hath all evil in it so must hell have all punishment in it The torment of a Gravel racking with the Stone and such like are but play to Hell these are but drops of that Ocean that you must drink out and you shall go out of one Hell into a worse eternity is the measure of its continuance and the degrees of it self are answerable to its duration There is much impatience even among Gods children under the rod you vex and torment your selves and doth well to be angry Any piece of thwarting dispensation that goeth cross to your humor and inclination embiâ—ters your spirit against God and maketh you go cross to his providence How often do your hearts say Why am I thus What aileth the Lord at me But Christians learn to study your own deservings and stop your mouth with that that you may not speak against Heaven If you knew sin well you would not wonder at judgements you would rather wonder that you are out of hell know what right God hath over you and how liâ— use he maketh of it against you when you â—pine at a little shall it not be righteousness wiâ— God to exact more and let you know your dâ—serving better He that thinketh it rigor in Go to exact fifty it is justice that God crave â— hundred If the Law require fourty stripe and he give but one will you not rather coâ—mend and proclaim his clemency then speak â— his cruelty Wonder that God hath spared â— so long Sin is come to great maturity as priâ— is said to blossome and bud into a rod so all sâ— are blossomed and budded into the very harvest that the sickle may be put in If we shouâ— have Citie desolate and our Land consumeâ— if we should take up Jeremiahs lamentation an our case be made paralel to theirs we haâ— then been punished less then our iniquities deserved There are some godless people so black mouthed as to speak against Heaven wheâ— God correcteth them they follow the counse of Jobs wise Curse God and die if God but touâ— them a little in that which is dearest unto theâ— they kick against the pricks and run hard-head with God As we have known some-foolish women when their only child hath been removed blaspeeme saying What can God dâ— more to me let him do what he can O madness and wickedness of men Cannot God do more when he casteth them in hell Thou shalt acknowledge that it is more Some have left off to seek God and turned profane because of the Lords correction But you would know â—â—at all that is here is but Arles If God had done his worst you might think your selves out of his common nay but he hath yet more to do the full summ is to be payed It were therefore wisdome yet to make supplication to thy Judge But thirdly Sins and iniquities have a great influence in the decay of Nations and Persons and change of their outward condition when it is joyned with the wind of Gods displeasure The calamity of this people is set down in excellent terms alluding to a tree in the fall of the leaf We saith he were once in our Land as a green tree busked round about with leaves and fruit our Church and State was in a flourishing condition at least nothing was wanting to make outward sâ—lendor and glory we were immoveable in our own Land as David said in his prosperity I shall never be moved so did we dream of eternity in earthly Canaan But now Lord we are like a tree in the fall of the leaf sin hath obstructed the influence of Heaven hath drawn away the sap of thy presence from among us so that we did fade as a leaf before its fall we were prepared so by our sinâ— for judgement visible draughts and prognosticks of it were to be read upon the condition and frame of all spirits and people And then did our iniquities raise the storm of thy indignation and that like a whirle-wind hath blown the withering leaves off the tree hath driven us out of our own Land and scattered us among strangers Sin and uncleanness and the filthiness of our righteousness prepared us for the storm made us light matter that could resist no judgement made us matter combustible And then iniquities and sin rising up to iniquities â—oming to such a degree hath accomplished the judgement put fire among us made us as the Birk in Yule-even First It is familiar in the Scripture that people in a prosperous condition are compared unto a green tree flourishing Psal 37. 35. The wickeds prospeting is like a green Bay tree spreading himself in power spreading out his arms as it were over moe Lands to conquer them over moe people to subject them And this is often the temptation of the godly and so doth the Lord himself witness of this people Jer. 11. 16. I have called thy name a green Olive tree fair and of goodly fruit This was once their name though it be now changed Now they are called a fading withering tree without both leaves and fruit Now their place doth not so much as know them they are removed as in a moment Psal 37. 36. And this comparison giveth us to understand something of the nature of humane glory and pomp The fairest and most beautiful excellency in the world the prosperity of nations and people is but like the glory of a tree in the spring or summer yea the Scripture useth to undervalue it more then so and the voice commandeth to cry Isa 40 6. 7 8. All flesh is grass and the goodliness thereof as the flower of the field the one withereth and the other fadeth because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it A tree hath some stability in it but the flower of the field is but of a moneth or a weeks standing Nay of one days standing for in the morning the grass is green and the Sun scorcheth it ere night so that one Sun's course shall see it both growing green and fadeing So is the goodliness the very perfection the quintessence so to speak and the abstract of creatures perfections Outward accommodation in a world is as fading a thing as the flower is as smoak is it is so vanishing that it bides but a puft of his breath to blow iâ— to nothing Job hath a strange expression Thou looketh upon me and I am not Job 7. 8. The Lord needeth no more but stare on the most durable creature and look it not only out of countenance but also look it into its first nothing look it out of glory out of beeing And therefore you would not trust in these uncertain things that can take wings and leave you When you have accommodation outwardly to your mind do not build your nest in it these leaves of prosperity will not cover you alwayes there is a time when they will fall Nations have their winter and their summer persons have them likewise as these must change in nature
Workmanship a vail of darknesse for a season and who can behold him when he hides himself sayes Job and though he withdraw the Covering yet what am I Who can by searching find out God If I shall examine his way what rule shall I take to try it by If I measure by my shallow capacity or by my crooked way shall I have any just account of it will my Arm measure the Heavens as his doth If I examine it or try it by himself He is high as Heaven and unsearchable Therefore it becomes us to hearken to his Word and believe its sentence of his Work when reason cannot comprehend it One thing if it were deeply engraven on our hearts would be a principle of setling our spirits in all the mysteries and riddles of providence the knowledge and faith of his Soveraignty of his Highnesse and of his Wisdome should he give account of his Matters to us He is wise and knowes his Works but is he bound to make us know them His wayes are above our thoughts and wayes as Heaven above the Earth Is 55. And therefore O Grashopper in the Earth that dwells in Tabernacles of Clay do not presume to model his ways according to thy conceptions One thing is certain this is enough for Faith all his wayes are mercy and truth to these that keep his Covenant and his Testimonies Psal 25. 10. And there is no Way or Path of God so far above our reach and unsearchable as his Mercy in pardoning sin and this is only the satisfying answer to all your objections and scruples in these ye do but vent your own thoughts but sayes the Lord my thoughts are above youâ— thoughts as Heaven above Earth Ye but speak of your own wayes but my wayes are far above yours they are not measured by your iniquity and therefore David subjoyns Psal 25. Verse 11. pardon my iniquity for it is great SERMON III. Deuter. 32. 