overgrowne with Thornes its time to set it on Fire Mens sins are but Fewel to the Fire of Gods Judgements The Seed of sin brings forth the Fruit of Death 'T is so in a Person 't is so in a Nation This Observation is very often verifi'd by sad Experience Even as I have seen saies Eliphaz in Job * Chap. 4. v. 8 9. They that plow iniquity and sowe wickednesse reap the same The thornes of tribulation grow up from the seeds of sin Though sin at the first bear a sweet Flower it at length grows up to a sharp Thorne VVhen a whole land is sow'n with wickednesse what can we expect the Harvest-Time to be but a Day of Destruction VVhen the Harvest of sinne is ripe God sends forth an Angel with a sharp Sickle to reap the Earth †Rev. 14.14 15. When the Lord of the whole earth hath fenc't a Land about for a Vine-yard to himself and gather'd out the stones thereof and planted it with the choicest Vine and built a Tower in the midst of it and also made a Wine-presse therein and yet notwithstanding all this cost and care when God expects it should bring forth Grapes it shall bring forth wilde Grapes * â—sa 5.2 what do you think will he do to this Vine-yard Let God himself tell you who is as True in his Threatnings as Just in his Iudgements Go to now saith the LORD †Isa 5.5 6 I will tell you what I will do to my Vine-yard I will take away the hedge thereof and it shall be eaten up and break down the wall thereof and it shall be troden down And I will lay it wast It shall not be pruned nor digged but there shall come up Briars and Thornes I will also command the clouds that they raine no raine upon it Thus will God suspend his mercies from an unthankful People and inflict his Iudgements upon a sinful Nation Yea further God will at length send his Angel with a sharp sickle to gather the Clusters of these wilde Grapes So shall they be cast into the great Wine-presse of the wrath of God So is his dealing with sinners Prophetically represented to us in the Holy Scriptures * Rev. 14 â—8 19. when they have filled the earth with the cursed Fruits of sinne And upon the execution of this sentence what follows And sayes the Scripture †Rev. 14.20 the Wine-presse was troden without the City and Blood came out of the Wine-presse even unto the Horse-bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred Furlongs Thus when a land is polluted with over-flowings of sin it may soon be punished
precedes the Day but it s usually darkest immediately before the Dawne Now for our interpretation of the last dayes in this latitude we have the general concurrence of the best Expositors who all conclude the same thing with one consent For to instance in some thus they speak upon this Text. Sub extremis Diebus comprehendit universum Christianae Ecclesiae statum †Calvin in loc Under the last days sayes the judicious Calvin the Apostle comprehends the whole state of the Christian Church Now the last Days Novissimi autem vel ultimi Dies numerandi sunt ab Adventu Christi ad Finem Mundi Nam Tempus illud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur respectu Initii Medii Initium ab Adamo ad Mosen numeratur Medium Temporis à Mose ad Christum Ultimum igitur esta Christo ad ejus Reditum * Aret in locum sayes Aretius are to be reckoned from the coming of Christ to the End of the World For that Time is called the last Time in respect of the Beginning and the Middle-time The Beginning is reckon'd from Adam to Moses The Middle-time from Moses to Christ And so the last Time is from Christ to his second Coming or his return to judgement Dicuntur autem Novissima Tempora Hebraico More non quae circa Mundi finem proximè erunt sed Posteriora quaeque suis Temporibus Novissima nominantur Quanquam tanto pejora futura sunt Tempora quanto fini hujus Mundi extremo Judicio fuerint proximiora †Pelicanus in locum But now sayes Pelican they are called the last Times after the manner of the Hebrews not only which are nearest to the End of the World but all the times succeeding their owne Age are stil'd the last times Although the times shall be so much the worse by how much the nearer they are to the last Judgement and the End of this World * Mat. 24.24 Luk. 21.12 And that the last Dayes must in this Text be necessarily understood in this Latitude may yet more clearly appear if we consider that they were already begun when the Apostle wrote this Prophecy and that they are still continu'd to this Age wherein we live That they were then already begun is manifest in that the Apostle describing the Persons by several Properties who by their ungodly Practises should make the Times so perillous concludes his Description with this Cautionary Premonition to Timothy †Verse 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From such turne away Or turn such away Authoritatively admonish reprove reject them hold no familiar Converse or Correspondency with them And that these times are to be intended to the following Ages and are continu'd to this present Age wherein we live is it not sufficiently manifest in that these very Times are an evident Commentary upon this Text and shew the Accomplishment of this Prophecy Thus we have seen when these Times shall be and how long these last dayes shall last even from the Apostles Time to the End of the World The Premonition NOw come we in the last Place to consider of what concernment this Prediction of perillous Times was to Timothy And the Apostles words upon his first entrance upon this Discourse do plainly declare that it concern'd him to know this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This know also It much concerns Christians especially Ministers of the Gospel to know what perillous Times shall come upon the Church of God and when they shall come All Christians are concern'd herein It 's profitable for them to know before hand what perillous times shall come that so they may not be unawares surprized by them but duly prepared for them For Praemoniti Premuniti Fore-warn'd Fore-arm'd And therefore it hath pleased the Lord for the manifestation of that special Care which he hath of his Church to reveal to his Servants by the Spirit of Prophecy in all Ages what evils his Saints should be exercised withal and what perillous Times they should passe thorough to their Rest and Glory It is he that brings Judgements upon his people for their sinnes and yet reveales his Purpose to his Prophets that they might call his People to Repentance for the Prevention of his Judgements As it is said * Am. 3.6 7. Shall a Trumpet be blown in the City and the People not be afraid Shall there be Evil in a City and the LORD hath not done it Surely the LORD God will do nothing but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the Prophets So we read when God had a purpose to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah those lustful and licentious Cities with †Gen. 19.24 Fire and Brimstome from heaven * Gen. 18.17 the LORD said shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I do No he presently reveal'd it to him and sent his holy Angels also to his servant †Gen. 19.12 -16. 2 Pet. 2 6-9 Lot to forewarne him of the near-approaching danger and to deliver him by leading him out of that wicked City destin'd to a dreadful Destruction from it's inevitable overthrow So God foretold the Israelites their * Jer. 25.9 and 34.21 Ezek. 12.11 c. Captivity in Babylon and Christ hath foretold Christians †Mat. 10.22 23. Joh. 15.20 Mark 10.30 2 Tim. 3.12 their Persecution in the World Praevisa minus laedunt Evils fore-seen do less afflict Though Afflictions are the appointed Portion of the Saints on Earth yet by the Fore-knowledge of these afflictions they may be the better prepar'd to bear them with Patience And therfore God hath never left his Church without a Prophetick Representation of her future condition So to the History of his Church in the Old Testament he hath adjoyned sundry Prophecies and to the Doctrine of Christ in the New Testament he hath annext a Revelation And if God have been pleased thus to reveale in his Word the evils that shall come upon his Church and Saints and the perillous Times through which they shall pass in the World they are doubtlesse much concern'd to take notice thereof How else shall they prepare themselves for the Lords Visitations or make a right Improvement of his holy Providences How else shall they provide * Mat. 25.4 Oyle in their Vessels that they may have their †Luke 12 35. Lamps burning when a Night of darknesse shall overcome them How else shall they make such due Provision for perillous Times that they may hold up their Heads in a Day of distresse Doubtlesse as the Saints may loose a Harvest of Mercy for want of improving a Day of Grace so may they fall into a Furnace of Affliction for want of fore-seeing a Day of Wrath. And therefore Christ justly taxes the Pharisees that they could * Mar. 16.3 discerne the Face of the Skie but not the Signes of the Times Yea the Lord brings in the Fowles of the Heaven to give in evidence against his own
with a Deluge of Blood The Times are ever perillous during the Reigne of sinne But for the further opening of this first Proposition I shall do these two things 1. Shew what those special sins are which are Signs of Perillous Times 2. Consider the cases wherein such sinnes have in a special manner this Symptomatical significancy The first Enquiry What special sins make perillous Times FOr the Discovery of this What sins they are that speak the Times to be Perillous I shall not presume to make a Particular enumeration of all those sinnes which are Symptomes of evil Times or signes of approaching Judgements This would be a task perhaps too difficult and occasion a Discourse too tedious But onely instance in some of those special sinnes which I find in the holy Scriptures have been the procuring causes of those Calamities which have made the Times Perillous to Gods people Several other sins which have plentifully poured out the same malignant influence upon the Places and people under their Regency and dominion we shall have occasion to speak of in the following Symptomes For the present then take we notice of these subsequent sins as sad Symptomes and Presages of Perillous Times viz. The first Sin Atheisme and Irreligion THe Times are evil and perillous When Atheisme and Irreligion abounds When there is no * Hos 4.1 knowledge nor †Rom. 3.18 feare of God to be found in multitudes of People especially where the Preaching of the Word and the Means of Grace are plentifully afforded it s a sad sign of some sore judgement If God will poure out his Fury upon the Heathens that know him not and the Families of those Heathen Kingdoms that call not upon his Name * Jer. 10.25 with Psal 79.6 how much more upon those that are called Christians and yet are grosly ignorant of God and live in the constant neglect of this great Duty of Prayer For the more are the Means that are vouchsaft to any People and the greater the Obligations are that are laid upon them to any Duty the more heinous is their sinne the higher is their Provocation if they neglect it and the greater shall the Judgements be the heavier the punishments wherewith the Lord will at length plague such a sinning People And therefore does the Lord Jesus pronounce such a terrible woe against Corazin and Bethsaida and threaten them with such a dreadful Destruction because they were not amended notwithstanding the Mighty works he had wrought amongst them †Mat. 11.20 21. But sayes he * v. 22 23 24 I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the Day of Judgement then for you And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto heaven shalt be brought down to Hell For if the Mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom it would have remained until this Day But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom in the Day of Judgement then for thee The greatest outward Priviledges will not exempt a sinning People from the sorest Judgements †1 Cor. 10 1-11 Nay the greater the Priviledges are we do enjoy the sorer shall our Punishments be if we improve them not if we abuse them Now how may we tremble with a just Fear of some fearful Judgement when we consider how much Darknesse there is in a Land of Light how Ignorance Atheisme and Ungodlinesse abounds amongst a People which may plentifully enjoy the Meanes of Grace How many thousands are there that know not Jesus Christ nor care to know him Yea how many thousand Families are there in a Land blest for above a thousand years with the Gospel that call not upon God! How many Millions of People may be seen every Lords Day in the streets of Cities in the Fields and Villages that make it their constant Practice to profane the Sabbath by Vanity and idlenesse besides those Children of Darknesse which are already in the Suburbs of Hell who are then at their Pots and Pipes in their Dens of Iniquity Now * Jer. 5.9 shall not the Lord visit for these things and be avenged on such a People as this When such a black cloud of Darknesse hath overspread the Land that men see not the Light of the Sunne at Noon-day how may we justly fear that the Thunder of Gods judgements will suddenly break out against us We read that when the King of Asyria brought in strangers into Samaria that feared not the LORD nor knew the manner of his worship the LORD sent Lions among them that destroy'd them †2 Kin. 17 24 25 26. Atheism and Irreligion in a Holy Nation a Nation call'd and consecrated to Gods Worship and Service is more provoking and sooner plucks down Judgement then in a Heathen Land Wilde Beasts may be secure and live long in a Large Forrest but they are soon taken and slain when once found in a Tilled Field This was part of the Charge which the Lord drew up against his people Israel before he cast them to be melted from their drosse in the Furnace of Babylon * Jer. 9.3 They proceed from evil to evil and they know not me saith the LORD And therefore saith he to his Prophet †Jer. 9.6 7 Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit through Deceit they refuse to know me saith the LORD Therefore thus saith the LORD of Hosts Behold I will melt them and try them For how shall I do for the Daughter of my People Ignorance is a damning sin◠a soul-destroying Evil It is a People of no understanding saith the Lord * Isa 27.11 therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them aad he that formed them will shew them no favour And againe †2 Thes 1 7 8 9. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his Mighty Angels in flaming fire to take vengeance as well on them that know not God as on them that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ And these also as well as the other shall be punisht with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his Power But now when ignorance is joyn'd with obstinacy as in those that refuse to know God or to learn the Mysteries of the Gospel it s a sinne more inexcusable and the punishment of it more intolerable Certainly if the knowledge and worship of God do open a gate for the bringing in of all manner of Blessings into a land Ignorance and Irreligion must needs open a wide doore to Destruction Before the first destruction of Rome by Brennus and his Gaules its observed by the Heathen Writers themselves that the People were grown altogether Carelesse and negligent in the matters of Religion The ancient Britans it 's the Observation of Bede a little before their Destruction by the Saxons were arriv'd at such a pitch of profanenesse as Odium
in Religionis Professores tanquam in Adversarios serre To hate the Professors of Religion as if they had been their profest Enemies When men are become not onely Strangers but Enemies to Religion its Time for God to depart from such a People and instead of the Gospel the Ensigne of Peace to send some grievous Plague as a Besome of destruction to sweep the Land of its Inhabitants The second Sin Murmuring against God THose are evil and Perillous Times wherein People murmure against God his Providences Judgements Ministers Mercies This was the sinne of Israel for which God slew them in the Wilderness * See Exo. 1-12 with Psal 78.17 -31 and 1 Cor. 10.10 For sayes the Scripture †Psal 106 25 26 27. They murmured in their Tents and hearkened not unto the Voice of the LORD Therefore he lifted up his hand against them to overthrow them in the Wildernesse To overthrow their seed also among the Nations and to scatter them in the Land Yea saies the Psalmist * Psal 78 17-21 they spake against God They said can God furnish a Table in the Wildernesse Behold he smote the Rock that the Waters gushed out and the streames overflow'd can he give bread also Can he provide flesh for his People Therefore the LORD heard this and was wroth so a Fire was kindled against Jacob and Anger also came up against Israel Because they believed not in God and trusted not in his salvation To murmure against present Providences notwithstanding former Experiences is a very provoking sinne Murmuring against the God of our Mercies because he does not answer our desires in the satisfaction of our lusts is grand Ingratitude and speaks a high Degree of Wickednesse Justly may the Lord throw down his heaviest Judgements upon the heads of such a provoking People Yea though men do not directly speak against God yet when they speak against his Messengers murmure against Ministers against their Maintenance they do in effect murmure against God himselfe He that repines at the Reception of Embassadors and the charge of their entertainment is guilty of a Crime of State which will cast such a reflection upon the King that sent them as will receive but an ill Resentment And therefore in this Case we may say with Moses of the Israelites * Exod. 16.7 8. What are we that ye murmure against us Surely the LORD heareth your Murmurings which you murmure against him For what are we your murmurings are not against us but against the LORD And do you thus requite the LORD for his great Mercy in giving you the Gospel O foolish people and unwise †Deut. 32 6. May not he justly punish you for so great a Provocation by depriving you of so rich a Mercy by taking away his Gospel So when men murmure at their great Plenty the sin of thousands in the Land do they not provoke the Lord to plague the Land with Famine when men murmure against God in Times of Peace and liberty how just is it with God to scourge them with bloody Wars and chastise them with a cruel Bondage When men are impatient under their losses and afflictions and murmure at those sufferings wherewith they are corrected for their sins but yet neither take notice of the sins which have caused those sufferings nor the Hand of God which chastises them with such Afflictions as the Dogge which flies at the stone but regards not the Hand that threw it how do they provoke God to load them with heavier Fetters and chastise them with smarter Rods more cutting calamities when murmuring grows up from a bitter root of Atheisme and brings forth the cursed Fruit of Rebellion it 's time for God to take the Axe of his Judgements and cut down such a provoking People Surely murmuring against God is the fore-runner of many miseries amongst men and so a sad presage of Perillous Times The third Sin Injustice Cruelty Oppression RIghteousnesse exalteth a Nation but sin is a reproach to any People †Prov. 14.34 And especially Injustice Cruelty Oppression sins which make the Times evill and Perillous This complicated Iniquity is in the Law of God Interpretative murder And therefore the LORD stops his Ears to the Prayers of his People and casts all their Sacrifices as dung in their Faces saying * Isa 1.11 15. To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices and solemnities They are a trouble to me I am weary to bear them And when you spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when you make many Prayers I will not hear Why so Your hands are full of Blood But how did they contract this guilt Surely by their Injustice Cruelty Oppression as appears by those Precepts which the Lord gives them in opposition to their present Practise †Isa 1.17 Learne to do well seek Judgement relieve the Oppressed judge the Fatherlesse plead for the Widow Now hence it appears that Persons guilty of these sins are in Gods Account Murderers men that are guilty of Innocent Blood which cries aloud to heaven for vengeance to be executed upon such bloody wretches covetous cruel and oppressing Tyrants And this is yet more clear from the following Complaint and Commination For thus the Prophet proceeds * Isa 1.21 -24. How is the faithful City become a Harlot It was full of judgement Righteousnesse lodged in it but now murderers Thy Silver is become Drosse thy Wine mixt with Water Thy Princes are Rebellious and Companions of Thieves Every one loveth gifts and followeth after rewards they judge not the Fatherlesse neither doth the Cause of the widow come unto them Therefore saith the Lord the LORD of Hosts the Mighty one of Israel Ah I will ease me of mine Adversaries and avenge me of mine Enemies For this Sinne the Lord threatned to lay wast his Vineyard †Isa 5.5 6 even to lay the Land of Israel and Judah open to Destruction For the Vine-yard of the LORD of Hosts is the House of Israel and the men of Judah his pleasant Plant and he looked for Judgement and behold Oppression for Righteousness but behold a cry * Isa 5.7 This made their solemne Fasts abominable to God Behold sayes the Lord †Isa 58.4 ye fast for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickednesse ye shall not fast as ye do this Day to make your voice to be heard on high These are the sins which obstruct the Lords saving Mercies and draw down his sorest Judgements upon a sinful Nation A large and lively Representation hereof which calls for our sad and serious thoughts in a timely Reflection upon our sins and sufferings in these distracted Times that we may wisely bethink our selves before it be too late of the most effectual means for the Prevention of the Lords sorer Judgements upon our Land we have set before us in the Prophecy of Isaiah * Chap. 51. v. 1-19 in these
Delicacies of Earth and Sea O the Pride of Epicurism The Glory of Gluttony But alas what is it but a shining but soon-vanishing Meteor exhaled from the Fumes of a pompous Feast brighten'd a little with the Beams of the Royal Favour which in the Revolution of a few years we may see with Astonishment in the Eclipse Even so it fell out here For not long after the King out of some Jealousies of State caused this Bacchanalian Bishop to be apprehended seized upon his whole Estate to the value of twenty thousand pounds and sent him over Priâ—oner to Callis in France where suffering a strict Imprisonment he lay languishing in Misery and Want †Victus jacuit in summa inopia Godw. Thus were the Plumes of his Pride pluckt off by the Power of his Prince and his excessive Prodigality was punisht by extreame Poverty by the Justice of God Punishment still follows at the Heeles of sin and yet sinners will be still following their sinful Pleasures until they are overtaken by their justly deserved Punishments How desperately wicked a wretch was that rich Citizens sonne presented to us in * Part. 2. p. 110 111 the Theatre of Gods Judgements who to please all his five senses at once allow'd to the delight of every several sense an Hundred Pounds For which purpose he provided a Roome richly hung and beautifi'd with the most curious Pictures to please his Eye There he had the rarest Musick to delight his Eare the richest Perfumes to ravish his Smell and the choicest Dainties to content his Tast and to gratifie his Feeling Sense he wanted not a beautiful Harlot for his wanton Embraces All this sensual Pleasure he drunk as it were at one draught while he thus feasted all his five senses in one day Neither was he herewith satisfi'd but three years did he spend in the pursuit of his sensual Pleasures and loose Delight wherein he wasted his Estate having in this short time spent no lesse then thirty thousand pounds And yet after all this he swore that if he had three times more then ever he had he would spend is all to live one weâ—k like a God as he accounted it though he was sure to be damn'd to Hell the next day after Desperate Profanenesse But to what Extremity of Torments will men at length be carry'd by such an unbridled Excesse Dives fared deliciously every day while he was here on Earth but he could not get one Drop of water to coole his flaming tongue in Hell †Luk. 16 19-26 Now this sin is one of the Cords by which a Nation plucks down Judgement upon it self The fiercest and cruellest Plagues are often let loose for the Punishment of the sinne of Luxury It was the Gate of Intemperance by which Death at first entred into the World with his whole Army consisting of many Millions of Miseries which are continually warring against miserable man-kinde Through Intemperance Adam lost his Paradise and cast his Posterity in an undone condition Fulnesse of Bread was one of the Sins of Sodom for which God destroy'd that wicked City with a dreadful destruction * Ezek. 16 49 And to this Day Fulnesse of Bread is the ordinary forerunner of Cleannesse of Teeth A Glutton is an extreamly pernicious Person He ruines himself and his Posterity and besides contributes much to the ruine and Destruction f the whole Nation For the Glutton entombes his Ancestors in his Bowels and devoures his Posterity as Saturn was said to do his Sons and by his provoking of God becomes a Plague to the present Generation Slanderers make a sword of their Tongue and Gluttons dig their Grave with their Teeth †Adag Gallic yea hereby also they dig a Pit for the Destruction of the whole Land And is not this among many others the Sin of these our Dayes surely some there are that with the Sea-Asse * Arist Hist Animal l. 9. c. 17. have their Hearts in their Bellies yea some that with the gormandizing Cretians †Tit. 1.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per Aphaeresin pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Poet. pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gulosi helluones Ventri ad Insaniam usque indulgentes Pas Phavorin Drus Praeterit in loc make their Belly their God to which they sacrifice the best part of their precious Time and Treasure These are they of whom the Apostle tells us weeping * Phil. 3.18 19 that they are the Enemies of the Crosse of Christ whole End is Destruction whose God is their Belly and whose glory is in their shame who minde earthly things How many are there that will needs live above their Ranck and spend above what their estates will bear till they have at once undone themselves and many others If they have but occasion of Feasting their Friends every thing must be set off with such a Princely Magnificence as if they were Lords of such an Ocean of wealth as knew neither Bounds nor Bottome Thus Nabal upon whose Name that Folly was engraven which was rooted in his Nature upon the Occasion of shearing his sheep †1 Sam. 25 36 held a Feast in his house like the Feast of a King wherein he himself was as drunk as a beggar Thus Luxury halted not in his House but went upon both its legges Gluttony and Drunkennesse But whoever they are that take this course will at length find that Riot is the Road to Ruine and that Poverty is the next neighbour to Prodigality It s therefore the Wisdome of such to hearken betimes to the Counsel of the Wise man * Prov. 23.19 20 21. Hear thou my Sonne and be Wise and guide thine heart in the way Be not amongst Wine-bibbers amongst Riotous Eaters of Flesh For the Drunkard and the Glutton shall come to Poverty and Drowsinesse the ordinary companion of Drunkenness shall cloath a man with ragges Dreadful are the Woes which the Lord in his Word hath pronounc't against Drunkards Woe unto them sayes the Lord by the Prophet †Isa 5.11 12. that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong Drink and continue until Night till Wine inflame them And the Harp and the Viol the Tabret and the Pipe and Wine are in their Feasts But they regard not the Work of the LORD neither consider the operation of his Hands And no wonder For * Hos 4.11 Whoredom and Wine and new Wine take away the heart Drunkennesse makes men so sottish and senselesse that they take no notice of Gods Dispensations till they are overtaken with his Judgem nts Thus it s said of Nabal after his Drunkennesse †1 Sam. 25 37 38. that his Heart died within him and he became as a stone And it came to passe about ten dayes after that the LORD smote Nabal that he died Again sayes the LORD * Isa â— 22 Woe unto them that are Mighty to drink Wine and men of strength to mingle strong Drink
