of Gods gracious Dealings with thy soul in the Communications of his Spirit to thee whereby thou hast given me Occasion to review some sweet Passages of that soul-ravishing Communion which a poor Creature and a worse sinner then thy self hath sometimes had with the All-glorious and ever gracious God Now assure thy self I dare no more delude thee in these great Concernments these Matters of everlasting Consequence then I dare delude my own soul For should I dare to speak Peace to thee in an unsecure Condition and so flatter thy soul into Hell thy Life would God require at my hand in the Judgement day Know then dear Soul to thy present Comfort and everlasting Joy these are not the fruits of Corrupt Nature but of saving Grace and this Grace flows from the Spirit of Holiness which is given to thee and in respect of these blessed Fruits Effects Influences and Operations thereof dwelleth in thee and will certainly conduct thee to a Kingdom of Glory Fear not then the Evils that are or shall be upon Earth for thou hast an Eternal Inheritance reserved for thee in Heaven Thou art one of the small number of Christs ltttle Flock and it is thy Fathers good pleasure to give thee tht Kingdom †Luk. 12.32 Thus I have shewed thee O Believer how thou may'st clear thy Title to the Kingdom of Heaven thine Evidences for eternal Life How thou may'st know upon infallible Scripture-Grounds that Heaven is thine Inheritance What then remains but that living in Perillous Times on earth thou shouldst long to be possest of the Glorious Joyes of Heaven And therefore now we are here together in the Wilderness come Believer come along with me to the top of Pisgah and let us there take a Prospect of the Holy Land Seest thou there the * Isa 33.17 Land that is a far off Behold that 's the Land of Promise where after our wearisome Pilgrimage we shall have an everlasting glorious Rest There the Flourishing Vines are ever laden with full Clusters of the richest Grapes Oh! Happy shall we be when instead of the Waters of the Wilderness we shall come to drink of the Wines of Canaan There the Rivers do continually flow with †Exo. 3.17 Flumina jam Lactis jam Flumina Nectaris ibant Ovid. Aetas Aureâ— Milk and Honey Theâ—e shall we sit down by the Crystal streams of the purest Pleasures and drink our Fils of the fresh Fountains of glorious Joyes everlasting Delights Here we are encompast with Enemies but there we shall have a perfect Tranquillity an eternal Security an unchangeable Felicity Oh that we had but * Psal 55.6 Wings like a Dove that we might fly from this High Mountain to that HOLY LAND Come Believer why standest thou here gazing upon a tumultuous Throng of people that rush out of the Gates of Babylon to persecute and afflict the Children of Zion †Isa 33.20 21. Look upon Zion the City of our Solemnities Thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet Habitation a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down not one of the Stakes thâ—reof shall ever be removed neither shall any of the Cords thereof be broken But there the glorious LORD will be to us a place of broad Rivers and Streames wherein shall go no Gally with Oars neither shall gallant sâ—ip pass thereby No there shall be no Enemy to terrifie us with a threatned Invasion nor any to molest us with a bloody Persecution for our City shall be * Isa 26.1 wall'd with Salvation and our streets shall be pav'd with Peace Happy are the Inhabitants of the Heavenly Jerusalem There they that have wallowed in the Dust shall walk on †Rev. 21.21 Gold They that have been wrapt up in Darkness and buried in Disgrace shall wear Robes of Light and Crowns of Glory Were all the glittering Stars of Heaven turn'd into glorious Suns what glorious Robes of Light would their intermixed Beams weave for the Inhabitants of the Earth And yet all this would be but a shadow of the Glory of Heaven For were all these Suns in the highest Heavens they would be at once eclipst and disappear darkened with the All-transcending Brightness of the * Rev. 21.23 Glory of God Sure we are †Isa 24.23 The Moon shall be confounded and the Sun ashamed when the Lord of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his Antients gloriously Glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God * Psal 87.3 Incomparabiliter clara est Civitas aeterna ubi Victoria ubi Veritas ubi Dignitas ubi Sanctitas ubi Vita ubi Aeternitas †Aug. de Vita aeterna The Eternal City saith Augustine is of incomparable Claritude where there is Victory where there is Verity where there is Dignity where there is Sanctity where there is Life where there is Eternity Oh who would not long to live in that place where the Inhabitants are possest of so many inestimable Priviledges Come Christians what say you to these glorious things above now you experiment such perillous Times below Here you are wandering in the Wildernesse Do you not long to be possest of the Land of Promise to see the Beauties taste the Pleasures and enjoy the Priviledges of the Coelestial Canaan the supernal Jerusalem Here you are tost on a troublesome Sea should you not desire to arrive at the Haven of HAPPINESSE to Land in GLORY Here you sit by the Rivers of Babylon should you not weep when you remember Zion Even weep for sorrow that you are so long absent from it which is the Place of your Triumph and Joy Know you not that when once you are arriv'd at the * Psal 48.2 City of the great King your Waters of sorrow shall be all turn'd into the Wine of Joy For the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with Songs and everlasting Joy upon their Heads they shall obtaine Joy and Gladnesse and sorrow and sighing shall flee away †Isa 35.10 Theâ—e shall you see those Turtle Doves whose mourning voice you heard by the Waters of the Sanctuary having their * Psa 68.13 Wings cover'd with Silver and their Feathers with yellow Gold glassing their Eyes in the crystal Fountaines of Eternal Life The State of man may be distinguisht into three Regions there 's a lower Region which is the Region of Nature a middle Region which is the Region of Grace and the highest Region which is the Region of Glory There 's no true Tranquillity nor Safety in the first there are many Stormes and Tempests in the second there 's Rest and Joy a perfect Peace with the purest Pleasures in the third without intermission or end Oh how should the Saints who have been translated from the Region of Nature into the Region of Grace long to be translated especially in stormy and tempestuous Times from the Region of Grace into the Region of Glory True they must
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A WORD in SEASON FOR A Warning to England OR A Prophecy of Perillous Times Open'd and Apply'd Wherein the Signes of Bad Times and the Means of making the Times Good are represented as the great Concernment of all good Christians in this present Age. First exhibited in a SERMON preached in the Abby at Westminster July 5. 1659. and since enlarged and Published By THOMAS VVILLES M. A. Minister of the Gospel in the City of London Seal not the Sayings of the Prophecy of this Book For the Time is at hand Rev. 22.10 How do ye say We are Wise and the Law of the LORD is with us Lo They have rejected the Word of the LORD and what Wisdom is in them Jer. 8.8 9. Tempora mutantur nos mutamur in illis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sIC transIt gLorIa MVnDI LONDON Printed by Tho. Ratcliff for Tho. Underhill at the Blew Anchor in Pauls Church-yard 1659. TO THE SENATORS SOULDIERS CITIZENS STRANGERS To whom This SERMON was As to its main SUBSTANCE EXHIBITED FROM THE PULPIT IT 'S NOW WITH MUCH ENLARGEMENT PRESENTED FROM THE PRESSE FOR THEIR SERIOUS PERUSAL By A MESSENGER from CHRIST A MINISTER of the GOSPEL THOMAS WILLES Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it Luk. 11.28 If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Joh. 13.17 From the KING of SAINTS THE LORD JESUS CHRIST To his Faithful and Well-beloved Servants and Subjects that shall live in the latter Dayes TAke heed that no man deceive you For many shall come in my Name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many And ye shall hear of Warres and Rumours of Wars See that ye be not troubled For all these things must come to passe but the End is not yet For Nation shall rise against Nation and Kingdome against Kingdome and there shall be Famines and Pestilences and Earthquakes in divers Places All these are the Beginning of Sorrows Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you and ye shall be hated of all Nations for my Names sake And then shall many be offended and shall betray one another And many false Prophets shall rise and shall deceive many And because Iniquity shall abound the Love of many shall wax cold But he that shall endure to the End the same shall be saved By the Hand of his Trusty Servant and Secretary * Chap. 24. v. 4 -13 MATTHEW Publicano-Christianus To the SACRED MAJESTY OF HEAVEN THE KING of KINGS AND LORD of LORDS The Supream Governour of the whole World The Humble Address and Representation of the Gratitude Requests of many Thousands of the Well-affected People of the Land who desire to approve themselves Faithful to the Cause of Christ and to be found walking in the Good Old way Most Mighty LORD WHereas it hath pleased thy glorious Majesty out of the exceeding riches of thy Free Grace and thy tender compassions in Jesus Christ to call us thy poore unworthy Servants out of the World to the Profession of thy truth and Gosspel and the Participation of thy saving Grace when out of thy infinite Sovereignty and Justice thou hast past by Millions of men and left them to perish everlastingly in their sinnes we humbly desire in a deep sense of our own utter Unworthiness to express our free and hearty Acknowledgement of that infinite Obligation which thou hast hereby laid upon our soules to perpetual Gratitude Love Honour and Obedience to thy Glorious Majesty for so invaluable a Mercy And we cannot but with sorrow of Heart confesse that we have by our unsuitable Walkings shew'd our selves very Unworthy of such rich Discoveries of thy Love unto us But we humbly implore thy Mercy in the forgiveness of our many Miscarriages and beseech thee to give us Leave with all Humility to present thy Majesty with these few Petitions to which we earnestly beg a Gracious Answer That it will please thee to grant preserve and establish a Righteous and Religious Magistracy a Faithful and painful Ministry in the Land with that Blessed GOVERNMENT which is most agreeable to thy holy Word and Will both in Church and State That it will please thee who hast the Hearts of all men in thy Hands to put it into the Hearts of our Counsellors and Governors to study and endeavour the Advancement of thy Glory and thy Churches Good by the suppression of Errour and Profanenesse and the Promotion of Truth and Holinesse in the Land That where thou seest those Persons in Places of Power and Trust who by their pernicious Principles and Practises make the Times Perillous thou wilt Graciously be pleased by thy Hand of Power to remove them and to set in their room men truly fearing Thee and hating Covetousness who may cordially seek and endeavour the Peace and Welfare of thine English Zion That thou wilt pour down on thy Servants a Spirit of Humiliation for the sins of the Land that thou wilt graciously pardon the Transgressions of thy People and purge the Land from its Abominations that thou mayest dwell amongst us That thou wilt break the wicked Designes and dissolve the cursed Conspiracies of those that under Pretences of thy Name Cause and Glory violently prosecute their Pernicious Purposes for the satisfaction of their Ambition and Covetousness and the Introduction of Errours Heresies and all manner of Licentiousness into the Land to the Hazard of many thousand souls and the dishonour of thy Glorious Name That it will please Thee to heal the Breaches of thy own People and to establish these three Nations England Scotland and Ireland in Peace and Love upon the sure Foundations of Religion and Righteousness and crown them all with thy Loving-kindnesse and tender Mercies And to this End that thou wilt awaken the spirits of thy Saints from their security in an unsettled and distracted condition to a serious minding of the great Concernments of thy Church and People their own Souls and this sinful Nation That thou wilt be graciously pleased speedily to change the Perillous Times that are or may come upon thy people according to the Predictions of thy holy Prophets into those Glorious Times which thou hast raised the hearts of many of thy Saints in Expectations of by thy Precious Promises However be pleased to preserve thy People in times of Peril and Persecution and to carry them as on Eagles Wings by thy Spirit of Grace through all Difficulties and Dangers till thou shalt receive them up into thy Kingdome of Glory So shall we thy poore unworthy Subjects and Suppliants as in Duty bound celebrate thy Glorious Name with everlasting Praises The Names of the Petitioners are written in Heaven A PROPHECY OF PERILLOUS TIMES Open'd and Apply'd 2 TIM 3.