4 5. He is the Rock his work is perfect for all his ways are Judgement a God of truth and without iniquity Just and Right is he 5. They have corrupted themselves their spot is not the spot of his Children they are a perverse and crooked generation ALL his wayes are Judgement both the wayes of his Commandments and the ways of his Providence both his Word which he hath given as a Lanthorn to mens paths and his Works among men And this were the blessednesse of men to be found both walking in his wayes and waiting on him in his wayes having respect to all his Commandments and respect to himself in all his Works We all know in general that he doth all well â—nd that all his Comandments are Holy and Just â—ay but our practice and affections belie our knowledge and for the most part we stand crosse in our humours and affections and conversation both to his Word and Providence and this is our misery Great peace have they that love thy Law VVhat peace then can keep that heart and mind that is dayly at variance with his Statuts and Judgements when the heart would wish such a Command were not when it is an eye sore to look upon it Blessed are the meek it is good for a man both quietly to wait and hope and keep silence How then must that spirit be miserable that stands crosse unto Gods Dispensations and would limit the Holy One Do not often our hearts say I do well to be angry why is it thus with me But who hath hardened himself against him and prospered his counsel must stand and you may vex your self and disquiet your soul in the mean time by impatience but you cannot by your thought add one cubit to your stature you may make your case worse nor Providence hath made it but you cannot make it better by so doing so that at length you must bow to him or be broken Oh then that this were engraven on our hearts with the point of a Diamond All his wayes are Judgement that ye might be overcome with the equity of his Command and Dispensation and your heart and tongue might not move against them It was enough of old with the Saints It is the Lord let him do what seems good in hâ—s eyes Gods Soveraignty alone pondered may stop our mouth but if ye withal consider it is perfect Equity that rules all it is Divinâ— Wisdome thaâ— is the square of his Works theâ— how ought we to stoop chearfully unto them One thing ye would remember his wayes and paths are Judgement and if ye judge aright of him ye must judge his Way and not his single Footsteps ye will not discern Equity and Judgement in one step or two but consider his Way joyn adversity with prosperity humbleing with exalting take along the Threed of his Providence and one part shall help you to understand another There is reason in all but the reason is not visible to us in so small parts of his Way and Work A God of Truth Strange it is that his Majesty is pleased to cloath himself with so many Titles and Names for us He considers what our necessity is and accordingly expresses his own Name I think nothing doth more hold forth the unbelief of men and Atheism of our hearts nor the many several Titles God takes in Scripture There is a necessity of a multitude of them to make us take up God because we staying upon a general notion of God rather frame in our imaginations an Idol then the true God As there is nothing doth more lively represent the unbelief of our hearts then the multitude of Promises Men that consider such frequent repetitions of one thing in Scripture so many diverse expressions of one God may retire into their own hearts and find the cause of it even the necessity of it But while we look so slightly on these we must judge it superfluous and vain Needed there any more to be said but I am your God I am God if our spirits were not so far degenerated unto Atheism and unbelief Certainly that word Jehovah holds forth more to Angels then all the inculcated Names and Titles of God to us because we are dull and slow of heart Therefore wonder at these two when ye read the Scriptures Gods Condescendency to us and our Atheism and Unbelief of him they are both mysteries and exceeding broad There is not a Name of God but it gives us a Name and that of reproach and dishonour so that for every one some evil may be written down and it is to this purpose Moses draws them out in length that in the Glasse of his glorious Name the people might behold their own ugly face This Name is clear He is a God of Truth not only a true God but Truth it self to note his Excellency and Eminency in it It is Christs Name I am the Truth the substantial Truth in whom all the Promises are Truth are Yea and Amen His Truth is his Faithfulnesse in performing his Promises
illustrate each other It s true that his Grace super-abounds and his goodnesse is more then the creatures sinfulness yet I say you shall not find any thing that cometh nearer the infinitnesse and degrees of his goodnesse then the sinfulness of men How much the more glorious he appeares so much the more vile and base doth it appear If ye did indeed ponder and weigh these two Verses in the ballance of the Sanctuary would not your heart secretly ask this question within you do I thus require the Lord O foolish and unwise yea would ye not account your selves mad to forsake the fountain of living waters and dig broken cisternes to your selves O! of how great moment were this to humble your souls to day This day ye are called to mourning and afflicting your souls Now I know not a more sutable exercise for a day of humiliation or a principle that may more humble and abase your souls then the serious and deep consideration of these two what God is and hath been to us and what we are and have proved to him what hath made so many formal humiliations that have provoked him to anger certainly we do not either seriously think on any of these or if on one of them yet not on both the most part of you know no more in such a day but a name and ceremony of a little abstinence Is this to sanctifie a day to the Lord when ye do not so much as the people who bowed down rheir head for a day and spread sackloth under them I wonder how ye think to pacifie his Wrath and are not rather afraid of adding fewel and oyl to the flame of his indignation Ye come here and sit as in former times and what do ye more either here or at home There is no soul-affliction no not for a day the most part of you are no more affected with your sins and his judgements then if none of these things were Now I pray you what shall the Lord say to us when he speaks to the Jews in such termes Isai 58. 5. Is it such a fast that I have chosen a man for a day to afflict his soul And do ye so much as afflict it for a day or at all Is this then the Fast thaâ— he will chose to abstain from your breakfast iâ— the morning and at night to compense the want of it and no more Is this an acceptable day to the Lord the Lord upbraides the Jews will thou call this a fast and what reason have we to ask you is it possible ye think ye do indeed fast to the Lord I cannot think that the most part of you dare say that ever ye fasted or afflicted your souls Always here is the way if we consider it to spend a day acceptably to the Lord enter in a serious consideration of his Majesty and your selves study on these two till ye find your hearts bear the stamp of them enlarge your hearts in the thoughts of them both are infinite his goodnesse and power and mercy and your sin and misery no end of them what ever ye find good in God write up answerably to it so much evil and sin in your selves and the land and what evil ye find in your selves and the land write up so much goodnesse and mercy in his account All the names of his praise would be so many grounds of your confusion in your selves and would imprint so many notes of reproach and disgrace upon the Creature found so contrary to Him This is even the exercise God calls us to this day to consider his wayes to us and our wayes to him how he hath walked and how we have walked because ye lose the sight of these two he sends affliction because in our prosperity and peace we forget God and so our selves as ye find this people did when ihey waxed fat they kicked against him and forgat that he was their rock we are so much taken up with our own ease and peace that we do not observe him in his dealings therefore doth the Lord trouble our Peace removes these things we are taken up with makes a publick proclamation of affliction and blessed be his Name whose end is gracious he means this it is the proclamation of all his Judgments turn your eyes off your present ease here consider what I am and what your selves are No Nation so soon buries the memory of his Mercies O how soon are they drowned in oblivion and we forget our own provocations as suddenly therefore must he write our iniquities upon a rod that we may read them in great Letters and he writes his former goodness in the change of his Dispensations when his way to us changes that we may know what is past This is the great design that God hath in the World to declare himself and his own Name that it may be wondered and admired at by men and this cannot be but by our ruine a basing us in the dust He therefore uses to stain the pride of all glory that his alone may appear without spot This is then the great controversie of God with men and nations in all generations they will not see him alone exalted and will not bow before him and see their own vilenesse Why doth he overturn Kingdomes and Thrones why doth he shake Nationes so often here it is Gods controversie will never cease till all men acknowledge him in his highnesse and holinesse as the sole Fountain of all Life and find themselves vile lesse then nothing nay worse then nothing and emptinesse If ye would then have God at peace with the land and your selves here is the compendious way set him up a Throne of eminency in your hearts and put your selves in the dust take with your own guiltiness and naughtinesse and impossibility to help your selves in your selves hold these two still in your eyes that he may be alone exalted Look how unequal a match Ver. 4. 5. He is the Rock a Rock indeed if we speak of strength lo he is strong if of stability he is the Lord and changes not the ancient of dayes Hath not thou heard and considered this that the Almighty faints not and wearies not He holds forth himself in such a name to his people a ready all-sufficient perpetual and enduring refuge to all that trust in him and flie unto him as a Rock higher then they and this is the foundation that the Church is builded on against which the gates of hell shall not prevail Gods Omnipotency for defence his eternity faithfulnesse and unchangeablenesse to make that sure his mercy and goodnesse makes a hole in that Rock to enter in a ready accesse for poor shipwrakt and broken men who have no other refuge This is our Rock on which the Church is builded Jesus Christ I Cor. 10. 4. Matth. 16. 18. God were inaccessible in himself an impregnable Rock how would sinners overcome him and enter into him to be saved from Wrath Nay but