written in this Book shall lie upon him and the LORD shall blot out his Name from under Heaven If then multitudes of People shall be thus obstinate in their evil wayes is it not enough to bring down the most dreadful judgements of God upon the whole Nation So the Prophet Hosea having reproved the People of Israel for their multipli'd Abominations does thus represent their Refractorinesse and prophecy their Ruine yet saith he †Hos 4.4 5 let no man strive or reprove another q. d. let not men contend with them any longer with the Words of Reproof for God himself is now coming to plead his Cause against them with the Sword of Justice For this People are as they that strive with the Priest Opposition of Ministers as it proceeds from obstinacy in sinne so does it prognosticate Destruction from God For Therefore shalt thou fall in the Day and the false Prophet also shall fall with thee in the Night and I will cut off 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * or destroy thy Mother the whole Kingdom succidâ—m or the body of the Nation And when Impudency is joyn'd with obstinacy it aggravates the sin and more strongly sollicits the Justice of God to the speedy execution of Judgement upon such sinners For this does the Lord complain of the People of Judah and threatens a confounding Judgement †Jer. 3.3 Thou hadst a Whores Fore-head thou refusedst to be ashamed * Jer. 22.21 22. I spake unto thee in thy Prosperity but thou said'st I will not hear this hath been thy manner from thy youth that thou obeyest not my Voice The Winde shall eat up all thy Pastours and thy Lovers shall go into Captivity Surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy Wickedness But this sin is yet capable of a higher aggravation when men are so farre from being asham'd of their sin that they glory in their shame and boast themselves in their Impieties as the Thief in his cunning craftinesse to deceive and the Drunkard in his †Isa 5.22 strength to poure in strong Drink and bear it without distemper and the impious Politician in the successfulnesse of his wicked Designes But we know that the Judgement of God is just against those that do such things and that their * Phil. 3.19 end is Destruction whose glory is in their shame The fourth Case Remisseness of Magistrates and Officers in Punishing Offendors VVHen there is little or no Care taken for the Punishment of such prevailing Impieties by those that are intrusted with Authority and Power for this Purpose they must needs be evil and perillous Times When the Magistrate who is by his Office †Rom. 13.4 the Minister of God a Revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil shall bear the Sword in vaine and not draw it out for the execution of Judgement in the Punishment of sin and vice When the sins of Israel were multipli'd how oft doth God complain of the Defect of Justice in the Execution of Judgement how oft is this mention'd in that one Charge which is drawn up by the Prophet Isaiah against them * Chap. 59. None saith he †v. 4. calleth for Justice * v. 8. and there is no judgement in their goings And again †v. 9. Judgement is farr from us neither doth justice overtake us to vindicate us from the violence of our Oppressors and deliver us from the injuries of the wicked as it follows * v. 11. We look for Judgement but there is none for salvation but it is far from us And again †v. 14. Judgement is turned away backward and Justice standeth afar off * v. 15. And the LORD saw it and it displeased him that there was no judgement So God himself takes his Sword of Justice and comes forth for the Execution of Judgement upon these unjust Judges and this perverse and wicked People †v. 17 18. So also the Prophet Jeremy declares that it was because there was not any man that did execute Judgement * Jer. 5.1 2 c. that the wrath of God was kindled against the wicked Jewes to their utter destruction Whereas on the other side when the Israelites had provoked God to Anger with their Inventions and the Plague brake in upon them insomuch as there died in one Day three and twenty thousand †Num. 25 9. with 1 Cor. 10.8 Phineas stood up and executed judgement in slaying Zimri and Cozbi in the very act of uncleannesse and so the Plague was stay'd And that was counted to him for Righteousnesse unto all Generations for evermore * Psal 106 29 30 31. with Num. 25 6-15 And therefore does the Lord by the Prophet call the Judges Magistrates of Judah to the Execution of Judgement upon evil Doers in the Land for the Prevention of their utter Ruine and Destruction which was now ready to come upon them for their abounding sins and unpunish't Provocations And sayes the LORD to the Prophet †Jer. 21.11 12. touching the House of the King of Judah say Heare ye the Word of the LORD O House of David Thus saith the LORD Execute Judgement in the morning which was the Time of the Convention of their judiciall Assemblies when also the People were wont to repaire for Justice to the Places of Judicature * Exod. 18.13 Do it also as the phrase may import †See Psal 101.8 Seasonably Speedily Constantly and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the Oppressor lest my Fury go out like Fire and burne that none can quench it because of the Evil of your Doings For * Jer. 21.14 I will punish you according to the Fruit of your Doings saith the LORD Certainly when all manner of sinne and wickednesse abounds and yet Law Justice and Judgement is not executed in a Land it s a sad Symptome of some sore approaching Judgement if not of the utter Destruction of that Nation So the Prophet Habbakkuk complaines †Hab. 1.4 the Law is slacked and Judgement doth never go forth whereupon follows a terrible commination of a dreadful Judgement whereof the cruel Chaldeans should be the bloody Executioners to whom the Kings and Princes of Judah should become miserable Captives * ver 5-10 Now when Iniquity thus abounds and Judgement is not executed in the punishment of those Persons that are found guilty of such Enormities this makes these sinnes to become National sinnes which provoke the Lord to scourge the whole Land with National judgements as the Plague Famine or War Surely When sin reignes without Restraint Judgement must be expected without Relief But the Case is yet worse and the Provocation higher when Magistrates and Rulers that ought not to be a terrour to good works but to the Evil †Rom. 13.3 do tolerate the Evil and become a Terror to the Good That Nation is sure ripe for
Corrections for sin are Instructions to Righteousness But now when men are Incorrigible under Gods Corrections these are but the Fore-runners of their utter Destruction For this doth the Lord complain of his People the Jews * Jer. 2.30 In vain have I smitten your Children they received no Correction And saith the Prophet †Jer. 5.3 Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive Correction They have made their faces harder then a Rock they have refused to return And Oh! how terrible are the Punishments of this Stubbornness in sin how dreadfull the Judgements ordained for this Incâ—rrigibleness under Correction The people saith the Prophet Isaiah * Isa 9 13-17 turneth not unto him that smiteth them neither do they seek the LORD of Hosts Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail branch and rush in one day The Ancient and Honourable he is the Head and the Prophet that teacheth lyes he is the Tail For the Leaders of this People cause them to err and they that are led of them are destroyed Therefore the LORD will have no joy in their young men neither shall have Mercy on their Fatherless and Widows for every one is an Hypocrite and an evil Doer and every mouth speaketh folly for all this his Anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still For this Stubbornness and Incorrigibleness notwithstanding Instruction by his Word and Correction by his Rod doth the LORD threaten one Judgement after another against his People Israel by the Hand of Moses If ye walk in my Statutes saith the Lord †Lev. 26.3 4. and keep my Commandments and do them then will I give you Rain in due Season and the Land shall yield her encrease and the Trees of the Field shall yield their Fruit. * v. 6. And I will give you Peace in the Land and ye shall lie down and none shall make you afraid c. †v. 11 12. And I will set my Tabernacle amongst you and my soul shall not abhor you And I will walk among you and will be your God and ye shall be my People * v. 14-29 But if ye will not hearken unto me and will not do all these Commandments and if ye shall despise my Statutes and if your soul abhor my Judgements so that ye will not do all my Commandments but that ye break my Covenant I also will do this unto you I will even appoint over you Terrour Consumption and the burning Ague that shall consumâ— the Eyes aad cause sorrow of Heart and ye shall sow your seed in vain for your enemies shall eat it And I will set my Face against you and ye shall be slain before your Enemies they that hate you shall reign over you and ye shall flee when none pursueth you And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me then I will punish you seven times more for your sins And I will break the Pride of your Power and I will make your Heaven as Iron and your Earth as Brass and your strength shall be spent in vain for your Land shall not yield her Encrease neither shall the Trees of the Land yield their Fruits And if ye walk contrary unto me and will not hearken unto me I will bring seven times more Plagues upon you according to your sins I will also send wild Beasts among you which shall rob you of your Children and destroy your Cattel and make you few in number and your High-wayes shall be desolate And if ye will not be reformed by these Things but will walk contrary unto me then will I also walk contrary unto you and will punish you yet seven times for your sins And I will bring a Sword upon you that shall avenge the Quarrel of my Covenant and when ye are gathered together within your Cities I will send the Pestilence among you and ye shall be delivered into the Hand of the Enemy And when I have broken the staff of your Bread ten women shall bake your Bread in one Oven and they shall deliver you your Bread again by weight and ye shall eat and not be satisfied And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me but walk contrary unto me then I will walk contrary to you also in fury and I even I will chastise you seven times for your sins And ye shall eat the Flesh of your Sons and the Flesh of your Daughters shall ye eat * v. 31 32. And I will make your Cities waste and bring your Sanctuaries unto Desolation and I will not smell the savour of your sweet Odours And I will bring the Land into Desolation and your Enemies which dwell therein shall be astonisht at it c. Thus Incorrigibleness under manifold Corrections will at length kindle implacable wrath and so procure inevitable Ruine When lesser Judgements have wrought no Reformation there 's just cause to fear God is preparing greater Judgements to lay that Land desolate When the Field that is often plow'd and sow'd brings forth nothing but Briars and Thorns we may expect shortly to see the Master of that Fiâ—ld set it on Fire Those proud Turrets that are neither shaken with the Wind nor soften'd with the Rain may soon be scatter'd with the Thunder Though they have long threatned Heaven one moment may throw them down to the Earth When men are not melted soften'd separated from their Dross by the Fire of Afflictions what may we expect but that the Lord should turn the whole Land into a Furnace of Judgement and heat it seven and yet seven times hotter till he hath utterly consumed them from off the Earth Surely Incorrigible Impiety shall at length be punisht with inexorable Fury The longer men have gone on in sin notwithstanding Instructions and Corrections the sooner shall they be overtaken with Judgement and the higher their Provocations the heavier their Punishment Thus we have seen what special sins make the Times perillous and in what cases these sins have in a speciall manner this evil Influence upon the times The second Symptome Formality in Religion THE Times are justly to be accounted perillous When the Generality of Professors take up in some outward Forms of Worship without pressing after the Life and Power of Godliness The Apostle in this Prediction of Perillous Times seems to wind up in the close of his Description of the Persons that should make the Times perillous all the Characters of them into this one they are men * 2 Tim. 3.3 Having a Form of Godliness but denying the power thereof And certainly there cannot be a surer Symptom of evil Times then Formality and Overliness in the matters of Religion and Worship of God amongst all sorts of Professors The Times must needs be evil and perillous when Religion is made but a matter of Faction and mens Zeal for Religion is estimated by their vehement
however otherwise acomplish't with Princely Virtues he made no account of keeping his Oaths but swore and unswore as might stand best with his Interest How justly may we expect that God will root out the Posterity of perjur'd persons from the Land however they may at present flourish in their worldly prosperity Though †Eccl. 11.2 all things at present come alike to all yea though he that sweareth and violateth his Oath be more successeful then he that feareth an Oath yet there is a day of account to come wherein God will bring every work into judgement * Eccl. 12.14 and then dreadful shall the estate be of forsworne Atheists Certainly a sword hangs over the Head of every perjur'd Person and all his worldly greatnesse shall not shield him from the danger as over the head of Damocles in the Palace of Dionysius a sword was hung by a haire which when he perceived he could take no Pleasure in all the sumptuous Preparations which the Tyrant had made to give him a momentany tast of his worldly greatnesse and felicity The Lord hath said that †Mal. 3.5 he will be a swift witnesse against the false swearers and though they say to God Depart from us the LORD hath said I will come near to you to judgement The perjur'd person shall not be able to keep that * Zech. 5.1 flying Roll out of his house which shall bring in with it that curse of God which shall consume his dwelling place For †Zech. 5.4 I will bring it forth saith the LORD of Hosts and it shall enter into the House of the Thief and into the House of him that sweareth falsly by my Name and it shall remaine in the midst of his House and shall consume it with the Timber thereof and the Stones thereof All the precious substance of perjur'd Persons shall be but as Stubble when the wrath of the Lord like Fire shall be kindled against them Personal sins shall have Personal punishments But when a sin is become common and National justly may we feare some National judgement How justly may God spread a thunder-cloud over a whole Land for the punishment of the sinne of falsehood and perjury in the violation of sacred Oaths and Covenants Shall not the LORD have a Controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land when there is no TRUTH nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land When by swearing and forswearing the Land is polluted may we not justy feare that the Land shall mourn and that every one that dwelleth therein shall languish * Hos 4.1 2 3. Will not the Lord hew that people in pieces by the sword and consume that City with the Plague that shall break the sacred band of a solemn Covenant Thus saith the LORD by Moses to his people Israel concerning this sin †Lev. 26.25 I will bring a SWORD upon you that shall avenge the QUARREL of my COVENANT and when ye are gather'd together within your Cities I will send the PESTILENCE among you and ye shall be deliver'd into the hand of the Enemy Thus Perjury and Covenant-breaking brings in War and Destruction upon a Land and so must needs be a Prognostick of perillous Times And more sad and fearful yet it is when this sin is twisted with the sin of Treason and Rebellion and committed under pretences of Religion The souldiers of Alexander called * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Argyraspides because by Alexanders gift they wore Silver Shields as Plutarch relates of them were grand TRAYTORS to their GENERAL to whom they had bound themselves by many solemne OATHS and PROTESTATIONS insomuch that Antigonus with whom they had treacherously comply'd against their Prince the sonne of Alexander and their General Eumenes whom they had deliver'd up bound into his hands so perfectly hated them for this their perfidiousnesse that he burnt one of their Colonels and slew the other and engaged the rest in such desperate services in forraigne Countreys that not one of them return'd alive home When men under the silver shields of Religious Pretences presume they shall be secure in the guilt of the detestable sinnes of Perjury Treason and Rebellion they shall be sure not to escape punishment by the Iron sword of Justice But now when such hateful vices as these lift up their heads and proudly outbraving all opposition usurp the Throne of the most Heroick Virtues we may safely conclude the dayes are come which the Apostle hath foretold us shall be perillous times For these are those very black brands and marks of Infamy wherewith the Apostle hath stigmatiz'd those sinners which how Saint-like soever they should appear in their Disguise of formal godlinesse should by their diffusive wickednesse make the dayes Evil the Times perillous For in those Daies he hath told us men shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †2 Tim. 3 1-4 Truce-breakers Traytors Rebells such as make no conscience of keeping their Covenants but violate the most solemn Obligations religiously ratifi'd such as betray the Persons or Interests of those that have reposed Trust in them and to whom they are oblig'd by solemne Oaths and Protestations of fidelity such as are disobedient to their Natural or Political Parents who rise up in Rebellion against their lawful Princes and Governours to whom they have sworne Alleagiance or at least made solemn Protestations of subjection and service with hazard of their Lives and Estates Such perfidious Persons make perillous Times A further and fuller Description of such men we have in the Prophet Hosea if we rightly understand the place for which purpose I shall produce the interpretations of some of the most solid pious and judicious Divines who may deservedly be reckoned amongst the best Expositors The words of the Prophet are these * Hos 10.2 3 4. Their Heart is divided now shall they be found faulty he shall break down their Altars he shall spoile their Images For now they shall say We have no KING because we feared not the LORD what then should a King do to us They have spoken words SWEARING FALSELY in making a COVENANT thus Judgement springeth up as Hemlock in the Furrows of the Field The Interpretation of this Scripture is given thus Their heart is divided Or as it is in the Margin he hath divided their heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. Having taken away the Spirit of Peace and concord from them he hath given them over to Divisions Factions and frequent Murthers of Princes which will cause the utter ruine of the Kingdome * Diodati For now they shall say We have no King Within a very short time God shall take away their King c. This taking away of a King is a remarkable Evidence of Gods Wrath †Lam. 4.20 and convincing the same even to a people obdurate in sin that would faine deny Gods hand to be in it * Engl. Annot. Or
is fearfully and continually provok'd to arme himself with vengeance and come forth to the Punishment of a rebellious People * See Isa 59 12-19 He hath lightening in his eyes and thunder in his hands if once he be provoked to anger he can in a moment burn up a sinful Nation in an instant break in pieces a rebellious People II. Men are perverted When the minds of men are perverted by the Doctrines of Deceivers all their paths are full of darknesse and danger For the Minde is the eye of the soul And the Light of the soul as of the Body is the eye if therefore thine eye be single sayes our Saviour thy whole body shall be full of Light But if thine eye be evil thy whole body shall be full of darknesse †Mat. 6.22 23 He whose eyes are blinde walks in darknesse at noon-day And when men walk in Darknesse they are continually exposed to Danger When damnable Doctrines are publickly preach'd and multitudes are baptiz'd into the Belief of them and so the souls of men are perverted and impoyson'd by them these must needs be Dayes of Danger perillous Times When the Power of Truth failes and the Plague of Errour and Heresie reignes When the Glory of true Christianity is eclipst and the Mystery of Iniquity is mightily working in the mindes of men such Times must needs be perillous and pernicious III. The Land is polluted Reigning sinnes prevailing abominations especially when patronized by those by whom they should be punished whereby they become National sinnes do exceedingly pollute a Land Now when the Land is polluted what can be expected but that God should depart from it and bring in a Deluge of Judgement or kindle a dreadful burning to purge it Is not this then a sad presage of perillous Times After the House of the Lord in Jerusalem was polluted by the Abominations of the people of Judah both the City and the Temple was destroy'd * 2 Chron. 36.14 15 c. When the Land of Canaan was polluted by the sinnes of the Canaanites God deliver'd both them and their Land into the hand of the Israelites and when it was polluted by the Israelites he deliver'd them up into the hand of the Canaanites as we read in the Book of the Judges †See also Psal 106 38-42 When the Land is polluted by its sinnes it 's just with God to * Lam. 2.2 pollute it by his Judgements And what then can we expect but perillous Times in a polluted Land The third Question Quest 3 WHat is the peril of these Times Answ The evils to be feared in these Times are such as these Answ 1 I. The judgement of God on the Land God may justly bring the Sword and Famine and Pestilence for the punishment of such a provoking People These three Arrows are ever ready in Gods Quiver to be discharg'd against his Enemies God may sweep that Land with the besome of Desolation wherein men under pretences of Gods glory seek their own interests and establishment He may punish spirituall Abominations with temporal Judgements Persecution with War the plague of Errours with the Pestilence the Contempt of the heavenly Manna of his holy Word with Famine and want of necessary food He may wash that Land with Blood that hath been defiled with Oppression and Murder He may sweep that house with the Pestilence that hath been defiled with Pride and Perjury He may scourge that people with Famine that have sin'd through Fulnesse of Bread He may break that land in pieces by the thunder of his Judgements that hath not taken warning by the lightening of his Threatnings in the preaching of his Word So for spiritual Judgements for the Abominations of his People the Lord may go far from his Sanctuary †Ezek. 8.6 When a Church hath left its first love God may come speedily and remove its Candlestick out of his Place * Rev. 2.4 5 When men shall abuse the servants of the Lord sent forth to gather the Fruits of his Vineyard he may justly destroy them and give the Vineyard unto others †Mark 12.9 When men are grown greedy of the gain of Oppression and weary of the Ordinances of God when Covetousnesse is become cruel in grinding the faces of the Poore * Isa 3.25 and Profanesse bold in slighting of Sabbaths and sacred Solemnities of Divine Worship God may justly cause that Land to tremble for the horrour of his Judgements and plague that peoples contempt of his Worship by a Famine of his Word And so hath the Lord threatned to punish these sinnes in his people Israel by his Prophet Amos saying †Amos 8 4-12 Heare this O ye that swallow up the needy even to make the Poor of the Land to faile saying When will the New Moon be gone that we may sell Corne and the Sabbath that we may set forth Wheat making the Ephah wherewith they measured their Grain small and the Shekel wherewith they weighed the money which they received for payment great and falsifying the Balances by deceit That we may buy the poore for silver and the needy for a paire of shooes yea and sell the refuse of the wheat The LORD hath sworne by the excellency of Jacob surely I will never forget any of their Works Shall not the Land tremble for this and every one mourn that dwelleth therein and it shall rise up wholly as a flood and it shall be cast out and drowned as by the flood of Egypt And it shall come to passe in that day saith the Lord GOD that I will cause the Sunne to go down at noon and I will darken the earth in the clear day And I will turn your Feasts into Mourning and all your Songs into Lamentation and I will bring up sackcloth upon all Loynes and baldnesse upon every Head and I will make it as the mourning of an onely sonne and the end thereof as a bitter Day Behold the dayes come saith the Lord GOD that I will send a FAMINE in the Land not a Famine of Bread nor a Thirst for Water but of hearing the Words of the LORD And they shall wander from Sea to Sea and from the North even to the East they shall runne to and fro to seek the Word of the LORD and shall not finde it When the Lord shall bring these judgements upon a Land or Nation professing the true Religion the Church may call her Children * 1 Sam. 4.21 ICHABOD for the Glory is departed Thus for the sinnes of Judah did the †Ezek. 9.3 and 10.4 18 19. Glory of the Lord an illustrious pledge of his gracious presence depart from Jerusalem and sad were the Calamities which ensued thereupon Thus the Times are perillous when the sinnes of men are grown to that height that we may justly expect the Judgements of God upon the Land II. Persecution of the Church When Clouds of Darknesse are spread over the City of God
