Neglecting Salvation hath a most provoking influence on the wrath of God Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation VVill the Lord bear this affront to his mercy that when he is willing to save we declare we regard no Salvation This will be an unpardonable crime there will be no escaping for us To sin with deliverance is no less than to throw away the healing balm that mercy provides and resolve to make our wounds incurable PROPOSITION 4. Sins after deliverance have a peculiar influence to procure and hasten destruction Our present safety is no security against future Judgments destruction deferred by Gods deliverances will be hastned by our sinning after them those whom undeserved mercies can't reclaim incensed justice will speedily ruine The Monuments of greatest mercies have been made examples to declare the severity of Justice for the abuses of them Such have experienced the most direful suffering to whom the Almighty hath been most long-suffering VVitness the deplorable state of the hardned Iews to whom the most singular favour was extended of any people on earth yet now who more miserable than those rejected wretches for their abusing favours Justice will frown most sharply upon the disdainful affronters of mercy No people are nearer an utter desolation than those who heap up sin when God is heaping up mercies Although the Lord be most willing to smite yet he knows not how to spare when provoked in this manner Ier. 5.7 How shall I pardon thee for this When I had fed them to the full then they committed Adultery v. 9. Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord shall I not be avenged on such a Nation as this These sins put God to a stand he knows not how to go about a pardoning act although he delights so greatly in it how shall I pardon Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 parcam how shall I spare thee any longer I can't withhold the hands of my justice I can't defer the punishment of these transgressions Thence v. 10. God gives a Commission to enemies Go upon the Walls and destroy c. delay no longer let those feel the smarting impressions of Justice that despise the sweetest expressions of mercy This wrath of God against despisers of goodness appears 1 Sam. 12.24 25. Consider how great things the Lord hath done but if ye still continue to do wickedly ye shall be consumed both ye and your King When once a people rise to that height of Impiety that the most obliging kindness Heaven can show can't win their hearts to obedience what can be expected from Heaven but the severest vengeance an Almighty arm can bring upon them Will not the Lord soon rush out upon a people with wonderful plagues when they are knocking at the door of justice by such impenitent courses The most gracious Prince would dispatch that man who should impudently persist in traiterous designs against him after a deliverance from death by his pardoning of him Thus will the King of Heaven miserably destroy delivered sinners rebelling against him Divine patience sheathing the sword of Justice will at last desist its pleading for the abusers of it and impatient justice by its revengeful arm will avenge the quarrel of despised mercy Ezek. 16.43 Because thou hast not remembred the days of thy youth q. d. the kindness and favour I then extended to thee the deliverances thou hadst from me Behold I will recompence thy ways upon thy â—ead Thou hast grieved me with sin I will grind thee to pieces with judgments thou hast recompensed me with hatred for â—ove I will recompense hatred for your â—atred Thus will God deprive those of mercies that deprive him of the glory of â—hem 2 Kings 21.13 God there threaâ—ens to wipe Jerusalem as a man wipes a â—ish q. d. He would take away all their â—elicate enjoyments as meat is thrown â—ut of a dish They shall feed on judgments who were wanton when fed with â—ercies but the Hebrew signifies Delebo Ierusalem sicut deleri solent tabulae As impressions on tables are wont to be wiped out so shall my impressions of goodness upon them the former inscriptions of honour and prosperity shall no more be seen but the prints of destroying judgments shall be found upon them It shall no more be written These are a people delivered but These are a people destroyed for abusing deliverance This fatal consequence of despising favours may be illustrated from the words of God Hos. 6.4 Oh Ephraim what shall I do unto thee for your goodness is as a morning cloud and as the early dew it passeth away Many interpret your goodness the goodness bestowed on you or your mercies So the sence is My goodness that I bestow upon you is but like a morning cloud that is dissipated and scattered and doth no good to you you are not the better for it And as the early dew it passeth away i. e. Gratiam misericordiam meam malitia vestra absorbetis You soon wear off the impressions of my mercy as the moistnings of the early dew are soon dryed up by the earth therefore v. 7. I have hewed them by the Prophets my judgments are broken out upon them or otherwise The tokens of my mercy make but short impression on you your goodness fades away you soon return to sin what now shall I do to you I am resolved to try no more mercies I have made you grow with my kindness like flourishing Trees now will I hew you down because you are so unprofitable I will be unmerciful to you Here it will not be amiss to consider how this persistence in sin after deliverance promotes and hastens the destruction of a people 1. Hereby that peculiar respect that God hath for one people above another is made to cease and they are lookt upon no otherwise than the vilest of people in the world In Gods providenâ—ial dispensations he bears some singular favour to some beyond what he doth to others although these may be nothing more deserving than other Nations and from this favour he confers singular Temporal Blessings upon them and these he â—alls his people as especially cared for â—reserved and provided for by him But 〈◊〉 these despise his kindness and conâ—â—mn his goodness he then un-peoples â—â—em and casts them out of his favour â—nd then they become as liable to judgâ—ents as the greatest abjects in the world Thus was it with the people of the Iews the Lord separated them from all the world for his care and charge hence he did mighty things for them but continuing long in their sins notwithstanding his mercies Hos. 2.9 he bids the Prophet tell them Ye are not my people I will not be your God and this rejection made way for that ruine now upon them In the 9th of Amos the Prophet is threatning judgment against that sinful people against which they fortified themselves with presumptuous boastings of their being Gods people chosen by him so