alas all of us are ignorant of our selves It is not times nor temptations that corrupt us but our selves No man is tempted sayeth James of God but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed James 1. 14. Temptation were no temptation if our hearts were not wicked hearts Nay many of us are ready to tempt temptations to provoke the devil to temptations we cast our selves open to temptations Temptation finds lust within and lust within is the Mother to conceive sin if temptation be the father Times do not bring evils along with them they do but discover what was hid before all the evils and corruptions you see now among us where were they in the day of our first love when we were as a loving and beloved child have all these risen up of late No certainly all that you have seen and found were before though they did not appear before they were in the root now you see the fruit All the Apostacy and profanity that hath been vented in these dayes it was all shut up within the corners of mens hearts at the beginning time and temptation hath but uncovered the heart and made the inside out hath but opened a sluce to let out this sea of corruption It s not bred since but seen since Now so it is with us we have corrupted our selves and so we corrupt our selves still more Backsliding cometh on as gray hairs here and there and is not perceived by beholders Nemo repente fit turpissimus No man becometh worst at first There are many steps between that and good Corruption comes on menâ— way as in fruits some one part beginneth to alter and then it groweth worse and putrifieth and corrupteth the rest of the parts An Apple rotes not all at once so it is with us men begin at leisure but they run post or all be done In some one step of our way we take liberty and think to keep the rest clean But when that part is corrupted a little leaven leaveneth the wholl lump and all followeth And then he that corrupted himself is ready to corrupt others Children that are corrupters Isa 1. 4. Every one by his example corrupts another and by corrupting others they again corrupt themselves more O! how infectious an evil is sin of a pestilentious nature And truely our hearts are more ready to receive such impressions then either a World or a Devil is to make them Their spot is not Why doth the Lord take pleasure to reckon their sins to describe so abominable a People Is not this Jacob in whom he saw no iniquity Is not this Israel whose transgressions are not known Certainly if this people would have charged themselves so he would not have done it He loves to forget when we remember our sins But he must remember them when we forget them What is the Lords great controversie with men here it is how can ye say or think that ye are not polluted Or if ye take with such a General Yet why is not the conviction of your sin and misery so deeply engraven as to pursue you out of all hope of remedy in your selves Jer. 2. 22 23. And therefore is thine iniquity marked before me saith the Lord. God hath determined not to wrong his Justice If men should go away unpunished and unjudged both where were his Righteousnes If there were no record of mens transgressions were he a righteous Judge Therefore those who do not judge themselves must leave judgement to him For once the mouth of all flesh must be stoped and all become guilty before God Why pleads the Lord with man Because man sayes I am innocent I have not sinned his anger will turn away Jer. 2. 35. Will any speak so in termes No indeed but the Lord constructs so of the most part because they do more consider the wrongs done to them nor their own wrongs done to God All men confesse the general that they are sinners but who searches and tryes his way to find out particulares and in as far as ye do not charge your selves with particular guiltinesse until ye be afraid of his anger as long as the consideration of your sins is so superficial and shallow that ye apprehend no danger of wrath or immunity from it certainly God will plead with you Justice must so far be glorified as once to conclude you under the sentence of death If ye do it not now then ye leave God to be your Judge and Party But if any man shall take with his guiltinesse till his mouth be stopped and condemne himself in Gods sight I say Mercy and Grace in God must not be wronged he that judges himself shall not be judged of the Lord. VVhat a fair offer is this to you all The Lord offers to you if ye will in time be your own judges I will resigne my judgement to you If ye will but in earnest passe the sentence I will natheâ— passe it nor execute it If ye come to the Mediator Christ Jesus to escape from the wrath oâ— a Judge you shall meet with a reconciled Father and with such love in him as shall hide a multitude of offences O! the depth and height and breadth of that Love VVell then it shall be a Sea to cast your offences into that shall drown them Had not his people many spots Is there any man can say I have cleansed my heart from iniquity No not one Yeâ— behold he sees no spots in his people He doth not make them his people because spotlesse but he seeth them spotlesse because he makes them his people There is no covering that can hide mens uncleannesse from his piercing eye but one even Jesus Christ his Righteousnesse And blest is he whose sins are covered If this covering were spread over the mouth of all Hell then Hell should have a covering from his Eyes If ye therefore strip your selves naked of your own pretences and leaves and think not your self secure under any created shelter if ye hide not your iniquity then it shall be hid indeed Here is a covering that shall hide it from his Eyes There is no spot so heinous none so ingrained but the Blood of Jesus can wash it as perfectly out as if it had never been Isai 16. 17. Though your spots were such as are not incident to his Children yet this Blood cleanses from one and all it is of an infinite nature But though it be so that the Blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin that there is a fountain opened in the house of David for sin and for uncleanness for sin and separation for such hainous offences as may separat people even from the Congregation of the Lords people Yet there are some sins some spots that ordinarly his people are not defiled with and in this respect they may be called holy and undefiled in the way There are some Maâ—ks and Characters of unregenerated men so legible and expresse that we may
come up to the Ears of the Lord of Hosts Nay it hath the cry of Murther and another beside He that is greedy of gain is said to take away the life of the owners thereof Pro. 1. 19. So he is a Murtherer before God and the poor mans blood crieth for vengeance and then himself seconds it either by prayer or crying out for misery Job 35. 9. All mens prayers and professions will not outcry these two The people 's many prayers could not be heard Isai 1. 15. because their hands were full of blood which had a louder cry then their prayers The poor also oppressing the poor is like a sweeping rain that leaves nothing behind it It is read in the Margin that they are not his Children this is their blot And indeed it is so It is a great blot and stain in the face of any man whoever he be that he is not born of God that he can reckon kindred to none but Adam But what indignity is it and disgrace for a people â—rofessing his Name yet to have no other Geâ—eration to reckon no higher then the Earth â—d the Earthly What is now the great blot â— our visible Church Here it is the most â—rt are not Gods Children but called so And is the greater blot that they are called so and â—e not O poor Saints esteem your honour and high priviledge ye have received this to be the sons of God It is no blot to you that ye are poor and despised in the World But it is and shall be an eternal blot to the great and rich and wise in the World that they are not the Children of God Christianity is noâ— blot though it be in reproach among men buâ— it is really the glory and excellency of a man but the want of it alas how doth it abase many high and noble empoverish many rich anâ— infatuat many wise Ye think all of you aâ— the Children of God because ye are in thâ— Church and partake of the Ordinances and Sacraments and so did this people But Moses did not flatter these Jews but told boâ— Princes and People in their face that they weâ— not Children of God because only Israel in thâ— letter they had not childrens manners Oh that it might not be said of the most part of yoâ— that ye are not children of God and that that your blot and shame It is the shame of Ruâ—ers not to be the Children of God They aâ— Wise they are Active they are Noble bâ— one Spot disgraceth all one fly maketh the Oyntment stink they are not gracious maâ— of them but sons of men at the farthest reckoâ—ing are not begotten again to a lively Hopâ— Not many Wise not many Noble not many Riâ— The scantnesse of gracious men is the Spotâ— Judicatories that there are many Children the World but few Children of Light in theâ— O! how beautiful and glorious would Judiâ—tories be if all the Members were Children Light What glory would there be if all them did shine and enlightened one anotheâ— But what beauty or comelinesse what Majesty can be in Rulers or Judicatories when the Image of God is not in them This is also the Spot of Assemblies Synods Presbytries that there are few godly Ministers Alas that this complaint should be even among those whose Office it is to beget many Children to God how few of them are begotten or hath the Image of their Father And thus Church-Assemblies have no beauty such as the Courts of Jesus Christ should have O! that we were in love with Christianity and Grace that it were our grand question how shall I be put among the Children The Lord seems to wonder at it and make a question of it How can such as we be put among the Children Jer. 3. 