What dreadful Dayes may we yet live to see if the Lord should deal with us according to our Deservings How soon may the Clouds of heaven which were wont to drop down Blessings on our heads be dissolv'd into showers of Blood Ah my Beloved have you not read in the holy Scriptures what dreadful Judgements the Lord hath executed upon Cities Nations Kingdomes his own People yea the whole World Know you not that God turn'd the whole Earth into a Sea and destroy'd all Flesh save the Family of Noah with a Flood How he pour'd a Flood of Fire and Brimstone upon the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and consum'd them with Flames and turn'd that pleasant plain that was as the Garden of God * Gen. 13.10 into a noisome Lake How that God was wroth with his own people the children of Israel whom he had chosen to himself out of all the kindreds of the earth and slew them in the VVildernesse so that onely Joshua and Caleb of all those that came out of Egypt entred into Canaan And how often after they were possest of the Land of Canaan he sold them into the hands of their enemies that opprest them in the Time of the Judges How in the dayes of Eli he deliver'd them into the hands of the Philistines who slew them with a great slaughter insomuch that in one battel there fell of Israel thirty thousand Foot-men †2 Sam. 4.10 How the Lord sent a Pestilence amongst them in the dayes of David which raged so exceedingly that in three dayes space there dy'd of the people seventy thousand men * 2 Sam. 24 15 How the Lord brought the King of Babylon into Jerusalem who burnt the Temple of the Lord the Palace of the Prince and the Houses of the Nobles with Fire brake down the Wall thereof and utterly destroy'd the City carry'd both Princes and People Captives into Babylon where they endur'd a hard Bondage for threescore and ten years †2 Hing 25. and 2 Chro. 36.14 ult Now know you not that all these things happened unto them for ensamples unto us and that they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come * 1 Cor. 10 6 11. Oh do but consider seriously with your selves what were the Causes of all these fearful Judgements which God who is the Father of Mercies brought upon the men of the world yea upon his own People Were they not the sinnes of the Times whereby men pluckt down upon their own heads these Plagues and Punishments Now pause a little and consider seriously Are not the same sinnes that drew down Judgements upon them to be found amongst us Is not the Pride Luxury Lasciviousness Licenciousness Atheism Impieties of the old World to be found amongst us Are there not †Gen. 6.4 Mighty men Giants in worldly Greatness who employ their might in fighting against God in these our Dayes Are not the sins of Sodom to be found amongst us Is not the City and Land polluted with the vilest Impurities and Pollutions Are not the Murmurings Cruelties Injustice Oppressions Falshoods Covenant-breakings Revoltings neglect of Gods Worship Contempt of his Ordinances Hypocrisies of Israel to be found amongst the people of England Have we not then cause to tremble in the Apprehension of the judgements which hang over our heads especially if we seriously consider that those sinnes which severally in them drew down such dreadful judgements are to be found jointly in us and that notwithstanding the Light of the Gospel and the Meanes of grace plentifully enjoyed by us which are most fearful Aggravations of this dreadful guilt Nay is not the guilt of many horrid Blasphemies and hellish Impieties which have not been heard of in former Ages to be found amongst us Does it not make your hearts to tremble to consider that so many crying sins so many provoking impieties so many bloody Abominations should abound and reigne amongst us when for any one of them so reigning so abounding the whole Land might be involv'd in miseries and Confusion and Blood Are not these then perillous Times Surely it is of the LORDS mercies we are not consumed and because his compassions faile not * Lam. 3.22 But who knows how soon the Lord in his Justice may proceed to the execution of his Judgements upon us and so turne our Chephzibah a Land of Beauty the Lords Delight into an Acheldama a Field of Blood What then is to be done by us Christians for the Prevention of the Lords Judgements on a sinful Land O come and bring every one your two Buckets and pour them out before the Lord for the quenching of the Fire of the Lords wrath which is kindled against a sinful Nation Fasting and Weeping and Mourning hath been a way which hath proved very effectual for the turning away the sorest Judgements the diverting of the nearest Destruction Thus was the destruction of Jerusalem delay'd in the time of Josiah †2 King 22.19 20. the destruction of Nineveh in the Days of the Prophet Jonah * Jon. ch 3 This is that to which God calls at such a time as this in a Day of Danger and Distresse When the Lord had threatned terrible Judgements against Zion this was the duty to which by his Prophet he call'd the Inhabitants of Jerusalem †Joel 2 12-19 Therefore also now saith the LORD Turn ye even to me with all your Heart and with FASTING and with WEEPING and with MOURNING And rent your Hearts and not your Garments and turne unto the LORD your God for he is Gracious and Merciful sloâ— to Anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the Evil. Who knoweth if he will returne and repent and leave a blessing behind him even a meat-Offering and a drink-Offering to the LORD your God Blow the Trumpet in Zion sanctifie a FAST call a solemne Assembly Gather the People sanctifie the Congregation Assemble the Elders Gather the children and those that suck the Breasts Let the Bride-groom go forth of his Chamber and the Bâ—ide out of her closet Let the Priests the Ministers of the LORD weep between the Porch and the Altar and let them say Spare thy People O LORD and give not thine Heritage to reproach that the Heathen should rule over them Wherefore should they say among the People Where is their God Now mark what follows Then will the LORD be jealous for his Land and pity his People Yea the LORD will answer and say unto his People Behold I will send you Corn and Wine and Oyle and ye shall be satisfi'd therewith and I will no more make you a reproach among the Heathen Now how great an encouragement should this be to us in perillous Times to seek the Lord solemnly seriously with Fasting and Prayer Do you ever remember that the Judgements of the Lord came upon his people while they were Fasting and Weeping and Mourning No when sinnners are Feasting
and Sporting and making Merry then does the Lord bring his judgements upon them even sudden destruction For sayes the holy Ghost When they shall say Peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as Travail upon a woman with childe and they shall not escape * 1 Thes 5.3 Do you know or have you consider'd what was the carriage of the men of the old world when the Lord brought the Flood upon them and of the children of Israel a little before they were carryed captive into Babylon Why the Scripture tells you that in the Dayes of Noah that were before the Flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in Marriage until the day that Noah enter'd into the Ark and knew not untill the Flood came and took them all away †Mat. 24.38 39. They knew not that is they considered it not regarded it not For they had been warned of the coming of the Flood by the Preaching of Noah for the space of one hundred and twenty years and by his preparing an Ark for the preservation of himself and his own Family So the careless posture of the people of Israel in a free indulgence of their sensual Delights did but a little precede that cruel Captivity and bitter bondage which they so long sustained in Babylon * See Am. chap. 6. Now are not the people of the Land in these our Dayes generally senslesse of the crying sins and fearlesse of the following Judgements which may justly fall upon us Is it not time then for them that feare the Lord to lay these things to heart and to weep and mourne before the Lord for these Abominations Does it not both well become and neatly concerne the people of God in the Land to call one another to Fasting and Mourning and bitter Lamentation lest the Lord should kindle a fire in his wrath so that none can quench it O Christians can you sit still and be secure in such Times as these What do you not care how soone the Gospel the glory departs from England Do you not care what becomes of Religion what befalls the Church how soon you loose your Opportunities of enjoying the blessed Ordinances of the Gospel Oh are not these Opportunities precious are not the Ordinances of God precious are not the Ministers of the Gospel and the People of God precious in your Esteeme How then will your hearts bear it to see these Ministers of the Gospel murther'd these people of God led as sheep to the slaughtâ—r Alas you know not how near the Dayes may be wherein you may say Time was when we enjoy'd the Ordinances of God and had many opportunities of seeking the Face of God in the Assemblies of his Saints but alas now we aâ—e deprived of these enjoyments And oh will you not yet lay these things to heart so as to mourn before the Lord for those Evils whereby we have provoked the Lord to plague the whole Land with his Judgements and utterly to deprive us of these precious Priviledges Do you see no cause of Feare no signes of Danger Are not Sabbaths profan'd Ordinances contemn'd the Word despis'd the Sacraments slighted Ministers reviled Scriptures rejected the Spirit resisted Christ crucifi'd afresh and the Name of God blasphem'd amongst us Now are not these fearful Provocations of the most high God May not the despised Manna be restrained and God give us Quailes meat for our Lusts in wrath May not God justly punish mens wearinesse of his Worship with a Famine of his Word when men prize the World above the Word of God may not the Lord justly take away his Word and Gospel from such an unworthy people May not he suffer the seales of his Covenant the Pledges of his love to be taken away from us or polluted to us May not our Teachers be removed into a corner May not the Holy Scriptures the Well-springs of our Comforts and Joy be sealed up from us May not God take away his Holy Spirit from us that he may no more †Gen. 6.3 strive with a people devoted to destruction May not God charge upon the Land the guilt of his Sonnes Blood and revenge upon a rebellious people the wrong done to his owne Name Is it not then high time for us to * Am. 4.12 meet the Lord by Repentance and to humble our selves before him for the sins of the Land lest his indignation break forth upon us as a Breach of the Sea and there be no means left to escape Come then Christians and let us weep and mourne before the Lord. It may be he may regard our Tears and hear the voice of our weeping †Psal 6.8 and put on Bowels of Compassions towards us and spare our Land Who knows but the whole Land may fare the better for the sakes of a few Mourners in Zion Oh let 's every one labour to become one of that number So when the Lord shall arise and have mercy upon Zion we shall be called to partake of her Joy Rejoyce for joy with her saith the Lord * Isa 66.10 all ye that have mourned for her However Christians go into your Closets and weep before the Lord in secret for the sinnes whereby God is openly dishonour'd This was the holy resolution of the Prophet Jeremy upon the pride and stubbornnesse of the people of Judah the sad Symptomes of approaching Judgements Heare ye sayes he †and give eare * Jer. 13.15 16 17. be not proud for the LORD hath spoken Give glory to the LORD your God before he cause darknesse and before your feet stumble upon the dark Mountaines and while ye look for light he turne it into the shadow of Death and make it grosse Darknesse But if ye will not hear it my soul shall weep in secret places for your Pride and mine eye shall weep sore and run down with teares because the LORDS Flock is carried away captive Now if you be of the number of those that mourn and sigh for the Abominations of the Times if the Lord shall bring his Judgements in your dayes upon the Land he will prepare his secret Chambers of providence for your preservation Thus the Lord sent his Angel to set a Mark upon the fore-heads of the men that mourn'd for the sinnes of Jerusalem that they might be spared when all the rest of the City by an impartial stroke were to suffer an inevitable destruction * See Ezek. 9 4-7 Thus Lot living in Sodom †2 Pet. 2.7 8. a lustful City vexed his righteous soul from day to day with a holy sorrow for the sins of the filthy Sodomites and so the Lord preserved him in the dreadful overthrow of that sinful City O then Christians mourne and weep for the sinnes of the Times the Abominations of the Age wherein you live and it may be you may by this means save the City save a Kingdome from destruction however you shall be sure to save your own
words Behold the LORDS hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither his Eare heavy that it cannot hear But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his Face from you that he will not hear For your hands are defiled with Blood and your fingers with Iniquity your Lips have spoken Lies your Tongue hath uttered Perverseness None calleth for Justice nor any pleadeth for Truth They trust in Vanity and speak Lies they conceive Mischief and bring forth Iniquity They hatch Cockatrice Egges and weave the Spiders Web he that eateth of their Egges dieth and that which it crushed breaketh out into a Viper Their Webs shall not become garments neither shall they cover themselves with their works their Works are works of Iniquitie and the Act of Violence is in their Hands Their feet run to evil and they make hast to shed innocent blood Their thoughts are thoughts of Iniquity Wasting and Destruction are in their paths The way of Peace they know not and there is no judgment in their goings they have made them crooked Paths whosoever goeth therein shall not know Peace Therefore is Judgement far from us neither doth Justice overtake us We wait for Light but behold obscurity for Brightnesse but we walk in Darknesse We grope for the Wall like the Blinde and we grope as if we had no Eyes We stumble at Noon-day as in the Night we are in desolate Places as dead men We roar all like Bears and mourn sore like Doves We look for Judgement but there is none for salvation but it is far off from us For our Transgressions are multiply'd before Thee and our sinnes testifie against us for our Transgressions are with us and as for our iniquities we know them In transgressing and lying against the LORD and departing away from our God speaking Oppression and Revolt conceiving and uttering from the heart Words of falsehood And Judgement is turned away backward and Justice standeth afar off for Truth is fallen in the street and Equity cannot enter Yea Truth faileth and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a Prey and the LORD saw it and it displeased him that there was no Judgement And he saw that there was no man and wondred that there was no * Or Interposer Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so rendred Job 36.32 Intercessor Therefore his Arme brought salvation unto him and his Righteousnesse it sustained Him For he put on Righteousnesse as a Breast-plate and an Helmet of Salvation upon his Head and he put on the Garments of Vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeal as a Cloke According to their Deeds accordingly he will repay Fury to his adversaries Recompence to his Enemies to the Islands he will repay Recompence So shall they fear the Name of the LORD from the West and his glory from the Rising of the Sun when the Enemy shall come in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a Standard against him Thus we see how miserable the State of that Nation is which is full of Unrighteousnesse Oppression and Cruelty and how dreadful the condition of that People who are guilty of these sinnes shall be when the LORD of Hosts arm'd withVengeance shall come forth in Wrath and Fury for the Execution of his Judgements These are usually the sinnes of the great men of the world The Psalmist thus describes them †Psal 73 6-10 Pride compasseth them about as a chaine Violence covereth them as a Garment Their Eyes stand out with Fatnesse they have more then heart could wish They are corrupt and speak wickedly concerning Oppression they speak loftily They set their Mouth against the Heavens and their tongue walketh through the Earth Therefore his People return hither and waters of a full Cup are wrung out to them But when their Insolencies are grown intolerable God takes down their Pride with deserved Punishments When they are come to the Zenith of their glory the least touch of the Almighty's hand sends them down into the lowest Centre of wretchednesse and infelicity That may be the very moment of their Destruction wherein they think to put a Period to the Churches Peace by their bloody Tyranny and Oppression For the oppression of the Poore for the sighing of the Needy NOW will I arise saith the LORD I will set him at safety from him that puffeth at him * Psal 12.5 Oppressors are wont to prey upon the Poor as the stronger Beasts upon the weaker the greater Fowles and Fishes upon the lesser They are the Leeches of the Common-wealth which suck the Blood out of its Veines the Suckers which spring from the roots of the Trees and draw away the Sap from the otherwise fruitful Branches The Oppressor is a most cruel Chymist for he distills Silver out of the sweat of poor mens Brows and Gold out of the tears of Widows and Orphans The very Laws are made use of by such as Keys to open their Coffers as Buckets to draw all the water out of their Wells Aperi Bursam ego aperiam Buccam Let me finger my Fee sayes the greedy Lawyer and I will canvase thy Cause Thus Justice runs upon Silver-wheels while Oppression rules with an Iron Rod. The Poor are dasht in pieces by the Proud like Potters Vessels Then is it time for the Judge of the World to come forth and execute Judgement Then shall they feel the strength of his strokes as well as others have felt the Power of their Pride †Isa 30.12 13 14 Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel Because ye despise this Word and trust in Oppression and perversenesse and stay thereon Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall swelling out in a high Wall whose breaking cometh suddenly at an Instant And he shall break it as the breaking of the Potters Vessel that is broken in pieces he shall not spare so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take Fire from the Hearth or to take water withall out of the Pit Oppression when it is become a reigning sin precedes some sore Visitation of that City presages the utter Desolation of that Land wherein it reignes We shall not doubt of the Truth of this if we do believe the Word of God * Jer. 6.6 7 8. For thus hath the LORD of Hosts said Hew ye down Trees and cast a Mount against Jerusalem This is the City to be visited she is wholly Oppression in the midst of her As a Fountain casteth out her waters so she casteth out her Wickednesse Violence and spoile is heard in her before me continually is Griefe and Wounds Be thou instructed O Jerusalem lest my soul depart from thee lest I make thee desolate a Land not Inhabited The Riches gained by Oppression shall not prosper in the hand of Oppressors nor prefit them in the Day of wrath Forasmuch therefore saith the LORD â€