operations cast an unmerited eye of pity on our sinful Nation languishing with undiscerned distempers when the boundless goodness of the Eternal God made a timely stop to our hastning ruine when the heavenly witness that is conscious to the secret actions of unmindful Mortals detected the vaulted contrivances of the undermining Moles of our Common-wealth when the Almighty God who places bounds to the roaring waves and says to the raging sea Hitherto and no farther took off the Chariot-wheels of our furious Enemies when he unto whom belongs the issues from death as by a glorious Resurrection rescued us from the jaws of destruction who bore the Image of death upon us when the faithful God discovered the unfaithful dealings of perfidious Plotters and by a glorious ray of infinite goodness shining on our clouded Land hath made us a Land of Goshen who were near to be made a miserable Golgotha This is the Deliverance never to be forgotten the wonderful work with such impressions of mercy which is to be beheld with most fixed intention Now can we cast our eye on this magnificent master-piece of mercy but our eye must needs affect our hearts and ingenerate such motions as were in the heart of thankful David Psal. 116.12 What shall I render to the Lord for all his mercy Can we pass by this Heavenly favour without a pious inquiry into the gracious designs of our blessed God in bestowing of it Hath this unexpected deliverance continued the choicest of blessings to us and shall we dis-appoint the expectations of God who is looking for signal requitals of it Surely such a glorious work as this wherein hath appeared the immediate hand of Almighty God the most wonderful goodness of his sweetest nature the highest testimonies of his enduring patience can never be over-looked by us unless we design to affront his mercy disdain his kindness and dare his justice But oh miserable Nation oh ungrateful people Where are the tokens of thankful respects for unmerited favours What notice is there taken that such a work hath been done amongst us Who lays to heart the operations of his hands Where are the lips that praise him the lives that honour him for it The Idolatrous Philistines could assemble and sacrifice to their Dagon for delivering Sampson their Enemy into their hands Iudg. 16.23 24. But when have we assembled to offer the sacrifice of praise to our God for delivering us from the hands of our Enemies Oh regardless people if talking of Deliverance be recompense enough we have paid it if cursing our foes be sufficient reward we have given it but if repentance of disobedience be the onely return we have yet omitted it if reformation can onely be regarded as a suitable requital we are without it What have we seen but unchanged conversations in our changed condition What have we given to the Lord but a doubled measure of Impieties for his doubled mercies What have we done but endeavoured to revenge our selves on the mercy of God that hath spared us Oh undeserving Generation that we are how do we enjoy mercies and never improve them How do we comfortably reap the profit of Deliverance and unfaithfully rob the Lord of the glory of it How do we bless our selves in escapes and forget the Almighty that gives them to us We are sollicitous wanters but careless enjoyers How are we joyful when getting out of danger but how little careful then are we to be getting out of sin Methinks the Moon that is often changing and still keeps its old spots is a plain Emblem of our wicked Nation when all things are ruining sin remains unruined when enjoying escapes from ruine still sin remains to be again a cause of ruine Oh what unchangeable Ethiopians are we in our sins How like are we to the hardned Mariners who escaping the fatal dangers of a threatning storm remain secure till another Tempest hangs over their heads What succession of mercies do we promise our selves in the vilest continuance in destroying iniquities But is there no hope◠that the consideration of delivering Mercies may over-power us from going on in our wicked courses Were they prest upon our Consciences would they not prevail to effect some reformation It may be a word that will suit to the works of the Lord amongst us may make some impression effect some conviction and produce some amendment Behold then a Word enough to melt our hearts with the reading of it to dissolve us into tears by meditating on it to make us reform by applying of it Seeing thou hast given us such a deliverance as this should we again break thy commandment Wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us c. In these words are contain'd 1. A thankful acknowledgment of the undeserved mercy their gracious God had exercised towards them consisting in these two things 1. He had punished them less than their sins deserved They admire the Clemency of Almighty God that when their iniquities were wonderfully great their punishments should be mitigated with so much mercy The Hebrew Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used signifies 1. Cohibere se to with-hold ones self And so the sence is elegant Thou hast with-held thy self from doing what our iniquities deserved from thee Thou wouldst not suffer thy direful anger to break out against us to the utmost but didst refrain thy self from making an irreparable ruine amongst us Hadst thou proportioned thy destroying judgment to our daring provocations and thy wrathful dealings to our vast deserts we had not been a people at this very day but thy mercy detain'd the hands of thy Justice and thou didst not so much design to consume us but onely to correct us The like acknowledgment have we cause to make having had experiences of the same clemency for when our provoked God hath come out against us with wasting Wars destroying Plagues devouring Flames yet he restrained his wrath and suspended the greatest part of the judgments we deserved from him and although when he began there was cause enough to make a full end of us all yet in the midst of Justice he remembred mercy and graciously desisted from ruining of us 2. The word signifies Cohibere aliquid to restrain any thing else So the sence is Thou hast restrained kept down our sins from rising up in judgment against us for had they appeared against us we had utterly been ruin'd 2. This Mercy was exprest to them by the working out for them so great a deliverance Since thou hast given us such a deliverance implying how merciful how seasonable how undeserved a deliverance that was they received and such is ours that the Almighty God hath vouchsafed to us 2. You have here the deep sense of duty that was upon his heart which duty was to break off sin which onely can be a just return to God for his goodness 3. You have his sense of danger if sin was persisted in after such a deliverance Wouldst
against me As judgments will not bridle us so mercies will not break us off our sinning Isa. 26.10 Let favour be shown to the wicked yet will he not learn righteousness In the former verses the Prophet shews that the people of God would serve him even under afflictions but as for the wicked neither mercies nor afflictions work upon them Mercies are messengers to instruct us our duty but although for many years we have been called upon by them yet how little have we learnt to love serve and obey our God by them Noah miraculously delivered is abominably drawn into sin He that had the highest proofs of the mercy and justice of God mercy to himself justice to the world lyes drunk in his Tent preserved from waters overcome by wine behold you may see him guilty of the sin for which he saw the world condemned you may see him to be rebuked for the sin he so often had reproved and he that was so holy before now becomes a pattern of uncleanness and example for future wickedness thus prone are the best to sin after deliverance Thus holy Hezekiah 2 Chron. 