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This know also that in the last dayes perillous times shall come The Introduction THe knowledge of the Times and Seasons is very useful for all men Without
degenerated into the very disposition of the Devil Calumnie banishes all Piety from the breast wherein it lodges it s daily feasted with lies and falshood It 's a Wâ—ed so poysonous that no wholesome Herb will grow upon the same Ground In a word Slandering is a Satanical sin The twelfth Character 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Incontinentes †Vetus Intemperantes * Beza Qui se audit sibi modum statuere potest Affectibus imperare is dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hinc Socrates hanc Virtutem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esse judicavit Sunt igitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 soluti in omnem Voluptatem proni in omnem Intemperantiam †Aret. in loc 12. Incontinent Such whose sensitive Appetite is without Bit or Bridle of Continence or Temperance impetuously carry'd after sensual delights He that can command himself and check his inordinate Desires or Inclinations is called Continent Hence Socrates judged this Virtue to be the foundation of all Moral honesty and goodnesse They therefore are called Incontinent who dissolve themselves into sensual Delights pursuing brutish pleasures with loose reines and seeking in all things the satisfaction of their intemperate De res They stifle their Natural Affections and yet cannot bridle their Sensual Appetite Their intemperance begets incontinency and these two as the two daughters of the Horse-Leach still crying Give Give * Prov. 30.15 suck out the Life-blood of their souls The lusts of these men like fire whose rage is but encreast by fewel the more Provision they make for them the more satisfaction they study to give them the more do they become Excessive and Insatiable Incontinent Persons are such as in the Pursuit of carnal Pleasures cannot contain themselves within the Bounds of Moderation The thirteenth Character 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Immites †Beza Feri * Vet. Syr. Alieni ab omni Humanitate quales sunt ferae †Aretius 13. Fierce Cruel Vnmercifull men Such as having banish't all humanity are degenerated into Bruits through inhumane rage and cruelty Bloody Beasts they are full of Fiercenesse Unmercifulnesse and Revenge Wicked men are in Scripture compared to * Psal 57.4 Lions †Ps 22.12 Bulls and * Prov. 28.15 Bears to †Mat. 10.16 Wolves and Dogges * Phil. 3.2 which cruelly devoure the Sheep of Christs Fold the Lambs of his Flock and sometimes teare and devoure one another These are †Ps 68.30 the People that delight in War These are they that with Saul * Act. 9.1 breath out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord. The tender Mercies of the wicked are cruel †Prov. 12.10 As a roaring Lion and a ranging Beare so is a wicked Ruler over the poor People * Prov. 28.15 The fourteenth Character 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Minime amantes Bonorum †Beza Sine Benignitate * Vetus Interpr Non a mantes Bonos per Meiosin Osores Bonorum †Cornel. à Lap. Odio habentes Bona * Syr. interp Trem. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est Honestatis studiosus boni probi Ingenii homo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui non tam bonos honestos quam ipsam honestatem exosam habet aversatur †Aret in loc 14. Despisers of those that are Good Such as can by no meanes love good men These are not the Objects of their favour or Bounty Yea such as not only do not love them but hate them Yea such as are not onely no Lovers of Good men but also * Diodat Despisers of Goodnesse as the Word may import Such as are so farre from being truly good and honest themselves that they despise in their hearts all those that are so and nourish a secret hatred of all Goodnesse and Honesty But this hatred of Goodnesse principally shews it self in their Contempt of or Opposition to Good Men. The men of the World do naturally hate the children of God Christians must not expect to be beloved by such as * Joh. 15.18 hated Christ The godly are the great Eye-sores of the wicked The Image of God enstampt upon Saints renders them not amiable but abominable to sinners The Ethiopians account the blackest complexion to be the beautifullest The †Gen. 3.15 Seed of the Woman is ever hateful to the Seed of the Serpent The fifteenth Character 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proditores qui tum fidei tum fratrum nihil pensi habent modo ipsi sint in tuto * Aret. in loc Amicitiae Desertores 15. Traitors Who make no reckoning of Truth and Honâ—sty nor do at all regard their Brethrens welfare so they can but secure themselves and their own Interests False friends who betray those that put most confidence in them A wicked man is a Reed of Egypt that pierces his hand that leanes upon it They pretend Friendship when they meditate Revenge and proclaim Peace when they prepare for Warre They are such as will betray their Prince for Money their Countrey for Reward and the Cause of Christ for some private Gain some secular Advantage Thus Judas betray'd his Lord and Master †Mar. 27.3 4. for thirty pieces of silver whereby he justly merited that ignominious Name * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 6.16 the Traitor which shall perpetuate the shame and infamy of so foule a sin throughout all ages Two sorts of men there are which are hated and abhor'd of all men as well of the Bad as of the Good a King that is a Tyrant and a Subject that is a Traitor Such bring nothing but mischiefs to Common-wealths on Earth and can expect nothing but Exclusion from the Kingdom of Heaven Such a Traitor to illustrate this by one instance was that false and bloody Tryphon of whom we read in the Maccabean Story Who taking upon him the Protection of Antiochus pretended to act for his establishment in his Kingdome usurpt by Demetrius and shaken with Civil Commotions And in this undertaking he became strangely successfull carrying on the matter under plausible pretences of Loyalty to his Soveraign whom having punish't the Insolencies of his Subjects he pretended doubtlesse to the joy of many deceived but well-meaning Hearts he would make a glorious Prince But behold an execrable Designe conceived and soone after a cursed Paricide committed in the Execution of it Behold the Face of pretended Loyalty covered with a Scarletblush and her false Beauty stain'd with the guilt of innocent blood For says the story 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Tryphon sought to advance himselfe to the Kingdome of Asia and by stretching his hand out againsâ— Antiochus the King to bring it back with the Royal Diadem to his own head †1 Macc. 12.39 And his bloody enterprise failed not of a speedy execution For it s said of him a while after Now Tryphon having taken
have told you before God before his wheat is gather'd into his Garner before his Church on Earth is translated into Heaven before gracious Saints are taken up into his glorious Kingdome will suffer the windes of false Doctrines to blow thereupon that so graceless ones who are as * Psal 1.4 Chaff carryed about with every winde of Doctrine †Eph. 4.14 may be separated from the Wheat the truly gracious And therefore says the Apostle * 1 Cor. 11 19 There must be also Heresie or Sects †Margin among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you And sayes the Apostle Peter * 2 Pet. 2.1 2 There were false prophets also among the People even as there shall be false Teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction And many shall follow their pernicious wayes by reason of whom the way of Truth shall be evil spoken of And for the time of their appearing this he intimates to us in what he further speaks of them afterwards †2 Pet. 3.3 Knowing this first that there shall come in the last Dayes scoffers walking after their own lusts This is fully confirmed by what the Apostle Paul speaks of them in his Premonition given to Timothy in both his Epistles to him directed In the former sayes he * 1 Tim. 4.1 2 Now the spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter Times some shall depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing spirits and Doctrines of Devils speaking lies in hypocrisie having their conscience searâ—d with a hot iron And in the latter sayes he †2 Tim. 3.1 2 6 7. This know also that in the last Dayes perillous times shall come For men shall be lovers of their own selves c. Of this sort are they which creep into houses and lead captive silly women laden with sins led away with divers lusts ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth So likewise does the Apostle John tell us that the coming of many Antichrists false Teachers opposing the Doctrine of Christ contain'd in the Gospel does manifestly discover that it is the last time * 1 Joh. 2.18 And sayes the Apostle Jude †Jude v. 17 18 19. Beloved remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ How that they told you there should be Mockers in the Last time who should walk after their own ungodly lusts These be they who separate themselves sensual having not the spirit how much soever they may pretend thereunto Thus we see it s undenyably manifest from the Holy Scriptures that False Teachers Sectaries and Seducers shall abound in the Church of God in the last dayes which the Apostle hath told us shall be perillous Times Whence we may certainly conclude that whensoever these Locusts and Caterpillars shall abound amongst us then are the perillous times spoken of come upon us And that we may the more infallibly know when those very Sectaries and Seducers are come which are spoken of in these Prophecies there are certain Marks and Characters stampt upon them by the Holy Ghost whereby they may be easily and infallibly known to us So the Apostle to his Prediction of Perillous times subjoyns a large Description of those Erroneous Persons who by their pernicious Practises