Communication be Yea yea Nay nay For whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil The Apostle James * Chap. 5. ver 12. further backs this Injunction and earnestly presses this Prohibition But above all things saith he my Brethren Sweare not neither by Heaven neither by the Earth neither by any other Oath but let your Yea be yea and your Nay nay lest ye fall into Condemnation How strange it is that men should delight to pollute their own soules and pull down judgement on the Land by the Customary Commission of a sin so strictly prohibited under the Pain of Damnation This is a sin which hath in it no Profit no pleasure no not sensual sweetnesse enough to bait a temptation How does this argue a Devilish Disposition in men that they will do a thing so much abhord of God so strictly forbidden in the Word so certainly Destructive to their souls when they cannot tast so much as a seeming sweetnesse nor see so much as an appearing Goodnesse in it to be any ground of their Allurement thereunto or occasion of their frequent Commission thereof when such a fin abounds must not God needs be provokt to plague and punish such a desperately wicked People So for the sin of cursing a sin of the same Hellish nature a fruit of the same root of bitternesse how hath the Lord manifested his Displeasure against it by the punishment which he ordained to be inflicted on such as were guilty of it in his holy Word We reade †Lev. 24 10-16 of the Son of an Israelitish woman whose Father was an Egyptian that went out among the Children of Israel in the Camp And this Son of the Israelitish woman blasphemed the Name of the LORD and cursed And they brought him unto Moses And they put him in Ward that the mind of the LORD might be shew'd them And the LORD spake unto Moses saying Bring forth him that hath Cursed without the Camp let all that heard him lay their hands upon his Head and let all the Congregation stone him And hereupon the LORD made it a Statute in Israel that whosoever should be found guilty of this sin whether Israelite or Stranger he should surely be put to Death And therefore however amongst men this sin may go unpunished yet seeing the Name of God is hereby profan'd the LORD will not hold them guiltlesse * Exo. 20.7 that are guilty of it nor suffer them to escape his Righteous judgement That Imprecation of the Psalmist is Prophetical and hath the force of a Commination †Psal 59.12 13. For the sin of their Mouth and the words of their Lips let them even be taken in their Pride and for Cursing and Lying which they speak Consume them in wrath consume them that they may not be and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the Ends of the Earth Doubtlesse the Curse of God hangs over the Heads of those that are given to Cursing Dreadful is that Jmprecation of David of the same Nature with the former * Psal 109 17 18 19. As he loved Cursing so let it come unto him as he delighted not in Blessing so let it be far from him As he cloathed himself with Cursing like as with his Garment so let it come into his Bowels like Water and like Oyle into his Bones Let it be unto him as the Garment which covereth him and for a Girdle where with he is girded continually Woe be to him whose Body Belly Bones are thus cloath'd fill'd consum'd with Cursing This is doubtlesse worse then the most deadly Disease and will prove more intolerable then the torturing Wracks of the terriblest Tyrants in the World Cursing will surely fill the awaken'd Conscience of the guilty sinner with tormenting Agonies which shall last to Eternity Oaths and Curses are as Arrows shot up against heaven which at length fall down upon the Heads of them that shot them Yea they are sparks of Hell-fire or rather Firebrands of Hell which are thrown into the Aire and may if timely Repentance with speedy Reformation and infinite mercy prevent not kindle a deadly burning in that City or Nation wherein they abound unpunished And yet is not this the sinne not onely of the basest sort but of many of the great Gallants of the Times Oathes are the Sause of their Mirth and Curses are the Stings of their Anger Oathes are in Fashion amongst them and to rap them out roundly is a piece of their Gallantry Curses still wart upon their commands and whosoever or whatsoever doth but a little crosse them they wish all the Plagues of hell to light upon them Surely the Devil himself cannot speak more desperate language and utter more damnable speeches then these horribly Profane Gallants If any where there be a Hell upon Earth 't is where these Children of Hell these first-born sonnes of the Devil that have Damnation written in their Foreheads are met together and sit the Devil being doubtlesse in the Head of the Company Bowzing Swearing Storming Cursing Blaspheming as if they would tear Heaven to let down flaming Vengeance and rend the earth to the Bottom of Hell that they might go down quick into that fiery Prison fall down headlong into the burning-Lake A wonder it is of the Divine Patience that when they are rending the Sacred Name of God with Oathes Blasphemies Cursings God doth not give them up into the hands of the Devil to tear them instantly in pieces as we read he hath dealt with some and carry them Body and Soul into Hell But God in Justice lets them live for the Aggravation of their sins and the encrease of their Torments in Hell-fire to Eternity For how can they hope for any salvation by Christ or benefit by his Blood who desperately wrap up his wounds and blood in their Oathes and Curses and so as it were throw them in God Almighty's Face whence is it he doth not with some dreadful Thunderbolt instantly smite them into Hell How should they expect that God should save them in the Day of their Death who disperately bid God damne them every day How can they escape Hell and Damnation who are still bidding the Devil take them upon every slight occasion O desperately Profane Wretches O Devilish wicked Creatures Is it possible there are such to be found under the Sunne Is it possible there should be such Monsters found within the Pale of the Church such Incarnate Devils in a Land enlightned with the Gospel of Christ and honoured with the glorious Profession of Christianity O that the tingling Ears and trembling Hearts of many of Gods children who have occasionally heard this Language of Hell though never privy to the thousandth Part of these Hellish Impieties were not too sad an evidence of these Abominations abounding in the Land Now shall not the Lord visit for these things Shall not his soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Is it not a wonder Heaven
is not all in flames over our heads and the Earth all staind with blood under our Feet for this sin long before now Surely this deserves sadly to be laid to heart as a fearful Presage of some very dreadful Judgement I shall close this fourth Instance with the Excellent counsel of the Son of Sirach Accustome not thy selfe sayes he †Eccl. 23 9-13 to Swearing neither use thy self to the Naming of the Holy One. For as a servant that is continually beaten shall not be without a blew mark so he that sweareth and nameth God continually shall not be faultless * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man that useth much swearing shall be fill'd with iniquity and the Plague shall never depart from his House If he shall offend his sinne shall be upon him and if he acknowledge not his sinne †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he maketh the offence double And if he swear in vaine he shall not be innocent but his House shall be full of Calamities There is a Word that is cloathed about with Death God grant that it be not found in the Heritage of Jacob for all such things shall be farre from the godly and they shall not * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wallow in their sinnes Use not thy mouth to †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intemperate swearing for therein is the word of sin The fifth Sin Adultery Fornication Uncleanness VVHen the Land is defiled with Adultery Fornication and Vncleanness the Times are Perillous and Evil. God is a God of infinite Purity and Holiness When a Land therefoâ—e is polluted with these Impurities and Abominations what can be expected but that the Lord should abhor it When the Lord hath e poused a Nation to himself and it hath * Hos 1.2 committed great Whoreâ—omes what can be expected but that the Lord should give it a Bill of Divorce When the Lord's Mercies are turned into the Fewel of Uncleannesse what may we expect but Wrath and Judgement Dreadful are the Judgements which the Lord hath executed for the Punishment of these sinnes Yea so dreadful that never hath the world seene more terrible Demonstrations of the Wrath and Vengeance of an angry God an incens'd Majesty 'T was for the Punishment of this Sin that God drown'd the whole world and burnt up the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with Fire and Brimstone For the Old World burn'd in Lust and Wantonness before it was drown'd with Water and Sodom was drown'd in Luxury and Filthinesse before it was burnt with Fire In the former the Sonnes of God doted on the Beauty of the Daughters of men †Gen. 6.2 and in the latter the Sons of men sought to commit Folly with the Angels of God * Gen. 19 4 5 Desperate Pollution that would attempt the Violation of Angelical Purity But their unnatural Lusts received a supernatural punishment God sending down upon them Hell out of Heaven But now these sins amongst us are worse by a thousand Degrees then they were amongst them For a Christian by profession whose Body hath been consecrated by Baptisme for a Temple of the holy Ghost to abuse himself by filthy Lusts is to do an Act beyond all the Abominations of the Heathens even to turn the Sanctuary into a Stews The Apostle therefore uses this Argument to take off the too lascivious †Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scortari Chil. Eras Corinthians from this sinne Flee Fornication sayes he * 1 Cor. 6.18 19. Every sin that a man doth is without the Body But he that committeth Fornication sinneth against his own Body What know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your own Now where the Lords Temples are thus profan'd may not he justly abhor them and utterly forsake that Land Yea if for this sin especially the Lord †2 Pet. 2.5 6 brought in the Flooâ— upon the World of the Ungodly And turning the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into Ashes * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemn'd them with an overthrow making them an Example to these that afterwards should live ungodly who are †Jude v. 7 suffering the Vengeance of Eternal Fire of how much sorer Punishment think you shall they be thought worthy who under the Light of the Gospel Profession of Christianity and Meanes of Grace commit these horrid Abominations Surely it 's a wonder the flaming Vengeance of God is not before now broken forth against the provoking People of this Land But we know * Heb. 13.4 Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge For this sin does God complaine of his ungrateful People the Jews When I had fed them to the full saith the Lord * Jer. 5.7 8 9. they then committed Adultery and Assembled themselves by Troops in the Harlots Houses They were as fed Horses in the morning every One neighed after his Neighbours Wife Shall I not visit for these things saith the LORD and shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this So the Prophet complaines as of one of the great Evils of his Time †Jer. 23 10 the Land is full of Adulterers And when the Lord found the Land full of such filth he came and swept it with the Besome of Desolation in the Babylonish Captivity The committing of Adultery is one of those sins for which the LORD hath said * Hos 4.2 3. The Land shall mourne The sixth Sin Gluttony and Drunkennesse WHen Gluttony and Drunkennesse are those Idols to which men sacrifice the Marrow and Fatnesse of the Land together with their Time and Strength the Dayes are evil the Times are Perillous When these two appear together as Castor and Pollux promise safety in the Sea they presage a storme in the State These two Monsters are enough to devoure a whole Land and they provoke God to destroy the Place where they prevaile Men were eating and drinking as if that had been the end of their Creation when God brought the Flood and drown'd the world †Mat. 24.38 whereby they were involv'd in a sudden Destruction And we know there is a Day a coming which shall steal upon men as a Thief in the Night wherein the World shall be destroy'd with Fire * 2 Pet. 3.10 And sayes our Saviour †Luk. 21.34 35. Take heed to your selves lest at any Time your Hearts be overcharg'd with surfeiting and drunkennesse or * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vinum Gourmandise Yurongnerie Gallic Genev. Gluttony and Fulness of Wine and cares of this Life and so that day come upon you unawares For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the Face of the whole Earth However though the Day of the General Judgement which yet cannot be far off should not surprize the present Generation they may be suddenly overtaken with the black and
He then is the greatest Drunkard in Gods sight who is able to drink most without Distemper For what 's Drunkennesse but Excesse in Drinking though no Distemper of Body or Braine should follow thereupon But he is the greatest Drunkard of all who not onely drinks to Excesse himself but labours also to draw on others to Drunkennesse enforcing more upon them then they would otherwise receive Such a devilish Drunkard deserves no lesse then double Damnation A dreadful Woe hangs ever his Head and a Cup of Wrath shall be put into his Hand and the Lord shall cause him to drink up the Dregges of it Woe unto him saith the LORD †Hab. 2.15 16. that giveth his Neighbour drink that puttest thy Bottle to him and makest him drunken also that thou mayest look on their Nakednesse Thou art filled with shame for glory drink thou also and let thy Fore-skin be uncovered the Cup of the LORDS right hand shall be turned unto thee and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory Neither does this sin of Drunkennesse draw down a Woe upon the drunkards head onely but also brings in a Deluge of Judgements upon the whole Land which is defiled by it And therefore sayes the Lord * Isa 28 1-4 Woe to the Crown of Pride to the drunkards of Ephraim whose glorious beauty is a fading flower which are on the head of the fat Valleys of them that are overcome with VVine Behold the Lord hath a mighty and strong one which as a tempest of Haile and a destroying storme as a flood of mighty waters overflowing shall cast down to the earth with the Hand The Crown of Pride the drunkards of Ephraim shall be troden under feet And the glorious beauty which is on the head of the Fat Valley shall be a fading Flower and as the hasty fruit before the Summer which when he that looketh upon it seeth it while it iâ— yet in his hand he eateth it up Thus may a Land which is as a flourishing Field for the sinnes of those that live in it be turn'd into a barren Desert a Wildernesse of Thornes Thus Gluttony and Drunkenness when they abound in a Land are the Causes Presages and Symptoms of Perillous Times The seventh Sin Fantasticalnesse Vanity and Pride of Apparel VVHen Fantasticalnesse Vanity and Pride of Apparel is a Predominant sin it speaks Perillous Times It pleased God to bestow a singular Honour upon man at his first Creation in imprinting upon him the Beauty of his own Image For †Gen. 1.27 God Created man in his own Image in the Image of God created he him The Soul of man was indeed the Principal Subject of this glorious Impression but yet the Body of man was by the Wisdome of God * Psal 139 15 curiously compos'd to such a comelinesse of shapâ— as that it might be a fit Cabinet for so inestimable a Jewel embellisht with so Divine a Portraicture Then was naked Innocency mans most glorious cloathing But since the defacement of this Image of God and the defilement of the Nature of man miserable man hath been forc't to begge Relief of the other Creatures for the covering of the shame of his Nakednesse But alas vain man How foolishly does he abuse this second Benefit How does he bewray the Nakednesse of his Minde by the Apparel of his Body How vainly does he turne the covering of his shame into the displaying of his Pride How shall we now know the â—â—ape of a man or where shall we behold the Comlinesse of his first Composure when he is now daily â—ransforming himself Proteus like into a strange Variety of Fantastick Fâ—sâ—ious And how strangely is he bewitcht with this Vanity that whereas he should in Reason shape his Apparel to his Body hâ— seemes to go about to shape his Body to his Apparâ—l How ridiculous world it be to see a man stick his Body with Peacockâ— Plume and Ostrich Feathers and then Pride himselfe in the pleasing variety of their curious colours And is it not every whit as absurd and beggarly for a Person of quality to carry a Pedlers Shop about the streets of the City leading as it were his Pride in Triumph and making an open show of the spoiles of the silk-worme And as if the costlinesse of the matter did contend with the Curiosity of the Fashion how do the Gallants of the Times lay out their Riches and Revenues for the maintenance of their Pride of Apparel How do they trample with disdaine upon the Poore of the Countrey treading them under feet as they would a Worme into the mire while they walk like Monsters of Pride with whole Orchards Fields Woods upon their Backs bearing at once in the costlinesse of their Garb the revenues of a whole Lordship Such was the luxuriant Pride and Gallantry of a Roman Emperour †Heliogabalus who jug'd it a piece of state to weare sumptuous Apparel and an unworthy basenesse to appear twice in the same suit though never so rich and splendid His shooes were embellish't with Pearles and Diamonds his Seats strew'd with Musk and Amber his Bed covered with Gold and Silver and inchac't with the costliest Gemmes and his Way strew'd with the Powder of Pearles But the Female Sex hath ever beene more generally guilty of a strange Excesse in Apparel and Ornaments How strange is the Vanitie of the Mindes of VVomen especially of those accounted of the better Rank in the affectation of Variety of Fashions in their Cloaths and Deckings Proud women have a * Mundus maliebris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. 2. de Rep. VVorld of Ornaments and Dum moliuntur dum comuntur Annus est †Terent. A Yeare is spent in their tricking and trimming themselves with them yea scarcely will an Age suffice them to runne all the Stages of their still-changing Fashions The Prophet Isaiah being himselfe conversant in the Court had diligently observ'd the Gallantry of the Proud Dames of those dayes whom he does as faithfully reprove opening a full Pack of their Toyes and Vanities the Ensignes of their Pride which they it seemes much pleased themselves in as very decent and well-becoming Ornaments But he declares unto them their sin and in the Name of the Lord pronounces the Doome of such proud self-Idolizing Vanities as the Daughters of Zion were then become through a strange affectation of multiplicity of Ornaments and singularity in Carriage and Behaviour For thus does he deliver his Message to them from the Lord. * Isa 3 16-26 Moreover the LORD saith because the Daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with stretched forth Necks and wanton eyes walking and mincing or tripping it neatly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Plaudendo Ar. Mont. tripudiando Pagn as they go and making a tinkling with their Feet as if they walked in Fetters or had Bells or Rattles ty'd to their Feet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Tinniebant A. M. pedibus
suis compeditas agunt Jun. Trem. Calceamenta habebant cum crepitaculis Pagn Therefore the Lord will smite with a Scab the Crown of the Head of the Daughters of Zion and the LORD will discover their secret Parts In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling Ornaments about their Feet and their Cauls or Ornaments of Net-work or Needle-work wrought with Eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Reticula Ar. Mont. Vittas instar retis Pagn Opera Oculata Jun. Trem. and their round Tires like the Moon The Chaines or sweet Balls or Boxes of perfuming Ointments their Golden Boxes of rich Gummes and precious Balsome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Myrothecidia Jun. Vascula aurea in quibus ponebatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stacte aut Balsamum juxta Kimch R. Levi. Buxt Lexic and the Bracelets and the Mufflers or thin Veiles or Head-Ornaments glittering with waving gold or starry Spangles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Velamina Ar. Mont. Bracteolae quae Collaribus Vittis ac Peplis muleribus addi solent sic dictae à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tremere quod semper tremulae appareant Buxt The Bonnets and the Ornaments of the Legges and the Head-bands or Haire-laces or Neck-laces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Vittae A. M. Redimicula Jun. Ornamenta Colli fuerunt Buxt and the Tablets or the Boxes of Aromatical Confections for the perfuming of the Breath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * i. e. Domus Animae seu Halitus q. d. Breath-Boxes Pagninus Pectoralia Junius Bucculas vertit exponitque superba illa Aulicarum Instrumenta quibus os suum contegunt velut pastomidibus est enim os meatus animae sive anhelitus cujus obex propterea Hebraeis Domus Animae appellatur and the Ear-rings or Amulets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Amuleta Jun. Golden or Silver Plates engraven with certain Characters against Enchantment Aben Ezra The Rings and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Jewels which hung down from the Fore-head to the Nose Nose-jewels or Jewels for the Face The changable Suits of Apparel and the Mantles and the Wimples Aprons or embroyder'd Vestures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Ventralia Jun. Buxt Linteamina Pagn Pepla Ar. Mont. Sic Kimchi and the Crisping-Pins or Cushnets Purses Pin-pillows Needle-Cases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Loculi Aciaria Pagn Ar. Mont. Crumenas vertunt Junius vero Aciaria sive ut Graeci vocant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quibus Acus aciculae infigi aut includi solent The Glasses and the fine Linnen and the Hoods and the Vailes And it shall come to passe that instead of sweet smell there shall be Stink and instead of a Girdle a Rent and instead of well-set Haire Baldnesse and instead of a Stomacher a Girding of Sackcloth and Burning instead of Beauty Thy men shall fall by the Sword and thy Mighty in the War And her Gates shall lament and mourn and being desolate shall sit upon the Ground Thus we see Vanity Fantasticalness and Pride of Apparrel brings down the Judgements of God upon a Land For this may God cloath the Land with Confusion and fill the City with Fears and stain the Beauty of these proud Gallants with Blood For this may God scourge the City with the Plague and chastise the Country with Wars and lay the whole Land desolate How dolefull is the Representation of Gods dreadfull Judgements upon the Land of Judah whereby he threatned to punish the Pride of Jerusalem How may it make the stoutest heart to tremble to see the LORD of Hosts leading up an Army of enraged and implacable Enemies against his own People To see Destruction in the Van and Desolation in the Rear of a terrible and because arm'd with Divine Justice invincible Army of Aliens Behold how the Prophet was affected with the Visionary Representation of it My Bowels says he * Jer. 4.19 ult My Bowels I am pained at my very heart my heart maketh a noise in me I cannot hold my peace because thou hast heard O my soul the sound of the Trumphet the Alarm of War Destruction upon Destruction is cry'd for the whole Land is spoiled suddenly are my Tents spoiled and my Curtains in a Moment How long shall I see the Standard and hear the sound of the Trumphet For my people is foolish they have not known me they are sottish Children and they have none understanding they are wise to do Evil but to do good they have no knowledge I beheld the Earth and lo it was without form and void and the Heavens and they had no Light I beheld the Mountains and loe they trembled and all the Hills moved lightly I beheld and loe there was no man and all the Birds of the Heavens were fled I beheld and loe the fruitfull place was a Wilderness and all the Cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD and by his fierce Anger For thus hath the LORD said The whole Land shall be desolate yet will I not make a full End For this shall the Earth mourn and the Heaven above be black because I have spoken it I have purposed it I will not repent neither will turn back from it The whole City shall flee for the Noise of the Horse-men and Bow-men they shall go into Thickets and climb up upon the Rocks Every City shall be forsaken and not a man dwell therein And when thou art spoiled what wilt thou do Though thou clothest thy self with Crimson thou deckest thee with Ornaments of Gold though thou rentest thy face with Painting in vain shalt thou make thy self fair thy Lovers will despise thee they will seek thy life For I have heard a voice as of a woman in Travell and the Anguish as of hâ—r that bringeth forth her first Child the Voice of the Daughter of Zion that bewailâ—th her self that spreadeth her hands saying woe is me now for my soul is wearied because of Murderers O ye proud Gallants ye fantastick Ladies how long will ye provoke the Lord by your Pride and Wantonness to stain your Glory to strip you of your Ornaments and to plague the whole Land for your sakes with his sorest Judgements Hath not the Lord threatned to punish your Pride and to break those Pillars of Power that sustain your Glory Hath not the Lord said †Jer. 13.9 After this manner even as Jeremiah's linnen Girdle was rotted in the earth * Ver. 7. Will I marre the Pride of Judah and the great Pride of Jerusalem You set off your Beauty by these fantastick Ornamens to the eyes of men but know you not that your Pride in the mean time makes you odious in the sight of God Know you not that Pride is ever attended with shame and shall at length be over-taken with Destruction For When Pride cometh then cometh Shame †Pro. 11.2 and Destruction stayes