32.24 25. God delivered him from death but he rendred not to the Lord according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up not with thankfulness but haughtiness not in praises but with pride Deut. 32.15 Ieshurun waxed fat and kicked then be forsook the God that made him and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation Deliverance had made way for his promotion and he being promoted God was rejected Righteous Lot by distinguishing favour escaping the flames of Sodom fell into the fire of sin The ashes of Sodom the pillar of salt made him not wise enough to shun the drunken bed of Incest Who could have thought Lot should fall into such Impieties upon the receipt of such mercies but thus prone are we to abuse goodness and ready to slight the greatest kindness how often do we turn our Physick to poison How often do we make our Mercies Commeatus peccandi Inlets to sin 'T is said concerning Eve that God design'd her an helper to Adam and made her of his rib but the devil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 took his rib and made it a fatal dart So God gives Mercies with good intentions but Satan siding with our corrupt inclinations makes use of them to our great disadvantage I shall now consider how it comes to pass that Deliverances have no more Influence upon us and how we become so prone to sin after them 1. It arises from the mighty Power that accustomed sins have upon the heart When highest Reasons are obliging to leave sin the force of Custom prevents their operation When men are soaked in Sensuality flesht in Villany thorough-paced in Rebellious courses what is able to change them Hereby the heart is so direfully hardned the Devil's Kingdom so invincibly fortified and sin itself so much endeared that there is unspeakable difficulty in conquering of it Ezek. 16.4 When delivered from Egypt 't is said Their Navil was not cut The Navil is that whereby the Child is supplyed with nourishment in the Mothers Womb. So this expression means Israel was still drawing in Egyptian Manners and Superstitions being accustomed to them they still hankered after them notwithstanding their great deliverance And although for a while a deliverance may seem to make some impression yet as the water heated redit ad ingenium grows cold again so affections to God wear off and men are hankering after their former Lusts. So Ezek. 23.8 Neither â—eft she her whoredoms brought from Egypt Difficile est ab usitatis desinere Accustomed â—ins are hardly deserted sins often renewâ—d are hardly reformed sudden mercies â—hough never so great will hardly wear â—ut continued sins 2. The reason why our Deliverances work no greater Reformation is because â—e fix our Eyes too much upon second â—auses and inferiour Instruments withâ—ut a due acknowledgment of the hand â—f God Hence we are prone to conâ—eive our selves more obliged to Men than 〈◊〉 God himself How wickedly do ma 〈◊〉 ascribe more to Humane Policy and Heathenish Fortune than to infinite power and Heavenly favour Hos. 11.3 They knew not that I healed them Nescire dicitur qui gratiam non refert He is ignorant who neither observes nor answers the merciful hand of God Attributing Deliverances to man hinders the performance of duty to God The reason why mercies are not seconded with obedience to God is because we look too much to second causes so those Hab. 1.16 Their portion was fat and they sacrificed to their nets and burnt incense to their drags Thus the Assyrian proudly ascribed all to himself Isa. 10.14 By the strength of my hand have I done it and by my wisdom for I am prudent How can the mercy of God be answered if it be not owned How can we requite God for delivering if we deny the receipts of deliverance from him If we look not upon our mercies as given by God we shall give God nothing foâ— his mercies 3. Deliverances are no more influentia to reclaim from sin because of our unreasonable oblivion of them Our greatest mercies are but nine days wonders present impressions made by deliverance are soon worn off by neglect of future consideration The sense of our Engagements to Obedience wearing off our inclinations to sin make head When mercies are new how frequent is our remembrance of them Whilst employed in our daily labours our minds are admiring delivering love When waking in the night these are the objects of Meditation when conversing with friends these are the Theams we discourse of Now somewhat must be done to requite this kindness but too sudden a forgetfulness anticipates and prevents the performance of our acknowledged obedience Deut. 32.17 18. they are charged with abominable sins and it stands as a reason because they forgot the God that formed them and the rock that begat them Did we not forget our mercies our Consciences would force us to forsake our sins Were our hearts more but Repositories for Gods favours so much Iniquity would not be lodged in them Forgetting Gods mercies is not onely a base unworthy sin but a breeding sin many desperate sins arise from despising the kindness of our God And oh how unspeakably strange is it that we can forget him who doth so much to be remembred That we can suffer his mercies to pass out of our mind whose mercies are new every moment How impossible would it be to live in unlamented sin did we live in the sense of undeserved mercies Hence it is we are so prone to sin after deliverances because we are so apt to suffer them to slip out of our labile memories 4. This continuance in sin after deliverances arises from persons bolstring up themselves with sinful presumptions that the dangers of destruction are past When men begin to apprehend all things are well they are apt to take occasion to do ill When
example Amos 7. In the vision of the Prophet the judgments of God on that people were shadowed by various destructive things v. 1. by Grass-hoppers meaning the Army of the Assyrians which were ready to invade them but God from his infinite clemency prevented their ruine by them v. 3. The Lord repented for this and said It shall not be V. 4. this people are threatned with another consuming judgment exprest by fire whereby was signified either a drought or the devastations of their Cities by that unmerciful enemy and Element or the ruining calamities which they were near involved in by Teglathphalasar yet now again he delivers them v. 6. This also shall not be But this Language is too good to hold always to unbettered sinners now therefore v. 7. God will wink no longer at their ungrateful sinning he now is weary of repenting The Lord stood upon a wall with a plumb-line in his hand A Metaphor from those that build walls they use a line to proceed exactly Thus the Lord declares he would no longer tolerate their abuses nor use his clemency to deliver but would exercise strictest justice till they were ruined Hence v. 8 9. a miserable destruction is threatned I will pass by them no more c. Enemies shall now prevail judgments shall effectually take place I will use nothing but strictness and severity Now this leads me to the fifth Proposition PROPOSITION 5. Destruction for sinning after deliverance will be the most dreadful destruction what can be more clear than this from the words of my Text Should we again break thy commands wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us so that there should be no remnant nor escaping That is no common calamity would then fall upon us no ordinary punishment would be our portion but we exceeding the common measure and degree of sin thou wouldst exceed the common degree of judgment E dulcissimo vino acerrimum fit acetum The sweetest wines make sowrest vinegar the strongest perfumes are fatal as poysons abused mercy will be avenged with unusual miseries No mercy is to be expected in judgment when mercies are despised that kept off judgments Kindness not effecting an answerable reformation will abundantly aggravate revengeful destruction Isaiah 29.1 2. God threatens Ariel sc. Ierusalem that wonderful distress should fall upon it and it should be to him as Ariel Ariel was the Altar for whole-burnt offerings Ezech. 