19. But he answers it himself thou shalt call me my Father and shalt not turn away from me There is no more but take with your wanderings and wrongs done to God Imbrace him in Jesus Christ and he becomes your Father and if ye be Children sure ye will resolve to abide in your Fathers house and turn no more to a present world or your former lusts They are a perverse and crooked generation What pleasure hath the Lord in speaking thus when he upbraids none Certainly in a manner it is drawn out of him Would he obâ—ect our faults if we did not defend them by obstinacy Perversnesse and crookednesse is obstinacy and incorrigiblenesse against Mercies â—nd Judgements That which is crooked cannot â—e made straight saith Solomon Then doth the Lord take notice of sins when men refuse to return and so maintain their sins It is thiâ— which hightens provocations and makes ouâ— the controversy perversnesse in sin It is noâ— ordinary common infirmities that the Lord punisheth either in a Land or Person buâ— when infirmities are discovered by the Light oâ— the Word when the Lord useth means to reclaim men in his Providence and yet no meanâ— prevail then are they reckoned perverse Now perversnesse is not the spot of his Children The Child of God daily bowes anâ— folds to him receives challenges from him taks with iniquity and yields unto God Oâ— that this Title might not be written above thâ— head of this generation deservedly This is perverse and crooked generation SERMON V. Psal 73. 28. But it is good for me to draâ— near to God I have put my trust in tâ— Lord God that I may declare all tâ— Works AFter mans first transgression he was shut oâ— from the Tree of Life and cast out of tâ— Garden by which was signified his secluâ— on and sequestration from the presence of Goâ— and communion with him And this was a manner the extermination of all mankind one when Adam was driven out of Paradâ— Now this had been an eternal separation for any thing that we could do for we can do nothing but depart by a perpetual backsliding and make the distance every day wider except it had pleased the Lord of his infinite Grace to condescend to draw near to us in gracious Promises and offers of a Redeemer If he had not made the first journey from Heaven to Earth by sending his only Son we should have given over the hope of returning from Earth to Heaven But he hath taken away the greatest part of that distance in drawing near to our Nature yea in assuming our Flesh into the fellowship of his glorious Divinity He hath stooped so low to meet with us and offered himself the trysting place between God and us a fit meeting place where there is an conjunction of the interests of both Parties And now there is no more to do but to draw near to God in Jesus Christ since he hath made the great journey to come down to us We have not that infinite gulfe of satisfaction to Justice to passe over we have not the height of Divine Majesty as he is infinitely above us and offended with us to climb up unto Certainly we could not
mens Projects are cast beyond that time that is measured out in Gods Counsel And what a ridiculous thing must that be to him if it be not done with submissive and humble dependence on him In a word Time is with Child of innumerable things conceived by the Eternal Counsel of God Infinite and inconceiveably Various are these Conceptions which the Womb of Time shall at length bring forth to Light Every Day every Hour every Minute is travelling in pain as it were and is delivered of some one Birth or another and no Creature can open its Womb sooner or shut it longer then the appointed and prefixed Season There is no miscarying as to him whose Decrees do properly conceive them tâ—ough to us they seem often Abortive Now joyn unto this to make the Allusion full as long as they are carried in the Womb of Time they are hid from all the World The Womb is a dark Lodging and no Understanding nor Eye can pierce into it to tell what is in it till it break forth And therefore Children born are said to come to the Light for till then they are to us in a Cloud of darknesse that we cannot tell what they are So then every Day every Hour every Moment is about to bring forth that which all the World is ignorant of till they see it And Oh that then they understood it We know not whether the Morrows or next Hours Birth may be a proportioned Child or a Monster whether it will answer the Figure and Mould that is in our mind or be mishapen and deformed to our Sense Mans desires and designes may be said to conceive for they form an inward Image and Idea within themselves to which they labour to make the Product and Birth of Time conformable And when it answers our preconceived form then we rejoyce as for a Man-child But for the most part it is a Monster as to our Conception it is an Aberration from our Rule It is either mutilate and defective of what we desire or superfluous or deformed which turns our expectation into vexation and our boasting into lamentation But the truth is Time brings forth no Monsters as to the Lords Decrees which are the only just measures of all things It may be said of every thing under the Sun as David speaks of himself in the Womb My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously formed in the lowest parts of the Earth c. Psal 139. 15. His Eyes see all their substance Yet being imperfect and in his everlasting Book all their Members are written The Portraicture of every thing is drawn there to the Life and these in continuance are fashioned just as they were written and drawn and so they exactly correspond to his pre-conception of them whatever deformity they may have as to us yet they are perfect Works and beautiful to him SERMON VIII Isaiah 1. 10 11. c. Hear the Word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodom give ear unto the Word of the Lord ye People of Gomorrah IT is strange to think what Mercy is mixed with the most Wrath-like Stroaks and Threatnings There is no Prophet whose Office and Commission is only for Judgment Nay to speak the truth it is Mercy that premises Threatnings The entering of the Law both in the Commands and Curses is to make sin abound that Grace may superabound So that both Rods and Threatnings are the Messengers of Jesus Christ to bring sinners to him for Salvation Every thing should be measured and named by its end So call Threatnings Promises call Rods and Judgements Mercies Name all good and good to you if so be ye understand the purpose of God in these The shortest Preaching in the Bible useth to expresse it self what it means though it be never so terrible This is a sad and lamentable beginning of a Prophets Ministery The first word is to the Heavens and to the Earth A weighty and horrible regrate of this People as if none of them were to hear as if the Earth could be more easily affected then they The Creatures are taken witnesses by God of their ingratitude and then who shall speak for them If Heaven and Earth be against them who shall speak good of them Will their own Conscience No certainly it will in the day of Witnessing and Judging precipitate its sentence and spare the Judge the labour of probation A mans enemy shall be within his own house though now your Consciences agree with you Nay why doth the Lord speak to them Because the People consider not because Consciences have given over speaking to them Therefore the Lord directs his Word to the dumb Earth Yet how gracious is he as to direct a second word even to the People though a sad word Iâ— is a complaint of iniquity and backsliding and such as cannot be uttered Yet it is Mercy to challenge them yea to chasten them If the Lord would threaten a man with pure and unmixed Judgements if he would frame a threatning of a Rod of pure Justice I think it should be this I will no more reprove thee nor chasten thee And he is not far from it when he sayes why shall ye be stricken any more c. vers 5. As if he would say it is in vain now to send a Rod ye receive no correction I sent the Rod that it might open your hearts and eares to the Word and seal your instruction but to what purpose is it Ye grow worse and worse Well the Prophet campares here Sin and Judgement and the one far surmounts the other Ye would think a desolate Countrey burnt Cities Desolation made by Strangers a sufficient recompense of their corruption and misorders of their forsaking and backsliding Ye would think now if your present condition and the Lands pressed you to utter Jeremiahs Lamentation a sadder then which is not almost imaginable ye would think I say that you had received double for all your sins And yet alas how are your iniquities of infinite more desert All that were Mercy which is behind infinite and eternal punishment that there is room left for complaint it is Mercy that there is a remnant left it is Mercy Now to proclaim unto this People and to convince them that their Judgement was not severe He gives them one word from God And indeed it is strange that when the Rod is sent because of the despising of the Word that after the despising of both Word and Rod another word should come Alwayes this word is a Convincing Word a Directing Word and a Comforting Word These use to be conjoyned and if they be not alwayes expressed we may lawfully understand them We may joyn a Consolation to a Conviction and close a Threatning with a Promise if we take with a Threatning Jonahs Preaching expressed no more but a Threatning and Denounciation of Judgement but the people undeâ—stood it according to Gods meaning and made it a Rule of