should make the times so perillous †2 Tim. 3 1-5 He describes them by very many Characters which we have already view'd to which might many more be added from several other places of Scripture wherein they are in their proper Colours represented to us But it will be sufficient as to our present purpose to produce a few of the principal of them to which many of the rest may easily be refer'd These seducing spirits then which raise Stormes in the State and cause Confusions in the Church may be known by these distinguishing Marks and Characters which follow The first Mark Pride and Self-conceitednesse FAlse-Teachers are very proud and highly conceited of their own Knowledge notwithstanding grosse ignorance of the great Mysteries of the Gospel yea the plain principles of Religion The Apostle Paul having recommended to Timothy the preaching and pressing of the sound and Orthodox Doctrines of the Gospel subjoynes this premonitory description of False Teachers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q. super re aliqua insistens eique attento inhaerens animo If any man sayes he * 1 Tim. 6.3 4 5. be Heterodox or teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to Godlinesse or come not to the sound preaching of the Gospel He is PROUD or puffed up sc with an opinion of his own knowledge yet KNOWING NOTHING or having no right understanding no setled and solid knowledge of any thing but doting or sick about questions and strifes of words whereof cometh Envy Strife Railings Evil surmisings Perverse disputings chafing and galling one another with unprofitable Contentions of men of corrupt Mindes and DESTITUTE OF THE knowledge of the TRUTH Thus were these False-teachers as extreamly ignorant as they were unsufferably Proud So in the Apostles Prophetick Premonition wherein he represents them as the Troublers of their Times they are stil'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Boasters Proud High-minded * 2 Tim. 3.2 3. These are the Bubbles which we may see passing too and fro in Pride and Pompe upon the face of the Waters when some Tempest in the State hath troubled the waters of the Sanctuary They appear beautiful and gloâ—ious in the eyes of the simple who are deceived with their Colours when indeed there 's nothing at all in them but winde and emptynesse What glorious vaunts of knowledge have some Vile Sects made who have been no better then the Glow-wormes of the Night Certain Sectaries in Aragon called themselves the Illuminati Illuminated as if they onely had been in Light and all the world besides in Darknesse Foolish People that having a glimpse of the Sunne thought it shone upon none in the world but themselves The Nicholaitans and Valentinians called themselves GNOSTICKS a name signifying Knowledge as conceiting all others besides themselves to be grosly ignorant of the great Mysteries of Religion They might perhaps more fitly have been stiled Luciferians for their Pride as a pestilent Sect that arose up after them were called upon another account The first Founders of any Schismatical Society built upon some Heretical Opinion have ever been great pretenders to singular eminency of knowledge Omnibus una Intentio Haereticis semper fuit captare Gloriam de singularitate scientiae †Bern. in Cant. Ser. 65. All the Hereticks that have ever been saith holy Bernard have had this one Project in the chase of glory to
the young King Antiochus in the snares of Deceit presently put him to Death and usurpt his Kingdome and so by setting the Crown upon so cursed a Head he became the cause of no small calamity upon the whole Land * 1 Mac. 13.31 32. Thus a Traitor is a Publick Plague and the proper Parent of perillous Times But seldome hath the Righteous God suffer'd such Treasons and Parricides to escape Punishment We read of a wicked Treason and a cursed Parricide which the Servants of Joash the King of Judah committed upon him pretending for the justification of so horrid a murther his guilt of Innocent blood †2 Chron. 24 25. that so a cruel piece of private Revenge might put on some appearance of an Act of Justice But God chastis'd that bloody Crime by the hand of Amaziah his sonne who reigned in his stead For sayes the Scripture * 2 Chron. 25.3 It came to passe when the Kingdome was established to him that he slew his servants that had killed the King his Father We have another memorable Example in the Holy Scripture of the Execution of Judgement upon Traitors wherein we have many hands lifted up for the bringing down the stroke of Justice with the greater strength 'T was upon Amon King of Judah that this Treason and Murder was committed by his own Subjects For it 's said †2 Chron. 33.24 His servants conspired against him and slew him in his own House Base Rebels Must the Royal Palace be the stage of your Princes Ruine by your wicked Parricide Bloody Butchers Must the Royal Palace become the Slaughter-house of your Sovereigne But what follow'd Had this King no Loyal Subjects in the Land that would dare to rise up for the Revenge of his Murther upon these wicked Traitors that the Throne of his Son might be established with the more security Yes he had For it 's said †ver 25. the People of the Land slew all them that had conspired against King Amon and the People of the Land made Josiah his sonne King in his stead And hereupon there is none so ignorant of the sacred story but he knows how happy the Land was under the Government of the Good King Josiah So for the Traitor Judas we all know he came to a miserable End * Mat. 27.5 with Acts 1.18 Thus we see Traitors are pernicious Persons who make the Times perillous but they shall not carry their Treasons out with Impunity nor for ever escape Gods righteous Judgements The sixteenth Character 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Protervi †Vetus Praecipites * Bez. Syr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur temerarius inconsideratus sumpta Metaphora ab Avium pullis qui implumes dum volare conantur humi decidunt †Aretius 16. Heady Such as are inconsiderate in their undertakings froward rash and over-forward in their Attempts and Actings Who like birds that will adventure to flie before they are fledg'd run head-long upon desperate designes whereby they often hazard both their own and others Ruine These are still running forward when they hardly know whither they go nor what will follow They are such Qui non vident 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who look not both forward and backward both before and behinde as a Wise and Prudent man will do before he undertakes any weighty VVork or attempts any great Designe For * Eccl. 2.14 The wise mans Eyes are in his Head but the Fool walketh in Darknesse 'T is good counsel that of the Poet †Pythag. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Consult before thou enterprize He that failes in this Point of VVisdome shall soon see a proof of his own Folly Wise Counsel is the soul and strength of great undertakings For says that Oracle of Wisdome Without Counsel purposes are disappointed * Prov. 19.22 but every purpose is established by counsel †Prov. 20.18 And therefore sayes he * Prov. 24.5 6. A wise man is strong yea a man of knowledge encreaseth strength For by wise Counsel thou shalt make thy War and in multitude of Counsellors there is safety But now on the other side inconsideratenesse leads to Confusion and Rashness is the fore-runner of Ruine The seventeenth Character 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tumidi †Vetus Inflati * Beza 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 animi est Tumor Arrogantia prae se alios contemnentis dum homines amore studio sui occupati sunt †Aretius in locum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non modo inflatum sed in Genere dementatum fanaticum significat * Victorin Strigel in N.T. 17. High-minded Such as are puft up with pride and even swell'd like Toades with Poyson This High-mindednesse is that Pride of Spirit and Arrogancy of an aspiring Minde whereby men do contemn all others in Comparison of themselves and centre all their Affections and Endeavours in themselves being wholly taken up and busied about their own private and personal Concernments The †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Word imports such a lifting up of the Minde as unhinges Reason and opens a wide door to folly and madnesse to enter in So 't is used by Physicians to signifie Madnesse and Phrenetick Distempers High-mindedness is a kind of spiritual Phrensy and Madnesse of the Minde Ambition Pride and Self-love are the Ingredients of this strong Drink which strangely intoxicates the minde of man and if it be but mixt with some drams of Popular Applause and worldly Glory it ordinarily produces this Spiritual or if you will Moral Madnesse That famous Mutinist Masianello of Naples was not able to bear the new wine of his disproportion'd worldly Greatnesse What Phrensy what Fury possest the minds of Haman of Herod when they had drunk deep of the Worlds Golden Cup of Glory The one would sacrifice many thousand Lives to his Revenge for want of the bowing of one mans knee * Esther chap. 3. the other to outvy him in the desperate Madnesse of an audacious enterprize would plant his Engines higher and attempt to kill God himself to murder God incarnate †Matth. chap. 2. Man's head cannot beare too great heights but it s presently fill'd with giddiness and prone to Precipitation A small ship is soon overturn'd by the windes when it carries too great a Saile 'T is then an excellent admonition that of the Apostle * Rom. 11.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be not High-minded but Fear High-minded men are usually very Pusillanimous and low-spirited in the most Noble undertakings They are but empty Bladders that are thus swell'd with the Wind of vanity The eighteenth Character 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elegans est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Voluptatum amantes potius quam amantes Dei †Beza 18. Lovers of Pleasures more then Lovers of God They with the busie Wasp that little Epicure are