43.15 Now to avenge their abuses of mercies there God would make their City once the richest of their mercies an Altar on which their blood should be offered as a sacrifice to justice Thus our mercies abused may become knives to open our throats our Cities and Towns so often delivered may be as Altars about which our lifeless bodies may be heaped as sacrifices about the Altar The quintessence of all judgments the substance of all Plagues shall be mingled in one cup with all the dregs of wrath for the despisers of clemency and mercy Mercy is sweet that is extended to us in midst of judgments and judgments severe when executed on a people abounding with mercies A deliverance cannot bring so great mercies but sinning after it will usher in as dreadful judgments By how much the greater the deliverance is we receive so much the greater will be the destruction for sinning after it A thick cloud hath been over our heads and the favourable gale of mercy hath partly disperst it but the ascending of sinful vapours will cause the Lord to return our sins upon our heads with overwhelming inundations of judgments slighting the gales of mercy preventing ruine will bring most dreadful storms of vengeance Our float of goodness may be turned into floods of misery Our sun may set at noon-day and our cisterns now fill'd from the boundless ocean of unmerited benignity may soon be filled from the vials of wrath with the waters of Marah Our destruction adjourned a while may return with unexemplify'd terrour The Lord threatned the backsliding Iews Deut. 4.25 26. That if after his kindness in conducting them from Egyptian slavery with infinite mercies through a tiresome wilderness to the blessed land of Canaan I say if then they should sin against him although they had remained a long time there they should not prolong their days upon it but utterly be destroyed from off it Thus notwithstanding our sinful Nation hath many years been like an Eden a Palace of Royal glory a Canaan flowing with milk and honey a Theatre of mercies an unparalleld monument of many deliverances yet continuing in sin will deface its envyed glory and render it a stage for destroying judgments and lay it waste with storms of successive plagues and then it shall be said This is the Nation that would never leave sinning till it forced the Almighty to make it a ruinous heap a Land desolate and not inhabited What high time is it then to depart from sin left an Ichabod be wrote upon us which signifies Their glory is departed With what terrour may we look on those words Psalm 68.20 21. Vnto God belongs salvation but he will wound the hairy scalp of every one that goes on in sin Though he will multiply salvations to such as serve him the more for them yet will he glorifie his justice in destroying such as go on in sin after them The Hebr. word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies altè imprimere God will make a deep impression of the hands of justice on all such incorrigible persons The heaviest judgments will fall on the contemners of the highest mercies Judgment will be with most amazing terrour on the contemners of the Almighties favour As Gods resolutions against such sins will make destruction irrevocable so his wrath backt with unlimited power will make them intolerable Now here I shall endeavour to shew you for what reasons destroying judgments will be thus heightned by provoking sins after deliverance 1. Because the longer judgments are coming the greater severity they are attended with when falling upon us The longer a blow is fetching the deeper impression is made by its force If God tarries long before he punishes the greater terrour will be in his punishment The destruction of the old world was delayed for many years but at last it was accomplisht with the greater severity Deus tardus est ad iram sed tarditatem vindictae gravitate compensat Whilst sinners ruine is deferr'd God is putting himself into postures of judgment whetting his glittering sword sharpning his terrible arrows feathered with our sins that so he may make the more sharp and sudden destruction There is Crudelitas parcens sparing cruelty as well as misericordia puniens punishing mercy The longer the cloud is gathering the more dripping showre is expected when it falls So the greater provocations are treasur'd up in the days of Gods patience the more miserable destruction will be in the days of his vengeance Isa. 42.14 A long time have I held my peace I have
prevail upon us to reform us will not mercy cease pleading for us will it not say as Christ Iohn 17.9 I pray not for them I will put in no more intreaties for their salvation Justice take them destroy them ruine them I have nothing to plead for them How often doth mercy plead as the merciful Vine-dresser did for the cumber-ground fig-tree Luke 13.7 8. Lord let it alone this year also let not thy wrath yet break out let not thy fury ruine them but spare them this time try what they will do with one deliverance more but when nothing is successful mercy gives over and what but intolerable vengeance will then lye upon us But who can speak the dread of destruction that unmixed anger involves a people in How dreadful will it be to fall into the hands of God when armed with nothing but destroying indignation How can our hearts endure or our hands be strong when all the Attributes of his glorious Majesty shall conspire together to make us miserable When infinite wisdom shall be exercised in contriving and infinite power shall be engaged in executing the miserable destruction of a sinful people it must needs be intolerable Here I shall take occasion to shew you the misery of a people when mercy is dis-engaged from relieving of them that so we may be fearful of depriving our selves of that blessed succour we have hitherto enjoyed by it 1. Mercy dis-engaged all miseries endured are pure wrath Such miseries are much of the nature of the Torments of the damned in Hell whose plagues are a cup of vengeance without mixture The happiness of Saints in all their sufferings consists in enjoying ingredients of love in the bitterest cup that is mixed out to them when outward distresses are most unpleasing to sense they refresh themselves with delightful objects then visible to the eye of faith Psal. 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts thy comforts delight my Soul But mercie dis-engag'd there is no cordial to support us no sugar to sweeten the bitterest cup enforced upon us Ezek. 7.5 Behold an evil an onely evil cometh God never sends judgments alone to such as he favours but designing the utter destruction of a people he mixes a potion of onely fatal poysons for them then he sends an onely evil 2. Mercy being dis-engaged the lowdest cries and most importunate prayers that a people can put up will be denyed and rejected God will admit no Prayers from such as contemned his former returns of them The ears of justice will only hear the cries of our sins to avenge them 't is mercy hears the voice of our prayers to answer them or all the answer we shall have will be by terrible things in righteousness But mercy dis-engaged we are deprived of that unspeakable privliedge of Audience with God and then we may swelter in our miseries roll in our blood despair in our torments without a redress Should we by our impudent continuance in sin make mercy our enemy our most urgent cries would prove unsuccesful