of Israel by this Redeemer But now we are surrounded with Consolation before and behind Christ already come so that we may in joy say lo this is our God we have waited for him others waited and longed and we see him and Christ shortly to come again without sin to our Salvation And what could be able to take our Joy from us if we had one Eye always back to his first coming and another always forward to his comeing again SERMON XV. Isai 64. 6 7. But we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses as filthy raggs c. THis peoples condition aggreeth well with ours though the Lords dealing be very different The Confessory part of this Prayer belongeth to us now And strange it is that there is such odds of the Lords Dispensations when there is no difference in our Cohditions Always we know not how soon the complaint may be ours also This Prayer was prayed long before the Judgment and Captivity came one so that it had a Prophesy in the bosome of it Nay it was the most kindly and affectionat way of warning the people could get for Isaiah to pour forth such a prayer as if he beheld with his Eyes the Calamity as already come And indeed it becometh us so to look on the Word as if it gave a present beeing to things al 's certain and sensible as if they were really What strange stupidity must be in us when present things inflicted Judgments committed sins do not so much affect us as the forefight of them did move Isaiah Always as this was registrat for the peoples use to cause them still look on Judgements threatned as performed and present and anticipat the day of Affliction by repentance and also to be a Patern to them how to deal with God and plead with him from such grounds of Mercy and Covenant Interest So it may be to us a warning especially when sin is come to the Maturity and our secure backsliding Condition is with Child of sad Judgements when the harvest seemeth ripe to put the sickle in to it There is in these two Verses a confession of their own sinfulness from which grounds they justify Gods proceeding with them They take the cause upon themselves and justify him in his Judging whither Temporal or Spiritual Plagues were inflicted In this Verse they take a general survey of their sinful Estate concluding themselves unclean and all their performances and commanded Duties which they counted once their righteousness And from this ground they clear Gods dealing with them and put their mouth in the Dust and so from the Lords Judgment they are forced to enter into a search of the Cause so much sin and from discovered sin they pronounce God righteous in his Judgment perceiving a great difference in the Lords manner of dealing with them and their fathers they do not refound it upon God who is righteous in all his ways but retort it upon themselves and find a vast discrepance between themselves and their fathers Verse 5. And so it was no wonder that Gods Dispensation changed upon them God was wont to meet others to shew himself gracious even to prevent stroaks But now he was wroth with them Nay but there is good cause for it They rejoyced and wrought righteousness but we have sinned And this may be said in the general never one needeth to quarrel God for severe dealing If he deal worse with one then with another let every man look into his own bosome and see reason sufficient yea more provocation in themselves then others Always in this Verse they come to a more distinct veiw of their loathsome condition Any body may wrap up their repentance in a general notion of sin but they declare themselves to be more touched with it and condescend on particulars yet such particulars as comprehend many others And in this Confession you may look on the Spirits work having some Characters of the spirit in it First they take a general view of their uncleannesse and loathsome Estate by sin Not only do they see sin but sin in the sinfulnesse of it and uncleannesse of it Secondly They not only conclude so of the Natural Estate they were born into and the loathsomnesse of their many foul scandals among them But they go a further length to passe al 's severe a sentence on their Duties and Ordinances as God hath done Isai 1. and 66. The spirit convinceth according to Scriptures Light and not according to the dark spark of Natures Light and so that which Nature would have busked it self with as its Ornament that which they had covered themselves with as their Garment had spread their Duties as robs of Righteousnesse over their sins to hide them all this now goeth under the name of filthinesse and sin They see themselves wrapt up in as vile raggs as they covered and hid Commanded Duties and manifest Breaches come in one Category And not only is it some of them which their own Conscience could challenge in the time but all of them and all kinds of them Moral and Ceremohial Duties that were most sincere had most Affection in them all of them are filthy raggs now which but of late were their righteousnesle Thirdly there is an universality not only of the Actions but of Persons not only all the Peoples or Multitudes performances are abomination but all of them Isaiah and one and other the holiest of them come in in this Category and Rank we are all unclean c. Though the people it may be could not joyn Holy Isaiah with themselves yet humble Isaiah will joyn himself with the people and come in in one prayer And no doubt he was al 's sensible of sin now as when he began to prophecy and growing in holinesse he must grow also in sense of sinfulnesse Seing at the first sight of Gods Holinesse and Glory he cryed unclean c. Isai 6. 5. Certainly he doth so now from such a principle of accesse to Gods Holinesse which maketh him abhore himself in Dust and Ashes Fourthly They are not content with such a general but condescend to two special things two spiritual sins to wit Omission or shifting of spiritual Duties which contained the substance of Worship None calleth one thee few or none none to count upon calleth on thee that is careth for immediat accesse and approaching unto God in prayer and meditation c. Albeit External and Temple Duties be frequent yet who prayeth in secret or if any pray that cannot come in compt the Lord knoweth them not because they want the Spirits stamp on them This must be some other thing nor the general conviction of sin which the world hath who think they pray all their days Here people who though they make many prayers Isai 1. Yet they see them no prayers and no calling on Gods Name now But Fifthly to make the challenge the more and the confession more spiritual and compleat there is discovered
Law from him will not acknowledge his Law but as it were spitteth in his Face and establisheth another God There is no punishment so evil that God will not own as his work and declare himself to be the Author of it but only sin his Soul abhorreth it his Holy Will is against it he will have no fellowship with it It is so contrary to him contradicteth his Will debaseth his Authority despiseth his Soveraignty vilipendeth his Truth There is a kind of infinitness in it Nothing can express it but it self no name worse then it self to set it out The Apostle can get no other Epithet to it Rom. 17. 13. Sinful sin so that it cometh in most direct opposition unto God All that is in God is God himself and there is no Name can express him sufficiently If you say God you say more then can be exprest by many thousand other words So is it here sin is purely sin God is purely Good and Holy without mixture Holiness it self Sin is simply evil without mixture unholiness it self Whatever is in it is sin is uncleanness Sin is an infinit wrong and an infinit and boundless filthiness because of the infinit Person wronged it is an Offence of infinit Majesty and the Person wronged aggravateth the Offence If it be simply contrary to infinit Holiness it must be in that respect infinit unholinesse and uncleannesse Thirdly look upon the sad Effects and Consequences of sin how Miserable how Ruinous it hath made man and all the Creation and how vile must it be First Look on mans Native Beauty and Excellency how Beautiful a Creature But sin hath cast him down from the top of his Excellency Sin made Adam of a Friend an Enemy of a Courtier with God an open Rebel was not mans Soul of more price nor all the world so that nothing can exchange it Yet hath sin de based it and prostitute it to all vile filthy pleasures hath made the Immortal Spirit dwell on the Dunghil feed on Ashes catch vanities lying vanities pour out it self to them serve all the Creatures where as it should have made them servants yea a slave to his own greatest enemy to the ground he treadeth upon O what a degenerat Plant It was a noble Vine once in Paradise but sin hath made it a wild one to bring forth sour Graps What is there in all the world could defile a man Mat. 15. 20. Nothing that goeth out or cometh in but sin that proceedeth out of the heart Man was all Light his Judgment shined in to his Affections and thorow all the Man But sin hath made all Darknesse closed up the poor captive Understanding hath built up a thick Wall of grosse corrupted Affections about it so that Light can neither get in nor out The Soul was like a clear running Fountain which yielded fresh clear streams of holy Inclinations Desires Affections Actions and emptied it self in the Sea of Immense Majesty from which these Streams first flowed But now it is a standing putrified Puddle that casteth a vile stinck round about and hath no issue towards God Man was a Glorious Creature fit to be Lord over the work of Gods own Hands and therefore had Gods Image in a special manner Holinesse and Righteousnesse Gods Nature a peece of Divinity was stamped on man which outshined all Created Perfections The Sun might blush when it looked on him For what was material Glory to the Glory of Holinesse and Beauty of Gods Image But sin hath robbed poor man of this Glorious Image hath defaced man marred all his Glory put on an hellish likenesse on him Holinesse only putteth the differenc between Angels in Heaven and Devils in Hell And sin only hath made the difference between Adam in Paradise and sinners on the cursed ground Rom. 3. 