Ardour and Forwardness to promote this or that way of Government or Worship in opposition to all the rest which yet may be found in a man that hath never experimented the Power of Religion or Work of Sanctification upon his own soul Thus some are Zealous for the Episcopal others for the Presbyterial and others for the Congregational and not a few for the Anabaptistical way and herein lies the Main of their Religion Whereas the Life of Religion the soul of true Godliness lies in the Spiritual Worship of God †Joh. 4.24 It 's good indeed to be zealously affected alwayes in a good matter * Gal. 4.18 but it s neither good nor safe to rest in a superficial Form a meer empty out-side of Religion though never so splendid and glorious But alas what do these men do that so earnestly contend for that way of Worship which is most agreeable to their own Fancies and censure all others as no Christians no Saints that are not moulded after the same Model what do they but promote the Distractions encrease the Divisions and widen the Differences of the Church of God which every good Christian should studiously endeavour to compose and heal Surely the setting up of and the Adhering to this and the other Party is not the way to promote the Interests of the Kingdom of Christ He is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †MELCHIZEDECK King of SALEM Rex 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justitiae He is King of Righteousness and King of Peace †Heb. 7.1 2 And his Kingdom stands not in meat and drink but Righteousnesse and Peace and which results from them both Joy in the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rex Pacis When such Religious Factions prevail they sadly portend the Ruine of the Church Rom. 14.17 And â—hen are not such perillous times In the Primitive Tiâ—es which were Times of Pâ—rsecution how zealous were Christians in the things of God and how fervently did they love one another Those Times were surely less perillous then these wherein the Hâ—aâ— of Persecution is not more abated then Zeal for God and Love to one another amongst Christians But when P ofessors are generally Formall in the performance of the Duties of Religion very Perfunctory and Superficial in the service of God it s a sad Symptom of perillous Times When a man having tipt his Tongue with the Silver of the Sanctuary and so is able to speak well of the things of God to discourse well of the Matters of Religion shall for this only Reason be esteemed very Religious Whereas as the Apostle speaks †1 Cor. 4.20 The Kingdom of God is not in Word but in Power When there is indeed much Preaching much Hearing frequent Receiving of Sacraments but alas little Life in Preaching less in Hearing little or no Affectionateness in Receiving and least of all of Conformity to these Gospel-Ordinances in the Life and Conversation Time was when Ministers preached with Plainness Life and Power so that their earnest * Rom. 10.1 desire of saving souls was apparent in their Preaching and Christians that feared God †Acts 17.11 Received the Word with all readiness of Mind entertained the * 2 Thes 2.10 Truth in the Love of it and had their Hearts much stirred and moved by every Sermon They not only heard the Preacher with their Ears but felt him in their Hearts and Consciences and were very much affected with all the Discoveries of the Will of God to them They took pains to work the Word upon their own Hearts They met together to whet it upon one another to exhort encourage and comfort one another in the wayes of God Oh! The Word of the Lord was precious in those days †1 Sam. 3.1 How beautifull in those dayes were the Feet of them that preached the Gospel of Peace and brought glad Tidings of good Things * Rom. 10.15 The Ministers of the Gospel now so generally slighted and despised were then received by all good Christians as Angels of God yea even as Christ â—esus †Gal. 4.14 And then did Religion flourish in the Church and Christians manifested their experimental acquaintance with the Power of Godlinesse But when Preaching is become for the most part Notional and accommodated rather to the pleasing of the Fancy then informing the judgement convincing the conscience and affecting the Heart when Sermons are stuft with affected phrases and exquisitely embroyder'd with Artificial Ornaments and so deliver'd by the Preacher without one spark of Life or Zeale with such a singular care to observe the Emphasis and Elegancy of his study'd Expressions such a wary fear of rumpling his fine smooth forms of speech as if he was come thither to play the part of an idle Orator rather then to do the duty of a Gospel-Preacher who is to treate with men in the Name of Christ about the great affaires of their precious soules for their eternal Salvation this is a sad change seriously to be laid to heart and sadly to be lamented When People forsake and regard not sound solid Preachers of the Gospel but follow and flock after those that suit with their Humours and with such like quaint and curious notions please and delight their Fancies it argues a great Decay in Religion and speaks men to be great strangers to the Power of Godlinesse Nay when those that are indeed good Christians and sound in the Maine shall become very Formal Overly Superficial in the discharge of Religious Duties in their attendance upon Gospel-Ordinances When they shall take no paines to prepare themselves for Sabbaths and Sacraments when they shall be little or nothing at all affected with the Preaching of the Gospel when they seldome or never stirre up themselves to the Exercise of the Graces of the Spirit in the duties of Religion when they take no Paines to work upon their Hearts by Meditation and Prayer the truths which are delivered unto them nor study to expresse in their lives a restâ—onsiblenesse to the Doctrines of the Gospel when they thus rest in the Forme and presse not after the Power of Godlinesse it s a Symptome of an Evill Age a Presage of Periâ—lous Times We finde God nothing regarded the outward Performances of the People of Israel when they were utterly deficient in those Duties wherein consisted the Life of Religion * Isa 1 11-15 To what Purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices unto me saith the LORD I am full of the Burnt-offerings of Rams and the Fat of fed Beasts and I delight not in the Blood of Bullocks or of Lambs or of He-goats And when ye come to appear before me who hath required this at your hand to tread my Courts Bring no more vain oblations Incense is an abomination unto me the New Moons and Sabbaths the Calling of Assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity even the solemn
hidden Treasures which he found and when he had taken all away he went into his own Land having made a great Massacre and spoken very proudly But after seven yeares respite we find Justice calling him to account and severely scourging him with those Scorpions which by this sin he had fed in his own conscience and this which is very remarkable at the same Time that he sought to possesse himself of a rich Booty by a second Sacriledge For sayes the story * 1 Mac. 6 1-16 About that Time King Antiochus travelling through the high Countreys heard say that Elemais in the Countrey of Persia was a City greatly renown'd for Riches Silver and Gold and that there was in it a very Rich Temple wherein were Coverings of Gold and Breast-plates and Shields which Alexander sonne of Philip the Macedonian King who reigned first among the Grecians had left there Wherefore he came and sought to take the City and spoile it but he was not able because they of the City having had warning thereof rose up against him in Battel So he fled and departed thence with great heavinesse and returned to Babylon Moreover there came one who brought in Tidings into Persia that the Armies which went against the Land of Judea were put to flight and that Lysias who went forth first with a great Power was driven away of the Jews and that they were made strong by the Armour and Power and store of Spoiles which they had gotten of the Armies whom they had destroy'd Also that they had pull'd down the †See ch 1.54 Abomination which he had set up upon the Altar in Jerusalem and that they had compassed about the Sanctuary with High Walls as before and his City Bethsura Now when the King heard these words he was astonished and sore moved whereupon he laid him down upon his Bed and fell sick for Grief because it had not befallen him as he looked for And there he continued many dayes for his Grief was ever more and more and he made account that he should die Wherefore he called for all his friends and said unto them the Sleep is gone from mine Eyes and my Heart faileth for very Care And I thought with my self into what Tribulation am I come and how great a Flood of Misery is it wherein now I am For I was bountiful and beloved in my Power But NOW I remember the Evils that I did at JERUSALEM and that I took all the Vessels of Gold and Silver that were therein and sent to destroy the Inhabitants of Judea without a Cause I perceive therefore that for THIS Cause these troubles are come upon me and behold I perish through great Grief in a strange Land Then called he for Philip one of his Friends whom he made Ruler over all his Realme and gave him the Crown and his Robe and his Signet to the end he should bring up his son Antiochus and nourish him up for the Kingdome So King Antiochus died there in the hundred fourty and nine yeare Thus Conscience though stifled for a time will not alwayes lie asleep Thus the proudest presumptuous sinner carries his Accuser Judge Witnesses and Executioner in his own bosome Thus Sacriledge though for a time carried out with successe shall at length recoile upon the head of him that committed it to the Astonishment of all beholders Surely when mens Hearts and Hands are engag'd in this sin what ever thei◠Pretences be they take the ready course to pluck the Judgements of God down upon their Heads which may involve the whole Nation in many woful calamities and so bring upon the Church of God very sad and perillous Times And are there not too many in these Dayes that under the Pretences of Piety which makes the Provocation higher are guilty of this sin of Sacriledge We read when the City Carthage was taken by the Romanes the rude Souldiers rushing into the sacred Temples stript the Image of Apollo of a golden Robe but sayes the History the Sacrilegious hands of them that took it were found amongst the Fragments of that sacred Vesture * Val. Max. l. 1. c. 1. If the like Judgement should befall those that have stript the Church Christs Monument on Earth of her Golden Robe or at least attempted such a Sacriledge how might we say in the words of the Psalmist †Psa 76.5 a little varied Many of the men of Might have lost their Hands But perhaps what I call the Churches Golden Robe some may stile a Babylonish Garment and what I esteem sacred as her Dowry they may call accursed Gold But let them remember all Israel smarted and the Troubler of Israel Achan with his Family and Cattle dyed in a showre of stones and were wrapt up in a Sheet of flames for plundring the Golden Wedge and Babylonish Garment * Josh c. 7. The Phocian Generals who paid their Souldiers with the Gold of the Temple of Apollo came all to untimely deaths †Diod. Sic. Gold the sick mans Cordial is the sacrilegious mans Poyson It s a snare saith Solomon * Prov. 20.25 to the man who devoureth that which is holy and after vows to make Enquiry So likewise the Souldiers which under the Conduct of Quintus Caepio a Roman Consul having taken the City Tholouse in France by storm rifled the rich Temples there carrying away all the Gold and Silver out of them were all overtaken by those Judgements which are in pursuit of such daring Sacrilegists and came to a miserable end †Corn. Tacit. Thus they that enrich themselves with Sacrilegious hands do but therein pluck down the Judgements of God upon their own heads And when Towers fall the Under-Buildings must needs be batter'd The commission of this sin therefore especially under Pretences of Religion must needs speak the Times perillous When Calvin understood how the Senate of Geneva was about to imploy part of the Revenues formerly pertaining to the Monasteries to Civil Uses he told them in his Sermon that he could not endure such Sacrilege which he knew God in the end would punish most severely What is given to God though out of a blind Devotion may not again be taken from God but ought to be imploy'd for God in the Maintenance of his Worship and the Exercises of true Religion There 's surely a Moral Equity in that Levitical Law Notwithstanding saith the LORD to Moses * Lev. 27.28 no devoted thing that a man shall devote unto the LORD of all that he hath both of man and beast and of the Field and of his Possession shall be sold or redeemed Every devoted Thing is most holy unto the Lord. And therefore the Theft of Achan in stealing the Golden Wedge †Josh 7.1 21 was the Sin of Sacriledge because the Gold of Jericho was consecrated to the LORD * Josh 6.19 For if a man that hath a true Propriety in his own Goods shall alienate them to