and though joyned with floods of tears would be unprofitable for this will bring us under the doom of those Zech. 7.13 Because when I called you would not hearken therefore also when you cry unto me I will not hear How just a retaliation was this from God although a most dreadful affliction not to have the merciful ear of God in affliction is the worst of afflictions It is dismal now to find our hearts so strangely shut up as not be able to pour out prayers but how miserable then shall we be if when involved in sinking troubles God should shut out our prayers not be prevailed with by them Oh ruining state when we in distress shall be crying Save Lord or we perish and then receive no other return but Perish you may and perish you shall for all the help you shall have from me These sins so much overcome his mercy that our prayers will never overcome his anger And as it is an argument of the greatest sinfulness in man not to pray so of the greatest anger in God not to hear prayers These iniquities are so intolerable a slighting of him that he will unmercifully slight all we do Oh what will become of a Nation when that key which was wont to unlock the Treasuries of bounty the store-house of blessings can do nothing when that Embassador that was wont to prevail for a gracious Treaty shall be denyed when that successful friend shall be denyed admittance to the Court of Heaven when that omnipotent engine can attract no compassions Whither now shall we go when access is denyed to God where shall we have supplies if our former store-house be shut up whither can we turn when he turneth away our prayers Will not our furious enemies prevail over us when our most fervent prayers cannot prevail with God What a shaking commination was that Ier. 11.11 I will bring an evil upon them they shall not escape and though they cry I will not hearken God will take no notice of their cries who would take no notice of his kindness What can be said worse to a people than this I will not hear If he will not hear he will not help if he gives no audience he will give no assistance This speaks the sum of all evils in one The root of all miseries lyes here in Gods not hearing This effectually seals men up for destruction Ezech. 8.18 I will deal with them in my fury and though they cry in my ears with a loud voice I will not hear As lazy prayers will not prevail now so the loudest Prayer shall not prevail then Thou maist then spend thy breath that now thou spendest worse and not speed Thou maist stretch out thy hands and yet receive nothing but disengaging Mercy may suffer like those Isai. 1. When ye stretch out your hands I will hide my eyes and when ye make many Prayers I will not hear Audire Dei est concedere i. e. I will not grant what you ask In the days of my Grace ye might have prevail'd and did not pray or did it formally and now in the day of my fury ye may pray but shall not prevail Neither can the Prayers of the greatest Favourites in the Court of Heaven prevail for a people under such circumstances Should the dearest Servants plead with greatest fervency they must be denied when Mercy is disengaged Ier. 15.1 Though Moses and Samuel stood before me my heart could not be towards this people Standing is the Posture of Praying Though these should endeavour to draw out my Affections to them by their importunate cries yet they should never gain my heart I cannot love them I cannot yield it to them Tantum mediocriter malis ob pios interdum parcitur non ita contumaciter flagitiosis God only spares those that are indifferently wicked for the sake of the godly not those that are obstinately flagitious and ungodly Ezech. 14. Though Noah Daniel
GOD's CALL TO ENGLAND For Thankfulness after gracious DELIVERANCES Wherein is shewed That our DELIVERANCES Not answered with Reformation Will be followed with Sorest Destruction By Thomas Gouge JOSH. 20. If ye forsake the Lord he will turn and do you hurt after the good he hath done you Gratiarum â—essat discursus ubi recursus non fuerit Nec modo nil augetur ingrato sed quod ascipit vertitur ei in perniciem Bern. Serm. 1. cap. Jejunii LONDON Printed for Iohn Hancock at the three Bibles in Corn-hill entering into Popes-head-alley 1680. A PREFACE Pressing to the great Duty of Thankfulness for Mercies THE eminent Appearances of a Divine Hand delivering this sinful Nation in its plunges of woful Distresses have been such remarkable Testimonies of Infinite Goodness and Patience as are sâ—â—rce to be parallâ—â—â— in any Age of the World in any Nation under Heaven So numerous are the Expressions of Mercy to a People daring Heaven with their Impieties that whoever shall review the Catalogue of them will be amazed to see one more superadded to the former so abused and slighted as wickedly they have been by many of us Yet Prerogative Mercy which acts beyond expectation and desert conquering all Difficulties and Discouragements hath not stept aside to give way to Justice but hath continued its progress towards us Had it not been for this we had certainly seen more direful Effects of our Enemies Projects than yet we have beheld Had it not been for this we had been as deeply involv'd in Misery as we are in Sin Hence in our great extremity after all his forgotten favours he hath spoken in his Love as in Ierem. 16.21 I will this once caâ—â—â— them to know I will cause them to know 〈◊〉 hand and my might and they shall know my Name is the Lord. This once will I cause them to know my Mercy to understand my unwillingness to destroy them and hence it is that England has not been forsaken of the Lord although it is full of sin against the Holy One of Israel Ier. 51.5 Now what hath encouraged what hath induced the Lord to express thus much favour to such as so provoke the eyes of his Glory It is only because He will have Mercy on whom he will have Mercy Rom. 9. Be it known O People of England 't is not for your Righteousness that the Lord hath done this for ye are a stiff-necked People Deut. 9.6 Our works and ways deserve nothing but utter ruine and perpetual desolation For his Names sake has be done all this and that he might make his mighty Power to be known Psal. 106.8 his super-transcendent Goodness hath wrought out these sweet Deliverances for us And for this end hath he done it that we might remember our evil ways and our doings that were not good and might loath our selves in our own sight for our iniquities and abominations Ezech. 36.31 And now shall we be a happy People if Mercies shall so prevail upon us as to effect this blessed frame and disposition in us For this end hath the Almighty tryed us with another Deliverance because he hath said It may be they will present every one their Supplications and return from their evil ways Ier. 36.7 Oh what expectations hath God to see a repenting reforming holy obedient carriage upon our receipts of such wonderful favours from him He looks that we will appear another manner of People than we have been after these eminent frequent seasonable and Miraculous appearances for us Oh therefore since the Lord hath not forsaken us a sinful People but stood by us and redeemed us when appointed to Death Let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall never be forgotten Ierem. 