their Immodesties by setting as many Spots in their Faces as they have received Blots to their Honour till their Faces are almost cover'd with these Badges of their Infamy O degenerate Gentry O ignoble Nobility How foolish are you become in these fantastical Fashions How weak how wicked are you to pride your selves in such ridiculous Vanities and to account these signes of your baseness â—o be Badges of your Honour Are you so stupid and senslesse as not to observe that â—od hath been tumbling down the greatnesse of the world staining the Pride of â—an and rolling his glory in the Dust And will you by your Pride and Vanity pluck down greater Judgements on the Land and plunge your selves into everlasting miseries Surely these Badges of your Pride are but the Presages of your Punishment Tertullian calls painted women * Ancillas Diaboli the Devâ—ls Chamber-maids or Waiting-women But then surely those who prostitute their painted Beauties to these wanton Blacks are the chiefest Ladies in the Kingdome of Lucifer And his Pride you know cost him a flaming fall 't was the fore-runner of his Destruction What then shall become of those of his Houshold Surely these painted plaister'd spotted Vanities will end their dayes in Vexation How justly may God punish their shamel sse Pride as he hath doâ—e many with shameful Poverty on earth and their wanton Pleasures with woful Paines in Hell Surely these Luxuriancies in lustful Vanities provoke God to plague the Land with dreadful Judgements and so speak these dayes wherein they abound to be perillous Times Thus we have seen what sins do in a special Manner provoke the Lord to wrath and sollicit vengeance against such a sinning People Surely where these seven Abominations are found especially where they are predominant they presage sore Plagues fore-run heavy Judgements on such a place or People For shall not the Lord visit for these things and shall not his soul be aveng'd on such a People as this that provoke him to Anger with so many fearfull Abominations Surely God may justly poure out all the †Rev. 16.1 seven Vials of his flaming wrath upon such a sinful Nation These â—ins therefore must needs be sad Symptomes of Perillous Times Come we now to consider in what Cases these sinnes are thus Symptomaticall The second Enquiry In what Cases the foremention'd Sins are Symptomes of Perillous Times ADAM in Innocency liv'd in * Gen. 2.8 EDEN a Place prepar'd by God himselfe to be the Mother of Plenty the Nurse of Pleasure and Queen Regent of Divine Delight Happy man had he not by the Losse of his Innocence the Palladium of Paradise lost his Happinesse Yea the World was an Universal Paradise whereof Eden was the Eye the Beauty of its Beautieâ— till sin committed a Rape upon its Virgin Purity and cast a defilement upon its Primitive Glory Then did its flowring Beauties fade in its Face and stinging Mâ—series sprang up apace in its Bosome Thus did the world once a Garden of Delights become a Wildernesse of â—hornes before a Palace Royal of pure unmixed Pleasures now a bloody Stage of sufferings and sorrows Thus is sinne the procuring cause of all Miseries and so the too certain Prognostick of Perillâ—us Times Was it not for s nne how should England be as Eden the Garden of God crown'd with the smiles of Heaven and cloath'd with the Virgin-Mantle of Peace and endow'd with the choicest Blessings on Earth and so admir'd by all its Sister Islands its Neighbour Nations for Beauty Riches and Renown But sin it is which spreads a black cloud upon it's Glories which threatens the Thunder of some dreadful Judgements The sinnes of England are many and what can we expect but that the sufferings of England should be great The sins of men are wont to draw downe the Judgements of God and so they are the Symptomes of Perillous Times to the People of God especially in such Cases as these that follow The first Case The Commonness of Sinne. WHen grosse Sinnes are commonly committed the Times must needs be Perillous When Lying Swearing Sabbath-breaking Stealing Cheating Deceiving Cruelty Oppression Drunkennesse Adultery and all manner of Uncleannesse does abound the Dayes are evil and full of Danger These sins are as so many Cords to pluck down Judgements upon the Heads of such a People Thus did sinne abound in the Old World before God destroy'd all Flesh with the Flood For it s said †Gen. 6.11 12 13. The Earth was corrupt before Goâ— and the Earth was filled with Violence And God looked upon the earth and behold it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the Earth And God said unto Noah The end of all flesh is come before me for the Earth is filled with Violence through them and behold I will destroy them with the Earth The Scriptures do abound with comminations of Judgement against that People that Land wherein such Abominations do abound Take notice of some of them and Oh that you would sadly lay them to heart * Jer. 7.8 16. Behold sayes the Lord to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem ye trust in lying words that cannot profit Will ye steale murder and commit Adultery and swear falsely and burn incense unto Baal and walk after other Gods whom ye know not i. e. maintaine diversities of Religion amongst you and come and stand before me in this House which is called by my Name and say we are deliver'd to do all these abominations q. d. This is the Liberty for which we adventur'd our Lives in the High-Places of the Field Is this House which is called by my Name become a Den of Robbers in your Eyes q. d. Is this the fruit of your Victories and the glorious Deliverances whereof you speak to cast contempt upon my House Worship and Ordinances Behold even I have seen it saith the LORD But go ye now unto my Place which was in Shiloh where I set my Name at the first and see what I did to it for the Wickednesse of my People Israel And now because ye have done all these works saith the LORD and I spake unto you rising up early and speaking but ye heard not and I called you but ye answered not Therefore will I do unto this House which is called by my Name wherein ye trust and unto the place which I gave to you and to your Fathers as I have done to Shiloh And I will cast you out of my sight as I have cast out all your Brethren even the whole seed of Ephraim Therefore sayes the LORD to the Prophet Pray not thou for this People neither lift up Cry nor Prayer for them neither make Intercession to me for I will not hear thee Thus multiply'd sinnes do at length bring down upon a sinful stubborn and rebellious People manifold miseries and remedilesse extremities Thus does the Lord proclaime Warre against his People Israel by the Prophet Hosea for their
manifold Provocations †Hos 4.1 2 3. Hear the Word of the Lord ye children of Israel for the LORD hath a controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land because there is no Truth nor Mercy nor Knowledg of God in the Land By Swearing and Lying and Killing and Stealing and committing Adultery they break out and Blood toucheth Blood Therefore shall the Land mourne and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish with the Beasts of the Field and with the Fowles of Heaven yea the Fishes of the Sea also shall be taken away Thus the Commonnesse of sinne is the Ground of Gods entring a Controversie against a Land Thus the Land of Israel was become a sink of sinne before God empty'd out upon it his Vials of Wrath. And so does our English Prophet * De Excid Britan. Gildas shew us how England was overspread with sins Adultery Drunkennesse Oppression c. before it was overwhelm'd with Judgements When men flie far from God in the commission of all sorts of sinnes then does God come near to them in the Execution of his sorest Judgements Such was the carriage of the Rebellious Jews towards God and thus did the Righteous God deale with his People the Jews I will come near to you sayes the LORD to them †Mal. 3.5 to Judgement and I will be a swift witnesse against the Sorcerers and against the Adulterers and against false Swearers and against those that oppresse the Hireling in his Wages the Widow and the Fatherlesse and that turn aside the stranger from his Right and fear not me saith the LORD of Hosts It s sin thus abounding which changes the Countenance and Constitution of the Times whence of sound and good they become distemper'd and evil Hence is it that the smiling Face of Time is alter'd and beholds us with a languishing Look Hence it is that the most fruitful Seasons are punisht with a barren womb Hence it is that the most joyful Dayes which almost continually appear'd in Festival Garments come forth drooping in a mourning Dress hanging down the Head both for shame and sorrow Much to this purpose does the Father speak as it were with a sigh to his Children his Auditors in his Sermon upon the the Famine and Drought * Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold sayes he how our abounding sinnes our multiply'd Abominations have chang'd the Temper of the Times striping them naked as it were of their proper natures and have drawn strange lineaments upon the Face of the Seasons altering the very Native temperament and fixt constitution thereof 'T is indeed nothing but sin that furrowes the beautiful Face of Time with the frownes and wrinkles of affliction and sorrow 'T is sinne which often alters the Seasons changing Summer into Winter Calms into storms the Summer of Peace Plenty Prosperity into the Winter of Affliction Scarcity and Warre When sinne thus casts its Spawne into the Waters of Time it produces a numerous off-spring of sufferings and sorrows Miseries and Calamities to the Children of men The second Case The Generality of Offendours WHen all sorts of men transgresse both Great and Small Rich and Poore Princes and People Noble and Obscure the Times must needs be perillous Thus before God brought the Flood upon the World †Gen. 6.12 all Flesh had corrupted â—his way upon the Earth Thus not onely were the Common People of Israel * Isa 1.3 4 Ignorant and Profane but their †ver 23. Princes were rebellious and companions of Thieves and then the LORD comes forth to * ver 24. execute Judgement on his Adversaries and to avenge himself on his enemies The Prophet Jeremy knowing that unlesse the righteous stand in the Gap the Judgements of God would soon break out upon a Rebellious People having in the Name of the Lord call'd upon others to run to and fro to seek such out he himself runs from one sort of men to another to find them but when he finds none he denounces the Judgements of God against a people so Generally corrupt and wicked Behold herein the justice and goodnesse of God with the complaint and carriage of the Prophet For sayes the Lord †Jer. 5 1-6 Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem and see now and know and seek in the broad places thereof if ye can finde a man if there be any that executeth Judgement that seeketh the truth and I will pardon it And though they say the LORD liveth surely they swear falsely O LORD are not thine eyes upon the Truth Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive Correction they have made their Faces harder then a Rock hey have refused to returne Therefore I said Surâ—ly these are poore they are foolish for they know not the way of the LORD nor the Judgement of their God I will get me unto the Great men and will spâ—aâ— unto them for they have known the way of the LORD and the Judgement of their God but these have altogether broken the Yoke and burst the Bonds Wherefore a Lion out of the Forrest shall slay them and a Wolfe of the Evenings shall spoile them a Leopard shall watch over their Cities Every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces because their Transgressions are many and their Backslidings are increased So likewise does the Lord by the Prophet Ezekiel complaine of the Corruption of the Priests Princes Prophets and People of Judah and Jerusalem for which he severely punisht them in the fiercenesse of his Wrath and fiery Indignation Sonne of man saith the LORD * Ezek. 22 24-31 say unto her Thou art the Land that is not cleansed nor rained upon in the Day of indignation There is a conspiracy of her Prophets in the midst thereof like a roaring Lion ravening the prey they have devoured souls They have taken the treasure and precious things they have made her many Widows in the midst thereof Her Priests have violated my Law and have profaned my holy Things they have put no difference between the Holy and Profane neither have they shew'd difference between the uncleane and the cleane and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths and I am profaned among them Her Princes in the midst thereof are like Wolves ravening the prey to shed Blood and to destroy soules to get dishonest Gain And her Prophets have daubed them with untemper'd Mortar seeing Vanity and Divining Lies unto them saying Thus saith the Lord GOD when the LORD hath not spoken The People of the Land have used Oppression and exercised Robbery and have vexed the Poore and Needy yea they have oppressed the Stranger wrongfully And I sought for a man among them that should make up the Hedge and stand in the Gap before me for the Land that I should not destroy it but I found none Therefore have I poured out
mine Indignation upon them I have consumed them with the Fire of my Wrath their own way have I recompenced upon their heads saith the Lord GOD. Thus we see the Generall Corruption of the Inhabitants may soone bring upon the whole Land an utter and inevitable Destruction It 's as easie with God to cut down Cedars as to stock up Shrubs yea if the Fire of his wrath be once kindled 't will easily suddenly irresistibly consume the whole †Jer. 21.14 Forrest of People both small and great If some Branches of the great Tree of a Kingdom or Nation be barren or bear evil Fruit God may in mercy prune it with some smaller Judgements to make it the more fruitful but if both the Body and Boughs be corrupt and rotten God may justly destroy it both Root and Branch The third Case Obstinacy and Impudency in Sinning VVHen Sinners are obstinate and shamelesse in sinning the Dayes are evil the Times are perillous Such was the state of the People of Israel before their utter Destruction Moreover saith the Lord to the Prophet Jeremy †Jer. 8 4 5 6. thou shalt say unto them Thus saith the LORD shall they fall and not arise shall he turn away and not return q. d. If men do fall will they lie still and not rise again If a man be gone out of the Way when he perceives it will he proceed and not rather turn back again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quare rebellis refractarius * Ar. Mont. est populus iste Jerusalaim Rebellione forti †Pagnin Aversione pertinaci * Ar. Mont. pervicacissima †Jun. Trem. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Septuag Why then is this People of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual Back-sliding Or why is this People of Jerusalem this my People become refractory and Rebellious and have turned away from me with such a stubborn and obstinate impudent and pertinacious Aversion so stout and stiff-necked a Rebellion They hold fast deceit they refuse to return I hearkened and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of his wickednesse saying what have I done Every one turned to his course as the Horse rusheth into the Battel And further saith the LORD †v. 12-16 Were they ashamed when they had committed Abomination Nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush And what follows Therefore shall they fall among them that fall in the Time of their Visitation they shall be cast down saith the LORD I will surely consume them saith the LORD there shall be no Grapes on the Vine nor Figs on the Fig-tree and the Leaf shall fade and the Things that I have given them shall passe away from them Why do we sit still Assemble your selves and let us enter into the defenced Cities and let us be silent there for the LORD our God hath put us to silence and given us water of Gall to drink because we have sinned against the LORD We looked for Peace but no Good came and for a time of health or healing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * and behold trouble Medelae The snorting of his Horses sc of the Chaldean Army was heard from Dan the whole Land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones for they are come and have devoured the Land and all that is in the City and those that dwell therein Thus when men will not forbear sinning God will not spare them in punishing when they will not be reclaim'd from their Wickednesse they shall be consum'd by his just Judgements When the Preaching of the Word by the Prophets and Ministers of the Lord will not prevaile with men to forsake their sins and seriously to engage in the service of God then Punishment is at hand and the sword of the Lord is ready drawn to cut off such an obstinate and rebellious people Thus it s said †2 King 57 13-20 The LORD testified against Israel and against Judah by all the Prophets and by all the Seers saying Turne ye from your evil wayes and keep my Commandments and my Statutes according to all the Law which I commanded your Fathers and which I sent to you by my servants the Prophets Notwithstanding they would not heare but hardened their necks like to the neck of their Fathers that did not believe in the LORD their God And they rejected his Statutes and his Covenant that he made with their Fathers and his Testimonies which he testified against them and they followed vanity and became vain and went after the Heathen that were round about them concerning whom the LORD had charged them that they should not do like them And they left all the Commandments of the LORD their God and made them molten Images even two Calves and made a Grove and worshipped all the Host of Heaven and served Baal And they caused their Sons and their Daughters to pass thorough the Fire and used Divination and Enchantments and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to Anger Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed thâ—m out of his sight there was none left but the Tribe of Judah onely Also Judah kept not the Commmandments of the LORD their God but walked in the Statutes of Israel which they made And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hand of spoilers until he had cast them out of his sight Thus the multipli'd Abominations of a pertinaciously wicked People provokes the Lord to an utter extirpation of them out of the Land Justly may the Lord give their Land to Strangers who are continually provoking the eyes of his glory by their sins Custome in sinning takes away the Conscience of sinne and so do men confirme themselves in their evil wayes and with Pharaoh harden their hearts to their own Destruction For sayes the LORD by the Prophet * Jer. 13.23 24. Can the Ethiopian change his skinne or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the winde of the Wildernesse How severely will the Lord deal with stubborne sinners that wilfully walk in their own wicked wayes Take heed therefore lest there should be among you saith the LORD to his people Israel †Deut. 29 18 19 20. a root that beareth Gall and wormwood and it come to passe when he heareth the words of this Curse that he blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination or stubbornnesse * So the Marg. Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secundum cogitationem Pagn In Obstinatione Ar. Mont. of mine Heart to adde Drunkennesse to Thirst The LORD will not spare him but then thâ— Anger of the LORD and his Jealousie shall smoke against that man and all the Curses that are
destruction when such bitter and cursed fruits grow upon the top-most Branches of the tallest Trees in the Land So likewise when those that should punish sinne in others are themselves guilty of those sins which do deserve the sharpest Punishment When those that are intrusted with power for the execution of Justice upon Swearers Drunkards Adulterers Sabbath-breakers and such like are themselves guilty of these fearful sins and God-provoking Abominations This speaks the state of such a People to be desperate the disease of such a Nation to be deadly When there is Poison in the Plaister and the Physician himself hath the Plague upon him what hope of cure can there be for the Patient If those that should be the Healers of the Nation do wound it by their transgressions what can be expected but a sudden and inevitable Destruction Certainly corrupt Magistrates and Ministers of Justice are the Lands sharpest Scourges and the chief procurers of its sorest Judgements The fifth Case Incorrigiblenesse and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VVHen men are not amended by Corrections but grow worse and worse under all the Dispensations of Divine Providence it 's a sure and sad Symptome of perillous Times a clear and undeniable evidence that the last dayes are come upon us and the Evil of them hath overtaken us For the Apostle fore-warning us that in the last Dayes perillous Times shall come tells us that in those Dayes †2 Tim. 3.13 Evil men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived It 's a sad signe that judgement is at hand and Destruction is at the Doore when men grow worse and worse under all the meanes of making them bettâ—r When they are not reclaim'd by Judgements reduc'd by benefits reform'd by all the meanes of grace and Salvation Surely Incorrigiblenesse under judgements and customary continuance in Sin and a continual progresse in impiety from one degree to another notwithstanding all the meanes and mercies vouchsaft for their amendment is a Fore-runner of their inevitable ruine If the Tree be prun'd and digg'd about and dung'd and water'd and yet notwithstanding all this cost and paines after long waiting does not onely bring forth no good Fruit but much evil and every yeare worse and worse it shall certainly be cut down that it no longer cumber the ground * Luk. 13 6-9 If when the Lord might justly expect good Grapes from his Vineyard it bring forth nothing but wilde Grapes and these every Vintage worse and worse its just with him to pluck up the Fence thereof and lay it wast †Isa 5 1-6 God is wont by his Word his Rod and his Sword to proceed against sinners By his Word he calls them to repentance but if they will not be reclaim'd by that with his Rod he chastises them for sin he exercises them with several Afflictions if they will not hereby be amended he is ready with the Sword of his Justice to cut them off in the execution of his Judgements So by the neglect and non-improvement of the two former a sinning People come to experiment the severity of the last and sorest of these dispensations Thus does the Lord complain of Judah * Zeph. 3.2 She obeyed not the Voice she received not Correction and so hereby she provoked the wrath of God to her own Ruine and Destruction When men do commonly cast contempt upon the Word and Ordinances of God and are generally unprofitable under the meanes of grace its just with God to give them up to Blindnesse of Minde and hardnesse of Heart and then according to the ordinary Methods of his Justice to second these Spiritual Judgements with a Temporal Destruction and so for the Vnprofitablenesse of the People to lay the Land desolate Of this Import is that dreadful commission which the Lord gave unto the Prophet Isaiah concerning the People of Israel Go sayes He to him †Isa 6 9-12 and tell this People hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not Make the heart of this People fat and make their eares heavy and shut their Eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their Eares and understand with their Heart and convert and be healed Then said I Lord how long And he answered Untill the Cities be wasted without Inhabitant and the Houses without man and the Land be utterly desolate and the LORD have removed men far away and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the Land Of the very same import is the Criminatory Complaint and Prophetick Commination of the Prophet Jeremy against the men of Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem in the Name of the Lord. This thing commanded I them saith the LORD * Jer. 7 23-29 concerning their Fathers whom he had brought out of the Land of Egypt saying Obey my voice and I will be your God and ye shall be my People and walk ye in all the wayes that I have commanded you that it may be well unto you But they hearkened not nor inclined their Eare but walked in the Counsels and in the Imagination or stubbornnesse of their evil Heart and went backward and not forward Thus they became worse by the meanes used to make them better Since the Day that your Fathers came forth out of the Land of Egypt unto this Day I have even sent unto you all my servants the Prophets daily rising up early and sending them Yet they hearkened not unto me nor inclined their eare but hardened their Neck they did worse then their Fathers Therefore thou shalt speake all these words unto them but they will not hearken to thee Thou shalt also call unto them but they will not answer thee But thou shalt say unto them this is a Nation that obeyeth not the Voice of the LORD their God nor receiveth Correction Truth is perished and is cut off from their Mouth Cut off thine Hair O Jerusalem and cast it away and take up a Lamentation on high Places for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the Generation of his Wrath. And what follows †ver 34. Then will I cause to cease from the Cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the Voice of Mirth and the Voice of Gladnesse the Voice of the Bride-groome and the Voice of the Bride for the Land shall be desolate But yet before the Lord proceeds to the utter Destruction of a People he is wont to try them by lesser Judgements lighter Afflictions whether they will return to Him by Repentance or no. These lesser Judgements are his Warning peeces which he shoots off to see whether they will make their Peace with him before he levels against them his Battering Ordnance and discharges upon them his Murdering Cannons his dreadfull destroying Judgements Lighter Afflictions therefore are to be improved for the Prevention of heavier Judgements For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nocumenta Documenta