those that are called to govern were not at all ambitious of Government must needs be best govern'd and freest from sedition and the contrary is to be concluded concerning that City which hath Magistrates of a contrary Disposition Experience is a sufficient Comment upon this Text. The Orators Observation may sufficiently verifie the Philosophers Conclusion Sayes he Complures se seclere contaminarunt imperii cupiditate * Cicer. Offic. l. 3. Many out of an inordinate desire of Rule have contaminated themselves with the guilt of wicked attempts And do we not know that many have attempted the murder of Princes yea and have accomplisht their wicked and bloody Designs that they might make a seizure of the Supream Power and possesse themselves of the chief seats of Government Hath not such a Fire of Ambition been kindled in some mens Breasts as that nothing would quench it but the Life-blood of their lawful King Is not this it for which the LORD complaines of the People of Israel the children of Ephraim †Hos 7.7 They are all hot as an oven and have devoured their Judges all their Kings are fallen there is none among them that calleth upon me That is sayes a learned and Pious Expositor * Diodat Their rage discovers it self chiefly in their seditions frequent conspiracies and murthers of their Kings Thus did Baasha conspire against Nadab King of Israel and slew him and reigned in his stead and so in his Blood founded his most wicked Government yea and for his greater security therein he slew all the Royall Family insomuch as he left not alive any that breath'd †1 Kin. 15 25-34 Then after his Death when Elah his son began to reigne over Israel Zimri his servant Captaine of half his Chariots conspired against him and flew him and reigned in his stead * 1 King 16 8 9 10. Thus he that had taught Subjects Treason and Rebellion by cutting off the Family of his Prince for his own establishment had his own Family presently after his Death by the like act cut off from the Government which he had usurpt Thus The Lord is known by the judgement which he executeth †Psal 9.16 Thus we read that when Zachariah the sonne of Jeroboam was made King over Israel Shallum the sonne of Jabesh conspired against him and smote him before the People and slew him and reigned in his stead * 2 King 15 8 9 10. And when Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reigne and had reigned a full moneth in Samaria Menahem the sonne of Gadi went up from Tirzah and came to Samariah and smote Shallum the sonne of Jabesh in Samaria and slew him and reigned in his stead †v. 13 14 This bloody Menahem to maintain his security in the possession of an usurpt Kingdom laid heavy Burdens upon all the rich men of Israel exacting a summe of money from all the mighty men of wealth for the raising of a thousand Talents of silver to engage the Forces of the King of Assyria to confirme the Kingdome in his hand * v. 19 20. By this means he held the Kingdome for the space of ten years and then by the King of Terrours who would not be bribed with gold he was at once deprived of his life and Kingdom Yet did his sonne Pekahiah reigne in his stead But by that time he had reigned two years Pekah the sonne of Remaliah a Captaine of his conspired against him and smote him in Samaria in the Palace of the Kings House with Argob and Arieh and with fifty men of the Gileadites and he killed him and reigned in his roome †v. 23 25 Thus was the Scepter ravish't by the Sword and the Soveraignty deflour'd by the Souldiery Thus was the Palace polluted with the Blood of a Prince or rather it was wash't from Pollution with his Blood who by the Effusion of Blood had polluted it Thus was an Vsurper slain and dispossest of his Kingdome by the hand of a Traitor But what became of the bloody Parricide Pekah Is it not strange that he that waded to the Throne in Blood and rul'd the Kingdome rather by the Sword then Scepter should for * v. 27. twenty years together sit upon the Throne of Israel But yet at length behold the Sun of his Soveraignty sets in a cloud of Blood For it 's said †v. 30. Hoshea the sonne of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the sonne of Remaliah and smote him and slew him and reigned in his stead Thus we have open'd a bloody Scene and shew'd you the Treasons Murders Cruelties Exactions Revenge which are the terrible Attendants that continually wait upon this State-Fury AMBITION which is maintain'd in the world by the Breath of Honour and the Blood of Kings Now who will not judge these to be perillous Times to the People of God But when Iniquity thus Reignes then does God at length come in as a Righteous Judge and executes his just Judgements upon such perfidious Traitors and unjust Judges For * Psal 82.1 2. God standeth in the Congregation of the Mighty he judgeth among the Gods How long saith he will ye judge unjustly and accept the Persons of the wicked The Injustice of men sollicits the just Vengeance of God His Judgements hang like mighty weights upon slender wires over the heads of such a provoking People He in his wise and holy Providence suffers wicked men for a time to be set up but at length by his hand of Power and Justice he casts them down And therefore Tolluntur in altum Ut lapsu graviore ruant They are but lifted up on high that they may have the greater Fall as the Eagle carries the shell-fish up into the Aire that so letting it fall it may break in pieces upon the Rock The Wisdome Power and Justice of God is wonderfully seene in the punishment of the wicked when he turns their cruel designes against the righteous to their own destruction I shall therefore conclude these Political Observations with holy Davids Prophetick Representation of the Practice and Punishment of the Profane Politician with the Praise which he therein returnes unto God Behold sayes he †Psa 7.14 17 he travelleth with Iniquity and hath conceived mischief and brought forth falshood He made a pit and digg'd it and is fallen into the ditch which he made His mischiefe shall return upon his own Head and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own Pate I will praise the LORD according to his Righteousnesse and I will sing praise to the Name of the LORD most high The fifth Symptome Perjury and Covenant-breaking THe Times must needs be perillous When the most sacred Tyes of Conscience Oaths Protestations Vowes and Covenants are made no account of in cases of Loyalty and Religion When they are but as Spiders webs which entangle the smaller Flies but the greater break through and escape When as Sampsons
however otherwise acomplish't with Princely Virtues he made no account of keeping his Oaths but swore and unswore as might stand best with his Interest How justly may we expect that God will root out the Posterity of perjur'd persons from the Land however they may at present flourish in their worldly prosperity Though †Eccl. 11.2 all things at present come alike to all yea though he that sweareth and violateth his Oath be more successeful then he that feareth an Oath yet there is a day of account to come wherein God will bring every work into judgement * Eccl. 12.14 and then dreadful shall the estate be of forsworne Atheists Certainly a sword hangs over the Head of every perjur'd Person and all his worldly greatnesse shall not shield him from the danger as over the head of Damocles in the Palace of Dionysius a sword was hung by a haire which when he perceived he could take no Pleasure in all the sumptuous Preparations which the Tyrant had made to give him a momentany tast of his worldly greatnesse and felicity The Lord hath said that †Mal. 3.5 he will be a swift witnesse against the false swearers and though they say to God Depart from us the LORD hath said I will come near to you to judgement The perjur'd person shall not be able to keep that * Zech. 5.1 flying Roll out of his house which shall bring in with it that curse of God which shall consume his dwelling place For †Zech. 5.4 I will bring it forth saith the LORD of Hosts and it shall enter into the House of the Thief and into the House of him that sweareth falsly by my Name and it shall remaine in the midst of his House and shall consume it with the Timber thereof and the Stones thereof All the precious substance of perjur'd Persons shall be but as Stubble when the wrath of the Lord like Fire shall be kindled against them Personal sins shall have Personal punishments But when a sin is become common and National justly may we feare some National judgement How justly may God spread a thunder-cloud over a whole Land for the punishment of the sinne of falsehood and perjury in the violation of sacred Oaths and Covenants Shall not the LORD have a Controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land when there is no TRUTH nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land When by swearing and forswearing the Land is polluted may we not justy feare that the Land shall mourn and that every one that dwelleth therein shall languish * Hos 4.1 2 3. Will not the Lord hew that people in pieces by the sword and consume that City with the Plague that shall break the sacred band of a solemn Covenant Thus saith the LORD by Moses to his people Israel concerning this sin †Lev. 26.25 I will bring a SWORD upon you that shall avenge the QUARREL of my COVENANT and when ye are gather'd together within your Cities I will send the PESTILENCE among you and ye shall be deliver'd into the hand of the Enemy Thus Perjury and Covenant-breaking brings in War and Destruction upon a Land and so must needs be a Prognostick of perillous Times And more sad and fearful yet it is when this sin is twisted with the sin of Treason and Rebellion and committed under pretences of Religion The souldiers of Alexander called * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Argyraspides because by Alexanders gift they wore Silver Shields as Plutarch relates of them were grand TRAYTORS to their GENERAL to whom they had bound themselves by many solemne OATHS and PROTESTATIONS insomuch that Antigonus with whom they had treacherously comply'd against their Prince the sonne of Alexander and their General Eumenes whom they had deliver'd up bound into his hands so perfectly hated them for this their perfidiousnesse that he burnt one of their Colonels and slew the other and engaged the rest in such desperate services in forraigne Countreys that not one of them return'd alive home When men under the silver shields of Religious Pretences presume they shall be secure in the guilt of the detestable sinnes of Perjury Treason and Rebellion they shall be sure not to escape punishment by the Iron sword of Justice But now when such hateful vices as these lift up their heads and proudly outbraving all opposition usurp the Throne of the most Heroick Virtues we may safely conclude the dayes are come which the Apostle hath foretold us shall be perillous times For these are those very black brands and marks of Infamy wherewith the Apostle hath stigmatiz'd those sinners which how Saint-like soever they should appear in their Disguise of formal godlinesse should by their diffusive wickednesse make the dayes Evil the Times perillous For in those Daies he hath told us men shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †2 Tim. 3 1-4 Truce-breakers Traytors Rebells such as make no conscience of keeping their Covenants but violate the most solemn Obligations religiously ratifi'd such as betray the Persons or Interests of those that have reposed Trust in them and to whom they are oblig'd by solemne Oaths and Protestations of fidelity such as are disobedient to their Natural or Political Parents who rise up in Rebellion against their lawful Princes and Governours to whom they have sworne Alleagiance or at least made solemn Protestations of subjection and service with hazard of their Lives and Estates Such perfidious Persons make perillous Times A further and fuller Description of such men we have in the Prophet Hosea if we rightly understand the place for which purpose I shall produce the interpretations of some of the most solid pious and judicious Divines who may deservedly be reckoned amongst the best Expositors The words of the Prophet are these * Hos 10.2 3 4. Their Heart is divided now shall they be found faulty he shall break down their Altars he shall spoile their Images For now they shall say We have no KING because we feared not the LORD what then should a King do to us They have spoken words SWEARING FALSELY in making a COVENANT thus Judgement springeth up as Hemlock in the Furrows of the Field The Interpretation of this Scripture is given thus Their heart is divided Or as it is in the Margin he hath divided their heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. Having taken away the Spirit of Peace and concord from them he hath given them over to Divisions Factions and frequent Murthers of Princes which will cause the utter ruine of the Kingdome * Diodati For now they shall say We have no King Within a very short time God shall take away their King c. This taking away of a King is a remarkable Evidence of Gods Wrath †Lam. 4.20 and convincing the same even to a people obdurate in sin that would faine deny Gods hand to be in it * Engl. Annot. Or