50.5 Let us offer up our selves to the Lord as a whole-burnt-offering in the ascending flames of purest Affections Let us not occasion the cessation of Heavenly Kindnesses by a wicked regardlesness of them Let it be our employment to applaud and improve the Infinite Love of God in all his Mercies Come let us view the sudden and sweet Dispensations of God's heavenly and holy Providence and fix our thoughts on his surprizing Benefits till our hearts are enamour'd with the Authour of them and transform'd into the likeness of that loving God that gives them let us trace him in his ways of Mercy till we are sweetly brought into the ways of Duty Let our Souls be drawn up to the Center of Heaven by the Golden Chains of Mercies let down from thence unto us Let us continue a leisurely Meditation on our gracious Deliverances till our Affections are sublimated our hearts inflamed and a Thankful frame produced Let us behold our most precious Lives preserved our inestimable Liberties secured the conspicuous and glorious Light of the Gospel continued the Life of his Sacred Majesty defended I say let us contemplate these things till our health shall sound Melodious Praises to that Almighty Power that hath done all this Now Courteous Reader what doth the Lord require for all this Kindness but a truely thankful Heart and Life And what less canst thou give to God than this Thou canst present the Almighty with no such pleasing Offering as a grateful Heart For God hath sufficiently exprest his esteem of such Presents by appointing the Altar of Incense which was for Thank-Offerings to be encompassed with a Crown of purest Gold for though the most odoriferous Incense is nothing in his account the thank-ful heart that presents it as a Testimonial of unfeigned Gratitude is highly esteemed by him Neither is there any thing more consonant to the Dictates of Reason than that we express all manner of kindness to those that oblige us by their large Munificence for Quisquis magna dedit voluit sibi magna rependi The Donors of great favours expect answerable requitals And however we may forget what we give we must not forget what we receive And therefore I may say as Bernard Cùm amat Deus nil aliud vult quam amari when the Lord expresseth love he designes to be loved And verily a grateful reflexion of honour to God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our highest and lowest Divinity the highest pitch of attainments is but Love the lowest return can be nothing beneath it if any thing at all The only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Requitals we can render to God for his richest Favours are only Testimonials of Thankfulness by extolling his holy Name with unfeigned Praises and reflecting Honour on his blessed Majesty by chearful Obedience to his sacred Commandments Now therefore as the piercing Rays of the glorious Sun though passing through the transfluent Air with an imperceptible motion yet meeting with a Solid Body rebound with an increasing lustre so should our Hearts and Lives reflect the honour of all our Mercies on our Heavenly Benefactor And unless the Bounty of Heaven gains so far upon our obstinate Hearts as to effect this work we shall gain
this Deliverance by the nearness of the Destruction it was in articulo mortis all was almost concluded our Passing-bell rung the day was presum'd to be their own and now delivered as Daniel è faucibus perditionis from the very jaws of Destruction from the very mouths of our Enemies Oh wonderful goodness And most fitly might I mention the means of our Deliverance Vna eadémque manus vulnus opémque feret How did this sweetest Honey come from the Lions carcass Men of their own Party must impart it to us those of their own Conclave are means under God to deliver us from their own Counsels Oh the wonderful Authority of God that wrought on their Consciences so long benum'd Oh the Wisdom of God that works by contrary means No Violence constrained them but what the Almighty used with them no Policy induced them so much as Divine Power Vse 2. Is it the designe of God in delivering to reduce from sin and oblige to Holiness Let us then examine our selves whether we have answer'd these holy designs of our gracious God Oh Reader faithfully ask thine own heart Have I not been as loose and profane as vile and vain as carnal and formal as ever I was before What inducement hath this gracious preservation been to the reformation of my Life What Sin have I faithfully forsaken what displeasing Lust have I unfeignedly left what spiritual Obedience have I closed withal since I enjoyed this unspeakable Mercy Doth not thy Conscience accuse thee of thy regardlesness of it Doth not thy heart smite thee for not observing the Duties thou art oblig'd to by it Abasuerus would know what was done to Mordecai for the good deed he had done for the Kingdom Ask thy self What good hath been done to God for all the good deeds he hath done for thee What hath been done to him for his delivering of thee Hast thou not sinned the more against him and turn'd his Grace into wantonness Is that a meet requital for his kindness Are Pride Drunkenness Sensuality fit Votive Tables for our merciful escapes Oh let not this Mercy be lost for want of improvement lest you never enjoy such another Remember exoneratio supplicii est oneratio officii the laying off and freeing thee from punishment lays obligations upon thee for dutiful Obedience Mercies are to be like showers on Valleys making them fruitful as a grain of corn sown in the tilled earth bringing forth a plentiful crop of expected fruit God hath sown the seeds of his Mercies let not the Devil reap a crop of Sin Oh how might I plead with you as loving Ionathan with hard-hearted Saul 1 Sam. 19.4 Let not the King sin against David for he hath not sinned against thee and because his works are good Oh let not us sin against God let us not rebel against him he never dealt unjustly with us but his deeds are good He is ever working for us He is ever heaping up Mercies shall we sin against him It will be better not to receive a Mercy than not to be better'd by it Oh come now and consider with your selves say with thy self Hath God in his Providence made me a freeman from Popish Slavery and shall I make my self a Slave to Lusts and a Vassal to the Devil Shall God continue my Life and shall I cast it away as worth nothing Oh examine your selves how you have acted Plato seeing any disorderly would say Num ego talis Am I such an one Thou seest many go on in sin ask thy self Am not I such an one Do not I go on in sin What a folly is it in us that we utimur perspicillis plusquam speculis use spectables to see other faults more than looking-glasses to see our own Learn the Art of Self-reflection and that is the way to Self-reformation Vse 3. Is it Gods design and desire to reduce us from sin by these merciful methods Then let us not foolishly cause the Lord to use more forcible and fearful means to effect this in us Let us not force a gracious God out of his delightful ways of Mercy Why should we make him be doing his works of Judgment since he declares his unwillingness to it Shall we turn his Scepter into a Rod Shall we drive away those precious Mercies by sinful courses which with mournful hearts and wringing hands we shall be glad to be recalling Shall we make our Showers of Mercy end in Flouds of Vengeance Shall we wrest the Sword of Justice out of the Sheath of Patience and violently pull down Vengeance on our own heads Will you tell the Lord you are weary of his Mercies and will never regard them Will you declare in the presence of God that if he will not powre out his Vengeance and display his Justice and make your Plagues wonderful that you will not fear him nor break off sins Is your strength so great to stand before his Anger that you are resolute in provoking of him Will nothing serve your turn but destruction and desolation and undoing judgements You must either cease sinning or God will cease waiting and give over favouring of you God speaks Ezech. 