hidden Treasures which he found and when he had taken all away he went into his own Land having made a great Massacre and spoken very proudly But after seven yeares respite we find Justice calling him to account and severely scourging him with those Scorpions which by this sin he had fed in his own conscience and this which is very remarkable at the same Time that he sought to possesse himself of a rich Booty by a second Sacriledge For sayes the story * 1 Mac. 6 1-16 About that Time King Antiochus travelling through the high Countreys heard say that Elemais in the Countrey of Persia was a City greatly renown'd for Riches Silver and Gold and that there was in it a very Rich Temple wherein were Coverings of Gold and Breast-plates and Shields which Alexander sonne of Philip the Macedonian King who reigned first among the Grecians had left there Wherefore he came and sought to take the City and spoile it but he was not able because they of the City having had warning thereof rose up against him in Battel So he fled and departed thence with great heavinesse and returned to Babylon Moreover there came one who brought in Tidings into Persia that the Armies which went against the Land of Judea were put to flight and that Lysias who went forth first with a great Power was driven away of the Jews and that they were made strong by the Armour and Power and store of Spoiles which they had gotten of the Armies whom they had destroy'd Also that they had pull'd down the †See ch 1.54 Abomination which he had set up upon the Altar in Jerusalem and that they had compassed about the Sanctuary with High Walls as before and his City Bethsura Now when the King heard these words he was astonished and sore moved whereupon he laid him down upon his Bed and fell sick for Grief because it had not befallen him as he looked for And there he continued many dayes for his Grief was ever more and more and he made account that he should die Wherefore he called for all his friends and said unto them the Sleep is gone from mine Eyes and my Heart faileth for very Care And I thought with my self into what Tribulation am I come and how great a Flood of Misery is it wherein now I am For I was bountiful and beloved in my Power But NOW I remember the Evils that I did at JERUSALEM and that I took all the Vessels of Gold and Silver that were therein and sent to destroy the Inhabitants of Judea without a Cause I perceive therefore that for THIS Cause these troubles are come upon me and behold I perish through great Grief in a strange Land Then called he for Philip one of his Friends whom he made Ruler over all his Realme and gave him the Crown and his Robe and his Signet to the end he should bring up his son Antiochus and nourish him up for the Kingdome So King Antiochus died there in the hundred fourty and nine yeare Thus Conscience though stifled for a time will not alwayes lie asleep Thus the proudest presumptuous sinner carries his Accuser Judge Witnesses and Executioner in his own bosome Thus Sacriledge though for a time carried out with successe shall at length recoile upon the head of him that committed it to the Astonishment of all beholders Surely when mens Hearts and Hands are engag'd in this sin what ever thei◠Pretences be they take the ready course to pluck the Judgements of God down upon their Heads which may involve the whole Nation in many woful calamities and so bring upon the Church of God very sad and perillous Times And are there not too many in these Dayes that under the Pretences of Piety which makes the Provocation higher are guilty of this sin of Sacriledge We read when the City Carthage was taken by the Romanes the rude Souldiers rushing into the sacred Temples stript the Image of Apollo of a golden Robe but sayes the History the Sacrilegious hands of them that took it were found amongst the Fragments of that sacred Vesture * Val. Max. l. 1. c. 1. If the like Judgement should befall those that have stript the Church Christs Monument on Earth of her Golden Robe or at least attempted such a Sacriledge how might we say in the words of the Psalmist †Psa 76.5 a little varied Many of the men of Might have lost their Hands But perhaps what I call the Churches Golden Robe some may stile a Babylonish Garment and what I esteem sacred as her Dowry they may call accursed Gold But let them remember all Israel smarted and the Troubler of Israel Achan with his Family and Cattle dyed in a showre of stones and were wrapt up in a Sheet of flames for plundring the Golden Wedge and Babylonish Garment * Josh c. 7. The Phocian Generals who paid their Souldiers with the Gold of the Temple of Apollo came all to untimely deaths †Diod. Sic. Gold the sick mans Cordial is the sacrilegious mans Poyson It s a snare saith Solomon * Prov. 20.25 to the man who devoureth that which is holy and after vows to make Enquiry So likewise the Souldiers which under the Conduct of Quintus Caepio a Roman Consul having taken the City Tholouse in France by storm rifled the rich Temples there carrying away all the Gold and Silver out of them were all overtaken by those Judgements which are in pursuit of such daring Sacrilegists and came to a miserable end †Corn. Tacit. Thus they that enrich themselves with Sacrilegious hands do but therein pluck down the Judgements of God upon their own heads And when Towers fall the Under-Buildings must needs be batter'd The commission of this sin therefore especially under Pretences of Religion must needs speak the Times perillous When Calvin understood how the Senate of Geneva was about to imploy part of the Revenues formerly pertaining to the Monasteries to Civil Uses he told them in his Sermon that he could not endure such Sacrilege which he knew God in the end would punish most severely What is given to God though out of a blind Devotion may not again be taken from God but ought to be imploy'd for God in the Maintenance of his Worship and the Exercises of true Religion There 's surely a Moral Equity in that Levitical Law Notwithstanding saith the LORD to Moses * Lev. 27.28 no devoted thing that a man shall devote unto the LORD of all that he hath both of man and beast and of the Field and of his Possession shall be sold or redeemed Every devoted Thing is most holy unto the Lord. And therefore the Theft of Achan in stealing the Golden Wedge †Josh 7.1 21 was the Sin of Sacriledge because the Gold of Jericho was consecrated to the LORD * Josh 6.19 For if a man that hath a true Propriety in his own Goods shall alienate them to
anothers use who can deprive him of them without Intrenchment upon his just Right to whom they are given And then is not he guilty of †Mal. 3.8 Robbing of God which shall take away that and turn it to a secular Use for his own advanrage which was consecrated to Gods holy service Yea though a man that dedicates any thing to God should not do it with a Right intention yet is it the Lords Right after it is consecrated to a Religious Vse And therefore Christ calls the Temple built by Herod for vain glory his Fathers HOUSE and whips out them that profan'd it * 1 John 2.15 16. Much more will God scourge with his judgements those that under the pretence of Religion commit Sacriledge 'T was one of the Laws of the twelve Tables in Rome Sacrum Sacrove commendatum qui clepserit rapseritve Parricida esto †Cic. pro Rosc Let him that stealeth or violently taketh away holy things or things dedicated to a holy Use be reputed and punished as a Parricide And should Sacriledge be esteemed a lesse Crime amongst Christians then it was amongst Heathens shall we think it a lesse sinne to rob the true God the * Gen. 1.1 Ps 124.8 Creator of Heaven and Earth whose †Eph. 2.10 Workmanship we are for his * Psal 119.73 hands have made and fashion'd us then they did to rob their false gods which were so created by men to defraud their Idols which were the †Ps 115.4 work of mens hands being but * Ezek. 20.32 Wood and Stone or at the best but †Psa 135.15 Silver and Gold Surely if they to expresse the heinousnesse of this sin reckon'd it amongst the vilest murders of Bodies we shall want a sin with which to match it which is in effect a murder of souls It 's sad to think how many thousand souls were murder'd at one stroke when the Revenues of the Church were alienated in many places in England an act then which the Infernal Powers could hardly have decreed any thing more Diabolical and Destructive to the Kingdome of Christ however pretended for the purging of the Land from Superstition and spiritual Tyranny For have not many thousand souls by this means eternally perisht in their sinnes who for want of a competent maintenance for a sound and able Ministry have never enjoy'd the Means of Grace and Salvation but have sat down in Darknesse and the shadow of Death under an ignorant unprofitable and scandalous soul-murthering Ministry maintain'd by some broken reversions of those rich Revenues which were cut off from the Church by that cursed Sacriledge Doubtlesse the Blood of thousands of soules will give Testimony to the truth hereof at the Day of Judgement to the eternal confusion of such damned Sacrilegists who if they escap't punishment in this present Life shall be overtaken with the Wrath and Vengeance of God in the world to come Of this great evil does Calvin complain upon account of the Alienation of Abby-Lands and other depredations made upon the Churches revenues here in England in his Epistle to Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Canterbury as a mighty obstruction to the prosperous successe of the Gospel and Hindrance of the flourishing of the Christian Religion For sayes he Id quo minus fiat occultis quidem artibus obsistit Satan Unum tamen apertum obstaculum esse intelligo quod praedae expositi sunt Ecclesiae Reditus Malum sane intolerabile That this might not be Satan by his secret slights prevailes to the raising of a strong resistance But one thing I understand is an open Obstacle and that is that a Sacrilegious Rape is committed upon the Churches Revenues This is indeed a mischief intolerable And therefore it was both wise and holy Counsel and worthy of a Christian Prince which Christopher of Wittenberg gave to Andrew an eminent Divine in his Dominion when he was sent for by Lodwick Count of Oeting for his advice in some special concernments in the Church that if Count Lodwick should set upon a REFORMATION that under the Pretence of Religion he might rob God and by seizing upon the Revenues of the Church under the pretence of suppressing SUPERSTITION because they were anciently given for the maintenance of Monasteries turn them to his own private use and advantage he should presently leave him as a SACRILEGIOUS Person and come back to his own Countrey How strange is it that such Sacrilegious Persons should go on secure in their sins without fearing the judgement of God which is at their heeles in pursuit of them What a sad end befel Cardinal Woolsey that first began to enrich himself by Lands given to Monasteries And what a revenging hand pursu'd his five chief Agents that were most serviceable to him in that Sacrilegious Enterprize One of them kill'd his fellow in a Duel and was hang'd for it a third drowned himself in a Welâ— a fourth fell from a great estate to extreame Beggery Dr. Allen the last and chiefest of them being made Arch-Bishop of Dublin was cruelly slaine by his Adversaries Whereupon sayes the * Scultâ—t Relator of this sad Story Utinam his similibus Exemplis edocti discant homines res semel Deo consecratas timidè attrectare O that these and such like Examples might teach men to be afraid to meddle with such things as have at any time been consecrated unto God But judgement does not alwayes fall upon the Person but is sometimes reserv'd for the Posterity of those who have stain'd their hands with the guilt of Sacriledge Dionysius of Syracuse was wont to make a Mock of Sacriledge a sinne he thought he might boldly jest with as having made it his Familiar Amongst the rest he took a golden Vestment from the statue of Jupiter Olympius and instead thereof put a Cloak of cloth upon it saying Gold was too heavy for Summer and too cold for Winter but this would suit well with either Season Some have pretended the Churches good in taking away her Gâ—â—ments of Gold as if while her cloathing is of wrought Gold she can never be all glorious within †Ps 45.13 Now might not all men expect some remarkable judgement should be inflicted upon this Sacrilegious Tyrant Yet herein were mens expectations frustrated For sayes Valerius he underwent not the punishment he deserved But take notice for its worthy our observation of the Divine Conclusion which the Heathen Historian makes hereupon Qui tametsi debita supplicia non exolvit Dedecore tamen Filii mortuus Poenas rependit quas vivus effugerat Lento enim gradu ad Vindictam sui Divina procedit Ira tarditatemque supplicii gravitate compensat * Val. Max. l. 1. c. 1. Though sayes he he suffer'd not the punishment due to his insolency during his Life yet was the DISGRACE of his SON a punishment of his pride and stain to his glory after his Death Thus Divine Justice
onely as it nourishes a secret Prejudice against the Divine Providence as suffering things to go out of Order but also as it unbridles unruly lusts and emboldens to walk in forbidden wayes while it banishes the fear of punishment and flatters the soul with promises of security in sinne This then must needs make the Times perillous Concerning this therefore does the Prophet expostulate with the Lord as the cause of many Calamities to the Land Righteous art thou O LORD sayes he * Jer. 12 1-4 when I plead with thee yet let me talk with thee of thy Judgements Or as the Margin reads it Let me reason the Case with thee concerning thy judgements Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper Wherefore are all they happy that deale very treacherously Thou hast planted them yea they have taken too t they grow yea they bring forth Fruit thou art near in their mouth and far from their reins But thou O LORD knowest me thou hast seen me and tryed mine heart towards thee pull them out like sheep for the slaughter and prepare them for the Day of slaughter How long shall the Land mourn and the Herbs of every Field wither for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein q. d. Wilt thou O Lord for ever suffer these wicked ones who are the cause that the whole countrey is ruin'd through thy just wrath †Diod. in loc The Beasts are consum'd and the Birds viz. by the drought and Famine brought upon the whole land for the punishment of the excesses of these wicked ones and their Atheistical contempt of the Divine Providence because they said he shall not see our last end q. d. We are so firmly rooted in our places of Power that notwithstanding the Judgements of God threatned against us we shall flourish for ever True * Engl. Annot. in loc this Jeremy telleth us what at length will befal us and that all our present prosperity shall end in extreame misery but his words are but winde he will never live to see any such matter befall us we shall sooner see an end of him then he any such end of us Thus do the worlds proud Potentates under pretences of Piety securely proceed in their wayes of wickednesse secretly slighting the Lords threatnings and contemning his Providence because they are not presently overtaken with their oft deserved punishments And does not this Prosperity and Immunity of such profane Politicians presumptuous Atheists speak the times evil and perillous But now it pleases God in his most holy and righteous providence to permit it thus to be that wicked men being hereby judicially hardened in their sinnes might more securely passe on and be punished and so at length be suddenly swallow'd up into an inevitable Destruction Thus there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt †Eccl. 8.9 For wickednesse shall not deliver those that are given to it * Eccl. 8.8 Yet because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to do evil †Eccl. 8.11 But at length God bringeth the wheele of his Providence over them and stretching forth his hand of Power arm'd with Justice against them he suddenly thrusts them down from the top of their earthly pomp and glory into a dreadful destruction This was the resolution which David received of his difficult question in this case which so much perplexed his spirit when he had sought the Lord in his Sanctuary When I thought to know this sayes he * Psal 73 16-20 it was too painful for me Vntil I went into the SANCTUARY of God then understood I their END Surely thou didst set them in slippery places thou castedst them down into Destruction How are they brought into Desolation as in a moment they are utterly consumed with terrors As a dreame when one awaketh so O Lord when thou awakest thou shalt despise their Image That is when thy PROVIDENCE which seemeth to sleep during the time of their Impunity shall awake to their just punishment then shall their earthly prosperity and all their worldly greatnesse and glory which is but an IMAGE of happinesse vanish away and give place to those afflicting miseries that everlasting igâ—ominy and contempt which shall suddenly and irresistibly come upon them So likewise does JOB excellently describe the flourishing state of these wicked men and fully resolves the Question and cleares the case of their present impunity by setting before us the triumphs of the Divine Justice in their future Punishment their final destruction The Tabernacles of the Robbers saith he †Job 12.6 prosper and they that provoke God are secure into whose hand God bringeth abundantly But * Job 21.7 20 Wherefore do the wicked live become old yea are MIGHTY IN POWER Their seed is established in their sight with them and their off-spring before their eyes Their houses are safe from Fear neither is the Rod of God upon them Their Bull gendreth and faileth not their Cow calveth and casteth not her Calfe They send forth their little ones like a flock and their children dance They take the Timbrel and Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ They spend their dayes in Wealth and Mirth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †and in a moment go down into the Grave Therefore they say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes What is the Almighty that we should serve him And what profit should we have if we pray unto him Loe their good is not in their hand the counsel of the wicked is far from me How oft is the Candle of the wicked put out And how oft cometh their destruction upon them God distributeth sorrows in his Anger They are as stubble before the winde and as chaff that the storme carrieth away God layeth up his Iniquity or the punishment of his iniquity * See the Marg. for his children he rewardeth him and HE SHALL KNOW IT His eyes shall see his destruction and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty Now what can be more pleasant and desirable then the Beginning of these wicked worldlings and what can be more dreadfull and formidable then their latter End And further sayes he †Job 24.1 Why seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty do they that know him not see his Dayes i. e. The time by him appointed for the punishment of the wicked * v. 2. Some remove the Land-marks They violently take away Flocks and feed thereof †v. 4. They turn the needy out of the way the poore of the earth hide themselves together * v. 7. They cause the naked to lodge without clothing that they have no covering in the cold †v. 12 13 Men groane from out of the City and the soul of the wounded cryeth out yet God layeth not Folly to them They are of
those that rebel against the Light they know not the wayes thereof nor abide in the paths thereof * v. 22. He draweth also the Mighty with his POWER he riseth up and no man is sure of Life That is saith Diodati they subvert and overthrow all publick Order and lawful Government with their violence Thus far do the wicked prevaile and prosper But what follows †v. 23 24 Though it be given him to be in safety whereon he resteth yet his eyes even the eyes of God are upon their Wayes They are exalted for a little time but are gone and brought low they are taken out of the way as all other and cut off as the tops of the eares of Corne. This may be understood sayes a late Expositor * Trap in loc of the like violence wherewith Tyrants shall be cut off by which they have cut off other Mighty and great men as Thrasibulus King of the Milesians by striking off with his staffe certain ears of corne which began to lift up their heads above their fellows and Tarquin King of the Romanes by doing the like to certaine Poppies in his Garden signified their mindes to have divers chiefe men beheaded which was accordingly accomplished But now when wicked men carry on their wicked Designes under the specious pretences of RELIGION and LIBERTY and carry out their most enormous enterprizes with IMPUNITY and GOOD SUCCESSE such Times must needs be extreamly perillous For hereby a wide gap will be open'd to many grand impieties which will all heighten the provocation of God to inflict upon such a people his sorest Judgements For as those that truly fear God will hereby be much discourag'd in the wayes of truth and righteousnesse so will the wicked be much harden'd and hearten'd in their sinnes and embolden'd to proceed in their Impieties as the surest path to Prosperity Greatnesse and Honour in the world Thus will multitudes unite their strength with these strong Cords of wickednesse to pluck down Gods heaviest Judgements upon their own heads which may involve all the Inhabitants of such a sinful Nation in Misery Affliction and Woe Plutarch in his Morals hath an excellent Discourse upon this Subject from which I shall select a few Passages which speak fully to our present Purpose It cannot surely either be unpleasant or unprofitable to heare a Heathen discoursing of the Providences of God in permitting of sinnes and delaying for a time the punishment thereof and in this discourse to heare corruption quarrelling with these dispensations and to see virtue in a fainting fit and Vice emboldening it self thereby and then presently to behold NATURE coming in with her golden Lamp and clearing up the Divine Justice in a severe compensation of this delay partly by Judgements more seasonably executed in this life and partly by eternal Punishments prepar'd for such sinners in the world to come For thus he brings in Patrocles speaking of Gods delay in the punishment of notorious offendors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The slacknesse and delay of the Divine Power in proceeding to the punishment of wicked men seems to me to be a very sore evil Plut. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he gives us the reason of this his Opinion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For when the discharge of this debt of the Divine Justice is thus delay'd from day to day it does more then any thing discourage the hopes and defect the spirit of those that suffer wrong and on the other side it makes the wicked that oppresse them the more confident and audacious And again this is another evil as Olympiacus replies to Patrocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That this slackness of punishment weakens the Belief of the Divine Providence It also obscures the rayes of Righteousnesse and scatters the Feares of wickednesse But Plutarch most divinely commends Sobriety in judging of the things of God For as one unskilful in the art of Musick or Warre or Physick as he excellently illustrates it not knowing the grounds and reasons thereof is not able to give a right judgement of the actings of those that are expert in these Arts so much lesse fit are we to prescribe a method to the wise Providence of God for the Punishment of Offendors And for this purpose he produces Pindar calling the chief Deity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The chiefe or best Artist for as much as to him it pertains as the Administrator of Justice to determine when and how and how far every wicked man is to be punished And for all these his Determinations there are good Grounds and Reasons well known to his wisdome though he sees it not meet to manifest them to his creatures who by the Law of their Being which they have received from him are bound quietly to submit to all his determinations as ever founded in infinite Wisdome and Justice Neither should the Proceedings of his providence seeme strange to us because the Reason is hid from us For sayes he even Humane Lawes the Reason unknown would seem absurd yet being made by Reasonable Creatures we would not presently judge them irrationall When God therefore delays the Execution of his Judgement upon sinners for the punishment of their crimes 't is not for fear of Error or Repentance but to give us an example of Patience and Meeknesse to banish from us Anger and Impetuousnesse in punishing Offences and revenging wrongs Then he makes a large representation of their torments in Hell who through Gods forbearance have escaped punishment on Earth Thus we see what sound and solid doctrine is taught in the School of a Heathen Moralist concerning those Providences of God which sometimes puzzle the thoughts of sober and understanding Christians Hence also we may take notice that this Impunity of wicked men notwithstanding all their Provocations is a matter of ordinary Occurrence and universal Observation Moreover such times must needs be perillous if we consider that Gods permission of people to proceed in wayes of wickednesse without punishment is the sorest Judgement and a sad presage of the utter dâ—struction of such a sinful people Ah sinful Nation sayes the LORD concerning Israel when they were design'd to destruction †Isa 1.4 8 a People laden with iniquity a seed of evil Doers children that are corrupters they have forsaken the LORD they have provoked the holy One of Israel unto anger they have gone away backward Why should ye be stricken any more Ye will revolt more and more the whole head is sick and the whole heart faint From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundnesse in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores they have not been closed neither bound up neither mollifi'd with oyntment But behold the approaching destruction of this unpunisht people Your Countrey is desolate your Cities are burnt with Fire your Land strangers devoure it in your presence and it is desolate as overthrown by strangers And the daughter of