Zion is left as a Cottage in a vineyard as a Lodge in a garden of Cucumbers as a besieged City Thus though justice have leaden feet and be slow in coming yet it hath iron hands to crush the rebellious and break in pieces a provoking people Impunity is a sad signe of God's implacable wrath against a people that notwithstanding many warnings are become stubborne in their sinnes Hereby they are but reserved for some greater Judgement fitted for a sorer punishment God never spake with a more wrathful voice to the people of Israel and to the children of Ephraim then when he said * Hos 4.14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredome nor your Spouses when they commit Adultery for themselves are separated with whores and they sacrifice with Harlots therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall or be punished †Margin And again * v. 17. Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone When God thus permits particular persons especially such as are set in high places and so are the more Exemplary in their abominations to proceed without punishment in their sins it s a fearful presage of some General Judgement to be inflicted upon the whole Land Thus it was in the case of Ephraims and Israels sin I know Ephraim sayes the Lord †Hos 5.3 4 5. and Israel is not hid from me for now O Ephraim thou committest whoredome and Israel is defiled They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God for the spirit of whoredomes is in the midst of them and they have not known the LORD And the pride of Israel doth testifie to his face therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their Iniquity Judah also shall fall with them When great persons escape punishment from God in the guilt of flagitious enormities and fearful Provocations let the whole Land tremble for fear of Gods judgements The eighth Symptome Toleration of Errors in Religion THe Prediction of perillous Times is certainly accomplish't When the simplicity of the TRUTH and true WORSHIP of God is out-fac't by the impudency of ERROUR false WORSHIP and profanenesse When Errour shall set up its Throne in the Temple of God a Christian Church and Truth shall be set at the footstoole When false worship shall lift up its head and true worship shall hang the Wing When Profanenesse shall proudly presse into the Sanctuary and humble Piety shall either be excluded or derided When the ancient and venerable Truth and true Religion shall grow out of Credit and Errour false worship and Profanenesse as a new upstart clad in a glorious Disguise and waited on by his insolent Atendants on either hand shall be all in Fashion and favour When the latter shall be suffer'd to brow-beat and justle out the former in many places of the Land When the Vultures shall drive the Doves from their Houses and the Wolves shall contend with the Sheep for the Fold they must needs be perillous Times When false Teachers the Captaines of the Train-bands of the Prince of Darkness who for the carrying on of this designe transformes himself into an Angel of Light * 2 Cor. 11 14 shall by their Satanical stratagems so far prevaile against the Kingdome of Christ as to carry away Captive many of his Subjects who in their Baptisme receiv'd their Press-money to fight under his Banner the perillous Times prophecy'd of by the Apostle are come †See 2 Tim. 3. v. 1. with v. 6 Doubtlesse the Times are perillous when Saints shall be rejected as sinners and Seducers shall be received as Saints though they daily grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived * 2 Tim. 3.13 When Religion shall be derided as superstition and humane inventions shall be obtruded upon seduced Christians as the Ordinances of Christ When the proud Philistines shall defie the Army of the Israelites the Hosts of the Living God and Saul with his men of War shall stand and look on if David or rather the sonne of David come not to succour us we must needs be in a dangerous condition When Dagon is brought into the Temple of God and set above the Ark when Jeroboams Calves have more Worshippers and Followers then the God of Israel when Christ in his Ministers is set at naught by Herod and his men of War When true Christianity is crucifiâ—d betwixt two thieves Erâ—or on the one hand and Profanesse on the other do not the People of God know and feel that these are evil and perillous Times When Idolatry shall justle out true Christianity the Times must needs be perillous To set up Iâ—ols in the Temple of God what is it but the Abomination which maketh desolate Now error and Heresie is a kinde of spiritual Idolatry Multi haeretici cum Paganis alios alios Deos ipsi sibi finxerunt alios alios Deos sibi ipsi fecerunt eos etiamsi non in Templis tamen quod est pejus in suo corde posuerunt falsorum ridendorumque simulacrorum Templa ipsi facti sunt †Aug. in Enarrat Psal 80. Many Hereticks sayes Augustine as well as Pagans have themselves feigned and formed many Gods unto themseves and though they have not set them up in Temples yet which is worse they have enshrined them in their own hearts and so they themselves have become the Temples of false and foolish Images Now when Christians that have been consecrated by Baptisme to be Temples of the Holy Ghost shall turn themselves into Temples of such phantastick Idols of their own Invention this must needs be a sinne highly provoking the Lord to Jealousie and so speak the Times perillous But for the further clearing up of this Symptome I shall do these two things viz. 1. Lay down the Characters of Erroneous Persons 2. Shew the Cases which upon this Account constitute perillous Times The Characters of Erroneous Persons ERroneous persons when they appeare do as Comets portend great Calamities to the Church of God the Kingdome of Christ And if we search the Prophecies of the New Testament we shall finde that the arising and abounding of false Teachers Hereticks and Seducers is expresly foretold to be in the last dayes when the Apostle hath told us perillous Times shall come False-Fires are not wont to appear till the approach of Night and these misguiding New-lights shall appear in the evening of the world and great is the danger of those that are misled by them Our Saviour in his discourse of the end of the world and Prophecy of those things which should come to passe in the last dayes forewarns us of such deceivers Then sayes he * Mat. 24.23 24 25. if any man shall say unto you Loe here is Christ or there believe it not For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect. Behold I
which the Holy Ghost does in a special manner describe these Seducers which I shall but briefly represent partly because I have already toucht upon them and partly because they arise from latent Properties by which we cannot so easily discerne them The fourth and fift Mark. Covetousnesse and Uncleannesse SEducers however pretending Piety and Contempt of the World do indeed pursue worldly Profits and secular Advantages They so manage the matters of Religion as †1 Tim. 6.5 supposing that gain is godlinesse They * 2 Pet. 2.3 through COVETOUSNES with feigned words make Merchandise of poore seduced People They cry out against Covetousnesse in others that themselves may pass more unsuspected in the guilt of this secret sin this spiritual †Col. 3.5 Idolatry Thus while they condemne others for Covetousnesse themselves are condemn'd by their own Conscience And therefore was not the conscience of these men cauteriz'd they would find such Tumults within themselves as would make them take little delight in troubling others But these are they who * 1 Tim. 4.2 speak lies in hypocrisie having their consciences seared with a hot Iron These are indeed the Troublers of Israel and how fairly soever they carry it the golden Wedge may be found in their Tents A heart they have exercised with covetous Practices †2 Pet. 2.14 This is the Testimony of the Searcher of Hearts of Truth it self against which there can be no exception These are they whom we have but now by Scripture-Evidences convicted of cursing the Israel of God who †Jude 11. run greedily after the Errour of Balaam for a REWARD They are indeed as they are stil'd by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 2 Tim. 3.2 LOVERS OF SILVER though Boasters of Saintship and admirers of Gold more then followers of Godlinesse However they falsely grave upon their Church HOLINES TO THE LORD they can truly write upon their Coine GOD WITH US Seducers are such also as while they boast of spiritual Liberty are in Bondage to fleshly lusts Spiritual Pollution is usually accompanied with corporal Defilement These filthy Dreamers do defile the Flesh †Jude 8. They are by the Apostle called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 2 Tim. 3.3 INCONTINENT perhaps for their being carried headlong to Acts of Vncleannesse by their unbridel'd †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 libidinosum denot at apud Xenoph. Lusts For these are they * 2 Pet. 2.10 who walk after the Flesh in the Lust of UNCLEANNES †Jude 4. turning the grace of God into LASCIVIOUSNES Oft while they have Holinesse in their mouth they have an Adulteresse in their Eye So sayes the Apostle * 2 Pet. 2.14 They have Eyes full of Adultery or †So the Marg. Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Adulteresse and that cannot cease from sin Yea many Seducers are no better then * Jude v. 7. Sodomites Corrupt Opinions are usually accompanied with lewd Practices with filthy Lives The Nicholaitans Carpocratians Adamites and several other Hereticks did professedly give themselves over to a loose and libidinous life Community of Wives was an Article of their Creed and promiscuous Adulteries were their constant Practice The Bohemian Adamites when they desired to satisfie their beastly Lusts were wont to say My spirit is waxed hot towards such a woman To whom he that was the head of the Faction would reply Go and replenish the Earth In all Ages the Churches if we may so call them without defiling a Name so sacred which have been founded and father'd by false-Teachers and Seducers have been †Rev. 18.2 Cages of unclean Birds But it 's Time we get out of this filth and mire for fear of defilement Behold then for a close of this Characteristical discourse the fittest Characters filthy conversation and fearful conclusion of these vile Apostates these deluding Dreamers and self-deceiving Seducers as represented to us by the Apostle Peter in his Prophetick Premonition concerning them which he penned by the conduct of the holy Spirit for a perpetual Caution to the Christian Church These sayes he †2 Pet. 2 17-22 are wells without water Clouds that are carried with a Tempest to whom the Mist or Blacknesse * So Jude v. 13. Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of darknesse is reserved for ever For when they speak great swelling words of Vanity they allure through the LUSTS of the FLESH through much WANTONNES those that were cleane escaped from them who live in ERROUR While they promise them Liberty they themselves are the servants of Corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought in Bondage For if after they have escaped the POLLUTIONS of the world through the Knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again intangled therein and overcome the LATTER END is worse with them then the BEGINNING For it had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteousnesse then after â—â—ey have known it to turne from the holy Commandment deliver'd unto them But it 〈◊〉 happened unto them according to the true Proverb The Dog is turned to his own vomit again and â—he Soâ— that was washed to her wallowing in the mire Thus we have seen the Characters of Seducers whereby we may know when according to the Scripture Predictions they are come amongst us Come we now to consider in what cases the times are to be accounted evil and pâ—rillous upon the account of the Errours introduc'd and false-worship maintain'd by these over-active Agents of Satan for the distuâ—bing of the Peace of the Kingdome of Christ and the promoting of the interests of the Kingdom of darknesse in the world The Cases wherein Errour and false-Worship make the Times Perillous The first Case Licentiousnesse colour'd with Liberty of Conscience VVHen Liberty of conscience is pleaded for an unlimited or ill-limited Toleration of irregularities in Opinion and Practice the Times are justly to be accounted evil and perillous The CONSCIENCE of man is indeed the COURT of God but it hath no obliging power but from Gods command No man indeed may command or can compell the conscience It s subjected solely to the Law and Soveraignty of God The Will of God as manifested by the light of Nature as the Moral Law or by Divine Revelation as the commands of the Gospel is the onely Law which layes an Obligation upon the conscience of man or whereunto a man is purely out of conscience bound to yeeld obedience As for the Laws of men they lay not an Obligation upon the Conscience neither is any man bound out of conscience to obey them any further then he is thereunto obâ—ig'd by the Law of God by which every humane Ordinance and constitution is ratifi'd which is founded in a lawful Authority And therefore sayes the Scripture †1 Pet. 2.13 14. submit your selves to every * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ordinance of man
Civil Dissentions until the streets of Jerusalem ran down with blood and the Body of the City became as a bloody †Mat. 24.28 CARKAS For before the final devastation of that renowned City it was divided as Josephus relates into a threefold Faction which under the Conduct of John Simon and Eleazar cruelly contested one with another and that bloody Generation called the Zealots of whom we have formerly spoken adhering as occasion serv'd to each party ceased not to foment this cruel Dissention and to enrage the heat of this burning Fever in the heart of the holy City which could never be cured without the shedding of abundance of Blood and the loss of many thousand lives And when the Body of the City was miserably torne with these Dissentions within and in continual danger of the Romans Invasion from without methinks that Pathetical Representation which the Historian makes of their miserable condition with the weeping wishes of the woful inhabitants is enough to fetch Tears from the eyes of any that shall but seriously minde it For sayes he †Joseph 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The City being assaulted on every side by treacherous conspiratours and a rabble multitude of unneighbourly Neighbours in the out-parts thereof the People in the midst like to some great body were cruelly rent and torne But the ancient men and the women being utterly at a losse which way to escape such pressing calamities wish't for the Romanes hoping that a forreign Warre might give them some releasement from the bleeding miseries of these intestine Broiles Thus the afflicted Patient wishes sends for the Chirurgion to make an Incision into his Body and draw away the blood from his Veines for the cooling of the boyling heat which he feeles in his heart But sad is the state of that people who are in more danger in more feare of their own bloody Brethren then of the most enraged Enemies But alas when the Romanes furiously came against them how easily did a divided self-destroying people become a prey to their cruel enemies who slew with the sword about eleven hundred thousand of them utterly destroy'd that famous City and that glorious Temple which was justly renown'd throughout the whole World A great River whose water runnes in one channel is not easily foâ—dable but cut it into lesser streames and Rivulets as Cyrus did Euphrates when he assaulted Babylon and it may be easily passed over Thus Sedition in a state facilitates the way to its Destruction And the matter of Sedition sayes the Lord Verulam †Bacon in Essayes c. 15 is of two kindes much Roverty and much discontentment It is certaine sayes he so many overthrown estates so many Votes for Troubles When a Fire is kindled amongst old broken Houses it burns most violently and irresistibly When men are grown desperate the times must needs be dangerous Now the Causes and motions of Seditions sayes the same Authour are Innovation in Religion Taxes Alteration of Laws and Customes Breaking of Priviledges general Oppression Advancement of unworthy Persons Strangers Dearths Disbanded Souldiers Factions grown desperate and whatsoever in offending People joyneth and knitteth them in a common Cause These things carry in them so much light and evidence for their own truth and certainty and that sufficiently confirm'd by many sad experiences that when we see this Matter these Motives of Sedition we need not doubt to say the Times are perillous It 's most certaine that Union is the Stength Division the Weaknesse of any People This the Wise Father taught his children when he gave them a bundle of Rods to break which they were not able to do when bound together but easily snapt them in sunder when sever'd and singly deliver'd unto them Vnion is the Principle of Self-preservation but Division tends to Self-destruction Nostine igitur quod omne quod est tam diu manere atquâ— subsistere quam diu sit unum sed interire atque dissolvi pariter quando unum esse desierit * Boâ—t de Consol l. 4 Doest thou not know then sayes Boetius that every thing that is does so long abide and subsist as it continues to be ONE but when once it ceases to be one then is it dissolv'd and comes to nothing A house well compact will stand in a storm but when the Building is dis-joynted an easie push will throw it down and one part of it serves as an instrument to break the other in pieces and is it selfe broken in breaking And therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Arist Polit. Perillous are Breaches amongst Brethren when this is the Epidemical disease of a Nation it speaks the times to be perillous Union of the Inhabitants is a Nations strength and glory but Dissentions weaken its Strength stain its Glory and presage its Ruine Union of the Inhabitants is a brazen Wall of Defence round about a Nation to keep its enemies out but Division opens an hundred Gates for them to enter in It s easie to subdue that Nation which takes the onely way to destroy it self But now Nulla quamvis sit minima Natio cito potest ab Adversariis deleri nisi propriis simultatibus seipsam confecerit * Veget. l. 3 No Nation be it never so small can be suddenly destroy'd by its Adversaries unlesse it dispatch it self by its own discords and dissentions But when a Nation shall by sundry Factions and frequent Seditions teare in pieces its own bowels it may soone be crush't and quell'd by a Forreign Force When two great Nations profest enemies to the true Christian Religion are combin'd in a League of Amity and one small Nation professing the Christian Religion is divided within it self into almost a thousand fragments by a multitude of discordant Sects and many of them are already inflam'd after War and Blood and can hardly forbear some bloody Attempts for the tearing in pieces of their fellow-Members of the same Nation and a great number of them are the close Friends to the open Enemy and are continually blowing up the sparks of Dissention for the kindling of the Fire of War in the whole Kingdom are not such a People in a dangerous state and are we not to account such dayes to be perillous Times For When Discords and Quarrels and Factions are carry'd openly and audaciously as that learned States-man †â—acon in Essayes c. 15 before mention'd well observes it is a signe the reverence of Government is lost And Reverence sayes he is that wherewith Princes are girt from God When this Girdle is once loosed the Garment will easily be pluckt off the Government will soone be dissolv'd And yet moâ—e easily when it is not onely loose but rent with these Civil Dissentions Divisions have produced great Alterations accompanied with many woful Effects in the most potent Kingdomes on Earth the mightiest Monarchies of the World The Divisions amongst the Trojans as a * D. Featly Modern