6.9 how the Jews had broken him with their whorish heart that is he tells them they should remember Eum quasi objecta quadam violentiâ à proposite abductum invitum planè adductum essë eorum persidia ut interrumperetur cursus misericordiae Calv. That he was turn'd from his gracious purposes with the violence their sins offered to him and that it was by their perfidiousness he was brought to break off the course of his mercies Thus God is broken off from ways of mercy by our not breaking off our ways of sin The holy God is resolv'd to make us leave off sinning one way or other if his goodness cannot gain us if his mercies cannot induce us his justice will come out against us and by his mighty power he will rule us Ezek. 20.33 As I live saith the Lord surely with a mighty hand and an out-stretched arm and with fury poured out will I rule over you God will bring us into subjection by mercies or judgments his fury shall do that his favour will not But why should we cause the Lord to be so severe unto us we weary man but will ye weary God also Let us be constrained to amendment by his love or else he must curb us by tormenting punishments It was said of Israel Psal. 81.11 Israel would have none of me Shall it be so said of England that we refus'd and slighted what God gives and what he doth in way of mercy Shall it be said we will have none of his mercies none of his deliverances shall we not then have his judgments and feel his vengeance Vse 4. Is this the designe of God in delivering then wisely make use of this as an Argument to invalidate all future temptations to sin When sinful occasions offer themselves unto you damp the hurtful influence of
what crying sins are to be seen amongst us Have we not sins of the greatest magnitude who have mercies of the highest nature Are not our sins worse than Sodoms when our mercies are abundantly more than that enjoyed Sins in England are greater than sins in other Nations that have not partaken of such signal favours as we We wonder God bears with Antichristian Rome with forreign Idolaters Alas their sins are not of that nature that ours are Our sins it may be are minoris infamiae of lesser infamy but majoris reatus of greater guilt than theirs Our sins are double and the more our mercies increase the more abundant aggravations belong to our sins Are we not sinners above all that have favours beyond any Our sins that are small in abstracto considered abstractly are great in concreto considering the circumstances of them If small sins will not startle us here are great sins then to amaze us Oh let our sins that we have committed be more before us that so the sense of their greatness may prevent our proceeding in them 2. Hence see what need we have of great Repentance an ordinary sorrow will not answer our extraordinary sins Gravissima peccata gravissimis lamentis indigent Greatest provocations call for greatest lamentations Oh what tears and lamentations can be great enough for our horrid sins What sighs can be deep enough for a Nation so deeply involved in sin Should not our mourning be as in the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddon every family apart every person apart Should not Ninive be our president Should not our England become a Bokim and our Island be overflown with tears Oh what floods of tears is there need of to wash away our abominable pollutions Oh what wailing and weeping should be in a Nation living and wallowing in such iniquities Aut poenitendum vel pereundum Repentance onely can prevent our ruine Repentance onely can make justice to retreat Repentance onely can deliver us now delivered But where shall we finde it Where are the weeping eyes the mourning hearts Oh that repentance might appear among us lest judgments appear against us Oh that we could lay our selves down at the feet of mercy by humiliation that we may not be laid down in a dreadful desolation by the hands of justice Oh that a hearty repentance might prevent our hastening ruine Oh that we might lie in breathing sweats of Godly sorrow that we may not lie sweltring in our blood Our sins reach up to Heaven let our sorrow reach to heart Oh that each part of unfeigned repentance might be really acted by us Let us make a strict inquiry into our fins commune with our hearts let us go the Circuit of our hearts and lives and see the abominable sins to be condemned there Let us read the Book of Conscience and see what sins we there stand indicted for As Letters wrote with the juice of Oranges are not to be read but by the fire Thus some have their sins written and will not read them now but shall at last read them by the fire of Hell Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our ways Oh we are senseless of our sins but aeger non sentiens periculosius laborat a senseless sick man is most in danger Oh open your eyes then and see what disorders in heart what wickedness in life refuse not a sight of thy sins now one day God will set them before thy eyes Disown not the Charges that are against thee without reason Let us no longer sew Fig-leaves on our sins The impartial Judge of Heaven and Earth knows our crimes Let us therefore return and say Father I have sinned Thus did those Lam. 5.16 Wo be to us we have sinned David yeilded the case to Nathan I am the man maist thou not justly say I am the man that have been nothing the better for deliverance I am the man or woman have gone on in Pride Sensuality without repentance reformation Defend not thy sins by excuses but own them be convinced without further demur and condemn thy self as a guilty malefactor Then let us pour out our tears and open the Flood-gates of Godly sorrow and if we would escape let us be like those Ezek. 7.16 Who were like Doves in the Valleys mourning every one for their own iniquity Oh that our proud hearts might yeild to this work Our dry eyes be filled with tears Let us fill Gods bottle with our tears What is weeping good for but to testifie our sorrow for sin it cannot recover a dying friend it may a dying Nation it cannot stop the course of death it may the coming of judgments Open then the windows of Heaven and break up the deeps and let us make us a hearty weeping as may prevent the heavy judgments our great sins are calling for Then let us make a holy resolution in the strength of the Almighty to cease from our sins Say as holy Iob Job 34.32 If I have done evil I will do it no more With holy indignation reject thy former villanies Oh let our souls be raised to a deserved hatred of these great iniquities and let nothing content us but the utter ruine of our ruining sins Let us not be dismai'd at the difficulty attending that blessed work 'T is hard to destroy sin but will it not be harder to be damned for it If it be hard to bear the launching of those ranker'd wounds what will it be to bear the smart of the envenomed arrows of divine justice for ever Know also thou may'st do all things through Christ that strengthens thee then carry thy sins with the solemnity of penitential tears to their eternal funeral And unless this reformaon shall attend thy repentance thou repentest with an absurd contradiction Optima poenitentia est nova vita The best repentance is a new life This is the repentance our hainous sins require and all this is to be done in a more than ordinary way because of the greatness of our sins 3. If sins after deliverance are so great hence see how near judgments may be unto us because the measure of our iniquities will be so suddenly â—illed The patience of Hâ—aven will soon be worn out with these daring provocations As we are heaping up Sin the Almighty is heaping up Wrath and the greater sins the sooner the treasures of wrath will be full The more fuel we bring the sooner the fire will be kindled to consume us The Lord in his mercy is waiting to be gracious backward to judgment but such iniquities will soon waste his patience and provoke his wrath We read Gen. 15.16 that the Lord delayed punishment because the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full The measure of sin and wrath are often filling many years and according as sins are aggravated judgments approach faster or slower Thus Ioel 3.13 God calls for Sickles to be put in because the harvest was ripe the pressës were full and the fats did overflow