23. Secondly sin hath so redounded through man unto all the Creation that it hath defiled it and made it corruptible and subject to vanity Rom. 8. 20. c. So that this is a spot in all the Creatures Face that man hath sinned and used all as weapons of unrighteousnesse so that now the Creature groaneth to be delivered Thirdly It hath brought on all the Misery that is come on man or that is to come It hath brought on Death and Damnation as its wages and the Curse of the Eternal God Gal. 3. 13. Rom. 6. 23. How odious then an evil must it be that hath so much evil in it yea all evil in the bosome of it Hell is not evil in respect of sin for sin deserveth Hell it hath ruined man and made all the beautiful order of the Creation to change Fourthly It separateth man from God which is worst of all And this is included in the Text We are all as an unclean thing or man as a leprous man set apart because of pollution that may not come to the Temple or worship God so hath iniquity separated between God and us Isai 59. 2. And O how sad a Divorcement is this it maketh men without God in the world in whom we live and move and have our beeing in whose favour is life and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore Now poor man is made Miserable deprived of his Felicity which only consisted in enjoyment of God Sin as a thick partition Wall is come in between Enimity also is come in and divideth old friends Eph. 2. 14 15 16 17. And now no heavenly or comfortable Influence can break thorow The Night of Darknesse is begun which must prove everlasting except the partition Wall be removed all must wither and decay as without the Sun Fifthly Look on the Price paid for sin on the cleansing that washeth it away and you may see unspeakeable deformity and vilenesse in it The Redemption of the Soul is precious Silver and Gold and precious Stones will not do it that would be utterly contemned What saith God presumptuous sinner will thou give me a farthimg in payment of a summ which all the world sold at the dearest would not discharge Psal 49 7 8. 1 Pet. 1. 18. It is no corruptible thing but the blood of the son of God O what must the Debt be when the price is so infinit The Son of God must dy Nay It is not sacrifice or offering lo I come to do thy will it is Christ himself that is the Ransom Psal 40. 6 7. And it is not much Sope or Nitre it is not much repentance and tears that will wash away this filthinesse No it is of a deeper dy it is crimson ingrained filthiness Jer. 2. 22. And Isai 1. 6. Blood of bulls and goats cannot do it but only the blood of the immaculat Lamb offered up by himself Heb. 10. 4 5. the blood of him who by the eternal Spirit offered up himself without spot unto God Heb. 9. 14. What must sin be that must have such a Fountain opened for it It must be strange uncleannesse when the Blood of Christ only can cleanse
so must they do in their lot Heaven only is one day one Spring perpetually blossoming and bringing forth fruit There is the Tree of Life that bringeth forth fruit every moneth that hath both Spring and Harvest all the year over Christians sit not down under the green tree of worldly prosperity If you do the leaves will come down about you The Gourd you trust in may be eaten up in â— night your Winter will come on so as you shall forget the former days as if they had never been We desire you to be armed for changes Are not matters in the Kingdome still going about All things are subject to revolution and change and every year hath its own Summer and Winter so hath it pleased the Lord to set the one over against the other that man might find nothing after him Eccles 7. 14. Therefore we would have you cast your accompts so as the former dayes of darkness may return and the Land be covered with mourning cloaths But would you know what is the original of the creatures vanity what is the moth that eats up the glory and goodliness of creatures enjoyments Here it is Sin and iniquities It was sin that first subjected the Creation to vanity Rom. 8. 19 20. This inferior world was to have been a durable house for an immortal soul but sin made man mortal and the world corruptible And from this proceed all the tempests and disorders that seem to be in the Creation It is this still It is sin that raiseth the storm of the Lords wrath which bloweth away the withered leaves of mens enjoyments Sin drieth up all the sap and sweetness of the creature comforts it maketh the leaves of the tree wither drives the sap away to the root hindereth the influence of Gods blessing to come thorow the veins of worldly prosperity For what is the vertue and sap of Creatures It is even Gods blessing and therefore the bread nourisheth not but the Word and Command of God Matth. 3. 4. That is a right unto the Creatures by Jesus Christ when possession of them is entered into by prayer and thanksigiving for all rightis sanctified by these and it is the iniquities of men that separateth between God and them Isa 59. 2. And when God is separated and divided from enjoyments they must needs be empty shells and husks no kernel in them for God filleth all in all is all in all And remove him and you have nothing your meat and drink is no blessing your table is a snare your pleasures and laughter have sadness in them at least they are like the vanishing blaze of thorns under a pot And therefore when God is angry for sin mens beauty consumeth as before the moth Psal 39. 11. When God beginneth to shew himself terrible because of sin poor man though of late spreading his boughs out yet all falleth and like Ice melteth as before the Sun which just now seemed as solid as stone O but David was sensible of this and could speak from much experience Psal 32. 3 4. The anger of the Lord did eat him up and dryed his moisture It might be read in his countenance all the world could not content him all the showres of creatures dropping fatness could not keep sap in him Gods displeasure scorcheth so nay is within him that no hiding place is to be found in the world no shadow of a rock among all the Creatures in such a weary Land Moses and the people knew this well Psal 90. 5 6 7 8 9. The Lords displeasure carried them away as a floud coming down carrieth all headlong with it it scorched them and made them wither as grass When God setteth iniquities before him that which is the souls secret beginneth to imprint it in visible characters on the rod and writeth his sin on his punishment then no wonder that dayeâ— be spent in vanity and grief since they are past over in his wrath Job 13. 25. Then doth a soul loath its dainty meat and then doth the Ox lowe over his fodder meat is laid before and he cannot touch it because of the terrours of the Almighty And that which before he would not once touch would not enter in terms of communing with as the Lords threatnings he must now sit down and eat them up as his meat how sorrowful soever Job 6. 5 6 7. But Secondly when sin hath prepared a man for judgement then if iniquity be added to sin this raiseth the storm and kindleth the fire to consume the combustible matter when sin hath given many blowes by preparatory corrections at the root of a mans pleasure and credit it will at length bring on a fatal stroak that shall drive the tree to the ground There are some preparatory judgements and some consummatory some withers the leaf and some bloweth it quite off some make men like the Harvest ripe to put the sickle of judgement into it The Corrruption of a land the universality of it and formality in worshiping of God ripeneth a land for tâ—e harvest of judgement exposeth it to any storm leaveth it open to the Lords wrath so that there is nothing to hold his hand and keep off the stroak But when the wind ariseth and iniquities have made it tempestuous then who may stand it will sweep away Nations and people as a flood and make their place not to know them so that there shall be neither leaf nor branch left There is often a great calm with great provocations and iniquities cry Peace peace But when once the cry of it is gone up to heaven and hath engaged Gods anger against a people or person then it raiseth a whilr-wind that taketh all away Now all this belongeth to you we told you the acknowledgement of sin was yours already and a wonder it is that the complaint is not ours also Alwayes this ought to be an admonition and example to us on whom the ends of the world are fallen Therefore we would declare this unto you that sin and iniquities have judgment in the taile Now you sit at peace every one in his own dwelling and spread forth your branches But is there not much uncleanness among you We would have you trouble your carnal peace and security trouble your ease with thoughts of this And we have ground to give this warning because if there were no more but the iniquity of our holy things the formality of our service the commonness of Spirit in worship this might be enough to raise the storm You know not for what reasons to be afraid of judgement look but on original corruption look on the defilement of your religious actions and then find ground sufficient of fading away Though now you sit still and seem to be so setled as you would never be moved you dream of an eternity here you cleave in your hearts to your houses and lands you stick as fast to the world and will not part with it as a leaf to a