and Sporting and making Merry then does the Lord bring his judgements upon them even sudden destruction For sayes the holy Ghost When they shall say Peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as Travail upon a woman with childe and they shall not escape * 1 Thes 5.3 Do you know or have you consider'd what was the carriage of the men of the old world when the Lord brought the Flood upon them and of the children of Israel a little before they were carryed captive into Babylon Why the Scripture tells you that in the Dayes of Noah that were before the Flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in Marriage until the day that Noah enter'd into the Ark and knew not untill the Flood came and took them all away †Mat. 24.38 39. They knew not that is they considered it not regarded it not For they had been warned of the coming of the Flood by the Preaching of Noah for the space of one hundred and twenty years and by his preparing an Ark for the preservation of himself and his own Family So the careless posture of the people of Israel in a free indulgence of their sensual Delights did but a little precede that cruel Captivity and bitter bondage which they so long sustained in Babylon * See Am. chap. 6. Now are not the people of the Land in these our Dayes generally senslesse of the crying sins and fearlesse of the following Judgements which may justly fall upon us Is it not time then for them that feare the Lord to lay these things to heart and to weep and mourne before the Lord for these Abominations Does it not both well become and neatly concerne the people of God in the Land to call one another to Fasting and Mourning and bitter Lamentation lest the Lord should kindle a fire in his wrath so that none can quench it O Christians can you sit still and be secure in such Times as these What do you not care how soone the Gospel the glory departs from England Do you not care what becomes of Religion what befalls the Church how soon you loose your Opportunities of enjoying the blessed Ordinances of the Gospel Oh are not these Opportunities precious are not the Ordinances of God precious are not the Ministers of the Gospel and the People of God precious in your Esteeme How then will your hearts bear it to see these Ministers of the Gospel murther'd these people of God led as sheep to the slaughtâ—r Alas you know not how near the Dayes may be wherein you may say Time was when we enjoy'd the Ordinances of God and had many opportunities of seeking the Face of God in the Assemblies of his Saints but alas now we aâ—e deprived of these enjoyments And oh will you not yet lay these things to heart so as to mourn before the Lord for those Evils whereby we have provoked the Lord to plague the whole Land with his Judgements and utterly to deprive us of these precious Priviledges Do you see no cause of Feare no signes of Danger Are not Sabbaths profan'd Ordinances contemn'd the Word despis'd the Sacraments slighted Ministers reviled Scriptures rejected the Spirit resisted Christ crucifi'd afresh and the Name of God blasphem'd amongst us Now are not these fearful Provocations of the most high God May not the despised Manna be restrained and God give us Quailes meat for our Lusts in wrath May not God justly punish mens wearinesse of his Worship with a Famine of his Word when men prize the World above the Word of God may not the Lord justly take away his Word and Gospel from such an unworthy people May not he suffer the seales of his Covenant the Pledges of his love to be taken away from us or polluted to us May not our Teachers be removed into a corner May not the Holy Scriptures the Well-springs of our Comforts and Joy be sealed up from us May not God take away his Holy Spirit from us that he may no more †Gen. 6.3 strive with a people devoted to destruction May not God charge upon the Land the guilt of his Sonnes Blood and revenge upon a rebellious people the wrong done to his owne Name Is it not then high time for us to * Am. 4.12 meet the Lord by Repentance and to humble our selves before him for the sins of the Land lest his indignation break forth upon us as a Breach of the Sea and there be no means left to escape Come then Christians and let us weep and mourne before the Lord. It may be he may regard our Tears and hear the voice of our weeping †Psal 6.8 and put on Bowels of Compassions towards us and spare our Land Who knows but the whole Land may fare the better for the sakes of a few Mourners in Zion Oh let 's every one labour to become one of that number So when the Lord shall arise and have mercy upon Zion we shall be called to partake of her Joy Rejoyce for joy with her saith the Lord * Isa 66.10 all ye that have mourned for her However Christians go into your Closets and weep before the Lord in secret for the sinnes whereby God is openly dishonour'd This was the holy resolution of the Prophet Jeremy upon the pride and stubbornnesse of the people of Judah the sad Symptomes of approaching Judgements Heare ye sayes he †and give eare * Jer. 13.15 16 17. be not proud for the LORD hath spoken Give glory to the LORD your God before he cause darknesse and before your feet stumble upon the dark Mountaines and while ye look for light he turne it into the shadow of Death and make it grosse Darknesse But if ye will not hear it my soul shall weep in secret places for your Pride and mine eye shall weep sore and run down with teares because the LORDS Flock is carried away captive Now if you be of the number of those that mourn and sigh for the Abominations of the Times if the Lord shall bring his Judgements in your dayes upon the Land he will prepare his secret Chambers of providence for your preservation Thus the Lord sent his Angel to set a Mark upon the fore-heads of the men that mourn'd for the sinnes of Jerusalem that they might be spared when all the rest of the City by an impartial stroke were to suffer an inevitable destruction * See Ezek. 9 4-7 Thus Lot living in Sodom †2 Pet. 2.7 8. a lustful City vexed his righteous soul from day to day with a holy sorrow for the sins of the filthy Sodomites and so the Lord preserved him in the dreadful overthrow of that sinful City O then Christians mourne and weep for the sinnes of the Times the Abominations of the Age wherein you live and it may be you may by this means save the City save a Kingdome from destruction however you shall be sure to save your own
souls The second Duty The Practice of Piety ARe they Dayes of Danger Times of Perill wherein you live yet Dare to be pious though the Times be perillous To be religious when Religion is both in Fashion and in favour is no great praise but it s the glory of a Saint to be Holy and Good when the Times he lives in are sinfull and Evil. It 's a Crown of glory which shall flourish for ever which the Hand of God himself hath set upon the head of Noah * Gen. 6.9 Noah was a just man and perfect in his Generations which were sinful and wicked Job shone as a bright Star in the East when almost all the world was overspread with Darknesse And therefore God himself hath given him an honourable Testimony in his Word both for †Job 1.1 Piety and * Jam. 5.11 Patience and thereby an everlasting blessed Memorial Doubtlesse its a Saints Duty to be religious when for Religions sake he is exposed to Danger Here 's the tryal of sincerity when Truth faileth †Isa 59.15 See the Margin and he that departs from iniquity maketh himself a prey and is accounted mad for his paines Better it is to lose the favour of men then to incur the displeasure of God The losse of the favour of men is nothing compared to the gain of the favour of God It s nothing to flock to the Tabernacle in Times of Peace but its worthy of Israelites indeed to accompany the Ark of God in all the perils of War Be not discourag'd Christians by the Danger of the Times from doing those Duties whereby in your places you may glorifie God Moreover consider to be good in bad Times is the way to make bad Times good And therefore sayes Hierome Ne dicas priora Tempora meliora fuere quam nunc sunt Virtutes faciunt Dies bonos Vitia malos * Hier. in Eccl. c. 41. Say not the Times were better heretofore then now they are Virtues make good Dayes Vices bad It s then the wisdom of a Christian to turn his complaint of evil Times into the Practice of excellent Virtues for this will be singularly conducible to the making of the Times good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Chrys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the Day is good or bad sayes Chrysostome not according to its own Nature for one day does nothing differ from another but according to our diligence or slothfulness in the improvement of it If thou workest righteousnesse the day becomes good unto thee if thou committest sin evil and full of Vexation If thou wisely considerest these things thou mayst so dispose thy self as to have the whole year prosperous and happy This if thou make Prayer and Almes-Deeds to be thy daily exercise Thus Christian Virtues and Exercises of Religion are the most excellent Antidotes against Evil Times To be diligent serious and constant herein is the onely way to see good Dayes Though a man be encompast with the blackest midnight of Darknesse let him light up his Lamps and he presently enjoys the Benefit and protection of the Light which does as it were with a thousand glistering Spears defend him against the Invasion of all the Forces of Darknesse Certainly there is nothing more necessary and conducible more excellent and efficacious for the changing of an IRON AGE into a GOLDEN SEASON then the constant exercise of PIETY and CHARITY amongst Christians And if every Christian would but seriously minde his Particular Duty how much might he contribute to the General good How soon are the foule streets of a great City made clean by every mans sweeping his own Door How soon would the great work of REFORMATION be accomplisht if every one would but reform one So should the most dangerous Dayes soon become what by many they are falsely called glorious Times For its the Goodnesse or Badnesse of men which makes the times good or bad Those are the worst Times wherein men are worst and those the best Times wherein men are best Though bad Times are worst to the best men yet good men should be best in the worst Times Such was Noah in the old World Lot in Sodome Daniel in Babylon Golden Saints in an Iron Age. Thus in the Evening of the Old Testament-Administration when the darkest shades vail'd the Churches Glory some Saints there were which shone as bright rising Stars in the rayes of true Piety which sparkled as orient Jewels in the lustre of godly Zeale and invincible Sincerity For when base Hypocrites began to blaspheme and say * Mal. 3 13-17 It was in vaine to serve God and it was to no profit or purpose to keep his Ordinance or to walk humbly bâ—fore him When they began to call the proud happy because they saw them that wrought wickednesse exalted and those that tempted God delivered Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another And oh precious were these Persons and this their Piety in the account of God! For Then the LORD hearkened and heard it and a Book of Remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD and that thought upon his Name And they shall be mine saith the LORD of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him Now who would not but desire this special interest in Gods Love and Favour in Times of Danger and Distresse What an encouragement then Christians should this be unto you to be good in bad Times Certainly Christians sanctity is the best way to security The †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. qui Coelum spectar Athen l. 7. Plin. l. 32. c. 7. Uranoscope is a Fish as the Naturalists tell us which hath but one eye just on the top of the head looking upward towards heaven yet thereby she foresees and prevents Dangers To keep the Eye of the soul ever open Heaven-ward is the safest way for the Prevention of those Dangers to which we are exposed in the troublesome Sea of this World For God hath an Eye continually open upon them for their Preservation who have an Eye continually open upon him in their Convertions Yea by this means you may nor onely save your self but be a happy means to save the whole Nation by standing in the * Ezek. 22.30 Gap as †Psal 106.23 Moses to hinder the breaking in of Gods Judgements upon a provoking People O then be Diligent Christians and Constant in the serious Practice of solid Piety This General Duty hath several Branches which are of special Concernment to Christians that live in perillous Times and therefore take notice of them in these following Particulars The first Branch KEep your selves from the Corruptions of the Times Take heed of being tainted with the sins and Abominations of the Times wherein you live The fuller the World is of Defilements the greater must your care be to *