Adversary when given into his hands brought him under this threatning Should our enemies be even spared like him should we not suffer after this manner And will not this be a bad exchange to give our lives for theirs Will this be a worthy deed to spare a thief from the gallows to cut our throats See 1 Sam. 14.21 23. There is little trusting such enemies whatever pretences they make Iudaeo baptizato lupo domestico non est credendum We must not trust a baptized Iew being an inward enemy to a Christian nor a house-wolf that will still make murder among the sheep Sometimes in the world it hath been known that as men have been too sparing to the wicked so too cruel to the godly The rod hath been laid on the wrong back as the Poet said Dat veniam corvis vexat censura columbas The innocent Doves are censur'd whilst the ravenous Crows are pardoned The Christians in former days have been cloath'd with Bears-skins and then baited Some persons are misrepresented and then more severely reprehended than those a thousand times more guilty We read in Scripture how Ahasuerus that mighty Prince was brought to decree the ruine of the Iews by the aspersions Haman cast upon them as if they were a people not fit to live and that it was not for the Kings profit to suffer them and by this means this innocent people had utterly been destroyed had not a wonderful Providence prevented Hence sometimes it hath been experienced that a poor afflicted people have born the punishments designed for and deserved by others only from the misprisions of prejudiced persons Should it then be ever thus with us how soon would our ruine come upon us How would the hands of enemies be strengthened and the Nation disabled from helping it self 4. May we not justly fear our enemies have now set forward by their doubled diligence that designe which was set back by the discovery of their accursed Plot Our enemies may be like the Devil qui surgit armis quibus dejicitur rises by the weapons by which he is cast down So these politick Wretches may improve the discovery of their designs to make for the advancing of them by laying their Plots more cunningly We have often heard of repulsed Armies gaining force and at last become triumphing Conquerours Our enemies may yet be rallying upon us and that with a more invincible fury The Fowler often removes his snares understanding the birds perception of it our enemies may change or remove their snares and yet be as nea to slay and undo us as before And when we are most secure from it we are nearest to it The dreadful battle was against Gibeah when he knew not such an evil was near him Judg. 20.34 Those Serpents will not dye because their tails are cut off Those grand Politicians can contrive more ways than one 'T is possible their fainting hearts have had some Cordials from Rome to revive them France can help them at a dead lift and their Ghostly Father will prevent the ruine of his cursed brats if all he can do can ruine us May we not fear things are brought to be statu quo as they were before or rather worse if that be possible I fear every gap is not yet stopt whereby our enemies may possibly invade us I think it may be feared our enemies are not yet so much impaired but that they are able to recover their loss of some Arms they had to spare and some men they will not miss amongst their thousands Do they not cry in the stoutness of their hearts and pride of spirit as Isa. 9.10 The bricks are fallen down we will build with stones the sycomores are cut down we will build with cedars We have been too remiss this once but now we will be more invincible The water cast upon their fire may make it burn the more fiercely and vexatious disappointments will make them more diligent 5. May we not justly fear the relief that we have may be no other than a faint chearing before a miserable death How often do we see men labouring under deadly diseases revive a little and give up the Ghost How often do we know a whist calm before a raging storm A people may get a little heart immediately before their ruine 2 Kings 17.4 compared with Hos. 1.8 When Lo-ammi was born the ten tribes that before were dispirited and by presents did homage to the King of Assyria year by year begin to be jolly and hope to cast off the yoak of bondage and bring presents no longer but joyned in confederacy with Egypt which was immediately before their rejection God begins to save with a little escape but it may be but a little lightning before death The Dolphin sports much before a storm Men in jolly and fearless condition is a dreadful presage of a ruining storm So true it is in maximâ fortunâ minima licentia In the greatest prosperity we are not allowed the least sinful liberty God threatning to bring down judgments upon Israel says he will feed him as a lamb in a large place Hos. 4.16 To enlarge a peoples bounds is in Scripture taken to free them from troubles so God designing great distress would a while free them from troubles 'T is a metaphor taken from Butchers who about to slay their Cattle first put them into large pastures to fatten them so God about to destroy a people often gives them a freedome from distress and leaves them to fill up apace the measures of their sins and then brings them out to slaughter Hence Merc. on the place Nunc Israelitas copiosè pascet ut mox saginati hostibus dedantur trucidandi He feeds the Isralites most plentifully with mercies that being fatted up they may become a prey to their butchering enemies Oh how fast do we fatten How soon shall we be ready to be sacrifices to our enemies 6. May we not justly fear that as God in his wrath hath dealt with others he may deal with us When Judgments on others are not made use of as warnings they become but examples and patterns of our own destruction Luke 13.3 Except ye repent ye shall likewise perish The Sword of Justice is not so blunted by wounding others but it can wound the hairy scalp of every one that goes on in sin The Arrows of Divine Vengeance are not yet spent there may be many in reserve to pierce our obstinate hardened hearts God is the same yesterday to day and for ever the same to love protect and secure his obsequious people the same to ruine and destroy rebellious sinners Ezek. 20.36 Like as I have pleaded with your Fathers so will I plead with you The punishments of sin other Nations have experienced may at last be inflicted on us The Vengeance of God on others is a signe to us Jer. 7 12-14 Go ye now to my place which was in Shiloh and see what I did to it for the wickedness