tree yet behold the wind of the Lord may arise that shall drive you away take your soul from these things and then whose shall they be If you will not fear temporal judgements yet I pray you fear eternal fear hell May not the Lord shake you off this tree of time and take you out of the land of the living to receive your portion There is not only an universal deadness of spirit on the land but a prophane spirit Iniquities abominable sins abound Every Congregation is overgrown with scandals and for you None may more justly complain we are all unclean sin is not in corners but men declare their sin as Sodom sin is come to the Maturity Defection and Apostacy is the temper of all Spirits and above all the general contempt and slighting of this glorious gospel is the iniquity of Scotland so that we wonder that the withered leaves yet stick to that the storm is not yet raised and we blown away Now you are like stones your hearts as Adamants and cannot be moved with his threatnings the voice of the Lords word doth not once move you you sin and are not afraid Nay but when Gods anger shall joyn with iniquity and the voice of his rod and displeasure roar this shall make the mountains to tremble the rocks to move and how much more shall it drive away a leaf You seem now mountains but when God shall plead you shall be like the chaff driven too and fro O how easy a matter shall it be to God to blow a man out of his dwelling place sin hath prepared you for it he needeth no more but blow by his Spirit or look upon you and you will not be You who now are lofty and proud and maintain your self against the word when you come to reckon with God and he entereth in judgement you shall not stand you will consume as before the moth your hearts will fail you Who may abide the day of his coming It will be so terrible and so much the more terrible that you never dreamed of it If the example of this people will not move you do but cast your eyes on Ireland who all do fade as a leaf and their iniquities have taken them away out of their own Land Shall not the seeing of the eye nor the hearing of the ear teach you What security do you promise to your selves Have not we sinned as much as they Were not they his people as we Certainly since God waiteth longer on you the stroak must be the greater provoked patience must turn fury If you would then prevent this peoples complaint go about such a serious acknowledgement of your sins search your wayes and turn again to the Lord. And let not every man sit down in a general notion of sin but unbowel it until you see uncleanness go up to the fountain head Original corruption go down to all the streams even the iniquity of holy things let every man be particular in the search of his own provocations personal and every one be publick in the general sins of the Land that you may confesse out of knowledge and sense we are all unclean c. SERMON XVIII Isai 64. 7. And there is none that calleth upon thy Name that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee c. THey go on in the Confession of their sins Many a man hath soon done with that A general notion of sin is the highest advancement in repentance that many attain to You may see here Sin and Judgement mixed in thorow other in their complaint They do not so fix their eyes upon their desolat estate of captivity as to forget their provocations Many a man would spend more affection and be more pathetick in the expression of his misery when it is pungent nor he can do when he speaketh of his sins We would observe from the nature of this confession something to be a patern of your repentance And it is this When the spirit convinceth and men are serious in repentance then the soul is more searching more universal more particular in acknowledgement of sins These are characters of the Spirits work First The Spirit discovereth unto men not only sin but the loathsomeness of sin its hainous nature how offensive it is to Gods holy eye Many of you know abundance of evil deeds and call them sins but you have never taken up sins ugly face never seen it in the glasse of the holy Law uncleannesse it self because you do not abhore your selves poor and low thoughts of God maketh mean and shallow thoughts of sin You would be as Job vile ch 40. 4. And abhore your selves in dust and ashes ch 42. 6. As Gods holiness grew great in your eyes Sins uncleanness would grow proportionably Is 6. 3. 5. And here your repentance halteth in the very entry But Secondly The Spirit discovereth not only the uncleanness of mens natures and leadeth them up to original corruption but the Spirit also leadeth men alongs all the streams not only these that break out but those who go under ground and have a more secret and subtil conveyance It concludeth not only open breaches of the command under filthiness but also all a mans own righteousness though never so refined it concludeth it also a defiled garment so that the Soul can look no where but see sin and uncleanness in its ornaments and duties And thus it appeareth before God without such a covering openeth up its Soul hideth not sin with the covering of duties but seeth a necessity of another covering for all Now therefore let the most part of you conclude that you have never yet gotteh your eyes open to see sin or confesse it because when you sit down to compt your sins there are many things that you call not sin you use not to reckon your praying and repentance among sins Nay because you have so much confidence in your repentance and confession you have never repented you must see a necessity of a covering of Christs righteousness above all Faith in Jesus must cover repentance and it self both with the glorious object of it But alas how soon are many at an end of confession some particular grosse actions may come in remembrance but no more Sum up al your confessions they have never yet pitched on the thousand part of your guiltiness no not in kinds let be in number But thirdly The Spirit convinceth spiritually and particularly both it convinceth of Spiritual sins as we said last of the iniquity of holy things and especially of the most substantial duties faith and prayer John 16. 8 9. there are not many of you have come this length to see your want of prayer No your own words do witness against you for you use to say I pray day and night I believe in God with all my heart Now therefore out of your own mouth shall you be condemned when the spirit convinceth you of Sin you will see no faith no prayer at the first
say it as you use to say I pray both day â—d night Nay but count after this rule and â—ere will be found few prayers in Scotland alâ—it you reckon up both privat and publick â—nce scrape out of the compt the prayers of the â—ophane and scandalous whose practice deâ—eth their prayers And again blot out the â—ayers of mens tongues and mouths when â—arts are absent And again set aside the â—ormal dwyning coldrife indifferent suppliâ—tions of Saints and the prayers that carry no â—eal of Gods Name and Attributes on them â—rayers made to an unknown God And will â—ou find many behind No certainly any of â—ou may take up the complaint in behalf of the â—and There is none that calleth on thy Name or â—ew to count upon You may say so of your â—elves if you judge thus I have almost never â—rayed God hath never heard my voice and â—ou may say so of the Land This would be a â—ell spent day if this were but our exercise to â—nd out the sins of our duties in former humiliaâ—ions If the Spirit did so convince you as to â—ot out of the roll of Fasts all the former If â—ou come this length as to be convinced solidly â—at you have never yet prayed and mourned for â— I have lived this long and been babling â—ll this while I have never once spoken to God â—ut worshipped I knew not what fancied a God like my self that would be as soon pleaseâ— with me as I was with my self If the Lorâ— wrought thus on your hearts to put you â—â— your own righteousness you should have moâ— advantage in this then in all your Sabbaths anâ— Fasts hitherto Secondly Although the Lords hand be upoâ— them and they fade as a leaf and are driveâ— into another Land yet none calleth on his Name This maketh the complaint more lamentablâ— and no doubt is looked upon as a dreadful sigâ— and token of Gods displeasure and of sorâ— stroaks Daniel an eye-witnesse confirmeth thâ— foretold truth Chap. 9. 13. All this is come upon us yet have we not made our prayer to the Lord oâ— God Well may the Lord make a supposition and doubt of it Lev. 26. 40 41. After so many plagues are come on seven added to seven and again seven times more and yet they will not be humbled And when it is even at the door neâ— to utter destruction and consumption he addeth If then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled and they take with the punishment of sin c. We need ask no reason of this for bray a fool in a morteâ— his folly will not depart from him Prov. 27. 22 Poor foolish man is a foolish man folly is born with him folly is his name and so is he He hath not so much wisdom as to hear the voice oâ— the rod and him that appointeth it Poor Ephraim is an undaunted heifer Nature is a bullock unaccustomed with the yoke and so it is chastised more and more Jer. 31. 18. Man is like aâ— untamed beast as the horse or as the mulâ— Threatnings will not do it God speaketh once yeâ— twice and man perceiveth it not Job 33. 