Zion is left as a Cottage in a vineyard as a Lodge in a garden of Cucumbers as a besieged City Thus though justice have leaden feet and be slow in coming yet it hath iron hands to crush the rebellious and break in pieces a provoking people Impunity is a sad signe of God's implacable wrath against a people that notwithstanding many warnings are become stubborne in their sinnes Hereby they are but reserved for some greater Judgement fitted for a sorer punishment God never spake with a more wrathful voice to the people of Israel and to the children of Ephraim then when he said * Hos 4.14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredome nor your Spouses when they commit Adultery for themselves are separated with whores and they sacrifice with Harlots therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall or be punished †Margin And again * v. 17. Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone When God thus permits particular persons especially such as are set in high places and so are the more Exemplary in their abominations to proceed without punishment in their sins it s a fearful presage of some General Judgement to be inflicted upon the whole Land Thus it was in the case of Ephraims and Israels sin I know Ephraim sayes the Lord †Hos 5.3 4 5. and Israel is not hid from me for now O Ephraim thou committest whoredome and Israel is defiled They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God for the spirit of whoredomes is in the midst of them and they have not known the LORD And the pride of Israel doth testifie to his face therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their Iniquity Judah also shall fall with them When great persons escape punishment from God in the guilt of flagitious enormities and fearful Provocations let the whole Land tremble for fear of Gods judgements The eighth Symptome Toleration of Errors in Religion THe Prediction of perillous Times is certainly accomplish't When the simplicity of the TRUTH and true WORSHIP of God is out-fac't by the impudency of ERROUR false WORSHIP and profanenesse When Errour shall set up its Throne in the Temple of God a Christian Church and Truth shall be set at the footstoole When false worship shall lift up its head and true worship shall hang the Wing When Profanenesse shall proudly presse into the Sanctuary and humble Piety shall either be excluded or derided When the ancient and venerable Truth and true Religion shall grow out of Credit and Errour false worship and Profanenesse as a new upstart clad in a glorious Disguise and waited on by his insolent Atendants on either hand shall be all in Fashion and favour When the latter shall be suffer'd to brow-beat and justle out the former in many places of the Land When the Vultures shall drive the Doves from their Houses and the Wolves shall contend with the Sheep for the Fold they must needs be perillous Times When false Teachers the Captaines of the Train-bands of the Prince of Darkness who for the carrying on of this designe transformes himself into an Angel of Light * 2 Cor. 11 14 shall by their Satanical stratagems so far prevaile against the Kingdome of Christ as to carry away Captive many of his Subjects who in their Baptisme receiv'd their Press-money to fight under his Banner the perillous Times prophecy'd of by the Apostle are come †See 2 Tim. 3. v. 1. with v. 6 Doubtlesse the Times are perillous when Saints shall be rejected as sinners and Seducers shall be received as Saints though they daily grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived * 2 Tim. 3.13 When Religion shall be derided as superstition and humane inventions shall be obtruded upon seduced Christians as the Ordinances of Christ When the proud Philistines shall defie the Army of the Israelites the Hosts of the Living God and Saul with his men of War shall stand and look on if David or rather the sonne of David come not to succour us we must needs be in a dangerous condition When Dagon is brought into the Temple of God and set above the Ark when Jeroboams Calves have more Worshippers and Followers then the God of Israel when Christ in his Ministers is set at naught by Herod and his men of War When true Christianity is crucifiâ—d betwixt two thieves Erâ—or on the one hand and Profanesse on the other do not the People of God know and feel that these are evil and perillous Times When Idolatry shall justle out true Christianity the Times must needs be perillous To set up Iâ—ols in the Temple of God what is it but the Abomination which maketh desolate Now error and Heresie is a kinde of spiritual Idolatry Multi haeretici cum Paganis alios alios Deos ipsi sibi finxerunt alios alios Deos sibi ipsi fecerunt eos etiamsi non in Templis tamen quod est pejus in suo corde posuerunt falsorum ridendorumque simulacrorum Templa ipsi facti sunt †Aug. in Enarrat Psal 80. Many Hereticks sayes Augustine as well as Pagans have themselves feigned and formed many Gods unto themseves and though they have not set them up in Temples yet which is worse they have enshrined them in their own hearts and so they themselves have become the Temples of false and foolish Images Now when Christians that have been consecrated by Baptisme to be Temples of the Holy Ghost shall turn themselves into Temples of such phantastick Idols of their own Invention this must needs be a sinne highly provoking the Lord to Jealousie and so speak the Times perillous But for the further clearing up of this Symptome I shall do these two things viz. 1. Lay down the Characters of Erroneous Persons 2. Shew the Cases which upon this Account constitute perillous Times The Characters of Erroneous Persons ERroneous persons when they appeare do as Comets portend great Calamities to the Church of God the Kingdome of Christ And if we search the Prophecies of the New Testament we shall finde that the arising and abounding of false Teachers Hereticks and Seducers is expresly foretold to be in the last dayes when the Apostle hath told us perillous Times shall come False-Fires are not wont to appear till the approach of Night and these misguiding New-lights shall appear in the evening of the world and great is the danger of those that are misled by them Our Saviour in his discourse of the end of the world and Prophecy of those things which should come to passe in the last dayes forewarns us of such deceivers Then sayes he * Mat. 24.23 24 25. if any man shall say unto you Loe here is Christ or there believe it not For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect. Behold I
of the House of God and in bringing in their Powder and March to blow it up When those shall be admitted Stewards of Divine Mysteries who put Poyson into the meat of the Kings children the Times must needs be sad and perillous When illiteraâ—e Mechanicks shall be allow'd to be publick Preachers who shall confidently vent the grossest Errours for glorious Truths When those that publickly cast contempt upon the Call of the Ministry upon that Ordinance of God which is the onely Gospel-way for the Investment of fit persons with Ministerial Authoritie ORDINATION shall be suffer'd to usurp the Ministerial Office and impudently to challenge the Churches Dowry meerly so violating of her Chastity or if that faile for falsely accusing her to be be a Harlot When so wide a Gap shall be cut out by the Sword into this sacred Function that Popish Priests and Jesuites in a Disguise may enter in and have as much Countenance and Encouragement as the ablest Orthodox Minister of the Gospel When a Schismatick shall be the onely Chirurgion allow'd to heale the Churches Breaches and a Wolfe shall be set over the Flock of Christ and the Souls of men shall be committed to the charge of one of the chiefe Agents of Satan are not these Dayes of Danger and Distress perillous Times When multitudes of discordant opinions and Diversities of Religion or wayes of worship are tolerated by the Civil Magistrate in his Dominion the Church of Christ is turn'd into a Chaos of Confusion This indeed was a piece of the Pagan-Policy of the * Vid. Dio. Sicul. de Egypt Reg lib. 11. Egyptian Kings for the prevention of whatever Conspiracies might prove prejudicial to their Establishment in their Kingdome For with what Rigour soever they rul'd over the People subjected to their Scepter while they kept them at a Diâ—â—ance one from another by Diversities of Religion they judg'd there was lesse danger of their conspiring together or uniting their strength to cast off the Yoke and Burden laid upon them For still one Faction would be jealous of another and so while they were divided by different designes they could hardly be ever united in one Common Interest But it must needs go ill with the Church of Christ when such carnal and cursed Policies have place in a Christian Common-wealth Hereunto therefore we shall oppose what we finde in the learned and judicious Casuist Baldwin upon this Question Num consultum est Conscientiis saluti publicae plures quam unam in bene constituta Republica admittere Religionem †D. Baldwin de Cas Conse l. 2. c. 6. cas 3. Whether it be consistent with Peace of Conscience publick safety to admit of more then one Religion in a well-constituted Common-Wealth Having mention'd the Opinions and Judgement of some others in this matter he thus concludes Idcirco apud omnes in confesso est Magistratum illum graviter peccare in DEUM subditos qui Religiones varias quas praecavere potuisset in Republica voluntarie admittit recipit fovet aut absque ulla necessitate retinet Is enim nihil aliud facit quam quod confusam Dei ignorantiam Opinionem quam * Lib. 19. de Legibus Plato summam omnium rerum publicaâ—um Pestem appellavit introducit siquidem omnis humanae Societatis Fundamentum convellit qui Religioni est noxius Qua propter †Lib. 2. de Eunomia Tholosanus censuit Magistratum si adventitias Religiones admiserit tanquam Rei publicae eversorem clancularium Patriae Proditorem privandum esse Authoritate Dignitate gubernandi non tantum sed si Rex fuerit Regno ac Ditionibus suis quae in praedam Possessionem eorum veniant qui eas illa lue liberaverint idque per novam constitutionem Friderici Imperatoris fieri adserit It is therefore confessed on all Hands that that Magistrate does grievously sin against GOD and his Subjects who voluntarily admits receives cherishes or without any necessity retains divers Religions in the Common-Wealth which he might have made Provision against For he does no other then introduce a confused ignorance and opinion of God which Plato call'd the chiefest Plague of all Common-wealths forasmuch as he destroys the foundation of all humane society who is injurious to Religion Wherefore Tholosanus judged that if a Magistrate should admit of whatsoever Religions should arise he was proceeded against as an underminer of the Common-wealth and a privy traytor to his Countrey and so not only to be deprived of his Authority and Dignity of governing but also if he was a King of his Kingdome and Dominions which should become a prey and possession to them which should have freed them from such a plague and this he asserts to be done by a new constitution of the Emperour Frederick This resolve I shall leave to the censure of them that shall peruse it only this I shall say that I conceive upon a sufficient ground that an Authoritative Allowance and publick Protection of diversities of Opinion Practice about the Fundamentals of Doctrine and Worship in the same Religion is every whit as pernicious as the Toleration of different Religions For as in the liberty of different Religions People are in danger to be drawn off from the true Religion to a false so does the allowance of different opinions and practices about fundamentals tend to the utter subversion of the true Religion to the manifest and inevitable Ruine and Destruction of mens pretious and immortal soules The Magistratical Protection then of Errours in Religion and different ways of Worship swarving from the rule of the Word of God must needs speak the times perillous especially when this LIBERTINISME shall be establisht by LAW reckon'd amongst the just rights and Priviledges of the People of God and accounted a GLORIOUS LIBERTY When the Plague is thus far broke out amongst us we may all write upon our Doors LORD HAVE MERCY UPON US The third Case Misusing Gods Ministers VVHen men shall mock Gods messengers and abuse his Ambassadours the times are evil and perillous This is a sad Symptome of approaching judgements God is infinite in Patience but this is a sinne so highly provoking that God can bear no longer he cannot I may well say with Scripture-warrant with-hold his hand from punishing such a people For 't is the highest abuse of his richest Mercy and gracious condescention to the children of men Shall the Lord send his Messengers with messages of Love his Ambassadours with Embassies of Peace to a sinning a provoking People that deserve to be visited with Judgement and destroy'd in his Wrath and shall those vile sinners dare to affront and abuse them yea deal with them as Malefactors rather then the Lords Ministers must not this needs provoke the Lord to arme his Justice with vengeance against such a people and to punish them without Mercy in the execution of his sorest Judgements This was the sinne which
extreamly evil and perillous Yea when a wicked Generation of men shall be suffer'd with Impunity to cast Contempt upon all the Ordinances of Gods Worship to vilifie and reproach the Assemblies of the Saints calling them the Synagogues of Satan with many more vile reproaches which I think not meet to mention what shall we think are not the Dayes evil the Times perillous When those shall be countenanc't honour'd advanc't in the State being set in Places of Power and Trust who do what they can to cast an Odium upon the Ordinances of the Gospel are not the dayes evil the Times perillous These sacred Ordinances are the paths of Christ wherein he walks amongst his People and hereby do men * Ps 79.51 reproach the footsteps of Gods anointed Hereby do vile persons cast dirt at the Chariots of the King of glory Hereby is the Lord continually provoked to depart from such a people and therefore the dayes which are defil'd with these Abominations must needs be perillous Times The fift Case Sinners Sedulity and Sloth in Saints VVHen the spirit of Errour and Profanesse prevailes more and more in the World and the Spirit of Prayer and Zeale for truth and holinesse decayes more and more in the Church the Dayes are evil the Times perillous When false Fires appear and the Fire of the Altar goes out sure God is departing from his Temple When the Locusts and Caterpillars swarme in the Fields and the Frogs croak in every corner of the House the Judgement of God is already upon the Land When †2 Tim. 3.6 7 silly women are led captive in Troops by subtile Deceivers and soul-deluding Seducers * 2 Pet. 2.2 draw many Disciples after them the last Dayes which we are told shall be perillous Times are come upon us Activity of bad men in carrying on their wicked Designes and Lukewarmnesse in good men in promoting the Cause and Interest of Christ is a sad Symptome of some sore evil at hand When few are zealous for Truth and Righteousness multitudes are zealous for Errour and Impunity in the contempt of Gods holy worship we may justly feare God will shortly bring some fearful judgement on the Land When †Mat. 24.12 Iniquity abounds and the love of many waxes cold the Winter is come and stormes must be expected When the Spirit of Prayer departs the Spirit of Judgement comes in the roome of it When the Winde ceases presently the Rain falls When the hands of Moses fall down in Prayer and Amalek prevailes in battel we must needs expect it should go ill with Israel When Christians are fallen from their * Rev. 2.4 first Love and Professors are grow'n †Rev. 3.16 Lukewarm in Religion yea and many are become Key-cold in the Cause of Christ whilest others are very forward and zealous to promote the Honour and Adoration of the Deified IMAGES of their own Fancies they must needs be perillous Times ZEALE is the Pulse of the Church as JUSTICE is of the Common-wealth Now a wise Physician by feeling the Pulse may judge of the state of the Patient If it be violent and irregular the body is inflam'd and in a great distemper if it be very weak slow remiss and much interrupted it is a sad Symptome of approaching Death Apostacy in Religion is a fore-runner of Ruine and Destruction to such a particular Church and People * Jer. 8.5 15 Lukewarmnesse in Religion is a loathed temper I know thy Works sayes the Lord of the Church of Laodicea †Rev. 3.15 16. too true a Patterne of the Church of England that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou wert cold or hot So then because thou art Lukewarme and neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth In these cases all good Christians have cause to bewaile the sad condition of the Church of Christ The ninth Symptome Divisions in the Church and Union of her Adversaries THe children of the Church have experience of perillous Times When the Professors of the true Religion are divided and the profest enemies thereof are united When the Canaanites are combin'd against the Israelites and the Israelites are divided amongst themselves needs must they be distressed by their Enemies When Idolatrous Nations joyne in Confederacy against the People that professe the true Religion their State must needs be dangerous Of this does the Psalmist complain as speaking the sad state of the People of God and therefore he makes his earnest suit to God for redresse saying * Psal 83 1-8 Keep not thou silence O God hold not thy Peace and be not still O God For loe thine Enemies make a tumult and they that hate thee have lift up the head They have taken crafty COUNSEL against thy People and consulted against thy hidden ones They have said Come and let us cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance For they have consulted together with one CONSENT they are CONFEDERATE against thee The Tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites of Moab and the Hagarens Gebal and Ammon and Amalek the Philistines with the Inhabitants of Tyre Ashur also is joyned with them they have holpen the children of Lot Needs must those be perillous Times with the People of Israel when as a small Flock of sheep they were surrounded with so many troops of Wolves Lions and Bears thirsting after their blood and ready to teare them in pieces and devoure them When in the Dayes of Jehoshaphat †2 Chr. 20 Moab and Ammon and mount Seir conspired against Israel and came up against Jehoshaphat to battel both he and all the people of the Land were struck with feare in the apprehensions of their great danger And well might they fear when three Nations had arm'd themselves against that People that had provoked the Lord by their sinnes to give them up into their Enemies hands But behold a strange turne of Providence which affords a further illustration to the matter in hand These three great Armies by a wonderful stratagem of the Divine Providence were divided one against another and so now their great strength became the cause of their weaknesse and destruction for even without any stroke struck by Israel they themselves destroy'd one another insomuch that when Israel came against them they had none to encounter with but the * v. 24. dead Bodies of the slaine which were fallen to the earth and none escaped Thus as their Conjunction was their strength their Division became their overthrow Sad Divisions and bitter Contentions amongst Christians do not onely make them a scorn and Derision to their enemies but also expose them to the danger of an utter Destruction Such Christians as like Cranes fight amongst themselves do easily become a prey to others Their enemies like Eagles and Vultures will hasten to their Overthrow Thus did the Romane EAGLES prey upon the miserable Jews conflicting together in
then your Border ye that in your carnal security put far away the Evil Day the Day wherein God will call you to account for all your miscarriages and severely punish you for all your provocations though you now that you may the more securely continue in your sinnes put the Thoughts thereof far from you and cause the Seat of Violence to come neare * Amos 6.1 2 3. That is sayes Diodate You Chieftains who put away far from you all thought and fear of Gods Judgements and in the meane while joyne with and draw near to Publick Tyranny as if sinnes and their punishments could go the one without the other But Gods Judgements will for certaine at length surprize secure sinners The Danger must needs be great when men live secure in the guilt of those sinnes and Provocations whereby they have made God himself to become their Enemy When men presume of safety meerly because they prosper in their sinnes and are settled on their Lees because they are not yet empty'd from vessel to vessel in the execution of the Lords Judgements that think with themselves because God hath hitherto let them alone he will neither meddle nor make in any thing that concernes them Dreadful is the day of the Lords Wrath which is at hand when he will narrowly search out these secure sinners and severely punish them for all their Provocations For sayes the Lord †Am. 1.12 18 It shall come to pass at that time which is prefixt for their punishment that I will search Jerusalem with Candles and punish the men that are settled on their Lees that say in their heart The LORD will not do good neither will he do evil Therefore their Goods shall become a Booty and their Houses a Desolation they shall also build Houses but not inhabit them and they shall plant Vineyards but not drink the Wine thereof The GREAT DAY of the LORD is near and hasteth greatly even the Voice of the DAY of the LORD the mighty man shall cry there bitterly That Day is a DAY of WRATH a Day of trouble and distresse a Day of Wastness and Desolation a Day of Darknesse and Gloominesse a Day of Clouds and thick Darkness a Day of the Trumpet and Alarme against the fenced Cities and against the high Towers And I will bring distress upon men that they shall walk like blinde men because they have sinned against the LORD and their Blood shall be poured out as Dust and their Flesh as the Dung Neither their SILVER nor their GOLD shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORDS WRATH but the whole Land shall he devoured by the fire of his Jealousie for he shall make a speedy Riddance of all them that dwell in the Land Thus presumptuous and secure sinners may at length pluck down dreadful Judgements both upon themselves and the whole Land When such sinners are to be found in Zion the Times must needs be perillous Before the persecution in Bohemia the Churches there having had a long continued calme of Peace in the plentiful enjoyment of the Gospel and means of grace men began to grow extreame loose in their Lives and very secure in their sinnes though they were guilty of many and great Provocations insomuch as many pious and prudent men began to presage that some horrible storme would suddenly arise and some fearful tempest would fall upon them And the Event answer'd the Expectation Now how perillous are those Times wherein the Judgements of God are ready every moment to fall upon the Heads of a secure People When every man minds his own private concernments and little regards the Publick when no man duly lays to heart the sinnes of the Times or mournes for those Abominations whereby the Lord is provoked to destroy the Land when no man * See Isa 64.6 7. stirs up himself to take hold on the LORD and call upon his holy Name When Gods own people do not so take notice of the †Psal 28.5 Isa 5.12 Operation of his hands do not so seriously minde his Providential Dispensations and lay to heart the distracted condition of his Church as they ought when there is not that watchfulness that care and zeale for the cause of Christ that frequency and seriousness in seeking of God that there ought to be but an universal slumber and security is fallen upon the children of men it 's a sad Symptome of perillous Times Thus I have given you the Symptomes of perillous Times and have now completed the Number I intended But I shall adde one more by way of Corollary and Conclusion which carries in it a respect to all the rest The last but not least Symptome The Perill of Plain-dealing THe Times are then perillous When it s a perillous thing for a man to lay down the Symptomes of perillous Times They are the sins of men that make the Times perillous and thence must we draw the Symptomes of perillous Times Now the more obdurate men are in their sinnes the more Impatient they are of reproofs the more enraged they are at their Reprover hating him for telling them the Truth and persecuting him for warning them of the wrath to come the more perillous are the times Thus when the wicked and rebellious Jews were faithfully reproved by Stephen for those fearful sins whereof their own consciences told them they were deeply guilty as when he plainly told them to their faces that however they would be thought the onely people of God they were no better then Persecutors and Murderers persecutors of the best of men Murderers of the Sonne of God they were cut to the heart and gnashed upon him with their teeth and stoned him with stones to death * Acts 7.52 54 59. And who knows not that these were perillous Times to the People of God Yea these are perillous Times both to the Reprover and to the Reproved the one is in danger of Persecution from men the other is in Danger of Destruction from God Of such Times does the Lord speak by the Prophet Amos saying †Am. 5.10 they hate him that rebuketh in the Gate the place of Publick Conventions where wisdom cryeth to the simple * Pro. 1.21 and they abhorre him that speaketh uprightly not dealing deceitfully with them in the matters of the greatest concernment But what follows hereupon Forasmuch therefore saith the Lord †v. 11 12 13 as your treading is upon the Poore and ye take from him burdens of Wheat ye have built Houses of hewen stone but ye shall not dwell in them ye have planted pleasant Vineyards but ye shall not drink Wine of them For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sinnes they afflict the just they take a Bribe and they turne aside the poore in the Gate from their Right Therefore the Prudent shall keep * Nam sub Tyranno dicere quod velis periculosum quod nolis miserum est Plin. Ep. 14. l.
Zedekiah the King said Behold he is in your hand for the King is not he that can do any thing against you Then took they Jeremiah and cast him into the Dungeon of Malchiah the sonne of Hammelech that was in the Court of the Prison and they let down Jeremiah with cords and in the Dungeon there was no water but mire so Jeremiah sunk in the mire Thus wicked Rulers are wont to exercise their Rigours upon the Lords faithful Prophets and then needs must such Times be perillous to the People of God Thus when the Apostle fore-warnes us of perillous Times he plainly tells us that in those Dayes †2 Tim. 3.3 men shall be False-accusers Fierce Despisers of those that are Good Say the CAPTAINES of the Host to Jehu concerning a Prophet of the LORD * 2 King 9.5 11. Wherefore came this MAD fellow to thee Thus when Piety is banisht from the Court and Iniquity abounds in the Camp †Is 59.15 he that departeth from Evil is accounted MAD * So the Marg. and Jun. Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praedae exponit se sed secundum R. Salom. Aberrans vesanus stultus habetur and so hereby maketh himself a PREY When the Scepter is snatcht from the hand of VIRTUE and the Sword is put into the hand of VICE when AUTHORITY is stript of her Robes of State and POWER is cloathed and adorn'd with her Spoiles it 's high time for TRUTH and PIETY to fly to the Sanctuary of God and there to wait for the HONOUR of MARTYRDOME at his holy Altar When the Mines are made the Powder is laid and the Match is lighted for the blowing up of the House as the Danger is great to them that are therein so cannot the Discovery be made without Danger How sad is the state of things when Warning shall be given to men from God of their near approachings evils and Judgements which God is ready to execute upon them for their sinnes and they shall contemptuously reject all such Admonitions with many tart invectives at least and sharp reflections upon them that have thus warn'd and admonisht them in the Name of the Lord saying All this is but out of the Pride of their hearts the bitternesse of their spirit and their Disaffection to the Government Thus did the rebellious Jews reject the reproofs and premonitions of the Prophet Ezekiel immediately before they experimented the strength of Gods hand and the smart of his Rod in the Babylonish Captivity For thus sayes he unto them †Ezek. 33.26 Ye stand upon your sword ye work Abomination q. d. Now ye have the sword in your hand ye trust in your owne strength and are secure in your sinnes as if the Evils and Judgements whereof I have warn'd you in the Name of the Lord should never befal you But sayes he unto them * v. 33. When this comes to passe loe it will come then shall they know that a Prophet hath been among them Demosthenes the famous Athenian Oratour and illustrious Assertour of the Graecian Liberties against the injurious intrusions of the Macedonian Monarch being banisht by his ungrateful Citizens as he departed out of the City a company of the Athenian Youth coming to see him he gave them this counsel that if they were wise they should never meddle in matters of State all Activity in publick concernments being through the Malice of some and Envy of others continually attended with manifold Dangers and Disgraces And further to confirm his Counsel for his own part he assured them that if the Athenians would afford him the Liberty of Choice whether to go as he was wont into the Assemblies to make Orations to the People or to climb a Scaffold to receive the stroke of Death he now knew so much by his own experience of the Feares Envies Suspitions Slanders Accusations and Injuries that still attend him that shall interesse himself in the Affaires of the Common-wealth though out of a desire of the Publick Good he would rather chooâ—e the plaine Way to Death then that rough and dangerous Path to Honour †Plutarch in Vita Demosth What should be the ground of this Choice but that he thought one Death was rather to be chosen then many Thus we see how publick Persons are exposed to Danger in perillous Times especially when the Common-wealth is pester'd with Factious People There are two things which a Factious Ambitious People can never beare the Tongue of the Preacher and the Head of the Prince But beyond all colour of contradiction the peril of Gods Ministers in delivering his Message to a people professing Religion and godlinesse speaks the Times to be perillous But what shall I say more to this wicked Generation but with the Apostle * Gal. 4.16 Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth Be it so Neverthelesse sayes the LORD †Eze. 33.9 if thou warne the wicked of his way to turn from it if he do not turne from his way he shall aâ—â— in his iniquity but thou hast delivered thy soul Well then * Isa 49.4 I have not labour'd in vain I have not spent my strength for nought and in vaine For my judgement is with the LORD and both my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †WORK and REWARD is with my God Opus Metonym Operis Merces Buxt Thus we have largely resolved the first Question concerning the knowledge of those Times which the Apostle hath foretold us shall be perillous We shall now give a brief answer to the two remaining Questions and so proceed to the second principal Enquiry which was at first propounded for the prosecution of thâ— subject The second Question VVHy are these Times so perillous Quest 2 Answ Because I. God is provoked Answ 1 The loving Favour of a gracious reconciled God makes the Saints happy and the Times blessed and glorious But when the sinnes of men have provok'd the wrath of God what can we expect but perillous Times God is no lesse dreadful in his Judgements then he is gracious to his Saints in the distribution of his Favours Doubtlesse it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God †Heb. 10.31 And the Abominations of such Times are so many Provocations of the most high God If his Jealousie burn like fire * Ps 79.5 Zeph. 1.18 and 3.8 and his fierce wrath should once be kindled †Psal 2.12 Num. 11.33 Ps 106.40 against us how should the Inhabitants of the Land be as withered stubble before him What dreadful Judgements hath a provoked God thrown down from heaven upon a provoking people He drown'd the world with water and burnt up Sodom and Gomorrah with Fire and hath slaine many thousands of his Enemies with the edge of the Sword for those fearful Impieties wherewith they provoked the pure eyes of his glory Needs must those be perillous Times wherein the Lord of hosts
what can be expected to follow but showers of Blood For when the Sun shall be turn'd into Darknesse we well know the Moon shall be turn'd into Blood * Joel 2.31 When a storme is rais'd by the Prince of the power of the Air what can we expect but that the Ship wherein Christ is imbarked with his Disciples should be tost on the Waters and almost overwhelm'd with the Waves †Mar. 8.24 When Images of Gold are set up and ador'd by the men of the World what can the children of God expect but to be cast into a fiery Furnace * Dan. 3.1 21 When Gain is accounted Godlinesse and Oppression of the innocent is stiled Justice then whosoever will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution †2 Tim. 3.12 When the Wolves come in flocks to the Fold and Lions are the Lords of the Soile what can be expected but that the Sheep and Lambs should be worried When there is much Cockle amongst the Corne much Chaff amongst the Wheat we may conclude it shall not be long at least if the winde rises or turnes before it be winnow'd When we see every Shepherd in Israel is an abomination to the Egyptians * Gen. 46.34 we may expect the Egyptians should pursue the Israelites even into the heart of the Red Sea When the subtile Foxes are come into the Vineyard we may conclude their cruel Teeth will be soon dy'd red in the Blood of the Grapes If the Scarlet Whore be once brought into the House of God we shall soone see her drunken with the Blood of the Saints †Rev. 17.4 5 6. We still finde the Names of the Saints written in Red Letters in the Romish Calendar If the SWORD depose the SCEPTER and rule in its stead we may be sure it will eat flesh and drink Blood yea the blood of Kings and Princes and Prophets who leaving the Sword stain'd with the Guilt of Murder shall be themselves crown'd with the Glory of MARTYRDOM SIN is a cruel Monster if it once get the Supreme Power it will soon turne a Land of Beauty into a Sea of Blood III. Destruction of mens souls If the great red Dragon with his Taile draw down many of the Stars of Heaven and cast them to the Earth * Rev. 12.4 we may expect a dark night to follow If the Springs be impoyson'd it must needs be Death to men to drink of the waters If the Philistines carry away the Ark from Israel we must expect many thousands to be slaine and perish †1 Sam. 4 10 11. If God take away his abused Gospel call home his despised Ministers and so men loose the true Religion how many thousand souls must necessarily perish everlastingly The soul is exceeding precious it s a Jewel inestimable of more worth then the whole World * Mat. 16.26 its losse is irreparable a World of Gold cannot redeem one soul †See Psal 49.7 8. with 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Now when such a storme is risen that the souls of men are in danger of being ship-wrackt the state of that people is sad the Times are perillous Thus we have seen the Characters of the Persons that make the Times perillous and the several Symptomes of perillous Times with the Causes and Consequences thereof and so fully finisht our first Enquiry The second Enquiry How pious persons must demean themselves in perillous Times IT much concernes the people of God to consider with themselves what the Lord calls them unto and calls for from them in all conditions into which he is pleased to cast them that their Lives and Carriages may expresse a Responsiblenesse to the Divine Providence These are they whom the Lord hath selected from thousands to lift up his Name and Glory in the World They are therefore in a special manner to glorifie God by such Actings and Demeanours as may be suitable to all his Dispensations When God is most dishonour'd by the wicked the godly should most honour him Saints are Souldiers call'd forth to fight the Battels of the Lord of Hosts when the Enemies of the Lord do most abound and are most active the Souldiers of his army should be most valiant for his Cause most vigilant against their force and Politick Encroachments upon the interests of his Glory The Trees of righteousnesse of Gods own Planting should bring forth Fruit in all Seasons Times of Perill to the Church are Times of Tryal of the Piety of the Saints When sin appears in its highest Pride then should Grace shine forth in its greatest Glory As for you therefore my beloved brethren that truly fear the name of the Lord and desire to know what your Duty is in such Cases attend these Directions which I shall give you out of the Word of God When it is your Lot to live in perillous Times take notice of these Duties The first Duty Sorrow for the Sinnes of the Times DO you live in evil Times Then Bewaile before the Lord the Sinnes and Abominations of the Times Prevailing Impieties make the Times perillous The sins of the wicked call for the sorrows of the Saints because hereby the Name of God is dishonour'd and the souls of men are defiled Thus was Davids heart grieved and his eyes shed Tears for the sins of his Times I beheld the Transgressors sayes he and was grieved because they kept not thy Word * Psal 119 158 And again Rivers of waters runne down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law †Psal 119 136 When a Land is defiled by sin these Rivers of Teares are the best means to prevent a Deluge of Blood When the wrath of God is kindled against an ungodly Nation there is nothing more powerful to quench it then the Tears of the truly godly By this means shall you preserve your selves from Defilement by the sinnes of the wicked and happily prevent the Judgements which are ready to be executed on a sinfull Nation Now Christians is not this a duty you are very Defective in And yet is there not much cause for it When did you shed a Tear for all the Sins of the Times When did you ever look upon London as Christ upon Jerusalem a sinful City and weep over it * Luk. 19.41 What shall the streets of it run down with Rivers of Blood before you can shed a few drops of Teares for its preservation When did you meet together to weep over a sinful Nation When did you that can easily weep upon other occasions go apart and poure out Teares into the bosome of God for the Sinnes and Abominations of England and say Ah Lord In thy †Isa 63.9 Pity and in thy Mercy spare a sinful Nation Do you not see upon England many Symptomes of her Destruction except fervent Prayers steep'd in penitent Teares do prevent it O how many and how great are the Abominations of the Land the Provocations of the most high God!
the establishment of Truth and true Religion amongst us And is it not most reasonable which I plead for when those I speak to are profest Christians and that I plead for is the Cause of Christ Why may nor the Ministers of the Gospel be as well heard to plead for the Worship and Ordinances of Christ as the profest Enemies of the Gospel-ministry to plead against them by whom these Ordinances of Worship according to the order of the Gospel are to be administred Give me leave then to reason with you and plead the Cause of God Why stick you at the Establishment of the Worship of God in the Land and the punishment of such rebellious Atheists as obstinately refuse to worship him What think you is there a God or not If there be a God and but one God is he to be worshipt or no If he be to be worshipt whether are you still to seek how he is to be worshipt and still in doubt what are the Ordinances of his Worship What are not the holy Scriptures the Word of God Is not his Will therein plainly and clearly reveal'd touching the Ordinances of his Worship Well then are not the Word Sacraments and Prayer undeniably the Ordinances of his worship Have they not been so receiv'd and reverenc't by the Churches of Christ in all Ages Ought not this Worship then by the Civil Sanction of the Christian Magistrate to be establisht in the Land Ought not they that are in Gods stead for Government to see that God be worshipped Ought not then Ministers of the Gospel rightly call'd to that sacred Office according to express Gospel-Rule to be placed maintained and protected in every City Town and Parish where there is a competent number of people to attend the service of God for the administration of the Ordinances of his Worship Ought not all the People of these places to be Authoritatively enjoyn'd to give dilgent constant reverent Attendance upon the Publick Worship of God in these holy Ordinances and that under some Penalty for every Wilful Neglect which might be conveniently imploy'd for the Relief of the Poor in such places And ought not those that obstinately refuse to worship God in these his holy Ordinances and much more those that cast Reproach upon them and them that do attend them to be chastiz'd as the worst sort of * Rom. 13.3 4. Evil doers being open Rebels against the God of Heaven with some severer punishment Shall not they that neglect their Duty in this kinde be guilty of all the dishonours that are done to God by all those that neglect contemne and reproach the Ordinances of his Worship Was the Scripture silent does not the Light of Nature clearly discover an Obligation as to the substance of this duty to lie upon those who are called forth by Divine Providence to Governe for God to whom alone pertaines by original Right the Government of the World I shall leave these things to your Consideration onely minding you that you shall be call'd to account at the Judgement Day for whatsoever Power you are intrusted with how you have obtain'd imploy'd and improv'd it for God and setting before you the excellent Example of an Heathen Prince even Artaxerxes King of Persia who releast the children of Israel from their Captivity in Babylon and gave order for their return to Jerusalem and the setting up and establishment of the right Worship of the true God by the special Direction and Conduct of the Spirit of God A special passage of his Commission or Letter of Trust to Ezra the Scribe as is recorded in the holy Scripture †Ezra 7.25 26 27. we have in these words And thou Ezra after the wisdome of thy God that is in thy hand set Magistrates and Judges which may judge all the People that are beyond the River all such as know the Laws of thy God and teach ye them that know them not And whosoever will not do the Law of thy God and the Law of the King let judgement be executed speedily upon him whether it be unto death or to Banishment or to Confiscation of Goods or to Imprisonment And that this Counsel was of God it appears from the Words of Ezra hereupon Blessed be the LORD God of our Fathers which hath put such a thing as this in the Kings Heart c. Now what 's this but a branch of the Moral Law requiring the right worship of the true God explain'd in the Edict of a Heathen Prince whose hand was herein guided by the Spirit of God and his Example recorded to be approved of God and so consequently of perpetual obligation to all people and at all times as well under the New Testament as the Old But the Robbery of the wicked shall destroy them because they refuse to do judgement * Pro. 21.7 It much concernes also inferiour Magistrates and Officers who are intrusted with Power for the Punishment of Offendours to be faithful in the discharge of their Duty By this means a good stop might be put to many of the spreading Abominations of the Times Drunkennesse and Râ—velling Swearing and Sabbath-breaking and such like vile enormities and God-provoking sins might in a great measure be restrain'd if those persons in every Town and Parish to whom it pertaines by vertue of their Office to take cognizance of these and such like Crimes were but as Vigilant and Active as they might and ought to be to bring those that are found guilty of them to condigne punishment But through the sloth and regardlesnesse of Officers such Offendours grow bold and such Crimes become common such Abominations are exceedingly multiply'd But oh that such would consider that all the sins of those Places and Persons which they have received Power to restraine or punish and exercise it not are justly chargeable upon their heads and they stand guilty of them in the sight of God For 't is a sure Rule Malum qui cum potest non prohibet facit He that may hinder an Evil and doth not is guilty of it And if according to this Rule all the Oathes Curses Drunkennesses and Profanations of the Lords day which might have been prevented or punished by Persons invested with Authority and Power for that purpose be justly chargeable upon them for their neglect of their Duty in this Case we may surely say without any slander Many of our Magistrates and Officers however they may seeme sober and religious persons are the greatest Swearers Cursers Drunkards and Sabbath-breakers in the Land And doubtlesse many shall be indicted and condemned for these sinnes at Gods Tribunal in the Day of Judgement because they have not exercised the power wherewith they were intrusted in their Places for the punishment of them in others Oh therefore stir up your selves with Zeal and Faithfulnesse to the Execution of your Office the discharge of your Duty in this kinde that you may restraine Sin in others and keep off Guilt
from your own souls prevent the Dishonour of God and the Destruction of the Land This also would very much conduce to a Happy Change of the Times For never can we expect to see good Dayes till †Am. 5.24 Judgement run down as waters and righteousnesse as a mighty streame for the purging of the Land from its Impurities and Abominations The third Duty Prayer for Amendment IS it your Lot to live in Evil Times Dayes of Danger and Distresse Then Pray to the Father of Eternity for the Change and Amendment of the Times All our †Ps 31.15 Times are in his Hand he changes them from good to bad or bad to good as pleases him 'T is he that causes the Sun to shine or covers it from us with a Cloud as he pleases Our Dayes are clear or cloudy our Times are good or evil according to his Ordering and Government To whom then should we go but to him that orders all changes for the change of evil and perillous into good and prosperous Times He can take away evil men or make them good and so amend the Times When we see men continue in their sinnes and daily grow to a greater height of Wickednesse we have then cause to fear the Times will grow worse rather then better And therefore in this Case the People of God had need be very earnest and importunate with God in their Prayers lest the Provocations of the wicked should be more prevailing for the bringing down of the Judgements of God then the Prayers of his People for the Prevention of those Judgements and the Procurement of his Mercies upon the Land When the sins of the Land cry aloud for Judgment the Saints of God had need to cry aloud for Mercy The Prayer of Faith is the most effectual means by Gods own appointment for the Removal of evils felt the Prevention of evils feared and the Procurement of good things desired There is not therefore a more sad Symptome of the approach of some dreadful Judgement then the Restraint of the Spirit of Prayer in the People of God Thus when Israel had fearfully provoked God by customary commission of grosse sinnes after glorious deliverances as Theft Murder Adultery Perjury Idolatry and had extreamly aggravated these sins by pretences of Religion and godlinesse For they would come and stand before the LORD in his House as if they should say We are deliver'd to do all these Abominations as the Lord hath testifi'd against them by his Prophet * Jer. 7.9 10 and when thereupon God purposed to cast them off for their sins he forbad his Prophet to pray for them For sayes the Lord †Jer. 7.15 16 I will cast you out of my sight as I have cast out all your Brethren even the whole seed of Ephraim Therefore pray not thou for this People neither lift up Cry nor Prayer for them neither make Intercession to me for I will not hear thee This Prohibition of the Prophets Prayer for them was more terrible then the Commination of the sorest Judgement against them While a Praying Spirit is kept up in the hearts of Gods people there is hopes of prevailing with God for mercy for a sinful Nation Prayer does as it were binde up the hands of Omnipotency that an offended God cannot inflict a deserved Punishment upon a provoking People And therefore when the Israelites had made them a Molten Calf and worshipped it and the wrath of God was kindled against them to destroy them Moses by his Prayer prevented their Destruction And therefore did the Lord speak thus to Moses * Exod. 32.9 10. with Deut. 9.13 14 I have seen this people and behold it is a stiff-necked people Now therefore LET ME ALONE that my wrath may wax hot against them and that I may consume them and blot out their name from under Heaven And I will make of thee a great Nation even a Nation mightier and greater then they Thus we see God could not execute his fierce wrath upon his people unless Moses would let him alone by ceasing to pray for them But this Command being rather Declarative of Gods wrath against Israel then expressive of his Pleasure that Moses should cease Praying Holy Prayer being Gods Delight Moses still proceeds in his Intercession for Israel and joynes Fasting with his Prayer and so prevailed for Mercy For it is said †Exod. 32 11 12. Moses besought the LORD his God and said Lord why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people c. Turn from thy fierce wrath and repent of this evil against thy people And how gracious an Answer did he receive unto his prayer For it is said hereupon * ver 14. And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people And again when Moses had beheld their abomination in making and worshiping the molten Calf he thus relates his Carriage success †Deut. 9.18 19 And I fel down saith he before the Lord as at the first fourty daies and fourty nights and I did neither eat bread nor drink water bâ—cause of all your sins which ye sinned in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to Anger For I was afraid of the Anger and hot displeasure wherewith the Lord was wroth against you to destroy you But the Lord hearkened unto me at that time also And therefore is it recorded of him in the Holy Scripture that the Lord said That he would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the Breach to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them * Psal 106 23 And doth not the Lord such is his infinite Patience before he proceeds to the Execution of his Judgements upon a rebellious People for their unsufferable Provocations seek for a man among them that may make up the hedge and stand in the Gap before him for the Land that he may not destroy it †Ezek. 22 30 O then that some Moses might arise and plead with the Lord for his people that he might remove his Judgements and continue his Mercies to them and spare a sinfull Nation a defiled Land So Abraham brought down Gods Mercy by Steps in his * Gen. 18.23 ult Intercession for Sodom so far that if but Ten righteous persons had been sound in that whole sinfull City God would not have destroyed it Now how great an Encouragement should this be unto you Christians in Perillous Times to make your Addresses to God by fervent Prayers Oh! Is there none that will lift up a Prayer for a sinfull Nation before the Lord proceed to execute the fierceness of his wrath upon it O stir up your selves to wrestle with God in his own strength and resolve not to let him go till he bless the Land O Pray Pray Pray without ceasing that the Lord would turn away his Anger from us and after all our Shakings and Divisions settle Peace and Truth
People for their clearer conviction of their Folly and Stupidity in not discerning the Time of his Judgements For sayes the Lord in Jeremy †Chap. 8. ver 7. Yea the Stork in the Heaven knoweth her appointed Times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the Time of their Coming but my People know not the Judgement of the LORD Hence it comes to passe that as some of the more foolish Birds they are oft taken unawares in the snares of Gods judgements as the Wise man observes * Eccl. 9.12 For man also knoweth not his Time as the Fishes that are taken in an evil Net and as Birds that are caught in the snare so are the sons of men snared in an evil Time when it falleth suddenly upon them How pathetically did the Lord Jesus Christ lament and bewaile the deplorable state and condition of Jerusalem upon this very account that they knew not they consider'd not their great danger but were senslesse and secure notwithstanding all Warnings and Premonitions at the very brink of their threatned destruction For thus is it recorded of him in the Gospel that * Luke 19.41 -44. When he was come neere he beheld the City and wept over it Saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy Day the Things which belong unto thy Peace But now they are hid from thine eyes For the Dayes shall come upon thee that thine Enemies shall cast a Trench about thee and compass thee round and keep thee in on every side and shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another because thou knewest not the Time of thy Visitation And the Event we know fully answer'd the Prediction Thus for want of a due Fore-sight of future Dangers and a right Improvement of the Prophetical Discoveries of Perillous Times a sinful and secure people may be suddenly swallow'd up into an inevitable Destruction Thus it nearly concerns all Gods people to take special notice of these Predictions of perillous Times that they may make a good improvement thereof for their spiritual advantage But now the Ministers of the Gospel are in a special manner concern'd herein They are to search know and consider what perillous Times shall befal the Church according to the Prophecies of the holy Scriptures This that they may give Warning to the People that they may meet the Lord by Repentance and that those that feare the Lord may keep themselves pure from the Pollutions of the World that so they may be preserv'd by his special Providence when he shall come forth for the Execution of his Judgements Thus the Lord warned the Old World by Noah †2 Pet. 2.5 a Preacher of Righteousness and the Israelites by sundry Prophets before the Destruction of the one and Captivity of the other Thus did the People of * Jona 3.4 5 10. Nineveh prevent the Destruction threatned by turning to the Lord by †Mat. 12.41 Luk. 11.32 Repentance upon the Preaching of Jonah I may say of Preachers what the Noble Verulam * Bacons Essayes spake of Princes Shepherds of People had need know the Kalendar of Tempests in State which are commonly greatest when things grow to Equality as natural Tempests are greatest about the Equinoctials This that they may house the Lords Flock as the Servants of Pharaoh did their Cattel †Exo. 9.20 till the storme be over-past The Ministers of the Gospel are the Watchmen of the City of God They that stand upon the Watch-Towers of the Holy City should blow the * Isa 58.1 Trumpet of Gods holy Word and discover the danger which they see threatned and the Designes which they see managed against the Church and People of God It s their Duty to warne the People of their sins lest they perish in them in the day of Gods Judgements How strict is the Charge which the Lord hath given to every Minister of his Word in the Person of the Prophet Ezekiel and how sore is the Penalty how dreadful is the danger of failing through unfaithfulnesse in the discharge thereof It surely concerns us especially in these perillous Times very seriously to consider it us I say whom the Lord hath called forth to dispense his sacred Oracles and hath committed to our charge the souls of his People Sonne of man saith the LORD to Ezekiel †Ezek. 33.1 -9. Speak to the Children of thy People and and say unto them When I bring the sword upon a Land if the People of the Land take a man of their Coas s and set him for their Watchman If when h seeth the Sword come upon the Land he blow the Trumpet and warne the People Then whosoever heareth the sound of the Trumpet and taketh not Warning if the Sword come and take him away his Blood shall be upon his own Head He heard the sound of the Trumpet and took not warning his Blood shall be upon him but he that taketh warning shall deliver his Soul But if the Watchman see the sword come and blow not the Trumpet and the People be not warned if the sword come and take any person from among them he is taken away in his iniquity but his blood will I require at the Watchmans hand So thou O sonne of man I have set thee a Watchman unto the House of Israel and therefore thou shalt heare the Word at my Mouth and warn them from me When I say unto the wicked O Wicked man thou shalt surely die if thou doest not speak to warne the wicked from his way that wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his Blood will I require at thine Hand Nevertheless if thou warne the wicked of his way to turne from it if he do not turne from his Way he shall die in his iniquity but thou hast delivered thy soul * Ezek. 3.20 21. Again when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousnesse and commit iniquity and I lay a stumbling-block before him he shall die because thou hast not given him warning he shall die in his sin and his Righteousnesse which he hath done shall not be remembred but his Blood will I require at thine hand Nevertheless if thou warn the Righteous man that the righteous sin not and he doth not sin he shall surely live because he is warned also thou hast deliver'd thy soul Thus will the Lord call the Ministers of his Word to account for the losse of those Souls which through their unseasonable silence have perisht in their sins O how much guilt then shall we draw down upon our own heads if we do not warn our People of those sins whereof they are in danger in perillous Times and do what lies in us to keep off guilt from their souls O how much doth it concern us to be Faithful to God in the discharge of this Duty It s a fearful thing to be charged with