14. God instructeth by the Word and men receive no instruction All the warnings to flee from the wrath to come are as so many tales to make children afraid He saith in his heart I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my own heart Since therefore he will not incline his ear to the Word God sendeth his rod to seal the Word and yet men are so wilde that they sight with Gods rods and will not submit to him A yoke must be put on Ephraim a bridle in mens mouths Psal 32. 9. They will put God to more pains then speaking and it shall cost them more pain For he that will not be drawn with the cords of a man love and intreaties must be drawn with the cords of a beast and yoked in a heavy yoke Yet men are unruly and the yoke groweth the heavier and sorer that they strive to shake it off An uncircumcised heart cannot be humbled How can the Leopard change his spots no more can my people return to me Jer. 13. 23. It is strange that a people so afflicted will not take with the punishment of their iniquity but will say in their heart Wherefore come these things upon me But here it is how can an uncircumcised heart be humbled God may beat on men with rods as on a dog but he will run away from him still the more Isai 9. 13. Nay it may be there will be more stirring after God and more awaking by the first stroak of affliction then when they are continued and multiplied The uncouthness of rods may affect people something but when his hand lyeth on but a little custome breedeth hardness aâ— more and more alienateth spirits from him Now we need no more to seal this truth â—â— our own experience I think never peopâ— might speak more sensibly of it It hath beâ— the manner of the Lords dealing with us to â— fair means to gain us to threaten before he laâ— on to give a proclamation before his stroakâ— And yet it hath been our manner from oâ— youth up to harden our selves against him anâ— go on in our own way Therefore hath thâ— Lord after long patience laid on sad stroaks anâ— smitten us yet have we not turned to him â— may be when the chastisement was fresh aâ— green some poured out a prayer and in trouble visited God Isai 26. 18. but the body of the Laâ— hath not known him that smote them and nâ—ver ran into their hiding place but the temptâ—tion of the time like a flood hath carried them awâ— with it And for the Lords children how soâ— doth the custome of a rod eat out the sense â— it and prayer doth not grow proportionably â— the Lords rods The Lord hath expected thâ— some might stand in the gap and interceed yet fâ— or none called on his Name General correction of the Land have made general apostacy froâ— God not a turning in to God So that we maâ— say we never entered a furnace but we havâ— come out with more dross contracted dross iâ— the fire Mens zeal and tenderness hath beeâ— burnt up reprobate silver may God call us We have had so much experience of the unprofitableness of former afflictions that we knoâ— not what the Lord shall do with us We thinâ— it may be the Lords complaint of Scotland Why should you be afflicted any more you will revolt more and more Isai 1. 5. What needeth another roâ— You are now all secure it is true because you are not stricken Nay but what needeth a rod for it cannot awake you all the fruit of it would be not to purge away sin but to increase it General judgements will prove general tentations and will alienate you more from me and make you curse God and the Covenant And indeed the truth is we know not what
outward Dispensation can fall on that can affect this generation We know not what the Lord can have behind that can work on us Judgement hath had as much terror Mercies as much sweetness and as much of God in the one and the other as readily hath been since the beginning of the world Only this we know all things are possible to him which are impossible to us And if the Spirit work to sanctifie the Rod a more gentle Rod shall work more effectually his Word shall do as much as his Rod. The case we are now into is just this None calleth on thee It is a terrible one whither our condition be good or bad outwardly our peace hath put us asleep and the Word cannot put men to prayers Now the Lord hath begun to threaten as you have been still in fear of new troubles and a revolution of affairs again yet I challenge your own Consciences and appeal to them whom hath the Word prevailed with to put to prayer Whom hath the rumour of approaching trouble put to their prayers Whose spirit hath been affected with Goâ— fâ—ouning on the Land And this yet more aâ— gravateth your laziness In the time that Goâ— doth shew terrible things to his people in Irelaâ— giveth them a cup of wormwood and to drink â— wine of astonishment Are not you yet at eâ—â— when your brethren and fellow saints are scaâ—tered among you as strangers yet your heaâ— bleed not Well behold the end of it you case is a sad prognostick of the Lords hideing hiâ— Face and consuming us Nay it is a sure token that his Face is hid already When Jâ— friends would aggravate his misery they sumâ— it up in this thou restrainest prayer from God Iâ— is more wrath to be kept from much praying nor to be scattered from your own house Therefore if you would have the cloud of Godâ— anger that covereth the Land with blackneâ— go over you and pour out it self on others you would prevent the Rod hearken to thâ— Word and stirr up your selves to much prayeâ— that you may be called his remembrancers Oâ— how long shall prayer be banished this Kingdom The Lords controversie must be greaâ— with us for since the days of our first love therâ— hath been great decay of the spirit of prayer The Children of God should be so much in it as they might be one with it David was so much in prayer as he in a manner defined himself by it Psal 109. 4. I gave my self unto prayer In the original there is no more but â— prayer I was all prayer It was my Work my Element my Affection my Action Nay to speak the truth it is the decay of prayer that hath made all this defection in the Land Would you know the original of many a publick mans Apostacy and backsliding in the cause of God what maketh them so soon forget their solemn ingagements and grow particular seeking their own things untender in seeking the things of God Would you trace back the Desertion up to the Fountain head Then come and see Look upon such a mans walking with God in private such a mans praying and you shall find matters have been first wrong there Alienation and estrangement from God himself in immediat Duties and secret approaches hath made mâ—ns Affections cooll to his interest in publick Duties And believe it the reason why so few great men or none are so cordial constant and through in Gods Matters is this they pray not in secret They come to Parliament or Council where publick Matters concerning the Honour of God are to be debated as any Stas-man of Venice would come to the Senate They have no dependence on God to be guided in these Matters They are much in publick Duties but little in secret with God Believe it any mans private walking with God shall be read upon his publick carriage whither he be Minister or Ruler There is yet another thing we would have you consider to endear this Duty unto you and bind upon your Consciences an absolute necessity of being much in it and it is this Prayer and calling on his Name is often put for all immediat Worship of God especially the more substantial and moral part of Service This people was much in Ceremonials and they made these their righteousness Nay but there was little secret conversing with God walking humbly with him loving him believing in him Well then prayer is as it were a compend and summ of all Duties It contains in it Faith Love Repentance all these should breath out in prayer In a word if we say to you be much in prayer we have said all and it is more then all the rest because it is a more near and immediat approach to God having more solid Religion in it If you be lively in this you are thriving Christians if you wither here all must decay for prayer sappeth and watereth all othes Duties with the influence of Heaven That stirreth up himself to take hold on thee This expresseth more of their condition under the Rod and while God was threatning to depart and leave them none took so much notice of it as to awake out of his dream to take a fast hold of God It was but like the grip a man taketh in his slumbering that he soon quiteth in his sleep None awaketh himself as a bird stirreth up it self with its wings to flight None do so spread out their sails to meet the wind This importeth a great security and negligence a careless stupidity To take hold to grip strongly and violently importeth both Faith acted on God and Communion with God so that the sense is no body careth whither thou go there is none that stirreth up himself to take violent hold of thee Men ly louse in their interest and indifferent in the one thing necessary do not strongly grip to it No body keepeth thee by prayer and intercession so that there is no diligence added to diligence there is no stirring up of our selves in security First when the Lord seemeth to withdraw and when he is angry it is our duty to take hold the more on him and not only to act Faith and call on him by prayer but to add to ordinary diligence it should be extraordinary First then I say when the Lord is withdrawing and seemeth angry we ought not to withdraw from him by unbelief but to draw near and take hold on him And the Lord giveth a reason of this himself Isai 26. 4 5. because fury is not in me It is but a moments anger it is not hatred of your persons but sins it is not fury that hath no discretion in it to difference between a friend and an enemy It is but at least a fathers anger that is not for destruction but correction The Lord is not implacable come to him and win him let bim take hold of me and let him make peace with me if he will make peace He is a God whose